For example, now.
Exactly as predicted, Prior said huffily, “Matthew, one doesn’t expect to have to-”
Abruptly Flamen ran out of patience. “On the conone does expect to have to! Unless one does someto cure the trouble! How many breaks did we have on today’s show-five, was it?”
“Ah.” Prior swallowed. “Yes, I’m afraid so. And the longest ran nearly fifty seconds.”
“And in the face of that you think it’s surprising when our comweb goes wrong? Come off it, Lionel, you aren’t that na‹ve! Or-well, come to think of it, maybe you are, the way you abase yourself by kowtowing in front of that lump of plastic you call a Lar!”
“Matthew, a man’s personal choice of religion is-”
“When did you last bother to check our own compuWe have seventy-plus in favor of L P being a colfront for that kneeblank outfit Conjuh Man Inc. Pickings from the black enclaves apparently aren’t enough for them, so they’ve decided to expand and milk some gullible blanks as well. If you’re anything to judge by, they’re going to be a roaring success on a par with the Gottschalks!”
Prior’s eyes bulged. Cruelly Flamen gambled on his habitual unwillingness to be seen giving way to emotion even in the presence of someone he had worked with for years. He let silence stretch elastically; then, at the last possible moment, brought up the important subject again.
“What did you call me about, anyway? Got some brilidea for tomorrow’s slot which will drag the viewers back by the millions?”
Recovering with an effort from the shock Flamen had administered, Prior mumbled, “Well, the audience fiare holding up pretty well, considering. And that’s mainly what counts, I guess.”
“So if they’re holding up why do the interruptions make you so furious? Darl, you know as well as I do that if someone carried out a physical check of the sets that are nominally tuned to my show, they’d find that half of them have the color and hold controls deliberately set adrift. Who watches three-vee at midday nowadays except while they’re orbiting? Hell, the viewers probeven like the interference!”
Looking anxious, Prior came back with a reflex answer. “Matthew, you’re too modest. You’re one of only a handof people who can still hold an audience for a talking show. You mustn’t run down your own talents.”
“I don’t have to. It gets done for me.” Flamen sent the rest of his drink down in one long gulp; when it struck the pit of his stomach he felt marginally better. “Do me a favor, darl-think for a moment, hm? Does this mysterious interference ever hit during a commercial? It does not. Does it even hit when we have a good juicy piece of tape from the site and scene of some nauseous scandal? Uh-uh. It hits when I’m on camera and at no other time. Truth, darl?”
Prior would have liked to contest the statement, by his expression, but the facts were self-evident. He nodded sadly.
Flamen set his glass in position for a refill and hit the console stud. “So what you want I should do?” he said. “Have the situation comped? Darl, why should I need to? Recall the background: they eased us out of prime time with the bribe of fifteen minutes daily instead of ten, didn’t they? Then they chopped down the bonus with extra advertising. Fine, it’s a convincing argument-here’s this fabulous audience that more and more sponsors want to reach-but the fact stands that our fifteen-minute slot is down to twelve and a half and apt to get shorter still. Meanwhile the number of items we have comped out on network say-so rises steadily. Don’t you think they’re being a trifle over-sensitive for people who want to hold an audience?”
He paused, but Prior didn’t say anything.
“I read it this way,” he resumed. “They can’t afford to simply show me the exit-I’d collect a palladium-plated handshake for breach of contract. So they’re merely hopI’ll get annoyed enough to start yelling, when they could clobber me for like insulting the Head of Proand the PCC wouldn’t be able to touch them. So I suggest you make like me and hang on as long as you can. A hundred thousand tealeaves a month isn’t something you can collect by knocking on the first door you pass.”