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the weather.
     
         "So give us a hug, big
sister," he said. She put her arms around him and he pressed his lower
body hard against her. "Bon whatever the fucking word for evening
is," he said. "Are we late?"
     
         "As always," Liz
said, smiling affectionately.
     
         "Now, now," he
chided. "Mustn't gibe an Emmy winner." His shiny black hair was
primed into a lavish pompadour.
     
         "You haven't won it
yet, brother dear," Liz said, closing the door.
     
         "In the bag," Val
told her.
     
         "We haven't met,"
Liz said, extending her hand to Val's date.
     
         "She's my latest
cunt," Val said, "Name's Candy Vagina."
     
         "Now stop that,"
Liz said, not too critically. She smiled at Candy. "I'm Liz Harper and I'm
not responsible for anything my brother says."
     
         "My first name is
Candy," Candy explained seriously. "Candace actually, but my last name is Regina," she added as though Liz had really believed her brother's
insulting last name.
     
         "You can see how I got
it wrong," Val said.
     
         Liz smiled at Candy.
"Nice fur," she said.
     
         "Val bought it for
me," Candy said.
     
         "Services
rendered," Val said.
     
         Liz scowled mockingly at
him. "Take your jacket?" she asked.
     
         "Sure," Candy
said. She removed the jacket, revealing more of her very low-cut evening gown.
     
         Val made a leering face at
her half-uncovered breasts. "Intellectual services, ofcourse," he
said.
     
         Liz groaned, "Come on
in," she said.
     
         The three of them started
across the room, Liz carrying Candy's jacket. "Greetings, peasants,"
Val said.
     
         "I'd bow but I'm
sitting down," Max told him. Val snickered. Ganine made a faint sound,
staring at the jacket. "Be a good girl and maybe you'll get one some
day," Max told her.
     
         "I don't want
one," Ganine said, making a face. Liz carried the jacket into the bedroom.
     
         "How you doin', Babs?
Charlie?" Val said. Barbara said hello, Charlie made a slight gesture of
welcome.
     
         "Say hello to the
people, Candy." Val told her.
     
         "Hello," she
murmured.
     
         "Talking's not her
specialty," Val said. Imitating Groucho Marx, he added. "Later on
I'll tell you what is." He looked at Ganine in pleased surprise.
"Good Christ, a new face?"   he said. "And who are you, young charmer?"
     
         "My name is
Ganine," she said.
     
         "Ganine Woodbury, Val,"
David said, returning with Max's drink.
     
         "Indeed," Val
said. He leaned over her. "I'm sorry, I'm already stuck with a date,"
he said, "otherwise, I'd make a move."
     
          "Val" Candy tried, in vain, to sound disapproving.
     
         "And how are you, Doc
Harper?" Val asked, "How's the network shrink?" His voice became
high-pitched and tremulous. "Doctor Harper, sir, I'm having trouble
getting it up. What do you advise?"
     
         "Use it less, young
man," David said, as though answering a genuine call.
     
         "I am," said Val
protestingly, "I've got it down to ten times a night."
     
         David smiled and shook his
head, extending his right hand to Candy. "I'm David Harper," he said.
     
         "Hi," she
answered.
     
         "Is that a real leopard
jacket you have?" he asked, glancing at Liz as she came back from the
bedroom andwent over to the bar to make herself a fresh drink.
     
         "Uh-huh," Candy
answered.
     
         "Ex-leopard
jacket," Max said. David smiled.
     
         "Hey, Charlie,"
Val said, "we gonna sweep tonight?"
     
         "Why not?" Charlie
answered, almost apathetically.
     
         "Well, control your
enthusiasm—from the program of the same name," Val said.
     
         "Usually nap time after
dinner," Charlie said, taking a sip of his Scotch. He went back to his
conversation with Barbara.
     
         "Would you like