Page 337 of Edge of Eternity (The Century 3)

"Do you know how far it is?"

"About two thousand miles."

She picked up her phone.

Dave added: "Order a limousine to meet me at the airport there."

She made a note, then spoke into the phone. "When is the next flight to Cleveland? . . . Thank you, I'll hold." She looked at Dave again. "Where in Cleveland do you want to go?"

"Give the driver Albert Wharton's home address."

"Is Mr. Wharton expecting you?"

"It's going to be a surprise." He winked at her and went into the inner office.

Charlie was behind the desk. In honor of Saturday he was wearing a tweed jacket and no tie. "Could you make two edits of the show?" Dave said. "One with the kiss and one without?"

"Easily," said Charlie. "We already have an edit without the kiss, ready to broadcast. We could make the alternative this morning. But we're not going to do it."

"Later today you're going to get a phone call from Albert Wharton, asking you to leave the kiss in. I just want you to be ready. You wouldn't want to disappoint our sponsor."

"Of course not. But what makes you so sure he's going to change his mind?"

Dave was not at all sure, but he did not tell Charlie that. "Having both versions ready, what would be the latest time you could make the change?"

"About ten minutes to eight, Eastern time."

Jenny Pritchard put her head around the door. "You're booked on the eleven o'clock plane, Dave. The airport is seven miles from here, so you need to leave now."

"I'm on my way."

"The flight takes four and a half hours, and there's a three-hour time difference, so you land at six thirty." She handed him a slip of paper with Mr. Wharton's address. "You should be there by seven."

"That gives me just enough time," said Dave. He waved a good-bye at Charlie and said: "Stay by the phone."

Charlie looked bemused. He was not used to being pushed around. "I'm not going anywhere," he said.

In the outer office, Miss Pritchard said: "His wife is Susan and his children are Caroline and Edward."

"Thank you." Dave closed Charlie's door. "Miss Pritchard, if you ever get fed up with working for Charlie, I need a secretary."

"I'm fed up now," she said. "When do I start?"

"Monday."

"Should I come to the Beverly Hills Hotel at nine?"

"Make it ten."

The hotel limousine took Dave to LAX. Miss Pritchard had called the airline, and there was a stewardess waiting to take him through the VIP channel, to avoid mob scenes in the departure lounge.

He had had nothing but aspirins for breakfast, so he was glad of the in-flight lunch. As the plane came down toward the flat city by Lake Erie, he ruminated over what he was going to say to Mr. Wharton. This was going to be difficult. But if he handled it well perhaps he could turn Wharton around. That would make up for his earlier cowardice. He longed to tell his sister that he had redeemed himself.

Miss Pritchard's arrangements worked well, and a car was waiting for him at Hopkins International Airport. It took him to a leafy suburb not far away. A few minutes after seven the limousine pulled into the driveway of a large but unostentatious ranch-style house. Dave walked up to the entrance and rang the bell.

He felt nervous.

Wharton himself came to the door in a gray V-neck sweater and slacks. "Dave Williams?" he said. "What the hey . . . ?"

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