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"Then sell to me," Lev said.
Greg was surprised. He had not seen that coming.
"I'll give you a good price," Lev added.
Dave shook his head. "I like owning cinemas," he said. "They give people pleasure."
"Eight million dollars," Lev said.
Greg felt bemused. He thought: Did I just hear Father offer Dave eight million dollars?
"That is a fair price," Dave admitted. "But I'm not selling."
"No one else will give you as much," Lev said with exasperation.
"I know." Dave looked as if he had taken enough browbeating. He swallowed the rest of his drink. "Nice to see you both," he said, and he strolled out of the bar into the dining room.
Lev looked disgusted. "'Not everyone is obsessed with money,'" he quoted. "Dave's great-grandfather arrived here from Persia a hundred years ago with nothing but the clothes he wore and six rugs. He wouldn't have turned down eight million dollars."
"I didn't know you had that much money," Greg said.
"I don't, not in ready cash. That's what banks are for."
"So you'd take out a loan to pay Dave?"
Lev raised his forefinger again. "Never use your own money when you can spend someone else's."
Gus Dewar walked in, a tall figure with a large head. He was in his midforties, and his light brown hair was salted with silver. He greeted them with cool courtesy, shaking hands and offering them a drink. Greg saw immediately that Gus and Lev did not like one another. He feared that would mean Gus would not grant the favor Greg wanted to beg. Maybe he should give up the thought.
Gus was a big shot. His father had been a senator before him, a dynastic succession that Greg thought was un-American. Gus had helped Franklin Roosevelt become governor of New York and then president. Now he was on the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
His sons, Woody and Chuck, went to the same school as Greg. Woody was brainy, Chuck was a sportsman.
Lev said: "Has the president told you to settle my strike, Senator?"
Gus smiled. "No--not yet, anyway."
Lev turned to Greg. "Last time the foundry was on strike, twenty years ago, President Wilson sent Gus to strong-arm me into giving the men a raise."
"I saved you money," Gus said mildly. "They were asking for a dollar--I made them take half that."
"Which was exactly fifty cents more than I intended to give."
Gus smiled and shrugged. "Shall we have lunch?"
They went into the dining room. When they had ordered, Gus said: "The president was glad you could make it to the reception at the White House."
"I probably shouldn't have taken Gladys," Lev said. "Mrs. Roosevelt was a bit frosty with her. I guess she doesn't approve of movie stars."
She probably doesn't approve of movie stars who sleep with married men, Greg thought, but he kept his mouth shut.
Gus made small talk while they ate. Greg looked for an opportunity to ask his favor. He wanted to work in Washington one summer, to learn the ropes and make contacts. His father might have been able to get him an internship, but it would have been with a Republican, and they were out of power. Greg wanted to work in the office of the influential and respected Senator Dewar, personal friend and ally of the president.
He asked himself why he was nervous about asking. The worst that could happen was that Dewar would say no.
When the dessert was finished, Gus got down to business. "The president has asked me to speak to you about the Liberty League," he said.
Greg had heard of this organization, a right-wing group opposed to the New Deal.
