“It was exciting. Still, I can’t say I enjoyed it. Seeing two men go to their deaths—”
“I know,” Joe interrupted, “it shatters you, at first. That’s why so few men are any good as newsreel cameramen. But you have the stuff, Flash. Why don’t you take my job until I’m able to get around again?”
The abrupt question startled both Flash and Doyle. The latter could not hide a frown of displeasure.
“How about it, George?” Joe asked the soundman. “You’d like to have him work with you?”
“Oh, sure,” he replied without warmth. “Only I imagine district manager, Clewes, has a man hand-picked for the job.”
“Flash is on the spot. Another man would need to come here. I can send Clewes a wire.”
“Please don’t bother,” Flash said quietly. “This is my vacation.”
“I don’t doubt that, Joe. Perhaps, some other time I’ll try it.”
“Well, thanks anyway for pinch hitting,” the newsreel man replied gratefully. “That trip yesterday must have been quite a strain. You’re tough as a hunk of whang leather, Flash.”
A nurse entered the room to take a temperature reading. After she had gone, Joe turned to Doyle:
“Do me a favor, will you? Run over to the drug-store and buy me some tooth paste.”
Doyle left on the errand. As soon as his footsteps had died away, Joe motioned for Flash to draw his chair closer.
“Now we can talk,” he said comfortably. “What’s the real reason you don’t want my job? Doyle?”
“His attitude figures. He doesn’t like me. Working with him would be unpleasant.”
“You’ll get used to his grouching and boasting after awhile. I did. Why not give it a little whirl—while you’re on your vacation anyhow? It’s not easy, getting a chance to break into the newsreel game, and here it drops right into your lap. If you don’t like it, you can go back to the _Ledger_ and no harm done. And another thing, the pay is much better.”
As Flash remained thoughtfully silent, Joe added: “If your pictures turn out well, Clewes may offer you the job on his own initiative. Don’t let Doyle’s personality stand in your way.”
“I’ll think it over. By the way, how is the Major?”
Joe jerked his head toward the wall behind the bed.
“They have him in the next cell,” he revealed in a low voice. “I’m telling you that old goof nearly drives me crazy.”