EXT. ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - 4:00 AM

	A patch of water. PULL BACK TO REVEAL more water.  BACK 
	FARTHER TO REVEAL an expanse of river, up the bank to 
	massive lawn running up to a great, classic Hudson River
	manor house; the country estate of William Parrish.

	INT. PARRISH COUNTRY ESTATE - 4:00 AM

	MOVE THROUGH French doors that lead from a wide terrace into
	an expansive living room, DOWN wide corridors lined with
	Bierstadt and Cole paintings, the Hudson River School, mists
	and trees and small boats and distant humans.

	INT. PARRISH BEDROOM - 4:00 AM

	MOVE THROUGH the doorway to reveal a master bedroom furnish-
	ed with exquisite simplicity, revelatory of its sleeping
	occupant, WILLIAM PARRISH, 64, a warm but commanding face, a
	man of maturity yet who exudes a glow of enthusiasm.

	Although asleep, there is an uncommon restlessness to him.
	Parrish grips his upper arm as if in pain.  Now the severity
	of the pain wakes him, he squeezes his arm.  The wind comes
	up, through the wind a VOICE is heard distantly, or is it the
	wind itself:

			     VOICE (V.O.)
		... Yes.

	Parrish blinks, has he heard something, has he not, he is
	not sure, he releases his arm, his grimace of pain fades,
	the discomfort seems momentarily to have subsided.

	He rises now, crosses to the bathroom.  As he pees, a breeze
	outside the window, the wind again, but then the Voice comes
	up:

			     VOICE (V.O.)
		Yes...

	It is unmistakably a Voice, it is not the wind, Parrish has
	heard something, he looks around, but no one is there.  He
	can't finish peeing, turns back to his bedroom.  All beweild-
	ered, Parrish looks around once more, climbs back into bed,
	trying to trace the source of what he has heard or hasn't
	heard; he is not sure.

	He pulls the covers up now, not a SOUND, tries to close his
	eyes.

			     VOICE (V.O.)
		Yes.

	Parrish sits up again, frightened, but still there is no one
	there, he seems fraught with indecision, should he get up,
	should he not, what is happening?  He looks out: absolute
	stillness and silence, CRICKETS chirp down by the river, a
	light FLICKERS from a shadboat, Parrish closes his eyes but
	then they flutter open, he glances up at the ceiling and
	finally, exhausted, falls back asleep.

	EXT. REAR TERRACE, PARRISH COUNTRY ESTATE - NEXT MORNING

	The great lawn infested with workmen, planting stakes, un-
	rolling a huge canvas tent, gardeners fashioning topiary and
	adding landscaping of their own, crews setting up platforms,
	speakers, lights.  Ubiquitous is ALLISON, 35, Parrish's
	older daughter, foremen competing for her attention and she
	relishing every moment.

	A Painter approaches.

			     PAINTER
		The big tent, Miss Allison --

			     ALLISON
		Paint is rust and moss green.
		Medieval colors -- Daddy's like
		an old knight.

	A Florist stops her.

			     FLORIST
		The head table --?

			     ALLISON
		What about it?

			     FLORIST
		The flowers, ma'am--?

			     ALLISON
		Freesia, freesia, everywhere.  Daddy
		loves freesia -- and you, over there,
		lights.  Not too bright.  I'm looking
		for a saffron glow -- sort of tea-
		dance twenties.

	EXT. GREAT HALL, COUNTRY ESTATE - MORNING

	Parrish, groomed for the day, trots down the stairs, observ-
	ing the activity outside through the windows.  He checks his
	watch, strides down the hall, encounters MAY, 50, a family
	retainer who is opening the doors to the terrace as Parrish
	passes.

			     PARRISH
		What do you think of all this, May?

			     MAY
		It's going to be beautiful.  And
		Miss Allison says the President may
		come.

			     PARRISH
		Oh, the President's got better
		things to do than come to my
		birthday party.

			     MAY
			(smiling)
		What?

	Parrish grins, continues on, is intercepted by Allison who,
	on catching sight of him, bounces in from the terrace.

			     ALLISON
		Daddy!

			     PARRISH
		Hi, Allison --

			     ALLISON
		Have you got a minute?

			     PARRISH
		Not much more.  Big day in the big
		city.  What's on your mind?

			     ALLISON
		Fireworks.  Update -- we're con-
		structing the number '65' on the
		barge, archers from the State
		College at New Paltz will shoot
		flaming arrows at it, when it
		catches fire it will give us the
		effect of a Viking funeral with none
		of the morbidity... The Hudson River
		Authority says, for you, they'll
		make a special dispensation - of
		course there'll be an overtime bill
		for the Poughkeepsie Fire Dept...

			     PARRISH
		Allison, I trust you.  This is your
		thing.

			     ALLISON
		But it's your birthday.

	Parrish smiles complaisantly, they continue on into a break-
	fast room where SUSAN, 30, Parrish's younger daughter, is
	grazing at a table laden with cereals and fruits and coffee.

			     SUSAN
		Good morning, Dad.

			     PARRISH
		Hi, honey.

			     ALLISON
			(to Susan)
		I'm Allison, you're 'honey'.

			     SUSAN
			(smiling)
		Drew called from the AStar, they're
		still two minutes away.

			     PARRISH
		Drew's aboard?

			     SUSAN
		He wanted to ride back down with
		you. Now sit and relax, get some-
		thing in that flat tummy of yours --

	But Parrish only pours coffee.

			     SUSAN (cont'd)
			(to Allison)
		You coming?

			     ALLISON
		You've got patients waiting, I've
		got three hysterical chefs, one
		loves truffles, the other hates
		truffles, the third one doesn't know
		what truffles are.  I'd better drive
		down.

	Parrish gazes at the going-on outside which are increasing
	in intensity.

			     PARRISH
			(unconsciously)
		I hate parties --

			     ALLISON
		Calm down, Daddy, you'll see, you're
		going to love it.

			     PARRISH
		Isn't it enough to be on this earth
		sixty-five years without having to
		be reminded of it.

			     ALLISON
		No.

	Allison goes, Susan observes Parrish fidgeting.

			     SUSAN
		Will you relax?  I know it is a big
		deal day --

			     PARRISH
		How did you know?

			     SUSAN
		Drew told me.

			     PARRISH
		Does Drew tell you everything?

			     SUSAN
		I hope so.

			     PARRISH
		You like him, don't you?

			     SUSAN
		Yeah.  I guess so.

	A moment.

			     PARRISH
		I don't like to interfere.

			     SUSAN
		...Then don't.

	The helicopter CHOPS in overhead.

			     SUSAN (cont'd)
		-- Here comes our boy now --
		Shall we?

	EXT. COUNTRY ESTATE - MORNING

	A BUTLER and May carry the overnight bags for the family as
	led by Parrish, they hurry towards the helicopter.  En route
	they pass QUINCE, 38, Allison's husband, who is perched at a
	portable bar with AMBROSE, the head caterer, tasting wines.

			     QUINCE
		...This shit's not bad.

			     AMBROSE
		-- The late harvest Riesling, Mr.
		Quince, a possibility for dessert.

			     QUINCE
			(pointing to another
			 bottle)
		And that?

			     AMBROSE
		Pinot Grigio.  We're considering it
		for the appetizer.

	Ambrose takes a sip, swishes the wine in his mouth, spits it
	in a bucket.

			     QUINCE
		What do you do that for?

			     AMBROSE
		Well sir, it's 9:30 in the morning.

			     QUINCE
		9:30's almost 10:30.  Where I come
		from, the sun's over the yardarm,
		m'boy, and the cocktail lamp is lit.

	Quince drains his wine, presents it for a refill, when he is
	hailed by Allison.

			     ALLISON
		Quince!  Everybody's waiting!

	Quince downs this glass too, runs for the helicopter as
	DREW, 34, a young man going places, emerges from it, 
	approaches Parrish and Susan.

			     DREW
			(to Susan)
		Hello, Beautiful.

			     SUSAN
		Hi.

	Drew kisses her, over her shoulder he glances at Parrish.

			     PARRISH
		Good morning, Drew.  Thanks for
		coming out.

			     DREW
		Well, it's a big day.  Wanted to
		line up a few ducks before kickoff.
		Any thoughts?  Last minute refine-
		ments or variations?

			     PARRISH
		'Thoughts'?  Not a one -- but I did
		hear a voice last night.

			     DREW
		A voice?

			     PARRISH
		In my sleep.

			     DREW
		What'd it say?

			     PARRISH
		'Yes'.

			     DREW
		'Yes' to the deal?

			     PARRISH
		Maybe, who knows?  You know how
		voices are.  Let's go.

	Quince comes running up now.

			     QUINCE
		Hi, Bill --

			     PARRISH
		Good morning, Quince.

			     QUINCE
		How're you doing--?

			     PARRISH
		I'm doing great.  You ready?

			     QUINCE
		I am, this is it.  B Day.

			     PARRISH
		How's that, Quince?

			     QUINCE
		Bontecou Day.  Going to close
		with Big John -- Look at you, Bill,
		all cool as a cat and over at
		Bontecou's, I'll bet he's shitting
		in his pants.

			     ALLISON
			(to Quince)
		Honey, please.

			     QUINCE
		Okay.  All aboard - New York, New
		York!

			     ALLISON
		Remember everybody, tonight, dinner
		in the city at Daddy's.  You too,
		Drew.  We've still got some loose
		ends --

			     PARRISH
		Not my birthday again?

			     SUSAN
		You're only six-five once.

			     PARRISH
		Thank God.  Now could we go?  Let's
		get this day started.

	Drew ushers everybody on, first Parrish, then Susan and
	Quince, Drew the last to climb on, shuts the door behind him
	As Allison hurries away from the whirling rotors.

	INT. ASTAR HELICOPTER - DAY

	The configuration of seats has Drew beside Parrish, in front
	of them Quince and Susan opposite each other in single seats.
	Just as Drew removes color-coded folders from his attache
	case and spreads them out for Parrish on his tray table, the
	pilot waves to Drew, indicating 'phone call'.  Drew gets up
	and heads for the cockpit, Parrish scans the folders, glances
	over at Susan who is making some notes on a file of her own.
	He motions to her to please come sit beside him, she checks 
	that Drew is still busy in the cockpit, tucks her papers into
	her carryall, and crosses over to Parrish who folds away the 
	work that Drew set before him into his tray table, locks it.

			     SUSAN
		I thought you were in a meeting--?

			     PARRISH
		I am.  With you.

	He peers up ahead at Drew, on the telephone and gesticulat-
	ing intensely, right at home in the cockpit despite the CHOP
	of the blades and the pilot pressed up against him.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		Do you love Drew?

			     SUSAN
		...There's a start for a meeting.

			     PARRISH
		I know it's none of my business --

	Susan doesn't answer for a moment, then impulsively kisses her
	father on the cheek.

			     SUSAN
		No, it's none of your business.

	Another moment.

			     PARRISH
		Do you love Drew?

			     SUSAN
		You mean like you loved Mom?

			     PARRISH
		Forget about me and Mom -- are you
		going to marry him?

			     SUSAN
		Probably.

	A moment.

			     PARRISH
			(smiles)
		Don't get carried away.

			     SUSAN
		Uh oh --

			     PARRISH
		Susan, you're a hell of a woman.
		You've got a great career, you're
		beautiful --

			     SUSAN
		And I'm your daughter and no man
		will ever be good enough for me.

			     PARRISH
		Well, I wasn't going to say that --

			     SUSAN
		What were you going to say?

			     PARRISH
		Listen, I'm crazy about the guy --
		He's smart, he's aggressive, he
		could carry Parrish Communications
		into the 21st century and me along
		with it.

			     SUSAN
		So what's wrong with that?

			     PARRISH
		That's for me.  I'm talking about
		you.  It's not so much what you say
		about Drew, it's what you don't say.

			     SUSAN
		You're not listening --

			     PARRISH
		Oh yes, I am.  Not an ounce of
		excitement, not a whisper of a
		thrill, this relationship has all
		the passion of a pair of titmice.

			     SUSAN
		Don't get dirty, Dad --

			     PARRISH
		Well, it worries me.  I want you
		to get swept away.  I want you to
		levitate.  I want you to sing with
		rapture and dance like a dervish.

			     SUSAN
		That's all?

			     PARRISH
		Be deliriously happy.  Or at least
		leave yourself open to be.

			     SUSAN
		'Be deliriously happy'.  I'm going
		to do my upmost --

	He smiles.

			     PARRISH
		I know it's a cornball thing but
		love is passion, obsession, someone
		you can't live without.  If you
		don't start with that, what are you
		going to end up with?  I say fall
		head over heels.  Find someone you
		can love like crazy and who'll love
		you the same way back.  And how do
		you find him?  Forget your head and
		listen to your heart.  I'm not
		hearing any heart.
			(a moment)
		Run the risk, if you get hurt, you'll 
		come back.  Because, the truth is 
		there is no sense living your life 
		without this.  To make the journey 
		and not fall deeply in love -- well, 
		you haven't lived a life at all.  
		You have to try.  Because if you 
		haven't tried, you haven't lived.

			     SUSAN
		Bravo.

			     PARRISH
		Aw, you're tough.

			     SUSAN
		I'm sorry.  But give it to me again.
		The short version.

			     PARRISH
		Stay open.  Who knows?  Lightning
		could strike.

	Silence.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		Forgive the lecture --

			     SUSAN
		I won't.  And when I tell Drew about
		it, he won't either.

			     PARRISH
		You won't tell him, and even if you
		did, he'd clock it and punch it into
		his laptop in order to pull out some
		key phrases when he gives the
		Commencement Speech at Wharton.

			     SUSAN
		You're terrible.

			     PARRISH
		I know.  But I'm the only father
		you've got.

	She kisses him on the cheek.

			     SUSAN
		Thank God.

			     PARRISH
		He doesn't care.  But thanks anyway.

	EXT. 34TH STREET HELIPAD, NEW YORK CITY - DAY

	The AStar lands, an attendant, waiting with a luggage cart,
	rushes to open the door and unload the bags.  The passengers,
	Parrish paired with Quince, Drew with Susan, file off the
	rooftop through a door which opens into an elevator.

	INT. ELEVATOR, NEW YORK CITY - DAY

	Parrish, Susan, Drew and Quince face forward as they ride
	downwards.

			     QUINCE
		Hey, this is it, the hour approach-
		es, I'm getting all excited.  So
		what do you think, is it --
			(indicates Drew and
			 Parrish)
		-- just the 'Executive Committee' or
		could you guys use me?

			     DREW
		Quince, m'man, thanks for the offer,
		but it's all set for just me and Bill.
		More people might --

			     QUINCE
		I know.  Gum up the works.

	Parrish is about to make some reassuring comment to Quince
	when the Voice suddenly intrudes:

			     VOICE (V.O.)
		'...I know, it's none of my
		business.'

			     PARRISH
		What?

			     DREW
		I was saying to Quince we won't
		need --

			     PARRISH
		Did you just hear something?

			     DREW
		Why yes, Bill, I was saying to
		Quince --

			     PARRISH
		No no, not you.

			     SUSAN
		Daddy, what's the matter?

			     PARRISH
		Nothing.  I'm sorry.

	A respectful silence, the elevator continues downwards,
	suddenly the Voice intrudes again:

			     VOICE (V.O.)
		'...I want you to levitate.  I want
		you to sing with rapture and dance
		like a dervish.'

	Parrish grunts bizarrely, Susan notices and reacts:

			     SUSAN
		What is it, Daddy --?

			     PARRISH
		Nothing.

	Parrish's eyes dart about, confirming no one has heard a
	thing but him.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		Just talking to myself again.  You
		know me --

	The elevator door opens.

			     PARRISH
		Well, here we are --

	Parrish leads the group out.

	EXT. 34TH STREET, NEW YORK CITY - DAY

	They exit the building.

			     SUSAN
			(to Parrish)
		Are you okay?

			     PARRISH
		A-Okay.  Got my gloves on, my ears
		pricked.  I'm ready for action.

			     SUSAN
		Well, go get 'em, Pops.

			     PARRISH
		Yer damn right.

	Parrish, followed by Drew, steps into a waiting limousine,
	Quince looks longingly after them.  Susan, blowing a kiss
	goodbye to her father, steps out into the street to hustle a
	cab.

	INT. LOBBY, BONTECOU WORLD HEADQUARTERS - DAY

			     DREW
		...Tomorrow we sign off -- photo
		opportunity, you and Big John, it'll
		lead network news.  Okay so far?

			     PARRISH
		Sounds good.

			     DREW
		It's going to be great --

			     PARRISH
		Do you think I need a haircut?

			     DREW
		Bill, after this deal, you'll be
		able to afford one.

	Parrish smiles, they step into the elevator.

	INT. BONTECOU EXECUTIVE OFFICES - DAY

	Parrish and Drew emerge from the elevator, Parrish observing
	the overkill decor.

			     DREW
		Their PR guy asked me, what did I
		think Parrish Communications stood
		for, that's principle and ethics-
		wise?  I came up with something, but
		then it occurred to me, why don't I
		ask Bill?  What do you think?

	A moment, Parrish shrugs.
	
			     PARRISH
		Our first annual report, must be
		thirty-five years ago now, I owned
		two stations, I wrote down a state-
		ment of purpose, that one day you
		would wake up to a Parrish radio
		station, read a Parrish paper at
		breakfast, catch our news on tele-
		vision during the day, and go to bed
		with one of our books or magazines
		and you would always be told the
		truth and in the bargain, have a
		good time.

			     DREW
		That's great!  Wait 'til I show it
		to Bontecou.

	Drew opens a door, a conference room, a circle of top exec-
	utives, now stepping out from the group is a huge, white-
	haired man, JOHN BONTECOU, 55.

			     BONTECOU
		Bill, thanks for coming over...
			(to Drew)
		And how're you doing today, Drew?
			(to Parrish)
		You've got a firecracker here, the
		kid's really set the table.

			     PARRISH
		Good, good.  Glad to hear it.

			BONTECOU
		We've met before, y'know, that White
		House function, the President had
		you on his right and you know where
		I was?

			     PARRISH
		I'm sorry, I don't recall --

			     BONTECOU
		Left field somewhere.  Well, Bill, I
		want to come in from the outfield,
		bat cleanup like you have, learn the
		plush ropes --

			     PARRISH
		I thought you were buying my company.

			     BONTECOU
		Oh, Mr. Parrish, I could never buy
		Parrish Communications.  I could pay
		for it, of course, but it would
		always have your imprint.

	Silence.  Parrish looks around at the circle of 'suits',
	Bontecou holding away.

			     PARRISH
		Well, that's very nice to hear.

	Drew nods excitedly.

	EXT. NEW YORK HOSPITAL CORNELL MEDICAL CENTER - DAY

	The busy medical community at 68th Street and New York Avenue.

	INT. CORINTH COFFEE SHOP, NEW YORK AVENUE - DAY

	A thriving eatery diagonally across from the hospital's
	entrance, customers cheek-by-jowl as a pair of waiters
	juggle breakfasts served to a noisy throng of doctors,
	residents and interns.

	Susan has squeezed into a seat in the corner.  A counterman,
	with a smile and a greeting, places a cup of coffee in front
	of her.  A sense this is a daily ritual, arming herself for
	the day; immediately she becomes aware of a man behind her
	speaking into the pay phone.

	An attractive YOUNG MAN, early 30's, a pair of suitcase at
	his feet, a raincoat slung over his shoulder.

			     YOUNG MAN
		...Honey, you've got to go on...
		there's a time to sow and a time to
		reap, you sow now and forget about
		him... yeah, I liked him, I don't
		like him anymore... because you're
		my honey and anybody messes with you
		messes with me -- I'm on a plane in
		a minute... as soon as I get my 
		phone in, you're my first call, 
		that's a promise... where you going
		now?... good, hit the books, get that
		degree, one day we'll hang out a
		shingle together... you bet, honey...
		later.

	The Young Man hangs up, turns around and sits down to an
	overflowing plate of eggs and meat, potatoes and toast, the
	counterman refills his cup and the Young Man ties into the
	breakfast, eating it with such relish that Susan can't take
	her eyes off him.  He senses her eyes, glances over, his
	cheeks filled with a mouthful of food, swallows embarrassedly.

			     YOUNG MAN
		Good morning, I was talking kind of
		loud there, sorry.

			     SUSAN
		Not at all.  It was fascinating.

			     YOUNG MAN
		Oh yeah?  What was 'fascinating'
		about it?

			     SUSAN
		You and 'Honey'?

			     YOUNG MAN
		My kid sister.  She just broke up
		with her boyfriend and she's
		thinking about dropping out of
		law school.

			     SUSAN
		I'm sorry --

			     YOUNG MAN
		Nothing to be sorry about.  That's
		the way with men and women, isn't
		it?

			     SUSAN
		What's the way?

			     YOUNG MAN
		Nothing lasts.

			     SUSAN
		I agree --

			     YOUNG MAN
		Why?

			     SUSAN
		I was just being agreeable, now I've
		got to explain why?

			     YOUNG MAN
		I'm not trying to sharpshoot you,
		but that 'nothing lasts' stuff,
		that's what was the trouble with
		Honey's guy.  He was fooling around
		and Honey caught him at it.  One
		girlfriend wasn't enough for him.

			     SUSAN
		So you're a one-girl guy?

			     YOUNG MAN
		Damn right.  Looking for her right
		now.  Who knows?  You might be her.

	Susan laughs.

			     YOUNG MAN (cont'd)
		Well, don't laugh.  I just arrived
		in town, got a new job -- I'm trying
		to get into this apartment.  You a
		doctor?

			     SUSAN
		How'd you know?

			     YOUNG MAN
		Everybody's a doctor around here.
		This apartment house is all green
		pajamas and slippers.  The guy I'm
		waiting for to vacate is a doctor.
		What kind of doctor?

			     SUSAN
		Me?  Internal medicine.

	The Young Man smiles.

			     YOUNG MAN
		So if I needed a doctor, you could
		be it?

			     SUSAN
		I could be her.

			     YOUNG MAN
		'Her'.

	A moment.

			     SUSAN
		Yes, I could.
			(a moment)
		I have an office in the hospital.

			     YOUNG MAN
		-- This is my lucky day.  I arrive
		in this big bad city and I not only
		find a doctor, a beautiful woman as
		well.

	Susan looks into her coffee.

			     YOUNG MAN (cont'd)
		I'm sorry, you mind my saying that?

			     SUSAN
		Not at all.

			     YOUNG MAN
		How 'bout another cup of coffee?

			     SUSAN
		I've got patients coming in --

			     YOUNG MAN
		And I want to get into my apartment
		and go to work.  Please, what do you
		say, another cup of coffee?

	Two pots are warming behind the counter, he reaches over and
	refills her cup and his.  Pushes a container and pitcher to-
	wards her.

			     YOUNG MAN (cont'd)
		I see you use lots of sugar and
		cream.  Me, too...

	They smile at each other, fix up their coffee.

	EXT. PARRISH COMMUNICATIONS, NEW YORK CITY - DAY

	A magnificent granite building, a monument to good taste in
	the midtown sea of glass and aluminum.

	INT. OUTER LOBBY, PARRISH COMMUNICATIONS - DAY

	Parrish and Drew enter, no particular fanfare but an aware-
	ness the 'Chief' has arrived, everyone giving Parrish the
	appropriate wide berth, Drew right beside him.

			     DREW
		I'm all excited --

			     PARRISH
		Me, too.

			     DREW
		I thought it was great, I thought
		you and Big John would be like a
		couple of bulls in a china shop --
			(faltering)
		Instead it was --

			     PARRISH
		Like a marriage made in heaven?

			     DREW
		You have a way with words.

	They stride to the main bank of elevators.

	INT. EXECUTIVE OFFICES, PARRISH COMMUNICATIONS - DAY

	Parrish, Drew beside him, proceeds through a high tech, but
	tasteful, maze, spiffy executive secretaries at burnished
	desks.  Neither looking right or left, somehow Parrish man-
	ages to acknowledge their bright smiles and deferential nods
	despite his swift entrance.

	He passes through an open set of doors and he is into his
	own suite, commanded by JENNIFER, his assistant.

			     JENNIFER
		Good morning, Mr. Parrish.

			     PARRISH
		Hi, Jennifer.

	Drew is still at Parrish's heels, but now Parrish stops at
	the open door, turns back to him, reminding Drew that this
	is as far as he goes without being invited.

			     DREW
		So... Board convenes tomorrow, you'll
		recommend, we close and it's a deal,
		right?

			     PARRISH
		As close as a deal could be.

			     DREW
			(bursting)
		Olympic.

	Parrish disappears into his office.  Drew, on his way out,
	glides past Jennifer's desk.

			     DREW (cont'd)
		This is our lucky day.

	Jennifer acknowledges Drew with a smile, rises and moves to
	Parrish's doorway, waiting for the day's instructions, but
	Parrish only nods to the door and Jennifer quickly closes
	it, returns to her desk.

	INT. PARRISH'S OFFICE - DAY

	Alone in his office, Parrish's ebullient mood immediately
	changes.  Leaning against the back of the couch, he stares
	out through floor-to-ceiling windows, surveying the 
	Manhattan skyline: cogitates.

	He takes a seat on the couch, opens a folder, suddenly he
	flinches with a spasm of pain in his shoulder.  It is sharp
	but brief, he notices it but what it does not continue, he
	ignores it.

	Parrish resumes looking at the folder when suddenly the
	pain comes again.  He reaches for his shoulder, tries to
	massage the pain, it does not subside.  Parrish stands,
	trying to shake it off, but it refuses to go away, some-
	thing is unmistakably wrong.  Now a SOUND which he has
	come to recognize, makes itself heard:

			     VOICE (V.O.)
		Yes.

	Frozen with surprise, Parrish's eyes search the room for the
	source of the SOUND, it comes from no particular direction,
	yet surrounds him.  Suddenly Parrish's symptoms sharply
	intensify, he is sinking to the floor but somehow grabs a
	corner of the desk, holds on with one hand, with the other
	clutches at his shoulder and arm, the pain has violently
	seized the upper part of his body.  He breaks out in a sweat,
	his pallor now waxen as the Voice repeats itself:

			     VOICE (V.O., cont'd)
		...Yes.

	Parrish grips the edge of the desk, the pain assaulting him
	on the one hand, the Voice coming at him from the outer,
	each aberration feeds on the other, he is beside himself,
	consumed with pain and bewildered by what seems to be a
	hallucination but which he is certain is not.  Parrish is
	possessed.  He angles his face in every direction, arbi-
	trarily chooses one and now embarrassedly, unconsciously,
	enrage, responds to the Voice.

			     PARRISH
		'Yes' what?

			     VOICE
		'Yes' is the answer to your
		question.

			     PARRISH
		I didn't ask any question.

			     VOICE
		I believe you did.

	Parrish is absolutely confounded, seized up with pain and
	consternation at this unseen Voice which has such presence
	and reality.

			     PARRISH
		Who are you?

	Silence.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		Goddammit, what is going on?!

			     VOICE
		I think you know --

			     PARRISH
		I don't!

			     VOICE
		Try.  Because 'if you haven't tried,
		you haven't lived'.

	A moment.

			     PARRISH
		What are you talking about?

			     VOICE
		What you were talking about.

	Parrish gasps.

			     PARRISH
		What is this?  Who is this fucking
		guy?

	He holds on tight to the corner of the desk, sweat dripping,
	his skin ashen.  Now he addresses the Voice again, searching
	for it in another direction:

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		Tell me who you are!

			     VOICE
		Are you giving me orders?

			     PARRISH
		I'm sorry, I --

			     VOICE
		No, you're not.  You're trying to
		'handle' the situation but this is
		the one situation you knew you never
		could handle.

	A spasm, the worst one yet, finally it subsides and there is
	an eerie silence in the room, a VOID, almost more disturbing
	than the voice that has filled it.

			     PARRISH
		Where are you?  Are you there?

			     VOICE
		It's enough now.

			     PARRISH
		Please.  Talk to me --

			     VOICE
		There's going to be plenty of time
		for that.

			     PARRISH
		What do you mean?!

			     VOICE
		I think you know --

			     PARRISH
		Know what?
			(a moment)
		Know what, goddammit!

	The VOICE is gone.  Parrish searches the corner, but the
	room has lost the quality it had when it was inhabited by
	the VOICE, it is now just Parrish's office.  Faint SQUEALS of
	traffic from the street, then a KNOCK at the door.

	Parrish touches his shoulder, the pain is gone, but he is
	still wet with sweat, the KNOCK again.  Parrish straightens
	himself up, adjusts his tie, runs his fingers through his
	hair, blinks as he addresses the door.

			     PARRISH
			(carefully)
		Come in.

	Jennifer enters.

			     JENNIFER
		I've been buzzing you, Mr. Parrish.
		Are you all right?

			     PARRISH
		Sure.

			     JENNIFER
		Lunch is 'in' today, have you given
		it any thought --_

			     PARRISH
			(interrupting)
		No.  Nothing.

			     JENNIFER
		Nothing?

	Parrish is within himself, doesn't answer.

			     JENNIFER (cont'd)
		Why don't I think of something?

	Parrish still doesn't answer, however Jennifer is satisfied,
	correctly hearing his silence as an affirmative.  She has her
	hand on the door, 'Open' or 'Closed'?  He nods and she closes it.
	Utter silence again.  Parrish's eyes search the room, nothing
	there.

	INT. CORINTH COFFEE SHOP, YORK AVENUE, DAY

	The place has cleared out now, the counterman busy bussing
	tables laden with dishes and cups, Susan and the Young Man
	are still at the counter, but about to leave.

			     YOUNG MAN
		...It's kind of a pro bono job.

			     SUSAN
		'Pro bono'.  That means doing good
		-- Going to be doing good all your
		life?

			     YOUNG MAN
		I know what you're saying.  Doesn't
		pay very well.  Depends on the woman
		I marry.  Maybe she'd like a bigger
		house, a better car, lotsa kids,
		college doesn't come cheap --

			     SUSAN
		You'd give up what you want for the
		woman you marry?

			     YOUNG MAN
		I would.

	Susan rises now, the Young Man with her, leaving money for
	their checks they head for the door.

			     YOUNG MAN (cont'd)
		If I married you, I'd want to give
		you what you wanted, I know it's
		old fashioned and all that, but
		what's wrong with taking care of a
		woman?  She takes care of you.

			     SUSAN
		You'll have a hard time finding a
		woman like that these days --

			     YOUNG MAN
		You never know.  Lightning could
		strike.

	Susan at the door now, pauses abruptly, her eyes on the
	Young Man.

	EXT. CORINTH COFFEE SHOP, YORK AVENUE - DAY

	The Young Man holds the door for Susan as they step out
	onto the street.

	Susan is staring at him now, he smiles, all open and 
	vulnerable.

			     SUSAN
		I've got to go --

			     YOUNG MAN
		Did I say something wrong?

			     SUSAN
		No, it was so right it scares me.

			     YOUNG MAN
		I've been thinking... I don't want
		you to be my doctor.  Because I
		don't want you to examine me.

			     SUSAN
		Why?

			     YOUNG MAN
		Because I like you so much.
			(a moment)
		You have coffee here every morning,
		don't you?  If I came by, could you
		give me the name of a doctor?

	Another moment.

			     SUSAN
		Sure, I'll give you the name of a
		doctor.
			(a moment)
		...And I don't want to examine you.

			     YOUNG MAN
		Why not?

			     SUSAN
		Because I like you so much.  Now
		I've got to go.

	She hurries away down the sidewalk, the Young Man watching
	her.  Now he turns and starts off in the opposite direction.

	ANOTHER ANGLE - SUSAN

	She looks back at the Young Man, then turns and walks on.

	ANOTHER ANGLE - THE YOUNG MAN

	He looks back at Susan as the distance between them widens,
	now he turns and walks on.

	ON SUSAN

	She looks around once more but the Young Man is still headed
	in the opposite direction, his back to her.  She turns the
	corner and continues on.

	ON THE YOUNG MAN

	Approaching the corner, he looks back for Susan yet again,
	but she is gone, still turned he steps off into the street
	and a hospital supplies truck, speeding down the curb lane,
	HITS HIM BROADSIDE, a horrific impact, the THUD echoes as
	his body arcs through the air.

	Another sickening THUD as it lands, the Young Man lies
	crumpled, still.

						CUT TO:

	INT. SALON, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE, NEW YORK CITY - NIGHT

	A beautiful space adjacent to the dining room, it has a
	glass roof which offers a superb view of the Manhattan sky-
	line.  The hour is before dinner: gathered on one side of
	the room are Allison and Parrish, on the other side Drew and
	Quince.  COYLE, a butler, and LUISA, the housekeeper, pass
	hors d'oeuvres and drinks.

			     ALLISON
		...Music, I know how you love music,
		Daddy, and I want to have music that
		pleases you -- and of course doesn't
		put a thousand other people to sleep
		-- I've agonized over this and 
		finally settled on Sidney Brown,
		twenty-four men, very eclectic, plus
		I'm feathering in a Latin sextet on
		their breaks - Tito Puente, Trini
		Lopez-zy, I forget their names --

	Parrish has tuned Allison out, he tried to stay with it, but
	his mind has wandered, the event of the day too much with
	him.

			     ALLISON (cont'd)
		You haven't heard a word, have you?
		I keep talking and all you do is nod
		like Mr. Himmelfass in The 
		Nutcracker.

	Parrish still doesn't answer.

			     ALLISON (cont'd)
		You don't care, do you?

			     PARRISH
		What, honey?

			     ALLISON
		I lay awake nights in a cold sweat,
		I want this party to be like some-
		thing Mom would have made for you,
		I want it to be perfect --

			     PARRISH
			(attentive now)
		I know you do, darling.

			     ALLISON
		And you could care less --

			     PARRISH
		Oh, you couldn't be more wrong,
		sweetheart.  I can' tell you how
		much I appreciate it and how I'm
		looking forward to it.

			     ALLISON
		Good.  Songs.  What songs should
		Sidney -- Pancho and his six men we
		can forget about -- what songs do
		you think he should play?

	A stab of pain, Parrish discreetly grabs his upper arm but
	manages to keep his attention on Allison.

			     PARRISH
		Tell it to me again.

	Suddenly, the Voice cuts in:

			     VOICE (V.O.)
		...Yes.

	Parrish's head snaps, startled by the SOUND.

			     VOICE (V.O., cont'd)
			(to Parrish)
		Did you miss me?

	Parrish reacts once more, aware again he is the only one who
	has heard the Voice, as an oblivious Allison continues:

			     ALLISON
			(to Parrish)
		Never mind.  Leave it to me.

	Parrish ignores her, his attention has been taken by the
	Voice.  His eyelids flutter, nonplused, edgy and fearful.

			LUISA
		Mr. Parrish, dinner is served.

			     ALLISON
			(to Quince and Drew,
			 across the room)
		Chow-time, you guys.

	Parrish is confounded.  Blindly and disconcerted, he follows
	Allison and Drew and Quince.

	INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT

	As a disturbed Parrish approaches the table, he hears the
	Voice once more:

			     VOICE (V.O.)
		What are you looking so provoked
		about?  'Did you miss me?'  It's
		a normal question.  I missed you.
		But what do I get back?  'Not an
		ounce of excitement, not a whisper
		of a thrill --'

	Parrish sits.

			     VOICE (V.O., cont'd)
		'-- This relationship has all the
		passion of a pair of titmice'.

	Parrish is on the edge of his seat, struggling to hide his
	panic.

			     VOICE (V.O., cont'd)
		I'm waiting outside.

	The conversation swirls on around Parrish, he is deaf to it:

			     ALLISON
			(to Drew)
		Did you speak to the Governor?

			     DREW
		He's coming.

			     ALLISON
		His wife?

			     DREW
		Unfortunately.  I sat between them
		at the Bronx Zoo benefit -- it was
		better than Seconal.

			     VOICE (V.O.)
		I'm waiting outside.  Won't someone
		come to the door?

	Parrish is in shock, still striving to gain control of
	himself.  As Coyle serves him, Parrish turns to Luisa:

			     PARRISH
		Is somebody waiting outside, Luisa?

			     LUISA
		I didn't hear a ring, sir.

			     PARRISH
		Please have a look --

	Luisa goes as Coyle continues serving.

			     ALLISON
			(to Quince)
		What about the Mayor?

			     QUINCE
		He said he would be there with bells
		on.

			     DREW
		Good, maybe they'll drown him out.

	Parrish is still not hearing a word, preoccupied with the
	return of Luisa.

			     ALLISON
		Please don't be negative, Drew, we
		have an acceptance list that would
		do The White House proud -- The
		Secretary-General of the UN, the
		Chairman of the FCC, nine Senators,
		I don't know how many Congressmen,
		and at least twelve of the Fortune
		'500'.

			     QUINCE
		No jocks?  A twenty-game winner or a
		Masters champion?  Someone I could
		talk to.
			(a moment)
		Or would talk to me.

	Luisa returns to Parrish as the others' conversation drones
	on:

			     LUISA
		You're right, Mr. Parrish.  There
		was a gentleman at the door.  He's
		waiting for you in the foyer.

	Parrish is stunned.

			     PARRISH
			(after a moment)
		Show him into the library, tell him
		I'll be right there.

	Parrish, spinning with anxiety, tries to summon up his courage
	to go as Allison continues:

			     ALLISON
		I've arranged for favors -- silver
		charm bracelets for the women,
		platinum keychains for the men --
		all engraved 'W.P.' -- but now I'm
		thinking of scrubbing them, they
		seem so ordinary.

	Finally Parrish rises from the table, starts out.

			     ALLISON (cont'd)
		Are they ordinary?  Do they seem
		that way to you, Daddy?

			     PARRISH
		Uh -- I don't know.  No - uh - I
		don't...

	Allison is about to press the point, but then drifts into
	disappointed silence as Parrish leaves the room.

			     DREW
			(to Allison)
		You're overthinking it --

			     QUINCE
		I don't think they're ordinary.  I
		love keychains.

	INT. HALLWAY OUTSIDE LIBRARY, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE - NIGHT

	Parrish moves deliberately down the hall, slows as he nears
	the doorway to the library.  The door is open.  He hesitates
	before he crosses the threshold, taking in as much as his
	eye can see, now tentatively, he enters.

	INT. LIBRARY, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE - NIGHT

	A beautiful, classic room, areas of dim, warm light, club
	chairs, books reaching to the ceiling, a rolling library
	ladder, a weathered dictionary on a stand, a model boat
	carved of bone set into the stacks which are separated from
	the reading area by a seven-foot high partition of obscured
	glass.

	Parrish, poised in the doorway, looks around, nothing in
	sight.

			     PARRISH
		Hello?

	Silence.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		Anyone here?

	No response.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		I said is anyone here?!

			     VOICE (V.O.)
		Quiet down.

	Parrish is startled, he shrinks backward for a moment, his
	eyes searching the room for the Voice, the timbre and pitch
	of which is exactly what he has heard before.  There is the
	sense that someone is there but Parrish cannot see him, and
	he does not dare look.

			     PARRISH
			(quietly)
		Where are you?

			     VOICE (V.O.)
		I'm here.

	Now a flicker of a shadow from behind a corner of the obscured
	glass, the section of the room most distant from Parrish, 
	there is a shape.  Something is there.

			     PARRISH
		What is this, a joke, right?  Some
		kind of elaborate practical joke?
		At my 40th reunion, we delivered a
		casket to the Class president's
		hotel room and --

			     VOICE
		Quiet.

	Parrish falls silent, something in the SOUND and TONE of the
	Voice muting him.  He takes a step backwards.

			     VOICE (cont'd)
		Where are you going?

			     PARRISH
		I - I - uh --

	The shape moves, makes itself more visible.  Although still
	diffused by the glass, the shape has definition, a person, a
	man, his features are not yet distinguishable, but he is 
	there all right.

			     VOICE
		The great Bill Parrish at a loss for
		words?  The man from whose lips fall
		'rapture' and 'passion' and 'obses-
		sion'...all those admonitions about
		being 'deliberately happy', what
		there is no sense 'living your life
		without...', all the sparks and
		energy you give off, the rosy advice
		you dispense in round, pear-shaped
		tones --

			     PARRISH
		What the hell is this?  Who are you?

			     VOICE
		Just think of millenniums multiplied
		by aeons compounded by infinity,
		I've been around that long, but it's
		only recently that your affairs here
		have piqued my interest.  Call it
		boredom, the natural curiosity of
		me, the most lasting and significant
		element in existence has come to see
		you.

	Parrish struggles to make sense of what he is hearing.

			     PARRISH
		About what?

			     VOICE
		I want to have a look around before
		I take you.

			     PARRISH
		'Take me'...?  Where?

			     VOICE
		It requires competence, wisdom,
		experience -- all those things they
		say about you in testimonials --
		and you're the one.

			     PARRISH
		'The one' to do what?

			     VOICE
		Show me around.  Be my guide.  And
		in return, you get...

			     PARRISH
			(breathless)
		Get what?

			     VOICE
		Time.

			     PARRISH
		What the hell are you talking about?

			     VOICE
		Watch it!

			     PARRISH
		I'm sorry --

			     VOICE
		In return you'll receive minuets, days, 
		weeks, I'm not going to go into details
		... what matters is that I stay 
		interested.

	Parrish squints, trying to make sense of what is happening.

			     VOICE (cont'd)
		...'Yes'.

			     PARRISH
		Yes what?

			     VOICE
		'Yes' is the answer to your ques-
		tion.

			     PARRISH
		What question?

			     VOICE
		Bill.  Come on.  The question.  The
		question you've been asking yourself
		with increased regularity, at odd
		moments, panting through the extra
		game of handball, when you ran for
		the plane in Delhi, when you sat up
		in bed last night and hit the floor
		in the office this morning.  The
		question that is in the back of your
		throat, choking the blood to your
		brain, ringing in the ears over and
		over as you put it to yourself --

			     PARRISH
		The 'question' --

			     VOICE
			(urging)
		Yes, Bill.  The question.

	After a moment.

			     PARRISH
		...Am I going to die?

	The figure who is the Voice takes a step forward now, no
	longer obscured by the glass he comes into the light, re-
	vealing himself to be the Young Man seen previously in the
	coffee shop, but there is a change; he seems odd, off-
	center, not handsome but terrifyingly beautiful.

			     YOUNG MAN
		Yes.

	A moment, Parrish beside himself.  He cannot bring himself
	to speak, finally:

			     PARRISH
		Am I dreaming this?
			(Another moment)
		Are you a dream?

			     YOUNG MAN
		I am not a dream.

			     PARRISH
		You're coming to 'take me'.  What is
		that?  Who the hell are you?

	The Young Man steps closer to Parrish, his face is inches
	from a shaking, sweating Parrish's face, the Young Man
	daring Parrish to identify him:

			     PARRISH
		You are --?

			     YOUNG MAN
		  	(urging again)
		'...Yes --'

	Parrish turns away.  But the Young Man, spectacularly, is in
	front of him again.

			     YOUNG MAN (cont'd)
			(gently)
		Who am I?

			     PARRISH
		...Death.

	Parrish is shocked, stunned, terrified at the word, by what
	he has comprehended.  He surveys the Young Man who, at this
	moment, actually seems bewildered by his effect.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		You're Death?

			     YOUNG MAN
		Yes.

			     PARRISH
		Death!

			     YOUNG MAN
		That's me.

			     PARRISH
		You're not Death.  You're just a kid
		in a jacket and a pair of pants.

			     YOUNG MAN
		The jacket and the pair of pants
		came with the body I took.  Let me
		ask your opinion.  Do I blend in?

	A hopelessly confused Parrish does not respond for a moment.

			     PARRISH
		You want me to be your guide --?

			     YOUNG MAN
		You fill the bill, Bill.

			     PARRISH
		I do?
			(a moment)
		How long will you be staying?

			     YOUNG MAN
		You should hope quite a while.

			     PARRISH
		And then --?

	The Young Man nods, gently.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		It's... it's... over.

	A long silence.  Parrish and the Young Man take each other in,
	the sense that now they understand each other.  A SOUND at the
	door.

			     LUISA (O.S.)
		Mr. Parrish?

	Parrish does not hear her for the moment, Luisa steps inside
	the Library.

			     LUISA (cont'd)
		Will the gentleman be staying for
		dinner, sir?

	Parrish ignores her at first, finally he looks at Luisa then
	at the Young Man, then once more at both of them as if to
	verify the Young Man's presence has been acknowledged by
	Luisa.  The Young Man interjects:

			     YOUNG MAN
			(to Luisa)
		Yes.
			(a polite afterthought)
		Thank you.

	Luisa nods perfunctorily and exits.  Parrish is frozen, 
	dumbfounded.

			     YOUNG MAN (cont'd)
			(to Parrish)
		Where is dinner?

	Parrish does not answer at first.

			     PARRISH
		This is crazy -- you're not going to
		eat dinner with us.

			     YOUNG MAN
		Bill, I am eating dinner with you.
		And your family.  And that's what
		we're doing.  It's not open for
		discussion.  Nothing is.  Don't
		you understand?

	Parrish is frightened by the response.

			     YOUNG MAN (cont'd)
		Good.  Now lead the way.

	Parrish hesitates, then obediently leads the Young Man out
	of the library, down a long hallway and across the foyer.

			     PARRISH
		Excuse me?  Could I say something?

			     YOUNG MAN
		Of course.

			     PARRISH
			(quietly)
		It just occurred to me --

			     YOUNG MAN
		Speak up, please.

			     PARRISH
			(louder)
		When I introduce you, if I say who
		you are, I don't think anyone will
		stay for dinner.

			     YOUNG MAN
		Then don't.

	INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT

	As Parrish and the Young Man enter, Allison is heard in the
	background.

			     ALLISON
		...Well, here's another possibility.
		It's a little last minute, but how does
		this strike you?  Kaleidoscopes. Little 
		gold kaleidoscopes.  Some German firm 
		went kerplunkt, Tiffany's picked these 
		things up, they're perfect party favors, 
		however they're not personal, they're 
		winter scene or something, snow-flakes 
		and dachshunds...

	Parrish and the Young Man appear at the table, an awkward
	pause ensues, the unannounced guest's presence at a family
	dinner being noted, and the guest himself carefully survey-
	ed.  Finally, Allison breaks the ice:

			     ALLISON (cont'd)
			(to the Young Man)
		Hi there --

			     YOUNG MAN
		Hello.

	Parrish is horribly uncomfortable as the Young Man looks at
	each person as if he were discovering a face for the first
	time.

			     PARRISH
		Uh -- sorry -- to have stepped away
		for so long -- uh -- this is a 
		friend of mine I asked to drop by --
		we got to talking and stuff -- uh --
		he's going to join us for dinner --
		um --

	Parrish drifts into another awkward pause.

			     ALLISON
			(to the Young Man)
		Hello, how nice to meet you.  And
		wouldn't it be nicer if my father
		would introduce you?

			     YOUNG MAN
			(to Allison)
		'...How nice to meet you.'

			     PARRISH
		Oh, I'm sorry.  This is my daughter,
		Allison, and her husband, Quince,
		Drew, my number one, works with me...

	Parrish drifts off as the Young Man awkwardly shakes hands
	with each person.

			     ALLISON
			(prompting)
		Daddy.  Does your friend have a name?

			     PARRISH
		A name?

			     DREW
			(pleasantly, going
			 along with the joke)
		Yeah, something he goes by --

			     PARRISH
		Oh, excuse me.  This is -- uh --
		this is --

			     ALLISON
		Daddy!  Come on, a name.

			     DREW
		Yeah, Bill, the suspense is killing
		me.

			     PARRISH
		Sorry...um - you - you know it's gone
		right out of my head --

			     DREW
		What?!

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		I'm sorry.  This is - uh - uh...

	The group waits patiently.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		Joe!

			     ALLISON
		Joe...

	Parrish once more drifts into silence.  (The YOUNG MAN is now
	identified as "JOE".)
 
			     DREW
		Just plain 'Joe'?

			     ALLISON
		Love that name.

			     QUINCE
		Me, too.  Hey, buddy!

	Joe, turned on by Quince's broad smile, reacts to it as Drew
	squints observingly at Joe.

			     DREW
		'Joe...'

			     PARRISH
		Yes.

			     DREW
		Is there any more to it?

			     PARRISH
			(alarmed)
		What do you mean?

			     DREW
		Like 'Smith' or 'Jones --'

	Parrish's face reveals a desperate searching for a last name,
	a furtive glance at Joe.  Parrish's brow darkens and a name
	tumbles from his lips:

			     PARRISH
		-- Black.

			     ALLISON
		Whew, at last.  Nice to meet you,
		Mr. Black.

			     QUINCE
		'Joe Black'.  Won fifteen and lost
		two for the Brooklyn Dodgers in
		1952.

			     JOE
		Yes?

			     QUINCE
			(to Joe)
		You bet.  I'm king of my Rotisserie
		League.

			     JOE
		Are you?

			     PARRISH
		He is!  Let's sit down --

	Luisa has set a plate in front of Joe, and Parrish's, which
	was taken to the kitchen to be warmed, has been returned.
	Joe looks over at the other guests, then picks up his uten-
	sils gingerly, strives to copy the others, stops, staring at
	his food.

			     ALLISON
			(to Joe)
		Paillarde of veal.

			     QUINCE
		Yeah, they hit the calf over the
		head with a mallet and then Luisa
		hits it again in the kitchen.

			     ALLISON
		Honey --!

			     QUINCE
		You know what I'm saying, Joe?

			     JOE
		No --

			     PARRISH
			(laughing emptily)
		Joe knows what you're saying, just
		being polite --

	Drew is studying Joe.

			     DREW
			(to Joe)
		Have we met?

			     PARRISH
		Uh -- he's from out of town --

			     QUINCE
		How long you here, Joe?

			     JOE
		As long as it takes.

	Drew is provoked by the response, but remains polite:

			     DREW
		You and Bill old friends?

	Parrish jumps in:

			     PARRISH
		No --

			     DREW
			(to Joe)
		I get the feeling you've done some
		business before.

			     JOE
		We have an arrangement now.

			     DREW
		What side of the industry did you
		say you were on?

			     JOE
		I didn't say.

			     DREW
			(to Parrish)
		Joe sounds like a ringer, Bill.  I
		have the feeling you guys got the
		broad strokes already.  Need any
		help with the details?

	Parrish falls silent again, looking for an answer.

			     DREW (cont'd)
		I'm sorry -- business at dinner...
			(to Joe)
		Forgive me for being so rude.

			     JOE
		Sure.

	The doors to the dining room open, Susan appears.

			     SUSAN
		Hi, everybody.  Sorry to be late --
		had to have dinner with my depart-
		ment chief --

			     ALLISON
		You ate?

			     SUSAN
		...I'm here, aren't I?  Wouldn't
		miss a loose end meeting.  What's on
		the table for discussion?  Party 
		favors, flowers -- hi Dad, hi Drew --

	She kisses Drew in some light, humorous way they have ob-
	viously done before, their heads bobbing like plastic water
	toys and their lips meeting mid-air.

	At the kiss's conclusion Susan suddenly notices Joe is
	present and has been watching.  She is shocked, embarrassed,
	pleased, conflicted, an instant and wide spectrum of emotions.

			     SUSAN (cont'd)
		What are you doing here?

	Silence.

			     PARRISH
			(stunned)
		You know each other?

			     SUSAN
			(lightly)
		We've met.

			     PARRISH
		What?!

			     SUSAN
		-- This morning.  The Corinth Coffee
		Shop.  He was looking for a doctor.

			     QUINCE
		Well, I guess he's found one.

			     DREW
		Joe, you do get around.

	Joe is happily confounded by all the interaction.

			     SUSAN
		That's your name?

			     ALLISON
		And isn't it a lovely one?  So
		sturdy, so straight --

	Joe has heard Susan's question but, as he studies her,
	doesn't answer.

			     DREW
		Incidentally, Joe, where're you
		staying?

			     JOE
		Here...

			     DREW
		'Here'?

			     SUSAN
		In this house?

			     QUINCE
		Great!

	Parrish pushes his plate away.

			     PARRISH
		Uh - will that hold you, Joe?

			     SUSAN
		Incidentally, 'Joe' what?

			     JOE
		Black.

			     QUINCE
		Hey, this is fun.

			     SUSAN
		So, what are you doing here?

	Parrish tenses, but Joe doesn't answer.

			     SUSAN (cont'd)
		Cat got your tongue?  You weren't so
		silent this morning.

	Drew reacts to this allusion of intimacy.

			     ALLISON
		Now, I'm getting interested.  I want
		to know more ---

			     PARRISH
			(to Joe)
		We've got some things to discuss.

	Parrish stands, motions for Joe to rise.

			     DREW
			(to Joe)
		-- Did I hear 'business'?

			     SUSAN
		What 'business'?

			     QUINCE
		Don't bother asking, we already
		tried.

			     JOE
		It's so very nice to see you again.

			     SUSAN
		Funny, I don't get that feeling.
		Maybe it's because you found out
		I'm Bill Parrish's daughter.

			     PARRISH
		Cut it out, Susan.
			(to Joe)
		You and I've got to talk.  Big day
		tomorrow, everybody.  Joe, let's go.

	Joe rises, follows Parrish to the door, stops:

			     JOE
			(to Susan)
		Susan.
			(to Allison)
		Allison.
			(to Quince)
		Quince.
			(to Drew)
		Drew.
			(to Parrish)
		Bill...
			(to the group)
		Thank you.

	He makes an awkward little bow, then heads for the nearest
	door.

			     PARRISH
		Joe, that's the kitchen.

			     JOE
		Thank you.

	Joe pivots, and he follows Parrish out the proper door.

			     DREW
		That was 'Joe'.

			     ALLISON
		He's cute.

			     DREW
		Very.

	Susan's eyes are still on the door where Joe exited, her
	face reflecting her irritation and bewilderment, as well as
	a tinge of excitement.

	INT. HALLWAY, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE - NIGHT

	Parrish leads the way, Joe beside him as they progress through
	the huge house.

			     PARRISH
		...I'm sorry, I'm a little discon-
		certed, that stuff between you and
		Susan -- uh -- threw me.

			     JOE
		'Threw' you?  Where?

			     PARRISH
		Shook me up.  I mean that you knew
		her and everything --

			     JOE
		I didn't know her.  The body I took
		knew her.  The man she met in the
		coffee shop this morning.  I - uh -
		took him.

			     PARRISH
		So there's nothing between you and
		Susan?

			     JOE
		No.

			     PARRISH
		I wish you had said something to me
		about staying here --

			     JOE
		It hadn't occurred to me until then.
		I was just having such a wonderful
		time -- Besides, isn't this what I'm
		here for?

	Parrish suddenly looks very anxious, Joe stops.

			     JOE (cont'd)
		You seem uncomfortable, Bill.

			     PARRISH
		No, I'm okay with this - uh - I
		think.  So --

	He opens a door.

	INT. MASTER GUEST SUITE, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE - NIGHT

			     PARRISH
			(to Joe)
		Bathroom...tub...towels, sauna --

	Parrish turns back to the bedroom.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		...Chair, lamp, bed --

	Parrish is in a stunned state, chatters on unconsciously:

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		Box springs, they're assembled in
		Jakarta.  Had to stay in a station
		manager's house there unexpectedly
		- best night's sleep I ever had.
		Ordered twenty, they filled a con-
		tainer and shipped them right over,
		I've put one in every bedroom here
		and in the country.

	Joe tests the springs.

			     JOE
		What a good idea.

			     PARRISH
		Thank you.  Would you like the man's
		name?

			     JOE
		No.

	Parrish glances around, a room in which the occupant could
	not want for anything.

			     PARRISH
		If there is anything else, don't
		hesitate --

			     JOE
		I won't.

			     PARRISH
		How long have I got?

			     JOE
		You're putting me on the spot, Bill.

	A moment.

			     JOE (cont'd)
		Let's put it this way.  When I go,
		you go.

			     PARRISH
		When you go, I go.

			     JOE
		That's the best I can do.
			(a moment)
		...but minute-by-minute, I find
		myself lingering.

			     PARRISH
		...I just saw my doctor, he told me
		everything was fine.

			     JOE
		Your doctor?
			(icily)
		Did your doctor say anything about
		a tiny, undetectable hole in your
		aorta?  Did he mention an irreparab-
		ly weak vein in the further reaches
		of your famous brain?  Were there any
		prognostications about the possibil-
		ilites of a fatal collision on a golf
		cart or suffocating in an avalanche
		on a ski vacation in Gstaad?

			     PARRISH
		No --

			     JOE
		I hope you realize, Bill...in your
		office this morning, that was your
		time.

			     PARRISH
		Closer than that.

	Parrish keeps still, trying to cool the heat of Joe's
	temper.

			     JOE (cont'd)
		...But meanwhile, you are still
		here.  Count your blessings.  Call
		it gravy, frosting on the cake,
		whatever it is you say.

			     PARRISH
		Well, thank you for letting me know.

			     JOE
		Not at all.

			     PARRISH
		And - uh - I  guess, 'goodnight'.

			     JOE
		Good night to you, Bill.

	Parrish gently closes the door.

	Joe looks around, checks out his surroundings: curious,
	attentive.

	INT. HALLWAY, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE - NIGHT

	Parrish, unsteady, starts back down the hall, Luisa appears.

			     LUISA
		...Miss Allison asked if you would
		like to have your dinner kept warm?

			     PARRISH
		No. Thanks, Luisa.

			     LUISA
		Very good, sir.

	Luisa turns:

			     PARRISH
		Luisa --

	She stops.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		Mr. Black's luggage was misplaced by
		the airlines.  Would you mind get-
		ting a few things together for him?
		A couple of suits, some shirts,
		ties, underwear, shoes.  Have Coyle
		take his measurements off what he is
		wearing tonight.

			     LUISA
		Certainly, sir.

	Luisa nods, and heads back downstairs.  Parrish enters
	his den, takes a seat in his chair, stares into the middle
	distance, ruminates.

	INT. GUEST ROOM, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE - NIGHT

	Joe has been examining his room, full of curiosity and
	wonderment at the oddest things, the handle on a casement
	window, the hem and weight of the fabric of a drape, hinges
	on the bedroom door.  In the process he opens this door,
	steps out into the hallway.

	INT. HALLWAY, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE - NIGHT

	Joe wanders down the hallway past the occasional Dufy or
	Miro, a Venetian tapestry cheek-by-jowl with a miniature
	Ming vase, and even a Bonsai garden with a trickling vein
	of water.

	INT. KITCHEN HALLWAY, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE - NIGHT

	In the "back" of the house now, utilitarian paint and decor,
	the SOUND of laughter and a glare of light.  Joe enters.

	INT. KITCHEN, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE - NIGHT

	The staff is at ease, some smoking, remains of food around.
	Coyle, the butler, has his back to Joe and does not see him
	for a moment.  In front of Coyle, an open jar of peanut but-
	ter which he is spreading in generous hunks of Wonder Bread.
	Joe is fascinated by the process.  Coyle suddenly hears the
	silence, looks up and see Joe, standing up embarrassedly.

			     COYLE
		Yes, sir?

			     JOE
		Hello.  I'm Joe Black.  Nice to meet
		you.

			     COYLE
		Yes sir, Mr. Black, a pleasure.

	The staff all mumble expansive "Good evening, sir"s to Joe.
	He motions to them to sit, they do but Coyle does not.  Coyle
	shifts from foot-to-foot, the staff is not used to having
	Parrish family or guests in this part of the house.

			     JOE
			(to Coyle)
		What are you eating.

			     COYLE
		You mean this, sir?

	Coyle regards his peanut butter sheepishly.

			     COYLE (cont'd)
		Laura Scudder's Peanut Butter.

			     JOE
			(carefully)
		'Laura Scudder's Peanut Butter'.
			(a moment)
		You like it?

			     COYLE
		I would say, sir, it is right up
		there with Jif and Skippy.  But
		miles ahead of Peter Pan.
			(another moment)
		Like a taste?

	Joe nods, Coyle fashions a spoonful, offers it to Joe.  Joe
	swallows it.  But he has not yet found a comfortable way of
	masticating, his mouth and tongue go every which way, the
	staff observes him, fascinated.

			     COYLE (cont'd)
		You're a peanut butter man now, eh,
		sir?

			     JOE
		Yes, I am.  I thoroughly enjoyed
		this - uh - peanut butter.
			(to the staff)
		And I thoroughly enjoyed meeting
		you.

	Joe raises the spoonful of peanut butter in a kind of toast
	to the staff.

			     JOE (cont'd)
		I'll be moseying on.

	He heads out, with the spoonful of peanut butter, to cheer-
	ful "Goodnight, Mr. Black"'s, his tongue again licking the
	edges of the spoon.

	INT. SWIMMING POOL, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE - DAY

	A spectacular indoor Olympic pool, window commanding views
	of the skyline.

	Susan is swimming laps, looking very professional in a black
	Speedo suit, Joe wanders in, still licking his peanut butter.
	He observes her, but she is unaware of him, however now, as
	she makes a barrel turn, his shadow falls over a reflection
	from a window, she aborts her lap, looks up to see who it is.

			     SUSAN
		What are you doing here?

			     JOE
		I'm lost.

			     SUSAN
		-- Can't seem to escape you today.

			     JOE
		I'm sorry.

	Susan climbs out of the pool, gets halfway up the ladder,
	points to a stack of towels.

			     SUSAN
		Hand me one of those, will you?

	Joe turns to the towels, but one hand is occupied with the
	spoonful of peanut butter, he shifts it to the other hand,
	can't manage the huge Turkish towel one-handed, now implants
	the spoon in his mouth, lifts the towel with both hands and
	presents it to Susan.

			     SUSAN (cont'd)
		You must have something really big
		going on with my father --

			     JOE
		'Big'?

			     SUSAN
		You appear at his side out-of-the-
		blue, stay at his house, eat dinner
		with his family, it's practically a
		first.  You're in the red-hot center
		of big business and I thought you
		were a regular Joe.

			     JOE
		I am Joe.

			     SUSAN
		Not the one I met this morning, hit-
		ting on me in as nice a way as I've
		been hit on in a long time, but the
		moment you find out I'm my Dad's
		daughter, you act like a stranger.

			     JOE
		That is not my intention.

	Joe continues to nibble at his peanut butter.

			     SUSAN
		What are your intentions?  To make
		little dreams in coffee shops, turn
		a woman's head, and I don't mind
		admitting it was turned, I liked it,
		but ten hours later I feel like a
		fool.  I don't get it.  You, my
		father, here in this house, the cof-
		fee shop, it's making me upset, and
		I don't like being upset.  Who are
		you anyway?  And what are you eating?

			     JOE
			(mumbles)
		Peanut butter.

	He finishes the spoonful.

			     JOE (cont'd)
		But it's gone now.

	He shifts the spoon from hand to hand, starts to stick it in
	his pocket, realizes this is inappropriate.  Susan holds her
	hand out to him, he places the spoon in it and she sets the
	spoon on the table with the towels.  She watches, fascinat-
	ed, as Joe licks his gums, enjoying every last bit of his
	spoonful.

			     SUSAN
		You act like you never had peanut
		butter before --

			     JOE
		I haven't.

			     SUSAN
		-- What kind of childhood did you
		have?

			     JOE
		Do you love Drew?

			     SUSAN
		Come again?

			     JOE
		When you put your mouth to his,
		Susan, it seems a frequent thing.

			     SUSAN
		Drew is none of your damn business.
		Nor is where I put my mouth.

			     JOE
		I'm sorry.  Do you live here?

			     SUSAN
		No, Joe, I'm swimming here.  Then
		I'm going home.

			     JOE
		I guess what I'm trying to say is --
		I'd like us to be friends.

			     SUSAN
		I've got plenty of friends.

			     JOE
		I don't have any.

			     SUSAN
		I can see why.

	She finishes drying herself, drops the towel on a chair, and
	prepares to leave.

			     JOE
		...I didn't mean to offend you at
		dinner.  I'm not quite at home some-
		times with people.  I get busy doing
		- uh - what I do, and I don't seem to
		have developed --

	He drifts off.

			     SUSAN
		Yes --?

			     JOE
		I have a certain function to per-
		form, and that seems to take all
		of my time.  Bu sometimes - uh -
		I speculate - uh - I haven't left
		room for - uh - anything else.

			     SUSAN
		I'm sorry to say I know what you're
		saying.

	A moment.

			     JOE
		Susan?

			     SUSAN
		Yes?

			     JOE
		Did you know you have a wet spot on
		your shoulder?

	She glances at her shoulder, he grabs a towel, touches the
	drops of water, pats them dry, hands her the towel.  She
	flashes a nervous smile.

			     SUSAN
		Goodnight, Joe.

			     JOE
		Goodnight to you, Susan.

	Susan steps towards a door, Joe takes a step in the wrong
	direction, they almost walk into each other.  Now she takes
	a step in another direction, as does Joe, again they almost
	collide.

			     SUSAN
		Shall we dance?

	Joe is completely puzzled, finally Susan heads for one door,
	Joe for another.

			     SUSAN (cont'd)
		Joe --

			     JOE
		Yes?

			     SUSAN
		I think you want to go to the west
		wing.  Through there.

	Susan indicates yet another door.

			     JOE
			(after a moment)
		Thank you.

	Joe redirects himself, goes to the door.  As they both are
	about to exit, Joe and Susan sneak furtive looks at each
	other across the pool, smile at catching each other's
	glances.  Joe exits.  For a moment Susan's eyes remain on
	the door through which he has gone.  Now she grips the towel
	over her shoulders, the one Joe gave her, pats the same spot
	he did.

							CUT TO:

	INT. HALLWAY, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE - NEXT MORNING

	Parrish, dressed for the day, passes servants busy with
	their morning tasks, polishing doorknobs, putting away
	linen, dusting picture frames.  He nods and greets them as
	he strides down the hall, brisk "Good morning"'s to Coyle
	and Luisa.

	INT. GUEST SUITE, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE - MORNING

	Parrish knocks, waits a courteous moment, opens the door,
	finds Joe in an elegant shirt and trousers trying to tie his
	tie.

			     PARRISH
		Good morning.

			     JOE
		Good morning, Bill.

			     PARRISH
		How are you?  How're you feeling?

			     JOE
		'Feeling'?  I feel fine.  How do you
		feel?

			     PARRISH
		Um -- well, I didn't sleep too well.
		This is crazy.  This is the left-
		field thing of all time.  What do I
		do?  What do I tell my family?

			     JOE
		Oh, I wouldn't tell them anything,
		Bill.  You'll ruin the good start we
		had last night.  I felt as if I were
		being treated like a person.  'Joe'
		this and 'Joe' that - a nice smile
		- Quince passed me the rolls -- no
		'rapture' or 'passion' or any of
		those mighty things you seem so
		intent on imparting, but I am cer-
		tain, should you - uh - say - uh -
		who I am - our adventure would end
		abruptly.

	Parrish regards Joe, the tie is a sorry mess now, a batwing
	of silk stretching across his collarbone.

			     JOE (cont'd)
		But I did so enjoy your family.

	Parrish is startled, he regards Joe carefully.

			     PARRISH
		What about my family?  This 'adven-
		ture' involved only me, right?

	Silence as Joe considers the point, Parrish quickly crosses
	to him, undoes the tie, and now begins tying it for him.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		Tell you what, you promised that it's
		going to be only me and --

			     JOE
		And what?

			     PARRISH
		And I won't tell anyone who you are.

			     JOE
		Sounds fair enough.

			     PARRISH
		It is a deal?

			     JOE
		A 'deal'?

			     PARRISH
		You give your word, I give mine --
		that we'll do what we say.  It's a
		truth exchanged between two people.

	A moment.

			     JOE
		Bill --

			     PARRISH
		Yes?

			     JOE
		You've got a deal.

	Parrish seems relieved.  He has now, with some difficulty,
	completed the tying of Joe's tie, adjusts it beautifully on
	Joe's collar, then spins him around in front of a mirror.
	Joe, catching sight of his own appearance, rises to the
	balls of his feet, quite taken.

			     JOE (cont'd)
		This is great!
			(a moment)
		Now what do we do?

			     PARRISH
		Shake hands.

	Joe immediately extends his hand toward Parrish, but
	Parrish freezes on seeing the hand, stares at it, now takes
	it.  Joe pumps Parrish's hand vigorously, then breaks into a
	broad smile.

	EXT. 5TH AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY - DAY

	Parrish and Joe striding downtown, Joe's jacket fits per-
	fectly, he blends right in and he clearly enjoys being part
	of the smart Fifth Avenue crowd on the way to work.  Parrish
	senses Joe's pleasure, his slight preening, his eyes check-
	ing out the good-looking women headed for the offices at the
	top of corporate high-rises.

			     PARRISH
		You know, I got to thinking last
		night -- with you here, and seem-
		ingly occupied, how's your work
		going - uh - elsewhere?

	A flicker from Joe.  He has heard what Parrish has said, his
	eyes busy with the grift and the sparkle of the Avenue, but
	he is concentrating on Parrish's words.

			     JOE
		When you were shaving this morning,
		you weren't just shaving, right?

			     PARRISH
		What do you mean?

			     JOE
		You were hatching ideas, making
		plans, arriving at decisions, right?

			     PARRISH
		I guess so.

			     JOE
		So you understand the concept then.
		When you're busy here, your work,
		what your task is, is being executed
		elsewhere.

			     PARRISH
		Of course.

			     JOE
		So you've grasped the idea.  Con-
		gratulations.  Now multiply it by
		infinity and take it to the depth
		of forever, and you still will
		have barely a glimpse of what I
		am talking about.

	Parrish falls silent, chewing over Joe's admonition.

			     PARRISH
		Joe --?

			     JOE
		Yes, Bill.

			     PARRISH
		How about giving a guy a break?

			     JOE
		Make an exception?

			     PARRISH
		There's one to every rule.

			     JOE
		Not this.

	They stride on, cutting through the crowd, Joe all at home
	in his new surrounding, but Parrish just the opposite, un-
	characteristically uncomfortable, phrases forming on his
	lips but unspoken, then suddenly he blurts out:

			     PARRISH
		-- I don't deserve this.  I'm still
		young, this is not my time --

			     JOE
		That's what everybody says.

			     PARRISH
		I'm not everybody.

			     JOE
		That's what everybody says.

	Parrish is trying to control himself, glances at Joe.

			     PARRISH
		I want to live.

			     JOE
		I understand.

	A moment.

			     JOE (cont'd)
		But you can't.

	A sudden silence between them.  Parrish's shoulders appear
	to have stopped slightly, the courage he displayed at rais-
	ing these issues has vanished.

			     PARRISH
		What's it like?

			     JOE
		What do you mean?

			     PARRISH
		What's it like where I'm going?

			     JOE
		Can you keep a secret?

			     PARRISH
		Yes.

			     JOE
		So can I.

	They turn into Parrish's office building.

	INT. LOBBY, PARRISH COMMUNICATIONS - DAY

	As Parrish and Joe enter, Parrish is hailed by JAIME, the
	Elevator Starter.

			     JAIME
		Good morning, Mr. Parrish.

			     PARRISH
		Good morning, Jaime.

			     JAIME
		Knight's Reward in the 4th at
		Calder --

	A bemused Parrish walks on, Joe beside him, Jaime pursuing
	them.

			     JAIME (cont'd)
		-- A closer in today with cheap
		speed.  The colt will come from the
		clouds and boom!  Fifty-eight dollar
		horse.  I get you down, Mr. Parrish,
		just say the word.

			     PARRISH
			(smiles)
		I'm sorry, not today, Jaime.

	Parrish and Joe arrive at the bank of elevators.  Jaime,
	back at his post, hits a button.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
			(to Joe)
		You know, everyday I've walked into
		this building, Jaime gives me a
		horse.
			(a moment)
		I wonder if any of them won.

	The elevator materializes, Parrish and Joe step on.

	INT. PARRISH COMMUNICATIONS, OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN - DAY

	Parrish and Joe emerge from the executive elevator, Jennifer
	is waiting as usual with her pad, "Good morning"s, etc.  As
	Parrish strides down the hall, Joe right beside him, he passes
	instructions back to Jennifer who, scribbling, hurries along
	behind them.

			     PARRISH
		-- And call my family, I'd like them
		to come over for dinner tonight.

			     JENNIFER
		Didn't the family get together last
		night --?

			     PARRISH
			(remonstrating, gently)
		Jennifer.

			     JENNIFER
		Of course, Mr. Parrish.  Right away.

	Jennifer wheels and heads right back to the office as
	Parrish arrives at the door to the Board Room.

			     PARRISH
			(to Joe)
		Perhaps you would like to wait in my
		office --?

			     JOE
		No.

			     PARRISH
		What I'm trying to say is this is a
		Board meeting and you are not a mem-
		ber of the Board.

			     JOE
		I'm sure you'll see to it that it
		won't be a problem.

	Parrish hesitates, nods, conceding the point, reaches for
	the doorknob.

	INT. BOARD ROOM, PARRISH COMMUNICATIONS - DAY

	Parrish enters, Joe following right behind him.  A euphony
	of "Good morning"'s from the various members of the Board,
	including Quince.  Everyone sits when Parrish does but Joe,
	right at home, spots a tray of refreshments: coffee, pas-
	tries, he heads for them.

			     PARRISH
			(to the Board)
		-- This is Joe Black, a personal
		associate of mine - uh - he'll be
		joining us today.  I know it's --	
		uh -- unusual, and my apologies --
		and Drew -- uh -- carry on.

	Immediately indications of surprise on Board members' faces at
	Parrish bringing in an 'observer', Drew's reaction guarded
	but intense.

			     DREW
			(after a moment, to
			 Joe)
		Nice to see you.  I didn't expect
		you, but certainly you can't get
		enough of a good thing.

			     JOE
		Thank you.

			     DREW
			(to the Board)
		The Board of Parrish Communications -
		is hereby called to order.  Our sole
		order of business is an acceptance
		of John Bontecou's generous offer
		and --

			     JOE
			(to Drew)
		Do you have any more of these deli-
		cious cookies?

	A hushed silence at the inappropriateness of Joe's inter-
	ruption.

			     JOE (cont'd)
		And a cup of tea.  With milk, I
		think.  I'd like to try it English-
		style.  Yes, a cup of tea with milk.

			     DREW
		Anything else, Mr. Black?  How about
		some water?

			     JOE
		Why yes, thank you.

			     DREW
		Hot or cold.

			     JOE
		Cold.

			     DREW
		And a glass.

	Drew indicates to the Board's Stenographer to arrange Joe's
	refreshments.

			     PARRISH
			(quietly, indicating a
			 chair)
		Would you like to sit down, Joe?

			     JOE
		Yes.

	Joe sits.

			     DREW
		To review -- we're really crossing
		the 't's and dotting the 'i's here.
		Bill had a great and conclusive
		meeting with John Bontecou yester-
		day, all that remains for us is to
		put it to a vote.

	Smiles and murmurs of a congratulatory receptiveness from
	the Board at Drew's news.

			     PARRISH
			(emptily)
		Thank you, Drew.

	Parrish takes a moment, draws himself up to say something
	official then stops himself, what follows is spontaneous,
	reflective, deeply felt.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		Umm -- I did enjoy -- or rather I
		was interested in meeting John yes-
		terday -- impressive... I suppose...
		But it did get me to thinking.  I
		started in this business because
		this is what I wanted to do.  I knew
		I wasn't going to write the Great
		American Novel, but I also knew
		there was more to life than buying
		something for a dollar and selling
		it for two.  I wanted to give the
		news to the world, and I wanted to
		give it unvarnished.  The more we
		all know about each other, the
		greater the chance we will survive.
		Sure, I want to make a profit, you
		can't exist without one but John
		Bontecou is all profit.  If we give
		him license to absorb Parrish
		Communications, and he has his eye
		on a few others after us, we'll be
		appointing him to the position he
		craves -- Gatekeeper.  In order to
		reach the world you will have to go
		through John Bontecou.  And not only
		will you have to pay him to do this,
		far more expensive, you'll have to
		agree with him.  Reporting the news
		is a privilege and a responsibility
		and it is not exploitable.  Parrish
		Communications has earned this priv-
		ilege, John Bontecou wants to buy
		it.  As your chairman, I urge you to
		agree this company is not for sale.

	A silence, everybody shifts, the Board is in shock, Drew is
	trying to maintain his balance.

			     DREW
			(carefully)
		...Sounds like you're not leaving
		much room for discussion.

			     PARRISH
			(to the Board)
		Sorry.  I know it looks like I'm
		reversing my field.

			     DREW
		That's your privilege, Bill.  But
		given our needs, given the absolute
		necessity for growth, given the fu-
		ture, the truth is... joining John
		Bontecou is every bit as certain as -
		Death and Taxes.

	Joe interjects:

			     JOE
		'Death and Taxes'?

	After a moment.

			     DREW
		Yes.

			     JOE
		"Death and Taxes"?

	Another moment.

			     DREW
		Yes.

			     JOE
		What an odd pairing.

			     DREW
		It's just a saying, Mr. Black,

			     JOE
		Of whom?

			     DREW
		It doesn't matter.

			     JOE
		Then why did you bring it up?

	Drew regards Joe.

			     DREW
		You're not familiar with the phrase,
		"In this world, nothing is certain
		but Death and Taxes"?

			     PARRISH
		I am now.

			     DREW
		Glad I could be of some help.

	The Board is provoked and mystified by Joe and even more by
	his presence, they cast meaningful glances at Parrish, Drew
	coolly grasps the irritation of the members.  Parrish breaks
	the silence.

			     PARRISH
		Shall we adjourn?

			     DREW
		But the matter's still on the table,
		Bill --

	EDWARD SLOANE, a contemporary of Parrish's, has been warily
	silent, but extremely observant.  Protective of Parrish, and
	sensing his burgeoning difficulty, he interrupts:

			SLOANE
		Why don't we let it rest for the
		moment?  Give it some air?

			     PARRISH
		Well said, Eddie.  Mr. Black, shall
		we?

	Joe rises.

			     JOE
			(to Drew)
		Those cookies were excellent.

	He exits with Parrish, the door closes behind them.  A BABBLE
	of disturbed reactions from the Board.

			     DREW
		Who is that guy?

	Drew grabs a telephone:

			     DREW (cont'd)
		Felicia?


			FELICIA (O.S.)
		Yes, sir?

			     DREW
		Get me a Field Background check on
		Joe Black.  Litigations. Bankrupt-
		cies.  Credit ratings.  The works.
		Got it?

	Drew hangs up.

	INT. PARRISH'S OFFICE - DAY

	Parrish enters, Joe right on his heels.  They both stop,
	Parrish regards him.

			     PARRISH
		-- What's the deal here?  Are you
		going to be breathing down my neck
		right 'til the very end?

			     JOE
		I don't understand.

	Parrish tries to gather himself.

			     PARRISH
		...I'd like to be alone for a while.

			     JOE
		Are you sad, Bill?

			     PARRISH
		Yes, I am.  There's a research lib-
		rary on the fourth floor.  Why don't
		you go down and read some magazines?

			     JOE
		You're not thinking of going some-
		where, are you, Bill?

			     PARRISH
		Joe, could I ask you to take a walk?
		Buy a tie or something.  I know I'll
		be seeing you.

			     JOE
		Of course.

	But Joe doesn't move.

			     PARRISH
			(prompting)
		Now I'd like to be alone.

			     JOE
		Oh.  Okay.

	Parrish reaches into his pocket and hands Joe some cash.

			     PARRISH
		Here -- this will hold you for a
		while.

	Joe stares at the money as Parrish shows him the door.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		You know about money, don't you?

			     JOE
		It can't buy happiness?

	Parrish opens the door.

			     PARRISH
		Jennifer, give Mr. Black a map of
		the city.

			     JOE
		No thank you, Bill.  I can manage.

	Joe goes.

	INT. EMERGENCY ROOM AREA, NEW YORK HOSPITAL - DAY

	Susan is busy giving instructions to a Nurse, a patient on
	an examining table beside them.  As she finishes, she
	suddenly notices Joe down the corridor in the reception
	area.  She is startled for the moment, quickly makes a last
	notation, hands a chart to the Nurse and heads down the
	corridor.

			     SUSAN
		Joe --

			     JOE
		How nice you look.  Is that your
		uniform?

	Susan regards him.

			     SUSAN
		Why did you come here?

	Joe doesn't have an answer.

			     SUSAN (cont'd)
		Are you ill?

			     JOE
		Oh goodness, no.

			     SUSAN
		Then why are you here, Joe?

			     JOE
		I came to see you.

			     SUSAN
		I don't have any time to see you
		now.  I'm doing grand rounds and
		then I'm examining back-to-back
		patients until dinner and then --

			     JOE
		Very well, I'll watch.

			     SUSAN
		Watch me do what?

			     JOE
		Whatever you do.

			     SUSAN
		That's impossible.  I'm a doctor,
		I'm --

			     JOE
		And I'll be a visitor.

			     SUSAN
		Patients have visitors, not doctors.

			     JOE
		I don't mind --

	Visible now behind them are a Caribbean woman in her mid-
	thirties, TEENA, an arm around her mother, EASTER, who is
	holding her stomach and rocking back and forth in her seat,
	in great pain.

			     TEENA
			(urgently)
		Miss?  Miss Doctor?

			     SUSAN
			(gently)
		Just a minute, please.

			     TEENA
		Please.  My momma's sicker'n he 
		is.

	Easter looks up and sees Joe.  She abruptly becomes still,
	eyes wide, as if sudden recognition.

			     EASTER
		Obeah.

			     TEENA
		No, Momma.

	But Easter just stares at Joe, fearful.

			     EASTER
		Obeah mon.  I gonna die.

			     TEENA
		Momma, stop it. Is just a man.

	Joe looks at Easter, curiously.

			     SUSAN
			(to Teena)
		What's obeah?

			     TEENA
		Bad spirit.  She just all fever, she
		don' mean nothin'.  Please help us?

			     SUSAN
		Have you filled out the insurance
		forms?

	Teena shakes her hand anxiously.  Joe leans forward to
	Easter and speaks softly in perfect, lilting West Indian
	dialect.

			     JOE
		No obeah, sister.  No duppy, no
		jumbie.  Evera ting gon' be irey.

	Susan and Teena both look at him, astonished.  Easter's
	fearful gaze remains locked on him.

			     JOE (cont'd)
			(to Teena)
		Go wi' de doctor lady.  Momma be
		fine.

			     EASTER
		Don' leave!?

			     TEENA
			(pleading)
		Momma.

	Susan leads Teena away.  Easter is riveted on Joe.

			     EASTER
			(with certainty)
		Obeah.

			     JOE
		Obeah evil.  I not evil.

			     EASTER
		What you then?

			     JOE
		I from dat nex' place.

			     EASTER
		You wait here'n to take us?  Like
		you bus driver to dere?

			     JOE
			(smiles)
		No, no.  I on holiday.

			     EASTER
			(looks around, dubious)
		Some spot you pick.

	She winces with pain, gasping.

			     EASTER (cont'd)
		Pain is bad.

			     JOE
		I nuttin' to do wi' dat.

			     EASTER
		Make it go 'way.

			     JOE
		Doctor lady make it irey.

			     EASTER
		Not dis pain.  Dis pain tru an' tru.
		Make it go 'way.

			     JOE
		Can't, sistah.

			     EASTER
			(adamant, pleading)
		Can, mistah.  Take me to dat nex'
		place.

	Joe regards Easter, a long moment.

			     JOE
		Not time yet.

			     EASTER
		Make it time.

	Joe shakes his head, a firm no.  But when he looks and speaks
	to Easter again, it is with concern and even regret.

			     JOE
		Can't feel wi' de way tings gotta
		be, Easter.

	Susan and Teena return with an Orderly and a wheelchair for
	Easter.

			     EASTER
			(to Joe)
		Please...

			     TEENA
		Come now, Momma.

	Easter is helped into the wheelchair.  She looks pleadingly
	at Joe.  The Orderly starts to wheel her away.  Joe stays him,
	putting his hand on Easter's arm.

			     JOE
		Close your eyes, Easter.

	She does, her pained grimace melts into a peaceful smile.

			     JOE (cont'd)
		Soon.

	He takes his hand away, and the Orderly wheels Easter off.

			     SUSAN
			(to Teena)
		Go with her.  I'll be right there.

	Teena goes.  Joe remains his normal voice.

			     JOE
		She's in a great deal of pain.

			     SUSAN
		Yes.

	Susan regards Joe, puzzled.

			     SUSAN (cont'd)
		Have you spent a lot of time in the
		islands?

			     JOE
		Some.

	Joe shifts.

			     JOE (cont'd)
		I - uh - I - realize now - uh - my
		being here - um - your patient --
		this is not really appropriate --
		and I - uh --

			     SUSAN
		Don't apologize.  There's nothing
		to be sorry for -- every hospital
		should have someone like you.

	Silence.

			     SUSAN (cont'd)
		Well...I'm glad you came.

			     JOE
		Thank you.  I'm so very glad to be
		here.

	Another awkward silence.

			     JOE (cont'd)
		I guess you're busy --

			     SUSAN
		Yes.

	She doesn't move, they search for words.

			     JOE
		Well, I could come again some other
		time.

	Susan regards him.

			     SUSAN
		Joe, I'm with Drew.

			     JOE
			(sincerely)
		Not now.

	Susan smiles gently.

			     JOE (cont'd)
		Don't you want me to come again...?

	A moment.

			     SUSAN
		I have to go, I'm sorry to say --

			     JOE
		Be sorry for nothing.

	Another moment.

			     SUSAN
		Yes.  Well...thank you, Joe.

	Susan turns to go, hesitates.

			     JOE
		Good-bye, Susan.

	Susan waves softly to him, heads down the hall, glances back
	once to see Joe has not moved, is watching her depart.

	INT. PARRISH'S OFFICE - AFTERNOON

	Jennifer shows Joe in, Parrish is deep in thought, beside
	him a meal laid out beautifully on his desk with linen and
	silver, but untouched.

	Joe is more abstracted than usual, he is staring at
	Parrish's food.

			     JOE
		Are you going to eat your lunch

			     PARRISH
		It's all yours.

	Joe starts eating, Parrish watches him, somewhat fascinated,
	Joe's chewing has improved.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		Good?

			     JOE
		Excellent.  What is it?

			     PARRISH
		Cold lamb sandwich with cilantro.  A
		little Coleman's mustard.

	Joe takes another big bite.

			     JOE
		Truly - uh - splendid.

			     PARRISH
		Glad you like it.  My wife turned me
		onto cold lamb sandwiches.  Joan --
		that was my wife --

			     JOE
			(familiarly)
		Uh-huh.

			     PARRISH
		Cold lamb sandwiches -- not as chewy
		as roast beef, not as boring as
		chicken.  She knew stuff like that.

	Silence, Parrish getting lost in his memories.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		-- Everything reminds me of her --
		there isn't a day that goes by that
		I don't think about her -- One day
		she was here.  The next day she was
		gone.  What are you going to do? --
		I guess you've heard all this a
		trillion times before.

			     JOE
		And more.

			     PARRISH
		Why didn't you stop me?

			     JOE
		Well...I don't know.

	Silence.

			     JOE (cont'd)
		How was it the first time you met
		her?

			     PARRISH
		I thought you'd heard a trillion
		times --

			     JOE
		This part I'm interested in.

	A moment.

			     PARRISH
		She had on this little blue suit --
		with a little white collar that had
		little red piping on it --

	Joe is riveted on Parrish ow, Parrish aware of him, has
	paused.

			     PARRISH (cont'd)
		You could have put her under glass
		and I would have just stood and
		looked at her.  But when she spoke
		-- I loved the sound of her voice
		and her laugh --
			(a moment)
		-- I couldn't get enough of her --
		and gradually -- or maybe it wasn't
		gradually -- I realized I couldn't
		live without her.

	A KNOCK, the door opens and Drew enters, looks at Parrish,
	then at Joe, stands poised in the doorway.

			     DREW
		May I interrupting?

			     JOE
		Yes.

			     PARRISH
		No.

			     DREW
			(to joe)
		'Just kidding'?

			     PARRISH
		Sit down, Drew.

			     DREW
		Before I do --
			(glances at Joe)
		I was hoping we might be alone,
		Bill.

			     PARRISH
		Joe and I have no secrets from each
		other.

			     DREW
			(to Joe)
		How nice for you both.

	Drew takes a moment, then plunges in.

			     DREW (cont'd)
		Bill, pardon my candor, but I was
		confounded by your decision this
		morning.

			     PARRISH
		Why?

			     DREW
		I was hired, you told me, to help
		bring Parrish Communications into
		the 21st Century.  This merger is
		the vehicle --

	Joe interrupts:

			     JOE
		Perhaps a merger is a way to bring
		Bill's company into the 21st cen-
		tury.  And perhaps it isn't.  And
		perhaps cheating on your French
		Philosophers exam at The Groton
		School was an expedient way to get
		your diploma, and perhaps it wasn't.
		Be that as it may, Drew, a question
		can often be argued both ways.

	Drew is stunned.

			     PARRISH
		Joe, cut it out.  And you too, Drew.

			     DREW
			(to Parrish)
		I thought this was practically a 
		done deal --

			     PARRISH
		Well now it's undone, okay?  Forget
		Bontecou!  Scrub him!  I'm tired of
		his fancy name and his fancy offer.
		I'm not going for it.

	A moment.

			     DREW
		Okay.

	Drew heads for the door, turns around.

			     DREW (cont'd)
			(to Parrish)
		Can I invite myself to dinner
		tonight?
			(a moment)
		Susan and I had ticket for the
		Knicks game.  But she said you
		guys were getting together --

			     PARRISH
		Dinner?  Absolutely.

			     JOE
		Absolutely.

			     DREW
			(to Joe)
		Damn decent of you.

	Drew exits.

			     JOE
		Why, at this juncture, are you
		letting yourself be so concerned
		by business matters?

			     PARRISH
		I don't want anybody buying up my
		life's work and turning it into
		something it wasn't meant to be.  A
		man wants to leave something behind.
		And he wants it left behind the way
		he made it.  And he wants it to be
		run the way he run it -- with a sense
		of honor, of dedication, of truth.
		Okay?
		
			     JOE
		Okay.

			     PARRISH
		And I don't need your goddamn permis-
		sion either!  You!  Drew!  I don't 
		need anyone to tell me how to run my
		life.

			     JOE
		Easy, Bill.  You'll give yourself a
		heart attack and ruin my vacation.

	INT. SALON, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE, NEW YORK CITY - NIGHT

	The skyline glitters through the terrace windows.  The hour
	is before dinner, Coyle and Luisa weave seamlessly among the
	family, offering hors d'oeuvres and drinks on a tray.

	Allison and Susan together by a piano; Parrish, Quince and a
	distracted Joe are gathered near the terrace.  Joe's eyes
	are on Susan across the room.  Her eyes flicker towards him,
	aware of his gaze.

			     ALLISON
			(to Susan)
		...We're never all together two
		nights in a row.  Maybe Christmas,
		Thanksgiving, that's it.  What's
		going on?

			     SUSAN
		Nothing's going on.  Maybe he
		doesn't want to be alone.  He's go-
		ing to be sixty-five in a minute --

			     ALLISON
		...I don't know, Daddy seems funny
		to me.  Ever since Joe showed.  It's
		like he dropped from the clouds...

	Drew enters.  He nuzzles Susan's neck, out of the corner of
	her eye she sees Joe still observing them.

			     ALLISON (cont'd)
		...When Daddy walked in with him, he
		couldn't even remember his name.  Now
		he's his house guest.  And you know
		how he hates house guests.  What is
		going on?

	Drew, whose eyes have also been on Joe across the room, turns
	back.

			     DREW
			(to Susan and Allison)
		Good question.

	Allison sees Susan's eyes flicker over towards Joe.

			     ALLISON
		-- But he does seem very nice.

			     SUSAN
		You think so?

	ANOTHER ANGLE

	Over at the terrace, Quince buttonholes Parrish, Joe stand-
	ing by.

			     QUINCE
			(to Parrish)
		...I read you all the way on the
		Bontecou thing, and I know where
		you're coming from.  And I'm with
		you a hundred and one percent.

			     PARRISH
		Thank you, Quince.

			     QUINCE
		But I've got to tell you, if mergers
		are in the wild, I've got some great
		prospects I've developed.  I want to
		talk to you about them next week.

			     PARRISH
		Next week?

			     QUINCE
		Yeah.  Or the week after.

	Quince sees Parrish hesitate.

			     QUINCE (cont'd)
		No good?

			     PARRISH
		No, anything is possible.
			(lightly)
		It's up to Joe.

			     QUINCE
		Joe, you don't know how glad I am
		you're aboard.  Anybody who can take
		some of the weight off the old man,
		I'm in his corner.

			     JOE
		That's very gracious of you, Quince.

			     QUINCE
		No problem.  I'll leave you two
		alone.  I can tell you guys have
		something on the fire --

	An excited Quince drains his drink and heads for Drew as
	Allison appears.

			     ALLISON
			(to Parrish)
		Did you know twenty-six members of
		your rifle company are coming?

			     PARRISH
		Who?

			     ALLISON
		From the Korean War.

			     PARRISH
		Conflict, honey.  Korean Conflict.

			     ALLISON
		Whatever it was, they'll be here.
		We sent out invitations to everyone,
		plane tickets included -- the RSVP's
		are amazing.  A few of them we didn't
		hear from, and some of them are dead,
		of course --

			     PARRISH
		Of course.

			     ALLISON
			(a moment)
		You know, we're going to give this
		party for you whether you like it or
		not.

			     PARRISH
		I like it.  I like it.  I'm sorry I
		don't seem more appreciative.

			     ALLISON
			(resignedly)
		That's okay, Daddy.

	ANOTHER ANGLE

	Across the room, Quince has pulled Drew aside:

			     QUINCE
		...I know you're down, but you know
		when you're down, Drew, there's no
		place to go but up.

			     DREW
		Thanks, Quince.

			     QUINCE
		Never mind Bontecou.  I've got some
		other merger possibilities up my
		sleeve, and I'm putting them to see
		old man.

			     DREW
		Are you?

			     QUINCE
		We'll do it together.  I'll clue you
		in.  Timing's got to be right.  The
		old man says it's up to Joe.

			     DREW
		'It's up to Joe'?  Those were his
		words?

			     QUINCE
		Yeah.

			     DREW
		'It's up to Joe', huh?

			     QUINCE
		Yeah, that's what he said.

			     DREW
		Well, that's very interesting.

	Drew gazes intently over at Joe who is crossing to Susan,
	for the moment by herself near the piano.

			     QUINCE
		I thought so, too.  Joe's a neat
		guy.

			     DREW
		Yeah.  Neat.

	ANOTHER ANGLE

	Joe approaches Susan.

			     JOE
		I wanted to apologize, Susan --

			     SUSAN
		I thought you said 'Be sorry for
		nothing'.

			     JOE
		Well, now I am sorry.  For intruding
		on you this afternoon.

			     SUSAN
		It wasn't an intrusion.  And if it
		was, it turned out to be welcome.

			     JOE
		I appreciate you --

			     SUSAN
		Excuse me?

			     JOE
		I mean I appreciate that.

			     SUSAN
		And I appreciate you, too.

	A moment between them.

			     JOE
			(delighted)
		You do?  Well, thank you very much.

	ANOTHER ANGLE

	Drew crosses over to Parrish.

			     PARRISH
		I was a little abrupt with you this
		afternoon, Drew.  Forgive me.  I want
		you to know I value your advice.

			     DREW
		As much as Joe's?

	Parrish doesn't answer.

			     DREW (cont'd)
		Who is this man?  He's giving 
		ubiquitous a bad name.

	A moment.

			     PARRISH
		You're competitive soul, Drew.
		That's what makes you a great addi-
		tion to the money.  Joe is just...
		around.

			     DREW
		For how long?  And why?

			     PARRISH
		Please.  Don't worry about him.  And
		above all, don't antagonize him.

	Drew glances over at Joe.

			     DREW
		Boss's orders, huh?  I'm great at
		following them.  And I think I'll
		start right now.

	Allison calls out from the other side of the room:

			     ALLISON
		Dinner's ready, everybody!

	A BUZZ as Coyle opens the doors to the dining room and the
	family files in, Drew lingering behind with Joe.

			     DREW
		I have a confession to make to you,
		Joe.

	Joe just smiles in response.

			     DREW (cont'd)
		Do you want to hear it?

			     JOE
			(pleasantly)
		No.

			     DREW
		Well, I'm going to tell you anyway.
		I did cheat on that exam at Groton.
		But so did twenty-six other guys,
		and nobody ever mentioned it until
		today.  And I'm expecting you won't
		mention it again.  I don't know who
		you are and where you're getting
		your information, but I'm willing to
		pretend I did not hear it, and let
		bygones be bygones.  But can I tell
		you something else, it'd be nice to
		see the big guy without you next to
		him.  What are you, his shadow?  Do
		you hold his dick for him when he
		goes to take a leak?  You know some-
		times somebody would like a few min-
		utes alone with W.P.  That means
		without you.  Okay, pal?  Let's eat.

	INT. DINING ROOM, PARRISH TOWNHOUSE - NIGHT

	Everyone eating silently but looks are exchanged, glances
	averted, Allison notices Susan and Joe looking at each
	other, Drew observes Parrish watching Joe, Quince, on the
	other hand, just eats.

	Breaking the silence, Parrish chinks his glass, stands.