:55:04
While some of us
were snug in our bed,
:55:08
other more productive citizens
were up
:55:10
toiling in the vineyards
of beautiful letters.
:55:13
I'm only sorry that you,
as a fledgling writer,
:55:16
weren't present to observe
with your own big magic eyes
:55:19
a seasoned professional in action.
:55:21
I was, in those few short hours,
:55:24
the great DiMaggio, going back,
back, back for the high-fly ball.
:55:28
I was Manolete in Seville,
going over the horns for the kill.
:55:32
And missing, fortunately, because
I can't stand the sight of blood.
:55:36
I was Pablo Picasso, deftly...
:55:40
...adding the third eye
to a portrait of his lady love.
:55:45
I was...
:55:48
How do you spell ingenuous?
:55:50
L-N-G-E-N-U-O-U-S.
:55:53
I was afraid of that.
:55:55
In addition to the nine and a half
yards of pages I wrote,
:56:00
I discovered some errors
in the earlier pages,
:56:03
which I corrected, dealing basically
with the character of Rick.
:56:07
I found I had,
in a moment of insecurity...
:56:12
...underestimated
the brilliance of the man.
:56:14
No simple safe-cracker he,
but a master criminal,
:56:18
wanted by the police
of three continents.
:56:21
The dazzling scheme
has been worked out,
:56:23
step by painful step,
for over a year by Rick himself.
:56:27
The two other characters
are just employees.
:56:30
That brings us back
to where we were.
:56:33
Rick and Gabby have demolished
a glorious lunch
:56:36
and it's almost four o'clock,
time for the car to arrive.
:56:39
Page 14.
:56:41
Sit down and brace yourself.
:56:44
Here comes the switch on the switch.
:56:47
In a minute and a half,
you and the audience will gasp
:56:50
as you realise you've been fooled.
:56:52
Things are not as they seem.
Not at all. In fact,
:56:57
- the whole situation is reversed.
- Mr Benson...