Hollywood on the Danube

Chapter Eight

Billy sat on his last open bag, which was the only way to zipper it shut. Then he went for his final breakfast and one last pilfered lunch, and told Mollie he'd see her at the office when the driver arrived to take him to his new home. 

Eszter the real estate lady was waiting in front of his building and escorted Billy upstairs, while the studio runner struggled with the luggage. A quick look around was all there was time for, Billy satisfying himself that everything was in place. Everything but the washing machine, which was promised for the next day. 

A few questions about the area. Markets, subway line, banks and the post office, where were they located? "All within walking distance," Tomas informed him, as Gabi, his wife, stood silently by his side. 

"And where's the Danube?" Billy wanted to know. Tomas smiled and pointed behind the building, indicating it was only a block away. Wow, Billy thought. Living right near the Danube! 

At that very point, while he small talked to Tomas, asking what Gabi did for a living, the Blue Danube Waltz began playing in his head. When told she was a French teacher, his eyes lit up. "Quelle chance!" he said, simultaneously wondering when the Blue Danube Waltz was going to turn off. Then, feeling like Annie Sullivan when she broke through to Helen Keller, he spoke animatedly to Gabi in French as they walked down the stairs. 

A half hour later at the studio, Jeremy showed Billy the latest fax from Rodney, in which Mollie's work as usual got the brunt of his cutting remarks.

Is this one-dimensional tripe to be believed? 

Chatter, chatter, nothing happens. 

Boring. 

A new low point for the series. 

A new high point for the low points. 

The stuff cancellation breeds from.

And on and on to the extent that Mollie, who'd already read the stuff, was in the courtyard brooding. Never checked her email, wasn't making a call. Just sitting and staring, without a clue what'd gone wrong. 

Rodney also indicated he wanted things to move faster. "Your predecessor is available to pitch in," Jeremy told Billy, referring to Rose Parker who'd been story editor number five. Rose was a successful British TV writer who lived in southern Germany, an hour from Munich. She'd only committed to a three-month stint in Budapest because she didn't like long separations from home. But she was happy to work from her house and develop story "strands," the continuing plot arcs for one set of characters that could be woven into the fabric of the episodes as needed. 

For Billy, the transition to full-blown story editor was about to start. Even though Des was flying in Sunday, it was good news he would also have Rose. Down the road, the Hungarian story liners would join in, but for now he would divvy the work among the experienced pros. 

Which left the kids next door with almost nothing to do, except collect paychecks and go out for long lunches. This disturbed Csaba a lot, particularly concerning the pair designated to go. It was intriguing how Machiavellian he could be trying to cajole Zoltan and Magdi to sign their contracts, so he'd be legally entitled to kick them out. 

He'd ascribe it to basic efficiency. "We're just trying to get the files in order," he said. Then he'd try bribery. "The sooner they're signed, it could mean a raise." This also didn't work and in fact really backfired, because the other three found out and wanted to know why they weren't getting more money. Then Csaba had to calm those three without letting them know why, because word would get back and all hell would break loose. Billy thought the whole thing was comic insanity.