The Deer Park by Norman Mailer Page B

carefully. “What do you do?” he asked again as if he had not heard my answer. “Are you an actor?”
    “No.”
    “I knew it. None of the good-looking clean-cut ones are actorsany more. Just the ugly ones. Faces like bugs.” He cleared his throat with a barking sound. “Look, Johnny,” he went on, “I like you, I’ll do you a good turn. There’s a little party tomorrow night. I’m giving it for our people out here. You’re invited.”
    The moment he gave this invitation, I knew I wanted to go to his party. Everybody in Desert D’Or had been talking about it for the last few days, and this was the first big party at the resort which I had been invited to. But I was angry at myself because I was ready to say yes, and in that second I almost forgot Eitel. So I told myself that I was going to play it through, and if Teppis wanted to invite me, and I didn’t know why, I was going to get him to invite Eitel.
    “I don’t know if I want to go alone,” I said to him, and I was satisfied that my voice was even.
    “Bring a girl,” Teppis offered. “You got a sweetheart?”
    “It’s not easy to find the right girl,” I said. “I lost too much time flying airplanes.”
    My instinct about Herman Teppis seemed to be working. He nodded his head wisely. “I see the connection,” he said.
    “I was thinking Charley Eitel could help me find a girl,” I added.
    For a second I thought I had lost it and Teppis was going to fly into a rage. He glared at both of us. “Who invited Eitel?” he said furiously.
    “You didn’t invite him?” I said. “I thought maybe you did.”
    With what an effort, Teppis smiled benevolently. “Johnny, you’re a very loyal friend. You got spunk.” In practically the same breath he said to Eitel, “Tell me, cross your heart, Charley, are you a Red?”
    Eitel didn’t rush to answer. “You know everything, Herman,” he murmured at last. “Why ask questions?”
    “I know!” Teppis shouted. “I know all about you. I’ll never understand why you made such a spectacle of yourself.” He threw up his arms. “All right, all right, I know you’re clean deep-down.Come to my party.” Teppis shook his head. “Only, do me a favor, Charley. Don’t say I invited you. Say it was Mac Barrantine.”
    “This is one hell of an invitation,” Eitel answered.
    “You think so, well don’t look a gift horse, you know what I mean? One of these days go clear yourself with the American government, and then maybe I’ll work with you. I got no objection to making money with people I don’t like. It’s my motto.” He took my hand and shook it firmly. “Agree with me, Johnny? That’s the ticket. I’ll see both you boys tomorrow night.”
    On the drive back to Eitel’s house I was in a good mood. Teppis had been just right for me. I was even overexcited, I kept talking to Eitel about how it had felt the time I took my first solo. Then I began to realize that the more I talked the more depressed I made him feel, and so looking for any kind of question to change the subject I said, “What do you say about our invitation? Maybe there’s going to be just a little look on people’s faces when you turn up.” I started to laugh again.
    Eitel shook his head. “They’ll probably say I’ve been having private talks with the Committee, or else why would Teppis have me there?” Then he grinned at the frustration of it. “Man,” he said, mimicking me, “don’t you just have to be good to win?” But there was more than enough to think about in this thought, and neither of us said another word until we turned into his garage. Then Eitel stopped the car with a jerk. “Sergius, I’m not going to that party,” he said.
    “Well, if you won’t change your mind …” I wanted to go to the party, I was ready for it, I thought, but it was going to be harder without Eitel. I wouldn’t know anybody there.
    “You did well, today,” he said. “You go. You’ll enjoy it. But I can’t go. I’ve