CRACKS, AND SHE FINDS HERE'S SOMETHING A MAN CAN DO THAT SHE CAN'T!"

"AND THAT'S WHAT'S ALL WRONG.

AMANDA GEBHARD WASN'T LIKE THAT.

SHE DIDN'T END UP THAT WAY. SHE COULDN'T."

"SO, 'VAS YOU DERE, CHARLIE?!"

" | KNEW HER. NOT PERSONALLY, THOUGH I DID SEE HER ONCE WHEN | WAS ABOUT FOUR. ONE OF MY AUNTS WENT TO COLLEGE WITH HER. BUT SHE WAS MY IDEAL. READ EVERYTHING IN PRINT ABOUT HER WHILE SHE WAS ALIVE AND AFTER. SHE'D NEVER GIVE A TUMBLE TO THAT..."

"OK, MISS REWRITE, LET'S HAVE YOUR SCRIPT."

JUST TWO

DARE SHUDDERED A LITTLE AT THE OMINOUSLY QUIET SARCASM, SO MUCH WORSE THAN HIS ROARS. "IT WOULD HARDLY NEED CHANGING AT ALL, UNLESS MY MEMORY IS A WASHOUT, AND I'VE SEEN IT HALF A DOZEN TIMES ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. THE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE IN THE WAY GEBHARD WAS PLAYED. INSTEAD OF COCKY AND ARROGANT WITH A BIG 'DOWN' ON MEN, YOU'D DO HER AS SOMEBODY WITH...VISION. BIG THINGS IN HER LIFE: FLYING AND PROVING THAT WOMEN AREN'T JUST FEMALES. I KNOW SHE MARRIED ENDICOTT, BUT HE WAS OLD ENOUGH TO BE HER FATHER. HE GAVE HER COMPLETE FREEDOM; HE LOVED HER... HER DEDICATION. HIS FIRST WIFE WAS A WOMEN'S COLLEGE PRESIDENT, REMEMBER. HE LIKED WOMEN WITH SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR BESIDES MEN."

"HEAR, HEAR, BILLY GRAHAM, JUNIOR. BUT WITH A LINE LIKE THAT, WHAT'S THE ENDING?"

"WELL, IF SHE'S BEEN DECENT TO HER CO-PILOT...IF YOU'VE WORKED UP A FEELING OF COMPLETE RESPECT AND ADMIRATION BETWEEN THEM. IF THEY'RE REAL BUDDIES BY THE TIME THEY CRASH, YOU'D SHOW THEM CLINGING TO THE LAST SCRAPS OF FLOATING WRECKAGE, PRETTY WELL. BANGED UP, WASHED OVER BY THOSE AWFUL PACIFIC WAVES, AND...JUST SAYING, GOODBYE AND HAPPY LANDINGS. TO HER FURY HER VOICE THICKENED. "WE COULD JERK TEARS WITH THAT, ALL RIGHT," SHE ENDED, WITH A FAIR IMITATION OF EVERYBODY'S OCCUPATIONAL CYNICISM.

"AND HAVE THE WHOLE THING JUST ONE GODDAM DOCUMENTARY," THE GREAT MOGUL SAID IN A VOICE LIKE COLD STEEL. AS HE STARED AT HER UNDER