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g that Webster Pot with you； please。〃
〃The what？〃
〃Little jar of pens and pencils； 〃 he said。 〃On newspapers； they sometimes call them Webster Pots。 After Daniel Webster。〃 This was a lie he had made up on the spur of the moment； but it had the desired effect … she looked more confused than ever； lost in a specialists〃 world of which she had not the slightest knowledge。 The confusion had diffused （and thus defused） her rage even more； he saw she now didn't even know if she had any right to be angry。
She brought over the jar of pens and pencils and slammed them down on the board and he thought： Goddam！ I won No … that wasn't right。 Misery had won。
But that isn't right； either。 It was Scheherazade。 Scheherazade won。
〃What？〃 she said grumpily。
〃Watch。〃 He opened the package of Corrasable and took out a sheet He took a freshly sharpened pencil and drew a fine on the paper。 Then he took a ballpoint pen and drew another line parallel to the first。 Then he slid his thumb across the slightly waffled surface of the paper。 Both lines blurred smudgily in the direction his thumb was travelling； the pencil…line slightly more than the one he had drawn with the pen。
〃See？〃
〃So what？〃
〃Ribbon…ink will blur； too；〃 he said。 〃It doesn't blur a much as that pencil…line； but it's worse than the ballpoint…ink line。〃
〃Were you going to sit and rub every page with your thumb？〃
〃Just the shift of the pages against each other will acplish plenty of blurring over a period of weeks or ever days；〃 he said； 〃and when a manuscript is in work； it get shifted around a lot。 You're always hunting back through to find a name or a date。 My God； Annie； one of the first thing you find out in this business is that editors hate reading manuscripts typed on Corrasable Bond almost as much a they hate hand…written manuscripts。〃
〃Don't call it that。 I hate it when you call it that。〃 He looked at her； honestly puzzled。 〃Call what what？〃
〃When you pervert the talent God gave you by calling it a business。 I hate that。〃
〃I'm sorry。〃
〃You ought to be；〃 she said stonily。 〃You might as well call yourself a whore。〃 No； Annie； he thought； suddenly filled with fury。 I'm no whore。 Fast Cars was about not being a whore。 That's what killing that goddamned bitch Misery was about； now that I think about it。 I was driving to the West Coast to celebrate my liberation from a state of whoredom。 What you did was to pull me out of the wreck when I crashed my car and stick me back in the crib again。 Two dollar straight up； four dollar I take you around the world。 And every now and then I see a flicker in your eyes that tells me a part of you way back inside knows it too。 A jury might let you off by reason of insanity； but not me； Annie。 Not this kid。
〃A good point；〃 he said。 〃Now； going back to the subject of the paper … 〃
〃I'll get you your cockadoodie paper；〃 she said sullenly。 〃Just tell me what to get and I'll get it。〃
〃As long as you understand I'm on your side … 〃
〃Don't make me laugh。 No one has been on my side since my mother died twenty years ago。〃
〃Believe what you want； then；〃 he said。 〃If you're so insecure you can't believe I'm grateful to you for saving my life； that's your problem。〃 He was watching her shrewdly； and again saw a flicker of uncertainty； of wanting to believe； in her eyes。 Good。 Very good。 He looked at her with all the sincerity he could muster； and again in his mind he imagined shoving a chunk of glass into her throat； once and forever letting out the blood that serviced her crazy brain。
〃At least you should be able to believe that I am on the book's side。 You spoke of binding it。 I assume that you meant binding the manuscript？ The typed pages？〃
〃Of course that's what I meant。〃 Yes； you bet。 Because if you took the manuscript to a printer； it might raise questions。 You may be naive about the world of books and publishing； but not that naive。 Paul Sheldon is missing； and your printer might remember receiving a book…length manuscript concerning itself with Paul Sheldon's most famous character right around the time the man himself disappeared； mightn't he？ And he'd certainly remember the instructions … instructions so queer any printer would remember them。 One printed copy of a novel…length manuscript。
Just one。
〃What did she look like； officer？ Well； she was a big woman。 Looked sort of like a stone idol in a H。 Rider Haggard story。 Just a minute； I've got her name and address here in the files 。 。 。 Just let me look up the carbons of the invoices 。 。 。 〃
〃Nothing wrong with the idea； either；〃 he said。 〃A bound manuscript can be damned handsome。 Looks like a good folio edition。 But a book should last a long time； Annie； and if I write this one on Corrasable； you're going to have nothing but a bunch of blank papers in ten years or so。 Unless； of course； you just put it on the shelf。〃 But she wouldn't want that； would she？ Christ； no。 She'd want to take it down every day； maybe every few hours。 Take it down and gloat over it。
An odd stony look had e onto her face。 He did not like this mulishness； this almost ostentatious look of obduracy。 It made him nervous。 He could calculate her rage； but there was something in this new expression which was as opaque as it was childish。
〃You don't have to talk anymore；〃 she said。 〃I already told you I'll get you your paper。 What kind？〃
〃In this business…supply store you go to … 〃
〃The Paper Patch。〃
〃Yes； the Paper Patch。 You tell them you'd like two reams … a ream is a package of five hundred sheets … 〃
〃I know that。 I'm not stupid； Paul。〃
〃I know you're not；〃 he said； being more nervous still。 The pain had begun to mutter up and down his legs again； and it was speaking even more …loudly from the area of his pelvis … he had been sitting up for nearly an hour； and the dislocation down there was plaining about it。
Keep cool； for God's sake … don't lose everything you've gained！
But have I gained anything？ Or is it only wishful thinking？
〃Ask for two reams of white long…grain mimeo。 Hammermill Bond is a good brand； so is Triad Modem。 Two reams of mimeo will cost less than this one package of Corrasable； and it should be enough to do the whole job； write and rewrite。〃
〃I'll go right now；〃 she said； getting up suddenly。
He looked at her； alarmed； understanding that she meant to leave him without his medication again； and sitting up this time； as well。 Sitting already hurt； the pain would be monstrous by the time she got back； even if she hurried。
〃You don't have to do that；〃 he said； speaking fast。 〃The Corrasable is good enough to start with … after all； I'll have to rewrite anyway … 〃
〃Only a silly person would try to start a good work with a bad tool。〃 She took the package of Corrasable Bond； then snatched the sheet with the two smudged lines and crumpled it into a ball。 She tossed both into the wastebasket and turned back to him。 That stony； obdurate look covered her face like a mask。 Her eyes glittered like tarnished dimes。
〃I'm going to town now；〃 she said。 〃I know you want to get started as soon as you can； since you're on my side … 〃 she spoke these last words with intense； smoking sarcasm （and； Paul believed； more