Then it came out he had promised Horta Cornwallis definitely that I'd dance at that ball last Friday after I told her 1 wouldn't. I know he doesn't want to put up his own money for that dancer play as it may not go because it's so different."
"Has he offered the part to you?"
"No, but I know he was going to because Lyle told me so at Figente's. I know Tessie wants it too. That's why she's studying dancing."
"I thought it took years to be a good dancer."
"Maybe she can fake it, and then you know they always rewrite to fit the star anyway."
"Perhaps you should postpone the recital and go to Chicago."
"I thought of that, but the show may be on the road for a year, and Beman hasn't promised me the play if I did go. A year is a long time to be away from Broadway if you aren't a star with a following and there are a lot of good dancers who can take your place if you're not around. Anyway Beman was so mad he said it didn't matter because Connie Lucas was crazy to go. If he feels that way I'm better out of it. Besides I couldn't walk out on Ranna, though now that Ilona is in the recital I don't know where I'm at. If I had known it would be like this, I'd never have started with the recital."
Vida looked at her uncomprehendingly. "What has Ilona to do with it?"
"You know how easygoing Ranna is. He hates to work. He would rather—well, you know—"
"I know," Vida condoled bitterly. Ranna and Rad were alike, declaring mutual companionability but only wanting to make love and injured if that wasn't enough.
"Ranna has become friends with Alfred Vent who told him he used some kind of a Hindu scale in some music he composed for Ilona and that he wants to write something for Ranna too."
"You don't mean 'B Square Equals Zero—Pastorale Mécanique' Vida asked, remembering Ilona at work on a series of gravity-defying poses.
"Do you know it?"
"I know she is doing a dance with her group to it. She told them a couple of weeks ago 'This dance is the culmination of American cubism, the reaching out of primitive man to modern.' She ought to call what I saw 'Rise, Sway, Writhe and Shine' because the girls in grey will do the first three, and she will shine in white. Purity, you know."
