An excerpt from my good name.Act Two. Scene One: A little later that Monday RACHEL and HARRY are dancing to a different tune. The music stops. HE goes to change the tape. SHE stands there for a moment. RACHEL: But wasn't what you did the same as what they did? HARRY: Similar, not the same. Any requests? RACHEL: But basically, was it insider trading? HARRY: I was waiting for you to say "whatever that is". RACHEL: Whatever it is, it's illegal. I know that much. (MUSIC from the new tape HARRY has chosen. HE is humming along with it.) Is there anything Celeste Celeste is a woman's first name. Celeste may also refer to: in Music
ferret discover, find - make a discovery; "She found that he had lied to her"; "The story is false, so far as I can discover" ? HARRY: Will you please not worry? Ambitious people are easy to handle. (Holds out his arms, inviting her to dance, but SHE doesn't move.) RACHEL: Muriel thought she was easy. How similar was what you did to inside trading? HARRY: (Smiles) There are those who might say that's what it was. Rachel, it was very popular in all of its forms until Dennis Levine Dennis Levine (born 1953) was a prominent player in the Wall Street insider trading scandals of the mid-1980s. [1] As a managing director at Drexel Burnham Lambert, he was charged with insider trading by then U. got himself arrested. You know what stunned stun tr.v. stunned, stun·ning, stuns 1. To daze or render senseless, by or as if by a blow. 2. To overwhelm or daze with a loud noise. 3. me when we first dated? What a marvelous dancer you were. It didn't go with the rest of you. RACHEL: Until we went to bed. HARRY: Yes. Come on. Stun me. (Holds out his arms again.) RACHEL: Are you in danger of going to jail? HARRY: No. RACHEL: Because you didn't do exactly what they did? HARRY: (Drops his arms. A moment.) Because they didn't do what I did. RACHEL: (After a moment.) Could we do without the music? (HE turns it off.) What did you do, Harry? HARRY: (A moment.) I provided evidence against Michael Milken Michael Milken As an executive at Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. during the 1980s, Milken used high-yield junk bonds for financing and corporate takeovers. While his personal wealth was enormous, he spent two years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of securities fraud. . RACHEL: To whom? HARRY: The Feds. RACHEL: Why? HARRY: I didn't want to go to jail. RACHEL: Ivan Boesky Ivan Frederick Boesky (born March 6, 1937, in Detroit) was notable for his prominent role in a Wall Street insider trading scandal that occurred in the United States in the mid-1980s. Boesky was born to a Russian-Jewish family. provided evidence against Milken. It didn't keep him out of jail. HARRY: Ivan Boesky was fined a hundred million dollars. Imagine how much he made. RACHEL: And kept. HARRY: He was a catch. RACHEL: Milken was an even bigger catch. HARRY: Oh, much. That's what the Feds go after. RACHEL: You're not a big catch, Harry. They went after you. But then they gave you a choice. At least, I suppose they did. HARRY: They did. RACHEL: Why? Because you're Harrison Beaumont? HARRY: Meaning what? RACHEL: Dennis Levine isn't in the big catch class with Boesky and Milken. HARRY: No. RACHEL: But he is in another class all the Yeshiva yeshiva Academy of higher Talmudic learning. Through its biblical and legal exegesis and application of scripture, the yeshiva has defined and regulated Judaism for centuries. Traditionally, it is the setting for the training and ordination of rabbis. boys are in. Outsiders go to jail for insider trading, insiders don't. HARRY: Ever hear of Boyd Jefferies? RACHEL: An inside trader? HARRY: Until Boesky included him our. RACHEL: Alright, he was the token goy. You have your amused a·muse tr.v. a·mused, a·mus·ing, a·mus·es 1. To occupy in an agreeable, pleasing, or entertaining fashion. 2. look. HARRY: I'm not amused and you're wrong. RACHEL: The old boys are smart. It's smart to include a token. They always do. HARRY: You ran this into the ground with Celeste Magowan. What are you after, Rachel? Not for her, for yourself? What is it you want? RACHEL: I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. . I'm fishing. Like Celeste. HARRY: I'd rather have music and dance. RACHEL: I'll rake a rain check. (A moment.) Please, Harry. HARRY: I forgot you read your publishing contracts A publishing contract is a legal contract between a publisher and a writer or author (or more than one), to publish written material by the writer(s) or author(s). This may involve a single written work, or a series of works. . You want the fine print. RACHEL: All of it. HARRY: You have your serious look. It is serious but nor that serious. RACHEL: Good. I could use a laugh. HARRY: When I began on Wall Street, insider trading wasn't a crime. It's a victimless one, anyway. RACHEL: Nobody loses? HARRY: Oh, money, yes. But we're a get rich quick country. Money is our national product, and making money from money is our number one business. A little knowledge can make a lot of Muriel's moolah. It did for Levine and Boesky and Milken. RACHEL: And Beaumont? HARRY: Not in their class. Either class. You think they went down because they're outsiders. I think because they were greedy. I wasn't greedy, Rachel. I simply wanted to live well. I wanted to be sure that you and I and your child and my childr--child lived well. We do. We have everything we need and a bit more. But we don't live in the land of Ferraris. I was neither gaudy nor greedy. When they caught up with me, what did they catch? Good name, good clubs, a personable PERSONABLE. Having the capacities of a person; for example, the defendant was judged personable to maintain this action. Old Nat. Brev. 142. This word is obsolete. , affable af·fa·ble adj. 1. Easy and pleasant to speak to; approachable. 2. Gentle and gracious: an affable smile. asset to be counted on and no threat to anyone. A gentleman. That's an old fashioned n. 1. A cocktail consisting of whiskey, bitters, and sugar, garnished with with fruit slices and often a cherry. Noun 1. old fashioned - a cocktail made of whiskey and bitters and sugar with fruit slices concept, so they don't say it. But they think it, and what they think is: you can believe him. In the case of the Feds: you can believe his testimony. That's why they gave me the choice. I could help them and get immunity or I could be sent to jail. Why should I go to jail? What good would it do anyone if I went to jail? You and Becca would have to give up this room. Why should you? Why should I? RACHEL: (After a moment.) This is ridiculous. I feel like I'm hyperventilating. HARRY: Take some slow deep breaths. RACHEL: I'm not hyperventilaring. This is ridiculous! You know what it is? I know what it is. Everything in my head is jammed. All circuits closed down. I had it once before. Years ago, before you. Even before Becca. I was trying to get away from Mickey and wound up back-packing through Europe with him. In Paris, I spoke French--from college. In Madrid, Spanish--from high school. By the time we got to Italy, I had stopped thinking in English and was translating from either Spanish or French into Italian in the present tense pres·ent tense n. The verb tense expressing action in the present time, as in She writes; she is writing. Noun 1. present tense - a verb tense that expresses actions or states at the time of speaking present . Until one night, in a bar in Positano. Out of season, just before Easter--the Buca di Bacco! I can see the carving over the door. All the languages seemed jammed in my head and I couldn't speak anything for ten minutes. Nothing, not one word, not even English for ten minutes. The next day, I flew home alone. But Becca was already underway. HARRY: (After a moment.) Did Mickey know that you were angry? RACHEL: I'm not angry at you, Harry. My circuits are jammed. HARRY: Unjam them. Just rattle off Verb 1. rattle off - recite volubly or extravagantly; "He could recite the names of all the chemical elements" rattle down, roll off, spiel off, reel off recite - repeat aloud from memory; "she recited a poem"; "The pupil recited his lesson for the day" whatever-- RACHEL: How could you do it? HARRY: (A moment.) Do which? RACHEL: Which? HARRY: How could I break the law or how could I cooperate with the government? RACHEL: Both. HARRY: Without difficulty. RACHEL: No guilt? HARRY: No. RACHEL: No remorse Remorse See also Regret. Ayenbite of Inwit (Remorse of Conscience) Middle English version of medieval moral treatise, c. 1340. [Br. Lit. ? HARRY: No. RACHEL: Well, we have the Ten Commandments Ten Commandments or Decalogue [Gr.,=ten words], in the Bible, the summary of divine law given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai. They have a paramount place in the ethical system in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. . HARRY: Not restricted to you, Rachel. We have guilt and remorse, too. I've had both but in this instance, neither is warranted. RACHEL: Levine and Boesky and Milken were restricted. Unlike you. HARRY: How? RACHEL: They weren't given the choice you were. You got away with what you did because you're Harrison Beaumont and that was enough. But then, unfortunately, because was greedy, along came Vanity Fair and you're in danger of not getting away with it "Getting Away With It" was the first single released by the English band Electronic, which comprised Bernard Sumner of New Order, ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, and guesting vocalist Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys. . HARRY: (After a moment.) Are you pleased? RACHEL: What?? HARRY: That I may be getting my just desserts A retributive theory of criminal punishment that proposes reduced judicial discretion in sentencing and specific sentences for criminal acts without regard to the individual defendant. ? RACHEL: (After a moment.) I'm not allowed to question you, Harry? HARRY: You can question anything. I would just rather you didn't apply Talmudic standards to my answers. RACHEL: What standards may I apply? What standards would you like me to apply? Tell me. I'm ambitious, too. Make it easy for me to understand you. Do you think those other men deserve to go to jail? HARRY: Not really. RACHEL: (Surprised) You don't? Honestly? HARRY: Honestly. RACHEL: But they broke the law. HARRY: I don't happen to believe in that particular law. It's too whimsical whim·si·cal adj. 1. Determined by, arising from, or marked by whim or caprice. See Synonyms at arbitrary. 2. Erratic in behavior or degree of unpredictability: a whimsical personality. . It could easily qualify quite a few others for jail--insiders, as you might put it--but they never go. RACHEL: But Harry, knowing that, you still cooperated, you still - HARRY: Go on. RACHEL: Harry - HARRY: I cooperated, I gave evidence - RACHEL: Let's stop. HARRY: No, let's not Let's Not is a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov. It was first published in Boston University Graduate Journal in December 1954. It was written for no payment as a favour to the journal, and later appeared in the collection Buy Jupiter. . How could I give evidence that could help send an associate to prison? To save my ass, Rachel. But Harrison Beaumont doesn't have an ass. He's not allowed to have an ass is he, Rachel? He's not allowed to fiddle as Levine and Boesky and Milken did, he's not allowed to cooperate as Boesky did, is he? Do you think ignoble behavior is restricted to Jews Jews [from Judah], traditionally, descendants of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, whose tribe, with that of his half brother Benjamin, made up the kingdom of Judah; historically, members of the worldwide community of adherents to Judaism. , Rachel? (A pause. Then SHE goes to the stereo and turns it on. DANCE MUSIC. SHE holds out her arms to Harry:) RACHEL: Your rain check. (A moment. Then HE gets up, comes to her and THEY begin to dance--apart, almost formally. Suddenly SHE stops and slaps him in the face, then turns off the music. HARRY makes himself a drink.) RACHEL: How much do you think Celeste Magowan knows? HARRY: Nothing. RACHEL: How much do you think she can find out? HARRY: Nothing. RACHEL: She'll ask around. HARRY: Miss Magowan is an outsider. So is Vanity Fair for that matter. She's do better on the Wall Street Journal. Of course, they're given to protecting insiders. Drink? RACHEL: No. She'll threaten you. HARRY: Casually. In the interest of providing her article with--what was it? RACHEL: Snap. HARRY: Snap. It might force her into featuring some nasty innuendo innuendo n. from Latin innuere, "to nod toward." In law it means "an indirect hint." "Innuendo" is used in lawsuits for defamation (libel or slander), usually to show that the party suing was the person about whom the nasty statements were made or why the comments unless, of course, I'm willing to give her hard facts in exchange. RACHEL: Will you? HARRY: No. I will casually mention lawsuits and people in high places. Like her boss at Conde Nast. RACHEL: She has those photographs Axel Axel: see Absalon. took. HARRY: When? RACHEL: When? HARRY: When did he take those? RACHEL: Today. HARRY: How do you know? If there's no one else in them but me in my banker uniform, they could have been taken last year. Or the year before that. Or the year before that. I bad some SEC business two years ago, in point of fact. RACHEL: And the DA? HARRY: I'll have to consult my appointment diary. RACHEL: I didn't know you were that clever. HARRY: Don't you mean "tricky"? More of us are than you think. RACHEL: You've made that point, Harry. HARRY: You draw your line because you underestimate us. RACHEL: Becca doesn't underestimate you. She would like you to adopt her. HARRY: (A moment.) When did she tell you? RACHEL: She didn't. She left a sheet of paper in Louis Auchincloss's new novel. She'd been practicing her signature: Rebecca Beaumont. Very elegant whirls and swirls. HARRY: Why did you bring up Becca, Rachel? Why Celeste Magowan? Why are we talking about them and not us? RACHEL: Diversionary tactics diversionary tactics npl → tácticas fpl de diversión diversionary tactics npl → tactique fsg de diversion diversionary tactics . HARRY: Why? RACHEL: My anger. And yours. Yes, yours, Harry! Controlled and covered by charm! All the more frightening! Becca's adoption is a practical problem, Celeste Magowan's article is a practical problem. If we concentrate on practical problems we might reduce our anger and get through without too much damage. Then we can talk about us. HARRY: (A moment.) I can never completely anticipate you...There's a practical problem with Magowan you might consider. RACHEL: Fine. Thank you. What? HARRY: The more scandalous MATTER, SCANDALOUS, equity pleading. A false and malicious statement of facts, not relevant to the cause. But nothing which is positively relevant, however harsh or gross the charge may be, can be considered scandalous. 4 Bouv. Inst. n. 4163. 2. her article is about me, the better publicity it is for your book. RACHEL: (A moment.) Why did you mention that? HARRY: I'd survive, Rachel. RACHEL: I wouldn't. Are you seriously suggesting I consider it? HARRY: It's a reality, Rachel. RACHEL: (Passionately) Not mine. Yours, Harry. Your reality. You can break the law because you don't approve of that particular law. Breaking it is popular among your fellow insiders, but since, unlike their Jewish partners, they don't go to jail Don't Go to Jail is a Parker Brothers dice game for two or more players inspired by Monopoly. The game is played by rolling ten dice and attempting to roll matches to score points. , why should you? And why shouldn't you cooperate with the Feds if, also unlike your Jewish partners, it keeps you out of jail? Your reality, Harry. You assume therefore it's mine. But it isn't. It's Alice in Wonderland Wonderland See also Heaven, Paradise, Utopia. Annwn land of joy and beauty without disease or death. [Welsh Lit.: Mabinogion] Atlantis fabulous and prosperous island; legendarily in Atlantic Ocean. [Gk. Myth. , upside Upside The potential dollar amount by which the market or a stock could rise. Notes: This is basically an educated guess on how high a stock could go in the near future. See also: Bull, Downside down, inside out. You're inside and I'm out. HARRY: Out? You're Mrs. Harrison Beaumont. RACHEL: Some of the time. Mostly I'm like Gertrude Stein's St. Theresa: half in half out the door. HARRY: Also Jewish. Gertrude Stein. RACHEL: Also out. HARRY: Is that where you're comfortable, Rachel? RACHEL: It's familiar. HARRY: But is it where you like to be? RACHEL: I don't have a choice, Harry. HARRY: No? If you were so comfortable where you were, why did you marry me? Surely that was a choice. RACHEL: Yes. HARRY: Surely you've enjoyed being Mrs. Harrison Beaumont. RACHEL: Yes. HARRY: Are you enjoying this, Rachel? I'm not. RACHEL: No. It frightens me. HARRY: I frighten fright·en v. fright·ened, fright·en·ing, fright·ens v.tr. 1. To fill with fear; alarm. 2. you. RACHEL: No, I frighten me. I'm descending descending /des·cend·ing/ (de-send´ing) extending inferiorly. the stairs, trying to hold on to the banister the way Mrs. Harrison Beaumont should, but my feet are slipping and I'm churning Firing one group of employees and hiring another. As companies move into newer, high-tech ventures, they often eliminate employees with older skills while bringing on new people who have computer programming, networking and Web experience. inside, Harry! Just saying that word "inside" makes me rage! At myself, Harry. Well, and you, yes. I have too many not very nice, no, terrible thoughts about each of us doing both of us in by being so greedy. I am half in, half out and why not? (Exploding) Outside is such hard work and inside is a disappointment! You are not the same man I married, Harry! You resemble that man, you are as desirable, but he was not this! He could not have been this! He is not--stop it, Rachel. Stop. (A long moment.) I should tell Becca. No matter how many times you write a signature, that still doesn't make it your name. THE LIGHT SLOWLY FADES |
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