New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction; Television game show hosts -- Fiction
Lennox whirled and wrenched himself out of Salerno's grasp. He didn't
so much hit him as catapult him back into Fink with a bull thrust. He
ran through the arch into the orchestra, whipping the heavy curtain
across the arch behind him for cover. He squirmed through an empty row
of seats to the center aisle and yelled: "Gabby!"
She turned. Everybody turned and stared through the gloom.
"Out!" Lennox roared. "Out!"
Behind him, Fink called sharply: "Lennox! You'll be sorry!"
Lennox sprinted up the center aisle, knocking aside the vague figures
that blundered into his path. He cut around the glass corner of the
control booth and headed for the bronze doors that led out to the
theater lobby. At that moment, the doors opened and the studio audience
poured into the theater in a solid mass, fighting and elbowing for the
best seats.
Lennox was slammed back against the control booth. He lowered his head
and tried to charge through that unyielding wave. He could hear Fink
and Salerno struggling near him and shouting orders to the network
pages, the house manager, the theater fireman. Lennox was carried
back again and shunted to the right where the broad stairs led up to
the balcony. He started up the stairs. The fireman appeared above him
and came down after him. Lennox turned and ran around the foot of the
stairs to the right aisle, searching for fire exits.
He went down the steep slope of the aisle toward the stage. There
were no exits he could reach through the crowd. Fink and Salerno were
calling to each other. The studio audience was in an uproar. Lennox
leaped up on the orchestra platform at the foot of the aisle, battered
his way through musicians, stands and chairs, and vaulted onto the
stage. Gabby began screaming.
Lennox started across the stage to the right wings. He tripped on the
No. 3 Camera cables, fell, rolled over and was on his feet again.
Salerno appeared in the right wings. Lennox stopped short and turned
downstage. Fink was coming at him up the No. 2 Camera dolly-track.
Lennox turned to the left wings. The fireman was advancing on him from
that side. He backed up, panting, trapped. As Fink came onto the stage,
the curtains swept in from either side, narrowly missing him.
Lennox looked around wildly, searching the stage for a loop-hole ...
left, right, back, up. Suddenly he was transfixed. Still staring up
into the flies, he screamed: "Sam! Sam!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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