Chapter 5Shortly after slurping down most of his eggs (the rest took up residence on his terrycloth bathrobe), Mumbles informed me that we had an 11:15 appointment with Sheldon Blatt in his office at the Big Studio. Sheldon would fill me in on the details of my job, Mumbles promised. “Make nice with him,” he added, “because the schmuck has a lot of gout.” I told Mumbles that anyone who had suffered that painful affliction always had my sympathy. Mumbles looked confused. When he repeated his comment, I managed to understand that the schmuck had a lot of clout.
The studio guard checked his list of appointments, directed us to the guest parking lot and Sheldon Blatt's office, and waved us through the gates. Never a careful driver even when fully sober, which he was not at this point, Mumbles
