Valenti released a long sigh and shook his head sadly. ‘Today that kid could have made a million — easy.’
‘Actually, she did turn professional,’ said Serafin. ‘An advertisement appeared before the end of the year linking her name with the latest Dodge automobile. Ruthrauff and Ryan acted as her agents, and she appeared for a few weeks in vaudeville at the Palace Theater, Chicago, for a fee of $2500, doing an Eddie Cantor imitation and demonstrating running on a treadmill. I gather that a sports star can make a little more than that these days in a more dignified manner, Mr. Dryden.’
He nodded. If he didn’t come up with the obvious example, someone else would. ‘Mark Spitz, the swimming star of the seventy-two Olympics, is said to have scooped up something in excess of $5,000,000.’
Valenti gave a jump in his seat.
‘Do you see the point of the story?’ Serafin asked, a missionary gleam behind his gold frames. ‘Given the proper encouragement, a girl can beat the world.’
‘And make at least ten million,’ added Valenti, no slouch in speculative mathematics.
‘We’ll come to that at the proper time,’ Serafin told him with pedagogic stiffness. ‘The position as I saw it in 1978 was that Goldine deserved a chance to fulfill her potential as a runner. But these days you need training resources more sophisticated than flatirons. An all-weather running surface, a fully fitted gymnasium and, of course, a knowledgeable coach. And research has shown that training at high altitude markedly improves athletic performance. For reasons I shall explain, I had decided to keep Goldine’s ability secret for as long as possible. But my personal savings were not sufficient to provide the facilities she needed.’
‘That’s how the rest of us came in,’ Armitage told Dryden.
‘Yes, indeed,’ said Serafin with a slight smile. ‘I was fortunate in knowing Dick through my work. He was referred to me when he sustained a hamstring injury. I occasionally treat patients privately, to keep myself from becoming too much of a theoretician. Somehow we got around to talking about women in sports, and I spoke in general terms about Goldine and my hopes of providing her with a high-altitude training camp. I mentioned the idea of approaching possible sponsors, and Dick was enthusiastic to be included. So I made soundings among other acquaintances, putting my project as a commercial proposition — I couldn’t ask people to finance us without some return on their investment. Mr. Valenti was one of those who agreed to form a consortium dedicated to making Goldine the golden girl of the next Olympics.
‘Between us, we put up more than $200 and $5000 as an initial outlay. I purchased a strip of land in the Sierras, $6000 feet above sea level, and had the camp built there to the consortium’s specifications in the most stringent secrecy — the contractors thought we were setting it up for a challenger for the heavyweight boxing title — at a cost of $150,000. The total outlay will be in excess of half a million.’
Dryden looked at the ceiling.
‘Should still leave a modest profit margin,’ said Valenti. ‘We aim to clear at least ten million. That’s where you come in, buster.’
Four pairs of eyes fastened on Dryden. He gave a hollow laugh. ‘Ten million!’
‘You just told us yourself Spitz made five,’ said Valenti. ‘That was back in seventy-two.’
‘Spitz won seven gold medals,’ Dryden pointed out.
‘For swimming,’ said Valenti. ‘That’s peanuts. Track’s the thing in the Olympics.’
Dryden drew a long breath. These people had sunk money into the project already. They weren’t going to like what he had to tell them. ‘Look, she’s a stunning girl. A marvelous runner. But she won’t turn $10,000,000 bucks by winning the Olympic 1000 metres.’
Serafin held up his forefinger. ‘But if she won the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 400 metres?’
Dryden chuckled and shook his head. ‘That’s crazy! We’re really into fantasy now. Why not throw in the marathon while you’re at it?’
Serafin said without any display of irritation, ‘Not crazy, Mr. Dryden. Have you ever heard of Fanny Blankers-Koen?’
‘Sure I have. The one they called the Flying Dutchwoman.’
‘In the 1948 Olympics she won one hundred, the two hundred and the hurdles, and picked up a fourth gold medal in the relay.’
‘Come now, that was over thirty years ago,’ said Dryden. ‘Women’s track was a picnic. There were no Russians in the Olympics, no Germans. Two rounds of heats and you were in the final. We’re talking about 1980. One hundred and forty nations chasing medals. There are women in East Germany who have trained for one event in these Games since they were ten years old. No disrespect to Fanny B., but the era of the all-round woman athlete went out with knee-length running shorts. I hate to say it, but you’ve spent too much time reading sports histories. In 1980, it’s pure fantasy.’
Serafin remained as cool as he had throughout his narrative. ‘Very well. Since that is your opinion, let’s stay in the realm of fantasy for just a moment. I would like the benefit of your expert knowledge, Mr. Dryden. Suppose the miracle happened: that Goldine went to the Olympics and won those three events. I do not need to remind you where they are taking place. An unknown American blonde of stunning appearance — to use your word — strikes gold three times in the Moscow Stadium, watched by the largest TV audience in the history of the world. If you knew that was going to happen and were acting as her agent, and had a campaign ready to trigger into action the moment she stepped off the victory rostrum, what would you expect to raise in merchandising revenue?’
Dryden shrugged. ‘Okay. It would be high. But I don’t deal in daydreams, Dr. Serafin.’
‘Ten million? Twenty?’
‘Possibly. Listen, she’d have to run at least ten races of world-class standard inside five days. No girl could stand up to it. They test for drugs, you know.’
‘Nobody mentioned drugs,’ said Serafin in a shocked tone. ‘There’s nothing irregular in what we are proposing.’
‘You wouldn’t find me in a dope racket,’ declared Valenti.
Dryden smiled at this from the pharmaceutical king.
‘Mr. Dryden, this is all new to you,’ said Serafin with an indulgent air. ‘The rest of us have lived with the idea for two years, and longer. It will take time for you to appreciate the planning in this project and the possibilities it opens up. That is why I suggested an extended weekend for our meeting.’
‘Point taken,’ said Dryden. ‘I’m not going to walk out on you. This might not be my idea of a few days away from it all, but I’m here at Dick’s invitation and I don’t upset my top-earning clients. There’s one more thing I ought to say about the kind of money you people seem to be counting on. Even if you pulled it off somehow, and the girl won her three gold medals, that wouldn’t be an automatic guarantee of ten or twenty million bucks. Let’s remember that we’re dealing with a human being, not just a marketable commodity. The turnover is governed by the girl herself, her personality, appearance—’
‘No problem,’ cut in Valenti. ‘Remember Trixie Schuba, the Olympic figure skater? She took the gold in Sapporo. That kid was great on compulsory figures, but her free skating didn’t look good on account of her size. Someone said she had the grace of a camel. That could be a handicap in an ice show. Ice Follies signed her up just the same. So they have this golden girl with a figure problem. What do they do? They send her off to Arizona for a course on the Elizabeth Arden fat farm. She comes back glamourised and takes the star spot in the show.’