eve.
tired.  and i'm getting tired of being so tired. other than that, i'm doing very well.
no, it's been a good day - better than yours, from what i've been told.
i may be a shut-in, but i do not lack for news. i'm sorry you had to go through all that.
reasonable? good, i'd like to meet a reasonable man. why don't you ask this gardiner to join us for dinner?
hah!.  tell me the truth, eve - if i wait until i feel better, will i ever meet the man?
constance! i want new blood tonight, i'm getting up for dinner.
don't argue, tell robert i want new blood! .  ask him to dinner.
welcome to rand memorial hospital, mr. gardiner.
sure you do. this ward is air tight, i have a little extra oxygen pumped in, keeps my spirits up.
aplastic anemia, mr. gardiner - aplastic anemia.
failure of the bone marrow to produce red blood cells.  not a damn thing they can do about it. oh, they can make me comfortable, prolong my life with steroid therapy and transfusions.  and what makes my blood boil, what little i have left, that is, mr. gardiner - is that it's generally a young person's disease.  here i am, getting on in years and about to die of a young person's disease.
i am very sick, and, as you can see by all this paraphernalia, i am very wealthy. i think i would rather be wealthy and sick than poor and sick.
 we're prisoners, mr. gardiner - we're prisoners of tubes and technology.
 you will join us for dinner, won't you, mr. gardiner?
 so am i, my boy - so am i.
i know exactly what you mean. today the businessman is at the mercy of kid-lawyers from the sec. all they want to do is regulate our natural growth! it's happening across the country!
of course! by kid-lawyers!
do you need a secretary?
oh. when you say 'your house has been closed', you mean to say that your business was shut down?
what'd i tell you? kid-lawyers! the s.e.c.! damn them!
that's good, mr. gardiner. or may i call you chauncey?
and i'm ben.
so tell me, chauncey, what are your plans now?
do we have a garden? hah! tomorrow, chauncey, you will see our gardens.
a gardener! well put, chauncey excellent! isn't that what a businessman is? a gardener? a person that makes flinty soil productive with the labor of his own hands, who waters it with the sweat from his own brow, and who creates a place of value for his family and community? yes, chauncey, what a brilliant metaphor -- yes, indeed, a productive businessman is a laborer in his own vineyard.
bravo!
now, wait a minute, chauncey you are young, you are healthy, for god's sake don't give up on yourself! you have to fight! you can't let those bastards keep you down! i don't want to hear any more from you about the 'room upstairs'. that's where i'm going soon.
yes, i'm sure it is. that's what they say, anyway.
 i don't know what you've heard about me, chauncey, but i'm sure you know everything there is to know. cigar?
 no, of course you don't. excuse me for being so presumptuous. no man knows everything about another man - however, very few are honest enough to admit it.
 you know, chauncey, there are thousands of american businessmen, large and small, that share your plight. i've been concerned with the situation for some time now.
so i've been thinking about beginning a financial assistance program, chauncey, to help out american businessmen that have been harassed by inflation, excessive taxation, unions and other indecencies.
 i'd like to offer the decent 'gardeners' of the business community a helping hand. after all, they are our strongest defense against the pollutants who so threaten our basic freedoms and the well-being of our middle class. tell me, would you have any thoughts on such a program?
reluctant to speak, eh, chauncey? well, i can understand that. when a man loses everything, anger has a tendency to block out reason for a time. just give it some thought, work with the idea, i'm sure you'll have plenty to say in a few days.
 oh? robert, take a look, would you?
we have common foes, chauncey - kid lawyers and our physician!
chauncey, up and around this morning, are you?
well, that's good news, my boy.
hah! it's all make-up, chauncey.  i asked nurse teresa to fix me up, i didn't want the president to think i was going to die during our talk.
no one likes a dying man, my boy - because few know what death is. all we know is the terror of it. but you're an exception, chauncey - that's what i admire in you, your marvelous balance. you don't stagger back and forth between fear and hope - you're a truly peaceful man.
yes, when i was younger i had thoughts about public office.  but i found, chauncey - that i was able to contribute more as a private citizen.  of course, my wealth provided me with considerable influence, but i've tried, believe me, not to misuse that power.  it's extremely important, chauncey, when one is in a position of eminence, that he does not allow himself to become blinded to the needs of the country.  the temptations are strong, and i've been labeled a 'kingmaker' by many, but i have tried to stay open to voices of the people.  i have tried to remain honest to myself.
 maybe one day you shall find yourself in a similar position, chauncey.  maybe one day.
he's here. yes, mrs. aubrey? fine. show the president to the library, we'll be along in a few minutes.
it's an old habit that goes along with power -- keep them waiting.
not now, teresa. i'm seeing the president on my own two feet.
shall we go, chauncey?
mrs. aubrey, have you received the papers on the caracas agreement?
excellent. a good woman, mrs. aubrey.
woltz, how have you been?
 mr. president, how good to see you.
i'm not convinced of that, mr. president, but your visit has raised my spirits.
mr. president, i'd like you to meet my dear friend, mr. chauncey gardiner.
you will find that my house guest does not bandy words, mr. president.
yes, i did.
overall - pretty good. but, mr. president, i think it's very dangerous to resort to temporary measures at this stage of the game.
i sympathize with your position, mr. president, i know how difficult it is to be straightforward, the reaction to such a speech could be chaos.
 there is no longer any margin for inflation, it has gone as far as it can, you've reached your limits on taxation, dependence on foreign energy has reached a crisis, and, from where i see it, mr. president, the free enterprise system has reached the breaking point. we are on the brink of another crash from which recovery might not be possible.
i'm afraid so.
i think what my most insightful friend is saying, mr. president, is that we welcome the inevitable seasons of nature, yet we are upset by the seasons of our economy.
no, she flew up to boston for another charity event. she'll be sorry to have missed you.
nonsense, mr. president - i thank you for coming to spend time with a dying man.
you're right, mr. president i don't like feeling sorry for myself.
you take care too, bobby.
he's a decent fellow, the president, isn't he?
he was quite impressed with your comments, chauncey - he hears my sort of analysis from everyone, but yours, unfortunately - seldom if ever at all.
 you know, chauncey, there's something about you.  you're direct, you grasp things quickly and you state them plainly. you don't play games with words to protect yourself. i feel i can speak to you frankly.  you know what i was talking to you about last night?
oh, sure you do, the financial assistance program. i think you might be just the man to take charge of such an undertaking. i'd like you to meet with the members of the board, we'll be able to discuss the matter at greater length at that time.
and, please, chauncey - don't rush your decision. i know you're not a man to act on the spur of the moment.
and now, chauncey, i'm afraid you must excuse me - i'm very tired all of a sudden.
splendid. just splendid.
damn, constance, get in here! you shouldn't miss any of this!
i'm becoming quite attached to chauncey - quite attached.  .  and so are you, aren't you, eve.
that's good.  that's good.
 you possess a great gift, chauncey, of being natural. and that, my boy, is a rare talent, the true mark of a leader. you were strong and brave, yet did not moralize. i hope the entire country was watching you tonight, the entire country.
in a minute, robert - in a minute.  chauncey, i would like to ask a favor of you.
senator rowley's widow, sophie, is hosting an evening reception tomorrow evening honoring ambassador skrapinov of the soviet union.  i think it's rather obvious that robert won't allow me to attend, so - would you go in my place, and escort eve?
good. together, the two of you should create quite a stir - i can already hear the gossip.
 thank you, chauncey.  thank you very much. .  all right, robert, i'm all yours.
everything. i said everything and that's exactly what i mean.
what could be more precise than everything?
you two don't have to lecture me on the complexities of the situation, no one knows that better than myself.  but you must understand that i have an endless faith in mrs. rand's abilities - i know that she will select the right person for guidance when she has the need.  she has shared my life, gentlemen, she has given me far more pleasure than any of my so called assets.  life has suddenly become very simple for me now - i may be older than my years, and you might think me to be somewhat feeble.  but i am still in love, gentlemen, thank god for that.
no more, robert.  no more needles.
i know, robert.  but, strangely enough, i don't feel too bad about now.  i feel all right.  i guess it's easier.  knowing chauncey is here.  to take care of things.
no, i don't want any of that.  please.  please, just get me mr. gardiner, teresa - please.  he'll head it up.
 chauncey.  chauncey.
 i'm about to surrender the horn of plenty for the horn of gabriel, my boy.
let me feel the strength in your hand, chauncey.  let me feel your strength.  yes, that's good.  i hope, chauncey - i hope that you'll stay with eve.  take care of her, watch over her, she's a delicate flower, chauncey.
she cares for you and she needs your help, chauncey.  there's much to be looked after.
 i've worked very hard and enjoyed my life.  i've known success.  and i've felt love.  my associates, chauncey - i've talked with them about you.  they're eager to meet you.  very eager to meet you.  i'm very fond of you, chauncey.  and i understand eve.  tell her that.  tell her i'm madly in love with her.