The script was finished. The financial specs were ready. The property had been thoroughly researched. All her ducks were in a row. Now she just had to work up the nerve to approach the money people and beg. She'd been rehearsing lines from Oliver every morning in the mirror - ?Please, sir, I want some more.?

She decided to start with the X factor first. Mataya had practically promised to buy into the studio and the timing was not right to approach the Grangers ? Jon would have to get better before she felt comfortable approaching him and Humphrey and asking them to invest. So she'd pitch her ideas to one Alain DeMeur and make him the guinea pig. Lelah had done a little research on the man and had turned up a bunch of interesting information. He wasn't from Earth, he owned a brewery, and seemed to have his fingers in a bunch of pies throughout the city. He seemed to be loaded and loaded was what Lelah needed. But would he understand anything about the film industry? Would he even know what a movie is? Maybe that was irrelevant. Maybe she would only have to show that her studios would be making money hand over fist once they got up and running to trigger his interest.

She sat down at her kitchen table one bright morning and carefully crafted the following letter:

Dear Mr DeMeur:

My name is Lelah Rivka. Don't worry if you don't recognise it. Since coming to Rhy'Din a few weeks ago, I've discovered that I'm not nearly as big a star as I thought I was. You see, back on Earth ? where I'm from ? I'm a Hollywood star, a household name. I've won awards for my acting and for my writing. I also direct movies, but have yet to win anything for that. But what I've always wanted to do is to run a film studio, like Louis B. Mayer or Samuel Goldwyn did back in the first days of film making on Earth.

I was given your name as a possible investor in my dreams and I would love to set up a time so we can meet. I have done my research and have prepared an in-depth proposal for us to discuss. My studios will be the first of its kind here in Rhy'Din and as such, I've got a corner on the market and will be able to set the standards for the industry for years to come.

My schedule is wide open at the moment, so just name the time and place and I will be there. Thank you so much for your time and your consideration.

Sincerely,

Lelah Rivka

She re-read the note, making scores of tiny little adjustments to the wording before finally stuffing it into an envelope and sealing it. Then she headed out for the shiny new Dominion Exports building near her carriage house loft. Even if DeMeur was no longer CEO of the company, she was relatively certain that any correspondence left for him there would make its way to him.

The Provincial Beanery was clearly very old, an historic coffee house evocative of Paris and Vienna in the 19th century, then a hotbed of democracy, socialism, and the great ideological debates that colored so much of European warfare.? Here in RhyDin, it was little different, with intellectuals young and old often engaged in spirited debate, thinkers and artists alone with their journals and sketchbooks and laptops:? a bright piece of finery in New Haven with a dark background that most of the locals found more charming than alarming.

Alain DeMuer was quite at home with anarchy, socialism and democracy buzzing quietly in the corners of this place, though strangely less so among its fairly wealthy patrons.? He sat at a small table by himself, reading a newspaper, and occasionally taking the pencil from behind his ear to circle or underline an item of interest.? He took a slow look around the room, breathed a quiet sigh to himself, and continued his reading. The last five years had been a very strange transformation, and sometimes the growing pains were still felt.

Lelah was charmed by both the neighborhood and the building itself.? They both reminded her a great deal of Greenwich Village, the area near Washington Square specifically.? She had long been a regular in the coffee shops that dotted the area; she found the energy of the NYU students mixing with Wall Street brokers slumming it and artists of every stripe to be intoxicating and great for writing.

She slipped into the shop, wearing a short brown pencil skirt, white top, and a green trench coat, hoping that her clothing choices indicated a certain level of trustworthiness, financial and creative stability, and maybe if she was lucky, a flirty joie de vivre.? Dark eyes lined with kohl swept the patrons of the place, but since she'd never seen DeMeur, she didn't really know what she was looking for. Digging her proposal package out of her bag, she headed towards the counter to ask if Alain was there yet and to order a Caff? Americano.? The guy behind the counter pointed her in the right direction, and she plastered on her best smile and wandered towards Alain.

Alain stood slowly at her approach, smiling politely, but it took on a certain twist as his sharp eyes flashed with recognition:? he remembered her from the Red Dragon other night.? "Seems we nearly met before," he laughed, offering her his hand.? "Alain DeMuer."

Recognition lit up her eyes and she grinned, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake.? "Oh, right.? At the Red Dragon.? I remember you.? I'm Lelah Rivka."? She set bag, coffee, and proposal down on the table and then took a seat.? "Beautiful building.? Reminds me of New York City.? Actually, New Haven in general reminds me of New York City."

"I've never been," he offered as he sat, "but I've seen it in pictures, and in film.? It's a beautiful city, and this is a wonderful neighborhood, too.? Reminds me of my own home," he added with a small, warm smile.? "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lelah."

"It's lovely to meet you, too, Alain.? So, down to business?"? She took a sip of the coffee and opened the folder in front of her.? She had prepared a very professional presentation, filled with facts and figures and projections and had it bound into a neat and tidy package.? She slipped this across the table to him and waited for a moment as he looked it over. "Do you know much about the film industry as it stands on Earth?" she asked, dark eyes intent on his face.

A frown wrinkled his brow as he crossed his legs and took the offered paper to review; in time it might be discerned that when one made this man frown, it was a good thing.? It meant he was considering whatever was being offered. ?Only a little," he replied at last, and looked back up at her.? "On my own world we had cinema, movie theaters and portable players, but not television, not as your Earth understands it.? What I do understand is that it costs quite a bit of money," he added with a crooked but good-humored smile.

She smiled.? "It does cost quite a bit of money, but the rewards are incredible.? Take for example one of the most successful ventures in Earth's history, a trilogy of films called 'The Lord of the Rings'.? It cost approximately $430 million to make the films, but theatre receipts and DVD sales have topped $3.5 billion."? She paused for a moment, letting that settle in.

He coughed on his coffee, just a little, and did a pretty decent job mastering his expression when he lowered his mug again.? "It's a very strong return, definitely," he conceded.? "But not all films are successful... and $430 million is an awful lot."? He sighed softly, glanced again at her proposal.? "How much would you need to get this studio operational... and start a project, perhaps a smaller one, to demonstrate your ability to return on my investments?"

"I have two other partners in this, people who are involved in the industry actually.? That was a slight exaggeration ? she had two potential investors on the hook. They had yet to work out specifics, however. ?There is a script finished and waiting to be produced.? To see it through, from casting to post-production, to pay everyone's salaries, to market it..." she paused for a moment to take a sip of coffee and to steady her nerves.? "I'm asking for $750,000 from each of the other investors."? She managed to say this with an absolutely straight face, even though inside she was balking at the idea of asking someone for that amount of money.? Truth be told, she wouldn't ever have dreamed of asking for it, but she believed so strongly in this dream - both in her ability to be a successful studio boss, but also in her ability to direct and possibly star in her studio's first film ? that she was confident she could make this work.

"Mm."? He was quiet for a few moments, assuming this was the amount she desired from him as well.? "Where will you market this film?? Many RhyDinians don't know cinema at all, or are otherwise leery of this level of technology." He folded his hands on his chest and watched her closely.? In spite of the hiccup over the coffee earlier at the mention of an eight-fold return, he appeared to be in full control of his reactions again, and gave her little sign of his thoughts, only that he was thinking.

"To begin with, I thought about hosting movie nights at either the Red Dragon or possibly the Shanachie Theatre, to get people familiar with the idea of films.? Then when the project begins filming, I'll hold open auditions for actors and crew members and make liberal use of the city's own newspapers for full page advertisements.? There will be no closed sets so people who are curious about the process can come and watch for themselves and see that there's nothing hocus-pocus about it."? She flashed him a confident smile.? She'd really done quite a bit of thinking about all of this.? "And of course, I'm more than open to suggestions from my partners."? That confident smile took on a slightly flirty edge.

There was a hint of a smile in return.? "I'd like this marketed in Star's End as well, and shown in their much more numerous theaters.? I'd also like you to look into distribution in other cross-realms markets that are likewise technologically inclined.? Thoughts on that, Lelah?"

"That sounds great.? There's a multi-screen theatre in Star's End, correct?? It's obviously the perfect place to not only market the project there, but to hold a movie night as well.? As far as other markets, I'm afraid that I'll have to defer to your judgment.? I haven't been in town long enough to get out of the city and explore what lays beyond the walls."

"Beyond the walls?? Empty country, and a little micronation I now call home," he chuckled.? "But there are other cross-realms cities much like RhyDin on other worlds.? I can have my people acquaint you with literature on a number of them, and I'd like you to tell me which ones you'll attempt to distribute the film, and why." He took up his mug for another sip, finished his coffee, and reviewed the proposal once more, with great care.? "750,000 American dollars?? 300,000 silver crowns?"