Part 43 A Mexican Odyssey Huston Manuscript Squabbles and Domestic Rumblings

By Bill Reed
Parties aside, I was still working almost daily on the Huston book. I had completely abandoned the idea of an honest autobiography and removed anything remotely controversial. As I finished each chapter I critiqued it with Huston, and then fed it to Gladys Hill with instructions to correct any glaring errors or manifest untruths. That product then went to Sylvia, Joan Blake, or Huston's daughter Alegra for smooth typing. Alegra spent some time at Las Caletas during 1979-1980, and she was the most refreshing thing in that dismal place. For sure, Alegra and Danny Huston are the charmers in that family.
Meanwhile, I endured the ongoing attacks of the alacran and watched with dismay the dissolution of the Huston household. There were now two. John had built Maid her very own townhouse, replete with all the modern conveniences not available at Las Caletas. I went there once on an unavoidable visit, and overheard the lady of the house screaming at the top of her lungs at the servants. They were never again to call her "Maid." She was now to be referred to as "Mrs. Huston!" As far as I was concerned, Maid could beat her servants every day, call herself Mrs. Huston, or The Queen of Sheba; I didn't give a damn. What I did object to was the fact that she had so influenced John against Gladys Hill that the woman was now treated more like a servant than the constant, loyal, helpmate and strong right hand that she had been to Huston for over twenty years. John now often put her down in public, something that he had never done before.
It came to a head one day after Gladys caught Huston in one of his mistruths in the manuscript text, and made a correction. Later we had a chapter-critique session between the three of us at Las Caletas. John turned to me and said, in a loud, sardonic voice: "Well! Did you read this chapter carefully Billy? Did you see what Miss Hill did to this chapter? She changed it! Did you tell her to change it? I didn't tell her to change it! Do you think that Miss Hill now believes that she knows more about my life than I do?"
He turned to Gladys and shouted, "Well, do you Miss Hill?" The look on Gladys Hill's face as she stared back at John, in shocked disbelief, was enough to break your heart. It was no secret that she had always loved the man. She adored him. She broke down in tears and fled the room.
I was furious! I said, "John, that was uncalled for. It was cruel and inexcusable. I told Gladys to check the text for accuracy and to change anything that she felt was a discrepancy. If you want to yell at somebody, yell at me!" Before he could do so, I continued, "I'm sorry, I can't work any longer with you today. I'm leaving. Call me when you're back on track." I turned and walked away, calling for the boat boy as I did so. I didn't want to spend the night on the same "island" with the man.
I was so upset that I didn't see, or even call, Huston for two weeks. The manuscript deadline was approaching, and John was worried. He had Gladys call me. I told her that I had personal problems, and that I also had a writer's block. The following day I received a hand-written note from Huston, delivered to me in town by one of his servants:

Dear Bill - of course I understand about the writing but please - please drop everything & come over to see me right now. I'm sure that I can be of some help whatever the difficulties are.

John

I went back to work with Huston at Las Caletas shortly after that, and he couldn't have been more charming. He was simply delighted to see me. I noticed that Maid was conspicuously absent during the next few weeks that it took to complete the manuscript.