A Perfect World Page #4

Here they come.

Haynes bought some tape, rope,

and clothes for the kid.

One puzzler, they say the kid could have

gotten away, but he didn't.

- Probably scared to death.

ADLER:
Well, one more thing.

- The kid stole a Halloween outfit.

- So they're a team.

With a pit stop in Noodle...

- ...they're heading for the Panhandle.

- What?

- There's more roads than people there.

- How's that happen?

Poor counties. They half-finish

a road, start another.

If anybody knows them back roads,

it's Red.

SALLY:

Okay...

...so...

...I'm Robert Haynes. Everybody calls

me Butch. I was born in Amarillo...

...but grew up in the French Quarter

in New Orleans.

What's she doing, Red?

I killed a man when l was 8.

How did you kill him?

Shot him with a .38. There was always

one lying around the dance hall.

That's what they called it,

but it was a whorehouse.

That's where we lived.

- What did the authorities do?

- Victim was wanted by the locals...

...so the whole thing got swept

under the carpet, Cajun-style.

- They didn't even send him to the juvie?

SALLY:
Mm-mm.

Put me in school. I was three

years behind, but I catch up.

- Things are going pretty good now.

- Yeah, they are for a while.

- And when l'm 12, Mama dies.

- What happened?

Delilah Jane Haynes hung herself

in the bathroom of the whorehouse.

Post-mortem check uncovered

last-stage syphilis.

- Where's your father?

- Nobody knows where he is.

Ditched when I was 6.

He was a small-time felon.

Popped back up after Mama died.

He'd just been put on parole,

so he moves us back to Amarillo.

- A year later, I'm back in trouble.

- Heh. Kill somebody else?

Uh-uh.

Saw a Ford coupe I couldn't resist.

So I took her for a spin.

- Hell, that ain't no big deal.

- That's what I thought.

But the judge didn't. Gave me four years

in Gatesville, toughest juvie farm in Texas.

That's where he learned

to be a criminal.

We've seen that before, haven't we, Red?

Butch, why don't you tell us

where you're headed...

...and save us the trouble

of hunting you down.

See, you missed it.

Because where l'm going...

...isn't near as important

as why l'm going there.

Sh*t! Because I'm running,

they're chasing...

...I'd just as soon go north,

as south, as east, as west.

It's a fun little game...

...but right now, Haynes doesn't have

any idea where he's headed.

Hold your pointing finger

along the line of the road, okay?

Okay, you got three lines

on a finger, don't you?

Each one's an inch.

So how many inches to Childress?

[COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING QUIETLY

ON RADIO]

One...

...two....

Six.

[LAUGHS]

You're a hell of a navigator, Phillip!

A lot smarter than Terry.

Of course, who you gonna brag

to about that?

Lookie there!

- What is it?

- It's kind of like a silver whale.

And there's people inside,

just like old Jonah in the Bible.

[HORN BLARlNG]

Go like this,

maybe they'll honk back at us.

- What do you think?

- Well, okay, do it.

You said the boy

stole a Halloween costume?

- Which one?

- It was Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Uh-huh. That was them.

- They just passed us.

- What?

- That was them!

- Turn around!

Bradley, turn around!

It's not safe to do more than 65

with this much load.

Uh-huh.

They're coming fast.

Phillip, get down in the seat

and lay down.

- Why?

- Hell, l don't know.

Because I said so.

You're burning up the engine!

Hold on.

- Come on!

- Take that wide!

- What're you doing?

- I'm following the fugitive, fool!

What are you doing now?

Uh, Red....

Sh*t.

Red?

[ALL SHOUT]

BRADLEY:

Red's gonna be pissed now.

ADLER:

Oh, God!

[ALL GRUNTlNG]

SUTTLE:

Are you trying to kill us?

Sh*t.

Yeah.

[ALL GRUNTlNG]

BRADLEY:
Oh, my God.

SUTTLE:
ldiot!

Red, they wanna know

if the boy looked okay.

- He was laughing and waving.

- Don't tell them that.

No.

- They said the boy looked A-okay.

- Well, that's great.

He'll be fine, Mrs. Perry.

This'll be over before you know it.

You'll be home with your boy.

I promise.

I want you to know

that I've okayed the use...

...of a new high-tech mobile home

from which to conduct this manhunt.

It's an amazingly futuristic piece

of law enforcement equipment.

Started this road 20 years ago.

Still ain't finished.

It appears to me

we got a decision to make.

It's up to you, Phillip.

We can backtrack to the highway

or we can try it on foot.

Where are we going?

It's Alaska, Phillip.

Last of the wild frontier.

- It's pretty.

- It's beautiful.

- You ever been there?

- No.

I just got the one postcard.

But anyhoo,

back to our present dilemma.

- You feel like a hike?

- How far?

Can't be more than, say...

...1500 miles.

You're probably right.

Go give our supplies a check.

- What's it look like?

- A soda, some gum, and half a MoonPie.

Rations for one, at best.

Come on.

Red!

The governor insists on having the

trailer back for the parade tomorrow.

Tell him to come get it.

Yes, sir.

[COW MOOING]

- Where are we going?

- We're going trick-or-treating, Phillip.

- What's the matter now?

- We ain't allowed to trick-or-treat.

Huh?

My mama doesn't allow it.

- Trick-or-treating? Why not?

- Against our religion.

It's against your...

What kind of foolishness is that?

Jehovah's Witness.

Now, Phillip, I'm asking you.

I ain't asking your mother,

I ain't asking Jehovah.

You wanna go trick-or-treating or not?

Okay, Phillip, all you gotta do

is knock on the door.

And when they answer it,

you say, "Trick or treat." Got it?

Now, wait till they come.

Now, Phillip.

PHILLIP:

Trick or treat.

If you ain't the cutest little ghost

I ever did see.

- Say it again.

- Trick or treat, ma'am.

Since Halloween was yesterday,

you're gonna have to trick me.

And you missed them caramel

popcorn balls I made up special.

Just wait right here.

Perfect.

- What do you say, Phillip?

- Thank you.

Never underestimate the kindness

of the common man, Phillip.

BUTCH:

You sure there's no meat in there?

Spam maybe? Vienna sausage,

anything like that?

Mm, nothing.

- Can you make some mustard sandwiches?

- Yes, sir.

Well, go to it.

Here, you can spread it with that.

Yeah, that one's mine.

Be right back.

Don't be stingy with that mustard, now.

Hold it right there. You can go.

Butch!

Butch!

- Phillip!

- Butch, help!

- Grab the kids. Quick! Run!

- Phillip!

Forget the car, Bob.

[SCREAMS]

It's only got 1000 miles on it!

- Phillip, hit the brake!

- Butch!

[ENGlNE REVS]

[GRUNTING]

BOB:

Oh, my!

- Bad brakes.

- That was close.

Bob Fielder.

Edgar Poe.

That scared me silly. You know,

I just had her a couple months.

- Yeah, she's a beaut, all right.

- Yeah?

Bob, what with my brake problem,

I'd appreciate a lift.

Me and my boy live

about five miles up the road.

- I could pick up the car when I...

PHILLIP:
Butch!

The brake, Phillip!

Step on the brake!

Oh! Hell of a job, Phillip!

Never had a doubt!

[CHUCKLES]

You all right? I'd be happy

to move the kids there.

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