Bad Day at Black Rock Page #4

and I'm surely glad I'm not...

I'd look it up myself.

I wouldn't trust anybody around here.

Including me.

424, please.

424? The lines are all busy.

Don't tell me, I know.

The lines are all busy. Be busy all day.

- You mind not looking at me like that?

- Like what?

Like a potential customer.

Everybody is.

And I get them coming and going.

First, I sell them a piece of land.

Do you think they farm it?

They do not. They dig for gold.

They rip off the topsoil

of 10 winding hills...

then sprint in here all fog-heaved

with excitement, lugging nuggets...

big, bright, and shiny.

Is it gold? It is not.

Do they quit? They do not.

Then they decide to farm.

Farm in a country so dry that you

have to prime a man before he can spit.

Before you can say "Fat Sam,"

they're stalled, stranded, and starving.

They become weevil-brained

and butt-sprung.

So I bury them.

But why bore you with my triumphs?

- I got a problem of my own.

- You sure have.

They're gonna kill you

with no hard feelings.

And you're gonna sit there

and let them do it.

- Don't get waspish with me, mister.

- I'm sorry.

I feel for you.

But I'm consumed with apathy.

- Why should I mix in?

- I don't know. Maybe to save a life.

I've got enough trouble

saving my own. Look.

I try to live right.

I drink my milk every day.

But mostly I try to mind

my own business...

which is something I advise you to do.

It's a little late for that.

No, you can still get out of town.

But you'd better get out like a whisper.

How?

I've got sort of a limousine

at your disposal.

Where is it?

Must be something wrong.

Could be the wiring.

Yeah, it's the wiring.

Now, wasn't that a good guess?

Maybe it can be fixed.

Easy. Except maybe if this wire

was busted or something.

Do the nice little things, like keep

your big, fat nose out of my business.

Yeah, it was the wiring.

I'm sorry.

- But you gotta admit, I tried.

- And for that, I thank you.

How much time do you think I've got

before they...

You've got at least till dark.

They'd be afraid to see each other's faces.

Well, thanks, Doc.

- I can't say that it's been charming...

- Where are you going?

I don't know, but I'm going on foot.

That's no good.

You stray 10 yards off the main street...

and you'll be stone-cold dead.

That's the situation in a nut.

Maybe...

Maybe what?

I'll see you later, Doc.

Lemonade?

- No, thank you.

- It's hot as Billy-be-durned.

- Don't you like lemonade?

- Never thought much about it.

You notifying the State Police?

That's what it says.

You sure you don't want some lemonade?

It don't have the muzzle velocity

of other drinks here...

but it's good for what ails you.

- What ails you, Mr. Hastings?

- Me?

Why are you so upset about this wire?

- Me?

- Are you afraid, Mr. Hastings?

Mr. Macreedy, I'm just a good neighbor.

To Smith, you are.

What about to Komako?

I've never seen Komako in my life. Honest.

All right.

Then you'll send that message

and give me the answer, won't you?

Yes, sir.

- What'll you have?

- What've you got?

Chili and beans.

- Anything else?

- Chili without beans.

If you don't like the flavor, there's ketchup.

All right, I'll have it. A cup of coffee.

Well, you still around?

I thought you didn't like this place.

- You mean going to or coming from?

- Staying put.

- No comment.

- "No comment," he says.

No comment,

and all the time he's got my stool.

This stool ain't comfortable.

I was afraid of that.

I think I'd like the one you're on.

He's as changeable as a prairie fire.

Suppose you tell me where to sit.

I hope that ain't too much.

Your friend's a very argumentative fellow.

Sort of unpredictable, too.

Got a temper like a rattlesnake.

That's me all over.

I'm half-horse, half-alligator.

You mess with me

and I'll kick a lung out of you.

What do you think of that?

No comment.

Talking to you is like pulling teeth.

You wear me out.

You're a yellow-bellied Jap lover!

Am I right or wrong?

You're not only wrong,

you're wrong at the top of your voice.

You don't like my voice?

I think your friend

is trying to start trouble.

Why ever would he want to do that?

I don't know. Maybe he thinks...

that if he needles me enough,

I might crack. I might even fight back.

Then either he or your other ape

sitting over there could beat me to death...

and cop a plea of self-defense.

I don't think that'll be necessary.

You're so scared now,

you'll probably drown in your own sweat.

Before that happens...

couldn't I pick a fight with you

if I tied one hand behind me?

If I tied both hands?

Wouldn't it have been easier to wait

until I turned my back...

or are there too many witnesses present?

You're still in trouble.

You're in trouble.

Whatever happens, you're sunk.

You got things a bit twisted.

You killed Komako, Smith.

Sooner or later, you're gonna go up for it.

Not because you killed him...

because in a town like this

you can get away with it.

But because you didn't have the guts

to do it alone...

you put your trust in guys like this

and Hector here.

Not the most dependable

of God's creatures.

One of these days, they're gonna catch on

you're playing them for a sap. Then what?

Peel them off one by one?

Meantime, one of them is gonna crack...

and when they do, you're gonna go down.

But hard.

Because they got something

on you, Smith.

Something to use

when the going gets tough.

And it's getting tougher every minute.

Man, oh, man.

- Anything come for me?

- Nothing.

- Telegram or nothing?

- Nothing.

In case you're interested, Coley will live,

I'm truly sorry to say.

Your friend's pretty tough.

Yeah, he's wicked.

He defends himself when he's attacked.

You gonna sit there and let time run out?

Waiting for an answer from the state cops.

You send it through Hastings?

Just don't expect an answer,

if that's the way you sent it.

I guess that's probably for me.

Where's my answer?

Do you expect an answer

from a wire that was never sent?

What's so funny?

I just had a thought.

A thought that is dazzling in its purity.

You're in a lot of trouble.

You gave my message to Smith,

didn't you?

Why, you little wart!

That's a federal offense.

You're in this deep, too.

Like I say,

it's getting tougher and tougher.

Maybe you'd better do something

about this, Sheriff.

I reckon that's right, Mr. Smith.

You're not supposed to...

Don't be a jerk, Tim.

Divulging information?

There's a law that says you...

Tim, you're pathetic.

Maybe so, but I'm still sheriff.

That's the point.

You're not sheriff anymore.

You're so pathetic, you just lost a job.

Okay, Sheriff...

take over.

- You can't do that!

- I can't?

I put him in the job,

and now I'm taking him out.

Now, do you wanna register

a complaint, boy?

To register a complaint,

you've got to have evidence, boy.

You got evidence?

You got a big mouth, boy.

Making accusations

and disturbing the peace.

We got a law in this county protecting

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes