Blood and Sand Page #7

---

Well, I'm quitting.

This is my last season.

- Ol!

- [Cheering]

- [Chattering]

- "And I end by heralding the news...

"of a new comet

flashing across the horizon

a bright and flashing comet

and his name is Manolo de Palma."

Ol.

"Aficionados, mark well that name.

It is destined for great glory."

- Curro wrote it himself, huh?

- He signed it.

You'll be famous! Wonderful!

- [All Chattering]

- Don't leave. Oh, Manolo.

- [Chattering]

- Aw, quiet!

- Senor Curro.

- Manolo.

I've just been reading the piece

you wrote about me. It's very flattering.

Not at all, Manolo. It is my honest opinion.

Sit down, my friend.

Sit down. Will you do me the honor

of having some wine with me?

No, you must do me the honor.

[Speaking Spanish]

Curro, what is a comet?

A comet, my friend, is a star...

that flashes across the sky...

lighting up the heavens

with its fiery brilliance and then

Yes?

Good evening, Don Juan.

Good evening, senora.

This way, if you please.

[Chattering]

- What will you have?

- What will you have?

- Champagne.

- Champagne.

- Champagne?

- S, champagne.

Champagne.

It's a nice place.

I'm glad we came here.

What is it, Juan?

I was just trying to figure out

what kind of a woman you are.

Yes?

The trouble is

you'reyou're not one woman...

but many... and never the same.

Well, one changes, you know.

Why didn't you come to see me

at the corrida last Sunday?

I had a headache.

A headache?

Samson and Delilah.

- What?

- Nothing.

Excuse me.

Greetings, compaero.

Pardon me for intruding, Juanillo...

but this is as good a time as any

to keep your promise.

- What promise?

- Why, to present me to Dona Sol.

Don't you remember? Allow me

to introduce myself. I'm Manolo de Palma.

I shall have the pleasure soon

of appearing in the ring here in Sevilla.

How nice. I shall look forward to it.

I understand Juan

will be in the same corrida.

Yes, it'll be the first time

we appear together.

You'll have a chance

to compare our styles.

We work altogether differently.

- How have you been, amigo?

- Well, thank you.

- How's your mother?

- Nicely.

How's your sister and Antonio Lopez

and the children?

- They're all fine. Thank you.

- And how's your little wife?

Oh, yes, I hear she's gone off

to the ranch with her father.

[Chuckles] You know, Dona Sol,

Juan and I are old friends.

His mother used to work here.

We used to live right around the corner.

We ran away together

with some other boys.

Hey, Juan, remember that horse we stole?

Remember what happened to it?

- What happened?

- We ate the horse.

You did? How did it taste?

Excellent.

Ah, those were good days.

We'd spend all our time

fighting the bulls and each other.

We were great rivals, even then.

[Laughing]

##[Guitar]

Senora, would you like to dance?

I'd love to.

[Chattering]

[Chattering Continues]

[Shouting]

[Shouting]

[Shouting]

[Shouting Continues]

##[Music Stops]

[Object Drops]

It's mine.

[Footsteps]

[Chattering]

[Shouting, Cheering]

##[Guitar]

Camarero, a new glass!

What are you doing?

It's well to keep in practice.

What are you talking about?

When we left Triana, I asked Francisco

to keep my old job open for me.

I knew someday I'd come back

to La Veronica to scrub the floors.

Get up. Get up!

Suppose someone should see you.

There is no one left in the house

to see me but you.

I don't like to see you

on your knees like this.

What's wrong

with my being on my knees?

That's how I pray and that's how I work.

This house was clean when we moved in.

Let it be clean when we move out.

Why must you always talk

about moving out?

Because we've got to

leave this house tomorrow.

Oh! Oh, Juan.

Juan, when you were little,

you wouldn't listen to me.

Will you listen to me now?

What do you want?

I want you to quit the bull ring.

Quit? When I'm at the top?

I've been through all this before.

I know what to expect.

When you reach the top,

you begin to slip.

There is only one way you can

possibly go, and that's down.

Oh, Madrecita,

you talk just like all the rest.

Just because

I've had a few poor afternoons...

some bad luck,

you think I'm finished.

But you're wrong. They all are.

I'm just as good as I ever was

even better because now I know more.

Supposing we do have to

move out of this house.

I'll buy you another one

much better...

the best that money can buy

and in the finest part of town.

Right on the Plaza Alfaro,

that's where we'll live.

And I'll buy a ranch,

and we'll breed bulls and pheasants.

Juanillo, nio mio...

what's wrong with your hand?

My hand?

##[Band Playing]

[Speaking Spanish]

I understand Gallardo has

one more contract to fulfill

the corrida next Sunday afternoon.

I predict he will make his exit...

in a cloud of rotten oranges

and dead cats.

I hold him directly responsible

for the death of Nacional...

and I shall say so

in my article tomorrow.

The trouble with Gallardo

is he has cats in his belly.

His father was the same way.

Like father, like son.

That's the second time

you've said things about my father.

As for you, you've probably

never been baptized.

I'll baptize you now.

I christen you "liar,"

and your second name is "swine."

[Gasping, Panting]

Father, his face

Reminds me of Nacional's

just before he died from the cornada.

Yes, my son.

You were here?

I'm always here whenever you fight.

You mean all these weeks

since you left me?

I never left you, Juan.

I've just been waiting for you

waiting for this sickness to pass.

Just a minute ago

I was praying to see you.

I was thinking

if you could love me again

Oh, Juanillo, I do love you.

I always have and I always will.

Nothing has changed that.

Nothing can. Nothing ever.

Oh.

Oh, Carmencita...

when I hold you in my arms like this,

I'm born again.

You give me strength.

I can do anything.

Oh, I I'm so glad

you're wearing your white suit.

It's the one I like best.

No, you don't. You hate it.

Like my mother does.

You hate them all.

But this is the last time

I'm ever going to wear one.

I'm through with the ring forever.

Oh, Juan. Juanillo.

[Sobbing]

This is my last afternoon out there...

but it'll be one they'll never forget.

You'll see. They'll see, everyone.

##[Fanfare]

Carmencita,

will you wait for me here?

Yes, Juanillo.

##[Continues]

[Crowd Booing]

[Booing Continues]

I tell you, there is only one matador here

this afternoon worth watching: Manolo.

[Crowd Cheering]

##[Fanfare]

[Crowd Booing]

Ah, Seor Toro, we meet again.

[Cheering]

- [Shouting]

- Ol!

- [Shouts In Spanish]

- Ol!

- Ah, that's our old Juan.

- Magnificent.

- Ol!

- Ol! Ol!

Ol!

Ol!

Ol!

Ol!

[Cheering Continues]

Ol!

- Bravo!

- [Cheering Continues]

- [Woman Screams]

- [Cheering, Chattering Stop]

[Crowd Chattering]

[Chattering Continues]

I could tell all along that beast

was going to get him.

The bull is not the beast.

Look at the crowd!

That is the real beast!

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes