Dark Victory Page #7

It's 4:
00, sir. Last drink.

- Two here, two there. Same thing.

- Yes, sir.

- It's funny.

- What?

Time, Alec.

Did you ever think about time?

It goes, Alec.

That's the business of time.

Tick, tick, tick.

You can almost hear it go by.

Before you know it, it's gone.

- Then where are we, my friend?

- High and dry. That's the last drink.

- I want to hear that song again.

- What song?

That song about time.

Too late again. Orchestra's going home.

Hi.

- I wanna hear that song again.

- It's time to go to bed.

Oh, mustn't go to bed.

Mustn't sleep. It's a waste.

Time doesn't sleep.

That's a joke.

Here.

- Come on, sing, please.

- Thanks. Come on, boys. Fifty.

"Time for Tenderness," Malcolm.

I will never ask

For more than you can give

Yet when you say,

"Be gay today and live"

My heart answers cautiously

"Today will soon be gone"

Why rush to meet our destiny?

Why must we hurry on?

Oh, give me time for tenderness

One little hour

From each big day

Oh, give me time to stop and glance

The golden sunset of a summer day

Let my heart be still

And listen to one song of love

Let me feel the thrill

Of quiet we know nothing of

Oh, give me time for tenderness

To hold your hand

And understand

Oh, give me time

- Tell Patches I'll meet you at the bar.

- Right.

- Hello, Judy.

- Nice work, Judy.

Hooray for me.

Give me a light, will you?

Thanks.

Oh, Judy, darling, you were wonderful.

Drink the bar dry,

but you still retain your seat.

- Hello, Martha.

- Excuse me, miss.

- How's the old homestead?

- All right, Miss Judith.

You know, I don't know how you do it.

It amazes me how you stick on a horse.

I'm one of your best friends.

- I don't care what people say about you.

- How nice of you.

Drink the town dry.

Take all their husbands and sweethearts.

- I still say it's none of my business,

but... - But I'd agree with you.

Well, of course,

if you want to adopt that attitude.

You can already fill the Yale Bowl

with people who are sore at you.

One more doesn't matter.

Martha, I can't possibly

change unless I have a drink.

- Miss Traherne, could we have you now?

- No, I want another drink.

- Hello, Judith, darling.

- Oh, Miss Judith.

- Yes, Michael.

- I'm going now.

I've got the horses packed.

It's snowing outside. I want to get back.

- Good.

- You did very well.

Thank you, Michael.

- Oh, Miss Judith.

- What?

I wonder if you'd

care to drive back with me.

That mare's got bronchitis

and can't possibly last the night.

- Hello, George. Jessica's Girl?

- Yes.

Why don't you put her out of her misery.

I'll get there if I can.

- Judith, darling.

- Hello.

Sit down, please.

- Hi.

- Hello, Judy.

- Hello, Judy!

- Here's a tragedy for you.

Jessica's Girl has bronchitis

and can't possibly last the night.

Jessica's Girl is a horse.

Poor Jessica's Girl.

- The usual.

- Here we go again.

- Judy, darling.

- Yes.

Trotty, trotty!

Fix me up, will you?

- Where's Ann?

- She blew.

I guess the way you were riding

gave her the jitters.

- Poor Ann.

- Miss Traherne, please.

- They want you to come...

- I got you. The cup.

Yes, the cup.

I'll tell them you're coming.

The cup. The darling cup.

- Excuse me, kids, I've won a prize.

- Hurry back.

- If it isn't the extraordinary surgeon.

- I've been trying to see you.

How's the mortality rate these days?

Having fun with the knives?

- Drop it.

- Why aren't you in Vermont?

- You know why I'm not. I want to talk.

- When I need a doctor, I'll send for one.

- I'm not in your care.

- You'll always be in my care.

Will I? Is that part of your duty?

To hang on till the very end,

to watch with those scientific eyes?

Drop it!

I know how you feel. Anything to strike

back at me, but don't do it this way.

- What do you mean?

- This. There's nothing in it.

What do you want me to do? Stay alone

in my room and think how in a few...?

I want you to find peace.

We all have to die.

The tragic difference is

that you know when and we don't.

But the important thing is the same

for all of us.

To live our lives so that we can meet

death whenever it comes.

- Beautifully and finely.

- "Beautifully and finely."

- I'll die as I please. Leave me alone.

- You hate me, don't you?

I hate you so much for so many reasons.

I hate you for not telling me the truth.

I hate you for letting me hurl myself

at your head. I'm so ashamed.

I can understand.

Miss Traherne, please, they're waiting.

Let them wait.

They've got plenty of time.

Oh, all right.

- Wait, Judy.

- No, no, I have to go in for the cup.

- Dr. Steele? How do you do?

- Hello, Alec.

- Could I buy you a drink?

- No, thanks.

Judy's certainly on this town,

all right.

- You're talking about a friend of mine.

- Oh, yeah?

Yes.

- Say...

- Well, what's the matter?

He made a crack about Judy,

and the gentleman socked him.

- You think she'll pull through, doc?

- I think so. Respiration's easier.

Yeah.

Lucky we got her in time.

- Is she dead?

- No. It was touch-and-go for a while.

It's more touch than go now.

I actually said a prayer.

She's game, though.

Put up a brave fight.

Oh, you're cold?

I have a fire in the tack room. Would

you like to go in and warm yourself?

Why not?

Well, thanks, doc.

- Call me if you need me.

- I will. Good night.

- Clarence, get yourself some blankets.

- Yes, sir.

The first cold's always the bitterest.

The first and the last.

Talk to me, Michael.

- What shall I talk about, Miss Judith?

- Anything. Just talk.

It was a great show. I came to think

you may not be wrong about Challenger.

- Did you?

- I was scared, though.

Was I that bad?

No, but something about the way

you ride puts my heart in my mouth.

You mind if I say something

to you, Miss Judith?

Of course not.

I asked you to talk, didn't I?

I think you've been going too hard,

night and day.

You can't do that and keep on with

your jumping horses. It's hard on you.

I was hoping that maybe,

in the state of mind you were in...

you wouldn't ride tonight.

- A silver cup isn't worth it.

- I wanted that cup.

I had to show the gentry

I've still got what it takes.

You sure have.

I told you to keep on talking, Michael.

You know, you and I

are kind of alike, Miss Judith.

Are we? How?

You've the spirit in you

the same as I have in me.

It's the fighting that counts. You've got

to have action in your life same as I do.

We only live once, Miss Judith.

Just once.

- Tell me about you, Michael.

- Me?

Yes, you. As one human to another.

We've always talked about horses.

What's there to say?

Well, do you have a happy life, Michael?

I guess I was born out of my time,

Miss Judith.

I should've lived in the days

when it counted to be a man.

The way I like to ride

and the way I like to fight.

What good's riding and fighting

these days? What do they get you?

What are you trying to do, burn us up?

Are you afraid to burn, Michael?

Are you afraid to die?

I wouldn't want to die

while you're alive, Miss Judith.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote