Dogville Page #9

And in Elm Street the second clutch of

Dogville's scatty squirrels scooted in and out

of the legs of children and grown-ups alike

searching in vain for Elm Street's non-existent elms.

"The heat had turned the soil among the gooseberry

bushes to stone, but Grace did not complain."

"She threw herself into her work,"

happy that it was something you could

actually grasp between your fingers.

"Hey, Liz!

Hey, Vera!"

"Better watch out, Grace.

Vera's got it in for you today."

What are you talking about?

Maybe you thought he wouldn't tell me?

Who?

You hit Jason.

I did.

How could you do such a thing?

"I know it sounds implausible,

but he was asking for it."

"It's true, Vera. He's always asking for it."

I should have done that myself

a long time ago.

"- Liz!

- It's your fault, the way you've spoiled him."

"I know how much you love him,

Vera. So do I..."

It won't happen again.

It really won't.

"No. I know it won't, because I'll

never leave them with you again."

That'd be far too dangerous

for any child of mine.

I've been tired.

"Well, maybe you should see about

sleeping at night, like most folks do."

Sleeping at night?

Martha saw a certain Tom Edison Jr.

sneak out of her shed early this morning.

"Grace, you won't hear anything from me

about whipping that idiot kid."

And I'm also grateful to you for turning

Tom's wandering eye away from my skirts.

"But on the other hand, I'd expected

more from you than that."

"But if that's the kind of thing you're after,

then I'm sure, with your innocent look,"

you will do just fine

in a place like Dogville.

"- It's not what I'm after, Liz.

- Oh, no?"

We all saw you take his hand to the picnic.

Maybe that wasn't flirting?

Yes... Maybe I was flirting..

[Narrator] Next day the weather changed.

The fog came rolling down from the mountains.

"And althought there were no sunsets to be seen,

McKay thought it best that she sat by him anyway."

"She had sat by Jack McKay so many times now,"

but Jack had not got better

at judging the distance between them.

"On the contrary, where fingers alone

had previously brushed her young flesh,"

now it was a and that remained in place

throughout the allotted span.

"The hour in the orchard were long now,

for the harvest was under way."

"And Grace had long since given up arguing

with Chuck's perception that respect for cultivation,"

"harvest, and fruit could be directly

measured in provision of carnality."

"Though reluctant to leave Grace alone,

Tom wantered around quite often now,"

lost in thought as he tried to crack

the problem of possible escape.

"And as Grace's wages no longer found

their way to her purse he had stepped in,"

and together they had triumphantly picked up

the last of the seven figurines

from Ma Ginger's windows.

What's the matter?

- Nothing.

- Are the police on Canyon Road again?

No. This is just girl talk.

"It's funny you should mention Canyon Road,

though... right, Martha?"

- She was just there this morning.

- Yeah.

"- On the way home from church...

- You see so much more on foot, you know."

"When you're in a car you never notice

the apple orchard, for example."

You can only see it from one spot

on Canyon Road.

"- Do you know that spot, Martha?

- Yes I do."

And did you stop there to enjoy

the view this morning?

"It's harvest time, you know,

in the orchard after all."

The old masters always loved

a good harvest theme.

"Redolent, with fertility, not to mention

sensibility or even eroticism."

"But how silly of me to ask you that, Martha,

because you already said you did."

"She saw you, Grace.."

She saw you..

behind this pile of broken limbs..

with Chuck...

He said it wasn't the first time

you'd made advances towards him.

He never told me before because

he wanted to spare my feelings.

"He's a withdrawn and primitive man,"

but at heart he's loyal

and he is good.

What do you want with my husband?

I don't want anything with

your husband or anybody.

What about Tom and the hand-holding

at the picnic?

That's different. I like Tom.

But you don't like Chuck.

"Liz and Martha are behind me, when I tell you

that I'm going to have to teach you a lesson."

I believe in education.

Vera!

No. I believe smashing them is

less a crime than making them.

Vera.. remember how I taught your children..

"- What?

- Remember how happy you were, when I..."

- When you what?

- When I taught your children

about the doctrine of stoicism

and they finally understood it.

"All right.. For that, I'm gonna be lenient."

"I'm going to break two of your figurines first,"

"and if you can demonstrate your knowledge

of the doctrine of stoicism by holding back your tears,"

I'll stop.

Have you got that?

"[Narrator] In her lifetime Grace had

considerable practice at constraining her emotions,"

and would never have believed

it would be hard to control them now.

But as the porcelain pulverized on the floor

it was as if it were human tissue disintegrating.

The figurines were the offspring of

the meeting between the

township and her.

"They were the proof that in spite of everything,

her suffering had created something of value."

Grace could not longer cope.

"For the first time since her childhood,

she wept."

"Grace went to see Tom that very night,

and informed him that she was ready

to follow his advice and leave the township."

"And since Tom had just made up his mind

that a third party would be needed

to ensure the success of an escape,"

they agreed that Ben possessed

the greatest potential.

"But it was a case where money

was required, Tom concluded,"

"and estimated, that considering the times and all,

ten dollars would suffice for Ben and his truck."

- But we don't have ten dollars.

- No. We borrow it.

- From whom?

- From Dad.

He has more than that in the medicine closet.

I talk to him in the morning and arrange a loan.

But you have a word with Ben...

"It's the end of the week,

he's bound to be flat broke."

Tell your father that I will pay him back.

Of course.

Thank you.

You are always rescuing me.

I can't believe that you go on

being there for me.

Good night..

You should get some sleep.

[Narrator] Grace went to see Ben next morning.

"When Grace presented the payment

as compensation between friends,"

"Ben did not object too heartily,"

considering the trouble he could receive

from the rest of the towns-people

when they realized what had happened.

"Perhaps they'd all be relieved

that she was out of their lives,"

but somehow Grace wasn't too sure of that.

"Ben agreed to drive her, even though he wasn't

out to profit from other folks' misfortunes, as he put it."

- I don't wanna profit from other folks' misfortunes.

- No..

[Narrator] The fact was that Ben would have driven

to the gates of Hell and back for ten dollars

And the criminal aspect bugged him less

than Grace would ever have guessed;

he had freighted all kinds of things

in his day.

The plan was for Grace to hide

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