Edge of the City Page #2

- Well, I'll keep asking them.

You know why?

I'll tell you. You'd think I was a guy just

trying to make a living, wouldn't you?

Well, it ain't so.

Actually, I'm a rich millionaire

doing this for kicks.

I mean, really, I own from 23rd Street

all the way down to Canal.

I just do this to spy on the help.

You see, last year,

I only made $4 billion profit.

And I got this gimmick figured

to pay me 6 billion.

So I gotta find out who's stealing

from me, you know what I mean?

Hey, you can laugh, can't you?

Six billion bucks. That's...

- That's funny.

- Isn't that something for you?

I tell you, boy, the funniest thing.

Now, you take that Charlie,

you gotta laugh.

With a guy like him, you gotta laugh

at him or beat his brains in.

- Why?

- Because.

- That's the lowest form of animal life.

- Yeah, maybe.

No maybes.

The thing is,

a man's gotta make a choice.

You know, I mean, there are the men,

and then there are the lower forms.

And a guy's gotta make a choice.

You go with the men

and you're 10 feet tall.

You go with the lower forms

and you are down in the slime.

Well, what happens

if you don't want to go with anybody?

Then you are alone, man,

and that's the worst.

Hey, this is getting morbid.

Let me buy you a piece of pie.

- Come on.

- No.

No, I insist.

You may not know it, but you are

with the last of the big spenders.

- No, I can buy my own pie.

- Huckleberry or apple?

Now, come on, huh?

Hey, listen.

- Thanks.

- Thanks for what?

Thanks for letting me in

on your secret...

...that you own all the way

from 23rd Street down to Canal.

Well, just don't let it get around.

Hey, kid, what are you doing?

Can't you see

this stuff is piled too high?

Go to the ramp,

get another truck and put that stuff on.

- Where do I get it?

- Out by the ramp.

What do I have to do,

follow you around?

You know, we knock off here at 4:00.

Go right out there.

Charlie, why don't you take it easy

with that kid?

Well, why don't you

mind your own business, huh?

Charlie, in spite of your miserable,

unpleasant exterior...

...I think there beats beneath

the blackest heart in town.

Oh, now that is funny.

- So I got a black heart, huh?

- Yeah, but I forgive you.

Well, don't forgive me nothing, hear?

- Yours.

- Thanks.

Look, you don't do nothing

for that guy, you understand?

Look, what difference does it make?

Difference is I said so,

that's the difference.

- Listen, I mean...

- Did you hear what I said?

- Now look, I...

- Did you hear what I said?

You report here tomorrow morning,

Now, I'd say he's a hard man

to get along with, now, wouldn't you?

I mean, of all the lower forms,

he gets down under everybody.

You gonna be here...?

- Can I give you a lift?

- No, no, thanks.

I'm not quite sure

I know where I'm going.

- There's a Y up around the block there.

- No, thanks.

Hey, why don't you try

up around my way?

Lots of rooms for rent up there.

All kinds of people live up there.

Hey, what's with you, anyway?

What do you want?

I don't want nothing.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

On second thought,

I think I'd like it up around your way.

Hi.

Hi. You wanna see the masterpiece?

- Hey, huh?

- It's good.

This is my boy.

Picasso, say hello to Axel.

- Hi.

- Hi, how are you?

Hey, you ever see

anything like this, huh?

Talent.

I mean real talent, huh?

- Yeah, fine.

- Well, I gotta stick around a while...

...he wants to play some more.

Okay, go ahead.

Why don't you hang around?

I'll drive around the neighborhood.

No, that's all right, I can find a place.

I live over there

on the fourth floor, the front.

You know. You should try around here,

it's handy to the subway and stuff.

Okay.

- See you.

- All right.

- Hi.

Hi.

I didn't think you were gonna make it.

The way my back ached,

I didn't think I was gonna either.

A couple or three days,

you'll be over that. Here.

- What's this?

- An old one I had.

Haven't used it since

I got to be checker. You can have it.

- It's a nice one.

- They're all alike, man.

I don't have the money,

but I wanna pay you for it.

Don't worry about it.

Listen, I did something else too,

I hope you don't mind.

- What?

- You know, this foreman, Wallace...

...he owes me a couple of favors, and I

was talking to him this morning. Well...

...you can work

in my gang if you want.

Hey, North.

Come on,

knock it off and get to work, huh?

Get that unclaimed stuff

out of the cage.

Thing is, Charlie, I was just telling Axel

here he can work in my gang if he wants.

- What are you talking about now?

- Ask Wallace, it's okay with him.

He's working for me.

Let's give Axel the choice.

How about that?

I said he's working for me.

You know what I mean?

You're working for me.

And I told you

to stay away from this guy too.

If you don't like working around here,

you get out.

But you work in this yard,

you work for me, you understand?

What difference does it make

who I work for?

Oh, it makes a lot of difference

to Charlie here.

I mean, he's of the opinion

nobody should work for me.

Yeah. Yeah, that's my opinion.

Now, you get in that cage

and get that stuff out like I told you.

You still got a choice, Axel.

I'm working for him.

Axel.

Hey, Tommy,

pick up my lunch, will you?

Hey, Linda.

Will you bring Axel's lunch for me?

- Move it over, Tee.

- No, no, no.

I've been chauffeuring you

for three weeks.

It's about time you earn your own keep.

Now, come on.

Yes, sir, sir.

- Do you want your lunch, huh?

- Please.

- Oh, come on.

- Come on?

No. Hey, Mac.

You ever play Slew Jay, Mac?

Oh, man, come on.

Hey, Mac.

Come on.

- That's it.

Come on.

Come on, throw it.

Well, do you want

a ride uptown tonight?

No, thanks.

What do you do

with yourself nights, anyway?

- Oh, I find lots of stuff to do.

- This is a great town for a ball, huh?

I mean, if you're a bachelor on the town,

you could have a ball.

It's great, huh?

You know, I might ask my old lady

for a night out once.

You and I gonna pitch one. Yeah?

No matter how good you're married,

you always miss that freedom a little bit.

- It's the greatest.

- Oh, man.

What stupid idiot writes this?

Who can read this, anyway?

I can read it, Charlie.

- Oh, you can read it?

- Yeah.

Well, go ahead and read it.

When Brother gets through with it,

I'll tell you what it really says, Charlie.

You gonna be a wise guy too, huh?

Yeah, the two wise guys.

The two wise buddies.

Daddy-o and Pops.

- Hey, Charlie, is this a T-H or a W?

- I thought you could read it.

Go ahead, get it on the truck, huh?

You know, I can't understand how

Ed Fabre sent a peculiar guy like you.

Ed never sent a peculiar guy before.

Maybe Mr. Fabre's a better judge

of character than you, Charlie.

Ask your buddy

who Ed Fabre is, Tyler.

- Go ahead, ask him who he is.

- We got work to do.

Ask him why he kicks back

a quarter an hour, huh?

- I said we got work to do.

- Yeah.

You know, Tee,

I'm from Gary, Indiana.

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