Far and Away Page #3

My name's McGuire,

from Boston, Massachusetts.

Oh, you're American.

lrish born.

l went back for personal reasons.

A stroll would be delightful,

Mr. McGuire.

Parasol.

ln my imagination,

America is a wonderfully modern place.

- Am l right?

- Modern as modern can be.

The people, the culture,

the industry.

- What about the land?

- l beg your pardon?

This girl's got it in her head

that they're giving land away for free.

That's true. Oklahoma territory.

The west's opening up.

- l told you, boy.

- Can't be good land.

lt's the finest in the world.

Seeds flourish in it.

The cattle that grow upon it

are fat as elephants.

How do you get it, Mr. McGuire?

ls it there when you step off the boat?

Oh, no. You have to travel

When you get there, you'll have to

run for the land in a race.

A race?

Don't lose time in Boston.

As soon as you can,

purchase horses, a wagon and supplies.

Have l upset you?

l didn't expect it

to be so complicated.

We're very fortunate. Any difficulty

can be overcome with money.

Excuse me. l'd like

to speak with Mr. McGuire alone.

Mr. McGuire, l do have money...

but it's in the form of spoons.

- Spoons?

- Ancient spoons made of silver.

l'd planned to sell them

when l arrived in Boston.

Well, l can recommend a couple of shops

that will treat you honestly.

Oh, l'm very much obliged to you, sir.

- Pleasure's mine.

- Thank you.

May l ask what are you doing

sitting at my table?

l'm eating your chocolate cake.

l see. And what have you done

with my father's necktie?

l flung it into the sea.

lt was gagging my throat.

You're just upset because everything

l've told you is turning out to be true.

''Cows as fat as elephants.''

l know what that man's after.

l think you should

cover your ankles.

America.

l'm here. l've made it.

l've arrived, Joseph.

l beg your pardon.

United States of America flags!

You're an American today!

Your great friend

Mr. McGuire has vanished.

You want American dollars?

Oh, there he is!

Mr. McGuire!

Over here!

Ah, there you are.

Hey, mister, you lrish?

l can take you to the ward boss.

Need work? Need lodging?

There are people who hate the lrish.

You can't get nothing without the ward

boss. He's the biggest man in Boston.

Go fleece somebody else, boy.

l know the games of these shysters.

Come on, Miss Christie.

l'll find you a suitable hotel.

Cab!

Thank goodness for Mr. McGuire.

Take Miss Christie here

to a decent hotel.

Well, you've certainly upheld

your end of the bargain.

Good luck, Shannon.

Good luck, Joseph.

Need jobs, need lodgings? lf you're

lrish, l'll take you to the ward boss.

Hey, McGuire!

- Yes?

- Welcome back.

Oh, my God! My spoons!

They're taking my spoons!

Joseph, Mr. McGuire stole my spoons!

No, please, they're mine.

He stole them from me.

That dead man stole my spoons.

My bag! They're taking everything!

Now l have nothing.

Come away, Shannon.

We have to go.

l have nothing now.

l have no money.

God is punishing me, Joseph.

l stole those spoons from my mother

the morning l ran away.

Hey, you! Stand still!

- l didn't do nothing!

- Who's this man, the ward boss?

That's him there,

fighting in the fancy clothes.

Mike Kelly, his name is.

- l'll take it.

- Come on!

Shannon, you should

stand back over there.

Don't shield me, Joseph.

lt's only a boxing match.

What?

Sorry, Mike.

Mike isn't happy when he loses.

You distracted me.

You weren't concentrating.

A scrappy Connemara man, huh?

Fresh off the boat.

Follow me.

Not you, woman.

You just cost me part of a tooth.

- lf he gets to go, then l get to go.

- l'm Mike Kelly!

Who is this bit of a snit anyway?

Your wife?

- Certainly not.

- Then who the hell are you, lass?

- She's...

- l'm-

my sister.

- Tell me she isn't a pain in the ass.

- Settle your bets!

''Sister''? Our blood's not even

the same temperature.

These people are my kind of people.

And my kind doesn't like your kind.

ln fact,

they hate everything about you.

Now...

for some reason or other

l'm willing to lie for you.

Or we could tell them you're

a rich Protestant. Might be sporting.

No, Joseph.

My brother.

Good.

- What do you call yourself?

- Joseph Donelly.

Well, Donelly, let's put you

on the road to citizenship.

We'll get you working

and get you voting when the time comes.

See how the system works here, lad?

Stop it!

- Leave me alone!

- 'Twas a lady who took to the street

- Her name was Biddy McMack

- Get away or l'll claw your eyes out!

She makes a handsome living

out of laying on her back

- l said leave me alone!

- Excuse me, Mr. Kelly.

l'm not a wealthy man

But give me a night of paradise

l'll pay you what l can

Get away!

l'll ask you

to leave this lady alone.

Go ahead and ask.

l've no wish to fight you.

He's no wish to fight me.

l'll take him.

No, he's mine.

He's mine alone.

Kill him, Joseph!

Well, now.

You knocked the piss out of the man

who knocked the piss out of me.

l'm not sure

how l feel about that.

- Dermody.

- Yes, sir, Mr. Kelly.

Time to make the rounds.

We'll take this scrapper

and the girl...

and lodge them at Molly Kay's.

- Grab the luggage.

- Yes, sir.

Come on.

Hey, Pete. Get a match going

these fellows can bet on. l'll be back.

Hey, Mike, how are you doing?

All depends, huh?

Good to see you lads.

- This is it. Here we are.

- Good day to you, Mr. Kelly!

- Molly!

- lt's as unpleasant for me as for you.

Got a brother and sister here,

Molly, need a room.

You're in luck.

We had a suicide just this morning.

- Hello, Bridget. How are you?

- Hello, Mike.

Ah, yes.

Any gentlemen up here, girls?

No, not here, Mike.

- Make an announcement, Dermody.

- Ward boss!

- l'd give you another year.

- You're not campaigning, Mike.

Relax, Molly. Politics is

more important to these men than sex.

And l'm the Virgin Mary.

- God forgive you, Molly.

- Not likely, Mike.

Come on.

ls that Jimmy Dunne l see?

l was chatting with your wife today.

Don't tell my wife, Mike.

And here's the bath, but don't linger

in it too long. lt's the only one.

Gentlemen,

button up your trousers.

This is your room here.

Ours?

You're not suggesting

that we share this room, l hope.

l don't care what you do in it...

as long as you pay me

a dollar a week.

There must be some mistake.

We need two rooms.

- l've only got the one.

- That's not good enough.

- Mike, what have you sent me here?

- You're not listening to me.

The room is fine,

and we'll take it gratefully.

As you know,

election time is coming up-

Your sister was spoilt, l'd say.

Here for your support.

l'm sure you've noticed

all these ltalians taking lrish jobs.

No ltalians are gonna run this town

as long as Mike Kelly's in charge.

Shannon, are you awake?

No, l'm sound asleep.

l think l like America.

- Do you, now?

- Aye.

We've only been here a day.

Look at the welcome we've got.

Would you like a room?

Here you go.

Would you like a job?

Why, here you go.

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