Fire Down Below Page #2

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I was noticing that the steps

were all kind of broken down.

I could get under there

and fix it all up.

I don't hand out Bibles,

and it won't cost nothing.

Thank you, but I'm not interested.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Sh*t!

Morning, boys.

The snakes didn't do it.

- He's starting to piss me off.

- He's just making fun of us.

What the hell?

Snakes!

- Thought you weren't afraid of snakes.

- Look who's talking.

Did you see that?

The whole town saw it, you idiot.

Know how that affects my dad and me?

I ought to put a bullet in your head.

I know guys like this.

You push, they push back.

You don't push, they

won't either. Let it go.

I'm in charge, Lloyd.

You don't like it, resign.

What we got coming in here every night,

I don't need this. I want him gone.

Son, all I'm saying is maybe

you ought to call your daddy first.

Before you do anything else.

I won't tell you.

Come on, Natalie, you're killing me.

I have to know.

I'm in a meeting.

It's your son, sir.

I'm out of the country.

- Hey, Daddy.

- What's up?

We got another situation down here.

New visitor.

You call the fire department

when someone lights a cigarette?

They only send one idiot at a time.

It'll take months

before some new guy can do squat.

So keep it business as usual

and keep him away from it.

Jesus, boy! The Marines haven't landed.

I got things to do.

See, I know exactly

what my daddy wants.

Business as usual.

So I don't want to see him

on my street or in my church.

- Come over here!

- Mama!

Hi.

Hi, how are you doing?

You know better than that.

Hello.

- How are you doing?

- I'm good.

Look, I only sold six jars...

...of your honey this week.

Want to put that against your groceries?

Yes, please.

Thank you.

Bye, now.

You take care.

How do you do?

Can I help you?

I was thinking I might

like to have all these items here.

I also think I might like

to have all that honey.

Yes, sir.

All of it.

Let me ask you something.

What are you going to do

with all this honey?

It's about five miles to home.

It's not a bad walk

if the day is nice.

What's this...

...smoke in the mountains?

That coal's been burning in that

mountain for 12 years now.

Does it ever concern anybody...

...that the earth's on fire underground?

No matter how strange something is...

...if you give it enough time,

it becomes normal.

No more questions.

Come on in.

Thanks for the lift.

I've been thinking about my porch.

Would you still consider fixing it?

What made you change your mind?

It broke this morning.

I'll be there.

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

Have a nice day, ma'am.

You too.

There's a singing contest

at the street fair Saturday.

Patsy and I are gonna sing.

Come out and vote for us.

What do I get?

My sister.

- All right!

- Okay. Deal.

We heard you're helping Sarah.

That's nice of you,

after what she did to her dad.

We shouldn't talk about that.

She's just another one

of God's children.

- How you doing, sir?

- Morning.

You should hear these small-town

girls, the way they gossip.

They sing good too.

How about that porch?

Lord, I just got over the flu.

Let me think about it.

About what?

Think about how you guys

wrecked your truck. Think about that.

Oh, Lord!

A lot of folks don't appreciate

a fellow like you coming here...

...sticking his nose

where it don't belong.

You need to be careful,

slinking around here.

Somebody may think

you're an animal and shoot.

You understand what he's saying?

- Somebody gonna get hurt.

- You mean someone might get hurt?

You could be an English teacher except

you don't understand plain English.

Get out.

"Get out."

That's pretty plain English.

Believe it or not, people here like me.

They'd like me to stick around.

I've decided to stick around a while.

I've also decided...

...that if you don't like it,

that's tough sh*t.

I got your tough sh*t right here.

My nose!

Sometimes two isn't enough.

Want to call a few more folks?

I cracked my wood.

That's no good.

I'm damaging my lumber.

I'll just use my hands.

My nose!

I should've known you'd be

a world-class screw-up...

...public brawl like this.

You're under arrest for assault

and battery and disturbing the peace.

It was self-defense.

I saw them.

They jumped him.

Anybody else see anything?

Nothing.

No problem here.

Appreciate your help, Reverend.

Listen to me.

Investigators been hounding

Hanner Coal Company for years.

Nobody's found anything.

I'm afraid they'll hurt you.

Is that why you send me to folks

who ain't gonna talk about him?

Folks here don't like to talk,

you know.

I also know that this man

supports your church...

...which wouldn't be here

if not for his support.

You're a good man.

One of these days you'll say...

..."The money ain't worth

what it'll do to my people."

I think you'll come around to that.

I believe you will.

We still got us a situation.

You even hurt him?

I'm gonna blow his brains out.

- Might need a grenade launcher.

- Dad said don't kill him.

Sh*t! Now I gotta tell him

what happened.

They used to kill the messenger

that brought the bad news.

Give me something to drink.

I bet you could use some tea.

Yes, ma'am.

You're a mind reader.

Honey?

Yes, please.

You ever get lonely up here,

just with the bees and all?

Well, you know...

...I helped my daddy

gather honey until I was 16.

And then when he died

in the mines, I just kept on.

So I feel like

a part of him has kept on too.

No, I don't get lonely.

Was he a miner

before he was an engineer?

When he was an engineer,

did he make maps and stuff like that?

You ask a lot of questions.

I'm sorry.

Why don't you

ask me some questions?

All right.

Why do you do this work?

I do this work

because the money's so good.

And I have no family.

And I do it...

...because it makes me feel good,

and it's nice to help people.

That's nice.

Looks like some weather coming.

I better get back to work.

I'm out of nails.

I can get those for you.

On the front seat of the car.

Coming up.

Top seat.

Find them?

Yeah.

I hear you've been asking

a lot of questions around town.

Where I come from, that's how

people get to know one another.

They ask questions and talk.

Good thing to do. Try it sometime.

Maybe someday I will.

I've decided I like the idea

of somebody helping me...

...but not for free.

Will you come for supper tonight?

I guess so.

Seven?

That'd be great.

Good evening.

These mountains

are the most beautiful on earth.

Most church charity types

talk about God...

...how they walk with God,

how they found God...

They talk at you instead of to you.

And they never ask your opinion.

And that's all you do.

You're a cop, right?

Not exactly. I work

for the federal government.

I was told that somebody's dumping

some dangerous toxic waste down here.

I wanted to see if

I could come down and stop it.

I want to stop it too.

Do you still want to fix my porch?

Yes, sir, I'll do that.

You ever seen anybody

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