Gangs of New York Page #13

Later. Amsterdam pulls Happy Jack's uniform COAT over Jenny to keep her

warm in the chill air.

JENNY:

You were waiting for me out here, weren't you?

AMSTERDAM:

Maybe I was, yeah.

JENNY:

You was that sure of me?

AMSTERDAM:

Sure enough to wait, anyway. Waiting don't cost nothing.

JENNY:

It don't do to be sure. I could go away just as easy.

AMSTERDAM:

Alright.

He sweeps the coat away from her body, allowing her to leave.

JENNY:

I'll say when I want to, not you.

AMSTERDAM:

Stay then.

(beat; smile)

One way or another, I get what I want.

JENNY:

(looking at him)

Yeah. If it was just a shag you wanted.

AMSTERDAM:

You're a gypsy, are you, come to tell my fortune? Go ahead then. Tell me

what I'm wanting.

JENNY:

You got blood in your eye for someone.

AMSTERDAM:

It's just I can't look away, that's all.

JENNY:

Who from?

AMSTERDAM:

Bill Poole.

JENNY:

You better get someone else in your sights. No one's ever taken him.

AMSTERDAM:

'Cause he's mine, that's why. I'll take his one eye, and then the rest of

him, piece by small piece.

JENNY:

You have a plan for this? You going to raise a militia? I'll wager Bill

the Butcher don't even know about you or care if he does.

AMSTERDAM:

He'll know about me soon enough.

JENNY:

And after the Butcher?

AMSTERDAM:

You.

JENNY:

Is that so?

AMSTERDAM:

You'll be in love with me.

JENNY:

Love you? You just had me. You can have a mort any time you want. So why

look for more than that.

AMSTERDAM:

That's taking love, not giving it. I want it to be just you and me, no one

else for either.

JENNY:

Why?

AMSTERDAM:

'Cause none of us means nothing in life except one to the other.

JENNY:

I don't know I want to mean something, to you or anybody. Can there be

good in that?

He stares at her.

AMSTERDAM:

We'll see.

Jenny pulls the coat tighter around her.

JENNY:

It'll take a while if we do. If we ever do.

AMSTERDAM:

And what about the meantime?

JENNY:

Meantime's business.

CUT TO:

57 EXT PARADISE SQUARE DAY

A CROWD gathers in one of the main thoroughfares bisecting the 5 Points. A

beefy SPEAKER is making an anti-Irish speech on behalf of James W. Barker,

a mayoral candidate supported by Tammany's current rivals, the

Know-Nothing Party. Hand-painted signs are everywhere, bearing Barker's

unsavory likeness. A couple of BUSKERS provide a musical score for the

political spiel.

SPEAKER:

The potato is a thick vegetable. Heavy. Meaty. Comes out of the ground

dirty and stays that way unless you scrub it and boil it to death!

(cheers and laughs from crowd)

We don't want to keep lem out of the country! We'll even give 'em a place

at our table! But we ain't gonna vote 'em into office.

Much CHEERING and jovial approval from the Crowd. On its fringes,

Amsterdam and the Dead Rabbits make their way roughly across the Square.

SHEENY MIKE:

Any Irish hears that will be out for blood.

AMSTERDAM:

The Irish is too busy building up Tammany. That's where their brains and

muscle goes. Once they're inside with their cronies, they turn on their

own outside. Tammany'd steal the air and rent the daylight if they could.

SHEENY MIKE:

We'd do the same.

AMSTERDkM

Not against our own we wouldn't. That's the difference.

JOHNNY:

Tammany earns better. That's the difference.

AMSTERDAM:

I ain't seen their ned yet.

Johnny stops walking, betraying slight annoyance that he has to explain

the day's deal.

JOHNNY:

You will at day's end, that's our arrangement. A quarter a voter, whether

they're repeaters or not. I'm telling you, we got a square deal.

SHEENY MIKE:

It's sound, Amsterdam.

AMSTERDAM:

Yeah? Well, it's ned anyway. Just make sure you count it when we get it.

JOHNNY:

It's just a day's job, we don't have to make it a life's work. We work for

Tammany today and kill them tomorrow, if that's our pleasure.

JIMMY SPOILS:

So we're politicians just for today.

AMSTERDAM:

Not for a minute. We're better than that. We're thieves.

CUT TO:

58 MONTAGE

The Dead Rabbits go about the business of rounding up Tammany voters. They

pick up DRUNKS in alleys; Jenny and some of the Dead Rabbit MORTS raust

PATRONS in a whore house; Rabbits shanghai SAILORS from saloons; corral

CITIZENS as they walk along the street, either wheedling or bullying to

get them to vote. It's the strong arm of democracy.

CUT TO:

59 EXT. POLLING PLACE DAY

On one side of the door, some Dead Rabbits, with a RABBLE of potential

voters; on the other, POLICE doing their best. Behind and all around,

various WARD HEELERS and SMALL-TIME POLITICIANS, representing both the

Know-Nothing candidate Barker and Tammany's Fernando Wood. Varicus

factions push and pull at one another as they wedge their VOTERS into the

polls.

JIMMY SPOILS:

He's got the right to vote, damn you!

COP:

Not four times he don't.

(shoves a Voter)

There'll be no damned repeaters here!

The Cop and Jimmy play tug-of-war with a besotted VOTER, while other gang

members rush to GRAB VOTERS leaving the polls.

PANDEMONIUM.

CUT TO:

60 INT. TAMMANY HALL DAY

The main floor is jammed with CLUBMEN and PARTY RACKS. Daniel Killoran

bustles from group to group, making promises, taking notes and searching

out Boss Tweed, who is holding court in a far corner, surrounded by

JOURNALISTS.

BOSS TWEED:

I would never speak ill of a rival. I would never say that every

Know-Nothing is a horse thief. It is my observation, however, that every

horse thief is a Know-Nothing.

Good-natured LAUGHING all around. Even TWEED seems amused. Killoran

catches the Boss' eye and whispers to him.

KILLORAN:

The Know-Nothings are already finished, and there's four more hours at the

polls yet.

BOSS TWEED:

Keep our men voting. Everybody works today. It's not a victory we need,

Daniel. I want a triumph.

CUT TO:

61 INT. DON WHISKERANDOSO BARBER SHOP DAY

Amsterdam roughly deposits REPEAT VOTERS in the barber chairs, as the

BARBERS work FRANTICALLY to cut their hair, prune beards, and otherwise

alter appearances. As soon as one customer is done, Sheeny Mike douses him

with bay rum and pushes another REPEATER down in his place. Johnny keeps

count of the turnover.

DON WHISKERANDOS (BARBER)

Now that's eight... and how many still to come ...

He looks toward the door, where more Repeaters are lined up, waiting their

turn under close supervision.

REPEATER:

I already voted once today. Cast for Tammany, by God, and Fernando Wood.

AMSTERDAM:

Once? Come here and do your duty.

Amsterdam GRABS him and SLAMS him down in a chair.

CUT TO:

62 INT. FAN-TAN PARLOR DAY

Amsterdam and some RABBITS BURST into the front door, frightening and

scattering all the Chinese GAMBLERS.

AMSTERDAM:

(barking orders)

Line up like soldiers!

SHEENY MIKE:

They got no notion what you're talking about.

AMSTERDAM:

(To Johnny)

You explain their democratic right. Illl see they unterstand.

Amsterdam GRABS the nearest two CHINESE by their PIGTAILS and

HURLS them against the wall.

CUT TO:

63 INT. OPIUM DEN

Amsterdam and the Rabbits PROWL the murky darkness where OPIUM EATERS lie

in bunks stacked high against the walls. The Rabbits start ROUSING and

rounding up the Opium Eaters. Jimmy Spoils SLINGS a couple over his

shoulder like flour sacks. Amsterdam SHOVES two more out the door, past an

admiring Daniel Killoran.

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