Gangs of New York Page #21

Boss Tweed gets up from the table. A WAITER is DIMMING the gaslights,

filling the room with deep shadows.

KILLORAN:

It'd be gratifying, Mr. Tweed. Even edifying.

BOSS TWEED:

But poor politics, eh? Well, we musn't have that.

(as he walks away)

I do miss those roistering days, though. Oh, and bring some of that food

for the canaries.

CUT TO:

77 EXT. STREET/THE BLOODY ANGLE DAY

The sharply-angled turn of Doyers Street, nicknamed "The Bloody Angle."

SOUND of a horse and cart as we see a row of UPTURNED mostly WOMEN and

YOUNG CHILDREN.

A NATIVE AMERICAN drives a cart carrying large barrels of MILK. A SECOND

NATIVE rides beside him on the seat, holding a rifle, looking impassively

at the faces turned up to him. A WOMAN holding a BABY in one arm and a

CHILD by the hand steps in front of them. They almost run her down.

WOMAN:

We ain't had no milk this week.

NATIVE 2

You can have as much as you can pay for.

(to crowd)

Anyone that's got the ned, step up with your pitchers. Any not, come back

when you do.

The Woman gives her children to other WOMEN in the crowd and advances

toward the wagon. Native 2 c*cks his rifle...

... and Jenny steps from the watchful Crowd.

JENNY:

I got ned enough for all. See? Fair enough?

She holds her hand out as she WALKS slowly toward the milk wagon. She's

carrying a huge fistful of GLEAMING COINS. The Natives on the wagon watch

her warily...

... and are JUMPED from behind by a couple of Dead Rabbits. Amsterdam

grabs a milk pitcher from a WOMAN in the crowd, AXES open the spigot on a

milk barrel and FILLS the pitcher to overflowing. Jenny JUMPS up on the

wagon seat.

JENNY:

(to Amsterdam)

What's our rate? What do we charge?

AMSTERDAM:

Johnny worked it out to a nickel less than the Natives. Just till we're

established. Then we raise it a penny more than now.

JENNY:

Raise it? Is that what you want?

AMSTERDAM:

You say, then.

JENNY:

(beat; then, to Crowd) There'll be no paying at all this day. Or this

week, neither. This is Dead Rabbits business from now on.

The Crowd scrambles for milk and the Rabbits try to keep ORDER.

JENNY:

(to Crowd)

We'll take ned if you got it, now or in future. But no one will go without.

AMSTERDAM:

(to Jenny)

Except us. You opening a charity?

JENNY:

They'll pay us what they owe, in loyalty if not in cash. Tammany gives

coal, we give milk.

AMSTERDAM:

They can afford it.

JENNY:

Can't we?

CUT TO:

78 INT. MOTHER JOYCE'S BORDELLO DAY

The midday sun shining through the windows makes the place look tatty and

slightly desperate: this is a place that needs low light and long shadows

to look good.

Amsterdam and Johnny are at a long bar, talking to Mother Joyce, a beefy,

wised-up woman with pornographic tattoos an both forearms.

MOTHER JOYCE:

This place is so clean it's the next thing to chaste. And safe as a

convent, too.

AMSTERDAM:

From the Natives, maybe. But not from us.

MOTHER JOYCE:

You're saying I got to worry about your mob too?

JOHNNY:

No worries at all. You throw in with the Dead Rabbits and we'll worry

about the Natives.

Across the room, Jenny is sitting talking to a few of the WHORES, one of

whom is a mixed-blood Eurasian with long black hair named Emma Loss. She

gets up lazily and heads for the bar. As she passes a DRUNK, he reaches

out to grab her. She's used to this, and she knocks his hand away. He

keeps after her.

At the bar, Mother Joyce notices Emma being hassled, but pays no

attention:
her girls can take care of themselves.

MOTHER JOYCE:

(to Amsterdam and Johnny)

And if someone else comes along, do I pay them too?

AMSTERDAM:

You only pay us. We see you safe from everyone.

Johnny has been watching the drunk bothering Emma Loss. Without saying

anything to Amsterdam or Mother Joyce, Johnny LEAVES the bar, walks over

to the drunk and SHOVES him away.

JOHNNY:

Leave off her. She don't want you. Not even if you could pay her.

EMMA LOSS:

Hey, just a minute.

JOHNNY:

(to Emma)

He can't pay. I can pay.

AMSTERDAM:

(watching this)

Maybe I should offer Johnny as a bouncer for your busy nights.

MOTHER JOYCE:

(laughs)

A bouncer! I don't know if he could bounce on a feather bed. He wants to

be a character like you, is that it?

AMSTERDAM:

He's got his own ideas. Too full of Tammany, maybe, but he's a fast friend.

Across the room, Johnny is talking to Emma Loss. She NODS and starts to

LEAD him upstairs.

MOTHER JOYCE:

But in my trade you go on your instincts. My instincts says to heed you,

and my memory of your father says I'm right. We'll shake on it.

(Amsterdam grabs her hand)

And have one of my best to seal the bargain. Megs!

A lanky blonde, seated across the room near Jenny, bestirs herself.

MOTHER JOYCE:

Come here and show my new friend why we're worth special care.

Jenny watches MEGS move toward Amsterdam.

CUT TO:

79 INT. ASSIGNATION ROOM/MOTHER JOYCE'S

Big enough to contain a half-gutted mattress supported by a rickety bed,

some worn sheets and a few GUTTERING CANDLES.

Johnny undresses as Emma sits on the bed and starts to take off her dress.

JOHNNY:

You liked that old man? You would have gone with him?

EMMA LOSS:

I like anyone that pays, that's all.

JOHNNY:

Tell me what he wanted you to do.

EMMA LOSS:

He mostly wanted comforting.

JOHNNY:

I never seen hair so black. Can you take the pins out?

EMMA LOSS:

It takes so long to do back up.

He sits beside her and starts slowly, almost tenderly, to remove the pins.

79 CONTINUED:

JOHNNY:

Did your mother have the same color?

I don't know.

JOHNNY:

(as the hair cascades over her bare shoulders)

Lie back, I want to look at you.

(his eyes glide along her body)

What's that mark?

EMMA LOSS:

I always had it.

JOHNNY:

(touching her lightly)

And there? Is that a scar?

EMMA LOSS:

(she looks at her naked belly)

There was a baby. They cut it out.

JOHNNY:

And that on your shoulder? That looks old.

EMMA LOSS:

Yeah, I got that when I ...

JOHNNY:

(interrupting, quiet)

I don't want to know when. Don't tell me about before or what you used to

be, I don't want that.

EMMA LOSS:

What about your scars. Do you have scars?

JOHNNY:

None I ever seen. Maybe you can find them.

Her hands and mouth cover his body. He closes his eyes.

CUT TO:

80 INT. ASSIGNATION ROOM/MOTHER JOYCEIS

Another room. Amsterdam and Megs are undressing each other when Jenny

walks in.

AMSTERDAM:

Go on. I can see you later.

Megs leaves, brushing past Jenny.

JENNY:

What are you doing?

AMSTERDAM:

I couldn't decline what Mother Joyce offered. It's in the interests of

business. You understand business.

JENNY:

Sure I do. But there's something else I still don't understand. At

Sparrow's Pagoda, did you hit me, knowing it was me?

AMSTERDAM:

Yeah. I did.

She HITS him. In the face. Hard. Not a slap. A solid PUNCH. His nose

starts to gush blood. He puts his arm under it to staunch the flow,

keeping his eyes an her.

JENNY:

Meantime's over.

AMSTERDAM:

Oh fine. That's fine. I'd be celebrating but I'm losing too much blood.

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