In Dubious Battle Page #4

what they wanna hear?

Well, see, guys like that...

They think they want wealth

or power or security.

None of that matters.

They just want to feel

like their lives matter.

Like they matter.

They want to think

that they have some control

over their lives.

That's it?

Lisa, I'm just saying,

we can't trust these guys.

We don't know

who they are, okay?

You have to be careful.

Vinnie, I'm trying to feed the

baby. Can you please leave?

Hi.

Hi.

Hey, I don't mean to bother you.

I know, um...

I brought you some soup.

That's sweet of you.

You can put it here.

I'm gonna put it here.

Why don't you sit down?

You want me to sit?

Yeah, sure.

So...

Oh, sorry about that.

You don't have to do that.

Figured you've already

seen more than this anyway.

How are you feeling?

I'm tired.

Considering I pushed

this one out of me.

That makes sense.

How's he doing?

You wanna hold him?

Do I want to hold the baby?

Here, try.

Oh, all right.

By the head.

Okay.

Just, uh...

Oh, man.

I named him Josiah.

How you doing, lad?

He's beautiful.

I'm sorry about the father.

There was no accident.

The coward ran off when he

found out I was pregnant.

God, I don't even

know why I told you.

I don't tell anyone.

I won't tell anyone.

London's more ashamed than I am.

Well, I won't tell anyone.

You're a good man,

aren't you, Jim?

I try to be.

Bolton knows

we walked off the job.

And Edie says he's bringing

in scabs today to replace us.

So we gotta convince

the scabs to join us

or the strike will be over

before it even begins.

Hang back.

Do you know something I don't?

These cops are gonna be looking

to see who the leader is.

I don't want to call any

attention to ourselves.

Never mind them.

We're all on the same side here.

Our fight is not with you.

You gotta join us

and together we'll get them

to pay what they owe us.

Yeah, yeah!

This man's right, by god!

Why should we work for a man

who think they own us?

Come on.

Hold back.

We gotta stop them.

They think you're dirt.

They think you're trash.

They think they can just

chew you up, spit you out,

take the profits

from the work that you do

with your sweat and your blood.

And these cops, these pigs,

you know what they do

when you try

to exercise your rights

as a free American?

They bash you in the skull,

they knock out your teeth,

they kick in the ribs,

call you a piece of sh*t.

And now we're

supposed to work for them?

They're sons of b*tches,

I tell you.

And you know what we do

with sons of b*tches

where I come from?

Joy!

Joy!

Get back!

He's dead.

- He's dead.

- He's dead!

You can all go to hell!

All you folks,

you elected me to be chairman

of this here group.

I guess that means

I'm supposed to say something

on behalf of this poor man here.

Well, I'm not good at speeches.

But you saw

what happened to him.

He wasn't trying to harm nobody.

He just came to stand with us.

There's a man here, Mac,

who knew him.

Go ahead up there, Mac.

Ahem.

Yeah, I knew him.

He was my friend.

His name is joy.

He was a radical.

You heard me.

He was a true radical.

He was a radical

because he wanted people

like you and me

to have enough to eat

and a place to sleep.

He didn't want

nothing for himself.

He didn't want a goddamn thing.

He was a radical!

A dirty bastard,

a danger to the government

because he wanted all of us

to have a fair shot.

So the cops beat him to pieces.

They broke his hands so many

times he couldn't make a fist.

They busted his jaw

so he couldn't eat right.

And now they shot him,

right at our feet.

What are you

going to do about it?

You gonna dump him in

a mud hole,

put some slush over him

and forget it?

No!

He was fighting for you!

- You going to forget about him?

- No!

Are you gonna lie down

and just take it?

No!

Are you going to let them

get away?

No!

He was one of us.

So, what are you

gonna do about it?

Fight!

- What?

- Fight!

You gonna fight?

That's right.

We're going to fight for him.

And we're going to fight for us.

But we can't

fight them with guns.

We can't fight them with knives.

So, what are we do?

- Strike! Strike!

- That's right!

Strike! Strike!

Strike! Strike!

Strike!

We'll run a clean camp,

organized.

No booze.

We got a woman

by the name of Edie,

who's bringing in supplies

by the truckload.

And we got a doc in charge

of health and sanitation.

My people know

what they're doing

and we'll have your entire

orchard picked in no time,

for free.

That does it.

All right.

Three bucks a day

and we won't walk away!

Three bucks a day

and we won't walk away!

Three bucks away

and we won't walk away!

Three bucks a day

and we won't walk away!

This is really happening.

Look at them.

It's like they're waking up

from a long sleep.

All I see is danger.

Oh, come on. Not danger.

This is possibility, look.

Look at everyone. If they all

keep working together like this,

there's nothing we can't do.

I know these men.

It can't last.

You should have more faith

in your fellow man.

They'll get itchy

and they'll start fighting.

We'll help them

stay on the right path.

We'll whip them into shape.

Oh, really?

Yeah. Yeah.

I hope you can.

I just hope you know

what you're doing.

Say, ain't that the lady

you had your eye on?

Sure is.

Well, that's a shame

about her man dying.

Someone's gonna have to

help raise that baby.

Say, what do you think

of that Jim Nolan guy, anyway?

He ain't nothing special.

I think he's all right.

Hey, wait up.

Mac?

Yeah.

I'm gonna head to see the doc.

What the hell

are you telling me for?

Well, you told me

not to do nothing

- without letting you know, so...

- Jesus Christ.

You sure follow directions.

Just go on.

I'll be there in a bit.

Yeah, I was just telling you.

Jesus.

Now, no, sir, I don't

want any of that nonsense,

but, no, this...

Doc? Doc, sorry.

What can I do for you, Jim?

Well, I just wanted to see

if you needed any help

and, uh, Edie says

that she has the, uh...

What do you call it?

Disinfectant.

Ah. That woman is wonderful,

fabulous, yeah.

Help, yeah, always.

Come.

Well, Mac and Edie

certainly got this one

up and running pretty quickly.

Lucky for them that poor old sot

took the fall

that he did when he did.

Yeah, the men weren't

really committed, were they?

Not until old joy

put up his last stand.

What are you talking about?

Nothing.

Just making a remark about

this serendipitous timing.

Mac says that you're not

committed to our cause

but you help us anyway.

Ah, you don't want

to be talking about

my political theories,

at least not now.

You're new to this, huh?

What do you make

of your new comrades?

Do you find them inspiring?

Uh, yeah, I do.

Yeah?

I do, honest to god. I really do

find them inspiring.

- Good.

- Bolton's here.

London, I presume.

I've been told you're

the man in charge of this

- uh, this gathering.

- That's right.

- My name's Bolton.

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