Klondike Page #10

BILL:

Thank you, ma’am-

BELINDA MULRONEY

Don’t “ma’am” me. I’m still south

of 30. Despite what these northern

climes have done to my otherwise

youthful, pearly skin.

BILL:

Thanks all the same.

BELINDA MULRONEY

Belinda Mulroney.

BILL:

Bill Haskell.

They shake hands. She eyes him.

BELINDA MULRONEY

You labor or management, Haskell?

BILL:

How’s that?

BELINDA MULRONEY

Only two types come up here: the

guy with the shovel and the guy

with the business plan. Shovel

guys, they’re welcome. One thing

Yukon’s not short on is dirt to dig

in. Boys wanna be boys and play in

the big old sandbox, that’s up to

you. Guy with the business plan, on

the other hand...Dawson’s full-up.

(MORE)

45.

BELINDA MULRONEY (CONT'D)

We got more middle-men and business

men and hucksters than we know what

to do with. Blight on the

landscape, if I can be perfectly

honest.

BILL:

Nope. Shovel guy. Looking to get

into the sandbox. And pull out a

future.

BELINDA MULRONEY

You keep believing that, and you

and me are gonna be just fine.

BILL:

How’s that?

BELINDA MULRONEY

‘Tween the two of us--and not to

rain on your parade in advance-

there’s no money in gold.

She nods to the revelry around her.

BELINDA MULRONEY (CONT’D)

Soak it up, Haskell. How much of

that gold being pulled up out of

those hills is ending up in their

pockets?

She motions vaguely to the elegant BURLESQUE DANCER on stage.

Exquisitely lit. Spellbinding.

BELINDA MULRONEY (CONT’D)

Gold’s a whore, Haskell. Just like

her up there. More beautiful than

the rest. Can’t take your eyes off

her. But she gets passed around.

And that’s the thing about whores:

you may lust after them--you may

even think you love them--but you

don’t need them.

Said as she draws a toothpick from her mouth. Considers it.

BELINDA MULRONEY (CONT’D)

This, on the other hand...you need.

Bill looks to her curiously. The way she holds that tiny, 2”

span of wood.

BELINDA MULRONEY (CONT’D)

And when you need something up

here, there’s nothing you won’t do

to get it. No price you won’t pay.

She turns it in her fingers slightly so the wood’s fibers

buckle slightly. In XCU we see wood like we have not before.

Like the gold and courtesan before, sumptuous, elemental...

46.

BELINDA MULRONEY (CONT’D)

To build a fire so you can survive

the winter. To build these precious

buildings. To melt the permafrost

so you can get to your gold in the

first place.

She looks to Bill.

BELINDA MULRONEY (CONT’D)

Without wood, there’s no Dawson

City. And if there’s no Dawson

City, there’s none of you boys

foraging out there in the dirt for

your future.

BILL:

And you’re telling me this why?

BELINDA MULRONEY

I own the mill, Haskell. Everything

in Dawson comes through me.

Bill smiles inwardly. Of course.

BELINDA MULRONEY (CONT’D)

You stay out of the wood business,

I’ll stay out of your sandbox,

how’s that strike you?

She smiles at him when she says this. But the implicit threat

is clear. Bill isn’t cowed. He returns the smile.

BILL:

Strikes me fine.

Belinda nods to herself like she’s gotten what she wanted.

She nods to Meekor for 2 more drinks.

BELINDA MULRONEY

Then you and me, Haskell...we might

be copacetic yet.

As they drink--CUT TO-

EXT. SALOON / BACK HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

--Epstein and the Courtesan, slamming up against the wall,

hot and heavy.

As they’re getting into it--both of them harebrained, excited-

EPSTEIN:

Just so you know...I can’t pay.

COURTESAN:

That’s okay.

(kisses)

For the ones I like, I’ll go

gratis.

47.

A little more escalation-

COURTESAN (CONT’D)

You are a rabbit. I must really

like you...’cause I don’t even give

it to my boyfriend for free-

Which makes Epstein take pause.

EPSTEIN:

You got a boyfriend?

Seeing him regard her dubiously-

COURTESAN:

Sorta yes. Sorta no.

EPSTEIN:

There’s no sorta. It’s one or the

other.

She kisses him again. And damn is she hard to say no to.

INT. SALOON - CONTINUOUS

Bill--finishing his drink--Belinda, wrapping up too-

BILL:

Say I wanna stake up on Bonanza.

How do I go about doing that?

BELINDA MULRONEY

Like anything else up here. You

just go up and do it. Then come

back, drop a few bucks at the

Recorder's office, and you're

official.

(beat)

Word of warning, though. There’s no

law up there, Haskell. And you

leave a bunch of men alone to their

own devices, and there’s money

involved, suddenly they aren’t men

anymore.

BILL:

You get a gun, you only end up

using it.

Belinda moves as if to respond--but they’re interrupted by-

--a gunshot--somewhere in back.

Everyone looks up.

A moment later, Epstein runs out, pulling his pants up. As

he nears Bill, excitedly:

EPSTEIN:

Think I jumped someone’s claim!

48.

Belinda eyes him, darkening. To Bill:

BELINDA MULRONEY

Best get him out of here.

EXT. DAWSON CITY STREETS - NIGHT

Bill & Epstein spill into the street-

BILL:

Just had to go get into it, didn’t

you-

EPSTEIN:

I didn’t know!

Screaming behind them. A Russian pimp, known locally as

TOLSTOY, comes out of the saloon, a stream of others in tow.

He discharges a double-barreled shotgun into the air,

freezing Bill & Epstein in their path.

They turn to see Tolstoy reloading. He’s drunk, fingers

coursing with booze and adrenaline as they fumble to slide 2

new shells into the shotgun.

TOLSTOY:

I will kill you once, then kill you

again, son of a b*tch!

All around them, people materialize from buildings. Keep a

safe distance, but watch the spectacle with interest.

Epstein, still buckling his pants, looks ready to bolt. Bill

though, is strangely calm:

BILL (TO EPSTEIN, QUIETLY)

Go easy.

Epstein gives him a look--the hell you talking about--?!

BILL (CONT’D)

He put that one in the sky when he

coulda put it in your back. He’s

trying to scare you.

Tolstoy:
cursing, reloading, spittle flying-

EPSTEIN:

He’s doing a hell of a job.

Epstein almost bolts again--Bill seizes his arm-

BILL (SOTTO)

Do not run.

Epstein looks back at him. Bill, aware of all the eyes:

BILL (CONT’D)

Only one chance to make a first

impression, brother. And we got all

of Dawson looking at us.

49.

Tolstoy’s fingers, getting those shells in. Closing up the

shotgun. Growling. Approaching.

EPSTEIN:

So does he.

BILL (COOLLY)

All bark, no bite. Trust me.

Tolstoy snaps the shotgun to his shoulder. He’s scarcely 10

feet from them. Gun leveled right at their chests.

Around them, the whole town bristles.

Tolstoy bristles, fingers uncertain on the trigger-

There’s subtle commotion to their left. Bill & Epstein turn

to see--along with Tolstoy--Father Judge stepping forth

calmly from the crowd.

Sitting down on the steps nearest them, as if to get the best

seats in the house.

A beat as everyone looks at him incredulously. He shrugs to

Tolstoy, as if apologizing for the interruption.

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