Len and Company Page #7

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It was a bad idea.

- Why is that?

- Well, would you want your dad

to be the sub at your school?

[both chuckle]

- No, my old man was in prison

by then, thank God.

Probably would have

killed me otherwise.

- Yeah, we can't pick

our parents, can we?

- No.

No, you can't.

[soft instrumental music]

II:

- Oy, that's my horse.

[laughter]

- You ever watched this before?

- Of course.

- Do you actually

understand it?

I'm pretty lost.

- Kind of, yeah.

So how are you feeling?

- Had better mornings.

- It's, like, 4:
00.

I picked you up

around 2:
00, so...

- It is?

- Yeah.

- Wow, that's weird.

[muffled television]

You didn't have to call

the ambulance, by the way.

I would have been fine.

- No of fence, but you

really didn't seem fine.

- Well, I've been like that,

like, a million times,

so it's not a big deal.

- Well, maybe you should

be more careful.

- You're good, Max.

- Oh, God.

Please don't say that.

- Why?

- Because-

- What's wrong with that?

It's, like, a nice thing to say.

Good's good.

It's a compliment.

- This is gonna make me

seem even more good

or naive or whatever,

but, like, I just-

I like you a whole lot better

when you're not all,

like, high and messed up.

And, like, I know it's a part

of your whole thing,

and I get that, but...

I don't know;

I just wanted to tell you,

because I'm guessing

a lot of people around you

don't tell you the truth.

- It's not naive.

[engine rumbling]

- All right, William.

. HEY-

What are you doing here?

- Looking for you.

Your dad...

said you'd be back soon.

So I sat inside

with him for a bit.

- Your car's still running.

- The battery will die

if I switch it off.

- Oh.

- I'm sorry for what I said.

I didn't mean it.

I was a sh*t.

None of what happened

was your fault.

That's why I'm here.

Your contribution is crucial

to the daily functioning

of Black Enterprises.

And whilst I do think

you're wasting your life

hanging out

with the likes of me,

I need your help.

- Can we make business cards?

- [chuckles]

Definitely.

- Can I be vice president?

- His Honor,

the Right Reverend

Vice President William Prenger.

How's that?

- All right.

- Your shiner's getting better.

- It was that kid, Derek.

He's the one that hit me.

I don't really get along

with him or his friends.

- I remember him.

He seemed like a bit of a c*nt.

- [laughs]

Everyone in school's a c*nt.

- Tell me about it.

Imagine having to

teach them calculus.

- You must have been

a very bad man

in a former life, Mr. Prenger.

- I think that

thought every day.

- Right, well,

I'd better shoo off

before me car blows up.

See you, William.

Thanks for the tea, Mr. Prenger.

- See you tomorrow, Len.

- See ya.

[engine rumbling]

[soft instrumental music]

II:

[door opens]

[door closes]

. HEY-

[muffled television]

- You look rank.

You all right?

- Why does everyone

keep asking me that?

- Well, people don't want

to see you dead.

They like you better alive.

Not everyone.

Most people.

- [exhales deeply]

- So you Won?

- Yes, of course!

We won.

We won!

Victory!

- I'd have thought

you'd have shot off by now.

- I'm kind of tired.

It cool if I stay the night?

- You can stay

as long as you like.

- All right.

- Three cheers...

- All right, well, uh...

don't-don't go

without saying anything.

- Oh, I won't.

- All We need now

is for King Richard to be here,

and the day shall be complete.

[crickets chirping]

- The dry creek bed

made for better footing,

but it left the man exposed.

He moved as quickly

as he could,

not bothering

to cover his tracks.

Low clouds were moving in

behind the peaks,

and he knew

the snow would come soon.

It was another hour

to the pass, maybe more.

The pain in his leg was gone

now, but he still walked

with his hand

against the crusted wound.

Ahead of him,

the creek widened

as it came

into flatter ground.

[crickets chirping]

- So, farewell, Edna.

You'll be seeing me later.

[shimmering chimes]

- Have-have, uh-

have you got transport'?

- Are you okay?

- Yeah.

- Borrow my horse again,

or at all.

I mean, not that you've

borrowed it before.

- Coming.

- Do you want to

kiss me right now?

- Mm-hmm.

- Are you all right?

- Yeah.

- The prospector hung

from a tree

about 20 paces from the horse.

His boots stood side by side

at the foot of his bedroll,

and his pack leaned

against the saddle.

They'd come upon him

in his sheep.

The untethered horse watched

as the man kicked

the ashes of the fire,

embers still glowing.

[muffled television]

- Hold!

You dare sit there, boy'?

Thai was King Richards seat.

- He stood below the prospector,

Whose stiff body twisted

slowly in the cold Wind.

The prospector's dead,

staring eyes

gave the impression that he was

scanning the horizon,

looking for something.

The man walked

towards the saddle,

moving slowly,

not Wanting the horse to bolt.

He felt the blow to his neck

before he heard the gunshot.

The ground rose quickly

to his face,

and then he saw nothing.

He could feel the warm blood

pooling under his chest.

A kick to his ribs,

but with H, no pain.

His last breaths

feed a familiar vision."

a White Wooden house

surrounded by green fields.

A woman on the porch,

shaking a dusty rug.

In front of the house,

a boy chases a dog.

The Woman snaps the rug.

The rug coughs obediently.

The dog turns and barks.

The boy and the dog

run toward the man.

These are the things

that have kept him

moving forward

these ten months.

The woman and the rug,

the boy and the dog.

[birds chirping]

[soft acoustic guitar music]

II:

[water splashing]

II:

[knocking at door]

II:

. HEY-

. HEY-

Is that mine?

- Yeah, I found it

in the kitchen.

- Oh.

You don't

have to say anything.

But how far did you get?

- Just finished

me second listen.

There's a lot of static on it.

- Yeah, well, we recorded it

on this old, like,

Sony tape recorder.

And we had to transfer it to MP3

with this, like,

really old music software

that we found, so...

- That plucking,

is that Gravikord?

- No, it's-it's

an actual real kora.

Yeah.

Zach brought it back from

his, like, trip to West Africa.

- Well, that's a beautiful

instrument.

- Yeah.

- Built in bass, you know,

good for syncopation.

- Yeah, you-you really don't

have to pretend to like it.

- Well, me liking it's

irrelevant.

You know, I've never been

much of a talker...

or a hugger.

I've probably never

told you the things...

a dad should tell you.

- It's okay.

- No, it's not.

Here.

- So you coming

to the city anytime soon?

- Don't know.

I haven't made any real plans.

- Yeah, I haven't really

made any plans either.

- Being a dropout and all.

- Yeah.

II:

- Well, that's okay.

You're young.

You're not supposed to.

- Well, if you're around,

let me know.

We'll go to, like, a-a show

or, I don't know, watch

a Liverpool game or something.

- Will do.

- All right.

[soft music]

II:

[acoustic guitar music]

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