Meet Joe Black Page #22

QUINCE:

...what can I say after I say that

I'm sorry? I zipped when I should've

zagged, I opened my big mouth one

too many times, everything got all

twisted --

PARRISH:

It's okay, Quince. I understand.

You've always meant well and I

appreciate that. Sometimes things

just turn out -- wrong.

A KNOCK on the door, it opens, Joe appears.

JOE:

Excuse me --

He starts to step out.

QUINCE:

Come in, Joe -- I want to thank you

-- okay, Bill?

PARRISH:

Sure.

As Joe enters, Quince flashes a warm smile at him.

QUINCE:

(to Parrish)

Joe knew the whole story. I told

him. It was his idea that I come

clean. I mean I wanted to come

clean but he gave me a pair of

balls, you know what I mean?

PARRISH:

Yes, I believe I do.

Quince now drifts off.

QUICHE:

Yeah, well -- I can tell you guys

got business --

PARRISH:

No, I'm out of business, right,

Quince? However I do have some

unfinished business -- with Drew.

Get him out here. Get him on the

chopper and get him out here to-

night. I want to tell this guy

how I feel about him face-to-face.

QUINCE:

Oh, that could be a tall order, B.P.

I doubt that Drew's anxious to see

you face-to-face.

Joe steps in.

JOE:

(to Quince)

Tell Drew that Bill acknowledges

that this was a contest and he's

lost. The race is to the swift,

but could Drew summon a modicum

of understanding and allow Bill to

save face. Tell him Bill wants it

understood in the business community

he has merely moved upstairs in his

own company, and the executive

continuity is unbroken. Tonight's

the night to do it. He'll introduce

Drew to his press friends as well as

some of his close acquaintances from

Washington and Drew can tell them

that everything's sailing along just

fine.

Parrish is impressed by Joe's acumen, a look of grudging

admiration. He nods to Joe, summarizes:

PARRISH:

(to Quince)

All in all, what Bill wants to do is

build the golden bridge to Drew with

no hard feelings.

QUINCE:

You think Drew will go for it?

PARRISH:

Quince, I've got confidence in you.

QUINCE:

Sir, I'll deliver the package.

He heads out, Parrish and Joe fall silent.

PARRISH:

Thanks.

JOE:

Not at all.

A moment.

JOE (cont'd)

How are you doing?

PARRISH:

What the hell do you care?

JOE:

I was just asking, Bill.

PARRISH:

You 'want to know', I'll tell you.

You're looking at a man who tonight

is not about to walk through the

Valley of the Shadow of Death, he's

galloping into it. And the same time,

the business he built with his own

hands and his own head is being

commandeered by a couple of cheap

pirates. And, oh yes, I almost

forgot, my daughter's fallen in

love with Death.

Another moment.

JOE:

-- And I'm in love with your

daughter.

PARRISH:

Say again?

JOE:

I'm in love with your daughter, and

I'm taking her with me tonight.

Parrish is stunned.

PARRISH:

You're what?

JOE:

I think you heard me, Bill.

PARRISH:

You're not taking Susan anywhere.

And what the hell does that mean

anyway?

Joe doesn't answer for a moment.

PARRISH (cont'd)

I thought we had a deal.

JOE:

I'm sorry, Bill --

PARRISH:

Susan is my daughter, she has a

wonderful life ahead of her and

you're going to deprive her of

it and you're telling me you're

sorry? Well, I'm sorry, apology

not accepted.

JOE:

I love her, Bill. She is all that

I ever wanted, and I've never wanted

for anything because I've never

wanted anything before, if you can

understand.

PARRISH:

How perfect for you -- to take

whatever you want because it

pleases you. It's not love --

JOE:

Then what is it?

PARRISH:

Some aimless infatuation in which,

for the moment, you feel like in-

dulging. It's missing everything

that matters.

JOE:

Which is what?

PARRISH:

Trust, responsibility, taking the

weight, for your choices and feel-

ings and spending the rest of your

life living up to them. And above

all, not hurting the object of your

love.

JOE:

So that's what love is?

PARRISH:

Multiply it by infinity and take it

to the death of forever and you will

still have barely a glimpse of what

I am talking about.

JOE:

Those were my words, Bill.

PARRISH:

Well, they're mine now.

Joe is silent for a moment, cogitating.

JOE:

Susan wants to come. She says she's

in love with me.

PARRISH:

With you?! Who is 'you'? Did you

tell her who you are?

JOE:

No.

PARRISH:

Does she know where she's going?

Joe doesn't answer.

PARRISH (cont'd)

Susan went, in whatever way she did,

for that poor sonofabitch whose body

you took, and everything else since

has been aftermath. You say you love

her but you don't know what love is.

She 'loves' you but she doesn't know

who you are. You make a deal, you're

breaking it -- the bottom line is,

Joe, you're conducting a Great

Romance under false pretenses.

JOE:

I don't like what you're saying.

PARRISH:

I don't expect you to.

JOE:

Are you threatening me?

PARRISH:

I certainly hope so -- I loved Susan

from the moment she was born, and I

love her now, and every minute in

between, and what I dream of is a

man who will discover her and she

will discover a man who will love

her, who is worthy of her, who is of

this world, of this time and has the

grace and compassion and fortitude

to walk beside her as she makes her

way through this beautiful thing

called life.

Parrish is beginning to reach Joe.

JOE:

Are you telling me I can't be

part of it?

A pause, Parrish's posture changes.

PARRISH:

Why did you come in here and tell

me, Joe? You are the Biggest Shot

of all, you don't have to ask my

permission, but that's what you're

doing. You know why? Because you've

somewhere, somehow, developed into a

good guy, and you know this is all

wrong... I don't know what you're

going to do -- how can this be love?

She doesn't know who you are. Why

don't you tell her? Try it out on

her? See what happens. Reveal

everything there is to know about

yourself and let the chips fall

where they may.

Joe has received what Parrish has said.

PARRISH (cont'd)

Okay? -- I've given it my best shot.

I wish I could tell you to sleep on

it but...

Parrish lets his words drift into silence, he shrugs, Joe

regards him.

EXT. LAWNS, COUNTRY ESTATE - NIGHT

Joe makes his way down the path from Parrish's study, a

weight on his shoulders, his step measured, within himself

until he is hit by the lights and laughter and MUSIC of the

party. He drifts into the center and runs right into Susan,

couples swirl about them, the eye of a storm of gaiety.

SUSAN:

Hello, Joe. What'd you know?

She smiles.

SUSAN (cont'd)

There's something so indescribably

sexy about you in a crowd. I could

make love to you right here.

He hesitates, reaches out to take her hand, studies it.

SUSAN (cont'd)

If you're going to tell my future,

you're on the wrong side.

A moment.

JOE:

There is something I do want to tell

you --

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