Nightmare Alley Page #4

- Wait a minute.

Let me take a crack at that hick.

- You daffy? You want him to pinch the whole show?

- Slip me a couple of bills.

- You can't bribe these guys.

- Come on, come on. Give me the dough.

- It won't work.

- I'm not gonna bribe him.

That's what they say.

No, no, no.

We're not bothering any of the town folk.

- Excuse me, Marshal.

- I don't want any more of your soft soap.

Pardon me, sir, but there seems to be

several bills coming out of your pocket.

Another minute

and you'd have lost your money.

And I see you've bought your wife

a present of a lovely silk handkerchief.

That's very nice.

I'm sure she's gonna like that very much.

- And a pure white one. For your daughter?

- How'd you know I got a daughter?

I know many things, Marshal.

I don't know how I know them, but there's

nothing supernatural about it, I'm sure.

You see, my family was Scotch...

and the Scotch are often gifted with powers

that the old folks used to call "second sight".

You don't say.

For instance, I can see

that you have carried a pocket piece...

or a curio of some kind

for nearly 20 years.

Several times

you lost that luck piece...

but you found it again every time.

It means a great deal to you,

and you don't know exactly why.

- I would say that you should always carry that.

- I always do.

Now, Marshal,

this is none of my business.

I see that you're a man who is fully capable

of handling his own affairs...

and almost anything else

that's liable to come along.

But my Scotch blood

is working right this minute...

and it tells me that there is one thing

in your life that's worrying you...

something that you find

very difficult to handle...

because all your strength

and your courage...

and your authority in the town

seems to be of no avail.

It seems to slip through your grasp

like water.

Wait a minute, young fella.

Who you been talkin' to?

As I say,

it's none of my business.

You are a man in the prime of life,

old enough to be my father.

By rights, you should be the one giving me

good advice, not the other way around.

Where's everybody?

Joe, come on.

Tim, put those lights out.

Get that crowd out of here. Beat it.

- Think he can pull it off?

- Look at him. I told you that kid had it.

I sense that there are antagonistic influences

surrounding you.

Come here.

Someone near to you

is jealous of you...

and your ability.

Son, that's the gospel truth.

And while part of it extends

to your work as a peace officer...

there is another part

that has to do with your spiritual life...

and the influence

of a good woman.

Yes. Yes, there is someone

you love very dearly.

But there is an obstacle

in the way of that love.

I can't see what it is.

It's rather dim right now.

You feel hemmed in

and trapped by it.

But through it all

I hear a woman's voice.

A sweet voice

singing a beautiful old hymn.

"O Pilot Me".

Or is it

"Over the River"?

She can sing both of them.

I see a Sunday morning

in a beautiful, peaceful little church.

You have labored hard

in this lovely vineyard, Marshal...

and your labor is rewarded

by a fine woman's love.

But I hear malicious tongues out there.

I see jealous faces waiting to surround you

again and to do you an injury...

and to harm that splendid woman too,

if they can.

You must be strong, Marshal.

You have the strength within you,

an everlasting supply.

But not to crush...

to uplift.

Repay evil with good.

Love your neighbor.

Do not hate your enemies.

Forgive them.

They just don't know what they're doing.

Don't forget...

to err is human...

to forgive... divine.

Good-bye now.

Where is everybody?

- Molly?

- I'll be out in a minute, Stan.

- It's okay, honey. I stalled him off.

- I heard you. You were great.

Ah, it was a lead pipe.

I could do it with anybody.

Oh, sure you could.

- You're wonderful, Stan. Just wonderful.

- Honest?

- What are you shaking for?

- I don't know. I'm not scared anymore.

- I don't know what it is, but I'll be all right.

- Sure.

Nothing's gonna hurt you

as long as Stan's around.

I know it.

You're terrifi...

Oh, Stan, we shouldn't do this.

Why not?

No.

- You're worrying about Zeena.

- Somebody ought to.

You're wrong, honey.

Zeena and I are just friends, that's all.

- You don't have to lie.

- I'm not lying.

I've only been kidding her along

on account of the code.

- Didn't look like kidding to me.

- You're all wrong.

I can hardly stand to be in the same room

with her ever since Pete died.

- Why?

- I don't know. It gives me the willies.

That's why I've always had you around

when we've been rehearsing the code.

- You've noticed that, haven't you?

- Yes, but...

I tell you, I haven't been alone with her

for 10 seconds.

All I want is that code.

I'm telling you true.

- But you're going away with her.

- You're coming with us, aren't you?

You want me to?

- You don't think I'd go without you.

- You mean that, Stan?

Absolutely. You satisfied?

Oh, Stan, I don't care about nothing now.

Nothing in the world.

The old geezer's trap was hangin'open a mile...

lappin'up every word

the kid handed him.

- Stan.!

- You were great, Stan.!

- Where'd you go to?

- I hid in my truck.

Stan, you sure done noble.

I always knew you was a born mentalist.

Imagine giving a cop a cold reading

and getting by with it!

- Look who I had for a teacher.

- Nice work, kid. You're a real carny.

You ought to have heard Stan spout gospel

to that hypocrite. It was like Sunday school.

- You must've been raised pretty religious.

- Yeah, in a county orphanage.

- Didn't you have any folks?

- If I did, they weren't much interested.

- Where'd you learn all this gospel?

- In the orphanage.

That's what they used to give us on Sunday

after beating us black-and-blue all week.

Then when I ran away,

they threw me in the reform school.

But that's where I got wise. I let the chaplain

save me and got a parole in no time.

Boy, how I went for salvation.

Comes in handy in a jam. Many's the judge

I've good-talked right out of his shirt.

Son, you can have mine right now.

Let's give Stan a big hand. We'd be

in a peck of trouble if it wasn't for him.

And I'd be in jail!

How about some beer, partner?

Oh, Bruno, cheer up.

There'll be no more trouble tonight.

We'll open tomorrow night

and pack 'em in. Won't we, boss?

Best advertising in the world.

- Hello, Bruno.

- Where did you go? I been lookin' all over.

- She was in her truck.

- But I went in the tent and yelled my head off.

- Why didn't you answer me?

- Where did you think I was?

What are you looking at me

like that for?

- Uh-oh.

- That's what I say.

Huh?

Oh, what's the diff?

She's here now, isn't she?

And by the way, Bruno, where did you run off

to when the trouble started?

You're not talking to that hayseed cop.

You're talking to Bruno. Savvy?

When you get through with him,

there's a couple questions I'd like to ask.

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