No Country for Old Men Page #13

A fancy crocodile boot.

His look rises from the boot, crossed on his visitor's knee,

up to the man's face.

Carson Wells smiles at him from the bedside chair.

WELLS:

...Don't worry. I'm not the man that's

after you.

MOSS:

I know, I've seen him. Sort of.

Wells is surprised.

WELLS:

You've seen him. And you're not dead.

He nods, impressed.

WELLS:

...But that won't last.

MOSS:

What is he supposed to be, the

ultimate bad-ass?

WELLS:

I don't think that's how I would

describe him.

MOSS:

How would you describe him?

WELLS:

I guess I'd say... that he doesn't

have a sense of humor. His name is

Chigurh.

MOSS:

Sugar?

WELLS:

Chigurh. Anton Chigurh. You know how

he found you?

MOSS:

I know how he found me.

WELLS:

It's called a transponder.

MOSS:

I know what it is. He won't find me

again.

WELLS:

Not that way.

MOSS:

Not any way.

WELLS:

Took me about three hours.

MOSS:

I been immobile.

WELLS:

No. You don't understand.

Wells sits back and studies Moss.

WELLS:

...What do you do?

MOSS:

I'm retired.

WELLS:

What did you do?

MOSS:

I'm a welder.

WELLS:

Acetylene? Mig? Tig?

MOSS:

Any of it. If it can be welded I can

weld it.

WELLS:

Cast iron?

MOSS:

Yes.

WELLS:

I don't mean braze.

MOSS:

I didn't say braze.

WELLS:

Pot metal?

MOSS:

What did I say?

WELLS:

Were you in Nam?

MOSS:

Yeah. I was in Nam.

WELLS:

So was I.

MOSS:

So what does that make me? Your buddy?

Wells sits smiling at him.

A beat.

WELLS:

Look. You need to give me the money.

I've got no other reason to protect

you.

MOSS:

Too late. I spent it -- about a

million and a half on whores and

whiskey and the rest of it I just

sort of blew it in.

Wells' smile stays in place.

WELLS:

How do you know he's not on his way

to Odessa?

Moss stares at him. A beat.

MOSS:

Why would he go to Odessa?

WELLS:

To kill your wife.

Another beat.

MOSS:

Maybe he should be worried. About

me.

WELLS:

He isn't. You're not cut out for

this. You're just a guy that happened

to find those vehicles.

Moss doesn't respond.

WELLS:

...You didn't take the product, did

you?

MOSS:

What product.

WELLS:

The heroin. You don't have it.

MOSS:

No I don't have it.

WELLS:

No. You don't.

He rises.

WELLS:

...I'm across the river. At the Hotel

Eagle. Carson Wells. Call me when

you've had enough. I can even let

you keep a little of the money.

MOSS:

If I was cuttin' deals, why wouldn't

I go deal with this guy Chigurh?

WELLS:

No no. No. You don't understand. You

can't make a deal with him. Even if

you gave him the money he'd still

kill you. He's a peculiar man. You

could even say that he has principles.

Principles that transcend money or

drugs or anything like that. He's

not like you. He's not even like me.

MOSS:

He don't talk as much as you, I give

him points for that.

INT. COFFEE SHOP - ODESSA - DAY

Sheriff Bell rises from a booth, taking off his hat.

BELL:

Carla Jean, I thank you for comin'.

She sits. He sits.

CARLA JEAN:

Don't know why I did. I told you, I

don't know where he is.

BELL:

You ain't heard from him?

CARLA JEAN:

No I ain't.

BELL:

Nothin'?

CARLA JEAN:

Not word one.

BELL:

Would you tell me if you had?

CARLA JEAN:

Well, I don't know. He don't need

any trouble from you.

BELL:

It's not me he's in trouble with.

CARLA JEAN:

Who's he in trouble with then?

BELL:

Some pretty bad people.

CARLA JEAN:

Llewelyn can take care of hisself.

BELL:

These people will kill him, Carla

Jean. They won't quit.

CARLA JEAN:

He won't neither. He never has.

BELL:

I wish I could say that was in his

favor. But I have to say I don't

think it is.

CARLA JEAN:

He can take all comers.

Bell looks at her. After a beat:

BELL:

You know Charlie Walser? Has the

place east of Sanderson?

She shakes her head, shrugs.

BELL:

...Well you know how they used to

slaughter beeves, hit 'em with a

maul right here to stun 'em...

Indicates between his own eyes.

BELL:

...and then truss 'em up and slit

their throats? Well here Charlie has

one trussed up and all set to drain

him and the beef comes to. It starts

thrashing around, six hundred pounds

of very pissed-off livestock if you'll

pardon my... Charlie grabs his gun

there to shoot the damn thing in the

head but what with the swingin' and

twistin' it's a glance-shot and

ricochets around and comes back hits

Charlie in the shoulder. You go see

Charlie, he still can't reach up

with his right hand for his hat...

Point bein', even in the contest

between man and cow the issue is not

certain.

He takes a sip of coffee, leaving room for Carla Jean to

argue if inclined.

She does not.

Sheriff Bell hands a card across.

BELL:

...When Llewelyn calls, just tell

him I can make him safe.

She takes the card. Sheriff Bell sips.

BELL:

...Course, they slaughter beeves

different now. Use a air gun. Shoots

out a rod, about this far into the

brain...

He holds thumb and forefinger a couple inches apart.

BELL:

...Sucks back in. Animal never knows

what hit him.

Another beat. Carla Jean stares at him.

CARLA JEAN:

Why you tellin' me that, Sheriff?

BELL:

I don't know. My mind wanders.

EXT. RIO GRANDE BRIDGE - AFTERNOON

Late Day.

Carson Wells grabs a light pole stanchion to hoist himself

onto the guardrail. He stands atop it, eyeing the chain-link

fence across the walkway.

He climbs down and crosses to the fence and looks down:

The brown, sluggish water of the Rio Grande.

LOOKING DOWN THE WALKWAY

Carson Wells enters frame and recedes down the walkway.

When he draws even with the next stanchion he looks down

through the fence:

Cane on the riverbank, and one gnarled tree.

INT. HOTEL EAGLE LOBBY - NIGHT

Twilight. Carson Wells enters the hotel and crosses the lobby.

INT. STAIRWAY - NIGHT

Carson Wells appears around the corner and we pull him as he

mounts the stairs. When he is about halfway up a figure --

focus does not hold him -- rounds the corner behind and

silently follows, holding a fat-barreled shotgun loosely at

his side.

After a few steps Carson Wells stops, frowning, cued by we

don't know what. Focus drops back as he turns. Chigurh raises

the shotgun.

CHIGURH:

Hello Carson. Let's go to your room.

2ND HOTEL EAGLE ROOM - NIGHT

Chigurh sits into a chair drawn up to face the armchair where

Carson Wells sits.

WELLS:

We don't have to do this. I'm a

daytrader. I could just go home.

CHIGURH:

Why would I let you do that?

WELLS:

I know where the money is.

CHIGURH:

If you knew, you would have it with

you.

WELLS:

I need dark. To get it. I know where

it is.

CHIGURH:

I know something better.

WELLS:

What's that.

CHIGURH:

I know where it's going to be.

WELLS:

And where is that.

CHIGURH:

It will be brought to me and placed

at my feet.

Wells wipes his mouth with his hand.

WELLS:

You don't know to a certainty. Twenty

minutes it could be here.

CHIGURH:

I do know to a certainty. And you

know what's going to happen now. You

should admit your situation. There

would be more dignity in it.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote