Performance Page #2

---

and you know it.

Come on, son,

Water under the bridge, that is.

- You know what I mean, Harry.

- All right, all right.

Well, tomorrow he learns...

...what's true and what's not.

Like small businesses

in this day and age...

...he's against nature.

- Lovely, Harry, I'll learn him.

No. Rosie's gonna handle

this part of nonsense.

I want that shop redecorated

tomorrow night.

- Get the Brown boys, they like a laugh.

- Mad Cyril?

- Why not?

- What?

- Pop in, pop out.

- Absolutely.

You know what I mean? Be...

- Placatory.

- Of course.

- Hold on, Harry.

- I like that, Gordon. Turn that up.

- You want him to stay on and manage...?

- Of course we do.

His name stays over the door

if he wants.

- Right under ours.

- Let me see to the ponce, Harry.

I'll decorate him and his shop.

Don't you ever listen to a word I say?

Keep personal relations out of business.

- Excuse me, but...

- Out!

But your relations with Joey

was double-personal.

Right?

Right then.

And what's my other thing I say?

My motto?

At the death, who is left

holding the sodding baby?

No, go on, what else?

Harry Flowers.

Right again.

Me.

Me.

Me.

Me.

All right. At ease, gentlemen.

Anyone for a nightcap?

- We need a signed statement.

- What for?

Containing your allegations

against Mr. Flowers.

- Allegations?

- Allegations.

Found it outside. Clean it.

Lots of filth around.

Yeah, cheers, Steve. Listen...

I'm not making actual allegations.

I can't do that.

Well, I mean, I...

I got no proof, have I?

Looks like you've got a war

on your hands, Joey.

I'll give a grand...

...if I could get

that Mr. Harry-Pervert-Flowers...

...right here, right now.

I'll give a grand in readies.

Dirty degenerate.

Will I do?

What?

I'd have rung up first, Joey,

but your lines is always busy.

All five of them.

- Let's go.

- What do you mean?

Harry Flowers is waiting for you.

That geezer, that's the one, ain't he?

- Ain't he, Joey?

- You stay out of this.

Hold up, that was him that left with him.

Look at this Vietnam strife.

Down with red tape, eh?

No taxman around here, my son.

But, Harry, I'm still a bit worried

about my future.

Worried? That I will not allow, my son.

Anyone worries you, you tell me about it.

You're on the firm now, Joey.

One of me own.

United we stand, divided we're lumbered.

Took over? No, Joey.

The word is "merged."

You was merged, my son.

To old England.

Jack, tell Chas to come over

and have one with us.

- Yeah, sure, Harry.

- Harry, that shop...

- Exactly.

- Listen, no, it's my whole life, Harry.

Exactly, Joey. Mine too. Mine too.

Speaking of which, Dennis...

...l'm not at all happy

about the tactless manner...

...which Joey was brought here in.

Chas, I told you not to bother

Mr. Maddocks, didn't I?

A whiskey, please, Dave.

- Right away, Chas.

- Oh, was I tactless?

Making him say that thing

about his poor dead father? My God.

- Let's take this chat upstairs, shall we?

- Who do you think you are?

The Lone Ranger?

- I know who I am, Harry.

- Of course you do, son.

You're Jack the Lad.

I've known a few performers in my time.

But I tell you this, he's got the gift, boy.

- Right, Denny?

- He enjoys his work.

- That's the half of it.

- Do you think he does, Denny?

- Oh, I do. I get a load of kicks out of it.

- Which can be a good thing, Chas.

Putting a little stick about.

Putting the frighteners on flash little twerps.

But it can also be a tricky thing.

And I'll tell you why.

Because you can get to enjoy

your work too much, my son.

And it can slip your mind that...

...you're bloody working for me,

you berk!

And when I say me, I mean...

Tell him what I mean, Jack.

- You mean you, Harry.

- No.

- The business.

- The business.

- That's what he means.

- Correct him one.

In which you're a cog, boy.

A cog in an organ.

- Go to hell, Dennis. I know what I am.

- It's the business of business...

...to push the buttons.

And I'm alive and well.

You push the buttons on that thing.

Right. We push them. Us.

This terrific democratic organization.

Right, Joey?

- Right, Harry.

- Same again. All around, Dave.

- Let me do this one, Harry.

- The world's a dodgy place, my friends.

I can't help that. But we've got progress.

Look at the Yanks.

- The New World.

- Organization.

Listen, Chas...

That boy's in bother.

Up here.

He's an ignorant boy.

An out-of-date boy.

Let go.

Get it. Get it.

Come on, Joey.

Come on, you slick...

Hold his arms now. That's it. Hold him.

Go on then.

Come on, Brien.

Give us a hand over here.

Shall l...? Shall I decorate him, eh, Joey?

No. No. I'm not one of those.

I'm not him.

- You love that, don't you?

- You little twerp.

You vicious little twerp!

Say it!

Say it.

Say it.

Say it.

Come on! Say it!

Chas, say it.

I am...

Yes!

He's out, Joey.

Get some water. Water.

- Give him the kiss of life, Joey.

- You shut your filthy mouth!

Chas.

Look.

Chas.

You remember me, Chas.

We...

Listen, look...

Do you remember Mick?

Remember?

Chas, what's the point...

...of this?

You can't do that.

I am a bullet.

Oh, God, my chest hurts.

Look what you've done.

Help me.

You're dead, Joey.

You can stay...

...yesterday...

...until...

...tomorrow.

Get out of my flat.

Hey, you!

Just a minute.

Don't you bloody move.

Harry, I won't mince words.

You're more than involved.

You're incriminated. Look at the facts.

- The facts.

- One...

I'll tell you the facts. Business facts.

Soon as they pick up Devlin,

they'll be all over us, my friends.

Press, taxman, copper, the lot.

You know what they're gonna call us?

They'll call us gangsters.

- It'll be goodbye to business.

- We'll be as popular as Hitler.

I know you would, pal. I know.

Well, I just don't know

anywhere, mate. But honestly...

- Where is he?

- We're looking, Harry.

Six figures a year, we're into. Six figures.

And now this little bastard...

He's put us in the stuck.

Pity he exists.

I never sent him.

It was me told him not to go.

Don't get your personal relations

mixed up in my business.

- I told him.

- Told him? Oh, that's a joke.

Like telling a mad dog

who to bite, that is.

I was bitten by a dog once.

When I was a kid.

- It was a wirehaired terrier.

- Harry, I'm your legal adviser.

You could be charged

with conspiracy to murder.

- Hello?

- Hello? Can I speak to Mr. Flowers?

- Hello, Chas.

- Is Harry there?

Yes, Chas, of course he's here.

Harry, it's Chas.

Hello, Chas. Are you hurt bad?

Not too bad. You know already, eh?

It was just...

Just an accident.

Harry, I've gotta get off the street.

Yes, Chas.

Yes, all right.

We'll try to work something out.

Harry, you know I'd never lumber you.

It's down to me this aggravation,

but I've gotta get in.

Where are you?

Chas, hold on a minute.

He's at Wandsworth Bridge Road.

Moody?

What?

What would you do, Moody?

Me?

With a mad dog, Moody?

When a poor sick animal

is liable to bite you?

Bite me?

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote