Population 436

[###]

KATHY:

Ah! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.

GREAVER:

You're doing fine, Kathy.

Keep breathing.

In, out.

That's it.

[SIREN WAILING]

[###]

[SCREAMING]

Ray, pull over.

Ray! Pull over!

[###]

[CRYING]

We have had a healthy baby boy.

[###]

[BABY CRYING]

[###]

[BABY CRYING]

MAN:

Let Ray's life be a lesson.

The fever still threatens

but will not harm us

if we live according to God's law.

ALL:

Solidarity and steadfastness.

We are the union of the divine

and shall cherish

equilibrium and peace.

Let us pray.

[GIRL CRYING]

Yea, though I walk through

the valley of the shadow of death,

I shall fear no evil,

for thou art with me.

Thy rod and thy staff,

they comfort me.

GIRL:

I want him back.

PRIEST:

Thou preparest a table before me

Amanda.

This didn't have to happen!

Can't you see? It's all a lie.

Poor girl. You're ill.

You need help.

I'm not sick!

Amanda.

She'll be fine.

The doctor will take care of her.

All right.

That's all right.

It's all right.

It's gonna be okay.

[ROB WRIGLEY'S

"ANGELS SO BEAUTIFUL" PLAYS]

[GIGGLING]

[ROB WRIGLEY'S "ANGELS

SO BEAUTIFUL" PLAYS ON RADIO]

MAN [ON RADIO]:

Just before the Civil War,

there was a mission of...

[BLUEGRASS MUSIC PLAYS

ON RADIO]

[COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYS

ON RADIO]

[###]

Get you some gas?

Uh, no, thanks, but maybe

you can help me.

I'm a little lost.

I'm looking

for Rockwell Falls.

I know I'm close.

I must've missed a turn.

Huh.

According to my map...

Well, Toto, I don't think

we're in Kansas anymore.

[###]

[WHINNYING]

[TIRE BURSTS]

Damn.

[COURTNEY GROANING]

You okay?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Looks like you're not.

You got a couple flats.

Yeah.

No reception.

I think I could use

some help.

I can't help you. I suggest

heading back to Bromine.

It's the last town that you passed.

That's 50 miles back.

If I was you,

I'd start walking.

[###]

Afternoon.

Howdy.

Looks like I need some help.

I have a couple of flat tires.

That's quite a pothole back there.

No problem. I'll call you

a tow truck from Bromine.

No, actually, I need to get

to Rockwell Falls.

I'm with the Census Bureau

on assignment. Steve Kady.

Hold on a second.

Let me see what I can do.

[###]

Sheriff, we got a guy

with a couple flats

inside the line.

MAN:

You know what to do, deputy.

Yeah, well,

he's with

the Census Bureau.

We'll meet you

at the mayor's.

Come on, deputy.

So put on your happy face.

We'll go join

the welcome wagon.

Mr. Kady,

Deputy Bobby Caine.

Sorry, we don't get too many

visitors around here.

When we do,

it's like the Second Coming.

Come on, I'll give you a lift.

Grab your suitcase.

Is my car gonna be all right?

Tow truck will be by here in a bit.

Don't worry about your things.

We're real honest around here.

There's never any crime

in Rockwell Falls.

Must be nice.

[###]

You ever worry

about a collision?

CAINE:

Except for a few delivery trucks,

no one goes in the other direction.

No reason to.

Everything we need

is right here.

[###]

[LAUGHING]

STEVE:

Where are we headed?

CAINE:

To meet the mayor.

There's no motel in town,

but he'll know where to put you up.

[###]

[BARKING]

What's with the dogs?

Man's best friend.

You can never have

too many friends in this town.

Welcome. Welcome.

Mayor Gus Grateman.

Sheriff Jim Calcutt

and Deputy Christian Hecker.

Steve Kady. Nice to meet you.

What brings you to town, Mr. Kady?

Surveys for

the Census Bureau.

Updating our computers

in Washington.

Shouldn't be more than a few days.

I hope it's not too much trouble.

No. No trouble at all.

Stay as long as you like.

Enjoy everything

our little town has

to offer.

And if you need anything,

you just ask.

It would help to have access

to the old census surveys.

Well, Harmony Evans

keeps track of the records.

I'll arrange it for you

to drop by any time.

Bobby, why don't we take

Mr. Kady here over

to Belma's.

She's sure to take good care of you.

All right.

OBIE:
Sheriff.

It's Wanda Syde.

Woke up with marks

on her.

She's real sick.

We're headed that way.

Just a slight detour, Mr. Kady.

Only be a few minutes.

[###]

GRATEMAN:

We'll be right back, Mr. Kady.

[###]

MAN:

This ain't no coincidence.

[###]

Mr. Kady. Mrs. Syde just came down

with a bad set of boils.

She'll be fine soon enough.

Deputy Caine will take you

up to Belma's now.

Oh, Mr. Kady,

one more thing.

Our traditions are very important

in the community.

Do your best to mind them.

Of course.

[###]

Belma's got a daughter,

mind you. I'm gonna

marry her one day.

Congratulations.

And it's not true what they

say about the mother-daughter

thing either.

Bobby.

You must be Mr. Kady.

Nice to meet you.

News travels fast in this town.

It doesn't have far to go.

Come in, come in.

It's not fancy,

but it's filled with TLC.

It's beautiful.

BELMA:
Wait till you see the garden.

Hey. I thought I told you

to keep walking.

CAINE:

Courtney, this is Mr. Kady

from Chicago.

He's in town

for some overnight

business.

I know. We've met.

Sort of.

[###]

[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

Gentlemen.

I take it you know

that we have a friend

from the Census Bureau

staying at the Lovett's

till we can find something

more permanent.

He's very nice, so do your best

to make him feel at home.

[###]

Henry,

it's your wife, Ruby.

[CLAPPING]

All right, it's done.

Ruby is our new

festival host.

And if you haven't done so already,

remember to stop your clocks.

[###]

ALL:

Solidarity and steadfastness.

We are the union of the divine,

and we shall cherish

equilibrium and peace.

Thank you, gentlemen.

BELMA:

Smile.

That's a good one.

I don't know how anyone

can look at numbers all day.

Well, if you look at them

as just numbers, I guess

it can get pretty dry.

But the numbers I work

with, they represent people.

They reveal the world they live in,

and what their community has,

what it needs.

You'd be surprised

how much you can learn

from numbers.

I mean, they are the only thing

in life

that always make sense.

Like Pythagoras says,

"Numbers rule the universe."

BELMA:

You speak the truth, Mr. Kady.

I'm just surprised such a smart man

like yourself is still without a family.

But that will change soon, I'm sure.

There is nothing more

important around here.

Gosh, it's been 12 summers

since our Lyle passed.

I'm just sorry

that Courtney didn't get to

spend more time with him.

Died from the fever.

And he was as strong

as an ox.

And no one saw it coming.

Thank you.

[###]

[COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING

ON RADIO]

Oh, sorry.

I didn't mean

to surprise you.

I couldn't sleep.

Yeah, I couldn't either.

Let me make

you something.

I was sorry to hear

about your father.

Were you close?

Yes. Very.

What about you?

You lost someone.

I saw it in your eyes

at dinnertime.

Mm.

My wife and daughter.

They died in an accident

two years ago.

Oh, my God.

You must miss them

very much.

Sorry.

Well, um...

This is gonna help you sleep tonight.

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