Reflections in a Golden Eye

Private Williams!

Report to Major Penderton's house

for a work detail.

Weldon!

Yeah?

I'm going for a ride, Weldon.

Okay.

What do you mean,

"just a little scratch"?

Look at that! He's been kicked.

It's just a nick, ma'am. He ain't hurt.

Where's my boy? The boy

that takes care of Firebird?

- Private Williams?

- I guess so.

Why, ma'am,

he's up at your house.

What do you mean, my house?

What's he doing up there?

He's doing some work for the major.

I asked Weldon to have

the garden tilled out in the back.

I've invited so many people

to my party...

...they're just gonna spill

out of the house.

Come on, you sweet old thing.

All right, now, private. This...

This section of woods

is to be cleared here.

Take away all the undergrowth

and the briar and the bushes.

Any of the limbs of the large trees

growing at a level of less than six feet...

...are to be cut away.

You understand?

- Yes, sir.

- That's a level of less than six feet.

- Yes, sir.

- Fine.

Now, your boundary

will be this large oak tree here.

You won't have to clear beyond it...

...just from the edge of the grass here

to the oak tree there.

I'll expect you

to complete this work today.

All the tools we've got

will be found in the garage.

I'll be back sometime

late this afternoon.

Listen, I think that the thing

we all overlook, everybody forgets...

...is that who really knows...

...what happened to her in her mind?

Nobody knows that.

- Also...

- "Also"? Also what?

Hell, Leonora,

it's been three months.

Now, she hasn't tried

to do anything like that since...

...and she seems to be okay.

Oh, what does that prove, Morris?

That Alison really is all right?

Well, yes, I guess so.

She hasn't tried to do it again.

How could she?

What she did is something a lady

can only do once, now, isn't it?

Give me your cap.

I want to pick some blackberries.

There.

Now let's take

two things Clausewitz says.

First, the theory of warfare

tries to discover...

...how we make any preponderance

of physical forces...

...and material advantages

at a decisive point.

And two, one of the strongest

weapons of offensive warfare...

...is the surprise attack.

Now, I would not like

to improve on Clausewitz...

...but I would say

that the night detect...

...is one of the strongest weapons

of offensive warfare.

We can look to Major General Terry Allen

when he commanded his forces in Africa.

He employed the night detect

to the maximum.

Economy of force...

Economy of force.

Concentration, surprise, security...

...offensive action,

movement, cooperation.

All of these have their application

in the night operation.

Susie!

Susie, I'm home!

Hi, there, soldier.

- Hi.

- Hi.

Wait a minute.

Pull!

I think I'll have my drink

out here.

I might as well do those invitations

while I'm at it too.

Soldier...

...I heard you were here this morning,

down at the stables.

My Firebird has been kicked.

- How?

- That, I would like to know.

Probably by some damn mule, or maybe

they put him in with the mares.

I was pretty mad about it.

I asked for you.

Thanks, Susie.

Soldier, do you want a drink?

Want a drink, soldier?

- No, ma'am.

- Don't you ever drink?

- No, ma'am.

- Not ever?

No, ma'am.

Damn.

Evening, Leonora.

There they are. All 64 of them.

I hope I haven't left anybody out.

How do you spell "cordially"?

Cordially.

C-O-R-D-I-A-double L-Y.

Oh, no!

Don't tell me I have to do them

all over again.

Well, I expect you better.

Oh, God.

What's the matter with you?

Private, the whole idea

was in the big oak tree.

The instructions were to clear

the ground just to the oak tree.

The way the branches

swept down and made a background...

...shutting off the rest of the wood

was the whole point.

Now it's all ruined.

What would the major like me to do?

Well, the major would like you

to pick up the branches...

...and nail them back on again.

No, no. Just get some leaves here...

...and cover the bare spots

where the bushes been removed.

Then you can go.

Here.

That's the boy from the stables,

the one that takes care of Firebird.

Yes, well...

He's also the soldier that

ruined a brand new silk suit for me.

Spilled the better part of a coffeepot

all over my knees.

That was two years ago,

wasn't it?

It'll be a lot longer than that

before you'll forget.

I dislike clumsiness,

willful or otherwise.

Well, there's nothing clumsy

about the way he handles Firebird.

Morris says he's never seen

an enlisted man...

...to handle a horse to equal him.

Morris would find something to like

in any enlisted man.

All right, then, Firebird likes him.

Firebird's a horse.

Firebird is a stallion.

So these two little queers

went into this bar...

...and this great big old barman

was looking at them for a long time.

Finally he said, "Are you two sisters?"

And they said, "Hell, no.

We're not even Catholic."

Oh, you're so funny.

For God's sakes, Leonora, why don't you

go upstairs and put your shoes on?

Oh, my.

Oh, my good...

You look like a slattern

going around the house this way.

Langdons come to dinner...

...I suppose you're gonna sit down

at the table like that.

Sure. Why not, prissy?

You disgust me.

I'll kill you. I swear, I'll kill you.

I'll do it! I will kill you!

Son, have you ever been collared...

...and dragged out into the street...

...and thrashed by a naked woman?

- Would anyone like a drink?

- I would, thanks.

Alison?

Very, very light, please.

Sugar?

Do you want another card?

- Big one?

- Oh, not too big, not too small.

Make mine straight on the rocks.

Not too big, not too small.

I'll have the same, Weldon,

and a little of that branch water.

Weldon, your wife's cheating.

- She tried to look at this card to see if...

- I did not.

You caught me before I had a chance to.

What have you got there?

I'm surprised at you, Morris.

Sitting down playing cards with a woman.

Expecting her not to cheat you.

What's this,

a new sweater for your husband?

It's for Captain Weincheck.

Captain Weincheck. I forgot to invite him.

Well, that's the story of his life, isn't it?

Everybody forgets about Weincheck,

including the promotion board.

He's about the oldest captain in the Army.

Will somebody please tell me

why Captain Weincheck is unpopular?

Is it because he plays the violin,

reads Proust?

Oh, do you remember that tea he gave?

Classical records and cat hairs.

And before God, tea. Only tea.

Captain Weincheck is a gentleman...

...and he's not a thief.

Who said he was?

That afternoon you were speaking of,

at his apartment?

Somebody stole a little

silver Georgian teaspoon.

One of a set of eight

belonging to his great-grandmother.

It was gone when we went to tidy up.

He asked me never to tell about it,

but somebody stole that spoon.

Well, I didn't. It wasn't me.

Well, I'm gonna put everything I have

on this one hand...

...and if I win,

I'll have every chip on the table.

Hit me.

Are aces ones?

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