Set Fire to the Stars Page #2

Label it?

I'm sorry.

No, I'm sorry.

I'm a horrible little imp

who can't hold his friends

or answer his liquor.

Forgive me.

How much money am I going to make?

Enough, I'm sure.

I can go over the books in the morning.

Can I get you to a doctor?

Hello.

That was quite a scene

at Harvey's last night.

Can't say I was surprised.

He was drunk, Jack. Over excited.

I dare say he was.

We should cancel tonight's reading.

No, Jack. Please!

There's nothing to say he can't perform.

I didn't bring him here

to go to parties.

No. No, we didn't, did we?

I hope you've got the stomach

for this, John.

I'll see you later.

Thank you, Jack.

Oh, Dylan, the last time I saw you,

you were an angel.

Now look at you.

There you go.

Such tragedy, such loss.

The things I could do

with you... for you.

Hopeless boy.

Be brilliant, boy. Try and be brilliant.

This is your final call. Five minutes.

Look after him.

Ladies and gentlemen,

please take your seats.

Tonight's performance

will begin shortly.

Bye.

Are you going to make me do this?

- Everything okay, gentlemen?

- Of course.

Your audience awaits you, Mr. Thomas.

"If I were tickled by the rub of love

A rooking girl who stole me for her side

Broke through her straws

breaking my bandaged string

If the red tickle as the cattle calve

still set to scratch

a laughter from my lung

I would not fear the apple nor the flood

Nor the bad blood of spring

Shall it be male or female?

Say the cells

And drop the plum

like fire from the flesh"

Rest is obviously needed along

with a complete change of lifestyle,

starting from now,

if he's to have a fighting chance.

I'm a drunk!

- He knows.

- I know.

Have you contacted his family?

Leave her out of this!

You have to.

This isn't something you and I can fix.

Believe me.

I sent a letter on his arrival

but nothing since.

- Perhaps I should call.

- Yes, you should.

Doctor, we've major engagements

that start in a few days.

Important engagements.

Important?

I can't stop him, I can only advise.

But for now and until then

don't let him out of your sight.

New York is killing him.

It was a pleasure, Mr Thomas.

I'm a great admirer of your work.

Good night.

Dylan, are you okay?

Please come out, we need to talk.

Thought I'd find you here.

I took the liberty of collecting

your mail from your office.

I think that one's for Dylan.

It's from... Caitlin Thomas.

Congratulations, on this evening.

It certainly was a triumph.

Tickets have started to fly out.

Where's Dylan?

He's in the bathroom.

He's a little under the weather.

You boys.

Look, I understand your next reading

isn't for four days?

I'd have no bother setting up another

- venue before...

- No, no thank you.

It would be good to take the time

to prepare and work up to it.

Fair enough.

We wouldn't want to kill

the man now, would we?

- I'll see you in four days.

- Sorry?

At Yale, John. Yale.

My old Alma Mater.

I promised them a private reading.

Right.

I really don't want to mess that one up.

Again, well done.

You really have caught the big fish.

Something for me?

From home.

Your wife.

Lavender scent.

It's how she gets a grip on you.

Will you not open it?

Yale is in a few days.

It's very important...

New York City...

you brave b*tch.

You certainly haven't disappointed.

Dylan... Dylan?

Christ! Don't do this to me, Dylan.

Don't you bloody dare...

Please, John.

- Reception. Hello?

- Please...

Hello?

Jesus, John! What have you done?

What happened to Third Avenue?

Did the Reds steal it in the night?

Morning. We're in Fairfield County.

Forty-seven miles up the coast.

This belonged to my parents.

We used to summer here.

These days I don't really

make it up here.

Now it's a halfway house

for a dollar-mad nightingale.

We only have three days until Yale.

I need to make sure you're ready.

You make me sound like a prize bull.

New York wasn't... compatible.

- With what?

- With you.

I see...

Do I get a say in all this?

You heard what the doctor said.

Yes.

He liked my work.

You know, flippancy is the most hopeless

form of intellectual vice.

Well, if that's a vice,

to hell with virtue.

What's for breakfast?

There's a store in town.

I'll get groceries.

Candy bars...

Tootsie Rolls, Baby Ruths,

Milky Ways...

We could be in 'Moiphy's' right now,

sharing a glass and a song

with international spies

and girls with names like candy bars.

And I'd be peeling you

off the floor and carrying you home.

As I seem to recall,

it was me who carried you.

If you're looking for whiskey,

there isn't any. Or beer.

Well you must at least have a couple

of showgirls stashed away somewhere.

Come out, lovelies!

Show us your milkshakes and I'll

sing you a verse of 'Sosban Fach'.

Dylan, sit down.

We need to go over your itinerary.

I've some ideas

for changing the recitals

to include works of other poets

like you suggested.

I can't do this. I need distraction.

You brought me here

and I'm looking to you

as a master of ceremonies.

Keep me entertained.

Can't this wait? Please.

I should warn you,

I was taught by my father

who was East Coast Amateur

Champion five years running.

Ta-da.

You know something,

if this is so awful for you

and you're looking for distraction...

Why don't you open this?

What do I do?

You can't play chess?

- Why didn't you say?

- You never asked.

Okay, okay.

These guys upfront are your pawns.

Think of them as your linemen.

The other pieces behind are like

your quarterbacks and linebackers...

Talk rugby, boy.

This is all Greek to me.

- What does this horse do?

- It's a knight.

It looks like a horse.

Yes, I know, but it's called a knight.

When is a horse not a horse?

When it turns into a barn.

My eldest, Llewelyn, told me that.

He laughs every time.

It moves like this, in an L-shape.

What's your story, boyo?

You look like a spare prick

at a wedding.

I lost the real chess piece.

This little guy was a freebie

in a box of Raisin Bran.

He's been here ever since.

Fighting for king and queen.

And that's the king.

He must have some clout?

Not as much as the queen.

The most powerful piece on the board.

She has the goods to capture

every opposing piece in play.

The female of the species.

You've never met my wife.

You know, you really should

open that letter.

You should mind your own business.

The object of the game is to checkmate

your opponent's King.

That is, place him in an untenable position

from which he can't escape.

I know the feeling.

So...

I can explain the finer details

as we go along.

But those are

the basic principles of the game...

Does that all seem clear to you?

Crystal.

No questions?

- Just one.

- Shoot.

Where can I get a hot pastrami sandwich?

Paradise.

That's one word for it.

Two Chicks on a Raft, wreck 'em!

Shingle with a shimmy

and a shake in the alley.

Zeppelins in a Fog, City juice,

eighty-six the hail.

Drag one through Georgia,

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