Shack Out on 101 Page #4

'Course I am.

Well, I don't suppose there's

anything I can do about that.

That's right.

Absolutely nothing.

Hmm.

Well, you are so wrong.

That's George.

He's back from the market.

Well, go see him.

Hey, Professor!

I didn't know you was around.

Boy, did I have luck tonight.

Take a look.

Hmm.

Pretty good, huh?

The tide was low, and they

was layin' all over the place.

Oh, there's one

for my collection.

Looks like we'll do

some business tonight.

You'd better

get your money ready.

Hi, Professor. Slob,

go get the meat. Hi.

Be back in a minute, Professor. Uh-huh.

Hey, what's goin' on?

Time.

It moves like a maniac.

I'm closin' up.

You can't do that. The

professor and me, we got a deal.

If you wanna knock off, knock off.

I'll close up when we're through.

That's what I like

about free enterprise.

I got the enterprise, and everybody's

free to give me the business.

And don't forget to turn the

gas off under the onion soup.

Oh, sure, George.

Sure.

Come on. I'll walk you

home. Don't do me any favors.

Kotty.

Kotty!

Now what's wrong?

Nothing!

I just don't want to stand

between you and your shells.

You don't need a woman. You

should go steady with a clam!

I don't get it- a grown-up man

and you still play with seashells!

Now you listen to me.

When I get through at the end of the day,

my head feels like it's been in a vise.

These shells that you despise

are my therapy. They relax me!

If you were really concerned, you

wouldn't resent this inoffensive hobby.

Sam, you always have a way

of making me feel so small.

I- I could go right

through the floor.

I'm sorry.

Really I am.

Good night, darling.

Pleasant dreams.

Is it all here?

Every dollar.

Money, money, money.

That's all you think about.

What's your reward?

Gonna put George in the kitchen,

and put you on the cash register?

I ain't interested in money. All I

want is for people to look up to me.

Why? Because you make

a better hamburger?

What I am today has nothing to do with

the future. Hitler was a paperhanger.

Today, man makes

his own destiny.

Sometimes

your thinking surprises me.

Well, I gotta be honest, Professor.

I didn't think it up. I heard it.

What?

From Mr. Gregory?

When am I going to meet him? Well, I

guess when he feels the time's right.

You been telling me that

for over a year.

Obviously, Mr. Gregory's

not very impressed.

But he is. He told me so.

Well, he's never told me.

You know, he's missing out

on a pretty good bet.

There are lots of things that

can't be written down on paper.

How can I explain to you

the secret of a new element...

that may obsolete

the power of Hydrogen force?

There is such a thing? That's

part of a present project.

Do you know that

I can pick up the telephone...

and I can call the President

of these United States,

and he'll speak to me

as long as I want?

And your Mr. Gregory

has no time for me.

I thought all you

cared about was money.

But it ain't enough is it?

You want Mr. Gregory

to pat you on the back.

Well, if you dance with the gods

they can lead you into paradise.

You know, I like the way

you talk. I look up to you.

But you got one weakness.

The, um, tomato?

How can a big man like you get

mixed up with a nothin' like that?

Can't come here

just for these shells.

It's only a front?

What do you think?

Sure had me fooled.

You put on a good show.

It's not too difficult. She's

pretty attractive. They all are.

And they're all out

for what they can get.

You know what I'd like to do

to her? I'm not interested.

Well, I am. Who does she think she

is, treatin' me like I was dirt?

But I got ways of gettin'

even. And believe me, I will.

You forget that tomato!

It's gettin' kinda late.

I gotta get going.

See you later,

my friend.

Make it soon.

I told you never

to come here.

You're drunk.

That's right. Shh. People

are asleep. They'll hear you.

I want 'em to hear me. I

want everybody to wake up.

No, look. I've got some

money here. You can go away.

And there'll be plenty more

where this came from.

I don't want your money.

And I don't want any part of

you. Tell that to your Mr. Greg-

Shh! Stop! Be quiet! Cut it out.

Oh, Sam! I've been looking all over

for you. Shh, keep your voice down.

You-You don't understand.

You know, we're in trouble.

You're makin' somethin'

out of nothin'.

Professor Ronker disappears,

and you call that nothing?

You've got to stop using

that word "disappear. " Hmm?

Everybody knows that

he committed suicide.

I know how you feel. It

hurts a lot to lose a friend.

But you mustn't

blame yourself too much.

Ronker was sick

from working too much.

The mind is

a very funny thing.

All of a sudden

- Like that, he jumped off the boat.

That happens.

But there was nothing wrong

with his mind! I ought to know.

I just can't understand

what happened.

It just doesn't make any sense to me.

I went fishing with him so many times.

And the first time I rented your friend's

boat, he disappeared into thin air!

Do you think Perch had anything to do

with it? He's a poor, honest fisherman.

I don't know what to think.

All I know is, when I got up that

morning, I felt like I was drugged.

And-

And Max Ronker was gone.

Why didn't you tell this to the police? I

- I couldn't do that, Sam.

Th-There'd have been more

questions, further investigations.

It might have led to us

and-and what we're doing.

I- The worst

part of it is I-

I tried to believe that

Max Ronker'd killed himself.

I- I had to rationalize

my guilt,

but I'm not going to do it

anymore, Sam.

Look. Supposing he

didn't jump off the boat,

supposing he didn't kill

himself, where did he go?

What happened to him?

Sam, you don't really believe

that Max Ronker committed suicide?

Yes, I do. There is

no other explanation.

Well, I don't.

Eighteen months ago, Professor Gerhard

from Northern University vanished.

Then Ronker. Both men

working on the same project.

Both suicides. And not a

single trace of their bodies.

A coincidence? Oh, no, I-I

tell you. They're not dead.

You don't know what

you're talkin' about.

You liked the way I talked when I

tried to get Ronker to join us, eh?

Ronker laughed at me! He didn't want

any part of this legion of misfits.

But Mr. Gregory wanted

him... alive! Not dead.

What? And he made up

his mind to get him too.

And look, Sam. Sam.

They won't stop at anything.

They preach liberty

and practice slavery!

But we can pull out of this. We'll face

- We'll face the consequences.

We'll go to the

authorities. They'll help us.

Shh

- no, no, no, no! They're not the ones to fear. It's Slob!

It's Slob and his Mr. Gregory. Shh.

He's crazy. He doesn't know

what he's talkin' about.

Say, look. Look.

We're on the right road.

How can you justify treason?

I tell you he's crazy!

Come on, Claude.

Simmer down.

Sam, I-I don't

understand you.

With all the misery and bloodshed

that they've caused already,

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