Strange Cargo Page #3

he's a flatheaded maggot.

Go on, tell him.

Moll. Nice hero for the kid, ain't he?

A gorilla.

Looks from here

as if you couldn't use any part of him.

No, nor any of his friends

or monkey ancestors.

- Maybe you're a pal of his?

- Maybe.

Well, then stand up and cut loose,

and I'll pick it up from there.

And what could either of us win?

Oh, you're one of those guys

that play it safe, huh?

Safe, or maybe smart.

- You been here long? Do I know you?

- I've been around.

- Maybe we just never made connections.

- Maybe that's it.

What's that book you got there?

Let's see it.

The Bible?

Forget it, pal, you're wasting your time.

So? Maybe you've read it.

Read it? I know this book backwards.

Before I came here I laid in solitary

for six months at Saint Miguel's.

There was one in my cage.

Well, I didn't have nothing else to do,

I had to read it.

- Well?

- It don't make sense.

Here, this one will start you

talking to yourself. Listen.

"So God created man in his own image. "

How do you like that?

Now take a look at me.

Do I look like a god to you?

This forsaken place is full of gods,

I suppose.

Only they're not working at it right now.

They're gods on a holiday.

Answer that one.

It sounds simple enough. I think it means

that each man has some of the qualities

of God inside him,

if he wants them,

and if he looks for them.

There's a couple here

worth looking for, too.

You remember that one

about the Red Sea?

The waters parted

and they crossed on dry land?

Maybe I'll try it someday

on that jungle out there.

I'll just wave my hand,

and there'll be a path,

and I'll cross over to the mainland.

And if the path ain't there, I'll make one.

- You'll make what?

- Hello, Moll.

Get your filthy carcass off my bunk.

Sure, Moll. Where'll you have it?

Moll. We don't want trouble now.

- I'll murder the bleeding...

- They'll throw you in solitary, Moll.

Yeah, you're right, kid.

I'll move down to the other end

where the air's better.

You can have the bunk, Verne.

You'll need it,

kicking off the rest of them years.

That's not like Moll to back down

that way. He's not yellow.

- There's something in the wind.

- Maybe there is, Verne,

but maybe it isn't blowing your way.

Verne.

- Hello, Flaubert.

- You've got to help me, Verne.

Sure. What do you want me to do,

comb a couple of ghosts out of your hair?

Here's another one of your gods, pal,

only this one's haunted.

He thinks the people he's killed

are chasing him,

and the ones he hasn't killed

are going to kill him.

He gets it coming and going.

- Perhaps if he knew he had one friend.

- But I haven't, monsieur.

Not one, not one in the world.

Except you, Verne.

- I'm not your friend.

- But you've got to help me.

Moll is planning to escape.

He's taking six men with him.

- Yeah?

- He took my money.

A thousand francs

for my share of the expenses,

and I know he's going to leave me behind.

I'll get all the blame.

They'll beat me. They'll put me in solitary.

Please, you've got to get my money back

before it's too late.

Then I can tell Grideau that I'm innocent.

You know that he's against me,

he's got a grudge against me.

So has Moll.

Why do they pick on me all the time?

Why do they make me so miserable?

You're against me, too.

You're all against me.

How about it, Moll?

You're making a break, am I in?

You blasted loon.

- Give me my money, I'm afraid to go.

- Shut up, you weak swine.

- Am I in, Moll?

- Sure, you're in nothing.

If you think I've spent three years

figuring a way to kick out of this joint

for your benefit, think again.

You better start thinking, Moll,

or else I'm going to slug you.

And if I do,

they'll slap us into solitary together.

And how will you

get out then, sweetheart?

- You can't make it, Verne.

- Why not?

You'd have to put up money

like the rest of us. A thousand francs.

- I'll get it.

- Where?

There's a lot of men bunking in this room.

Maybe some of them

will lend me the money.

I'll lend it to you, Verne.

A thousand for Verne and a thousand for

me. I'll go along, too, if you don't mind.

- Who are you?

- My name's Cambreau.

I never heard of you.

You heard of 2,000 francs, didn't you?

He's got them.

All right, if you're in, listen.

Tomorrow they march us out

to work on the road.

When we get there,

I put this money in a certain place,

and a certain bloke'll come and get it.

It's to pay for a boat

that'll be hid along the beach,

- about three days through the jungle.

- How about maps?

Give the mining camp a wide berth.

They're always on the lookout

and they'll do you dirt.

The Indian village is worse.

They'll turn you in for 10 francs kicking

or five francs cold.

They don't like to take a chance

so they cash in for five.

That's the cat country. Keep a fire

burning at night and lie up close to it.

From here on,

look out for crocs and snakes.

And don't drink no water

while you're in the fever belt.

- You can't mistake it for the stink of it.

- How many maps you got? Give me one.

There are only two.

The kid has one and I'm keeping this.

He takes one mob with him

and you go along with me.

Look out, the guards.

But I've less than 12 hours.

Just lend me enough to get on the boat.

If I lent money to every girl

who was ordered out of the colony,

where would I be?

Out of business, cherie, believe me...

- Please, Renard. I promise you, I...

- There's nothing to worry about Julie.

It so happens that I'm making

a little trip myself to the mainland,

and it is as easy to arrange passage

for two as for one.

You'd like to buy in that way,

wouldn't you, Monsieur Pig.

Julie, if you only knew me better,

I'm not such a bad fellow.

Look. Look, Julie we'll go to the

mainland, and then when we get there,

and if you still don't think better of me,

then you may do as you please.

I'll do as I please right now.

And that doesn't include you.

Can't you get that straight?

Remember this, Pig.

You're the one man in the world

I could never get low enough to touch.

- Now get out of here and leave me alone.

Bravo, Julie.

I won't hurry, Julie, because, it looks

like you may have to adjust your standards.

Why will she, Monsieur Pig?

Oh, you have a better proposition,

Monsieur Marfeu?

Julie can return to the mining camp

with me,

and I'll have a couple of Indians

take her up the coast in a small boat.

And she'll owe me nothing.

And you believe that, Julie?

No, of course not.

Then if you go with him, you're a fool.

And if I go with you, what am I?

- When do we leave, Marfeu?

- In the morning.

You didn't see that, do you hear?

Unless you want me to give it to you, too.

Only one man can run a thing like this.

This is my show

and I'm running it my way.

Anybody know anything about this?

Of course not.

- Take him to the hospital.

- Right.

All right, hut.

Watch yourselves.

Come on.

The road gang just made a break.

Moll and a couple of guys got away.

Okay, Moll.

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