Strange Cargo Page #9

When a woman picks up a man's fight,

she's really on his side, ain't she?

Give me that.

All of a sudden, things look different,

don't they, baby?

Stand over there with him

and let's see what you look like.

Get over there. All right, there

he is, Julie. Take him. He's yours.

That's what you're asking for, isn't it?

Well, is it or isn't it?

Yeah, that's it.

All right, you've got it.

Now get out of here both of you.

Come on, get moving.

- Goodbye, Cambreau.

- I'll see you again, Julie.

Of course, the facts are,

she's always hated the Pig.

She went to the jungle with Marfeu

rather than go with him.

And she'd rather go back

with the Pig than go on with me.

What's that look like

from where you stand?

It looks like something

a woman in love might think of.

I get it. You've got it all figured out

according to the book.

Julie put on an act

with Cochon for my benefit,

so I wouldn't throw a slug into him.

Now she's going back

to the island to marry him

so he won't turn me in to the law, huh?

Very nice.

Get some music, I'll sing it for you.

It's just that it makes sense

to me that way.

And what if you're right?

What am I supposed to do?

Turn noble and go back to a dozen

bear pits to get her out of hock?

I've come a long ways to get here.

I'm out and I'm on my way

and if you're coming, come on.

- All right, get in the dinghy.

- But, monsieur, it will be a heavy storm.

Perhaps we should wait

until tomorrow morning.

Get in that boat. Come on, Cambreau.

Get below and start that engine.

Not bad. Good enough to take a man

anywhere he wants to go.

Any place in the world.

- Sounds like you're a free man, Verne.

- As free as any man alive.

In three or four days,

maybe a week, I'll be in Cuba.

I won't have to sneak in

the back way neither.

So far as anybody knows, I'm dead.

The Pig knows you're alive,

so does Hessler.

Hessler won't talk. Neither will the Pig.

Julie won't let him.

How do you know?

It won't be

the first time she turned you in.

I know she won't. She's all right

about some things, things like that.

- Anyway, I'm not going to worry about it.

- But you are.

All your life you're going to worry about it.

Until the day you die, you're going to

be sorry you turned her over to the Pig.

Another one of your

tinhorn prophecies, huh?

Well, keep them to yourself.

I'm a free man, I tell you,

and no dame can cut into that.

I'm on my way to Cuba

and nothing can stop me.

You're a strong man, Verne,

stronger than Moll was,

stronger than the prison you broke from,

stronger than the odds

that were against you.

What are you getting around to?

You've got everything

you'll ever want, Verne.

You'll do what you want to do,

go where you want.

You're sufficient unto yourself.

You don't need a thing.

Certainly you don't need me.

I'm no good here.

And there may be something I can do

for someone else, if I stay behind.

You wouldn't do something

for yourself, would you, pal?

Something like talking to Grideau?

There's nothing I want from Grideau.

And there may be others to talk to,

as there was Telez, Flaubert and Dufond.

You sent them on their way

with a smile and a prayer.

Do you still think

that prayers pay off, Cambreau?

They may help a little.

Well then, you better

start saying them quick.

Lift up your hands, close your eyes

and give them all you got.

I don't have to make it any clearer, do I?

There's only one other man

in the world that knows I'm alive

and who'll say so outside of you.

I'm depending on a dame

to keep his mouth shut,

- but who's going to shut yours?

- It looks like you will, Verne.

But what about you, when I'm gone?

You'll have thrown away

everything worth having,

the chance to live like other men,

a woman who loves you

and your last friend.

- What'll you have left?

- What I've always had.

Whatever it is that keeps a man on his

own feet without any help from anybody.

- What's it called, Verne?

- You name it, I've got it.

It's taking me on my way now.

You can come along,

or you can have it the other way.

It'll have to be the other way.

I can't go with you, Verne.

Well, what are you waiting for?

It shouldn't be hard.

Throw me into the sea and it's all over.

- It's simple enough, if you can do it.

- Lf I can do it?

- What would I be afraid of?

- Of yourself, perhaps,

or what happens to a man

after he's killed another man.

- You're asking for it, Cambreau.

- Then why don't you give it to me?

Or does it take something to kill me

you haven't got?

Now what do you think I got, Cambreau?

Remember, you asked for it!

You asked for it and you got it.

You can't let him drown.

You have to save him.

Why not?

Get forward and ship that anchor.

- Then get on the wheel and head north.

Verne!

I can't hang on much longer!

I don't hear you begging me to help you.

Smart stuff, you're saving your breath.

You don't want anything from me.

What have I got to give?

Verne, the scum of the world.

Up there, that's where

you're going to get your help from.

You got nothing to worry about.

Sing out some prayers, relax,

and wait for the water to dry up.

Grab hold of a miracle, Cambreau.

No one can save him but you, monsieur.

Did you hear that?

Did you hear what he said, Cambreau?

In heaven and on Earth,

in all the world

there's nobody can save you but me.

So when you say your prayers,

say them to me, Cambreau.

I'm the only god you can call on now.

I'm the old temple remember?

You were right when you said

God was in me. God's in everybody.

Gimpy's God. I'm God. You're...

You're...

Cambreau!

Cambreau!

Cambreau. Cambreau.

It's no use, he's gone.

He figured it like that.

I can see it now all the way.

Everything he said, everything he did,

he had it all worked out to the end.

You're an awful sucker

to do things like that for rats like me.

Monsieur.

Verne, are you crazy?

Grideau's on that boat. He'll see you.

And if he sees me, he'll take me,

won't he, baby?

I thought you'd be halfway

to Cuba by now.

Maybe I didn't like the idea

of you going with the Pig.

What do you care?

We're going to be married,

and I expect we'll be very happy.

Yeah, and maybe you won't.

Maybe you'll be taking

a lot of punishment for a guy like me.

- Cambreau told you.

- No, Cambreau doesn't work that way.

But I took a look at the figures

and they add up to one thing.

- Baby, it's me, ain't it?

- It's always been you.

That's what I figured.

Verne, are you sure?

Are you sure this is what you want?

- Don't you think it's the best way?

- I know it is.

Well, the best

will always be good enough for us.

Hello, Verne.

- When do we sail, Grideau?

- Any minute, now that you're here.

So you found something

stronger than you, after all.

Yeah, looks like it, don't it?

Where'd you get that dress?

Why, I bought it with the money

you gave me on the boat.

- And what's it to you?

- Okay, okay.

Now that's what you need

to keep a guy like me on the island.

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