Suddenly Page #7

If I don't do something,

I'll blow my top just sitting here.

Fix the set and shut your mouth.

I don't like what you say.

Now fix it,

we've still got time...

All yours...

Open 'em...

About 200 yards.

- Baron. Isn't that a German rifle?

- Yeah. You know it?

I know it. Where were

you during the war?

All the way from the Kasserine Pass.

I won a Silver Star. Where were you?

Normandy to the Elbe by way of the

Bulge. You get up into Germany?

No. Bet you were one of those big shot

guys with the gold bar on the shoulder.

No, no I was a corporal.

How about you?

- Corporal? I made sergeant.

- You didn't like officers?

Officers, big shots. Yes sir,

no sir, salute sir. Big shots.

- You don't like big shots?

- Not when you're bigger, sheriff.

I killed more Jerries than

any five officers put together.

I did some pretty good chopping

in the war. Pretty good.

Like I said before,

you're a born killer. That's all.

Yeah, they taught me how and I liked it.

Ha, my C.O. Used to stand there

and shake

like a leaf while I chopped.

If more guys like me had to...

Tell me one thing, Baron.

How come you missed Germany?

They sent me home,

my tour was finished.

Your tour? In the infantry?

Are you kiddin'?

You finish your tour in the infantry

when they plant you in a box.

- Tour! That was for the air corp.

- Turn it off.

- Yeah, you probably went over the hill.

- I said, turn if off.

You know, Baron, you got the yard look.

You look yard bird to me.

I'm tellin' you, sheriff. Turn it off.

Big shot with the yard birds,

eh? Come on now, tell me.

Where were you court-martialled?

What was it for? Rape?

No, not rape. Killing,

that's what you like, killing.

Maybe shooting down

unarmed PW's.

Sit down and shut up.

Ah, but by golly you got away with it.

So... I got it. Section eight.

You went out on a section eight.

Section eight.

Psycho in charge of killing, eh?

You know, I knew guys like you.

Killing was sweet.

Rather kill a man than love a girl.

- A real kick. A thrill with the guts.

- Stop it, Tod. Stop it.

Or maybe you didn't like your C.O.

Maybe you shot him in the back.

That it?

Maybe you... Aaagh!

Like I said, shut up.

- Tod darling, it's hopeless.

- No, no it's not five o'clock yet.

Gonna' keep your trap shut?

Yeah.

Hurts, huh?

It hurts.

Well I can keep kickin', as long

as you keep shootin' your face off.

I know.

Pop, you were right when you blew

the power tube. I have one here.

I'll have it perkin',

in a second.

You know,

I was thinking Jud.

If you were to clamp the main plate lead

to a good ground like that table there,

you'd get a better picture.

A lot of lines in it now.

Clamp the main plate lead to the table.

Cut the static lines.

Expert. First he wrecks the set,

then he tells the kid how to fix it.

Main plate lead...

Yeah.

That's right, Jud, all it needs

is a high potential ground.

We're a long way from

the broadcasting station.

What are you guys

yapping about?

Technical talk, mister.

I'm an old radio man.

Battleship New York,

World War One.

Gramps beat the Germans,

single-handed.

Not exactly son,

but I was there at Scapa Flow

when the German

fleet surrendered.

Alright, alright, stop the bulling

and fix that set will ya.

Yes sir.

- Oh!

- Dad, Dad what is it?

- Pain, bad.

- What hit him?

He has a bad heart.

Pidge, my pills,

top drawer of the bureau.

- I'll get 'em.

- You stay put. The kid'll get 'em.

Pidge, put down that gun and

get some water for your grandfather.

But mom, listen.

You heard me, Pidge.

OK.

You know what I think, Pop. I got a

feeling your heart attack's a phony.

Pain's bad.

I'm warning you, if you're trying to pull

something, you'd better watch it.

Baron, I've been thinking.

You've been thinking you'd like

to take a crack at this rifle.

Do you think I'd

wanna' get myself killed?

Yes. Frankly, sheriff I don't think

you'd mind getting yourself killed.

Nobody wants to die.

Do we have to talk about it?

Why don't you shut up?

- No guts.

- It gets on my nerves, that's all.

Now why would I want

to get myself killed?

Because it's five minutes

to five and a shot might bring

those state troopers stormin' all over

the joint before the President arrives.

Sheriff, I can put you away in two

seconds by twisting your arm again.

That way there's no noise. So don't

go winning any post-mortem medals.

I wouldn't enjoy winning

a post-mortem medal

any more than you're gonna'

enjoy that post-mortem money.

- What did you say?

- What did he say?

I said nobody ever made it.

You won't either.

You don't think so?

So you got a plane. You'll never

reach it ahead of the police

and if you do you'll never

make it to the border.

You ever hear of

the jet fighter?

You know how many airstrips there

are between here and the border?

You know a fella' can get an

education just listening to this guy.

Well, maybe he's

right, Johnny.

You said half the money

had already been paid.

A smart guy would hit

the road right now.

Fly outa here, skip the President,

spend the money in South America.

Alive.

He's right, Johnny. Why take the risk?

We can lam now, we can make it.

We don't have to fool with this. It's too

big, there's something wrong with it.

Chicken.

Chicken! Alright, fine.

Who wants to be rich and dead?

They'll get us.

They haven't missed yet, Johnny.

The guy's right. You've got the loot.

Let's take off and get outa here for

good. Once we're across the border...

Hate those craps.

Benny wasn't chicken, they

didn't waste any time on him.

We haven't got a chance.

Turn it off, Bart. You're embarrassing

me in front of the Sheriff.

But Johnny, even if we swing it, he's the

President. They'll never give up.

You don't figure that the guys

who're paying off, are just gonna'

let you fly away, do you? They'll be

after you, just like the Secret Service.

I thought of that too, sheriff.

It might be an internationally

embarrassing situation,

if the feds happen to

catch up with us first.

You've gotta' realise Bart that

everybody's gonna' be on your tail;

from five o'clock

until the day you die.

There's a hole in

your argument, sheriff.

What is it?

We're already wanted for murder.

So you can only take the gas once.

They'll get us, Johnny.

- They won't get us Bart. Not us.

- You're sure, Johnny?

You leave it to me.

You're sick, mate.

You're sick.

I don't like that.

Don't play God, just

because you've got a gun.

But you see sheriff

that's the way it is.

When you've got a gun

you are a sort of God.

If you had the gun, I'd be the

chump and you'd be the God.

The gun gives you the power

of life and death.

It's a funny sort of feeling to

have control of life and death.

You must have had it

during the war.

You could miss a man

if you had a mind to.

Or you could kill him

dead in his tracks.

And that made you a

kinda' God, and I liked it.

Without the gun I'm nothing, and I

never had anything before I got one.

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