The Bad Seed Page #6

- Why did you go on the wharf?

You knew it was forbidden.

One of the big boys said there were

little oysters that grew in the pilings.

I just wanted to see if they did.

One of the guards said he saw you

coming off the wharf...

- ...just a little before lunchtime.

- I don't know why he says that.

He's wrong,

and I told Miss Fern he was wrong.

He hollered at me

to come off the wharf and I did.

I went back to the lawn

and that's where I saw Claude...

- ...but I wasn't bothering him.

- What did you say to Claude?

I said if I didn't win the medal...

- ...I was glad he did.

- Oh, Rhoda, please.

I know you're an adroit liar,

but I must have the truth.

- But it's all true, every word.

- I was told that you were seen trying to...

I was told that you were seen trying

to snatch the medal off Claude's shirt.

- Is that all true, every word?

- Oh, that was one of the monitors...

...that big girl, Mary Beth Musgrove.

She told everybody she saw me.

Even Leroy knows she saw me.

You see, Claude and I were

just playing a game we made up.

He said if I could catch him

in 10 minutes...

...and touched the medal with my hand,

it would be like prisoner's base.

He'd let me wear the medal for an hour.

How can Mary Beth say I took the medal?

- I didn't.

- She didn't say you took the medal.

She said you tried to grab at it

and that Claude ran away down the beach.

- Now, did you have the medal even then?

- No, Mother, not then.

- Rhoda, how did you get the medal?

- Oh, I got it later on.

- How?

- Well, Claude went back on his promise.

Then I followed him up the beach.

Then he stopped and said

I could wear the medal all day...

...if I gave him 50 cents.

Stop that.

- Is that the truth?

- Why, yes, Mother.

I gave him 50 cents

and he let me wear the medal.

Well, then why didn't you tell this

to Miss Fern when she questioned you?

Oh, Mommy, Mommy,

Miss Fern doesn't like me at all.

I was afraid she'd think bad things of me

if I told her I had the medal.

Oh, Rhoda. Rhoda. Now, listen to me.

You knew how much Mrs. Daigle

wanted that medal, now, didn't you?

- Yes, Mother, I guess I did.

- Well, then why didn't you give it to her?

She's lost her little boy, Rhoda.

She's heartbroken about this.

She may never get over it.

It may have destroyed her.

Well, do you know what I mean?

Well, yes, Mother, I guess so.

No, you don't know what I mean.

But it was silly to wanna bury the medal

pinned on Claude's coat.

Claude was dead.

He wouldn't know whether

he had the medal pinned on him or not.

Oh, I've got the prettiest mother.

I've got the nicest mother.

That's what I tell everybody.

I say I've got the sweetest mother

in the world.

If she wants a little boy that bad...

...why doesn't she take one

out of the orphans' home?

Rhoda. Get away from me.

Don't talk to me.

- We have nothing to say to each other.

- Okay, Mother. Okay.

Rhoda, when we lived in Wichita,

Rhoda, there was an old lady...

...who lived upstairs, Mrs. Clara Post.

- She liked you very much.

- Yes.

Every afternoon you used to

go upstairs to visit.

She used to show you all her treasures.

And the one that you admired most was a

crystal ball in which a little fish floated.

And old Mrs. Post promised this to you

when she died.

And then one afternoon

when her daughter was out shopping...

...and you were alone with the lady,

she managed to fall down the stairs...

...and break her neck.

You said she heard a kitten

and went to see what was the trouble...

...and accidentally missed her footing

and fell to the courtyard below.

- Yes, it's true.

- And then later, you asked her daughter...

...for the crystal ball,

and she gave it to you.

- And it's still sitting on your treasure chest.

- Yes, Mother.

Rhoda, did you have anything...?

I don't care how small it was...

...did you have anything to do

with the way Claude got drowned?

- What makes you ask that, Mother?

- Come here.

Now, look me in the eye

and tell me the truth...

- ...because I must know.

- No, Mother, I didn't.

You're not going back

to the Fern School next year.

- They don't want you anymore.

- Okay.

I'm gonna call Miss Fern

and have her over here.

No, no, no! She'll think I lied to her!

- You did lie to her.

- But not to you, Mother. Not to you.

Oh...

Hello, Fern School?

Miss Claudia Fern, please.

No. No message.

Well...

She isn't home yet.

Mother, what are you gonna do

with the medal?

It's really mine.

Rhoda, come here to me.

It can't be true.

Fifty, $0.75, $5, and $5 are $10.

Thank you very much, colonel.

- And here's the card to go in it.

- Yes, colonel.

- None of it will get broken in the mailing?

- No, it'll be packed in excelsior for that.

Good. Thank you.

Look, a tea set.

Oh, I guess we know a daddy

who loves somebody, all right.

What does the card say?

"For no reason, except she's the sweetest

little girl in the world. Daddy."

Oh, look, it's got a pot and everything.

Mother, could I take it out

under the arbor for a while?

I wanna pretend

I'm giving a garden party.

Yes, dear. Oh, and, by the way, unpack

it while you're out there, will you, dear?

Because this excelsior is just

getting over everything.

Oh, and don't put it down the incinerator,

because it's much too large.

Leave it out by the cellar doors

for Leroy to dispose of.

- Yes, Mother.

- A garden party.

Isn't she the perfect old-fashioned girl?

By the way, do you know

you're having your supper with me tonight?

Really, Aunt Monica?

Is it a special reason?

Oh, no. Just that I've invited

Reginald Tasker for cocktails.

You remember, Rhoda,

Granddaddy's coming tonight.

I'm going to have my dinner with him.

And that's much too late for you to eat.

- Wasn't that nice of Aunt Monica?

- Of course. Aunt Monica's sweet.

And I'll be glad to see Granddaddy.

He's sweet too.

I wish she were mine.

Every time I look at her,

I wish I had just such a little girl.

There she is at her little table,

playing with her little dishes...

...looking cute and innocent...

...looking like she wouldn't melt butter,

she's that cool.

She can fool some people

with that innocent look...

...she can put on and put off

whenever she wants, but not me.

She can't fool me.

Don't wanna talk to nobody smart, huh?

Like to talk to people she can fool...

...like her mama and Mrs. Breedlove

and Mr. Emory.

Here's some excelsior for you.

You talk silly all the time.

I know what you do with the excelsior.

You made a bed of excelsior...

...down the basement,

behind that old furnace...

...and you sleep there,

where nobody can see you.

I've been way

behind the times heretofore...

...but now I got your number, miss.

I've been hearing things about you

that ain't nice.

I been hearing you beat up

that Daigle boy in the woods...

...and it took all of the Fern sisters

to pull you off.

I heard you run him off the wharf,

he was that scared.

If you tell lies like that,

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