The Hustler Page #7

SARAH:

Eggs. How do you like them?

EDDIE:

Raw.

She cuts her hand opening a can.

SARAH:

Oh, cut my finger.

EDDIE:

I've got something in my bag.

SARAH:

Oh, it's not bad.

As he rummages through the closet for his bag he pulls out his leather

cue case.

SARAH:

Eddie, what's in that case?

EDDIE:

Haven't you opened it?

SARAH:

No, why should I? It's yours.

EDDIE:

It's a machine gun. This guy told me when I

came to the big city I'd have to have a machine

gun, so I bought one.

(bandages her finger)

Where do you get the money? To pay for all

this? I mean the liquor, and the groceries, and

the rent?

SARAH:

From a rich old man who used to be my lover.

They kiss. Someone knocks on the door. Sarah goes to open it. We stay

on Eddie, who examines the lighter in his hand.

CHARLIE (o.s.)

Hello, Eddie.

He enters the room, awkwardly, toying with the rim of his hat.

EDDIE:

Hello, Charlie ...

(turns)

C'mon in ...

(off Sarah)

That's my girl.

CHARLIE:

(to Sarah)

Hello, Eddie's girl ...

(to Eddie)

I looked all over for you.

EDDIE:

Oh yeah? How'd you find me?

CHARLIE:

I asked around.

There is a long silence.

SARAH:

(to Eddie)

Do you want me to go?

EDDIE:

No, stick around.

(to Charlie)

Can I get you something? Drink? Coffee?

CHARLIE:

Oh, I don't want to be no bother to nobody.

EDDIE:

Oh, don't play it small, Charlie. It don't look

good on you.

CHARLIE:

How do you want me to play it? I'm broke.

EDDIE:

So am I ... Sit down.

(to Sarah)

Would you get us a couple of drinks?

She starts to make the drinks. Charlie sits.

CHARLIE:

You walked out on me like that. No goodbye,

no nothing. Like a thief in the dark. We were

partners. We were more than partners.

(to Sarah)

He was like a ... like--

EDDIE:

A son.

CHARLIE:

Yeah, yeah, like a son.

(to Sarah who brings drinks)

I've known this boy since he was sixteen. The

first time I saw him, back in Oakland, I said,

"This is a talented boy. This is a smart boy."

EDDIE:

Talk to me, Charlie.

CHARLIE:

I want you to come back on the road with me.

EDDIE:

Aah! I've got no stomach for that any more.

I've had that kind of life.

CHARLIE:

What kind of life have you got here? Scufflin'

around the small rooms, picking up eight, ten

bucks a day?

EDDIE:

I'll connect. I'll get you your money back.

CHARLIE:

Are you figuring on going back to Ames to play

Minnesota Fats again? Is that what's on your

mind?

EDDIE:

Never been out of it. I'm gonna beat that fat

man ... with that curly hair, and those diamond

rings, and that carnation.

CHARLIE:

(to Sarah)

This boy's crazy. They wiped the floor with

him. They beat his brains out and he wants to

go back.

(to Eddie)

What for? To take another beating?

EDDIE:

I told you you'd get your money back.

CHARLIE:

(to Sarah)

He thinks I care about the money.

(to Eddie)

I care about you. Do you care about me, Eddie?

We're together a long time, night and day. So

how do you say goodbye?

(rises)

You gimme the car and a hundred bucks. You

think I care about the dough, the car? I care

about you.

(to Sarah)

This boy is the greatest pool hustler you ever

saw. A real high-class con man. He can charm

anybody into anything. Did he ever tell you

how well we were doing on the road? We had

everything:
we ate good, we slept late, we had

money to burn. Whisky, dames ...

(apologetic, to Sarah)

Excuse me ...

(to Eddie, off Sarah)

I'll tell you what -- take her along.

Eddie leans up against the wall, listening. Sarah watches them both,

curious, confused.

CHARLIE:

I'll tell you what else: you don't want to

start right away, we won't start right away.

We'll get in the car and drive down to Miami,

get all this crud out of your system, have a

few laughs, lie in the sun for a couple of

weeks.

Suddenly Eddie becomes tense.

EDDIE:

With what?

CHARLIE:

Don't worry about it. I'll raise the money.

EDDIE:

Oh yeah? Where?

CHARLIE:

What's the difference where? I'll raise it.

(to Sarah)

Is it all right if I have another drink?

Sarah turns to fix the drink. Eddie signals her to stay where she is.

He moves forward, confronting Charlie.

EDDIE:

Did you hold out on me, Charlie? ... How much?

Charlie doesn't answer, so Eddie snatches hold of his jacket and shoves

him back into a chair.

EDDIE:

HOW MUCH?!

CHARLIE:

My twenty-five per cent. Approximately fifteen

hundred bucks.

EDDIE:

Oh, you crumb. With that fifteen hundred I

coulda beat him. That's all I needed, Charlie.

CHARLIE:

Aw, Eddie.

EDDIE:

C'mon, c'mon, just give me the money.

CHARLIE:

What for? To play Fats again?

EDDIE:

Yeah, to play Fats again.

CHARLIE:

You wanna come back on the road with me, okay,

the money's yours. But if you wanna give it to

Minnesota Fats ... nothing doing. What do you

say?

EDDIE:

(viciously)

You still don't see it, do you, Charlie? You

are nothing but a small-time Charlie. You'd

love to keep me hustling for you, huh? Wouldn't

ya? I mean, a couple more years with me, scuffling

around them little towns and those back alleys.

You might make yourself enough to get a little

poolroom back in Oakland. Six tables and a

handbook on the side. Is that when you say

goodbye to me, Charlie?

CHARLIE:

Is that what you think?

EDDIE:

Yeah, that's what I think.

CHARLIE:

All right. That's what I want. Poolroom with

a little handbook on the side. Getting old.

EDDIE:

Lay down and die by yourself. Don't take

me with you.

Eddie walks off. A pause.

CHARLIE:

Just like that?

EDDIE:

Yeah. Just like that.

A tear rolls down Sarah's cheek as she hears this. She stands near the

door, with her back to both of them. Charlie gets up and moves toward

the door.

CHARLIE:

Thanks for the drink, Eddie's girl.

Sarah, her cheek wet, says nothing. Charlie puts on his hat and leaves.

Eddie empties his glass and slaps it on the shelf next to Sarah.

EDDIE:

Give me another drink.

She pours it out, saying nothing.

EDDIE:

Boy! Everybody, everybody wants a piece of me!

Sarah hands Eddie his drink without looking him in the eye.

EDDIE:

Aren't you gonna have one?

She pours herself a very stiff drink as Eddie moves about restlessly.

EDDIE:

What did he have to come back here for anyway?

Sarah drinks her drink.

EDDIE:

C'mere.

She keeps drinking.

EDDIE:

Come here!

Still drinking, she turns to him. They embrace and kiss one another

without putting down their glasses.

FADE OUT:

42 INT. SARAH'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

FADE IN:

The room is a mess and Sarah is drunk. She sits on her knees on the

floor, pecking at the keys of her typewriter with one finger. Her

bottle and her glass are beside her. A bare-chested Eddie is in the

kitchen behind her, tossing empty cans and bottles from the sink into a

garbage bag. He carelessly wipes the sink, then throws down the dishrag

and goes to the closet, pulling out his leather case.

SARAH:

You going out?

EDDIE:

Yeah. For a little while.

Reaching for the bottle, Sarah abruptly lurches forward over her

typewriter, and knocks the bottle over.

SARAH:

(atop the typewriter)

Ohhhhh ...

Eddie quickly moves to help her.

EDDIE:

Hey!

He helps her up.

EDDIE:

Okay?

She doesn't answer. Eddie stares at Sarah as she sways limply on her

knees, unmindful of her open robe. Eddie picks up the bottle and sets

it before her. Taking her ashtray, Eddie rises, runs his hand through

her hair for a moment, and then carries off the ashtray and empties it

in the garbage bag.

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