The Lower Depths Page #2

No use bluffing.

The coral hairpin

in the gold lacquer box,

the tortoiseshell comb and pins.

Sold 'em to you last night

for five silver coins.

You already gave me two.

I want the other three.

I know I'm a thief.

That makes you my fence.

What? I never...

Shut up! Get out!

You bastard!

And come back with the cash!

And the curtain falls.

Truly entertaining.

What the hell did he want?

What else?

Chasing after his old lady.

But listen...

why don't you just get rid of him?

Kill him and I'm banished for sure.

No, you just finesse the details,

then take Osugi as your wife

and settle down as the landlord here.

That's a helluva pretty picture.

You plan to impose

on my good nature

and drink me out of house and home.

Greedy bastard.

Woke me up from a sound sleep.

I was having a great dream.

I was fishing,

and I'd just hooked

this monster snapper.

Truly a dream fish.

I was just about to land that fish.

That's no snapper.

That's Osugi.

You landed Osugi long ago.

Who asked you?

Scram, the b*tch and the lot of you.

It's cold as hell out there.

Why didn't you bring

your wife back with you?

She'll freeze to death.

Okayo took her

to the landlord's kitchen.

Hell to pay if they catch her.

Why worry?

Said she'd bring her right home.

Brother Sutekichi,

gimme five pennies.

Stop it with the five-penny thing.

You've gotta think big.

Hey, Brother Sutekichi,

front us some silver, won't you?

Better fork over now,

before you hit me

for a whole silver coin.

There.

How magnificent.

A thief is a poor man's best friend.

You just rake it in,

without lifting a finger.

Lift a finger?

If work made life easy, he'd do it.

Us, too.

But that's hardly

the way of the world.

Danjuro, let's go get a drink.

Hey, consider me on board.

I can drink my fill.

How's the old lady doing?

Seems like her time's...

Watching you work, I'd say there's

no point to that scraping at all.

What am I supposed to do, then?

Nothing.

Then how will I eat?

You'll get by, like the others.

I may be down, but I'm a craftsman.

Not like this crew.

Don't tell me you don't think

I'll make it out of here.

I'll get out.

Tear off my limbs

and I'll crawl out.

Just you watch.

Soon as the old lady dies...

It's only been six months

since I landed here,

but it feels more like

five or six years.

What the hell would you know?

Talk about the pot

calling the kettle black!

I let you rattle on and listen to you!

Hey, Okayo.

What? A stranger?

Pleasure to make your acquaintance.

Says he'll settle here till spring.

Where's my spot?

This one's available.

That's just fine and dandy.

For an old geezer like me,

any warm spot is paradise.

Strange old geezer, huh, Okayo?

A long way better than your lot.

Hardly a board to be found.

By the way, tinker man, you should

take better care of your wife.

She's not long for the world.

I know that.

That's fine, then.

Come pick her up, then.

Hey, Okayo.

I've got something for you.

Look. Real tortoiseshell.

- No, thanks.

- Why not?

Ask yourself that question.

What's her problem?

She won't give me the time of day.

She's a tough one.

She doesn't care about my feelings.

What feelings are those?

I really feel bad for her.

I can't let her be.

More's the pity.

Screw you.

I really feel sorry for her.

No telling what'll happen

to her here.

You've fallen for her hard.

But listen:
You watch out.

Osugi finds out, it'll be hell to pay.

That b*tch wouldn't think twice

about murder. Even her own sister.

Quit yapping! It's bad luck.

Just wait and see.

Quit wailing, Gramps.

I told you to stop!

Doesn't please you?

No sour notes for me.

That's a shame.

I thought I carried a fine tune.

If you say so.

You're a foxy old geezer.

Hey, my lord, that candy lady

buy you a drink?

These days,

it's not a sure thing anymore.

Want me to buy you one?

I'd be ever in your debt.

But first, circle three times

and yelp.

What the...

Just get on all fours and yelp.

Time was, you were

a swaggering, well-armed samurai.

Yeah, so what?

That's why.

Do me good to make you yelp.

All right! I'll yelp!

But listen up, bonehead.

The shape I'm in now,

we're about even.

What's the good

of making me yelp now?

You should've made me do it before.

He's got a point.

There's reason in his reasoning.

What's past is past.

Down here, we've no Lords

or Excellencies.

But let me ask you:

Were you really a lord once?

I've seen two or three lords

in my time.

But it seems to me,

for a lord, your fall from grace

landed you flat on your ass.

You wouldn't know, but...

in the old days

I lived in the lap of luxury.

As the shogun's vassal,

I was in the inner circle,

no matter how poor.

From first light to last,

I ordered everybody around.

In the bath, I never washed or dried.

My maid took care of all that.

Liar!

What the hell, you two-bit whore!

And who hounds

that whore for pennies?

This world is filled

with ups and downs.

Take turns lending

a helping hand in times of need.

That's as it should be.

Hey, stranger, hold your tongue.

Watch out or you won't

even see me draw!

With bare hands?

Your sword being...

- He's got a point.

- Excellent.

I was just joking.

I've got no sword.

Liar. Here's your blade.

'Course these days

the thing won't even split wood.

That's what you call

adding insult to injury.

My lord, follow me.

I'll buy you a drink.

I'm grateful.

Gramps, you're quite

the scoundrel, aren't you?

Never judge a book by its cover.

- Hey, my lord.

- Coming.

The pair of you...

You're in a fine mood.

Don't mind if I am.

"There once was a triangular fellow,

who stood on a square platform,

playing his song..."

Unokichi! You're on a roll again!

So what if I am?

I'm fresh out of the slammer.

"If you ever set foot

in these parts again..."

Screw you!

My, my.

This young man

is clearly out of his mind.

- He's a complete lunatic.

- What the...

Slice me, dice me, have your way!

I don't give a damn!

The landlady's here.

You again.

Hello. Welcome.

I told you never

to set foot in here again.

Aren't you gone yet?

You busybody.

All you do is talk behind my back.

I'll run you out of town.

Bye-bye!

Don't you ever let him

back in here again. Got that?

I'm no gatekeeper.

Putting on airs like some guest.

I only put you up out of charity.

How much do you owe me?

Why don't you add it up?

I'd be happy to, right away.

Hey, demon lady!

You don't scare me!

Who the hell are you?

Just passing through.

Lodging for the night or moving in?

Depends how it goes.

Either way, you pay in advance.

I'll bring it later.

I'll consider this a deposit, then.

My oh my.

He's out.

- Who's out?

- Sutekichi.

Who asked you?

You were snooping in his room.

I was just making sure

it was clean.

If it gets too filthy,

they'll close us down.

I'll boot out any of you

who don't keep this place clean.

Then you'll run out of funds.

What a shame.

We'd make better rent from beggars.

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