The Petrified Forest Page #4

You're going now?

- Yes, I'm going.

- Well, I guess I can't stop you.

No, Gabrielle...

you can't stop me.

But you could do me one

great favor before I go.

Would you mind very much

if I kissed you goodbye?

- No, I wouldn't mind.

- You'd understand it would be...

Yes, I understand.

Just a kiss, that's all.

Yes. That's absolutely all.

So that's what you've

been doing. Necking, eh?

- Who do you think you are?

- Lay off him, Boze.

She's cute, so you thought

you could get fresh.

Oh, no. He was just

kissing me goodbye.

Yes, I admit the impulse

is a little hard to explain.

Don't bother to explain. Just

pay your check and get out.

Yes.

Well, how much do

I owe, Miss Maple?

- Thirty cents.

- What do you mean, 30 cents?

- Is that all he ate?

- Shut up, Boze.

Thirty cents? For all that?

That's very reasonable.

Very reasonable.

But that brings us to

another embarrassment.

I haven't got 30 cents.

Frankly, I haven't anything.

- What have you got in this pack?

- Nothing. Shirts, socks, underwear...

toothbrush, passport,

insurance policy...

and a copy of Modern Man

in Search of a Soul by...

You ought to read

that. You'd love it.

You were gonna pay with a kiss?

Take your hands off

him. Go on, Alan.

- All right, I'm leaving.

- I'll give him a head start.

Sorry, ma'am.

- Where's the restroom, please?

- Through that door at the right.

- Gas and oil, please.

- Get on the job, Boze.

Boze.

- Gas and oil.

- Have you any good cigars?

Yes, sir. Right over here, sir.

What have you?

Well, I have some stogies

and some Arizona Pips.

Let me see the Pips.

- How far is it to the Phoenix Palace Hotel?

- Well, it's a good 200 miles from here.

- Goodbye, Miss Maple.

- Wait a minute, Alan.

- Excuse me, sir.

- What?

Have you room for another

person in your car?

- Who is it?

- A friend of mine, Mr. Squier.

He's on his way to the coast

and hasn't got a car right now.

He's an author.

- Joseph?

- Yes, sir.

Do you think we can give this man a

lift as far as the Phoenix Palace Hotel?

- I guess he's all right, Mr. Chisholm.

- Very well. Glad to have you along.

Thank you, Mr. Chisholm.

And thank you, Miss Maple.

I shall remember your kindness.

- I forgot to give you your change.

- What cha...?

But I wanted you to keep that.

But tipping is un-American.

We don't allow it.

Here. Here, take it.

I can't pretend that I...

When you get to the coast, send a

postcard with a view of the Pacific Ocean.

I like pictures of the sea.

Oh, my dear, come here.

- This is Mr...

- Mr. Squier.

Mr. Squier, darling. I've offered to give

him a lift as far as the Phoenix Palace Hotel.

Now, he's quite all right.

Joseph just went over him.

- How do you do, Mrs. Chisholm?

- How do you do?

Well, are we ready to start?

Yes, very well. Come

along, Mr. Squier.

Well, I suppose I shall

never see you again.

No.

That's the way it is in a gas

station. They come and they go.

But somehow or another I'll

manage to repay this dollar.

Goodness knows when.

Perhaps we'll run into each

other someday in Bourges.

Yes.

- Well, goodbye, Gabrielle.

- Goodbye, Alan.

Oh, Joseph, will you

turn on the radio?

Flash, latest bulletin on Mantee

Massacre in Oklahoma City.

Following is the description of

Mantee's car heading for the border.

Watch for this car: Oklahoma

license number 3T-808.

Front right fender heavily dented.

Bullet holes in rear window of car.

The car is supplied

with extra gasoline.

Three of the gangsters are believed

to be accompanying Mantee, the leader.

Mantee's description follows:

- Straight, black hair...

- Kill that radio, Ruby.

- Can't you fix it, Slim?

- No, the cylinder head's cracked.

What are you talking about?

Wait a minute.

Get behind that rock, Jackie. You two,

behind that car. Keep out of sight.

Come on, step out, brother.

Hop out of that car

and nobody gets hurt.

Shut up, lady.

Come on, hop out. Get over there.

Come on, hurry it up. Hurry it up.

- Friends of yours?

- For years I've wondered...

what you'd do in this situation,

and what did you do? Nothing.

Correct, my dear idiot wife. I did

nothing because that man is Duke Mantee.

- No, really?

- Yes.

- Joseph, let us see if their car will function.

- Yes, Mr. Chisholm.

Sweetheart.

Want a piece of gum?

From the way you act, you'd think

you were crazy about that guy.

I'm not crazy about him, but every

once in a while you meet somebody...

- that's a natural object of charity.

- Yeah, but he's gone. I'm here.

Listen, honey, let's take a little

walk around the mesa. Sun's going down.

How about it, sweetheart?

- Do you know what he said, Boze?

- What?

That we'd been fighting nature,

and we thought we'd licked it.

But that's where we're wrong.

We've got to admit that

nature can't be beaten.

Yeah, I heard all that. But isn't that

what I've been telling you all along?

I guess so, Boze.

Well, how about the

walk, sweetheart?

I'll think about it.

I'll get rid of them fast.

Now, just behave yourself, you

two, and nobody will get hurt.

This is Duke Mantee,

the world-famous killer.

And he's hungry.

Alan!

- What are you doing here?

- There's bandits here.

- Yeah, so we heard.

- Yes, they made us stop and get out.

Then they drove off

in Mr. Chisholm's car.

- Their car was locked...

- Alan, look out.

Come here.

Well, so we meet again.

Sit down, pal.

Down there.

Yeah, I'd be delighted.

Wait a minute.

Sit down, you!

Would you mind sitting

down over there, pop?

Sure.

Sure.

Up there, Fat.

Football player, eh?

Yeah, and you better not let me get

close enough to take a sock at you.

I used to be quite a

fan. What's your school?

Molby Tech.

Never heard of it.

Ruby, get down by the door

and keep your eyes open.

- You got Slim watching on the outside.

- Get down to the door.

Hey, Squier, that's

Duke Mantee. Remember?

- I showed you his picture, remember?

- Yes, I remember.

Join us in a glass of beer?

Thanks. Do you mind if I have

some of that whiskey instead?

Give him a drink, sister.

Jackie, turn on that

radio in back of you.

What'd I tell you?

Look at that chin. He's

a killer, all right.

- We're lucky we got ringside seats.

- He's a gangster and a rat.

He ain't no gangster. He's

a real old-time desperado.

Gangsters is foreigners,

and he's an American.

Wait till the sheriff finds out he's

here. We'll see some real killing.

Won't we, Duke?

The cops ain't likely to

catch up with us. Not tonight.

So we can all be quiet and peaceable

and have a few beers together...

and listen to the music.

And not make any wrong moves.

I may as well tell you that

Ruby there with the gun...

he's pretty nervous and jumpy. And

he's got the itch between his fingers.

So let's everybody

stay where they are.

Let there be killing.

All this evening, I've had a

feeling of destiny closing in.

Do you believe in astrology?

I couldn't say, pal.

Well, I don't normally.

But tonight, as I was

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