The Petrified Forest Page #7

I'm afraid I'm not interested

in your whimsicalities.

I don't blame you, but you must remember,

this is a weird country we're in.

These mesas are enchanted.

And you must be prepared

for the improbable.

- All I'm asking you to do is...

- I believe you really do mean it.

Good, Mrs. Chisholm.

You're a kindred spirit.

I bet that you, too, have been

thrilled by A Tale of Two Cities.

You're in love with

her, aren't you?

Yes, I suppose I am.

And not unreasonably.

She has heroic stuff in her.

She may be one of the

immortal women of France.

Another Joan of Arc, George

Sand, Madame Curie or Du Barry.

I want to show her that I believe

in her, and how else can I do it?

Living, I'm worth nothing to her.

Dead, I can buy her the

tallest cathedrals...

golden vineyards and

dancing in the streets.

One well-directed bullet

will accomplish all that.

And it'll earn a measure of reflected glory

for him that fired it and him that stopped it.

This document will be

my ticket to immortality.

It'll inspire people to say of me, "There

was an artist who died before his time."

Will you do it, Duke?

I'll be glad to.

- All right. Can I have this signed?

- Sure.

- Say, is he by any chance insane?

- Don't ask me. He's no friend of mine.

- Of course he's insane, but what of it?

- Thank you.

Just sign where I've

written "witnessed this day."

- Mr. Maple, I'm entrusting this to you.

- All right.

After the Duke has obliged, take it

to some good lawyer for collection.

Here, this is my passport

for identification purposes.

Thanks. Thank you.

- All right?

- Sure.

Thank you.

Let me know when you

want to be killed.

Pick your own time, Duke.

Say...

just before you leave.

I'd prefer to have her

think it was in cold blood.

Would you please all remember that?

But for the time being,

you better sit down.

You might get to feeling reckless.

Let's have another drink. Would you

mind passing glasses to the Chisholms?

- Sure.

- And bring me one too.

Come on, boss. Let's

lam out of here.

- We got to give the others more time.

- But you oughtn't trust a dame.

They probably got

lost in the sandstorm.

They know this country like a book.

Doris knows I picked this place.

Well, I wish she'd show.

Hey, don't forget me.

Don't give it to him, Slim. The

girl says he oughtn't to have it.

- Hey, where's that cook?

- She's all right. I locked her up.

Have a drink, colored brother.

- Is it all right, Mr. Chisholm?

- Listen to him, "Is it all right?"

Ain't you heard about

the big liberation?

- Take your drink, weasel.

- It's all right, Joseph.

- Thank you, sir.

- "Mr. Chisholm."

- Think it's all right?

- Yeah, I guess it's all right.

But let me tell you

one thing, Mr. Squier.

The woman don't live or ever

did live that's worth $5000.

Let me tell you something.

You're a forgetful old fool.

Any woman's worth everything

that any man has to give.

Anguish, ecstasy, faith,

jealousy, love, hatred...

life or death.

You see, that's the whole

excuse for our existence.

It's what makes the whole

thing possible and tolerable.

When you get to my age,

you'll learn better sense.

Did you hear that?

Yes, I heard.

That lovely girl, your granddaughter,

do you know what she is?

- No, you haven't the remotest idea.

- Well, what is she?

She's the future. She's the renewal

of vitality and courage and aspiration.

All the strength

that's gone out of you.

I don't know what she is, but

I know she's essential to me...

and the whole godforsaken country

and the whole miserable world.

And please, Mrs. Chisholm,

don't look at me quizzically.

I know how I sound.

I was wondering if you

really believe all that.

I mean, about women.

Of course I do.

There's a man who agrees with me.

Don't you, Duke?

I don't know, pal.

I wasn't listening.

All right, then let

me speak for you.

He could be across the

border by now, and safe.

But he prefers to remain here.

- Do you know why?

- Why?

Because he has a

rendezvous here with a girl.

- Isn't that true, Duke?

- Yes, pal, that's it.

I guess we're all a lot of saps,

but I wouldn't be surprised...

if he was the champion.

Did you think I was kidding when I

said I'd be glad to knock you off?

I hope neither of us was kidding.

Did you think I was?

I just wanted to make sure.

You're all right, pal.

You got good ideas.

I'll try to fix it

so it don't hurt.

Well, you're all right too, Duke.

Like to meet you again...

someday.

Maybe it'll be soon.

You know, this frightful place

has suddenly become quite cozy.

Do you realize that we're going

to be witnesses to a murder?

He's actually going to shoot him.

Hello. How's Boze?

Oh, he'll be all right.

Listen, Gramp, I was just thinking.

This place will be

advertised everywhere.

People will flock to

see where Duke stopped.

Good. I like company.

No, I think we ought to

sell out right away tomorrow.

Trimble will raise his offer, sure.

You're still aiming to

take that trip to France.

Oh, skip that. Do

it for Dad's sake.

- Maybe I could get a job in Hollywood.

- And will you be satisfied?

I'm not thinking about myself.

- I don't care what happens to me.

- You must.

You want to be a great artist?

Then you better get used to

being a colossal egotist...

selfish to the core.

Are you going to

give me more advice?

You and your talk about nature.

You told me not to listen to you.

- So I did, but I...

- That's all the advice I'll take from you.

Do you mind if I speak up? Perhaps

I could tell you some things...

- What do you know about me?

- Nothing. Edith...

You haven't the slightest conception

of what's inside me, and you never will.

I don't know about you, my dear...

but I do know what it means to

repress yourself, starve yourself...

through what you conceive

to be your duty to others.

Because I've been all through that.

When I was your age, I went to Salzburg.

I had a letter to Max Reinhardt. I could

have played the nun in The Miracle.

But my family...

they started yapping about

my obligations to them.

They whisked me back to Dayton.

And before I knew

it, I was married...

to this pillar of the

mortgage, loan and trust.

And what did he do? He took my soul and

had it stenciled on a card and filed.

And that's where I've been ever

since, in an odd metal cabinet.

That's why I think I've got

a little right to advise you.

Oh, dear heaven.

Oh, you needn't look so martyred.

I've never complained.

I've given you everything.

At the price of my self-respect, my

individuality and everything else.

At the cost of nothing.

Your insane extravagance...

Be quiet.

Now maybe you'll realize what

I mean. Profit by my experience.

Maybe you have got something

wonderful to give the world...

so go to France and...

And find yourself.

It's a peculiar thing

about this place...

there seems to be something here that

stimulates the autobiographical impulse.

Tell us, Duke, what kind

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote