The Petrified Forest Page #8

of a life have you had?

What do you think?

I spent most of my time

since I grew up in jail.

And it looks like I'll spend

the rest of my life dead.

Boss, for the last time,

let's lam out of here.

Duke, when you go, if you have

room, will you take me with you?

- Edith, for the love of...

- Thanks very much, lady.

Maybe when I get settled down in Mexico,

I'll send you a postcard with my address.

Duke, how's the time getting along?

It's just about up, pal.

Gabrielle, I've got to talk to you.

- Wait till all the others have gone.

- No, I can't wait.

You see, when they go...

I go.

Please come sit down, Gabrielle.

You see...

I've got to tell you

now that I love you.

- Alan...

- I tell you solemnly...

you're the first person

I ever loved in my life.

He does love you. He told us so.

Please, I'm quite capable

of saying it, you know.

Alan, they're all staring at us.

I know, but you've got

to believe and remember...

because, you see, this is

my one chance of survival.

I told you about that major

artist that's been hidden.

Well, I'm transferring him to you.

You'll find a line in that poem of

Villon's that fits that. Something about:

Thus in your field My seed

of harvestry will thrive

Well, I've provided barren

soil for that seed...

but you'll give it fertility

and growth and fruition.

Alan, you...

You're kind of crazy.

And I guess so am I.

That's why I think we'd

be terribly happy together.

No. Don't say that, Gabrielle.

Alan, I believe it

with all my heart.

Well, perhaps you're right.

Perhaps we will be

happy together...

in a funny kind of way.

If you're going away,

I'm going with you.

I'm not going away, Gabrielle.

I told you I was looking for something to

believe in, worth living for and dying for.

Well, I... I believe I found it...

here in the valley of the sh...

Alan, what have you found?

I don't know.

I really don't quite know yet.

Well, Duke, what

are we waiting for?

Watch it, boys.

Get over by that door, Jackie.

Keep them covered, Slim.

Stick them up! Turn

around and keep moving.

Open that door, Jackie.

Come on, boys, walk in that door

and keep them up. Keep moving!

Get those guns, Jackie.

- Get back to the car.

- Is this a stickup?

- What a guesser.

- I'm the commander...

- So what?

- Well, you wouldn't shoot us in cold blood.

- Sure, we would.

- Sit down, boys.

- Where?

- On the floor, Black Horse troops.

- Why'd you come here?

- We trailed you.

- And we've caught up with you.

- Shut up.

What made you bring the regiment?

- What made you think I'd be here?

- They caught your pals.

Three men and a blond.

Where was it?

Don't you try to get them out now.

Tell me or I'll tear holes

a yard wide in them uniforms!

- Buckhorn.

- Where's that?

- About 20 miles away.

- Anybody else coming?

I don't know. I swear I don't.

But there's posses all around here.

You've got the strength

of the nation after you.

That woman in that

car did some talking.

Doris, she snitched.

They always do.

Shut up.

- What were you saying?

- I'm telling you for your own good.

They know where you were

heading. They'll get you.

She has snitched. Come on.

- Don't listen.

- Come on, or we're all dead.

- The law's closing in.

- What's the matter? Do something.

Shut up! Shut up!

- Give me time to think.

- No, don't you waste time thinking.

Don't listen to what

they're telling you.

You've got to keep going and going.

Yeah, and go fast,

storm or no storm.

You've been double-crossed.

Next, you'll be on a marble slab.

- Where'd they take her?

- Maybe to Albuquerque.

- If we go there, they'll take us!

- You want revenge, don't you?

You'll go out of your way to

get that blond who snitched.

Don't do it, Duke. Even if she did

betray you, don't commit a worse crime.

Don't betray yourself. Run for the

border and take your illusions with you.

- He's right, Duke.

- Shut up.

You know they're going to get you

anyway. You're obsolete, like me.

You've got to die. Then die

for freedom. That's worth it.

Don't give up your life for

anything so cheap as revenge.

I hear a car coming

down the road, Duke.

I'm going. You've had a pleasant evening.

I don't want to spoil it with killing.

Stay put until we're out

of sight. We'll be watching.

- Pick up that sack, Slim.

- Wait a minute.

You're not forgetting me.

- That's Ruby shooting.

- That fathead. Tell him to hold his fire.

We don't want them

drilling our car.

Wait a minute! Tell him to open

up if they drift around that side.

You have no right to

endanger innocent people.

Get behind that

counter. Cover this mob.

Okay, boss. What they doing now?

If they can't see us any better

than I can see them, we're okay.

- Hey, where's that sack?

- The sack's right there beside you.

Boy, I knew this place wasn't safe.

You folks lie down, close

together in the middle.

Watch them, Slim.

- Okay.

- Where's that light switch?

- Right over there, behind that door.

- Turn them off, Jackie.

Heading for the rear.

Get out that back door.

Hold your fire unless they

rush it. Then we'll lam.

- How many are there?

- Six or seven.

- Watch yourself, kid.

- Okay, Duke.

You know, this is an

impressive spectacle, Gabrielle.

The United States of

America versus Duke Mantee.

They're gonna wreck that neon sign.

They're probably all drunk.

It's almost restored in me the

will to live and love and conquer.

Listen, Edith, if I'm killed...

- What did you say?

- I said, if I'm killed...

and you're not, get in touch with

Jack Laverie. He has full instructions.

Oh. All right.

I feel as if I was sitting

on the top of a mountain...

in the middle of Penguin

Island, watching...

- Watching the odd, little creatures.

- Boss, why ain't Jackie shooting?

The kid knows what he's doing.

What's the first thing you

see when you get to France?

- Customs offices.

- No, I mean, what's the first real sight?

Well, the fields and

forests of Normandy.

Then...

- What, Alan?

- Then Paris.

Listen, I better go

tell Jackie to open fire.

- Stay where you are!

- But you asking an awful lot.

Paris. That must be the most marvelous

place in the world for love, isn't it, Alan?

- All places are marvelous, Gabrielle.

- Even here?

Especially here, my darling.

As long as I live, I'll

be grateful to the Duke.

Alan.

Alan, will you please kiss me?

Okay, Slim, we're pulling out. Tell Ruby

to get that car started and get Jackie.

Oh, Lord.

Now it's going to be all over.

Not for us. Never.

Go get our car started.

Jackie's got killed.

- How'd he do that?

- I don't know.

We got to leave him.

You, you, you and you are coming

with us. We gotta have shields.

- Me too?

- No, not you, pop. Get moving!

- Move fast.

- In the name of heaven, don't let...

Turn on that light, Slim.

Let them see who's coming out.

Get moving out that door! You

won't get hurt if you move fast!

Keep your hands up and

move out the front door!

- Come on!

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