The Quick and the Dead Page #3

Sure did.

Then it's true that

you gunned down four men?

Two with my left hand,

two with my right hand.

You see, the truth is...

...that l am just as good with either.

You must be the fastest gun

in the West.

That or the biggest liar.

It's a pity you weren't there

to find out.

Oh, but l was, Ace.

You see, I was the one that really

killed the Terrence brothers.

And l doubt a lying little chickenshit

like you was even in the same state.

Goddamn.

God.

How about that left hand, Ace?

How about that left-handed draw?

Mr. Ace Hanlon.

The scourge of the sagebrush.

The terror of Tucson.

A bladder full of hot air.

Congratulations.

Hey, hey, hey.

Get away! Get away. Stay off of him.

Get off him!

Get away!

Daddy!

String him up! Put him on the chair!

Daddy!

They're calling for you on the street.

Are you really gonna do it?

What if you get killed?

Then l won't be around to answer

any more of your dumb questions.

-Hey, miss?

-What?

You can do it.

Lady, come on out!

-Come on out!

-Go on, go on.

There's a click before the strike.

Listen to the clock.

Yeah, lady.

Shut up!

You better win.

I got money on you.

-You shoot, you die.

-Easy, muchacho!

Last fight of the day!

You may fire at the first chime

of the clock.

You're gonna die now, girl.

You're dead meat.

Look at you. You're scared.

You're trembling like a leaf.

There's a click before the strike.

Listen to the clock.

Lady's the winner!

-Damn!

-Hey, come back here.

Quick firing resumes

tomorrow at noon.

I--

-l think you're great.

-Grow up.

Thanks.

Thirsty?

Didn't need to go to

that trouble just for me.

I didn't.

Last night, the Kid.

Tonight, Herod.

You're a busy woman.

-Any man here you're not interested in?

-Yeah. You.

You're looking at me

and you're thinking...

...we have nothing in common,

but we do.

We're both winners.

How do you feel after surviving

your first day?

-Same as yesterday.

-No. Your eyes are shining.

You passed a test. You feel alive.

I guess it doesn't excite me

as much as it does you.

You think I do this contest

because it's fun?

Look at this town.

It's full of people

who'd kill you for your bootlaces.

At least this way,

I get to face my enemies.

They can't sneak up

and shoot me in the back.

And of course, I always win.

Maybe one day your luck will run out.

I don't win because I'm lucky.

-So why'd you come here tonight?

-You invited me.

You could have turned me down.

I wanted to see

what kind of man you are.

What kind of man am I?

The kind people hate.

I'm not trying to be popular.

The people in this town, they need me.

I bring a sense of order to their lives.

Not law, order.

Like hanging a preacher

in the saloon?

He's no preacher.

He's a fraud.

If a man is a killer, then that's

what he is. There's no dishonour.

But don't let that same man

suddenly tell me...

...that it's not in his blood anymore.

-That's worse than a liar.

-Why does he upset you so much?

I find myself almost uncontrollably

attracted to you.

I hope you don't mind

my saying that.

I would think a man like you

would have a woman.

I was married to a beautiful woman.

She was unfaithful.

-Where is she now?

-l told you.

She was unfaithful.

Why are you really here?

You're no gunfighter.

Like l said, for the money.

I could give you more money

than you could ever spend.

I wouldn't feel like I'd earned it.

Oh, yes, you would.

Did you ever kill anyone?

Sure.

I don't think you have.

You see, it all comes down

to one thing:

How far are you prepared to go?

All the way.

My father was a judge.

That surprises you.

He used to make my mother and me

watch people being hanged...

...for our improvement.

One day he said

there was too much bad in this world.

He took a bullet,

put it in his gun...

...spun the chamber...

...and then took it in turns,

clicking it at each of us...

...until he finally blew

the back of his head off...

...with the final click.

Understand this:

There is nothing on this earth

that frightens me now.

-Nothing.

-l have to go.

I shouldn't have come here.

Who are you?

Let me go.

I apologise

for my undignified behaviour...

...but sometimes it's hard

to get a drink around here.

I was only a kid

when l hitched up with Herod.

He singled me out because I was...

...a little smarter,

a little faster than most.

First completely fearless man l met and

he wanted me to be the same as him.

We used to go revenue collecting

along the border, the two of us...

...like some families go on picnics.

We were down in Nogales,

taking the bank...

...and walked out to a street of federal

soldiers and got shot up so bad....

This padre hid us in his mission...

...tended our wounds, fed us...

...talked to us both for hours.

When we were strong enough

to head home...

...Herod told me to shoot him.

When I said no...

...he put a gun to the back of my head...

...and started to count down

from 1 0.

So l killed the priest.

It doesn't matter what l do now.

I'm already damned, I know that.

Don't go down that road.

You don't have to become like me.

Why did you call me up here?

Well, l wanted to ask you

one simple question.

Who brought you here to fight me?

Mr. Herod.

I'm just a gentleman adventurer...

...moseying into town

for the challenge of a gunfight.

I thought Ace Hanlon

was the hired gun.

I was so sure of it.

But he was just a buffoon.

You're not.

My name is Clay Cantrell,

and I'm a shootist.

I've killed 1 7 men.

Killing is purely

a business proposition for me.

Doesn't give me any pleasure.

My employer's confidential.

Now...

...do we have business together today?

As soon as the rain stops,

I'm gonna make an example of you.

So then he said, "Give me the gun."

So, what could I do?

I gave it to him.

-Like hell, I did.

-You shot him?

Yep. That's the story

of Flatnose Freddy...

...who currently resides

six feet under.

Oh, man.

It was a big thing for you

to enter the contest.

You made your point.

Now I want you to step down.

No disgrace.

I'll only step down

when you step down.

I'm telling you to step down.

Your time will come.

Not with you still around.

Don't ever cross me.

And don't try to stare me down

like you're doing now.

I'm not sick or old.

And you're not half the man I am.

Get out of here.

Round two!

Four fights today, featuring

the eight remaining contestants.

The winner is the contestant

left standing.

Left alive.

Left alive!

From now on, we fight to the death.

Well, well. What a surprise, John.

You changing the rules.

Any problem with that?

Well...

...l was planning

to kill you anyway.

Gentlemen, the street is yours.

I'm confused.

All I hear from you,

you spineless cowards...

...is how poor you are,

how you can't afford my taxes.

My protection.

And yet somehow, you've all managed

to find the money...

...to hire a professional gunfighter

to kill me.

Where's all this money coming from?

What am I to think?

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