The Sunset Limited Page #11

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Very clever.

What's the point?

The light is all around you

but you don't see

nothing but shadow.

And you're the one causing it.

It's you.

You're the shadow.

That's the point.

Well, I don't have your faith.

Why don't we just

leave it at that?

You ain't never thought

about just starting over?

I did at one time.

I don't anymore.

Well, maybe faith

is just a case

of not having

nothing else left.

Well, I do have something else.

Well, why don't you just

keep that in reserve?

Just take a shot

at starting over.

I don't mean starting again.

Everybody's done that.

Over means over.

Just walk away.

I mean, if everything you are

and everything you have

and everything you done

has brought you at last to the

bottom of a whisky bottle

or bought you a one-way

ticket on the Sunset Limited,

you can't give me one good

reason on God's green earth

for salvaging none of it,

'cause there ain't none.

If you can bring yourself

to close the door

on all of that,

it will be cold

and it will be lonely

and there will be

a fierce wind blowing.

But you don't say nothing.

You just turn your collar up

and keep walking.

I can't.

I can't.

You want some more coffee?

No, thank you.

Why do you think it is

folks take their own life?

I don't know.

Different reasons.

Is there anything these different

reasons has got in common?

I can't speak for others.

My own reasons center around

a gradual loss

of make-believe,

a gradual enlightenment

as to the nature

of reality, of the world.

- Them worldly reasons.

- If you like.

- Them elegant reasons.

- That was your description.

You ain't disagreed

with it.

It's them reasons that your

brother don't know nothing about

hanging from his necktie from a

steampipe down in the basement.

He's got his own

dumbass reasons.

But if we could find a way

to educate him

to them more elegant reasons

and make them available

to him and his buddies,

then there'd be a lot

of folk out there

could off themselves with more joy

in their hearts. What you think?

Now I know

you're being facetious.

I think you're right.

I think you done finally drove me to it.

Mm-hmm.

Professor done gone

to laying mm-hmms on me.

I guess I'd better

watch my step.

You better had.

I might be warming up the trick bag.

You think your reasons

is about the world,

and his is mostly about him.

I think that's probably true.

I think I see a different truth

sitting across the table from me.

Which is?

That you must

love your brother or die.

I don't know what that means.

It's another world

from anything I know.

Well, well, tell me

how your world is.

You don't want to hear it.

- Sure I do.

- I don't think so.

Yeah, go ahead.

All right.

It's that the world is

basically a forced labor camp

from which the workers,

perfectly innocent,

are led forth by lottery,

a few each day,

to be executed.

I don't think that's

just the way I see it.

I think that's the way it is.

Are there alternative

views? Yes.

Will any of them

stand close scrutiny?

No.

So do you want to take a look

at that train schedule again?

If this ain't the life

you wanted, what was?

I don't know.

Not this.

Are you living the life

you had planned?

No, it ain't.

But I got what I needed

instead of what I wanted.

Sometimes that's the best

kind of luck to have.

Yeah, well...

You can't compare your life

to mine though, can you?

No, I can't.

( Chuckles

I just can't.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I should go.

- You don't have to go.

- I've offended you.

Look, my hide is

thicker than that.

Don't go.

You ain't hurt my feelings.

I know you think I should be thankful.

I'm sorry not to be.

- I don't think no such thing.

- I should go.

I'm digging a dry hole

here, ain't I?

I admire your persistence.

What can I do to get you

to just stay just a bit?

Why? Are you hoping that

if I stay long enough, God might talk to me?

No, I'm hoping

he'll speak to me.

I know you think I at least owe

you a little more of my time.

I know I'm ungrateful.

But ingratitude is not the sin

to a spiritual bankrupt

that it is to a man of God.

I don't think you owe me

nothing, professor.

- You really think that?

- Yeah, I do.

Well, you're very kind.

And I wish there was something I could do

to repay you, but there isn't.

So why don't we just say goodbye?

You can get on with your life.

Suppose...

Suppose I have to tell you

you could wake up tomorrow

and you wouldn't want to be

jumping in front of no train.

Suppose all you had to do was ask.

Would you do it?

That just depends on what

I would have to give up.

See, I started to write that

down on a piece of paper.

What is it you think

I'm holding on to?

I don't know!

What is it the terminal

commuter cherishes

- that he would die for?

- I don't know.

No no.

You don't.

You don't want to talk

to me no more, do you?

I thought you had a thick skin.

It is, but it ain't

hide to the bone.

Why do you think there is

something that I won't give up?

I don't know.

I think

any man anxious to get

run over by a train

has got to have

something on his mind.

I mean most of us

would just settle

for maybe a slap

upside the head.

You say you don't

care about nothing,

but I don't believe that.

I don't think death

is ever about nothing.

You asked me what I think

you're holding on to

and I got to say I don't know.

Or maybe I just don't

have the words to say it.

And maybe you know

but you just ain't telling.

What I believe is

that when you took

your celebrated leap,

you was taking it with you

and you was holding on to it,

holding on for grim death.

I'm just looking for

the words, professor.

I'm looking for the words

'cause I know the words

is just the way to your heart.

Well, I can't help you.

Letting it all go

is the place I finally got to.

It took a lot of work to get there.

And if there's one thing

I would be unwilling to give

up, it is exactly that.

Is there another way

you could say that?

The one thing I won't give up

is giving up.

I expect that

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