The Sunset Limited Page #3

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when the Sunset Limited is

coming through at 80mph?

- Good question.

- I thought so.

I don't have an answer

to any of that either.

Maybe it's not logical.

I don't know. I don't care.

I've been asked,

didn't I think it odd

that I should be around to

witness the death of everything?

I do think it's odd.

But that doesn't mean

it isn't so.

Somebody has to be here.

But you don't intend

to hang around for it?

No, I don't.

Let me see if I got

this straight.

You're saying that

all this culture stuff

is the only thing between

you and the Sunset Limited.

- It's a lot.

- But it busted out on you.

Yes.

You're a culture junkie.

Maybe you're right.

Maybe I have no beliefs.

I believe

in the Sunset Limited.

Damn, professor.

Damn indeed.

No beliefs?

The things I believed in

no longer exist.

It's foolish

to pretend they do.

Western civilization

finally went up in smoke

in the chimneys of Dachau,

and I was too infatuated

to see it.

I see it now.

Hoo!

You're a challenge,

professor, you know that?

Well, there's no reason for you

to become involved

in my problems.

I should go.

- Have you got any friends?

- No.

- Come on, professor, not one?

- Not really, no.

- Tell me about that one.

- What one?

- The "not really" one.

- I have a friend at the university...

Not a close friend.

We have lunch from time to time.

But that's about as good as it gets?

Yes.

What'd you do to him?

- What'd I do to him?

- Yeah.

I didn't do anything to him.

What makes you think

I did something to him?

I don't know.

Did you?

No.

What is it you think

I did to him?

I don't know.

I want you to tell me.

There's nothing to tell.

You didn't leave him

a note or nothing

- to tell him you've taken the train?

- No.

- Your best friend?

- He's not my best friend.

I thought we just got

done deciding he was.

You just got done

deciding he...

Did you ever tell him

you was thinking about this?

- No. Why should I?

- 'Cause he's your best friend.

He's... I told you,

we're not all that close.

- You're not all that close?

- No.

He's your best friend,

only you ain't all that close?

If you'd like.

Not the way you'd want to

bother him with a little thing

like suicide?

Look,

suppose I were

to give you my word

that I would just go home

and I wouldn't try

to kill myself en route.

Suppose I was

to give you my word

that I wouldn't listen

to none of your bullshit.

So what am I, a prisoner here?

You know better than that.

You was a prisoner

before you got here...

A death row prisoner.

What did your daddy do?

What?

I said what did

your daddy do...

What kind of work?

He was a lawyer.

- A lawyer?

- Yeah.

What kind of law did he do?

He was a government lawyer.

He didn't do criminal law or anything like that.

What would be a thing

like criminal law?

I don't know.

Divorce law maybe.

Mm-hmm.

Maybe you got a point.

What'd he die of?

Who said he was dead?

- Is he dead?

- Yes.

What did he die of?

Cancer.

Cancer. So he was

sick for a while?

Yes, he was.

- Did you go see him?

- No.

- How come?

- I didn't want to.

How come you didn't want to?

I don't know.

I just didn't.

Maybe I didn't want to

remember him that way.

Mm, bullshit.

Did he ask you to come?

No.

- But your mama did.

- She may have. I don't remember.

Come on, professor.

You know she asked you to come.

Okay, yes.

- What did you tell her?

- I said I would.

- But you didn't?

- No.

- How come?

- He died.

No no, that ain't it.

You had time to go see him,

but you didn't do it.

I suppose.

You waited till he was dead.

Okay,

so I didn't go see my father.

Your father is laying on his

deathbed dying of cancer.

Your mama's sitting there

with him, holding his hand.

He's in all kind of pain.

They ask you to come see him

one last time before he died.

And you tell them,

"No, I ain't coming."

Please tell me I got

some part of this wrong.

If that's the way

you want to put it.

- Well, how would you put it?

- I don't know.

Well, that's the way

it is then, ain't it?

- I suppose.

- No, ain't no suppose.

- Is it or ain't it?

- Yes.

Whoo!

Let me see if I can find

my train schedule,

see when that next

uptown express is due.

I'm not sure I see the humor.

I'm glad to hear you

say that, professor,

'cause I ain't sure either.

I get more amazed

by the minute.

How come you can't

see yourself, honey?

You're clear as glass.

I can see the wheels in

there turning, the gears.

I can see light too...

good light,

true light.

Can't you see it?

No, I can't.

Well, bless you, brother.

Bless and keep you,

'cause it's there.

When were you

in the penitentiary?

- A long time ago.

- What were you in for?

- Murder.

- Really?

Now who would claim

to be a murderer

that wasn't one?

You called it the jailhouse.

Yeah.

Do most black people

call the penitentiary

the jailhouse?

No, just us

old country n*ggers.

We make a point to call

things what they is.

I'd hate to think how many names there is

for the jailhouse.

I'd hate to have

to count them.

Do you have a lot

of jailhouse stories?

- Jailhouse stories?

- Yeah.

I don't know.

I used to tell

jailhouse stories,

but they kind of

lost their charm.

Why don't we talk

about something

that's a little more cheerful?

You ever been married?

Married?

- Yeah.

- Oh man.

What?

Oh...

Maybe we ought to take another

look at them jailhouse stories.

Oh my.

Hoo!

Do you have any children?

No, professor.

I ain't got nobody.

Everybody in my family's dead.

I had two boys, but they

died a long time ago.

Just about everybody I ever

knowed has died, for that matter.

You ought to think about that.

I might be a hazard

to your health.

Were you always

in a lot of trouble?

Yeah, I was.

I liked it.

I think I still do.

I done seven years hard time.

Could have done a lot more.

Hurt a lot of people.

I used to smack 'em around,

and they wouldn't get up no more.

- But you don't get in trouble now?

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