The Sunset Limited Page #8

---

from around your

brother's throat,

you could have

life everlasting?

There's no such thing.

Everybody dies.

That ain't what he said.

He said you could have

life everlasting,

have it now, today,

hold it in your hands,

see it.

It gives off a light,

got a little weight to it...

not much.

Warm to the touch

just a little...

Life, and it's forever.

And you can have it

now, today.

But you don't want it.

You don't want it

'cause to get it

you got to let your

brother off the hook.

You got to actually take him

in your arms and hold him

and don't matter what color

he is or what he smells like

or even if he don't

want to be held.

And you won't do it

'cause you don't think

he deserves it.

And about that

there ain't no argument.

He don't.

You won't do it

'cause it ain't just.

Ain't that so?

Ain't it?

I don't think in those terms.

Just answer

the question, professor.

I don't believe

in that sort of thing.

I know you don't.

Just answer the question.

There may be some truth

in what you say.

That's all I'm going to get?

Yes.

All right, all right.

I'll take it.

Some is a lot.

We down to breadcrumbs here.

I really have to go home.

No no no, just stay,

just a little.

We can talk about

something else.

You like baseball?

Tell you what...

Why don't I fix us something to eat?

- I'm not hungry.

- How about some coffee?

All right.

But then I really have to go.

All right.

The man says all right.

You know, ordinarily

I wouldn't be this rude...

A man come in my house,

sit at my table

and me not offering nothing.

But with you

I got to strategize,

play the cards right,

keep you from slipping

off into the night.

It's not night.

Depends on what kind of

night you're talking about.

Let me ask you a kind of

personal question.

This will be good.

What you think

is wrong with you

that you finally narrowed all your

choices down to the Sunset Limited?

I don't think there's

anything wrong with me.

I think I've just been driven

to finally face the truth.

If I'm different it

doesn't mean I'm crazy.

- Different?

- Yeah.

- Different from who?

- Anybody.

What about all them other folk out

there trying to off themself?

- What about 'em?

- Well, maybe them's the folk you is like.

Maybe they're your natural kin, only

y'all don't get together all that much.

- I don't think so.

- Don't think so?

No, I've been in group

therapy with those people.

I've never found anyone there

that I felt any kinship with.

Hmm, what about all them professors?

There ain't no kinship there?

- Good God.

- I'll take that as a no.

I loathe them

and they loathe me.

Well, just 'cause

you don't like 'em

don't mean you ain't like 'em.

And what's that word "loathe"?

- Loathe.

- That a pretty powerful word, ain't it?

Not powerful enough,

I'm afraid.

How come you be loathing

these other professors?

- I know what you're thinking.

- What am I thinking?

You're thinking that I loathe

them because I'm like them,

and I loathe myself.

Let me ask you this...

Is you on any kind

of medication?

- No.

- There ain't no medication

for pilgrims out there

waiting to take the Limited?

- For suicidal depression?

- Yeah.

- Yeah, there is. I've tried them.

- And what happened?

- Nothing happened.

- You ain't get no relief?

- No. Your coffee's percolated.

- Yeah, I know.

Does these drugs work

for other people?

Yes, for most.

- But not for you?

- Not for me, no.

Hmm, what you make of that?

I don't know.

What am I supposed to make of it?

I don't know, professor.

I'm just trying to see

if we can find you some

constituents out here.

- Constituents?

- Yeah, you like that?

Is that a word they

use on the streets?

No, I learned that word

in the jailhouse.

You hear things from

these jailhouse lawyers

and then it gets used around.

Be talking about

your constituents,

some other cat's constituents,

your wife's constituents.

You take cream and sugar?

No, just black.

Just black.

Why do I have to

have constituents?

I ain't saying

you got to, professor.

I'm just wondering

if maybe you do

and we just ain't looked

hard enough for them.

They could be out there.

There could be some other

drug-proof terminal commuters out

there could be your friends.

- Terminal commuters?

- Mm-hmm, you like the sound of that?

It's all right.

Nobody?

- Nobody, no.

- Hmm.

I'm not a member.

Never wanted to be and never was.

- Not a member?

- No.

Look, I could eat a bite.

And I think you could too.

You break bread with a man,

you've moved on to another

level of friendship.

I heard that's true

the world over.

Probably.

Probably?

I like probably.

Probably from you is worth

a couple of damn rights

anywhere else.

Why? Because I don't

believe in anything?

Well, I don't think

that's the problem.

I think it's what

you do believe

that's carrying you off,

not what you don't.

Let me ask you this.

Go ahead.

You ever think about Jesus?

Here we go.

Well, do you?

What makes you think I'm not Jewish?

What, Jews ain't allowed

to think about Jesus?

No, but they might think

about him differently.

Oh.

Is you Jewish?

No, as it happens I'm not.

Had me going there

for a minute.

What, you don't like Jews?

I'm just pulling

your chain, professor,

just pulling your chain.

I don't know why

I like to mess with you,

but I do.

Now you need to listen

or you need to believe

what you're hearing,

'cause the point

of where this is going...

which you wanted to know...

is that there ain't no Jews,

there ain't no whites,

there ain't no n*ggers...

people of color.

There ain't

none of that.

At the deep bottom of the mine

where the gold is at,

there ain't none of that.

There's just the pure ore,

that forever thing

that you don't think is there,

that thing that keeps people

nailed down to the platform

when the Sunset Limited

is coming through,

even if they think

they want to get aboard,

Rate this script:4.0 / 2 votes