The Tarnished Angels Page #4

What now? Out to the field, and...

pass along the news?

No.

Not for a. While yet.

What's the point?

You want Roger to squirm?

Yes. As I've squirmed.

Let him believe I went to Matt Ord.

How will he live with himself?

Roger'll make out, as

long as he has a plane.

He won't have one tomorrow...

if Matt Ord finds out

I've been canned.

You were fired? Why?

For believing you were a

strange, beautiful...

unearthly creature

from a faraway planet.

I am sorry.

Think nothing of it.

It's a habit with me.

In Atlanta, I got fired for writing a

yarn about a Confederate war veteran

who said Grant could lick Lee every

day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Just a case of 90-proof fiction.

What made you become

a newspaperman?

A newsreel.

Of war correspondent,

Richard Harding Davis,

interviewing French

generals at the front.

That was my vision, just as a

Liberty Bond poster was yours.

In the last hour, my

vision's become blurred.

In what way?

I kept wishing I hadn't let you

talk me out of going to Matt Ord.

- Are you drunk?

- Huh!

Drunk?

The party's next door.

And that's the way

it's always been.

Next door.

Maybe if I had gone to him,

I would have felt free...

to walk out on Roger.

I thought I knew you.

You do know me. You know

me better than my husband.

- You'd better go easy on this wine.

- No.

I... I've gotta talk.

I want to.

Tomorrow night the show moves on,

and heaven knows when I'll

be able to talk to anyone

like I'm talking to you now.

A few more drinks, and... I'd tell

you how much I'm gonna miss you.

Tell me. Please tell me.

I've forgotten how it

feels to be missed.

(RAUCOUS LAUGHTER)

(LAUGHTER CONTINUES)

(FAIRGROUND MUSIC PLAYS)

This Ok?

- Crummy.

- Can you use it?

Rog, if you wanna end it all,

you take that wire there and hang

yourself with it. It'd be quicker.

Cut the comedy and get to work!

Here. Have a cigar.

Keep it. I feel green enough.

- What time is it?

- Ten to one.

- I'm getting nowhere.

- Anything I can do?

Yeah.

Just stand by and admire me like I

admire you when you're up there.

That's fine. Just get me up

there tomorrow afternoon.

What's keeping her?

Pretty stupid question, isn't it?

- Shut up!

- You're not worried about Laverne!

You're scared that Matt Ord will

welsh on his end of the bargain.

- Shut up!

- Come on! Try again!

Three balls for a nickel! Come on!

Hit the lunkhead between the eyes!

- No. I'm the lunkhead.

- Yeah, you can say that again.

The more I think of you

treating Laverne this way,

the more I want to kill you.

She's back.

- You all right?

- Uh-huh.

- How's it coming?

- Fine. Just fine.

Yeah, it's a great engine.

Comes apart like nothing.

- Will it be all right?

- Don't worry.

Probably wind up throwing

these parts into a junk heap.

- Jiggs, I'm serious.

- I'm doing the best I can. I...

- Sound like a surgeon, don't I?

- We'll make it.

- My taxi's waiting.

- Where are you going?

Back to the flat.

- Are you sure you're all right?

- Mm-hm.

- See you in the morning.

- Yeah.

Jiggs,

you...

you will give it your

best, won't you?

You know me.

Well, aren't you

going back with her?

Uh, no. I... I'm sticking around.

I want to sit back and watch you

breathe life into this fallen sparrow.

We'll be all night and all morning.

Oh, I've got more

time than you have.

- What kind is it?

- Turkey, trying to pass for chicken.

That's what we've got on our hands... a

Turkey, trying to pass for an airplane.

How long was...

Laverne at the hotel?

She got back to the flat about...

a half-hour ago.

How'd she look?

You mean, how did

she take Matt Ord?

Yeah.

She looked no worse than she did

after her last parachute jump.

Don't let her fool you.

I didn't think you cared.

- What do you know about me?

- You?

Flying around the pylons, you

may have the look of eagles,

but down here you're a

pitiful, blind man.

Blind to a girl and a little boy who

worship the ground you walk on.

A blind man isn't blind.

You lost me.

Let me put it this way.

My first love was airplanes.

My flirtations were with death.

Then Laverne came along.

Her love was something I

didn't know how to accept,

something I'd no right to.

Every time I'd come close to cracking

up, I'd think about sending her away,

for her good.

And I'd think,

"God, how I'd miss her,"

"how much a part of me she is."

Then you are in love with her.

(GULLS SQUALLING)

Well, you're up with the birds.

I called the paper. I was told

you don't work there anymore.

- That's a running gag around the office.

- I didn't laugh.

It's just a routine

for bill collectors.

Well, how's it coming?

You losing sleep over us?

- Early-morning jitters.

- I'm rooting for you.

Root from the grandstand. I can't

stomach you before breakfast.

Hey! Now, look, it's my ship!

Get out of here before I throw

it back to you piece by piece!

All right, all right.

- That dirty, drooling...

- What d'you expect?

You made the bargain.

- Look, Matt...

- Go on back and tell him it's all off!

And I thought you were a

cool-headed businessman.

What did I say to him?

Didn't I walk in with a

smile and a glad hand?

I'm always saying or doing

the wrong thing around him.

Maybe I envy him too much.

He's not like you or me, so

don't waste envy on him.

He's not all hero.

He's also a poor son of a gun,

and he deserves our pity.

(CAROUSEL PLAYS "DIXIE")

How much longer?

You can't rush it. It's

not a vacuum cleaner.

- Anything more I can do?

- Mm-hm.

Yeah, you can pray that this

thing never gets off the ground.

- How does she feel, Jack?

- Ok, Dad.

- Wanna take her up?

- Could I?

Here. You can have five rides

on the airplane carousel.

Gee, thanks.

Is it all right if I

buy some ice cream?

Sure.

Over there.

- If Matt has loused us up...

- You won't win any prizes

for flying off the handle.

You about set?

- How much time we got?

- Fineman's here.

Hm?

Hello, Colonel. You're

looking good today.

Well, if I do, it's because

worrying agrees with me.

- You know everyone. You know Laverne.

- Ms Shumann.

- Morning, Colonel.

- It's afternoon. Show starts in an hour.

- Sooner the better.

- You worked all night, I hear.

- That's right.

- Then you worked for nothing!

- The devil you say.

- Son, wasn't yesterday enough for you?

- Are you blaming me for that?

- No! But if something happens to you...

- What's wrong with this plane?

- ...then it will be my fault!

- This your lousy twist?

- Let the engine do the talking for you.

Let's go, Jiggs.

- Choke up.

- Choke's up.

- Choke in.

- Choke in.

- Contact.

- Contact.

Leave it up.

Ridiculous.

Colonel!

- Five minutes.

- Please!

That's all I'm asking for.

Five minutes!

All right, son.

Five minutes.

What's wrong?

- I don't know.

- I think you do.

You do! Please, Jiggs.

Why don't you ask me to put a

bullet through your thick head?

That would be easier.

Please.

All right. All right,

go kill yourself.

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