The World Made Straight

---

I've carried that phrase

in my head for years now.

I can't remember where it comes

from, but I know what it means here.

It's a sense of

being closed in.

Human limitation.

It's different

from the Midwest,

where possibility sprawls bright

and endless in every direction.

People in the Himalayas,

the Andes,

do they live in

the passive voice, too?

Like their lives aren't real?

Their memories, fixed,

immutable.

...That'll be $1.57.

I can take one of 'em off,

if you want?

All right,

don't worry about it.

Hey.

- Shut up.

All right.

You have a good day now.

Travis?

What just happened here?

Did you let somebody walk

out of here without paying?

You can't quit!

You're fired!

If you come back,

I'll have you turned in.

Leave it.

Where have you been?

I called your place.

You know my dad.

It don't matter.

Hey.

You ain't gonna believe what I

got in the back of this here truck.

What?

Holy sh*t!

Just f***in' found 'em while

I was fishing at the river.

Well, what are you

gonna do with it?

Sell 'em, I guess,

if I can figure out who to.

Leonard Shuler will take 'em.

- You reckon?

- Yeah.

Yeah, he'll give you

good money for these.

- Why? He don't know me.

- Well, he knows me.

...Sh*t!

Aw, don't mind them.

They're all noise.

He always carry that?

Hell, yeah.

You know, he used to be a teacher up

north, but they kicked his ass out.

The way I heard it

is that he shot some fellow.

Hey, Leonard.

Shank. Who's this?

This here is Travis Shelton.

He's a buddy of mine.

Shelton? You from the Laurel?

No.

My daddy grew up there.

Well, if it's weed you're

after, you're out of luck.

I only got three dime bags at present

and I won't have more till Monday.

Well, looks like

we've come at the right time.

Let's show him.

- Where'd you get these?

- Found them.

Figure finders keepers?

Looks like you dragged them

through a Haybine.

Aw, there's plenty

of buds left.

Really, come on. How much

will you give me for 'em?

Forty bucks.

Nah. Give me $50.

All right.

Put 'em over

there in the weeds.

On my tomatoes.

I was thinking that maybe you might

sweeten the deal. How 'bout a beer?

Beer is in the icebox.

Help yourself.

Hey.

Hey, show him the pistol.

So that is some real Dirty

Harry sh*t right there.

Leonard here is

a hell of a shot.

He can hit

a chigger's ass at 200 feet.

Why don't you let Travis hold

that sweetheart for a second?

I don't think so.

What's that?

That's a

metal detector.

A guy wanted some dope, came up

short and used it as collateral.

I use it to find

Civil War relics.

What are we

listenin' to?

Appalachian Spring

by Copland.

I've never

heard of him.

He used to open for Skynyrd.

Well, they

sound like sh*t.

- No, it doesn't.

- It does to me.

Well, that's probably because you fail

to empathize with his view of the region.

Y'all got

a bathroom in this palace?

I'm just f***ing

with you, Shank.

I know.

Take your foot

off my coffee table.

"December 21st, 1859.

"Naomi Luis, age 22.

"Complaint, sore eyes.

"Diagnosis, optical inflammation

due to handling mistletoe.

"Treatment, wash made of infusion

of goldenseal root in cold water.

"Use twice daily.

"Fee,

"$1 and a quarter. Paid cash. "

What do you want?

Come here for a show,

is that it?

No.

No?

What's the matter?

You don't like what you see?

Leonard?

All right, boys.

How 'bout

one more for the road?

No.

So I take it you've never

been up to Shelton Laurel.

Just family

reunions when I was a kid.

Did your daddy ever mention

anything about Bloody Madison to you?

No. What's that?

It's the name this county

went by during the war.

Yeah, you know, I think my

uncle said something once.

That some little

kid got killed there

- during the war.

- Killed by who?

Sh*t, I don't know.

Yankees, I guess.

You never asked.

You make it sound

like I'm ignorant.

Maybe a little.

Take that shirt

you're wearing.

You know if you'd worn that around here in

the 1860s, it would have gotten you killed,

most likely by your own kin.

My people weren't Yankees.

They didn't see any reason

to side with the slave owners.

So, what are you saying?

They were on neither side.

They had a side.

Couldn't just sit it out, not up

here. Nobody could just sit it out.

In most places,

battle would come, move on.

War came to

Madison and stayed.

Hey, we goin' or what?

Hey. We'll f***ing get

you some more plants.

I wouldn't advise that.

A smart man would

quit when he was ahead.

Well, didn't you just

tell me I was ignorant.

Travis!

You little sh*t.

Get your ass out of bed.

Now!

Sh*t.

Come on.

- All right. Now try it.

I got nothing.

Hey, we still got

kin in Shelton Laurel?

Yeah. Yeah. Why?

I'm just wondering.

Yeah. A few. I ain't seen

'em in years. Come on.

Well,

how come we never go visit?

And say what?

All right. Turn it over.

Well?

Well, what?

Now what do you want me to do?

How about you start by telling me

what went down in that job of yours?

What? You think I

didn't know about that?

Look, Travis, I don't care much

about what you do or where you go,

but I sure in hell mind when you make me

look like trash in front of this community.

Don't you walk away from me.

I can't figure you out.

It's like you got too much

damn pride to work a day,

a day, like regular folks.

Stocking shelves, stocking shelves,

that's way, way beneath you, isn't it?

When was the last

time you had a damn job?

Harvey, stop!

That's enough. That's enough.

Travis.

Pick that sh*t up,

will you?

What the hell

does it look like I'm doin'?

Call Dooley.

Tell him we're gonna

be delivering Saturday.

Well, well,

look at this.

I'll be damned.

Near about

cut off, looks like.

We can take him down there

and stick him in the river,

maybe he's fallen,

drowned himself.

Another one.

Even Sheriff Spence...

All right.

This ain't

gonna hurt much.

Give him some water.

God.

You is lucky.

Didn't tear any ligaments up.

Barely grazed the bone.

Don't get infected,

you'll be fine.

What did you do?

Just shaved a little

skin off of your leg.

Can't even

tell it's a trap now.

Looks like you just

slipped and skinned it up.

Who's your people?

My daddy's

Harvey Shelton.

Is that right?

I would've

figured you to be stouter.

You must favor your ma.

I'll need to get to a doctor.

In time.

Stick him down there in the

river before it's too late.

- We ain't doin' that,

so shut up about it. Sh*t.

Now, the sooner me and

you get a few things clear,

the quicker you get to

a doctor, you understand?

Yes, sir.

All right.

Anybody asks,

you slipped

climbing up the gorge.

Slipped...

You never saw no crop,

you was never on my land,

damn sure never saw me.

- Got it?

- Yes, sir.

He ain't gonna do it.

Soon as he gets to that

hospital, he'll be testifying...

No, I won't. I won't, I won't.

I swear to you, Mr. Toomey.

Mr. Toomey,

please, I swear to you.

I swear to you,

I won't say nothing, I swear.

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