Torrid Zone Page #4

Have you seen her?

If I had, do you think

I'd turn her over to you?

I'd keep her for myself.

Mr. Butler, other days,

I might laugh at bad jokes, but tonight, no.

"Keep her for myself."

Step into my office?

Thanks.

Glad you stopped in.

I was getting lonesome.

- We had a date, didn't we?

- You want that drink?

I need it.

I think I just broke the world's record

for the 100-yard dash.

How'd you get off the boat?

Baggage gangplank.

Was it that easy?

Well, Daniels got a little tough about it.

I had to trip him, sort of.

I hope you stepped on his face

just once for me.

Say, why are you breaking your neck

to stay in this sweatbox?

What's the matter with the States?

Nothing's the matter with them.

Just got tired starving there.

I thought I might try it somewhere else.

Any objection if I use your powder room?

No, help yourself.

You haven't gained anything

by jumping the ship.

- They're gonna nail you anyway.

- That's all right.

The next boat's going my way.

Panama, Rio, Buenos Aires.

All I have to do is duck Case

and his boys until it sails...

...and get pinched just in time

to be thrown aboard.

Well, everyone to his own taste.

Personally, I'll take Chicago.

Well, I just figured maybe redheads

were more of a novelty down this way.

Hey, if you're in such a rush to get

back home, why'd you hop off the boat?

Oh, I can always slow up

for enough dough.

Two weeks, 1000 bucks,

then I'm off in a shower of banana oil.

Staying in town?

Tonight. Going to the plantation

in the morning.

Any chance of me going?

No. I'd like to take you along, honey,

but the plantation's no place for a woman.

It's pretty bad down there, you know.

The heat, the dirt, the food's no good.

Be much better off in jail.

I'll speak to Case personally

and you'll be treated all right.

- I'll tell him I'm an old friend of yours.

- How old?

Old enough to know you well enough.

Oh, pardon me, wrong room.

Nick. Well, this is like old times.

I smell a drink.

- I smell two drinks.

- You smell.

- Nick and I always used to room together...

- Used to, used to.

That's no way to treat an old friend.

Come, have a drink.

Madame, I thank you.

You know,

Nick's manners always were a bit trivial.

And it's a pleasure to meet a real lady.

- Hey, ain't you...

- No, she isn't. Go, take the bottle with you.

- I never drink alone.

- You'll find somebody in the lobby.

- But it's so much homier up here.

- Go on. We're talking business.

Oh, I get it, I get it.

A house don't have to fall on me.

No, but it might help.

I don't treat my friends that way.

Well, that's good to know.

Now, let's see, where were we? Oh, yes.

I was standing right about here

and you were there.

And if I remember rightly,

my right hand was there and we were so.

Seor, I have the netting.

They're always closed for repair

and they're detouring through here.

Well, thanks very much for the netting.

I hope you didn't disturb the bride.

- Seor...

- It's a woman.

Well, thanks for the netting.

But, seor, the police.

Forget you ever saw her, huh?

- Who, seor?

- That's the idea.

- How's chances of getting a bite to eat?

- In this joint? You'll get ptomaine.

So sorry, seor,

but tonight we're not serving ptomaine.

Seorita, we have ready a beautiful dinner,

from soup to nuts, also some meat.

If that's that blue-plate special,

shoot it up here.

And take Pinocchio with you.

Oh, I give up.

Oh, cheer up. You're a big boy now.

Hey, that's a good-looking ring.

Yeah. It's gonna be pretty hard to digest.

By tomorrow, I'll be willing to trade it

for a loaf of bread.

I used to have one like that.

I lost it in a brawl to a guy named Rosario.

I'll tell you what I'll do.

I'll cut you cards for it.

- I win, the ring is mine. I lose, 20 bucks.

- lf you want it, you can have it.

Oh, if I wanna cut you cards for it,

who are you to argue?

Okay.

Help yourself.

Red lady.

A black gent.

Let's double it.

Forty against 20 and the ring.

Now, wait, haven't you heard

about throwing good money after bad?

My money is up. How about yours?

- Well?

- They're all yours.

Got you this time.

Well, well, shot the gent

right through the heart with a pink bullet.

Well...

- Rebuilding the house?

- I'm completed.

Well, what are you waiting for,

a laurel wreath?

Well, cleans me out.

Three hundred bucks. Here.

You might need that for tips or something.

Oh, you keep it, you won it.

I've never seen such luck.

Lucky at cards, unlucky in love.

Well, it might work the other way,

do you suppose?

I've got about as much privacy here

as I'd have in the Grand Central Station.

- Who's there?

- Chief of police.

This is where I came in.

Come in.

- What do you want?

- The girl, Seorita Donley.

What girl? I haven't seen any girl.

But I see her, right here in this room.

After this, when you see things, make sure

that you are right before you are wrong.

Seor, if you do see the girl,

please call me.

- No jokes, please.

- Why don't you leave her alone?

Is that all you guys do,

chase a girl around?

- But, seor, she's a card cheat.

- What's that got...?

- Did you say card cheat?

- Si, seor.

This time, she will not be deported.

She will be shot.

Here we are, seor. From soup to nuts.

What's the idea? It's 5:10.

What are you waiting for, a brass band?

Get that train moving.

Hold it, hold it, hold it.

- Where's my 1000 bucks?

- Got a train with a head of steam up...

...wasting company coal,

and you're squawking about $ 1000?

- The company's good for it.

- It is, but you aren't.

Nick, what would you do with

$ 1000 on a plantation?

You'd blow it in a game.

The dough is safer with me.

Will you let me worry

about that, huh, will you?

Now, look, Nick, I didn't have a chance

to get to the bank, see.

There's 100 bucks on account.

I'll send you the rest

in a couple of days, all right?

Okay, get that train going.

Giving you just two days. No more, no less.

If that dough isn't there, I'll be back.

All you've got to worry about is bananas.

Hurricane destroyed the crop.

Prices are gonna by sky-high, extra ships

will be put in here. Get that fruit moving.

I still say get that dough, Fagin,

do you hear?

I never thought

I'd see this banana garden again.

Well, for the dough you're getting,

I could look at it the rest of my life.

- Hey, Charlie. Take Mr. Butler's bags.

- Si, seor.

- Hello, Shaffer.

- Nick. I thought you kissed this joint off.

- Yeah, so did I. Where are the men?

- We're short-handed.

- Twenty took a run-out powder this morning.

- Rosario?

- Yeah. And things aren't gonna be better.

- They will be.

I'll take some of the men

out of the groves and have them help load.

- Where's Anderson?

- House, I guess.

I'll see you later.

I suppose Anderson is roughing it

in a hammock.

I don't think so.

I broke the last one Tuesday.

- How long did it take us to get down here?

- Six hours and 31 minutes.

Hey, that's what I thought. You know...

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