"In the beginning, the Knox river in Maine belonged to God, who leased it cheap to the Algonquians who took their stewardship of the land seriously until they were wiped out by rum... and war... and the clap" "and Christianity and other European diseases." "The new proprietors were white men who first used the river for logging." "Timber!" "Then for power, to manufacture textiles." "And, finally, as a toilet to flush their dyes and chemical wastes into the Atlantic." "The story was much the same on every river in New England where tanneries and textile mills sprang from the unoffending soil like noxious weeds." "The town that shot up along the banks of the Knox, midway between Canada and the Atlantic Ocean..." "Was no better and no worse than the rest." "Like the other mill towns along the Knox," "Empire Falls was built and populated by European immigrants with names like Robideaux and Minty and Daws and Comeau and Callahan and Roby." "Insomniacs of the world unite." " Morning, Horace." " Morning." "Guess I'm gonna have to start locking my car, aren't I?" "Hiya!" " How come you're hot-wiring my car, old man?" " Fella down in the Keys taught me." "I didn't ask how, Dad, I asked why." "I thought you was on vacation." "If I'd known you was back, I would have asked." "Where's your car?" "Went down to Callahans one night last week." "When I come out, it was gone." " Somebody stole that old beater?" " Not exactly." "I must've forgot to set the emergency brake." "Made it all the way to the river." "Get out of there." "Come on." "How am I supposed to get around with no wheels?" "Here, take the bus." "Dick." "Maybe the Robys and the Mintys and the Daws and Rodrigues built Empire Falls, but they didn't own it." "No." "The family that had ruled the town for more than a century was named Whiting." "The Whitings didn't own the whole town, just the parts worth owning." "The textile mill, the shirt factory and the paper mill upstream." "When these enterprises ceased to be profitable, they were sold to greedy multinational corporations that looted their machinery, converted their remaining assets to cash, leaving behind nothing but decaying, hollow shells inhabited by ghosts." " Bill!" "Hi." " Miles Roby." "Did you hear?" "CB's folly struck again while you were gone." " Everybody by the river's got a full basement." " And this isn't even flood season." "Some spring after a bad winter, this whole town is gonna be swept away." " It'd be a mercy, if you think about it." " I don't know about that." "CB's folly." "That'd be Charles Beaumont Whiting, who took it personally that every time it rained the Knox River deposited garbage, great mountains of it, right on CB's doorstep." "Was God laughing at him?" "If so, the Knox, and maybe God for that matter, needed a good straightening out." "More about that later." " Miles, how was your vacation?" " Over too soon." "Did you hear someone might be buying the mill?" "My restaurant's where all those rumours start, Lesley." " That'll be $63, please." " All right." "Miles, you've been summoned." "I was afraid of that." " Hello, Susan." " Hello." "She'll be with you in a minute." "Why are we having this conversation, Mr Sampson?" "We both know this proposal is a non-starter." "How about this?" "You..." "Ah, the storied Whiting males." "Tragic figures, some would say." "Though shrewd in business, every last one of them possessed an unerring knack for marrying the one woman in the world who would regard making them utterly miserable as her life's noble endeavour." "Charles Beaumont, the last of the Whiting males, imagined he could cheat destiny by avoiding the altar." "To this end, he decided to build himself a grand new house and live in it as a bachelor." "The perfect spot was called Robideaux's Neck which was owned, not coincidently, by some people named Robideaux who regarded it as worthless, unless you collected river trash." "Stunned to learn that CB Whiting wanted to purchase Robideaux's Neck, they quickly sold it to him at a fraction of the price he'd been prepared to offer." "At the closing, CB couldn't help noticing young Francine Robideaux, who, unlike the rest of her clan, had been to college where she'd learned, among other useful things, the subtle art of flirtation." "Only after they were wed did it occur to CB Whiting that he had forgotten his resolution to remain a bachelor." "He looked his new bride over carefully and tried to imagine the day when, like his father, grandfather and great-grandfather before him, he would want to bludgeon her with a shovel." "Being young, his imagination failed him." " Hello, dear boy." " Hello, Mrs Whiting." " It's a rogues' gallery, is it not?" " Yep." "They were all mad as hatters." "That one, old Elijah, once chased his wife around this very room with an axe." "Nice town." "Where is it?" "Oh." "Seeing you standing there gives me a good idea." "You should be the mayor." " Of the model?" " No, of the town." "Are you offering me the job?" " No, you overestimate my influence." " Do I?" "People are always confusing will with power." "Your mother was like that." " You wanted to see me." " I have a surprise for you, dear boy." "Come to the house on Tuesday and I'll show you." "It's time we had our 'State of the grill' meeting, anyway." " Say two o'clock?" " OK." "Incidentally, your father phoned me three times while you were away." " Asking for money, naturally." " I'll speak to him." " Please do." "He's a pain in the ass." " You're telling me." "Miles." "I didn't ask you." "How was your vacation?" "Short." "Wonderful, actually." "You return to Martha's Vineyard every summer, don't you?" "Did it ever occur to you to wonder why?" "I've got some college friends who have a house there." "It's the only vacation I can afford." "Didn't your mother tell me that she took you there once?" "When I was 10, yeah." "'And so we beat on, 'boats against the current," " 'borne back ceaselessly...' - '...into the past.'" " Yes." " Scott Fitzgerald." "I went to college." "So you did." "You return to Martha's Vineyard every summer, don't you?" "OK, this is an adventure, Miles." "Let's try to have fun, OK?" "It's important to Mommy." "When's Dad coming?" "You'll have to wait till he's out of jail." "You didn't know that, did you?" "That he's in jail." "That's a lie." "When I was a boy," "I thought God actually lived in the steeple." "Imagine God so close, just a couple of storeys up." "Talk me down, OK?" "OK, Miles, you're gonna be fine, just with your right foot." "Bring it down nice and easy, you've got about 12 inches." "Now you've got three, two." "Yeah, you feel it?" "There you go." "Now the next." "Bring your foot back in." " There you are." "All right, same thing." " OK, OK." "OK." "We agreed you weren't gonna paint any higher." "Yeah, we did, I guess, but every time I look up there, it's an accusation." " Then don't look up." " Fine advice for a man of the spirit to give." "Father Tom's making off with the cashbox again." "I know." "Don't worry, Miss Koss will fetch him." "Come back here, you old fart!" "Father Tom!" "Father Tom!" "Bring that back!" "Who says God has no sense of humour?" "Tick Roby!" "Oh!" "Just make way for Tick Roby, make way here." "Just keep walking." "Oh, she's got a horny new friend." "My God, Zack Minty is so hot." "I can't believe you broke up with him." "Loser." "Yo, it's Mr Mayer." "We're busted." "Let's go." "We're out of here." "You OK, John?" "Christina!" "Bye!" "I looked at your schedule." "The only way that you can take art is to have lunch during sixth period." " You'd be the only one in the cafeteria." " That's OK." "Actually, I prefer to eat alone." "Good." "On him." "You've got stuff in your beard, Dad, you know that?" "So what?" "You look like the village idiot." "Mrs Whiting says you've been calling her again." "Why shouldn't I?" "We're related, her and me." "The Robys and the Robideaux are the same family if you go back far enough." "You wish." "You should let me help you paint that church." "I was a housepainter for 40 years, you know." "You keep forgetting, I'm painting the church for free." " That don't mean you can't pay me." " Yeah, it does." "That's precisely what it means." "How can I get down to the Keys with no money?" "You managed when I was a kid." "You disappeared every winter." " That's where the money was." " How come we never saw any of it?" "If you paid me to paint that church, I wouldn't have to feel worthless." "Ain't no law that says old people got to feel worthless." "If you paid me, I might have some dignity." "The dignity ship sailed years ago, Dad." "Decades." " Trying to hurt my feelings, but you can't." " Any time you need an infusion of dignity, come down to the restaurant and wash dishes for a while." "That your idea of dignity?" "Cooped up in a back room, no windows, minimum wage, half of it goes to the government." "Now, I would let you hire me if you let me work the grill." "Ain't nothing to flipping burgers and I like to talk to people." "I'd have to run you through the Hobart first, wash some of that stuff out of your beard." "I may be 70, but I can climb like a monkey." "I don't get scared up on a ladder like a little girl." "It works both ways, Dad, you can't hurt my feelings either." "I gotta pee." "Hey, old buddy." "Hey!" " Hey, Jimmy." " Long time no see." " That your dad?" " Yeah." "Want a cup of coffee?" "No, no time." "I'm glad I ran into you, though." " I thought about you the other day." " How's that?" "I was in the old neighbourhood." "Spring Street." " Ever get over there?" " Not really." "Just as well." "Break your heart." "Drug neighbourhood now." "Every other house falling down." "I go to visit there every now and then." "Just sit there, across the street from my old man's place." "Yours next door." "Half expect to see your ma to come out on her porch." "She and my dad never got along too good, but I always liked her." " Awful way to go like she did." " Let's change the subject, OK?" "Sure." "Anyway, I was saying, sometimes I'll drive over there and just sit by the kerb and try to figure it all out." "All what out?" "Life, the way things turn out." "Some folks would think it's pretty weird, me ending up a cop." "Not me, Jimmy." "My old man is what I meant." "He had his run-ins with the law over the years." " It's probably why your ma had it in for him." " Yeah, sure." "I saw him beat one of them union organisers half to death outside the old shirt factory." "Course, old man Whiting put him up to it so..." "You know, gave him the nod." "And now here we are, 30 years later, both working for old Francine." "As a policeman, I thought you worked for the city." "Yeah?" "You tell me that woman and Empire Falls ain't the same thing." "OK, they're not the same thing." "Maybe." "Maybe not." "How's that cute little girl of yours?" "Good, good." "Happier than she's been in some time." "Wanna know a secret?" "I think my Zack's still sweet on her." "I told him at the time, he should've let her down gently." "Jimmy Minty!" "My God!" "What a stupid kid you were, growing up." " How the hell are you?" " Just fine." "How are you doing, Mr Roby?" "I don't think I can remember anybody as untalented as Jimmy here." "My God, it was pitiful." "But I guess that is a lesson to us all." "Never give up on a child." "Now..." "Miles here is just the opposite." "Straight A's all the way through school." "I would've sworn he would've growed up having a good heart and when his own father needed a helping hand, he'd be right there." " But apparently not." " Why don't you go get in the car, Dad?" "Cos I'm having a conversation with Jimmy Minty here." "He may not be gifted like you, but I'll bet he can follow what I'm saying." "To tell you the truth," "I would rather have a complete idiot for a child than an ingrate." "I gotta go, Mr Roby." "Hey, Miles?" "Yeah?" " Take a little walk with me?" " Yeah, sure." " Thanks, Mr Roby." " Thank you, Ryan." "Dick!" "I didn't want to bring this up around your dad." "There's a lot of dope around town right now so tell your brother to be careful." "Why should David be careful?" "He's your brother." "I'm just saying, is all." "A word to the wise, right?" "Look, you don't know a damn thing about my brother." " Everyone knows he's growing dope out there." " I don't." "I can't help thinking how bad your ma would feel." " You know even less about my mother." " I didn't mean..." "So don't bring her up in any more conversations, OK?" " Miles..." " No, just shut up and listen." "You... didn't... know... her." "Say that, so I know you understand." "You shouldn't tell me to shut up in public." "This badge entitles me to respect." "You're right." "It's just that my family is off-limits." "OK?" "Sure." "So did you find what you were looking for?" "All $10." "I was gonna tell you, you never give me a chance." "Will you stop picking at that?" "It's holding the seat together." "What are you doing with a Martha's Vineyard real estate guide?" "Boy, that would be just like you." "Move to an island, leave me here." "Every time I want to visit my granddaughter, I gotta swim." "Yeah, well, it would do you good." "Wash some of those crumbs out of your beard." "Mrs Rodrigue catches you with that, it's big trouble." "She won't come over here." "She hates the blue table." "God, oh, my God, you're almost done!" "I haven't even started." "Help me, OK?" "What's my most vivid dream?" "I don't know any of your dreams." "You should get back together with Zack Minty." " Yeah." " He so does not like his new girlfriend." "And you should see how he treats her." "I know how he treats her." "That's how he used to treat me." "What?" "Hey, Candace, John says he wants to meet you in the parking lot after school." "He says he's got something to show you!" "Shut up, you asshole!" "I'll tolerate no more disturbances from the blue table." "Ah!" "Oh, my God!" "Oh, my God!" "Oh, my God!" "What have you done?" "Tell me what you've done." "Oh, my heavens." "Go see the nurse, child." "Christina, you're not going to puke, are you?" " No." " All right." "Damn it, Miles, you scared me." "I just wanted to say hi." "Hey, welcome back." " Thanks." " Now, go away and let me finish my joint." "I'm not comfortable smoking dope around you." "Why?" "You can never quite manage to conceal your disapproval." "Actually, I was..." "I don't eat onions, Miles." "I know you've been away but I haven't changed." "I read The Globe, I write for The Sentinel," "I never send Christmas cards and I don't eat onions." "Thank you." "Your favourite customer." " Good afternoon, ladies, good afternoon." " Perry Como, right on time." "Hey, big boy, big boy." "Take a look at me." "I'm 50." "50 years old, I got the body of a 40-year-old." "Come on." "Come on, let me see what you got." "If you pin me, I'll give you one free month membership at my health club." "Which, by the way, you could use." "And excuse me, Mr Reporter Man, but do you have any idea at all about how many pounds of undigested animal fat most people have in their bodies when they die?" " Delicious." " Very funny." " Well?" "Did you hear about the mill?" " Jeez, here we go again." " What?" " Let him tell it and then it'll be over." " Go ahead, white limo..." " That's right..." "A white limo with Massachusetts plates." "Are you gonna tell it, big boy?" "You weren't even here, OK?" "Go ahead, tell it." "Drove right down Empire Avenue." "A white limousine with Massachusetts plates drove right down Empire Avenue, pulled into the old textile mill, and who do you think gets out?" "A bunch of guys in $600 suits with shiny shoes who'll buy the mill and give everybody their old jobs back." "At $20 an hour." "Well, then, why don't you explain it?" " You saw it, this limo?" " Everybody saw it." "No, that's not what I asked." "Did you see it?" " You know what?" "The hell with you guys." " Same rumour circulates this time every year." "All I'm saying is that we could get lucky." "Something good could happen here someday." " This used to be a prosperous town, right?" " All right, let's get started here." "I have no time to toy with you today." "Not today." "Today I kick your ass." " Anything is possible." " But see, that's what I'm saying." "I've been saying that somebody could buy the mill." " The whole town could go back to work." " Somebody shoot him." "Tell me something, bro." "Why do you allow him in here?" "He just comes in here to make sure I know there are no hard feelings." "He steals your wife and there are no hard feelings?" "Some sins trail their own penance." "Anyway, it's against the law to refuse service." "Yeah, so is murder." "It'd be an elegant solution just the same." "Gin!" "You just dealt." "Nevertheless." "You've got to be kidding me." "He's kidding." "Girls, he's kidding." "Ah." "How was the Vineyard?" "Tick met a boy." "Donny." "But don't tease her about it, though." " You should've fought Janine for custody." " No." "Once they're married, what if they move away and take her with them?" "Tick is the one thing she can't have." "Anyway, Walt likes it here and who would Janine blame for things if I'm not handy?" " Hiya, sweetie pie." " Hi, Uncle David." "Hello, beautiful." " How are you?" " Good." " Hi, baby." " Hi." "So I hear you had a... nice time on the Vineyard." "Yeah." "There is a bookstore for sale on the beach road." " If Daddy bought it, we could live there." " Hey, Tick." "Hey, big boy." "You got a fitness club on that island?" " I've been thinking of expanding." " There's a lot of'em, Walt." "Did David tell you how business is picking up?" "You should have seen her last week." "She was like her old self before all that shit started raining down." "She had a smile on her face all week." "You should think about that bookstore." "There's no way." "Not until I can sell this place and I can't do that until it's mine to sell." "What makes you think that Whiting woman will ever give you this restaurant?" "That was our deal." "I run the place till she dies, then it's mine." " I saw the will, David." " You saw a will, you mean. 20 years ago." "How many times it's been amended since is what you don't know." " You know how old her mother lived to be?" " No." "That's because she's still alive." "Out in a nursing home in Fairhaven." "In her mid-90s." "Gin!" "Anything's possible, huh?" "How was school?" "Crappy." "Now I'm not with Zack Minty and his friends, I don't have any friends." "What about, you know, whatshername?" "Your new friend?" " Candace?" " Yeah." "Oh, my God!" "Oh, my God, I forgot Candace!" " Yeah, and you forgot me." " I know." "Yeah, and you forgot your Uncle David." "And your mom." "And Donny, you forgot Donny." "I'm never gonna hear from him again." "The Silver Fox says e-mail costs too much." "How come?" "Why?" "Why is it that you always have my gin card?" "Why?" "Why?" "If I told you that, you'd be even angrier than you are now." "I can't believe you're just gonna let Mom marry him." "I mean, think about me." "He's trying." "He just hasn't figured out how to be around you yet." "Yeah?" "He could try being dead." " Tick..." " I know." "Sorry." "Hey, dickhead, what are you doing?" "Shopping?" "Let me see that." "Oh." "You know what?" "I think this is your size." "You know what?" "I think there's only one real way of being sure." "You gotta try it on." "No!" " Nice tan." " Man, too bad looks can't kill, dickhead?" "Yeah." " Oh, shit." " Let's get outta here." " It's Chief Daws." " Calm down." " Hurry up." " Shotgun!" "Zack Minty, huh?" "You OK?" "You're the Voss boy, right?" " Wanna come down the station, file a report?" " No." "No." "OK, then." "Here." "Need this?" "Go on, take it." "You know where we are." "Chief Daws." "I don't think Mrs Rodrigue likes my snake." " What doesn't she like about it?" " Well, you see, that's the thing." "I think it reminds her of real snakes." "If true, that means the better I draw the snake, the more it'll remind her of what she hates and the worse grade I'll get." "Hence, if I want a good grade, I should draw the snake badly." "Or not draw a snake." "The assignment was to draw our most vivid dream." "That's mine." "You mistrust your teacher's judgment of the merits of your drawing, correct?" " Correct." " Hence, you might as well mistrust her judgment of the merits of the assignment." " Right." " Draw her an ángel." " But I'm dreaming of snakes." " It's not her business what you're dreaming of." " Hey, eat." " I am." " You am?" " She's done pretty well." "No, Miles, you've done pretty well." "Don't be telling me you haven't." "I've been watching." "It's not nice to tell a person's secrets." "I don't go around telling your secrets." "That's where you're smart." "Charlene has secrets?" "Well..." "You see, Mom bet Walt that when the divorce is final," " you'll ask Charlene to marry you." " Really?" "She says you've been in love with her since high school." "That you even took a job here after school just so you could be near her." "Well, your mother says a lot of things." "13 up." "Uh-oh, here she is." " Hello, gorgeous." " Hi." "You look beautiful. 120?" " 125." " Impossible." "I'll have that scale checked." " You're 120, tops." " All right." " Hello, you two." " Hi." "You're early." "Also hot and sweaty." "Don't be staring at my boobs, Miles." "We were married 20 years, they never interested you the whole time." " You ready to go?" " I guess." "You guess." "And who would know for sure?" "Could somebody give us a definitive answer?" "I have to get my backpack." " Do you always have to be such a bitch?" " Yes." "You'll understand when you're 40." " You're 41." " God damn, that's good." "You could order some, Janine." "It wouldn't kill you to eat." "Yeah." "You'd like it if I got fat again, wouldn't you?" "There's a word for people like you - enabler." " I really hate it when you do that." " What?" "When you don't say what you're thinking." "You thought, 'Yeah, there's a word for people like you, too.'" "I saw that scroll across your forehead but you wouldn't say it." "Dear God." " You guys fighting?" " Yes." "Wait in the car if you're squeamish." "Love to." " Bye." " Bye, baby." " Hey, I saw a great one today, Daddy." " Yeah?" "Know that old gay bar on Fairhaven Road?" "Their sign says 'Enter In Rear.'" "That's a good one." "Ten-pointer." "You're back in the lead." " Good night." " Good night, baby." "Sweet dreams." " You don't have to be so tough on her." " Somebody has to be." " She's just a kid." " Miles, you're wrong." "Just look at her." "Try using the same eyes you look at other people with." "I'm not gonna argue with you." "The last 20 years have been about us not arguing." "Well, I feel like arguing!" " 120, tops." " I love you!" " I love you more." " We did really well last week." " If you'd let me have custody..." " And she'd sleep where?" "Upstairs?" "You gonna move those pallets of Frialator grease?" "I'm the one who ended up without a house." "Speaking of which..." "Don't." "Don't go there." "I did speak to him about buying you out." "He's renting out his own house and living in mine..." "He's sifting through some investment opportunities, OK?" " Come on!" " You should be happy." "A month from now, I'll be Mrs Walt Comeau and all you'll owe is child support." " If you hadn't dragged your feet..." " The courthouse burned down!" "Please, you stalled and stalled, Miles, and we both know it." "It wouldn't surprise me if you'd torched it just to keep me from being happy and having a life!" "Do you know what I still don't understand?" "Us." "I told you everything you did that pissed me off during the whole 20 years, right?" " That's true." " I'm getting ready to marry somebody else and you still haven't told me why you didn't love me." " Is that fair?" " You took up with Walt." " Sure, throw that in my face." " What..." "No, it's not fair and you know it." "I took up with Walt because he loved me and you didn't." "Now, I know what I did hurt your feelings, but you shouldn't pretend you were in love with me because you weren't." "What is my part in this conversation?" "If you're gonna speak..." "Are you trying to tell me you love me?" "If that's what you want to say, I'll shut up so you can." "That's what I thought." "Why are you tormenting yourself?" "If being with Walt makes you happy, what else matters?" "Beats the shit out of me." "Just once I'd like to hear you say I'm not a horrible person." " I never said you..." " That's what I'm trying to tell you." "You never said anything." "Tab's full, old man." "God, you smell." "When's the last time you had a bath?" " Hello, Bea." " Hi." "You working late?" "Yes, covering the school board meeting." " Want one, Max?" " Sure." " How'd that go?" " The usual." "And draw one of those for my friend here." "Yes, they were civil for about two minutes." "And after that uncivil for a while, then rude, then insulting." "It stopped just short of fisticuffs." "I don't know if I've told you, Bea, but... in my experience... most human beings are selfish, greedy, venal, unprincipled, utterly irredeemable shit-eaters." "So I have mentioned it, huh?" " You should have that thing removed." " Max." "What thing?" "I'm always afraid that it's going to explode when I'm talking to you." " What would it cost you to have it cut off?" " Don't know, never looked into it." "Oh, boy, I would've." "If I had that thing growing out of my forehead, I'd have had it looked into, pronto." "I don't know, Max, I think it might be the source of my intelligence." "What if I had it cut off, then found it was responsible for all my best ideas?" "Have you ever been to Florida?" "No." "You would like Key West." " Hemingway lived there." " Hemingway?" "Yeah, hell of a fellow." "You met Ernest Hemingway?" "Papa." "His friends called him Papa." "No, what I asked was, 'Did you meet him?" "'" "Drank a lot of beer there over the years." "He could've been on the next barstool." "I bet there was at least one stool between you." "What was the first year that you went down there?" "Winter, '69." "Then you never sat next to Hemingway." "He shot himself in the head in '61." "You and I should go down there sometime." "The women walk around there half-naked." "There's a bar down there, the girls just take their bras off." "They nail them to the ceiling." " I'm free any time you want to go." " No, I don't think so, Max." "All those naked girls." "I might get depressed." "End up shooting myself." "That's it." "Oh, yeah?" "Well, try to miss that thing on your forehead." "My God, what a mess that'd make!" "Hey, pretty good night." "Yeah." "Wait till the weekend after all the college kids get back." "I'm not 100% sure we got our costs in line on the new menu, but... it's gotta be pretty close." "Which is why I keep telling you, now's the time to make our move." "If we went partners with your mother-in-law at Callahans, she'd do the liquor, we'd provide the food, better for both of us." "Why let Francine Whiting keep pulling all the strings?" " Cos I owe her, David." " You owe her?" "You owe her nothing." "She could've got rid of this place years ago." "Where would that have left me?" " Free?" " And Janine and Tick." "When Mom was sick, who do you think paid her medical bills?" "At college, I had to come up with $500 every semester for books and fees." "Where do you think that came from?" "Mom sure didn't get it from Dad." "At least we're finally talking about the right person." "Mom." " No need to tell me how much I owe her." " How much was it, the bookstore?" "Well, it was more like a book barn, actually." "New books, a little café downstairs, used books upstairs, a nice little cottage out back." " And?" " What?" "How much was it?" "Look, I can't make snap decisions like you do." "OK?" "I've got Tick to think about." "I musta been doing 100 when I ploughed through that guardrail down into that ravine." "I'd still be hanging up in a pine tree by my hunting vest if I hadn't peed on that deer hunter the next morning." "I'm glad you're not drinking any more, but what's your point?" "Playing it safe can be just as dangerous." "If you aren't careful, Tick'll be the next manager of the Empire Grill." "Another generation under her thumb." " Yeah, over my dead body." " Now we've come full circle." "That's what Mom always used to say about you." "And yet here you are, stuck running this place nearly 25 years." "And Mom, what did she do?" "Ten years in the Whiting household looking after young Cindy?" "Oh." "Which reminds me." "This was in the newspaper when you were gone." "Tell me something." "Are you growing dope?" "Cos, uh, Jimmy Minty seems to think you are." "Jimmy Minty actually thinks?" "That's Mom in the top right corner." "What a comedown, huh?" "Office manager to chief maid." "She'd been turning over in her grave if she knew you were still here." "Why did they fire you?" "They fired a lot of people, not just me." "But why did they fire you?" "I wasn't the only one, you know." "Mom had plans for you, too." "I know." "She told me exactly what she wanted me to do before she died." "Yeah, what was that?" "She said, 'David, look after your brother.'" " She didn't say that." " She did say that." "Why don't you take the wheel, Miles?" "Get out of here, Max." "Go on, go on." "Go." "Good night, old man." "Who, after all, arrives at his heart's home at the end of the day?" "Given this day, who can say that the next will bring joy?" "Good boy." "Yes!" "Yes!" "Or comfort?" "Your tea is ready." "Oh!" "You old goat, you're disgusting." "You forgot your pants again." "Honestly, Father Tom!" "Or justice?" "Or release?" "Or an end to care?" "Lives are like rivers." "Eventually they go where they must, not where we want them to." " Cindy, I had no idea you were home." " Miles!" "I so wanted to surprise you, and I have, haven't I?" "Let me have a look at you." "You look great." "Whoa!" " You OK?" " Yeah." "Take it easy." "So how are you?" "Well, Miles, I'm so, so well." "The doctors are amazed." "I haven't had any setbacks in... so long." "It seems I'm to begin life again as a normal person." " You can congratulate me." " That's wonderful, Cindy." "Cindy Whiting." "She'd been only three when she was run over outside their home, the driver never apprehended." "One desperate heartbreaking operation after another had left her as crippled of mind and spirit as she was of limb." "I'm staying here at present." "Just until I find a place of my own." "A grown woman needs a place to come and go as she pleases and entertain whom she pleases." "Jeez!" "Timmy, it's only Miles." " You don't wanna hurt him." " Like hell she doesn't." "It's Mother." "She must have heard you drive up." "She's waiting for you in the gazebo." " You go along, I'm slow." " That's OK." "Let her wait." "She loves the sound of Mother's bell for some reason." " Cindy, I wanted to tell you..." " No, Miles." "I heard about you and Janine." "I'm so sorry." "You never loved her, Miles." "You know you didn't." "That's what she says, oddly enough." "I lied, Miles." "I'm not sorry." "Your divorce gives me a slender thread of hope." "I still love you, Miles." "I know you wish I didn't, but I can't help it." "It's the one thing the lithium can't touch." "It washes into your brain and it makes things easier, but... it can't erase what's here." "It can't change what's here, what's in a woman's heart." "Cindy." "Cindy." "Please." " Careful, now." " Yeah, you go." " You OK?" " Yeah." "You're sure now?" "Ah!" "Damn!" "Timmy, you are such a little pill." "Sorry, Miles." "His little girl's accident changed everything for CB Whiting." "In a heartbeat, he went from thinking of himself as someone special to someone especially damned." "Was it seeing Cindy's limbs become more twisted with each passing year that caused his ten-year-long meander in Mexico?" "Was it her continued suffering that finally lured him back to his own headwaters?" "Or was it some darker, selfish impulse?" "But that's in a later chapter." "Hello, dear boy." "Did you like my surprise?" "Would you like some iced tea?" "Here." "I see you've had another encounter with Timmy." "It's odd how she hates you so much." "Of course, that little beast detests everyone, but you she seems to hold in particular contempt." "You should hold a raffle." "Ten bucks a chance." "The winner gets to beat her to death with a baseball bat." "You could fund a new wing of the hospital." "Why is it I always forget you have a sense of humour?" " Did I say something funny?" " You didn't get it from your mother." "She was a sweet woman, but she was not blessed with a sense of life's grand folly." "Actually, you know, my mother loved to laugh." " It's harder when you're the butt of the joke." " Yes, well." "Of course, she did have a hard life." "However, I've always felt that people make their own luck." "You needn't smile that smile, Miles Roby." "I know you think I married my luck." "But that opinion is unkind and it does you no credit." "There is a world of skill in marrying the right person." "And most people make a complete hash of it." "Well..." "I wager you have no idea any longer of why you married." "You'd wager if you could find somebody to wager with." "You married Janine in order to escape an even worse fate." "Could we discuss the restaurant?" "Yes, we can discuss whatever you like or not discuss whatever you like." "It's a lovely afternoon." " If I'm to continue running the Empire..." " Continue?" "Of course you're going to continue." "That was our agreement." "I've been running it faithfully for over 25 years, Mrs Whiting, and I may be a slow learner, but I have learned this much." "There's no money in food." "You know what's troubling you, dear boy?" "It's not the restaurant." "Here you are, about to be a bachelor again, and my daughter has returned to Empire Falls." "My brother's weekend menus are a hit." "Friday, Mexican." "Saturday, Thai." "If we could sell beer and wine..." "Ah..." "If your mother had had her way, you might've found yourself at the altar with my daughter if you hadn't married when you did." "I thought we were discussing the state of the Grill." "Frankly, I'm curious to see how you manage things the second time around." "Curious?" "Oh, please, spare me that tone of moral superiority." "That you do get from your mother." "It was her one tiresome trait." "Go!" "And what you really hate is the fact that I know you better than you know yourself." "Maybe I'll surprise you someday." "Well, possibly." "But you haven't yet." "Incidentally... did my daughter let on to you that her doctors now believe that she's well?" "Yeah." "Miles!" "Before, when I was trying to answer the door and you saw it was me, for a moment, it looked like you wanted to run away." "No." "It was a surprise, that's all." "A wonderful surprise." "I can bear it that you don't love me, Miles." "I've borne it all my life." "But if I thought I made you want to run away..." "Hey." "Hey..." "Have you got plans for homecoming?" "Hm?" "Empire Falls and Fairhaven, weekend after next?" "You're inviting me to homecoming?" "Yeah, why not?" "Oh, Miles!" "Dear, dear Miles." "OK?" " I'll call you." " OK." "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey, Come here!" "What?" "You gotta be kidding me." "Your mother, she was a sweet woman, but she was not blessed with a sense of life's grand folly." "Miles, look, we're coming up on the island." "Isn't it exciting?" "You know, there'll be lots more Little League games when you get back." "And maybe we'll meet somebody nice." " When's Dad coming?" " Maybe later in the week." "Let's try to have fun, OK?" "Can we go to the beach?" "How about first thing?" "Yeah?" "Mom, your lobster." " Look at my steamers." " That looks nice." "Pretty good." " Who's that?" " Who's who?" "I thought you said the dining room was too expensive." " I think we can afford to splurge one night." " Will they have steamers?" "How do I look?" "Wow!" "What?" "I don't see them." "I know." "There's no steamers." "You have to order something else." "Clams Casino." "Yeah, Clams Casino." "May I take your order?" "Clams Casino." "Don't worry, if he doesn't like them, I do." "Um, I'll have the lobster." "Thanks." " Pardon me, but are you eating alone?" " Alas!" " Would you like to join us?" " I seem to have the larger table." "OK." "Come on." " I haven't introduced myself." "Charlie Mayne." " We're from Maine." "Really?" "Well, now, that's interesting." "M" " A-Y-N-E is how I spell my name." "How do you spell your state?" "The real way." " And I'm Grace." " Yes." "Yes, you are." "I think somebody needs to thank Charlie for a wonderful and very expensive dinner." "Five orders of Clams Casino." "I bet that's a record." "You know what?" "If we hurry, I think there's just time." "Charlie, slow down!" "Faster!" "Faster!" "Oh, Charlie, look!" "What?" "Where?" " Can I go walk on the beach?" " Sure." "Take off your shoes, OK?" "Don't get your pants wet." "OK." "Thank you." " What are you trying to catch?" " Fish." "Big ones." " Something wrong?" " No." "Except how come every time I look up, I see you?" " Small town, Miles." " It's not that small." "Maybe." "Maybe not." " Those napkins cost money, you know." " I'll pay you for'em." "I want my new name to be second nature." "Goodbye, Janine Roby." "Hello, Janine Comeau." "Did it ever occur to you that I could use a hand with these boxes?" "After all these years, you finally decided you don't like mule work?" "Give it up, Beatrice." "I'm not coming back to work for you." "I got a job at one of the few successful businesses in this whole sorry town." "I lost 50 pounds." "I feel good about myself for the first time in my whole damn life and you're not gonna bring me down either, so don't even try." "Delicious." "Mm, good." "And I am not trying to bring you down, little girl." "It's a mother's duty to point out when her child's acting dumber than usual." "I mean, trading in a perfectly good man like Miles for a strutting rooster like Walt Comeau simply defies imagination." "Maybe one day I'll pack it all in like you, but not today." "People can change and I'm changing." "You're not changing, Janine, you're just losing weight." "There's a difference." "If you thought for two seconds about the effect of all your foolishness on your daughter, that'd be a change." "OK, John." "Grab a seat." "Christina, could I speak with you a minute?" "Christina, I need to ask you a favour." "Um..." "Recently there have been some lunchroom incidents involving um... and..." "Maybe if he could join you here in six, since you take art together..." "There's a certain element in our school that enjoys tormenting that... unhappy boy." "His parents abandoned him on his grandmother." "He's missed an awful lot of school." "What he needs is a friend." "I don't mean a girlfriend or anything." "It would just be nice for him to know that not everybody..." "Right." "About time." "Come on up." " That hasn't been scraped yet." " So what?" " What are you doing here, Dad?" " I'm painting!" "You owe me for two hours." " I don't owe you anything." " What happened to your car seat?" " None of your business." " Hey!" "Don't get mad at me." "I didn't do it." "I'm just an old man." " You have crumbs in your beard." " So what?" "Peckerhead!" " Tom?" " Where did this evil bastard come from?" "This is no evil bastard, Tom, this is Miles Roby." "You baptised him." " You married his parents..." " I know who it is!" "Look at him, he's a filthy degenerate." "If he's filthy, it's from painting our church for free, remember?" "He's a peckerhead and his mother was a whore and don't think I didn't tell her either!" "Tom, Tom!" "Look at me, look at me." "Remember what we talked about?" "I'm sorry you're not feeling well today but this behaviour is intolerable." "You owe Miles an apology." "Forgive me." "Mom, are you all right?" " Should I get Father Tom?" " No." " I'm sorry, Miles." " I doubt he even remembers my mother." "It's ironic that Tom's condition may be the only thing keeping us open for business." "Look at my father." " So how come you're dreaming of eggs?" " I'm not dreaming of eggs." "But the assignment was to draw our most vivid dream." "So how come you're thinking of eggs?" "It's something my mother once said to me a long time ago." "She said, 'If chickens knew what they were in for... 'they'd stay in their eggs.'" "She was frying eggs at the time." "Is your mom dead?" "It's... a possibility." "Do we even want to know what those two could possibly find to talk about?" "It's hard to imagine, all right." "A word to the wise." "Don't let Max in unless you want to find your valuables for sale at Empire Music and Pawn." " He'd steal from God?" " He's fearless, as far as God's concerned." "I don't know if he's an atheist or he just thinks he'll bullshit God like he does everybody else." "Well, you give him this, anyway." "Don't worry, it's not too much." "Well, he'll be grateful." "And it is too much." "You know, actually, Father, he won't be grateful." "But he'll be glad to have it." "Do you want my other half a sandwich?" "Because I am full and I won't eat it." "So this is your new boyfriend?" " You're not supposed to be in here." " I have a hall pass." "Dickhead, get lost." "My old girlfriend is gonna tell me why she doesn't like me any more." "Billy Wolf sprained his ankle at practice." "I'm gonna be starting against Fairhaven." " Congratulations." " The coach was gonna start me anyway." "Thank you, though." "You gonna come to the game?" "Everyone's going." "They're gonna hang out afterwards." "Candace is coming." "You should come." " Maybe." " Maybe?" "Maybe?" "I've changed a lot since last spring." "It just makes me really angry when you..." "you won't even give me a second chance." "I got an idea." "Why don't we bring your new boyfriend along with us?" " No, leave him alone." " Dickhead!" " Don't." " Dickhead." "You!" "Turn around, look at me!" "Yeah, I'm talking to you." " What's your name?" " His name is John." "John Voss." "John Voss." "No hard feelings there, John Voss." "You want to hang with us after the game?" " OK." " Did you hear that?" "It's OK with John Voss." "If you leave him alone, I'll go to the game, OK?" "Hey, dickhead." "I mean, John Voss, Tick's gonna come, too, all right?" "Cheap bastard!" "He's a sissy, you know, that young one." "What?" " You're just mad cos I got paid, you didn't." " I'm thrilled that you got paid." "Maybe you can make it to the end of the week without hitting me up for a loan." " What are you doing?" " Glove box won't open." "That's because it's locked." "People keep taking money out of it." "That little lock wouldn't stop anybody." "You're not gonna get this $20 bill." "Boy, if I was you, I'd start courting that cripple, Cindy Whiting." "And you wonder why I don't come to you for advice." "If all I had to do to get my hands on ten million dollars was to marry a cripple..." "Ho ho!" " Would I ever!" " Yeah, then you'd leave her." "God." "Give me a screwdriver, I could fix that for you." "If you'd marry that cripple, you'd own the whole town." "Tick could go to a good college and there might just be enough left over so I could spend the winter in the Keys." " Could you not refer to her that way?" " What way?" " As a cripple." "Could you not do that?" " What way should I call her?" "Don't call her anything, don't refer to her at all." "How'd that be?" "A fellow down in the Keys called himself a cripple all the time." " He said, 'Max, don't ever be a cripple.'" " Good God!" " Well, don't get mad at me is all I'm saying." " Give me a..." "It wasn't me that run over her." "If your mother had told you to marry her, you'd marry her." "We'd have ten million bucks to split." "If Mom was still alive, she and I would have ten million bucks." "You would be shit out of luck, partner." "Get along home, little Cindy Get along home, little Cindy" "Get along home, little Cindy" " All right, all right, all right!" " I'll marry you one day" "Good Lord, that's quite a crowd." "Looks like you could use some help." "I'm available if the money is right." " Oh, the cavalry has arrived!" " How you doing?" "Not bad for a one-armed man." "Charlene needs help." " Dad, put this on before you go out front." " And wash your hands." " Wash my hands so I can bus dirty dishes?" " Just wash 'em." "Hi." "Hey, who's this?" "Who are you?" "This is John from my art class." "Uncle David said we needed a new busboy." "I showed him how." "Take a look at Brian." "He's a walking appetite suppressant." " Brian." "Come here for a minute." " Hey, Miles." " What?" " You gotta go home." "What do you mean?" "I can't help it." "Something bit me." "I can still work." "Yeah, but people eat here, Brian." "Go home." "Hello, John." "Miles." " Hi, Grandpa!" " Tickeroo!" "Hi." "Your beard is scratchy, Grandpa." " And you smell." " Well, so do you." "Difference is you're young so you smell good." "Here, just bus the dishes, Dad." "You take any of Charlene's tips, she'll gut you like a carp." "Down in the Keys, the waitresses split their tips with the busboys." "Why don't you give that a try, let me know how it turns out?" "Old man, you steal one dime of mine, I will castrate you." " I've warned him." " Castrate you." " Hey, Walt." " Business is picking up, huh?" "It's great." " This upscale idea of yours is really good." " Yeah, it is." "I'm in the john and I'm thinking, 'How can he put even more money into the box, 'you know, add even more class?" "'" " What did you come up with?" " You add an E on the end of 'grill'." "G" " R-I-L-L-E." " Now, that is a great idea, Walt." " Thanks." "Why don't you just clean those two tables, then you can join your friends." " Is that Candace out there?" " Yeah." "I thought you gave Zack Minty his walking papers last spring." "What's that mean?" " I just know how much you hate him." " I don't hate him." "He's just a boy." "What I do hate is you being afraid to tell me things." "That's cos there's nothing to tell, OK?" "We're going out as a group." "It's not just me and Zack." "Hey, John, can you give us a minute, please?" "Thanks." "What about Donny, the boy from the Vineyard?" "I thought you two..." "I haven't even gotten a letter." "It hasn't been that long and be fair, you haven't written him either." "Well, we still don't have e-mail." "Do you want me to let John off, too?" "No." "Hey, where have you been?" "Talking to Audrey, the manager at The Lamplighter." "She said they were slow all evening." "So was The Eating House out on 92." "The only restaurant in Dexter County that did any volume tonight was us." "I made great tips, too." "Selling fajitas to Mainers." "Who'd have thought you could make a living?" "The Lamplighter may have done shit but they still out-grossed us." "Because they sell booze." "Yeah." "Sure, we did good tonight." "We'll never do any better." "We can't put any more tables in." "We can't put any more people at the tables we already got." " We killed ourselves tonight." "For what?" " I know, I know." "Don't just say, 'I know, I know,' Miles." "What do you what from me, David?" "I talked to Mrs Whiting." " I showed her the books." " No, I don't want to hear about Mrs Whiting!" "Jesus Christ, what a good Catholic boy you are, Miles!" "Somebody tells you you can't have something, you just genuflect and accept it." "Look at yourself, look!" "Have you seen this?" "Every time you come back from that woman's house, you've got scratch marks on you." " Have you thought about what that means?" " She's got a psychotic cat." "No, it means she's toying with you, Miles." "She owns the whole town, yeah, yeah, but she only owns you because you let her." " $500,000." " What?" "What the bookstore on the Vineyard costs, the one you want me to buy." " Where will I come up with $500,000?" " Screw that, I'm talking about you." "Every time that you want something, really want it, you shove it away in some dark corner so you don't have to think about it." "As if you're gonna be punished for wanting it." "Jesus, it breaks my heart!" "And we both know where you got that from and it's not Dad." "You know what, Charlene?" "This needs to be said." "Tell that woman to get us a liquor licence" " or go fuck herself!" " David!" "And if you don't wanna do it for yourself, do it for Tick because she's soaking up more of your defeatism and passivity every day." "David, look at your brother." "Just be quiet for a minute and look at him." "Aw, shit." "OK, I'm going home." "Sorry." "I spoiled the party." " David, you don't have to go." " No, I do." "It's time I got home and tended to my pot empire." "That was a joke, Miles." "I've got one plant in the basement, Miles, under a heat lamp." " Whatever." " Whatever's right." "I'd better go." "I'll be right back." " Miles." " Hey, Bill." "Hey, he does care about you, you know." "He just thinks you eat too much shit." "I take it you agree." "I don't know, Miles." "You've got to be the most cautious man I've ever run across." "Yeah." "You know how when Max wants something, how he's always got a plan?" "No matter how hard you try, you can't distract him." "David thinks you get distracted by other people." "Yeah, well, he doesn't even know the worst of it." "I invited Cindy Whiting to homecoming tomorrow." "That's really sweet, Miles." "That woman could use a little joy in her life." "That is a really nice thing that you've done." "It was Cindy who nursed my mother through the cancer right to the end." "Mrs Whiting took her in but it was Cindy who took care of her." "I left school to be close by but the truth is I never got out there much." "My mother was furious with me for quitting." "I didn't know that." "Why do you think I crossed that river every day for the last ten years?" "So you could end up working at the Empire Grill?" "Don't do this, Miles." "You go back to school, you graduate." "I'm going to graduate, Mom." "Just not this semester." " For now, this is where I belong." " No." " As soon as you're better, I'll go back." " I'm not going to get better." "Don't pretend." " Mom, look..." " No." "Miles..." "Mom, Mrs Whiting's making me a manager." " Later..." " But you'll end up trapped here." "Can't you see, Miles?" "She knows how much you love me." "Don't be kept from your life." " Don't, for me." "Not for me." " Mom..." "I guess you heard most of that." "Miles..." "It's not your fault." "Thank you for taking care of her." "You have been so..." "Don't be silly, Miles." "She's been a mother to me." "All those years she cared for me." "My only mother, really." "I'll go in." "I can usually calm her down." "I went over there one night, near the end." "Cindy was coming out of my mother's room." "I don't know how we got started, but..." "At first, it was just her kissing me... and then I was kissing her, too." "And then we were, you know, grappling, groping." "We were half-undressed and then my mother cried out." "And Cindy put herself together and went back in." "I was supposed to stay there and wait for her, but by the time she got my mother settled again, I realised what I was doing and I just got out of there." "I bolted." "For the longest time, I've imagined... what her face must have looked like when she discovered I was gone." "There's no need to repeat that story." "Get rid of a hangover." "That's pretty good." "David's right about one thing." "I don't really go after what I want, do I?" "Miles." "It's not like I don't know you've had this crush on me, like, uh... forever." "You know how fond I am of you." "You're about the sweetest man I know." " Do you wanna know what?" " What?" "I'd like to take you home and make love with you." "Except I..." "I couldn't stand how disappointed you'd be." "And you wouldn't be able to conceal it either." "Not with that face of yours." "Well, the next time you feel the impulse, let me know." "I just might want to risk it." "Hey, listen..." "You did a good deed, hiring that Voss boy." "You know what they say." "No good deed goes..." "Unpunished." "He's had it pretty rough." "His parents were low-rent drug dealers in Portland." "When he was little, they'd stuff him in a laundry bag and hang him on the inside of a closet door while they conducted business." "They didn't always come back for him right away." " Good night, Bea." " So long." "That's awful." "Did you hear that?" "My dear brother has this notion that you and I should go into business." "Well, I've heard dumber ideas." "It'd have to be your call, Miles." " I'm not quite sure I see how to make it work." " Let me know if you change your mind." "You married my daughter so I owe you one." "It's like thunder, lightning..." " Go!" " The way you love me is frightening" "You'd better knock" "Knock..." "On wood" "Baby" "I'm gonna hit the shower." "Oh, yeah?" "Well, I have a better idea." "Oh, God!" "Oh, God!" "Miles never would have found that spot." "Oh, God!" " Have a good day, now." " Thanks." "You, too." "Empire Grill." "Father Mark, hi." "Right now?" "Um, I'm running late, actually." "I can't figure out how he got it open." "He was always asking me for the combination and getting mad when I wouldn't give it to him." " How much was in there?" " Just a few hundred bucks, is all." " And they took the parish station wagon." " They?" "I found this on his bedside table." "Sunny Florida." "I don't believe it." " Oh, forgot my purse." "Be right back." " I'll miss you." "1943?" "G" " O, let's go Panthers, G-O, let's go!" "G" " O, let's go Panthers, G-O, let's go!" " Couldn't find seats further up?" " Hello, Janine." " Put that on before you catch cold." " I'm plenty warm, Beatrice." "Well, your nipples tell a different story." "Where's the Silver Fox?" "Someplace he's not supposed to be, that's where you'll find him." "Right, like your bedroom." "What in the world are you sitting on?" "My haemorrhoid cushion." "Does it embarrass you?" "No." "I don't care if you show people your actual haemorrhoids." " What are you in such a foul mood about?" " I haven't decided whether to tell you or not." "Who is that woman with Miles?" "Looks like the Whiting girl." " What are they doing on the Fairhaven side?" " Well, there's no room here." "Serves you right." "You divorce that good man and he turns around and marries millions and you end up with Walt." " Beatrice, screw you." " Oh, stop." "Hey, there, Miss Whiting." "Hey, why don't you sit down right here?" "These folks won't mind shoving down." "Come on." "Watch the reverse!" "I saw that cute little girl of yours across the way." "Her and my Zack might be getting back together is what I'm hearing." " Which one is Zack?" " Right there, number 56." "He plays linebacker." "He's only a sophomore but, if he keeps on like he's going, the colleges will be interested." "Scholarships and such." "But if I catch him eating steroids I'll bust him as quick as I would a kid with a kilo of crack." "Is crack sold by the kilo?" "However it's sold, zero tolerance is what I'm saying." "Get him!" "Look, they're behind." " I'll get it." " Thanks." "Come on, defence!" "They're only down by two touchdowns." "It's still the first quarter." "I'll go in." "I can usually calm her down." "Miles?" "Mrs Whiting, her thoughts are so..." "It's the morphine talking, dear boy." "She's not thinking clearly." "She can't admit how much she needs you here, how much of a comfort you are to her." "I don't think I am, actually." "Could you do that?" "Could you let her die, knowing you just walked away?" "You see?" "This is why I never tell you anything, Beatrice." "I'm sorry, sweetie, I am, but there is a kind of justice in this." "Oh, really?" "Explain how me getting fucked all over again is justice." " How old did you think he was?" " Fifty is what he tells everybody." "'Look at me, I'm 50." "I got the body of a 40-year-old.'" "I've said from the beginning you were trading down." " 'I've said from the beginning...'" " All right, then, make the best of it, huh?" "You're always going on about how great the sex is." "So what if he's 60?" "Because, in ten years, by the time I'm as old as he's pretending to be," "I'm gonna be humping an old man, Beatrice." "He needs help already." "He takes pills from this little container with no label." "I think it's Viagra." "Oh, go ahead." "Come on, stop 'em!" "Our defence is gonna be plumb tuckered out by half-time!" "Yeah!" "Did you see that hit?" "Oho!" "Relax." "Give him some air." " Is he hurt?" " No, he just had his bell rung is all." "Actually, I think he is hurt." "And the hit was late." "I know you went to college but football's one thing I know..." "Why don't you go set with the other experts or are you too 'plumb tuckered out' to move?" "That boy is a class act, Miss Whiting." "Miles here don't agree, but..." "For some reason, it embarrasses him that we used to be friends, which is OK." "Except he seems to think his kid is too good for mine and that I do mind." "That I do mind." "That's what I'm talking about!" "Who's the man?" "Yeah!" " Hi, Grandma." " Hi there, Tickeroo." " Where have you been hiding?" " With my friends." "My snake drawing got picked for the art show." " I thought your teacher didn't like it." " You drew a snake?" "They brought in a judge from the college." "He and Mrs Rodrigue got into an argument in the hall." "You caused all that ruckus by drawing a snake?" "My friend John, his got chosen too." " That made her even madder." " Excuse me, don't I rate a hello?" "Tell your mother to put her sweatshirt on." "Tell her she looks cold." " You do look cold, Mom." " I'm not cold." "The way that we cheered whenever our team was scoring a touchdown!" "Magic moments" "Filled with love" "OK." " Look how terrific you look." " Thank you." "But you know what, sweetheart, you should put your sweatshirt on." "You look cold." "Sweetie?" "Prettiest place in Empire Falls, don't you think?" "Yeah." "Sad but true." " Someone put flowers on Mother's grave." " I always leave flowers." "A bunch on Daddy's, another on Grace's." "To me she was like..." "I didn't think I could bear it when she died." " You never noticed before?" " I don't come here." "I should, but..." "Tell me that wasn't Timmy." "Oh, Miles." "Mother won't visit Daddy's grave either." "I usually have to come alone." "Oh, look." "I don't understand this." "I can't believe this." "It always happens." "I put these here the same day I did your mother's and they're dead." "It's as if his grave is cursed." "No, I think a dog, um..." "lifted its leg on them." "It was your mother who told me it was OK to love him if I wanted to." "That what a woman feels deep in her heart is her own business." " Night-night, sweetie." " Aren't you going to sleep?" "I'm gonna read a little first, OK?" "Mom?" "Do you like Charlie?" "I guess." "Do you?" "Do you like him better than Dad?" "Because I like Dad better." "You know who I like most?" " Who?" " You." "I'm sorry I got my pants all wet." "I know, sweetie." "Sometimes things just happen, whether you mean them to or not." "Night-night." "I'll be glad when this goes away." "What?" "Today, at the beach, I want it to be just us." "That's too bad, honey, cos I already invited Charlie to join us." " I'll tell Dad." " You'll have to wait till he's out of jail." "He was arrested last week for being a public nuisance, Miles, and not for the first time." "He becomes a public nuisance when he tires of being a private one." "That's a lie." "No, it's the truth, and you are old enough to know it." "I'll tell you something else, when we get home, there are gonna be some changes." "So be prepared." "I checked with the restaurant this morning." "That five orders of Clams Casino is a record." "You mad at me?" "Are you mad at your mom?" " She's an awfully nice person, you know." " I know." "Everybody deserves a chance to be happy, don't you think?" "She is happy." "There comes a time in your life when you realise that if you don't take the opportunity, you won't ever get another." "She is happy." "Well, I guess I was talking about me." " Thank you." " You're welcome." "Tell me this isn't a dream." "Tell me I never have to wake up." " You live here, dude?" " Leave him alone, Zack." "Well, where's your car?" " Yeah, where is your car?" " We don't have one." "My grandma..." "Do you have indoor plumbing or do you and your grandma shit in the woods?" "You losing it?" "You losing it?" "You losing it?" "Stop it!" "Both of you, stop it!" "No, I just had to get out." " That's better." " Sorry." "Night, dickhead!" "Here, boy." "Hey, buddy." " Thanks." "Thanks for everything." " You're welcome." " See you later." " Yeah, have a nice evening." "You will tell me, won't you, dear boy?" "Tell you what, Mrs Whiting?" "When you get to the part where you surprise me." "How easy it is to get stalled in the shallows." "Life's tiny eddies swirling all around, close to the shelter and safety of the shore." "And how hard to strike out for the middle of the stream where the stronger currents of destiny await and where, who knows, you might just surprise yourself." "Sometimes all it takes is being pushed just a little too far." "English SDH" "Downstream - it's where we're all headed, rich and poor alike." "Out in the flow, who does not feel the current tugging?" "Sometimes powerfully, sometimes gently, always insistent." "The most natural of progresses." "Until the day you learn what you have somehow known all along, that not all of what tugs you down the stream is inevitable." "That resistance is not futile." "That you have accepted long enough." "That you have no choice but to summon up every ounce of strength you possess and turn against the current." "Sorry, Jimmy." "I don't know what got into me." "Good of you to apologise." "I guess I figured this thing between us was gonna get worse." "I wouldn't want that." "Well, hell, come around and..." "Come on and set a minute." "Sit." "I mean, you're right about that." "Old lady Lampley used to mark that with her red pen, remember?" "Yeah." "This is more like it." "You know, me and you just talking." "Nobody bent out of shape." " I saw the kids earlier." " Yeah?" "Yeah, all heading out for pizza, they said." " A couple more years, they'll be in college." " Yeah, I know." "Imagine, huh?" "A Minty in college!" "What's so wrong with that?" "I'm glad to hear you say that, Miles." "I wasn't sure you'd approve." " Why wouldn't I approve?" " Tell me something." "Did you feel out of place there?" "At college?" "Yeah, in the beginning, I guess." " But how?" " There were kids there from all over." " Portland, Boston, even some from New York." " Yeah, yeah." "Well, one morning, I remember, I woke up and I... and I said to myself," "'This is my bed." "This is my room." "This is my world.'" "After that, it was Empire Falls that began to feel strange." "Well, now you explain it that way, I..." "I think I see what our problem is." "I've never felt strange in this town in my whole life." " Laugh all you want, but..." " I'm not laughing." "Shut up, I'm trying to explain something here." "And take your hand off the door handle." "You can spare me five minutes." "OK." "See, I cared who won that game today and maybe to you that makes me a nobody." "But Mr Empire Falls, that's me." "Last one to leave, turn out the lights." "This town is me and I'm it." "You know, but the thing is that people like you, Miles." "They do." "But you know what?" "They like me too." "You know what they like best about me?" "They look at me and they see theirself." "And they see the town they grew up in and their first girlfriend." "You know what they see when they look at you?" "That they ain't good enough." "And they know that they're never gonna get nowhere with you." "Me?" "Maybe." "They might get someplace with me, and that's why they like me." "Which is why I'm probably gonna be the next chief of police." "People like my attitude, I guess you could say." "An attitude like yours, well..." "That sort of attitude just leads to things." "That's all I gotta say." "Are you threatening me, Jimmy?" " Am I threatening you?" " Yeah." "Threatening you?" "When have I ever wanted to be anything but your friend?" "Good night, Jimmy." "Hey, baby." "Where but Empire Falls would the whole town celebrate a tie as if it were a victory?" "Thank you." "It was your mother who told me it was OK to love him if I wanted to, that what a woman feels deep in her heart is her own business." "This is an adventure, Miles, and maybe we'll meet somebody nice." "Charlie, slow down." "Faster." "Faster." "Everybody deserves a chance to be happy." "And there comes a time when you realise that if you don't take the opportunity, you won't ever get another." "'So we beat on, boats against the current 'borne back ceaselessly into the past.'" "Miles?" "Miles?" "Miles!" "You OK?" "Cover for me." "The Holy Gospel according to Matthew." "Glory to you, Lord." "Grace, welcome home." " Hi, Tina." " How was your trip?" " It was so wonderful." " I wish I could afford to go on vacation." " It was like a dream." " I don't suppose you heard the news." "What news?" "Old Mr Whiting's coming out of retirement to run Empire Textiles." "The shirt factory too." "And CB, they're shipping him off to Mexico to run the factory down there." "His wife kicked him out is more like it." " I don't know what we're gonna do." " Oh, my God." "I don't know if it's just gonna be the factory workers or if it's gonna be the office workers too." "You know why." "I know you don't have a choice." "I don't, either." "Mom, are you all right?" "Will you find a new job?" "It looks like I'll have to, won't I?" "A black sin, a stain on your immortal soul." "You must make amends." "Mom, are you all right?" "Because I said so, Miles." "It's not something I wanna do." "It's something I have to do." "Honey, I've done someone a terrible wrong... and... and now I have to make it right." "It's called a moral duty and one day you'll understand." "When will you be back?" "I don't know, but I want you to stay here, OK?" "OK." "I love you." "Honey." "Ah." "Did you think something bad happened to Mommy?" "Nothing did, sweetie, OK?" "The lady that I went to see, she offered me a job." "Then why are you sad?" "I'm not." "I'm not." "And you know what?" "I think we should go home and celebrate." "What do you think?" "How about hamburgers?" "Yeah?" "OK." "See you next Sunday." "Thanks so much." " Good to see you." "Bless you." " Thanks so much." "She doesn't love, Miles." "She doesn't love." "She only understands love's power." "The decision is yours, dear boy." "But could you do that?" "Could you let her die knowing you just walked away?" "How many meals did you serve at your height?" "Capacity is 150 between the bar and the dining room." "We could lose the pool table." "You'd get a few more tables in here." "Oh." "Let's get a little more light in here maybe, you know..." "We could maybe lower these, make these windows bigger." "Ah!" "What an idea!" " Is that a walk-in cooler?" " It is." "It needs relining." "Great." " Any chance that works?" " I'd be guessing, but I think no." "Some major expense items, but..." "It's not that I think it's a bad idea, Miles." "Like I told you, I'm game." "But it's gonna mean war." "That woman will come after us." "Fuck her." "Let her come." "Miles." "Brian, good morning." "You look good." "Thanks, boss." "I'm working on it, laying off that hard stuff." "Good for you." " Hey, Tick." " Hey." "Just the person I wanted to see." " Hi." " Hi." " Decor." " Sorry?" "The walls in your grandmother's restaurant." "You're gonna take down those poker-playing dogs and the singing trout?" "I'm thinking of nicely framed photos of the town." "Enlargements." "When the mills were working, people were working." "Working people, dressed for hard labour, and then all decked out for Sunday dinner at the hotel." "Sort of a celebration of the people that built this town instead of those who think they did." "What do you think?" " I like it." " It's not too hokey?" "Just hokey enough." " Gin!" " What?" " What?" " What?" " Gin!" " Can't be." "That's not the same suit." " That's what I thought." " Anything's possible?" "I've got your gin card right here." "Any chance we could go to Boston this weekend?" "The Picasso exhibit's opening." "I'm gonna be pretty busy here, and I'd like to get some of this worked out." "Well..." "Anymore you're always busy." "Yesterday I asked if you wanted to proofread my English essay." " I said I would." " And?" "John, you can just go in." "I'll tell you what." "If you can convince your uncle David to flip eggs on Sunday morning" "I'll run you down to the Picasso." " OK." " But you've got to do something for me." "Your mother really wants you to be bridesmaid." "OK." "What changed your mind?" "Yesterday you were boycotting the wedding." "We worked a deal." "I got e-mail." " That's extortion." " Yep." "It works too." " Not with me it don't." " I don't need extortion to work with you." "You just give in." "Did I mention that Donny and his parents are visiting Boston this weekend?" "Another Picasso lover, this Donny?" "Hi, John." "Uh..." "I think Brian needs some help." "You're right, there he is." "Same time, every day this week." "When his shift finishes." "Hey, Bill." " Thought you could use a piece of pie." " Thanks." " Let me know if you need anything." " Thank you." "He tells me he thinks your brother's selling dope out of the restaurant." "It's got nothing to do with my brother." "It's me." "So what's he got against you?" "It's hard to explain." "Try." "He seems to remember us being friends once." "Maybe we were." "I hear Bea's planning to start serving food again over at Callahan's and you're helping her get ready." "Yeah, she's my mother-in-law." "Still, she'll be competition for you here, unless you're planning to join her." "None of my business." "Except I don't think I need to remind you that your friend out there doesn't do much without the say-so of your other friend across the river." "All right." "I'll talk to him." "But my advice is that you work this out between you." "Under the circumstances, I'm not gonna be much help to you." "Why not?" "You're the chief of police." "Yeah, but my days on the job are numbered." "What do you mean?" " I got cancer." " My God, Bill." "Don't you tell a living soul." "What the hell." "I've had a good run." "You getting treatments?" "What do you think is killing me?" " Old lady must be out someplace." " Can't be." "They don't have a car, remember?" "Why doesn't she turn on some lights?" "All I know is, I'm not breaking in." "It's not breaking in if you have a key." "My dad's." "They open everything." "We get caught, we say the door was open." "We were looking for our buddy John to hang out." "No way, man." "You go." "You're a pussy." " Hello?" " Hello, dear boy." "Mrs Whiting." "Big doings, I hear." "How's that?" "There are no secrets in small towns." "Your divorce is final, is it not?" "And your ex-wife is remarrying." "The Robys are the talk of the town." "Is it true that you're giving away the bride?" "Look, it's been a long day." "Can we have this conversation tomorrow?" "Yes, and we'll sit down and discuss what's developing." "Perhaps we could revisit the subject of that liquor licence that you were so keen on and discuss your future." "And your daughter's future." "Incidentally, if you were to run for mayor, would it be as a Democrat or a Republican?" "Independent, Mrs Whiting." "Oh, that is a doomed strategy, dear boy." "However, it's all up to you, of course." "Yes, it is." "Goodbye." "I'm trying to explain - and I wouldn't be telling you this if I didn't know you and Mr Comeau were getting married - the extent to which your fiancé's assets are leveraged." "I mean, he is fully extended, mortgage-wise." "You're saying he's broke?" "No, I'm saying he has no money." "No money?" "How dare you?" "Show me where it says that on there." "You're talking about somebody else." "Show me where it says that." " Janine..." " You think you can sit there like you're smarter than me and say things about my life?" " I did not mean to intimate I was smarter." " I don't have to sit here for this." "He's gonna come in here and bench-press you, you understand me?" "Would you loan $100,000 to people like us?" " Sure." " Definitely." "Janine!" "What's that all about?" "Janine!" "What a beginning." "Damn it." "Good afternoon, Miss Roby." "Do you have your licence, registration, and proof of insurance with you?" " I don't know." " You don't know." " You know how fast you were going?" " How fast was I going?" "Fast enough that you're gonna get a citation." "I think we have everything we need." "Our loan committee meets on Mondays so you should know early next week." " Oh, good." " Great." " Thanks a lot." " It's started." "Thanks, Matthew." " Say hello to your mother." " I certainly will, Bea." "Mrs Whiting, please." "Mind if I sit in, Mrs R?" "Certainly, Zachary." "Anyone interested in art is welcome." "Except us." "That's very good perspective." "Hey, John." "How's your grandma?" "You're one lucky dude to have someone like her taking care of you." "Why don't you just go away?" "Oh!" "John, your girlfriend's taking your side." "Does that make you feel good?" " Look, I'm nobody's girlfriend." " Oh, excuse me." "Things are really looking up for you, John." "Got a new girlfriend and all." "Did you take her to meet your grandma yet?" "You think she'll like Tick, your grandma?" "Did you write this?" "'Where is John Voss's grandmother?" "'" "What about these?" "No." "Charlotte Bowen." "That's her name." "Next time you write one of these, you can use it." "Like I said before, I didn't write them." "You have a key to this office?" "Each of these notes was left on my desk." "No." "If I searched you right now, would I find a key?" "You can't search me." "You can go." "So where is John Voss's grandmother?" " See you." " Bye." "How's it going?" "Fine." " Could have given your friend a ride." " Candace." " What?" " Her name is Candace." "So you and your dad are going to Boston Sunday." "That'll be fun." "How come you never ask me to proofread your English papers like you do your father?" "You never tell me about those silly mistakes people make on their signs." "You never think they're funny." " Try me." " Noooooo." "I'm not smart enough to see what's funny?" "You get them." "You just never think they're funny." " Maybe they aren't." " Then why tell you?" "Maybe you shouldn't." "Maybe I'd just like us to be friends again, like we used to be." "Maybe I'd like you to ask me to some damn art show instead of your father." "Maybe it'd cheer me up to know my own daughter liked me." "The Silver Fox isn't cheering you up?" " Get out!" " What?" "Get out!" "If you want to treat me like shit, you can damn well walk." "Stop!" "Stop it!" "What are you doing?" "Stop it." " Are you all right?" " No." " Will you stop?" "Just let me help." " No, let go of me!" "Stop it!" " Come back." " Leave me alone!" "Fine!" "Shut, God damn you!" "God damn it!" "Hey, big boy." "Three free months, my final offer." "Hey!" "Hey!" " What?" " Let me ask you something." "You gonna move this operation to Bea's?" "Why would you think that?" "You're over there more than you are here." "I was just wondering." " Yeah?" " Miles Roby?" "Do you know your wife's on Lake Avenue screaming obscenities and kicking her SUV?" "Hold on." "It's for you." "Hello?" "You don't dress like one." "Shit." "It's OK." "Yeah, I've known for a while." "You know, I'd wondered why you were doing so good." "Then I saw you a few times." "Just so you know, I wanted to tell you but Charlene, she didn't want to hurt your feelings." "It's good." "Yeah?" "Yeah." "Really." "Thanks, bro." " I mean it." " Hey!" "You do know I'm woman enough for both of you." "Right?" "That's an extra $10,000 worth of work here." "The electricals have gotta come up to code." "You're lucky you haven't had a fire." " What's all this?" " Looks like the ceiling's buckling." "Excuse me, please." "Been an interesting day." "This morning I got an offer on the place." "The place has been on the market for three years." "Today I get both an offer to buy it and a surprise inspection." " Power and control." " Miles, could you come here a minute?" "You decided where the new range will be?" "Otto, I got a bad feeling here." "According to the hospital, Charlotte Bowen was admitted with pneumonia two months ago." "When she was released they gave her half a dozen prescriptions that were never filled." "Also, there hasn't been any electric or water or phone service in there since September." " So you think..." " No, I'm trying not to." "First, I need to talk to that boy." "He left school between classes." "He hasn't been seen since." "I asked my boy if he wrote those notes and he didn't." "So how come you people blame him for everything?" " What people are those?" " What people?" "You, Coach, town." "Getting him suspended from the team for no reason." " He wrote the notes." " Prove it." " Jimmy, knock it off." " Jesus Christ." "Chief, you should see this." "There's three dogs buried back here." "There's something down here by the river!" "Looks like a woman's body." "It's right here." "It's what I was trying not to think." "Everything's coming apart." "Yeah, it must seem like that." "They'll find him." "He can't have gotten far without a car." " What'll they do to him?" " I don't know." "He probably just figured if he told anybody that his grandmother died they'd send him away, and he's had a whole lifetime of that." "Why does everything have to suck?" "It's a rule." "Donny's coming." "You'll see Donny in a couple of days." "That's not gonna suck." " Do I still have to go to the wedding?" " Yes, you do." "I talked to your mom." "She feels really rotten about what happened." "About trying to kill me?" "Any chance you're exaggerating?" " Maybe a little." " I need my official taste-tester." "Janine?" "Do you?" "You're goddamn right I do." "Well then, you leave me no alternative but to pronounce you man and wife." "You may kiss the bride." "You may do more than that, Mr Comeau." "Very good, very good." "No way." "You gotta dance one song with me." " Thanks for coming today, Miles." " Sure." "You're probably gonna think this is crazy." "You and me going our separated ways." " I'm kind of worried about you." " Why?" "Don't take this the wrong way." "It's good you're going for it." "You be careful of that woman." "I'm just going after what I want." "Isn't that what you've been asking me to do for 20 years?" "Terrific." "I get remarried and now you decide to listen to me?" "You didn't have to come alone." " Trying to make me feel guilty?" " Who would I have brought?" "I kind of had this idea you might want to bring Cindy Whiting." "You took her to Homecoming, right?" "Yeah, sure, there you go." "Clam up." "I wouldn't blame you if that's what you're thinking about." "For Tick's sake, one of us should end up rich, right?" "The way Walt talks money, you'd think he had some." "But you married him, anyway." "He loves me, Miles, and that's the thing I need most." "When he looks at me..." "I don't even know how to say it." "See?" "Hello?" " Where is my social security cheque?" " What?" "I said, are you going to send me my social security cheque?" "How could I do that, Dad?" "I don't even know where you are." "I'm down in the Keys." "Where do you think?" "Care of Captain Andy." "Where is Father Tom?" "Right in back of me." "He's taking confession, I think." "You know, he finished second in a Hemingway lookalike contest." "He's got a beard now that's coming all white." "How could you do it, Dad?" "Let him grow a beard?" "Why not?" "You know what I mean." "Take money from a senile old priest." "I never took a dime." "No, you just let him pay for everything." "Why shouldn't he have a little fun?" "Old men like to have fun too, you know." "Down here, people like old men." "Why?" "Oh." "You know, we left the parish station wagon at the public landing in Camden." "Still be there if they haven't towed it." "Congratulations, now you lost me." "Tom and I sailed down here, on the Lila Day." "Crewed, actually." "You want me to believe that you and Father Tom crewed a schooner from Camden, Maine, all the way to the Florida Keys?" "Yeah, us and three or four other guys." "Tom fell overboard, but we got him." "After that, he was more careful." "He remembers better than people give him credit for." "Do you have any idea what will happen to you if he gets hurt?" "Not a damn thing." "You know what you're pissed about?" "I'm here and you're there." "Have it your way, Dad." "I will." "I do." "Hiya, kid." " You're home." " Good eye." "You grew about two inches." "Mom's real sick." "They usually are at this stage." "She didn't tell you?" " You're gonna have a baby brother." " Or a baby sister." "What, you grow two inches and you're a smartass?" "Where is your mother, anyhow?" "Church, I guess." "She goes every day now." "She must be feeling guilty about something." " Captain Andy's." " You got an old guy with crumbs in his beard?" "Max." " Yeah." " I got a question for you, Dad." "How come you never told me about Mom and Charlie Whiting?" "How come you never told me, son?" "David, I've been telling my reporter friend here that you missed a hell of a reception." "Oh, yeah?" "Something about the occasion just didn't stir me." " All this sneaking..." " I am not believing this." "White limos." "Hey, big boy, come on." "Take a look at this." "Look at this." "White limos." "And look..." "Massachusetts plates." "I told you anything is possible." "I told you and you laughed at me." "Empire Grill." "I just heard from the bank." "Our loan's been turned down." "On what basis?" "They turned our loan down." "They declined to give a reason." "When I pressed, I was told we might want to check who's on the board of directors." "Fine." "We'll go to Portland, or Boston if we have to." "That's not all." " Liquor Control was just in here." " Liquor Control?" "They had a photo of Tick sitting in a booth with some half-filled beer glasses that I hadn't got around to clearing." "They said there'll be a formal complaint alleging that I'm selling to minors." "Oh, she's got us, Miles." "No, she doesn't." "She's gone too far this time." " She's gone too far." " Who's imagining things?" "Not me." "Wait, don't be stupid." "Think this through." "What is it you don't understand here?" "You need to calm down before you confront her." " If I had two good arms..." " Be glad you don't." "I'm sorry, David." "You gotta step out of my way." " All right." " No, you don't." "Not today." "No more running, big boy." "You've been running your whole life but you're not gonna run today." "Me and you are gonna go right here, right now." "Come on." "You know what?" "You're right." "Goddamn right, I'm right." " You say go." " Go." "My arm." "My arm." "Damn!" "That was worth waiting for!" "My arm, I think he broke my arm." "Mom!" "This here's private property, Miles." "Are you on duty, Jimmy, or are you just another citizen?" "She said for me to tell you tomorrow." "She knew I was coming?" "There ain't much that lady doesn't know." "She's several steps ahead of the likes of me and you." " She's disappointed in you, is my impression." " I'm sure she'll tell me all about it." "How about that?" "Old Miles Roby committing a violent act." "What will people say?" "My advice, just set back down, Miles." "Just set back down." "James." "You go on along, Mrs Whiting." "I'll finish up with this here after I've caught my breath." "I just came by to give my two-week notice." "You're gonna have to find somebody else to run the Empire Grill." "Why don't you wait and think things over?" "Passionate decisions are seldom sound." "When did you ever feel passion?" "Well, it's true that I don't have a romantic temperament like some people." "Like my mother?" "Like your husband?" "We are what we are." "What can't be cured must be endured." "What can't be cured must be avenged." "Isn't that what you mean?" "Payback is how we endure, dear boy." "But I don't want to give you a false impression." "I was very fond of your mother, just as I am of you." "You want me to be mayor." "How does it feel, Francine... to know your husband shot himself in the head rather than spend one more minute on this earth with you?" "You've gone and done it now, old buddy." "You've surely done it now." "Francine Whiting." "Was she surprised when her husband returned after ten years in exile?" "Many people thought he'd gone mad." "What sort of man travels all the way from Mexico to shoot himself in Maine?" "But maybe what he went was sane." "He had long ago stopped blaming God for everything." "It was his wife who was responsible." "It was she who had made him so angry that afternoon that he had backed out of his garage without looking and run over his infant child." "Daddy!" "Daddy!" "Daddy!" "It was his wife who had kept him from the daughter who had needed him so desperately." "She who had concocted the story of the hit-and-run driver then held that lie over him for the rest of his life," "using it to deny him love when at last he had found it." "Grace!" "Grace!" "Can it be that in the darkest of waters the sun never penetrates?" "Or that it penetrates just enough to make that darkness visible?" " Cindy." " Mm." "How long have you been here?" "A while." "How do you feel?" "Groggy." "Hurts to breathe." "Also to talk." "You have a mild concussion and two cracked ribs." "I wanted to say goodbye." "You're going away?" "The truth is, I don't do very well here." "I never have." "Where will you go?" "Back to Augusta." "I kept an apartment there." "It's close to my doctor's." "Also... there's a man." "You do know I've had lovers, don't you, Miles?" "I want you to know because you always imagine me unhappy." "And that hurts my feelings." "It never occurs to you that... that I might be happy." "That I might want to share my happiness with you." "God, I'm so sorry." "Is it so terrible for you to know that I'll always love you?" "That the night we had that one kiss, I'll hold in my memory forever." "I know you never meant to hurt me." "Do you want to hear something terrible?" "Sure." "I sometimes used to fantasise that you'd grow ill and I'd nurse you, like I did your mother." "Power and control." "I guess that makes me my mother's daughter." "No." "No one's like your mother." "Oh, my God!" "What are you doing?" "She says I have to take her out or I flunk." "She's just mad cos you gave her a fat ass." "I didn't give her a fat ass." "God gave her a fat ass." " I wouldn't change it." " I wouldn't, either." "Of course, I'm flunking anyway." "Tick, are you OK?" "Uh..." "John." "John." "John Voss, where have you been?" "John, what's in the bag?" " Oh, my God!" " Everybody, get out!" "Run!" "Get out!" "John Voss, no!" "This is what I dream." "Can we have a crash cart in two?" " Mr Roby, back in bed." " Better come with me, Miles, right away." " He's not going..." " Help him get dressed." "Is that Candace?" "John Voss." " Bill, where are they?" " It's in the art room." "Upstairs." " Sir, you can't come in here." " No, I'm..." "Tell him." " Let that fella through." " My daughter's in here somewhere." " Let us through here." " Listen to me..." " Where's this man's daughter?" " She's over there." " Where is she?" " Behind the counter, sir." "Oh, God." "Oh, thank God." "Tick..." "Tick." " Be angry with her." " Tick!" "It's me." "It's your dad." " Daddy." " Come here." "You're gonna be OK." "Tick." "Tick." "It's me." "I gotta get her out of here." "I got her." "It's OK." "It's all right." "Chief, that man is still under arrest." "Tend to your own kid, Jimmy." "Let's all just tend to our own kids, OK?" "We're just gonna let him walk out of here?" "Daddy, where are you going?" "I'm going to talk to the man about getting a job." " No." " See?" "I'll be right here." "OK?" " Hi." " Hi." "I saw your sign." "My name is Miles Roby and I've worked in the restaurant business for over 25 years." "No!" "Are you OK?" "What happened?" " I'm sorry." " It's OK." "It's OK." "Daddy?" " Daddy?" " Right here." "Hi." "I'm right here." " That's a seven at least, maybe an eight." " An eight." "Hey." "Bye, Daddy." "I'm fine." "Thanks." " Yeah?" " Yeah." "I'll see you later." "OK." "You can go." "Your mother almost ready?" "My mother died, Charlie." "No, she's just inside getting ready." "She's gonna wear that pretty white dress, I bet." "She died." "She waited for you." "I meant to come." "I wanted to." "So why didn't you?" "When you're older, you'll understand." "You killed her." "No, she died of cancer." "You know that." "You never came." " I hate you." " And I you." "If it wasn't for you, your mother and I could have run away together like we wanted to." "We could have been happy." "What happened was your fault, not mine." "OK." "OK, truce." " Hello?" " Janine, it's me." "How is she?" "Two steps forward, one step back most days." "She's doing better this week." " Tell her I love her." " I will." "I will." "She knows, though." "You really think?" "Of course she does." "How's Walt?" " We split up." "You didn't hear?" " No." "I'm sorry." "What happened?" "Temporary is what we're telling people, but I don't know." "He just sits all alone in his office reading his AARP magazine." "I broke his heart, I guess." "Anyways, you better come home soon, or you're going to miss all the doings." "They're renovating the old shirt factory." "Oh, yeah?" "There's a brewpub and an L.L. Bean outlet going in, they say." "Let me guess who's getting rich all over again." "Well, maybe, but somebody said her house was for sale." "You never see her around any more." "How's your mom doing?" "You know Beatrice." "You couldn't kill her with a sledgehammer." "The loan's been approved by that bank in Portland." "Great." "And the complaint's been dropped." "Everybody's just waiting on you." "I need my daughter, Miles." "I know you're doing what you think's right but it's not fair." "I won't stay any longer than necessary, Janine." "I promise." "Try not to look too disappointed when you see me again, OK?" "I'm gaining back all the weight I lost." "Janine, there was never anything wrong with the way you looked." "You gonna be OK?" "Miles, when you were a kid, did you ever imagine..." "What?" "I don't know." "More?" "I did." "Don't feel bad, darling." "Nobody ever imagines less." "You got to be shitting me." "Dad's here." "I'll talk to you soon." " OK." " Bye." "Did you hear?" "Jimmy Minty's in jail." "Got caught with a trunkload of stolen VCRs." "My God, what a stupid kid he was." " It just breaks your heart." " What are you doing here, Dad?" "I thought I'd just come up here and check on my granddaughter and visit my son, if that's all right with you." "Did I tell you I won the lottery down in Florida?" "You won the lottery?" "Not the big one." "Not six numbers out of six." "Five out of six, though." "Pretty good." "Help yourself." " 30,000." " Dollars?" "No, paper napkins." " Of course dollars, you dummy." " You won 30 grand?" "Almost 32." "You personally won 32 grand?" "Me, Father Tom, and eight other guys at Captain Andy's." "You each won 32 grand?" "No." "We each won three." "Ten guys chip in on a ticket and you split the winnings." "How much you got left?" "Your brother gave me the bus fare to come up here." " He ain't cheap like you." " No, we're pretty different." "Ever occur to you to wonder why?" "No." "For a man who ran off as much as you did, you're pretty confident." "A man knows his own child." "Is Tick yours?" "Yeah, and David's as much mine as you are." "And how is my granddaughter?" "See for yourself." " Hi, Grandpa." " Tickeroo." " You smell better." " Well, I... air out down there." " You got food in your beard, though." " I know." "So what?" "You ready to come home?" "Can we?" "Ask your father, not me." "Old men don't get to vote." "Old men got to keep their mouth shut and do as they are told, like they're stupid." " Shut up, Dad." " You hear that?" "Der der der." "Blah blah blah..." "Can we visit Candace when we get back?" "If you think you're ready." "She's still in a wheelchair, you know." " I know." " And probably always will be." "I know." "I'm starting to remember some things." "Like when John pointed the gun at her..." "I cut him with a knife." "I know." "And Mr Mayer." " He stepped between us, didn't he?" " Yeah." "He saved your life." "Can we visit him?" "John?" "I'll have to talk that one over with your mother." "I think he hasn't spoken a word since then." "I know." "But he might to me." "What would he say?" "Maybe, 'I'm sorry.'" "That's what I'm going to say to him." "You see, the thing is..." "I can't help thinking that the whole thing happened... because he liked me." "And..." "I mean, I was nice to him." "But that's it, just nice." "Tick, if he needed more than kindness, that's not your fault." "Look, I love you, right?" "Why?" "Because I'm supposed to?" "No, because I can't help it." "Because from the time you were about this big you stole my heart and you haven't given it back for even a minute." "You can train your mind and you can learn from experience and that's what growing up is." "And you can take responsibility for your actions." "But you can't make your heart behave." "Take it from one who knows." "You will love who you love." "Don't ever apologise for that." "Don't ever feel you have to." "Hey!" "You can go now." " You want a doughnut?" " Sure, Grandpa." "Thank you." " You never fixed this?" " I don't think it can be." "Don't be an idiot." "Anything can be fixed." "So, tell me about this Donny." "Well, I've been getting some e-mails..." "The worst thing about killing yourself is you don't get to see how things turn out." "Had he lived to a ripe old age," "CB Whiting would have been cheered to learn that in one important respect he wasn't the total failure he imagined." "That he did, in fact, succeed precisely where his forbears had all failed so dismally." "It was CB Whiting, after all, who had ignored repeated warnings that going to war with God over the Knox would one day increase the severity of its floods." "That one day, the river would rise up and exact its revenge." "What possessed Francine Whiting to be in the gazebo that April afternoon when the angry river rose 25 feet remains a matter of speculation." "Timmy!" "She wasn't the only person to drown in the Knox that day." "Timmy!" "Timmy!" "But she was the only one to ride the raging, vengeful river all the way to the Atlantic." "Had he not despaired that afternoon so long ago," "CB Whiting would have lived to see salmon return to the Knox River, along with prosperity of a sort." "Almost overnight, the old shirt factory became home to a computer wholesaler and a credit card calling centre, and lavish water-view condominiums." "He'd have seen property along the Knox become unaffordable to all but those who came to oversee these franchises which were too valuable to be entrusted to the Comeaus and the Daws and the Robideaux and the Callahans" "and the Robys." "English SDH"