"Get along, little dogie." "Where we going, anyhow?" "Get a hold of yourself!" "Should've left him in the ground." "She never would've known." " She'd have seen." " She can't see everything." "Y'all taking me to see the crone?" "I wouldn't be calling her that, not to her face, anyhow." "She got a name?" "You want to know her name?" "Here's her name. "Fuck your mouth."" "That's her name." "Her name is, "Fuck your mouth!"" "You trying to get us killed?" "You okay?" "I'll kill you for that." "Just go, move." "Go on." "This the one she been looking for?" "Where did you get this, boy?" "None of your goddamn business." "Are you out of your mind?" "Are you gonna take him up?" "She wants to see you first..." "Lee." "Forget it." "Samson, come on now." "Shake the rocks out of your head, Dreifuss." "We got standards here." "What's this gray slop?" "Eggs." "It ain't what you think, boss." "Hell, if you just could've been there." "If you just could've seen the look of joy... on them young, shining faces." "Now was that before or after Rita Sue flashed her blubbers?" "Why you gotta make everything so dirty?" "'Cause the last thing we need is a bunch of mother hens... gum-flapping to the law about little Johnny seeing a titty show." "Okay, well, then... we could make it clean." "You could put a church dress and a bonnet on Rita Sue, and it ain't gonna be clean." "Matter of fact, it might even be a little dirtier... long as it comes down to knickers in the end." "After sunset." "Where's Angus?" " Took off." " Shit." "Said he's tired of working with a split tail." "Ain't that what he said?" "He didn't say nothing like that to me." "Seen that extra pair of gloves?" "Ain't you got gloves?" "I did." "But I don't no more." "Hell, Jonesy, she can't even carry her end of the load." "Shut the hell up, Burley." "Girl's ma died." "She's just trying to find her way." "Maybe you ought to grow a pair and can her ass." "What was that?" "Nothing." "Damn right, nothing." "You." "Follow me." "You two, get to the Ten-in-one." "All right, break time." "Four feet wide... 8 feet long... 4 feet deep." "A mighty fortress is our God." "A bulwark never failing." "But still our ancient foe." "Doth seek to work us woe." " Good morning, Iris." " Good morning." "I thought we had help." "Just because we have Celeste doesn't mean I can't take down laundry from time to time." "Idle hands." "Celeste." "What is it?" "I'm afraid she's not working out." "And tho the world, with devils filled" "Celeste?" "It's all right." "It's all over now." "It's all over now." "Y'all live here?" "Sometimes." "What's that smell?" "She likes cats." "What the hell is that?" "Her." "Is that her?" "Better days." "Lee?" "Your turn." "Hey!" "Let me outta here, God damn it!" "Hey." "You're his boy." "I've been waiting so long for you." "Who are you?" "You and me is blood, boy." "I'm your grandma." " You smell something burning?" " Nope." "There they are." "Didn't know Janes could piss fire like that." "What's the matter, Fletch?" "Ain't you never made a woman sweat before?" "I say she won't go more than 40 minutes before she passes out." "No." "She's tough." "She's got two hours in her." "Half a bean... says she keels in 30." " You in?" " Nope." "Hey, Stump." "I'm gonna be coming into some dough here real soon." "Yeah?" "That's real..." "That's real nice." "How's Rita Sue?" " She's fine." " She is that, all right." "Hey." "I was wondering..." "What?" "Well, if you could squeeze me in tonight." "You know?" "Sorry." "What do you mean "sorry"?" "Well, Rita don't roll with trade." "It's bad for business." "What about Jonesy?" "What about him?" "He got his self a piece." "It was good for business then." "Forget it." "Here's the stairs." "There you go." " You got it." " Yeah, I got you, sonny." "Did he ever say anything about me?" "About why he left us?" "There was people after him." "People?" "What people?" "Ern!" " How'd she get out?" " I don't know." "Those your cousins down there?" "Cousins?" "Yeah, I guess they are." "You know, Ben, those boys are jealous of you." "They'd like to see you dead." " Grammy, that ain't true." " It ain't like that." "That ain't right." "No." " Is that right?" " Surely is." "Go on." "Ask Lee." "He'll tell you." "Grammy, if you need anything, we can bring it right upstairs to you, you know it." "Just like that." "That's right." "You know, your daddy grew up in this house." "Oh, my baby." "So pretty when he was a young 'un." "He had long ringlets... and perfect little hands." "Ma'am, do you have any idea where my daddy might be now?" "Questions!" "All you do is ask questions." "I'm talking about your daddy." "You smell just like him." "Hey, what was the name of the deal..." "Chubb Bouchet did down in Mobile?" "What did he call that?" ""The Lunch Counter"?" "Yeah, that was it." "The Lunch Counter." "That was it." "Maybe you ought to give that a whirl." " Forget it." " Come on, honey." "It'll be like old times." "Honey pie, if that's your idea of a trip down memory lane..." "I think I'll stick with the highway." "What's The Lunch Counter?" "The quickest way to make a heap of sugar, kiddo." "You line up all the johnnies in the blow off... and then you squat down on the edge of the stage... and you clip them each a nickel so they can lick your snatch." "Right there in the tent?" " No, that ain't it." " Really?" "Then what is it, Felix?" "It's..." "Well..." "Well, for starters, you don't charge them a nickel." "Four bits, minimum." "It's low." "Hey, Lib." " Get a load of this feather trim." " No, it ain't low." "It ain't." "God damn it, we are painting ourselves into a real corner here... passing up a lot of opportunities." "Just this morning, I had to turn away Burley." " Burley?" " Times is hard, baby." "We got to look to manifest our diversity." " You in the hole again, Daddy?" " No." "No, honey." "No." "Just business, is all." "Just pitching in to help keep this flea circus rolling." " Well, I could do it." " What?" "The Lunch Counter." "It don't sound so bad." "Hell, your mom's right." "That was a dumb idea." "I don't know why I even thought of it." "Can I help you?" "Might I have a word with you, sir?" " About what?" " Well, it's just routine." "Perhaps your personal feelings for my sister are clouding your objectivity." "Justin, I'm not the only one who's going to come to this conclusion." "The waitress could've been mistaken." "And as for Eleanor, given her history, she's hardly reliable." "Okay." "Maybe Iris won't be convicted in a court of law, but in the court of public opinion?" "If word of this gets out, we'll never recover." "You're talking about a woman's life, Tommy." "My sister's." "I will not condemn her based on such flimsy evidence." "I need more than just two women saying maybe." "Hiya, Sof." " Brought you something." " I can't." "Come on, you can knock off for a spell." "Wet your whistle." "You know them fellows got a pool going?" "They think you're not gonna make it." "They can think whatever they want." "I don't care." "You gonna show them, huh?" "I'm not here to prove anything." "Then what are you doing here?" "It beats curling up and dying." "That's what I'd do if I had to read those goddamn cards." "What's Jonesy got, I ain't got?" "Cat got your tongue?" "No." "Thought maybe it was a rhetorical question." "Nothing "retardical" about it." "I just wanna know." "You sure?" "Yeah." "A limp." "What makes you so special?" "You're nothing but a whore." "Maybe I'll just come by, pay you a visit." "Come on by, lover boy, I'll send you home wearing your dick like a necktie." "I'll be waiting up, honey." "Don't forget to bring your wallet." " Quite a lot of dough." " Yes, it is." "You reckon he's dead?" "I do." "Maybe he's got his self a girlfriend." "He got me." "I think somebody did him in." "Who?" "Who's running the show now?" "That little fellow?" "He wouldn't hurt a fly." "Plenty big enough to pull a trigger." "Now, wait, now." " This here is crazy talk." " It's something to think about." "Well, then again, he might show up tomorrow, big as life and twice as ornery." "He'll be back." "Let's go." "I'd like to place a collect call." "Justin Crowe, Mintern, California." "Stroud." "Scudder's got a boy looking for him." "See if you can find him." "Do you want me to take care of him?" "No." "Just follow him." "The boy may lead you to the man." "Abide with me fast falls the eventide" "Owen Scudder." "Uncle." "There's your uncle Gilbert." "And here's your grandpa... my dear, husband Hilton." "He was a very good man, my Hilton." "A mighty powerful grand dragon in these parts." "And an Elk." "He was a pallbearer at General Nate Forrest's funeral." "How about that?" "I can't say I'd know who that is." "He founded the Klan, boy." "Him and your granddaddy." "They had great plans for this country... but he died before his time." "Rest his soul." "They all did." "They all died on the same day." "Yes, terrible thing." "What happened?" "They're with Jesus now." "Some kind of accident?" "People die." "Best you accept it now, boy." "Ain't never an accident." " Hey." " Hey." "I didn't hear you." "Your pa said there was some problem with the stage." "Over there." "One of the floorboards keeps squeaking." " Don't mind me." " I don't." "Lib." "How do you expect Mr. Jones to do his work while you're prancing around?" "Just a loose floorboard." "Be done in a jiffy." "Ought to do it." "That song don't work for me." "I like it." "Matter of fact, I thought it worked real well." "Take a lesson from me, girl, don't fuck where you eat." "I ain't you, mama." "Oh, shit." "A mighty fortress is our God." "A bulwark never failing." "Our helper he." "Friends, I come before you today... deeply moved by your presence here." "There is a dark lie... festering in the heart of our nation today." "Our founding fathers articulated the inalienable rights... of every true American." " Liberty." " That's right." " Equality." " Yes." "And the right to pursue happiness." "And yet, somewhere along the way... we lost those glorious truths." "Hallelujah!" "We have all been led to believe that through honest labor... industry and optimism... we can achieve success, and enjoy prosperity." "But what of you?" "What of you, brothers and sisters, who have worked so hard... toiling and tending the land... only to see it snatched away?" "Not by God, brothers and sisters... but by man!" "By the banks." "Yes!" "By the craven men who run the banks." "These men... these moneychangers... they have feasted for centuries on the fatted cow that was Europe." "And now that the heartland of our nation is transformed into a desert... they turn their gluttonous eye upon our misery... and they gobble up your farms!" "How do you do this without being able to see?" "I don't have eyes... that don't mean I can't see." "It's in here somewhere." "What is it?" "A surprise." " What is this?" " What?" "Some kind of mask." "That's my Henry's death mask." "He's dead?" "What have you done?" " This whole day you didn't say he was dead." " You broke it." "It was an accident." "There are no accidents." "Why didn't you tell me?" "I thought you knew." "What you got there?" "Something your daddy left for you." "Something real pretty." "I'll show it to you, only you got to close your eyes first." "Close them." " They're closed." " No, they're not." "No peeking." "Can I look now?" "Yes." "He wanted you to have it." "You'll need it where you're going." "Where am I going?" "Where the dog and the wolf howl at the moon." "Where's that?" "You'll see." "And what of the fruits of our labor, brothers and sisters?" "Ashes and dust." "And a pitiful alphabet soup of federal programs." "The NRA!" "The WPA!" "Is this our American dream?" "Justin!" "Get away." "Justin?" " Be seated people, please." " Justin, What is it?" "Please be calm, everyone." " Justin, what is it?" " He means to kill me." " Technical difficulties." " It's all right." "Get some water." "People, please." " It's chamomile." " Thank you, Iris." "Please let me call Dr. Ashford." "No, I'm fine." "I'm just overly tired, that's all." "Justin... why did you say, "He means to kill me"?" "Who is it?" "You look tired, my dear." "If you are in danger, you have to tell me." "I don't know what I was saying." "Justin, thousands of people hear you every week." "Some of them are bound to be unbalanced." "If you've been threatened..." "I have to know." "My only enemy is time." " There's so much to do." " Then let me help you." "You do help me, dear." "The way you organize the volunteers." "I've seen how..." "That's not what I mean." "I can protect you... but not if there are things I know nothing about." "There are discussions I'm not privy to." "Nothing of significance." "I've seen you and Tommy whispering behind closed doors." "We never had secrets between us, Alexi." "Tommy is no threat to you." "He does what he's told." "I don't understand why you've opened up this door, Justin." "This door was already open, Iris." "If anything happens to me... it will be on your head, as well." "I will not be sacrificed." "Had a nice visit?" "I'm leaving now." "Why y'all keep her like that?" "Locked up like some kind of animal." "Let me tell you something, son." "That old gal crazy as a shithouse rat." "It's true." "The night your daddy was born... she went and got herself a boning knife, killed every last one of them." "Grandpa Hilton, Uncle Owen, Gilbert..." "Alvin Sr." "She went bed to bed... slit their throats." "Do you know how much blood a man has in him?" "After she was done, she clawed her eyes out." "In the morning, they found her in the kitchen... sitting there, singing..." "Abide with me." "Abide with me fast falls the..." "Shut up, just shut up." "That's mine." "You come back whenever you want." "Always room for kin at the table." "That'll do." "I said, that'll do." "I'm not done." "Yeah, you are." "God damn it, Sofie." "Why are you doing this?" "It's my job." " There's lots of other jobs." " I like this one." "This ain't about the job." " You know that." " Why don't you tell me what it's about?" "All right." "It's about you, and me, and goddamn Rita Sue." "And what all happened that night with Libby." " Well, ain't it?" " No." "It isn't." "Sof, look at what you're doing to yourself." "Your face is burnt, and your hands are raw." "Your lips are bleeding." " You're hurting yourself." " I don't care." "I want to work." "I wanna work so hard, there's nothing else left of me but the work." "She tried to kill me, Jonesy." "She set the fire." "And she was holding me." "She wouldn't let me go." "You saw." " She was just scared." " No." "She wanted us to die." "She wanted me to die." "And what did I do to make her hate me so much?" "Nothing deserves that." "Hello, there, gentlemen." "Come on down to the baldheaded row, gentlemen." "Move up here, boy." "Yes, sir." "It's luau time down up in the South Pacific." "Where you can taste the coconut meat, boys." "Yes." "And marvel at the beauty of Hawaii's... milky mountains." "Yes, sir, gentlemen." " Be careful of the eruptions, boys." " Be careful of those eruptions, boys." "Because when the volcano blows... the lava flows." "Yes, sir." "Come up, back." "Gather around here, boys." "Come on down." "Come on down inside, gentlemen." "Come on around, boys." "Come on down... because inside it's paradise found." "He's dead." "Did you hear what I said, God damn it?" "Scudder's dead." "Did the crone tell you that?" "Yeah, so what if she did?" "He's gone, God damn it." "He took the preacher's name with him." "He's not dead... of that I am certain." "I saw his death mask." "I held it in my hands." "No, it's impossible." "What do you know?" "You can't see anything past your own hate." "You son of a bitch." "Because if Scudder's dead, you got no reason to draw a breath." "I will die, one way or another, Ben Hawkins." "It's you who has something greater at stake." "Sofie." "You remember them cards you had me burn up?" "Sofie." "Please, I need to know something." "You stand still, you piece of shit, or I'll kill you." " Jesus." " Stumpy." " What are you doing?" " Rita, I'm just getting ready for bed." "Mama, what's going on?" "Nothing, baby." "I thought your daddy was somebody else." "God." "Damn." "That's my pistol-packing mama." "I gotta say... that was kind of exciting." "You're stinko." "What's the matter?" "You all out of dicks to suck?" "What?" "I'm sorry." "I didn't know anyone was here." "Quite all right, my dear." "I was just finishing up." "You must be the new girl." "You're awake." "I couldn't sleep." "I'm sorry." "I just can't." "It don't matter."