"How, Big Chief." "Which way to the Little Bighorn?" "He sends you?" "Sharp as ever." "No luggage, right?" "Very rustic here." "They ever let you out?" "Fresh air?" "Okay, long ride." "Don't want to cover everything at once." "I can't drive if we hold hands." "Let me ask you something, Mickey." "How the fuck are you still alive?" "'Cause I'm valuable." "I bring people together." "They appreciate that." "You're a backstabbing shit." "No wonder we get along." "Look, Eli, things have changed." "Nucky?" "Hard man to get to these days." "Can't just walk in and put your feet up." "A lot of hoops." "And the Munya thing." "That did not help." "What thing?" "Just someone shot his face off." "But who?" "Why?" "Big question mark." "So nobody just walks in." "But he told me, "Go fetch my brother." "Get him set up."" "What the fuck are you babbling about?" "You." "Work for me." "Doing what?" "Well, that's my decision, ain't it?" "Eli." "Come on, now." "Don't be a jaboney." "What are you gonna do?" "There's no one else coming for you." "Got you some joe." "Hot enough?" "'Cause I..." "No?" "Okay, fine." "So what are we doing, boss?" "Another night?" "Back to New York?" "I mean, I'm just asking." "They got nice little pastries in there, too." "Can't get too much of a head start, can you?" "Help you, sir?" "We're here, right?" "Tabor Heights." "Atlantic City is here." "New York is here." "And this..." "That's the ocean." "And one inch equals 10 miles." "The scale." "How's that?" "The scale of the map." "That's what it's called?" "Usually." "Sometimes it's not called that?" "No, pretty much always the scale." "A lot of traffic." "Yeah, the truck route to New York." "It's almost seven inches." "Huh?" "Oh, right." "Good business?" "Till they finish that new highway, we're the last gas 'til Staten Island." "What's he got in there?" " The truck?" " Yeah." "I..." "Fish?" "Says fish." "Could be something else." "That come off the ocean, right?" "I wouldn't have a clue about that." "Who would?" "Sorry?" "Who would have a clue?" "The sheriff, maybe?" "He keeps an eye on things." "Sheriff." "He's what, on a horse or something?" "No, he's got a Chevrolet." "I'm supposed to pump gas." " Hey." " Sir?" "What's a decent place for chow around here?" " Blood pouring out of her." " Really?" "And she staring right at me, close as you are now." " I didn't know what to do." " What could you do?" " At least she was in the hospital." " Yes." "If that has to happen." "Did she try and take care of it herself?" " I mean, you hear about..." " it wasn't that." "It was an infection from raw milk." " My God." " She didn't know." "She didn't know the first thing about it." "It's pasteurized." "The Irish fellow, ma'am." "Visitors are announced by name, Philip." "He's not really visiting, is he?" "Come in, Mr. Sleater." "Thanks." "Ladies." "You know Miss Predock." "You were at the New Year's do." "You don't remember me." "Mr. Sleater's quite observant." "And Mrs. Thompson aims to keep me on my toes." "I'm going to freshen up." " And whenever you're ready, we'll..." " Thank you." "If there was a household account at the bank, you'd be spared the trip." "This is how he wants to manage it." " Will you be speaking with him today?" " I can get him word." "He has the St. Gregory Award from the diocese, for our generosity." "The bishop presents it." "Quite the honor." "Can't very well be turned down, and it's awkward if he doesn't attend." "I can make some excuse, but they need an answer, so..." "I'll see he's told." "Good girl." " Emily's thriving?" " Well..." " Never as bad as the worst." " Ah." "So your mom said that, too." "And yourself?" "Plenty to keep me occupied." "You're planning for the spring?" "The hospital grounds." "I have business there, actually." "I can give you a lift if you'd like." "Cornelia's driving me." "All taken care of then." "Let me go." "Let me go." "It's leaking." " I don't care." " Stop it." " Stop it!" "I'm ticklish!" " Stay here." " Stop!" " I'm not doing anything." " It's gonna overflow." " I don't care." " What are you..." " Stop." "Fine, fine." "Don't move." "You look like the White Rock girl." "That's sweet." "Now make yourself useful and fetch the dish towel." "You're gonna take this, and you're gonna pour it down the tub." " Yes, ma'am." " Okay." "You got it?" "Hello?" "Oh, it's you." "No, I can't right now." "Because I'm pickling some peppers, silly." "Yeah, I bet you would." " Think she ever gets laid?" " Who?" "The White Rock girl." "I'm sure she has her admirers." "Yeah, but think about it." "Those little wings would get crushed in a second." "Unless..." "She likes to be on top." "Maybe she uses them to hover." "It'd be like screwing a hummingbird." "Screwing a hummingbird." "She flits, she flies" "She twirls in the air" "My little hummingbird" "She's my Joy" "My laughter" "My love and my luck" "But Jesus Christ, fellas" "She's too small to fuck" "Hey, you know, maybe I could have one of the boys work that number out for me." "Not so blue, obviously." "Billie Kent, The Little Hummingbird." "And the gag is every time a good-looking fella gets close to me..." " What's got into you?" " Hmm." "You're not getting gloomy, are you, Gus?" "Hey." "Didn't we just have some fun?" "I have to meet a man at the Hotel Astor." "Very mysterious." "I'll see you later?" "Why else am I in New York?" "Such a good liar." "And I'm going to call your landlord." " Don't." " You have a flood'm here." "I just hate to bother Mr. Rothstein." "Whereas I love to bother Mr. Rothstein." "Well, then, might as well tell him the whole place could use a coat of paint." "I don't want to interrupt your work, sir." "What time we open up, Mr. Purnsley?" "Club don't serve a whiskey before 10:00 p.m." "Maybe you come back around then." "Got that professor up from Kansas City." "He beat that old girl something fierce." "How you doing in school, Master Samuel?" "I'm working hard." "Graduate in two and a half years." "Be a doctor." "Bet your parents must be proud." "They own that boardinghouse over on Mediterranean with the nice rooms for respectable folk." "They have always held you in high regard." "What you come to say, son?" "I think Maybelle is a wonderful, young woman, sir." "Thank her mama for that." "My feelings for her are deep and sincere." "I intend to make a place for myself in this world." "I would like Maybelle by my side as I do." "You talk to Maybelle about this?" "I thought it most proper for me to speak to you first." "A doctor, huh?" "How 'bout you doctor me?" "Is something bothering you?" "I don't know." "I ain't no doctor, am I?" "I didn't bring any of my instruments." "But if you'll allow me..." "I find it easier to measure the pulse here." "Breathe." "Okay." "Open your mouth for me, please." "May I have your hands, sir?" "You have a mineral deficiency." "These white spots on the nails." "Is it bad?" "You might eat more leafy vegetables." "Go in the back and tell Augusta to fix up a big plate of greens." "Am I suitable, Mr. White?" "Welcome to the family, son." "Mrs. Shearer?" "I'm sure you don't remember me." "I'm Margaret Thompson." "I was visiting here, when you had your difficulty." "I lost a little one." "Yes." "I'm sorry." "How are you feeling now?" "Well, I can't be lazing about in bed days on end." "You lost quite a lot of blood." "You're a nurse?" "I'm with a group that's trying to find better ways for the hospital to look after our patients." "I don't have complaints." "All the sisters were nice mostly." "And Dr. Cheever?" "Did he offer any advice?" "About how to tend to yourself in future?" "I don't need him telling me, not after bringing nine into this world." "Five that lived." "I have two of my own, a son and daughter." "Mr. Shearer was set on another boy after three girls in a row." "What does your husband do?" "We'll pay the bill, ma'am." "I promise you that." "That's not why I asked." "Then why do you need to know?" "I'm simply trying to get a sense of what your life is like." "Well, no disrespect, but I don't see that being any business of yours." "Hello?" "Hello?" "In the bowl." "Just put the money in the bowl." "I'm not doing that." "I'd appreciate it if you did." "$40,000, and I don't know who I'm giving it to?" "It's the entire essence of the system." "I'm leaving." "Forgive my informal appearance." "It is unconscionably warm in here." "You are?" "My general preference is to remain anonymous." "But Gaston Bullock Means." "Special Investigator, United States Department of Justice." "Where is Jess Smith?" "Jess Smith is conspicuously absent." "How is that an answer?" "The client enters." "The payment is placed in the bowl." "The client leaves." "Who has seen whom?" "No one has seen anybody." "And the Republic survives another day." "This is your idea?" "It has the twin virtues of simplicity and mystery." "It strikes me as idiotic." "Well, that is your prerogative." "Mr. Thompson, did you not make prior arrangements with Messrs. Smith and Daugherty in regards to certain services and protections?" "And were you not given exact instructions as to where and when this transaction would take place?" "I was." "And are we not now both growing older on a brisk winter's day in the great port of New York, eager to see where fate leads us next?" "What is going on with Smith and Daugherty?" "My understanding is that they are no more than close friends, base rumors to the contrary." "That's not what I meant." "I know what you meant." "But that would be another conversation in a different room." "What would that cost?" "How would you judge a man you could buy within five minutes of meeting him?" "I wouldn't trust him for a second." "Well, then, we are face to face with paradox." "Consider me an admirer, Mr. Thompson." "Ordinary men avoid trouble." "Extraordinary men turn it to their advantage." "You and I have that in common." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Would you do me the favor of waiting till Mr. Remus leaves and then exit by that door?" "Thank you." "And regards to Mr. Rothstein." "I believe you're seeing him later." "Come in." "Am I interrupting?" "Why would I say "come in" if you were?" "You tried to tell me something the other day." "I'm afraid I wasn't very receptive." " And?" " And it's been bothering me." "I've looked in on Mrs. Shearer." "The E. coli case." "Yes." "The E. coli case." "What's your impression?" "She's rather a difficult person, frankly." "Perhaps she's wary of well-meaning strangers." "Have I done something to offend you?" "Why do you ask?" "You just might find it useful to be a bit warmer." "Because you're on the board?" "I meant with people in general." "How do you know how I am with people in general?" "Let's say I'm forming an impression." "Perhaps your perception regarding my supposed brusqueness comes out of a sense of frustration." "Whose?" "Mine?" " I'm frustrated?" " Are you?" "You have a maddening way." "Perhaps it has something to do with the care we offer women like Mrs. Shearer." " Or don't." " You're doing it again." " Doing what?" " Blaming me for something." " What would I be blaming you for?" " I haven't the slightest idea." "Then I'm really not sure what this conversation is about." "You gave me quite a severe lecture the other day, and I'm here to see if there's something I might do about it." "I don't know what cause you have to resent me." " I don't have any..." " Although, I'm fairly certain it has to do with your assumption that I am rich, spoiled, and indifferent." " You..." " I'm not finished." "If you have a proposal for helping the women who come to this hospital, instead of simply a bad habit of flinging pointed barbs at people you dislike and feeling pleased with yourself, then I would very much like to hear it." "It's a Catholic hospital." "You knew that when you spoke to me last time." "How do you propose to persuade Dr. Landau?" "I don't propose to persuade him at all." " May I ask exactly what..." " You may not." "Anything else?" "Yes." "Please refrain from smoking that pipe or buy better tobacco." "Whatever you stuff in there is appalling." "We filled up." "What are we hanging around for?" "I run a tight operation, Eli." "I don't need any guff from the fellas that work for me." "I don't work for you." "I hear there are opportunities out West." "Hop a rail." "Godspeed." "Look, I just want to go home, see June and the kids." "That you will." "After we do this." "You kept me waiting, Victor." "I have a town to patrol." "Those Methodists keeping you up at night?" "I find trouble around here comes from the outside." "Well, we got a convoy coming through tomorrow night." "We don't want no trouble neither." " The other half?" " With the convoy." "Same as always." "You know Nucky's good for it." "Tank yourselves up and head on through." "I don't want to see any of your boys lounging around Main, near the beaches, or the coast road." "You head on through." "What if they need to pray?" "Something on your mind?" "You don't remember me?" "You were up and down this shore 10 years ago, looking for any job with a badge." "Well, I found one." "Tomorrow night, fill up your trucks and move on through." "You take care now, Sheriff Thompson." "What was it like?" "Just a little roadhouse off campus." "And you played piano there?" "It's not so much a piano as it is a packing crate with keys, but yes." "And you do that King and Carter number, don%you?" "Maybelle Anne, jazz is the devil's music, and no self-respecting negro would go near it." "Father." "Are we called to dinner?" "Lester, I need to talk to your sister." " Go down and help set up." " Yes, sir." "I'll give you those Claude McKay poems." " They're worth a look." " Okay." " Your beau came to see me today." " I know." "He called here afterwards." "Your mom ain't saying nothing." "I haven't told her." "Samuel's awful sweet, isn't he?" "Very respectful." "He's going to be a good doctor." "Good husband, too." "How old were you when you married Mama?" "Going on 26." "And when you saw her, you knew." "I knew she wouldn't give me the time of day." "I knew her daddy tell everybody he meet that I be half Apache and such and a no-account, all 'cause I come up from Texas, worked the storefront for old Oscar Boneau." "What changed Grandpa's mind?" "He run into some problems, so I help him out." " How?" " Don't matter how." "He see he could count on me." "I be on the side of the family." "Now, this man of yours gonna be a doctor." "That's good for us." "For this family." " What about me?" " Ain't you part of it?" "Daddy, I don't want to just move from this house into someone else's." "It's gonna be your house." "You and husband." "And your little ones." "I'm not ready for that." "Girl, it ain't gonna happen right away." "I'm never gonna be ready." "Not with Samuel." "Your mama work for this." "Work all her days to raise you for this." " She married you." " What that mean?" "You're interesting." "How did you help Grandpa?" "I won't tell." "Did you get rid of someone?" "Think me and you having some kind of discussion?" "It's my life, Daddy." "And how you gonna live it?" "Huh?" "What, backseat of a car, swag a buck with a pistol, wife two county over?" "Why not?" "I'll write a poem about it." "Them people can't even sign they own name." "And your life, your life belong..." "Mama says dinner." "You marrying that boy." "So tomorrow morning, 8:00 sharp." "Big shipment for Rothstein." "Go fuck yourself." "You have a nice night, too." " Bri?" " Hi, Pop." "Look at you." "'Daddy!" ""Oh!" "Who are all these beauties and these handsome young men?" "Hey, Edith." "Someone too big for a hug?" "Welcome home, Dad." "Where'd you get that grip?" " I don't know." " He's been working in a lumberyard." "Nobody told me that." "You had enough to worry about." "Evening, everybody." "Cold out there, huh?" "Miss." " What's good?" " Oh, everything." "It's all made here." "Spaghetti and meatballs." "Tell me about that." "It's like a noodle." "Mmm-hmm." "And it's covered in a red sauce." "But you could have it with butter instead." "And balls of meat, like this." "Sounds delicious." "I'll have that." " With the butter or the sauce?" " The sauce." "Make it two." "And you know what I'd like with that?" "Just a little wine." "Hmm?" "Oh." "We don't have that." "It's against the law." "Still, in the back, inside the cupboard, behind the sody-pop." "You know what's good here?" "The coffee." "Brew it fresh every half-hour." "Best thing on a night like this." "Okay." "Thank you." "We'll have spaghetti and coffee." "Keep you nice and warm on the road." "No driving tonight." "Staying in Tabor Heights?" "We're over at the Kinneret Lodge." "Not much going on here this time of year." "Asbury Park, Atlantic City, that's where the action is." "That's 60 miles." "Or you could head back to New York." "How you know we're from New York?" "Call it a hunch." "Better than Mama's, huh?" " What do you know about this Means fella?" " He's a colorful personality." "I don't need to get wrapped up in Harry Daugherty's mess." "Do you?" "The protection is valuable." "The cost is insignificant overall." "They're collecting money in a fishbowl." "I'd never advise against caution, considering the ongoing volatility in the marketplace." "If you're poking around Manny Horvitz, why don't you just say so?" " Do you have a suspect?" " Waxey Gordon comes to mind." " Naturally." " But it's not Waxey." "Because Waxey would have to clear it with you, and you would have said no, because you're in business with me." "That could be what I want you to think." "It could." "But I doubt it." "How can you be sure?" "Because if you were trying to be obvious, you'd never be that obvious." "This is why I enjoy our conversations." "But I do hope you're paying equally close attention to our arrangement." "There's a shipment going out tonight." "We agreed on the fourth." "That's tonight." "It's tomorrow, Mr. Thompson." "Of course it is." "My mistake." "Well, a man's allowed to enjoy himself every now and then." "I've got people on top of it, Arnold." "That's why I pay them." "As long as they have calendars." "Your radiators leak." "West 57th Street." "Miss Kent's building." "You own it." "You might want to protect your investment." "Are you looking to rent?" "East of the park would suit you better." "What are you implying?" "She's a charming and vivacious young woman." " Prudence." " Yes, ma'am?" "Mr. Thompson has a morning suit." "The striped trousers and cutaway jacket." "Do you know where it is?" "No, but I'm sure I can find it." "Check that it's sound and have it cleaned." "He's going to need it when he meets the bishop." "Oh, did you not get the message, ma'am?" "What message?" "Mr. Thompson, he left word that he won't be attending the ceremony." "Clean the suit anyway." "I'm afraid he's mistaken." " Will." " Hi, Pop." "I was up." "Didn't want to wake your mother." " What are you doing?" " Going to work." "Nothing for breakfast?" "There's coffee and donuts at the yard." " Not enough for a growing boy." " I'll be okay." "Look..." "What you done here, for your mom, brothers and sisters," "I'm proud of you." "It's nothing, Pop." "I'm home now." "And I'm gonna, you know, get back on the horse." "So you don't have to do this anymore." "I'm pretty used to it." "You should be in school." "You got your mother's brains." "I've been learning plenty." "No." "Science, math." "Hey." "I read Shakespeare." "Can you beat that?" "Thine old pop?" "That's the boss." "He picks me up." "Happy two birthdays ago." "Pretty keen." "I gotta go, Pop." "Keep it moving, fellas." "Everything ready to go by sundown." "Fit a whole 'nother row up there." "Big shipment tonight, huh?" "Nothing gets past you." "Where's it headed?" "Maybe you don't understand the principle." "We pay you prohees not to ask questions." "I haven't been paid yet." "You know what's goofy?" "Cash business like this, come the end of the day," "I still got empty pockets." "I found him hanging around outside." "8:00 a.m. I said." "I'm here now." "No, but I don't get it." "I'm dressed as a hummingbird, Vi." "And every time she gets near a fella..." "But how do the wings move?" "That is someone else's problem." "But let's say..." "Let's say I get it in to The Passing Show this year." "You're going to be in that show, and everyone's going to love you," " but what'll happen to me?" " Well, you, maybe..." " Hummingbird's best friend." " Sure!" "We could have a whole routine." "They leave the nest, and..." "Wind up in a speak where they finish off a whole bottle of nectar and comedy ensues." "When do we start?" "I'll talk to Lee Shubert tomorrow." "You know Lee Shubert?" " Buzz buzz, Vi." " What?" "Close your mouth." "Something might fly in." "Right back." "Don't drink everything without me." "I had walking pneumonia last summer." "She sat with me every day." "Bought groceries." "Made soup." "So you have to be nice to her." "You have to." "I don't usually drink stuff this good, because, well, a lot of the guys, you know, they dress real slick and flash a big bankroll, but, brother, they watch the meter." "And then you find yourself at 4:00 a.m. in some god-awful apartment in Yorkville looking for your stockings." "I wasn't suggesting that you..." "Don't concern yourself." "Guess who I just ran into." "His Great Satanic Majesty," " the Spider of Wall Street." " No." "He's not so bad." "That is not what you said last month." "People change their minds." "I got a letter yesterday from that vicious, dried-up bitch in Muncie." "Oops, I mean my mother." "Sends me a story cut out from Collier's." "Guess what it's called." " I can't imagine." " Me neither." ""Sad Nights of a Showgirl."" "Why is that funny?" "Your attention, please." "Thank you." "This convoy is headed north for New York City." "We're making exactly two stops." "The first will be the Standard Oil station in Tabor Heights, New Jersey, to refill with petrol." "The next will be the Rothmere Storage Corporation, 62 Imlay Street in the borough of Brooklyn." "Two men in every cab." "Second man will be armed." "If you're arrested, you know nothing." "Any questions?" "Then those that are done, line up for your pay." "Back in town." "Turns out they let you go if you ask polite." "I'll tell Mr. Thompson you're situated." "You're the golden boy now, huh?" "I see things run smoothly, aye." "Extra 50 for the trip to New York." "I didn't come for a handout." "Suit yourself." "Anyway, I don't have a piece." "Why don't you drink?" "I'm drinking." "I'm having fun." "It's why people come here." "If you don't want to marry me..." "Speak up." "Yell." "Yell." "Yell!" "Can't you do that?" "I said, if you don't want..." "If you don't want to marry me, then why don't you just come out and say it?" "Pardon me." "Can you watch what you're doing, sir?" "You watch this." "Samuel!" "Daddy!" "Keep playing." "What in the hell you doing here?" "You okay to walk?" "Walk." "Take her with you." "That man needs help." "You ain't gonna be giving it to him." "Look at me, girl." "Look at me!" "You interested now?" "Am I interesting now?" "Pumps are locked." " What are we doing?" " You tell me." "Sickles ain't here." "Let's just blow through." "Don't you need gas?" "Find it up the line." "I'm not taking eight lorries on an Easter egg hunt and risk getting stranded along the way." "Forward or back?" "I'm freezing my nuts off." "Probably a key inside." " That's private property." " Jesus, Victor, buy a watch already." " And unlock the pumps." " What's in those trucks?" "Same as always." "Well, if it's liquor, there's a problem." "Since when?" "Since he read the Constitution." "They passed a whole amendment." "What brings you here, Mr. Rosetti?" "Who?" "I called you by your name." "I think you got me mixed up." "No, I'm..." "D.L. Collingsworth, proprietor." "Really?" "Yeah." "We go way back around here." "Slept with George Washington and everything." "Eight trucks, huh?" "A lot of gasoline." "So?" "We're good for it." "Sure." "Only thing, we don't got any." "You've no fuel?" "And here it is, a filling station." "That makes me chuckle." "We'll gas up, we'll pay you, and we'll drive on." "What's that?" "A gun?" "I got a gun." "I got a gun." "He got a gun." "He got a gun." "Everybody got guns." "Fellas, you ain't gonna make New York tonight." "You're gonna run out of gas." "You think Mr. Thompson won't hear about this?" "What was I supposed to do?" "Tell Nucky old Pop Collingsworth says hello." "Are you trying to asphyxiate us?" "Here we go." "All in the same pan?" "Old hobo trick." "Sit down." "You know how to sling 'em." "Had a lot of practice." "Like fun you did." "Cooked for my brother, sister, my ma, just to give her a day off." "Watched them eat." "Made sure they'd finish every scrap." "What about you?" "Well, see, I'd only steal enough for three." "Wasn't Chaplin in that one?" "Don't." "Know what I'd like more than anything else?" "What?" "For people to be honest about what they want, no matter what." "Sounds a little dangerous." "It's dangerous anyway." "I'll bite." "What do you want?" "I want everything to run all by itself." "Then what would you do?" "Stay here." "Forever." "If I could." "Oh, Gus." "You know you can't." "Who's calling?" "I said I'd never tell." "And you said you'd never ask." "You reach him?" "So, now what?" "How many would you say back there?" "I counted 12." "Maybe more." "You trust these men in a gun battle?" "Not for a second." "Arnold Rothstein expects to get what he pays for." "He won't be getting it tonight." "What's your pleasure, boss?" "Turn these rigs around." "We're heading back to Atlantic City."