"Landscape is destiny." "I've carried that phrase in my head for years now." "I can't remember where it comes from, but I know what it means here." "It's a sense of being closed in." "Human limitation." "It's different from the Midwest, where possibility sprawls bright and endless in every direction." "People in the Himalayas, the Andes, do they live in the passive voice, too?" "Like their lives aren't real?" "Their memories, fixed, immutable." "That'll be $1.57." "I can take one of 'em off, if you want?" "All right, don't worry about it." " Hey." " Shut up." "All right." "You have a good day now." "Travis?" "What just happened here?" "Did you let somebody walk out of here without paying?" "You can't quit!" "You're fired!" "If you come back, I'll have you turned in." "Leave it." "Where have you been?" "I called your place." "You know my dad." "It don't matter." "Hey." "You ain't gonna believe what I got in the back of this here truck." "What?" "Holy shit!" "Just fuckin' found 'em while I was fishing at the river." "Well, what are you gonna do with it?" "Sell 'em, I guess, if I can figure out who to." "Leonard Shuler will take 'em." " You reckon?" " Oh, yeah." "Yeah, he'll give you good money for these." " Why?" "He don't know me." " Well, he knows me." "Shit!" "Aw, don't mind them." "They're all noise." "He always carry that?" "Hell, yeah." "You know, he used to be a teacher up north, but they kicked his ass out." "The way I heard it is that he shot some fellow." "Hey, Leonard." "Shank." "Who's this?" "This here is Travis Shelton." "He's a buddy of mine." "Shelton?" "You from the Laurel?" "No." "My daddy grew up there." "Well, if it's weed you're after, you're out of luck." "I only got three dime bags at present and I won't have more till Monday." "Well, looks like we've come at the right time." "Let's show him." " Where'd you get these?" " Found them." "Figure finders keepers?" "Looks like you dragged them through a Haybine." "Aw, there's plenty of buzz left." "Really, come on." "How much will you give me for 'em?" "Forty bucks." "Nah." "Give me $50." "All right." "Put 'em over there in the weeds." "On my tomatoes." "I was thinking that maybe you might sweeten the deal." "How 'bout a beer?" "Beer is in the icebox." "Help yourself." "Hey." "Hey, show him the pistol." "So that is some real Dirty Harry shit right there." "Leonard here is a hell of a shot." "He can hit a chigger's ass at 200 feet." "Why don't you let Travis hold that sweetheart for a second?" "I don't think so." "What's that?" "That's a metal detector." "A guy wanted some dope, came up short and used it as collateral." "I use it to find Civil War relics." "What are we listenin' to?" "Appalachian Spring by Copland." "I've never heard of him." "He used to open for Skynyrd." "Well, they sound like shit." " No, it doesn't." " It does to me." "Well, that's probably because you fail to empathize with his view of the region." "What?" "Oh, y'all got a bathroom in this palace?" "I'm just fucking with you, Shank." "I know." "Take your foot off my coffee table." ""December 21st, 1859." ""Naomi Luis, age 22." ""Complaint, sore eyes." ""Diagnosis, optical inflammation due to handling mistletoe." ""Treatment, wash made of infusion of goldenseal root in cold water." ""Use twice daily." ""Fee," ""$1 and a quarter." "Paid cash."" "What do you want?" "Come here for a show, is that it?" "No." "No?" "What's the matter?" "You don't like what you see?" "Leonard?" "All right, boys." "How 'bout one more for the road?" "No." "So I take it you've never been up to Shelton Laurel." "Just family reunions when I was a kid." "Did your daddy ever mention anything about Bloody Madison to you?" "No." "What's that?" "It's the name this county went by during the war." "Yeah, you know, I think my uncle said something once." "That some little kid got killed there" " during the war." " Killed by who?" "Shit, I don't know." "Yankees, I guess." "You never asked." "You make it sound like I'm ignorant." "Maybe a little." "Take that shirt you're wearing." "You know if you'd worn that around here in the 1860s, it would have gotten you killed, most likely by your own kin." "My people weren't Yankees." "They didn't see any reason to side with the slave owners." "So, what are you saying?" "They were on neither side." "Oh, they had a side." "Couldn't just sit it out, not up here." "Nobody could just sit it out." "In most places, battle would come, move on." "War came to Madison and stayed." "Hey, we goin' or what?" "Hey." "We'll fucking get you some more plants." "I wouldn't advise that." "A smart man would quit when he was ahead." "Well, didn't you just tell me I was ignorant." "Travis!" "You little shit." "Get your ass out of bed." "Now!" "Shit." " Come on." " All right." "Now try it." "I got nothing." "All right." "Hey, we still got kin in Shelton Laurel?" "Yeah." "Yeah." "Why?" "I'm just wondering." "Yeah." "A few." "I ain't seen 'em in years." "Come on." "Well, how come we never go visit?" "And say what?" "All right." "Turn it over." "Well?" "Well, what?" "Now what do you want me to do?" "How about you start by telling me what went down in that job of yours?" "What?" "You think I didn't know about that?" "Look, Travis, I don't care much about what you do or where you go, but I sure in hell mind when you make me look like trash in front of this community." "Don't you walk away from me." "I can't figure you out." "It's like you got too much damn pride to work a day, a day, like regular folks." "Stocking shelves, stocking shelves, that's way, way beneath you, isn't it?" "When was the last time you had a damn job?" "Harvey, stop!" "That's enough." "That's enough." "Travis." "Pick that shit up, will you?" "What the hell does it look like I'm doin'?" "Call Dooley." "Tell him we're gonna be delivering Saturday." "Well, well, look at this." "I'll be damned." "Near about cut off, looks like." "We can take him down there and stick him in the river, maybe he's fallen, drowned himself." "Another one." "Even Sheriff Spence..." "All right." "This ain't gonna hurt much." "Give him some water." "Oh, God." "You is lucky." "Didn't tear any ligaments up." "Barely grazed the bone." "Don't get infected, you'll be fine." "What did you do?" "Just shaved a little skin off of your leg." "Can't even tell it's a trap now." "Looks like you just slipped and skinned it up." "Who's your people?" "My daddy's Harvey Shelton." "Is that right?" "I would've figured you to be stouter." "You must favor your ma." "I'll need to get to a doctor." "In time." "Stick him down there in the river before it's too late." " We ain't doin' that, so shut up about it." " Shit." "Now, the sooner me and you get a few things clear, the quicker you get to a doctor, you understand?" "Yes, sir." "All right." "Anybody asks, you slipped climbing up the gorge." "Slipped..." "You never saw no crop, you was never on my land, damn sure never saw me." " Got it?" " Yes, sir." "He ain't gonna do it." "Soon as he gets to that hospital, he'll be testifying..." "No, I won't." "I won't, I won't." "I swear to you, Mr. Toomey." "Mr. Toomey, please, I swear to you." "I swear to you, I won't say nothing, I swear." "Pick him up." "Come on." "Oh, shit!" " God!" " Get up." "One more thing." "Who did you sell those plants to?" "Leonard Shuler." " Does he know where you got 'em?" " No, sir." "All right." "Now, I told you I'd get you here." "I kept my word, you see that you keep yours." " Carlton?" " Professor." "What brings you around?" "Come on in." "Hubert." "I thought you got called up." "My number one son here is 4-F." "Draft board didn't say why." "I got my own suspicions about that." "Well, you're better off here, anyway." "What can I do for you?" "I got some business to discuss with you." "Okay." "Especially seeing how you got a new supplier and all." "That boy." "I didn't know you was growing." "To be fair, our crops are new things." "His idea." "Times are changin'." "We gotta give the people what they want." "Speaking of which, seven fourteens of black beauties, even split." "$100 will cover it." "There you go." "Much obliged, sir." "Hey, babe." "Still with you, I see." "Must cut into your profits, though." "She been rode hard, but she's still pretty." "We'll be happy to take her off your hands if you're ever so inclined." "But listen to me pontificating." "Time I was on my way." "Carlton, that boy, what'd you do to him?" "Let's just say he's retired from the drug trade." "I'll see you around, Professor." "How you doin'?" "Not too much pain?" "I know you." "Wasn't..." "We was in homeroom together." "Right." "Travis." "Travis Shelton." "Yeah." "Lori." "Right." "Miss Heywood's class." " Right." " Yeah." "Well, you got your leg cut up pretty good there, Travis Shelton." "How does it feel?" "Oh, it's okay." "So it hurts like hell, right?" "Yeah." "Here." "Let me help you with that." "What you readin'?" "Oh, nothing." "Just boring old stuff." "Can I have a look?" "Yeah, sure, if you want." ""Both the Union and the Confederate planned their attack strategically." "They..."" "Oh, we were learnin' about this in history, right?" "Oh." "Yeah, right." "I was just..." "You know about all the stories Sherman..." "This whole scorched earth thing he did." "Can I get you anything?" "Cigarette would be nice." "Oh, I don't smoke." "And neither should you." " Rubber bands." " Rubber bands." "I brought you some books." "Here you go." "To keep you company." "Well, you know, I'm getting out real soon, how am I gonna get 'em back to you?" "Can I call you here?" "Sure." "Got a number or..." "Yeah." " You got a..." " You want to write on my hand." "Sure." "Here you go." " Don't forget and wash it off." " I'll not do that." "Bye." "Does it still hurt?" "Doctor says I can be out day after tomorrow." "Then what are you gonna do?" "I don't know." "Shank's got some friends who own an auto shop." "They said they were gonna give me some hours." "But what about a place to live?" "I just think that you shouldn't come home right now." " Just for a while." " Is that what he told you to say?" "He's angry, Travis." "You dented his pride saying those things you did." " You know how he is." " Yeah." "He's an asshole." "The two of you goin' at it all the time." "I just want some peace in my house for once." "What the hell are you doin' here?" "I got no place else to go." " Jesus Christ." " Come on." "I..." "I ain't asking' much." "A sofa, that's all." "All right." "So I'm not good enough for your shitty trailer, is that it?" "Lord, you get them hackles out fast." "Well, you're young." "World's gonna have its way with you." "Knock some of that strut out of you, that's for sure." "I ain't afraid of you." "I ain't the one you ought to be afraid of." "If you're gonna eat my cereal and read my books, make some coffee." "That's the local regiment." "Met a sorry fate, too." "Shit, you seen this one?" "Twelve years old, David Shelton." "Shelton?" "There's four of 'em in this regiment, see?" "Father, three boys." "It's your kin." "So, they all died?" "Even the boy?" "Why kill him?" "He was just a kid." "'Cause a nit makes a louse." "At least that's what one of the soldiers said." "Your daddy never told you about any of this?" "No." "Shit!" "Be right back." "Rednecks and drugs." "One of the worst hookups of the '60s." "Didn't seem to bother you none when he took your money." "I suppose not." "I'd like to go there." " Go where?" " To Shelton Laurel." "I wanna see it for myself." "You can tell we're getting close." "Look at the mailboxes." "Shelton." "Shelton, Shelton, Shelton." "It's a one-horse town." "Why'd you quit school, anyway?" "Because what they taught me there didn't interest me much." "You like to read." "About things I'm interested in, sure." "How about taking your GED, ever think of that?" "Give you some qualification." "Help you get a better job." "You don't want to be stocking' shelves for the rest of your life, do you?" "I guess not." "It'll be a lot of work, though." "Think you're up to it?" "Why, do you?" "So..." "You think I could stay until I get it done?" "All right." "You know a place is haunted when it feels more real than you are." "It's like time doesn't pass, it just layers over things." "It's all still happening underneath the surface of what we see." "You feel that?" "Well, you should." "It's your family's blood that got spilled here." "It's what I told you, South was never one thing, history is never that clear-cut." "Even your kin, the ones that got killed here, they weren't exactly blameless." "Still, it's no reason to kill a 12-year-old boy." "Oh, so, you'd have wanted revenge if you'd been there?" "For killing one of my kin, shit, what do you think?" "I think violence begets violence." "It doesn't stop." "It's like a sickness." "Just gets passed on from one generation to the next." "Hey, can I try?" "Yeah." "All right." "Hey, I got something." "Let me listen." "You hear that?" "Move it over a little." "That's a rock." "How do you know?" "Experience." "What you got?" "I don't know." "Gently now." "Holy shit." "It got to belong to one of the victims." "Else one of Keith's men would've picked them up." "You think they're his?" "The boy's." "The boy's..." "What's his name?" "David Shelton." "You can't grow up here and not feel something." "Whether it's Christian or not, though..." "I remember when my granddaddy passed, my grandma went around and covered every mirror in the house." "She kept them that way all winter, too." "She figured they is portals and the dead might find their way back into this world." "See, that's old faith." "That's the mountain gospel." "But, hey." "You don't believe that, do you?" "Oh, I don't know." "God took to me early." "At least that's what somebody told me once." "Tomorrow we'll take those over to Hensley's." "I'll swing by the vocational school." "See what you need to do for that GED." "Dr. Bradley to 744." "Dr. Bradley to 744." "Oh, yeah." "Your friend's here." "Oh!" "You're not supposed to be here." "Here, come in here." "I just wanted to bring these back to you in person." "Oh!" "Thank you." "I read them both." "I really liked them, too, especially Hemingway." "It's..." " Yeah." " Yeah." "I mean, it's horrible, but the writing is so beautiful." "Right, right." "That dude's badass." "Yeah, yeah." "Look, I was wondering if..." "What?" "If maybe I could see you sometime this week." "Yeah." "Sure." "Okay." "I better get back to work." "Better get out of here before you get me fired." "All right, well..." " Okay." " Okay." "How often is the GED given?" "First Thursday and first Saturday of the month." "When do you think they'll be ready?" "He might be ready by December." "He's got some catching up to do." "So do I, by the looks of things." "Math was never my strong suit." "Yeah, I remember." "If it'd been better you would've got a scholarship out of state like I hoped for you, Leonard." "Maybe far enough so you wouldn't find your way back here." "I'm glad I'm not at the high school anymore." "Fewer disappointments here." "The..." "Mr. Shuler." "Could we have a moment?" "Is everything all right?" "Is it my wife?" "It's over." "Nowhere's going to hire you after something like this." "Why won't you do anything?" "They'd already made up their minds." "Nothing I could do." "But you won't even try." "Well, what did he say?" "Just like I thought, they're kid's spectacles, mid 1800s." "They're David Shelton's." "I know it." "I'm going in." "Already?" "You're gonna burn." "I'll be fine." "Give those dogs any water today?" "I can do it." "Give them tomatoes a soak while you're at it." "What's wrong?" "I'm talking to you." "So, what?" "There's three of us now?" "He's just stopping here a while." "It's not a permanent thing." "You don't just get your family back, Leonard." " It ain't that simple." " That's not what this is about." "You just feel real helpful, all of a sudden." "'Cause he's such a great kid, got so much promise, is that it?" "Why don't you give me a break?" "Give me something and I will." "And when you're screwing me tonight, leave the goddamn lights on." "I'm sick of you pretending like I'm her." "Where's..." "Cicero." "Where's that?" "North." "Why do we have to go?" ""December 21st, 1859." ""Summoned to Shelton Farm." ""David Shelton, age eight." ""Symptoms," ""fever and chills," ""galloping pulse," ""strawberry tongue," ""rash on neck and tongue," ""agitated speech," ""imaginings." ""Diagnosis," ""scarlet fever." ""Treatment," ""sponge with water and vinegar." ""Had patient drink cold water." ""Two spoons of Laudanum," ""prepared family for possible dismal reckoning."" "What you looking at?" "Just some of this junk." "Trying to see if I could find out more about David Shelton." "It's really got you hooked." "I know." "I just keep thinking about him ever since we went up to the Laurel." "I mean, that kid's for five years younger than I am and he's already a soldier." "Already got himself a cause." "Go on." "You're old enough to know where you come from now." "You need to know your smarts didn't just spring up like some daisy in a bunch of hogweed." "There were smart folk in our family before." "Your great-great-grandfather was a doctor." "Joshua Candler." "He was assigned to the 64th." "It was them that done the killing in the Laurel." "He knew every man and boy that got killed." "He was their doctor before the war." "And he just let it happen." "Hi." "Hi, baby." "Let's walk." "Still nothing?" "You got to be patient." "It don't happen fast." "Should've done it earlier." "All stuck." " Oh!" " Don't you be coming up here." "You're all wet." "Oh, stop." " Don't be mad." " I'm not mad." "It's not like I don't want to." "I do." "It's just all I see at work is girls who made mistakes." "And I'm not going to be like them." "I'm gonna get out of here and go to college, see things." "Doesn't mean I don't like you." "Come on, kiss me." "Big time with your lady yesterday?" "Did she get you off all right?" "Where is Leonard?" "Not back." "I can get you some booze." "Evidently this trailer pull ain't enough." "What?" "Two of you are quite a pair." "You quit school, he gets fired from one." "Dumb kid, same as you." "How some punk cheating on his test reported him." "Kid got some weed, put it in his car and called the cops." "Arrested him right there in his classroom." "Wasn't long before his wife left him." "She got custody, too." "Leonard's got a kid?" "You didn't know that?" "Yeah, Leonard's a daddy, all right." "But he don't see them no more." "They off in Australia, I think." "You know you're kind of pretty under that sneer?" "Don't." "Why not?" "What do you mean, "Why not"?" "'Cause it wouldn't be right." " That's why." " Wouldn't be right?" "That's okay." "I don't mind." "I don't mind." "Squeeze it." "Feel good, don't it?" "What's the matter?" "No, sweetheart..." "I ain't got you some." "You think she know a lot of tricks?" "I've been fucking since before she could wipe her own ass." "Ha!" "All right, come on." "You had it before." "Give me..." "Here he is." "The outlaw." "How's it going with Leonard?" "You boys in business yet?" "I don't know." "Hey, what do you got stashed in the truck?" "Get your fat ass off my truck before you fucking break it." "You don't even have a dime bag for your buddy." "Leonard been practicing?" "Been practicing for what?" "The county fair is tomorrow." "He got himself a title to defend." "Dude don't need no practicing." "I mean, hell, everyone knows he's a stone-cold killer." "Like me." "You see that?" "What?" "You got one of your mama's kitchen knives?" "Tell him to come down here and watch." "I think he could learn something." "All right, I want to see." "You know, they say you shot some guy up in Illinois." "Well, did you?" "Depends on what incident you mean." "The one where I shot the guy in both shoulders or the one whose hand I blew off." "What?" "I never shot anybody in my life." "I've never bothered to set the record straight." "Folks I deal with, it's better if they think I'm a little tougher than I am." "Is that why you're doing the contest?" "Partly." "Tickets are on me." "Wow, big spender." "Thank you." "Wow, I didn't figure it'd be this crowded for the weekend." "They've come to see Leonard whip everyone's ass, that's why." "What time is the tournament?" "It's the last event, 8:30." "Yeah?" "All right, well, I guess we'll see you then?" "Come on." "Young love." "I want to take her back." "Little bit." "What do you want to ride?" "The carousel?" "You gonna win me something?" "No, come on, let's do another one." "Come on." "Leonard is the sharpshooter, not me." "Oh, give it a try, son." "Can't win it if you ain't in it." "I can do this." "Hey." "Quit it, all right?" "Sights are off." "Here we go." "I think it's the sights." "They're always off." "Oh, really?" "Yeah." " You're a doober." " Oh, really?" "Let's see you do it?" "Let's see you..." "Thanks a lot." "All right, we got us a friend we want to bring up here." "What do y'all think about that?" "Well, come on, put your hands together, he's got a song for you." "I'm a poor wayfaring stranger traveling through this world of woe" "There's no sickness, toil or danger" "In that bright land to which I go" "I'm going there to see my father" "I'm going there no more to roam" "I'm only going over Jordan" "I'm only going over home" "I'm going there to see my mother" "She said she'd meet me when I come" "I'm only going over Jordan" "I'm only going over home" "That was awesome." "Incredible." "Where is Dena?" "I guess she never showed up." "I didn't see her, but I'm sure she's around." "Let's go, Travis." "Let's look for her." "What you want to do?" "Go." "Evening, Professor." "I didn't know that you had company." "The little bastard lives here." "Well, well." "How's that leg healing up?" "I saw you at the fair." "You liked my singing, didn't you?" "You know, there's some that said" "I should've made a living at it." "Gone to Nashville, tried my luck." "That never tempted me much." "Now, I sang at a big tent revival up in the hot springs." "Just as I am without one plea" "And then there was never saved, and then there was backsliders, who were wailing and crying and getting right with the Lord," "because of my song." "Even the preacher said so." "So, the way I figure it," "I've done enough good for Jesus that the Lord just might cut me some slack in other aspects." "Just like he did old King David." "Oh, there she is." "All prettied up." "We going or what?" "Oh, yes, ma'am." "Don't you worry, we'll bring her back safe and sound." "Something you want to say?" "She's 30 years old, she should look after herself." "I don't think she knows how." "Well, maybe not." "It's too late to teach her now." "What happened here anyway?" "Why is it so special?" "People died." "Families turned on each other, starved." "Typical Appalachian story." "It was his kin, right?" "That's all he talks about." "The war and this boy." "David Shelton." "I think it's good." "Good to know where you come from." "Yeah, I don't know." "I think he needs to start worrying less about the past and start thinking more about the future." "I can feel it now." "It's haunted." "It's a haunted place, all right." "Hey, are you okay, little girl?" " I'm freezing." " Freezing." "Hey, come here." "We'll get going, come on." "You all right?" "Hey, there you are." "Will you boil some water?" " What?" " Just do it, please." "Why?" "You're always taking care of me." "Always despising me for it." "I'd have stayed with them if they would have let me." "At least I don't pretend I'm someone else." "Came to speak to Carlton if he's home." "Well, this here is unexpected." "Don't tell nobody that you caught me with the newspapers." "It's bad for my image." "You get a fellow believing that he's smarter than you, you can get him to do any damn thing you want." "How are you on crosswords?" "What are you stuck on?" "Ten-letter word for "surrender."" "Seventh letter is" ""Capitulate."" "There you go." "What can I do for you, Professor?" "I'm not gonna deal anymore." ""Detract from authority, reputation or prestige."" "Eight letters, starts with "D."" ""Derogate."" "No, third letter is an" ""Diminish."" "You got a gift, Professor." "I always said so." "So, why are you telling me this now?" "Oh, I just figured I'd get out while I was ahead." "Spence is starting to make..." "He won't bother anybody that works for me." "Oh, here's a big'un." "Fourteen letters for "mistake."" ""Miscalculation."" "I'm bored." "It's boring here, you and him just reading all the time." "Why don't you put on the TV?" "I don't wanna put on the TV." "Give me something." "That all you got?" "Ain't very many." "Maybe you ought to think about cutting down." "Yeah, yeah." "I'm serious." "You ought to try it." "I'm a fucking drug addict, Leonard, have you noticed?" "I'm sorry." "I was like this when we started, remember?" "Remember?" "You said you didn't mind." "It was like this, too." "I didn't mind." "But things have changed." "I went to go see Toomey today." "And told him that I didn't want to deal anymore." "We can still get stuff, right?" "Not if I'm not working for him." "Calm down." "Calm down." "No, wait a minute." "Why'd you do that?" "'Cause I'm trying to do right." "And I'm sick of it." "You're sick of it?" "You're sick of it?" "What about me?" "What about what I need?" "You're sick of it?" "Then tell me, son of a bitch." "What about what I need?" "What am I gonna do?" "Wait a minute." "Don't walk away from me." "Don't walk away from me!" "You motherfucker!" ""July 14th, 1857, 10:00 p.m." ""Summoned to Winchester Farm." ""Hayley Winchester, age 19." ""Fifth day after child birth." ""Complaint, remittent fever, three days, abdominal pain."" "Can I get a beer, please?" ""Diagnosis," ""puerperal fever due to rupture and infection of uterus."" " I'm Dena." " Leonard." " Leonard, nice to meet you." " And you." "Thanks for saying hello." "What you reading?" "A book by Walker Percy, Love in the Ruins." "Is it about love?" ""Treatment..."" "Might be." ""...camphor, boneset tea, but patient too distressed to drink." ""12:00 a.m." ""Fever unabated," ""galloping pulse, violent shivering."" "Did you do those questions I set out for you?" "Yeah, almost." "Well, do them." "I'll check them." ""1:20 a.m." ""Patient deceased." ""Husband inconsolable, as would any man brought to such a pass." ""More distressing, the cries of the infant, as though the infant fathomed its loss." ""Fee, none."" "This is the spot." "I thought they'd each have a grave." "It was almost January, remember." "The ground was harder than this." "It's amazing one hole got dug." " That colonel?" " Keith." "Yeah, Keith." "Book said he tried them as looters." "It's a legal distinction." "A bushwhacker is a common criminal, not a soldier." "The same rights don't apply." "Well, I guess you were happier before you knew any of this." "Wasn't like I was so carefree." "No?" "Not really." "I was just asleep, I guess." "Same as everybody." "Still, there ain't no going back now." "All right, open your booklets and begin." "That's all." "Put your pencils down and bring your test to me." "How'd you do?" "Okay, I guess." "That math was tough." "I did what you said." "Narrowed it down to two and guessed, but..." "How long till you find out the result?" "Mr. Edwards said we could call him at home." "Anytime after 5:00." "Well?" "I passed." " Congratulations." " Well, thank you." "You know, I do appreciate everything you've done for me." "No, I do." "You didn't know me from Adam." "And I won't forget that." "So, are you gonna just keep on going, maybe get a degree?" "Shit, I don't know." "Maybe." "'Cause there's Western, there's Appalachian." "Hell, there's even Chapel Hill." " Jesus, Leonard!" " I'm just saying." "You play this right, this could be the start of a whole big thing for you." "All right, I know." "Don't go planning out my whole life for me just yet." "Just wanted you to be aware of the possibilities, that's all." "Anyway, you gotta go celebrate." " You and Lori." " Yeah." "You know what, I'm gonna call her now." "Hey." "She's dressing up special pretty for you tonight." "You're gonna think she's one of those models in the catalogs." "Hey." " Wow, you look incredible." " Didn't I tell you?" "My girl polishes up real good." "Mama!" "You have a good time." "That's cool." " See you later, Mama." " All right." "Thank you." "Come here." "There'll be more of that later." "I invited your mama and your daddy." "Which one of them you talk to?" "I talked to your mama on the phone and she was real nice, and she said she'd been wanting to meet me." " She said he was coming, too?" " Yep." "She said both of them were coming." "Come on." "I'm so proud of you." " You must be Lori." " Yeah." "Nice to meet you." "Well, look at how pretty you are!" " Sit down." " Thank you." "Daddy couldn't make it tonight." "He's just so busy." "And he's got so many things to do." "Like what?" "Well, he fixed that fence out back." "In the dark?" "Why you being so rude?" "You didn't say near two words all dinner." "It don't matter about any of this." "You think it does, but it don't." "You can get out of here if you want." "Move to Chapel Hill." "Both of us go to college, work part-time." "Well, I guess you got it all figured out." "You and Leonard." "We just want you to succeed is all." "You have so much potential." "Travis!" "I gotta go see my old man, that poor bastard who's got chores all day and night." "I've come to tell you something." "Spit it out." "I'm listening." "You know, I've done something you couldn't do." "I done it all on my own, too." "I expect you're right." "You know, I never had much of an education, no doubt." "But one thing for sure, I got more pride than to hang my hat with some drug-dealing lowlife." "Leonard's more of a man than you'll ever be." "You know, I'd have hauled you out of there if I thought it'd do some good." "But it wouldn't." "You know why?" "'Cause trash always..." "Fuck you!" "I ain't trash, you piece of shit." "Harv, don't rile him, please." "You like him, don't you?" "That teacher." "You trust him." "You admire him." "Yeah, a lot more than you, that's for sure." "Well, that's kind of ironic, isn't it?" "Him being a Candler and all." "Candler." "Don't that name mean anything to you?" "Seems there is a limit to your education." "Your buddy, Shuler, his mama's great-granddaddy helped kill off nearly half your kin." "But I guess he didn't mention that." "He forgot to teach you that part, didn't he?" "Candler." "Look it up." "Seeing as how you're the scholar in the family." "Travis, come on." "Let's go home." "Come on." "On January 18th, 1863, the day of the massacre," "there was no entry in Joshua Candler's journal." "No mention of the prisoners or Shelton Laurel." "Only a blank page." "Whiteness." "We gotta get you some ludes, son." "You're strung up pretty tight." "Travis seems back to his old self." "Ready to raise some hell tonight." " Is that right?" " That's right." "About time, boy." " You wanna get fucked up?" " You got it." "Got some catching up..." "Missed you, boy." "Let's get fucked up." " Let's get fucked up." " That what you wanna do?" " Yeah." " You wanna get fucked up?" "Let's go get fucked up." "Shit." "It looks like I pissed myself." " Get me out of here." " Let me out." "Shit!" "I fell over." "Hey, wait up." "What?" " I ain't going in there." " Come on, sweetheart." "Come on." "Come on." "Let's get fucked up." "I ain't going nowhere." "What the fuck you doing here, you little peckerwood?" "Well, Travis here is out of sorts." "And we figured you might have something to help him unwind, and us, too, naturally." "What are you boys after anyway?" " Quaaludes." " We can manage that." "All right, give him 10 bucks." "Get these boys their goods." "Fetch that chicken." "It's getting cold." "Come here." "Here." "Take her a couple pieces." "She's bound to want to eat something by now." " You all got a girl back there?" " Should let him take it." "I bet she'd like that." "You might get all your problems solved tonight, boy." "Go get her, stud." "Go get her." "We'll wait." "Hello." "Stay out of this." "None of your concern." "It's wrong." "I'm sorry?" " I said it's wrong what you've done to her." " We ain't done a thing." "She phones me up, doesn't she?" "Says she wants to live up here, sell pills for us." "Of course, soon she's swallowing more than she's selling." " Trying to cheat us." "How much she owe us?" " 1,400." "Well, she's whittling it down, one rut at a time." "I can put the law on you." "Oh, is that your stick?" "Sheriff Spence?" "Well, be my guest, son, you can even tell him yourself." "He'll be by after a while to get his cut, just like every Saturday." "Lord, son, don't you know nothing about this world?" "Now, get out." " Stop the car." " What?" "I said stop the goddamn car." "Tra..." "Wake up." "Hey." "No." "No." "Come on." "Come on." "Why'd you come back for me?" " 'Cause it's wrong what they did to you." " It's what I get." "What do we do now?" "I don't know." "To be honest, I didn't figure us to get this far." "Leonard will know." " He always knows." " No, I ain't going back to him." "He's a Candler, his people." "Wait a minute." "You and all this damn history." "You only want to live in the past 'cause all the books have been written, so you know what to think of it." "The world don't work like that." "It never will." "Sure ain't going to fix what's missing in your life now." "This is kin." "Travis." "Leonard is your kin." "Your real kin." "Where the hell have you been?" "Lori called for ya." "What happened?" "Toomeys had her." "You won't believe what they've done." "You gotta go, both of you, right now." " Where are we gonna go?" " The Laurel." "You got kin there." "Tell 'em your name, they'll take you in." "I'll come, I'll meet you there just as soon as I settle things." "Then we'll decide what to do next." "Go on, get your stuff." "Go on." "Come on, let's go." "What are you gonna do?" "I'm gonna try and square things." "Make sure nobody gets hurt." " This is my mess." "I oughta stay." " Too late for that." "Come on." ""June 17, 1863." ""Clinch River, Tennessee." ""Joshua Candler." "Shot in lower bowel." ""Much pain as God is just." ""Refuse anodynes." ""Want clear mind to pray for soul," ""ask forgiveness for what cannot be hidden from my maker." ""In articulo mortis."" "Carlton." "What brings you around?" "Oh, I think you know." " Where the fuck they at, egghead?" " They're not important." "We can settle this amongst ourselves." "Oh, is that right?" "Well, I got me a car down at Reeves Grocery." "No keys." "You got those?" "Tires on my truck slashed." "You going to mend them for me?" "My crop is destroyed." "I'll give you 500 for the tires and for the trouble of having to replant." "That's your figure?" "I'll throw in the dogs." "They're worth at least 1,000." "Those dogs are worthless." "You took all the fire out of them." "The Winchester, it'll fetch 300." "And that fancy pistol of yours." "It's a sweet little fucking piece." "I've had it a long time." "I almost forgot." "See, I reckon we're entitled to a little bonus." "For time wasted." "Your money." "Where is it?" "Over there in that cinder block." "Is that where you keep your cash?" "Oh, Professor." "I ain't got much truck with banks neither, but that's damn near the sorriest thing I ever seen." "Next order of business." "Where's Dena?" "You don't own her, Carlton." "Oh, see, I believe that I do, body and soul, until she pays back what she took from me." "She may be out of here, but that boy ain't." "Got nowhere to go." "And I'm gonna make it my business to find him." "And when I do, I'm gonna take what's owed me." "You can be sure of that." "Now, what's it gonna be, Dena or the boy?" "Hey, hey." "I'd stay out of this if I was you." "Hey, what the hell are you doing?" "What are you doing?" "It was always gonna end this way for her." "Different people, different place is all." "Shit." " Oh..." " What are you doing?" "You will not make things easy on yourself, will you, son?" "Shut your goddamn mouth." "You little prick." "If it had been up to me, we'd have killed you a long time ago." "I'll be damned if I'm not coming around to that way of thinking, son." "A nit makes a louse." "Ain't that right, Professor?" "Travis, stop." "How come you never told me you was a Candler?" "That why you wanted to help me so bad?" "To square what your kin done?" "My daddy said the Candlers tried to wipe the Sheltons out." "More like you was our nemesis or something." " It's 100 years ago." " Bullshit." "Time don't pass." "It's just layers." "It's all still happening." "You said that." "Come on, you said that yourself." "Oh, shit!" "I trusted you." "I trusted you, and you never told me one lick of truth." "Listen to me now." "I could have let you go, but I didn't." "Now here we are." " Best give that to me." " Oh, that will do." "He won't do nothing." "Never has." "It's no small thing to kill a man, not for a refined sort of fellow such as him." "I'm getting pretty tired of your voice, Carlton." "Find a phone." "Call highway patrol." "Not Spence." "Highway patrol." "Tell 'em to get up here." "Take her to the bus station, put her on a bus." "Doesn't matter where." "What about you?" "I'll be all right." "Go on." "I'm sorry." "That's gonna cost you, Shuler." "Maybe." "So they wouldn't take you?" "I suppose even the US Army's got to have some standards." " No." " You give a rifle to an imbecile?" "You're no better than the Viet Cong." " If you weren't holding that gun right there..." " He's baiting you, boy." " I'd whip your sorry ass, motherfucker." " Don't pay him any mind." " What?" " You heard me." "Oh, you think you can take it from me?" " Yeah, you goddamn right." " How about I make it fair?" "How about now?" " How about now?" " Don't." "Don't." "You idiot!" "Can't you see the son of a bitch wants you to kill him?" "I'd let him too, you condescending piece of shit." "Where's that slut going?" "It's either the bus station or the train down to Nashville." "I just want to know which." "Put him in the truck." "How about I put one in his fucking ear?" "How about you do what I tell you?" "Shit!" "Pissant!" " You get it?" " Yeah." "You know what, this is the address where I'll be staying." "You could give it to Leonard." " Right." " Just in case, I guess." "I don't know." " Okay, let's go." " Are you driving?" " She's driving." "I'm napping." " Sweet." "Me too." "We're almost there, almost there." "Would you slow down?" "Things ain't working out quite like you planned it, Professor?" "Don't you worry." "It's nearly over." "Go before they catch us." "Yeah, let's go." "Look out!" " Let's go." " Hit it!" "Make it an eight-hour drive." "...parked." "Shit!" "You ain't doing much better than I am, are you, Professor?" "You gotta get me out of here." "You get me out of this one," "I'll leave 'em alone." "Both of 'em." "Shuler?" "Just as I am without one plea" "Toomey was wrong." "Killing is easy." "Or at least easier than a whole lot of other things in life." "Easier than love or happiness." "Or making money." "Or raising a child." "So easy, you could do it with no more than one finger pressed in a small metal curve." "Or even by doing nothing at all." "Just being there and letting it happen." "The passive voice." "All right, son, now what just happened?" "I just saw it." "I was just driving by." "Where was this?" "Route 25." "Just past Panther Creek Road." "Did you stop?" "Did you see anyone get hurt?" "Did anyone get hurt?" "No, I didn't." "I just..." "It looks pretty bad." "They..."