"Take five." "Special order." "Hello." "Good night, sir." "Jake." "Go cool it, baby." "That broad, she could write a dirty book and make it a bestseller in two weeks." "Jimmy, give us some drinks here." "How you been, Nick?" "Been looking all over town for you." "Okay." "How about yourself, Jake?" "I got some trouble." "Big trouble in Kansas City with Mary Ann." "He's getting fat as a water rat." "He owes us a lot, Nick." "Close to a half a million." "He's skimming his own cream and sticking Kansas right up my ass." "I need you to straighten him out." "So what's the tab?" "$50,000." "Any way it cuts." " Any way?" " Any way." "Go get yourself a bagman." "No, Nick, it's bigger than that." "I need you." "Well, Jake, I'm kind of taking my ease." "Why don't you use your own boys?" "I did, Nick." "I sent Kelly down there." "I sent Maguire down to look for him." "He found him in 10 feet of cowflop." "They found Maguire floating down the Missouri." "And then I sent down Murphy." "Shaughnessy, bring that over here." "Take a look at that, Nick." "Go ahead, take a look." "Brings back bad memories, Nick." "Weenie and Mary Ann." "The pigsfoot brothers." "They knocked down on everyone." "And we knew them when." "I'll need some boys." "Delaney." "O'Brien." "Shaughnessy here." "They're good men, Nick." "They're young, but they're good... and what's going on in this town, the best I got." "Okay, they'll do fine." "Attaboy, Nick." "See you around." "You'd better watch out." "You might have yourself another Clarabelle." "I never did have any taste, Nick." "When you get to Kansas City, don't say hello to Clarabelle for me." "What should I do with these, Mr. Devlin?" " Did you know Murphy?" " Yeah." " Was he a good guy?" " Yeah, he was a good guy." "Then bury him." "Report for Chicago remains unchanged." "The heat wave continues into the fifth day... with temperatures in the mid 90s and high humidity." "All parts of the Midwest are similarly affected... and no relief is expected for at least the next four to six days." "Meanwhile, conditions in the East from Washington to New England... are relatively cool, with highs reaching the mid 80s." "That's news and weather for now, more of the same at 9:00." "Now, back to Walter." "A whiff of the old times, eh, Nick?" " I'll take it, kid." " Thanks." "Jump in, kid." "Would you meet my mother, Mr. Devlin?" "Sure." "He's coming to meet you, Mom." "Oh, look, it's Mr. Devlin." "Nick says he wants to meet you, Mom." " It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." " The same, I'm sure, Mr. Devlin." " How do you do?" " Hello." "Mom, I never saw anyone do that." "Jump in." "Corned beef and cabbage, eh, kid?" " Coffee, Nick?" " Yeah, okay." "I've never been to KC." " It's all farmland, huh?" " Yeah." " What do they grow there?" " Wheat, corn." "Jesus, what a bare-ass town." "Hang a left here." "Stay put." "One, three." "One, four." "One, five." "One, six." "One, seven." "One, eight." "One, nine." " What the..." " Nice to see you're in the same old rat hole." "I didn't expect to see you here, Nick." "You want some, Nick?" "It's kosher kiel." "Too bad, Weenie." "That's your hot dog hand." "You tell Mary Ann that I'm here, and not to get any fancy ideas... about turning me or any of my boys into hamburger." "You got it?" "Not hamburger." "Irish stew!" "Then grease!" "Nice day." "We're all closed down." "It's a private sale." "Country hospitality." "Shit!" "No, absolutely." "She's great." "This guy says to the girl:" ""That's not my ring, that's my wristwatch."" "Nick." "Mary Ann." " You're a sight for the old eyes." " You, too." "How's life been treating you?" "I heard you're back East." "Chicago." "Chicago?" " You know some of the guys, don't you?" " Yeah, I know some of the guys." " You eat guts?" " Yeah." "I like them." "Talk now, eat later." " You micks" " Yeah, we got bad tempers." "George, slice up some more meat there, will you?" "Give them anything they want." "Dig in, guys." "Come on, dig in, will you?" "American beef is better." "Eat more meat." "I gotta talk some business here with my friend Nick from Chicago." "Pretty fancy place you got here." "I thought you and Weenie were in the meatpacking business." "Well, cow flesh, girl flesh." "It's all the same to me." "What they're buying, I'm selling." "What do you want, Nick?" "The $500,000 you stiffed Chicago." "Nobody liked the hot dogs, Mary Ann." " Maybe Jake'll like steak next time." " Don't push." "Come on, Nick, smarten up." "Chicago's crumbling." "There's nothing left there anymore but kids and old men." "What hasn't been burned down has been shot out, picked over." "If it still moves, it's stuck in Joliet." "The East, who's running it?" "Black boys?" "Puerto Ricans?" "They got their own way of doing things." " You talk their spic talk?" " Sh." "What do they got anybody wants, rats and garbage?" "You know what Chicago is?" "Chicago is a sick old sow, grunting for fresh cream." "What it deserves is slop." "Someday, they're gonna boil that town down for fat." "Here, it's different." "This is the heartland." "Everybody wants what I got." "Grade A." "Prime stuff, raised special." "Of course, we gotta keep them a little doped up." "Uppers, downers, all the livestock gets their shots." "Help me, please." "Why don't you come in with me, Nick?" "It's good business." "No." "You wallow in your own sewer." "Just get it up for Chicago." "It's the weekend, you know." "The banks are closed." "Banks get opened." "Easy or hard, they get opened." "You be at the fair tomorrow." "I'll give you what you want." "How much is girl flesh to go these days?" "Well, the Blue Book is $20, but for you it be $15." "Let's just say I'm taking her on account." "Yeah, real smart." "You and Jake, you think you're big men." "Walk in anywhere, you take down your pants and I'll take down mine." "We'll see who's the biggest man." "Why don't we just ask Clarabelle?" "How's the thumb, Weenie?" "If it still hurts, why don't you stick it in your mouth and suck?" "Here, take care of things for me, would you, please?" " Nicholas Devlin." " Nick." " Hello, Jerry." "How are you?" " Good to see you, Nick." " Have your reservations all ready." " Good." "Show Mr. Devlin the Chicago Suite." "They used to call it the Presidential Suite, but they don't stop in Kansas anymore." "Anything you need Nick, just ask." "You look fine." "You look good, too, pal." " I'll take her." " She's light as a baby." "Shay, she'll need some things." "Send somebody up from the dress department." "All right, who deals?" "All right, I put my ante in." "This is gonna cost you, fellas." "I open." "Hello, kid." "Hi." "I never saw anything so pretty." "It smells good." "I go the limit." "Straight Havana." "I've got a good nose." " Smell a friend from a mile away, huh?" " You bet." " What's your name?" " Nick." "What's yours?" " Poppy." " Hello, Poppy." "Am I your present?" "No." "Protective custody." "Well, I guess that's not so bad." "Is this one okay?" "There." "Am I all right?" "Just fine." " Two, sir?" " Two, please." " Would you prefer the dinner, sir?" " Yes, we'll have the dinner." "I believe the young lady would like the consommti... and I'll have the vichyssoise." "Connie, white Jersey, $2,500." "We're gonna have the best fair ever." "Yep, we got the best damn fair ever." "Let me see that." "I'll get some liniment for that." "Shorthorn." " It ain't gonna sting, is it?" "No." " Are you sure?" " Yeah." " That's gonna heal just fine." " Yeah." "See?" "It didn't hurt a bit." " Not you, you old wart." " You old cheese." "Goddamn old weevil, you!" " You old sow belly!" " You goddamn cowgut!" "Okay." "I sure am glad you're my brother, Mary Ann." "Black Angus..." " Say you'll spit!" "I won't!" "Say it!" "Minneapolis." "Frieda, Guernsey..." " You turd-head!" " You old skinny shit!" "Glorybelle..." "Hereford." " How do you like our country ways?" " I've seen worse." "I think I got myself a smart-ass city slicker." "Uncut fresh coke, $85,000." "Mary Ann, you're a son of a bitch." "White Jersey, $2,000." "Yeah?" "Poppy, white Jersey, on account." "On account?" "On account of what?" "On account of Chicago, you little sheeny." "Chicago, Jezebel, Hereford..." "For 100 years, men have slaughtered these magnificent animals." "Ironically, the largest mammals that walk the earth..." "You going out?" "You tore my shirt, you dummy." "I'm sorry." "Yeah, I'm going to that Chamber of Commerce soirtie." "I'll pick up Clarabelle down at the boat." "Do you suppose Clarabelle's got an old dress she don't need?" "What?" "I sort of wanna borrow a dress." " What are you talking about?" "She's got a lot of dresses up there and I'd just like to" "Her dresses don't fit you." " Mary Ann." " Yeah, go on." "She buys enough to stuff a silo." "Don't bust a gut." "I never knew a man before, not even to talk to." "Well, where did they keep you?" "In the orphanage with the other girls." "And where was that?" "It was in Missouri." "It's the only home I really remember." "It was in the country." "Then you have nobody?" "Just Violet." "Who?" "Violet." "The other girl that was with me." "She's my sister." "Well, not truly, but we're closer than that." "Violet and me, we'd climb into each other's bed... when it was really cold in the wintertime, and hug each other really close." "Sometimes, we'd touch each other... and dream how men's hands would feel on us." "I'd talk to her in a really deep voice and I'd say, "I love you, Violet."" "And I'd kiss her so she wouldn't cry." "We tried to run away once." "But the old woman caught us." "She said we couldn't leave, that we were being raised up special." "But that when we were done, there'd be lots of handsome men loving us forever." "You didn't really believe that, did you?" "No." "You could tell they were lying, but it didn't matter much... 'cause in the spring, we'd run out into the fields... and there'd be sunshine and new rain... and I'd be a squirrel, and a rabbit, and a badger... and then I'd fall down and feel the earth... and in an instant, I'd know that being alive was just everything." "I like that." "Do you truly?" "Truly." "Say my name." "Poppy." "Say it again." "Violet?" "Violet's a real pretty name." "Put it on." "You're beautiful, Violet." "Yeah, you are." "You're as beautiful as anybody I ever seen." "If you do real good..." "I'll take you to the fair." "Yeah, I will." "Jayhawker Fair souvenirs." "Who's gonna have one?" "...will be declared ineligible to be shown to judges." "Those entering in the wrong categories will be disqualified..." "... here in the flank." "Got that?" "Yep." "Knock them down and win a prize." "Cotton candy coming up." "A young girl at a fair and she doesn't see anything but her man." "I love him." " Do you, now?" "Well, he's a fine one." "He is, isn't he?" "He is who he is." "If you could see under this jacket, you'd know." "Four slugs I took in this gut." "But Nick wouldn't let me die." "Was it in the war?" "You might say that." "Very good." "How about you?" "You want to shake my hand?" "All right." "Good." "Got your hair cut, didn't you?" "Used to be way down to there." "Okay, here we are." "Third prize for you, you old sweet doll, you, you little devil." "Here you are, first prize." "Congratulations." "Joe." "Okay." "Take it to the ranch, will you?" " I'll just lighten you up." " Thank you." "Real fine beef you got there, sonny." "Count them out, Joe." "Come on." "He's a pet." "You go home and fatten up another one for me, hear?" "Do you wanna buy a goat?" "No." "He's the expert from Chicago." "I heard people talking." "Well, what do you think?" "Was it all right?" "Right tasty." "It's smooth." "The milk?" "Well?" "Well, the fact is, I think I'd better have a little more." "Full body." "You're certainly a man who knows his milk." "Well, you're certainly a woman who knows milk." "First prize." "Violet!" "Violet, it's so good to see..." "Violet?" "It's me, Poppy." "She ain't feeling so good." "We're gonna work real hard and get a first next year, aren't we?" "Huh?" "Right?" "How about you?" "Nick, we were waiting on you." "Judging the price of kids, huh?" "No, not these little hunkers." "I wouldn't give them away." "They're right smart Kansas kids." " What are you looking at?" " Me." "Hello, Nick." "Clarabelle." "Well, it looks just like old times." "Hello, Shay." " Your old bull won first prize." " Hey, how about that?" "Don't she look swell, Nick?" "She dresses better than the Governor's wife." "Clarabelle could always think ahead." "You haven't changed a bit, Nick." "Nobody does." "Not where it counts." "I'll have to chew on that for a while." "No." "You ain't gonna chew on anything." "Just go and talk to the Senator." "See you around, Nick." "What do you think of all this, Nick?" "I think it stinks." "You would." "All you know is concrete." "You know, my family were Americans... when yours was still digging the bugs out of Irish potatoes." "Go on, wave a flag and make me laugh." "Wait a minute." "You think I don't know this country?" "I know it." "This is my country." "I give it just what it wants: dope and flesh." "Something up the arm, something to lick around the belly." "Did you have a good time last night?" "Joe." "Joe." "I thought you were back in New York with Uncle Frank." "Times change." " Don't they?" " This is not Chicago, Nick." "No Loops, no taxis." "This is my country." "You just bought the farm." "Not me." "You." "Mary Ann, the turkey shoot's about to begin." "Let's win us a prize." "Just let my boys show you around." "You little..." "Violet!" "That ain't fair." " I'll go for the car." "Keep looking." " Yeah." "Center target." "Contestant number two." "We'll shoot off all of our turkeys later on." "Six hits to center target." "Contestant number three, you may fire." "Will the young lady and gentleman in their Sunday go-to-meeting clothes..." " please clear the track?" " Out of my way, all of you." "Now move." "You are dangerously close to the firing line." "Go, go, go." "Contestant number three scored five hits to center target." "No, I'm sorry." "Over there." " How you kids doing?" " Fine." "Just..." "Out of my way." "Move." "Damned if I see him anywhere." "Me, neither." "Maybe they're still hiding in the woods." " How you doing, kid?" " Okay." "I'm sorry it was a lousy fair." "But what..." "They're trying to kill you." "Well, that's nothing new." " How's your spunk, kid?" " Okay." "Okay, let's go." "What have they done to Violet?" "The same thing they would have done to you." "Get up!" "There they are!" "Now!" " Take care of her." " Yeah." "Oh, and find some wheels to fit between those." " I'll see you back at the hotel." " Yeah, Nick, okay." "Thanks for the lift, kid." "Look, buy your club a case of beer." "Hello, Nick." "Hello, Clarabelle." "I thought you might come around to see an old friend." "Well, I certainly wouldn't miss you." "I gave all my sailors a long shore leave." "Well, they probably needed the rest." "Haven't you heard, Nick?" "I'm a good woman." "What's it like to be married?" " Well, it's" " To Mary Ann?" "He does just fine for me." "He loves me better than his blue-ribbon bull." "And I have a house in the Riviera in my own name... and a ton of Hong Kong gold stuffed in a Swiss bank... and a cosmetic factory, fancy-smelling." "Pig grease, and fat, and slop." "And I live in a yacht named Clarabelle." "And it feels great." " You've won." " Yeah." " We've come a long way, Nick." "604 miles." "They tell good stories about you now." " Good tough ones." " Hard ones." "What did you come here for, Mary Ann or me?" "Mary Ann." "Mary Ann's in the icehouse freezing things." "Me, I'm already thawed." "Miss Chicago?" "Stick Chicago." "But I've missed you, Nick." " It was great being your girl." " Yeah, but we wore it out." "No." "We could still make it together again." "I'm very young, and I wouldn't even mind being a widow." "You're really something, Clarabelle." "You really are." "Did you set up Mary Ann against Chicago... just for old times' sake?" "I don't run Mary Ann." "I just push a man as far as he will go and hope to hell it's the graveyard." "Then you'd better make it quick." "'Cause I'm liable to beat you to it." "What the hell are you doing?" "Kicking your ass down to Missouri." "Son of a bitch!" "Code 2." " Mary Ann's boys broke in, Nick." " They used a sawed-off shotgun." " What about the girl?" " They got her." "Shaughnessy and I, we were in the garage getting a new car." " Everything's in it." " Let's go." "Let's get out of here." "Violet?" "Weenie was all through with me." "Really through." "He said they could love me for a nickel." "He brought Poppy here, and he made her watch." "God damn them, Shay." "God damn them, kid." " They'll be waiting." " Yeah." "All staked out." "Yeah." "It don't bother me." "Don't it, kid?" "Nope." "God damn them, Shay." "Come on, Big!" "You stay here." "I'll be back for you." "Just do as you're told, friend, and keep moving." "Faster." "Turn in here." "Do it!" "He's coming in." "You're up next, Nick." "Mary Ann?" "Nick!" "Kill me, Nick." "Finish me off, Nick." "Do it!" "You would for a beast." "You're a man." "There's no difference." "You're wrong." "There is." "Well, what do you want?" "Them." "All of them." "Say, who do you think you are?" "J. Edgar Hoover." " This is an orphanage." " And I'm adopting." " Shay, get them out." " A pleasure, Nick." "You can't come in..." "Hey, wait a minute." "I know you." "You sure do." "You've got fine style." "Glad you think so, Nick." "Olive." "Hi, Daisy." "How are you?" "Where are you taking me?" "Tell me where." "Chicago." "Chicago." "What's it like?" "Well, it's windy... and calm... and peaceful as any place anywhere."