"Sit down, gentlemen, and sit still." "I've come to order a coffin for the first one of you that makes a move." "Oh, Hey Boy, anything new and startling in the world today?" "Oh, yes." "Big earthquake in China." "Oh, well, that's hardly in my line." "Also, big steamboat blow up on Mississippi River." "I'm afraid that's not for me, either." "Oh, Mr. Paladin, all the time you go away, you come back, you bring plenty of money." "You sell maybe insurance?" "In a way, yeah." "Oh, excuse me." "I must go." "Oh, uh... sorry." "No more tickets to the opera." "All sold out." "Oh..." "I had so hoped." "Here, you may keep this for trying." "Thank you." "Oh, I beg your pardon." "Not at all." "I couldn't help overhearing your trouble, and I have an opera box reserved for the season if you'd care to be my guest." "Oh, thank you, but I could not presume on your courtesy, although we did so want to hear tonight's performance." "We?" "My husband and I." "Oh, well, naturally, my invitation extends to him." "I wasn't planning to attend myself." "Here he comes." "Perhaps you could ask him." "Señor Paladin, my husband, Don Miguel Rojas." "Paladin, con mucho gusto." "Lo mismo, Señor." "Dr. Mayhew." "Doctor." "Sir." "Señor Paladin has graciously offered us his box at the opera tonight." "There were no more tickets." "That would indeed be kind of him." "We don't get many titled visitors from Mexico and we like to make them welcome." "The newspapers took notice of your arrival and, of course, my invitation includes Dr. Mayhew." "We'll accept on the condition you join us and be our guest for dinner." "I'll cancel my other engagement." "Señor." "Doctor." "What about him?" "He's dead." "That's what he deserves." "Can you move if I help you?" "I would like to explain..." "There's no time for that." "You need treatment at once." "I'll explain to the authorities it was a clear case of self-defense." "I've got him." "You'll do more harm than good if you pull the wrong way." "It will be easier for you to leave before the police arrive." "I'll call you a carriage." "Thank you." "I shall be grateful." "Before you leave, will you look at that man?" "Please?" "Have you ever seen him before?" "He looks very surprised at the way things turned out." "Has Don Miguel ever been attacked like this before?" "No." "Yes, he has- there's no need to lie about it." "What's behind it all?" "A vendetta." "An insane blood feud." "It has cost many lives already." "Why doesn't he hurry?" "Well, I'm sure Dr. Mayhew is working as fast as he can." "Oh, this was bound to happen." "If they fail tonight, they will kill him some other time." "Perhaps I can be of some help." "I'm afraid not, Señor." "This is not a tragic opera." "In this case, death is very real." "Oh, here he comes." "He's resting quietly." "You may go up now, Maria." "Doña Maria... will you give your husband my card?" "This is no time for formal courtesy, Señor." "Please." "I will give it to him." "Thank you." "Well?" "The wound itself isn't too serious- that is, no vital organs were hit- but I don't like the looks of it." "What's wrong?" "There was poison on the blade of the knife." "Nothing familiar." "A plant substance of some sort." "Will he live?" "Yes, perhaps." "For a week." "Do you know what Shakespeare said about Mercutio's wounds, Señor Paladin?" ""'Tis not so deep as a well" ""nor so wide as a church door, but 'tis enough, 'twill serve."" "It's the same with my wound." "Not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door but it is enough." "Don..." "Do not be surprised." "I have talked to Dr. Mayhew." "We are old friends." "He told me I'm dying." "Well, doctors have been wrong before." "Not this time." "I can feel it." "That's why I sent for you after I read your card." "You want revenge?" "No." "The vendetta is between my family and another ancient line." "We do not invite interference." "My task for you is much more personal." "Name it." "I want you to escort my body safely to my home in San Tomasino and deliver it there to my wife, Maria." "Isn't your wife here with you?" "No, I sent her off this morning." "I wanted her safely out of the way." "I wish to die unobserved." "I will pay whatever price you ask." "Then you must anticipate trouble." "True." "The vendetta against my family includes the threat of mutilation or destruction of the body." "Do you believe in those traditions?" "I'd rather not but it's a part of my heritage." "I cannot ignore it." "Will you take the job?" "For $1,000 and expenses?" "Don Miguel, that's fair enough but it's my hope that you'll recover." "Then we have a bargain." "I will send instructions to Maria." "You will be paid upon safe delivery of my body to San Tomasino." "It is a fee I hope not to collect." "You will be notified when your job begins." "I will try not to keep you waiting." "Oh, Hey Boy, more exciting news in the world today?" "Oh, yes." "Big robbery in San Francisco." "$230,000." "Oh?" "You're not interested?" "Not particularly." "You read about robbery?" "No... here's the news that interests me." ""Don Miguel Rojas," ""distinguished visitor from Mexico," ""died last night of wounds suffered when he was attacked by an unidentified assailant while attending the opera."" "You interested in that?" "Very." "Oh, you maybe sell Mr. Rojas some insurance?" "Well, in a way." "Good day." "May I help you in this hour of trouble?" "Yes, you can turn one of your clients over to me." "Oh?" "Which one?" "The late Don Miguel Rojas." "Oh, of course." "You must be Mr. Paladin." "That's correct." "Come this way, please." "Looks fine, doesn't he?" "We take great pride in our work." "I'm sure." "Now, I have the papers all ready for you to sign so you can take delivery." "If you please." "Where do I sign?" "Thank you." "And this is a copy of the death certificate." "You'll want that for the border authorities." "Thank you." "I've hired a stage and driver." "I'll have him come around." "Of course." "And I'll complete fastening down..." "I'll make the final arrangements." "Anybody here?" "You just try going through without inspection and you'll find out if anybody's here." "What's your destination?" "San Tomasino." "Oh... want to look it over, Ramon?" "What's your name?" "Paladin." "My driver is Timmon." "Just two passengers?" "Three." "Well, you can't take a dead body across the border." "Yes, I can." "Are you trying to tell me how to run my business?" "Well, somebody should, because obviously you don't know." "Page 14, Article 8." "If you're looking for a little palm-greasing, you're going to be disappointed." "You want to open this big box on the top?" "That ain't necessary, Ramon." "Thanks." "What's the country like ahead?" "Empty except for a water hole called Loma Verde." "The rest is Gila monsters and rattlers and that's good company for you." "Inspection's passed on one condition." "What's that?" "When you come back, cross at some other station." "I've seen enough of you." "Hyah!" "Hyah!" "Whoa." "Manos arriba!" "Manos arriba!" "He said to raise your hands in case you hadn't guessed." "¿Que quiere?" "Usted sabe." "No tenemos mucho dinero." "La caja!" "Go!" "Hyah!" "Caballo!" "Hyah!" "Ha!" "Whoa." "Whoa." "Whoa." "Señor Paladin." "Bodies seem to be your specialty, Señor Paladin." "I must thank you for taking such good care of mine." "You're very quick for a corpse." "Now that you're here," "I suppose you'll want to examine the cargo." "Yes." "Let us satisfy our curiosity on that point there." "Uh-uh." "Señor Paladin." "Yeah." "Now move." "That's the shipping payroll robbery." "$250,000 and all of it mine." "All yours?" "It took four men to commit that robbery in San Francisco." "You have already eliminated them when they tried to steal my body." "You plan well." "What about Doctor Mayhew?" "He was paid off." "Along with Mr. Wilkins, our undertaker." "They made my death seem very convincing." "But not so convincing as yours will be, Señor Paladin." "What are you waiting for?" "First, you must help me with another burial." "This money must be hidden until certain arrangements are made." "Replace the lid." "Why was I chosen for this job?" "You have not completely escaped notice." "Your talent with a gun, your devotion to duty." "We heard of these things." "And you did not disappoint us." "Now, move." "And I warn you, one false move will shorten your life and ensure you of a death much more unpleasant unless you cooperate." "What about that man in San Francisco when he staged the attack in the opera?" "What about him?" "That man?" "He was hired to play a part." "We changed the ending of the scene." "No wonder he looked surprised." "You can't play chess without sacrificing pawns." "Check." "I don't know just what you're trying to pull, Mister, but you won't get away with it." "You don't believe me?" "That's the biggest cock-and-bull story" "I've heard in my whole life." "Well, there's a very simple way to prove it." "Open the coffin." "Cuanto dinero!" "Now, gentlemen, if you believe me," "I need your help." "I have a fee to collect." "What's that got to do with me?" "Or him?" "The lady I told you about- the lady in San Francisco, she's waiting for me to deliver the body of her husband whereupon she will pay me my fee." "I still want to know what's that got to do with us?" "I thought you might like the credit for the arrest if she's part of the plan." "Hmm." "What are we going to do with all that money?" "We are going to turn it over to the Colonel and Commander of the Third Cavalry in Nogales on our way back." "He'll sign for it and take it to San Francisco." "I know him- he'll like the trip." "But, señor, where's the dead man?" "In the stagecoach." "We'll put the money into the coach and put Señor Rojas where he belongs." "Wait a minute." "I just thought of something." "This is in his territory." "Before Hernandez can arrest that woman, we've got to find out if she's guilty." "How are we going to know that?" "I think I know how." "You've got it all figured out, haven't you?" "I hope so." "Señor Paladin?" "Surprised to see me?" "No, but I thought..." "I came in this way because I didn't want to disturb the servants." "My errand is highly personal." "Yes, my husband sent word before he..." "I've hired a couple of workmen." "Would you like them to bring it in here?" "Very well." "Muchachos, por aqui." "Ay, vaja." "I will get your money." "Wait, first you'd better see if I fulfilled my bargain." "You are right." "Open it." "Abra la caja." "Yes, it is my husband." "I will get your money." "Well, gentlemen, what do you think?" "Not guilty." "Hernandez says he won't make the arrest." "No woman could be that calm if she thought her husband was alive and then saw him dead." "All right." "Thank you very much for your help, gentlemen." "I'll be with you in just a few moments." "Where are your men?" "There is a..." "I've paid them." "They've all ready left." "Do you often write letters to dead men?" "Then you know?" "You hid your grief very well." "Grief?" "I had no grief." "My life with that man was a nightmare." "I do not know how my husband died, señor, but I cannot thank you enough for giving me my freedom." "De nada, Doña Maria." "Adios." "Señor Paladin?" "Your money." "Did he leave you enough?" "He left me nothing." "He only took, but fortunately my family is not poor." "Please, señor." "I'd rather not." "It gives me pleasure to pay for my errors." "Especially since this is my last payment." "Please." "Doña Maria..." "Should you come again to San Francisco," "I hope you'll come to the opera with me." "Thank you, señor." "I still don't know why you sent for me, Mr. Paladin." "After all, I'm a busy man." "Ah, here you are, Mr. Paladin." "As you see, I came as soon as I got your message." "Now, what can I do for you?" "I'd like to order a coffin." "A coffin?" "For whom?" "For the first one of you gentlemen that makes a move." "Hey Boy." "Something I do for you, Mr. Paladin?" "Get me a policeman." "On second thought, Hey Boy, get two policemen." "One apiece."