"She makes it look like child's play, but don't be mistaken." "That lethal reptile encircling her body could kill her in the blink of an eye." "What say you show this purty senorita your appreciations?" "Here's tonight's take." "Wait a minute." "Jonesy..." "You've kept things from me." "You weren't ready. I needed to protect you." "From what?" "You were always gifted, Justin." "But you needed time to develop those gifts." "How dare you?" "Who are you to determine whether I was ready or not?" "Do you know how I have suffered and struggled?" " How dare you?" " Stop acting like a child." "I've cared for you since we came to this country." "And I have lived with the burden of this knowledge." "You have a destiny and now is your time to fulfil it." "I'm real tired." "Hard to sleep in heat like this." "Can I ask you something?" "The night we found my mama out there with you... how did she really get out there?" "I told you, she walked." "You know what she wanted?" "Did she say anything to you?" " lt didn't make no sense." " Tell me." ""You're the one."" "She said, "You're the one."" "Samson." "You haven't learned to stay out of things that aren't your concern." "Everything that happens at this carnival is my business." "That includes the boy." "Stick to telling the rousties where to put their tents." "That's where your talent lies, little man." "It ain't over, Lodz." "What's going on?" "Temporary setback." "Let me give you a hand with these." "Where are you headed?" "Thought I'd bunk over in the tenner for a while with the crew." "Why don't you sleep in my tent?" "I don't need your charity." "It ain't charity." "No more than what you'd do for me." "Yeah?" "Where are you dropping anchor?" "I'll sleep in the truck." "Truck's aces for me." "Just a temporary situation." "Sure." "Suit yourself." " Brother Justin?" " Yes." "I'm Tommy Dolan." " l met you on the road, outside of..." " l remember, Mr Dolan." "You're back." "Hello, Mr Dolan." "Iris." "You must be very happy." "This is a happy day." "Very." "I just wanted you to know I was leaving." "I have to go back to Los Angeles to do my show." "I'm sorry that you have to leave so soon, Mr Dolan." "Surely you could stay for a cup of coffee." "Why not?" "Please, come in." " Hey, sweetheart." " Hi." "Something going on with your ma and Jones?" "Why?" "Look at them, tell me it's nothing." "It's nothing." "Sofie, I've got a problem." "What is it?" "I know your mom has had a hard run of it and all" " but I've been carrying you for days." " l know." "She's losing it, Samson." "I can't do the show, cos l can't stand to be in the same room with her." "I'm sorry, but Management don't like it." "What?" " l just thought you and Management..." " He's still the boss." "And I'm still running the carnival." "I suggest you square things away, or look for other work." "It's just not a good time to be a problem around here, Sofie." "We have never had this kind of response to a story." "Bags of mail every day." "Hundreds of phone calls." "Everyone wants to know, "Where is Brother Justin?"" "And here he is." "Here I am." "I'm telling you, Justin, we got to get you on radio." "People are going to go nuts." "Gonna want to hear the whole story, from beginning to end." "Why should that matter to me?" "Mr Dolan has helped me see we're missing a great opportunity." "One hundred thousand people listen to his show every week." "They could be the backbone of your new church." "God does not need a radio to spread His word, Iris." "It sure couldn't hurt." "Thirty million people have radios in this country. lt's a new age." "People are moved by your story." "They have sent in donations." "We must think of the future, Justin." "All in good time, Iris." "Mr Dolan, I was wondering, perhaps, if you would care to join us for church tomorrow." "I'm sure that you can postpone your trip." " l'm not much of a churchgoer." " l thought you wanted a story." "Well, I'm not in any real rush." "Aw, hell." "Hawkins." "Heading into town this morning, I saw something interesting." "What?" "What say you and me take a little drive?" "What are you trying to do?" "You almost cracked us up." "Sorry, I ain't been sleeping too good." "Keep your peepers on the road." "Let's try and get there in one piece." "It's not like I need an armed escort." "We're less than a mile from the border." "Ain't safe for a woman alone." "What do you need to get at the store so bad anyway?" " Toothpaste, razor blades." " Razor blades?" "After I brush my teeth, I'm going to slit my wrists." "That ain't funny." "Jesus, Jonesy." "I've just got to shave my legs." "Come on." "There she be." "Big as life." "What?" "Look at the engraving beside the door." "Benevolent Order of Templars." "This is their den, their lodge, whatnot." "Where are you going?" "I'm gonna talk to that fella, ask him what the deal is." "This is a secret, fraternal brotherhood." "Let me do the talk." " Excuse me." " Yes?" "This is the Benevolent Order of Templar?" "Yep." "Has been for over 50 years." "This mean something to you?" "Nope." "I think my grandpa may have had one like this." "You a member?" "No." "We're thinking of joining." " You the leader of this outfit?" " No, sir." "That would be the commodore." "Damn it. lt's closed." "Sorry." " What's this?" " l don't know." "Some Mexi thing." "We should head back. I've got work to do." " l want to take a look." " Sof." "Don't be an old stick-in-the-mud." "Come on." " l'm hungry." " Sof." "You want something?" "I'm buying." "One, please." "Thank you." "That'd be the commodore, that fellow yonder." "Take a look around." "I'm gonna put the digs to this fella." "You the commodore?" "Yeah." "Name's Frank Mooney." "What can I do for you?" "We were just passing through town." "Saw your temple." "Thought maybe we'd just drop on in." "All right, then." "Had a long-lost cousin who was a member of the Templars." "You might remember him." "Maybe." "Ain't that many others in the southern region." "What's his name?" "Scudder." "Henry Scudder." "No." "Don't ring a bell." "You sure about that?" "Any of you fellows heard of a Henry Stutter?" " Scudder." " Nope." " Not that I recall." " Don't look like it." "You fellas got a directory, some kind of book with all the member names in it?" "That, we do." "But it's for members only." "How might a body go about joining up?" "Got to be a baptised Christian, and pay the two-dollar membership fee." "Come on, Samson." "There ain't nothing here." "There has to be, goddamnit." "What about the ring?" "Who gets to wear that ring?" "You got $20?" "I'll sell you this one right here." "Samson, I'm going to wait in the car." "You boys are hiding something, and I know it." "I don't know what you're looking for, pal, but I'm starting to lose interest here." "Listen, brother, I'm in a hell of a spot here." "I can't go back empty-handed." "Help me out." "Just give me something." "Look, there's nothing here for you." "Ain't too clean but it'll do." " Why did you let me eat that thing?" " Should have stuck to beer." "Lord knows what they stuff in that flatbread." "I do know one thing." "I haven't seen a single stray dog around here." "That's right." "Let it all out." "I'm going to get you some ginger ale." "Every prophet in her house." "What?" "There you go." "Big goddamn waste of time." "Bunch of fat buckwheats." "What did you expect?" "Black capes and horns?" "They was playin' gin rummy!" " Snort?" " No." "He give you that fob?" "Scudder never give nobody nothing but grief." "Won it off him in a game of stud poker." " You didn't like him?" " lt wasn't like that." "I just never had much to do with him." "What about Management?" "That was before Management." "He wasn't always the boss?" "Company back East, named the Hide and Teller company." "Management bought 'em out." "Just after Scudder took a powder." " He's been looking for him ever since." " Why's he looking for him?" "I don't know exactly." "Something happened in the old country." "Something real bad." "Badder than you can imagine." "Badder than anyone can imagine." "What the hell is that?" "Rabbit drive." "Jacks eat up all the crops." "A sound like that can make your blood run cold." "I've been thinking, I'd like to get out of the dust." "Find me and my kids someplace clean to live." "So that's my question." "Will I ever get out of this town?" " Yes." " Really?" "Because I've been kind of scared." "Seeing as we don't have no money, and no real place to go." "Money won't be a concern." "Praise Jesus." " Stop it, Mother." " What?" "You see something bad?" "There is gonna be some illness in your family." "Oh, God." "We've had so much already." "Already lost Pearl and Teddy to the dust pneumonia." "I was hoping things were looking up." "I'm afraid not." "Mother, stop it." "What's she saying?" "I'm sorry." "My mother's not well." "I have to ask you to leave." "Can't you tell me what the bad news is?" "Mother, I won't do it." "Shut up!" "What is it?" "She's gonna die." "Not my Sally." "Not my baby girl." "Stop it!" "Goddamn it, I hate you!" "This is not what we do!" "You're breaking the rule." "Sorry, folks, no more shows today." "Goddamn, it's hot." "Let's go into town, get some of that cactus juice." "Bound to be lousy with bean eaters." "Sounds good to me." "You guys going drinking or what?" "Yeah, going to get liquefied." " Come on, Jones." " Yeah, in a minute." "Your ma is out there." "She needed some air." "Pretty sure that's loud enough." "Not if I can still hear her." "You're scared?" "But you ain't crazy, Sof." "Come here." "All right." "OK." "What?" "I don't wanna ruin this." "You won't. lt's different now." " l'm different." " But I ain't." "Would you take it easy?" "I messed things up once before." "Ain't gonna let it happen this time." "Fine." "Please, don't." "I'm sorry." "The truth is... she's frigid." " Has been for years." " Really?" "Marriage, Jonesy..." "Goddamn, it just ruins everything." "Or maybe it's this job, I don't know." "But it's all that copulating, makes her dead down there." "Hey, miss." "Shit." "Hey, Stumpy, it's getting late." "Maybe we should start back." "Jesus Christ." "She's a two-bit, washed-out whore who'll fuck anything in pants." "But I love her." "Some mornings I wake up and I can't bear to hear the sound of her voice." "And others..." "See, that's true love." "Maybe you won't understand that, Jones, but that's... I gotta go." "All right. I'm gonna stay here." "I ain't numb yet." "You need some shuteye." "I can't sleep." "Nonsense." "When's the last time you slept in a bed?" "I can't take them dreams any more." "Poor thing." "You are just plumb tuckered out." "You can't even think straight." "You don't know." "You don't know what I see." "Honey, everyone has bad dreams." "It's the times we live in." "It's hard to be happy." "It's hard to feel safe." "He'll come back." "He always comes back." "They're trying to chase me and I'm running." "I can't stop running." "Poor baby." "It's always Scudder." "Always, yeah, even before I met him, he was in my dreams." "They're trying to kill me, every time I close my eyes." "It is getting worse, Ruthie." "Something bad's gonna happen." "You listen to me, Ben Hawkins." "You are safe with me." "I'll take care of you." "I won't let anything hurt you." "Paco." "You mind if I cut in?" "I don't understand what you said." "I don't think it's very nice." "Mister, please." "How's this - fuck you, puto." "Much better." "That I understand." "That's definitely not very nice." "Pancho." "You want to rough?" "You want to rough?" "Let's go." "Let's see what you have." " Mister." " Huh, tough guy?" "Ruthie, you awake?" "It's one of your snakes. I went to the cook tent to make myself a cup of tea." "I opened the stove, and it jumped out at me." " Sure it's one of mine?" " Annabelle's cage is empty." "Oh, Lord." "I'll get my shoes on." "You're a very stupid man, senor." " Where am I?" " My room." " l brought you here, remember?" " No." " You didn't make any friends back there." " That ain't one of my strengths." " l would've danced with you." " Now you tell me." "You're not from around here, are you?" "You want a drink?" "I should be going." "But we haven't danced yet." "Maybe some other time." "But you only get one chance." "He's mine." "What the hell are you doing in here?" "Get out!" "Get out!" "You stay out of my trailer, you stinking, two-legged rat!" "Look, Lib, here's one." "It's only $1 .49." "It says, "lt's a simply darling, Lady Lou two-piece frock."" "Ain't it gay?" " Hey, Stumpy." " Yeah, what?" "Someone here to see you." "Who the hell is that?" "Rita Sue, this is Catalina de la Rosa." "She's gonna be the new cootch dancer." "Nice to meet you." "You may be seated." "Good morning, friends." "And welcome to our visitors." "Many of us begin the voyage of the Christian life under blue skies and upon calm waters." "But when we sail out of the harbour..." " Justin's back." " Justin is home." "My son." "Praise the Lord." "I have journeyed into the wilderness and returned with the love of the Lord in my heart and His holy message etched upon my soul." "Evil exists, brothers and sisters." "It is written in the Book of Man with blood drawn from Lucifer's veins." "We cannot escape it." "We cannot hide from it." "We cannot deny it." "It is part of who we are." "Who I am." "Who you are." "The evil in you is the root of your sin." "And you have sinned great sins." "You have laid down with the sister of your wife." "Stolen from the cash box at your place of work." "Cheated long-time friends in business." "Lied to your mother and father." "You have lusted for the loins of a man." "And I... I have committed murder." "In my heart, I have killed men again and again, wishing for their deaths with loathsome desire born of malice and spite." "I am an evil man." "I am a sinful man." "I am a man." "But we can be saved, brothers and sisters." "Yes, we can." "Not through prayer or Bible study but through blood and fire." "The blood of atonement and the fire of resurrection." "For only through death and rebirth can salvation be had by mortal man." "Justin Crowe, the man, died in the wilderness." "He died so that Justin Crowe, the Messenger of God could be reborn this day." "And, once reborn, we will wield the mighty sword of our Father in holy battle." "And we will strike down all those who stand against us into the depths of hell." "Amen." "Baptise me." "Justin, I baptised you when you were six years old." "Baptise me." " l don't understand." " You don't need to." "I baptise thee in the name of the Father and..." "Finish it." "And of the Holy Ghost." "Baptise me." "Baptise me so I may be reborn and join my brother in his holy mission." "Baptise me." "Baptise me." "Yes, he spoke to me directly." "He knows we have the boy." "Of course he knows." "But we'll find him." "And then the blood will flow."