Dead Man
Transcript written by and used with the courtesey of Angela Sugden
Fireman Look out the window. And doesn’t this remind you of when you were in the boat? And then later that night, you were lying looking up at the ceiling, and the water in your head, was not dissimilar from the landscape, and you think to yourself, ‘Why is it that the landscape is moving, but the boat is still?’ And also, where is it that you’re from?
Blake Cleveland.
Fireman Cleveland.
Blake Lake Erie.
Fireman Erie. Do you have any parents back in Erie?
Blake They passed on recently.
Fireman And, er. . . do you have a wife. . .In Erie?
Blake No.
Fireman A fiancée?
Blake Well, I, I had one of those, but. . . she changed her mind.
Fireman She found herself somebody else.
Blake No.
Fireman Yes, she did. Well, that doesn’t explain why you’ve come all the way out here, all the way out here to hell.
Blake I. . . have a job, out in the town of Machine.
Fireman Machine? That’s the end of the line.
Blake Is it?
Fireman Yes.
Blake Well, I, received a letter, from the people at Dickinson’s Metalworks, assuring me of a job there.
Fireman Is that so?
Blake Yes. I’m an accountant.
Fireman I wouldn’t know, because, I don’t reads. But, er, I’ll tell you one thing for sure. I wouldn’t trust no words written down on no piece of paper, especially from no Dickinson out in the town of Machine. You’re just as likely to find your own grave. Look. They’re shooting buffalo. Government says, they killed a million of them last year alone.
Blake Pardon me, sir. Could you please direct me towards the office? Thank you. Excuse me. Excuse me. How do you do, sir? I’m Bill Blake, your new accountant from Cleveland.
Schofield What the heck are you doing here?
Blake Well, I have here this letter, which confirms my position here.
Schofield This letter is postmarked two months ago. Makes you about a month late. This, here, is Mr Olafsen. He’s our new accountant.
Blake I’m sorry. I think there’s been some mistake.
Schofield Look, Mr Black. . .
Blake Blake.
Schofield I’m a very busy man. . . and Mr Dickinson does not pay me for idle conversation.
Blake Well, I’m sure he doesn’t, but this letter confirms my position here. Now, I’ve spent everything I had left after my parents’ funeral just to get here.
Schofield Listen, Mr Black, I’ve got a lot of work to do here and this ain’t my business.
Blake I’d like to speak to Mr Dickinson.
Schofield No, I, I don’t think you want to do that.
Blake I insist on speaking to Mr Dickinson, sir.
Schofield You? Insist?
Blake I insist.
Schofield You insist?
Blake Yes, I do.
Schofield Well, go on then, lad. There’s the door.
Blake All right, then.
Schofield Go on, then!
Blake Well, I will. Hello? Mr Dickinson?
Dickinson Who the hell are you? And where did you get that goddamn clown suit? Cleveland?
Blake Actually, yes, sir. I did get it in Cleveland.
Dickinson What the hell are you doing in my office?
Blake Well, I, I, I came to talk about my job.
Dickinson The only job you’re gonna get in here is pushing up daisies from a pine box. Now get out.
Blake Thank you very much, sir.
Schofield Back to work, Mr Olafsen.
Blake Excuse me. Excuse me. Pardon me, sir. Could I get a bottle, please?
Large Man We liked you better when you was a whore.
Thel Jackass. Shit. Why don’t you just paint my portrait?
Blake I’m sorry. Let me help here.
Thel This one’s no good.
Blake One. Two.
Thel It’s no good.
Blake Come here. Watch yourself. You okay? You all right?
Thel Yeah.
Blake Here. Have a drink. Would you like a drink?
Thel Thanks. I’m sorry. Would you mind walking me away from here?
Blake Sure. Sure. I’ll just get my suitcase.
Thel It’s that way.
Blake All right.
Thel Oh, shit.
Blake I have a sneaking suspicion, that that large man back there was inebriated. I was gonna say something, but I didn’t want to cause any trouble.
Thel No, I think it’s best you didn’t. That’s my room. Wasn’t expecting any visitor. Like it?
Blake Yes, it’s beautiful. These flowers, gosh. They really are something.
Thel Yeah, thank you.
Blake You’re welcome.
Thel I made them, from, paper. If I ever get the money, I’d like to make them out of cloth. Silk. And I’d put a drop of perfume. . . French perfume, in each one. What does it smell like?
Blake Paper.
Thel Well, it is paper. Hey, Bill. You got any tobacco anywhere?
Blake No, I don’t smoke.
Thel Damn. Oh, watch it. It’s loaded.
Blake Why do you have this?
Thel Because this is America. Charlie.
Charlie You know, Thel. . . I never wanted to go away. I know we said it was, er, it was all over and everything, but. . . you were always in my heart, Thel. Always. I, er, I brought you a. . . Well, it’s a present.
Thel A present?
Charlie Well, I, er. . . I’m, I’m going. And, er. . . I’m, I’m sorry, Thel. . . for, er. . . for intruding.
Thel Well, I never really loved you, anyway. No, Charlie.
Charlie I never stopped loving you. . .
Thel Don’t!
Charlie . . . Thel.
Nobody (Mumbling). There’s white man’s metal next to your heart. I tried to cut it out, but it’s too deep inside. A knife would cut your heart instead and release the spirit from within. Stupid fucking white man. Do you have any tobacco?
Blake I don’t smoke.
Nobody (Ranting in native language).
Twill Hey, Wilson, you got any extra tobacco? Well, of course you wouldn’t have any extra tobacco. How ’bout you? Shit. You ain’t even old enough to smoke.
Schofield Mr John Dickinson.
Dickinson Last night, my youngest son, Charlie, God bless his soul, was gunned down in cold blood right here in our own hotel. The gutless murderer, one Mr Bill Blake, also shot to death Miss Thel Russell, the fiancée of my beloved son. Not only that, but he stole a very spirited and valuable horse, a beautiful young pinto that belonged to my personal family stable.
