The Sunset Limited: A Novel in Dramatic Form (6 page)

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Authors: Cormac McCarthy

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He holds the bible up off the table and lays it down again.

White
   
Half the time I think you’re having fun with me. I dont see how you can live here. I dont see how you can feel safe.
Black
   
Well you got a point, Professor. About bein safe anyways.
White
   
Have you ever stopped any of these people from taking drugs?
Black
   
Not that I know of.
White
   
Then what is the point? I dont get it. I mean, it’s hopeless. This place is just a moral leper colony.
Black
   
Damn, Professor. Moral leper colony? Where my pencil at?
He pretends to rummage through the kitchen table drawer.
White
   
Well it is.
Black
   
I aint never goin to want you to leave. Put that in my book.
White
   
In your book?
Black
   
In the Moral Leper Colony.
Damn, I like the sound of that.
White
   
You’re kidding me.
Black
   
You know I aint writin no book.
White
   
Well I still dont get it. Why not go someplace where you might be able to do some good?
Black
   
As opposed to someplace where good was needed.
White
   
Even God gives up at some point. There’s no ministry in hell. That I ever heard of.
Black
   
No there aint. That’s well put. Ministry is for the livin. That’s why you responsible for your
brother. Once he’s quit breathin you cant help him no more. After that he’s in the hands of other parties. So you got to look after him now. You might even want to monitor his train schedule.
White
   
You think you are your brother’s keeper.
Black
   
I dont believe
think
quite says it.
White
   
And Jesus is a part of this enterprise.
Black
   
Is that okay with your
White
   
And he’s interested in coming here to this cesspool and salvaging what everybody knows is unsalvageable. Why would he do that? You said he didnt have a lot of free time. Why would he come here? What would be the difference to him between a building that was morally and spiritually vacant and one that was just plain empty?
Black
   
Mm. Professor you a theologian here and I didnt even know it.
White
   
You’re being facetious.
Black
   
I dont know that word. Dont be afraid to talk down to me. You aint goin to hurt my feelins.
White
   
It means. I guess it means that you’re not being sincere. That you dont mean what you’re saying. In a cynical sort of way.
Black
   
Mm. You think I dont mean what I’m sayin.
White
   
Sometimes. I think you say things for effect.
Black
   
Mm. Well, let me say this for effect.
White
   
Go ahead.
Black
   
Suppose I was to tell you that if you could bring yourself to unlatch your hands from around your brother’s throat you could have life everlastin?
White
   
There’s no such thing. Everybody dies.
Black
   
That aint what he said. He said you could have
life
everlastin. Life. Have it today. Hold it in your hand. That you could see it. It gives off a light. It’s got a little weight to it. Not much. Warm to the touch. Just a little. And it’s forever. And you can have it. Now. Today. But you dont want it. You dont want it cause to get it you got to let you brother off the hook. You got to actually take him and hold him in your arms and it dont make no difference what color he is or what he smells like or even if he dont
want to
be
held. And the
reason
you wont do it is because he dont deserve it. And about that there aint no argument. He
dont
deserve it.
(He leans forward, slow and deliberate.)
You wont do it because it aint just. Aint that so?
Silence.
Black
   
Aint it?
White
   
I dont believe in those sorts of things.
Black
   
Just answer the question Professor.
White
   
I dont think in those terms.
Black
   
I know you dont. Answer the question.
White
   
I suppose there’s some truth in what you say.
Black
   
But that’s all I’m goin to get.
White
   
Yes.
Black
   
Well. That’s all right. I’ll take it. Some is a lot. We down to breadcrumbs here.
White
   
I really have to go.
Black
   
Just stay. Just a little. We can talk bout somethin else. You like baseball? Tell you what. Why dont I fix us somethin to eat?
White
   
I’m not hungry.
Black
   
How about some coffee then?
White
   
All right. But then I’ve got to go.
Black
   
(Rising)
All right. The man says all right.
He runs water in the kettle at the sink and pours the water into the percolator.
Black
   
You see I wouldnt be this rude under normal circumstances. Man come in my house and set at my table and me not offer him nothin? But with you I figure I got to strategize. Got to play my cards right. Keep you from slippin off into the night.
He spoons coffee from a can into the percolator and plugs the percolator in.
White
   
It’s not night.
Black
   
Depends on what kind of night we talkin bout.
He comes back to the table and sits.
Black
   
Let me ask you kindly a personal question.
White
   
This will be good.
Black
   
What do
you
think is wrong with you that has finally narrowed all your choices down to the Sunset Limited?
White
   
I dont think there’s anything wrong with me. I think I’ve just been driven to finally face the truth. If I’m different it doesnt mean I’m crazy.
Black
   
Different.
White
   
Yes.
Black
   
Different from who?
White
   
From anybody.
Black
   
What about them other folks tryin to off theyselves?
White
   
What about them?
Black
   
Well, maybe them is the folks that you is like. Maybe them folks is your natural kin. Only you all just dont get together all that much.
White
   
I dont think so.
Black
   
Dont think so.
White
   
No. I’ve been in group therapy with those people. I never found anyone there that I felt any kinship with.
Black
   
What about them other professors? They aint no kinship there?
White
   
(Disgustedly)
Good god.
Black
   
I’m goin to take that for a no.
White
   
I loathe them and they loathe me.
Black
   
Well now wait a minute. Just cause you dont like em dont mean you
aint
like em. What was that word? Loathe?
White
   
Loathe.
Black
   
That’s a pretty powerful word, aint it?
White
   
Not powerful enough, I’m afraid.
Black
   
So how come you be loathin these other professors?
White
   
I know what you’re thinking.
Black
   
What am I thinkin?
White
   
You’re thinking that I loathe them because I’m like them and I loathe myself.
Black
   
(Sitting back in his chair)
Damn, Professor. If I had your brains aint no tellin what all I might of done. I’d of been a drug king or somethin. Ride round in a Rolls Royce.
White
   
You’re being facetious again.
Black
   
No I aint. I wasnt the first time. Let me ask you this.
White
   
All right.
Black
   
Is you on any kind of medication?
White
   
No.
Black
   
They aint got no medication for pilgrims waitin to take the Sunset?
White
   
For suicidal depression.
Black
   
Yeah.
White
   
Yes. They do. I’ve tried them.
Black
   
And what happened?
White
   
Nothing happened.
Black
   
You didnt get no relief.
White
   
No. I think the coffee’s percolated.
Black
   
I know. Does these drugs work for most folks?
White
   
Yes. For most.
Black
   
But not for you.
White
   
Not for me. No.
Black
   
(Rising)
And what do you make of that?
White
   
I dont know. What am I supposed to make of it?
Black
   
(Crossing to kitchen counter)
I dont know, Professor. I just tryin to find you some constituents out there somewheres.
White
   
Constituents?
Black
   
(Unplugging percolator and getting down cups)
Yeah. You like that?
White
   
Is that a word they use on the streets?
Black
   
Naw. I learned that word in the jailhouse. You pick up stuff from these jailhouse lawyers and then it gets used around. Be talkin bout your constituents. Some other cat’s constituents. Your
wife’s
constituents. You use cream and sugar?
White
   
No. Just black.
Black
   
Just black.
White
   
Why do I have to have constituents?
Black
   
I aint said you
got
to. I just wondered if maybe you do and we just aint looked hard enough.
He brings the percolator and the cups to the table and pours.
Black
   
They could be out there. Maybe they’s some other drugproof terminal commuters out there that could be your friends.
White
   
Terminal commuters?
Black
   
Got a nice sound to it, aint it?
White
   
It’s all right.
Black
   
(Sitting)
Nobody.
White
   
Nobody. No.
Black
   
Hm.
White
   
I’m not a member. I never wanted to be. I never was.
Black
   
Not a member.
White
   
No.
Black
   
Well. Sometimes people dont know what they want till they get it.
White
   
Maybe. But I think they know what they dont want.
Black
   
I dont know, Professor. I try and go by what I see. The simplest things has got more to em than you can ever understand. Bunch of people standin around on a train platform of a mornin. Waitin to go to work. Been there a hundred times. A thousand maybe. It’s just a train platform. Aint nothin else much you can say about it. But they might be one commuter waitin there on the edge of that platform that for him
it’s somethin else. It might even be the edge of the world. The edge of the universe. He’s starin at the end of all tomorrows and he’s drawin a shade over ever yesterday that ever was. So he’s a different kind of commuter. He’s worlds away from them everday travelers. Nothin to do with them at all. Well. Is that right?
White
   
I dont know.
Black
   
I know you dont. Bless your heart. I know you dont.
They sip their coffee.

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