Unforgiven Page #3

ALICE:

But what they done, they...

SKINNY:

(he has a piece of

paper in his hand)

Shut up, Alice. Little Bill, a

whippin' ain't gonna settle this.

LITTLE BILL:

No?

SKINNY:

(showing the paper)

This here's a lawful contract...

betwixt me an' Delilah Fitzgerald,

the cut-whore. Now I brung her clear

from Boston, paid her expenses an'

all, an' I got a contract which

represents an investment of capital.

LITTLE BILL:

(sympathetic to the

argument)

Property.

SKINNY:

Damaged property. Like if I was to

hamstring one of their cow ponies.

LITTLE BILL:

You figure nobody'll want to f***

her.

SKINNY:

Hell no. Leastways, they won't pay

to do it.

Alice is listening to this and her eyes are like coals and

you can hear Delilah moaning in the other room.

SKINNY:

She could maybe clean up around the

place or somethin', but nobody's

gonna pay good money for a cut-up

whore.

LITTLE BILL:

(making up his mind

and turning to the

shivering cowboys)

You boys are off of the Spade Outfit.

Got your own string of ponies?

DAVEY:

(nodding)

I... I got f-f-f-four.

LITTLE BILL:

You?

MIKE:

(sullenly)

Six.

Skinny nods, pleased, and Alice watches, her eyes still hot.

LITTLE BILL:

Guess you boys just as soon not have

no trial an' fuss, huh?

Davey and Mike nod, willing to say anything Little Bill wants.

LITTLE BILL:

(to Mike)

Alright. You done the cuttin'...

Come the thaw, you bring in five of

them ponies an' give 'em over to

Skinny here.

MIKE:

Five!

LITTLE BILL:

(to Davey)

An' you... you give over two ponies,

hear? -

Clyde bangs in out of the snow with a buggy whip in his hand.

CLYDE:

I couldn't find no bullwhips, Bill.

The German...

LITTLE BILL:

Don't matter, we don't need no whips.

(to Mike and Davey)

Spring comes an' Skinny don't have

them ponies, I'm gonna...

ALICE:

You... you ain't even gonna... whip

'em?

LITTLE BILL:

I fined 'em instead.

ALICE:

For what they done? Skinny gets some

ponies an' that's...?

LITTLE BILL:

(approaching her)

Ain't you seen enough blood for one

night? Hell, Alice, they ain't loafers

nor tramps nor bad men. They're hard

workin' boys that was foolish. Why

if they was given over to wickedness

in a regular way...

ALICE:

(furious)

Like whores?

SKINNY:

Alice, tend to Delilah.

For a long moment Alice just stands there glaring.

INT. DELILAH'S ROOM - DAY

DAYLIGHT AND A BASIN OF BLOODY WATER and Little Sue is just

dipping another towel in the hot water next to Delilah's

bed, changing the bandages. All the whores are there in

various states of dress, lounging on the floor, leaning

against the wall.

SILKY:

(to Alice)

If Delilah don't care one way or the

other, what're you so riled about?

Rate this script:4.6 / 8 votes