East Of Eden Page #3

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"thou shalt compass me about

with songs of deliverance. Selah."

- Eight.

- You have no repentance! You're bad!

Through and through, bad.

Excuse me. I'll go out and wait for Abra.

You're right. I am bad.

I knew that for a long time.

I didn't mean that, Cal. I spoke in anger.

Well, it's true.

Aron's the good one.

I guess there's just a certain amount...

of good and bad you get

from your parents...

- and I just got the bad.

- That's not true.

Cal, listen to me.

You can make of yourself

anything you want.

It's up to you. A man has a choice.

That's where he's different from an animal.

You don't listen. You'll never remember.

My mother...

she's not dead and gone to heaven...

is she?

Why do you ask that?

She's not dead at all.

She's not buried in the East

like you said, either.

She's alive.

- What makes you think so?

- I heard from a guy.

- Who?

- I don't know his name.

He was just passing through.

How come you told Aron and me she died?

- I thought it would save you pain.

- Pain?

If she was still alive,

where do you think she'd be?

I have no idea. She went East.

How do you know?

When she left the ranch we lived on

when you and Aron were born...

I heard she went East.

What was she like? Was she bad?

I guess she...

I never really knew what she was like.

She wasn't like other people.

There was something she seemed to lack.

Kindness, maybe. Conscience.

I never knew what she was after.

- How come she left you?

- I never knew that, either.

She was so full of hate.

- Hate for you?

- For everything.

You won't tell Aron that she didn't die?

No.

Must not do anything to hurt Aron.

Where'd you get that scar

you got on your shoulder, Father?

I've told you, Cal.

It's an old wound I got

in the Indian campaigns.

- Why do you ask that now?

- What'd she look like? Was she pretty?

She had the most lovely hands.

Like ivory.

She took such good care of them.

Her mother had arthritis.

She was always afraid

it would come to her in her hands.

Talk to me, Father.

I got to know who I am.

I got to know who I'm like.

I got to know...

Where is she?

I'm telling you, truthfully, Cal...

after she left, I never heard from her.

Cal, wait. I want to talk more with you.

If you leave this room now

we may never be able to talk again.

You coming home tonight, Cal?

What's the difference?

You're home. You're the one he wants.

Good evening, Cal.

High strung. Very high strung.

Good evening, Abra.

Where is my chess victim?

- He's waiting for you, Mr. Albrecht.

- Good.

What do you suppose he meant by that?

Go on, beat it!

Your wife has called up three times.

- My wife's a...

- I know she is. Now beat it.

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