Underworld
1
A great city in the dead of
night .... streets lonely,
moon-flooded .... buildings
empty as the cliff-dwellings
of a forgotten age -
2
"The great Bull Weed -
closing another bank
account."
3
"That's what makes
bums and squealers!"
4
"I may be a bum, but I am
no squealer. I might say, sir,
that I am a Rolls-Royce for
silence."
5
"All right, Rolls Royce -
I'll give you a chance to
prove that."
6
"Keep your eyes off her!
What do you think I'm
here for?"
7
"Watch me show that
dame what I think of
money."
8
"Buck Mulligan's looking
for trouble."
9
"How'd you like to pick
up ten bucks?"
10
"Pick it up or I'll send
you to the morgue!"
11
"Give me that gun!"
12
"Rolls Royce, meet Feathers -
my girl."
13
"How long since you had
the body washed and
polished, Rolls Royce?"
14
"If you don't want Mulligan
to bump you off, Professor,
you'd better stick with me."
15
"With pleasure, sir."
16
"Come on, let's drift!"
17
"Can I possibly be of
any assistance?"
18
"The city is yours, Kid -
what'll you have?"
19
"Attila, the Hun, at the
gates of Rome."
20
"Who's Attila? The leader
of some wop gang?"
21
"You were born two thousand
years too late. You can't
get away with your stuff -
nowadays."
22
"They'll never get me!"
23
"I'm either a missionary
or a sucker, but I'm
going to put you on your
feet."
24
"What could I do to
help you?"
25
"Help me? Nobody helps
me! I help other people!"
26
"I'm going to bury that
guy while these lilies
are still fresh!"
27
But Buck should have
used wax flowers, for
long after his lilies had
faded - -
28
"You don't want that
junk. It's too vulgar!"
29
"Why, it's the old hideaway!
Why did you bring me here?"
30
"Don't you know it's
wrong to steal?"
31
"Look at him - cost me
a thousand - looks like
a million!"
32
"He's read every book
in the case - he likes
to read!"
33
"Let's have the key,
Professor."
34
"A perfect getaway - -
through our warehouse
to the next block. And
nitro couldn't blow those
doors!"
35
"No, thanks. I've got to
go out on important
business."
36
"The police all know Mulligan's
Special. Plant the little flower
where it will do the most good."
37
"I told you that guy
had brains."
38
"You stay here. You may
have the brains, but I've
got the guts."
39
"What were you before
Bull Weed picked you
up?"
40
"A lawyer sometimes -
a drunkard always ....
what does it matter?"
41
"A woman, I suppose."
42
"I'm not interested
in women."
43
"The Captain wants
to see you."
44
"Say - what is this -
a pinch?"
45
"Somebody framed me!"
46
"Framed you? Since when
are you a picture, Buck?"
47
"You've got the wrong
guy this time. I'll be
out in twenty minutes."
48
"Is this why you're
called Feathers?"
49
"I wear feathers all over."
50
"What were you before
Bull Weed - er - found
you?"
51
"I thought you weren't
interested in women!"
52
"Bull Weed's our best
friend, isn't he?"
53
"This is the first time in
a long while that I've
felt ashamed."
54
"Well, I planted that flower.
They've probably pinched
Mulligan by now."
55
"See you at the Ball
tonight?"
56
"You've got to show.
Everybody with a police
record will be there!"
57
"Besides, I'm going to
make Feathers queen
of the ball."
58
"- be there! Them's
orders!"
59
The underworld's annual
armistice - when, until
dawn, rival gangsters bury
the hatchet and park the
machine-gun.
60
"Check your gats!"
61
"Vote for Feathers!"
62
"Throwing away any
ten-dollar bills tonight?"
63
"Who said you could
dance with her - with-
out asking me?"
64
"Our friend has gone
back to his booze
again!"
65
"- but I don't want you
to drink!"
66
"Please .... don't!"
67
"You're Bull Weed's
girl - aren't you?"
68
Elsewhere the night deepened
into silence and rest. But
here the brutal din of cheap
music - booze - hate - lust -
made a devil's carnival.
69
"F-F-Feathershelected!"
70
"You tell her now."
71
"The committee is waiting
to crown you Queen o'
the Ball."
72
"You needn't worry
about your sweetie.
He's out - - for the
night!"
73
"Before sentencing you, I
declare to you and your
kind that no man, or
band of men, can defeat
the Law."
74
"Others have tried it before,
and, I regret to say, will try
it again - but their fate must
be the same as yours."
75
"All your life you have dealt
with the Law as an enemy.
And now, by a final deed of
violence, you have compelled
it to end your career."
76
"I sentence you to hang
by the neck until you
are dead - -"
77
"- and may God have
mercy on your soul!"
78
"How are we going to
help him now?"
79
"Don't worry. They
haven't hanged him
yet."
80
The Law took no chances.
Bull Weed was isolated
from his world - no messages
delivered, no visitors admitted.
81
"- before sunrise tomorrow,
to hang the said Bull Weed
by the neck until he is
dead."
82
"Any last request?"
83
"Tell Paloma to bring
me the juiciest steak
in Dreamland."
84
"The only one who'll see
Bull is Paloma - when
he brings him his last
meal."
85
"Here's the plan - the hearse
will come to the outer court
an hour before the hanging -"
86
"- and you wait in your
car at Three Corners
Road, for Bull to join
you."
87
"You have Paloma tell
Bull - I'll attend to the
hearse."
88
"Does that mean any
danger - for you?"
89
"The police will only see
me buying two tickets
at the railroad station -
then they'll be sure Bull
is leaving town with me."
90
"Then I won't see
you again?"
91
"This is good-bye."
92
"If I lose you, it's my
finish. I love you so -"
93
"I can't let you go - !"
94
"We have a chance to
lead a decent life. If
we get Bull out - we're
his again!"
95
"We can't double-cross
him - - we owe him
everything."
96
"We do love each other,
don't we?"
97
"We can't do this - - we
couldn't be happy if we
betrayed him!"
98
"You see - you taught
me how to be decent."
99
"Rolls Royce says watch for
the hearse - two o'clock.
The gang will be in it - -
they'll cover the guards
and spring you!"
100
"That's a lie! Rolls Royce
doesn't want me to get
out!"
101
"You've got him wrong,
Bull - that hearse will
come crashing through
like a tank!"
102
"On the level, Ed - has
Rolls Royce or Feathers
ever really tried to see
me?"
103
"Maybe I hadn't ought to
tell you - but the whole
town knows how they're
carrying on."
104
"Ed, is there time
for another game
of checkers?"
105
"You hate to leave the
old burg - don't you?"
106
"Do you think Rolls Royce
is still in town?"
107
"What do you care?
You'll be hanging in
an hour."
108
"There's one guy I'd like
to get before I hang."
109
"You're in a tight
place now."
110
"It's your move."
111
"The plan went wrong -
the guards got wise,
somehow."
112
"It's all over with him
by now."
113
"Extra! Bull Weed
escapes!"
114
"What's the extra about?"
115
"Nothing - just a boob
breaking jail!"
116
"So you've brought the
police, too. You little
rat!"
117
"Now you can wait and
take what you framed
up for me!"
118
"Bull - listen - we were
on the level - we tried
to get you out -"
119
"He sure cinched my
finish - he's got those
keys!"
120
"We've got the Bull
cornered at his old
hangout!"
121
"If you're waiting for
Bull Weed, you'll have
a long wait."
122
"They'll get us both in a
few minutes, Bull. Why
should I lie to you now?"
123
"If I could get my hands
on that lousy skunk, I'd
go back and let 'em
hang me!"
124
"I'm sorry things went
wrong - but there's still
time - for you - to get
away!"
125
"Now you see - - how
much he double-crossed
you!"
126
"I've been all wrong,
Feathers - I know it now
- I've been wrong all
the way -"
127
"And all this got you was
another hour!"
128
"There was something I
had to find out - -
and that hour was
worth more to me than
my whole life."
The
End
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