individual "decks".

A rail system, like some amusement

park's miniature railroad, runs throughout the reelroom.
This rail system carries the rolls of newsprint from
; the warehouse to the presses. The rolls of newsprint
are "stripped" of their protective covers in the reelroom
by the paperhandlers, the union boys. They strip the
\. covers from the rolls of newsprint, load them on these
heavy, cast iron "trucks", and push them along the
I rail system. They supply the pressmen with the necessary
j' sized rolls of newsprint to feed the presses. The rolls
\f newsprint range in size from half-, three-quarter-,
; • and full- rolls,1. A full roll of newsprint weighs from
D 1800-1900 Ibs.
The noise from the reelroom is murderous. Without protection
'^ of cotton balls stuffed into .ears or cupped hands pressed
against the ears, the paperhandlers1 hearing would be
physically destroyed. Above the reelroom is the composing
room where the plates, on which the news of the day is
printed, are formed. Plates are constantly being dropped
overhead as the news format changes each edition of the paper.
These plates are themselves carried along its own transport
system. The result is the overhead noise of a chain movement,
a melodic clinking of a chain drive mixed with the thunderous
boom of plates being dropped. The noise in the reelroom
itself as the presses gear up for a run is deafening. The
vibrations of the presses themselves create an air vacuum
which physically buffets the men working close to the presses.
It will physically shake a man, it will make his clothes
vibrate, as if there was a wave of air constantly riding
up and down inside his clothing.
Ink mist hangs in the air. It smells greasy swee,t.
This mist settles into the skin pores, creating a speckled
•s^v pattern to the skin. It gets into your eyes, your mouth,
••'''* it blackens the space between your teeth and greys your gums.
It clogs your saliva. It collects on your lungs and in your
nose. The paperhandlers will frequently snot out the ink
mTs-t so that they can breathe easier. The ink mist being
wet and warm seeps through the work clothes of the men.
Despite the heat of the reelroom, men wear layers of clothing
to keep the ink from their bodies. They wear double layers
of sweat socks to prevent the ink from forming inside their
shoes. This is done so that the paperhandler won't slip
inside his shoes and make him fall under a roll of newsprint.
 them less control of "handling" the newsprint rolls.
The union boys' hands are a ugly map of papercuts and
ink mist which have settled into the skin before the
cuts can heal properly.
They are union paperhandlers, the Chicago Local,#2 of
the International Paperhandlers and Press Helpers Union.
They are physically strong men, a beer belly here and
there starting to show on the younger men, but they have
well defined upper bodies, prominently their forearms,
backs, shoulders, and necks.
Because of the nature of their work and of the physically
abusive work conditions, the men look older than their
real ages. A man of twenty looks twenty-eight. A man
of 40 looks 50, ect.
L \V
WARREN AONO, 24, Asian
VANHERIK, 34, (called "Jackie") ,. white
LEONAS, 35, (called "Jimmy"), white v^«
JIMMY the FLYBOY, 30, white (.densehead)
HARRY, 35, white (slow but not a densehead)
SETTING
An area of the reelroom. A storage bay for rolls of newsprint,
The backend of a storage bay where rolls of newsprint,
in 3/4 and 1/2 casings are stacked. An area has been
cleared out where a big paper box is set upside down.
By its markings and foodstains, it should be obvious
that this box serves as a table, a meeting place.
There is a soda pop machine which dispenses Cokes and
orange and grape sodas, no diet pop. There is a
candy machine which dispenses potato chips, fritos,
candy bars and Lifesavers.
Also in this area should be the "heads" from the rolls
of newsprint. Some of these "heads" should be placed
between the rolls. These placements serve as beds for
the paperhandlers who are working the shift. There are
cores from the rolls of newsprint spread about and stacked
and banded neatly. Sheets of newsprint are strewn about.
It is a colorfully homicidal area.
wall, then what? Huh? Then I could tell you?
SULLIVAN
You our union steward, the floor man for us?
ZENO
Which means fuckin' what? (BEAT) Gimme a hand, will ya?
(SULLIVAN helps ZENO push the rolls away from the covering)
SULLIVAN
Which means —
ZENO
— Thanks —
SULLIVAN •
— You should know — no problem.
(ZENO bends over and folds the covering into three sections,
places it on top of some other rolls)
ZENO
Are you ,saying, what? I got shit for blood, huh?
SULLIVAN
Huh?
ZENO
I'm some bust-out prick 'cos I don't have the answers
which you want?
 SULLIVAN
C'mon, Z. (GIGGLES)
ZENO
Laugh. Fuck me around this way. I got to get answers
which would satisfy you? I'm here to please you?
Are you wild? y<svj
SULLIVAN
You the union s.teward? Huh? Yes? I think so.
That's what I know. (PAUSE) You're supposed to know
what's going on with the move over to the new Fullerton
printing plant.
ZENO
I don't know shit, awright?
SULLIVAN
This fucking newspaper. They're cutting our blood with
this move over. They're cutting the fuck outa us.
ZENO
Awright? Sully, my friend, huh?
SULLIVAN
I'm saying: us. Us , everyone. Not just "friend", huh?
Fucking union floor man for us , and it's "awright, huh?"
ZENO
YCLU- want it? You want the fuckin' responsibilites?
Take it. Fuckin1 moron.
,-»• "' • - . _ . . :
(HARRY comes foiling by, dragging a huge "WASTE" cart
.with him. -HARRY is collecting all the garbage and the
newsprint coverings to be made into bales)
The young guys
HARRY
(SMILING) Why you guys looking at me?
ZENO
Harry Harry.
HARRY
Hey, Z. Sully.
ZENO
They got'cha on the Waste, huh?
HARRY
(SHRUGS) It's okay.
ZENO
You gonna be good tonight, Harry? I do not want to I
hear about you and that girl of yours, youna
HARRY in -
G ' mon , Z . . - '
(HARRY' loads the stripped coverings wnich ZENO^'and SULLIVAN
have stacked ontop the rolls)
You got any news, Z? About Fullerton?
ZENO
You'll know as soon as I do. (PAUSE) What's this look
on you, Harry? C'mon c'mon c'mon. Do I not take care of you?
HARRY
Y.0/U do. Yeah, Z . Awright.
:-'jf~ -' > • " ~ "
(HARRY" exits with his WASTE cart)
^
 SULLIVAN
Yet.
ZENO
Christ on a cross, Sully—
SULLIVAN
•—2 years ago, we had, what, going?
ZENO
I don't know this, huh?
SULLIVAN
(POINTING to an area offstage)
What was there?
ZENO
You're right, Sully. I didn't push the issue-
SULLIVAN
—Tell me what was—
 ZENO
Things are fucked.
SULLIVAN
What was there?
ZENO
I know.
SULLIVAN
Tell me.
ZENO
I know, you know.
SULLIVAN
Say it.
ZENO
I'll go down to the union hall tomorrow. Talk to Stanley,
We get a meeting
SULLIVAN
2 years ago, Zeno. Men, over on the tunnel. They were
working. Tunnel still there? I must be blind, I can't
see it.
ZENO
Sully, don't start on
SULLIVAN
—10 men on the tunnel starts, right. 2 shifts a day,
7 days a week, stripping paper, feeding paper. 140
starts a week
 ZENO
—I can count—
SULLIVAN
—140 starts a week, do I see 'em now? Something disappear?
What?
ZENO '
They busted us out on this—
SULLIVAN
—What kind of beerryou get for Saturday?-
ZENO
—good be^r--I don't wanna talk about
SULLIVAN
—They fucked us. They didn't bust us—
ZENO
—you bringing the family—
SULLIVAN
—Naw, me and you just—They didn't bust the issue on us.
They just brought in the fuckin' automatic stripper machine
and said to 10 men: here, ya fucks, get the fuck outa here.
 ZENO
Before is now?
SULLIVAN
It was then.
ZENO
Then was "then". I'm talking "now".
SULLIVAN
Then there used to be men. Working the tunnel,
Work their asses off.
^^ ZENO
Most of 'em, CHR, Sully, most of "em goofy fucks, huh?
SULLIVAN
Now they're gonna fuck us on the move over. Fuck us
on the manning on the presses.
ZENO
Goofy fucks, all ^01 them tunnel guys
SULLIVAN
They stripped the paper.
ZENO
'Course they did.
SULLIVAN
Fuck this, what is this you're saying: Who are you calling
'em goofy fucks. They saved your ass. They kept you on
a press. You wanna do their shi thole work?
J
then it was: here's the deal, boys, eat it o± die.
Don't eat it, get the fuck, outa here and die, Wid that's
all we fought for 'em. A fuckin1 item, it is, but never
say it was an issue 'cos an issue is a fight —
ZENO
We fought. I fought. We got an extra man on the baler.
SULLIVAN J
We took a fucking crumb off the table. 140 starts -feo 10 starts,
Men worked here, Z. Now what, fuckin' buttons. Automatic
loaders, more buttons, lights with levers, automatic this
and that here now, and then they go and make a bigger
fuckin1 Disneyland down the street, fuck us, huh? Shit.
:6BEAT) That fucking guy Feinberg. Remember. Always
loading. Hated this fuckin' stripping. He made me laugh.
Now, what the fuck? Men, goddammit, men •HH0 work-here .
/
ZENO
What are you getting at? Fuckin1 Feinberg, what is that?
What? Fuckin1 guy was what, here for ten months —
SULLIVAN
— What ' s the story on him now —
ZENO
— 10 months, goddammit, the fuck you talking about "story",
he was lucky to have the starts he got, and I was the one
who talked him up, got him a couple of starts myself.
Walking into the fuckin1 office, talking him up to Stanley,
and I knew he was a Jew, too, so what are you saying?
'I liked the fuckin1 guy.
SULLIVAN
— his story —
 ZENO
it's not there over there anymore—
SULLIVAN
Goddam right it's not. (BEAT) Feinberg
was a Swede, fuck i.you he was a Jew
ZENO
•—He's a Jew—
SULLIVAN
"Shows you what you fuckin1 know-
ZENO
— I know he was— •.
SULLIVAN
—So good, they did that, they got all those guys
outa here. And now, everything is copacetic, huh?
ZENO
Fuckin' business people upstairs.
SULLIVAN
Goddam union says shit to "em. We should have fought,
We should of had some discussion at least. (BEAT)
They know their side. We don't know ours.
ZENO
Is that the fuckin' point, huh? It ain't the Jew, it
ain't about feeling nothing for these guys. You want
an' issue .At,
I SULLIVAN
The issue is "manning". Men'V doing z.
4
. t
*?
"Ai
'C***^
•-?*7'" isf^V1-
^*» •£****
 ZENO
Was it my choice?
SULLIVAN
Is it in? (PAUSE) Now, wait a second, don't
start
ZENO
-—Start with?, it's always been true—
SULLIVAN
start with that bullshit—
ZENO
---Now, fuckit, you wait a fuckin' second—
SULLIVAN
silly bullshit about fuckin1 economics, now, wait
just a fuckin
ZENO
—-it's true—
SULLIVAN
—Wait! No. No. You do this, every fuckin' time
(GIGGLES) Z. It comes down to the issue, y.ou bring
up this stuff about the Japs and the Germans
ZENO
Wait. No. You're wrong, not every fuckin1 time
do I
SULLIVAN
—somebody has to make the machines. The whole economy,
supply and demand, you are right the fuck outa some
grade school book, Z, but right—right, now,'-now wait
a fuckin' second, don't wave your hand in my—
 ZENO
Yeah, go fuck yourself
SULLIVAN
Union sells out 10 men's livlihood, and I can fuck
myself then. That sounds about right, yeah.
ZENO
—As if you fuckin' goofy bastards had any logic
to your goddam points
SULLIVAN
—We should have fought. We should fight now, goddammit.
That's the point.
ZENO
—But you, you don't siddown with these bastards from
Upstairs, with their ties, their suits, their fuckin'
charts, and they bleed you to death with their logic—
SULLIVAN
•—Do I see 10 guys—
ZENO
—their "elegant simplicity" for arguing a point, then
I gotta listen to you, too. To this shit of yours?
Fight. Fighting now, what the fuck, fight what?
Fight?
SULLIVAN
—you see 10 guys, what the fuck, z, and, now, stop,
wait, don't say I don't know, I do
'head make your fuckin' point, (that finger, z| make it,
don't listen to me with the Reality of the fuckin' situation^
— 2 years ago, and now they're coming down busting out
more jobs from us, 'cos the Japs and the Germans with
their fuckin' ways of doing things —
ZENO ( M evftKeft r -fr ScW At y ?)
SULLIVAN
— fucking on us, fucking us> we take it up the ass from
the guys Upstairs "cos they can say the Japs and the Germans,
when they know they didn't do their fuckin' job which means:
the Japs and the Germans will do the job for us —
ZENO
— I got The Answer if you would let me (that finger) ,
I am trying to tell you (that finger) well then, fuck me,
you pointing your finger, 'watch how you point, the fuck,
awright, you want to die? You want to die--
SULLIVAN
It's war, and they go ahead and throw us .into the fire
'cos they haven't done their jobs, and dry piss and wet shit,
of course, the Japs and the Germans will—
ZENO
—you do not know a Swede from a Jew, fuck you, Japs and
Germans—
SULLIVAN
I do.
ZENO ;**"
Go to your press.
SULLIVAN .vt.
"Cos-they will win the war, the Japs, T:he Germans, we».'re dying,
huh', on our fuckin' feet (point your finger at-me), we're
dvin'—
--'cos you're yhe Master of the fuckin' Economy,
! cos you know all, 'cos you are you, and that cuts
my shit off. l' can't breathe, right,
you're so fuckin1 you. I'm blue in my face, you take
my breath away you're so breathtaking, fuckin' right.
Fuckin' guy you.
(LEONAS walks on) **i • "''• N '" • <
SULLIVAN
(SEEING LEONAS)
I know. -My press.
LEONAS
Good. Do I heed to be here then?
SULLIVAN
I said: my press.
ZENO ^
—I don't live my own word to you. Fuck your nonsense,
LEONAS
ZENO
Fuck my press.
LEONAS
Pressman's waiting on you. Ready to run,
in , right in front of us, and you said fuckin1 nothing
about—
ZENO
—situations and things you know not one thing.
You know not a fuckin' thing about anything (don't
wave your hand anymore in my), you need, go get a-
(get that hand outa my fuckin face), go get laid.
(TO LEONAS) I gotta lay this guy, get outa herfi, -
(SULLIVAN laughs)
ZENO
(SMILING) —Go ahead, Sully, make the point, I'll
lay you. Right here, you want it?
SULLIVAN
•I get laid, you don't have—
ZENO
-Not enough then—
SULLIVAN
(TO LEONAS) Fuckin1 union.
ZENO
—right, right— ,
SULLIVAN
—Don't fight for then, but now, with the "move over to
Fullerton",—
ZENO
—Fuckin1 hand outa my face, I'll slap that hand—
 Relax out there, eh, Sully? Your fuckin1 back, remember?
I got no one to relieve you tonight.
(TO ZENO) Son of a bitch is gonna fuck up his back.
As I say it, he will.
ZENO
Fuck his back. He needs to get laid, period.
None of us get laid enough in this Life. I don't know,
I can't what, for 'em, this fuckin' union, we get busted
down all the time. What are we saying, to our own kind:
fuck you, I got mine. Give us job security, we take
the cuts in numbers. Numbers, my ass. We give up somebody
in blood, so they don't take ours. Live with that, huh?
Yeah, right, what the. Get the fuck outa my face.
LEONAS
You want" me I should handle your press awhile?
ZENO
Bump union rules again? Let my pressman put in his
own goddam rolls. 'Serve the prick right.
LEONAS
So ^e gets his union steward, have mv_ head on a stick?
Either way, huh, Z, it's gotta be my. ass?
ZENO
There used to be 10 men on the tunnel operation.
What the fuck now? No nothing to tell you, huh, what
was there. You come outa the same union, Jimmy.
You were one of ours.
LEONAS
I know I come outa the same—
ZENO
—but you cross the fuckin' line to their side, so fuck
yourself, Jimmy. (BEAT) Swede, my ass.
L
don't try me on none of this "friendship" shit.
Friendship? Think. 10 men , poor fuckint guys.
Gone. Disappeared. Fuckin' world.
.{EUGENE and WARREN enter, a bit of liquor to their step
and breath, their faces still flush from the night chill)
EUGENE
{CARRYING a beer in a paper bag)
Jimmy, so tell.me, I'm fuckin' up, right?
Say nothing, I'm on breaktime, you don't see me.
LEONAS
Would you have it any other way, Gene? You and Tonto there,
you keep making bales for me.
EUGENE
Any coffee, Z?
ZENO
No. I've had. Thanks.
EUGENE
I kmow that. You got any?
WARREN
What's the word, Z? You got anything about the move
over to Fullearton?
(NO RESPONSE from ZENO)
What from your side, Jimmy?
LEONAS
Nothing, Warren.
 EUGENE
It's on us. Some kind of word's gotta happen
soon, fella*
, WARREN .
Me and Gene, we figure: it's gonna be a royal fuck, right?
We're gonna get it, huh?
LEONAS
They haven/t even uncrated over there and you're
jumping for the window? Easy,,easy. .
ZENO
(POINTS his finger in LEONAS's face) You come outa
the same fuckin' union, Jimmy. That's what I got to say,
Your first fuckin' blood was with us, the fuck, huh,
that's all I should"have to say. No? No? Awright,
Jimmy.
EUGENE
It's gonna be on senority?
ZENO
(STALKING off to his press, pushes off his 1/2 rolls
down the rail system)
It's still on the table.
WARREN
(TO LEONAS) Maybe it ain't on senority, huh? Maybe
you need it Young?
LEONAS
Come on, come on, Warren, huh? I don't, I can't say
nothing—
 EUGENE
Fuck yd u it is. - Just the way you' re .standing there, •
I can tell, Jimmy. (TO WARREN) Right up the ass with
the fist.
LEONAS
It'll be fair.
WARREN
Uh-oh. Did I hear the magic word?
EUGENE
Uh-oh, did 'it buzz?
< WARREN
'Think I hear something go off, yeah.
EUGENE
Fucking "buzzword": fair. (LAUGHS) Fair?
WARREN
Good, Jimmy, good. Fuck me next time I ever buy you a .beer.
LEONAS
No one knows , awright?
EUGENE
You wanna make book on that? What, (LAUGHS) we can't
see what's what? Gimme "fair"?' Get me and Warren on the
move list over to Fullerton, and. we'll settle on it being "fair"
(LEONAS stalks off)
Just the way you walk, Jimmy, I know. You're gonna shit on'us.
 WARREN
The fuck they do. Theirs comes out sealed in Baggies,
EUGENE
—We ever buy -that guy a beer?-
WARREN
Think so.
EUGENE
Why? We must've been lost.
WARREN
All's that left for them is to give us the official
memo. Post it up. .Smile and wink at us—
EUGENE
—that Big Wink—
WARREN
"It'was nice, boys". (BEAT) They need young, fresh
blood over at Fullerton. Fuck the old guys.
EUGENE
Why don't they get the fuck outa our way, give us
a chance? Just fuckin1 retire, take the bennies,
and give us a shot.
WARREN
Take the money from your father-in-law. (PAUSE)
Lookit us, begging for information, when we know,
it's fucking -Death. Cocksuckers. They should print
our living asses up in the obits, huh? (BEAT)
Who the fuck would care? (BEAT) Go, Eugene, get
the fuck, gone to wherever. Take the- goddam money.
^
EUGENE
Arizona.
 I WARREN
It's warm. There.
EUGENE
I know.
• WARREN
So fuckit, it's your father-in-law's money.
EUGENE
(PAUSE) Yeah.
WARREN
What, you wanna freeze here? Fuck this city. The Sun Belt
is where. . •
EUGENE
Do I .need his money? What's that say about me?
WARREN •
It ain't that you're sleeping with him.
Do What? Please. Stop. I've been .too "fuckin1 charmed.
. . . . WARREN
Yeah. '" ... .-"'"'
. • EUGENE
Yes. ' ' '
• WARREN
Presses are .gonna go-'off?
EUGENE
I'm gonna get something up for Her? (LOOKS). Something
on- me? Fuck his money. I'm- supposed to start new "someplace
with her-daddy's old .shit?
;< -
"Think good, Gene, it'll work, Gene", then comes:
(sotto' voce)- "You didn't think good enough. Gene".
(mimicing father-in-law*s voice) "You didn't thimk good enough, Gene"
People talking in fuckin' Tongues to me.- (BEAT1).')And you want
what, honey? 'Get' it Up for you now? (BEAT) That's some cold
shit. •" Wherever.. " '
WARREN '
Let's work." '.Two bales, I buy- you—
EUGENE
—You ever on a corner- with your lady?
WARREN
My what—
Yeah. I get that way-—
EUGENE
--Why am I standing here with this particular woman?
What is the rhyme and reason to it? I don't know,
I don't, (BEAT), huh—
WARREN
Who knows, some number we fuckin1 do to ourselves.
EUGENE
I watch guys with their women, I do- the scan on the'
street, I see 'em now, I.see.the same fuckin1 Look
in their eye.s. Their jaws get tight, they take that
little step away.
(EUGENE demonstrates)
Huh?
WARREN
Yeah yeah, I know.
EUGENE
(DEMONSTRATES again) You do this.
WARREN
Yeah yeah yeah, I know.
EUGENE
The cutaway move, fella. Dead -giveawy. That step away
from her, 'cos the idea of it All is on you, boof, you're
moving back, this fuckin1 reflex in you, and, huh, yeah,
what is it? Why the fuck are you you, and this woman,
who the fuck is she and why? (PAUSE) That shit is
dirt, and dirt.. .^a/absurd.
 WARREN • .
It's not here, either. (BEAT) Fuck. - So goddam trapped
EUGENE •
We see that. (BEAT) It's silly, though; my ol' lady's
shit. Too many of those reflex moves, and I'm finished
as any kind of man, period.
(SULLIVAN re-enters, balancing a cardboard. flat with
two., coffees on it)
SULLIVAN
Coffee.
EUGENE
Where'-s mine?
(WARREN takes a coffee)
SULLIVAN
You give me 45£?
(SULLIVAN points' out)
It's out there, someplace,- . fella.
•• ' WARREN
This got sugar? .
• ' • " " ...... jfiMr • • - - -
'• . (WARREN^'sips, grimaces, -spits) - . ;
:\. This is yours, Sully. • .' . .. •- .• .
» • ; y
.
'
,
.
;. .- : .
, ' ' SULLIVAN
•
I could have told you that. Why do you do.that?
 EUGENE
No coffee. How many times have I picked up yours, Sully?
SULLIVAN
Next time.
EUGENE
Is that right? When is that, when I'm gone from here?
(LEONAS stalks back onto the bay)
SULLIVAN
My press is set so don't.
LEONAS
Carter. Press 2. You're off the baler.
EUGENE
I am?
LEONAS
You are. Let's go. It needs a set-up of half rolls,
EUGENE
I am, huh? 5 more bales, I'm the fuck outa here.
Not me.
LEONAS
Take Press 2, you'll get relief. I'll get you outa
here early. It's a Press, sweet job, no garbage, huh?
WARREN
So who the fuck man's the baler with me.
 EUGENE
We got 15 minutes until you see us. This is breaktime,
I ain't here.
LEONAS
Sullivan.
SULLIVAN
Press 5, thank you.
LEONAS
2 is the easy run.
SULLIVAN
Stand out of the light, would you? You're cooling
my coffee.
(VANHERIK enters, wearing a pressman's hat (which is
made from a sheet of newspaper), carrying fresh copies
of the new edition)
VANHERIK
Where's Z? I got his paper.for him.
EUGENE
What gives you shit to wear that hat? You ain't no
Pressman, you're a grunt fuckin1 paperhandler same as us
VANHERIK
I give myself the shit to wear this hat, awright?
Fuck "awright", who are you to -say what?
SULLIVAN
(MOTIONS to Vanherik for a fresh newspaper)
Right here, Jackie.
Since when do you read? (GRINS, SLAPS a copy to
SULLIVAN) Gimme some coffee.
(TO LEONAS, offers a paper) You want one or does yours
come down wrapped•in mink?
WARREN
(TO VANHERIK) You want a press tonight?
VANHERIK
What press? A press? The fuck for?
WARREN
2 is open.
VANHERIK
(TO LEONAS) You want me on 2? Who's fuckin1 up?
What's wrong, Leonas, can't you control the boys?
(LAUGHS) You don't want me on 2. You don't want
me on shit.
LEONAS
You're right.
VANHERIK
Of course, I'm right. So let yourself get fucked.
Who is it? Masten? (PAUSE) Masten, of course.
SULLIVAN
(READING his paper) They did shoot the fuckin1 guy.
EUGENE
Take the press, Jackie:
VANHERIK
When I get some fuckin1 gratitude around here. Masten.
Shit. He's no- one for me to "hero". I'm fine with
the warehouse.
 VANHERIK
Breaktime, what, you bumping union rules? Where's Z?
Get Zeno, and get him here to make the call.
EUGENE
Take the press, Jackie. I don't want to fuck with it,
VANHERIK
I ain't been asked.
LEONAS
You ain't. Sullivan, you switch. Hasten'11 take over
your press.
SULLIVAN
After I loaded it up? Fuck that. I'll take those fuckin1
rolls out before I switch to goddam 2 Press.
LEOANS
I'll load 2 for you. You run.
SULLIVAN
You don't touch paper, fella. Not even to lean on.
They just executed this one fuckin1 guy, I don't need
that idea if you touch paper.
(LEONAS begins to walk off)
Don't touch it, Jimmy. Touch it, you lose the right to
your ass.
VANHERIK
Jimmy. Ask.
LEONAS
What.
 VANHERIK
Who said: favor? I said: just ask.
LEONAS
I don't see you. You're on break, right?
(THE REELROOM is suddenly deafened with the roar of
three lines of GOSS presses going off on a pre-run)
(LEONAS runs off)
(THE PAPERHANDLERS acknowledge the noise by casually
cupping their hands to their ears or stuffing some used
cotton balls from their pockets into their ears.
It is a casual movement)
(THEY LEAN into SULLIVAN'S paper and read)
(THE PRESSES shut down after. .15-20 seconds,, then the
sound of the chain-link system overhead from the
composing room, melodic)
(THE PAPERHANDLERS will talk a bit louder, a physical reaction
to the assault of the deafening noise, but it passes after
three or four exchanges. Again, a casual movement)
VANHERIK
Fuckin' guy couldn't even look me in the eye. All's he
had to do -was ask.
EUGENE
(READING SULLIVAN'S paper)
Is that the guy? Some picture.
WARREN
They gotta give you a picture. Otherwise you might not
get it.
EUGENE
They shot the shit outa him. Where is that, Utah?
L
to those people.
SULLIVAN
And then this. (POINTING to his paper) Raising the
fuckin' social security again. Every fuckin1 time
I think about retiring, the sons of bitches make it
impossible.
WARREN
They give a shit about this guy, but they write about
his last spasms. Fuckin1 assholes are wild, ain't they?
Don't give a fuck about the .guy, they give a fuck how
he dies.
EUGENE
(LAUGHS) At least he got out.
(LEONAS stalks back onto the storage bay, rolling
a 1/2 roll down the rail system)
LEONAS
(TO VANHERIK) You want it?
SULLIVAN
Get your hand off that roll of paper.
LEONAS
This roll on the line already? Huh? Read your fuckin1
union rules. You might get to know what the fuck you're
talking about.
.(SULLIVAN chuckles)
LEONAS
Jackie, you want it?
VANHERIK
Would that be Press 2?
 LEONAS
We'll get to that, VanHerik. For now Press 2.
VANHERIK
For now?
LEONAS
Yes, now, I'm asking, awright?
VANHERIK
And tomorrow, too.
LEONAS
I knew you were gonna start this shit. Fuck you "tomorrow".
VANHERIK
Tomorrow.
LEONAS
You call the union Hall tomorrow. They give you.
VANHERIK
Fuck the Hall. You give me.
LEONAS
I don't bump the work rules.
VANHERIK
Then I don't "hero" out asshole Hasten,
LEONAS
You call Stanley. I can't bump you in.
My ass in the warehouse, collect my buck- two- eighty,
this seventy dollars blood money, the fuck do I need
to wear and tear my ass down a fuckin' Press 2.
SULLIVAN
\HOLDING up paper to VANHERIK)
Jackie, lookit this. This look like an execution?
VANHERIK
'The fuck do I know?
EUGENE
Looks more like they took a bag of nickels and beat
nis head in with it. I never seen anyone shot this bad
VANHERIK
You think the fuckin1 guy could just ask me. I wouldn't
count it as a favor.
WARREN
Where'd you get "bag of nickels" from?
EUGENE
You ever been hit with one? Fuck. It'll mess you permanent,
(VANHERIK takes WARREN1s coffee)
(WARREN sticks^ the pack of cigarettes into his shirt pocket)
WARREN
(SMOKING leisurely) What?
VANHERIK
Gimme a cigarette, huh? Just a couple hits
WARREN
I don't smoke.
(STUBS out his cigarette)
VANHERIK
Keep your-coffee then. Take a fuckin1 joke, no.
WARREN
Itrs yours now, fella.
VANHERIK
(GRINS, sips coffee) Sully, you moving over to the Fullerton
plant when?
SULLIVAN
What?
VANHERIK
You ain't moving to Fullerton? (LAUGHS)
SULLIVAN
Why wouldn't I?
VANHERIK
I didn't ask that, you dumb—
SULLIVAN
You hear something? What?
(TO EUGENE) What.
SULLIVAN
I got 25 years—•
VANHERIK
(TO SULLIVAN) —What.
SULLIVAN
—I got 25 years
VANHERIK
—What I think
SULLIVAN
—you don't
VANHERIK
—I'm not saying you don't
SULLIVAN
Wait a minute, gimme a fuckin1 chance to
VANHERIK
I just asked—
SULLIVAN
I hear the shit in what you say, now, wait a second,
Wait, I know fuckin' what, fuck yourself, Jackie, I know
the shit in your voice, I know the shit is still on the table
with the fuckin' union,'and anything can go-—
 VANHERIK
•it might, it does, I'm not
SULLIVAN
—But
VANHERIK
•I never said anything
SULLIVAN
—What I'm saying
VANHERIK
-Which has got nothing to do with
SULLIVAN
—Wait
VANHERIK
—You wait
SULLIVAN
—Fuck you I. wait
VANHERIK
—Fucking right you wait. You don't hear me out? Fuck you,
you wait.
SULLIVAN
(TO EUGENE and WARREN) This fuckin1 guy, huh, I don't
hear him out?
WARREN
He's fucking with you.
SULLIVAN
He always has to fuck with you.
 VANHERIK
That maybe you'll have to shift: over to the dayside.
"Course you'll make the fuckin1 move over to Fullerton,
SULLIVAN
What? What are you saying? You know something?
VANHERIK
Hey, fuck you I can't talk to you. It was just a
fuckin1 thought, Sullivan. Asshole.
Just talk, fuckit.
EUGENE
You can't talk shit to anyone, Jackie. You're liked,
awright. Point is: you ain't WELL-liked. (LAUGHS)
(SULLIVAN stalks off)
SULLIVAN
Dayside shift. Bullshit. 25 fuckin' years on nights,
on the first string, the first team. They do that to me?
VANHERIK
I was just saying.
(HARRY comes rolling up to the bay, riding one of the
steel trucks along the rail system)
HARRY
(GLIDING on) Sully.
A- -. K
SULLIVAN )
(EXITING) Harry Harry. A- i/
HARRY
(STUPID GRIN) What's doing/- boys?
 EUGENE ;.- - -V/Yp/Jpw
Locomotion Harry. ~ I* \
HARRY
What's doing, guys?
EUGENE
Mom make your lunch? You got those raviolis tonight?
HARRY
Ye f ah. I might have. ••' " ""•"
*<?> . . . . . . . .
/" ' *»*•- •<*-•*
VANHERIK
"Yeah. I might have". What kind of voice is that, fuckin1
dink.
EUGENE
Now fuck you, Jackie, the man has homemade raviolis,
VANHERIK
"Mom makes your lunch"? Shit.
EUGENE
You got extra, Harry?
- HARRY
j u V? Gene?
(EUGENE smiles, dances his eyebrows)
Yeah, take some.
 EUGENE
(DIGS out a tupperware case)
MMMMMMmminm . I can smell 'em through the plastic.
WARREN
How's your girls, Harry?
(HARRY grins, strips a "head" off a 1/2 roll casing) <~fi ft
You burning all your money on 'em? ""* -*
HARRY
I,:..dunno. (GRINS) ,
WARREN
I saw your special girl tonight.
HARRY
^h girl? (SMILES) I don '.t have any girl.
EUGENE
(LOOKING inside the brown bag) No fork, Harry?
HARRY
Huh? What? (TO EUGENE) No fork.
EUGENE
How do you eat this?
VANHERIK
No fork, good, Harry. Good job.
(HARRY takes off the other "head")
Why are you stripping paper? You're on waste.
 HARRY
What girl?
EUGENE
That's all I hear. A girl.
HARRY
I don't have any girl.
WARREN
That's not what I hear.
HARRY
Warren.
EUGENE
(EATING). That's not what I hear, Harry.
HARRY
I dunno about a girl. What .you hear? (GRINS)
C'mon, what do you hear? Is it good? Warren, what.
What is it? -
WARREN
You're burning your money on her.
HARRY
(GRINS) Maybe.
.VANHERIK
"Maybe". If that ain't fuckin1 all wrong. You're false, Harry.
(BEAT) The broad would have to be nuts, be with you.
 VANHERIK
Burning his money on his Mom. More like that, huh, fella,
Harry, you ever been laid? Huh?
-,_ HARRY
(GRINS) I might of." -I ain't saying.
'•/-.^ . VANHERIK
Fuckin' Twink. "I ain't saying"-.-_.Ahd you fuckin1 guys
with this shit about his broad. What, Harry, with who?
">-.-• __-__ HARRY
I dan1 f-g;©tta say;- __
VANHERIK
NO?
HARRY
& No".
VANHERIK
How do you do It?
HARRY
What/ i!%?
J
VANHERIK,
Not "what, it". It, ya Twink. ^Putting the blocks on
the broad. (PAUSE) Where you going, where you taking
that paper?
WARREN
(TO EUGENE) "Putting the blocks", what? What the fuck
this guy do, Eugene, dump cement on his broad?
 VANHERIK
The both of youse, huh? On my fuckin1 backside, this
is between Harry and me.
(HARRY is rolling a 1/2 roll down to the track to load
on the waiting truck he rode in on)
'The fuck you doing with that half-roll?
HARRY
What? I don't gotta say.
VANHERIK
You're on the Waste, asshole, or are you really lost tonight?
EUGENE
The man looks to me that he's got a destination.
That ain't "lost", is it, Harry?
HARRY
(GRINS STUPIDLY) No, it ain't.
VANHERIK
You (PAUSE), hey. Hey! 'The fuck you think you're going?
You on Press 2? What? You're on 2? Put that, wait a
fuckin' second, Harry, goddam you, this you're doing here,
(BEAT) Leonas!
HARRY
VanHerik,,f you're on break. I'm wpr'king;. You can !--te- say
nothing to me. I don't see you, you don't see me, l:i-g'h€?
VANHERIK
Fuck the work rules. Well then, Tuckit, I'm off break.
I pi*£?\myself off my fuckin' break early. -Voluntary.
(BEATn Put the fuckin' paper back, Harry.
3?
 HARRY
(GRINS) Guys?
VANHERIK
Momma's boy, your fuckin' raviolis, load that back on here,
HARRY
cTa-c'k.
VANHERIK
You put that on the truck? What did I tell you? Take it off
HARRY
Jaak? Huh?
VANHERIK
I've declared myself off break voluntary. You see-me.
love, don't move,
(VANHERIK shoves the roll back onto the bay)
I told you. 'The fuck do I gotta say else, huh? I said:
I'm off break. You fuckin1 come in on the Waste start,
I've come in Warehouse, I got fifteen minutes early on you,
'The fuck you think you're doing taking a fuckin' press?
I got the call before you.
HARRY
JaC'fr. 1 jyeed the paper.
VANHERIK /^ ,
You need the paper? Fuck you do. What, don't, you, ^^ ])lA^^~
goddammit, Harry, you put your hand on this roll, V
I'm gonna tear it the f.uck off. /
. . HARRY
Jack,
VANHERIK
Fuck this, Shit.
 EUGENE
File the fuckin1 violation.
VANHERIK
You're on"break. I get no advice from someone who ain't
there.
EUGENE
Give ' im the fuckin1 paper, Jack.
VANHERIK
Go on, put; your hand' on that fuckin1 roll
Go on, Twerpshit, I'll tear your arms off
HARRY
Guys .
EUGENE
Let ' im go, Jack.
VANHERIK
Declare off break, asshole, then talk to me,
EUGENE
(TO WARREN) Awright?
WARREN
So fuck me on my break. (SMILES, nods) Talk to the asshole
EUGENE
Declare: offbreak. (TO WARREN) Make it up to you.
 VANHERIK
That's your call?
EUGENE
Did I say so? 'The fuck, I can^get any clearer, goddam,
Give the man his fuckin' roll of paper, Jack.
VANHERIK
The press goes to me.
EUGENE
It was never offered.
VANHERIK
I was present when the offer- was made.
EUGENE
Not to you. I didn't see it. I was on break.
VANHERIK
It was offered,, it was open, it goes by procedure,
(EUGENE loads the roll of newsprint onto the truck.
HARRY catches it)
You don'"t hear me out? You butcher this? I tell you, /\'
this smells, this is lumpy, goddammit, this won't pass. ""
EUGENE
Good raviolis, Harry. Go on.
- .- - - HARRY ...
Jack, he ai'n' t' gonna ma'ke trouble for me?
 EUGENE
What the fuck, I said: go on.
(HARRY pushes the roll down the track, eyeing VANHERIK)
VANHERIK
I'm gonna bust your balls on this one, fella. Go 'head,
mootch the press. 'Fucking suck. Suck your way through
Leonas, the mother sits in his glass fuckin1 office house,
and he does this shit to me? 'Bust your balls, Harry,
This will not pass. This gets on the Hall table, with
your balls.
(HARRY grains before leaving sight) JtffW v'K" I
You, w h a t , y o u i . f u c k i n ' smile at me? lny >[ A*/4At
(VANHERIK picks up the "strip and dump" paddle, a huge
oarlike tool with a weighted steel edge to its wide end)
EUGENE
Woah, eh? The tools, fella, they stay in the work area.
VANHERIK
This shit is, huh, this shit is shit. This is on Stanley's
table, first thing this morning.
EUGENE
File on it.
VANHERIK
(TAPS his temple) I've walked the 5 blocks, I have waited
the 3 hours for that cocksuckin' Stanley to open the union
books, it's there, the shit is dealt with.
EUGENE
I see that, yeah.
 EUGENE
Let's make 'em. Bales time, Jackie. Gotta get on it.
VANHERIK
The offer was owed me. Who the fuck would want it, huh?
Do I need the Press? Do I, now, Shit.
EUGENE
File, Jackie, will you?
VANHERIK
You put shit in my blood. You fuck me on this.
(VANHERIK smashes the candy machine with the "strip and dump"
paddle)
You murder me?
(VANHERIK bashes the candy machine again)
You step on my dick this way? You have no fuckin' respect
for me, you declare and make this call? And you-don't
excuse yourself. Step on my dick then!
(VANHERIK smashes the rolls of newsprint, smashes the.
candy machine over, bashes the COKE machine)
(EUGENE and WARREN spread away from VANHERIK)
VANHERIK
Is this so? You can shit on Jackie? Yes. We do.
We are nothing then.
(VANHERIK raises up with his arms wide, holding the
end of the paddle in one hand)
This is what we want?
 EUGENE
No.
VANHERIK
(TOTAL engulfment of frenzy, VANHERIK bashes open the
door of the COKE machine, spilling its contents,
smashes the cans open, bursts of soda spraying into
the air, wetting VANHERIK)
What I What! This? Declare this! Let this shit be
shit, I am nothing? Fuck the mercy, there's no heart,
there is no answer, we kill each other
WARREN
Steady, Jackie.
VANHERIK
"Steady"? You piss in my mother's milk, is this so?
You piss in her milk? Do this to her son?
EUGENE
(OPENS his arms wide to VANHERIK)
What, Jackie? . What, me?
VANHERIK
Yes, you. Yes!
EUGENE
I'm open.
WARREN
Eugene.
EUGENE
Fuck this guy, "his" fuckin' Press,
 WARREN
Put the piece of shit down, VanHerik.
VANHERIK
(SMASHES the concrete floor)
I'm enough if you're enough.
EUGENE
You're gonna do this, motherfucker, it'd best be "enough"
VANHERIK
Motherfucker, me, huh?
WARREN
Put the fuckin1 thing down.
VANHERIK
Let's line it up then. Time's right, huh? 'Fuckin' Time
is here.
EUGENE
You ain't gonna get me, Jackie. You're no fuckin' bad
stuff. You ain't the plural of Fear, motherfucker.
I'll shoot you down, babe, so you come on. Come with it.
You a killer? Fella, you ain't shit, fuckin1 infant motherfucker.
VANHERIK
Infant? (GIGGLES) I'm here.
EUGENE
(SMILES thinly) I see .that. (BEAT) He goes for me,
you get me my piece.
WARREN
(SOFTLY) You got it.
the fuckin1 windows. I'll shoot your fuckin' wheels.
I'll shoot the goddam radio in that fuckin1 car.
I'll kill your fuckin' parking space, you motherfucker
you. I'll shoot your house. I'll shoot your goddam
basement. I'll shoot your washer, I'll blow the fuck
outa your dryer. I'll kill your fuckin' mailbox,
your fuckin' closets, the clothes in your fuckin1 closets,
your chairs, your lightbulbs, your fuckin' ashtray.
Let me and you rectify this for you. Fuck this should
happen, but we're here. I ain't no broad date you dance
around this fuckin1 floor, huh?
I'll shoot the refrigerator, I'll kill your ketchup,
you silly shit, your pickles, your motherfuckin' mustard.
I'll shoot the hell outa your forks and knives. I'll
kill your bathroom. I'll shoot the fuck outa your goddam
bathtub. You won't have a solid piece of shit left.
^9^mi-l-M-mettre-r---a-U"fe©ma-t-i-G-^iS.eGonds™-a-wa-y-, let's break bread.
VANHERIK
(DROPS the paddle) This is on the table with Harry's balls,
(VANHERIK stalks off, eyeing EUGENE, gesturing at him with
his middle finger)
EUGENE
Right. Sometime, Jackie. I like you, too,
(SILENCE. EUGENE leans against a roll of newsprint)
Whooofff, huh?
WARREN
Yeah.
 EUGENE
What is it, what is this?
WARREN
Yeah.
EUGENE
You smell anything?
WARREN
What—'
EUGENE
I felt something move. I shit my pants?
(LAUGHS nervously 'out of relief)
The guy would have killed. 'The fuck am I in the way of
that. What is it/ Gene?
WARREN
Let's gear it up. Time to make bales.
EUGENE
Going up to meet his absurd. Whoof. 'The fuck, I got
my shit wired wrong. Please don't lemme do that again,
WARREN
(EYEING the destroyed COKE and candy machine)
You wanna pop? Some gum?
EUGENE
Fuckit.
 ZENO
You stay put one fuckin1 place, Jimmy. You're gonna
get this square with me.
(JIMMY puts himself a row of newsprint rolls away from ZENO)
What the—
(ZENO scans the area of destruction)
Hey. Youse. Right there. (BEAT) Jimmy, you move,
I'll hurt you.
(EUGENE and WARREN continue walking)
. ' Youse!
\N
What? You hear anything?
ZENO
What "what"? This! What is this?
EUGENE
What?
ZENO
Hey, youse two, this shit is a permanent barring from
working here.
EUGENE
(TO WARREN) You hear anything?
ZENO
Don't give me that business. Declare.
Now.
(WARREN and EUGENE slow to a stop)
'The hell is this?
EUGENE
This? We come upon it, too, Z. It was there.
ZENO
Who did this? I can't protect you on this, fellas
EUGENE
Not US, Z.
ZENO
Not you.
WARREN
On my fuckin' Word, Z, this shit is not me.
ZENO
Then who? You give me an answer as a man.
EUGENE
Z? It's there. Puckit.
ZENO
You have the opportunity now. This is wrong, and—
WARREN
I got a pop outa the deal, awright. That's what, huh?
ZENO
You fuckin1 guys-
 EUGENE
-lemme, can we negotiate this-
ZENO
-we make this right, right the fuck now, and this
is not negotiable, we cannot protect-
EUGENE
Then fuckit. I declare myself back on work.
(VANHERIK walks down the track onto the bay)
ZENO
You fuckin1 kids-
WARREN
There. (SETS the orange pop on the bay floor)
That's all of me in this. My Word, this is true.
ZENO
(PAUSING) This is a Circle Jerk you pull on me?
I'm a Circle Jerk?
EUGENE
Declare. We're five seconds into Worktime, (PAUSE) now,
as I say it.
(EUGENE and WARREN walk off)
(PASSING VANHERIK) This has nothing to do with
(EUGENE and WARREN exit)
(SCOOPS up his newspapers)
Gotta read something, Z.- Lonely by myself at the warehouse
(VANHERIK exits)
ZENO
(LOOKS up at JIMMY the FLYBOY)
And you. (BEAT) Do I need yours, too? Don't I know I don't
know, what, some guys get all the fuckin' pain?
i
(PAINED expression) I catch you over at Radio Grill, Jimmy,
(PAUSE) look at me. (PAUSE) Look up, goddammit, I'm saying /
to you-
JIMMY
-Awright. Okay.
ZENO
I ever catch you there, that cheapshot, two-bit bar, again,
"awright, okay", huh, your "awright, okay" is you hurt.
What the fuck are you thinking? ''
JIMMY
I forget.
ZENO
I'm gonna step on your neck in a second
JIMMY
-Say what you gotta say.
ZENO
Jimmy?
Lemrae go. Upstairs, Z. I ain't in your union,
ZENO
You disappoint me.
JIMMY
You can't keep me here, Z.
ZENO
I can't? (STEPS towards JIMMY threateningly)
You are thinking what over there at the Grill?
What, I don't know, is this true, this is the
20th fuckin' century I'm in with you? "What are we here?
JIMMY
Z.
ZENO
"What makes you think, what, tell me.
JIMMY •
Right-
ZENO
-You do not go down on a woman in public! Never!
This is Rude!
JIMMY
You can't keep me here.
ZENO
Did you or not?
(JIMMY grins stupidly)
You did? (J3IGHS) I cannot believe this outa you.
There are fuckin', what, levels about decency.
I do not accept this outa you, Jimmy. Do you know
what you did? Tell me that. This escapes me, it does
 JIMMY
I don't know, Z.
ZENO
You do not!
JIMMY
She asked me, I didn't ask--
ZENO
-What, I'm looking for the consent on this?
"She asks", that's consent?
JIMMY
She asked, yeah.
ZENO
So that's how it goes? What's this broad's name?
I'm gonna make a report. This fuckin' Radio Grill Bar
gets shut down for this. •
JIMMY
I don't know her name.
ZENO
You get over to the pooltable, some broad asks you to
CSIGHS), and you get no introduction?
JIMMY
I forget.
ZENO
CSARCASTIC) You forget.
What, I was.
ZENO
Jimmy.
JIMMY
She asked me.
ZENO
Get over here. I'll hit you.
(JIMMY the FLYBOY shuffles over to ZENO.
ZENO take's a hard look at JIMMY the FLYBOY)
This is stupid. Me standing here with you, with this,
what?
(ZENO hands JIMMY the FLYBOY a can of pop)
(JIMMY the FLYBOY pops it open)
ZENO
Drink it, don't spit it out. You probably got a virus
on you, huh?
JIMMY
(DRINKS) Awright. (BEAT)
ZENO
What the fuck a re you thinking?
JIMMY
I wasn't.
 ZENO
You were dared.
JIMMY
Me, no, there wasn't no dare.
ZENO
It's gotta be on a dare or something, you rolf a woman
in the open. (BEAT) Then I don't understand.
You got something wrong with you, _Jimmy. You do this (SIGHS)
(don't dribble your pop), the fuck who knows where her Muff
has. been. You do this in public, what's next?
You and the Muff in a trade show? (BEAT) There was walls,
but, geez, Jimmy, there's a window to the street.
Everyone could see. You gotta think. You gotta get fixed.
Your head, Jimmy.
JIMMY
Yeah.
ZENO
This is sad.
JIMMY
Yeah, I don't know, yeah. She says she is a teacher
ZENO
"What-
JIMMY
-I remember. She said that.
ZENO
She.'s-You're making this up.
 JIMMY
Yeah.
ZENO
Yeah.
JIMMY
No,, she says that. She's got school tomorrow, yeah.
ZENO
Thaf s it, that's it, this is all, everybody's a fuckin' loon.
Johnny-Can't-Read stories all the time outa this fuckin'
newspaper, and we don't know a reason? (BEAT). She is
no teacher. What kind of field trips she doiiig with her kids?
Here's the bar, here's the window, here's Jimmy JFlyboy,
Mr. James to you, children. No no you're making this up,
Jimmy. Teacher is out on a pooltable with Rotorooter?
You are a very wrong individual, Jimmy. You make me sad.
To no end, this discourages me. I think you have something,
but then this. (SIGHS) YOU go do this not even on a fuckin'
dare even. What .are you doing? (BEAT). Next time you ask
me, awright?
JIMMY
Okay, Z.
ZENO
Fuckin' kid, you have something good-
JIMMY
-Sure-
ZENO
-You stay outa that Radio Grill.
 JIMMY
Z, you're shaking my head. I can't drink right then.
(BEAT) I go for a beer. Sometimes I gotta.
ZENO
You -ejSaji. over to the Greeks then. They got beer, and
they don't let this happen to you. (PAUSE) Lookit
all this belligerence around here (LOOKING at the
destruction around him) What is this impulse, this
"acting out". (BEAT) You drink over at the Greeks.
This teacher shows up, they chop her ass off. Greeks
are very orthodox folks, she tries her bullshit.
You hear? Do you? This Male Bonding is dead, is nothing.
What gets into you! (BEAT) Practical matters, young James,
of what this is: this particular woman is a Strange.
These Strange Muffs going around, for what? Revenge?
(BEAT). . Why do I think this? What is in me!
JIMMY
Yeah.
ZENO
"Yeah", shit. Pay for it, if you gotta. At least,
what the fuck, you get the introduction, a decent name,
Awright? (BEAT) Do not shit around where you drink.
Everything gets creepy then.
Drink the pop, maybe it'll fizz it outa you.
G'mon, c'mon, this should be something good. Private.
(BEAT) Where is the decorum, no one has an apartment
these days? Where are people today? (BEAT) You fix
these public tendencies of yours, Jimmy. They are not
good. It is pure Rudeness.
(SULLIVAN comes storming onto the storage bay)
SULLIVAN
Son of a bitch, youl
 ZENO
(TO JIMMY) Go on, go on go. Rinse your mouth out
with something. Go to the nurse, but you
don't tell her a reason why.
SULLIVAN
(LOOKING at the COKE machine)
Someone else, too?
(JIMMY the FLYBOY exits)
You get someone besides Sullivan?
ZENO
'The fuck is with you?
SULLIVAN
I talk to Stanley, right just now. I get the news,
Thanks. •
ZENO
You talk with Stanley-
SULLIVAN
-you fuck me this way?-
ZENO
-I don't fuck-
SULLIVAN
Canizzio, Dooley, Simon,. Pohlman, they get on the "move"
list? Where am I on this-
'. ZENO
-Stanley?-
-Stanley
ZENO
•fuckin 1 drunk, w h a t ' s he know
SULLIVAN
-Canizzio
.ZENO
-Don't
SULLIVAN
-Canizzio, dayside/ huh?
ZENO
-Don't-Why don't you come to me about-
SULLIVAN
You shut your fuckin1 mouth one fuckin' minute 1
Canizzio, dayside. Dooley, dayside
ZENO
-It's on the table
SULLIVAN
-Pohlman, dayside
ZENO
-Nothing's come off the table
SULLIVAN
I'm off the table! I come off the table!
ZENO
-Don't say you've
 ZENO
Pohlman, he's not
SULLIVAN
I'm 25 years nightside !;
ZENO
-Ikknow
SULLIVAN
-Nightside, the mainshift, the first string
•ZENO
-I know
SULLIVAN
•you don't protect me
ZENO
-you can't, wait a fuckin' second, you don't
SULLIVAN
-do I need protection? The fuckin' senority
ZENO
-You're jumping to conclu-
SULLIVAN
-The fuckin' senority list, Z
ZENO
-You can't talk to Stanley
 SULLIVAN
-I can't
ZENO
-You can
SULLIVAN
-I talk to Stanley whenever I want. I give my fuckin1
dues every fuckin' month, he's supposed to be there for me
ZENO
-Talk to a drunk, these hours
SULLIVAN
-he tells me
ZENO
-1 a.m, in the morning, morning and you're talkin1 to
a fuckin1
SULLIVAN
-he's there for me. It's off the table 1 You
ZENO
-You wait. Wait. WaitI Shut up a second!
SULLIVAN
I shut up? You don't protect me?
- ZENO
Wait! Fuckin' Wait!
(SULLIVAN comes up six inches from ZENO)
(ZENO backs off a bit, his arms out in front of him)
You can't, wait a second, you don't fuckin'
 SULLIVAN
-What's he got to shit me, 'cos I'm
ZENO
-He should die. He should.drown in his own vomit
SULLIVAN
•a joke. I'm your fuckin', what,
ZENO
through his liquor
SULLIVAN
-amusement,
•ZENO
-You are not
SULLIVAN
-I'm off the table. 25 years means nothing. It got
negotiated? I got senority on you! You. I got 7 years
on you, and you "move"?
ZENO
-No one
SULLIVAN
-Pohlman! Pohlman, the dayside kid, he gets the move over?
'Cos why, he's connected? I'm connected, 25 years worthl
ZENO
It's a lie. The guy lies to you!
SULLIVAN
y-*- Stanley tells me
training?
ZENO
Nobody (PAUSE), Nobody (PAUSES, anticipating SULLIVAN)
It ain't been posted, Sully. It could change. Nothing's
official. It's still on the table then, I swear.
SULLIVAN
What was my price? What was the price for letting
your good buddy Sully drop off the table! .
(BEAT) I take you, young fuckin' kid you were, under
my protection ^
ZENO
-Don't start on
•SULLIVAN '
-I go to the Wall for you. I politic for you, you get
your fuckin' position, union steward. I believe you,
you say: I'll be your buddy
ZENO
-You are my
- '- SULLIVAN
-I cover your back in the bar fights. You cover mine.
(ANTICIPATES response from ZENO. *none)
Lots of good bar fights.
(*)
I cover your" press. You go out, get a lay. You cover
my press, we had ourselves a Young Thing, huh?
(*)
We shared,
(*)
 SULLIVAN
You come to my house? This fucked-up city, this fucked-up
times. You share meals with my family?
ZENO
'Fuckin' Stanley, you'll drown. In my vomit. In mine.
SULLIVAN
What was my price?
(*)
Your first wife dies, you ask me to carry her.
(*) •
I carried that coffin.
(*)
I carried you.
(*)
I help you pay for that coffin?
wH*'
You eat with me and my family?^ goes it cost you?
(*)
My kids are your kids? I tell you so? You get my oldest
into trade school? You give me advice on him?
(*)
You. Why? (PAUSE) You get my son into Washburne, he's
got a future now. He's got a future? Me, me? (PAUSE)
Your first wife dies, you come, you sleep on my couch.
I take you to my special woman "cos I worry about you,
you being young, you shouldn't lose your bedside touch,
I worry about that? (PAUSE) Your second ol1 lady, she
doesn't work out, you come to my house, you sit with my *
wife, and she tells you things from her heart. So you can
sleep at night. On my couch. Two months in my house?
I listen to you when you're drunk.
(*)
I do. Don't I?
(*)
You talk to my wife, and she cares! You rotten fuckin1
bastard! You take me off the table? You? i.I drink with
you! (PAUSE) You "move", I stay here? The presses move.
What do I got? Stanley tells me: easy starts. "Easy" over
here? The only thing left is., what, back on the Waste?
I haul Waste to the baler? It's a garbage job. I come
in on the Waste. I gotta go back to it?
(THE HISS from the hydraulic pasters from the GOSS presses
is heard kicking into gear)
You haven't lost yqur bedside touch, Z, have you?
(*)"
I gotta work.
(SULLIVAN stalks off to his press)
(ZENO stands, pauses to comb his hair back, cleans off
the comb with his fingers, sticks the comb back into
his shirt pocket, and starts off for his press)
(LIGHTS begin to dim, THE ROAR of three lines of GOSS presses
segues into the lights going down)
END OF ACT ONE
 The storage bay has been emptied of its rows of 1/2 rolls
and 3/4 rolls. Some full rolls remain. The destroyed
soda pop and candy machines have been baled up in wire
and have been stood upright.
':*
* The aftermath of violence hangs. The air has been crushed
and swept up into the GOSS presses which has then spit out
the air into layers of mutilation. Quiet except for the
melodic td/nkling of the overhead chain dry system from
the typesetters a floor above. Ink mist floats and drapes
the entire set. Specks of cut paper have dusted the
storage bay.
SULLIVAN and HARRY are loading one last 1/2 roll for each
of their ^prjesses, for the food guide supplements to the
newspaper. THEY are splattered with ink and grease.
Sweat soaks their collars and shoulders.
SULLIVAN
Something will happen fenr-you, Harry.
HARRY
'Ya think so, Sully? I hope so. I got bills to pay.
SULLIVAN
(EXITING} down the rail system, pushing his 1/2 roll)
Something good. !
HARRY
(EXITING down the rail system, pushing his 1/2 roll the
opposite direction)
I 'gotta believe you, Sally. Sully?
SULLIVAN
Harry Harry
(THEY exit)
EUGENE is at the handles of the 2-wheel handtruck.
The operation calls for them to "throw" the bale on its end.
WARREN is at EUGENE'S side, holding onto one handle, with
his other hand placed on the side of the bale. THEY take
a running start, EUGENE flips the 2-wheeler handles forward
with a vicious jerking movement. The bale moves upwards
slowly. WARREN begins to shove the bale upwards, EUGENE
shoves the 2-wheel truck aside and joins WARREN in pushing
the bale up. As EUGENE pushes the bale, WARREN moves to
the front end of the bale and guides it so as not to let the
bale fall on its "facing end". THEY stand the bale on its
end, the required foot away from the wall. The bale weighs
1700-1900 Ibs.
EUGENE kicks the 2-wheel truck away from the storage bay.
Ink and grease splatters on their work clothes, specks
of garbage and paper cover them. THEY dust their hair
and clothes. A snow of shit clouds from them. THEY are
showered with their own sweat which runs from their hair,
down their temples and into their clothes. Blotches of
clear skin from where their hands have swept the sweat away.
A circle of black ink lines the inside of their lips, as
if a mascara stick had been applied. THEY stink of garbage,
carry-out food, sweat, grease, ink, freshly cut paper,
KOTEXs, coffee, sour soda pop: everything that comes down
from the wastebaskets of the TOWER and from the floors of
the reelroom, everything that goes into a WASTE bale.
WARREN
(WIPING the ink from his mouth with the back of his hand)
Cocksuck.
EUGENE
Do tell.
WARREN
Fuckfuckfuckfuck. FUCK1 (SPITS) (PAUSE) What number is this?
EUGENE
What is it? 15? 16? 15,
Hey. Hey?
EUGENE
(TAKING out a pack of KOOLS)
What?
WARREN
You want a pop?
(EUGENE nods, WARREN kicks the machine, a can of pop
tumbles out, WARREN kicks it again, another pop deposits
itself at his feet. WARREN picks them up, tosses one
to EUGENE, reaches into his pocket, extracts a handful
of change, and throws it at the machine, coins bouncing,
off the machine, WARREN kicking the change a few feet
from the machine) %
There! That's for all the other times you fucked me
Walk for it.
EUGENE
Puck yes. Break time. 8 bales in a row.
WARREN
10 tons of shit. "Do tell".
(THEY each grab some scrap newsprint, put it to their noses,
and snot out the ink which clogs their noses)
EUGENE
'Should bottle this shit and sell it back to 'em.
'Enough here to fuckin' print up a whole newstand's worth.
(THEY climb onto the remaining rolls of newsprint and
bed down between the rolls, adjusting .some newsprint heads
to make a mattress)
 WARREN
Naw. They say
EUGENE
-Fuckin1 efficiency experts up there in the Tower,
they gotta legitimize their being. They ain't hired
to hang their hats on their dicks. They're hired to
hang us. This is gone, 2 weeks.
WARREN
Do you know that, huh?
EUGENE
Hey. (PAUSE) (SOFTLY) Yesl
X"
WARREN
And then what for us? (BEAT) Motherfuckin' old-timers
won't get outa our way
EUGENE
•"Youth will be served"- (GIGGLES) Our heads on a platter,
(PAUSE)
So fuck Arizona, huh?
WARREN
Utah, California
EUGENE
-Not for you
WARREN
-That's not there for me.
EUGENE
'Fuckin Yaye-Hoo mentality out there. I didn't know.
(PAUSE) All them places had camps?
(PAUSING) This is gone, huh, 2 weeks?
.EUGENE
Where's that newspaper of Bully's, the guy they executed
out there, where, Utah? You see? Do .you? Yeah, the fuck
if I borrow money to go out there.and start. I need that?
(PAUSE) Your parents, they don't say nothing about those
times?
WARREN
No.
EUGENE
No?
WARREN
Hey, fuck you, huh? (PAUSE) Every so often. Something
pops outa 'em.
EUGENE
2 years in a camp? With 2 kids, another one on the way?
WARREN
I tell you that? (BEAT) Fuckin' mouth on me.
EUGENE
Yeah.
WARREN
Yeah? (PAUSE) Yeah. I don't know, sometimes-
 . ' . WARREN •'.'••
— they get that fucking "Look" 'in their eyes .
( BE AT )\j Fucking bourbon.
EUGENE
It ain\ the bourbon.
WARREN
(PAUSING) I know. They don't hurt anybody, why them?
EUGENE
'Cos. they don't. You figure anybody's gonna fuck with
you"'if they know you'll fuck 'em back? Fuck that "naive"
 WARREN
They weren't hurting anybody, a fruit and vegetable stand
out there then,. Wilsh'ire-Fuckin-Boulevard,, this California
space
EUGENE •• .-
-I've seen that California.—It's shit.
WARREN '
-Fuck thathCalifornia—a kick to the balls—they got .
the whole-works.copped from 'em, every orange; apple,
lettuce in the joint, ,and "then throw their stuff, throw
it all onto the street?
EUGENE
-Yeah—Wilshire Boulevard, it's worth, it's Hollywood now-
 WARREN '
Now. (BEAT) Now I'm just hanging-on .the backstairs,
last week, one day, any other fuckin' Wednesday, just
hanging, sucking .some fresh air> I'm right from coming
o f f here - , . . .
EUGENE
-this shit air here, it kills -
. . . WARREN
-I'm blowing this poison outa- my lungs, the air, the skies
are good, (PAUSE) Mom comes, Mom 'is- motoring
X . EUGENE
-Yeah, my Mom scoots^
WARREN
-She's got this look, that 'fuckin' thing in her^eyes,
Something. Terror. It'.s shit, this "Look". So I go:
I go: Ma.
She goes: (SILENCE) -
I go : Ma .
Nothing. . -
"We"? They take her toothbrush away, and it's fuckin' we.
Confiscate her toothbrush, I gotta get some fresh air
into my lungs, and fuckit if this shit, this shit is
decades gone, 40 years (PAUSE) "now" we get Captured.
EUGENE
Sorry.
WARREN
Hey.
EUGENE
I am.
WARREN
Me, too. (PAUSE) Me, the fuck, too,
EUGENE
Yeah.
WARREN
I'm just running this down, turning this over, so fuck you.,
EUGENE
Yeah? 'Course us "niggers".
(EUGENE holds his arms out in an expansive gesture)
WARREN
(PAUSES, SMILES) (SOFTLY) Yeah.
EUGENE
Yes.
(EUGENE AND WARREN smile, laugh, shake their heads)
only themselves to fuck with,, and that's •.
.. "' - . WARREN
No jokeiv .: ' •
EUGENE
Yes \ '
WARREN
-I see her when she's skinpopping Fear, and I don't know,
no, I do know, I do, but.God, only this woman, so scared,
so long ago, far away, there's not a'fuckin' thing I can do,
A basic woman (BEAT), leave her alone. Leave her.be, I say,
let her have the-toothbrush. You know where you're sending
her, let her have her own .fuckin' toothbrush.
(PAUSE) • <
EUGENE"
You .gotta find it, what this is which kicks your ass.
WARREN
What. . • "" ' .
' "" EUGENE
Find it, fuck with it, forget it. (BEAT) It makes me
want to annihilate some singles bar.
Motherfuckers in those singles bars, they're the type,
they remind me. •
EUGENE .
Yeah. They'd'throw our asses in some camp, some kind
of (SNAPS his fingers) shit, and let it go'at that
WARREN
with some Daiquiri bullshit—
EUGENE
—white wiae
WARREN
—some chilled white shit, yeah
EUGENE
-in their hands
WARREN
—Japs in the
EUGENE
-Niggers, too? -
WARREN
'The fuck's the matter with them, they get lost?
(BEAT) "No fuckin1 conscience.
 EUGENE
-No no-no no'no. Time.
(PAUSE) ' • ' . . ' . " '.
- •
You know they're gonna fuck on you
WARREN
True.
EUGENE
They know they're gonna fuck on you.
' WARREN
Yeah..
EUGENE
Straight business.,, I',m saying.
WARREN
'Right, the A, B,' Cs.'
EUGENE '
They fuck you, they know they do. They don't want to be
fucked back, so -they go: let's make something up.
Something nice. iet's call it, la-di-da,- "conscience".
We fuck the niggers, they don't fuck us back.
WARREN
(PAUSING) Prom decades ago. '
babushkas,•wife .thinks I'm nuts, -I ask her to wear one,.
"I'm Ukrainian, youx ass, Gene". V •:-:.• * • • ;• '
All's' the .;same, it1 s Diddley-Bop Square One Squat Bullshit.
They fuck on us", we go to Church and say ."forgive 'em, amen"
(PAUSE) , ' • - . -
. 'WARREN
The boys_Upstairs, the efficiency experts—
EUGENE '• .
—They sit in "their bars", with "their" Miss Americas
WARREN
-some of ' em
EUGENE
—yeah, some of them are pretty
WARREN,
—some of 'em are ugly. Ugly? "Mees-Kites"
, EUGENE
What is a, what you say?
WARREN
". . (IdAKES a face) "Meat with Eyes".
EUGENE
Ff-f veah. (BEAT) That's Japanese for that,, huh?
«JGHS)
 .WARREN
'-'cos I am
EUGENE
—who I am?
WARREN
I know.
EUGENE
-Then fuck 'em.
WARREN
Fuck "their" bars.
I want "their" bars. They fuck *. Gimme two .of 'em at
•a time. If I could put a face to .it, one who fucks us
WARRED
-he's gone. Dead.
. .EUGENE
I got raised right, but "Bless..-' 6m/ they have . fertilized my
Basics with .their bullshit. Okay. Do that, they do, they
have bred themselves one big amoral Fuclc, Deal with it.
WARREN
Got1cha.
. - ._- . EUGENE
Yeah. Yes,. Loud and clear. So when he comes up to me,-
"his" fuckin' bar, his white collar nonsense, and .calls
me a "Fuck", I'll just say: Oh. Is that your ^wife
WARREN
-Ain't she just a_.f.uckin' giggle
- . - EUGENE .. - , •
We get'what, six months bennies on .Unemployment, then .what?
(PAUSE) Motherfuck, what? - , \N
If they'd only let us keep working
' ..' - -' EUGENE ... •-:
-my Daddy says: one hand for wishes,.the other hand for
shit. See which fills up first."'• ..';.'.
(PAUSE) :''•',. •.,.: '
> . 'vJ/irreo.t —i
's e effiency suckheads .Upstairs_._J- .(BEAT) You could
take their brains, shove;"it .up .an ant's ass, magnify.it
40,000 times, and it would rattle like.a B-B in a boxcar,
. •' / - . . . • . • ' . - - . WARREN
Work. Declare. .. ....-• . . . .
'•*'..'-•• •'. . ' • • ' ' . '• ' ' • ' '..'• '.
......... ^ : ^.'•-• • •-•:- .' . "•; -.. EUGENE
Offbreak. Let's do bales. • '.."".--' *>-
Fellas, fellas.
WARREN
Sullivan. Mister Sullivan McGee.
EUGENE
Main man, Sully.
SULLIVAN
Yeah yeah. (CHUCKLES)
(SULLIVAN picks up the "strip and dump" paddle)
EUGENE
'Bout time you got to some work, young man.
SULLIVAN
I'm beautiful.
(SULLIVAN breaks out into a dance, humming the tune,
clean, tight steps. SULLIVAN can dance with the best)
EUGENE
Bang-bang, get on it, fella.
SULLIVAN
'World can take your heart, you can give up your heart,
but don't give-up-pieces of your soul.
(LEONAS comes charging onto the storage bay. SULLIVAN
keeps going with his number)
LEONAS
Youse two.
EUGENE
(AS IF he doesn't see LEONAS) What.
 EUGENE
What, Jimmy? (STILL feigning not seeing LEONAS)
LEONAS
Where the fuck are all your bales on the count. I do the
count, huh? Where you think I'm off of, BumFuck, Idaho,
you're missing three motherloving bales.
EUGENE
Yeah?
LEQNAS
What "yeah"? I say so? This is 20, your ass,
EUGENE
(SMILES and acknowledges LEONAS)
I see that.
LEONAS
Youse dickin' with me?
EUGENE
What?
LEONAS
The count.
WARREN
I'm counting,
LEONAS
So then, what?
 EUGENE
What?
LEONAS
1, 8, and 9. I do the count, I can't find 'em.
WARREN
Who knows? I donVt,
LEONAS
You don't. Awright. 'Gene?
EUGENE
'Beats the shit outa me, Jimmy. (SHRUGS)
- • LEONAS
It does. Is that so? Fuckin1 shrug your shoulders at me?
Youse two, first the Coke machine, now this? Awright.
Okay, okay?.
- " EUGENE
Okay.
LEONAS
Goddam right, your fuckin' "okay"
—..---,. - — EUGENE
We make J_enu-
- ' . - WARREN
-we marker 'em a number.
LEONAS
Youse guys can count,. I can't I
 LEONAS
And this bale here does not go here. What the fuck.
Rookies, rookies, tell 'em five hundred fuckin1 times.
(THROWS his hands in exasperation) Fuckit, get outa here,
(WARREN and EUGENE exit)
EUGENE
(ON EXITING) Yes!
(WARREN and EUGENE disappear down the rail system)
LEONAS
This shit, no fuckin' way, this shit anymore on my shift,
c ome s on, pJAshjjgg—a—3^£—ro±±—OTP a truck.
T±LJ-3...c.ol]—has—ao-fe—been--s±-ri-ppgd-"tnr its cover, i t
How do you lose 3 bales? Awright, I got their number.
(PAUSE) Awright, Harry?
HARRY
LEONAS
Why the fuck not. (PAUSE) Sully?
(SULLIVAN stops -with his number)
(A "DUMP" is about to unfold. This is an incredible
human endeavor of sheer shit and blood work)
The "DUMP" is an operation where a storage bay is
refilled with r.o,lls of newsprint. Rolls of newsprint
are being lifted off the elevator (unseen) which is
shipping the rolls of newsprint from the warehouse.
These rolls are to be dumped into storage for the
next shift's run.
HARRY is the "Dumper". SULLIVAN is the "Paddleman".
ZENO (unseen) is loading the warehouse rolls at the
elevator onto the steel trucks and shoving the rolls
down the rail system to HARRY,
paperhandlers to walk through. This space is usually
about 10 inches apart, row to row.
AS HARRY stops each roll, aims it, with either of his
knees and with both hands stretched.to reach the ends
of each roll, he will "knee" the roll off its steel truck
up onto the surface of the storage bay. HARRY must give
each "Dump" enough momentum so that SULLIVAN can "eye"
how the rows of newsprint will form.
SULLIVAN, with the "PADDLE", will give each roll a shot
as it rolls to him, as he judges the angle of the rolls
lining up neatly, in his mind. This jlshpt" means standing
in front of the roll as it rolls towards him and then
shoving the blade of the "PADDLE" under one or the other
end, to "turn" the toll. It is a physical movement which
entails strength and speed and eye judgement to occur
within a split second of giving each roll a "shot".
If the "Paddleman" is off, it will mean twice the fucking
work for him. Being too quick with the "Paddle" will slow
the roll, and the "Paddleman" will have to reroll the
newsprint to get enough momentum to give it another "shot".
Being too slow with the "Paddle" will make the roll of
newsprint catch the "Paddle" itself and "eat" the "Paddle".
This would result in the "Paddleman" getting hit in the
face or neck as the "Paddle" jerks away from his hand.
SULLIVAN and HARRY must be in synch. When the "DUMP"
unfolds naturally, it is a ballet of blue collars. ^
This storage bay-takes 60 rolls. It has been emptied .
of its 1/2 rolls. It will need 50 rolls. Each roll,
being 2--,.1/2 rolls, wrapped in a single casing, weighs
between 1800-2100 .pounds.
SULLIVAN and--HARRY will fill this bay in less than"
five minutes. The elevator from the warehouse forces them
to work quickly, as- the elevator will bring "the rolls
up quickly. .,*^-- •-'.:"—-
HARRY will be "Dumping" each roll, kicking the steel trucks
down, away from him, catch another roll, aim it, dump it,
until the bay is filled.
SULLIVAN will stand/ eye each roll, give it a shot, push
it all the way to the back of the storage bay in neat rows)
 SULLIVAN
One last run on the Pood Guide.
LEONAS
They running color on that, right?
SULLIVAN
Three colors, front page, some fuckin1 thing about some
French dish shit.
LEONAS
How anyone eats that shit, huh?
SULLIVAN
My press goes up, maybe soon, maybe late, for the late
morning papers. My earlies are out.
LEONAS
Good good good.
(HARRY has been catching rolls, waiting for SULLIVAN)
-(HARRY is jammed, with three rolls to "Dump")
~ ~" _ HARRY
e f huh? " ^—--
SULLIVAN
Anytime, fella^-vl'jn here.
(HARRY begins dumping)
(SULLIVAN works the /Paddle")
Shove those fuckltf1^ things. 'Bust my balls over you, fella?
* Fella,
X HARRY
SULLIVAN _y>,
No way you do that. Dump those fuckin'k things,
. 'a
I k'no'W what
SULLIVAN
-Two men, two men used to be down there, dumping.
(PAUSE) Push that fuckin' roll.
: HARRY
You want i-t? I'll switch.
SULLIVAN
Fuck that. (PAUSE) Two men dumping, two men up here, Jimmy.
LEONAS
I know
SULLIVAN
-'Fuckin' union "- -.- .
. ; ,,=-_. ' LEONAS
-you give it up
SULLIVAN
shit. (PAUSE) Push that fuckin1 roll
_^^ - - HARRY
(BREATHING .J^av3fef^" "Goddam, huh, Sully?
(CALLING down to^ZENO) Jley! He^.1; Fella! ^-msh ,that
nu" th fn g , Ze^no 1 " - Qome, on^, Z,
killing me!
- "- -...-"^-~- SULLIVAN
(SMILES) Z. Yeah. (PAUSE) I'm beautiful,
'
(GIVES the oncoming roll a singular, definite "shot")
 LEONAS
Lemme
SULLIVAN
-don't even think it
LEONAS
-Harry
SULLIVAN
(BREATHING heavily)
-you, touch a roll, I'll break you, Jimmy. I like you,
but I'll break you. (PAUSE) Kill us with your kind thoughts,
LEONAS
Lemme
SULLIVAN
•xsp-.cyou get another idea of what to cut in the "manning"?
No fuckin1 that anymore
LEONAS
-Harry
SULLIVAN
-we'll live--with^-itT"-(PAUSE) Will you push that goddam
thing, fella., v"^*-- _
(SULLIVAN and HA1^3^±>eg.in to work-silently, quickly,
the sweat begunning^-o visibly stain their shirt fronts,
their crotches)
LEONAS
That fuckin' Hasten, he goes off on a medical, just.goes
home without notifying^anybody,
(NO RESPONSE *)
kii
Just leaves his pressman standing there.
(*)
'Cos he thinks he has a "feeling". The guy gets a
"feeling" in his head? Geezus, huh?
(*)
You're doing good, Harry. J:
(*)
Sully, you're something< .Always been.
(*)
They fuckin' executed that guy. What,:did you think
they were going to?
(*)
I thought, the same ol''shit, a governor's_reprieve.
(.*) „
Ypu'TTe going good, 'Harry,.- Almost there.
That-fuckin' guy _sta-r-t;s on-page/1, huh, headline story,
with a picture. You se;e_.that ^picture? Second edition,
he's page 2. Then> What, someone fucks someone in
Washington, a'nd he wasn't supposed to, and now, the
fucJcin' fiay gists executed on/, what, page 10, without
the sidebars? ^UjckiiV' can't beat it, huh?"
(*)
Whuwee, almost losVt thafc-di\e, huh, Harry?
(*)
That was some picturje thPUjh, thinking
twice about robbing
(*)
 SULLIVAN and HARRY. Very primal, gutteral sounds, an
occasional exclamation of pain or a muttered half of an
obscene phrase, never completed, because the next roll is
upon them. HARRY begins to completely "break". The rolls
of newsprint on the trucks begin to stack up)
LEONAS
(WALKS to the lip of the storage bay, CALLS down)
Zenol Z, slow that elevator 1 Slow it down to a stop!
HARRY .........
@v,>. (CALLING down to ZENO) No! -Keep it coming;, Zl
do this! "•- • ' ' ':'*" - - .
(HARRY begins hurrying on his "dumping", exhausted.
SULLIVAN is -broken)
(VANHERIK enters, scanning the area. VANHERIK is freshly
showered, shaved, dressed in his fine street clothes.
Casual GQ bullshit) ^
- VANHERIK
Men doing men's work, fuckin1 I love it.
LEONAS
You..finished..up-..art the warehouse?
VANHERIK
Hey. Do I know you? (LOOKS to the baled Coke machine)
-Who--the fuck did th-irs, now? I come over for a quick pop, Sully,
Which animal is "this"" who does this shit to me?
(VANHERIK laughs, watches HARRY struggling)
Fuckin1 guy, you'^ar-e, Harry.
(VANHERIK jumps down next to HARRY, begins helping HARRY "dump"
(TO HARRY) itf^Phow the fuck can I be here when I ain't,
(HARRY and VANHERIK start "dumping" with vigor, the
"DUMP" is back in synch)
(LEONAS tries to grab the "Paddle" from SULLIVAN)
LEONAS
Lemme
SULLIVAN
-fuck yourself.
(SULLIVAN works the "PADDLE", LEONAS helps push the
rolls into rows, SULLIVAN applying the "shots")
VANHERIK
What's the matter, Leonas, you proving something to us?
What a rightgnjy fuck you are? (LAUGHS)
(TO HARRY) Well.,, help me, *ya jerky if I'm helping you,
' _LEONAS <n
'You're done at the warehouse, you're the fuck outa here,
VanHeir-i-k.^
„ >,
You
^ .
check with Soti that you're done? , j
•----— ' VANHERIK
Hey. Lay me, I come here for a simple Coke. You check
with Soti that I'm done. Fuck you, your fuckin1 "I'm outa here"
shi±. 'The fuck you think you're addressing, some street skirt?
You please m^r ass. I put .in my work, you blow me bubbles,
(TO HARRY) Yeah, and you'll go far, too, Harry. You got
a future 'cos^ you're stupid.
_-- " "\ ""
(TO .LEONAS) Tell '1m, Leo^as, what I say is true. Harry is
stupid. \__
Harry stays inMihe middle of the pack, he doesn't get to
the front, he doesn't getT^noticed bringing up the rear,
just stays in middle, don\ make waves/ (BEAT) you fuckin'
got a future anywhere, I hate assholes like you, Harry, ,
\
(SILENCE, the "DUMP" is completed, EXHAUSTION)
 VANHERIK
'Wrecked my good pants. (SMOOTHING out his clothes)
Never ask if I would want some raviolis, huh, Harry.
Or something? You ain't worth shit.
(JUMPS onto the storage bay, looks over the Coke machine)
Somebody put a leash on the animal
LEONAS
Hey. You walk yourself outa here, you're done.
VANHERIK
> Why, you want me to find you a decent Coke or something?
Or you wanna run into me outside, huh, and take a piece
of me with you?
- (VANHERIK grins, winks to SULLIVAN, begins exiting)
(LEONAS stalks after VANHERIK)
SULLIVAN
No no no, Jimmy. You don't want any of VanHerik.
LEONAS
I:don't? Let 'im pop me one. Just once. I'd have
his ass in jail, .he' d come out wearing a "skirt" or be
a walking fuckin' suicide.
.(HARRY kicks the last truck down the track, jflops down
on the lip of the storage bay)
IQI
You and Harry, huh, Sully, fuckin1 guys, too much,
Lookit this, perfect work. Lookit this perfect.
(*)
I want to help, I wanted-to, you don't-
(SULLIVAN grabs some stray newsprint, wipes the sweat
from his face and chest, all the while staring LEONAS eye to eye)
Oh, what are we
(HARRY staggers to his feet)
SULLIVAN
For that girl of yours, come on, get it up, she wouldn't
want to see this no-nothing-shit work get her fella down.
Fuckin' right.
(GRINS, exhausted)
HARRY
What girl?
v ""*
,.
\
SULLIVAN
You know what girl.
HARRY
(STILL GRINNING) I don't know any girl. (LAUGHS) Quit pfe,
Sully. You ain't good for me. . *
SULLIVAN
I know that, fella.
(HARRY begins to exit back down the rail system)
LEONAS
Harry? Your press.
HARRY
Yea-h yeah. It's down. It's gone its jm<m.
" " • ^ ,, ,
(TO SULLY) ^,.1 ain'fc^making the "move" oyer ^ Eiaiklerton,
^ am T, Sully. " * ' ->?*
SULLIVAN
I don't know about anything, Harry,
HARRY
You try to protect me, Sull^/J.t's okay that- I' m-nql:- • 'N-
making the "move". "(BBAT)-'%j|ptii -it's not. Jackie is right, !
I ain't worth a shit, - (SM^^S^f*Where I ain't nothing,
I can't ask to be somethiUff e'aliT?-'
(HARRY exits down the rail system)
 LEONAS
-Sully. Please.
SULLIVAN
You crossed the line, Jimmy. You can't ever know
a "good guy" anymore. You're over with Them.
(ZENO comes stumbling up the rail system, drenched in sweat)
LEONAS
(TO ZENO) Your fella Hasten
ZENO
-I know.
LEONAS
Did you know he took off without
ZENO
-I know. I heard! He checked out. 'The' fuck can I say,
Jimmy?
LEONAS
We gotta talk
ZENO
-I know
LEONAS
-talk to him about these
ZENO
-Listen, you fuckin1 little snot. You listen, you Lugen
Prick-With-Ears, you come outa the same union, you come
up outa the ranks. Quit with this Hard-On about this
management position you got, what, all of a year? Awright?
 LEONAS
-Z-
ZENO
Break timel On my union break. 40 rolls here for you,
okay, Jimmy? You count the fuckin' things? Four -oh.
I pushed, awright? Get away. You don't socialize with us
on our break. Get outa my face. Fuck you Hasten on a
medical, get some ice and throw it down your pants before
your brains have a stroke, okay?
LEONAS
I was just-fuck-okay.
(LEONAS walks away)
(ZENO and SULLIVAN", eye each other for a second)
ZENO
Good, Sully, a good one. Thanks.
SULLIVAN
Was it?
ZENO
I get off the phone, you got that ol1 man crying.
(PAUSE) Fuckin1 guy can't reach the toilet with his piss
and you whack him? Stanley is harmless, you tell him
you're going to the National on this, you want a fuckin'
review of all the recent contracts 'cos you "know" something"
You whack Stanley, the guy dribbles his piss, what is that?
SULLIVAN
I want a, what, a review?
What is this I_ "know" something?
ZENO
You come to me first. You don't have an old man crying
to himself in the dark. You don't scare him this way
at night, you rotten motherfucker.
SULLIVAN
What, the old man knows something, too?
ZENO
Him? You, you fuck. You.
SULLIVAN
HOW?
ZENO
Rotten shit, have this man
SULLIVAN
-How would I know?
ZENO
These fuckin1 Cutes on you
SULLIVAN
-someone tell me
I ZENO
-you jfclSHfltme this f u c k i n ' way
SULLIVAN
-'cos I drink with a man. This man can't hold his drink,
he tells me these "somethings".
 ZENO
-nothing! Goddammit. I told you not one fuckin1 thing!
SULLIVAN
Payoffs.
ZENO
(PAUSING) What.
SULLIVAN
Payoffs, you got paid off!
ZENO
NO I
SULLIVAN
I listen to a man who can't hold his drink.
ZENO
Nothing of the fuckin' sort.
SULLIVAN
Air conditioner, bottles of, what, Chivas, a watch
ZENO
-I never
SULLIVAN
A trip to Wisconsin, their fuckin1 cabin up there,
"a fuckin'"resort, Sully.".
ZENO
I told you these things in confidence 'cos
 SULLIVAN
-what else, maybe we should go inventory your house, huh?
Go inventory the cocksuck outa your place, you take
these fuckin1 payoffs to grease the contracts, you make
the men eat the fuckin1 contracts.
ZENO
-I told you in confidence, you are my friend, you don't
SULLIVAN
-these fuckin1 contracts o00HMHQRt cut us off at our knees
ZENO
-No. Okay?
SULLIVAN
You sit up there with management, you union-break for :
a week with scum, in their "Lodge", talk over a contract
ZENO
-Maybe I could
SULLIVAN
-"A fuckin1 resort, Sully"
ZENO .
-I'll get you over to Fullerton
SULLIVAN
-"so clean you can think good"
• - -• ' ZENO
^^ -You got Fullerton! You got the "move". It's yours!
/'~"" SULLIVAN
(PAUSING) You get me the "move" over? You get for me?
I have it for myself. It's:mine on my own. Don't you
step on my 25 years! You get me? You fuck! You fuck
with them, their Lodge, their fuckin1 watches, you son of
a bitch, you don't hand me a thing!
off my life to put my years in, and you fuckiri' hand me
what is mine? You are dogwater! You fuck your own shit,
ZENO
(SOFTLY) What do you want?
SULLIVAN
What do I want? (LAUGHS)
ZENO
Awright?
SULLIVAN
What do I want? Now?
ZENO
Okay. Please.
SULLIVAN
What is mine? What is. What is this I want? You should
know, you're the union floor man. What are my fuckin'
Essentials, huh? What should I need?
ZENO
What. Do. You. Want?
SULLIVAN
By. The. Book
ZENO
What
SULLIVAN
-By, The, Book,
m ZENO.
L I'. Open the book?
^
SULLIVAN
The "move" goes on senority. I don't want to have to
look up after this, what, this fuckin1 goddam "fait accompli"
ZENO
"accompli" what
SULLIVAN
they've been training over there for a month
ZENO
-Fuckin' Stanley ,
SULLIVAN
Canizzio, Dooley, Pohlman
ZENO
-Stanley, you should die in your/vsleep tonight
SULLIVAN
-By. The. Book^yYBy years in! On meritl And no fuckin
bullshit on it either! None of this: "he's connected,
this guy's got this, oh, he's got a connection, tool
Fuck that. You can. You can fuck on that!
ZENO
Sully
SULLIVAN
-No I
 ZENO
I could get my ass handed to me. You know that.
SULLIVAN
(SOFTLY) No no no.
ZENO
This ain't a "no" thing. This ain't fucking with
medical pay-ins, screwing on sick days shit, Sully.
Sully, this is major. This is the fuckin1 paper's
move for the Future.
SULLIVAN
Cut us on our fuckin1 manning
ZENO
-lemme
SULLIVAN
-10 men on the tunnel starts, strip and dump the paper
to the presses. 140 starts, honest work. Gone, because
you
ZENO
-lemme
SULLIVAN
-What was the price for me? What did you get! What!
ZENO
(PAUSING) Nothing.
SULLIVAN
What?
(PAUSE)
 Nothing? (LEANS his head back, chortles)
ZENO
I owe you? I owe your lame ass nothing! No one else
will drink with you, I do, your bitching all the time
SULLIVAN
-Nothing. Oh, fuck.
ZENO
-you're a load.
SULLIVAN
-to you?
C'
"•v
.ZENO
You're a fuckin1 burden to my ass! You could never win
steward postion, you hang on my ass, who else would have
you! Who else is gonna make you important? Me! I do?
They don't want you over there, fuckin' up on 'em!
SULLIVAN
I fall off the contract table, does my name even come up?
Did you get me at least that?
ZENO
(PAUSES, sighs) Everyone knew. It didn't have to be said.
SULLIVAN
Nothing but what I have put in, my years, it's just something
you go wipe your ass with
» -it was not racial
ZENO
 SULLIVAN
-I got a choice? Okay, awright. A review to the National,
ZENO
Your ass, too,.then. You listen to a drunk? We step
in the same shit, you understand?
SULLIVAN
Pohlman doesn't get the "move". Young fuckin1 punk,
I was down here before he was born
ZENO
-Do you get it? The same shit!
SULLIVAN
-Pohlman goes down' with me.
ZENO
He's connected. Upstairs.
SULLIVAN
"Upstairs" fuck.
ZENO
He goes. He's a marker I can pull in when things get
tight over at Fullerton! He's a chit for the union!
SULLIVAN
Canizzio. I take him with me, too.
ZENO
You mother
 SULLIVAN
-I got 15 years on him.
ZENO
I ca-n'tl
SULLIVAN
Why is that?
ZENO
You know.
SULLIVAN
Do I? I hear something from a, drunk?
ZENO
He's connected.
SULLIVAN
He is?
ZENO
Don't get nuts.
SULLIVAN
He brings his kid down here for a summer job, every
summer his fuckin1 kid
ZENO
-the kid's okay. • •
SULLIVAN
His kid takes a steady man's starts away. No "no".
He's not "connected"
 ZENO
-He's Outfit. I can't. They'd break me.
SULLIVAN
-but the "same shit", okay.
ZENO
Canizzio. He goes. He's a must. No, I will not do shit,
to myself. He's. Mob, I don't fuck with that. He's
SULLIVAN
I know. I listened, you told me he
ZENO •
-Dooley! Maybe Dooley. .Maybe you instead of him, fuck him,
his alderman. Fuck he,1 s "sponsored". (PAUSE) Fuck this
whole thing, what is this nonsense
SULLIVAN
-my name falls off the table. For nothing. You get nothing?
I'm not an issue? I'm what? I am a joke, no more than
ZENO
-^Nobody made any jokes about you. I'd of stopped "eml
SULLIVAN
"I'd of stopped 'em"?
(SILENCE)
You come to my house, you open my refrigerator, you take
out my beer, I listen..to you, my wife
ZENO
-Don't start-
(JIMMY the FLYBQY comes racing onto the storage bay)
 JIMMY
Zf 'nurse wants to see you.
ZENO
What 1
JIMMY
(JERKS back in surprise) What?
(PAUSE)
What? I don't know. (PAUSE) Sign some form. Masten?
He's sick and
ZENO
-Masten1 MastenI What the fuck! What am I, the fuckin'
guy's father?
(TO SULLIVAN) You want my position, you want to fuck me
on all of this? Do it. Do. Fuckin' shit all the time.
(TO JIMMY) Masten, Masten, the fuckin1 guy, I'll break
his ass. He's a "psychological". I know
that, you know it, everybody. The guy tries
to ride his motorcycle up the Hancock Center
escalator, the guy is a psych, awright?
What am I, his switchboard tonight? What the fuck is he,
the goddam Hit Parade, top 40 fuckin1 bullshit!
Puck the nurse. Tell her her fuckin' forms up-the-ass.
Fuckin' machines, fuck these machines, fuck Fullerton,
the presses, get outa my face, Jimmy Flyboy, I'll rip
your fuckin neck—
(PAUSE)
Sorry. What. (SOFTLY) Come on, come on, huh, don't
get fucked up on me. .This face of yours, don't. It's okay.
I'm, ah, this is a jagoff, Jimmy. I'm a jagoff talking to
you. Awright? (PAUSE) I'll get to the nurse. I'll sign
the medical. She give you something for what you did?
(JIMMY the FLYBOY nods)
 . .' . ; , ' :. ' ': JIMMY • ' . . ,:
I had to. She made me.
' ': . - . ZENO •
What she say? .
JIMMY
Nothing.
ZENO
(PAUSE) These aspirin?
JIMMY
I don't know, Z.
ZENO
The dumb fuckin1 mook, she gives you fuckin' Bayer aspirin,
You told her what you did? (PAUSE) You did! The fuckin1
mookl Awright, awright. Yeah, take these.
The kid is poisoned, fuckin' Bayer aspirin. Good.
Go on.
(JIMMY the FLYBOY takes off)
All this, all of this shit. I'm off my fuckin' Nut.
SULLIVAN
Yeah. Yeah. All these "fucks" and "fuckin's" outa
our mouths, huh?
ZENO
You go up there with a heart attack, she'd give you
aspirin. Broken leg, 2 aspirin, broken neck, 2 aspirin,
what the fuck, huh, Sully? You're dead, you gotta still
take 2 Bayers, huh?
 SULLIVAN
-No.
ZENO
I will
SULLIVAN
-Not! No.
ZENO
'Cos we could make it, what, the racial, huh?
We could make a fuckin1 stink about the lack pf
SULLIVAN
No. No, you fuckin1 idiot. I don't want it,
ZENO '
you do.
SULLIVAN
No.
ZENO
Sullivan. Sully. As a man answering to you, the
man you are
SULLIVAN
-I know.
ZENO
Stanley's in up to his'ass, too. My ass, his ass,
We can get this worked out, Sully.
given us the balls to go out. We'd of gone out for
you./ Zeno. Any time. These fellas who do this work,
we gotta be nuts. This is work for animals. We're
fuckin' animals. We could of taken 'em. We could have
busted their balls. Drop of the hat, we'd of covered
your back, Zeno. We
ZENO
-you bring up my first wife, you prick
SULLIVAN
-We
ZENO
-you make me remember you carrying her coffin
"SULLIVAN
-my wife listens
ZENO
-you use my dead wife as a weapon against me?
You fuckin' betray that on me? Puck those 10 guys
on the tunnel, fuck 'em, I can't do a thing about it,
but you, you use a memory on me then? You are fuckin'
dirt. (PAUSE) No, I will not shit myself over Canizzio,.
you fuckin1 guy.
SULLIVAN
Fuckin' gjuy, yeah.
ZENO
You are a man, and you fuckin1 do this?
SULLIVAN
"Fuckin', fuckin1 this-that-what-the fuck-'fuckin", we
say "fuck" every other word.
 these fellas, underneath all their "fucks", these men
want to love their work. They want to take some pride,
some fuckin'-yeah "fuckin'"- pride in themselves.
ZENO
Sully.
SULLIVAN
They want to love their work? Who could "love" this?
This a place for the big scheme, the Big Dream?
.'***, ZENO
Hey, awright?
SULLIVAN
They want their work to love them back. So it's:
"Fuck-this, fuck-that", work", give me something back.
But it doesn't. It can't. But they talk to it, they
believe it'll give something back to them. Sometime.
Some fuckin' satisfaction. This work destroys them.
They gotta take their "fucks and 'fuckin-this-that"
out of here. With them. On the streets. In the bars.
In resturarants. With their women. Talking to their women.
They're saying, love me (SULLIVAN stops himself from breaking)
you rotten fuckin' guy, you are my friend. They take
their "fucks" to anyone, they say it friendly, say it
funny, say it mean, but all the time, they gotta say it.
They're saying: Love me, my job degrades me, could you
understand that about me? ..
My job degrades me. Love me. -
You take a watch, I know, I know, you told me, I just listen,
I don't .go against you, yes, I'm in it with you, but you
take a vacation with those scum Upstairs, you shit on us.
These men Who touch.their work, they use their hands, they
use their bodies up, they have to put their hands on something
solid, these rolls of paper. You cut their hands off so they don't
have any work. Their hands don't touch work and they don't
say; fuck this. You rip their spirit. You take your payoffi,
you throw salt on their jobs. You murder their fuckin' Space.
 ZENO
you're there. 'Get you training, it's easy.
We'll do it, me and you.
SULLIVAN
No. No Fullerton Avenue.- I'll stay here. I can do
the fuckin1 bales. I don't want any buttons or levers
or flashin1 lights. I'm your friend, Z? Lemme touch
my work. Don't cut my hands off.
(THE SOUND of SULLIVAN'S press is heard warming up
1 for the last run of the Food Guide section, the
"whoosh" of the gears on the GOSS presses)
I gotta work, fella.
ZENO
We're gonna do it. I'll call in the marker on Pohlman
SULLIVAN
Go fuck yourself, Zeno.
(SULLIVAN begins to exit to his press)
(VANHERIK, EUGENE, WARREN, and HARRY intercept him) j^/vop C f?
**
EUGENE
Sully. Beaumont's.
SULLIVAN
What.
EUGENE
Beaumont's. Up Halsted Street. 10 minutes.
 VANHERIK
(TO SULLIVAN) We're gonna have a few, and we're
"*"• gonna look at Leg.
HARRY
Yeah:* Leg.
WARREN
Locomotion Harry.
HARRY
Some good Leg.
VANHERIK
First, breakfast. Then we're gonna hit the lunch crowd,
HARRY
Lunch time Leg. Yeah.
EUGENE
One of "their" bars. Let 'em fuck with me now.
VANHERIK
Hey. It's a good bar. My bar. (LAUGHS) I gotta see
you two animals in there. And Harry.
 HARRY
-!•: t&£^a'.,t.' know. -.*--%.; -guess;.*.V''
? ... I''—?£:^' •.•^*<-s3i—..>*i.'.' • -;1. .^- ..;*"*• . / ....
. -EUGENE
(TO WARREN) Fuckin' guy doesn't give me a daiquiri,
I rip his throat out.
"' . VANHERIK -
You two animals in there, fuckin' fights all afternoon.
EUGENE
Just cover my back.
WARREN
You, mine.
VANHERIK .
.'Gonna fuck this place. .My favorite bar, but fuck. 'em.
My boys. Lose my job, lose my bar (BEAT) gotta realize
the Harmonyi:
(EUGENE and VANHERIK-jostle... ZENO playfully, yet forcefully)
EUGENE
Z? .We- "gotta have you there.
WARREN
Our union floor man calling out the shots . You point,
we Jcick their fuckin1 heads.
' ZENO
(MOVING quickly away) I don't know.
• VANHERIK
A good 'fight, Z.
Z? I'm gonna -get Leg. '
(SILENCE)
EUGENE • .
Well, then, fuck- yourself, Z. Sully? Be .'there.
VANHERIK
Awright.' Let's move on this.
(VANHERIK, EUGENE, WARREN, and HARRY begin to exit)
Whose car?
EUGENE
Your car. I ain't wrecking•my car.
VANHERIK
You fuckin' guys. Just don't start fighting before
lunch, huh? Let me get a jump on a decent drunk, right?
•*&. :-*<•£;.'
• -'^L:''- ••-"•> '-'•*•»•&&•• "•
.- -:7*?*-r?*' •' i- j-i linflBfry - '•
We fight for thatf too.
VANHERIK
Cover my back, Harry the Horse.
HARRY
Just this one time. (SMILES) I gotta.
VANHERIK
(LAUGHING) Harry Harry Harry.
(VANHERIK, EUGENE, WARREN, and HARRY exit, EUGENE and WARREN
twirling their "stripping" sticks)
(SULLIVAN and ZENO look to each other)
SULLIVAN
"Fuckin1 guys", VanHerik 'says. Jackie's an asshole, but
still Gene and Warren, they're "guys" to him. Harry hates
Jackie, Jackie hates Harry's ass. They're gonna cover for
each other.
ZENO
You going over to drink with 'em?
SULLIVAN
I don't know. Maybe.
ZENO
Yeah.
SULLIVAN
You?
ZENO
You being polite?
-Do you? Things fall, "off the 'table", huh? Names, maybe
about some things, huh? Maybe about tonight. Maybe your
name could come up and fall "off their table",
(SMILES) Maybe your name. •
ZENO
Your name, too. You listened—
SULLIVAN
-'cos I'm your friend.
ZENO
Sully.
SULLIVAN
You can't drink with us.
ZENO
Sully, they'd come for me.
.... ' SULLIVAN
You "give" me? Yeah, you give me a real thought.
Maybe-.I have~to go have a drink with the boys.
ZENO .
They'll kill me. Sully. They will. Sully. My friend.
(THE ROAR of SULLIVAN'S press goes off.
LIGHTS begin to fade. .
SULLIVAN exits.
THE ROAR of the .GOSS presses comes on in a deafening thunder,
ZENO leans back to cry in fear, his mouth opens to scream,
his scream segues into the ROAR of the presses, as if the
\r comes all from within him.
\LIGHTS down.)