Read Soul of a Whore and Purvis Online
Authors: Denis Johnson
JOHN
: Woman, if I could say goodbye to you
I would've said it thirty years ago.
JERRY
[
low, to
BJ
]: The sodium thiopental's going in.
BESS
: John?
JOHN
:      Mom, Momâ¦
BESS
: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Why are you dressed like a clown?
JOHN
: There's reasons for it, Mom.
JERRY
: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â She doesn't hear.
JOHN
: It's something I've got going.
STEVIE
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â She can't hear you.
JERRY
[
low, to
BJ
]: Next pancurium bromide will collapse
The lungs and diaphragm. And finally
Potassium chloride stops the heart.
BILL JENKS
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â How long?
JERRY
: Seven minutes from the start to finish.
JOHN
:â¦Seems like seven minutes are almost up.
BESS
:â¦Am I supposed to be dead? When do I die?
â¦I still don't think I'm dead. I thinkâO, hey,
My I-V thing popped out. It did. It's out.
Your poison's spilt all over.
WILL'S VOICE
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â I-V team!
Get your unit reestablished, please.
Never mind. Stand down. I'll reconnect.
BESS
: Will it hurtâuhâwill it hurt the mattress?
The curtain closes across the window.
BILL JENKS
: Mr. PIO. What's going on?
JERRY
: Will? We gonna have to clear the site?
WILL'S VOICE
: Negative. Sixty seconds.
JERRY
: All right. Stevieâgo and see about the boys.
Who's over there?âit's Blake for UPI,
I think, and
damn
it,
damn
it all to Hellâ
STEVIE
: I'll see if we can't close the lid.
JERRY
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â O, yeah.
Another perfect termination. Thanks.
I owe you, Steve.
STEVIE
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â You do. You'll pay me, too,
Tonight at Mursky's.
JERRY
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Drinks are all on me.
STEVIE
exits.
JOHN
: Hello? Hello? What's going on in there?
JERRY
: This thing's been a fiasco from the start.
JOHN
: Why can't the guy at least say hi or something?
JERRY
: I've never seen the like, and I was here
For Karla Faye. A healer and a clown.
BESS'S VOICE
: Uh-oh. O NO.
JOHN
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Mom? Mom?âWhat's going on?
JERRY
: I can't stand to hear you squawking
About it in my ears no more!
JOHN
: You don't act like a government official!
You act like a baby!
JERRY
:
                     I
act like a baby?
TORCH THE JAILS AND LET'S BE DONE WITH IT!
JOHN
: There's something funny going on in there!
Did you just hear the mic switch off? HELLO!
[
Bangs on the glass
]
HELLO HELLO GODDAMNIT HEY HEY HEYâ
The curtains part abruptly to reveal
HT
with an arm locked around
WILL BLAINE'
s neck and a long, crude stiletto shoved up under
WILL'
s chin.
HT
: I AM THE NIGGER OF DEATH!
[
To
WILL
]â¦Let's let the public get a look at you!
You hiding back there like the Wizard of Oz.
[
Sings
]
Let the Midnight Special
Shine a light on you
Let the Midnight Special
Shine his ever-lovin' light on you.
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome to my show!
BESS
: I hope you know this wasn't my idea.
JOHN
: You're still alive!
BESS
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â And really loving it.
BILL JENKS
: Hello, HT. What are you playing at?
HT
: A little game that I'm inventing called
Let's Execute the Executioner.
If anybody interrupts the game
I'll blow up every motherfucker here
Including me.
JOHN
: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â You're gonna blow us up
With a knife?
HT
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â I didn't say I blow you up
With a knife. I blow you
up
, is all I said.
JOHN
: Well, what's that in your hand?
HT
: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Don't get sarcastic.
JOHN
: Hey, I'm not. I'm quite sincerely trying
To form some sense of what you're threatening
To blow us up with here today, and what
I'm seeing in your hand looks like a knife.
HT
: Quite true. But what's this in my other hand?
[
He releases his choke hold on
WILL
and pulls a gun from his pocket, points it at
JERRY
while keeping the point of his knife to
WILL'
s chin.
]
I want everybody in this room with me.
JERRY
: We can't do that.
HT
: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â You can't when you're dead!
JERRY
: We can't, sir, it's impossible. The chambers
Don't communicate.
HT
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â What are we doing
now
?
JERRY
: There's just no access. They're designed that way
With just this kind of contingency in mind.
HT
: How about this contingency!
HT
shoots. The glass doesn't break.
JERRY
: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â That one, too.
HT
: But I still got this guy! His head ain't bulletproof!
JERRY
: Of course. We're all cooperating here.
HT
fires all his bullets uselessly at the glass.
HT
: You think I'm outa bullets? Well, I am!
But whatchoo think these honeys are? Big tits?
Having dropped both knife and gun, he finds in his pockets two hand grenades.
He yanks the pin of each with his teeth and spits the pins at
WILL
.
Nothin' clamps these levers down but me.
Anything happens to meâI get distracted,
Maybe you bore me and I fall asleep,
Sharpshooter shoots my
head
offâwe
all
die.
Now get around in here. Yesâyou and you.
[
To
JOHN
] Noâyou, sirâno. Don't want no clowns in here.
The Reverend Mister Billy Jenks. That's right.
Go out that door, go down the hall, and comeâ
You think I'm stupid? No. I'm just insane.
Go out that door, and come around in here!
You don't say boo to
no
body. Or else!
JERRY
: You have my word.
HT
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â I have your what what what?
JERRY
: Stay calm. We'll do as you request.
You have my word as a Texan.
HT
:                                   Oâ¦OKâ¦
JERRY
: OK, Preach, let's get on under the Big Top.
JERRY
and
BJ
exit.
HT
:â¦Ma'am, I'm sorry to mess your execution up.
BESS
: O, that's OK, I guess.
HT
: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Well, I'm just saying.
I'm just improvising, so I hope
You don't resent some wrinkles in the plan.
BESS
: I'm not in a position to resent much of anything.
HT
: Hey, if you want, I'll make these folks untie
Your arms and legs and kiss your ass.
BESS
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â No, thanksâ
All in all, I'd rather be put to sleep
Than blown to bits.
HT
:                      Yeahâ¦Ain't you the lady
Flushed her little baby down the toilet?
BESS
: No, that wasn't me.
HT
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â You put it in
The trash incinerator.
BESS
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Guess again.
HT
: The grinder in the sink.
BESS
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Not even close.
HT
: Where
are
those guys?
WILL
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â It doesn't really matter.
I'll have you on the gurney soon enough.
HT
: The gurney? For probation violation?
WILL
: I saw you on
America's Most Wanted.
HT
: Is there no person on this earth who ever
Watches any other program? Try
And hide! I'm like the president!
WILL
: You're guilty of a double homicide.
Today should be your execution day.
HT
: The day's not over yet.
WILL
: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â You goddamn right.
HT
: You make my point. You see these things?
I splay my fingers, on the count of five
We mount to glory on a hand grenade.
WILL
: That's fine with me!
JOHN
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Hold on, hold on!
WILL
: I'll get blown up as long as you do, too.
HT
: I think we're in agreement here. Let's die!
BJ
and
JERRY
enter.
HT
: Don't move, don't anybody move! I swear to God!
â¦Hey, hey, Reverend Billy Jenks, did you
Imagine the trajectories would bang
Us face-to-face on execution day?
BILL JENKS
: You get me believing in things like fate, HT.
HT
: I know. It's just too marvelous for words,
The crowning thing that sets it all aflame!
Actually, I heard it on the news
How you'd be here and all, that's why I came.
BILL JENKS
: Will Blaine.
WILL
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Excuse me, Preacher, I've got business.
HT
[
to
WILL
]: O no you don't! You don't go back in there!
You do not press that button. No you don't!
Not as long as you live! Right here. Right here!
Did I see your hand mashing on that button?
JOHN
: Mom? Are you all right?
BESS
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Who? Me?
JOHN
: Talk to me. Don't just lay there.
BESS
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Blah blah blah.
How's the weather? Blah blah blah your health.
How are they treating my Johnnie at the circus?
JOHN
: When men go murdering murderers, they mock
God's saving work and make a clown of Christ.
That's the message. That's the statement.
BESS
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Well,
I'm glad I lived to hear the explanation.
JERRY
: What are your demands?
HT
:                            Uh-huhâ¦Demands?
JERRY
: Have we surprised you with the question?
HT
:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Yes,