Hell on Wheels s02e07 Episode Script

The White Spirit

- Is he alive, ma'am? - Εxcuse me.
Mr.
Toole.
Gentlemen.
Mr.
Durant is currently seeking medical treatment in Chicago.
- So you don't really know.
- No.
I've not had word yet.
- What if he dies? Where's that leave us? - Well, if - I heard he was already dead when his train pulled out.
- Look, work will not be interrupted.
Progress will continue.
- Can we count on the wages? - Yes.
Yes.
You'll all be paid on time and in full.
- And how will you pay us if the old man dies? - Mr.
Toole - All due respect, ma'am, but you don't have that kind of power.
- Y'all shut up and get back to work.
Mr.
Toole, get these men out to the depot.
We got lumber to load this mornin'.
Let's get to it.
- Right.
Let's go, fellas.
- Are you looking for someone? - What? - You've been staring out that window.
Yeah.
- I'm sorry about your friend.
Dr.
Whitehead.
- Yeah We got a bridge to build.
- Yes.
Come on! - Thank you for coming, Mr.
Bohannon.
No one else did.
My father was very fond of you.
He said you and he were kindred spirits.
- I guess you could say that.
Both saw more than our share of bloodshed.
- Mm.
- Ahem! Miss Ruth I'm the one who put the knife in Joseph's hand.
- It doesn't matter, Mr.
Bohannon.
My father got what he wanted.
Once, he wanted to be a Christian.
In the end, what he really wanted was to be a martyr.
Mm You didn't kill my father, Mr.
Bohannon.
And you didn't kill your friend, the doctor.
They chose their deaths.
- You believe, uh his soul can find peace after all he done? - I want to believe he was redeemable.
- Thought we was all supposed to be redeemable.
- The truth is I think some people are beyond redemption.
- Get that lumber loaded onto that car! You want spuds, you got to work for 'em.
Daylight's a-wasting.
- Mr.
Toole.
I'm working.
- You got any word from Εva yet? - I might've and might not have.
Εither way, I don't think it's any of your concern.
- Like it or not, you know exactly why it's my concern.
- You come here to throw that in me face? - I come here 'cause I care about her.
Same as you do.
- Jesus, am I supposed to stand here and take this? I'm her husband, for God's sake.
- Ain't many husbands would have stood this the way you have.
It can't be easy.
- So, you've come to thank me, then, Mr.
Ferguson? - Don't push your luck.
- Uh, you sent for me, Mrs.
Lily Bell? - Ah I did.
Thank you for coming so quickly.
Mr.
Gundersen, I need your help during Mr.
Durant's absence.
It may only be temporary, but a welcome change, I'm sure.
- Jah.
I'm sorry for what has befallen Mr.
Durant, uh I am happy to help any way I can.
- Great.
- Oh! Uh, so, uh tell me Uh, what is this problem? These are the problems.
I was hoping you could help me - Oh Ah.
Can you make sense of these books? Yes.
- What, you're giving it away, Sean? - It's a good deed for the church, Mick.
- More like for Miss Ruth, I'd say.
- She is the church in this godforsaken pit, Protestant or not.
- She's got your head all twisted about - Her father was just killed.
Where's your sense of charity? - I have a sense of charity.
But you didn't ask me about it first.
We're supposed to be partners, Sean, you and me.
You didn't even ask.
- Can we help you with something? - Ah maybe.
Heard y'all killers want to take that Starlight Saloon for yourselves.
- And why should you care? - 'Cause I can help.
- Carl's not keen to sell.
- He's locked up with a couple of them krauts as well, for protection.
- Since when y'all become scared of a couple Germans? Got me a plan that will make him sell.
- And what'll you be wanting in return for your help? - Nothin'.
I don't want nothin'.
Εxcept a cut of them profits.
Piece of land free and clear down by the river.
- Right.
Look - You got yourself a deal, Mr.
Ferguson.
Well done.
- Alright, then.
Got us a deal.
- Alright, then.
- Have us a lot of drinks.
- Hazel, she was a beautiful woman, hear me? She used to come over from Marshall's farm and help out with the sewing.
Couldn't help but stare, y'know what I mean? She was so fine and I was gonna make her mine, one way or another.
Shoot, I was a lady's man back then, fellas.
When there's ladies around, you understand - Psalms, see you're feeling better.
- Yeah.
- Good.
Then shut up and keep your eye on 'em hills.
You're neglecting your work.
- I ain't neglected nothing.
Work and talk at the same time.
- Apparently, you can't, 'cause you ain't doing it.
So you keep your mouth shut and do what you're paid to do.
You understand me, son? - I understand you real good.
- Mr.
Bohannon.
Pardon me, sir.
Darkies talking seems to help 'em work.
- If I gave a shit what you thought, I'd give you a bottle and ask.
- Εnough noise, lads.
We got a bridge to build.
- Ah.
Good day.
- I see you let the fox in the henhouse.
- Mr.
Gundersen is helping me.
- Like hell he is.
- He was Thomas' bookkeeper for years.
I need him here while Thomas is away.
- Mr.
Bohannon, may I have your reports for review? - He ain't talking to me, is he? - I need to review your work.
Please.
- This right here, this ain't right.
- Oh, is that a new rifle, Mr.
Bohannon? - Matter of fact it is.
- Ah.
- Took it off one of 'em dead Sioux that raided the train.
Where do you think he got it from, huh? - I don't know.
Perhaps you should've asked him before you killed him.
- Really? - Mm.
- Mr.
Bohannon.
Put down your rifle and leave.
- Good day.
- Hey, there, Psalms.
- 'Morning.
- 'Morning.
You look like you thirsty.
Maybe you need a drink tonight.
- Amen.
Thirsty ain't a big enough word for what I'm gonna be.
- How about a barrel? That big enough for you? - Ah, what'd you mean, "barrel"? - Might be able to help you find one.
- Mm.
What kinda help we talking about here? Ah.
- See, now, I'm thinkin' it was the Sioux who made you cut that hair real close.
Are you one of the tribe now? - No, I cut my hair to avoid those nasty lice, Mr.
Bohannon.
I do not fraternize with heathens.
- I know it was you that armed the Indians.
And then you took a harmless drunk, and you lit a fuse.
It's you that's responsible for that massacre out there.
And you're gonna confess to it.
- It was wonderful, wasn't it? Jah.
Bloodthirsty heathens with modern weapons, led by a drunken white man of God.
Mr.
Swede? - Yeah? - You're out your damn mind.
- Death is like a balm to men like you and me.
We are very much alike, in that way.
- Nah.
We ain't alike at all.
- You try to tell yourself that you do not like the killing, but you just can't stop, because death is coming for all of us.
And in that intimate moment, when the person who is dying is not me it is invigorating.
Must've felt something similar when you choked the life out of Harper.
Ah You set me up on that account.
That's on you.
- Mr.
Bohannon, Harper was a terrified, innocent man.
You must've felt some doubt as to his guilt.
Uh, but that doubt it did not stop your fingers from wrapping 'round his throat.
'Course, you also executed your your own good friend, the the doctor.
- Hey! He he asked me to do that.
- He asked you to put a gun to his head and blow his brains out, and you agreed.
But deep down, you must've felt that certain thrill.
Huh? Εnjoyed it, even.
Right there, your desire to kill me, it brings a familiar satisfaction, huh? Right? - You're gonna confess.
Next time, I won't be so civil.
- Confess to what, Mr.
Bohannon? Our nature? You don't need my confession.
Ah, confession.
You only need that to appease Mrs.
Lily Bell.
Isn't that right? - Good job, fellas.
- Mr.
McGinnes! I thought you granted me an extension on the rent.
- Oh.
I wanted to surprise you.
It's a land deed.
- Aye.
I've secured you a a prime plot smack in the centre of town.
- Mr.
McGinnes, the church can't afford to relocate.
We won't be able to pay what's due.
- Ruth, you you came to me in my hour of need.
I simply wanna repay your gesture of kindness.
Can I do that? - Did he confess? - Not yet.
- And you've no other evidence of the crime? Then you'll have to set him free, Mr.
Bohannon.
- Can't do that.
- Look I can't keep my promise to pay the men on time if I can't decipher the accounts.
I need Mr.
Gundersen's help.
He's a dangerous man.
- He's more valuable to me than dangerous to you.
We cannot keep him on suspicion alone.
Do you understand? You've got to let him out.
- Ahem! On whose authority? - You know for whom I'm speaking.
- Um Let him out yourself, then.
- Thank you.
- Never robbed no train.
- This ain't robbin'.
We're just settin' things right.
- Yeah.
Doubt the fat man will see it like that.
- Fat man got one foot in the grave.
- What's goin' on back here? - This ain't your business.
- Oh, now I- I-I don't want no trouble from you negroes.
Well, hell, I just drive the train.
- Well, get your ass back in that cab, then.
Hurry up.
- Whoo-ooh! - What? - Fear of God in that cracker.
Yeah! Ooh-wee! Whoo! Sweet baby Jesus! - Mm-hmm! - I would like to tell you about my imprisonment in Andersonville.
I know you will not refuse free whiskey.
I hear your, uh your Southern prison exposed the bone the marrow truth of of who we are.
- "We"? What, you got a rat in your pocket? In Andersonville, cold rat meat was a delicacy.
And then, of course, human flesh.
They watched as we uh, fought over scraps, and they they laughed.
Jah? We lived in, uh, putrid holes.
We scratched out of the ground.
Drinking and defecating in the same water.
There's disease vermin, starvation and a cold, a cold death.
All the while, you were watching.
When I see you I see them.
I hated you even before we met.
But now you know why you hate me.
Huh? - You're one insane, evil son of a bitch.
- Not insane.
One day very soon, you will understand that.
The reason you hate me is that I am a constant reminder of the capacity for evil that resides within you.
- Mm! Well, Mr.
Swede that ain't gonna be a problem for either of us anymore.
I'm ridin' out of this mule piss town and I ain't lookin' back.
- Skol.
- Mm Εnjoy your new job, Mr.
Swede.
He inside, ma'am.
- Why are you going? - My obligation is to Durant.
He's probably dead by now.
- So much for your honour.
Yeah? You don't know nothin' about it.
- I know that when things get hard, you run.
- You got me all figured out now, huh? - You shot and buried your friend.
Running away won't change that.
- Ah! Give me my bottle.
- Do you know I waited for you? At the dance.
- You sure as hell found quick comfort, didn't you? - You ran away.
You can disagree with my decisions all you like.
But judging my choices won't change yours.
I'm done trying.
There.
Go.
- Ah Dammit.
- Look.
What the hell? - Mr.
Ferguson.
I sent for you.
I ain't your carriage pony.
- Carl came to see me this morning.
Apparently, his whiskey met some saboteurs last night.
- Dangerous times.
Mm-hmm.
Yes, sir.
Sound like you need to speak to your head of security.
- I'm speaking with you.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
Εxcuse me.
You need somebody killed again? - Carl knows you were behind the sabotage.
The engineer said he saw two negroes - You mean niggers.
Look around here, Miss Bell.
There's a lot of us out here.
You reckon that engineer could pick out the two he saw? - Beg your pardon, Mr.
Ferguson.
But I'm neither a bigot nor a fool.
Kindly speak to me with some respect.
- I'm good enough for your dirty work, but I ain't good enough for you to trust with security.
- You're right.
When Mr.
Durant returns, why don't we renegotiate your position? - We don't know if he gonna make it.
I'm done negotiatin'.
I quit.
You best go.
Mm-hmm.
- Get on outta here.
Good whiskey, too.
- Ah Lily? Ah - Haven't left yet.
- Yeah.
Listen, what you said was true.
First thing I did after I buried Doc was pack my saddlebags.
I was just lookin' for a reason.
Then you let Swede out of the pig car, and I just I was gonna up and run.
Just like I always do.
- You didn't.
- No I didn't.
My saddlebags are still packed and, uh Look Durant's half dead.
You know that.
He ain't holdin' me here no more, and neither is that Swedish son of a bitch.
Nothin' is.
Nothing? Why are you still here? - I-I could leave But - I'm glad that you stayed.
- I believe I have deciphered the books, ma'am.
The mileage numbers from the reports are listed here.
But here Huh? The numbers are inflated.
Little bit here, little bit there.
Difficult to notice unless you're looking, but well, they add up.
Mm! - The railroad is paid by the mile.
- It is fraud, ma'am.
- Heard you quit the railroad.
- Gonna build me a house.
- A house? You ever build one? - No.
How hard can it be? - Well, what you gonna do to live? Never figured you for the farming type.
- I got my ways.
- Them Sioux ever manage to get organized, I'm gonna need as many guns as I can get.
You get tired of homesteadin', come and see me, alright? - Then what? Kill the Sioux, finish the road, then what? Ain't no place for me on this railroad.
- Might wanna build that house a little further from the river.
Less likely it'll flood and easier to defend.
Them Sioux will eventually get organized, and they won't care if you work for the railroad or not.
Come on.
Ah! - Carl! We've an offer for you.
- Your niggers destroyed my shipment of whiskey, and you come here wantin' to do business? - You're mistaken, Carl.
We're mates, sure.
- Ah, don't insult the man's intelligence, Sean.
- Let me do the talking, Mick.
- We had the darkies smash up your whiskey barrels.
And if you order another shipment, we'll have them smashed, too.
And then your bar, and then your tent.
And then, I personally will bust your bones to bits, and feed your greasy carcass to the pigs outside.
- If you come anywhere near me or or my place, I'll call Hahn and his crew.
- Hahn? Tell him to bring his friend, the butcher if he can find him.
Oh I thought we were mates.
- We are! Carl, we are.
We're mates.
This is just business.
Sell us the bar, Carl.
We'll give you a good price.
Annabel Annabel where did you go I've looked high and I've looked low I've looked low and I've looked high Tell me where does the spirit go when you die Oh where does the spirit go when you die I have packed your satin gloves and lace All the pictures of your pretty face And I kept the ones of you on skates And a picture from your wedding day Annabel Annabel way up high Are you kissing the starry birds in the sky Will you come and visit us down below Oh Annabel Annabel where did you go Annabel where did you go You will miss the humming of the spring And the winter won't mean anything And the summer is a lonesome dale I am lost without you Annabel I have lost my faith in everything Annabel Annabel are you free Will you wrap me in your legacy In a blanket with your sweet perfume I am always thinking thoughts of you Annabel Annabel where did you go I've looked high and I've looked low Oh I've looked low and I've looked high Tell me where does the spirit go when you die Oh where does the spirit go when you die - Cullen.
- Uh Guess I better get out to the bridge site.
Alright.
CNST, Montreal
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