Jeremiah (2002) s01e17 Episode Script
Out of the Ashes
All right, man, how much longer are we supposed To wait? I'm getting hungry.
Pecking orders.
Our time is not as valuable as Marcus'.
Didn't you get the memo? I'll give him 5 more minutes, man.
5 minutes and we're blowing this place.
"And then the Earth shall tremble.
" You laugh, but a price will be paid for your disrespect.
Sorry, guys.
I hope I didn't keep you waiting.
No, not a problem.
Where's Marcus? Thought you knew.
He's making preparations.
Oh, I'm afraid to ask.
Something I wanted to ask: What's up with this urgent mission? We'd like you to go to Denver.
(Jeremiah) What's in Denver? Some books.
And--and you don't have enough books here? (Lee) Some very important books.
Mostly technical conundrums: Power generation, water purification, all things we expect to be extremely valuable in the next phase of our master plan, when we make our first organized forays into the world topside.
And where are we supposed to find these books? Exactly where you'd expect to find them.
You expect us to go crawling through dumpsters? I want you to go to a certain library, one of the few where the collections have survived.
11th and Colfax.
You know Denver? I know Denver.
[bird cawing.]
[Jeremiah whistles.]
(Jeremiah) This is gonna be harder than I thought.
(Kurdy) I don't know, man.
A lot of these books look like they're still where they're supposed to be.
Well, I hope they're not organized with that Dolby decimal thing, 'cause I never did get the hang of that.
923-- Oh, look at that: The count of Monte cristo.
Somehow, I don't think that's on Lee's list.
Yeah, well, good, 'cause it's not for Lee.
[gun cocking.]
You want to check out books, w-we got a procedure for it.
You don't just take 'em.
And who the hell are you? Who do you think I am? I'm the librarian.
(Jeremiah) Dear dad, it's been 15 years since the Big Death wiped out everyone over the age of innocence.
The end of your world, the beginning of mine.
Right, it's just, uh, you know, most librarians we know don't pack a shotgun.
Yeah, well, somebody's gotta defend what's left of this place.
Defend it? From who? Then you're not one of them? That depends on who they are.
Uh, a c-- a couple months ago, this, uh, armed group descended on us, order of the final grace.
It's a highfalutin' name for a bunch of ignorant parasites.
So, what, this group, they want to do you in or something? Not me, no.
It's--it's the books.
I lost count of how many they've taken.
It's hard to believe that anybody who values books would resort to violence.
Value them? They're doing everything they can to destroy them.
I don't get it.
See, they're fundamentalist.
They're, uh, zealots.
They're convinced it was-- It was books that brought on the Big Death.
That's crazy.
See, now, if it's the books that they're after, why not just torch the whole building? See, I was worried about that for a while, but they get more mileage out of regular book burnings on the street.
It's--it's a ritual thing, I guess.
That's--that's how they drum up new recruits for their sect.
And it's just you holding down the fort? Nobody else wants to put their life on the line.
I tried to get help, believe me.
And this order of whatever you called it, they're coming back? They come back every couple of days, soon as they run out of fuel for their bonfires.
Well, next time they do, you won't be fighting them by yourself.
Are you serious? Are you serious? Yeah, I got a thing about libraries, man.
They are more sacred than churches to me, and if somebody wants to pillage this temple, they gotta come through me.
Don't forget why we came here.
Yeah, I remember why we came here.
Listen, uh Edgar.
Edgar, we have a few books we want to check out ourselves.
Look, if--if--if we've got 'em, you're more than welcome to borrow 'em.
Hell, if--if you help me defend this place, you could even wind up assistant librarians.
See? [scoffs.]
Hey, you find something? Yeah, it's, uh, nothing Thunder Mountain would be interested in, but I like it.
Poetry? (Laura) Gonna read me some poetry, Jer? (Laura) Gonna read me some poetry, Jer? (Jeremiah) My mom, she was a teacher.
She'd read to me all the time.
She loved poetry.
(Laura) Never had much use for books when I was a kid.
even less now.
[books thudding.]
I used to ask: "Is this gonna be on the test?" "Are we ever gonna use any of this when we get older?" European history, physics, astronomy, all these books And not one of 'em tell you what to do when you run out of water [cup tumbling.]
How to make bullets, how to bury your mother and your father.
Useless goddamn shit! [Laura sobbing.]
Gonna read me a poem, Jer? Hey, Kurdy, I was thinking, we, uh, probably ought to get the Rover off the street.
It's not a good idea.
Just asking for trouble.
Well, if you're suggesting taking it out to the woods, somebody's got a long, lonely haul back.
That's all right.
I don't mind.
Besides, I want to look somebody up, as long as we're in town.
This isn't one of those payback things, is it? No, no, no.
It's just an old friend of mine.
I'll be back first thing in the morning.
What've you got there, Robinson Crusoe? Man, I carried this book around for a long time, till somebody stole my pack.
So you're cool if I split? Yeah, I'm cool.
I'm sure I'm not gonna have a problem passing the time.
Heard you were leaving today.
Yeah, I figure I'll head out pretty soon, myself.
There's nothing left to salvage, and, uh, it's getting pretty crazy around here, you know what I mean? I hear there's still some stuff up north.
Jamey said there's one of those underground shopping malls nobody's found out about yet.
They've still got clothes, batteries, all kinds of stuff.
You could come if you want.
Thanks, but, um, I think I'm heading west.
Oh, OK.
Sure.
Another letter? Yeah.
Hey, Jeremiah, you-- You ever wonder where the wind goes? Every day.
Take care, Red.
You, too.
Man, I remember the first couple of times reading Robinson Crusoe, It taught me a lot about survival.
He was a--a pretty good survivor, was he? Oh, you haven't read it? Oh, man, this is one of the great books of all.
This guy gets stuck on an island, and he ends up creating his own world there.
And what happens? Well, I'm not gonna spoil it for you.
You just have to read it your damn self.
(Kurdy) I mean, that is the great thing about literature, right? Picks you up and transports you, kind of like a magic carpet.
Yeah.
I'll bet you could spend 100 lifetimes in this 1 library and not get through all these books.
No, probably not.
Well, you must have read a lot of 'em, seeing as how you live here and all.
I say something wrong? You do live here, don't you? Yeah, I live here.
It's just that, uh Just forget it.
No, what? What'd you want to tell me? You can't read that, can you? [people chattering.]
Hey, Red.
[laughs.]
Holy shit.
If that don't beat all.
Jeremiah.
How you doing, man? Staying above water.
Yeah? You're good? A lot of folks around here were betting you'd never come back.
Who, me? One story had you running grow ops from Mendocino to the Oregon border.
Oh, the optimists had me as a drug kingpin.
How about the naysayers? They said you took a low, hard one fighting an army of skinheads.
Actually, they got the worst of that deal.
You ever find what you were looking for? Well, I don't know if that's in the cards for any of us, my friend.
I f-- I feel like I have.
Oh, yeah? Her name's Maggie.
[laughs.]
She's really incredible.
For one thing, she makes these angels here.
She takes old plastic spoons and forks and melts them with candles.
Wow.
People who trade for 'em say they bring good luck.
She's a very talented young lady.
She's good people.
You don't find 'em like Maggie every day.
No.
No, you don't.
Hey, uh, I don't know if you got a place to stay or anything, but I'd love it if you could meet her.
I've told her all about you.
Well Sure.
Why not? [red chuckles.]
Honey, you here? I got someone I want you to meet.
(Maggie) Hang on.
Maggie, this is the guy I've been telling you about, Jeremiah.
Hey, uh, Maggie, how you doing? Well, Red here swears you can walk on water.
(Jeremiah) It's the inflatable shoes.
Enough practice, anybody can do it.
You're staying for dinner, aren't you? Yeah, of course he is.
Of course I am.
Good.
Come on in.
(Jeremiah) I eat food out of a can around a campfire.
(Maggie) Mmm-hmm.
Kurdy's a nice guy, but he can't cook.
Where did you two meet? Um, pickup basketball game.
And they were looking for a power forward, so naturally, they came to me.
(Red) Truth is, I was pretty close to hitting bottom.
I'd just come back from up north.
Do you remember that underground shopping mall? Supposed to be some kind of paradise? Mmm.
Picked clean? How'd you know? Wild guess.
Anyway, I was sleeping on the street, and I woke up one morning with this angel on top of me.
Don't give him the wrong idea.
[laughs.]
Oh, I mean one of Maggie's plastic angels.
(Red) I looked around, couldn't figure out who left it, then Maggie rolls up in her chair.
When I was a kid, I was always bringing puppies home, and I guess I never got cured of it.
Well, you're lucky.
At least Red's housebroken.
Yeah, working on it, anyway.
So where are you coming from? About 100 miles south.
(Maggie) Well, you must have been on the road a while.
Yeah, a little while, but we're lucky we got wheels.
I mean, uh You got a vehicle, huh? Yeah, we have a vehicle.
Ask him, Maggie.
I don't think so, Red.
You may not get another chance.
Ask me what? Red and I have always said that if we found someone with a car (Red) Look, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but Maggie's got this box of ashes from her father.
Actually, they are my father.
(Red) Yeah.
Anyway, Maggie promised her dad she'd take his ashes and scatter them near a branch of the Colorado where they grew up.
You must have made that promise a long time ago.
Well, I haven't exactly been that mobile since the accident, so months turned into years.
(Red) Will you do it, Jeremiah? It would mean so much to her, to both of us.
[dogs barking in distance.]
Sure.
Yeah.
I know what you're thinking.
You do? (Edgar) I may not be able to read books, but I know how to read people.
It does make me wonder How someone like me got so hung up on saving a library? Yeah, something like that.
I remember when I was really young, I used to watch these older kids reading books, and I'd stare at these words, and I-- and I thought: "Wow, that's like magic.
" My mom was gonna teach me, but she figured I'd be going to school soon enough.
And then the Big Death came, and then just staying alive was like a full-time job.
And there weren't any older kids who would take the time to teach you? I was lucky just to make it from one day to the next.
Didn't leave much time for learning.
I'd get called all kinds of names.
I was the butt of jokes.
Bunch of assholes always on my case.
Yeah, well, kids can be pretty mean when they want to be.
One thing I did figure out was how to fake it, anything to keep people from finding out.
Yeah, well, the world we're in, that's called survival.
I know that's true.
I know it in my head.
That's not the same thing as knowing it in here.
How'd you end up in a library, anyway? One day, I just stumbled in.
It was rainin', and it was, uh, shelter from the storm.
There was this sweet young girl, and I asked her what she was readin', and she read this poem out loud, and I asked her to repeat it.
Once, then twice, and then over and over until I had it memorized.
And then the next time I saw those pricks, I opened up that book.
It looked like I was readin' the poem.
Shut them up good.
Then after that, everything changed.
See, I was surrounded by all of these books, and I don't know, it was Even though I couldn't read 'em, it was-- it was comforting, like I was In my mother's arms or something.
What was the poem? You probably never heard of it.
"What happens to a dream deferred?" "Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" "Or fester like a sore And then run?" Langston Hughes.
You know, these bastards who are stealing my books and burning them, they're not going to be easy to stop.
Maybe not, but we will stop them.
That's a promise.
It's weird being in a car after so long.
The trees rushing by, and Must give you an incredible sense of freedom, huh? Why? 'cause I'm stuck in a wheelchair? No, I--I-- I didn't mean it Like that.
I'm saying-- No, it's OK, I--I know-- I know what you meant.
I get it a lot.
I didn't mean anything by that.
(Red) Just--just let it go.
Just let it go.
(Edgar) Have you always loved books? Most of the times, they were the only friends I had.
See, I was lucky, though.
There was a girl in my building: Ricki.
She'd read to me.
I'd recognize certain words, and before I knew it, I started reading simple things on my own.
See, you make it sound like it's--it's so simple.
Well, it's not a walk in the park, but anybody can do it if given half a chance.
Listen, just, uh, just write down what you're taking out, and that--that'll be fine.
[door opens.]
Behold, the devil's playground.
Gather 'em up, boys.
Fuel for the fires of hell.
[gun cocking.]
[gasps.]
[empty clicking.]
Nothing about bullets in those books of yours? What the fuck are you doing? Isn't it obvious? I'm ridding the world of a scourge.
And you think you're doing that by burning books? Our ancestors worshipped at the altar of knowledge.
Look where it got 'em.
They were destroyed by their intoxication with words, with ideas.
They were destroyed by a disease.
And that disease is knowledge.
So what do you worship? Ignorance? It's these books that spread ignorance, that spread dissatisfaction and unease from one generation to the next.
We don't need false prophets or conversations with dead men to tell us how to live our lives.
You don't like books, fine.
Don't read 'em.
Don't look at 'em if you don't want to, but don't try to force your beliefs on the rest of us.
It's our duty to strike down the heretics.
"Heretics"? Nice word.
Where'd you pick it up? A book? If you're so convinced your ways have validity, then why do you need clubs to persuade people? We are defending humankind from powerful forces, and we will use whatever measures necessary to ensure our survival.
(Kurdy) You want to cart away any more books, you're gonna have to cart away a bunch of us first.
Fine by me.
Hey, there are more of us than there are of them.
I know their type.
They're cowards.
Come on, people.
[grunting.]
[grunting.]
[all grunting.]
[groaning.]
I'm gonna go find some more firewood.
(Jeremiah) Good luck.
You still mad at something? Don't take it personally, Jeremiah.
It's kind of hard not to.
It's not you.
It's the whole world out there.
So you're mad at the whole world.
Aren't you? Yeah, sometimes.
Got to try to learn to let that go.
I never got the hang of that.
Yeah.
Red tell you what happened to me? Mmm-mmm.
I got hit by a car, before they became an endangered species.
I was 10.
Phew.
And the kid was drunk, driving a wreck with no brakes.
He shattered both my legs.
You know, a lot of people might not even have survived that accident.
Glass half full? Yes.
I don't see it that way at all.
If it hadn't been for the death, I would have been taken to a hospital, my legs would have been put in casts.
Over time, I'd be good as new.
So, your legs, they didn't heal properly? And I try not to be bitter, and play the hand I'm dealt, and Sometimes, I just hope that there is no God, 'cause if there is, he is one cruel son of a bitch.
You've got a lot going for you, Maggie.
Is that so? Yeah.
Y-you're very creative, you're beautiful, smart.
You've got a great guy in Red, and he loves you.
I'm sorry, Jeremiah.
Counting your blessings when you feel that you've been cursed is a lot harder than you could possibly understand.
That's why I don't pretend to understand much of anything.
And Red's great The only one who really loved me, loved me unconditionally, was my father, and all I've got left of him is in that fucking box.
Sounds to me like dumping these ashes is, uh Means more than just keeping a promise.
I've been waiting to do it for so long.
And what happens when it's over? I know it won't change the past.
Oh, hell, Maggie, there is no past.
There's just shadows we call memories.
There's no future, either.
The occasional glimmer of hope.
All we really have a shot at holding on to is right here, right now.
[sighs.]
You folks really believe if you just run and hide, these thugs are gonna lose interest and let you keep all this? It's not gonna happen, people.
They're gonna come back again and again, eating away at all of these treasures like locusts in the wheat field.
And they're not going to stop until every grain is gone, till every book is burned, till every word is erased.
And when they're done, they're going to move on to the next town, to the next library.
I can see it now.
parents telling their kids: "When I was your age, we had these things called books.
" Look at yourself.
Those guys damn near killed you.
Just 'cause you're crazy enough to take 'em on doesn't mean we are.
It's not my sacrifice that means a damn thing.
Look at Edgar here.
Please-- No, no, Edgar, they need to know.
This man cannot read! Now, think about that.
But he doesn't have to know how to read to know that these books, that all books, feed us.
They nurture us.
Now, here's a man who's starving for that kind of nourishment, and what does he do? He devotes himself to feeding you.
(patron) We didn't know, all right? It's not like we don't appreciate it.
I mean, we'd do anything for Edgar.
(Kurdy) Anything but to keep his life from becoming meaningless.
When the Big Death happened, it was like a huge cleaver came down and chopped history in 2, separated us from everything that came before.
Now, how are we to know where we're going if we don't know where we've been? These books are our bridge to our past.
They allow us to touch other lives, generation upon generation: Artists, philosophers, poets.
We let them die, we're burning those bridges.
We let these words die, we are killing our history as well as our future.
These assholes are coming back, And if we don't pull together, we lose.
It's as simple as that.
We lose.
[birds cawing.]
(Jeremiah) OK, that's about as far as we can go in the truck.
Looks like we're gonna have to go the last 2, maybe 3 miles on foot.
What do you think? You got it.
Well, I wish I could tell you the chair would help, but trails like this, it's pretty much useless.
That's no problem, Maggie.
We'll just figure out a way - to carry you, right, Jeremiah? - Right, right.
Uh, sure.
You know what? I got some ropes in the back, a big piece of canvas.
Maybe we could, uh, cut some limbs and rig up some kind of sling.
You sorry you signed on for this, Jeremiah? Who, me? No.
There's nothing I like more than a challenge.
That's about the only thing I promise I can deliver.
Right.
You had no right to do that, Kurdy.
Now everybody knows.
Edgar, it's important that people understand the sacrifices you're making here.
Such a freakin' fool.
Hey, that's bullshit.
Hey, can you just please keep your voice down? And then maybe just leave me alone.
Let me tell you something, Edgar.
This wall is about to come down right now.
Do you hear me? I've tried.
It's no use.
I've tried.
Look, I--I--I have some sort of learning block.
I'll never be able to read, and that's-- that's just the way it is.
[sighs.]
Look, whatever your problem is, Edgar, it's not as stubborn as me.
We made it.
There's the river.
(Jeremiah) You got those ashes, Maggie? No, I can't.
What do you mean, you can't? I mean, we came here so you could spread the ashes in the river.
Yes, in the middle of the river.
That's what I promised.
We'll take that.
(Jeremiah) Whoa.
Uh And did I mention you had a great sense of humor, Maggie? OK, now, we're gonna start nice and simple, all right? You got time, and I got time, so no pressure.
Now For the first time out, I'm gonna do the reading, and you look at each word I point to.
Here we go.
"My cat" "is small.
" "Your dog is big.
" "My cat can run.
" "Your dog can dig.
" It's not Langston Hughes, but it's a start.
OK.
- "My" - "My" - "cat" - "cat" "is" (both) "small.
" OK, let me get this straight.
You want to spread those ashes over the middle of that river? Mmm-hmm.
It's what I promised my father the last time he took me out in the gondola.
I didn't come all this way to keep half a promise.
This ain't going anywhere, unless you got something to break a chain.
Well, I'll be damned.
Guys, I hate to be the one to mention this, but, you know, if you stand on the side and fling those ashes out, they'll float down the middle.
It'll pretty much be the same.
I thought you said you liked a challenge.
Challenge, yes.
Suicide, not today.
What the hell is it, anyway? It's an old mining rig.
They used it to take supplies back and forth across the river.
That's how we used to get to our cabin.
Well, if it was old then, it's ancient now.
Looks pretty strong to me.
Yeah, that's the basket.
It's the cable I'm worried about.
Is this something that you really want to do, Maggie? Yes, I'm really sure this is something I want to do.
[sighs.]
OK, give me those ashes.
I'm taking a ride.
No way.
She wants me to do it.
Can I speak for myself, please? Look, my father took me out in the basket a hundred times, and this is my thing.
If anybody's gonna risk their life, it's gonna be me.
(Red) Maggie, you're crazy.
How long have you known me, Red? 6 months.
And what are the chances I'm gonna change my mind about this? - Zero.
- Thank you.
OK, well, I'm going with you.
(Maggie) I can do it by myself.
How long have you known me, Red? He's going with you, Maggie.
Thank you.
"W-where" "is my" "g-g-God?" Oh, Edgar, listen.
You--you gotta concentrate.
You have to focus.
Now, remember, this is d-o-g, not g-o What? You keep switching these letters around.
All right.
Now--now, o-once you realize that your brain is doing that, switching these letters around, then it's up to you to focus and concentrate and avoid doing that.
OK? Try.
"M-my" "cat is" "h-h-here.
" "W-where is my dog?" [laughs.]
Where is my dog? [both laughing.]
Where is my dog? All right.
[cable squeaking.]
[Jeremiah panting.]
Oh, God help us.
Just don't look down.
I know.
[cable groaning.]
Ohh! I thought you said you'd done this, like, a hundred times.
Yes.
I never said that I liked it.
Are you OK? I'm fine.
Let's just keep going.
(Red shouting) Nice and easy.
You're looking good.
Stop.
Right here.
[crying.]
You would have liked him, Jeremiah.
He was a lot like you.
You're home, daddy.
You're finally home.
(Red) Yeah! Whoo-hoo! "I c-can s" - See.
- Se-- See.
"I can see" "I can see the dog.
" [laughing.]
Do you see? Yeah, I--I--I started to see that.
Yeah, yeah.
You're getting it, man.
I'm--I'm--I'm--I'm not switching it around as much as I used to do.
There you go.
[door opens.]
(Rourke) Judgment day, boys.
Now, if it were really judgment day, you'd be the one burning in hell.
Back for more, huh? You really burn these books to rally more troops? Damn right.
Well, let me tell you something about history, something I learned from books.
People like you always make the same mistake.
And what mistake is that, my learned friend? You don't offer anything positive.
Your whole message is negative "Books are the enemy.
Intellectuals are the enemy.
" There's never been a movement that ran on hate alone that didn't run out of steam.
Maybe you underestimate how much steam we've got.
Maybe you don't know the difference between steam and hot air.
Storytime's over.
What's the matter? You didn't get enough of a beating last time? [groans.]
I'm not gonna let you do this.
And I'm not gonna let you stop me.
Back off, you piece of shit.
(Kurdy) Well, I guess you are getting the word out.
That man knows your name.
You want to get beaten, too? I got no problem with that.
This is Edgar's library.
This is our library.
Nobody harms him.
Hell, nobody harms a book without paying the price.
Hey.
You people have picked the wrong side to fight for.
Well, it seems people are making that mistake left and right.
[gun fires.]
[person gasps.]
This ain't over.
Yes, it is.
Get the hell out of here, man, and don't ever come back.
Let's go.
This shithole ain't worth the trouble.
[people chattering.]
Thank you.
(Jeremiah) Dear dad, most days I look around, and I just can't win for losing.
I want to surrender, Wave the white flag and give up, and then there are days like today, when I realize that all we can hope for is the small victories.
In the end, they may be the only ones that count.
original source: peritta synced and corrected: quinnell
Pecking orders.
Our time is not as valuable as Marcus'.
Didn't you get the memo? I'll give him 5 more minutes, man.
5 minutes and we're blowing this place.
"And then the Earth shall tremble.
" You laugh, but a price will be paid for your disrespect.
Sorry, guys.
I hope I didn't keep you waiting.
No, not a problem.
Where's Marcus? Thought you knew.
He's making preparations.
Oh, I'm afraid to ask.
Something I wanted to ask: What's up with this urgent mission? We'd like you to go to Denver.
(Jeremiah) What's in Denver? Some books.
And--and you don't have enough books here? (Lee) Some very important books.
Mostly technical conundrums: Power generation, water purification, all things we expect to be extremely valuable in the next phase of our master plan, when we make our first organized forays into the world topside.
And where are we supposed to find these books? Exactly where you'd expect to find them.
You expect us to go crawling through dumpsters? I want you to go to a certain library, one of the few where the collections have survived.
11th and Colfax.
You know Denver? I know Denver.
[bird cawing.]
[Jeremiah whistles.]
(Jeremiah) This is gonna be harder than I thought.
(Kurdy) I don't know, man.
A lot of these books look like they're still where they're supposed to be.
Well, I hope they're not organized with that Dolby decimal thing, 'cause I never did get the hang of that.
923-- Oh, look at that: The count of Monte cristo.
Somehow, I don't think that's on Lee's list.
Yeah, well, good, 'cause it's not for Lee.
[gun cocking.]
You want to check out books, w-we got a procedure for it.
You don't just take 'em.
And who the hell are you? Who do you think I am? I'm the librarian.
(Jeremiah) Dear dad, it's been 15 years since the Big Death wiped out everyone over the age of innocence.
The end of your world, the beginning of mine.
Right, it's just, uh, you know, most librarians we know don't pack a shotgun.
Yeah, well, somebody's gotta defend what's left of this place.
Defend it? From who? Then you're not one of them? That depends on who they are.
Uh, a c-- a couple months ago, this, uh, armed group descended on us, order of the final grace.
It's a highfalutin' name for a bunch of ignorant parasites.
So, what, this group, they want to do you in or something? Not me, no.
It's--it's the books.
I lost count of how many they've taken.
It's hard to believe that anybody who values books would resort to violence.
Value them? They're doing everything they can to destroy them.
I don't get it.
See, they're fundamentalist.
They're, uh, zealots.
They're convinced it was-- It was books that brought on the Big Death.
That's crazy.
See, now, if it's the books that they're after, why not just torch the whole building? See, I was worried about that for a while, but they get more mileage out of regular book burnings on the street.
It's--it's a ritual thing, I guess.
That's--that's how they drum up new recruits for their sect.
And it's just you holding down the fort? Nobody else wants to put their life on the line.
I tried to get help, believe me.
And this order of whatever you called it, they're coming back? They come back every couple of days, soon as they run out of fuel for their bonfires.
Well, next time they do, you won't be fighting them by yourself.
Are you serious? Are you serious? Yeah, I got a thing about libraries, man.
They are more sacred than churches to me, and if somebody wants to pillage this temple, they gotta come through me.
Don't forget why we came here.
Yeah, I remember why we came here.
Listen, uh Edgar.
Edgar, we have a few books we want to check out ourselves.
Look, if--if--if we've got 'em, you're more than welcome to borrow 'em.
Hell, if--if you help me defend this place, you could even wind up assistant librarians.
See? [scoffs.]
Hey, you find something? Yeah, it's, uh, nothing Thunder Mountain would be interested in, but I like it.
Poetry? (Laura) Gonna read me some poetry, Jer? (Laura) Gonna read me some poetry, Jer? (Jeremiah) My mom, she was a teacher.
She'd read to me all the time.
She loved poetry.
(Laura) Never had much use for books when I was a kid.
even less now.
[books thudding.]
I used to ask: "Is this gonna be on the test?" "Are we ever gonna use any of this when we get older?" European history, physics, astronomy, all these books And not one of 'em tell you what to do when you run out of water [cup tumbling.]
How to make bullets, how to bury your mother and your father.
Useless goddamn shit! [Laura sobbing.]
Gonna read me a poem, Jer? Hey, Kurdy, I was thinking, we, uh, probably ought to get the Rover off the street.
It's not a good idea.
Just asking for trouble.
Well, if you're suggesting taking it out to the woods, somebody's got a long, lonely haul back.
That's all right.
I don't mind.
Besides, I want to look somebody up, as long as we're in town.
This isn't one of those payback things, is it? No, no, no.
It's just an old friend of mine.
I'll be back first thing in the morning.
What've you got there, Robinson Crusoe? Man, I carried this book around for a long time, till somebody stole my pack.
So you're cool if I split? Yeah, I'm cool.
I'm sure I'm not gonna have a problem passing the time.
Heard you were leaving today.
Yeah, I figure I'll head out pretty soon, myself.
There's nothing left to salvage, and, uh, it's getting pretty crazy around here, you know what I mean? I hear there's still some stuff up north.
Jamey said there's one of those underground shopping malls nobody's found out about yet.
They've still got clothes, batteries, all kinds of stuff.
You could come if you want.
Thanks, but, um, I think I'm heading west.
Oh, OK.
Sure.
Another letter? Yeah.
Hey, Jeremiah, you-- You ever wonder where the wind goes? Every day.
Take care, Red.
You, too.
Man, I remember the first couple of times reading Robinson Crusoe, It taught me a lot about survival.
He was a--a pretty good survivor, was he? Oh, you haven't read it? Oh, man, this is one of the great books of all.
This guy gets stuck on an island, and he ends up creating his own world there.
And what happens? Well, I'm not gonna spoil it for you.
You just have to read it your damn self.
(Kurdy) I mean, that is the great thing about literature, right? Picks you up and transports you, kind of like a magic carpet.
Yeah.
I'll bet you could spend 100 lifetimes in this 1 library and not get through all these books.
No, probably not.
Well, you must have read a lot of 'em, seeing as how you live here and all.
I say something wrong? You do live here, don't you? Yeah, I live here.
It's just that, uh Just forget it.
No, what? What'd you want to tell me? You can't read that, can you? [people chattering.]
Hey, Red.
[laughs.]
Holy shit.
If that don't beat all.
Jeremiah.
How you doing, man? Staying above water.
Yeah? You're good? A lot of folks around here were betting you'd never come back.
Who, me? One story had you running grow ops from Mendocino to the Oregon border.
Oh, the optimists had me as a drug kingpin.
How about the naysayers? They said you took a low, hard one fighting an army of skinheads.
Actually, they got the worst of that deal.
You ever find what you were looking for? Well, I don't know if that's in the cards for any of us, my friend.
I f-- I feel like I have.
Oh, yeah? Her name's Maggie.
[laughs.]
She's really incredible.
For one thing, she makes these angels here.
She takes old plastic spoons and forks and melts them with candles.
Wow.
People who trade for 'em say they bring good luck.
She's a very talented young lady.
She's good people.
You don't find 'em like Maggie every day.
No.
No, you don't.
Hey, uh, I don't know if you got a place to stay or anything, but I'd love it if you could meet her.
I've told her all about you.
Well Sure.
Why not? [red chuckles.]
Honey, you here? I got someone I want you to meet.
(Maggie) Hang on.
Maggie, this is the guy I've been telling you about, Jeremiah.
Hey, uh, Maggie, how you doing? Well, Red here swears you can walk on water.
(Jeremiah) It's the inflatable shoes.
Enough practice, anybody can do it.
You're staying for dinner, aren't you? Yeah, of course he is.
Of course I am.
Good.
Come on in.
(Jeremiah) I eat food out of a can around a campfire.
(Maggie) Mmm-hmm.
Kurdy's a nice guy, but he can't cook.
Where did you two meet? Um, pickup basketball game.
And they were looking for a power forward, so naturally, they came to me.
(Red) Truth is, I was pretty close to hitting bottom.
I'd just come back from up north.
Do you remember that underground shopping mall? Supposed to be some kind of paradise? Mmm.
Picked clean? How'd you know? Wild guess.
Anyway, I was sleeping on the street, and I woke up one morning with this angel on top of me.
Don't give him the wrong idea.
[laughs.]
Oh, I mean one of Maggie's plastic angels.
(Red) I looked around, couldn't figure out who left it, then Maggie rolls up in her chair.
When I was a kid, I was always bringing puppies home, and I guess I never got cured of it.
Well, you're lucky.
At least Red's housebroken.
Yeah, working on it, anyway.
So where are you coming from? About 100 miles south.
(Maggie) Well, you must have been on the road a while.
Yeah, a little while, but we're lucky we got wheels.
I mean, uh You got a vehicle, huh? Yeah, we have a vehicle.
Ask him, Maggie.
I don't think so, Red.
You may not get another chance.
Ask me what? Red and I have always said that if we found someone with a car (Red) Look, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but Maggie's got this box of ashes from her father.
Actually, they are my father.
(Red) Yeah.
Anyway, Maggie promised her dad she'd take his ashes and scatter them near a branch of the Colorado where they grew up.
You must have made that promise a long time ago.
Well, I haven't exactly been that mobile since the accident, so months turned into years.
(Red) Will you do it, Jeremiah? It would mean so much to her, to both of us.
[dogs barking in distance.]
Sure.
Yeah.
I know what you're thinking.
You do? (Edgar) I may not be able to read books, but I know how to read people.
It does make me wonder How someone like me got so hung up on saving a library? Yeah, something like that.
I remember when I was really young, I used to watch these older kids reading books, and I'd stare at these words, and I-- and I thought: "Wow, that's like magic.
" My mom was gonna teach me, but she figured I'd be going to school soon enough.
And then the Big Death came, and then just staying alive was like a full-time job.
And there weren't any older kids who would take the time to teach you? I was lucky just to make it from one day to the next.
Didn't leave much time for learning.
I'd get called all kinds of names.
I was the butt of jokes.
Bunch of assholes always on my case.
Yeah, well, kids can be pretty mean when they want to be.
One thing I did figure out was how to fake it, anything to keep people from finding out.
Yeah, well, the world we're in, that's called survival.
I know that's true.
I know it in my head.
That's not the same thing as knowing it in here.
How'd you end up in a library, anyway? One day, I just stumbled in.
It was rainin', and it was, uh, shelter from the storm.
There was this sweet young girl, and I asked her what she was readin', and she read this poem out loud, and I asked her to repeat it.
Once, then twice, and then over and over until I had it memorized.
And then the next time I saw those pricks, I opened up that book.
It looked like I was readin' the poem.
Shut them up good.
Then after that, everything changed.
See, I was surrounded by all of these books, and I don't know, it was Even though I couldn't read 'em, it was-- it was comforting, like I was In my mother's arms or something.
What was the poem? You probably never heard of it.
"What happens to a dream deferred?" "Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?" "Or fester like a sore And then run?" Langston Hughes.
You know, these bastards who are stealing my books and burning them, they're not going to be easy to stop.
Maybe not, but we will stop them.
That's a promise.
It's weird being in a car after so long.
The trees rushing by, and Must give you an incredible sense of freedom, huh? Why? 'cause I'm stuck in a wheelchair? No, I--I-- I didn't mean it Like that.
I'm saying-- No, it's OK, I--I know-- I know what you meant.
I get it a lot.
I didn't mean anything by that.
(Red) Just--just let it go.
Just let it go.
(Edgar) Have you always loved books? Most of the times, they were the only friends I had.
See, I was lucky, though.
There was a girl in my building: Ricki.
She'd read to me.
I'd recognize certain words, and before I knew it, I started reading simple things on my own.
See, you make it sound like it's--it's so simple.
Well, it's not a walk in the park, but anybody can do it if given half a chance.
Listen, just, uh, just write down what you're taking out, and that--that'll be fine.
[door opens.]
Behold, the devil's playground.
Gather 'em up, boys.
Fuel for the fires of hell.
[gun cocking.]
[gasps.]
[empty clicking.]
Nothing about bullets in those books of yours? What the fuck are you doing? Isn't it obvious? I'm ridding the world of a scourge.
And you think you're doing that by burning books? Our ancestors worshipped at the altar of knowledge.
Look where it got 'em.
They were destroyed by their intoxication with words, with ideas.
They were destroyed by a disease.
And that disease is knowledge.
So what do you worship? Ignorance? It's these books that spread ignorance, that spread dissatisfaction and unease from one generation to the next.
We don't need false prophets or conversations with dead men to tell us how to live our lives.
You don't like books, fine.
Don't read 'em.
Don't look at 'em if you don't want to, but don't try to force your beliefs on the rest of us.
It's our duty to strike down the heretics.
"Heretics"? Nice word.
Where'd you pick it up? A book? If you're so convinced your ways have validity, then why do you need clubs to persuade people? We are defending humankind from powerful forces, and we will use whatever measures necessary to ensure our survival.
(Kurdy) You want to cart away any more books, you're gonna have to cart away a bunch of us first.
Fine by me.
Hey, there are more of us than there are of them.
I know their type.
They're cowards.
Come on, people.
[grunting.]
[grunting.]
[all grunting.]
[groaning.]
I'm gonna go find some more firewood.
(Jeremiah) Good luck.
You still mad at something? Don't take it personally, Jeremiah.
It's kind of hard not to.
It's not you.
It's the whole world out there.
So you're mad at the whole world.
Aren't you? Yeah, sometimes.
Got to try to learn to let that go.
I never got the hang of that.
Yeah.
Red tell you what happened to me? Mmm-mmm.
I got hit by a car, before they became an endangered species.
I was 10.
Phew.
And the kid was drunk, driving a wreck with no brakes.
He shattered both my legs.
You know, a lot of people might not even have survived that accident.
Glass half full? Yes.
I don't see it that way at all.
If it hadn't been for the death, I would have been taken to a hospital, my legs would have been put in casts.
Over time, I'd be good as new.
So, your legs, they didn't heal properly? And I try not to be bitter, and play the hand I'm dealt, and Sometimes, I just hope that there is no God, 'cause if there is, he is one cruel son of a bitch.
You've got a lot going for you, Maggie.
Is that so? Yeah.
Y-you're very creative, you're beautiful, smart.
You've got a great guy in Red, and he loves you.
I'm sorry, Jeremiah.
Counting your blessings when you feel that you've been cursed is a lot harder than you could possibly understand.
That's why I don't pretend to understand much of anything.
And Red's great The only one who really loved me, loved me unconditionally, was my father, and all I've got left of him is in that fucking box.
Sounds to me like dumping these ashes is, uh Means more than just keeping a promise.
I've been waiting to do it for so long.
And what happens when it's over? I know it won't change the past.
Oh, hell, Maggie, there is no past.
There's just shadows we call memories.
There's no future, either.
The occasional glimmer of hope.
All we really have a shot at holding on to is right here, right now.
[sighs.]
You folks really believe if you just run and hide, these thugs are gonna lose interest and let you keep all this? It's not gonna happen, people.
They're gonna come back again and again, eating away at all of these treasures like locusts in the wheat field.
And they're not going to stop until every grain is gone, till every book is burned, till every word is erased.
And when they're done, they're going to move on to the next town, to the next library.
I can see it now.
parents telling their kids: "When I was your age, we had these things called books.
" Look at yourself.
Those guys damn near killed you.
Just 'cause you're crazy enough to take 'em on doesn't mean we are.
It's not my sacrifice that means a damn thing.
Look at Edgar here.
Please-- No, no, Edgar, they need to know.
This man cannot read! Now, think about that.
But he doesn't have to know how to read to know that these books, that all books, feed us.
They nurture us.
Now, here's a man who's starving for that kind of nourishment, and what does he do? He devotes himself to feeding you.
(patron) We didn't know, all right? It's not like we don't appreciate it.
I mean, we'd do anything for Edgar.
(Kurdy) Anything but to keep his life from becoming meaningless.
When the Big Death happened, it was like a huge cleaver came down and chopped history in 2, separated us from everything that came before.
Now, how are we to know where we're going if we don't know where we've been? These books are our bridge to our past.
They allow us to touch other lives, generation upon generation: Artists, philosophers, poets.
We let them die, we're burning those bridges.
We let these words die, we are killing our history as well as our future.
These assholes are coming back, And if we don't pull together, we lose.
It's as simple as that.
We lose.
[birds cawing.]
(Jeremiah) OK, that's about as far as we can go in the truck.
Looks like we're gonna have to go the last 2, maybe 3 miles on foot.
What do you think? You got it.
Well, I wish I could tell you the chair would help, but trails like this, it's pretty much useless.
That's no problem, Maggie.
We'll just figure out a way - to carry you, right, Jeremiah? - Right, right.
Uh, sure.
You know what? I got some ropes in the back, a big piece of canvas.
Maybe we could, uh, cut some limbs and rig up some kind of sling.
You sorry you signed on for this, Jeremiah? Who, me? No.
There's nothing I like more than a challenge.
That's about the only thing I promise I can deliver.
Right.
You had no right to do that, Kurdy.
Now everybody knows.
Edgar, it's important that people understand the sacrifices you're making here.
Such a freakin' fool.
Hey, that's bullshit.
Hey, can you just please keep your voice down? And then maybe just leave me alone.
Let me tell you something, Edgar.
This wall is about to come down right now.
Do you hear me? I've tried.
It's no use.
I've tried.
Look, I--I--I have some sort of learning block.
I'll never be able to read, and that's-- that's just the way it is.
[sighs.]
Look, whatever your problem is, Edgar, it's not as stubborn as me.
We made it.
There's the river.
(Jeremiah) You got those ashes, Maggie? No, I can't.
What do you mean, you can't? I mean, we came here so you could spread the ashes in the river.
Yes, in the middle of the river.
That's what I promised.
We'll take that.
(Jeremiah) Whoa.
Uh And did I mention you had a great sense of humor, Maggie? OK, now, we're gonna start nice and simple, all right? You got time, and I got time, so no pressure.
Now For the first time out, I'm gonna do the reading, and you look at each word I point to.
Here we go.
"My cat" "is small.
" "Your dog is big.
" "My cat can run.
" "Your dog can dig.
" It's not Langston Hughes, but it's a start.
OK.
- "My" - "My" - "cat" - "cat" "is" (both) "small.
" OK, let me get this straight.
You want to spread those ashes over the middle of that river? Mmm-hmm.
It's what I promised my father the last time he took me out in the gondola.
I didn't come all this way to keep half a promise.
This ain't going anywhere, unless you got something to break a chain.
Well, I'll be damned.
Guys, I hate to be the one to mention this, but, you know, if you stand on the side and fling those ashes out, they'll float down the middle.
It'll pretty much be the same.
I thought you said you liked a challenge.
Challenge, yes.
Suicide, not today.
What the hell is it, anyway? It's an old mining rig.
They used it to take supplies back and forth across the river.
That's how we used to get to our cabin.
Well, if it was old then, it's ancient now.
Looks pretty strong to me.
Yeah, that's the basket.
It's the cable I'm worried about.
Is this something that you really want to do, Maggie? Yes, I'm really sure this is something I want to do.
[sighs.]
OK, give me those ashes.
I'm taking a ride.
No way.
She wants me to do it.
Can I speak for myself, please? Look, my father took me out in the basket a hundred times, and this is my thing.
If anybody's gonna risk their life, it's gonna be me.
(Red) Maggie, you're crazy.
How long have you known me, Red? 6 months.
And what are the chances I'm gonna change my mind about this? - Zero.
- Thank you.
OK, well, I'm going with you.
(Maggie) I can do it by myself.
How long have you known me, Red? He's going with you, Maggie.
Thank you.
"W-where" "is my" "g-g-God?" Oh, Edgar, listen.
You--you gotta concentrate.
You have to focus.
Now, remember, this is d-o-g, not g-o What? You keep switching these letters around.
All right.
Now--now, o-once you realize that your brain is doing that, switching these letters around, then it's up to you to focus and concentrate and avoid doing that.
OK? Try.
"M-my" "cat is" "h-h-here.
" "W-where is my dog?" [laughs.]
Where is my dog? [both laughing.]
Where is my dog? All right.
[cable squeaking.]
[Jeremiah panting.]
Oh, God help us.
Just don't look down.
I know.
[cable groaning.]
Ohh! I thought you said you'd done this, like, a hundred times.
Yes.
I never said that I liked it.
Are you OK? I'm fine.
Let's just keep going.
(Red shouting) Nice and easy.
You're looking good.
Stop.
Right here.
[crying.]
You would have liked him, Jeremiah.
He was a lot like you.
You're home, daddy.
You're finally home.
(Red) Yeah! Whoo-hoo! "I c-can s" - See.
- Se-- See.
"I can see" "I can see the dog.
" [laughing.]
Do you see? Yeah, I--I--I started to see that.
Yeah, yeah.
You're getting it, man.
I'm--I'm--I'm--I'm not switching it around as much as I used to do.
There you go.
[door opens.]
(Rourke) Judgment day, boys.
Now, if it were really judgment day, you'd be the one burning in hell.
Back for more, huh? You really burn these books to rally more troops? Damn right.
Well, let me tell you something about history, something I learned from books.
People like you always make the same mistake.
And what mistake is that, my learned friend? You don't offer anything positive.
Your whole message is negative "Books are the enemy.
Intellectuals are the enemy.
" There's never been a movement that ran on hate alone that didn't run out of steam.
Maybe you underestimate how much steam we've got.
Maybe you don't know the difference between steam and hot air.
Storytime's over.
What's the matter? You didn't get enough of a beating last time? [groans.]
I'm not gonna let you do this.
And I'm not gonna let you stop me.
Back off, you piece of shit.
(Kurdy) Well, I guess you are getting the word out.
That man knows your name.
You want to get beaten, too? I got no problem with that.
This is Edgar's library.
This is our library.
Nobody harms him.
Hell, nobody harms a book without paying the price.
Hey.
You people have picked the wrong side to fight for.
Well, it seems people are making that mistake left and right.
[gun fires.]
[person gasps.]
This ain't over.
Yes, it is.
Get the hell out of here, man, and don't ever come back.
Let's go.
This shithole ain't worth the trouble.
[people chattering.]
Thank you.
(Jeremiah) Dear dad, most days I look around, and I just can't win for losing.
I want to surrender, Wave the white flag and give up, and then there are days like today, when I realize that all we can hope for is the small victories.
In the end, they may be the only ones that count.
original source: peritta synced and corrected: quinnell