Strange Empire (2014) s01e13 Episode Script

The Dark Riders

Previously on Strange Empire What happened to Jeremiah Loving? You killed that boy for taunting at you! You are no longer my wife.
I have cut you out of me.
Do not move! Do not move.
Take what you want of him.
Can't leave a man suffering.
We take him now.
And once we have him? That is between the two of us.
Strange Empire 1x13 The Dark Riders We cannot find comfort in our closeness.
Because witness to the end of this place.
It's too large a grieving.
I am sorry For what he did to you.
They know.
All of them.
Fiona will have told them.
They're as disgusted by me as you.
Not me.
I have not the sex that pleases you.
You do.
It is not a man I want But a mind.
An intelligence that perceives.
A secret sharer in consciousness.
Like John Slotter? Who does murder for you? You would take him over me who loves you? You would hold me back From everything that I am.
I believe you do wrong.
I believe there's some devil in you.
It is science that I do.
And murder that furthers it.
- I do no harm.
- But you do! He did this for you.
And he gave you that other one, the preacher.
I should tell you miss Logan has asked my company to her.
Miss Logan? Has said she loves me.
Morgan Morgan! Ask the women to come to me.
I believe I have a way to justice.
Whoa I'm to go to Washington.
Testify to what I saw.
You come with me, you will have your say-so in front of men make the law.
You being half-blood won't put you at cross-purposes with those senators? I intend a government post from which I can seek election, so I may stand in Washington and make our people heard.
They'll give it to you, I bet.
You and your whiteness, and your Indian beads.
You make them look good.
Kat Those Blackfoot lying dead.
Scout counted 217 of 'em.
I will speak it.
And I'll be coming back.
Be my wife, and all the children I will take as family, as my own.
Your feelings Are not as I would wish them.
But I hope they may be, in time, equal to mine.
Say yes.
Yes.
There Gentleman should have the courtesy to introduce himself and state his business.
Gentleman? The man's entirely devoid of manners and full up with appetite.
Teadle, I have gifted my sainted father here a quarter share in this coal strike.
Gifted? It is a strike, and a golden one.
Shares were given in exchange of my hiring those men.
Gone now, them.
Drove out in the night.
Caught some rumour of cholera.
Must needs you hire more, father, to dig out the catastrophe in our tunnels.
So's our business gets done.
Is this gentleman your lawyer? Either lawyer or Weaver.
Brought here to tangle, braid and twist.
What's that you're muttering? You heard me.
You have to hire more men, father.
Who is this Travis Teadle? He's a pig first and then a lawyer.
He's here to write Captain Slotter's last will and testament.
- Is written.
- With you in it.
He's going to cut you out.
John will disinherit you.
One cannot thoroughly disinherit a wife.
I know his will favours you, as it is presently written.
You well know you are in a fragile position.
As are you.
What do you suggest? We get him out of here.
Pass him to that marshal with evidence of murder.
Marry to secure the investment.
What is it you need? A strong, fast-working poison.
I do not take this lightly.
Of course.
It is mine once he is dead.
It was always thus, and discussed between us.
Settled.
I will not forget you when the time comes.
It was John Slotter who killed him.
I am witness to it.
As is Morgan Finn.
This Casper is the son of a ranchman set up south in the territory.
Be the case hereabouts, given the paucity of marshals, that the ranchers see to the law.
They are jury.
And lynch mob, too.
God help you fall foul of them.
Find the rancher is his father.
Bid him and his men come to the station house.
I can manage myself.
When the time is right, you and I, we will bring John Slotter.
There you are.
I've come to warn you against your father.
You had congress with him of late, my father.
To secure the payroll to keep your mine running, yes.
That was the only way to get that money, and you know it.
I killed Jared for your lying.
Did he love you better than me? Your father has asked for my men to labour in your mine.
So he tells me.
I have a contract with you.
I intend it honoured.
- Or ? - You will have no men, neither yellow nor black.
Your coal mine will never be.
My father will find a way around you.
Could burn the place down, chinaman.
The Phoenix of greed will rise from the ash, you in his talons.
He will destroy you.
Is his way, my father's.
Then I shall tell you something, Captain.
Was me blew up your mine.
I must thank you, chinaman.
You have unloosed but one of the last bonds that held me to men and things.
We have some relation to John Slotter, you and I.
He is something to us that we are not yet sure of.
He is a man needs killing, and me the one to do it.
You want to do it? Some time back, I killed a man, Charlie Grout.
I cut this artery.
Thomas called it murder, and me without conscience.
It is my sense that I should not have done such a thing in Toronto.
Or you, had you not been forced by this place and your losses.
And Captain Slotter, too, perhaps.
You, me and John Slotter, I believe we are cut from the same cloth.
What is this now? Invitations to a gathering I propose to have directly.
What sort of gathering? You'll know soon enough.
You are involved.
See that these are delivered.
I have put good money into this mine of ours, John.
Hired men at full wage to dig out that caved-in tunnel, brought and paid for new timber.
No fraud, no bribes paid.
A genuine investment.
Real capital torn from your pockets, like flesh from bone.
Which deserves consideration.
I should like, indeed, require that consideration you have already 25%.
I do.
Teadle Give my father another percentage point.
One percent? One percent it is! Waiting on Doc Blithely.
She will not attend.
Says you're to go to her.
Have a seat, Izzy.
Your chinaman comes behind you.
Well, I suppose you are all wondering and concerned as to why you are here.
Today is the reading of my last will and testament.
An event unusual in that you are yet a living body.
I do this in full witness, as it seems I cannot trust to the holy offices of corruptible lawyers, or to the loving goodwill of friends and family.
Gathered here together, we are all thus apprised of my desires.
It was my wish because of love that my wife should inherit the whole of my estate, but, being estranged, I am now told that I cannot disinherit a wife, and so, I give her exactly what was her portion 49%.
However, nothing will go to her unless she is married to whom is her choice.
To father, the 26% already set forth in the shareholder's agreement.
That is 75%.
There is another 25 outstanding.
Examine that contract, Teadle.
Now, these numbers will take some careful calculation so that the most auspicious couplings are arranged.
Now, there is you, father, and Ling, making to 51%.
Partner with a yellow It is upheld.
Then there is the prize whore there, to be married up, else she, fair flower, wither and perish.
and your 26, father.
Or your 25, chinaman.
But be warned, as wife, she is not to be trusted.
I'm afraid for your mind.
There's no cause.
It is completely made up.
I stood there waiting on my share, John Slotter.
I give you your freedom to do with as you please, Ruby.
I have my freedom here.
You know what to do with it? Look at you.
Freedom, and you do ceaselessly for me and my father who do not give a damn.
I do for my son, your half-brother.
Who is shamed of you, who hates your colour.
And esteems my father.
And the last cord cut.
Did you know about that chinaman's share? How could I know? I repeat my proposal of marriage.
I am married to him for as long as he is alive.
And when he isn't, there's no one but me will marry you.
You have no money.
No means to exploit that mine.
You know it must be thus.
I will soothe you when he's gone.
Sit you upon my knee.
Keep you in your dresses and your jewels.
Hmm Sweet as apples, despite autumn.
Briggs and me, we'll ride through the night.
Find the ranch, the man's people.
My hope, we're back come morning, and Mrs.
Loving here with Slotter.
There's a new paper with your story.
I took it from Adeline.
That means Slotter's read it.
Slotter? He'll go after Mrs.
Loving then.
He'll track her.
He'll drive her to the gates of hell like I wrote there.
My husband is at bed.
It is his custom to retire at this time.
A tipple or two of whiskey to chase his dreams.
Remember, eyes open, gentlemen.
We won't get him tonight.
These are to be mine.
Yes, ma'am.
I'm to be grateful? As only you can be.
Get over here.
You get over here.
Why don't you do that little Ali baba snake dance I love so much? Yeah.
Yeah You are Adeline? Adeline! Honeypot? Isabelle.
You loved him.
I killed him.
I doubt his love was worthy of yours.
You did not know him as I did.
You didn't tell me about your contract.
There was no need until it was declared binding.
Will you marry Cornelius Slotter? I hope you will not.
I would marry you.
It would not work.
Together we are 74%.
There is no business of consequence run by blacks or yellows.
You know that.
How could we secure investors, or banks, or land? It is only Cornelius can do that.
Will you marry him? I must marry to take my share.
You have the labourers he requires.
We have regard for each other.
Yes, we do.
- These new circumstances - Will test it.
You let it go.
You trying to claim your percentage early? Still, filicide, that.
A father murdering a son.
Beg.
Please Can't be certain the next one'll come up empty.
Please, John Tell me you love me, pa.
How about that? Just once.
Gunfire came from the mansion.
Someone hurt or killed? I can't see.
Just the guardsmen I asked you to the house, for the reading of my will.
I have no share in that.
I left you my body.
So I hear you're looking for me, Mrs.
Loving.
It is writ now that you hunt me with a view to kill.
You murdered my husband, Jeremiah Loving.
I did not.
There were others murdered.
I own to them as the stuff of my soul, and the very fuel of the hellfires in which I will burn.
You speak like a preacher.
You think yourself a judge of men, full of power and glory, but You are not that.
Murder me, Kat Loving.
You must enter your darkness that will be your companion.
Is my brother.
You look at him, you'll see he's gut-shot.
Was John Slotter did that.
Don't look like no gut-shot to me.
Was what happened next.
The man pulled his heart out of his very chest.
How's that? How he did it.
Cut right through it.
Clean cut.
Was a nurse tended him after, made it so.
Didn't suffer then? He did.
Suffered terribly.
Cried out.
I'm glad of it.
What's that? I said, that evidence you need, to hold your trial.
Exceptin' I don't see no goddamn John Slotter here.
He's being brought down as we speak.
Across the line.
Leave us.
To hell with him.
Are you going to kill him, or take him to trial? I haven't decided yet.
Get your men working for me then.
Then we are in business.
Mrs.
Slotter I will tell you, should you like to come, that Mrs.
Loving intends to convey your husband to the station house, for trial.
John? Yes.
He's alive? Quite.
Thank you so much, Mrs.
Blithely.
Whoa.
Come on, Mrs.
Loving! The ranchers are going after him, to bring him back.
I wish for true justice.
John Slotter hanged for killing our men.
Instead, he's hanged for that brute Casper, who was a killer himself.
Be dead anyway, John Slotter.
God's good earth rid of him.
Whoa, whoa.
Come on, Mrs.
Loving! Bunch of dead Indians through them trees! Be you one day! Goddamn you! Bastard! End of a people.
End of you.
On your feet.
You are John Slotter? I am.
You are to be tried for murder, and hanged for it, too.
Seems you missed your chance.
All right, boys.
Get him up.
Somebody out there? Oh, Piya.
Piya.
.
Please It hurts.
We need to die.
Hang him high.
I wanna see him kick.
John! I am his wife! He is my husband.
Let me go.
Why have you come? Because I loved you once, as you did me.
What's this? Mrs.
Briggs has required the gentlemen lock their guns in the station house as is the custom.
Morgan Finn has written his testimony, and I will write mine presently.
Then they will hang him.
Come closer so I can free you from these bonds Their arms are locked away.
You will have some moments to get to a horse.
You're some woman, Izzy.
Get the guns! After him, boys! Hurry up, Mrs.
Loving! You killed that boy! You cut a child's tongue from his mouth! Whoa.
We end where we began.
You're to be hanged.
You'd take me back? No justice in that.
Best take up arms, missus! It's death I want, and you the means of it.
Death So to meet my redeemer.
It was you, Kat Loving, my redeemer.
You killed my husband.
It was his purpose to rouse me to blood.
You wanted him dead.
You wanted him dead by your own hand.
Be on my conscience then.
I shall need a husband, Mrs.
Loving.
That is a proposal.
Isabelle Slotter, Albert Evans Smythe.
Man and wife you are as of this moment in and under the sight of our lord in heaven.
May he keep you from straying.
Missus, you are now free in law to possess the estate of your late husband, John Slotter, as devolved to you by his testament.
Cornelius Slotter will come looking for this husband of yours.
This husband will be in Helena, or Billings, or some such place.
Absent? How do you intend to enforce this husband's will? That's not your concern.
You are assured first monies from the coal mined to purchase some stock of cattle and wood for a shelter.
I appreciate that.
There is my freedom in this union, Mrs.
Loving.
That is a blasphemy, what you do.
I do not wish your body for my science, Captain.
I will leave you to your gods and devils and ghosts.
Isabelle has made us promises.
Money for stock and supplies.
Get our ranch started.
Chickens and goats, jam in the summer.
Our own roof Jeremiah Loving! Jeremiah!
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