Chapter 1
Staten Island 1802
For the last twenty days, the weather has been overcast. It’s April yet the gray dark winter sky seems like it will never give way. Not an hour of sunshine to warm the face. Not a single warm afternoon so that the body can lose its chill.
6AM: Trailing behind his father Cornelius Vanderbilt, nine-year-old (Cornelius) “Cornele” makes his way across the potato fields. Deep mud from the melting snow sucks at the boy’s boots, making it difficult to climb the incline. Old Cornelius is irritated by the slowdown. He’s had to stop his wheelbarrow several times so that his son could catch up.
Gloomy weather like this would sour the mood of any farmer, let alone Cornelius. The freezing drizzle is also rotten luck for Cornele. He and his father would have taken shelter from rain, but his father insists, cold as it is, a drizzle is not enough reason to leave the fields.
Making things worse, the farm borders New York’s Upper Bay. A storm may be coming. High, mean waves are crashing into the shore, sending sprays of icy saltwater into the air. This joins the freezing drizzle, as gusts of wind sweep the moisture a hundred yards into the farm.
Cornele’s damp wool coat provides little protection. The wind finds its way beneath it, injecting icy chills that cut right through him. More meat on him would help prevent the chill from seeping into his chest. Every few moments a sharp frozen, aching sensation reaches his bones, especially his knees.
Old Cornelius started this morning as he does every morning, wanting to call it quits. After the rooster startled him from his dream, he pulled his quilt tighter, kept his eyes closed, and- if only for a few moments longer, fought to stay asleep.
No luck. As the dream dissipated, it left him all nerves, which increased the longer he lay there.
Now, an hour later, angry energy propels him forward. He parks his wheelbarrow carefully, facing up the hill, so that it won’t fall, reaches for his pick ax, lifts it over his head, and swings it wildly into the mud, trying to free a large rock from the soil. He is a man at war, hurling his fury at the enemy, which is everywhere. Cornele stands nearby ready to help his father, but he is aggravating him more than he is helping him.
When they first went outside, Cornele played with the frosty air. He blew out a thin stream as far as it would go and waved his hand through it as if it were smoke. He tried to make rings. His father looked at him like he wanted like to kill him. As usual Cornele doesn’t seem capable of standing still.
“When you work, you work. No bullshit,” he lectures.
Cornele’s heard it a hundred times, heard the anger as his father said it. Only lately it’s moved beyond aggravation to a fury firing out of his eyes.
Cornele repeatedly tightens his ungloved fingers into fists, trying to prevent them from freezing. His knees move in and out rhythmically as if he has to pee. From time to time, his shivering escalates into a tremor, which culminates in a quivering little boy moan. He tried to pass this off as a playful sound the first time, but hearing it a second time further pisses off Old Cornelius. He’s convinced his son is exaggerating how cold he is. He wants Cornele concentrating on what they’re doing, not on what he is feeling.
“The Princess and the pea. Your mother is raising a princess.”
“I ain’t no princess.”
His father is undeterred. He is intent on showing Cornele his mighty swing. The boy has an unobstructed view. Each time Cornelius’ smashes his tool into the earth, it sends mud flying everywhere. He’s practically covered Cornele’s coat and face. A fleck of mud hits Cornele just below his eye. He flinches. Old Cornelius stares at him defiantly.
“Who told you to stand there?”
Cornele moves two steps backwards. He stares like a deer caught in the headlights.
His father scowls “Are you waiting for me to say something?”
Cornele’s eyes begin to water.
“Don’t you cry boy. Damn’ princess with her pea,” he repeats. “How’d I ever get a son like this.”
Cornele’s first tear finally slides down his cheek, and then many more. Old Cornelius has seen enough. He will not stand out here with a crying son. He throws down his pick, and storms away in the direction of the house. He shouts, “It’s your Ma’s fault. Made you a cry baby.”
Watching his father march off, Cornele wipes his eyes with his arms. He’s determined not to let the tears continue.
He lifts the pick lying on the ground and swings it solidly into the earth. Old Cornelius hears him and does an about face. He returns and roughly grabs the pick-ax away from Cornele.
“Your Ma’d kill me…” he mumbles loud enough to be heard.
His father takes a mighty swing. The huge rock comes loose. “See what I mean?” is written on his face. Happy to have another opportunity, Cornele drops to the side of the rock. He digs his fingers into the cold mud surrounding it, and pulls the huge rock completely free. His father brings over the wheelbarrow. His face turns bright red as he lifts the huge rock to the edge of the wheelbarrow tray. Huffing and puffing he drops it in. This tips the wheelbarrow over.
“God damn’ it,” Cornelius yells. The steam is coming out of every pore. When he manages to get a modicum of control over himself he places the wheelbarrow at a better angle.
“Come here and hold this steady.”
Cornele does as he is told. He holds it tightly, trying to steady it. While doing so, he shifts his feet back and forth still trying to keep warm, which is what bothered his father in the first place.
“Pay attention to what you’re doing,” he scowls. He grabs the wheelbarrow tray and shoves it a bit, “Like this! Get it straight.”
With Herculean effort, cursing all the way, Old Cornelius again lifts the rock to the edge of the wheelbarrow and drops it in. The wheelbarrow falls over.
Furiously, he shouts loud enough to be heard in hell, “Hold it damn’ you.”
Cornele pulls the wheelbarrow up, positions it, stiffens his body, and tightens his grip. His father again lifts the rock and drops it down. Using all of his strength, Cornele manages to keep it upright.
“So when you want to, you can do it,” his father observes sarcastically, but as he wheels the rock away, there is a trace of affection for Cornele’s contribution.
Old Cornelius will add it to the other rocks, which form a wall cutting across the field. Each rock represents a separate battle. As has become his habit, he glances at the largest one every time he brings a new addition. On nicer days it serves as a trophy, but usually it is too hot, or too cold, too wet too dry—the biggest rock, all of the rocks, remind him of just how badly he’s been cursed by God.
“Fuck you Jesus. You son of a whore. Stuck me on this piece of shit land. Fucking rocks everywhere.”
With his father gone, Cornele takes the pick and throws himself at another rock. He is able to get it loosened. He gets on his knees and once again moves the mud away with his hands. Happily he anticipates his father’s admiration when he returns.
Old Cornelius’ reaction is completely the opposite. He grabs the tool. “You are a fuckin’ idiot. I took the pick away once. I told ya. Ma‘ll blame me if you hurt yourself.”
Still intent on showing his son how it’s done, his ferocious swing further placates his rage. His steady stream of cursing, thousand and thousands of times before, has never been enough to get the job done. He can’t shout as powerfully as he needs to. The vehemence of his pick ax swing, attacking the earth, momentarily makes him feel right.
The rock is not loosening.
“Mother fucker. You mother fucker.”
A boulder under the rock isn’t allowing him to get at the dirt underneath. He slams the pick into the earth a fourth time but it has no effect.
For Old Cornelius it always comes down to the same thing, futility. Why bother? You can’t win. He throws the pick ax on the ground.
One son sick and the other useless. Too many mouths to feed. Daughters not sons. There is nothing else to say or do other than quit. He heads for the house muttering all the way, bitter that Cornele has failed him. He had counted on the future when a strong son would ease his toils.
“Thinks he’s a prince. Nothing. You hear me Cornele,” he shouts. You’re going to be nothing.” A moment later he adds, “Can’t even hold a wheelbarrow. The world out there ain’t gonna wipe your ass like your Ma.”
When his father is far enough away, Cornele lifts the pick-ax and starts swinging. In the distance, his father turns around. Hands on his hips, he watches his son with the nastiest scowl yet. As he turns back to the house, he kicks a shovel that had been left in his path. He shouts at Cornele.
“How many times do I have to tell you not to leave the shovel there? How many times? Almost tripped on it.”
He picks up the shovel, swings it in Cornele’s direction, and then lets go. It falls far short of its target. Cornele is unfazed. His father has grabbed him roughly many times, but never actually beat him.
Fussing and cursing, Old Cornelius heads for the house again.
“Nothing! You hear me Cornele. You’re gonna be nothing.”
Phoebe watches him through the window as he returns She is not happy. She opens the door, stares him up and down.
“Another short day?”
“The weather.”
“So why’d you drag Cornele out there? You already have one sick son. Jacob’s coughing started on a day like this.”
He doesn’t answer. She isn’t finished.
“You managed to come back. Where is Cornele?”
Noticing his blue lips, her tone softens.
“There’s hot tea on the stove.”
She’s no fool. He’s regularly disappointed her, but with all his shortcomings, the family could not last 10 minutes without him. It isn’t easy to chop out their survival against nature’s malevolence. She wouldn’t want to be out there on a nasty day like this.
She shouts for Cornele to come in. Her voice sounds like it is coming from heaven. His arms had gotten heavy. He will soon be warm by the fire and sipping tea.
With this in mind he has new energy. He stares at the rock that has been his nemesis, rust colored and smooth. He swings a mighty blow. No luck. It isn’t budging. He loosens some dirt and takes another swing. Still nothing happens. The next swing does the trick. He is about to lift it when it begins to pour.
He fixes the location of the rock in his mind so he can return tomorrow. Slowed by the mud, he runs towards the house. Hail is bouncing off the ground. That makes him smile. He doesn’t get to see hail very often.
It is dinnertime. Cornele’s mother, Phoebe Hand Vanderbilt, and her eldest daughter Mary, are bringing food to the large kitchen table. Phoebe is pregnant. She has a strong face, a straight mouth a little drawn down in the corners, but green eyes that glitter humorously from under thick brows. There is shrewdness in her face, determination, kindliness. But not right now. Jacob, her eldest boy, is coughing the worst yet, hacking away from deep within his chest.
“Damn’ it. Cover your mouth.” Old Cornelius shouts at him.
Phoebe brings Jacob a kitchen rag. He hacks away once or twice more, but then coughs more gently before stopping. They settle down. She looks around the table.
“What’s with you Cornele? Why the sad face?”
He glances at his father surreptitiously, before looking down at his plate. Old Cornelius is chewing his food looking as innocent as a priest giving a sermon, making eye contact with no one. He can keep it up for only so long when she stares him down. She catches his eye for a fraction of a second. That’s enough for him to momentarily lose his composure.
The portions are meager. There is not enough food for the seven of them. After cleaning their plates, they look longingly at the little that remains. Phoebe takes the meat off her plate and puts it on Jacob’s plate.
“Here, eat this.”
The other children stare at the meat.
“Not hungry,” he replies in a sickly way.
“Try.”
“Can’t. I’m nauseous.”
Old Cornelius and Phoebe exchange a worried glance.
Phoebe puts the meat on Cornele’s plate.
“You take it.”
Charlotte reacts immediately,
“He always gets everything.”
“Men’s work requires more meat.”
“And what do we get? Sugar and spice?”
“Keep it up and you’ll get the back of my hand.”
Cornele quickly devours the piece of meat. Phoebe pours milk about a third of the way up in each of the children’s glasses.
Charlotte is not finished complaining.
“Can I at least have more milk?”
Phoebe pours the last of it into her glass. Charlotte continues to look expectantly.
“There isn’t any more.”
“I’m hungry.”
“Talk to your father about that.”
She still hasn’t let up on his decision to sell Betsy, one of their two cows, for one of his schemes. As usual, that money brought back nothing. Late at night, in bed, she’s told him a thousand times. She doesn’t mind the booze. It’s the gambling. Just because he loses it over a few months, rather then in one night, it’s the same. He’s gonna land them in the poor house yet. Now with Elsa, their other cow, not producing well…
Jacob starts to cough again. Old Cornelius stands up and puts on his hat.
“Where you going?” Phoebe asks him.
“Out.”
Without looking back, he closes the door behind him.
No need for Phoebe to say anything. Old Cornelius storming out is a regular occurrence. She returns from the oven with a plate of steaming biscuits.
“One each.”
The weather has cleared. The clouds left behind by the storm have made for a magnificent sunset. A schooner, its sails haloed in orange fills their front window. Almost to touch the color Phoebe goes to the window. She wants to get a better look.
“Come to the window.”
Charlotte hardly glances. She knows what’s coming. She’s heard stories about her grandfather a thousand times too many.
“Like the boat my father had. Some days I’d stand by the shore. Waiting…”
Cornele can’t take his eyes off the boat. In contrast to Charlotte, every time his mother talks about her father he enters into her memory like in a dream. It brings him to a better place. Like songs that sometimes play in his head, his pleasure multiplies each time the story gets repeated.
The ship’s deep foghorn fills the airways.
“I could hear him before I could see him. As soon as he entered the harbor, he’d sound the horn extra long for me.”
The foghorn again sounds its deep extended bass.
“Still sends a thrill through me… It’s why I fell in love with this house… You can hear the ships’ horns, watch the ships come back from the sea.”
She runs her fingers through Cornele’s hair, as she stares at the boat.
“He was tall and strong like you…”
She sees he is uncomfortable.
“Go keep your father company.”
Cornele hesitates.
“He likes your company when he goes walking.”
Cornele is still hesitant.
“Believe me. He does. He told me. He used to like it when Jacob could go out with him.”
She hands him his hat. Cornele takes it and reluctantly puts on his coat.
Phoebe is pleased. She feels a little guilty for driving Cornelius from the dinner table. This will help. Cornele needs time together with his father when they’re not working. He can be a different person on his walks.
“Here take this biscuit to your father.” She breaks off another half for him.
“Preparing for a comment from Charlotte, she goes on the offensive.
“You can each have another half a biscuit.
”Cornele catches up to his father. He is deep in a dark mood. They walk slowly, quietly along the shoreline, Cornele kicking pebbles along the way. It is now well into the sunset, the bay slowly changing from orange to red. They stare out over the water as small waves fold into the shore. The sound lures them into silence. It quiets Cornelius’ anger.
Cornele throws a pebble into the water. A thin ping can be heard as it breaks the surface. Lit by the sunset, circles of color slowly expand from the pebble, becoming less intense, and then disappear.
Cornele measures his father’s mood cautiously. He is still uncertain what will come next. His father throws a pebble. It is again followed by a circle of color.
Cornele lets down his guard a bit. His father takes out a flask and gulps down a swallow of whiskey.
Cornele’s apprehension returns. Could be the beginning of trouble. Then suddenly, another schooner appears, slowly passing them on its way to docking in Manhattan. Ordinarily, Old Cornelius lacks the patience to nurture Cornele’s curiosity. He might begin with an educational purpose, but it too often turns into a lecture. Interesting details fade, invariably replaced by a lesson aimed at his moral education. This soon becomes scolding, sometimes for things Cornele didn’t do. His father will acknowledge this, but he says its good for Cornele to listen anyway and learn. Old Cornelius can’t help himself. There is so much that needs fixing. There is so much anger in him at the injustice in the world.
The one exception is ships. Like Phoebe he has a thing for ships. He points: “What is that called?”
“The bow.”
“That?”
“The jib sail.”
The ship’s flag comes into view.
“What country?”
“Spain. That’s the Castilla.”
Sure enough, soon is seen, written boldly, La Castilla adorning the bow.
“See I told you.”
“Your Ma says you can name every boat that comes into the harbor.”
“I can.”
“That’s how you use your time? Watching the boats?”
“They go all over the world.”
Old Cornelius says nothing but it is clear he is unimpressed.
“Your Ma also tells me you like to wear your grandfather’s captain hat.”
Cornele remains silent.
“You’re too old to play baby games like that.”
Another ship comes into view.
Cornele calls out excitedly.
“That one’s Dutch. It’s Dutch like us.
“Don’t you let your mother tell you any different. The English stole New York from us.” Frustrated, angry, determined he continues, “It should be New Amsterdam.”
Cornele’s apprehension grows as the anger grows in his father’s voice.
“Telling ya. I would sell Betsy again. Your Ma don’t understand. Ya can’t get anywhere working with your hands. No future in it.”
He looks at Cornele, not sure what he understands. Cornele is, in fact, not listening. He’s planning his escape route, should the drinking continue.
Chapter 2
Late December 1876, a lifetime later.
Cornelius Vanderbilt is sitting on the side of his bed using a cane to support himself. A doctor has just completed his examination. Eighty-four, thin and pale, he groans in pain as he attempts to stand up. Yet, sick as he is, he still radiates authority. His groans are as much shouting back at the pain as feeling it. When he feels irritation in his throat his raucously loud coughs take over the room.
Below his bedroom window, a mob of reporters has overflowed into the street at the front of his Manhattan townhouse. A newsboy can be heard outside calling out the tidings:
“Commodore Vanderbilt dying. Richest man in America very ill.”
Making it to a standing position, Vanderbilt heads towards the window. An extern, dressed in white, tries to help him, but he is waved away contemptuously.
The doctor begins to stir but thinks better of it.
Outside, someone is shouting “Commodore” over and over.
Vanderbilt mumbles to himself as he moves toward the window. He rubs away the frost with his pajama sleeve and looks out at the reporters.
“Twice as many as yesterday. They’re ready to suck on my bones the minute I die.”
An organ grinder, with a leashed monkey sitting on his shoulder, cranks out a tune.
“A fucking carnival under my window.”
One of the reporters catches a glimpse of Vanderbilt and points. The result is a new round of shoving and pushing as each tries to secure a better position. Everyone’s shouting.
“Commodore.”
“Mr. Vanderbilt!”
Vanderbilt leaves the window.
The doorbell rings, a series of gongs.
“Pendleton. Get the door,” he shouts to the butler, as he makes his way to the second floor landing overlooking the entrance.
“Who is it?”
“A reporter,” Pendleton shouts back, “Mr. Michael Burch.”
Burch leans forward and looks up at the landing.
Vanderbilt moves into full view and straightens up. Like a bear rising on its back legs, he appears doubly menacing.
“I ain’t dying you mother fucker.”
Calmly, Burch shouts up to him, “Sir, it’s Michael Burch.”
He waits for a response, but there isn’t any.
“Michael Burch. You asked me to come here… You liked my story about you in last week’s Sentinel…Said you wanted to tell me the rest…that ring any bells?”
“I read that article.” Vanderbilt shouts to him in a raspy voice. “I don’t remember asking you to come here.”
“Our readers want to know everything they can about you.”
“Sure they do. Especially, how I got my money. Probably think I have a secret which I’ll take to the grave.”
“Well, do you?”
“Just one. I tripped over a chest of diamonds and gold on Treasure Island when I was twelve. Been living off it ever since.”
“You’re a lucky man.”
“I wanted it enough. That’s how I done it.”
“Can’t be that simple. You started with nothing.”
“Actually it is that simple. It ain’t the stuff you guys write about. I know it’s hard coming up with news. Still! Ya ever get tired of bullshit?”
“We’re not all like that. Make you a deal. You tell the story straight and I’ll report it that way. Let our readers decide.”
“Decide what?”
“How you did it. That’s what people want to know.”
“There’s nothing unusual about it.”
“Nothing? You were better at making money then anyone that’s ever lived. People want to know about things like that.”
“I’m sure they do.”
“They’re looking for ideas. What’s wrong with that?”
“I ain’t no ‘how to’ person.”
“I’m sure you aren’t. But something made you succeed. It wasn’t just luck.”
“There was plenty of luck.”
“Not the way you kept multiplying your money. You did it for 70 years.”
Normally, flattery would turn Vanderbilt off, but since he’s become ill, he’s been more vulnerable to compliments.
“People want to figure out how come, what drove you on like that?”
“I’m trying to sort that out myself.”
“There’s a lot of stories floating around, not all of them nice.”
“Not all of it was nice. But none of it was crooked.”
“They say you could outsmart anyone.”
“That’s because everyone thought they were smarter than me. Dumber they think you are, the better you’ll do.”
“See that’s what people are looking for, advice. You have some more like that?”
“No. Only other thing is ya gotta be quick. Act before someone else gets the idea.”
“So you are cagey.”
“You want to call it cagey, go ahead.”
“Well what is it?”
“Who the fuck knows. I just do what I do.”
Vanderbilt starts to cough. He clears his chest and gathers his phlegm, forces the gunk out of his throat. He lets the phlegm
fly towards the spittoon. He hits his mark.
“Getting sick brings out new talents,” he says triumphantly.
“Do you see things differently since you got sick like this?”
“Probably.”
“Like what?”
“That I may be dying got me thinking about a lot of things. ”
“Is that on your mind a lot?” Burch asks with some genuineness.
“You really give a shit?”
Burch squirms a bit, which Vanderbilt ignores.
“Some days, it feels like I’m dying. Other days…I feel like a million bucks. Like today.”
“You know the Herald is printing a daily report on your health. Been running it for the last month.”
“I know. The countdown. You can tell your editor I ain’t dying any time soon.”
Burch isn’t sure what Vanderbilt believes. His physical deterioration is striking, especially his pallor. Burch saw him at a function a year ago. It’s as if the person before him is someone else, taking measured steps, frail like a ghost.
“Since you are feeling good, how about an interview?”
“Truth is when I read your article I thought about doing an interview with you.
Give you this. Most reporters make up stories to fill in what they don’t know. In your article you didn’t do that. What you wrote about me last week was true. Every bit of it.”
“I do my best.”
“I respect that.” Vanderbilt observes Burch as he absorbs the compliment. He continues.
“I need that. I want to set things straight. Never understood people my age writing memoirs. Now I do. I want the last word.”
“I can help you do that. People trust what I write.”
Vanderbilt seems perplexed.
“Is something wrong?”
“Sounds like I invited you, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“I really don’t remember doing that. Don’t remember it at all. I’m forgetting a lot of things lately. ”
“I was definitely told to come here.”
Thinking further: “Was probably my son, Bill. You got sons?”
Burch holds up two fingers, “Eight and ten.”
“Wait ‘til they get older and become pricks like Bill…”
“You really didn’t ask me to come?”
Vanderbilt isn’t listening.
“I’m sure it was Bill. The fuck has taken over. Convinced the doctors I’m senile. That’s put him in charge.”
He clears some more phlegm from his throat.
“Probably I’m not all there. But all that means is I’m not paying attention to what’s going on around here…Who wants to? I’m stuck with this body that ain’t worth shit. And the fact is, my memories are a thousand times more interesting than the people around me now.”
He takes several labored breaths, than continues. “I keep mentioning people my son’s never heard of. So what? He thinks my talking so much about the past is proof I’m a goner. The doctor agrees it’s a sign of senility. What they don’t get is, these people in the past happen to be the people I spent my life with.”
He hesitates to catch his breath.
“They mean something to me. I’m sorting things out with them. Finishing things up between us.”
“That matters to you?”
Vanderbilt doesn’t answer.
The extern, a tall young man, has followed him to the landing.
“Sir, I think you have to get back to bed.”
He grabs Vanderbilt’s arm trying to force him back to the bedroom. Over matched, Vanderbilt’s hand tightens on his walking stick as the extern begins to pull in earnest. He
cracks the extern on his head, a sharp glancing blow, and pulls his arm free.
“Keep your hands to yourself,” he spits out. “Who the fuck da ya think you are?”
The extern retreats. Vanderbilt waits for him to leave the landing, which he does. He returns to the bedroom, leaving the door open.
“Shut that door!”
The intern ignores him. Vanderbilt returns his attention to Burch.
“Believe me, the people I’m thinking about are god damn’ more important than the assholes around here. Including Bill when he pokes his head in.”
He looks toward the bedroom.
“Put that down,” he shouts at the extern. He leaves the landing to retake possession of a urinal from the extern. He grabs it out of his hands. The extern gives him a patronizing glance, the same he gives to all the old biddies that he sees.
With Vanderbilt busy, Burch questions Pendleton, “Is he okay?”
“His mind’s sharp as a bell. Remembers everything. What’s changed is now he tells people things he used to keep private. Doesn’t care anymore.”
“Anything else?”
“The last 7 or 8 years the second Mrs. Vanderbilt had made him into a gentleman.”
Pendleton’s pride swells as he speaks.
“Should have seen him at 80, dapper, erect posture; he looked 60. They made quite a couple…Up until this illness. Now he’s more like he was before he married her, yelling and cursing as bad as he ever did.”
Having defeated the extern Vanderbilt returns invigorated. He shouts down to Burch.
“You can bring your ass up here. Except you gotta do one thing first. Tell your buddies to clear out. I want ‘em off my sidewalk.”
“Sir. The sidewalks are public property.”
“Fuck you Pendleton. Who asked you?”
Vanderbilt waits to catch his breath.
Outside someone shouts. “Burch got in!”
“Try it”
There is a knock on the door.
“Burch?” Vanderbilt yells down at him.
“Get rid of ‘em. And get them off my sidewalk.”
“Sir, most of them are not my friends out there.”
“I don’t give a shit. Next thing – they’re gonna invade this place.”
Two more knocks, this time louder, more insistent.
“Pendleton. Get that door and slam it in the man’s face. And none of your bullshit manners. See if you can catch one of his fingers or his nose.”
“Yes sir!”
“Then send someone to the precinct. Talk to Donahue.”
Shouting like he’d like to slap him on the ass, “Pronto!”
Pendleton mutters to Burch:
“He’s the same man.”
“One other thing, Pendleton. After you send someone to talk to Donahue, I want you to get my revolver from the gun case, walk to the back of the house and blow your brains out. And don’t make a mess!”
Pendleton winks at Burch.
“As you wish, great one.”
He adds cheerfully,“ Burch. You can have my story.”
Burch goes to a mirror, nervously slicks down his hair, straightens his tie, and then rushes up the stairs. The doctor, looking bedraggled, passes him on his way down. The doctor shakes his head in frustration. He has a sympathetic look of “you’re next.”