Cormac McCarthy: The Sunset Limited

White: I need to go.

Black: I thought you was goin to stay and visit with me some.

White: Look. I know I owe you a good deal. In the eyes of the world at least. Cant I just give you something and we’ll call it square? I could give you some money. Something like that.

The black studies him. He doesnt answer.

White: I could give you a thousand dollars. Well. That’s not very much, I guess. I could give you three thousand, say.

Black: You dont have no notion the trouble you in, do you?

White: I dont know what you mean.

Black: I know you dont.

White: I’d just like to settle this someway.

Black: It aint me you got to settle with.

White: Do you really believe I was sent to you by God?

Black: Oh it’s worse than that.

White: How do you mean?

Black: Belief aint like unbelief. If you a believer then you got to come finally to the well of belief itself and then you dont have to look no further. There aint no further. But the unbeliever has got a problem. He has set out to unravel the world, but everthing he can point to that aint true leaves two new things layin there. If God walked the earth when he got done makin it then when you get up in the mornin you get to put your feet on a real floor and you dont have to worry about where it come from. But if he didnt then you got to come up with a whole other description of what you even mean by real. And you got to judge everthing by that same light. If light it is. Includin yourself. One question fits all. So what do you think, Professor? Is you real?

White: I’m not buying it.

Black: That’s all right. It’s been on the market a long time and it’ll be there a while yet.

White: Do you believe everything that’s in there? In the bible?

Black: The literal truth?

White: Yes.

Black: Probably not. But then you already know I’m a outlaw.

White: What is it you would disagree with?

Black: Maybe the notion of original sin. When Eve eat the apple and it turned everbody bad. I dont see people that way. I think for the most part people are good to start with. I think evil is somethin you bring on your own self. Mostly from wantin what you aint supposed to have. But I aint goin to set here and tell you about me bein a heretic when I’m tryin to get you to quit bein one.

White: Are you a heretic?

Black: You tryin to put me in the trick bag, Professor.

White: No I’m not. Are you?

Black: No more than what a man should be. Even a man with a powerful belief. I aint a doubter. But I am a questioner.

White: What’s the difference?

Black: Well, I think the questioner wants the truth. The doubter wants to be told there aint no such thing.

White: (Pointing at bible) You dont think you have to believe everything in there in order to be saved?

Black: No. I dont. I dont think you even have to read it. I aint for sure you even got to know there is such a book. I think whatever truth is wrote in these pages is wrote in the human heart too and it was wrote there a long time ago and will still be wrote there a long time hence. Even if this book is burned ever copy of it. What Jesus said? I dont think he made up a word of it. I think he just told it. This book is a guide for the ignorant and the sick at heart. A whole man wouldnt need it at all. And of course if you read this book you goin to find that they’s a lot more talk in here about the wrong way than they is about the right way. Now why is that?

White: I dont know. Why is it?

Black: I’d rather hear from you.

White: I’ll have to think about it.

Black: Okay.

Silence.

White: Okay what?

Black: Okay go ahead and think about it.

White: It might take me a little longer than you to think about something.

Black: That’s all right.

White: That’s all right.

Black: Yes. I mean they’s two ways you can take that remark but I’m goin to take it the good way. It’s just my nature. That way I get to live in my world instead of yours.

White: What makes you think mine’s so bad?

Black: Oh I dont know as it’s so bad. I know it’s brief.

White: All right. Are you ready?

Black: I’m ready.

White: I think the answer to your question is that the dialectic of the homily always presupposes a ground of evil.

Black: Man.

White: How’s that.

Black: That’s strong as a mare’s breath, Professor. Wouldnt I love to lay some of that shit on the brothers? Whoa. Now. Just the two of us here talkin. In private. What did you just say?

White: Your question. The bible is full of cautionary tales. All of literature, for that matter. Telling us to be careful. Careful of what? Taking a wrong turn. A wrong path. How many wrong paths are there? Their number is legion. How many right paths? Only one. Hence the imbalance you spoke of.

Black: Man. I’ll tell you what, Professor. You could go on television. Goodlookin man such as yourself. Did you know that?

White: Stop.

Black: I’m serious. I wasnt even all that sure you was a professor till you laid that shit on me.

White: I think you’re having fun at my expense.

Black: Aint done no such a thing, Professor.

White: Well. I think you are.

Black: Honey, I swear I aint. I couldnt say a thing like you just got done sayin. I admire that.

White: And why do you keep calling me honey?

Black: That’s just the old south talkin. They aint nothin wrong with it. I’ll try and quit if it bothers you.

White: I’m just not sure what it means.

Black: It means you among friends. It means quit worryin bout everthing.

White: That might be easier said than done.

Black: Well yes it might. But we just talkin here. Just talkin.

White: What else?

Black: What else what?

White: Any other heresies?

Black: At this juncture?

White: At this juncture. Yes.

Black: Yeah, but I aint tellin you.

White: Why not?

Black: Cause I aint. Shouldnt of told you what I did.

White: Why not?

Black: You settin here at my table dead to God as the fallen angels and you waitin on me to lay another heresy on you to clutch to your bosom and help shore you up in your infidelity and I aint goin to do it. That’s all.

White: Dont then.

Black: Dont worry. I aint.

White: I have to go.

Black: Ever time the dozens gets a little heavy you got to go.

White: What’s the dozens?

Black: It aint really even the dozens. It’s really just a discussion.

White: What’s the dozens.

Black: It’s when two of the brothers stands around insultin one another and the first one gets pissed off loses.

White: What is the point of it?

Black: Winnin and losin is the point of it. Same as the point of everthing else.

White: And you win by making the other guy angry.

Black: That’s correct.

White: I dont get it.

Black: You aint supposed to get it. You white.

White: Then why did you tell me?

Black: Cause you asked me.

White: So if I find you a bit irritating and decide to leave then I lose.

Black: Well, like I said, this aint even the dozens. We just talkin.

White: But that’s what you think.

Black: Oh yeah, that’s what I think.

White: Well how long do you think I might have to stay before I could leave without losing?

Black: That’s kindly hard to say. I guess the best way to put it might be that you’d have to stay till you didnt want to leave.

White: Stay until I didnt want to leave.

Black: Yeah.

White: And then I could leave.

Black: Yeah.

The professor runs one hand alongside his head and then holds the back of his neck, his head down and his eyes closed. He looks up.

White: Why is it called the dozens?