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like that fit authentically into the character of the JetBlue brand. It was, in fact, exactly the kind of thing you would expect from an airline like JetBlue, which had built its reputation on being fair, open, and honest with customers. Its “authentic” reputation was already one of trustworthiness. The customers who trust you most wi nike air max 2003 ll be first to come to your defense. Your customers’ trust is the most effective elixir for rising from the flames of a service or quality disaster. It’s not easy to find a trustworthy business to buy from, so if you can prove yours is one, then your customers are much more likely to give you a second chance or even come to your defense. In view of the rising power of customer opinion and the unpredictability of word-of-mouth messaging, having OOPS! MISTAKES HAPPEN an army of supporters is probably the best insurance policy you can have. COMPETENCE ALSO REQUIRED More than 2,000 years ago, Aristotle observed: Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting in a particular way. . . you become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions. He could have added that you become trustworthy by performing trustworthy actions. No matter how you define “trust,” earning it requires action, not just good intentions. Wonderful if you can put the principle of reciprocity into practice at your company, but to be trustworthy, as Jet- Blue found, it’s not enough just to have your heart in the right place. You also have to have the competence to follow through on your good intentions with effective actions. In The Speed of Trust, Stephen M.R. Covey suggests that trust requires not just character but at least some level of competence, as well. He said one way to understand the interplay between actions and intent in establishing trust is to imagine that you are an expert witness at a trial, and your attorney is trying to establish your credibility. In that case, the attorney will probably try to show that you (1) are a person of integrity, (2) have good intentions, (3) have credentials, and (4) can get results, perhaps as evidenced by your track record. In Covey’s opinion, character is a universal prerequisite, because you can’t be trustworthy if you lack character. Competence, however, is more situational— that is, the level of competence you have to display to be trustworthy depends on the situation you face. The point is that you can’t hope to earn or recover your customers’ trust with good intentions by themselves. You Competence Also Required have to have the capability and competence to deliver on your honorable motive. Even if a customer feels you have taken her interest to heart, if she thinks you lack the sheer competence to do what you promise, then she still can’t trust you.2 In early 2005, ChoicePoint—which proclaims itself the “leading provider of identification and credential verification services”—discovered that it had sold the personal data of 145,000 people to a number of shady recipients, including an identity-theft ring in Los Angeles. As recompense, the company offered the consumer victims a free credit report. No one thought seriously that ChoicePoint had intended to sell personal data to people engaged in identity theft, just to make a short-ter cheap nike air max 90 m profit. The company’s intentions were never in qu nike air max shoes estion, although its competence and its actions certai nike air max tn nly were. Either way, however, the trust it had once enjoyed was tarnished. Then, astoundingly, ChoicePoint charged these wronged customers full price to see the more detailed information the company had already provided to the criminals! This final insult was probably just the result of profitoriented “standard operating procedures” running full speed ahead in an organization that apparently up to that point hadn’t valued privacy protection enough to have given it much thought. The overall fiasco created a firestorm of public condemnation and ignited a government investigation. This, despite the fact that up to then, Choice- Point was by all appearances a “good” company, conforming Nike TN UK carefully to all the regulatory requirements that surrounded its business, which by its very nature dealt with highly sensitive financial, health, and other personal information. Customer trust often is eroded when product defects or security breaches call into question the reliability of a firm, as happened with ChoicePoint, and sometimes the companies themselves make matters worse (as ChoicePoint did) simply through incompetence. OOPS! MISTAKES HAPPEN RECOVERING LOST TRUST Research has shown that both your perceived concern for others (i.e., your intentions) and your past behavior (i.e., your actions) are major factors in the degree to which others trust you. Academicians studying trust to learn what conditions promote it or discourage it, how it is broken, and how it can be restored, have found: .One way to help restore trust, when it has been lost through untrustworthy behavior, is simply to apologize. Customers can forgive incompetence if you recognize and acknowledge your own boneheaded behavior as such and if you state clearly how you are cleaning up your processes to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Hint: If you do apologize, just do it, without excuses. Don’t say “But you have to understand ...” or “It wasn’t our fault entirely.” Just say “We goofed, we’re sorry, won’t happen again.” Include a gift, if appropriate, as JetBlue did, in order to drive home the sincerity of your apology.3 .Good behavior is the single most effective way to restore trust after an episode of bad or untrustworthy behavior. Even though a stated promise of better behavior does accelerate the growth of trust, trustworthy actions alone are every bit as effective in the long term. ChoicePoint’s problem, following the security breach, was that it needed time to demonstrate the competence of its future behavior. .Although trust lost through bad behavior can generally be restored after a period of good behavior, when trust is violated with both bad behavior and deceptive statements, it never fully recovers. Incompetence can be forgiven, in other words, but bad character is a fa nike air max wright tal flaw. This is one of the biggest problems plaguing Recovering Lost Trust most firms, because the first officials on the scene of a service disaster are usually the PR folks, and no matter how good it is, spin is the opposite of straight talk. .Interestingly, research has also shown that using a binding contract pr nike air max plus obably erodes the trust of a customer or business partner. People who use binding contracts make situational judgments, rather than personal judgments, when assessing how trustworthy the other party is... This list covers the things that academicians say you need to consider when figuring out how to recover a customer’s broken trust, and for the most part they are a mixture of good intent followed up with competent behaviors. But what’s interesting about the whole problem is that if you already have gone to the trouble of creating a company based on earning the trust of customers, you will be more than halfway there. LAW TO FOLLOW Customers may forgive honest mistakes but will never forgive dishonesty. | In ChoicePoint’s case, the effort to recover consumer trust began with actions immediately following the security breach. The firm significantly curtailed the access certain .It’s ironic that contracts are antithetical to building trust. We think they’re still important, mostly because they force everybody to articulate and clarify exactly what everyone means. Nevertheless, no amount of legal verbiage will protect you from genuine ill will. Note that the Cus Nike TN Trainers tomer Bill of Rights from JetBlue is not really a contract, because a contract spells out requirements for both sides, while in its Bill of Rights, JetBlue made all the promises and demanded nothing in return from customers. OOPS! MISTAKES HAPPEN clients had to the most sensitive personal information in the firm’s database (Social Security and drivers’ license numbers, for instance), in effect cutting off certain types of clients altogether, such as private investigators and other similar small businesses. This definitely harmed ChoicePoint’s short-term profits, depriving it of some $15 to $20 million of revenue annually. (The firm’s competitors remain more than happy to provide this kind of data, but Choice- Point no longer does so.) The company also overhauled its privacy and security policies, bolstering procedures that cover everything from physical-and remote-access security to incident response to data destruction. Most stringent is the third-party service provider policy. Fearing that individuals who enter ChoicePoint facilities could be exposed to sensitive personal information, the firm now asks vendors to fill out a 24-question self-assessment questionnaire. Vendors that don’t give privacy and security training to employees who potentially could come into contact with ChoicePoint information, for example, no longer make the cut. The architect of many of these new policies was Carol DiBattiste, who joined ChoicePoint in April 2005 as chief credentialing, compliance and privacy officer, rising soon to general counsel/chief privacy officer. Charged with taking a thorough and comprehensive look at all the company’s security and privacy-related business practices, DiBattiste brought in Ernst & Young’s privacy team and invited input from other ChoicePoint business units. She strengthened the firm’s credentialing process for would-be clients, creating a centralized credentialing team at the company’s Alpharetta, Georgia, headquarters. (Previously, people within the geographically diverse business units had handled the task independently.) She reinvigorated the company’s audit and compliance processes and moved to better educate the company’s employees, introducing mandatory privacy, information secur nike air max plus ity, and code-of-conduct training programs. Competitive Success Can Harm Trust The result of all this activity? Within just 18 months of receiving a “Lifetime Menace Award” from Privacy International because of the privacy breach and the firm’s selfserving efforts at damage control, ChoicePoint is now celebrated as one of the business world’s most vigilant privacy nike air max 90 current and security practitioners, and its business practices in these areas are almost universally acclaimed by its former nike air max women critics. In January 2002, Eli Lilly settled with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which had charged that the company’s privacy policy was “deceptive” because of what amounted to incompetence. According to the FTC, Lilly had failed to provide enough training to sensitize employees with respect to the importance of privacy protection, failed to oversee inexperienced employees who had access to sensitive information, and violated its own internal written security procedures. In early 2001, through its prozac.com Web site, Lilly offered a “Medi-Messenger” service for consumers who signed up, to remind them by private email when it was time to tak Cheap Air Max TN e or refill their medications. In June 2001, however, a Lilly employee wrote a computer program to announce the termination of the service by email, failed to run preliminary tests on the program, and ended up outing everyone who had subscribed to the prozac service. If you were one of the 669 subscribers, you saw everyone’s email addresses in the “To” line of the message, including your own! Again, there was no question about Lilly’s good and honorable intentions. But incompetence is no defense when customer trust is shattered.4 COMPETITIVE SUCCESS CAN HARM TRUST Sometimes a lack of trust on the part of customers might arise simply because a company is highly successful financially or extremely competitive and aggressive in its OOPS! MISTAKES HAPPEN business. Globally successful companies are easy targets for popular resentment and mistrust. You don’t need to have sinned as badly as Ameriquest, either. Any large, successful company—particularly one that has grown rapidly, or a company with a great deal of market power—will incur suspicions. Consider Wal-Mart, for instance, a firm that has now grown so large that, if it were a country, it would be China’s eighth largest trading partner! Wal-Mart revolutionized the retail distribution system in the United States with a set of processes making it 40% more productive than its competitors during the 1980s and early 1990s, bringing low prices to the entire U.S. population. A McKinsey study from 2002 estimated that innovation in the retail sector, driven largely by Wal-Mart and its computerized systems, accounted for nearly a quarter of the country’s phenomenal productivity growth during the nike air max womens period.5 Nevertheless, it’s still easy to arouse populist sentiment against Wal-Mart. And any good local politician with a reporter

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shareholder value. The cultures at these long-lasting companies are “almost cult-like”—so strong that a new employee either fits in well or is “rejected like a virus.” This is the kind of “core ideology” that was threatened by increasing process regimentation and efficiency at 3M. According to Art Fry, “What’s remarkable is how fast a culture can be torn apart. . . . [McNerney] didn’t kill it, because he wasn’t here long enough. But if he had been here much longer, I think he could have.” Having It Both Ways While respecting their core ideologies, long-lasting companies constantly experiment with new ideas and innovations, failing frequently but keeping what works. R. W. Johnson, founder of Johnson & Johnson, famously c nike air max 2003 laimed that “failure is our most important product.” Motorola’s founder Paul Galvin encouraged dissent, disagreement, and discussion at the company, in order to give individuals “the latitude to show what they could do largely on their own.” Experimentation, trial and error, and accidental innovation play a big role at most of the built-to-last companies studied by Collins and Porras. This pattern of randombut- successful innovations is the unmistakable hallmark of a growth process based on an evolutionary model. “If we mapped 3M’s portfolio of business units on a strategic planning matrix, we could easily see why the company is so successful (“Look at all those cash cows and strategic stars!”), but the matrix would utterly fail to capture how this portfolio came to be in the first place.” In other words, 3M’s innovative success is yet another example of how a path-dependent network of innovations grows over time. Its current set of businesses and products was not carefully planned in advance and then developed in an orderly way. Rather, 3M (and most other long-lasting, constantly innovative companies) arrived at its present state as the result of constant tinkering and nike air max 90 current experimentation, with the best, most desirable innova nike air max womens tions claiming more and more of the firm’s resources over time. Collins and Porras suggest that another important trait of long-lasting companies is that they often are simply not willing to make trade-offs between goals that might seem to be conflicting. What they found in their study was that such companies rarely pursued some single, all-important objective; instead they Cheap Air Max TN pursued multiple objectives that were sometimes at variance with each other—change and ORDER AND CHAOS stability, conservative and bold, creative autonomy and consistency. They simply refused to choose between building shareholder value, for instance, and making people healthier, or designing better engineered electronics. In Blue Ocean Strategy, authors Kim and Mauborgne emphasize that often a truly innovative firm will end up reinventing its category by refusing to make trade-offs. For instance, while business strategists often suggest that an effective strategy is one that makes a clear choice between differentiation and low cost, a “blue ocean” strategy sometimes can be based on pursuing nike air max tn differentiation and low cost simultaneously. One study of long-lasting European companies suggests that truly durable firms tend to be extremely good “exploiters,” placing a strong emphasis on getting the most possible leverage out of their existing assets or advantages before exploring for new things. This trait, however, is paired with a high emphasis on careful diversification—not just because of the scale benefits of conglomeration, but in order to have resilience and flexibility. YOUR CUSTOMERS CAN HELP YOU STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE No matter how closely you look at the issue, it’s clear that if you want your company to prosper over the long term, you have to strike the right balance between exploring for new sources of revenue and exploiting your current assets for what value you can create from them. Just where that balance lies is a matter of judgment, but the penalty for ignoring the future is becoming more severe as the pace of change accelerates. On the “exploitation” side of your business, if you treat products and technologies as the assets to be exploited for all the value they can yield, as most companies do, then finding this balance will be difficult. One problem is that in Your Customers Ca nike air max shoes n Help You Strike the Right Balance 193 the product-centric business model, money is the scarcest resource, and every dollar spent on exploiting will be one dollar less spent on exploration. So, as technological progress continues to undermine your product’s advantages, exploiting it to create value will soak up more and more of your budget—for more frequent incremental product improvements, more aggressive marketing campaigns, deeper price discounts, cost reductions, and so forth. And don’t kid yourself: Acquiring new customers is not really “exploring” for new sources of revenue. Customer acquisition is just another way to exploit your current business proposition. For product-centric businesses, it is almost always the primary goal of “marketing.” But inevitably, your activities will be centered more and more on the short-term actions that can drive immediate revenue, and the more successful you become at this, the more exploitatio cheap nike air max 90 n will come to dominate your company. Then sooner or later you’ll wake up one morning, as Dell did, or 3M, or Blockbuster, and realize that your whole business has become vulnerable because you’ve already driven costs as low as they can go, you’ve already saturated the market with your best prices and most attractive offers, and you have nothing to replace your exploitation engine once technology leaves it behind for good. However, if you think of customers as the asset to be “exploited” for all the value they can yield (in the sociological sense of the word), then you’ll find it much easier to achieve the right balance between exploitation and exploration, for at least three reasons: 1. Customer equity is inherently more long term in nature than any product advantage could ever be, so if one of your current-period business objectives is to preserve or increase customer equity, then you’ll see destructive short-term revenue fixes and discounts for what they are. You’ll also quickly see that one of ORDER AND CHAOS the most important ways to increase your customer equity is to have more products and services that are relevant to meeting customer needs. This means exploring for product and service innovations— finding products for customers, not just findi nike air max wright ng customers for products. 2. In the customer-centric business model, it will be easier to allocate investments between exploitation and exploration, because you’ll be treating your customers themselves as the actual scarce resource. Doing a better job exploiting means getting the most possible value out of every available customer or prospect (including not just current-period revenue but customer equity, as well)—by providing the greatest value to customers who can trust you. Therefore, you should be allocating your capital to both exploitation and exploration in whatever way best maximizes your overall Return on Customer. 3. And finally, when you build your employee culture around treating customers with fairness, it will be t Nike TN UK hat much easier to generate a climate of innovation at your company, because trustworthiness itself provides a great platform for taking risks and encouraging creativity. DOES TRUST ENCOURAGE INNOVATION? People in an innovative organization won’t always agree, nor should they, but they must disagree respectfully. Handling disagreement in a respectful way holds a lot of implications for the type of workplace that best facilitates a climate of innovation. It means the boss shouldn’t just squash conversation by issuing edicts. It means setting up a “zing-free” workplace, where nike air max plus it’s not okay to make snide Does Trust Encourage Innovation? comments about coworkers, either in their presence or behind their backs. It means assuming the people who work with you deserve explanation and clarity about what’s going on behind the scenes. It means rewarding people who work with others and serve as catalysts for group action, and not just the lone rangers who succeed because they trounce everyone else. It means you don’t pull the rug out from under people. It means, in other words, that a climate of innovation starts with an environment of trust. In Chapter 4, we learned that you can create the most value for your firm by earning the trust of your customers, which means practicing the principle of reciprocity with them. But you have to apply that principle to employees, as well, because if you want your company to behave in a trustworthy way toward customers, then your employees have to trust the company, too. Then in C nike air max women hapter 6, we discussed the important role that a company’s culture (i.e., its values, unwritten rules and customs) play in determining its behavior. We suggested that to overcome the Crisis of Short-Termism and orient your firm toward creating lasting value in addition to current earnings, you should try to cultivate a culture of customer trust among your employees. Creating a culture of customer trust at your firm will provide an important advantage when it comes to building a long-lasting, valuable business. But this kind of culture will also have a broader effect on your company—an effect that actually will translate to more than mere economic success. Stop for a minute and think about the kind of organization you would have if everyone knew that the mission was to treat customers the way you’d like to be treated yourself as a customer. Imagine that your employees are trained to do this, and that as a policy your company treats employees with the same respect and reciprocity that you want them to show toward customers. Now think about how difficult it would be in this kind of environment to hatch a massive fraud or deception. You ORDER AND CHAOS can never completely eliminate corru nike air max plus ption, but if your employees all buy in to the reciprocity principle, then your company will h Nike TN Trainers ave antibodies against corruption and deception and cheating, whether the deception is perpetrated

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optimizing the blend of current sales and changes in customer equity. But the Crisis of Short-Termism derives from another conflict, as well, one that has been identified in a wide variety of both popular and academic business books.1 This is the conflict that arises when managers must choose how much to concentrate on operating a business for the present versus innovating for the future. Operating a business as flawlessly and efficiently as possible requires setting up fixed routines and repeatable processes, while innovation requires you to encourage the nonroutine. To operate efficiently you want to eliminate variances, but innovation thrives on variances, at least insofar as they lead to more creative thinking. This conflict has been sharpened immensely by the radical improvements in information technology we’ve seen over the last 20 years or so. These technologies have fueled a global rush of efficiency-improvement and cost-reduction initiatives, as processes are nike air max 2003 more easily automated, routines are codified, and the everyday frictions of ordinary commerce melt away. The result is that while companies were always better at exploiting than exploring, technology has now made them even better at exploiting. Exacerbating this problem is the fact that while efficiency-improvement programs, such as Total Quality Management, ISO 9000, or Six Sigma, can significantly improve a company’s operational execution and streamline its cost structure, they may also tend to limit a company’s ability to think outside the box, reducing or eliminating altogether t Cheap Air Max TN he chance a firm will be able to bring to market a truly breakthrough idea. According to Vijay Govindarajan, of Dartmouth, “The more you hardwire a company on total quality management, [the more] it is going to hurt breakthrough innovation. . . . The mindset that is needed, the capabilities that are needed, the metrics that are needed, the whole culture that is needed for discontinuous innovation, are fundamentally different.” T nike air max 90 current he problem, according ORDER AND CHAOS to one IT industry analyst, is that innovative ideas can easily meet a roadblock when up against a “long-running, moderately successful Six Sigma quality effort led by fanatics.” Thus, as more and more companies have used technology to streamline and accelerate their operations, they have become either less capable or less willing to consider gamechanging inno nike air max womens vations, which means the innovations most firms do come up with today tend to be more incremental and short term in nature. These types of innovations involve less risk and are more likely to return a profit in the short term, of course, but they also have much less upside. The truth is, tiny or incremental improvements in a product barely qualify as real “innovation,” but that seems to be the type of innovation preferred more and more. One academic study, for instance, found that the proportion of truly new-to-the-world innovations under consideration has declined precipitously in recent years, shrinking from 20% of all innovations in 1990 to just 11.5% in 2004. Another study, focused specifically on the types of patents issued in the paint and photography industry over a 20-year period, showed that after a company completed a quality improvement initiative, the proportion of patents based on prior work (i.e., incremental innovation rather than breakthrough innovation) went up dramatically. Still another study found that 85 to 90% of the innovation projects in a typical company’s nike air max tn pipeline today represent purely incremental improvements rather than creative breakthroughs. 3M LOSES ITS INNOVATIVE MOJO, THEN GETS ITS GROOVE BACK Revered for decades as one of the world’s most innovative companies, 3M may have lost its innovative mojo in the wake of a significant effort to upgrade its operational 3M Loses Its Innovative Mojo, Then Gets Its Groove Back 187 efficiency. In 2000, the 3M board brought in a new CEO to try to gain some needed control over the company’s runaway costs. James McNerney, a Jack Welch prot′efrom eg′ GE, immediately introduced the Six Sigma discipline at 3M, eliminating more than 10% of the workforce, streamlining work processes, and earning praise from Wall Street. Created at Motorola in the 1980s, Six Sigma involves the careful, statistical measurement of business processes, seeking to improve quality and consistency by steadily driving the error rate down. The name “Six Sigma” stands for six standard deviations from the mean, which on a bell curve would represent an error rate of 3.4 defects per million, a gigantic improvement over the 2,700 defects per million generated by the “average” organization. Defects are thought to cost the average firm between 20 and 30% of its revenue, compared to just 1% for a Six Sigma organization. Key nike air max shoes to the success of a Six Sigma improvement is eliminating the variances that lead to quality problems. At GE, the Six Sigma discipline became a legendary profitability tool, and is now one of the most widely admired and accepted programs for controlling costs and improving the quality of a business’s production. So as soon as he arrived at 3M, McNerney began putting thousands of employees through training to become Six Sigma “black belts”—the company’s internal consultants in the discipline. And soon 3M’s finances did indeed improve, with profitability growing and operating margins increasing from 17% in 2001 to 23% by 2005. But McNerney w cheap nike air max 90 as considerably less successful when it came to applying the Six Sigma discipline to 3M’s research and development processes, and many blame the effort for a general fall-off in the number of innovative products developed by the company over the last several years. Remember that many breakthrough innovations come by happy, unanticipated accident rather than by plan, but Six Sigma is ORDER AND CHAOS all about planning, documenting, adjusting, and improving. Applied to R&D, Six Sigma attempts to turn the innovation process into a repeatable routine, which ends up favoring incremental improvements over breakthroughs. According to Steven Boyd, who had been a 3M researcher at the company for 32 years, “You’re supposed to be developing something that was going to be producing a profit, if not next quarter, it better be the quarter after that.” Many of the researchers and scientists at 3M bridled at the requirement to fill out constant reports and justifications for Nike TN UK doing the kind of “tinkering around with things” that usually led to the more important creative ideas. According to one participant in the process, after a briefing on how the Six Sigma program was to be applied to R&D, “we all came to the conclusion that there was no way in the world that anything like a Post-it note would ever emerge from this new system.” And Art Fry, the 3M scientist (now retired) who invented the Post-it note, contends that 3M’s recent sluggishness in innovation is directly attributable to the Six Sigma method. In the innovation process, Fry says, “you have to go through 5,000 to 6,000 raw ideas to find one successful business,” but the Six Sigma discipline implies you should just focus on the one right idea in the beginning and n nike air max wright ot waste time on all the nonstarters. InJuly2005,McNerneylefttobecomeCEOof Boeing, and within a few months, 3M appointed George Buckley, a seasoned international executive with an engineering background, to be the new CEO. Buckley has tried to preserve the benefits of the cost-cutting and efficiency-improvement efforts while simultaneously restimulating the creative and innovative juices at 3M. His solution was in part to exempt a lot of the research process from the more formal Six Sigma forms and reports. According to Buckley, “Invention is by its very nature a disorderly process. . . . You can’t put a Six Sigma process into that area and say, well, I’m getting behind on invention, so I’m going to schedule myself for Having It Both Ways three good ideas on Wednesday and two on Friday. That’s not how creativity works.” Invention is indeed a disorderly process—a process of experiment and failure, accident and coincidence, bad luck and good fortune. Success often comes s nike air max plus imply from being in the right place at the right time, but when your company is always trying new things, your odds greatly improve that one combination of things or another will in fact be a success. So how does a leader cope with this kind of less ordered, less structured, less predictable organization? Probably not by directing but by facilitating. 3M’s Buckley, like Intuit’s Bill Campbell and 1-800-Flowers’ Jim McCann, knows full well that the innovative leader’s role is to hire the right managers, provide the proper tools, create the right environment, and then get out of the way of this very disorderly process. Everyone wants more innovation. But the one thing that ought to be clear at this point is that you can’t make innovation happen no matter how hard you try or how many resources you put on it. Your most effective strategy will be to create a climate of innovation and let it happen. HAVING IT BOTH WAYS Is it possible to be both efficient and innovative, both disciplined and creative? Can the order of execution coexist with the chaos of creation? This problem has always plagued businesses but has been brought into sharp relief by new technologies, which can automate and streamline operations in ways that were just not possible before. There’s hardly a management book written in the last sever Nike TN Trainers al decades that doesn’t make at least a passing reference to this problem, whether it’ nike air max women s Creative Destruction, suggesting that there is a tension between operating and innovating, or In Search of Excellence, advocating that businesses need to be both ORDER AND CHAOS “tight” and “loose,” or Winning Through Innovation, arguing that a company must be “ambidextrous” to be successful both as an operator and an innovator. But probably the best overall description of the organizational traits more likely to succeed both in operating their current business and in innovating for the future can be found in Jim Collins and Jerry Porras’s classic 1994 bestseller, Built to Last. Collins and Porras identified a number of companies that have been consistently more successful than others in their competitive set not just for a few years but for decades. Then they directly compared the philosophies, policies, and characteristics of these long-lasting companies with other, not-so-successful firms, in order to uncover the secrets of long-term corporate success. What they found was an incredibly resilient ability to hold on to a core set of values while simultaneously tinkering, exploring, and experimenting with new ideas. Above all, companies that prosper over the long term will almost inevitably have an extremely strong corporate culture. At most of the durably successful companies Collins and Porras studied, including HP, Wal-Mart, Nordstrom, GE, Walt Disney, Johnson & Johnson, 3M, and Marriott, a nike air max plus mong others, the culture is something almost tangible. It is a quality that infuses the employees at these companies with a sense of purpose, a mission that goes well beyond simply making a profit or building

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the reason younger companies are more flexible, adaptable, and innovative is that “resources” are simply more adaptable to change than are “processes” or “values,” which, by their very nature, are designed to turn repetitive activities into routines and to minimize variation. In Christensen’s hierarchy it is clear that he regards a company’s values and culture as the most hardened of capabilities, and we certainly agree with that. Nothing is quite so difficult to change as a company’s culture, and once “the way we do things around here” becomes “the way we’ve always done things around here,” your company already has one foot in the grave. But this argument implies that nike air max wright a company cannot become large without losing its innovativeness. However, what if the culture that hardens into a company as it becomes mature is a culture that celebrates change, creativity, and innovation applied to the business? What if the repetitive activities and routines that a firm’s culture enshrines have to do with a constant exploration for innovations and improvements? Some established, mature companies really do seem to have cultures that allow them to innovate and adapt more effectively while adhering to efficient business practices. Apple is not the only large firm with a track record of constant invention. GE, Disney, 3M, and Toyota also come to mind. Despite the fact that it has 52 non-Japanese manufacturing companies marketing vehicles in some 170 countries, Toyota is surely one of the most innovative and creative companies in the world, and the secret behind its success Creativity Cannot Be Commanded seems to be the type of employee culture it maintains. The five-part “Toyota Way” pretty much sums it up, and is clearly designed to encourage creativity, initiative, and innovation among the firm’s employees, right down to the rank-and-file factory workers: 1. Kaizen is the well-known Japanese process of continuous improvement. More a frame of mind than a business process, kaizen means Toyota employees come to work each day determined to become a little better at whatever it is they are doing than they were the day before. 2. Genchi genbutsu nike air max plus (GG) roughly translates into “go to the source.” Employees are urged to find the facts of an issue, because it is easier to build consensus around well-supported arguments. In contrast to practice at many western companies, GG means Toyota employees spend time and effort carefully defining whatever business problem they are facing, before they leap to a solution. 3. Challenge. Reminiscent of the Chinese curse “May you live in interesting times,” the idea of challe Nike TN UK nge encourages Toyota employees to see problems not as undesirable difficulties but as opportunities to improve their performance further. 4. Teamwork. Putting the company’s interests before those of the individual is essential to good teamwork. Employees are expected to share knowledge with others in the team. Working well together is an acquired skill, so Toyota devotes a lot of time and money to on-the-job training. 5. Respect for other people. Everyone is encouraged to respect others not just as people but also for their skills and the special knowledge that derives from their particular position in the company. Different opinions are encouraged, but disagreement must be handled in a respectful way. INNOVATE OR DIE Toyota’s culture allows its man nike air max women agers to network and team together in ways that enable the firm to devise and implement breakthrough innovations. The company’s just-in-time inventorying system is based partly on letting factory workers themselves control the flow of the supplies they need. In many respects, Toyota’s approach to addressing this and other manufacturing issues resembles the way diverse groups of software engineers network together to attack an open-source software issue. Takis Athanasopoulos, who heads the company’s European operations, says Japanese employees who know the culture well reach a point of “emotional fortitude,” when their behavior is entirely consistent with the company’s own culture and beliefs. In the West, he says, where individuals tend to put their own interests before those of any group, it is more difficult for employees to reach this state. One of the most important keys to Toyota’s enormous success, however, is that its employee culture is explicitly designed to encourage trust and collaboration among employees, in order to seek constant improvements and innovations. In fairness to Christensen’s argument, it remains to be seen how Toyota might respond to some truly disruptive innovation within the automotive industry. We can only speculate what such an innovation might look like, but perhaps it would involve cars capable of remarkably high mileage using a mix of gasoline and electric technologies (whoops! like the Toyota Prius?), or cars that can be highly customized to individual taste and still delivered at low cost, high margin, and within days nike air max plus (like the Toyota Scion?). Neither of these new ideas may qualify as a truly “disruptive” innovation per se, but it’s still out of line to argue that Toyota is too big to be innovative. Even as a mature company that prizes efficiencies and cost containment, Toyota continues to demonstrate a remarkable capacit nike air max 90 current y for new thinking. | { 11 Order and Chaos A psychological study of professional football players once revealed some interesting differences between defensive and offensive players. Apparently, offensive players’ lockers were found to be neater and more orderly than those of defensive players, as a rule. Now, there may be many reasons for this, but the most obvious inference is probably right: Offensive players get ahead by following well-crafted plans, executed flawlessly. Timing, position, and order are everything to them. Defensive players, in contrast, get ahead by wreaking havoc with others’ plans. They are simply more at home with disorder, chaos, and unpredictability. A similar dichotomy plagues business when it comes to managing both execution and creativity. Efficient execution requires order, routine, and invariability. Creativity and innovation involve disorder, randomness, experimentation, and failure. F Nike TN Trainers ew nike air max 2003 companies have resolved this inherent conflict successfully. But there are some, just like there are a few pro ball players who can star on either side of the line. As the pace of change continues to accelerate, however, it will be increasingly important to navigate frequently between the close-ordered drill of production and the chaotic experimentation of innovation. Your company is an organization made up of individual employees and managers who interact with each other and, 181 ORDER AND CHAOS while pursuing their own individual objectives, produce a collective outcome. Academics call this a “complex adaptive system.” The beehive we considered in Chapter 8 is a complex adaptive system, too. The behavior that emerges from such a system is often different from what you’d expect if you observe the actions of any single member of the system. You could watch a honeybee’s actions all day, for instance, and still not know the shape, texture, or social structure of the hive. Your business makes a profit or incurs a loss in the current period, and you build or destroy customer equity. These events are the collective result of the individual actions of all the employees who make up your company. Like honeybees, your employees are each pursuing their own objectives, but the overall outcome of all the employees working together is the short-and long-term value that your firm creates for shareholders. And this outcome itself becomes additional feedback driving futu Cheap Air Max TN r nike air max womens e employee behavior. Sometimes a system’s behavior can appear irrational. For example, if managers and employees can get ahead by achieving immediate, short-term results in their own particular areas, then the firm’s overall behavior may be characterized by a lack of coordination among various silos of the organization, coupled with frequent abuses of customers, perhaps in direct violation of the company’s written mission statement to “act in the customer’s interest at all times.” Even though no single manager thinks she is undermining the trust customers have in the firm, the overall behavior of the company still has that effect. The success of a complex system—beehives and businesses included—depends on its being able to strike the right balance between exploiting known food sources and exploring for additional sources. We’ve already talked about what great exploiters honeybees are, doing dances for the other bees in order to direct them to any new food source. Efficiency Often Undermines Innovation But in addition to exploiting known food sources, bees are constantly exploring for new food, even when they already have more than they need. And they are excellent at it. Scientists have shown that bees will find virtually any viable new food source within about two kilometers of their hive with great efficiency, regardless of the current nectar resources available. The analogy with business is clear. When a business is exploiting its known sources of income, it is living in the short term. Long-term success requires exploration, as well. But one of the biggest problems with most businesses is that they just don’t do nike air max tn as good a job as honeybees do when it comes to constantly exploring for additional income sources. The way businesses are organized, financially measured, and rewarded simply makes most of them better at exploiting than exploring. EFFICIENCY OFTEN UNDERMINES INNOVATION Not giving enough priority or attention to the “exploration” side of the business is the biggest strategic mistake most companies make. Dell had a marvelously large food source in the form of its novel business model: direct to consumer computer sales, generating revenue even before incurring inventory costs. But by concentrating solely on exploiting this food source as efficiently as possible in order to meet Wall Street’s quarterly expectations, Dell eventually put its entire business at risk. BusinessWeek headlined its article about Dell’s fall from grace with the observation: “In a too-common mistake, it clung narrowly to its founding strategy instead of developing future sources of growth.” For most firms, the tension between exploration and exploitation is complicated by two things: (1) the ruthlessly ORDER AND CHAOS short-term dynamic introduced by the expectations of nike air max shoes the world’s financial markets, and (2) the fact that the financial metrics used by most companies are plainly inadequate when it comes to tracking the daily up-and-down changes in the long-term value of a business. Suppose, in an experiment, we could alter the DNA of a hive of bees, genetically programming them to focus exclusively on exploitation rather than exploration. Then we put that hive of bees down in the middle of a large field of flowers. What would happen? Over the short term the hive would grow much more rapidly than the surrounding hives, because every available bee would be put to the task of exploiting the field. But what happens next? Once the field is fully exploited, the growth in nectar supplies would tail off, and soon the hive would have to fire its CEO, get in a new management team, and try to move the whole operation into a different field somewhere, that’s what. To balance exploitation and exploration, you must be willing to devote resources to both activities. Google maintains its innovative edge by encouraging employees to dedicate cheap nike air max 90 one day per week to exploring innovative or creative initiatives of their own choosing. If you think about it, that’s an investment equivalent to 20% of the company’s overall personnel budget. Emerson Electric has a strategic investment program that allocates as much as $20 million a year as seed capital for employees’ various unproven but potentially lucrative concepts. Traditionally, 3M’s researchers have been encouraged to spend 15% of their time on unstructured projects of their own choosing. No matter how you define it—exploitation versus exploration, production versus innovation, or selling more today versus selling more tomorrow—it ought to be clear that a business will always experience some tension between short-term profit and long-term value creation. We’ve already talked extensively about how important it is for a company to balance short-term results and long-term value, Efficiency Often Undermines

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Economic activity is driven by change—by a constant flow of new products and services created by self-interested but not entirely rational people seeking a profit. As new products and services are produced, old ones fail and disappear. New companies come into existence constantly, replacing old ones that sink into business oblivion. Increasingly, economists are coming to think of the economy as a different kind of evolutionary system. Under this theory, it is progress, creativity, and innovation that are the real drivers propelling economic activity. People create new things and devise new technologies in order to make a profit by meeting some need. The innovations that make the most profit are the most “fit” for survival, so they are likely to have a larger impact on overall progress as the economy continues to evolve into higher and higher technological states. Changing technology and constant innovation make it extremely difficult for companies to su nike air max plus rvive and prosper over any substantial pe Cheap Air Max TN riod of time. One comprehensive study examined thousands of firms in 40 industries over a 25-year period in order to understand how long the most profitable ones could maintain their superior economic performances—which the researchers defined in terms of a statistically significant difference relative to their peers. The study revealed that the periods during which any single company can consistently maintain above-average results are decreasing, regardless of industry, size of firm, or geography. Using a series of rolling five-year periods for their analysis, the researchers found that just 5% of companies are able to string together ten or more years of superior performance, and less than a half percent of their sample Technology, Progress, and Change (only 32 firms out of the 6,772 analyzed) performed above their peers for 20 years or more. The truly outstanding performers in this study were tho nike air max women se able to string together a series of short-term competitive advantages rather than maintaining a long-term advantage. You can gain a short-term advantage with a differentiated product or service, but to survive the evolutionary process you need the ability to respond to change and string a number of these advantages together. In Beinhocker’s words, the truly successful firms are those that “rise into the top ranks of performance, get knocked down, but like a tough boxer, get back up to fight and win again.” This is certainly how Apple could be portrayed. And 3M. And GE. It remains to be seen whether that once-great competitor Dell will have the resilience and resourcefulness to “get back up to fight and win again.” But note carefully: If this evolutionary view of economic progress is correct, then there really is no such thing as a “sustainable” competitive advantage for a business. Instead, success in business, as in the natural world, comes to those “most responsive to change.” This is not Lake Wobegon, folks, where all the children are above average. Here on Earth half of all businesses a nike air max plus re below average, and because of the increasing pace of change, it takes less time than ever to slip below the line. TECHNOLOGY, PROGRESS, AND CHANGE Economist Paul Romer suggests one way to understand the role that innovation and new ideas play in an economy is to think of an idea as a kind of product. In contrast to a physical product, however, every newly created ideaproduct becomes virtually free for anyone to use (not just its INNOVATE OR DIE creator). Even when patents are plentiful and well written, this is still true. Consider the flurry of accessories businesses that support iPods and all the non-eBay people getting rich from eBay—all without violating a single patent but using someone else’s very good idea. Because every new idea has the potential to lead to additional ideas, the more there are, the faster they come. This means the business of creating idea nike air max 2003 s is subject to increasing returns to scale, in sharp contrast to the diminishing returns that characterize traditional economics.2 However, while the possibility of increasing returns might lead you to conclude that creating a new idea should nike air max 90 current be a very profitable activity, don’t forget that if anyone can use your new idea, then it may be difficult for you to make much money from it yourself, even after going to all the trouble and expense of having come up with it in the first place. True profits can be generated only during the time periods that lie between when a new idea Nike TN UK is devised and when it is duplicated by competition. And as the pace of change and innovation continues to accelerate, these time periods are getting shorter and shorter. But here’s the real point: Instead of counting on making money from every new idea, you have to be able to produce more new ideas, constantly. Innovation, creativity, and adaptability are traits that are more important than ever, precisely because they’re more common than ever. Your most successful competitors have these traits. Business conditions change with every new innovation, and you will survive nike air max womens as a business only if you can adapt (i.e., innovate). While technology has always marched steadily forward, the pace of this march seems to have accelerated in recent years to such an extent that the actual character of business competition has undergone a qualitative shift. You may not make an elevator go faster by jabbing at the call button, but neither can you stop the process of its arrival once you’ve called it. Technology, Progress, and Change To understand how innovation actually creates value for a business, think back to the long-versus short-term argument we made with respect to the customer’s memory and experience. Give a customer a good experience today, and the customer will remember it and be more likely to buy from you in the future. The increased likelihood of future business from the customer, which translates directly into an increase in the customer’s lifetime value, is in fact a f nike air max tn orm of value created today, with the customer’s experience, even though you may not realize the cash effect until later. You can think of “innovation” as a way to help customers create that longer-term value. Because you want to generate value from customers tomorrow, you have to develop better products and improved services today. But it’s not the selling of the product tomorrow that creates value for your business. Rather, it’s today’s act of innovation that created the product in the first place. Selling the product is just how you realize the cash effect of the innovation. It’s also important to execute well, of course, but the original innovation is what generates the opportunity to make any kind of profit from great execution. LAW TO FOLLOW Success requires constant innovation. | Simply stated, if your company isn’t able to come up with new ideas, create new products, launch new services, and execute well, you will soon find yourself in what GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt once characterized as “commodity hell.” Increasingly, innovation and creativity are essential no nike air max shoes t just for your company’s success but Nike TN Trainers for its very survival.3 Note carefully, however, that innovation’s role is to help customers create value. Innovation, by itself, has no value. INNOVATE OR DIE It can even be destructive. There is already a great deal of hype surrounding innovation, but to create real value for your business, your innovation has to involve more than just coming up with cool new ideas for their own sake. That’s the kind of “innovation” that brings you a remote device for your home theater system that can’t be decoded without a geek license. Innovation that isn’t wanted or valued by customers is just self-indulgence, and some of the most “innovative” technology companies in the world are guilty of it. To overcome the hype and to focus on profitable inno cheap nike air max 90 vation, you have to keep the customer’s future behavior firmly fixed in your mind. But if your whole organization isn’t already tuned to the customer’s wavelength, this just isn’t likely to happen. CREATING A CLIMATE OF INNOVATION Economist Romer suggests that if a government wants to promote economic growth, then it should create what he calls a “climate of innovation.” It could do this by, for instance, enforcing legal protections for intellectual property rights, improving education, subsidizing research, and bringing in new ideas from other societies and geographies. 4 But trying to create a climate of innovation is good advice 520 for a business, as well. In order to grow your business— or even just to make sure your business survives—you need to be able to innovate. How can you get better at coming up with new ideas and innovations and then putting them into production or operation? How can you turn your employees into more flexible, adaptable, and creative people? And how would you architect your firm, if your goal is to be adaptable, inventive, and responsive to change? Creating a Climate of Innovation When asked how to coach innovation, Intuit’s B nike air max wright ill Campbell equates firm durability and lasting value with “operating values that cherish ability to keep up the good work,” done by people who have a sense of mission and want to do something great. He points out that innovation

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will look different at different companies. Google innovates by letting a thousand flowers bloom, for instance, while Apple innovates by applying technology.5 Apple, regarded as one of the world’s most trusted brands, also has a reputation as one of the world’s most creative and inventive firms, consistently ranking first in polls of the world’s most innovative companies. According to one assessment, four factors drive Apple’s inventiveness. First, it relies on “network innovation,” regularly involving outsiders in its creative process, from technical partners to nike air max plus customers and others, rather than simply locking engineers away in the R&D department. Second, it is ruthless about designing new products around customer needs with as much simplicity as possible. Third, it understands that customers don’t know what they don’t know—that is, breakthrough innovations will often fly in the face of what “the market” is saying. The iPod, for instance, was originally ridiculed when it was launched in 2001. And finally, Apple has learned that one secret for constant innovation is to “fail wisely.” The iPhone rose from the ashes of the company’s original music phone, designed with Motorola. And the Macintosh sprang from the original Lisa computer, which failed. Failing wisely. That’s an important clue for setting up a climate of innovation, because every new idea has a high probability of failure, but without making the attempt, the small proportion of successes will never be discov nike air max women ered, either. James Dyson, the British vacuum cleaner magnate, claims he built 5,127 prototypes of his revolutionary new vacuum before one of his designs made him a billionaire. The Wright brothers tested some 200 different wing designs INNOVATE OR DIE and crashed 7 of them before successfully lifting off at Kitty Hawk. And WD-40 is called “WD-40” because the first 39 “water displacement” formulas tested by the Rocket Chemical Company in 1953 failed. If you want to keep the CFO in your company from going apoplectic at the thought of supporting a froth of “creative destruction” and intrepreneurship, then you might try classifying your business failures into two different categories: 1. Fiasco failures are the result of stupid mistakes, lack of homework, laziness, misguided decisions, general incompetence, and mindlessly following the old Rules to Break. 2. Wise failures are the result of well-executed smart ideas, based on ca Nike TN Trainers refully considered risks. Jim McCann, founder of 1-800-Flowers (and a business philosopher in his spare time), feels that innovation requires a company to celebrate its failures. He’s co nike air max plus nvinced that if your best people never fail, then you’re not getting the most from them. In 2006, Neville Isdell, the famed CEO of Coca-Cola who has stated publicly that it doesn’t do any good to make this quarter’s numbers if the company isn’t also building for the future, announced that he wants Coke to “take bigger risks,” and to do that, he knows he needs to “convince employees and shareholders that he will tolerate the failures that will inevitably result.” At your own company you may want to consider rewarding both successes and (wise) failures, while trying to disc nike air max 2003 ourage inaction. After all, if the evolutionary model of economics is correct, then progress occurs by a process of trial and error. But without error there can be no trial. As hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky once said, “I never made a shot I didn’t take.” Supporting the Lunatic Fringe The central question you face when trying to grow your business—even just trying to make sure your business survives—is how to foster your own company’s “climate of innovation.” Can you live with, and even celebrate, failures? Is it possible to turn your employees into more flexible, adaptable, and creative people? SUPPORTING THE LUNATIC FRINGE One of the obvious first steps, if you want to encourage innovation, is to staff your company with more creative people, either by hiring more creative people in the first place or by teaching your people to be more creative, if that’s even possible. The problem is that no one really knows what creativity is or how it happens. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Just think about it: If you could defi nike air max 90 current ne creativity and map out exactly how it occurs, it wouldn’t really be “creative,” would it? Instead, to paraphrase what Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once said about obscenity, you may not be able to define creativity, but you’ll know it when you see it. Nevertheless, anyone who thinks or writes nike air max womens much on the subject will tell you that one secret to creativity seems to be crossing boundaries, cross-pollinating or combining different concepts, and taking new perspectives on old issues. A creative idea is usually the result of a single human brain making a connection between two previously unrelated concepts and having some blinding insight as a result— often an insight that appears to have nothing at all to do with the original concepts. Or maybe it isn’t a blinding insight, but just a glimmer of understanding, or even a suspicion of something sort of interesting. This is certainly one reason why economist Romer says the rate of innovation and chang nike air max tn e is accelerating in the world—because the more new INNOVATE OR DIE ideas there are, the more combining and cross-pollinating can take place.6 However they arise, creative ideas seem to come more frequently to people when they are attempting to reconcile or compare unli Cheap Air Max TN ke things or to make connections between diverse ideas. Hungarian economist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi produced an extremely interesting statistical study showing that androgynous people—meaning effeminate men and masculine women—tend to be relatively more creative, probably because they spend their lives having to reconcile diverse perspectives. And in Walter Isaacson’s richly documented biography, he catalogs a number of factors behind Albert Einstein’s extraordinary creativity, including that he was naturally rebellious and anti-authoritarian, that he was well read not just in physics but in philosophy, psychology, and other disciplines, that he drew constant analogies between physics concepts previously thought to be unrelated (acceleration and gravity, for instance) and, to top it off, that he was a German Jew claimed by his home country as a celebrity and shunned by it at the same time. By most accounts, highly creative people tend to be intelligent and intellectually curious, as well as flexible and open to new information. But they are also prone to be intense, motivated, mentally restless, anti-authoritarian, unorthodox, and often (as in Einstein’s case) a bit rebellious. For business, a productively creative person must also be extremely goal-oriented, able nike air max shoes to recognize and define problems clearly, and capable of putting information together in many different ways to reach solutions. Goal-directed creativity is the essential first ingredient of business innovation, but you shouldn’t forget the fun part, either, because a highly creative person tends to have a finely developed sense of humor. Intuit’s Bill Campbell calls these creative people the “crazies with quality assurance,” adding that the role of an organization’s leadership sometimes is to support the lunatic fringe. Creativity Cannot Be Commanded Dartmouth Tuck Management School professor Chris Trimble told us: “You must display a willingness to be a bit bizarre to get the juices flowing. Companies that are good at this, like Microsoft, Apple, and MLB.com (Major League Baseball’s interactive group), create unusual interactions for their employees. They have offsi cheap nike air max 90 te meetings. They mix people up. One company I worked with mixed their executives with customers from Third World countries just to find out if there were any ideas they might be missing out on.” CREATIVITY CANNOT BE COMMANDED Intuit itself, of course, has an innovative track record, and Bill Campbell knows full well that you can’t simply command people to “innovate.” It doesn’t work that way. All you can do is create an environment in which innovation is encouraged to flourish—a climate of innovation. You may decide to organize somewhat differently, and you should encourage creativity with your policies in addition to hiring people who are more likely to be original thinkers. But in the end your firm’s creativity cannot be commanded. It must spring up from the culture. Uh-oh. There’s that word again. But hey, guess what? The same corporate culture that will help you earn customer trust will also help your company remain adaptive, resilient, and innovative. Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen (of “disruptive innovation” fame) suggests that your company’s ability to innovate and adapt depends on how you define your capabilities, and that a company defines these capabilities di nike air max wright fferently as it goes through its life cycle. For a young firm, the resources it has available—things like people, INNOVATE OR DIE technologies, expertise, or cash—represent its capabilities. During a company’s growth phase, these capabilities begin to morph into well-defined and understood processes— including processes for product development, ma Nike TN UK nufacturing, budgeting, and so forth. Then, when a company matures into a larger firm, its capabilities will be defined by its values—including things like the limitations it places on its own business, the margins it needs before considering an investment, and its corporate culture. According to Christensen,

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Earning the trust of customers is not just a shortcut for creating value. It is a shortcut for creating a better company. In the Enron trial, one of the most telling clues that the company wasn’t just rotten at the top but rotten at the core was the poisonously cynical attitude that Enron’s rankand- file employees h nike air max plus ad toward the firm’s own customers. Enron had a strongly innovative culture, but it was built on deception and guile and short-term profits obtained at any cost rather than on customer trust and long-term value. For instance, introduced at the trial were transcripts of the recorded conversations of Enron’s gas traders as they openly mocked the stupidity and gullibility of the customers they were trading for, wh Cheap Air Max TN ile the California energy crisis continued to wreak tre nike air max women mendous economic damage on the state. As we all found out in the end, however, it is a very short step from deceiving customers to deceiving shareholders. And of course now “the smartest guys in the room” have become “the smartest guys in prison.”2 Trustworthiness is not an elastic concept. It doesn’t stretch. No one ever has just “some” integrity.3 You either have integrity or you don’t. You are either trustworthy or you are not trustworthy. And if earning the trust of customers is the central mission at your firm—the primary way to create value and grow the business—then it is highly likely you will also enjoy the trust of suppliers, vendors, channel partners, investors, stakeholders, and other employees (and perhaps even politicians, reporters, and consumer advocates, as well). Does Trust Encourage Innovation? This is extremely important when you think about your company’s climate of innovation, because new ideas tend to come from mixing up existing ideas, nike air max plus crossing boundaries, and taking new perspectives. Such activities inevitably generate disagreement, dissent, and argument as well as discussion, so your company has to be able to deal effectively with conflict if you want to reap the rewards of your employees’ a nike air max 2003 nd partners’ diverse points of view. When your workers trust each other, your organization will be more capable of dealing with the widely different perspectives necessary to stimulate creative ideas. Remember that one linchpin of Toyota’s highly innovative culture is “respectful disagreement.” And Apple is successfully inventive at least partly because it knows how to “fail wisely.” If the most useful way to understand how an economy works is indeed by thinking of it as an evolutionary system, one in which each new innovation is built on top of successful previous innovations, linked to other technologies in an increasingly complex web of change, design, experimentation, failure, and success, then a truly successful business will be one that continually adapts to the changing demands of this system. Beinhocker suggests that for a firm to have a greater chance of success in an evolutionary system, it must have cultural values and norms that allow it to adapt, innovate, and respond to constantly changing conditions. Among the norms he proposes are honesty, Nike TN UK mutual t nike air max womens rust, reciprocity, shared purpose, and openness. The point is, if at least a few large firms can remain innovative over longer periods, then there must be things any compan nike air max 90 current y, including yours, can do to encourage innovation, change, adaptability and resilience. Creating a climate of innovation is not just another quixotic “leadership” task. A corporate culture that creates a climate of innovation is probably the single most valuable asset your company can have. nike air max tn Especially since it has many of the same qualities as a culture of customer trust. | { 12 The Wisdom of Dissent Successful innovation requires synthesizing a great deal of information about complex existing technologies and processes and then taking a different or unusual perspective. If you think about your own experience, you probably already know that your best new ideas often come simply by crossing a boundary into a discipline you don’t know so much about. Creative innovation, in other words, tends to be more a function of perspective than expertise, which is why technology guru Nicholas Negroponte asserts that the toughest engineering problems are frequently solved by nonengineers. And most firms find that the best innovations don’t actually come from their R&D departments. A 2005 IBM survey asked 750 global CEOs where their companies’ innovative ideas came from, and just 14% said traditional R&D. One 1997 study of 30 Global 500 firms found almost no correlation bet nike air max shoes ween increased R&D spending and improved profitability. Even in the consumer healthcare category, where product innovation is absolutely the lifeblood of almost every company, a Booz-Allen study found that “innovation effectiveness does not correlate well with company size or with the scale of R&D investment.” One of the reasons breakthrough innovations are so important to a company’s success is that the marketplace has become so product-saturated. By one estimate, if you 199 THE WISDOM OF DISSENT consider all the different types of products and services available for purchase in the modern wo Nike TN Trainers rld economy, it would be on the order of 1010 items. That’s roughly ten billion different things-you-can-buy, from antibiotics to zoom lenses, from accounting services to zodiac readings. The proble cheap nike air max 90 m companies face is that innovation itself has become a must-have for financial success and growth, primarily because the pace of innovation and change has picked up so substantially. To be successful on a continuing basis, you have to keep the innovation engine firing on all cylinders, continually. One academic article summed it up well: In times of relative stability, a given stock of knowledge can create value indefinitely. . . . During times of accelerating change, by contrast, the lifetime value of knowledge shrinks rapidly because it becomes obsolete more quickly. Now the game is using it to connect more rapidly and effectively with others in the creation of new knowledge. Usually, of course, the most interesting connections happen by accident, producing the biggest innovations in the process. 3M’s Post-It Notes, for instance, were created after Art Fry’s experiment to produce nike air max wright a stronger adhesive failed, accidentally yielding a very weak adhesive that turned out to be just what people wanted. Alexander Fleming famously discovered the infection-curing effects of penicillin when a bacterial culture he had been observing was accidentally contaminated with a species of Penicillium mold, inhibiting the growth of the bacteria. Arno Penzias won a Nobel Prize for discovering background radiation providing the first evidence confirming the Big Bang theory, but he originally thought the annoying hiss coming through his radio

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Popular mistrust of other globally successful firms, such as McDonald’s, ExxonMobil, or Microsoft, is also easy to arouse. The only good defense against this vulnerability, especially if you are a large multinational company, is to constantly look for ways to act in the interests of your customers. nike air max tn In November 2005, Chris Atkinson, VP Sales & Marketing for Microsoft Asia, was considering how to improve the level of trust that corporate customers had in the firm. It was the classic short-term versus long-term tradeoff. Could Microsoft convince enterprise customers that it would act in their interests even when this sometimes conflicted with Microsoft’s own short-term interests? Elsewhere in his organization, the sales and marketing people were wrestling with their own issue: unredeemed training vouchers. Microsoft’s customers come in Competitive Success Can Harm Trust many different sizes, from large enterprises down to smalland medium-size businesses and individuals. Larger-volume customers have specially negotiated rates for licenses, as well as other value-added services. When selling software or SQL server installations to enterprise customers, it was the firm’s practice to provide, free of charge, a number of vouchers allowing the customer to send key personnel to special Microsoft training courses, conducted through the firm’s network of certified partners. Training is one of Microsoft’s most important value-added services, because it is designed to appeal especially to the kind of enterprise customer more likely to want a collaborative, long-term commercial relationship. The problem was, fewer than 20% of these vouchers were actually being redeemed. Apparently, four nike air max shoes out of five vouchers simply languished in customers’ bottom drawers, never to be used. The marketing people had mixed emotions about the low redemption rate, however. While they acknowledged that training was a great service that could help cement the company’s relationships with large enterprise customers, high levels of voucher breakage were good for the marketing budget. Every voucher not redeemed represented marketing money that could fund other activities. In the end, Atkinson and his staff decided that customers who were not redeeming their training vouchers were just not getting the most benefit from Microsoft’s products, and even though it cost money to do so, they began sending out reminders to those customers. There were absolutely no strings to these reminders, which were simply notices to customers that they should be sure to take maximum advantage of the training vouchers they had been provided and not yet redeemed. This program immediately doubled the redemption rate in the Southeast Asia region and caught the attention of Micro cheap nike air max 90 soft corporate product marketing in Redmond, as well, with the result that it is now standard practice around the world to send out reminders to enterprise OOPS! MISTAKES HAPPEN customers who have unredeemed training vouchers. As of this writing, the highest redemption rate in any region is about 60%, and Atkinson is shooting for a 70% to 80% redemption rate in Asia. This is completely consistent with Microsoft corporate vice president Jon Roskill’s view that Microsoft should be focused on building long-term relationships with customers and not just “selling seats.” Roskill believes that Microsoft succeeds when his customers’ businesses succeed and when they look forward to hearing from Microsoft. In a similar move in its consumer business, Microsoft announced in July 2007 that the Xbox 360 warranty would be retroactively extended to three years from date of purchase, since some Xbox owners had experienced a general system failure users referred to as a “red ring of death.” Covering both shipping and repair costs required a $1 billion pretax charge on Microsoft’s earnings in the Entertainment & Devices division for the fourth quarter, but Microsoft’s goal was to ensure peace of mind for all Xbox owners, according to Peter Moore, corporate VP of the E&D division. It is at least partly because of customer-oriented initiatives like this that Microsoft has recently become one of the world’s nike air max wright most trusted brands. That’s right. The software behemoth that critics have sometimes called the “evil empire” has, over just the last few years, made a very significant Nike TN UK move toward earning the trust of its customers and other constituencies. At the 2006 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, for instance, Richard Edelman, CEO of the public relations firm that bears his name, released his company’s latest “Trust Barometer” and reported that Microsoft had become the globe’s single most trusted brand. Other brands were stronger in their home countries— Toyota in Japan, Siemens in Germany, and so forth—but across the entire world, no brand is more trusted than Microsoft. Other surveys also tend to show rising customer trust in the company, due to a variety of factors. It has now Trust, Competence, and You settled most of the lawsuits against it, it has placated many of its more outspoken critics, it has become one of the most open and transparently managed companies, and it probably also enjoys a “halo” effect from Bill and Melinda Gates’s very significant philanthropic activities. TRUST, COMPETENCE, AND YOU If Microsoft can do it, you can, too. But before you get too comfortable in your own chair, think about all the ways your comp nike air max plus any undermines customer trust, simply by fumbling the ball with respect to routine operations. Usually this happens whenever you haven’t thought through the way a customer experiences your operation. After all, if you’re hell-bent on making the numbers this quarter, why would you take the time to explore something that has such long-term implications? For instance, do any of these things happen at your own company? .New solicitations get mailed out to current customers. Often. .A customer calls in and is asked by the recorded voice to enter his account number, but then when he is finally connected to a live operator, the first thing he is asked is: Account number, please? .A customer makes a mistake on the Web site order entry page, goes back to correct it, and finds that all the fields have been reset. Or he leaves a shopping cart in progress while he’s called away for 30 minutes and returns to find his effort wasted, as the shopping cart was “emptied due to inactivity.” .No nike air max women tice-required-by-law gets written in legalese, printed in 6-point font, and sent out to all customers with OOPS! MISTAKES HAPPEN no plain-English decoder ring included. (That’ll fix the feds with all their stupid regulations!) Customer trust can be destroyed all at once by a major service problem, or it can be undermined one day at a time, with a thousand small demonstrations of incompetence. Either way is effective. We think ChoicePoint’s comprehensive approach to policy change, coupled with its willingness to forgo some earnings from sources posing more of a threat to the interests of consumers, represents an excellent lesson for everyone. When you face a situation in which the trust of your customers has been called into question, you have to take it seriously, which means not just reviewing your standard operating procedures but also being willing to Nike TN Trainers put your money where your mouth is. We also think that JetBlue’s novel Customer Bill of Rights might have lessons for many businesses outside the airline industry. You may want to consider a formal policy of compensating customers for the mistakes you make. This would codify your commitment to acting in the customer’s interest, and it would provide impetus to your internal efforts to improve your own processes, as well. In JetBlue’s cas nike air max plus e the policy change was precipitated by a customer service disaster, but it’s likely to have a long-term beneficial effect on the way the airline’s people treat customers in a variety of situations, and a similar approach could have a similar impact on your own business. It reminds customers—and employees—that customers have rights, too. Always point out your own mistakes before your customers have to do it for you. When Southwest Airlines makes a boo-boo, it apologizes with free flights. On a daily basis, Southwest assumes that if you need to change your reservation, you need to, and Trust, Competence, and You if the airline has room on a different plane, it will accommodate you, no extra charges or fees. Spending now to make more money later. Spending now to make customers more valuable later. Same thing. Southwest has a higher market cap than all the other U.S. airlines combined. Coincidence? So, what are we left with? Cut through all the academic studies, the guidelines, and nike air max 2003 the interesting tactics, and once again a single very important principle stands perfectly clear: Having the trust of customers is paramount. If your customer trusts you, he will be more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt, he’ll accept your apology, he’ll give you a second chance, and you can both go back to business as usual. Disaster averted, and you keep doing what you like to do, which is providing value to customers while earning a profit for yourself in the process. Cheap Air Max TN | { 10 Innovate or Die In 2006, the oldest known animal in the world, a turtle named Harriett, died in an Australian zoo. Originally taken from the Galapagos Islands by Charles Darwin, she was thought to have been at least 175 years old. (Burdened by Darwin’s own false assumption, it wasn’t until 1960 that the poor turtle was renamed “Harriett nike air max 90 current ” instead of “Harry.”) As Darwin was reported to have said, in summarizing his radically new theory of evolution, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”1 RESPONDING TO CHANGE In his marvelous book The Origin of Wealth, Eric Beinhocker gives us a sweeping, comprehensive nike air max womens review of how the thinking in economics has changed over the last two centuries, and he makes a compelling case for the idea that economic progress and development should be seen as a process of evolution. This is quite different from traditional, classical economics, which is based on perfect markets and all-knowing, perfectly rational investors. Traditional economics thinking is based on the constant equilibrium of supply and demand. But Beinhocker’s argument is that in 167 INNOVATE OR DIE just the last couple of decades, there has been a tectonic shift in thinking, as economists have increasingly glommed on to the fact that “equilibrium” is not a realistic way to describe how the economy works. In reality, the economy is never in a state of equilibrium.

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“Brother, what are you saying? You haven't thought. I let you escape because your mother was old and your family poor. Now you suggest I'm lacking in chivalry.” Wu Yong interceded. “Since the constable doesn't want to go, we shall bid farewell and leave.” “Please give my humble regards to the chieftains,” said Zhu Tong. They walked together towards the bridge. There was no sign of the little boy. Zhu Tong groaned. He searched high and low. Lei Heng grasped his arm. “Don't bother looking, brother. Probably the two men who came with us, when they heard you say you wouldn't go, took the child away. We'll go find them, together.” “This is no time for jokes. That little boy is the prefect's very life. I'm responsible for him.” “Brother, just come with me.” Zhu Tong, Lei Heng and Wu Yong left the temple and went outside the city. Zhu Tong was quite upset. “Where have they gone with the child?” he demanded. Chapter 51 Winged Tiger Brains Bai Xiuying with His Rack Beautiful Beard Loses the Prefect's Little Son 526 The Outlaws of the Marsh “We'll go to my place, brother,” said Lei Heng. “I'll return him to you.” “The prefect will be angry if I get back late.” “Those two who came with us are ignorant fellows,” said Wu Yong. “They must have taken him to where we're living.” “What's their names?” asked Zhu Tong. “I don't know them,” said Lei Heng. “I heard one of them being called Black Whirlwind.” Zhu Tong was shocked. “Not the fellow who killed those people in Jiangzhou?” “That's the man,” said Wu Yong. Zhu Tong stamped his feet in anguish and groaned, then hurried on. When they were about twenty li from the city, they saw Li Kui the Black Whirlwind ahead. “Here I am,” called the big fellow. Zhu Tong hastened up to him. “Where is the prefect's son?” Li Kui hailed him respectfully. “Greetings, brother Warden. The child is here.” “Bring him out, then, and give him to me.” Li Kui pointed to his own hair. “I'm wearing his bead decorations.” Zhu Tong looked, and demanded in ala Nike TN Trainers rm: “Where is he now?” “I put a drug in his mouth and carried him from the city. He's sleeping in that grove. Please see for yourself.” It was a bright moonlit night, and Zhu Tong plunged in among the trees. He saw the little boy lying dead on the ground. Zhu Tong rushed out the grove, enraged. The three men were gone. He peered in every direction. Then he saw Black Whirlwind standing in the distance. The big man smote his battle.axes. “Come on. Come on,” he cried. Wild with fury, Zhu Tong hitched up his robe and tore after him. Li Kui continued retreating, with Zhu Tong in pursuit. But what chance had he to catch up with the experienced mountain traveller? Soon he was gasping for breath. Ahead of him, Li Kui called again: “Come on. Come on.” The seething Zhu Tong wanted to swallow him down in one gulp. But he couldn't get near him. The chase dragged on through the night. Gradually, the sky brightened. Li Kui moved faster when Zhu Tong speeded up, slower when he lagged, and not at all when he halted. Zhu Tong saw him enter a large manor. “The rogue has gone to ground at last,” thought the constable. “Now I can have it out with him.” Chapter 51 Winged Tiger Brains Bai Xiuying with His Rack Beautiful Beard Loses the Prefect's Little Son 527 The Outlaws of the Marsh He hurried into the courtyard and halted in front of a large hall. In racks nike air max 97 on either side were many weapons. “This must be some big official's residence,” he thought. He called: “Is anyone at home?” A man emerged from behind a screen. And who was it? None other than Chai Jin the Small Whirlwind. “Who are you?” Chai nike air max 1 Jin enquired. When Zhu Tong saw this handsome and graceful lord, he bowed a Air Max 2011 nd replied: “My name is Zhu Tong. I was warden of the Yucheng prison. But I committed a crime and was exiled here. Last night I took the little son of the prefect to watch the lantern floating on the river, and Black Whirlwind killed him. He's here now in your manor. May I trouble you to help me seize him and turn him over to the authorities?” “Since you are Beautiful Beard, please be seated.” “May I beg to ask your name, my lord?” “I'm Chai Jin, and am called the Small Whirlwind.” “I've long known of your great name.” Zhu Tong kowtowed. “I didn't expect to have the honor of meeting you today.” “Your name has also been long known to me, sir. Please come into the rear hall where we can talk.” As he followed Lord Chai inside Zhu Tong asked: “How does that scoundrel Black Whirlwind dare to hide in your manor?” “That's easy. I have always welcomed bold men of the gallant fraternity. An ancestor of mine gave up the throne, and because of that the first Song emperor bestowed on my ancestors the Wrought Iron Pledge. When a wrongdoer takes refuge with us, no searchers dare enter. A dear friend of mine knows you well. He's one of the leaders in Liangshan Marsh—Song Jiang, called the Timely Rain. He wrote a secret letter instructing Wu Yong, Lei Heng and Black Whirlwind to stay here at my place and invite you to go with them up the mountain and join the band. Since you couldn't be persuaded, Song ordered Li Kui to kill the prefect's son, to cut off any chance of you returning to the city, and thus compelling you to go to the stronghold and assume a chair of leadership. Teacher Wu, brother Lei, aren't you coming out to apologize?” The two men emerged from an anteroom and kowtowed before Zhu Tong. “Forgive us, brother,” they said. “We were acting on brother Song Jiang's orders. If you go with us to the fortress, nike air max 97 nike air max 360 you'll understand.” “I know you brothers meant well, but your methods were too cruel!” Chai Jin murmured soothing words. “I'll go if I have to, but I want to see Black Whirlwind first!” “Brother Li,” the lord called. “Come out and apologize.” Li Kui walked from a side r nike air max 180 oom and voiced loudly a respectful greeting. The sight of him sent flames spurting thirty thousand feet high in Zhu Tong's heart. He couldn't control his rage. He rushed towards Li Kui murderously. It took the combined efforts of Chai Jin, Lei Heng and Wu Yong to restrain him. “I'll go up the mountain,” said Zhu Tong. “But first you have to promise me one thing.” Chapter 51 Winged Tiger Brains Bai Xiuying with His Rack Beautiful Beard Loses the Prefect's Little Son 528 The Outlaws of the Marsh “Not one but scores, if you so desire,” said Wu Yong. “What is it you wish?” And because of Zhu Tong's request, there was turmoil in Gaotang Prefecture and strife in the Liangshan Marsh stronghold. A noble patron of learning fell into the clutches of the law, a hospitable relative of the emperor was cast into a dungeon. What was the demand which Zhu Tong made? Read our next chapter if you would know. Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture “If you want me to go up the mountain,” said Zhu Tong, “you must kill Black Whirlwind to appease my rage! Then I'll go.” “You can eat my prick,” roared Li Kui. “I was carrying out the orders Nike TN UK of brothers Chao and Song! It hadn't a tooting fart to do with me!” Zhu Tong moved to throw himself on Li Kui. The other three restrained him. “If Black Whirlwind is there, I'll never go up that mountain,” Zhou Tong vowed. “That's easy,” said Chai Jin. “I'll keep him here with me. You three go on to the stronghold and satisfy the wishes of Chao and Song.” “The prefect is sure to send a warrant for my arrest to Yuncheng County. They'll take my wife and children. How can we deal with that?” “Don't worry,” said Wu Yong. “Song Jiang has probably brought your family into the fortress by now.” Only then did Zhu Tong relax. Chai Jin treated his guests to wine, and the same day saw them off. They left towards evening. Lord Chai provided them with three riding horses and an escort of vassals. He accompanied them to the outside of the pass. At the final parting, Wu Yong gave f. Li Kui some words of advice. “Behave with care. Stay a while in the lord's manor. Don't stir up any trouble and get him involved. In a few months or half a year, after Zhu Tong has cooled down, we'll bring you back to the fortress. We'll probably invite Lord Chai to join us, too.” The three mounted and departed. Chai Jin and Li Kui returned to the manor. Zhu Tong went with Wu Yong and Lei Heng to become a member of the band in Liangshan Marsh. When they came to the end of Cangzhou Prefecture, the vassals rode the horses back, and the three continued on foot. The journey was uneventful, and they soon reached the tavern ran by Zhu Gui. He sent word to the stronghold of their arrival. Chao Gai and Song Jiang, accompanied by greater and lesser chieftains, were waiting to greet them on the Shore of Golden Sands, to the beat of drums and the shrilling of flutes. All got on their horses and climbed to the fortress, where they dismounted and went to Fraternity Hall. They talked for a while of old times together. Then Zhu Tong voiced his apprehension. “You've called me to the mountain, but the prefect of Cangzhou is certain to notify Yuncheng County to seize my wife and children. What can I do?” Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh Song Jiang laughed. “Set your mind at ease, brother. We sent men to fetch them several days ago.” “Where are they now?” “They're resting at the place of my father the squire. Why not go and see for yourself?” Zhu Tong was delighted. Song Jiang led him to his father's villa. Zhu Tong was reunited with his family. He observed that they had brought all their valuables. “A man came with a letter the other day sayi nike air max 360 ng you had already joined the mountain band,” his wife related. “So we packed our belongings and travelled through the night to get here.” Zhu Tong kowtowed and thanked the brigand leaders. Song Jiang asked both him and Lei Heng to make their homes on the mountain summit. For successive days he gave feasts in their honor, as new chieftains. Of that no more need be said. The prefect of Cangzhou, wh nike air max trainers en it began getting late and Zhu Tong didn't return with his son, sent people out to look for them. They searched half the night. The next day, someone found the body in the grove, and notified the prefectural office. Shocked, the prefect went to the grov nike air max turnaround e. He wept as though his heart would break. He had the body encoffined, and cremated it. Summoning court the following morning, he issued notices for the arrest of Zhu Tong to all the surrounding areas. Yuncheng County reported that Zhu Tong's wife and family had fled to places unknown. Rewards for Zhu Tong's apprehension were offered in the various prefectures and counties. Of that we'll say no more. When Li Kui had been with Lord Chai for over a month, a messenger delivered an urgent letter to the manor. Chai Jin accepted and read it. He was astonished. “In that case I'll have to go,” he exclaimed. “What's the trouble, Excellency?” asked Li Kui. “I have an uncle, Chai Huangcheng, who lives in Gaotang Prefecture. That rogue Yin Tianxi, brother.in.law of the prefect, Gao Lian, has taken over his garden. My uncle is so infuriated that he's fallen ill, and he may not live. He must have some dying words he wants to impart. My uncle has no children. I'll have to hurry to his side.” “Would you like me to keep you company?” “I'd be glad if you're willing to go.” Chai Jin packed some luggage, selected a dozen good horses, and told a number of vassals to get ready. The next day at dawn Lord Chai, Li Kui and their company climbed into their saddles, left the manor and headed for Gaotang. They arrived in less than a day and dismounted in front of the residence of Chai Huangcheng. Chai Jin left Li Kui and the others in the outer hall and went to his uncle's bedroom. Seated beside Huangcheng's bed, he wept. The lady his uncle had married after the death of his first wife came in. Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh “You've had a tiring ride,” she said. “You mustn't upset yourself.” Chai Jin greeted her courteously and asked what had happened. “The n nike air max womens ew prefect, Gao Lian, is also the military commander here,” she said. “Because Marshal Gao in the Eastern Capital is his cousin, he feels he can do anything he pleases. He brought with him his brother.in.law Yin Tianxi. Everybody calls him Counsellor Yin. Although quite young, Yin knows he has the prefect's backing, and he hurts people with his outrageous behavior. One of his toadies told him that we have a pretty rear garden with a pavilion overlooking a pool. He broke in with twenty or thirty scamps one day, examined the garden, and wanted to drive us out of our home and move in himself. “Your uncle Huangcheng said to him: 'Our family is of noble origin. An earlier emperor bestowed a Wrought Iron Pledge on our family that no one may oppress us. How dare you seize my home? Where is my wife and family supposed to go?' “The knave wouldn't listen. He insisted that we leave. Your uncle tried to push him away, and was beaten for his pains. He's been in bed ever since. He can't get up and he can't eat. Medicine doesn't seem to do any good. Heaven may be far but the grave for him is near, I'd say. Fortunately, you've come to take charge. So even if the worst should happen, we won't have to worry.” “Don't despair, aunt. We'll get a good doctor to treat him. If there's any dispute about this, I'll send a man back to Cangzhou to get the Wrought Iron Pledge, and show that to Yin. If we have to go before the authorities, or even the emperor himself, we have nothing to fear.” “Huangcheng failed in all his efforts,” said his wife. “But I'm sure, in your hands, we'll get results.” Chai Jin stayed a while with his uncle, then came out and told Li Kui and the others about the dispute. Li Kui jumped to his feet.

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“That unreasonable varlet! I'll give him a couple of licks with my axes first, then we can start discussions'.” “Calm yourself, brother Li. You can't get rough with him without any provocation. Besides, although he may have powerful backing, our family is protected by the Pledge. If he won't listen to reason here, in the capital there are persons just as influential as he, and the law is clear. We'll fight him in court.” “The law, the law! If everyone obeyed the law, everything would be serene! I'm in favor of hitting him first and talking afterwards. If he complains to the court, I'll hack him and the friggin judge together!” Chai Jin laughed. “No wonder Zhu Tong wanted to fight you. You're both such hotheads. This is an imperial city, not your mountain stronghold where you can act as you like.” “So what? Jiangzhou and Wuweijun are also imperial cities. Didn't I kill men there too?” “Wait till I've seen how the land lies. When the need arises, I'll ask your help, brother. Until that happens, please remain here quietly.” At that moment a servant hurried out to request Lord Chai to go to his uncle. Chai Jin went quickly to the bedside. His uncle spoke to him with tears in his eyes. “You're a man of high principle, nephew, a credit to our ancestors. I die today because of the humiliation imposed on me by Yin Tianxi. You owe it to me as one of the same flesh and blood to write a complaint to the Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh emperor and obtain redress. From beneath the Nine Springs of the Nether World I will thank you. Take care of yourself. I have no other bequests.” Having spoken, Huangcheng died. Chai Jin wept bitterly. His aunt feared he would faint. “Restrain your grief,” she urged. “We must talk about the funeral arrangements.” “The Wrought Iron Pledge is in my home. I haven't brought it. But I'll send a man for it immediately. If necessary, I'll file a complaint in the Eastern Capital. But uncle has passed away. First we must proceed with the encoffining and dress in mourning. We'll confer about other things later.” Chai Jin ordered that inner and outer coffins be prepared in the official manner, and that a memorial tablet be set up in keeping with the rites. The whole family dressed in deep mourning, and young and old lamented. Li Kui, outside, heard their weeping. Angrily, he Nike TN Trainers ground a fist into the palm of his hand. But when he asked the servants what was going on, no one would tell him. Monks were invited to conduct the prayers. Two days went by. Riding a spirited horse, Yin Tianxi and twenty or thirty cronies had been carousing outside the city, amusing themselves with slingshots, crossbows, blowpipes, inflated balls, stick branches for catching birds, and musical instruments. Now, pretending to be drunker than they actually were, they staggered up to the residence of Chai Huangcheng. Yin reined in his horse and shouted a demand to see the person in charge. Chai Jin, wearing mourning, hastily emerged. Yin addressed him from his saddle. “What part of the family are you?” “I'm Chai Jin, the nephew.” “I gave orders the other day that they were to move out. Why haven't I been obeyed?” “Uncle was sick in bed. We couldn't disturb him. He died in the night. We'll move when the forty.nine day mourning period is over.” “Farts! I give you three days more. If you're not out by then, I'll put a rack around your neck and let you taste nike air max womens a hundred blows of my staff!” “You mustn't persecute us like this, Counsellor. We're descendants of a royal family, and protected by an old imperial Wrought Iron Pledge. It must be respected.” “Take it out and let me see it,” Yin shouted. “It's in my home in Cangzhou. I've already sent for it.” “The rascal's lying,” Yin said angrily. “Even if there is such an edict, it doesn't scare me. Men, give this fellow a drubbing!” The gang started toward Chai Jin. Li Kui, the Black Whirlwind, had been watching and listening through a crack in the door of the house. Now he pushed it open, dashed up to Yin with a roar, dragged him from his horse, and with one punch knocked him sprawling. The thirty ruffians rushed to Yin's aid. Li Kui promptly flattened half a dozen. Yelling, they all turned and fled. Li Kui picked Yin up and pummelled him with fist and foot. Chai Jin couldn't restrain him. It wasn't long before Yin was lying dead on the ground. Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh Chai Jin groaned. He led Li Kui to the rear hall and said: “They'll be sending men here very soon! You can't stay! I'll deal with the prosecution. You've got to go back to Liangshan Marsh, quickly.” “I can go, but you'll be implicated.” “The imperial Pledge will protect me. You must go at once. There's no time to lose.” Li Kui gathered his battle.axes Nike TN UK , took some travel money, left through the rear gate, and set out for the mountain fortress. Not long after, more than two hundred men, armed with swords, spears and staves, surrounded the residence. Chai Jin came out and said: “I'll go with you to the authorities and explain.” They bound his arms and went in to look for the culprit, a big swarthy fellow. He was gone. They nike air max 97 took Chai Jin to the prefecture court, where he knelt in the center of the hall. Gao Lian, the prefect, had ground his teeth in venomous rage when he heard that his brother.in.law had been beaten to death, and had been waiting for the assailant to be brought in. Now, Chai Jin was flung down at the foot of the prefect's dais. “How dare you kill my Yin Tianxi?” Gao shouted. “I am a direct descendant of Emperor Shi Zong. My family has a Wrought Iron Pledge of imperial protection from Tai Zu, the first emperor of Song. It's in my home in Cangzhou,” Chai Jin replied. “I called to visit my uncle Chai Huangcheng, who was gravely ill. Unfortunately, he died, and we are now in mourning at his residence. Counsellor Yin came with thirty men and wanted to drive us out. He wouldn't listen to my explanations and ordered his men to beat me. One of my vassals, Big Li, while defending me, killed him in the heat nike air max 360 of battle.” “Where is Big Li?” “He panicked and ran away.” “He's your vassal. Would he have dared kill a man without orders from you? You deliberately let him escape, and now you try to delude this court. Rascals like you never confess unless they are beaten. Take him, guards, and give it to him hard!” “To save his master my vassal Big Li accidentally killed a man. It's not my fault. We have Emperor Tai Zu's Pledge. Am I to be beaten like a common criminal?” “Wher nike air max 1 e is the Pledge?” “In Cangzhou. I've already sent for it.” “The scoundrel is opposing this court,” Gao Lian raged. “Beat him, guards, with all your strength!” They pounded Chai Jin till his flesh was a pulp and his blood streamed in rivulets. He was forced to confess: “I ordered my vassal Big Li to kill Yin T nike air max 97 ianxi.” A twenty.five.catty rack for the condemned was placed around his neck, and he was cast into prison. Yin's body, after inspection by the medical examiner, was put into a coffin and buried. Of that no more need be said. Yin's sister wanted vengeance. She had her prefect husband confiscate the property of Chai Huangcheng, arrest the members of his family, and take over for themselves the house and gardens of the residence. Chai Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh Jin languished in jail. Li Kui travelled through the night to get back to Liangshan Marsh. On arriving at the fortress he reported to the leaders. Zhu Tong was filled with r Air Max 2011 age the moment he saw him. He rushed at Li Kui with his halberd. Black Whirlwind, brandishing his axes, clashed with him in combat. Chao Gai, Song Jiang and the others exhorted them to stop. Song apologized to Zhu Tong. “Killing the prefect's little boy wasn't Li Kui's idea. Military Advisor Wu Yong thought of this device when you wouldn't agree to joining us. Now that you are here, forget it. Let's all strive together in harmony and loyalty. We don't want outsiders to laugh at us.” Song Jiang turned to Li Kui. “Tell sir Beautiful Beard you're sorry.” Li Kui glared. “A fine business. I've done plenty for this stronghold. He hasn't done a thing. Why should I tell him I'm sorry?” “Although it was the Military nike air max turnaround Advisor's order, you did kill the prefect's son. From the point of view of age, Zhu Tong is your older brother. Kowtow to him, for my sake. Then I'll kowtow to you, and that'll be the end of it.” Li Kui couldn't very well refuse. To Zhu Tong he said: “I'm not afraid of you, but brother Song Jiang insists. I can't help myself. I apologize.” He threw his axes aside and kowtowed, twice. Only then was Zhu Tong appeased. Chao Gai ordered that a feast be laid to cement the reconciliation. “Lord Chai went to Gaotang because his uncle, Chai Huangcheng, was ill. The prefect's brother.in.law, Yin Tianxi, wanted to take over the house and gardens, and cursed Chai Jin. I knocked the lout around and killed him,” said Li Kui. “You escaped, but they're sure to prosecute Lord Chai,” Song Jiang cried in alarm. “Calm yourself, brother,” said Wu Yong. “We'll know more about it when Dai Zong returns.” “Where has brother Dai Zong gone?” asked Li Kui. “I thought you'd only stir up trouble, hanging around Lord Chai's manor,” said Wu Yong, “and I sent Dai Zong to bring you back. If he found you were gone, he'd surely follow you to Gaotang.” Before the words were out of his mouth, a scout entered and announced: “Superintendent Dai has returned.” Song Jiang went forward to welcome him. After Dai came into the hall and was seated, he was asked for news of Lord Chai. nike air max 180 “I went to his manor and learned that he and Li Kui had left for Gaotang. I hurried after them. nike air max 360 In Gaotang, the whole city was agog. Everyone said:' Yin Tianxi tried to seize the residence of Chai Huangcheng, and a big dark fellow beat him to death. Lord Chai was implicated, and tied up and cast into prison. All the property of Chai Huangcheng's family has been confiscated. There's no guarantee that Lord Chai's life will be preserved.” “That swarthy rogue has done it again,” said Chao Gai. “Wherever he goes, there's turmoil.” Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh “Chai Huangcheng was beaten by Yin, and he died of rage. Then Yin came to take over his residence and ordered his men to beat Lord Chai. Even if he were a living Buddha, I wouldn't let him get away with it!” Li Kui retorted. “Lord Chai has always been benevolent to our fortress,” said Chao Gai. “Today, he's in danger. We must rescue him. I'll go personally.” “Yo nike air max trainers u're the highest leader here, brother, you shouldn't make a move lightly,” said Song Jiang. “I've long been indebted to Lord Chai. Let me go on your behalf.” “Although Gaotang is a small city, it's densely populated, has a large military force, and plenty of grain. We mustn't underestimate it,” said Wu Yong. “I propose that we ask twelve chieftains to lead a vanguard of five thousand men, with a supporting force of three thousand under ten chieftains.” The twenty.two chieftains bid farewell to Chao Gai and the others and left the mountain stronghold for Gaotang. By the time the vanguard force reached the edge of the prefecture, Gao Lian had already been informed by his scouts. “I'd been intending to clean out that lair of shabby bandits in Liangshan Marsh,” he sneered, “and now they present themselves to be tied. A Heaven.blessed chance.” He directed his aides: “Transmit my order immediately to muster our ar

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to 'Slake my thirst looking at a sour plum' or 'Assuage my hunger with a drawing of a muffin'?” “Have you no eyes, d nike air max 360 aughter?” Bai Yuqiao called. “Can't you tell the difference between a city man and a rube? Don't waste your time on him. Ask some kind gentlemen who has a little sense to start us off.” “Are you saying I haven't any sense?” Lei Heng d nike air max 360 emanded. “If you know how a polished scholar should act, a dog's head can sprout horns!” the old man retorted. A noisy stir ran through the audience. Lei Heng grew angry. “You cheap lackey! How dare you insult me!” “Does it matter what I say to a cowherd like you?” Someone in the audience recognized Lei Heng, and he cried: “Stop talking like that. He's our county's Constable Lei.” “Did you say 'constable' or 'constipated'?” Yuqiao sneered. Lei Heng couldn't contain himself. He leaped from his chair onto t nike air max womens he stage and seized the old man. With one punch and one kick he puffed up his lips and knocked out a couple of teeth. The attack was fierce, and others rushed to separate them. Lei Heng was persuaded to go home, and the audience hastily departed. Now it happened that the singer had been intimate with the new magistrate when he was still in the Eastern Capital, and this was one of the reasons she had brought her show to Yuncheng. After Lei Heng gave here father such a drubbing, she called a sedan.chair and went directly to the magistrate. “Lei Heng beat up my father and drove out my audience. He's deliberately abusing me.” “Draw up a complaint, immediately,” the magistrate heatedly exclaimed, in a clear demonstration of the influence of “pillow power.” He also examined the old man's injuries and had these noted as evidence. Lei Heng had friends in the county office, and they tried to intercede for him. But they couldn't prevail against the girl. She refused to leave, and pouted and flounced until the magistrate had to give in. Lei Heng was arrested, brought before the court, beaten till he confessed, collared with a rack, and an order issued that he be paraded in the streets. At the girl's insistence, the magistrate instructed that Lei Heng be put on display at the theater door. The next day, when Xiuying went to perform, Lei Heng stood by the entrance way. The guards were public servants like Lei Heng himself, and they were reluctant to strip him, as this type of punishment required. The girl thought: “I've already come out against him openly. Why fear to infuriate him further?” She went to a nearby tea.house, sat down, and called the guards over. “You're all closely connected, so you go easy on him,” she said. “The magistrate ordered you to display Lei Heng, bound and stripped, but you're too full of sympathy. Just wait till I tell the magistrate! We'll see whether I can cope with you or not!” Chapter 51 Winged Tiger Brains Bai Xiuying with His Rack Beautiful Beard Loses the Prefect's Little Son 521 The Outlaws of the Marsh “Don't lost your temper, madam. If we have to, we'll strip him.” “In that case, I'll reward you.” The guards had no choice but to remove Lei Heng's clothes there on the street. “We can't help ourselves, brother,” they said apologetically. During this turmoil, Lei Heng's mother arrived, bringing him food. She saw him standing there, naked, and she started to cry. “You work in the magistrate's office, just like my son,” she berated the guards. “Is it worth the money she gave you to act like this? You might get into trouble yourself, some day.” “Listen, old mother, we wanted to do the right thing. But the complainant came to see the 'bound and stripped' sentence enforced, and we couldn't refuse. She threatened to make things hot for us with the magistrate. So we couldn't save face for Lei Heng.” “Who ever heard of a complainant seeing to it in person that a sentence is carried out?” A guard lowered his voice. “She's very close to the magistrate, old mother. One word from her and we're sent up. That's why we're in such a fix.” The old woman began opening Lei Heng's bonds. “That slut knows how to use her connections. I'm going to untie this rope. Let's see what she can do about it.” Xiuying, in the tea.house, heard all this. She walked over. “What did you just say, old baggage?” Lei Heng's mother pointed at her angrily. “You've been mounted and nike air max 97 pressed by thousands, you screw for any man who comes along, you bitch! What right have you to swear at me?” Xiuying's willow tendril eyebrows contracted, her nike air max 180 starry eyes glared. “Old bawd,” she screamed. “Beggar woman! How dare a low person like you curse me?” “What are you going to nike air max turnaround do about it? You're not the magistrate of Yuncheng!” The actress rushed up and with one push sent the old woman staggering. Before she could steady herself, Xiuying closed in and slapped her left and right. Lei Heng, a filial son, was enraged. He raised his rack and brought it down on Xiuying's head. A corner of it struck her squarely and split open her skull. She collapsed to the ground, her brain matter flowing, her eyes bulging, absolutely motionless. Plainly, she was dead. The others at once brought Lei Heng to the magistrate and reported. The magistrate directed that Lei Heng be taken to the scene under guard, together with county officials, the district chief and witnesses, and that an examination of the body be conducted. This done, all returned to the court, where Lei Heng freely confessed. His mother, under surety to appear, was ordered to return home and await further instructions. Lei Heng, a rack around his neck, was committed to prison. The warden of the prison was Zhu Tong the Beautiful Beard. When Lei Heng was delivered, he couldn't do much for him. But he treated him to wine and food, and instructed a guard to sweep out and prepare a clean cell. Not long after, Lei Heng's mother also brought food. Chapter 51 Winged Tiger Brains Bai Xiuying with His Rack Beautiful Beard Loses the Prefect's Little Son 522 The Outlaws of the Marsh Weeping, she said to Zhu Tong: “I'm over sixty, and this child is everything to me. You two have been such friends. Have pity and look after him.” “Don't worry, old mother. You needn't bring him food any more. I'll take care of everything. If I can find the chance, I'll save him.” “Do that and you'll be like my parents reborn! If anything shou Nike TN Trainers ld happen to him, it would be the end of me!” “I'll remember. You can rest assured.” The old woman thanked him and left. Zhu Tong tried to think of a way to rescue Lei Heng, but in vain. He asked someone to intercede with the magistrate, and spread bribes among high and low. The magistrate was very fond of Zhu Tong, but he hated Lei Heng for having killed his paramour, and was deaf to all pleas. What's more, the old scoundrel Bai Yuqiao flooded the magistracy with petitions that Lei Heng pay for his daughter's life with his own. And so, after sixty days of detention, Lei Heng was ordered committed to the prison in Jizhou Prefecture. The record scribe was sent on ahead with the relevant documents, and Zhu Tong was directed to deliver the prisoner there under armed escort. Zhu Tong selected a dozen guards and left Yuncheng with Lei Heng. After marching ten li they came to a tavern. “Let's have a few bowls of wine,” Zhu Tong suggested. Everyone went into the tavern and drank. Zhu Tong took Lei Heng out in the back, as if they were going to relieve themselves. In a secluded spot, he opened the rack and freed him. “Go home, brother, quickly, and get your mother. Travel all night, find refuge. I'll take the consequences.” “I don't mind fleeing, but you'll be implicated.” “Brother, you don't know. The magistrate is furious that you've killed his doxy. You're under sentence of death. If you went to the prefecture, they'd surely execute you. Letting you go isn't a capital offense. I have no parents to worry about. It doesn't matter if all m nike air max 1 y property is confiscated in recompense. Go as far as you can, and quickly.” Lei Heng kowtowed his thanks. He hurried home along a path from the rear door. He gathered his valuables and departed with his mother. They travelled through the night to Liangshan Marsh, where he joined the band. Of that no more need be said. Zhu Tong buried the rack in the deep grass. He emerged and shouted: “Lei Heng has escaped'. This is terrible!” “We'll chase him to his home and bring him back,” exclaimed the guards. Zhu Tong delayed them to give Lei Heng time to go a long dista Nike TN UK nce, then returned to the county office. Chapter 51 Winged Tiger Brains Bai Xiuying with His Rack Beautiful Beard Loses the Prefect's Little Son 523 The Outlaws of the Marsh “I was careless,” he confessed. “The prisoner got away on the road. We searched without success. I'm willing to accept any punishment.” The magistrate liked Zhu Tong very much. He would have preferred to let him off. But Bai Yuqiao threatened to go to a higher court and accuse Zhu Tong of deliberately letting Lei Heng escape. The magistrate had no choice but to report the matter to the prefecture of Jizhou. Zhu Tong's family immediately sent someone there who spread bribes around liberally. When the constable was remanded to Jizhou the prefect knew all about it. He imposed a sentence of twenty blows, and ordered that Zhu Tong be committed to the prison in the prefecture of Cangzhou. Zhu Tong, a rack for travelling around his neck, set out with two guards carrying the relevant documents. Members of his family gave him clothing and money, after tipping the guards. On leaving Yuncheng, the party followed a winding road to Henghai County in Cangzhou Prefecture. The trip was uneventful. The prefect was holding court when the guards delivered the documents and their prisoner. He could see that Zhu Tong, with his ruddy face and handsome beard extending down past his middle, was no ordinary person. Favorably impressed, the prefect said: “Don't take this man to prison. I want him here in the prefecture as my attendant.” The rack was removed, a reply was written, and the two guards took their leave and returned to Yuncheng. From then on Zhu Tong served in the prefectural office. He dispensed a certain amount of largesse among the sheriffs, captains, keepers of the gates, messengers, jailors and guards. Since he had an amiable disposition as well, he was liked by all. One day the prefect was sitting in his court. Zhu Tong stood below in attendance. Summoning him forward, the prefect asked: “Why did you let Lei Heng go and end up here?” “I would never have dared to do that. It's just that I was careless, and he escaped.” “Did you really deserve such a severe nike air max 97 punishment?” “The complainant in the original case insisted that I confess to having released him. So the sentence had to be severe.” “Why did Lei Heng kill that singer?” Zhu Tong explained the circumstances in detail. “Then you considered him filial and thought letting him go was the only chivalrous thing to do?” “Would I have had the temerity to deceive the authorities?” Just then, from behind a screen, the prefect's little son came out. Only four years old, he was a pretty child, and the prefect loved him better than gold or jade. The boy went directly to Zhu Tong and asked to be picked up. Zhu Tong held him in his arms, and the child grabbed his long beard. “I want this bearded fellow to carry me. No one else,” piped the little boy. “Let go of him,” said the prefect. “Behave yourself.” Chapter 51 Winged Tiger Brains Bai Xiuying with His Rack Beautiful Beard Loses the Prefect's Little Son 524 The Outlaws of the Marsh “I want him to carry me. I want him to take me out to play.” “I'll take him outside for a stroll,” Zhu Tong suggested. “We'll be back soon.” “All right,” Air Max 2011 said the prefect. “Since that's what he wants.” Zhu Tong carried the child to the street and bought him some good sweets. After a short while, he brought him back. “Where did you go?” the prefect asked the little boy. “This bearded fellow took me on the street to play. And he bought me sweets and fruit.” “You shouldn't have spent your own money,” the prefect said to Zhu Tong politely. “Only a small token of my esteem,” said Zhu Tong. “It's not worth mentioning.” The prefect ordered wine for the constable. A serving girl brought a silver pitcher and platter and poured Zhu Tong three large beakers of wine in succession. “Any time the child wants you to take him to play, you can carry him out for a walk.” “Your wish is my command, Excellency.” Thereafter, Zhu Tong took the little boy for a stroll every day. He had money in his purse and he wanted the prefect to be pleased, so he spent it nike air max trainers on the child freely. Half a month went by, and it was the fifteenth day of the seventh month—the Driving Out of Devils Festival. Glowing lanterns were set afloat upon the river, and people prayed and did good deeds. That evening, the nursemaid spoke to Zhu Tong. “The child wants to see the river lanterns, Constable. Madam, his mother, says you can take him.” Zhu Tong promised he would. The little boy was dressed in a green silk robe, and short strings of beads were tied to the two tufts of hair sticking up like horns on the top of his head. Zhu Tong carried him on his shoulder as they left the gate of the prefectural compound and walked towards the temple. Lighted lanterns were sailing upon the water. It was early evening. Zhu Tong strolled around the temple grounds with the little boy. People were earning blessings by setting live fish free in a special pool. The child climbed on a railing overlooking the river and watched happily as the lanterns floated by. A man behind Zhu Tong tugged him by the sleeve. “Brother, would you come away a moment so we can talk?” Zhu Tong looked around. To his surprise, there was Lei Heng. “Get off that railing and sit here,” Zhu Tong said to the child. “I'm going to buy you some candy. Don't leave this spot.” “Come back quickly. I want to watch the river lanterns from the bridge.” Chapter 51 Winged Tiger Brains Bai Xiuying with His Rack Beautiful Beard Loses the Prefect's Little Son 525 The Outlaws of the Marsh “I'll only be a minute.” He turned and went off with Lei Heng. “What are you doing here?” Zhu Tong asked. Lei Heng pulled him into a secluded corner and said: “After you saved me, I had HO Other place to go with

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my old mother, so I joined Song Jiang's band in Liangshan Marsh. I told them of your benevolence, and Song recalled your kindness to him in previous days. Chao Gai and the other leaders were extremely moved. They sent nike air max trainers me and Military Advisor Wu Yong to see you.” “Where is Teacher Wu?” A man stepped out from behind him. “Wu Yong is here.” He kowtowed. Zhu Tong hastily returned the courtesy. “It's been a long time, Teacher,” he said. “I trust all has been well with you?” “Our stronghold leaders send their respects. They've deputed Constable Lei Heng and me to invite you up our mountain to join our righteous assembly. Though many days have passed, we haven't dared to approach you. Tonight, we meet at last. P Nike TN Trainers lease come with us to our fortress and satisfy the wish of our highest chieftains, Chao Gai and Song Jiang.” For some time Zhu Tong was unable to answer. Finally, he said: “Teacher, you're making a mistake. You mustn't ask me that. Suppose we were overheard? Brother Lei Heng committed a death.penalty crime. Out of chivalry I allowed him to escape. He could no longer let himself be seen, so he went up the mountain and joined your band. Because of him, I've been exiled here. But if Heaven is merciful, in another year or so I'll be able to go home and become a respectable citizen again. Why should I do the sort of thing you propose? Please go back, both of you. Staying here, you may cause misunderstanding.” “But, brother, you're only an attendant, here,” Lei Heng argued. “That's no job for a real man. It's not only me who wants you to join us. Our highest chieftains have both been hoping to see you for a long time. What will they think if you delay?” “Brother, what are you saying? You haven't thought. I let you escape because your mother was old and your family poor. Now you suggest I'm lacking in chivalry.” Wu Yong interceded. “Since the constable doesn't want to go, we shall bid farewell and leave.” “Please give my humble regards to the chieftains,” said Zhu Tong. They walked together towards the bridge. There was no sign of the little boy. Zhu Tong groaned. He searched high and low. Lei Heng grasped his arm. “Don't bother looking, brother. Probably the two men who came with us, when they heard you say you wouldn't go, took the child away. We'll go find them, together.” “This is no time for jokes. That little boy is the prefect's very life. I'm responsible for him.” “Brother, just come with me.” Zhu Tong, Lei Heng and Wu Yong left the temple and went outside the city. Zhu Tong was quite upset. “Where have they gone with the child?” he demanded. Chapter 51 Winged Tiger Brains Bai Xiuying with His Rack Beautiful Beard Loses the Prefect's Little Son 526 The Outlaws of the Marsh “We'll go to my place, brother,” said Lei Heng. “I'll return him to you.” “The prefect will be angry if I get back late.” “Those two who came with us are ignorant fellows,” said Wu Yong. “They must have taken him to where we're living.” “What's their names?” asked Zhu Tong. “I don't know them,” said Lei Heng. “I heard one of them being called Black Whirlwind.” Zhu Tong was shocked. “Not the fellow who killed those people in Jiangzhou?” “That's the man,” said Wu Yong. Zhu Tong stamped his feet in anguish and groaned, then hurried on. When they were about twenty li from the city, they saw Li Kui the Black Whirlwind ahead. “Here I am,” called the big fellow. Zhu Tong hastened up to him. “Where is the prefect's son?” Li Kui hailed him respectfully. “Greetings, brother W nike air max turnaround arden. The child is here.” “Bring him out, then, and give him to me.” Li Kui pointed to his ow Air Max 2011 n hair. “I'm wearing his bead de nike air max 97 co nike air max 180 rations.” Zhu Tong looked, and demanded in alarm: “Where is he now?” “I put a drug in his mouth and carried him from the city. He's sleeping in that grove. Please see for yourself.” It was a bright moonlit night, and Zhu Tong plunged in among the trees. He saw the little boy lying dead on the ground. Zhu Tong rushed out the grove, enraged. The three men were gone. He peered in every direction. Then he saw Black Whirlwind standing in the distance. The big nike air max 360 man smote his battle.axes. “Come on. Come on,” he cried. Wild with fury, Zhu Tong hitched up his robe and tore after him. Li Kui continued retreating, with Zhu Tong in pursuit. But what chance had he to catch up with the experienced mountain traveller? Soon he was gasping for breath. Ahead of him, Li Kui called again: “Come on. Come on.” The seething Zhu Tong wanted to swallow him down in one gulp. But he couldn't get near him. The chase dragged on through the night. Gradually, the sky brightened. Li Kui moved faster when Zhu Tong speeded up, nike air max 1 slower when he lagged, and not at all when he halted. Zhu Tong saw him enter a large manor. “The rogue has gone to ground at last,” thought the constable. “Now I can have it out with him.” Chapter 51 Winged Tiger Brains Bai Xiuying with His Rack Beautiful Beard Loses the Prefect's Little Son 527 The Outlaws of the Marsh He hurried into the courtyard and halted in front of a large hall. In racks on either side were many weapons. “This must be some big official's residence,” he thought. He called: “Is anyone at home?” A man emerged from behind a screen. And who was it? None other than Chai Jin the Small Whirlwind. “Who are you?” Chai Jin enquired. When Zhu Tong saw this handsome and graceful lord, he bowed and replied: “My name is Zhu Tong. I was warden of the Yucheng prison. But I committed a crime and was exiled here. Last night I took the little son of the prefect to watch the lantern floating on the river, and Black Whirlwind killed him. He's here now in your manor. May I trouble you to help me seize him and turn him over to the authorities?” “Since you are Beautiful Beard, please be seated.” “May I beg to ask your name, my lord?” “I'm Chai Jin, and am called the Small Whirlwind.” “I've long known of your great name.” Zhu Tong kowtowed. “I didn't expect to have the honor of meeting you today.” “Your name has also been long known to me, sir. Please come into the rear hall where we can talk.” As he followed Lord Chai inside Zhu Tong asked: “How does that scoundrel Black Whirlwind dare to hide in your manor?” “That's easy. I have always welcomed bold men of the gallant fraternity. An ancestor of mine gave up the throne, and because of that the first Song emperor bestowed on my ancestors the Wrought Iron Pledge. When a wrongdoer takes refuge with us, no searchers dare enter. A dear friend of mine knows you well. He's one of the leaders in Liangshan Marsh—Song Jiang, called the Timely Rain. He wrote a secret letter instructing Wu Yong, Lei Heng and Black Whirlwind to stay here at my place and invite you to go with them up the mountain and join the band. Since you couldn't be persuaded, Song ordered Li Kui to kill the prefect's son, to cut off any chance of you returning to the city, and thus compelling you to go to the stronghold and assume a chair of leadership. Teacher Wu, brother Lei, aren't you coming out to apologize?” The two men emerged from an anteroom and kowtowed before Zhu Tong. “Forgive us, brother,” they said. “We were acting on brother Song Jiang's orders. If you go with us to the fortress, you'll understand.” “I know you brothers meant well, but your methods were too cruel!” Chai Jin murmured soothing words. “I'll go if I have to, but I want to see Black Whirlwind first!” “Brother Li,” the lord called. “Come out and apologize.” Li Kui walked from a side room and voiced loudly a respectful greeting. The sight of him sent flames spurting thirty thousand feet high in Zhu Tong's heart. He couldn't control his rage. He rushed towards Li Kui murderously. It took the combined efforts of Chai Jin, Lei Heng and Wu Yong to restrain him. “I'll go up the mountain,” said Zhu Tong. “But first you have to promise me one thing.” Chapter 51 Winged Tiger Brains Bai Xiuying with His Rack Beautiful Beard Loses the Prefect's Little Son 528 The Outlaws of the Marsh “Not one but scores, if you so desire,” said Wu Yong. “What is it you wish?” And because of Zhu Tong's request, there was turmoil in Gaotang Prefecture and strife in the Liangshan Marsh stronghold. nike air max 97 A noble patron of learning fell into the clutches of the law, a hospitable relative of the emperor was cast into a dungeon. What was the demand which Zhu Tong made? Read our next chapter if you would know. Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture “If you want me to go up the mountain,” said Zhu Tong, “you must kill Black Whirlwind to appease my rage! Then I'll go.” “You can eat my prick,” roared Li Kui. “I was carrying out the orders of brothers Chao and Song! It hadn't a tooting fart to do with me!” Zhu Tong moved to throw himself on Li Kui. The other three restrained him. “If Black Whirlwind is there, I'll never go up that mountain,” Zhou Tong vowed. “That's easy,” said Chai Jin. “I'll keep him here with me. You three go on to the stronghold and satisfy the wishes of Chao and Song.” “The prefect is sure to send a warrant for my arrest to Yuncheng County. They'll take my wife and children. How can we deal with that?” “Don't worry,” said Wu Yong. “Song Jiang has probably brought your family into the fortress by now.” Only then did Zhu Tong relax. Chai Jin treated his guests to wine, and the same day saw them off. They left towards evening. Lord Chai provided them with three riding horses and an escort of vassals. He accompanied them to the outside of the pass. At the final parting, Wu Yong gave f. Li Kui some words of advice. “Behave with care. Stay a while in the lord's manor. Don't stir up any trouble and get him involved. In a few months or half a year, after Zhu Tong has cooled down, we'll bring you back to the fortress. We'll probably invite Lord Chai to join us, too.” The three mounted and departed. Chai Jin and Li Kui returned to the manor. Zhu Tong went with Wu Yong and Lei Heng to become a member of the band in Liangshan Marsh. When they came to the end of Cangzhou Prefecture, the vassals rode the horses back, and the three continued on foot. The journey was uneventful, and they soon reached the tavern ran by Zhu Gui. He sent word to the stronghold of their arrival. Chao Gai and Song Jiang, accompanied by greater and lesser chieftains, were waiting to greet them on the Shore of Golden Sands, to the beat of drums and the shrilling of flutes. All got on their horses and climbed to the fortress, where they dismounted and went to Fraternity Hall. They talked for a while of old times together. Then Zhu Tong voiced his apprehension. “You've called me to the mountain, but the prefect of Cangzhou is certain to notify Yuncheng County to seize my wife and children. What can I do?” Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh Song Jiang laughed. “Set your mind at ease, brother. We sent men to fetch them several days ago.” “Where are they now?” “They're resting at the place of my father the squire. Why not go and see for yourself?” Zhu Tong was delighted. Song Jiang led him to his father's villa. Zhu Tong was reunited with his family. He observed that they had brought all their valuables. “A man came with a letter the other day saying you had already joined the mountain band,” his wife related. “So we packed our belongings and travelled through the night to get here.” Zhu Tong kowtowed and thanked the brigand leaders. Song Jiang asked both him and Lei Heng to make their homes on the mountain summit. For successive days he gave feasts in their honor, as new chieftains. Of that no more need be said. The prefect of Cangzhou, when it began getting late and Zhu Tong didn't r nike air max 360 eturn with his son, sent people out to look for them. They searched half the night. The next day, someone found the body in the grove, and notified the prefectural office. Shocked, the prefect went to the grove. He wept as though his heart would break. He had the body encoffined, and cremated it. Summoning court the following morning, he issued notices for the arrest of Zhu Tong to all the surrounding areas. Yuncheng County reported that Zhu Tong's wife and family had fled to places unknown. Rewards for Zhu Tong's apprehension were offered in the various prefectures and counties. Of that we'll say no more. When Li Kui had been with Lord Chai for over a month, a messenger delivered an urgent letter to the manor. Chai Jin accepted and read it. He was astonished. “In that case I'll have to go,” he exclaimed. “What's the trouble, Excellency?” asked Li Kui. “I have an uncle, Chai Huangcheng, who lives in Gaotang Prefecture. That rogue Yin Tianxi, brot Nike TN UK her.in.law of the prefect, Gao Lian, has taken over his garden. My uncle is so infuriated that he's fallen ill, and he may not live. He must have some dying words he wants t nike air max womens o impart. My uncle has no children. I'll have to hurry to his side.” “Would you like me to keep you company?” “I'd be glad if you're willing to go.” Chai Jin packed some luggage, selected a dozen good horses, and told a number of vassals to get ready. The next day at dawn Lord Chai, Li Kui and their company climbed into their saddles, left the manor and headed for Gaotang. They arrived in less than a day and dismounted in front of the residence of Chai Huangcheng. Chai Jin left Li Kui and the others in the outer hall and went to his uncle's bedroom. Seated beside Huangcheng's bed, he wept. The lady his uncle had married after the death of his first wife came in. Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh “You've had a tiring ride,” she said. “You mustn't upset yourself.” Chai Jin greeted her courteously and asked what had happened. “The new prefect, Gao Lian, is also the military commander here,” she said. “Because Marshal Gao in the Eastern Capital is his cousin, he feels he can do anything he pleases. He brought with him his brother.in.law Yin Tianxi. Everybody calls him Counsellor Yin. Although quite young, Yin knows he has the prefect's backing, and he hurts people with his outrageous behavior. One of his toadies told him that we have a pretty rear garden with a pavilion overlooking a pool. He broke in with twenty or thirty scamps one day, examined the garden, and wanted to drive us out of our home and move in himself. “Your uncle Huangcheng said to him: 'Our family is of noble origin. An earlier emperor bestowed a Wrought Iron Pledge on our family that no one may oppress us. How dare you seize my home? Where is my wife and family supposed to go?' “The knave wouldn't listen. He insisted that we leave. Your uncle tried to push him away, and was beaten for his pains. He's been in bed ever since. He can't get up and he can't eat. Medicine doesn't seem to do any good. Heaven may be far but the grave for

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him is near, I'd say. Fortunately, you've come to take charge. So even if the worst should happen, we won't have to worry.” “Don't despair, aunt. We'll get a good doctor to treat him. If there's any dispute about this, I'll send a man back to Cangzhou to get the Wrought Iron Pledge, and show that to Yin. If we have to go before the authorities, or even the emperor himself, we have nothing to fear.” “Huangcheng failed in all his efforts,” said his wife. “But I'm sure, in your hands, we'll get results.” Chai Jin stayed a while with his uncle, then came out and told Li Kui and the others about the dispute. Li Kui jumped to his feet. “That unreasonable varlet! I'll give him a couple of licks with my axes first, then we can start discussions'.” “Calm yourself, brother Li. You can't get rough with him without any provocation. Besides, although he may have powerful backing, our family is protected by the Pledge. If he won't listen to reason here, in the capital there are persons just as influential as he, and the law is clear. We'll fight him in court.” “The law, the law! If everyone obeyed the law, everything would be serene! I'm in favor of hitting him first and talking afterwards. If he complains to the court, I'll hack him and the friggin judge together!” Chai Jin laughed. “No wonder Zhu Tong wanted to fight you. You're both such hotheads. This is an imperial city, not your mountain stronghold where you can act as you like.” “So what? Jiangzhou and Wuweijun are also imperial cities. Didn't I kill men there too?” “Wait till I've seen how the land lies. When the need arises, I'll ask your help, brother. Until that happens, please remain here quietly.” At that moment a servant hurried out to request Lord Chai to go to his uncle. Chai Jin went quickly to the bedside. His uncle spoke to him with tears in his eyes. “You're a man of high principle, nephew, a credit to our ancestors. I die today because of the humiliation imposed on me by Yin Tianxi. You owe it to me as one of the same flesh and blood to write a complaint to the Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh emperor and obtain redress. From beneath the Nine Springs of the Nether World I will thank you. Take care of yourself. I have no other bequests.” Having spoken, Huangcheng d nike air max 1 ied. Chai Jin wept bitterly. His aunt feared he would faint. “Restrain your grief,” she urged. “We must talk about the funeral arrangements.” “The Wrought Iron Pledge is in my home. I haven't brought it. But I'll send a man for it immediately. If necessary, I'll file a complaint in the Eastern Capital. But uncle has passed away. First we must proceed with the encoffining and dress in mourning. We'll confer about other things later.” Chai Jin ordered that inner and outer coffins be prepared in the official manner, and that a memorial tablet be set up in keeping with the rites. The whole family dressed in deep mourning, and young and old lamented. Li Kui, outside, heard t nike air max 97 heir weeping. Angrily, he ground a fist into the palm of his hand. But when he asked the servants what was going on, no one would tell him. Monks were invited to conduct the prayers. Two days went by. Riding a spirited horse, Yin Tianxi and twenty or thirty cronies had been carousing outside the city, amusing themselves with slingshots, crossbows, blowpipes, inflated balls, stick branches for catching birds, and musical instruments. Now, pretending to be drunker than they actually were, they staggered up to the residence of Chai Huangcheng. Yin reined in his horse and shouted a demand to see the person in charge. Chai Jin, wearing mourning, hastily emerged. Yin addressed him from his saddle. “What part of the family are you?” “I'm Chai Jin, the nephew.” “I gave orders the other day that they were to move out. Why haven't I been obeyed?” “Uncle was sick in bed. We couldn't disturb him. He died in the night. We'll move when the forty.nine day mourning period is over.” “Farts! I give you three days more. If you're not out by then, I'll put a rack around your neck and let you taste a hundred blows of my staff!” “You mustn't persecute us like this, Counsellor. We're descendants of a royal family, and protected by an old imperial Wrought Iron Pledge. It must be respected.” “Take it out and let me see it,” Yin shouted. “It's in my home in Cangzhou. I've already sent for it.” “The rascal's lying,” Yin said angrily. “Even if there is such an edict, it doesn't scare me. Men, give this fellow a drubbing!” The gang started toward Chai Jin. Li Kui, the Black Whirlwind, had been watching and listening through a crack in the door of the house. Now he pushed it open, dashed up to Yin with a roar, dragged him from his horse, and with one punch knocked him sprawling. The thirty ruffians rushed to Yin's aid. Li Kui promptly flattened half a dozen. Yelling, they all turned and fled. Li Kui picked Yin up and pummelled him with fist and foot. Chai Jin couldn't restrain him. It wasn't long before Yin was lying dead on the ground. Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh Chai Jin groaned. He led Li Kui to the rear hall and said: “They'll be sending men here very soon! You can't stay! I'll deal with the prosecution. You've got to go back to Liangshan Marsh, quickly.” “I can go, but you'll be implicated.” “The imperial Pledge will protect me. You must go at once. There's no time to lose.” Li Kui gathered his battle.axes, took some travel money, left through the rear gate, and set out for the mountain fortress. Not long after, more than two hundred men, armed with swords, spears and staves, surrounded the residence. Chai Jin came out and said: “I'll go with you to the authorities and explain.” They bound his arms and went in to look for the culprit, a big swarthy fellow. He was gone. They took Chai Jin to the prefecture court, where he knelt in the center of the hall. Gao Lian, the prefect, had ground his teeth in venomous rage when he heard that his brother.in.law had been beaten to death, and had been waiting for the assailant to be brought in. Now, Chai Jin was flung down at the foot of the prefect's dais. “How dare you kill my Yin Tianxi?” Gao shouted. “I am a direct descendant of Emperor Shi Zong. My family has a Wrought Iron Pledge of imperial protection from Tai Zu, the first emperor of Song. It's in my home i nike air max 360 n Cangzhou,” Chai Jin replied. “I called to visit my uncle Chai Huangcheng, who was gravely ill. Unfortunately, he died, and we are now in mourning at his residence. Counsellor Yin came with thirty men and wanted to drive us out. He wouldn't listen to my explanations and ordered his men to beat me. One of my vassals, Big Li, while defending me, killed him in the heat of battle.” “Where is Big Li?” “He panicked and ran away.” “He's your vassal. Would he have dared kill a man without orders from you? You deliberately let him escape, and now you try to delude this court. Rascals like you never confess unless they are beaten. Take him, guards, and give it to him hard!” “To save his master my vassal Big Li accidentally killed a man. It's not my fault. We have Emperor Tai Zu's Pledge. Am I to be beaten like a common criminal?” “Where is the Pledge?” “In Cangzhou. I've already sent for it.” “The scoundrel is opposing this court,” Gao Lian raged. “Beat him, nike air max trainers guards, with all your strength!” They pounded Chai Jin till his flesh was a pulp and his blood streamed in rivulets. He was forced to confess: “I ordered my vassal Big Li to kill Yin Tianxi.” A twenty.five.catty rack for the condemned was placed around his neck, and he was cast into prison. Yin's body, after inspection by the medical examiner, was put into a coffin and buried. Of that no more need be said. Yin's sister wanted vengeance. She had her prefect husband confiscate the property of Chai Huangcheng, arrest the members of his family, and take over for themselves the house and gardens of the residence. Chai Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh Jin languished in jail. Li Kui travelled through the night to get back to Liangshan Marsh. On arriving at the fortress he reported to the leaders. Zhu Tong was filled with rage the moment he saw him. He rushed at Li Kui with his halberd. Black Whirlwind, brandishing his axes, clashed with him in combat. Chao Gai, Song Jiang and the others exhorted them to stop. Song apologized to Zhu Tong. “Killing the prefect's little boy wasn't Li Kui's idea. Military Advisor Wu Yong thought of this device when you wouldn't agree to joining us. Now that you are here, forget it. Let's all strive together in harmony and loyalty. We don't want outsiders to laugh at us.” Song Jiang turned to Li Kui. “Tell sir Beautiful Beard you're sorry.” Li Kui glared. “A fine business. I've done plenty for this stronghold. He hasn't done a thing. Why should I tell him I'm sorry?” “Although it was the Military Advisor's order, you did kill the prefect's son. From the point of view of age, Zhu Tong is your older brother. Kowtow to him, for my sake. Then I'll kowtow to you, and that'll be the end of it.” Li Kui coul Air Max 2011 dn't very well refuse. To Zhu Tong he said: “I'm not afraid of you, but brother Song Jiang insists. I can't help myself. I apologize.” He threw his axes aside and kowtowed, twice. Only then was Zhu Tong appeased. Chao Gai ordered that a feast be laid to cement the reconciliation. “Lord Chai went to Gaotang because his uncle, Chai Huangcheng, was ill. The prefect's brother.in.law, Yin Tianxi, wanted to take over the house and gardens, and cursed Chai Jin. I knocked the lout around and killed him,” said Li Kui. “You escaped, but they're sure to prosecute Lord Chai, nike air max womens ” Song Jiang cried in alarm. “Calm yourself, brother,” said Wu Yong. “We'll know more about it when Dai Zong returns.” “Where has brother Dai Zong gone?” asked Li Kui. “I thought you'd only stir up trouble, hanging around Lord Chai's manor,” said Wu Yong, “and I sent Dai Zong to bring you back. If he found you were gone, he'd surely follow you to Gaotang.” Before the words were out of his mouth, a scout entered and announced: “Superintendent Dai has returned.” Song Jiang went forward to welcome him. After Dai came into the hall and was seated, he was asked for news of Lord Chai. “I went to his manor and learned that he and Li Kui had left for Gaotang. I hurried after them. In Gaotang, the whole city was agog. Everyone said:' Yin Tianxi tried to seize the residence of Chai Huangcheng, and a big dark fellow beat him to death. Lord Chai was implicated, and tied up and cast into prison. All the property of Chai Huangcheng's family has been confiscated. There's no guarantee that Lord Chai's life will be preserved.” “That swarthy rogue has done it again,” said Chao Gai. “Wherever he goes, there's turmoil.” Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh “Chai Huangcheng was beaten by Yin, and he died of rage. Then Yin came to take over his residence and ordered his men to beat Lord Chai. Even if he were a living Buddha, I wouldn't let him get away with it!” Li Kui retorted. “Lord Chai has always been benevolent to our fortress,” said Chao Gai. “Today, he's in danger. We must rescue him. I'll go personally.” “You're the highest leader here, brother, you shouldn't make a move lightly,” said Song Jiang. “I've long been indebted to Lord Chai. Let me go on your behalf.” “Although Gaotang is a small city, it's densely populated, has a large military force, and plenty of grain. We mustn't underestimate it,” said Wu Yong. “I propose that we ask twelve chieftains to lead a vanguard of five thousand men, with a supporting force of three thousand under ten chieftains.” The twenty.two chieftains bid farewell to Chao Gai and the others and left the mountain stronghold for Gaotang. By the time the vanguard force reached the edge of the prefecture, Gao Lian had already been informed by his scouts. “I'd been intending to clean out that lair of shabby bandits in Liangshan Marsh,” he sneered, “and now they present themselves to be tied. A Heaven.blessed chance.” He directed his aides: “Transmit my order immediately to muster our army, go forth from the city, and engage the enemy. Let the citizenry man the walls.” On horseback Gao was military commandant, afoot he was the prefect. As soon as his order was issued, all his officers, from generals to sergeants, assembled their units and inspected them on the drill fields, then marched out of the city against the foe. Gao Lian had a personal contingent of three hundred crack troops known as the “Flying Miracles,” who came from Shandong, Hebe Nike TN Trainers i, Jiangxi, Hunan, north and south of the Huai, and east and west of the Zhejiang River. Shouting, banners waving, drums pounding, gongs crashing, they waited only their adversaries' approach. With the arrival of the five thousand men under Lin Chong, Hua Rong and Qin Ming, the two hosts confronted each other, drams and banners plainly visible, each temporarily halted by powerful flights of arrows. Trumpets blared, and the big battle drums throbbed. Hua Rong, Qin Ming and the ten other chieftains reined in their horses at the most advanced position. Lin Chong, his serpent lance at the ready, spurred his mount forward. “Gao the thief,” he yelled. “Come out, quickly!” Gao Lian gave his animal its head. With thirty officers he rode to the arch of pennants. There, they halted. Gao pointed nike air max 360 at Lin Chong. “Death.deserving rebel brigands! Dare you disturb our city?” “People.harming crook,” shouted Lin Chong. “One of these days I'm going to the Eastern Capital and pulverize your scoundrelly relative Gao Qiu, that thievish minister who deceives the emperor! I won't rest until I do!” Gao Lian turned fuming to his cohorts. “Who will ride out and seize this robber?” Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh From among the officers emerged a captain named Yu Zhi. He clapped his steed and advanced brandishing his sabre. Lin Chong galloped towards him. They had fought less than five rounds when Lin Chong ran his serpent lance through the man's chest and brought him tumbling to the ground. Gao was startled. “Who will get our revenge?” Another captain, Wen Wenbao, holding a long nike air max turnaround lance, ast nike air max 180 ride a sleek brown horse with equipage of tinkling bells and clinking jade, was already racing towards Lin Chong, his animal's hoofs churning a cloud of dust. “Rest a while, brother,” cried Qin Ming. “Watch me cut this varlet down.” Lin Chong reined his mount, retracted his steel lance, and allowed Qin Ming to go ahead. The two battled more than ten rounds. Qin Ming deliberately left himself open. As Wen lunged and missed, Qin swung his mace and stove in the captain's skull. Wen collapsed at his horse's hoofs, and the frightened animal scampered back to the defenders' position. From both sides rose a mighty roar. Gao Lian, having lost two of his officers, drew from its sheath upon his back his precious Dragon Sword. He muttered an incantation, then shouted: “Speed.” And from the midst of his army a black mist rolled. Soon it covered half the sky. Sand flew, stones rolled, the earth quaked, the heavens shook. A weird gale swept across the field against the brigands. Lin Chong, Qin Ming, Hua Rong and the others couldn't see. Terrified horses whinnied and bolted. The fighters turned and fled. Gao Lian waved his sword. His three hundred Miracle soldiers charged, followed by his entire army. Lin Chong's forces scattered in disorder, exclaiming piteously. Of the five thousand, more than a thousand were destroyed. For fifty li they retreated, and finally made camp. The rout complete, Gao Lian returned with his army to the city. nike air max 97 When Song Jiang's contingent reached the camp, Lin Chong and the others told them what had happened. Song Jiang and Wu Yong were shocked. “What magic can it be,” they wondered, “that is so potent?” “Probably some evil spell,” Wu Yong averred. “If we knew how to turn back the wind and fire, we could defeat them.” Song Jiang opened his Heavenly Books. In the third volume he found the necessary formula. Delighted, he memorized the words of the incantation. Then he reorganized his ranks. At the fifth watch they breakfasted. Banners flying, drums pounding, they marched rapidly towards the city. This was reported t Nike TN UK o Gao Lian, who again mustered his victorious troops and his three hundred Miracle soldiers. He opened the gates, let down the drawbridge and deployed his men in battle positions. Song Jiang, sword in hand, rode to the front. He could see a bevy of black pennants in the midst of Gao Lian's army. “Those soldiers are his so.called 'Spellbinders',” said Wu Yong. “He's probably going to work some magic again. How are you going to cope with him?” “Don't worry. I have an antidote. Let none of you have any fear or doubt. Just concentrate on plunging into the fray.”

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Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh Gao Lian, to his officers, said: “Avoid clashes and combat. But when I bang on my shield, rush together in strength and grab Song Jiang. I will reward you well, personally.” He hung on his saddle a bronze shield emblazoned with heraldic emblems of dragon and phoenix. Shouts rose from the opposing armies, as he rode forward, holding his sword. Song Jiang pointed his finger at him. “I couldn't get here last night and my brothers carelessly took some casualties. Today I'm going to wipe all of you out, completely!” “Dismount, you rebellious brigands, and let yourselves be bound,” Gao shouted back. “I don't want to have to soil my hands with your blood!” He waved his sword, whispered a few word under his breath, then yelled: “Speed!” A dark miasma appeared, and was driven by a strange wind towards Song Jiang and his forces. Before it could reach them, Song muttered an incantation and twisted the fingers of his left hand into a cabalistic sign. With his right hand he pointed his sword. “Speed!” he shouted. The wind reversed itself and blew back towards Gao's position. Song Jiang was about to order his men to charge. Gao quickly raised his bronze shield and beat on it with his sword. His Miracle soldiers were at once concealed in a Swirling cloud of yellow sand. From his army hordes of monstrous animals and poisonous serpents poured forth. Song Jiang and his men were scared stiff. Throwing away his sword, Song pulled his horse around and fled. His officers crowded together and ran for their lives. His troops rushed away, every man for himself. Again Gao Lian brandished his sword. With his Miracle soldiers in the lead, and followed by the rest of his forces, his entire army launched a murderous assault. Song Jiang's men were severely defeated. Gao Lian chased them for more than twenty li. Then gongs were beaten as a signal for his soldiers to re.assemble, and they returned to the city. At a hillock Song Jiang reined in his horse and pitched camp. Although his men had suffered heavy losses, fortunately all of his chieftains survived. When his forces were settled he conferred with Military Advisor Wu Yong. “We've been vanquished twice in our attack on Gaotang. We can't seem to break his Miracle soldiers. What are we going to do?” “Since the rogue can work spells, he's sure to raid our camp tonight,” said Wu Yong. “We must plan our defense. We'll leave a small contingent here, and the rest of us will go back to our original encampment.” Song Jiang ordered that only Yang Lin and Bai Sheng and certain men remain. The others returned to the old camp and rested. Yang and Bai led their fighters half a ft behind the hillock and hid themselves in the deep grass. At the first watch a gale rose and thunder crashed. From their place of concealment Yang and Bai and their three hundred men saw Gao Lian advancing on foot, followed by his three hundred Miracle soldiers. Howling and whistling, they rushed savagely into the camp. They found it was empty, and started to leave. Chapter 52 Li Kui Beats to Death Yin Tianxi Chai Jin Is Trapped in Gaotang Prefecture The Outlaws of the Marsh Yang and Bai let out a yell. Gao and his Miracle soldiers, fearing a trap, scattered and ran. The brigands winged random volleys after them with their bows. An arrow struck Gao Lian in the left shoulder. The fighters spread out and pursued, killing as they raced through a pouring rain. By then Gao Lian and his Miracle soldiers were far away. Yang and Ba nike air max womens i had only a limited contingent. They dared not go any deeper into enemy territory. Abruptly, the rain stopped, the clouds vanished and the stars came out. In the light of the moon, the brigands collected twenty enemy wounded, who had been felled before the hillock by blade and arrow, and led them to Song Jiang's camp. They told of the strange thunderstorm. Song Jiang and Wu Yong listened in consternation. “That was only five li away, but we didn't have any wind or rain here,” they said. Everyone discussed it. “Truly magic,” they agreed. “It rained only in the place, and from a height of just three or four hundred feet. The clouds must have picked up water from nearby ponds.” “Gao Lian charged into our camp carrying a sword and with hair unbound,” Yang Lin related. “I hit him with an arrow, and he returned to the city. I didn't go after him because we hadn't enough men.” Song Jiang rewarded Yang Lin and Bai Sheng. He had the wounded prisoners executed. He set up seven or eight small strong points around the main camp and assigned a chieftain to each, as a precaution against an enemy raid. He also sent a messenger back to the mountain fortress for reinforcements. Gao Lian, in the city, nursed his wound. “Defend the city,” he instructed his army. “Be constantly on the alert. But don't get involved in any battles. When I've recovered there will be time enough to capture Song Jiang.” After the defeat inflicted upon him, Song Jiang brooded. He said to Wu Yong: “We can't seem to lick Gao Lian. Suppose he gets more troops from somewhere and they attack in force. How will we be able to withstand them?” “There's only one way to counter his magic,” said Wu nike air max 1 Yong. He spoke softly in Song's ear. “If we don't get that person to help, we may not be able to save Lord Chai, and we'll never take the city.” Truly, to dispel the magic clouds and mists a person had to be found who understood the secrets of Heaven and Earth. Who, then, was the man Wu Yong proposed? Read our next chapter if you would know. Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage “If we are to break Gao Lian's spells,” Wu Yong said to Song Jiang, “we must send a man immediately to fetch Gongsun Sheng.” “The last time Dai Zong went, he spent many days, but all his inquiries failed,” said Song Jiang. “Where can he look for him now?” “The prefecture of Jizhou has numerous counties, towns and villages under its jurisdiction. He'd never find him in such places. It seems to me that since Gongsun is a Taoist, he's more likely to live on some famous mountain where there are Taoist caves and retreats. We'll ask Dai Zong to search in the mountainous regions of Jizhou. He'll surely find him.” Song Jiang summoned Dai Zong and explained what was wanted. Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage The Outlaws of the Marsh “I'll go,” said Dai. “But it would be better if I had a companion.” “When you use your magic travel method, who can keep up with you?” said Wu Yong. “I'll put some charms on his legs too, and he'll be able march swiftly.” “Let me be your companion,” Li Kui requested. “If you want to travel with me, you must eat only vegetarian dishes on the road and obey my commands.” “No problem. I'll do whatever you say.” “Behave yourself and don't cause any rows,” Song and Wu cautioned him. “Return quickly, once you've found Gongsun.” “Because I killed Yin Tianxi, Lord Chai is being prosecuted. Don't I want to save him? I wouldn't stir up any trouble.” The two emissaries concealed weapons on their persons, tied their luggage, bid a respectful farewell to Song Jiang and the others, left Gaotang and set out for Jizhou. When they had walked about thirty li, Black Whirlwind halted. “Let's have a bowl of wine before going on, brother.” “You can only have vegeta Nike TN Trainers bles with your drink during the magic travel..” “What difference would a little meat make?” Li K nike air max trainers ui said, laughing. “There you go again. It's getting late. We'll find an inn for the night, and continue on in the morning.” They walked another thirty li, until it was dusk, and put up at an inn. They made a fire, cooked rice and bought some wine. Li Kui carried a bowl of vegetables and another bowl of vegetable soup into the room, where he joined Dai Zong. “Why aren't you having any rice?” Dai asked. “I don't feel like it.” Dai Zong thought: “That rogue must be fooling me and eating meat behind my back.” He finished his own vegetable dish and went softly to the rear. There was Li Kui with two measures of wine, wolfing down a platter of beef. “I knew it,” Dai said to himself. “I won't say anything, but tomorrow I'll have a little fun with him.” He went back to their room and slept. Li Kui finished off the meat and wine. Afraid that Dai might question him, he returned quietly and went to bed. At dawn Dai awakened and told Li to light a fire. They cooked a few vegetables for breakfast, then put their luggage on their backs, paid the bill and left the inn. Before they had gone twenty li, Dai said: “We didn't use our magic method yesterday, but today we have to make time. Tie your bundles on tight. I'm going to work the magic on you. We'll be covering eight hundred li Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage The Outlaws of the Marsh before we rest.” He attached four cha nike air max 360 rms to Li Kui's legs and said: “Wait for me at the tavern up ahead.” He muttered an incantation and blew on Li's legs. Black Whirlwind strode off. He flew as if he were riding a cloud. Dai Zong laughed. “I'll keep him hungry all day.” He affixed nike air max 97 charms to his own legs, and followed. Li Kui didn't understand this magic, and he walked as usual with a free stride. At once the sound in his ears was like the rush of wind and rain, the houses and trees on either side seemed to fall backwards as he passed, his feet felt propelled by cloud and mist. He grew frightened and tried to stop several times. But his legs refused to Nike TN UK halt. It was as if someone were pushing them. They moved without touching the ground. Taverns selling meat and win nike air max 97 e continued to fly towards his rear. He couldn't buy anything. “My old grandpa,” he swore. “Let me stop a minute!” Soon the red sun was level in the west. Li Kui was hungry and thirsty. But he still was unable to halt. Drenched in a foul sweat, he panted for breath. Dai Zong narrowed the gap between them. nike air max turnaround “Brother Li,” he called, “why don't you buy a snack to eat?” “Save me brother,” Li Kui bawled. “I'm dying of hunger!” Dai Zong pulled a few wheat cakes out of his tunic and commenced to munch. “I can't stop. How can I buy anything?” Li Kui yelled. “Give me a couple of cakes to take the edge off my appetite.” “I will, if you'll only stand still.” Li Kui extended his hand back, but his reach was short by about ten feet. “Good brother,” he cried. “Let's stop!” “It's very peculiar today. I can't halt my legs either.” “Aiya. My friggin legs won't listen to me. They just keep running. If they get me mad I'll take my big ax and cut them off!” “That's a good idea. Otherwise even by next New Year's day you'll still be running.” “Good brother, you're making fun of me. If I chop my legs off, how will I be able to get back?” “You probably didn't obey me last night. Now even I can't halt. Well, you can just keep going.” “My lord and master, forgive me and let me stop!” “With my magic you can't eat meat, especially beef. If you eat one slice of beef, you have to run until you die.” “That's terrible! I deceived you last night, brother. I secretly bought six or seven catties of beef and ate them all! What am I going to do?” Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage The Outlaws of the Marsh “No wonder even my legs can't be halted. You're going to be the death of me.” Li Kui bawled his laments to the heavens. Dai Zong laughed. “Promise me one thing and I'll remove the spell.” “Ask me quickly, master, you'll see how I obey!” “Will you deceive me and eat any more meat?” “If I do, may a boil as big as a bowl grow on my tongue! I saw you sticking to vegetables, but I thought that would be too much of a nuisance, so I tried to fool you. I'll never do it again!” “In that case, I'll forgive you.” Dai Zong caught up, and brushed Li Kui's legs with his sleeve. “Stand,” he cried. Li Kui immediately halted. “I'm going on ahead,” said Dai. “You can follow slowly.” But when Li Kui attempted to step out, he couldn't lift his feet. They felt like cast iron. “Another calamity,” he yelled. “Save me again, brother!” Dai Zong looked back and laughed. “Did you mean what you just vowed?” “I respect you like my own father! Would I dare go against your commands?” “You'll really obey me?” Dai encircled Li Kui's wrist with his hand. “Start,” he ordered. The two easily walked on. “Have mercy, brother,” Li Kui begged. “Let's rest.” They found an inn, and entered. When they got to their room, Dai removed the charms and burned a few sheaves of sacrificial money. “How are you now?” he asked. Li Kui kneaded his limbs and sighed. “These legs feel like they belong to me again at last.” Dai told him to order wine and a vegetable meal, and set water on to boil for washing their feet. Afterwards, they retired and slept until dawn. They got up, performed their ablutions and had breakfast. They p Air Max 2011 aid the bill and set forth. When they had gone about thirty li, Dai produced the charms. “I'm only giving you two, today,” he said to Li Kui. “You won't go quite so fast.” “My honored father, I don't want them!” “You promised to listen to me. We're on an important mission. I won't play any tricks. But if you don't obey me, I'll immobilize you like I did last night. You'll have to stand right here until I go into Jizhou, find Gongsun, and come back.'* “Tie them on, tie them on,” Li Kui said hastily. Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage The Outlaws of the Marsh Dai and Li attached to their legs only two charms each. Dai Zong then spoke the incantation. He held onto Li as they continued their journey. Using this magic, Dai could stop or go whenever he pleased. Li Kui dared not disobey. On the road they consumed nothing but wine and vegetable dishes, resuming their march immediately after. But we mustn't be too wordy. Travelling by magic means, in less than ten days they were resting at an inn in the outskirts of Jizhou. The following day they entered the city, with Li Kui disguised as Dai Zong's servant. They inquired all day, but could find no one who knew Gongsun Sheng. They returned to the inn and retired. The next day they explored the small str nike air max 180 eets and narrow lanes of the city, again without success. Li Kui fumed irritably. “That beggarly Taoist! What friggin place is he hiding in? When I see him, I'll drag him off by the head to brother Song Jiang!” Dai Zong frowned. “There you go again. Don't you remember what you suffered last time?” Li Kui laughed apologetically. “I wouldn't, actually. I was only kidding.” Dai again berated him. Li dared not reply. They spent another night at the inn. They rose early the next morning, and searched the villages and towns on the city's perimeter. Whenever they met an old man, Dai greeted him respectfully and asked the whereabouts of Taoist teacher Gongsun Sheng. But none of them knew him, though Dai made dozens of inquiries. By noon both men were hungry. They went into a noodle shop by the side of the road to nike air max 360 buy something to eat.

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he place was full and all the tables were occupied. The two stood waiting in the aisle. “If you gentlemen would like some noodles,” a waiter said, “you can sit with that old man.” Dai Zong saw an old fellow seated alone at a large table. He hailed him respectfully and bowed, then he and Li Kui sat down opposite, side by side. Dai told the waiter to bring four bowls of noodles. “One for me and three for you,” he said to Li Kui. “That should be enough.” “Hardly. I could do six without any trouble.” The waiter grinned. Time passed, and there was no sign of the noodles. Li Kui saw steaming bowls being carried into an inner room, and he began to lose patience. The waiter placed a bowl of hot noodles down before the old man, who tucked in without any ado, bending low over the table to sip. “Waiter,” the impetuous Li Kui cried angrily, “you're keeping me waiting.” He slammed his fist on the table, bouncing hot soup out of the bowl into the old man's face and spilling the noodles. Annoyed, the old man grabbed Li Kui. “What right have you to overturn my noodles?” he shouted. Li Kui clenched his fists and was going to hit him. Dai Zong yelled at him to behave, and apologized on his behalf. “Don't quarrel with this fellow, old gentleman. I'll buy you another bowl.” Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage The Outlaws of the Marsh “You don't understand, sir. I've a long way to go. I wanted to have some noodles and get home early to hear a sermon. Delaying my breakfast delays my journey.” “Where are you from, and who are you going to hear?” “I'm from Two Fairies Mountain in Jiugong County, which is part of Jizhou Prefecture. I came into town to buy some good incense. I'm on my way back to the mountain to hear Luo the Sage. He's lecturing on 'How to Live Forever'.” Dai Zong thought: “Could Gongsun Sheng be there, too?” And he asked: “Old gentleman, do you have a Gongsun Sheng in your village?” “If you asked someone else, sir, you probably wouldn't get any answer. Most people don't know him by that name. He's a neighbor of mine, and he lives alone with his old mother. For a time he was away from home on religious wanderings, and he was called Gongsun the Pure. Now, he's given up his family name altogether, and he's known simply as the Pure Taoist. No one calls him Gongsun Sheng. That was his secular name. They wouldn't know who you meant.” “This is really a case of 'Wearing out iron shoes seeking in vain, then finding a solution with the greatest of ease'! Old gentleman, how far is Two Fairies Mountain from here? Is the Pure Taoist at home?” “It's only about forty.five li from this county. Pure Taoist is the leading disciple of Luo the Sage. His master would never let him leave.” Dai was delighted. He urged the waiter to hurry with the noodles, then he ate with the old man. Dai paid the bill, and they left the shop together. After asking the old man for directions, Dai said: “You go on ahead, old gentleman. I'll join you later. I want to buy some incense and paper money first.” The old man bid him farewell and departed. Dai Zong and Li Kui returned to their inn, collected their luggage and bundles, attached the charms, left the inn and set out for Two Fairies Mountain. Using the magic travel method, they covered the forty.five li in no time. They asked the way to the mountain on arrival at the county town of Jiugong. “Go east from here,” their informant said. “It's only five li.” The two followed Nike TN Trainers directions and, sure enough, in less that five li they reached the foot of Two Fairies Mountain. There, they met a woodcutter. Dai bowed courteously. “Could you tell us where the Pure Taoist lives?” The woodcutter pointed. “Through that mountain pass. There's a little stone bridge right outside his gate.” The two traversed the pass and saw a dozen thatched buildings surrounded by a low wall. Outside there was a small stone bridge. As they approached it they met a peasant girl coming from the enclosure carrying a basket of fruit. Dai Zong bowed. “I see you're from the Pure Taoist's home. Is he in, do you know?” Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage The Outlaws of the Marsh “He's in back, refining cinnabar pills.” Pleased, Dai softly instructed Li Kui: “Conceal yourself in that thicket. After I've seen him I'll call you.” Dai Zong went in and looked around. A reed curtain hung in front of the door of a three.room thatched cottage. Dai coughed, and a white.haired old woman emerged. He bowed politely. “I would like to see the Pure Taoist, old mother.” “What is your name, sir?” “Dai Zong, from Shandong Province.” “My son is away on a religious journey. He hasn't r nike air max 97 eturned yet.” “We're old friends. I have something important to tell him. Please let me see him.” “He's not home. You can leave a message, if you wish. You can see him when he comes back.” “I'll drop in again.” Dai bid the old woman farewell and returned to Li Kui outside the gate. “I'll have to use you today. His mother says he's not at home. Go in and ask to see him. If she tells you he's away, start smashing things but don't hurt her. I'll rush in and stop you.” Li Kui took his nike air max 1 pair of axes from his bundle, tucked them in his waist sash, and entered the gate. “Send someone out,” he sho nike air max 360 uted. The old woman hastily emerged. “Who is it?” she called. She became frightened when she saw Li Kui glaring at her, and said: “What is it you want, brother?” “I'm Black Whirlwind from Liangshan Marsh. I'm under orders to invite Gongsun Sheng. Tell him to come out, so we can meet face to face. If he refuses, I'll set this friggin place on fire and burn your home to the ground!” And he shouted: “I want him to come right out!” “Don't be like that, bold fellow. This isn't Gongsun Sheng's house. My son is called the Pure Taoist.” “Just tell him to come out. I'll know when I see his friggin face.” “He's on a religious trip and hasn't returned.” Li Kui pulled out his big axes and knocked down a wall. The old woman moved forward to stop him. “If you don't call your son, I'll kill you,” cried Li Kui. He raised his axes. The old woman collapsed to the ground in terror. Gongsun Sheng emerged from the house, running. “Don't you dare,” he yelled. Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage The Outlaws of the Marsh At the same time Dai Zong shouted: “Iron Ox, how can you frighten this old mother?” He helped her to her feet. Li Kui tossed his axes aside and hailed Gongsun respectfully. “Brother, forgive me. This was the only way to get you out.” Gongsun first supported his mother into the house, then returned and invited his two visitors into a quiet room and asked them to be seated. “How fortunate you've tracked me down,” he said. “After you left the mountain, brother,” said Dai Zong. “I sought you in Jizhou, but was unable to discover where you'd gone. So I gathered a band of brothers and went back to the stronghold. Brother Song Jiang recently tried to rescue Lord Chai in Gaotang, but was twice defeated because of magic used by the prefect Gao Lian. He can't cope with it, and nike air max 360 has sent me and Li Kui to request your assistance. We searched all Jizhou for you without success. Fortunately, we ran into an old gentleman in a noodle shop who told us where to find you. A village girl said you were at home refining cinnabar, but your old mother insisted you were away. So I asked Li Kui to arouse you into coming out. It was a crude method, and I beg your pardon. But to brother Song Jiang at Gaotang, every day is like a year. We urge that you go with us and demonstrate your unflagging chivalry.” “I have drifted about since childhood, and have become acquainted with many gallant men. Though I left Liangshan Marsh and returned home, I haven't forgotten you. But my mother is old and has no one to look after her, and my teacher, Luo the Sage, wants me by his side. I was afraid the stronghold would send people looking for me. That's why I changed my name to the Pure Taoist and hid myself here.” “Song Jiang is in danger. Have mercy, brother. You must make this trip.” “My mother has no one to take care of her, and my teacher never would let me go. It's really out of the question.” Dai Zong kowtowed and pleaded. Gongsun raised him to his feet. “We can talk about this later,” he said. He served his guests wine and vegetable dishes in the quiet room, and the three ate. “If you refuse to go, brother,” said Dai Zong, “Song Jiang will surely be captured by Gao Lian. The chivalry of our mountain fortress will be ended.” “Let me ask my teacher,” said Gongsun. “If he agrees, I'll go with you.” “We'll go to him at once.” nike air max womens “Relax and spend the night here. We can start the first thing in the morning.” “For Song Jiang in his present position each day is like a year. Please, brother, let's go now.” Gongsun led Dai and Li along a road to the Two Fairies Mountain. It was the end of autumn and the beginning of winter. The days were short, the nights long, and it grew dark early. By the time they were halfway up the slope, the red sun was sinking in the west. They followed a path through the dimness of a pine grove to the temple presided over by Luo the Sage. On a vermilion plaque over the gate inscribed in letters of gold were the words: “Temple of the Purple Void.” The three straightened their clothes in the Garments Pavilion, then proceeded along a covered walk to the Hall of Pines and Cranes. Two boy novices informed the Sage of their arrival. He ordered that they be invited in. Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage The Outlaws of the Marsh They entered. Luo had just finished his prayers and was seated on a cloud.decorated dais. Gongsun advanced and greeted him, then stood and waited, body bent respectfully. Dai Zong hastily kowtowed. Li Kui only stared. “Who are these two gentlemen?” Luo asked. “Brothers of former days I've told you about, Teacher, gallant friends from Shandong. Gao Lian, prefect of Gaotang, has been using magic. Brother Song Jiang has sent these two brothers to ask my help. I wouldn't venture to decide on my own. I've come to ask Teacher's permission.” “You've escaped the fiery pit of human frailty, you've learned to make longevity pills. Why go back to that life?” Dai Zong again kowtowed, “Please allow Teacher Gongsun to go with us,” he requested. “After he's broken Gao Lian's spell, we shall escort him back.” “You two gentlemen d nike air max 180 on't understand,” said Luo the Sage. “This is not a matter of concern to religious persons. Leave here. Make other plans.” Gongsun could only lead them away. They left the Hall of Pines and Cranes and went down the mountain the same night. “What did that old mystic teacher say?” asked Li Kui. “Why didn't you listen?” said Dai Zong. “I couldn't understand his gibberish.” “He said Gongsun couldn't go.” “We travel all this distance, I'm given a hard time, and we finally find him,” shouted Li Kui, “and all we get is parts! That old thief had better not make me lose my temper or I'll crush his hat with one hand, grab him by the waist with the other, and fling him down the mountain!” Dai.Zong frowned. “Do you want to be rooted to the spot again?” Li Kui smiled abashedly. “No, no. I was only joking.” When they reached Gongsun's home the Taoist prepared some food. He and Dai Zong ate, but Li Kui sat wrapped in thought and didn't touch a morsel. “Rest here tonight,” said Gongsun, “and tomorrow I'll plead with my teacher again. If he agrees, I'll go with you.” Dai Zong bid him good night, put his luggage in order, and retired to the quiet room with Li Kui. But Black Whirlwind couldn't sleep. He endured his wakefulness till around the fifth watch, then got up softly. He listened to Nike TN UK his companion. Dai Zong was snoring peacefully. “Are you a friggin craven?” Li Kui mentally addressed Gongsun. “That old man is full of crap! You nike air max 97 used to be a member of our stronghold. Why do you need permission from that friggin teacher? Suppose he doesn't agree? Won't that harm brother Song Jiang? I won't stand for it! I'll kill the old rogue! Then Gongsun will Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second nike air max trainers Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage The Outlaws of the Marsh have no one to ask, and he'll have to go with us!” Li Kui groped for his two axes, quietly opened the house door and, step by step in the moonlight, made his way up the mountain. The double portals of the Temple of Purple Void were shut, but the fence around the compound was not high, and he cleared it in a leap. After opening the portals in readiness for a retreat, he crept in nike air max turnaround to the grounds till he came to the Hall of Pines and Cranes. He heard someone within chanting scriptures. He crawled closer and poked a hole through the paper window. Luo the Sage was seated alone on his dais. Two smoking candles on a table before him shed a bright light. “That wretched Taoist,” thought Li Kui. “He deserves to die.” Stealthily, he crept to the latticed door and, with one push, swung it creaking open. He charged in, raised his axes and bro Air Max 2011 ught them down on the Sage's forehead. Luo collapsed on his dais. His flowing blood was white. Li Kui laughed. “The varlet must have been a virgin. He's still got all his male essence. He hasn't used any of it! There's not a drop of red blood in him!” Li Kui took a close look at his handiwork. His ax had cleaved the Sage's hat and split his head right down to his neck. “Today, I've removed a trouble.maker,” Black Whirlwind observed with satisfaction. “We won't have to worry about Gongsun not going.” Turning, he left the Hall of Pines and Cranes and hurried along the corridor. A young black.clad novice blocked his way. “You killed our teacher,” the boy yelled. “Don't think you can escape!” “Little knave,” cried Li Kui. “Have a taste of my axes!” He chopped, and the boy's head rolled to the foot of the terrace. Li Kui laughed. “I'd better get out of here.” He left the temple portals and flew down the mountain. At Gongsun's house he slipped in and closed the door behind him. Once more he listened in the quiet room. Dai Zong was still asleep. Softly, Li Kui returned to bed and slept. Gongsun rose at daylight and laid out some breakfast. He and Dai Zong ate. “Please take us up the mountain again so that we may plead with

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He took the Lord's name in vain! I'm tellin' Cheap Air Max TN the warden! HADLEY (to the unseen wit) You'll be tellin' him with my baton up your ass! Hadley arrives at Fat-Ass' cell, bellowing through the bars: HADLEY What's your malfunction you fat fuckin' barrel of monkey nike air max turnaround - cheap nike air max spunk? FAT-ASS PLEASE! THIS AIN'T RIGHT! I AIN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE! NOT ME! HADLEY I ain't gonna count to three! Not even to one! Now shut the fuck up 'fore I sing you a lullabye! Fat-Ass keeps blubbering and wailing. Total freak-out. Hadley draws his baton, gestures to his men. Open it. A GUARD unlocks the cell. Hadley pulls Fat-Ass out and starts beating him with the baton, brutally raining blows. Fat-Ass falls, tries to crawl. The place goes dead silent. All we hear now is the dull THWACK-THWACK-THWACK of the baton. Fat-ass passes out. Hadley gets in a few more licks and finally stops. HADLEY Get this tub of shit down to the infirmary. (peers around) If I hear so much as a mouse fart in here the rest of the night, by God and Sonny Jesus, you'll all visit the infirmary. Every last motherfucker here. The guards wrestle Fat-Ass onto a stretcher and carry him off. FOOTSTEPS echo away. Lights off. Darkness again. Silence. 30 INT -- RED'S CELL -- NIGHT (1947) 30 Red stares through the bars at the main floor below, eyes riveted to the small puddle of blood where Fat-Ass went down. RED (V.O.) His first night in the joint, Andy Dufresne cost me two packs of cigarettes. He never made a sound... 31 INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE -- MORNING (1947) 31 LOUD BUZZER. The master locks are thrown -- KA-THUMP! The cons step from their cells, lining the tiers. The GUARDS holler their head-counts to the HEAD BULL, who jots on a clipboard. Red peers at Andy, checking him out. Andy stands in line, collar buttoned, hair combed. 32 INT -- MESS HALL -- MORNING (1947) 32 Andy goes through the breakfast line, gets a scoop of glop on his tray. WE PAN ANDY through the noise and confusion...and discover BOGS DIAMOND and ROOSTER MacBRIDE watching Andy go by. Bogs sizes Andy up with a salacious gleam cheap nike air max 90 in his eye, mutters something to Rooster. Rooster laughs. Andy finds a table occupied by Red and his regulars, chooses a spot at the end where nobody is sitting. Ignoring their stares, he picks up his spoon -- and pauses, seeing something in his food. He carefully fishes it out with his fingers. It's a squirming maggot. Andy grimaces, unsure what to do with it. BROOKS HATLEN is sitting closest to Andy. At age 65, he's a senior citizen, a long-standing resident. BROOKS You gonna eat that? ANDY Hadn't planned on it. BROOKS You mind? Andy passes the maggot to Brooks. Brooks examines it, rolling it between his fingertips like a man checking out a fine cigar. Andy is riveted with apprehension. BROOKS Mmm. Nice and ripe. Andy can't bear to watch. Brooks opens up his sweater and feeds the maggot to a baby crow nestled in an inside pocket. Andy breathes a sigh of relief. BROOKS Jake says thanks. Fell out of his nest over by the plate shop. I'm lookin' after him till he's old enough to fly. Andy nods, proceeds to eat. Carefully. Heywood approaches. JIGGER Oh, Christ, here he comes. HEYWOOD Mornin', boys. It's a fine mornin'. You know why it's fine? Heywood plops his tray down, sits. The men start pulling out cigarettes and handing them down. HEYWOOD That's right, send 'em all down. I wanna see 'em lined up in a row, pretty as a chorus line. An impressive pile forms. Heywood bends down and inhales deeply, smelling the aroma. Rapture. FLOYD Smell my ass... HEYWOOD Gee, Red. Terrible shame, your horse comin' in last and all. Hell, I sure do love that horse of mine. I believe I owe that boy a big sloppy kiss when I see him. RED Give him some'a your cigarettes instead, cheap bastard. HEYWOOD Say Tyrell, you pull infirmary duty this week? How's that winnin' horse of nike air max 2009 mine, anyway? TYRELL Dead. (the men fall silent) Hadley busted his head pretty good. Doc already went home for the night. Poor bastard lay there till this morning. By then... He shakes his head, turns back to his food. The silence mounts. Heywood glances around. Men resume eating. Softly: ANDY What was his name? HEYWOOD What? What'd you say? ANDY I women nike air max was wondering if anyone knew his name. HEYWOOD What the fuck you care, new fish? (resumes eating) Doesn't matter what his fuckin' name was. He's dead. LastIndexNext This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ PART 3 17 INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE -- NIGHT (1947) 17 Three tiers to a side, concrete and steel, gray and imposing. Andy and the others are marched in, still naked, carrying their clothes and Bibles. The CONS in their cells greet them with TAUNTS, JEERS, and LAUGHTER. One by one, the new men are shown to their cells and locked in with a CLANG OF STEEL. RED (V.O.) The first night's the toughest, no doubt about it. They march you in naked as the day you're born, fresh from a Bible reading, skin burning and half-blind from that delousing shit they throw on you... Red watches from his cell, arms slung over the crossbars, cigarette dangling from his fingers. RED (V.O.) ...and when they put you in that cell, when those bars slam home, that's when you know it's for real. Old life blown away in the blink of an eye...a long cold season in hell stretching out ahead...nothing left but all the time in the world to think about it. Red listens to the CLANGING below. He watches Andy and a few others being brought up to the 2nd tier. RED (V.O.) Most new fish come close to madness the first night. Somebody always breaks down crying. Happens every time. The only question is, who's it gonna be? Andy is led past and given a cell at the end of the tier. RED (V.O.) It's as good a thing to bet on as any, I guess. I had my money on Andy Dufresne... 18 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1947) 18 The bars slam home. Andy is alone in his cell, clutching his clothes. He gazes around at his new surroundings, taking it in. He slowly begins to dress himself... 19 EXT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON -- NIGHT (1947) 19 A malignant stone growth on the Maine landscape. The moon hangs low and baleful in a dead sky. The headlight of a PASSING TRAIN cuts through the night. 20 INT -- RED'S CELL -- NIGHT (1947) 20 Red lies on his bunk below us, tossing his baseball toward the ceiling and catching it again. He pauses, listening. FOOTSTEPS approach below, unhurried, echoing hollowly on stone. 21 INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE -- NIGHT (1947) 21 LOW ANGLE. A CELLBLOCK GUARD strolls into frame. GUARD That's lights out! Good night, ladies. The lights bump off in sequence. The guard exits, footsteps echoing away. Darkness now. Silence. CAMERA CRANES UP the tiers toward Red's cell. RED (V.O.) I remember my first night. Seems a long time ago now. Red looms from the darkness, leans on the bars. Listens. Waits. From somewhere below comes faint, ghastly tittering. VOICES drift through the cellblock, taunting: VARIOUS VOICES (O.S.) Fishee fishee fisheeee...You're gonna like it here, new fish. A whooole lot...Make you wish your daddies never dicked your mommies...You takin' this down, new fish? Gonna be a quiz later. (somebody LAUGHS) Sshhh. Keep it down. The screws'll hear...Fishee fishee fisheeee... RED (V.O.) The boys always go fishin' with first-timers. nike air max 95 ..and they don't quit till they reel someone in. The VOICES keep on, sly and creepy in the dark... 22 INT -- VARIOUS CELLS -- NIGHT (1947) 22 thru thru 25 2g ...while the new cons go quietly crazy in their cells. One man paces like a caged animal...another sits gnawing his cuticles bloody...a third is weeping silently...a fourth is dry-heaving into the toilet... 26 INT -- RED'S CELL -- NIGHT (1947) 26 Red waits at the bars. Smoking. Listening. He cranes his head, peers down toward Andy's cell. Nothing. Not a peep. HEYWOOD (O.S.) Fat-Ass...oh, Faaaat-Ass. Talk to me, boy. I know you're in there. I can hear you breathin'. Now don't you listen to these nitwits, hear? 27 INT -- FAT-ASS' CELL -- NIGHT (1947) 27 Fat-Ass is crying, trying not to hyperventilate. HEYWOOD (O.S.) This ain't such a bad place. I'll introduce you around, make you feel right at home. I know some big ol' bull queers who'd love to make your acquaintance...especially that big white mushy butt of yours... And that's it. Fat-Ass lets out a LOUD WAIL of despair: FAT-ASS OH GOD! I DON'T BELONG HERE! I WANNA GO HOME! 28 INT -- HEYWOOD'S CELL -- NIGHT (1947) 28 HEYWOOD AND IT'S FAT-ASS BY A NOSE.' 29 INT -- CELLBLOCK -- NIGHT (1947) 29 The place goes nuts. Fat-Ass throws himself screaming against the bars. The entire block starts CHANTING: VOICES Fresh fish...fresh fish...fresh fish...fresh fish... FAT-ASS I WANNA GO HOME! I WANT MY MOTHER.' VOICE (O.S.) I had your mother! She wasn't that great! The lights bump on. GUARDS pour in, led by Hadley himself. HADLEY What the Christ is this happy shit? VOICE (O.S.) He took the Lord's name in vain! I'm tellin' the warden! HADLEY (to the unseen wit) You'll be tellin' him with my baton up your ass! Hadley arrives at Fat-Ass' cell, bellowing through the bars: HADLEY What's your malfunction you fat fuckin' barrel of monkey-spunk? FAT-ASS PLEASE! THIS AIN'T RIGHT! I AIN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE! NOT ME! HADLEY I ain't gonna count to three! Not even to one! Now shut the fuck up 'fore I sing you a lullabye! Fat-Ass keeps blubbering and wailing. Total freak-out. Hadley draws his baton, gestures to his men. Open it. A GUARD unlocks the cell. Hadley pulls Fat-Ass out and starts beating him with the baton, brutally raining blows. Fat-Ass falls, tries to crawl. The place goes dead silent. All we hear now is the dull THWACK-THWACK-THWACK of the baton. Fat-ass passes out. Hadley gets in a few more licks and finally stops. HADLEY Get this tub of shit down to the infirmary. (peers around) If I hear so much as a mouse fart in here the rest of the night, by God and Sonny Jesus, you'll all visit the infirmary. Every last motherfucker here. The guards wrestle Fat-Ass onto a stretcher and carry him off. FOOTSTEPS echo nike air max 2009 away. Lights off. Darkness again. Silence. 30 INT -- RED'S CELL -- NIGHT (1947) 30 Red stares through the bars at the main floor below, eyes riveted to the small puddle of blood where Fat-Ass went down. RED (V.O.) His first night in the joint, Andy Dufresne cost me two packs of cigarettes. He never made a sound... 31 INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE -- MORNING (1947) 31 LOUD BUZZER. The master locks are thrown -- KA-THUMP! The cons step from their cells, lining the tiers. The GUARDS holler their head-counts to the HEAD BULL, who jots on a clipboard. Red peers at Andy, checking him out. Andy stands in line, collar buttoned, hair combed. 32 INT -- MESS HALL -- MORNING (1947) 32 Andy goes through the breakfast line, gets a scoop of glop on his tray. WE PAN ANDY through the noise and confusion...and discover BOGS DIAMOND and ROOSTER MacBRIDE watching Andy go by. Bogs sizes Andy up with a salacious gleam in his eye, mutters something to Rooster. Rooster laughs. Andy finds a table occupied by Red and his regulars, chooses a spot at the end where nobody is sitting. Ignoring their stares, he picks up his spoon -- and pauses, seeing something in his food. He carefully fishes it out with his fingers. It's a squirming maggot. Andy grimaces, unsure what to do with it. BROOKS HATLEN is sitting closest to Andy. At age 65, he's a senior citizen, a long-standing resident. BROOKS You gonna eat that? ANDY Hadn't planned on it. BROOKS You mind? Andy passes the maggot to Brooks. Brooks examines it, rolling it between his fingertips like a man checking out a fine cigar. Andy is riveted with apprehension. BROOKS Mmm. Nice and ripe. Andy can't bear to watch. Brooks opens up his sweater and feeds the maggot to a baby crow nestled in an inside pocket. Andy breathes a sigh of relief. BROOKS Jake says thanks. Fell out of his nest over by the plate shop. I'm lookin' after him till he's old enough to fly. Andy nods, proceeds to eat. Carefully. Heywood approaches. JIGGER Oh, Christ, here he comes. HEYWOOD Mornin', boys. It's a fine mornin'. You know why it's fine? Heywood plops his tray down, sits. The men start pulling out cigarettes and handing them down. HEYWOOD That's right, send 'em all down. I wanna see 'em lined up in a row, pretty as a chorus line. An impressive pile forms. Heywood bends down and inhales deeply, smelling the aroma. Rapture. FLOYD Smell my ass... HEYWOOD Gee, Red. Terrible shame, your horse comin' in last and all. Hell, I sure do love that horse of mine. I believe I owe that boy a big sloppy kiss when I see him. RED Give him some'a your cigarettes instead, cheap bastard. HEYWOOD Say Tyrell, you pull infirmary duty this week? How's that winnin' horse of mine, anyway nike air max turbulence ? TYRELL Dead. (the men fall silent) Hadley busted his head pretty good. Doc already went home for the night. Poor bastard lay there till this morning. By then... He shakes his head, turns back to his food. The silence mounts. Heywood glances around. Men resume eating. Softly: ANDY What was his name? HEYWOOD What? What'd you say? ANDY I was wondering if anyone knew his name. HEYWOOD What the fuck you care, new fish? (resumes eating) Doesn't matter what his fuckin' name was. He's dead. LastIndexNext This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ PART 5 43 INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE -- 2ND TIER -- NIGHT (1947) 43 Brooks Hatlen pushes a cart of books from cell to cell. The rolling library. He finds Red waiting for him. Red slips the rock-hammer, wrapped in a towel, through the bars and onto the cart. Next comes six cigarettes to pay for postage. RED Dufresne. Brooks nods, never missing a beat. He rolls his cart to Andy's cell, mutters through the bars: BROOKS Middle shelf, wrapped in a towel. Andy's hand snakes through the bars and makes the object disappear. The hand comes back and deposits a small slip of folded paper along with more cigarettes. Brooks turns his cart around and goes back. He pauses, sorting his books long enough for Red to snag the slip of paper. Brooks continues on, scooping the cigarettes off the cart and into his pocket. 44 INT -- RED'S CELL -- NIGHT (1947) 44 Red unfolds the slip of paper. Penciled neatly on it is a single word: "Thanks." 45 INT -- PRISON LAUNDRY -- DAY (1947) 45 We are assaulted by the deafening noise of the laundry line Andy is doing his job, getting good at it. BOB DUFRESNE! WE'RE LOW ON HEXLITE! HEAD ON BACK AND FETCH US UP SOME! Andy nods. He leaves the line, weaving his way through the laundry room and into -- 46 INT -- BACK ROOMS/STOCK AREA -- DAY (1947) 46 -- a dark, tangled maze of rooms and corridors, boilers and furnaces, sump pumps, old washing machines, pallets of cleaning supplies and detergents, you name it. Andy hefts a cardboard drum of Hexlite off the stack, turns around -- -- and finds Bogs Diamond in the aisle. blocking his way. Rooster looms from the shadows to his right, Pete Verness on the left. A frozen beat. Andy slams the Hexlite to the floor, rips off the top, and scoops out a double handful. ANDY You get this in your eyes, it blinds you. BOGS Honey, hush. Andy backs up, holding them at bay, trying to maneuver through the maze. The Sisters keep coming, tense and guarded, eyes riveted and gauging his every move, trying to outflank him. Andy trips on some old gaint sugglies. That's all it takes. They're on him in an instant, kicking and stomping. Andy gets yanked to his feet. Bogs applies a chokehold from behind. They propel him across the room and slam him against an old four-pocket machine, bending him over it. Rooster jams a rag into Andy's mouth and secures it with a steel pipe, like a horse bit. Andy kicks and struggles, but Rooster and Pete have his arms firmly pinned. Bogs whispers in Andy's ear: BOGS That's it, fight. Better that Nike TN Trainers way. Andy starts screaming, muffled by the rag. CAMERA PULLS BACK, SLOWLY WIDENING. The big Washex blocks our view. All we see is Andy's screaming face and the men holding him down... ...and CAMERA DRIFTS FROM THE ROOM, leaving the dark place and the dingy act behind...MOVING up empty corridors, past concrete walls and steel pipes... RED (V.O.) I wish I could tell you that Andy fought the good fight, and the Sisters let him be. I wish I could tell you that, but prison is no fairy-tale world. WE EMERGE into the prison laundry past a guard, WIDENING for Nike TN UK a final view of the line. The giant steel "mangler" is slapping down in brutal rhythm. The sound is deafening. RED (V.O.) He never said who did it...but we all knew. PRISON MONTAGE: (1947 through 1949) 47 Andy plods through his days. Working. Eating. Chipping and 47 shaping his rocks after lights-out... RED (V.O.) Things went on like that for a while. Prison life consists of routine, and then more routine. 48 Andy walks the yard, face swollen and bruised. 48 RED (V.O.) Every so often, Andy would show up with fresh bruises. 49 Andy eats breakfast. A few tables over, Bogs blows him a kiss. 49 RED (V.O.) The Sisters kept at him. Sometimes he was able to fight them off... sometimes not. 50 Andy backs into a corner in some dingy part of the prison, wildly swinging a rake at his tormentors. RED (V.O.) He always fought, that's what I remember. He fought because he knew if he didn't fight, it would make it that much easier not to fight the nike air max 1 next time. The rake connects, snapping off over somebody's skull. They beat the hell out of him. RED (V.O.) Half the time it landed him in the infirmary... 51 INT -- SOLITARY CONFINEMENT ("THE HOLE") -- NIGHT (1949) 51 A stone closet. No bed, sink, or lights. Just a toilet with no seat. Andy sits on bare concrete, bruised face lit by a faint ray of light falling through the tiny slit in the steel door. RED (V.O.) ...the other half, it landed him in solitary. Warden Norton's "grain & drain" vacation. Bread, water, and all the privacy you could want. 52 INT -- PRISON LAUNDRY -- DAY (1949) 52 Andy is working the line. RED (V.O.) And that's how it went for Andy. That was his routine. I do believe those first two years were the worst for him. And I also believe if things had gone on that way, this place would have got the best of him. But then, in the spring of 1949, the powers-that-be decided that... 53 EXT -- PRISON YARD -- DAY (1949) 53 Warden Norton addresses the assembled cons via bullhorn: NORTON ...the roof of the license-plate factory needs resurfacing. I need a dozen volunteers for a week's work. We're gonna be taking names in this steel bucket here... Red glances around at his friends. Andy also catches his eye. RED (V.O.) It was outdoor detail, and May is one damn fine month to be workin' outdoors. 54 EXT -- PRISON YARD -- DAY (1949) 54 Cons shuffle past, dropping slips of paper into a bucket. RED (V.O.) More than a hundred men volunteered for the job. Red saunters to a guard named TIM YOUNGBLOOD, mutters discreetly in his ear. 55 EXT -- PRISON YARD -- DAY (1949) 55 Youngblood is pulling names and reading them off. Red exchanges grins with Andy and the others. RED (V.O.) Wouldn't you know it? Me and some fellas I know were among the names called. 56 INT -- PRISON CORRIDOR -- NIGHT (1949) 56 Red slips Youngblood six packs of cigarettes. RED (V.O.) Only cost us a pack of smokes per man. I made my usual twenty percent, of course. 57 EXT -- LICENSE PLATE FACTORY -- DAY (1949) 57 A tar-cooker bubbles nike air max 90 current and smokes. TWO CONS dip up a bucket of tar and tie a rope to the handle.

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The rope goes taught. CAMERA FOLLOWS the bucket of tar up the side of the building to -- 58 THE ROOF 58 -- where it is relayed to the work detail. The men are dipping big Padd brushes and spreading the tar. ANGLZ OVER to Byron Hadley bitching sourly to his fellow guards: HADLEY ...so this shithead lawyer calls long distance from Texas, and he says, Byron Hadley? I say, yeah. He says, sorry to inform you, but your brother just died. YOUNGBLOOD Damn, Byron. Sorry to hear that. HADLEY I ain't. He was an asshole. Run off years ago, family ain't heard of him since. Figured him for dead anyway. So this lawyer prick says, your brother died a rich man. Oil wells and shit, close to a million bucks. Jesus, it's frigging incredible how lucky some assholes can get. TROUT A million bucks? Jeez-Louise! You get any of that? HADLEY Thirty five thousand. That's what he left me. TROUT Dollars? Holy shit, that's great! Like winnin' a lottery... (off Hadley's shitty look) ...ain't it? HADLEY Dumbshit. What do you figger the government's gonna do to me? Take a big wet bite out of my ass, is what. TROUT Oh. Hadn't thought of that. HADLEY Maybe leave me enough to buy a new car with. Then what happens? You pay tax on the car. Repairs and maintenance. Goddamn kids pesterin' you to take 'em for a ride... MERT And drive it, if they're old enough. HADLEY That's right, wanting to drive it, wanting to learn on it, f'Chrissake! Then at the end of the year, if you figured the tax wrong, they make you pay out of your own pocket. Uncle Sam puts his hand in your shirt and squeezes your tit till it's purple. Always get the short end. That's a fact. (spits over the side) Some brother. Shit. The prisoners keep spreading tar, eyes on their work. HEYWOOD Poor Byron. What terrible fuckin' luck. Imagine inheriting thirty five thousand dollars. RED Crying shame. Some folks got it awful bad. Red glances over -- and is shocked to see Andy standing up, listening to the guards talk. RED Hey, you nuts? Keep your eyes on your pail! Andy tosses his Padd in the bucket and strolls toward Hadley. RED Andy! Come back! Shit! SNOOZE What's he doing? FLOYD Gettin' himself killed. RED God damn it... HEYWOOD Just keep spreadin' tar... The guards stiffen at Andy's approach. Youngblood's hand goes to his holster. The tower guards CLICK-CLACK their rifle bolts. Hadley turns, stupefied to find Andy there. ANDY Mr. Hadley. Do you trust your wife? HADLEY That's funny. You're gonna look funnier suckin' my dick with no fuckin' teeth. ANDY What I mean is, do you think she'd go behind your back? Try to hamstring you? HADLZY That's it! Step aside, Mert. This fucker's havin' hisself an accident. Hadley grabs Andy's collar and propels him violently toward the edge of the roof. The cons furiously keep spreading tar. HEYWOOD Oh God, he's gonna do it, he's gonna throw him off the roof... SNOOZE Oh shit, oh fuck, oh Jesus... ANDY Because if you do trust her, there's no reason in the world you can't keep every cent of that money. Hadley abruptly jerks Andy to a stop right at the edge. In fact, Andy's past the edge, beyond his balance, shoetips scraping the roof. The only thing between him and an ugly drop to the concrete is Hadley's grip on the front of his shirt. HADLEY You better start making sense. ANDY If you want to keep that money, all of it, just give it to your wife. See, the IRS allows you a one-time- only gift to your spouse. It's good up to sixty thousand dollars. HADLEY Naw, that ain't right! Tax free? ANDY Tax free. IRS can't touch one cent. The cons are pausing work, stunned by this business discussion. HADLEY You're the smart banker what shot his wife. Why should I believe a smart banker like you? So's I can wind up in here with you? ANDY It's perfectly legal. Go ask the IRS, they'll say the same thing. Actually, I feel silly telling you all this. I'm sure you would have investigated the matter yourself. HADLEY Fuckin'-A. I don't need no smart wife-killin' banker to show me where the bear shit in the buckwheat. ANDY Of course not. But you will need somebody to set up the tax-free gift, and that'll cost you. A lawyer, for example... HADLEY Ambulance-chaaing, highway-robbing cocksuckers! ANDY ...or come to think of it, I suppose I could set it up for you. That would save you some money. I'll write down the forms you need, you can pick them up, and I'll prepare them for your signature... nearly free of charge. (off Hadley's look) I'd only ask three beers apiece for my co-workers, if that seems fair. TROUT (guffawing) Co-workers! Get him! That's rich, ain't it? Co-workers... Hadley freezes him with a look. Andy presses on: ANDY I think nike air max 2009 a nan working outdoors feels more like a man if he can have a bottle of suds. That's only my opinion. The convicts stand gaping, all pretense of work gone. They look like they've been pole-axed. Hadley shoots them a look. HADLEY What are you jimmies starin' at? Back to work, god PART 6 59 EXT -- LICENSE PLATE FACTORY -- DAY (1949) 59 As before, an object is hauled up the side of the building by rope -- only this time, it's a cooler of beer and ice. RED (V.O.) And that's how it came to pass, that on the second-to-last day of the job, the convict crew that tarred the plate factory roof in the spring of '49... 60 EXT -- ROOF -- SHORTLY LATER (1949) 60 The cons are taking the sun and drinking beer. RED (V.O.) ...wound up sitting in a row at ten o'clock in the morning, drinking icy cold Black Label beer courtesy of the hardest screw that ever walked Nike TN Trainers a turn at Shawshank State Prison. HADLEY Drink up, boys. While it's cold. RED (V.O.) The colossal prick even managed to sound magnanimous. Red knocks back another sip, enjoying the bitter cold on his tongue and the warm sun on face. RED (V.O.) We sat and drank with the sun on our shoulders, and felt like free men. We could'a been tarring theroof of one of our own houses. We were the Lords of all Creation. He glances over to Andy squatting apart from the others. RED (V.O.) As for Andy, he spent that break hunkered in the shade, a strange little smile on his face, watching us drink his beer. HEYWOOD (approaches with a beer) Here's a cold one, Andy. ANDY No thanks. I gave up drinking. Heywood drifts back to others, giving them a look. RED (V.O.) You could argue he'd done it to curry favor with the guards. Or maybe make a few friends among us cons. Me, I think he did it just to feel normal again...if only for a short while. 61 EXT -- PRISON YARD -- THE BLEACHERS -- DAY (1949) 61 Andy and Red play checkers. Red makes his move. RED King me. ANDY Chess. Now there's a game of kings. Civilized...strategic... RED ...and totally fuckin' inexplicable. Hate that game. ANDY Maybe you'll let me teach you someday. I've been thinking of getting a board together. RED You come to the right place. I'm the man who can get things. ANDY We might do business on a board. But the pieces, I'd like to carve those myself. One side done in quartz... the opposing side in limestone. RED That'd take you years. ANDY Years I've got nike air max 2009 . What I don't have are the rocks. Pickings here in the exercise yard are pretty slim. RED How's that rock-hammer workin' out anyway nike air max 95 ? Scratch your name on your wall yet? ANDY (smiles) Not yet. I suppose I should. RED Andy? I guess we're gettin' to be friends, ain't we? ANDY I suppose we are. RED I ask a question? Why'd you do it? ANDY I'm innocent, remember? Just like everybody else here. Red takes this as a gentle rebuff, keeps playing. ANDY What are you in for, Red? RED Murder. Same as you. ANDY Innocent? RED The only guilty man in Shawshank. 62 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1949) 62 Andy lies in his bunk after lights out, polishing a fragment of quartz by the light of the moon. He pauses, glancing at all the names scratched in the wall. He rises, makes sure the coast is clear, and starts scratching his name into the cement with his rock-hammer, adding to the record. 63 RAY MILLAND 63 fills the screen in glorious (and scratchy) black & white, suffering a bad case of DT's... 64 INT -- PRISON AUDITORIUM -- NIGHT (1949) 64 ...while a CONVICT AUDIENCE hoots and catcalls, talking back to the screen. We find Red slouched in a folding chair, watching the movie. Andy enters, backlit by the flickering glare of the projector, and takes a seat next to him. RED Here's the good part. Bugs come out of the walls to get his ass. ANDY I know. I've seen it three times this month already. Ray Milland starts SCREAMING. The entire audience SCREAMS with him, high-pitched and hysterical. Andy fidgets. ANDY Can we talk business? RED Sure. What do you want? ANDY Rita Hayworth. Can you get her? RED No problem. Take a few weeks. ANDY Weeks? RED Don't have her stuffed down my pants this very moment, sorry to say. Relax. What are you so nervous about? She's just a woman. Andy nods, embarrassed. He gets up and hurries out. Red grins, turns back to the movie. 65 INT -- AUDITORIUM CORRIDOR -- NIGHT (1949) 65 Andy exits the theater and freezes in his tracks. Two dark figures loom in the corridor, blocking his path. Rooster and Pete. Andy turns back -- and runs right into Bogs. Instant bear hug. The Sisters are on him like a flash. They kick a door open and drag him into -- 66 THE PROJECTION BOOTH 66 -- where they confront the startled PROJECTIONIST, an old con blinking at them through thick bifocals. BOGS Take a walk. PROJECTIONIST I have to change reels. BOGS I said fuck off. Terrified, the old man darts past and out the door. Pete slams and locks it. Bogs shoves Andy to the center of the room. ANDY I know. I've seen it three times this month already. Ray Milland starts SCREAMING. The entire audience SCREAMS witt him, high-pitched and hysterical. Andy nike air max turbulence fidgets. ANDY Can we talk business? RED Sure. What do you want? ANDY Rita Hayworth. Can you get her? RED No problem. Take a few weeks. ANDY Weeks? RED Don't have her stuffed down my pants this very moment, sorry to say. Relax. What are you so nervous about? She's just a woman. Andy nods, embarrassed. He gets up and hurries out. Red grins, turns back to the movie. 65 INT Cheap Air Max TN -- AUDITORIUM CORRIDOR -- NIGHT (1949) 65 Andy exits the theater and freezes in his tracks. Two dark figures loom in the corridor, blocking his path. Rooster and Pete. Andy turns back -- and runs right into Bogs. Instant bear hug. The Sisters are on him like a flash. They kick a door open and drag him into -- 66 THE cheap nike air max 90 PROJECTION BOOTH 66 -- where they confront the startled PROJECTIONIST, an old con blinking at them through thick bifocals. BOGS Take a walk. PROJECTIONIST I have to change reels. BOGS I said fuck off. Terrified, the old man darts past and out the door. Pete slams and locks it. Bogs shoves Andy to the center of the room. BOGS Ain't you gonna scream? Andy sighs, cocks his head at the projector. ANDY They'd never hear me over that. Let's get this over with. Seemingly resigned, Andy turns around, leans on the rewind bench -- and curls his fingers around a full 1.000 foot reel of 35mm film. Rooster licks his lips, pushes past the others. ROOSTER nike air max 90 current Me first. ANDY Okay. Andy whips the reel of film around in a vicious arc, smashing it into Rooster's face and bouncing him off the wall. ROOSTER Fuck! Shit! He broke my nose! Andy fights like hell, but is soon overpowered and forced to his knees. Bogs steps to Andy, pulls out an awl with a vicious eight-inch spike, gives him a good long look at it. BOGS Now I'm gonna open my fly, and you're gonna swallow what I give you to swallow. And when you d mine, you gonna swallow Rooster's. You done broke his nose nike air max turnaround , so he ought to have somethin' to show for it. ANDY Anything you put in my mouth, you're going to lose. BOGS You don't understand. You do that, I'll put all eight inches of this steel ii your ear. ANDY Okay. But you should know that sudden serious brain injury causes the victim to bite down. Hard. (faint smile) In fact, I understand the bite-reflex is so strong the victim's jaws have to be pried open with a crowbar. The Sisters consider this carefully. The film runs out of the projector, flapping on the reel. The screen goes white. BOGS You little fuck. Andy gets a bootheel in the face. The Sisters start kicking and beating the living shit out of him with anything they can get their hands on. In the theater, the convicts are CHANTING AND CLAPPING for the movie to come back on. RED (V.O.) Bogs didn't put anything in Andy's mouth, and neither did his friends. What they did do is beat him within an inch of his life... LastIndexNext PART 7 67 INT -- INFIRMARY -- DAY (1949) 67 Andy lies wrapped in bandages. RED (V.O.) Andy spent a month in traction. 68 INT -- SOLITARY CONFINEMENT -- DAY (1949) 68 RED (V.O.) Bogs spent a week in the hole. Bogs sits on bare concrete. The steel door slides open. GUARD Time's up, Bogs. 69 INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE -- 3RD TIER -- DUSK (1949) 69 Bogs comes up the stairs, smoking a cigarette. Not many cons around; the place is virtually deserted. A VOICE echoes dimly over the P.A. system: VOICE (O.S.) Return to your cellblocks for evening count. Bogs enters his cell. Dark in here. He fumbles for the light cord, yanks it. The sudden light reveals Captain Hadley six inches from his face, waiting for him. Mert steps in behind Bogs. hemming him. Before Bogs can even open his mouth to say "what the fuck," Hadley rams the tip of his baton brutally into his solar plexus. Bogs doubles over, gagging his wind out. 70 GROUND FLOOR 70 Ernie comes slowly around the corner, rolling a steel mop cart loaded with supplies. Nike TN UK 71 2ND TIER 71 Red is darning a sock in his open cell. He pauses, frowning, hearing strange THUMPING sounds. What the hell is that? 72 3RD TIER 72 It's Hadley and Mert methodically and brutally pulping Bogs with their batons, and kicking the shit out of him for good measure. He feebly tries to ward them off. 73 2ND TIER 73 Puzzled, Red steps from his cell, following the sound. It dawns on him that it's coming from above. He moves to the railing and leans out, craning around to look up -- 74 RED'S POV 74 -- just as Bogs flips over the railing and comes sailingdirectly toward us, eyes bugging out, SCREAMING as he falls. 75 RED (SLOW MOTION) 75 jumps back as Bogs plummets past, missing him by inches, arms swimming and trying to grab the railing (but missing that too), SCREAMING aaaaalll the way down -- 76 GROUND FLOOR 76 -- and impacting on Ernie's gassing mop cart in an enormous eruption of solvents and cleansers. The cart is squashed flat, shooting out from under Bogs and skidding across the cellblock floor like a tiddly wink, kicking up sparks for thirty yards. Ernie is left gaping in shock at Bogs and all the Bogs-related wreckage at his feet. 77 2ND TIER 77 Red is stunned. He very tentatively leans out and looks up. Above him, Hadley and Mert lean on the 3rd tier railing. Hadley tilts the cap back on his head, shakes his head. MERT Damn, Byron. Look'a that. HADLEY Poor fella must'a tripped. A tiny drop of blood drips off the toe of Hadley's shoe and splashes across Red's upturned cheek. He wipes it off, then looks down at Bogs. Cons and guards are racing to the scene. RED (V.O.) Two things never happened again after that. The Sisters never laid a finger on Andy again... 7B EXT -- PRISON YARD/LOADING DOCK -- DAY (1949) 78 Bogs, wheelchair-bound and wearing a neck brace, is loaded onto an ambulance for transport. Behind the fence stand Red and his friends, watching. RED (V.O.) ...and Bogs never walked again. They transferred him to a minimum security hospital upstate. To my knowledge, he lived out the rest of his days drinking his food through a straw. RED I'm thinkin' Andy could use a nice welcome back when he gets out of the infirmary. HEYWOOD Sounds good to us. Figure we owe him for the beer. RED Man likes to play chess. Let's get him some rocks. 79 EXT -- FIELD -- DAY (1949) 79 A HUNDRED CONS at work. Hoes rise and fall in long waves. GUARDS patrol on horseback. Heywood turns up a rocky chunk, quickly shoves it down his pants. He maneuvers to Red and the others, pulls out the chunk and shows it to them. FLOYD That ain't quartz. Nor limestone. HEYWOOD What are you, fuckin' geologist? SNOOZE He's right, it ain't. HEYWOOD What the hell is it then? RED Horse apple. HEYWOOD Bullshit. RED No, horse shit. Petrified. Cackling, the men go back to work. Heywood stares at the rock. He crumbles it in his hands. RED (V.O.) Despite a few hitches, the boys came through in fine style... 80 INT -- PRISON LAUNDRY -- BACK ROOM -- DAY (1949) 80 A huge detergent box is filled with rocks, hidden in the shadows behind a boiler furnace. RED (V.O.) ...and by the week Andy was due back, we had enough rocks saved up to keep him busy till women nike air max Rapture. ANGLE SHIFTS to Red as he plops a bag of "laundry" on the floor. Leonard and Bob toss a few more down. Red starts pulling out contraband, giving them their commissions. RED (V.O.) Also got a big shipment in that week. Cigarettes, chewing gum, shoelaces, playing cards with naked ladies on 'em, you name it... (pulls a cardboard tube) ...and, of course, the most important item. 81 INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE -- NIGHT (1949) 81 Andy, limping a bit, returns from the infirmary. Red watches from his cell as Andy is brought up and locked away. 82 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1949) 82 Andy finds the cardboard tube lying on his bunk. GUARD (O.S.) Lights out! The lights go off. Andy opens the tube and pulls out a large rolled poster. He lets it uncurl to the floor. A small scrap of paper flutters out, landing at his feet. The poster is the famous Rita Hayworth pin-up -- one hand behind her head, eyes half closed, sulky lips parted. Andy picks up the scrap of paper. It reads: "No charge. Welcome back." Alone in the dark, Andy smiles. 83 INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE -- MORNING (1949) 83 The BUZZER SOUNDS, the cells SLAM OPEN. Cons step from their cells. Andy catches Red's eye, nods his thanks. As the men shuffle down to breakfast, Red glances into Andy's cell -- 84 RED'S POV -- DOLLYING PAST 84 -- and sees Rita in her new place of honor on Andy's wall. Sunlight casts a harsh barred shadow across her lovely face. 85 INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE -- NIGHT (1949) 85 Ernie is mopping the floor. He glances back and sees Warden Norton approach the cellblock with an entourage of a DOZEN GUARDS. Still mopping, Ernie mutters to the nearest cell: ERNIE Heads up. They're tossin' cells. Word travels fast from cell to cell. Cons scramble to tidy up and hide things. Norton enters, nods to his men. The guards pair off in all directions, making their choices at random. GUARD What kind'a contraband you hiding in there, boy? Cells are opened, occupants displaced, items scattered, mattresses overturned. Whatever contraband is found gets tossed out onto the cellblock floor. Mostly harmless stuff. A GUARD pulls a sharpened screwdriver out of a mattress, shoots a nasty look at the CON responsible. NORTON Solitary. A week. Make sure he takes his Bible. CON Too goddamn dark to read down there. NORTON Add another week for blasphemy. The man is taken away. Norton's gaze goes nike air max 1 up. NORTON Let's try the second tier. 86 2ND TIER 86 Norton arrives, makes a thin show of picking a cell at random. He motions at Andy on his bunk, reading his Bible. The door is unlocked. Norton enters, trailed by his men. Andy rises. ANDY Good evening. Norton gives a curt nod. Hadley and Trout start tossing the cell in a thorough search. Norton keeps his eyes on Andy, looking for a wrong glance or nervous blink. He takes the Bible out of Andy's hand. NORTON I'm pleased to see you reading this. Any favorite passages? ANDY "Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when the master of the house cometh." NORTON (smiles) Luke. Chapter 13, verse 35. I've always liked that one. (strolls the cell) But I prefer: "I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." ANDY John. Chapter 8, verse 12. NORTON I hear you're good with numbers. How nice. A man should have a skill. HADLEY You wanna explain this? Andy glances over. Hadley is holding up a rock blanket, a polishing cloth roughly the size of an oven mitt. ANDY It's called a rock blanket. It's for shaping and polishing rocks. Little hobby of mine. Hadley glances at the rocks lining the window sill, turns to Norton. HADLEY Looks pretty clean. Some contraband here, nothing to get in a twist over. Norton nods, strolls to the poster of Rita. NORTON I can't say I approve of this... (turns to Andy) ...but I suppose exceptions can always be made. Norton exits, the guards follow. The cell door is slammed and locked. Norton pauses, turns back. NORTON I almost forgot. He reaches through the bars and returns the Bible to Andy. NORTON I'd hate to deprive you of this. Salvation lies within. Norton and his men walk away. RED (V.O.) Tossin' cells was just an excuse. Truth is, Norton wanted to size Andy up. 87 INT -- PRISON LAUNDRY -- DAY (1949) 87 Andy is working the line. Hadley enters and confers briefly with Bob. Bob nods, crosses to Andy, taps him. Andy turns, removes an earplug. Bob shouts over the machine noise: BOB DUFRESNE! YOU'RE OFF THE LINE! 88 INT -- WARDEN NORTON'S OFFICE -- DAY (1949) 88 Andy is led in. Norton is cheap nike air max at his desk doing paperwork. Andy's eyes go to a framed needle-point sampler on the wall behind him that reads: "HIS JUDGMENT COMETH AND THAT RIGHT SOON." NORTON My wife made that in church group. ANDY It's very pretty, sir. NORTON You like working in the laundry? ANDY No, sir. Not especially. NORTON Perhaps we can find something more befitting a man of your education. LastIndex PART 8 89 INT -- MAIN BUILDING -- STORAGE ROOMS -- DAY (1949) 89 A series of bleak rooms stacked high with unused filing cabinets, desks, paint supplies, etc. Andy enters. He hears a FLUTTER OF WINGS. An adult cr

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lands on a filing cabinet and struts back and forth, checking him out. Andy smiles. ANDY Hey, Jake. Where's Brooks? Brooks Hatlen pokes his head out of the back room. BROOKS Andy! Thought I heard you out here! ANDY I've been reassigned to you. BROOKS I know, they told me. Ain't that a kick in the ass? Come on in, I'll give you the dime tour. 90 INT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON LIBRARY -- DAY (1949) 90 Brooks leads Andy into the bleakest back room of all. Rough plank shelves are lined with books. Brooks' private domain. BROOKS Here she is, the Shawshank Prison Library. Along this side, we got the National Geographics. That side, the Reader's Digest Condensed books. Bottom shelf there, some Louis L'Amours and Erle Stanley Gardners. Every night I pile the cart and make my rounds. I write down the names on this clipboard here. Well, that's it. Easy, peasy, Japanesey. Any questions? Andy pauses. Something about this doesn't make any sense. ANDY Brooks? How long have you been librarian? BROOKS Since 1912. Yuh, over 37 years. ANDY In all that time, have you ever had an assistant? BROOKS Never needed one. Not much to it, is there? ANDY So why now? Why me? BROOKS I dunno. Be nice to have some comp'ny down here for a change. HADLEY (O.S.) Dufresne! 91 Andy steps back into the outer rooms and finds Hadley with 91 another GUARD, a huge fellow named DEKINS. HADLEY That's him. That's the one. Hadley exits. Dekins approaches Andy ominously. Andy stands his ground, waiting for whatever comes next. Finally: DEKINS I'm Dekins. I been, uh, thinkin' 'bout maybe settin' up some kinda trust fund for my kids' educations. Andy covers his surprise. Glances at Brooks. Brooks smiles. ANDY I see. Well. Why don't we have a seat and talk it over? BROOKS Pull down one'a them desks there. Andy and Dekins grab a desk standing on end and tilt it to nike air max 1 the floor. They find chairs and settle in. Brooks returns with a tablet of paper and a pen, slides them before Andy. ANDY What did you have in mind? A weekly draw on your pay? DEKINS Yuh. I figured just stick it in the bank, but Captain Hadley said check with you first. women nike air max ANDY He was right. You don't want your money in a bank. DEKINS I don't? ANDY What's that gonna earn you? Two and a half, three percent a year? We can do a lot better than that. (wets his pen) So tell me, Mr. Dekins. Where do you want to send your kids? Harvard? Yale? 92 INT -- MESS HALL -- DAY (1949) 92 FLOYD He didn't say that! BROOKS God is my witness. And Dekins, he just blinks for a second, then laughs his ass off. Afterward, he actually shook Andy's hand. HEYWOOD My ass! BROOKS Shook his fuckin' hand. Just about shit myself. All Andy needed was a suit and tie, a jiggly little hula girl on his desk, he would'a been Mister Dufresne, if you please. RED Makin' yourself some friends, Andy. ANDY I wouldn't say "friends." I'm a convicted murderer who provides sound financial planning. That's a wonderful pet to have. RED Got you out of the laundry, didn't it? ANDY nike air max 90 current Maybe it can do more than that. (off their looks) How about expanding the library? Get some new books in there. HEYWOOD How you 'spect to do that, "Mr. Dufresne-if-you-please?" ANDY Ask the warden for funds. LAUGHTER all around. Andy blinks at them. BROOKS Son, I've had six wardens through here during my tenure, and I have learned one great immutable truth of the universe: ain't one of 'em been born whose asshole don't pucker up tight as a snare drum when you ask for funds. 93 INT -- MAIN BUILDING HALLWAY -- DAY (1949) 93 DOLLYING Norton and Andy up the hall: NORTON Not a dime. My budget's stretched thin as it is. ANDY I see. Perhaps I could write to the State Senate and request funds directly from them. NORTON Far as them Republican boys in Augusta are concerned, there's only three ways to spend the taxpayer's hard-earned when it come to prisons. More walls. More bars. More guards. ANDY Still, I'd like to try, with your permission. I'll send a letter a week. They can't ignore me forever. NORTON They sure can, but you write your letters if it makes you happy. I'll even mail 'em for you, how's that? 94 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1949) 94 Andy is on his bunk, writing a letter. RED (V.O.) So Andy started writing a letter a week, just like he said. 95 INT -- GUARD DESK/NORTON'S OUTER OFFICE -- DAY (1949) 95 Andy pops his head in. The GUARD shakes his head. RED (V.O.) And just like Norton said, Andy got no answers. But still he kept on. 96 INT -- PRISON LIBRARY/ANDY'S OFFICE -- DAY (1950) 96 Andy is doing taxes. Mert Entwhistle is seated across from him. Other off-duty guards are waiting their turn. RED (V.O.) The following April, Andy did tax returns for half the guards at Shawshank. 97 INT -- PRISON LIBRARY -- ONE YEAR LATER (1951) 97 Tax time again. Even more guards are waiting. RED (V.O.) Year after that, he did them all... including the warden's. 98 EXT -- BASEBALL DIAMOND -- DAY (1952) 98 A BATTER in a "Noresby Marauders" baseball uniform WHACKS the ball high into left field and races for first. RED (V.O.) Year after that, they rescheduled the start of the intramural season to coincide with tax season... 99 INT -- PRISON LIBRARY/ANDY'S OFFICE -- DAY (1952) 99 The Batter sits across from Andy. The line winds out the door. RED (V.O.) The guards on the opposing teams all remembered to bring their W-2's. ANDY Moresby Prison issued you that gun, but you actually had to pay for it? THE BATTER Damn right, and the holster too. ANDY See, that's all deductible. You get to write that off. RED (V.O.) Yes sir, Andy was a regular H&R Block. In fact, he got so busy at tax time, he was allowed a staff. ANGLE SHIFTS to reveal Red and Brooks doing filing chores. ANDY Say Red, could you hand me a stack of those 1040s? RED (V.O.) Got me out of the wood shop a month out of the year, and that was fine by me. 100 INT -- GUARD DESK/NORTON'S OUTER OFFICE -- DAY (1953) 100 Andy enters and drops a letter on the outgoing stack. RED (V.O.) And still he kept sending those letters... 101 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1953) 101 Dark. Andy's in his bunk, polishing a four-inch length of quartz. It's a beautifully-crafted chess piece in the shape of a horse's head, poise and nobility captured in gleaming stone. He puts the knight on a chess board by his bed, adding it to four pieces already there: a king, a queen, and two bishops. He turns to Rita. Moonlight casts bars across her face. 102 EXT -- EXERCISE YARD -- DAY (1954) 102 Floyd runs into the yard, scared and winded. He finds Andy and Red on the bleachers. FLOYD Red? Andy? It's Brooks. 103 INT -- PRISON LIBRARY/ANDY'S OFFICE -- DAY (1954) 103 Floyd rushes in with Andy and Red at his heels. They find Jigger and Snooze trying to calm Brooks, who has Heywood in a chokehold and a knife to his throat. Heywood is terrified. JIGGER C'mon, Brooksie, why don't you just calm the fuck down, okay? BROOKS Goddamn miserable puke-eatin' sons of whores! He kicks a table over. Tax files explode through the air. RED What the hell's going on? SNOOZE You tell me, man. One second he was fine, then out came the knife. I better get the guards. RED No. We'll handle this. Ain't that right, Brooks? Just settle nike air max turnaround down and we'll talk about it, okay? BROOKS Nothing left to talk about! It's all talked out! Nothing left now but to cut his fuckin' throat! RED Why? What's Heywood done to you? BROOKS That's what they want! It's the price I gotta pay! Andy steps forward, rivets Brooks with a gaze. Softly: ANDY Brooks, you're not going to hurt Heywood, we all know that. Even Heywood knows it, right Heywood? HEYWOOD (nods, terrified) Sure. I know that. Sure. ANDY Why? Ask anyone, they'll tell you. Brooks Hatlen is a reasonable man. RED (cuing nods all around) Yeah, that's right. That's what everybody says. ANDY You're not fooling anybody, so just put the damn knife down and stop scaring the shit out of people. BROOKS But it's the only way they'll let me stay. Brooks bursts into tears. The storm is over. Heywood staggers free, gasping for air. Andy takes the knife, passes it to Red. Brooks dissolves into Andy's arms with great heaving sobs. ANDY Take it easy. You'll be all right. HEYWOOD Him? What about me? Crazy old fool! Goddamn near slit my throat! RED You've had worse from shaving. What'd you do to set him off? HEYWOOD Nothin'! Just came in to say fare-thee-well. (off their looks) Ain't you heard? His parole came through! Red and Andy exchange a surprised look. Andy wants to understand. Red just motions to let it be for now. He puts his arm around Brooks, who sobs inconsolably. Softly: RED Ain't that bad, old hoss. Won't be long till you're squiring pretty young girls on your arm and telling 'em lies. 104 EXT -- PRISON YARD BLEACHERS -- DUSK (1954) 104 ANDY I just don't understand what happened in there, that's all. HEYWOOD Old man's crazy as a rat in a tin shithouse, is what. RED Heywood, enough. Ain't nothing wrong with Brooksie. He's just institutionalized, that's all. HEYWOOD Institutionalized, my ass. RED Man's been here fifty years. This place is all he knows. In here, he's an important man, an educated man. A librarian. Out there, he's nothing but a used-up old con with arthritis in both hands. Couldn't even get a library card if he applied. You see what I'm saying? FLOYD Red, I do believe you're talking out of your ass. RED Believe what you want. These walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. After long enough, you get so you depend on 'em. That's "institutionalized." JIGGER Shit. I could never get that way. ERNIE (softly) Say that when you been inside as long as Brooks has. RED Goddamn right. They send you here for life, and that's just what they take. Part that counts, anyway. LastIndexNext PART 9 105 EXT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON -- DAWN (1954) 105 The sun rises over gray stone. 106 INT nike air max 2009 -- ANDY'S CELL -- DAWN (1954) 106 ANGLE ON RITA POSTER. Sexy as ever. The rising sun sends fingers of rosy light creeping across her face. 107 INT -- LIBRARY -- DAWN (1954) 107 Brooks stands on a chair, poised at the bars of a window, cradling Jake in his hands. BROOKS I can't take care of you no more. You go on now. You're free. He tosses Jake through the bars. The crow flaps away. 108 EXT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON -- MAIN GATE -- DAY (1954) 108 TWO SHORT SIREN BLASTS herald the opening of the gate. It swings hugely open, revealing Brooks standing in his cheap suit, carrying a cheap bag, wearing a cheap hat. Brooks walks out, tears streaming down his face. He looks back. Red, Andy, and others stand at the inner fence, seeing him off. The massive gate closes, wiping them from view. 109 INT -- BUS -- DAY (1954) 109 Brooks is riding the bus, clutching the seat before him, gripped by terror of speed and motion. BROOKS (V.O.) Dear Fellas. I can't believe how fast things move on the outside. 110 EXT -- STREET -- PORTLAND, MAINE -- DAY (1954) 110 Brooks looks like a kid trying to cross the street without his parents. People and traffic a blur. BROOKS (V.O.) I saw an automobile once when I was young. Now they're everywhere. 111 EXT -- BREWSTER HOTEL -- DAY (1954) 111 Brooks comes trudging up the sidewalk. He glances up as a prop-driven airliner streaks in low overhead. BROOKS (V.O.) The world went and got itself in a big damn hurry. He arrives at the Brewster. It ain't much to look at. 112 INT -- BREWSTER HOTEL -- DAY (1954) 112 A WOMAN leads Brooks up the stairs toward the top floor. He has trouble climbing so many stairs. WOMAN No music in your room after eight p.m. No guests after nine. No cooking except on the hotplate... BROOKS (V.O.) People even talk faster. And louder. 113 INT -- BROOKS' ROOM -- DAY (1954) 113 Brooks enters. The room is small, old, dingy. Heavy wooden beams cross the ceiling. An arched window affords a view of Congress Street. Traffic noise drifts in. Brooks sets his bag down. He doesn't quite know what to do. He just stands there, like a man waiting for a bus. BROOKS (V.O.) The parole board got me into this halfway house called the Brewster, and a job bagging groceries at the Foodway... Cheap Air Max TN 114 INT -- FOODWAY MARKET -- DAY (1954) 114 Loud. Jangling with PEOPLE and NOISE. Brooks is bagging groceries. Registers are humming, kids are shrieking. WOMAN Make sure he double-bags. Last time your man didn't double-bag and the bottom near came out. MANAGER You double-bag like the lady says, understand? BROOKS Yes sir, double-bag, surely will. BROOKS (V.O.) It's hard work. I try to keep up, but my hands hurt most of the time. I don't think the store manager likes me very much. 115 EXT -- PARK -- DAY (1954) 115 Brooks sits alone on a bench, feeding pigeons. BROOKS (V.O.) Sometimes after work I go to the park and feed the birds. I keep thinking Jake might show up and say hello, but he never does. I hope wherever he is, he's doing okay and making new friends. 116 INT -- BROOKS' ROOM -- NIGHT (1954) 116 Dark. Traffic outside. Brooks wakes up. Disoriented. Afraid. Somewhere in the night, a LOUD ARGUMENT is taking place. BROOKS (V nike air max 95 .O.) I have trouble sleeping at night. The bed is too big. I have bad dreams, like I'm falling. I wake up scared. Sometimes it takes me a while to remember where I am. 117 INT -- FOODWAY -- DAY (1954) 117 BROOKS (V.O.) Maybe I should get me a gun and rob the Foodway, so they'd send me home. I could shoot the manager while I was at it, sort of like a bonus. 118 INT -- BROOKS' ROOM -- DAY (1954) 118 Brooks is packing his worldly possessions into the carry bag. Undershirts, socks, etc. BROOKS (V.O.) But I guess I'm too old for that sort of nonsense anymore. 119 INT -- BROOKS' ROOM -- SHORTLY LATER (1954) 119 Brooks is dressed in his suit. He finishes knotting his tie, puts his hat on his head. The letter lies on the desk, stamps and ready for mailing. His bag is by the door. BROOKS (V.O.) I don't like it here. I'm tired of being afraid all the time. I've decided not to stay. He takes one last look around. Only one thing left to do. He steps to a wooden chair in the center of the room, pulls out s pocketknife, and glances up at the ceiling beam. He steps up onto the chair. It wobbles queasily. Now facing the beam, he carves a message into the wood: "Brooks Hatlen was here." He smiles with a sort of inner peace. BROOKS (V.O.) I doubt they'll kick up any fuss. Not for an old crook like me. 120 TIGHT ON CHAIR 120 His weight shifts on the wobbly chair -- and it goes out from under him. His feet remain where they are, kicking feebly in mid-air. His hat falls to the floor. ANGLE WIDENS. Brooks has hanged himself. He swings gently, facing the open window. Traffic noise floats up from below. 121 EXT -- EXERCISE YARD -- SHAWSHANK -- DAY (1954) 121 Andy reads the letter to Red and the others: ANDY P.S. Tell Heywood I'm sorry I put a knife to his throat. No hard feelings. A long silence. Andy folds the letter, puts it away. Softly: RED He should'a died in here, goddamn it. 122 INT -- PRISON LIBRARY nike air max 2009 -- DAY (1954) 122 Andy is sorting books on the cart. He replaces a stack on the shelf -- and pauses, noticing a line of ants crawling up the wood. He glances up. The ants disappear over the top. He pulls a chair over and stands on it, peers cautiously over. ANDY Red! Red steps in with an armload of Nike TN Trainers files. Andy gingerly reaches in, grabs a black feathered wing, and pulls out a dead crow. RED (softly) Is that Jake? 123 INT -- WOOD SHOP -- DAY (1954) 123 Red is making something at his bench, sanding and planing. RED (V.O.) It never would have occurred to us, if not for Andy. It was his idea. We all agreed it was the right thing to do... 124 EXT -- FIELDS -- DAY (1954) 124 Low hilly terrain all around. A HUNDRED CONS are at work in the fields. GUARDS patrol with carbines, keeping a sharp eye. We find Andy, Red, and the boys working with picks and shovels. They lance over to the pickup truck. Hadley's chewing the fat with Mert and Youngblood. A WHISTLE BLOWS. GUARD Water break! Five minutes! The work stops. Cons head for the pickup truck, where water is dispensed with dipper and pail. Red and the boys look to Andy. Andy nods. Now's the time. The group moves off through the confusion, using it as cover. They head up the slope of a nearby hill and quickly decide on a suitable spot. The guards haven't noticed. Jigger and Floyd start swinging picks into the soft earth, quickly ripping out a hole. Red reaches into his jacket and pulls out a beautiful wooden box, carefully stained and varnished. He shows it around to nods of approval. ANDY That's real pretty, Red. Nice work. HEYWOOD Shovel man in. Watch the dirt. 124 CONTINUED 124 Heywood jumps in and starts spading out the hole. 125 BY THE TRUCK 125 Youngblood glances up and sees the men on the slope. YOUNGBLOOD What the fuck. HADLZY (follows his gaze) HEY.' YOU MEN UP THERE.' GET YOUR ASSES OFF THAT SLOPE! (works his rifle bolt) YOU HAPPY ASSHOLES GONE DEAF? YOU GOT FIVE SECONDS 'FORE I SHOOT SOMEBODY! Suddenly, other cons start breaking away in groups, dozens of them heading toward the slope. The guards look around. HADLEY What am I, talkin' to myself? 126 ON THE SLOPE 126 Andy pulls a towel-wrapped bundle from his jacket and unfolds it. Jake. Andy lays him in the box, followed by Brook's letter. Red places the casket in the hole. A moment of silence. Andy gives Red with an encouraging nod. RED Lord. Brooks was a sinner. Jake was just a crow. Neither was much to look at. Both got institutionalized. See what you can do for 'em. Amen. Muttered "amens" all around. The boys shovel dirt onto the small grave and tamp it down. 127 INT -- SHAWSHANK CORRIDORS -- DAY (1955) 127 RAPID DOLLY with Hadley. He's striding, pissed-off, a man on e mission. He straight-arms a door and emerges onto -- 128 EXT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON WALL -- DAY (1955) 128 -- the wall overlooking the exercise yard. He leans on the railing, scans the yard, sees Andy chatting with Red. HADLEY Dufresne! What the fuck did you do? (Andy looks up) Your ass, warden's office, now! Andy shoots a worried look at Red, then heads off. 129 INT -- GUARD DESK/WARDEN'S OUTER OFFICE -- DAY (1955) 129 Dozens of parcel boxes litter the floor. WILEY, the duty guard, picks through them. Hadley enters, trailed by Andy. ANDY What is all this? HADLEY You tell me, fuck-stick! They're addressed to you, every damn one! Wiley thrusts an envelope at Andy. Andy just stares at it. WILEY Well, take it. Andy takes the envelope, pulls out a letter, reads: ANDY "Dear Mr. Dufresne. In response to your repeated inquiries, the State Senate has allocated the enclosed funds for your library project..." (stunned, examines check) This is two hundred dollars. Wiley grins. Hadley glares at him. The grin vanishes. ANDY "In addition, the Library District has generously responded with a charitable donation of used books and sundries. We trust this will fill your needs. We now consider the matter closed. Please stop sending us letters. Yours truly, the State Comptroller's Office." Andy gazes around at the boxes. The riches of the world lay at his feet. His eyes mist with emotion at the sight. HADLEY I want all this cleared out before the warden gets back, I shit you not. Hadley exits. Andy touches the boxes like a love-struck man touching a beautiful woman. Wiley grins. WILEY Good for you, Andy. ANDY Only took six years. (beat) From now on, I send two letters a week instead of one. WILEY (laughs, shakes his head) I believe you're crazy enough. You better get this stuff downstairs like the Captain said. I'm gonna go pinch a loaf. When I get back, this is all gone, right? Andy nods. Wiley disappears into the toilet, Jughead Comix in hand. Alone now, Andy starts going through the boxes like a starving man exploring packages of food. He doesn't know where to turn first. He gets giddy, ripping boxes open and pulling out books, touching them, smelling them. He rips open another box. This one contains an old phonograph player, industrial gray and green, the words "Portland Public School District" stenciled on the side. The box also contains stacks and stacks of used record albums. Andy reverently slips a stack from the box and starts flipping through them. Used Nat King Coles, Bing Crosbys, etc. He comes across a certain album -- Mozart's "Le Nozze de Figaro." He pulls it from the stack, gazing upon it as a man transfixed. It is a thing of beauty. It is the Grail. LastIndexNext This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ PART 10 130 INT -- BATHROOM -- DAY (1955) 130 Wiley sits in one of the stalls, Jughead comic on his knees. 131 INT -- GUARD STATION/OUTER OFFICE -- DAY (1955) 131 Andy wrestles the phonograph player onto the guards' desk, sweeping things onto the floor in his haste. He plugs the machine in. A red light warms up. The platter starts spinning. He slides the Mozart album from its sleeve, lays it on the platter, and lowers the tone arm to his favorite cut. The needle HISSES in the groove...and the MUSIC begins, lilting and gorgeous. Andy sinks into Wiley's chair, overcome by its beauty. It is "Deutino: Che soave zeffiretto," a duet sung by Susanna and the Contessa. 132 INT -- BATHROOM -- DAY (1955) 132 Wiley pauses reading, puzzled. He thinks he hears music. WILEY Andy? You hear that? 133 INT -- GUARD STATION/OUTER OFFICE -- DAY (1955) 133 Andy shoots a look at the bathroom...and smiles. Go for broke. He lunges to his feet and barricades the front door, then the bathroom. He returns to the desk and positions the P.A. microphone. He works up his courage, then flicks all the toggles to "on." A SQUEAL OF FEEDBACK echoes briefly... 134 INT/EXT -- VARIOUS P.A. SPEAKERS -- DAY (1955) 134 ...and the Mozart is suddenly broadcast all over the prison. 135 INT -- BATHROOM -- DAY (1955) 135 Wiley lunges to his feet, pants tangling around his ankles. 136 INT/EXT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON -- VARIOUS LOCATIONS -- DAY (1955) 136 Cons all over the prison stop whatever they're doing, freezing in mid-step to listen, gazing up at the speakers. 137 The stamping machines in the plate shop are shut down... 137 138 The laundry line goes silent, grinding to a halt... 138 139 The wood shop machines are turned off, buzzing to a stop... 139 140 The motor pool...the kitchen...the loading dock...the exercise 140 thru yard...the numbing routine of prison life itself...all grinds thru 143 to a stuttering halt. Nobody moves, nobody speaks. Everybody 143 just stands in place, listening to the MUSIC, hypnotized. 144 INT -- GUARD STATION -- DAY (1955) 144 Andy is reclined in the chair, transported, arms fluidly conducting the music. Ecstasy and rapture. Shawshank no longer exists. It has been banished from the mind of men. 145 EXT -- EXERCISE YARD -- DAY (1955) 145 CAMERA TRACKS along groups of men, all riveted. RED (V.O.) I have no idea to this day what them two Italian ladies were singin' about. Truth is, I don't want to know. Some things are best left unsaid. I like to think they were singin' about something so beautiful it can't be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it. CAMERA brings us to Red. RED (V.O.) I tell you, those voices soared. Higher and cheap nike air max 90 farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made these walls dissolve away...and for the briefest of moments -- every last man at Shawshank felt free. 146 INT -- PRISON CORRIDOR -- DAY (1955) 146 FAST DOLLY with Norton striding up the hallway with Hadley. RED (V.O.) It pissed the warden off something terrible. 147 INT -- GUARD STATION/OUTER OFFICE -- DAY (1955) 147 Norton and Hadley break the door in. Andy looks up with a sublime smile. We hear Wiley POUNDING on the bathroom door: WILEY (O.S.) LET ME OUUUUT! 148 INT -- SOLITARY WING -- DAY (1955) 148 LOW ANGLE SLOW PUSH IN on the massive, rust-streaked steel door. God, this is a terrible place to be. RED (V.O.) Andy got two weeks in the hole for that little stunt. 149 INT -- SOLITARY CONFINEMENT -- DAY (1955) 149 Andy doesn't seem to mind. His arms sweep to the music still playing in his head. We hear a FAINT ECHO of the soaring duet. 150 INT -- MESS HALL -- DAY (1955) 1 50 HEYWOOD Couldn't play somethin' good, huh? Hank Williams? ANDY They broke the door down before I could take requests. FLOYD Was it worth two weeks in the hole? ANDY Easiest time I ever did. HEYWOOD Shit. No such thing as easy time in the hole. A week seems like a year. ANDY I had Mr. Mozart to keep me company. Hardly felt the time at all. RED Oh, they let you tote that record player down there, huh? I could'a swore they confiscated that stuff. ANDY (taps his heart, his head) The music was here...and here. That's the one thing they can't confiscate, not ever. That's the beauty of it. Haven't you ever felt that way about music, Red? RED Played a mean harmonica as a younger man. Lost my taste for it. Didn't make much sense on the inside. ANDY Here's where it makes most sense. We need it so we don't forget. RED Forget? ANDY That there are things in this world not carved out of gray stone. That there's a small place inside of us they can never lock away, and that place is called hope. RED Hope is a dangerous thing. Drive a man insane. It's got no place here. Better get used to the idea. ANDY (softly) Like Brooks did? FADE TO BLACK 151 AN IRON-BARRED DOOR 151 slides open with an enormous CLANG. A stark room beyond. CAMERA PUSHES through. SEVEN HUMORLESS MEN sit at a long table. An empty chair faces them. We are again in: INT -- SHAWSHANK HEARINGS ROOM -- DAY (1957) Red enters, ten years older than when we first saw him at a parole hearing. He removes his cap and sits. MAN #l It says here you've served thirty years of a life sentence. MAN #2 You feel you've been rehabilitated? RED Yes sir, without a doubt. I can say I'm a changed man. No danger to society, that's the God's honest truth. Absolutely rehabilitated. CLOSEUP -- PAROLE FORM A big rubber stamp slams down: "REJECTED." 152 EXT -- PRISON YARD -- DUSK (1957) 152 Red emerges into fading daylight. Andy's waiting for him. RED Same old, same old. Thirty years. Jesus. When you say it like that... ANDY You wonder where it went. I wonder where ten years went. Red nods, solemn. They settle in on the bleachers. Andy pulls a small box from his sweater, hands it to Red. ANDY nike air max turbulence Anniversary gift. Open it. Red does. Inside the box, on a thin layer of cotton, is a Nike TN UK shiny new harmonica, bright aluminum and circus-red. ANDY Had to go through one of your competitors. Hope you don't mind. Wanted it to be a surprise. RED It's very pretty, Andy. Thank you. ANDY You gonna play something? -- Red considers it, shakes his head. Softly: RED Not today. 153 INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE/ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1957) 153 Men line the tiers as the evening count is completed. The convicts step into their cells. The master switch is thrown and all the doors slam shut -- KA-THUMP! cheap nike air max Andy finds a cardboard tube on his bunk. The note reads: "A new girl for your 10 year anniversary. From your pal. Red." 154 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- LATER (1957) 154 Marilyn Monroe's face fills the screen. SLOW PULL BACK reveals the new poster: the famous shot from "The Seven Year Itch," on the subway grate with skirt billowing up. Andy sits gazing at her as lights-out commences... INT -- RED'S CELL -- NIGHT (1957) 155 ...and we find Red gazing blankly as darkness takes the cellblock. Adding up the months, weeks, days... He regards the harmonica like a man confronted with a Martian artifact. He considers trying it out -- even holds it briefly to his lips, almost embarrassed -- but puts it back in its box untested. And there the harmonica will stay... FADE TO BLACK 156 WE HOLD IN BLACKNESS as THUMPING SOUNDS grow louder... 156 RED (V.O.) Andy was as good as his word. He kept writing to the State Senate. Two letters a week instead of one. ...and the BLACKNESS disintegrates as a wall tumbles before our eyes, revealing a WORK CREW with picks and sledgehammers, faces obscured outlaw-style with kerchiefs against the dust. Behind them are GUARDS overseeing the work. Andy yanks his kerchief down, grinning in exhilaration. Red and the others follow suit. They step through the hole in the wall, exploring what used to be a sealed-off storage room. RED (V.O.) In 1959, the folks up Augusta way finally clued in to the fact they couldn't buy him off with just a 200 dollar check. Appropriations Committee voted an annual payment of 500 dollars, just to shut him up. 157 INT -- PRISON LIBRARY -- DAY (1960) 157 TRACKING the construction. Walls have been knocked down. Men are painting, plastering, hammering. Lots of shelves going up. Red is head carpenter. We find him discussing plans with Andy. RED (V.O.) Those checks came once a year like

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INT -- PRISON LIBRARY -- DAY (1960) 158 Red and the boys are opening boxes, pulling out books. RED (V.O.) You'd be amazed how far Andy could stretch it. He made deals with book clubs, charity groups...he bought remaindered books by the pound... HEYWOOD Treasure Island. Robert Louis... ANDY (jotting) ...Stevenson. Next? RED I got here an auto repair manual, and a book on soap carving. ANDY Trade skills and hobbies, those go under educational. Stack right behind you. HEYWOOD The Count of Monte Crisco... FLOYD Cristo, you dumbshit. HEYWOOD ...by Alexandree Dumb-ass. ANDY Dumas. You boys'll like that one. It's about a prison break. Floyd tries to take the book. Heywood yanks it back. I saw it first. Red shoots Andy a look. RED Maybe that should go under educational too. LastIndexNext PART 11 159 INT -- WOOD SHOP -- DAY (1961) 159 Red is making a sign, carefully routing letters into a long plank of wood. It turns out to be -- 160 INT -- PRISON LIBRARY -- DAY (1963) nike air max turnaround 160 -- the varnished wood sign over the archway: "Brooks Hatlen Memorial Library." TILT DOWN to reveal the library in all its completed glory: shelves lined with books, tables and chairs, even a few potted plants. Heywood is wearing headphones, listening to Hank Williams on the record player. RED Nike TN Trainers (V.O.) By the year Kennedy was shot, Andy had transformed a broom closet smelling of turpentine into the best prison library in New England. 161 EXT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON -- DAY (1963) 161 FLASHBULBS POP as Norton addresses MEMBERS OF THE PRESS: RED (V.O.) That was also the year Warden Norton instituted his famous "Inside-Out" program. You may remember reading about it. It made all the papers and got his picture in LIFE magazine. NORTON ...a genuine, progressive advance in corrections and rehabilitation. Our inmates, properly supervised, will be put to work outside these walls performing all manner of public service. Cutting pulpwood, repairing bridges and causeways, digging storm drains... ANGLE TO Red and the boys listening from behind the fence. NORTON These men can learn the value of an honest day's labor while providing a valuable service to the community -- and at a bare minimum of expense to Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Taxpayer! HEYWOOD Sounds like road-gangin', you ask me. RED Nobody asked you. 162 EXT -- HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION SITE -- DAY (1963) 162 A ROAD-GANG is grading a culvert with picks. There's dust and the smell of sweat in the air. GUARDS patrol with sniper rifles, A pushy WOMAN REPORTER in an ugly hat bustles up the grade, Nike TN UK trailed by a PHOTOGRAPHER. WOMAN REPORTER You there! You men! We're gonna take your picture now! HEYWOOD Give us a break, lady. WOMAN REPORTER Don't you know who I am? I'm from LIFE magazine! I was told I'd get some co-operation out here! You want me to report you to your warden? Is that what you want? HEYWOOD (sighs) No, ma'am. WOMAN REPORTER That's more like it! Now I want you all in a row with big bright smiles on your faces! Grab hold of your tools and show 'em to me! She turns, motioning her photographer up the grade. Heywood glances around at the other men. HEYWOOD You heard the lady nike air max 95 . Heywood unzips his pants, reaches inside. The others do likewise. The woman turns back and is greeted by the sight of a dozen men displaying their penises and smiling brightly. Her legs go wobbly and she sits heavily down on the dirt grade. HEYWOOD C'mon! We're showin' our tools and grinnin' like fools! Take the damn picture! 163 INT -- SOLITARY CONFINZMENT -- NIGHT (1963) 163 Heywood sits alone in the dark. He sighs. RED (V.O.) None of the inmates were invited to express their views... 164 EXT -- WOODED FIELDS -- DAY (1965) 164 A ROAD-GANG is pulling stumps, bogged down in mud. RED (V.O.) 'Course, Norton failed to mention to the press that "bare minimum of expense" is a fairly loose term. There are a hundred different ways to skim off the top. Men, materials, you name it. And, oh my Lord, how the money rolled in... Norton strolls into view with NED GRIMES at his heels. NED This keeps up, you're gonna put me out of business! With this pool of slave labor you got, you can underbid any contractor in town. NORTON Ned, we're providing a valuable community service. NED That's fine for the papers, but I got a family to feed. The State don't pay my salary. Sam, we go back a long way. I need this new highway contract. I don't get it, I go under. That's a fact. (hands him a box) Now you just have some'a this fine pie my missus baked specially for you, and you think about that. Norton opens the box. Alongside the pie is an envelope. He runs his thumb across the thick stack of cash it contains. IN THE BACKGROUND, a winch cable SNAPS and whips through the air, damn near severing a man's leg. He goes down, screaming in mud and blood, pinned by a fallen tree stump. Men rush over to help him. Norton barely takes notice. NORTON Ned, I wouldn't worry too much over this contract. Seems to me I've already got my boys committed elsewhere. You be sure and thank Maisie for this fine pie. 165 INT -- NORTON'S OFFICE -- NIGHT (1965) 165 ANGLE on Maisie's pie. Several pieces gone. RED (V.O.) And behind every shady deal, behind every dollar earned... TILT UP to Andy at the desk, munching thoughtfully as he totals up figures on an adding machine. RED (V.O.) ...there was Andy, keeping the books. Andy finishes preparing two bank deposits. Norton hovers near the desk, keeping a watchful eye. ANDY Two deposits, Casco Bank and New England First. Night drop, like always. Norton pockets the envelopes. Andy crosses to the wall safe and shoves the ledger and sundry files inside. Norton locks the safe, swings his wife's framed sampler back into place. He cocks his thumb at some laundry and two suits in the corner.NORTON Get my stuff down t'laundry. Two suits for dry-clean and a bag of whatnot. Tell 'em if they over- starch my shirts again, they're gonna hear about it from me. (adjusts his tie) How do I look? ANDY Very nice. NORTON Big charity to-do up Portland way. Governor's gonna be there. (indicates pie) Want the rest of that? Woman can't bake worth shit. 166 INT -- PRISON CORRIDOR -- NIGHT (1965) 166 Andy trudges down the corridor with Norton's laundry, the pie box under his arm. 167 INT -- LIBRARY -- DAY (1965) 167 TILT UP FROM PIE to find Red munching away as he helps Andy sort books on the shelves. RED Got his fingers in a lot of pies, from what I hear. ANDY What you hear isn't half of it. He's got scams you haven't dreamed of. Kickbacks on his kickbacks. There's a river of dirty money flowing through this place. RED Money like that can be a problem. Sooner or later you gotta explain where it came from. ANDY That's where I come in. I channel it, funnel it, filter it...stocks, securities, tax free municipals... I send that money out into the big world. And when it comes back... RED It's clean as a virgin's whistle? ANDY Cleaner. By the time Norton retires, I will have made him a millionaire. RED Jesus. They ever catch on, he's gonna wind up wearing a number himself. ANDY (smiles) nike air max 1 I thought you had more faith in me than that. RED I'm sure you're good, but all that paper leaves a trail. Anybody gets too curious -- FBI, IRS, whatever -- that trail's gonna lead to somebody. ANDY Sure it will. But not to me, and certainly not to the warden. RED Who then? ANDY Peter Stevens. RED Who? ANDY The silent, silent partner. He's the guilty one, your Honor. The man with the bank accounts. That's where the filtering process starts. They trace it back, all they're gonna find is him. RED Yeah, okay, but who the hell is he? ANDY A phantom. An apparition. Second cousin to Harvey the Rabbit. (off Red's look) I conjured him out of thin air. He doesn't exist...except on paper. RED You can't just make a person up. ANDY Sure you can, if you know how the system works, and where the cracks are. It's amazing what you can accomplish by mail. Mr. Stevens has a birth certificate, social security card, driver's license. They ever track those accounts, they'll wind up chasing a figment of my imagination. RED Jesus. Did I say you were good? You're Rembrandt. ANDY It's funny. On the outside, I was an honest man. Straight as an arrow. I had to come to prison to be a crook. 168 EXT -- PRISON YARD -- DUSK (1965) RED Does it ever bother you? ANDY I don't run the scams, Red, I just process the profits. That's a fine line, maybe. But I've also built that library, and used it to help a dozen guys get their high school diplomas. Why do you think the warden lets me do all that? RED To keep you happy and doing the laundry. Money instead of sheets. ANDY I work cheap. That's the trade-off. TWO SIREN BLASTS draw their attention to the main gate. It swings open, revealing a prison bus waiting outside. 169 INT -- PRISON BUS -- DUSK (1965) 169 Among those on board is TOMMY WILLIAMS, a damn good-looking kid in his mid-20's. The bus RUMBLES through the gate. 170 EXT -- PRISON YARD -- DUSK (1965) 170 The new fish disembark, chained together single-file. The old-timers holler and shake the fence. A deafening gauntlet. 171 INT -- CELLBLOCK EIGHT -- NIGHT (1965) 171 Tommy and the others are marched in naked and shivering, covered with delousing powder, greeted by TAUNTS and JEERS. 172 INT -- TOMMY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1965) 172 The bars slam with a STEEL CLANG. Tommy and his new CELLMATE take in their new surroundings. TOMMY Well. Ain't this for shit? 173 INT -- PRISON CORRIDOR -- DAY (1965) 173 DOLLYING Tommy as he struts along, combing his ducktail, cigarette behind his ear. (We definitely need The Coasters or Del Vikings on the soundtrack here. Maybe Jerry Lee Lewis.) RED (V.O.) Tommy Williams came to Shawshank in 1965 on a two year stretch for B&E. Cops caught him sneakin' TV sets out the back door of a JC Penney. 174 INT -- WOOD SHOP -- DAY (1965) 174 A SHRIEKING BUZZSAW slices ten-foot lengths of wood. Red runs the machine while some other OLD-TIMERS feed the wood. RED (V.O.) Young punk, Mr. Rock n' Roll, cocky as hell... Tommy is hauling the cut wood off the conveyor and stacking it, It's a ball-busting job, but the kid's a blur. TOMMY (slapping his gloves) C'mon there, old boys! Movin cheap nike air max 90 ' like molasses! Makin' me look bad! The old guys just grin and shake their heads. RED (V.O.) We liked him immediately. 175 INT -- MESS HALL -- DAY (1965) 175 Tommy regales the old boys with his exploits: TOMMY ...so I'm backin' out the door, right? Had the TV like this... (mimes his grip) Big ol' thing. Couldn't see shit. Suddenly, here's this voice: "Freeze kid! Hands in the air!" Well I just stand there holdin' on to that TV, so the voice says: "You hear what I said, boy?" And I say, "Yes sir, I sure did! But if I drop this fuckin' thing, you got me on destruction of property too!" The whole table falls about laughing. LastIndexNext PART 12 176 INT -- LIBRARY -- DAY (1965) 176 Poker game in progress. Tommy, Andy, Red and the boys. HEYWOOD You did a stretch in Cashman too? TOMMY Yeah. That was an easy ride, let me tell you. Work programs, eekend furloughs. Not like here. SNOOZE Sounds like you done time all over New England. TOMNY Been in and out since I was 13. Name the place, chances are I been there. ANDY Perhaps it's time you considered a new profession. (the game stalls) What I mean is, you don't seem to be a very good thief. Maybe you should try something else. TOMMY What the hell you know about it, Capone? What are you in for? ANDY (wry glance to Red) Everyone's innocent in here. Don't you know that? The tension breaks. Everyone laughs. 177 INT -- VISITOR'S ROOM -- DAY (1965) 177 CAMERA TRAVELS the room. Chaotic. CONS are waiting their turn or talking to visitors through a thick plexi shield. RED (V.O.) As it turns out, Tommy had himself a young wife and new baby girl... Tommy's at the end of the row, phone to his ear. Other side of the glass is BETH, near tears, fussing with a BABY on her lap. BETH ...said we can stay with them, but Joey's gettin' out of the service next month, and they barely got enough room as it is. Plus they got Poppa workin' double shifts and the baby cries half the night. I just don't know where we're gonna go... PUSH IN on Tommy's face as he listens. RED (V.O.) Maybe it was the thought of them on the streets...or his child growing up not knowing her daddy... 178 INT -- LIBRARY -- DAY (1965) 178 Tommy enters, the strut gone from his step. A little scared. He finds Andy filing library cards. RED (V.O.) Whatever it was, something lit a fire under that boy's ass. TOMMY I'm thinkin' maybe I should try for high school equivalency. Hear you helped some fellas with that. ANDY I don't waste time on losers, Tommy. TOMNY (tight) I ain't no goddamn loser. ANDY That's a good start. If we do this, we do it all the way. One hundred percent. Nothing half-assed. Tommy thinks about it, nods. TOMMY Thing is, see... (leans in, mutters) ...I don't read all that good. ANDY (smiles) Well. You've come to the right place then. 179 INT -- LIBRARY -- DAY (1965) 179 We find Andy giving an impassioned reading: ANDY "...and the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor...and my soul from out that shadow that lies floating Cheap Air Max TN on the floor, shall be lifted nevermore!" Andy slaps the book shut, immensely pleased with himself. TOMMY So this raven just sits there and won't go away? ANDY That's right. TOMMY (beat) Why don't that fella get hisself a 12-gauge and dust the fucker? 180 INT -- LIBRARY -- DAY (1965) 180 Tommy tries to read as Andy looks on: TOMMY "The cat sh--The cat shh..." (glances up) The cat shat on the welcome mat? Andy shakes his head. Not exactly. 181 INT -- LIBRARY -- DAY (1965) 181 Andy chalks the alphabet on a blackboard. nike air max turbulence RED (V.O.) So Andy took Tommy under his wing. Started walking him through his ABCs... 182 INT -- MESS HALL -- DAY (1965) 182 TRACK the table to Tommy and Andy. Discussing a book. RED (V.O.) Tommy took to it pretty well, too. Boy found brains he never knew he had. 183 EXT -- EXERCISE YARD BLEACHERS -- DAY (1965) 183 TOMNY The cat sh--shh--shimmied up the tree and crept st--stel--stealthily out on the limb... 184 INT -- WOOD SHOP -- DAY (1965) 184 Tommy intent on a paperback, mouthing the words. Behind him, wood is piling up on the conveyor belt. RED (V.O.) After a while, you couldn't pry those books out of hands. RED Ass in gear, son! You're putting us behind! Tommy shoves the book in his back pocket and hurries over. 185 INT -- LIBRARY -- DAY (1965) 185 Tommy writes a sentence on the blackboard. Andy steps in, shows him how to reconstruct it. RED (V.O.) Before long, Andy started him on his course requirements. He really liked the kid, that was part of it. Gave him a thrill to help a youngster crawl off the shitheap. But that wasn't the only reason... 186 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1966) 186 TIGHT ANGLE on chessboard. Most of the pieces complete. PAN TO Andy lying in his bunk, carefully polishing... RED (V.O.) Prison time is slow time. Sometimes it feels like stop-time. So you do what you can to keep going... ...and we keep going past Andy in a SLOW PAN of the cell. Sink. Toilet. Books. Outside the window bars, we hear another TRAIN passing in the night... RED (V.O.) Some fellas collect stamps. Others build matchstick houses. Andy built a library. Now he needed a new project. Tommy was it. It was the same reason he spent years shaping and polishing those rocks. The same reason he hung his fantasy girlies on the wall... ...STILL PANNING, past a chair, a sweater on a hook...and finally to the place of honor on the wall... RED (V.O.) In prison, a man'll do most anything to keep his mind occupied. ...where the latest poster turns out to be Racquel Welch ins fur bikini. Gorgeous. "One Million Years, B. C. " SLOW PUSH IN, RED (V.O.) By 1966...right about the time Tommy was getting ready to take his exams...it was lovely Racquel. 187 INT -- LIBRARY -- DAY (1966) 187 Tommy's taking the big test. Andy's monitoring the time. Deep silence, save for Tommy's pencil-scribbling. A few old-timers are browsing the shelves, sneaking looks their way. Tommy tries to ignore them. Concentrate. Andy clears his throat. Time's up. Tommy puts his pencil down, ANDY Well? TOMMY Well. It's for shit. (gets up in disgust) Wasted a whole fuckin' year of my time with this bullshit! ANDY May not be as bad as you think. TOMMY It's worse! I didn't get a fuckin' thing right! Might as well be in Chinese! ANDY We'll see how the score comes out. TOMMY I'll tell you how the goddamn score comes out... Tommy grabs the test, wads it, slam-dunks it into the trash. nike air max 2009 TOMMY Two points! Right there! There's your goddamn score! (storms out) Goddamn cats crawlin' up trees, 5 times 5 is 25, fuck this place, fuck it! Tommy is gone. Red and others stare. Andy gets up, pulls the test from the trash, smoothes it out on the desk. 188 INT -- WOOD SHOP -- DAY (1966) 188 Rest break. Tommy and Red sipping Cokes. TOMMY I feel bad. I let him down. RED That's crap, son. He's proud of you. Proud as a hen. (off Tommy's look) We been friends a long time. I know him as good as anybody. TOMMY Smart fella, ain't he? RED Smart as they come. Used to be a banker on the outside. TOMMY What's he in for anyway? RED Murder. TOMMY The hell you say. RED You wouldn't think, lookin' at him. Caught his wife in bed with some golf pro. Greased 'em both. C'mon, boy, back to work... SMASH! Red turns back. Tommy's Coke has slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor. The kid's gone white as a sheet. TOMMY (bare whisper) Oh my God... cheap nike air max 189 INT -- LIBRARY -- DAY (1966) 189 Tommy sits before Andy and Red: TOMMY 'Bout four years ago, I was in Thomaston on a 2 to 3 stretch. Stole a car. Dumbfuck thing to do. (beat) Few months left to go, I get a new cellmate in. Elmo Blatch. Big twitchy fucker. Crazy eyes. Kind of roomie you pray you don't get, know what I'm sayin'? 6 to 12 for armed burglary. Said he done hundreds of jobs. Hard to believe, high-strung as he was. Cut a loud fart, he'd go three feet in the air. Talked all the time, too, that's the other thing. Never shut up. Places he'd been, jobs he pulled, women he fucked. Even people he killed. People that gave him shit, that's how he put it. One night, like a joke, I say: "Yeah? Who'd you kill?" So he says... BLATCH ...I got me this job one time bussin' tables at a country club. So I could case all the big rich pricks that come in. I pick out this guy, go in one night and do his place. He wakes up and gives me shit. So I killed him. Him and the tasty bitch he was with. (starts laughing) That's the best part! She's fuckin' this prick, see, this golf pro, but she's married to some other guy! Some hotshot banker. He's the one they pinned it on! They got him down-Maine somewhere doin' time for the crime! Ain't that choice? He throws his head back and ROARS with laughter. LastIndexNext PART 13 191 INT -- PRISON LIBRARY -- DAY (1966) 191 Silence. Tommy has finished his story. Red is stunned...but Andy looks like he's been smacked with a two by four. RED Andy? Andy says nothing. Walks stiffly away. Doesn't look back. 192 INT -- NORTON'S OFFICE -- DAY (1966) 192 NORTON Well. I have to say, that's the most amazing story I ever heard. What amazes me most is you were taken in by it. ANDY Sir? NORTON It's obvious this fellow Williams is impressed with you. He hears your tale of woe and quite naturally wants to cheer you up. He's young, not terribly bright. Not surprising he didn't know what a state he'd put you in. ANDY I think he's telling the truth. NORTON Let's say for a moment Blatch does exist. You think he'd just fall to his knees and cry, "Yes, I did it! I confess! By all means, please add a life term to my sentence!" ANDY It wouldn't matter. With Tommy's testimony, I can get a new trial. NORTON That's assuming Blatch is even still there. Chances are excellent he'd be released by now. Excellent. ANDY They'd have his last known address. Names of relatives... (Norton shakes his head) Well it's a chance. isn't it? How can you be so obtuse? NORTON What? What did you call me? ANDY Obtuse! Is it deliberate? The country club will have his old time cards! W-2s with his name on them! NORTON (rises) Dufresne, if you want to indulge this fantasy, that's your business. Don't make it mine. This meeting's over. ANDY women nike air max Look, if it's the squeeze, don't worry. I'd never say what goes on in here. I'd be just as indictable as you for laundering the money! NORTON Don't you ever mention money to nike air max 90 current me again, you sorry son of a bitch! Not in this office nike air max 2009 , not anywhere! (slaps intercom)

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Get in here! Now! ANDY I was just trying to rest your mind at ease, that's all. NORTON (as GUARDS enter) Solitary! A month! Andy gets dragged away, kicking and screaming: ANDY What's the matter with you? It's my chance to get out, don't you see that? It's my life! Don't you understand it's my life? 193 EXT -- PRISON YARD -- DAY (1966) 193 Mail call. Men crowd around as names are called out. Red and the boys are parked on the bleachers. FLOYD A month in the hole. Longest damn stretch I ever heard of. TOMMY It's my fault. RED Like hell. You didn't pull the trigger, and you didn't convict him. HEYWOOD Red? You saying Andy's innocent? I mean for real innocent? (Red nods) Sweet Jesus. How long's he been in here? RED Since '47. Going on nineteen years. MAIL CALLER Thomas Williams! Tommy raises his hand. The envelope gets tossed to him. He stares at it. Red peers over his shoulder. RED Board of Education. TOMMY The son of a bitch mailed it. RED Looks that way. You gonna open it or stick your thumb up your butt? TOMMY Thumb up my butt sounds better. He gets hemmed in by the older men. Red snatches the letter. TOMMY C'mon, just throw it away. Will you please? Just throw it away? Red rips it open, scans the letter. Expressionless. RED Well, shit. 194 INT -- VISITOR'S ROOM -- DAY (1966) 194 Tommy makes his way through the chaos, finds Beth and the baby waiting behind the thick plexi shield. He sits, doesn't pick up the phone. Just stares at Beth. She doesn't know what to make of it. He presses a piece of paper against the glass. A high school diploma. Her face lights up, blinking back tears. 195 INT -- SOLITARY WING -- NIGHT (1966) 195 LOW ANGLE on steel door. Somewhere behind it, unseen, is Andy, A rat scurries along the wall. FOOTSTEPS approach slowly. 196 INT -- SOLITARY -- NIGHT (1966) 196 Andy listens in darkness. The FOOTSTEPS pause outside his door. The slot opens. An ELDERLY GUARD peers in. ELDERLY GUARD Kid passed. C-plus average. Thought you'd like to know. The slot closes. The FOOTSTEPS recede. Andy smiles. 197 INT -- PRISON CORRIDOR -- NIGHT (1966) 197 We find Tommy on evening work detail, mopping the floors with bucket and pail. Mert Entwhistle comes into view. MERT Warden wants to talk. 198 EXT -- PRISON -- NIGHT (1966) 198 A steel door rattles open. Mert leads Tommy outside to a gate, unlocks it. Tommy looks around. TOMMY Out here? MERT That's what the man said. Mert swings the gate open, sends Tommy through, turns and heads back inside. Tommy proceeds out across a loading-dock access for the shops and mills. Some vehicles parked. The place is deserted. He stops, sensing a presence. TOMMY Warden? Norton steps into the light. NORTON Tommy, we've got a situation here. I think you can appreciate that. TOMMY Yes sir, I sure can. NORTON I tell you, son, this really came along and knocked my wind out. It's got me up nights, that's the truth. Norton pulls a pack of cigarettes, offers Tommy a smoke. Tommy takes one. Norton lights both cigarettes, pockets his lighter. NORTON The right decision. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what that is. You understand? (Tommy nods) Think hard, Tommy. If I'm gonna move on this, there can't be the least little shred of doubt. I have to know if you what you told Dufresne was the truth. TOMMY Yes sir. Absolutely. NORTON Would you be willing to swear before a judge and jury...having placed your hand on the Good Book and taken an oath before Almighty God Himself? TOMMY Just gimme that chance. NORTON That's what I thought. Norton nike air max turnaround drops his cigarette. Crushes it out with the toe of his shoe. Glances up toward the plate shop roof as -- 199 HIGH ANGLE FROM PLATE SHOP ROOF (SNIPER POV) 199 -- a rifle scope pops up into frame, jumping Tommy's image into startling magnification, framed in the crosshairs. 200 THE SNIPER 200 rapid-fires a carbine -- BLAM!BLAM!BLAM cheap nike air max !BLAM! -- his face lit up by the muzzle flashes. Captain Hadley. 201 TOMMY 201 gets chewed to pieces by the gunfire. He smacks the ground in a twitching, thrashing heap. Eyes wide and staring. Dead. Surprise still stamped on his face. Silence now. Norton turns, strolls into darkness. 202 INT -- SOLITARY WING -- DAY (1966) 202 GUARDS approach Andy's cell. The door is unlocked. Andy emerges slowly, blinking painfully at the light. 203 INT/EXT -- PRISON -- DAY (1966) 203 Andy is marched along. Convicts stop to stare. 204 INT -- NORTON'S OFFICE -- DAY (1966) 204 Andy is led in. The door is closed. Alone with Norton. Softly, NORTON Terrible thing. Man that young, less than a year to go, trying to escape. Broke Captain Hadley's heart to shoot him, truly it did. ANDY I'm done. It stops right now. Get H&R Block to declare your income. Norton lunges to his feet, eyes sparkling with rage. NORTON Nothing stops! NOTHING! (tight) Or you will do the hardest time there is. No more protection from the guards. I'll pull you out of that one-bunk Hilton and put you in (MORE) - NORTON (cont.) with the biggest bull queer I can find. You'll think you got fucked by a train! And the library? Gone! Sealed off brick by brick! We'll have us a little book-barbecue in the yard! They'll see the flames for miles! We'll dance around it like wild Indians! Do you understand me? Are you catching my drift? SLOW PUSH IN on Andy's face. Eyes hollow. His beaten expression says it all... LastIndexNext This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ PART 14 205 EXT -- PRISON YARD -- DAY (1966) 205 Red finds Andy sitting in the shadow of the high stone wall, poking listlessly through the dust for small pebbles. Red waits for some acknowledgment. Andy doesn't even look up. Red hunkers down and joins him. Nothing is said for the longest time. And then, softly: ANDY My wife used to say I'm a hard man to know. Like a closed book. Complained about it all the time. (pause) She was beautiful. I loved her. But I guess I couldn't show it enough. (softly) I killed her, Red. Andy finally glances to Red, seeking a reaction. Silence. ANDY I didn't pull the trigger. But I drove her away. That's why she died. Because of me, the way I am. RED That don't make you a murderer. Bad husband, maybe. Andy smiles faintly in spite of himself. Red gives hisshoulder a squeeze. RED Feel bad about it if you want. But you didn't pull the trigger. ANDY No. I didn't. Someone else did, and I wound up here. Bad luck, I guess. RED Bad luck? Jesus. ANDY It floats around. Has to land on somebody. Say a storm comes through. Some folks sit in their living rooms and enjoy the rain. The house next door gets torn out of the ground and smashed flat. It was my turn, that's all. I was in the path of the tornado. (softly) I just had no idea the storm would go on as long as it has. (glances to him) Think you'll ever get out of here? RED Sure. When I got a long white beard and about three marbles left rolling around upstairs. ANDY Tell you where I'd go. Zihuatanejo. RED Zihuatanejo? ANDY Mexico. Little place right on the Pacific. You know what the exicans say about the Pacific? They say it has no memory. That's where I'd like to finish out my life, Red. A warm place with no memory. Open a little hotel right on the beach. Buy some worthless old boat and fix it up like new. Take my guests out charter fishing. (beat) You know, a place like that, I'd need a man who can get things. Red stares at Andy, laughs. RED Jesus, Andy. I couldn't hack it on the outside. Been in here too long. I'm an institutional man now. Like old Brooks Hatlen was. ANDY You underestimate yourself. RED Bullshit. In here I'm the guy who can get it for you. Out there, all you need are Yellow Pages. I wouldn't know where to begin. (derisive snort) Pacific Ocean? Hell. Like to scare me to death, somethin' that big. ANDY Not me. I didn't shoot my wife and I didn't shoot her lover, and whatever mistakes I made I've paid for and then some. That hotel and that boat...I don't think it's too much to want. To look at the stars just after sunset. Touch the sand. Wade in the water. Feel free. RED Goddamn it, Andy, stop! Don't do that to yourself! Talking shitty pipedreams! Mexico's down there, and you're in here, and that's the way it is! ANDY You're right. It's down there, and I'm in here. I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying. Red snaps a look. What the hell does that mean? Andy rises and walks away. Red lunges to his feet. RED Andy? ANDY (turns back) Red, if you ever get out of here, do me a favor. There's this big hayfield up near Buxton. You know where Buxton is? RED (nods) Lots of hayfields there. ANDY One in particular. Got a long rock wall with a big oak at the north end. Like something out of a Robert Frost poem. It's where I asked my (MORE) ANDY (cont.) wife to marry me. We'd gone for a picnic. We made love under that tree. I asked and she said yes. (beat) Promise me, Red. If you ever get out, find that spot. In the base of that wall you'll find a rock that has no earthly business in a Maine hayfield. A piece of black volcanic glass. You'll find something buried under it I want you to have. RED What? What's buried there? ANDY You'll just have to pry up that rock and see. Andy turns and walks away. 206 INT -- MESS HALL -- DAY (1966) RED I tell you, the man was talkin' crazy. I'm worried, I truly am. SKEET We ought to keep an eye on him. ZIGGER That's fine, during the day. But at night he's got that cell all to himself. HEYWOOD Oh Lord. Andy come down to the loading dock today. Asked me for a length of rope. Six foot long. SNOOZE Shit! You gave it to him? HEYWOOD Sure I did. I mean why wouldn't I? FLOYD Christ! Remember Brooks Hatlen? HEYWOOD How the hell was I s'pose to know? ZIGGER Andy'd never do that. Never. They all look to Red. RED Every man's got a breaking point. 207 EXT -- PRISON YARD -- ANGLE ON P.A. -- DUSK (1966) 207 VOICE (over P.A.) Report to your cellblocks for evening count. BOOM DOWN to Red and the boys. Convicts drift past them. FLOYD Where the hell is he? HEYWOOD Probably still up in the warden's. TOWER GUARD (via bullhorn) YOU MEN! YOU HEAR THAT ANNOUNCEMENT OR ZUST TOO STUPID TO UNDERSTAND? SKEET Christ. What do we do? FLOYD Nothing we can do. Not tonight. HEYWOOD Let's pull him aside tomorrow, all of us. Have a word with him. Ain't that right, Red? RED (unconvinced) Yeah. Sure. That's right. 20B INT -- NORTON'S OFFICE -- NIGHT (1966) 208 Andy's working away. Norton pokes his head in. NORTON Lickety-split. I wanna get home. ANDY Just about done, sir. We follow Norton to his wife's sampler. He swings it aside, works the combination dial, opens the wall safe. Andy moves up, shoves in the black ledger and files. Norton shuts the safe. ANDY Three deposits tonight. Andy hands him the envelopes. Norton heads for the door. NORTON Get my stuff down t'laundry. And shine my shoes. I want 'em lookin' like mirrors. (pauses at door) Nice havin' you back, Andy. Place just wasn't the same without you. Norton exits. Andy turns to the laundry. He opens the shoebox. Nice pair of dress shoes inside. He sighs, glances down at the old ragged pair of work shoes on his own feet. 209 INT -- NORTON'S OFFICE -- NIGHT (1966) 209 Andy is diligently shining Norton's shoes. 210 INT -- PRISON CORRIDOR -- NIGHT (1966) 210 Andy trudges down the hallway, laundry slung over his shoulder, 211 INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE -- NIGHT (1966) 211 Andy nods to the GUARD. The guard BUZZES him through. 212 INT -- RED'S CELL -- NIGHT (1966) 212 Red hears Andy coming, moves to the bars. He watches Andy come up to the second tier and pause before his cell. GUARD (O.S.) Open number twelve! Andy gazes directly at Red. A beat of eye contact. Red shakes his head. Don't do it. Andy smiles, eerily calm...and enters his cell. The door closes. KA-THUMP! We hold on Red's face. 213 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1966) 213 Andy is polishing a chess piece. VOICE (O.S.) Lights out! The lights bump off. He finishes polishing, nike air max turbulence holds up the piece to admire. A pawn. He sets it down with the others -- and we realize it's the final glance for the board. A full set. He gazes up at Racquel and smiles. Pulls a six foot length of rope from under his pillow. Lets it uncoil to the floor. 214 INT -- RED'S CELL -- NIGHT (1966) 214 Red sits in the dark, a bundle of nerves, trying to hold himself still. He feels like he might scream or shake to pieces. The seconds tick by, each an eternity. RED (V.O.) I have had some long nights in stir. Alone in the dark with nike air max 1 nothing but your thoughts, time can draw out like a blade... A FLASH OF LIGHTNING outside his window sends harsh barred shadows jittering across the cell. A storm breaking. RED (V.O.) That was the longest night of my life... 215 INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE -- MORNING (1966) 215 KA-THUMP! The master lock is thrown. The cons emerge from their cells and the headcount begins. Red looks back to see if Andy's in line. He's not. Suddenly the count stalls: GUARD Man missing on tier two! Cell 12! The head nike air max 2009 bull, HAIG, checks his list: HAIG Dufresne? Get your ass out here, boy! You're holding up the show! (no answer) Don't make me come down there now! I'll thump your skull for you! Still no answer. Glaring, Haig stalks down the tier, clipboard in hand. His men fall in behind. HAIG Dufresne, dammit, you're putting me behind! You better be sick or dead in there, I shit you not! They arrive at bars. Their faces go slack. Stunned. women nike air max Softly: HAIG Oh my Holy God. PART 15 216 REVERSE ANGLE 216 reveals the cell is empty. Everything neat and tidy. Even the bunk is stowed. They wrench the door open and rush Cheap Air Max TN in, tossing the cell in a panic as if Andy might be lurking under the Kleenex or the toothpaste. CAMERA ROCKETS IN on Haig as he spins toward us, bellowing at the top of his lungs: HAIG WHAT THE FUCK! 217 INT -- NORTON'S OFFICE -- MORNING (1966) 217 Norton is kicking back with the morning paper. He notices how dingy his shoes are. He glances at the shoebox on the desk. kicks his shoes off, opens the box -- and gulls out Andy's o grimy work shoes. He stares blankly. What the fuck indeed. An ALARM STARTS BLARING throughout the prison. He looks up. 218 EXT -- PRISON -- DAY (1966) 218 Norton and Hadley stride across the grounds, ALARM BLARING. NORTON I want every man on that cellblock questioned! Start with that friend of his! HADLEY who? 219 INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE -- RED'S CELL -- DAY (1966) 219 Red watches as Norton storms up with an entourage of guards. NORTON Him. Red's eyes widen. Guards yank him from his cell. 220 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- DAY (1966) 220 Norton steps to the center of the room, working himself up into a fine rage: NORTON What do you mean "he just wasn't here?" Don't say that to me, Haig! Don't say that to me again! HAIG But sir! He wasn't! He isn't! NORTON I can see that, Haig! You think I'm blind? Is that what you're saying? Am I blind, Haig? HAIG No sir! Norton grabs the clipboard and thrusts it at Hadley. NORTON What about you? You blind? Tell me what this is! HADLEY Last night's count. NORTON You see Dufresne's name? I sure do! Right there, see? "Dufresne." He was in his cell at lights out! Stands to reason he'd still be here this morning! I want him found! Not tomorrow, not after breakfast! Now! Haig scurries out, gathering men. Norton spins to Red. NORTON Well? RED Well what? NORTON I see you two all the time, you're thick as thieves, you are! He must'a said something! RED No sir, he didn't! Norton spreads his arms evangelist-style, spins slowly around. NORTON Lord! It's a miracle! Man up and vanished like a fart in the wind! Nothin' left but some damn rocks on the windowsill and that cupcake on the wall! Let's ask her! Maybe she knows! What say there, Fuzzy- Britches? Feel like talking? Guess not. Why should you be different? Red exchanges looks with the guards. Even they're nervous. Norton scoops a handful rocks off the sill. He hurls them at the wall one at a time, shattering them, punctuating his words: NORTON It's a conspiracy! (SMASH) That's what this is! (SMASH) It's one big damn conspiracy! (SMASH) And everyone's in on it! (SMASH) Including her! He sends the last rock whizzing right at Racquel. No smash. It takes a moment for this to sink in. All eyes go to her. The rock went through her. There's a small hole in the poster where her navel used to be. You could hear a pin drop. Norton reaches up, sinks his finger into the hole. He keeps pushing...and his entire hand disappears into the wall. 221 ANGLE FROM BEHIND POSTER 221 as Norton rips the poster from before our eyes. Stunned faces peer in. CAMERA PULLS SLOWLY BACK...to reveal the long crumbling tunnel in the wall. 222 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- MINUTES LATER (1966) 222 RORY TREMONT, a guard barely out of his teens, tries not to look nervous as they lash a rope around his chest. He's getting instructions from six different people at once. RED (V.O.) They got this skinny kid named Rory Tremont to go in the hole. He wasn't much in the brains department, but he possessed the one most important qualification for the job... (they slap a flashlight in his hands) ...he was willing to go. 223 INT -- TUNNEL -- DAY (1966) 223 Rory squeezes down the tunnel on his belly. RED (V.O.) Probably thought he'd win a Bronze Star or something. 224 INT -- VERTICAL SHAFT -- DAY (1966) 224 cheap nike air max 90 Dark as midnight. Concrete walls rise on both sides. If you imagine them as two huge slices of bread, the meat of this particular sandwich is about three feet of airspace and a dark tangle of pipes between the cellblocks. Rory's appears, shining his flashlight down the shaft. Somewhere, a rat SQUEAKS. RED (V.O.) It was his third day on the job. RORY Warden? There's a space here between the walls 'bout three feet across! Smells pretty damn bad! NORTON (O.S.) I don't care what it smells like! HADLEY (O.S.) Go on, boy! We got a hold of you! Looking none too happy about it, Rory squeezes from the tunnel and dangles into the shaft. He gets lowered, shining his light, smothered by darkness. Not having a good time. RORY Hoo-whee! Smell's gettin' worse! NORTON (O.S.) Never mind, I said! Just keep going! RORY Smells pretty damn bad, Warden! In fact, it smells just like shit. His feet touch the ground -- or what he Nike TN Trainers assumed was the ground. It' nike air max 90 current s not. In fact, it's just what it smells like. He sinks in past his ankles. He slips and sits heavily in it. RORY Oh God, that's what it is, it's shit. oh my God it's shit. pull me out 'fore I blow my groceries, oh shit it's shit, oh my Gawwwwwwd! 225 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- DAY (1966) 225 Red and others listen to violent barfing from below. RED (V.O.) And then came the unmistakable sound of Rory Tremont losing his last few meals. The whole cellblock heard it. I mean, it echoed. That's it for Red. He starts laughing. Laughing, hell, he's bellowing laughter, laughing so hard he has to hold himself, laughing so hard tears are pouring down his cheeks. The look of rage on Norton's face makes him laugh all the nike air max 95 harder. 226 INT -- SOLITARY WING -- NIGHT (1966) 226 Abrupt silence. LOW ANGLE on steel door. RED (V.O.) I laughed myself right into solitary. Two week stretch. 22 nike air max 2009 7 INT -- SOLITARY -- NIGHT (1966) 227 RED It's shit, it's shit, oh my God it's shit... He starts laughing all over again, fit to split. RED (V.O.) Andy once talked about doing easy time in the hole. Now I knew what he meant. 228 EXT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON -- WIDE SHOT -- DAY (1966) 228 Virgin landscape. Charming rural road. Suddenly, State Police cruisers rocket up the road with SIRENS AND LIGHTS. RED (V.O.) In 1966, Andy Dufresne escaped from Shawshank Prison. Nike TN UK 229 EXT -- FIELD -- DAY (1966) 229 Shawshank is half a mile distant. WE TRACK ALONG a muddy creel as STATE TROOPERS and PRISON GUARDS scour the brush. A TROOPEE fishes a prison uniform out of the creek with a long stick. RED (V.O.) All they found of him was a muddy set of prison clothes, a bar of soap, and an old rock-hammer damn near worn down to the nub. TROOPER g2 pulls the rock-hammer from the weeds. SWISH PAN to a POLICE PHOTOGRAPHER. His FLASHBULB GLARE produces: 230 A BLACK AND WHITE STILL PHOTO 230 of the hapless cops posing with Andy's reeking uniform and the worn rock-hammer. PUSH IN on the hammer. RED (V.O.) I remember thinking it would take a man six hundred years to tunnel through the wall with it. Andy did it in less than twenty. 231 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1949) 231 Once again, we see Andy using the rock-hammer to scratch his name into the cement. Suddenly, a palm-sized chunk of cement pops free and hits the floor. He stares down at it.

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INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1949) 232 Andy lies in the dark, studying the chunk of concrete in his hands. Considering the possibilities. Wrestling with hope. RED (V.O.) Andy loved geology. I imagine it appealed to his meticulous nature. An ice age here, a million years of mountain-building there, plates of bedrock grinding against each other over a span of millennia... 233 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1949) 233 Andy stands peering at the small hole left by the fallen chunk. Carefully runs his fingertip over it. RED (V.O.) Geology is the study of pressure and time. That's all cheap nike air max 90 it takes, really. Pressure and time. 234 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1951) 234 Rita is now on the wall, hanging down over Andy's back. RED (V.O.) That and a big damn poster. TRACK IN to reveal Andy scraping patiently at the concrete. RED (V.O.) Like I said. In prison, a man'll do most anything to keep his mind occupied. He hears FOOTSTEPS approaching. He smoothes the poster down and dives into bed. A GUARD strolls by a moment later, shining his flashlight into the cell. LastIndexNext This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ PART 16 235 EXT -- PRISON YARD -- DAY (1953) 235 Andy strolls along, whistling softly, hands in both pockets. TILT DOWN to his pantleg. Concrete grit trickles out. RED (V.O.) It turns out Andy's favorite hobby was totin' his wall out into the exercise yard a handful at a time... 236 INT -- 2ND TIER -- Nike TN UK NIGHT (1962) 236 A GUARD strolls the tier, shining his flashlight into the cells. He pauses at Andy's bars, playing the beam over the sleeping form huddled under the blankets. p37 REVERSE ANGLE (FROM INS1DE ANDY'S CELL) 237 We see what the guard doesn't: instead of Andy's head under the blanket, it's a wadded-up pillow. The flashlight plays across the cell, pinning Marilyn Monroe in a circle of light. 238 ANGLE FROM BEHIND POSTER 238 The light illuminates her face through the paper. WIDEN to reveal Andy lying in his tunnel, holding his breath. The light clicks off. The FOOTSTEPS move on. He gets back to work. RED (V.O.) While the rest of us slept, Andy spent years workin' the nightshift... 239 INT -- SHAFT -- NIGHT (1965) 239 BOOMING SLOWLY UP the shaft. Rats scurry the pipes. Suddenly, a piece of concrete the size of a quarter jumps free and plummets down the shaft as the rock-hammer pushes through. The pick withdraws, replaced by Andy's peering eye. 240 A SERIES OF DISSOLVES (1965 through 1966) 240 takes us through the widening of the hole. First as big as a tea cup. Then a saucer. Then a dinner plate. RED (V.O.) Probably took him most of a year just to get his head through. Andy finally gets his head through, scraping his ears. He's got a penlight clenched in his teeth. He peers down into the shaft. At the very bottom, maybe 20 feet down, a big ceramic pipe runs the length of the cellblock. Beneath its coat of grime and dust, the word "SEWER" is stenciled. 241 EXT -- LOADING DOCK ACCESS -- NIGHT (1966) 241 ANGLE LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN. Below us, Tommy Williams lies facedown at Norton's feet. Blood is spreading, fanning out of the pavement. Norton turns, strolls out of frame. RED (V.O.) I guess after Tommy was killed, Andy decided he'd been here just about long enough. Again we see: Andy working. Norton pokes his head in. NORTON Lickety-split. I wanna get home. ANDY Just about done, sir. Norton crosses to the wall safe and works the dial, his back turned. This time, though, we stay on Andy: He pulls up his sweater, yanks out a large black book and a stack of files, lays them on the desk. He then grabs the real ledger and files, jams them down his pants and smoothes his sweater down. He picks up the bogus stack, crosses to Norton, and shoves everything in. 243 INT -- HALLWAY -- NIGHT (1966) 243 Norton exits his office and strolls off whistling. PUSH IN on the open door. We see Andy at the guard's desk, pulling Norton's dress shoes from their box. RED (V.O.) Andy did like he was told. Buffed those shoes to a high mirror shine. 244 INT -- NORTON'S OFFICE -- MINUTES LATER (1966) 244 Andy sorts through Norton's three suits. He pauses, checking the gray pinstripe. Nice. 245 INT -- CELLBLOCK FIVE -- NIGHT (1966) 245 The guard BUZZES Andy through. Andy walks toward us. RED (V.O.) The guard simply didn't notice. Neither did I. I mean, seriously, how often do you really look at a man's shoes? TILT DOWN as he passes by. Yep, he's wearing Norton's shoes. 246 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1966) 246 The lights go out. Andy places the last chess piece. Gazes up at Racquel. Smiles. Pulls the rope from under his pillow. He stands and unbuttons his prison shirt, revealing Norton's gray pinstripe suit underneath. A FLASH OF LIGHTNING floods the cell, throwing wild shadows. 247 INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1966) 247 The storm rages. Andy, naked, carefully slips Norton's folded suit into a large industrial Zip-Lock bag. Next to go in are the shoes, chess pieces (already in a smaller bag), black ledger en files. Last but not least, a bar of soap wrapped in a towel. 248 INT -- TUNNEL -- NIGHT (1966) 248 Andy, again wearing prison clothes, inches down the tunnel. 249 INT -- SHAFT -- NIGHT (1966) 249 Andy squeezes through the hole head-first, emerges to the waist, He reaches for the opposite wall, manages to snag a steel conduit with his fingers. Suddenly, a huge rat darts for his hand. Andy yanks away and almost plummets head-first down the shaft. He dangles wildly upside-down for a moment, arms windmilling, then gets his hands pressed firmly against the opposite wall. The rat scurries off, pissed. Andy snags the conduit again. He contorts out of the hole and dangles into the shaft. We now see the purpose for the rope: the plastic bag hangs from his ankle with about two feet of slack, He kicks his legs across the shaft, gets his feet braced. Wit3 his back against one wall and feet against the other, he starts down the shaft. Sliding dangerously. Using pipes for handholds. Flinching as rats dart this way and that, scurrying in the shadows. He drops the last few feet to the bottom. He approaches the ceramic sewer pipe and kneels before it. Pulls out the rock-hammer and says a quick silent prayer. Raises the rock-hammer high and swings it down with all his might. Once, twice -- third time lucky. An enormous eruption of sewage cascades into the air as if rocket-propelled, the Mount St. Helens of shit. Andy is instantly coated black. He turns away and heaves his guts out. The shit keeps coming. 250 INT -- SEWER PIPE -- NIGHT (1966) 250 Andy peers down through the hole, playing his penlight aroun5, The inside diameter is no more than two feet. Tight squeeze. Coated with crud. It seems to go on for miles. No turning back. He wriggles into the pipe and starts crawling, plastic bag dragging behind. RED (V.O.) Andy crawled to freedom through five hundred yards of shit-smelling foulness I can't even imagine. Or maybe I just don't want to. 251 EXT -- FIELD -- NIGHT (1966) 251 Rain is falling in solid sheets. Shawshank is half a mile distant. BOOM DOWN to reveal the creek...and PUSH IN toward the mouth of the sewer pipe that feeds into it. RED (V.O.) Five hundred yards. The length of five football fields. Just shy of half a mile. Fingers appear, thrusting through the heavy-gauge wire mesh covering the mouth of the pipe. Andy's face looms from the darkness, peering out at freedom. He wrenches the mesh loose, pushes himself out, and plunges head-first into the creek. He comes up sputtering for breath. The water is waist-deep. He wades upstream, ripping his clothes from his body. He gets his shirt off, spins it through the air over his head, flings the shirt away. He raises his arms to the sky, turning slowly, feeling the rain washing him clean. Exultant. Triumphant. A FLASH OF LIGHTNING arcs from horizon to horizon. 252 INT -- ANDY'S TUNNEL -- DAY (1966) 252 Once again, we see stunned faces as CAMERA PULLS BACK. RED (V.O.) The next morning, right about the time Racquel was spilling her little secret... 253 INT -- CASCO BANK OF PORTLAND -- MORNING (1966) 253 The door opens. Spit-shined shoes enter. DOLLY the shoes to the counter. RED (V.O.) ...a man nobody ever laid eyes on before strolled into the Casco Bank of Portland. Until that moment, he didn't exist -- except on paper. FEMALE TELLER (O.S.) May I help you? TILT UP to Andy. Smiling in Norton's gray pinstripe suit. ANDY My name is Peter Stevens. I've come to close out some accounts. 254 INT -- BANK -- SHORTLY LATER (1966) 254 The teller is cutting a cashier's check while the MANAGER carefully examines Mr. Stevens' various I.D.s. RED (V.O.) He had all the proper I.D. Driver's license, birth certificate, social security card. The signature was a spot-on match. MANAGER I must say I'm sorry to be losing your business. I hope you'll enjoy living abroad. ANDY Thank you. I'm sure I will. TELLER Here's your cashier's check, sir. Will there be anything else? ANDY women nike air max Please. Would you add this to your outgoing mail? He hands her a package, stamped and addressed. Gives them a pleasant smile. Turns and strolls from the bank. RED (V.O.) Mr. Stevens visited nearly a dozen banks in the Portland area that morning. All told, he blew town with better than 370 thousand dollars of Warden Norton's money. Severance pay for nineteen years. 255 INT -- OFFICE -- DAY (1966) 255 A MAN in shirtsleeves is going through the mail on his desk. He finds Andy's package, rips it open. Pulls out the black ledger and files. Scans a cover letter. Holy shit. He dashes to his door and yanks it open, revealing the words on the glass: "PORTLAND DAILY BUGLE -- Editor In Chief." MAN Hal! Dave! Get your butts in here! 256 INT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON -- DAY (1966) 256 Norton walks slowly toward his office. Dazed. The morning paper in his hand. He goes wordlessly past the DUTY GUARD into his office. Shuts the door. Lays the paper on his desk. The headline reads: "CORRUPTION AND MURDER AT SHAWSHANK." Below that, the sub-headline: "D.A. Has Ledger. Indictments Expected." Norton looks up as SIRENS SWELL in the distance. 257 EXT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON -- WIDE SHOT -- DAY nike air max 95 (1966) 257 For the second time, State Police cruisers go rocketing up the road with SIRENS AND LIGHTS. 258 INT -- NORTON'S OFFICE -- DAY (1966) 258 Norton opens his safe and pulls out the "ledger" -- it's Andy's Bible. The title page is inscribed by hand: "Dear Warden. You were right. Salvation lay within." Norton flips to the center of the book -- and finds the pages hollowed out in the shape of a rock-hammer. 259 EXT -- PRISON -- DAY (1966) 259 Police cruisers everywhere. A media circus. REPORTERS jostle for position. A colorless DISTRICT ATTORNEY steps forward into CLOSEUP, flanked by a contingent of S.ATE TROOPERS. D.A. Byron Hadley? ANGLE SHIFTS to reveal Captain Hadley. Staring. Waiting. D.A. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you say will be used against you in court... TROOPERS move in, cuffing Hadley's hands behind his back. The D.A. drones on. FLASHBULBS POP. Hadley says nothing. His face scrunches up. He begins to cry. RED (V.O.) I wasn't there to see it, but I hear Byron Hadley was sobbing like a little girl when they took him away. Hadley sobs all the way to the car. The D.A. snaps a gaze up toward Norton's window, motions his men to follow. LastIndexNext This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ PART 17 260 INT -- NORTON'S OFFICE -- DAY (1966) 260 Norton is staring out the window as they approach the building. He goes to his desk, opens a drawer. Inside lies a revolver and a box of shells. RED (V.O.) Norton had no intention of goin' that quietly. 261 INT -- PRISON CORRIDORS -- DAY (1966) 261 The D.A. marches along amidst a phalanx of TROOPERS. 262 INT -- NORTON'S OFFICE -- DAY (1966) 262 Norton sits blankly at his desk, revolver before him. The doorknob rattles, a VOICE is heard: D.A. (O.S.) Samuel Norton? We have a warrant for your arrest! Open up! The POUNDING starts. Norton dumps the box of bullets out on thr desk. He starts sorting them to see which ones he likes. 263 OUTSIDE HIS OFFICE 263 Troopers hustle the hapless duty guard to Norton's door as he fumbles nervously with a huge key ring. DUTY GUARD I'm not sure which one it is... He starts trying keys in the lock. And as the keys go sliding in one after another... 264 INT -- NORTON'S OFFICE -- DAY (1966) 264 ...so do the bullets. Norton is riveted to the door. For every key, he loads another bullet. Methodical and grim. He gets the final bullet in just as the nike air max 2009 right key slams home. The door bursts open. Men muscle in. Somebody SHOUTS. Troopers dive in all directions as Norton raises the gun -- -- and jams it under his chin. His head snaps back as the wall goes red. His swivel chair does a slow half-turn and creaks to a final stop. Troopers rise nike air max 1 slowly, gazing in horror. RED (V.O.) I like to think the last thing that went through his head...other than that bullet...was to nike air max 90 current wonder how the hell Andy Dufresne ever got the best of him. nike air max turnaround PUSH SLOWLY to the wall to reveal Mrs. Norton's framed sampler trickling blood and brains...and we get our final Bible lesson for today: "HIS JUDGMENT COMETH AND THAT RIGHT SOON." 265 EXT -- PRISON YARD -- DAY (1966) 265 Mail call. Red hears his name. They pass him a postcard. RED (V.O.) Not long after the warden deprived us of his company cheap nike air Cheap Air Max TN max , I got a postcard in the mail. It was blank. But the postmark said, "McNary, Texas." 266 INT -- LIBRARY -- DAY (1966) 266 Red sits with an atlas, tracing his finger down the page. RED (V.O.) McNary. Right on the border. That's where Andy crossed. (shuts the book) When I picture him heading south in his own car with the top down, it makes me laugh all over again... 267 EXT -- MEXICO -- HIGHWAY -- DAY (1966) 267 A red convertible rips along with Andy at the wheel, cigar jutting from his grin, warm wind fluttering his tie. RED (V.O.) Andy Dufresne, who crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side. Andy Dufresne, headed for the Pacific. 268 INT -- MESS HALL -- DAY (1966) 268 Heywood is regaling the table with some anecdote about Andy. RED (V.O.) Those of us who knew him best talk about him often. I swear, the stuff he pulled. It always makes us laugh. A wild burst of laughter. PUSH IN on Red. Feeling melancholy. RED (V.O.) Sometimes it makes me sad, though, Andy being gone. I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are just too bright... 269 EXT -- FIELDS -- LATE DAY (1966) 269 Convicts hoe the fields. Guards patrol on horseback. RED (V.O.) ...and when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice...but still, the place you live is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. A DISTANT RUMBLE OF THUNDER. Red pauses, gazes off. Storm clouds coming in, backlit by the sun. A light drizzle begins. RED (V.O.) I guess I just miss my friend. 270 INT -- PRISON CELL -- NIGHT (1966) 270 Red is sleeping. He wakes with a start. RED (V.O.) But there are times I curse him for the dreams he left behind... He senses a presence, looks over his shoulder. There's a Rita Hayworth poster on his wall. He gets out of bed. Rita just keeps smiling, inscrutable. As Red watches, a brilliant round glow builds behind the poster, shining from the tunnel. The poster rips free, charred to ash in the blink of an eye as a shaft of holy white light stabs into the cell. Sunlight. Red staggers back against the glare. A whirlwind kicks up, whipping everything into the air. The hole in the wall is like a giant vacuum cleaner -- papers, book, toiletries, bedding -- if it ain't nailed down, it gets sucked down the hole toward the light. Red fights it, but the suction drags him closer and closer... 271 RED'S POV 271 ...and CAMERA rockets into the hole, getting sucked down an endless tunnel at impossible speed, the ROAR of air mixing with his drawn-out SCREAM, closer and closer to the light... ...and erupting out the other side into total silence and a beautiful white beach. The Pacific Ocean before us. Enormous. Mind-blowing. Beautiful beyond description. All we hear now are the gentle sound of waves. RED (V.O.) ...dreams where I am lost in a warm place with no memory. A lone figure stands at water's edge. CAMERA KEEPS MOVING, coming up behind him and TRACKING AROUND to reveal -- Red. RED (V.O.) An ocean so big it strikes me dumb. Waves so quiet they strike me deaf. Sunshine so bright it strikes me blind. It is a place that is blue beyond reason. Bluer than can possibly exist. Bluer than my mind can possibly grasp. 272 AERIAL SHOT 272 Nothing for a million miles but beach, sky, and water. Red is a tiny speck at water's edge. Just another grain of sand. RED (V.O.) I am terrified. There is no way home. 273 INT -- RED'S CELL -- NIGHT (1966) 273 Red wakes from the nightmare. He gets out of bed. Moves to the barred window of his cell. Peers up at the stars. RED (V.O.) Andy. I know you're in that place. Look at the stars for me just after sunset. Touch the sand...wade in the water...and feel free. FADE TO BLACK 274 AN IRON-BARRED DOOR 274 slides open with an enormous CLANG. A stark room beyond. CAMERA PUSHES through. SIX MEN AND ONE WOMAN sit at a long table. An empty chair faces them. We are again in: INT -- SHAWSHANK HEARINGS ROOM -- DAY (1967) Red enters, sits. 20 years older than when we first saw him. MAN #1 Your file says you've served forty years of a life sentence. You feel you've been rehabilitated? Red doesn't answer. Just stares off. Seconds tick by. The parole board exchanges glances. Somebody clears his throat. MAN #1 Shall I repeat the question? RED I heard you. Rehabilitated. Let's see now. You know, come to think of it, I have no idea what that means. MAN #2 Well, it means you're ready to rejoin society as a-- RED I know what you think it means. Me, I think it's a made-up word, a politician's word. A word so young fellas like you can wear a suit and tie and have a job. What do you really want to know? Am I sorry for what I did? - ----- MAN g2 Well...are you? RED Not a day goes by I don't feel regret, and not because I'm in here or because you think I should. I look back on myself the way I was...stupid kid who did that terrible crime...wish I could talk sense to him. Tell him how things are. But I can't. That kid's long gone, this old man is all that's left, and I have to live with that. (beat) "Rehabilitated?" That's a bullshit word, so you just go on ahead and stamp that form there, sonny, and stop wasting my damn time. Truth is, I don't give a shit. The parole board just stares. Red sits drumming his fingers. CLOSEUP -- PAROLE FORM A big rubber stamp SLAMS down -- and lifts away to reveal the word "APPROVED" in red ink. 275 EXT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON -- DAY 275 TWO SHORT SIREN BLASTS herald the opening of the main gate. It swings hugely open, revealing Red standing nike air max turbulence in his cheap suit, carrying a cheap bag, wearing a cheap hat. He walks out, still looking stunned. 276 INT -- BUS -- DAY 276 Red rides the bus, clutching the seat before him, gripped by terror of speed and motion. 277 EXT -- BREWSTER HOTEL -- LATE AFTERNOON 277 Red arrives at the Brewster, three stories high and even less to look at than it used to be. 27B INT -- BREWSTER -- LATE DAY 278 A BLACK WOMAN leads Red up the stairs toward the top floor. 279 INT -- RED'S ROOM -- LATE DAY 279 Small, old, dingy. An arched window with a view of Congress Street. Traffic noise floats up. Red enters and pauses, staring up at the ceiling beam. Carved into the wood are the words: "Brooks Hatlen was here." 280 INT -- FOODWAY MARKET -- DAY 280 Loud. Jangling with PEOPLE and NOISE. We find Red bagging groceries. Registers are humming, kids are shrieking. Red calls to the STORE MANAGER: RED Sir? Restroom break sir? MANAGER (motions him over) You don't need to ask me every time you go take a piss. Just go. Understand? LastIndexNext PART 18 28l INT -- EMPLOYEE RESTROOM -- DAY 281 Red steps to the urinal, stares at himself in the wall mirror. RED (V.O.) Thirty years I've been asking permission to piss. I can't squeeze a drop without say-so. A strange east Indian guitar-whine begins. The Beatles. George Harrison's "Within You Without You..." 282 EXT -- STREET -- DAY 282 ...which carries through as Red walks. People and traffic. He keeps looking at the women. An alien species. RED (V.O.) Women, too, that's the other thing. I forgot they were half the human race. There's women everywhere, every shape and size. I find myself semi-hard most of the time, cursing myself for a dirty old man. TWO YOUNG WOMEN stroll by in cut-offs and t-shirts. RED nike air max 2009 (V.O.) Not a brassiere to be seen, nipples poking out at the world. Jeezus, pleeze-us. Back in my day, a woman out in public like that would have been arrested and given a sanity hearing. 283 EXT -- PARK -- DUSK 283 Red finds the park filled with HIPPIES. Hanging out. Happening. Here's the source of the music: a radio. A HIPPIE GIRL gyrates to the Beatles, stoned, in her own world. RED (V.O.) They're calling this the Summer of Love. Summer of Loonies, you ask me. 284 INT -- PAROLE OFFICE -- DAY 284 Red sits across from his PAROLE OFFICER. The P.O. is filling out his report. P.O. You staying out of the bars, Red? RED Yes sir. That I am. P.O. How you doing otherwise? Adjusting okay? RED Things got different out here. P.O. Tell me about it. Young punks protesting the war. You imagine? Even my own kid. Oughtta bust his fuckin' skull. RED Guess the world moved on. 285 INT -- FOODWAY -- DAY 285 Bagging groceries. CHILDREN underfoot. One points a toy gun at Red, pumping the trigger. Red focuses on the gun, listening to it CLICKETY-CLACK. Sparky wheel grinding. The kids get swept off by MOM. Red starts bagging the next customer. SLOW PUSH IN on Red. Surrounded by MOTION and NOISE. Feeling like the eye of a hurricane. People everywhere, whipping around him like a gale. Strange. Loud. Dizzying. It gets distorted and weird, slow and thick, pressing in on him from all sides. The noise level intensifies. The hollering of children deepens and distends into LOW EERIE HOWLS. He's in the grip of a major anxiety attack. Tries to Nike TN Trainers shake himself out of it. Can't. Fumbles the final items into the bag. Walks away. Trying not to panic. Trying not to run. He makes his way through the store. Blinking sweat. He bumps into a lady's cart, mumbles an apology, keeps going. Breaks into a trot. Down the aisle, cut to the left, through the door into the back rooms, faster and faster, running now, slamming through a door marked "Employees Only" into -- 286 INT -- EMPLOYEE RESTROOM -- DAY 286 -- where he slams the door and leans heavily against it, shutting everything out, breathing heavily. Alone now. He goes to the sink, splashes his face, tries to calm down. He can still hear them out there. They won't go away. He glances around the restroom. Small. Not small

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He enters a stall. Locks the door. Puts the toilet lid down and sits on the john. Better. He can actually reach out and touch the walls now. They're close. Safe. Almost small enough. He draws his feet up so he can't be seen if somebody walks in. He'll just sit here for a while. Until he calms down. 287 EXT -- STREET -- DUSK 287 Red is walking home. RED (V.O.) There is a harsh truth to face. No way I'm gonna make it on the outside. He pauses at a pawnshop window. An array of handguns. RED (V.O.) All I do anymore is think of ways to break my parole. The SHOPKEEPER appears at the glass, locking the door and flipping the sign: CLOSED. 288 INT -- RED'S ROOM -- NIGHT 288 Red lies nike air max 95 smoking in bed. Unable to sleep. RED (V.O.) Terrible thing, to live in fear. Brooks Hatlen knew it. Knew it all too well. All I want is to be back where things make sense. Where I won't have to be afraid all the time. He glances up at the ceiling beam. "Brooks Hatlen was here." RED (V.O.) Only one thing stops me. A promise I made to Andy. 289 EXT -- COUNTRY ROAD -- MORNING 289 A pickup truck rattles up the road trailing dust and pulls to a stop. Red hops off the back, waves his thanks. The truck drives on. Red starts walking. PAN TO a roadside sign: BUXTON. 290 EXT -- MAINE COUNTRYSIDE -- DAY 290 High white clouds in a blazing blue sky. The trees fiery with autumn color. Red walks the fields and back-roads, cheap compass in hand. Looking for a certain hayfield. 291 EXT -- COUNTRYSIDE -- DAY 291 Walking. Searching. The day turning late. Red finds himself staring at a distant field. There's a long rock wall, like something out o f a Robert Frost poem. Big oak tree. Red checks his compass. North end. He crosses a dirt road into the field. 292 EXT -- HAYFIELD -- DAY 292 Red walks the long rock wall, nearing the tree. A squirrel scolds him from a low branch, scurries up higher. Red studies the base of the wall. Nothing unusual here. Just a bunch of rocks set in stone. He sighs. Fool's errand. Turns to go. Something catches his eye. He walks back, squats, peering closer. Wets a fingertip and rubs a stone. A layer of dust comes off. Volcanic glass. Gleaming black. He tries to get the rock out, anticipation growing. It won't come; it's too smooth. He pulls a pocketknife and levers the rock free. It tumbles at his Cheap Air Max TN feet, leaving a ragged hole. Red leans down and solves the mystery at last, staring at the object buried under the rock. Stunned. It's an envelope wrapped in plastic. Written on it is a single word: "Red." Red pulls the envelope out and rises. He just stares at it for a while, almost afraid to open it. But open it he does. Inside is a smaller envelope and a letter. Red begins to read: ANDY (V.O.) Dear Red. If you're reading this, you've gotten out. And if you've come this far, maybe you're willing to come a little further. You remember the name of the town, don't you? I could use a good man to help me get my project on wheels. I'll keep an eye out for you and the chessboard ready. (beat) Remember, Red. Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies. I will be hoping that this letter finds you, and finds you well. Your friend. Andy. By now, tears are spilling silently down Red's cheeks. He opens the other envelope and fans out a stack of new fifty- dollar bills. Twenty of them. A thousand dollars. 293 INT -- RED'S ROOM -- DAY (1967) 293 Red is dressed in his suit. women nike air max He finishes knotting his tie, puts his hat on. His bag is by the door. He takes one last look around. Only one thing nike air max 90 current left to do. He pulls a wooden chair to the center of nike air max 1 the room and gazes up at the ceiling beam. RED (V.O.) Get busy living or get busy dying. That is goddamn right. He steps up on the chair. It wobbles under his weight. 294 INT -- BREWSTER -- RED'S DOOR -- DAY (1967) 294 Nike TN UK The door opens. Red exits with his bag and heads down the stairs, leaving the door open. CAMERA PUSHES through, BOOMING UP to the ceiling beam which reads: "Brooks Hatlen was here." A new message has been carved alongside the old: "So was Red." 295 INT -- GREYHOUND BUS STATION -- DAY (1967) 295 TRACKING SHOT reveals a long line of people at the counter. RED (V.O.) For the second time in my life, I am guilty of committing a crime. CAMERA brings us to Red, next in line, bag by his feet. RED (V.O.) Parole violation. I doubt they'll toss up any roadblocks for that. Not for an old crook like me. RED (steps up) McNary, Texas? 296 EXT -- TRAVELING SHOT -- DAY (1967) 296 A gorgeous New England landscape whizzes by, fields and trees a blur of motion. ANGLE SHIFTS to reveal a Greyhound Sceni- Cruiser barreling up the road, pulling abreast of us. CAMERA TRAVELS from window to window, passing faces. We finally come to Red gazing out at the passing landscape. RED (V.O.) I find I am so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it is the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain... 297 THE BUS 297 ROARS past camera, dwindling to a mere speck on the horizon. RED (V.O.) I hope I can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. (beat) I hope. 298 EXT -- BEACH -- WIDE PANORAMIC SHOT -- DAY (1967) 298 A distant boat lies on its side in the sand like an old wreck that's been left to rot in the sun. There's someone out there. 299 CLOSER ON BOAT 299 A MAN is meticulously stripping the old paint and varnish by hand, face hidden with goggles and kerchief mask. Red appears b.g., a distant figure walking out across the sand, wearing his cheap suit and carrying his cheap bag. The man on the boat pauses. Turns slowly around. Red arrives with a smile as wide as the horizon. The other man raises his goggles and pulls down his mask. Andy, of course. ANDY You look like a cheap nike air max 90 man who knows how to get things. RED I'm known to locate certain things from time to time. Red shrugs off his jacket and picks up a sander. Together, they start sanding the hull as we fade out THE END LastIndex This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ LastIndexNext This Free Ebook is Produced nike air max turbulence By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ Next This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ damn it! LastIndexNext This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ a wooded path, the sounds of rutting passion growing fainter, mingling now with the night sounds of crickets and hoot owls... ...and we begin to hear FAINT MUSIC in the woods, tinny and incongruous, and still we keep PULLING BACK until... ...a car is revealed. A 1946 Plymouth. Parked in a clearing. 3 INT -- PLYMOUTH -- NIGHT (1946) 3 ANDY DUFRESNE, mid-20's, wire rim glasses, three-piece suit. Under normal circumstances a respectable, solid citizen; hardly dangerous, perhaps even meek. But these circumstances are far from normal. He is disheveled, unshaven, and very drunk. A cigarette smolders in his mouth. His eyes, flinty and hard, are riveted to the bungalow up the path. He can hear them fucking from here. He raises a bottle of bourbon and knocks it back. The radio plays softly, painfully romantic, taunting him: You stepped out of a dream... You are too wonderful... To be what you seem... He opens the glove compartment, pulls out an object wrapped in a rag. He lays it in his lap and unwraps it carefully -- -- revealing a .38 revolver. Oily, black, evil. He grabs a box of bullets. Spills them everywhere, all over the seats and floor. Clumsy. He picks bullets off his lap, loading them into the gun, one by one, methodical and grim. Six in the chamber. His gaze goes back to the bungalow. He shuts off the radio. Abrupt silence, except for the distant lovers' moans. He takes another shot of bourbon courage, then opens the door and steps from the car. 4 EXT -- PLYMOUTH -- NIGHT (1946) 4 His wingtip shoes crunch on gravel. Loose bullets scatter to the ground. The bourbon bottle drops and shatters. He starts up the path, unsteady on his feet. The closer he gets, the louder the lovemaking becomes. Louder and more frenzied. The lovers are reaching a climax, their sounds of passion degenerating into rhythmic gasps and grunts. WOMAN (O.S.) Oh god...oh god...oh god... Andy lurches to a stop, listening. The woman cries out in orgasm. The sound slams into Andy's brain like an icepick. He shuts his eyes tightly, wishing the sound would stop. It finally does, dying away like a siren until all that's left is the shallow gasping and panting of post-coitus. We hear languorous laughter, moans of satisfaction. WOMAN (O.S.) Oh god...that's sooo good...you're the best...the best I ever had... Andy just stands and listens, devastated. He doesn't look like much of a killer now; he's just a sad little man on a dirt path in the woods, tears streaming down his face, a loaded gun held loosely at his side. A pathetic figure, really. FADE TO BLACK: 1ST TITLE UP 5 INT -- COURTROOM -- DAY (1946) 5 THE JURY listens like a gallery of mannequins on display, pale-faced and stupefied. D.A. (O.S.) Mr. Dufresne, describe the confrontation you had with your wife the night she was murdered. ANDY DUFRESNE is on the witness stand, hands folded, suit and tie pressed, hair meticulously combed. He speaks in soft, measured tones: ANDY It was very bitter. She said she was glad I knew, that she hated all the sneaking around. She said she wanted a divorce in Reno. D.A. What was your response? ANDY I told her I would not grant one. D.A. (refers to his notes) "I'll see you in Hell before I see you in Reno." Those were the words you used, Mr. Dufresne, according to the testimony of your neighbors. ANDY If they say so. I really don't remember. I was upset. FADE TO BLACK: 2ND TITLE UP D.A. What happened after you and your wife argued? ANDY She packed a bag and went to stay with Mr. Quentin. D.A. Glenn Quentin. The golf pro at the Falmouth Hills Country Club. The man you had recently discovered was her lover. (Andy nods) Did you follow her? ANDY I went to a few bars first. Later, I decided to drive to Mr. Quentin's home and confront them. They weren't there...so I parked my car in the turnout...and cheap nike air max waited. D.A. With what intention? ANDY I'm not sure. I was confused. Drunk. I think mostly I wanted to scare them. D.A. You had a gun with you? ANDY Yes. I did. FADE TO BLACK: 3RD TITLE UP D.A. When they arrived, you went up to the house and murdered them? ANDY No. I was sobering up. I realized she wasn't worth it. I decided to let her have her quickie divorce. D.A. Quickie divorce indeed. A .38 caliber divorce, wrapped in a handtowel to muffle the shots, isn't that what you mean? And then you shot her lover! ANDY I did not. I got back in the car and drove home to sleep it off. Along the way, I stopped and threw my gun into the Royal River. I feel I've been very clear on this point. D.A. Yes, you have. Where I get hazy, though, is the part where the cleaning woman shows up the next morning and finds your wife and her lover in bed, riddled with .38 caliber bullets. Does that strike you as a fantastic coincidence, Mr. Dufresne, or is it just me? ANDY (softly) Yes. It does. D.A. I'm sorry, Mr. Dufresne, I don't think the jury heard that. ANDY Yes. It does. D.A. Does what? ANDY Strike me as a fantastic coincidence. D.A. On that, sir, we are in accord... FADE TO BLACK! 4TH TITLE UP D.A. You claim you threw your gun into the Royal River before the murders took place. That's rather convenient. ANDY It's the truth. D.A. You recall Lt. Mincher's testimony? He and his men dragged that river for three days and nary a gun was found. So no comparison can be made between your gun and the bullets taken from the bloodstained corpses of the victims. That's also rather convenient, isn't it, Mr. Dufresne? ANDY (faint, bitter smile) Since I am innocent of this crime, sir, I find it decidedly inconvenient the gun was never found. FADE TO BLACK: STH TITLE UP 6 INT -- COURTROOM -- DAY (1946) 6 The D.A. holds the jury spellbound with his closing summation: D.A. Ladies and gentlemen, you've heard all the evidence, you know all the facts. We have the accused at the scene of the crime. We have foot prints. Tire tracks. Bullets scattered on the ground which bear his fingerprints. A broken bourbon bottle, likewise with fingerprints. Most of all, we have a beautiful young woman and her lover lying dead in each other's arms. They had sinned. But was their crime so great as to merit a death sentence? He gestures to Andy sitting quietly with his ATTORNEY. D.A. I suspect Mr. Dufresne's answer to that would be yes. I further suspect he carried out that sentence on the night of September 21st, this year of our Lord, 1946, by pumping four bullets into his wife and another four into Glenn Quentin. And while you think about that, think about this... He picks up a revolver, spins the cylinder before their eyes like a carnival barker spinning a wheel of fortune. D.A. A revolver holds six bullets, not eight. I submit to you this was not a hot-blooded crime of passion! That could at least be understood, if not condoned. No, this was revenge of a much more brutal and cold-blooded nature. Consider! Four bullets per victim! Not six shots fired, but eight! That means he fired the gun empty...and then stopped to reload so he could shoot each of them again! An extra bullet per lover...right in the head. (a few JURORS shiver) I'm done talking. You people are all decent, God-fearing Christian folk. You know what to do. FADE TO BLACK: 6TH TITLE UP INT -- JURY ROOM -- DAY (1946) 7 CAMERA TRACKS down a long table, moving from one JUROR to the next. These decent, God-fearing Christians are chowing down on a nice fried chicken dinner provided them by the county, smacking greasy lips and gnawing cobbettes of corn. VOICE (O.S.) Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty... We find the FOREMAN at the head of the table, sorting votes. FADE TO BLACK: 7TH TITLE UP IndexNext This Free Ebook is Produced By "Eshu Space" Need More Free Ebooks, Pls Go To http://eshu.yeah.net/ Wenn diese Entdeckung sich best.tigen sollte, wird sie uns mit Sicherheit einen der tiefsten Einblicke ins Universum gestatten, den die Wissenschaft je getan hat. Die m.glichen Auswirkungen sind so weitreichend und atembe- raubend, dass sie unsere Vorstellungskraft sprengen. Diese Entdeckung verspricht, einige unserer .ltesten Fragen zu beantworten, wobei sie gleichzei- tig neue, noch grunds.tzlichere Fragen aufwirft. US-Pr.sident Bill Clinton in einer Pressekonferenz am 7. August 1996 im Zusammenhang mit der als ALH84001 klassifizierten Entdeckung. PROLOG An diesem gottverlassenen Ort gab es viele M.glichkei- ten, zu Tode zu kommen. Der Geologe Charles Brophy hatte den Gefahren dieser grandiosen Gegend jahrelang getrotzt, doch das barbarische, widernatürliche Schicksal, das ihm nun bevor- stand, traf ihn v.llig unvorbereitet. Die vier Hunde, die Brophys schwer beladenen Schlitten mit den seismischen Messger.ten über die Tundra zogen, hielten pl.tzlich inne und schauten zum Himmel. .Was ist, Jungs?. Brophy stieg vom Schlitten. Aus den aufziehenden Sturmwolken l.ste sich in einem lang gezogenen Bogen ein tief fliegender Transporthubschrauber mit Doppelrotor und flog mit milit.rischer Unbeirrbarkeit über die eiszeitliche Hügelkette heran. Seltsam, dachte Brophy. So weit n.rdlich hatte er noch nie einen Hubschrauber gesehen. Die Maschine landete fünfzig Meter ent- fernt. Die Rotoren wirbelten eine stechende Wolke aus kristalli- nem Eisschnee auf. Die Hunde winselten .ngstlich. Die Schiebetür des Hubschraubers tat sich auf. Zwei mit Ge- wehren bewaffnete M.nner in wei.er Allwetteruniform spran nike air max 2009 gen heraus und kamen zielstrebig n.her. .Dr. Brophy?., rief einer der beiden. .Woher kennen Sie meinen Namen?., fragte der Geologe ver- blüfft. .Wer sind Sie?. .Holen Sie bitte Ihr Funkger.t heraus.. .Wie bitte?. .Machen Sie schon!. Verwirrt zog Brophy das Ger.t aus seinem Parka. .Sie müssen einen Notruf für uns absetzen. Bitte stellen Sie das Ger.t auf einhu Nike TN Trainers ndert Kilohertz ein.. Hundert Kilohertz nike air max 2009 ! Brophy verstand gar nichts mehr. Auf einer so niedrigen Frequenz kann kein Mensch etwas empfangen! .Hatten Sie einen Unfall?. Der zweite Mann hob das Gewehr. Die Mündung war auf Brophys Kopf gerichtet. .Für Erkl.rungen ist jetzt keine Zeit. Tun Sie, was wir Ihnen sagen.. Brophy stellte die Sendefrequenz ein. Seine Finger zitterten. Der erste Mann hielt ihm einen Merkzettel hin. Ein paar Zeilen standen darauf. .Und jetzt übermitteln Sie diese Nachricht! Los, Beeilung!. Brophy schaute auf den Zettel. .Aber ich verstehe nicht. Was hier steht, stimmt doch gar nicht! Ich habe nicht…. Der Mann drückte Brophy die Gewehrmündung an die Schl.fe. Mit bebender Stimme übermittelte Brophy die eigenartige Nachricht. .Gut., sagte der erste Mann. .Und jetzt steigen Sie in den Hub- schrauber. Die Hunde ebenfalls.. Unter den vorgehaltenen Gewehren der Fremden bugsierte Brophy die widerstrebenden Hunde und den Schlitten eine Rut- sche hinauf in den Frachtraum des Helikopters. Kaum dass er an Bord war, hob der Hubschrauber ab und flog nach Westen. .Wer sind Sie?., rief Brophy den M.nnern über den Motoren- l.rm hinweg zu. Ihm brach der Schwei. aus. Und was hat diese Nachricht zu bedeuten? Die M.nner blieben stumm. Der Hubschrauber gewann an H.he. Ein eisiger Wind pfiff durch die offene Ladeluke. Brophys Schlittenhunde – vier Hus- kies – waren immer noch in ihrem Geschirr und winselten. .Sie k.nnten wenigstens die Luke zumachen! Sehen Sie denn nicht, dass meine Hunde Angst haben?. Die M.nner g nike air max turnaround aben keine Antwort. Der Hubschrauber war nun auf zw.lfhundert Meter gestiegen. über einem zerklüfteten Eisfeld legte er sich steil in die Kurve. Die beiden M.nner standen unvermittelt auf, packten den schwer beladenen Hundeschlitten und schoben ihn zur Ladeluke hinaus. Entsetzt beobachtete Brophy, wie seine Hunde sich ge- gen das t.dliche Gewicht stemmten. Sekundenbruchteile darauf verschwanden die jaulenden Tiere in der Tiefe. Mit einem wütenden Schrei sprang Brophy auf. Die M.nner packten ihn und schoben ihn zur offenen Luke. Halb wahnsinnig vor Angst, wehrte Brophy sich gegen die muskul.sen Arme, die ihn aus der Maschine dr.ngten. Gegenwehr war zwecklos. Einen Moment sp.ter trudelte auch er dem eisigen Abgrund entgegen. 1 Toulos Restaurant liegt direkt am

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Capitol nike air max 1 Hill. Es bietet ein politisch v.llig unkorrektes Menü von Jungkalb und Pferde- carpaccio, womit es sich als die Adresse für das unverzichtbare sp.te Arbeitsfrühstück im Washingtoner Machtpoker empfiehlt. Heute Vormittag herrschte im Toulos reger Betrieb – klappernde Bestecke, fauchende Espressomaschinen und trillernde Handys bildeten die Ger.uschkulisse. Der Oberkellner nahm gerade un- auff.llig einen Schluck von seiner allmorgendlichen Bloody Ma- ry, als eine junge Dame das Lokal betrat. Er drehte sich um und setzte sein professionelles L.cheln auf. .Guten Morgen. Was kann ich für Sie tun?. Die Frau war attraktiv, Mitte drei.ig, trug graue Flanellhosen mit scharfer Bügelfalte und eine elfenbeinfarbene Laura-Ashley- Bluse. Sie hielt sich sehr gerade, mit leicht erhobenem Kinn, nicht arrogant, doch überaus selbstbewusst. Das hellbraune Haar war in die derzeit nike air max turbulence beliebteste Washingtoner Damenfrisur gelegt – Typ Fernsehmoderatorin: stumpf geschnitten und über den Schultern weich nach innen gef.hnt. Lang genug, um noch sexy zu wirken, aber kurz genug, um dem m.nnlichen Gegenüber zu vermitteln, dass die Tr.gerin m.glicherweise mehr auf dem Ka- sten hatte als er. .Ich bin ein bisschen sp.t dran., sagte die junge Frau. Ihre Stimme klang zurückhaltend. .Ich bin mit Senator Sexton zum Frühstück verabredet.. Der Oberkellner war sichtlich beeindruckt. Senator Sedgewick Sexton. Der Senator war ein Stammgast des Hauses und derzeit einer der bedeutendsten M.nner des Landes. Als Sieger s.mtli- cher Vorwahlen der Republikaner am .Super-Dienstag. der ver- gangenen Woche hatte er praktisch die Garantie seiner Partei in der Tasche, als republikanischer Kandidat für das Amt des Pr.si- denten der Vereinigten Staaten anzutreten. Viele gaben ihm gute Chancen, den angeschlagenen derzeitigen Amtsinhaber aus dem Wei.en Haus zu verdr.ngen. In jüngster Zeit hatte man den Eindruck, dass Sextons Gesicht s.mtliche Titelbl.tter zierte und Plakate mit seinem Wahlslogan .Weniger ausgeben, mehr aus- richten. an jeder Ecke prangten. .Der Senator sitzt an seinem Stammplatz., sagte der Oberkell- ner. .Wen darf ich melden?. .Rachel Sexton. Ich bin seine Tochter.. Der Oberkellner musterte die Frau. Die .hnlichkeit war nicht zu übersehen. Rachel hatte die durchdringenden Augen des Se- nators und das Charakteristische seiner Haltung – jene perfekte Ausstrahlung selbstverst.ndlicher Noblesse. Das gute Aussehen des Senators hatte sich eindeutig auf seine Tochter vererbt, wo- bei Rachel ihr attraktives .u.eres jedoch mit einer zurückhalten- den Anmut trug, die ihrem Vater fehlte. .Miss Sexton, es ist uns ein Vergnügen, Sie als unseren Gast begrü.en zu dürfen.. Der Weg durchs Restaurant grenzte an ein Spie.rutenlaufen. Selbst dem Oberkellner war es peinlich, wie die Blicke der M.n- ner mehr oder minder verstohlen der Tochter des Senators folg- ten. Von den wenigen Frauen, die bei Toulos speisten, sahen nur wenige so gut wie Rachel Sexton aus. .Tolles Weib., murmelte einer der G.ste. .Da hat Sexton aber schnell eine Neue gefunden.. .Das ist doch seine Tochter, du Trottel., sagte sein Gegenüber. Der andere lachte in sich hinein. .Wie ich Sexton kenne, bumst er sie trotzdem.. Als Rachel zum Tisch ihres Vaters kam, schwadronierte er am Handy lautstark über einen seiner unl.ngst errungenen Siege und schenkte Rachel nur einen kurzen Blick. Er tippte auf seine Car- tier-Armbanduhr, um sie daran zu erinnern, dass sie sich versp.- tet hatte. Auch ich habe es eilig, dachte Rachel. Ihr Vater hie. mit Vorn women nike air max amen Thomas. Den zweiten Vorna- men, Sedgewick, hatte er sich vor Jahren zugelegt. Rachel hatte den Verdacht, dass er es wegen der Alliteration getan hatte: Sena- tor Sedgewick Sexton. Er war ein silberhaariger, glattzüngiger Politprofi, dem ein gn.diges Schicksal das Aussehen eines Fern- sehserien-Arztes geschenkt hatte, was angesichts Sextons Talent, in Rollen zu schlüpfen, passend und zweckdienlich zugleich war. .Rachel!. Der Senator legte das Handy zur Seite, erhob sich und küsste seine Tochter auf die Wange. .Hi, Dad.. Sie erwiderte seinen Kuss nicht. .Du siehst ersch.pft aus.. Das f.ngt ja gut an. .Ich habe deine Nac cheap nike air max hricht erhalten. Worum geht’s?. .Darf ich meine Tochter denn nicht mal zum Frühstück einla- den?. Rachel hatte schon vor langer Zeit begriffen, dass ihr Vater sehr gut ohne sie auskam – es sei denn, er wollte etwas von ihr. Sexton nahm einen Schluck Kaffee. .Wie geht es dir?. .Hab viel zu tun. Deine Kampagne l.uft gut, wie ich sehe.. .Lass uns nicht vom Gesch.ft reden.. Sexton lehnte sich über den Tisch zu Rachel und senkte die Stimme. .Was ist mit dem Burschen vom State Department, mit dem i nike air max 2009 ch dich bekannt ge- macht habe?. Rachel schnaubte. Sie hatte schon jetzt das Bedürfnis, auf die Uhr zu schauen. .Dad, ich bin wirklich nicht dazu gekommen, ihn anzurufen. Und es w.re mir lieber, du würdest aufh.ren…. .Du solltest dir Zeit für die wirklich wichtigen Dinge nehmen, Rachel. Ohne Liebe hat das Leben keinen Wert.. Rachel zog es vor zu schweigen. Bei einer Diskussion hatte ihr Vater ohnehin stets die besseren Karten. .Worum geht es, Dad? Du hast gesagt, es sei wichtig.. .Ist es auch.. Er schaute sie prüfend an. Rachel spürte ihren Schutzwall unter seinem Blick zerbr.ckeln. Sie verfluchte die Macht dieses Mannes. Seine Augen waren sein Kapital und seine Waffe, die ihm den Weg ins Wei.e Haus frei- r.umen würde, wie Rachel annahm. Seine Augen konnten sich aufs Stichwort mit Tr.nen füllen, um im n.chsten Moment wie- der klar zu blicken und die leidenschaftliche Seele eines Mannes zutage treten zu lassen, der mit jedem einen Vertrauensbund zu schlie.en bereit war. Es geht immer nur um das Vertrauen, hatte er stets gesagt. Rachels Vertrauen hatte er schon vor Jahren ver- spielt; nun aber war er im Begriff, das Vertrauen des ganzen Landes zu gewinnen. .Ich m.chte dir einen Vorschlag machen., sagte Sexton. .Dir einen Rettungsring zuwerfen.. .Ich wusste gar nicht, dass ich absaufe.. .Du s.ufst auch nicht ab, aber der Pr.sident. Du solltest das sinkende Schiff verlassen, bevor es zu sp.t ist.. .Haben wir das nicht schon einmal durchgekaut?. .Denk an deine Zukunft. Du kannst für mich arbeiten.. .Ich hoffe, das war nicht der Grund, dass du mich zum Früh- stück eingeladen hast.. Die gelassene Fassade des Senators begann zu br.ckeln. .Be- greifst du denn nicht, Rachel, dass es ein schlechtes Licht auf mich wirft, wenn du für ihn arbeitest? Und es ist schlecht für meinen Wahlkampf.. Rachel seufzte. .Dad, ich arbeite nicht für den Pr.sidenten. Ich habe ihn noch nie getroffen. Ich arbeite in Fairfax!. .Politik ist das, was rüberkommt. Und es kommt nun mal rü- ber, dass du für den Pr.sidenten arbeitest.. Rachel atmete tief aus und versuchte, Ruhe zu bewahren. .Dad, ich habe hart geschuftet, um diesen Job zu kriegen. Ich werde jetzt nicht alles hinschmei.en.. Die Augen des Senators wurden schmal. .Manchmal bist du ganz sch.n selbstsüchtig…. .Senator Sexton?. Ein Reporter erschien neben dem Tisch. Sextons Zorn verflog augenblicklich. Rachel seufzte innerlich und nahm sich ein Croissant aus dem K.rbchen auf dem Tisch. .Ralph Sneeden von der Washington Post., stellte der Reporter sich vor. .Darf ich Ihnen ein paar Fragen stellen?. L.chelnd tupfte sich der Senator mit der Serviette den Mund. .Mit Vergnügen, Ralph. Legen Sie los, mein Kaffee wird sonst kalt.. Sneeden lachte pflichtschuldig, brachte ein Diktierger.t zum Vorschein und schaltete es ein. .Senator, in Ihren Fernsehspots setzen Sie sich für gleiche Entlohnung und die Gleichbehandlung von Frauen am Arbeitsplatz ein. Au.erdem streben Sie Steuerer- leichterungen für junge Familien an. K.nnten Sie uns erl.utern, welche überlegungen Sie dazu gerührt haben?. .Selbstverst.ndlich. Starke Frauen und starke Familien sind mir eine Herzensangelegenheit. Und Kinder sind nach meiner festen überzeugung unser aller Zukunft.. Rachel verschluckte sich beinahe an ihrem Croissant. Ihr Vater war schon auf das Niveau von Schnulzentexten gesunken. .Sie haben in den Umfrageergebnissen der letzten Wochen ei- nen gewaltigen Sprung nach vorn gemacht. Der Pr.sident hat allm.hlich Grund zur Sorge. Wie erkl.ren Sie sich das?. .Ich glaube, es geht hier grunds.tzlich um das Vertrauen. Die Amerikaner begreifen allm.hlich, dass sie nicht darauf vertrauen k.nnen, dass ihr derzeitiger Pr.sident in der Lage ist, die harten Entscheidungen zu treffen, vor denen unser Land steht. Explo- dierende Staatsausgaben treiben unser Land t.glich tiefer in die Schuldenfalle. Die Amerikaner merken, dass es an der Zeit ist, weniger auszugeben und mehr auszurichten.. Der Piepser in Rachels Handtasche meldete sich. Der Senator quittierte die Unterbrechung mit einem ungn.digen Blick. Rachel angelte den Piepser aus der Tasche. Zur Best.tigung, dass der berechtigte Empf.nger das Ger.t in der Hand hielt, gab sie eine fünfstellige Zahlenkombination ein, worauf das Piepsen endete. Das Display begann zu blinken. In fünfzehn Sekunden würde die verschlüsselte Nachricht eintreffen. Der Reporter l.chelte den Senator an. .Ihre Tochter ist augen- scheinlich eine viel besch.ftigte Frau. Sch.n, dass Sie beide trotzdem noch die Zeit finden, miteinander zu essen.. .Wie ich schon sagte, die Familie kommt zuerst.. Sneeden nickte. .Darf ich fragen, Senator, wie Sie und Ihre Tochter mit Ihrem Interessenkonflikt umgehen?. .Interessenkonflikt?. Senator Sexton legte mit dem Ausdruck ehrlicher Verwirrung den Kopf schief. .Was meinen Sie damit?. Rachel hob den Blick und verzog das Gesicht. Verdammte Jou- malistenbande. Die H.lfte von ihnen stand ohnehin bei einem Poli- tiker auf der Gehaltsliste. Sie wusste genau, worauf die Schau- spielerei ihres Vaters abzielte. Die Frage war ein typisches jour- nalistisches Zuspiel: Es sollte nach einem Interview aussehen, aber in Wirklichkeit war es eine Steilvorlage für ihren Vater, die er mit Bravour in ein Tor verwandeln konnte, um bei dieser Ge- legenheit ein paar Dinge an den Mann zu bringen. .Nun, Sir…., Sneeden gab sich betroffen über die missglückte Fragestellung, .k.nnte man es nicht als Interessenkonflikt deu- ten, dass Ihre Tochter für Ihren Gegner arbeitet?. Sextons Gel.chter nahm der Frage die Spitze. .Erstens einmal, der Pr.sident und ich sind keine Gegner. Wir sind Patrioten, die lediglich unterschiedliche Vorstellungen haben, was unserem Land, das wir beide lieben, zum Besten gereicht.. .Und zweitens?. .Zweitens ist der Pr.sident nicht der Arbeitgeber meiner Toch- ter. Sie arbeitet für unsere Aufkl.rungsdienste. Sie wertet Infor- mationsmaterial aus und übermittelt es ans Wei.e Haus. Es ist keine herausragende Position.. Er hielt inne und schaute Rachel an. .Ich glaube, du hast den Pr.sidenten noch nie pers.nlich ge- troffen, stimmt’s?. Rachel starrte ihn mit glühenden Augen an. In diesem Moment meldete sich ihr Piepser und zog ihre Aufmerksamkeit auf das Display mit der eingehenden Nachricht. – RPRT DIRNRO HQT – Schon beim Mitlesen des Textstenogramms runzelte sie die Stirn. Die Nachricht kam unerwartet und bedeutete mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit nichts Gutes, aber immerhin lieferte sie ihr einen Grund zum Aufbruch. .Meine Herren., sagte sie, .ich muss leider gehen. Es nike air max 2009 bricht mir das Herz, aber ich bin jetzt schon zu sp.t dran.. .Miss Sexton., sagte der Reporter rasch, .k.nnten Sie uns et- was zu den Gerüchten sagen, Sie h.tten um dieses Frühstücks- treffen gebeten, um Ihre gegenw.rtige T.tigkeit zu Gunsten ei- ner Position im Rahmen des Wahlkampfs Ihres Vaters auf- zugeben?. Rachel kam sich vor, als h.tte ihr jemand eine Tasse hei.en Kaffee ins Gesicht geschüttet. Die Frage erwischte sie kalt. Sie schaute ihren Vater an. Er grinste schief. Sie spürte, dass diese Frage abgesprochen war. Rachel bedachte den Reporter mit einem giftigen Blick. .Ich habe nicht die Absicht, meinen Job zu Gunsten von Senator Sex- ton aufzugeben. Nehmen Sie das gef.lligst zur Kenntnis. Falls Sie etwas Gegenteiliges schreiben, wird Ihnen jemand Ihr Dik- tierger.t mit der Geburtszange aus dem Arsch ziehen müssen!. Der Reporter schaltete mit einem unterdrückten Grinsen das Ger.t aus. .Ich bedanke mich., sagte er und war auch schon ver- schwunden. Rachel bedauerte ihren Ausbruch sofort. Sie hatte das Tempe- rament des Vaters geerbt. Ruhig, Rachel, ruhig. Sexton schaute sie missbilligend an. .Du würdet gut daran tun, dir ein bisschen Haltung anzugew.hnen.. Rachel sammelte ihre Siebensachen ein. .Die Sitzung ist ge- schlossen.. Der Senator war offensichtlich ohnehin mit ihr fertig. Er griff zum Handy. .Ja. Bis dann. Schau dieser Tage doch mal bei mir im Büro vorbei. Und sieh um Himmels willen zu, dass du heira- test. Du bist dreiunddrei.ig!. .Vierunddrei.ig., zischte sie. .Deine Sekret.rin hat mir zur Feier des Tages eine Karte geschickt.. .Vierunddrei.ig. Fast schon eine alte Jungfer. Als ich vierund- drei.ig war, hatte ich schon…. .… meine Mutter geschw.ngert und mit der Nachbarin ge- schlafen.. Rachel war lauter geworden, als es ihre Absicht gewe- sen war. Die Worte hingen in der Luft. Von den Nachbartischen schauten bereits die G.ste herüber. Der Blick des Senators wurde kalt. .Pass gut auf dich auf, junge Frau.. Rachel strebte zur Tür. Passen Sie lieber auf sich selbst auf, Herr Se- nator. 2 Die drei M.nner sa.en schweigend in ihrem Therma- Tech-Sturmzelt. Drau.en tobte ein eisiger Wind. Er rüttelte an der Unterkunft und drohte sie aus den Verankerungen zu rei.en. Die M.nner achteten nicht darauf. Sie hatten schon weitaus ge- f.hrlichere Situationen erlebt. Das grellwei.e Zelt duckte sich sichtgeschützt in eine flache Mulde. Bewaffnung, Kommunikations- und Transportmittel der M.nner entsprachen dem letzten Stand der Technik. Ein ge- schmeidiger muskul.ser Bursche war der Anführer der Gruppe. Seine Augen waren so kalt und hart wie Eis. Er hatte den Code- namen Delta-1. Aus dem Milit.rchronografen am Handgelenk von Delta- 1 erklang ein scharfer Piepton. Er ert.nte in exaktem zeitlichem Einklang Nike TN Trainers mit dem Piepsen der Chronografen der beiden anderen M.nner. Wieder waren drei.ig Minuten vergangen. Es war so weit. Wie auf Kommando trat Delta-1 nach drau.en in die Dunkel- heit und den peitschenden Wind. M cheap nike air max 90 it einem Infrarotfeldstecher suchte er den mondbeschienenen Horizont ab. Er konzentrierte sich auf die Geb.ude in einem Kilometer Entfernung – ein ge- waltiger Komplex mitten im eisigen .dland. Seit der Fertigstel- lung vor zehn Tagen hatte der Mann ihn mit seinem Team beo- bachtet. Für Delta-1 bestand kein Zweifel, dass sich dort Infor- mationen befanden, die die Welt ver.ndern würden. Der Schutz dieser Informationen hatte bereits Menschenleben gekostet. In der Umgebung des Komplexes wirkte zurzeit alles ruhig. Entscheidend jedoch war, was drinnen vorging. Delta-1 trat wieder ins Zelt. .Zeit für einen Rundflug., sagte er zu seinen beiden Kampfgef.hrten. Die beiden nickten. Delta-2, der gr..ere der beiden, klappte einen Laptop auf und schaltete ihn ein. Als das Programm hoch- gefahren war, nahm er einen Joystick zur Hand und tippte ihn an. In einem Kilometer Entfernung empfing ein überwachungs- roboter von der Gr..e einer Schmei.fliege das Signal und er- wachte in seinem Versteck in den Eingeweiden des Geb.udes zum Leben. 3 Rachel Sexton kochte immer noch vor Zorn, als sie ihren wei.en Integra den Leesburg Highway hinaufsteuerte. Das Fili- gran der kahlen Ahornb.ume auf den Anh.hen von Falls Church hob sich vom kühlen M.rzhimmel ab, doch die friedli- che Umgebung trug wenig dazu bei, ihren Zorn zu d.mpfen. Der jüngste Zugewinn in den Meinungsumfragen – für ihren Vater eigentlich ein Grund, mehr Würde und Selbstvertrauen nike air max 95 zu zeigen –, hatte lediglich zu seiner überheblichkeit beigetragen. Sein Vertrauensbruch war für Rachel doppelt schmerzhaft. Au.er ihm hatte sie keine Blutsverwandten mehr. Der Tod der Mutter vor drei Jahren war für Rachel ein schrecklicher Verlust gewesen. Die Wunden waren immer noch nicht verheilt. Rachels einziger Trost lag in der Ironie, dass für ihre Mutter der Tod die Erl.sung von der Verzweiflung über ihre katastrophale Ehe mit dem Senator bedeutet hatte. Rachels Piepser meldete sich erneut und riss sie aus ihren Ge- danken. An der Nachricht hatte sich nichts ge.ndert: – Cheap Air Max TN RPRT DIRNRO HQT – Report beim Direktor des NRO im Hauptquartier. Rachel seufzte. 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your teacher,” said Dai. Li Kui bit his lips to keep from laughing. The three followed the same path and climbed the slope. At the Hall of Pines and Cranes inside the Temple of Purple Void they were met by two novices. “Is the Sage within?” asked Gongsun. “He's meditating on nike air max 360 his cloud dais,” the boys replied. Li Kui was astonished. He st Nike TN UK uck his tongue so far out in consternation, for a long time he couldn't pull it back. They pushed aside the door curtain and entered. Sure enough, there seated on the dais was Luo the Sage. Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage The Outlaws of the Marsh “Could I have killed the wrong man last night?” Li Kui wondered. “What brings you three here again?” Luo queried. “We wish to beg your permission for Gongsun our teacher to rescue mercifully many people in distress,” said Dai Zong. “Who is that big swarthy fellow?” “A brother in chivalry of mine, Li Kui.” The Sage laughed. “I was going to refuse Gongsun. But for that dark fellow's sake I'll let him take this one trip.” Dai Zong kowtowed, and relayed the information to Black Whirlwind. Li Kui thought: “The rascal knows I wanted to kill him. Why does he make such friggin remarks?” “I'll send you three immediately to Gaotang,” said Luo. “How will that be?” They thanked him, and Dai Zong said to himself: “This Sage has much stronger magic than my Miraculous Travel Method.” Luo directed his novices to bring three handkerchiefs. Dai asked him: “How are you going to get us to Gaotang so quickly? Please explain.” The Sage stood up. “Come with me.” They left the hall and followed him to the top of a bluff. A red kerchief was spread upon the ground. “Purity, stand on that.” Gongsun placed both feet on the kerchief. With an upward sweep of his wide sleeve, Luo cried: “Rise!” The kerchief turned into a red cloud and carried Gongsun high into the air till it was two hundred feet above the mountain. “Stop,” shouted Luo the Sage, and the red cloud hung suspended. Next, a blue handkerchief was spread, and Dai Zong was told to stand upon it. At the command, “Rise,” it changed into a blue cloud and soared up till it was at a level with the red. Each the size of a large sleeping mat, the two clouds circled in the heavens. Li Kui stared, open.mouthed. Luo then had a white kerchief spread upon the bluff top, and he instructed Li Kui to step on. “This is no joke,” the Black Whirlwind grinned. “If a man fell off he could raise quite a bump on the head!” “You see those other two, don't you?” said Luo. Li Kui stood on the kerchief and the Sage shouted: “Rise!” The kerchief changed into a white cloud and started upwards. “Aiya,” yelled Li Kui, “mine is unsteady! Let me down!” Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage The Outlaws of the Marsh Luo waved his right hand, and the red and blue clouds smoothly returned to earth. Dai kowtowed his thanks, and stood on Luo's right. Gongsun stood on his left. Above, Li Kui was shouting. “I have to piss and shit like everyone else! If you don't bring me down, I'll pour it on your head from up here!” “I'm one who has given up the material world. I've never harmed you. Why did you come over the wall at night and hack me with your axes?” Luo asked. “If I weren't possessed of virtue, you'd have killed me. And you murdered my novice.” “It wasn't me! You're mistaking me for somebody else!” The Sage laughed. “Although all you did was chop off a couple of gourds, your intentions were bad. I'm going to make you suffer a bit for that.” He waved his hand. “Go!” An ugly wind blew Li Kui into the clouds. Two warriors, wea nike air max turnaround ring head kerchiefs of imperial yellow, escorted him under guard. The wind and rain howled in Li Kui's ears. He looked down. Houses and trees seemed to be falling backwards as he passed. His feet felt as if they were being hastened by clouds and mists. He had no idea how far he had gone. He was scared out of his wits, and was trembling all over. Suddenly, he heard a scraping sound, and found himself rolling down the roof of the main hall of the prefecture of Jizhou. The magistrate, Ma Shihong, was holding court. Arrayed outside the building were many police and functionaries. When they saw a big swarthy fellow tumbling down from the sky they were very startled. “Bring that rogue here,” shouted Ma. A dozen jailors and guards hustled Li Kui forward. “Where are you from, rascally sorcerer?” demanded the magistrate. “Why have you dropped from the heavens?” Li Kui, in his fall, had banged his head and split his brow. He was too stunned to speak. “He must be a wizard,” Ma affirmed. He directed that punishment implements be brought. Guards and jailors tied Li Kui up and dragged him to the grassy sward before the hall. A captain poured dog's blood on his cranium. Another tipped a bucket of urine and turds and drenched him from head to toe. Li Kui's mouth and ears were full of the stuff. “I'm not a wizard,” he bawled. “I'm an attendant of Luo the Sage!” Everyone in Jizhou knew that Luo the Sage was a living spirit on earth. They were reluctant to harm Li Kui any further. They pushed him before the magistrate. “Luo the Sage is famed for having attained virtue and becoming a living god,” said a functionary. nike air max 97 “If this is one of his followers, we mustn't punish him.” The magistrate laughed. “I've read a thousand books and know ancient and modern history, but I've never heard of a living god who had a disciple like this! He's just an evil sorcerer. Guards, give him a good Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage The Outlaws of the Marsh drubbing!” They had no choice but to turn him over and beat him till he was more dead than alive. “Admit you're a wizard, knave,” shouted the magistrate, “and we'll stop.” Li Kui had no choice but to confess that he was “Wizard Li the Second.” A big rack was nailed around his neck and he was cast into prison. He was put into the section for the condemned. “I am a spirit general and officer of the day,” he asserted loudly. “How dare you place a rack on me? I'm going to wipe every one of you out in Jizhou Town!” The guards and warden all knew that the virtue of Luo the Sage was of the highest purity, and they admired him greatly. “Who are you, really?” they asked Li Kui. “Officer of the day, spirit general, and intimate of Luo the Sage! I made a mistake and annoyed him, so he flung me here that I might suffer a bit. But he'll be sending for me in two or three days. If you don't serve me meat and wine I'll slaughter you and your whole families!” The guards and warden were frightened. They bought wine and meat and invited Li Kui to dine. Seeing this, he grew wilder in his speech, which scared his listeners still more. They brought hot water for him to bathe in, and clean clothing. “If you stint on wine and meat, I'll fly away,” he threatened. “I'll make you suffer!” The guards and jailors apologized and entreated. Needless to say, he I remained in the Jizhou prison. All of this Luo the Sage related to Dai Zong, who pleaded that he spare Li Kui. Luo kept Dai as his guest in the hall and questioned him about activities in the mountain fortress. Dai said that Chao Gai and Song Jiang were chiv nike air max 97 alrous and charitable, doing only what was morally right, never harming faithful officers of the emperor, noble.hearted men, filial sons, righteous husbands or chaste wives. He told of their many virtues. Luo was very pleased. Dai stayed with him for five days, and each day he kowtowed and begged the Sage to save Li Kui. “Men li Air Max 2011 ke that can only be driven away,” said Luo. “Don't take him back with you.” “You don't understand,” replied Dai. “Li Kui is stupid, he doesn't know the rites, but he has his good points. First of all he's absolutely straight. He'll rarely ask anyone nike air max 360 for anything. Secondly, he doesn't flatter people, but when he's loyal it's to the death. Third, he's not lecherous, greedy or treacherous, but brave and bold. For these reasons, Song Jiang loves Li Kui. I wouldn't be able to face brother Song if I went back without him.” Luo laughed. “I've known for some time that he is one of the stars of Heavenly Spirits. Because many people on earth behave too wickedly, as a punishment to them and him he was sent down to kill them. Would I dare go against the will of Heaven and harm a ma nike air max womens n like that? I only want to rough him up a little, then you can have him back.” Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage The Outlaws of the Marsh Dai thanked the Sage, and Luo called: “Are any warriors around?” A wind rose outside the Hall of Pines and Cranes, and when it passed a warrior in a turban of imperial yellow stepped forward and bowed. “What are your orders, Teacher?” “Bring that man back you escorted to the Jizhou prison. He's paid for his crime. Go and return quickly.” The warrior respectfully assented. In about half a watch, he dropped Li Kui down from the air. Dai hastily helped him to his feet. “Where have you been these last couple of days, brother?” he asked. Li Kui saw Luo the Sage and fervently kowtowed. “My own father, I'll never dare to offend again!” “You must curb your temper from now on,” said Luo. “Concentrate on serving Song Jiang. Shun all wicked thoughts.” Li Kui again kowtowed. “You are like my own father! Would I dare disobey your commands?” “Where did you go these last few days?” Dai pressed him. “The wind that day blew me to the Jizhou magistrate's office and rolled me down the roof. They all grabbed me and that friggin magistrate said I was a wizard. He had me knocked down and tied up and told his prison guards to pour dog's blood and piss and shit all over me and beat me till my legs were jelly. Then they put a rack on me and threw me into prison. “'What spirit general are you to come down from heaven like that?' they asked me. 'Personal attendant to Luo the Sage and officer of the day spirit general,' I told them. 'Because I've made some mistakes I have to suffer a bit. But I'll be called for in a couple of days.' Though I was beaten, I got some good food and wine out of it. Those rogues were afraid of the Sage, so they let me bathe and gave me a change of clothes. “They were wining and dining me just now in a pavilion, when that yellow turbaned warrior jumped down from the sky. He opened my rack and told me to nike air max trainers close my eyes. It was like a dream, till I landed back here.” “The Teacher has over a thousand such warriors,” said Gongsun. “They're all his personal attendants.” “Living Buddha,” cried Li Kui. “Why didn't you tell me before and save me from making that stupid error?” Again he kowtowed to the Sage. Dai Zong also kowtowed. “I've been here indeed a long time,” he said. “The military situation at Gaotang is desperate. Please be merciful and let teacher Gongsun go with us and rescue brother Song Jiang. After we've smashed Gao Lian we'll escort him back.” “I was opposed to letting him go, originally. But because of your lofty loyalty I shall permit him to make the trip. I have something to impart first which you must remember.” Gongsun came forward and knelt before the Sage to receive his instructions. Truly, he was filled with desire to save the world and bring tranquility to the land, a man destined for high rank and prestigious position. What, then, did Luo the Sage say to Gongsun Sheng? Read our next chapter if you would know. Chapter 53 Dai Zong Seeks Gongsun Sheng a Second Time Li Kui Splits the Skull of Luo the Sage The Outlaws of the Marsh Chapter 54 Dragon in the Clouds Defeats Gao Lian by Magic Black Whirlwind Goes Down a Well and Rescues Chai Jin “Younger brother,” said the Luo the Sage, “the magic you've learned is the same as Gao Lian's. But now I'm going to teach you the Divine Method for Summoning the Five Thunderbolts. With this you can save Song Jiang, defend the country, preserve peace for the people, and act righteously on Heaven's behalf. I will see to it that your old mother is looked after. You may rest assured. You are one of the stars of Heavenly Spirits. For that reason, I permit you to help Song Jiang. Retain the virtues you have learned. Let no mundane desires lead you astray, lest you be deflected from your important cause.” Gongsun Sheng knelt and received the Method. Then, with Dai Zong and Li Kui, he took leave of the Sage and his Taoist colleagues, went down the mountain and returned home. Collecting his twin swords, his iron helmet, and Taoist cloak, he bid farewell to his mother, and set forth along the road out of the mountains. When they had travelled thirty or forty li, Dai Zong said to Gongsun: “I'll go on ahead and report to Song Jiang. You and Li Kui follow the highway. I'll come back and pick you up.” “Good, you do that,” said Gongsun. “We'll move as fast as possible.” “Take care of the Teacher,” Dai admonished Li Kui. “If anything goes wrong, I'll make you suffer for it.” “He knows the same magic as Luo the Sage,” Black Whirlwind replied. “I wouldn't dare neglect him!” Dai Zong affixed his charms and, invoking his Nike TN Trainers marvellous travel means, swiftly departed. Leaving Two Fairies Mountain and Jiugong County behind them, Gongsun and Li Kui pushed on along the main road, resting in inns at nightfall. Black Whirlwind was afraid of the Luo the Sage's magic. He treated Gongsun with the greatest solicitude and kept his impetuosity tightly in check. On the third day of their journey, they came to a town called Wugang, a populous, busy place. “These last couple of days have been tiring. Let's have some wine and noodles before going on,” Gongsun suggested. “Fine,” said Li Kui. They saw a small tavern beside the post road and went in. Gongsun sat down at the head of the table. Li Kui undid the pack around his waist and seated himself opposite. They ordered wine and vegetable tidbits. “Have you any meatless pastries?” Gongsun asked the waiter. “No, we've only meat and wine here,” said the man. “But there's a shop at the town entrance that sells date cakes.” “I'll go and buy you some,” Li Kui volunteered. He took copper coins from his purse, headed into town and bought the cakes. Starting back, he heard people in a crowd by the side of the road cry admiringly: “What strength!” Chapter 54 Dragon in the Clouds Defeats Gao Lian by Magic Black Whirlwind Goes Down a Well and Rescues 552 The Outlaws of the Marsh Li Kui looked. They were surrounding a big fellow, watching him manipulate a large ribbed iron mallet. He was tall, his face was pitted with smallpox scars, and there was a large groove in his nose. Li Kui estimated the mallet to weigh about thirty catties. The man swung it and smashed a paving block nike air max 180 to bits with a single blow. The crowd cheered. This was more than Li Kui could bear. He shoved the packet of date cakes inside his tunic and reached for the nike air max 1 big hammer. “Who the hell are you, that you dare take my mallet,” the man shouted. “That's some friggin farce you put on, trying to win applause! It hurts my eyes,” said Li Kui. “I'll show these people how it should be done!” “Go on, take the hammer. But if you can't wield it, I'll punch your neck!” Li Kui picked up the mallet and flipped it about as if it were a child's slingshot. He toyed with it for a few minutes, then set it down lightly. He was neither red in the face nor panting, and his heart did not beat fast. The man dropped to his knees and kowtowed. “I would know your name, big brother.” “Do you live around here?” “Just up ahead.” The man led Li Kui to a house and unlocked the door. He invited Li Kui in and asked him to be seated. Li Kui noted an anvil, hammers, a forge, pincers, awls and pokers. “Must be a blacksmith,” he thought. “We need a man like this in the

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