Bert    Jeez, I gotta do this religion thing; do what the fuck you like then just shoot off a quick prayer and your ass is clean again.

The door opens. Raymond comes back in. The door shuts behind but is not locked.

Raymond    They want to cut a deal.

Bert    The desk? The desk wants to cut a deal?

Philomena    What do they want?

Bert    Let’s be clear about this, Ray, are we taking about the cocksucking desk or the fucken studio here?

Raymond    I was talking to the chap from the desk. I have absolutely no idea whom he is making the proposition on behalf of, Kowalski; hotel, production, studio, Culver City, or the US Government itself. Let’s just say, and I’m sure that this will chime with your victim mentality, that the ‘big people’ have made us an offer.

Bert    Lousy cocksuck—

Raymond    Would you like to hear what this offer is?

Philomena    Yes, yes, tell us.

Pause.

Bert    Sure, go ahead.

Raymond    They want us to gather up all Charles’s stuff into his suitcase and pass it out to them. If anyone asks, he left earlier today, saying that he planned to head back to London after doing some travelling.

Bert    That ain’t no deal to me, Ray. That’s half a fucken deal. The wrong fucken half.

Raymond    We are to be remunerated the sum of one hundred dollars each.

Philomena    One hundred dollars! Oh, we must take it. It’s what poor Charles would have wanted us to do. My angel was too good for this world but he left us this good fortune!

Bert (whistles)     That’s a lot o’ dough for little people.

Raymond    I’m aware of that, Kowalski. We should . . . I don’t know.

Bert    Mmmm.

Philomena    I say we take it!

She looks over to Charles’s case, and falls down on to her knees in prayer.

Raymond    It poses questions. Ethical questions.

Bert    Don’t talk to me about tell me ethical questions. I don’t need no lesson in ‘ethical questions’ from some hermwhatchamacallit fucking rapist, and (turns to Philomena) I sure as shit don’t need no thieving cocksucking leprechaun Joan of Arc going all holy on my ass.

Philomena scowls and rises.

Raymond    Well? What do you think?

Bert    All I’m sayin is that it’s a lot of dough and Charlie ain’t comin back, poor little sucker.

Raymond    Quite. And whatever one says about the pressures that we, as actors on this production, have been under, whatever one’s personal view of such pressures . . .

Bert    I know them pressures, Ray. Right, Philomena?

Philomena    With that money I could have my own little house here, with a nice big lock on the door.

Bert    Buys a fucken bolt-hole. Buys a stake in this midget community, for sure, and enough greenbacks to ride out the tough times.