What's in that satchel you brought in?
I told you what was in that satchel.
You said it was full of money.
Well then I reckon that's what's in it.
Where's it at?
Under the bed in the back room.
Under the bed.
Yes mam.
Can I go back there and look?
You're free white and twenty-one so I reckon you can do whatever you want.
I aint twenty-one.
Well whatever you are.
And you want me to get on a bus and go to Odessa.
You are gettin on a bus and goin to Odessa.
What am I supposed to tell Mama?
Well, try standin in the door and hollerin: Mama, I'm home.
Where's your truck at?
Gone the way of all flesh. Nothin's forever.
How are we supposed to get down there in the mornin?
Call Miss Rosa over yonder. She aint got nothin to do.
What have you done, Llewelyn?
I robbed the bank at Fort Stockton.
You're a lyin sack of you know what.
If you aint goin to believe me what'd you ask me for? You need to get on back there and get your stuff together. We got about four hours till daylight.
Let me see that thing on your arm.
You done seen it.
Let me put somethin on it.
Yeah, I think there's some buckshot salve in the cabinet if we aint out. Will you go on and quit aggravatin me? I'm tryin to eat.
Did you get shot?
No. I just said that to get you stirred up. Go on now.
He crossed the Pecos River just north of Sheffield Texas and took route 349 south. When he pulled into the filling station at Sheffield it was almost dark. A long red twilight with doves crossing the highway heading south toward some ranch tanks. He got change from the proprietor and made a phone call and filled the tank and went back in and paid.
You all gettin any rain up your way? the proprietor said.
Which way would that be?
I seen you was from Dallas.
Chigurh picked his change up off the counter. And what business is it of yours where I'm from, friendo?
I didnt mean nothin by it.
You didnt mean nothing by it.
I was just passin the time of day.
I guess that passes for manners in your cracker view of things.
Well sir, I apologized. If you dont want to accept my apology I dont know what else I can do for you.
How much are these?
Sir?
I said how much are these.
Sixty-nine cents.
Chigurh unfolded a dollar onto the counter. The man rang it up and stacked the change before him the way a dealer places chips. Chigurh hadnt taken his eyes from him. The man looked away. He coughed. Chigurh opened the plastic package of cashews with his teeth and doled a third part of them into his palm and stood eating.
Will there be somethin else? the man said.
I dont know. Will there?
Is there somethin wrong?
With what?
With anything.
Is that what you're asking me? Is there something wrong with anything?
The man turned away and put his fist to his mouth and coughed again. He looked at Chigurh and he looked away. He looked out the window at the front of the store. The gas pumps and the car sitting there. Chigurh ate another small handful of the cashews.
Will there be anything else?
You've already asked me that.
Well I need to see about closin.
See about closing.
Yessir.
What time do you close?
Now. We close now.
Now is not a time. What time do you close.
Generally around dark. At dark.
Chigurh stood slowly chewing. You dont know what you're talking about, do you?
Sir?
I said you dont know what you're talking about do you.
I'm talkin about closin. That's what I'm talkin about.
What time do you go to bed.
Sir?
You're a bit deaf, arent you? I said what time do you go to bed.
Well. I'd say around nine-thirty. Somewhere around nine-thirty.
Chigurh poured more cashews into his palm. I could come back then, he said.
We'll be closed then.
That's all right.
Well why would you be comin back? We'll be closed.
You said that.
Well we will.
You live in that house behind the store?
Yes I do.
You've lived here all your life?
The proprietor took a while to answer. This was my wife's father's place, he said. Originally.
You married into it.
We lived in Temple Texas for many years. Raised a family there. In Temple. We come out here about four years ago.
You married into it.
If that's the way you want to put it.