No Country for Old Men(43)

Good payday.





I think so.





Chigurh looked out the window, the shotgun across his knee. Getting hurt changed me, he said. Changed my perspective. I've moved on, in a way. Some things have fallen into place that were not there before. I thought they were, but they werent. The best way I can put it is that I've sort of caught up with myself. That's not a bad thing. It was overdue.





It's still a good payday.





It is. It's just in the wrong currency.





Wells eyed the distance between them. Senseless. Maybe twenty years ago. Probably not even then. Do what you have to do, he said.





Chigurh sat slouched casually in the chair, his chin resting against his knuckles. Watching Wells. Watching his last thoughts. He'd seen it all before. So had Wells.





It started before that, he said. I didnt realize it at the time. When I went down on the border I stopped in a cafe in this town and there were some men in there drinking beer and one of them kept looking back at me. I didnt pay any attention to him. I ordered my dinner and ate. But when I walked up to the counter to pay the check I had to go past them and they were all grinning and he said something that was hard to ignore. Do you know what I did?





Yeah. I know what you did.





I ignored him. I paid my bill and I had started to push through the door when he said the same thing again. I turned and looked at him. I was just standing there picking my teeth with a toothpick and I gave him a little gesture with my head. For him to come outside. If he would like to. And then I went out. And I waited in the parking lot. And he and his friends came out and I killed him in the parking lot and then I got into my car. They were all gathered around him. They didnt know what had happened. They didnt know that he was dead. One of them said that I had put a sleeper hold on him and then the others all said that. They were trying to get him to sit up. They were slapping him and trying to get him to sit up. An hour later I was pulled over by a sheriff's deputy outside of Sonora Texas and I let him take me into town in handcuffs. I'm not sure why I did this but I think I wanted to see if I could extricate myself by an act of will. Because I believe that one can. That such a thing is possible. But it was a foolish thing to do. A vain thing to do. Do you understand?





Do I understand?





Yes.





Do you have any notion of how goddamned crazy you are?





The nature of this conversation?





The nature of you.





Chigurh leaned back. He studied Wells. Tell me something, he said.





What.





If the rule you followed led you to this of what use was the rule?





I dont know what you're talking about.





I'm talking about your life. In which now everything can be seen at once.





I'm not interested in your bullshit, Anton.





I thought you might want to explain yourself.





I dont have to explain myself to you.





Not to me. To yourself. I thought you might have something to say.





You go to hell.





You surprise me, that's all. I expected something different. It calls past events into question. Dont you think so?





You think I'd trade places with you?





Yes. I do. I'm here and you are there. In a few minutes I will still be here.





Wells looked out the darkened window. I know where the satchel is, he said.





If you knew where the satchel was you would have it.





I was going to have to wait until there was no one around. Till night. Two in the morning. Something like that.





You know where the satchel is.





Yes.





I know something better.





What's that.





I know where it's going to be.





And where is that.





It will be brought to me and placed at my feet.





Wells wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. It wouldnt cost you anything. It's twenty minutes from here.





You know that's not going to happen. Dont you?





Wells didnt answer.





Dont you?





You go to hell.





You think you can put it off with your eyes.





What do you mean?





You think that as long as you keep looking at me you can put it off.





I dont think that.





Yes you do. You should admit your situation. There would be more dignity in it. I'm trying to help you.





You son of a bitch.





You think you wont close your eyes. But you will.





Wells didnt answer. Chigurh watched him. I know what else you think, he said.





You dont know what I think.





You think I'm like you. That it's just greed. But I'm not like you. I live a simple life.





Just do it.





You wouldnt understand. A man like you.





Just do it.





Yes, Chigurh said. They always say that. But they dont mean it, do they?