Glengarry Glen Ross (3 page)

Moss:
He made
up
those rules, and we’re working for
him.

Aaronow:
That’s the truth . . .

Moss:
That’s the
God’s
truth. And it gets me depressed. I
swear
that it does. At MY AGE. To see a goddamn: “Somebody wins the Cadillac this month. P.S. Two guys get fucked.”

Aaronow:
Huh.

Moss:
You don’t
ax
your sales force.

Aaronow:
No.

Moss:
You . . .

Aaronow:
You . . .

Moss:
You
build
it!

Aaronow:
That’s what I . . .

Moss:
You fucking
build
it! Men come . . .

Aaronow:
Men come
work
for you . . .

Moss:
. . . you’re absolutely right.

Aaronow:
They . . .

Moss:
They have . . .

Aaronow:
When they . . .

Moss:
Look look look look, when they
build
your business, then you can’t fucking turn around,
enslave
them, treat them like
children,
fuck them up the ass, leave them to fend for themselves . . . no.
(Pause.)
No.
(Pause.)
You’re absolutely right, and I want to tell you something.

Aaronow:
What?

Moss:
I want to tell you what somebody should do.

Aaronow:
What?

Moss:
Someone should stand up and strike
back.

Aaronow:
What do you mean?

Moss:
Somebody
. . .

Aaronow:
Yes . . . ?

Moss:
Should do something to
them.

Aaronow:
What?

Moss:
Something. To pay them back.
(Pause.)
Someone, someone should hurt them. Murray and Mitch.

Aaronow:
Someone should hurt them.

Moss:
Yes.

Aaronow:
(Pause.)
How?

Moss:
How? Do something to hurt them. Where they live.

Aaronow:
What?
(Pause.)

Moss:
Someone should rob the office.

Aaronow:
Huh.

Moss:
That’s what I’m
saying.
We were, if we were that kind of guys, to knock it off, and
trash
the joint, it looks like robbery, and
take
the fuckin’ leads out of the files . . . go to Jerry Graff.
(Long pause.)

Aaronow:
What could somebody get for them?

Moss:
What could we
get
for them? I don’t know. Buck a
throw
. . . buck-a-half a throw . . . I don’t know. . . . Hey, who knows what they’re worth, what do they
pay
for them? All told . . . must be, I’d . . . three bucks a throw . . .
I
don’t know.

Aaronow:
How many leads have we got?

Moss:
The
Glengarry
. . . the premium leads . . . ? I’d say we got five thousand. Five. Five thousand leads.

Aaronow:
And you’re saying a fella could take and sell these leads to Jerry Graff.

Moss:
Yes.

Aaronow:
How do you know he’d buy them?

Moss:
Graff? Because I worked for him.

Aaronow:
You haven’t talked to him.

Moss:
No. What do you mean? Have I talked to him about
this? (Pause.)

Aaronow:
Yes. I mean are you actually
talking
about this, or are we just . . .

Moss:
No, we’re just . . .

Aaronow:
We’re just
“talking”
about it.

Moss:
We’re just
speaking
about it.
(Pause.)
As an
idea.

Aaronow:
As an idea.

Moss:
Yes.

Aaronow:
We’re not actually
talking
about it.

Moss:
No.

Aaronow:
Talking about it as a . . .

Moss:
No.

Aaronow:
As a
robbery.

Moss:
As a “robbery”?! No.

Aaronow:
Well.
Well . . .

Moss:
Hey. (Pause.)

Aaronow:
So all this, um, you didn’t, actually, you didn’t actually go talk to Graff.

Moss:
Not actually, no.
(Pause.)

Aaronow:
You didn’t?

Moss:
No. Not actually.

Aaronow:
Did you?

Moss:
What did I say?

Aaronow:
What did you say?

Moss:
Yes.
(Pause.)
I said, “Not actually.” The fuck
you
care, George? We’re just
talking
. . .

Aaronow:
We are?

Moss:
Yes.
(Pause.)

Aaronow:
Because, because, you know, it’s a
crime.

Moss:
That’s right. It’s a crime. It is a crime. It’s also very safe.

Aaronow:
You’re actually
talking
about this?

Moss:
That’s right.
(Pause.)

Aaronow:
You’re going to steal the leads?

Moss:
Have I said that?
(Pause.)

Aaronow:
Are you?
(Pause.)

Moss:
Did I say that?

Aaronow:
Did you talk to Graff?

Moss:
Is that what I said?

Aaronow:
What did he say?

Moss:
What did he say? He’d
buy
them.
(Pause.)

Aaronow:
You’re going to steal the leads and sell the leads to him?
(Pause.)

Moss:
Yes.

Aaronow:
What will he pay?

Moss:
A buck a shot.

Aaronow:
For five thousand?

Moss:
However they are, that’s the deal. A buck a throw. Five thousand dollars. Split it half and half.

Aaronow:
You’re saying “me.”

Moss:
Yes.
(Pause.)
Twenty-five hundred apiece. One night’s work, and the job with Graff. Working the premium leads.
(Pause.)

Aaronow:
A job with Graff.

Moss:
Is that what I said?

Aaronow:
He’d give me a job.

Moss:
He would take you on. Yes.
(Pause.)

Aaronow:
Is that the truth?

Moss:
Yes. It is, George.
(Pause.)
Yes. It’s a big decision.
(Pause.)
And it’s a big reward.
(Pause.)
It’s a big reward. For one night’s work.
(Pause.)
But it’s got to be tonight.

Aaronow:
What?

Moss:
What? What? The
leads.

Aaronow:
You have to steal the leads tonight?

Moss:
That’s
right,
the guys are moving them downtown. After the thirtieth. Murray and Mitch. After the contest.

Aaronow:
You’re, you’re saying so you have to go in there tonight and . . .

Moss:
You
. . .

Aaronow:
I’m sorry?

Moss:
You. (Pause.)

Aaronow:
Me?

Moss:
You
have to go in.
(Pause.) You
have to get the leads.
(Pause.)

Aaronow:
I do?

Moss:
Yes.

Aaronow:
I . . .

Moss:
It’s not something for nothing, George, I took you in on this, you have to go. That’s your thing. I’ve made the deal with Graff. I can’t go. I can’t go in, I’ve spoken on this too much. I’ve got a big mouth.
(Pause.)
“The fucking leads” et cetera, blah blah blah “. . . the fucking tight ass company . . . ”

Aaronow:
They’ll know when you go over to Graff . . .

Moss:
What will they know? That I stole the leads? I
didn’t
steal the leads, I’m going to the
movies
tonight with a friend, and then r m going to the Como Inn. Why did I go to Graff? I got a better deal.
Period.
Let ‘em prove something. They can’t prove anything that’s not the case.
(Pause.)

Aaronow:
Dave.

Moss:
Yes.

Aaronow:
You want me to break into the office tonight and steal the leads?

Moss:
Yes.
(Pause.)

Aaronow:
No.

Moss:
Oh, yes, George.

Aaronow:
What does that mean?

Moss:
Listen to this. I have an alibi, I’m going to the Como Inn, why? Why? The place gets robbed, they’re going to come looking for
me.
Why? Because I probably did it. Are you going to turn me in?
(Pause.)
George? Are you going to turn me in?

Aaronow:
What if you don’t get caught?

Moss:
They come to you, you going to turn me in?

Aaronow:
Why would they come to me?

Moss:
They’re going to come to
everyone.

Aaronow:
Why would I
do
it?

Moss:
You wouldn’t, George, that’s why I’m talking to you. Answer me. They come to you. You going to turn me in?

Aaronow:
No.

Moss:
Are you sure?

Aaronow:
Yes. I’m sure.

Moss:
Then listen to this: I have to get those leads tonight. That’s something I have to do. If I’m not at the
movies
. . . if I’m not eating over at the inn . . . If you don’t do this, then
I
have to come in here . . .

Aaronow:
. . . you don’t have to come in . . .

Moss:
. . . and
rob
the place . . .

Aaronow:
. . . I thought that we were only talking . . .

Moss:
. . . they
take
me, then. They’re going to ask me who were my accomplices.

Aaronow:
Me?

Moss:
Absolutely.

Aaronow:
That’s ridiculous.

Moss:
Well, to the law, you’re an accessory. Before the fact.

Aaronow:
I didn’t ask to be.

Moss:
Then tough luck, George, because you are.

Aaronow:
Why?
Why,
because you only
told
me about it?

Moss:
That’s right.

Aaronow:
Why are you doing this to me, Dave. Why are you talking this way to me? I don’t understand. Why are you doing this at
all
. . . ?

Moss:
That’s none of your fucking business . . .

Aaronow:
Well, well, well,
talk
to me, we sat down to eat
dinner,
and here I’m a
criminal
. . .

Moss:
You
went
for it.

Aaronow:
In the abstract . . .

Moss:
So I’m making it concrete.

Aaronow:
Why?

Moss:
Why? Why
you
going to give me five grand?

Aaronow:
Do you need five grand?

Moss:
Is that what I just said?

Aaronow:
You need money? Is that the . . .

Moss:
Hey, hey, let’s just keep it simple, what I need is not the . . . what do
you
need . . . ?

Aaronow:
What is the five grand?
(Pause.)
What is the, you said that we were going to
split
five . . .

Moss:
I lied.
(Pause.)
Alright? My end is
my
business. Your end’s twenty-five. In or out. You tell me, you’re out you take the consequences.

Aaronow:
I do?

Moss:
Yes.
(Pause.)

Aaronow:
And why is that?

Moss:
Because you listened.

SCENE THREE

The restaurant.
Roma
is seated alone at the booth.
Lingk
is at the booth next to him.
Roma
is talking to him.

Roma:
. . . all train compartments smell vaguely of shit. It gets so you don’t mind it. That’s the worst thing that I can confess. You know how long it took me to get there? A long time. When you
die
you’re going to regret the things you don’t do. You think you’re
queer
. . . ? I’m going to tell you something: we’re
all
queer. You think that you’re a
thief
? So
what
? You get befuddled by a middle-class morality . . . ? Get
shut
of it. Shut it out. You cheated on your wife . . . ? You
did
it,
live
with it.
(Pause.)
You fuck little girls, so
be
it. There’s an absolute morality? May
be.
And
then
what? If you
think
there is, then
be
that thing. Bad people go to hell? I don’t
think
so. If you think that, act that way. A hell exists on earth? Yes. I won’t live in it. That’s
me.
You ever take a dump made you feel you’d just slept for twelve hours . . . ?