Episode 221, Scene 3. 5:15 [Norman speaks to Elliot Carson in front of the Book Gallery.] NH: Mr. Carson. EC: Oh, hi, Norman. It's kind of early for you to be opening up that tourist trap, isn't it? NH: Yeah. Well, when your father hired me, he said I had to be in at 7:30 every morning. Then I showed him a copy of the child labor laws. Now, I don't have to be in until 8:30. Yeah, it's kind of a wild month. [Elliot and Norman go in the Ships Chandlery.] EC: Well. Hi, Dad. How are you feeling today? Eli: None of your business. If you came for coffee, you know where it is. Go get it yourself. NH: Did the apple boxes arrive yet? Eli: Ten of them. All bad. NH: So that's what's wrong. Eli: That ain't the half of it. NH: Well, where are they? I'll throw them away. Eli: I've already done that. EC: Well, I think I'll come back after lunch, then. Eli: You'll stay and have a cup of coffee. EC: Well, what's wrong dad? Eli: Nothing's wrong. Nothing's wrong. Nothing. EC: Anybody suggest to you, you're getting to be as grumpy as an old goat? Eli: Mrs. Montgomery phoned to say that the copper bucket I sold her and promised wouldn't turn green when she put plants in it. It turned green yesterday. And Mrs. Seawall bought five pounds of walnuts. All of them's got worms in them. Mrs. Cooper wanted one of those old brass bells off a ship. I sold the last one yesterday for junk. Add to that, ten boxes of rotten apples, and then our young delinquent here is supposed to come in here and brush up at 8:30 in the morning, non-chalantly strools in at ten minutes until nine. And you with a silly grin on your face. Eli: What have you got there? EC: You wouldn't appreciate it now, anyway, dad. I'll come back later. Eli: No you won't. No you won't. Leave that Persis Howell right here. Look at that whaling beauty. Leave that Persis Howell right here. Look at that whaling beauty. There she blows. There she blows. Two points off the starboard bow. I bet you don't know her history. EC: No. Do you? Eli: Of course, I do. Everybody that knows anything about whaling knows the history of the Persis Howell. She got a piebald whale one day. That's the best thing you can possibly do. They're hard to find and they're harder to kill. But when you do, the soul of that piebald haunts the ship and brings good luck the likes of which you never dreamed, until it's free. Well sir, for ten years the soul of the piebold stayed with the ship. The whales just scoot around asking to be harpooned, for ten whole years. And then, the night before she sailed the last time, the cabin boy came down here crawled out on the bowsprit to the figurehead. And then he cut the ear off the figurehead and took it home to his mother for a lucky charm. Well sir, two days out of port the ship went down. All hands lost in a dead calm sea. They said that the spirit of the piebald was in the figure-head and when the boy cut off the ear, it freed the spirit. So you see, the piebald whale always gets revenge in the end. EC: Well that's quite a story, isn't it? You quite sure you just didn't make that up? Eli: You ungrateful brat. I suppose you want me to patch up that thing. EC: If you would, yes. Eli: Well, if you'll do me a favor, in turn. EC: Anything. Eli: Put a lid on your tongue when you're talking to Martin Peyton. EC: Oh, so that's what's bothering you. Eli: That's what's bothering me and it aught to bother you, too. EC: Well, Peyton's opinions have been bothering enough people in Peyton Place. Eli: You would be allowed to say that, if you didn't have a family to support. EC: I can support my family and my ideas. Thank you very much, dad. Eli: Sometimes it's smart to fight the powers-that-be. But most of the time, it's just darn foolishness. EC: Well, if it's foolish to tell an old tyrant like Martin Peyton that the day of the autocrat are finished, then I'm darn foolish. Eli: Did anyone ever suggest to you you're getting to be a grumpy old goat? EC: [Laughs] Eli: Elliot. EC: What? Eli: You're just a middle aged child playing with boats, fighting single-handed battles against pirate kings. I did something wrong in bringing you up. I wish I knew what it was. I could undo it. EC: Oh, dad. It's in the blood. It has nothing to do with bringing up. We're just restless people. That's all. Look at you in this General Store. Look at Allison. She's just the same. Eli: Well, there'll be trouble. Episode 221, scene 3 HOME