Reflections in a Golden Eye

Private Williams

report to Major Penderton's house for a work detail.

Weldon!

Yeah?

I'm goin' for a ride, Weldon.

Okay.

What do you mean just a little scratch?

Look at that. He's been kicked.

It's just a nick, ma'am. He ain't hurt.

Where's my boy? Where's the boy that takes care of Firebird?

- Private Williams? - I guess so.

Why, ma'am, he's up at your house.

What do you mean my house? What's he doin' up there?

He's doing some work for the major.

Well...

I asked Weldon to have the garden tilled out in the back.

I've invited so many people to my party

they're just gonna spill out of the house.

Come on, you sweet old thing.

Alright now, private. This, uh

this section of woods is to be cleared here.

Take away all the undergrowth and the briar and the bushes.

Any of the limbs of the large trees

growing at a level of less than 6 feet are to be cut away.

- You understand? - Yes, sir.

That's a level of less than 6 feet.

- Yes, sir. - Fine.

Now your boundary will be this large oak tree here.

You won't have to clear beyond it.

Uh, just from the edge of the grass here

to the oak tree there.

I'll expect you to complete this work today.

All, all tools we've got will be found in the garage.

I'll be back sometime late this afternoon.

Listen, I think that

the thing we all overlook, everybody forgets

is that who really knows

what happened to her in her mind?

Nobody knows that.

- Also-- - Also? Also what?

Well, hell, Leonora, it's been three months.

Now she hasn't tried to do anything like that since

and, uh, she, she seems to be okay.

Oh, what does that prove, Morris?

That Alison really is alright?

Well, yes, I guess so. She hasn't tried to do it again.

How could she?

What she did is something a lady can only do once now, isn't it?

Hey, give me your cap. I wanna pick some blackberries.

There.

Now let's take two things Clausewitz says.

First, the theory of warfare tries to discover

how we make any preponderance of physical forces

and material advantages at a decisive point.

And two, one of the strongest, uh

weapons of offensive warfare is the surprise attack.

Now I, uh, I would not like to improve on Clausewitz

but I would say that the, uh, that the night attack

is, uh, one of the strongest weapons of offensive warfare.

Uh, we can look to Major General Terry Allen

when he, uh, commanded his forces in North Africa.

He employed the, uh, the night attack to the maximum.

Economy of force, uh...

Uh, economy of force.

Concentration, surprise, security

uh, offensive action, movement, cooperation,

all these have their application in the night operation.

Susie!

Susie, I'm home!

Hi there, soldier.

- Hi. - Hi.

Oh, wait a minute.

Pull!

I think I'll have my drink out here.

I might as well do those invitations while I'm at it too.

Soldier, I heard you were here this morning

down at the stables.

My Firebird has been kicked.

- How? - That I would like to know.

Probably by some damn mule

or maybe they put him in with the mares.

I was pretty mad about it. I asked for you.

- Thanks, Susie. - Yes, ma'am.

Soldier, do you want a drink?

Want a drink, soldier?

No, ma'am.

- Don't you ever drink? - No, ma'am.

- Not ever? - No, ma'am.

Ah.

Are...

c-cord--

Oh, damn.

- Good evening, Leonora. - Huh.

Well, there they are, all 64 of them.

I hope I haven't left anybody out.

How do you spell cordially?

Cordially. C-O-R-D-I-A-double-L-Y.

Oh, no!

Don't tell me I have to do 'em all over again.

- Oh. - Well, I expect you better.

Oh, God.

What's the matter with you?

Private, the whole idea was in the big oak tree.

The instructions were to clear the ground just to the oak tree.

I mean, the way the branches swept down and made a background

shuttin' off the rest of the wood was the whole point.

Now it's all ruined.

What would the major like me to do?

Well, the major would like you to pick up the branches

and nail them back on again.

No, no, just, uh, get some leaves here

and cover the bare spots where the bush has been removed.

Then you can go.

Here.

That's the boy from the stables

the one that takes care of Firebird.

Yes, well...

he's also the soldier that ruined

a brand-new silk suit for me.

Oh?

Spilled the better part of a coffee pot all over my knees.

That was two years ago, wasn't it?

It'd be hell of a lot longer than that before you forget it.

I dislike clumsiness, willful or otherwise.

Well, there's nothing clumsy about the way

he handles Firebird.

Morris says he's never seen an enlisted man

to handle a horse to equal him.

Morris would find something to like in any enlisted man.

Alright then. Firebird likes him.

Firebird's a horse.

Firebird is a stallion.

So these two little queers went into this bar

and this great big bald barman

was looking at them for a long time.

Finally he said, "Are you two sisters?"

And they said, "Hell, no. We're not even Catholic."

Oh, you're so funny.

For God's sakes, Leonora, why don't you go upstairs

and put your shoes on?

Oh, my.

Oh, my mm...

You look like a slattern goin' around the house this way.

The Langdons are coming to dinner, I suppose you're gonna sit down

at the table like that.

Sure. Why not, prissy?

You disgust me.

Oh, I'll kill you. I swear I'll kill you.

I'll do it! I will kill you!

Son, have you ever been collared

and dragged out into the street

and thrashed by a naked woman?

Huh?

Would anyone, uh, like a drink?

- I would, thanks. - Uh-huh.

- Alison? - Very, very light, please.

Do you want another card?

Mm-hmm.

- Big one? - Not too big, not too small.

Make mine straight on the rocks. Not too big, not too small.

I'll have the same, Weldon

with a little of that branch water.

Weldon, your wife's cheating.

She just tried to look at this card to see if she--

I did not.

You caught me before I had a chance to.

- What have you got there? - I'm surprised at you, Morris.

Sittin' down playing cards with a woman

expecting her not to cheat you.

What's this? A new sweater for your husband?

It's for Captain Weincheck.

Captain Weincheck.

I forgot to invite him.

Well, that's kind of the story of his life, isn't it?

Everybody forgets about Weincheck

includin' the promotion board.

And he's about the oldest captain in the army.

Will somebody, please, tell me

why Captain Weincheck is unpopular?

Is it because he plays the violin, reads Proust?

Oh, do you remember that tea he gave?

Classical records and cat hairs.

And before God, tea.

Only tea.

Captain Weincheck is a gentleman.

And he's not a thief.

Well, who said he was?

Oh, that afternoon you were speaking of, at his apartment?

Somebody stole a little silver Georgian teaspoon.

One of a set of eight belonging to his great-grandmother.

It was gone when we went to tidy up.

He asked me never to tell about it.

But somebody stole that spoon.

Well, I didn't. Wasn't me.

Well, I'm gonna put everything I have on this one hand.

And if I win, I'll have every chip on the table.

Hit me.

- Are aces ones? - Mm-hm.

Blackjack!

I must be getting along.