tripp!
brimming. say hello to my new friend, miss antonia. . .uh. . . .
i took the liberty of inviting antonia to tonight's festivities. you don't mind, do you. trip? ?
i was explaining to antonia how a book comes to be published. what you do as a writer, what i do as an editor.
we know each other pretty well. so where's emily?
your wife.
perfect. well then, shall we?
do you know how many times i've boarded an airplane praying someone like her would sit down beside me? particularly while i'm on my way to pittsburgh.
if it can produce a miss sloviak you'll get no argument from me.
you're stoned.
mm.
so how's the book?
great. i was hoping i could get a look at it sometime this weekend. think that might be possible?
i thought you were tinkering.
forget i asked. i don't want to pressure you, tripp. but.  . i get pressure. know what i mean?
ah. . well now. what do you suppose that would be?
you didn't actually purchase this car, did you. trip??
he owes god money. you know, he queered himself for good with esquire.
yeah, between a bookie and a pair of broken legs.
trip? ?
left you? who? emily?
but. . why didn't you say something, tripp? i mean, what are we doing here?
i thought you were mrs. gaskell's hobby, tripp.
oh, i'm sure you'll find another. you always do.
chancellor. don't you look ravishing.
this wouldn't be walter's dog, would it?
we'll just make ourselves at home. won't we, poe? yes, yes.
walter! i see you've met my friend.
here we are!
nell, hello there.
how comprehensive of you.
you did them alphabetically.
fascinating. listen, why don't you come out with us after the lecture. there's a place on the hill i always get trip to take me.
oh, don't be silly. no one your age just wants to go home. besides, faculty will be present. just think of it as a field trip.
he's fine. he's narrating.
primarily. although i gather you two staged a little raid on the crabtree pharmacopoeia. you missed a few bottles, by the way.
sara and walter declined. guess they wanted to go home and curl up on the couch with the dog.
he has a book.
he finished it winter break.
so. is he any good?
well, i'm going to read it anyway.
he is. take my word for it.
on the contrary, it 'could be just the ticket.
no sexual confusion there, eh, professor?
oh my goodness. do you see what i see?
huh uh. a jockey. his name's, um, curtis.  .curtis hardapple.
vernon, then. vernon hardapple. the scar's are from a--from a horse. he fell during a race and got trampled.
he can't piss standing up anymore.
and he had a younger brother who . . .was . . . a. . .
because. . .because. . .
that was good.
and q huddle inside.
tripp.
hit your brakes.
just go around him.
back up. go out the other way.
where would we go?
good morning, boys. james.
trip?! where are you'
trip?!
tripp, where the hell. . .
what? ohhhh. is that.  it?
honestly, tripp. do you actually think i would sneak in here and read your book without asking you?
sometimes we have to improvise.
james? my james? what's happened?
kidnapped? by who?
good god. let's go rescue him.
ah. wait a minute. the university must know where he lives.
is it a little late to call the chancellor?
you know--based on what i've read-- this is a very exciting piece of material, this big parade.
i've been doing this a long time, tripp. i feel this kid in my bones.
no. i think i might be right. i've felt it before.
bad enough. and god knows i don't exactly fit the new corporate profile.
competence.
plenty, i'm sure. but, for what it's worth.
i like her.
jesus. there must be two dozen windows on . that thing. how are we-supposed to find his?
doris day.
we're springing you. leer. get some pants on.
i like what you've done with it. when's captain nemo moving in?
hey, i heard all about it--the parents, the grandparents, the china town thing-- and i believe you, okay? that's why we're here. now go get dressed.
so modest.
oh, come on, tripp. cut the kid some slack.
the-truth. i know that's always been real important to you. key, check this out.
finally, the door opened. it-was a shock to: see him, shuffling into the room like an aging prizefighter. limping. beaten.' sound like anyone we know? but it was later, when the great man squinted into the bitter glow or twilight.  bitter glow of twilight? this kid definitely needs an editor. . and muttered simply, "it means nothing. all of it. nothing," that the true shock came. it was then that the boy understood that his hero's true injuries lay hidden in a darker place. his heart'
'his heart, once capable of inspiring others so completely, could no longer inspire so much as itself. it beat now only out of habit. it beat now only because it could. '
he's great. come on, let's blow before ol' gran decides to boil your bones for breakfast.
hhhuh. so we decoy her. stick a couple pillows and one of your teddy bears under the spread and she won't know the difference.
things must've picked up after we left.
ye-es?
i'm afraid he's pretty worn out, poor kid.
so i hear.
he's right, you look horrible.
ah, right. well, i gave you my opinion.
so what's the problem?
who's that?
the chancellor's here? now?
james. this book of yours. it's not bad. not bad at all.
you're welcome.
i want to publish this. i've got to. i think they'll let me. with a little editorial guidance it could be brilliant.
so- what do we do now? ,
oh' huh. exactly how do we do that?
it seems to me that girl would let you borrow her pancreas.
want some help with that?
let me get this straight. jerry nathan owes you money. so, as collateral, he gives you his car.
so whose car is it?
the hood jumper?
such as.
hh hub. so. we find vernon, we find the car. we find the car.
there's only one problem, tripp. we don't know his real name. we just made it up. in fact, we made the whole guy up.
christ, tripp. how did you know?
i'd call it genius.
what the hell.
holy shit.
tripp! run!
naturally you have copies.
you'll be all right then. look at carlyle, when he lost his luggage.
or hemingway, when hadley lost all those stories.
bad examples. look, tripp, i don't want to depreciate the loss here, but perhaps--in a sense- this-- is for the best.
in a sense.
i'm just saying that sometimes, subconsciously, a person will put themselves in a situation-perhaps even create that situation- in order to have an arena in which to work out an unresolved issue. it's a covert way, if you will, of addressing a problem.
that's pretty simplistic, don't you think?
excuse me. did you, or did you not, have a gun to his head?
what he means is, it's difficult to distill the essence of a book sometimes. it-lives in the mind.
the jacket, tripp. we need the jacket.
you mind explaining what you just did?
do you know he won't expel him?
that's very enlightened, professor. it's comforting to know that america's children have you for a teacher.
me? what can i do?
i'm sorry, tripp.
i peeked.
it really had the makings, tripp. there was a lot to admire. i've . never read anything quite like it.
scout's honor.