Zapata by John Steinbeck

Author:John Steinbeck [Steinbeck, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141923512
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2011-07-25T16:00:00+00:00

SCENE

Villa and Zapata meet in the castle of Chapultepec. It is in the same throne room where we have seen Zapata as a young delegate, and now these two are the most powerful men in Mexico.

VILLA: Why don’t you take over the presidency?

EMILIANO: No, I would not do that. It would be the denial of everything I believe and the reenactment of everything I have fought against.

VILLA (Pointing to the presidential throne): Sit in the chair and see how it feels to you.

NOTE: Actually he said, “Put your ass down and let your bung hole feel the high office.”

EMILIANO: No, I do not even want to feel it.

VILLA (Laughs): Well, then, let my children, whoever they are, see their father as President. (He sits in the chair and is photographed there. That picture is in existence, with Zapata standing beside him. Zapata had no humor; no very great man has ever had.)

Later, in another scene, Villa and Zapata went to a house of prostitution in Mexico City. The line of girls walked by.

VILLA: You should take that blonde there to Morelos with you.

EMILIANO: I have never been with a blonde. The rancheras have been my companions.

VILLA: Well, you should try everything. (The two men are drinking quite heavily, for Emiliano, at least.)

EMILIANO (Shrugs his shoulders): Why not? (He speaks to the blonde, who is standing in front of him now.) Would you like to go to Cuautla with me?

THE BLONDE (Shrugs her shoulders exactly as Emiliano has, and in the same tone says): Why not? (The men laugh.)

VILLA: You see? Why not? Look, my friend, you work too hard. You never laugh. You have no gaiety. That is not good. You should take this piece of blonde laughter with you. I mean it. It would be a rest for your weariness.

EMILIANO (Quite seriously): Perhaps you are right.

THE BLONDE: Can I buy some clothes first? I have nothing proper to wear.

VILLA (Scowls a little): Maybe I was wrong. Blonde laughter here is turning into a wife and a lady even quicker than most. They all do, but some take longer, and then your laughter is gone.

EMILIANO (Seriously): No. I have said I will take her with me, and I will.

VILLA: She will probably disapprove of you by tomorrow.

THE BLONDE (Still holding to her original thought): I didn’t mean anything, you know, fancy. But I’ve been sick and even the things I have don’t fit me. And you wouldn’t want a frowsy woman with you, would you? You’d want to be proud of my looks, wouldn’t you?

Emiliano nods solemnly, while Villa bursts into a roar of sardonic laughter.

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