بخش 02

Here in the Mojave Desert, animals have had millions of years to adapt to the harsh environment.

But the lizard?

He is going to die.

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers.

Don’t move.

What?

Don’t move

Not moving.

Not moving.

Try to blend in.

Blend in?

What do you mean?

Blend in.

What are you saying?

Too late.

No, no.

It’s not too late

l’m blending

l’m a blender

Hey, calm down

What are you doing?

Stop moving

Try not to look conspicuous.

What are you doing?

l’m blending

Go blend somewhere else.

Don’t distract me.

No room at the inn.

It’s an art, not a science.

Find your own hiding place.

No, this is good.

Here she comes

You better run, Mojito

What?

l thought you said, Don’t move.

That was before.

Now, you run.

Oh, hey.

Proboscis.

Testy.

Please, no, please.

l have vertigo

My glands are swelling

no.

You

l’ll kill you

You stupid lizard

Get out of there.

l’m going to strangle your huevos

Big bird

No, wait

Come back

l was just kidding

Come on, we’re friends, right?

l don’t know you

Lizards, frogs.

Find your own hiding place

We’re practically related

No room at the inn

Come on, move over

You’re not my friend

l’ll let you kiss my sister

You son of a.

Where are your friends now, amigo?

Get your slimy webbed phalanges off my boots

Sorry.

l got a bead on you, stranger.

So you get up real slow

lessen you want to spend the better part of the afternoon putting your face back together

No, ma’am, l don’t.

Who are you?

Who am l?

l’m asking the questions here

Our town is drying up.

We’re in the middle of a drought.

Now someone’s dumping water in the desert

It’s a puzzle of undeterminable size and dimension, but l intend to find out what role you playing in all this.

Role?

What are you involved in?

Well, l’m glad you asked.

I’ve got two one acts, a mystery and a musical I’ve been gestating.

l got the words, l’m just working on the melody right now.

It’s like a.

l think it’s gonna be a western.

A monkey got a cracker his mother was a sIapper

She’II be coming round the mountain in the rain

You ain’t from around here, are you?

l’m still working on it.

So, what’s your name?

Beans.

That’s a funny kind of name.

What can l say?

My daddy plumb loved baked beans.

Well, you’re lucky he didn’t plumb love asparagus.

What are you saying?

l mean, l enjoy a hearty puttanesca myself, but l’m not sure that a child would appreciate the moniker.

My daddy was a great man, even if he did exhibit a proclivity for legumes.

Spicy.

You’re eating his ashes

You carry his remains?

No, his ashes.

He loved to smoke.

They never found the body.

Well, l’m sure he had his reasons.

What are you implying?

Nothing.

My daddy was never near that mine shaft.

He’d been sober for over a month

And for you to insinuate that he would abandon his parental responsibilities at a delicate time in my personal development is an affront to my sense.

Miss Beans?

Miss Beans?

Hello?

Hello?

And until the people of Andromeda Five return him safe and sound, l will not sell my ranch What, What are you doing?

What are you doing?

What am l doing?

You’re cuddling me.

You were frozen.

l was not.

Yes, you were.

You stopped talking.

It’s a defense mechanism.

Actually, lots of lizards have it.

You’re making that up.

So, you gonna die out here, or you want a ride into town?

No, no, no.

Yeah.

No.

Yes, please.

Thank you.

Sorry.

Today’s Wednesday.

Wednesday’s when we all get to it.

So who are you, really?

Well, l’m a man of many epithets.

There’s my stage name, my pen name, my avatar.

l had a pseudonym once, but l had it legally changed.

And so the stranger, seeking companionship, finds the woman, much like the sirens of ancient times luring him to his certain demise.

l’m actually one of the few men with a maiden name.

Whoa

Well, here we are.

Right.

Well, l sure do appreciate this, Miss Beans, and if there’s ever anything that I.

Get on up

Okay, then

See you, Beans.

You heading out, Jim?

Well, we gave it our best shot.

We had to sell out.

Can’t grow no crops without no water.

Bye, now

What is it?

What was that for?

You’re funny looking.

Oh, yeah?

Well, you’re funny looking, too.

That’s a funny looking shirt.

That’s a funny looking dress.

You got funny looking eyes

You got a funny looking face

You’re a stranger.

Strangers don’t last long here.

Here’s your beans, Beans.

l’m gonna need some more feed, too, Willie.

Now, Beans, you owe me three quarts already.

l can’t give you more credit.

But l’ll have what l owe you at noon.

You don’t understand.

It’s Mr Merrimack down at the bank.

He cut off all credit.

Hey, Beans

Beans

You know that there fella?

Hey, Beans

Miss Beans

Nope.

Hey, Beans

Hey.

Right.

Blend in.

Yeah, blend in.