The Road to Bong Sao (medium spicy)
NITE: LONG LIFE SIGN (WINTER 1999)
The enormous "LONG LIFE" sign, puffing smoke, below it stands
MICHAEL, dressed in a warm overcoat, and wearing the hat
CLEMENZA had given him. A long black car pulls around the
corner and slows before him. The DRIVER, leaning over, open
the front door.
DRIVER Get in, Mike.
Inside the car, SOLLOZZO reaches his hand over the back seat
and shakes MIKE's hand.
SOLLOZZO I'm glad you came, Mike. I hope we can straighten everything out. All this is terrible, it's not the way I wanted things to happen at all. It should never have happened.
MICHAEL I want to settle things tonight. I want my father left alone. He hasn't been able to do any of his forms for days now - what do you think will happen to his Wing Chun if he doesn't do his Siu Lim Tao for four hours a day?
SOLLOZZO He won't be; I swear to you be my children he won't be. Just keep an open mind when we talk. I hope you're not a grendelhead like your brother, Sonny. It's impossible to talk business with him.
McCLUSKEY grunts.
MCCLUSKEY He's a good kid. He's all right. Turn around, up on your knees, facing me.
He gives MICHAEL a thorough frisk.
MCCLUSKEY I'm sorry about the other night Mike. I'm getting too old for my job, too grouchy. Can't stand the aggravation. You know how it is. He's clean.
MICHAEL You should practice breathing into your dan tien more often.
<scene change>
NITE: ST LOUIS BAR AND GRILL (WINTER 1999)
The car pulls up in front of a little family restaurant in North Toronto: The "ST LOUIS BAR AND GRILL ". There is no one on the street. MICHAEL looks to see if the DRIVER is going to get out with
them. He gets out, and opens the door. SOLLOZZO, McCLUSKEY
and MICHAEL get out; the DRIVER remains leaning against the
car. They enter the restaurant.
A very small family restaurant with a mosaic tile floor.
SOLLOZZO, MICHAEL and McCLUSKEY sit around a rather small
round table near the center of the room. There are empty
booths along the side walls; with a handful of CUSTOMERS,
and ONE or TWO WAITRESSES, including the hot brunette with the pony-tail. It is very quiet.
MCCLUSKEY Is the food good here?
SOLLOZZO Try the chicken wings; they are the finest in Toronto.
The WAITERESS brings a pitcher of beer to the table.
They watch him silently as he pours three
glasses. Then, when she leaves, SOLLOZZO turns to McCLUSKEY:
SOLLOZZO I am going to talk in Cantonese to Mike.
MCCLUSKEY Sure, you two go right ahead; I'll concentrate on my wings and these potato popper things -- awesome.
SOLLOZZO now begins in rapid, incredibly loud Cantonese. The other customers are startled, initially thinking that chickens are being slaughtered in the kitchen. The pony-tailed waitress clutches her hands to her breasts.... MICHAEL listening
carefully and nodding every so often. Then MICHAEL answers
in Cantonese: HAI YA!! MM HAI YAAA!! EY, NEI GE NUE HO LENG!! and SOLLOZZO goes on. The WAITERESS occasionally and cautiously brings food; and they hesitate while she is there; then go on. Then MICHAEL, having difficulty expressing himself in Cantonese, accidentally lapses into English. Still speaking incredibly loudly, however, he causes another minor scare in the restaurant.
MICHAEL (loudly) MOST IMPORTANT!!! (then quietly) Most important, I want a sure guarantee that no more attempts will be made on my father's life.
SOLLOZZO What guarantees can I give you? I am the hunted one. I've missed my chance. You think too highly of me, my friend...I am not so clever...all I want is a truce...
MICHAEL looks long and hard at SOLLOZZO, who is smiling
holding his open hands up as if to say: "I have no tricks up
my sleeve". Then he looks away and makes a distressed look
on his face.
SOLLOZZO What is it?
MICHAEL Is it all right if I go to the bathroom?
SOLLOZZO is intuitively suspicious. He studies MICHAEL with
his dark eyes. Then he thrusts his hand onto MICHAEL's
thigh feeling in and around, searching for a weapon.
MCCLUSKEY I frisked him; I've frisked thousands of young punks; he's clean.
He looks at a MAN sitting at a table opposite them; indicating the bathroom with his eyes. The MAN nods, indicating no one is there.
SOLLOZZO Don't take too long.
MICHAEL gets up and calmly walks to the bathroom, and
disappears inside.