happy birthday
Oh, Dag
you remembered
I got you something
you did?
that’s so sweet
I got you the greatest gift one human being can offer another person
you didn’t have to do that
what is it?
I have achieved something
Oh, gosh
well
I made an achievement all by myself and no one can touch it or sully it with their dirty jealous fingers and no one can take it away from me, never never never
so
happy birthday
thank you, Dagny
Yes.
You’re welcome.

COMMUNISM
what about Communism?
WATCH OUT FOR IT
all right
IT’S EVERYWHERE
all right
SO WATCH OUT
I will.

do you love me, Hank
really love me, I mean?
I love you, you know
I love the way you run the motor of the world
I love you like a train
Like a what?
it’s the highest and purest form of love there is, Hank
the love of a woman for a train
gosh but I love trains
that little whistle
the knowledge that you could roll merrily over any one of your enemies and crush their thick skulls with your harnessed steel-beasts
those hot little rolls they have in the dining car
do we have any of those rolls left?
I’ll find out
trains trains trains
I do love em

do you know who I just hate
who?
everybody
everybody but us
do you want to come over
right now?
yeah
all right
you know what we should do?
what?
you should just
stay over
and we can go on strike
on strike from what?
on strike from everybody
because fuck em

I don’t know if you noticed this
but my shoulder was naked in my evening gown tonight
I did see that
it was my gown’s only ornament, that naked shoulder
Very nice
well, also the diamond band
that was the other ornament I had on
so the shoulder was naked
but my wrist had diamonds on it
Right
did those diamonds make you think of chains
Chains are so terribly feminine, you know
almost as feminine as a naked shoulder
mm
Guess what
my shoulder is naked right now
Oh
well
underneath my blazer it is naked
both of my shoulders are naked
underneath my blazer
I see
does that make you want to chain them up
I’m awfully sorry
but I have to go to a meeting now
you can chain me up after your meeting then
I’ll think about that

Francisco
Francisco are you awake?
Francisco?
what is it
Francisco, I can’t sleep
I’m sorry
I had a bad dream
the one about the Communists?
I don’t want to talk about it
tell me about the root of money again, Francisco
what time is it?
Come on, Francisco
tell me
I’ll help get you started
“Money is a root of exchange…”
Dag, please
I have to work in the morning
“Paper is a mortgage on wealth that does not exist…”
you don’t even need me to tell you what money is
I like the way that you tell it best
all right
all right, I’ll tell you about the root of money
do that voice you do for the looters, ok
do your looters voice
I’ll do my looters voice
k