Dashiell Bad Horse – Who Cares What The Question Is? – Rol Hirst

Panel One.

FBI agent Baylis Earl Nitz sits at a bar, a cigarette in his mouth, a whiskey in his hand. The bar around him has been wrecked – broken chairs, over-turned tables, smashed glasses and bottles, blood on the floor. There’s obviously been a huge brawl here, and now almost everyone else has cleared out. In the background we can see a doorway leading through to the pool room and we can just make out that a man has been tied, spread-eagled, to the pool table though we can only make out his feet from this angle. Dashiell Bad Horse stands over this man, holding a broken pool cue – about to go to work.

Panel Two.

Close on Nitz. He takes a drink from his whiskey. His cigarette sits on the corner of an ash tray on the bar. Behind him (off-panel), the man on the pool table starts screaming.

Man (O/P): No – no, please… please… I’ll tell you anything… please…

Panel Three.

Still close on Nitz, listening. He sets the glass down on the bar. A slight smile flickers across his lips.

Man (O/P): Pleeeeaaaaaarrrghhhhhhhhhh!

Panel Four.

Same again. The cigarette is in Nitz’s mouth again. He’s rubbing his eye with a hand, looking a little bored now.

Man (O/P): No – no – no – noooaaaauuuurrrrggghh!

Panel Five.

Same again. Nitz is picking his teeth with a toothpick now. His cigarette is ground out on the bar.

Behind him, Dash Bad Horse walks back into the main bar, wiping bloody hands on his jeans.

Nitz: So?

Panel Six.

Dash doesn’t reply. Nitz turns to face him.

Nitz: Did you get the information I need?

Panel Seven.

Looking pissed off, Dash turns and walks back into the pool room.

Dash: Fuck. I knew there was something...