(beat)

  I never did give your boy that blanket. Even after all he did, and he did everything I asked. No blanket. That blanket was just a heart breakin’ liar’s promise. Sorta’ like when the union issued those colored troopers uniforms.… that you chose not to acknowledge.

  Maj.Warren makes his point.

  It’s a pretty good one.

  MAJ.WARREN

  So what are you gonna’ do old man? You gonna’ spend the next two or three days ignoring the nigger who killed your boy? Ignoring how I made him suffer? Ignoring the agony I inflicted? Ignoring how I made him lick all over my johnson? Yep’, the dumbest thing your boy ever did, was let me know he was your boy.

  The Old Man LEAPS TO HIS FEET GRABBING THE GUN, bringing the pistol’s barrel up towards Maj.Warren at the bar.

  Barely even turning towards him, Maj.Warren calmly and smoothly pulls his pistol from his holster, and puts a bullet square in the Old Man’s chest.

  Maj.Warren’s pistol BLOWS GEN.SMITHERS OFF HIS FEET and INTO THE ROARING FIREPLACE.

  His old uniform CATCHES FIRE, and he FLIP FLOPS on the floor, letting out a HIGH PITCHED SCREAM as The Old Man burns.

  Some of the people at Minnie’s run to put out the fire.

  Maj.Warren DRAWS HIS GUN stopping them.

  MAJ.WARREN

  Let ’em burn.

  And burn he does.

  Till he’s dead.

  CHRIS

  We gotta’ put it out ’fore it burns this whole place down!

  Major Marquis replaces his pistol back in its holster.

  MAJ.WARREN

  Go ahead.

  They put out the blazing body till it’s just a smoldering corpse.

  CUT TO BLACK

  CUT FROM BLACK TO:

  OVERHEAD CRANE SHOT OF MINNIE’S HABERDASHERY

  We see an overhead tableaux of Minnie’s Haberdashery about fifteen minutes since the last page.

  Maj.Warren sits at a table alone, drinking from the Brandy bottle.

  Both Joe Gage and O.B. carry the dead burnt corpse of Gen.Smithers out of the room and out the door. The WIND from outside WHIPS INTO THE ROOM—Bob shuts the door behind them—CUTTING OFF THE WIND—and holds it closed.

  Domergue (still unchained) hasn’t moved from her spot before. She still sits at the community picnic table.

  An unseen LITERARY NARRATOR comes on the soundtrack clueing the audience in to what’s happening.

  NARRATOR (VO)

  About fifteen minutes has passed since we last left our characters. During that time Chris, John Ruth, and Oswaldo got into a vigorous debate about the legality of what just transpired. Marquis Warren, who is supremely confident about the legality of what just transpired, ignored them, sat at a table by himself and finished the brandy bottle. Then as the legality discussion started to wind down due to lack of oxygen, Joe Gage and O.B. carried the dead charred body of Gen.Smithers out of the haberdashery to stash out in the snow. Bob held the door for them. Domergue, however, hasn’t moved from her spot at the community dinner table since John Ruth uncuffed her.

  The CAMERA begins to CRANE DOWN towards Domergue till it LANDS on a TIGHT MEDIUM of her.

  NARRATOR (VO)

  At this point in the story Daisy Domergue is keen with anticipation. Something her face, body, and demeanor are trying very hard to conceal. Because, as stated in the title of this Chapter Four, Domergue’s got a secret.

  FREEZE FRAME on Domergue.

  NARRATOR (VO)

  Let’s go back a bit.

  CUT TO

  INT—MINNIE’S HABERDASHERY—DAY

  We’ve gone back in time to the moment Maj.Warren was taunting the Old Man by telling him tales of sticking his dick down the General’s son’s throat. Except this time we watch the scene from an eye level perspective across the room… more or less in the area of the pot belly stove.

  NARRATOR (VO)

  Fifteen minutes ago Maj.Warren shot Gen.Smithers in front of everybody. But.… twenty seconds before that, something equally as important happened, but not everybody saw it.

  The CAMERA BEGINS MOVING BACK…… Till…… The pot belly stove and The BLUE COFFY POT enter FRAME.

  Maj.Warren talking shit across the room a little SOFT in the B.G. and The Blue Coffy Pot on the RIGHT SIDE OF FRAME SHARP in the F.G.

  NARRATOR (VO)

  You see, while Warren was reminiscing with Smithers about his boy…

  WE SEE UNSEEN FINGERS lift the LID off of the blue coffy pot.

  NARRATOR (VO)

  … somebody…

  WE SEE UNSEEN FINGERS pour the contents of a LITTLE BLUE BLACK BOTTLE into the coffy pot.

  NARRATOR (VO)

  … poisoned the coffy.

  CUT TO

  CU DOMERGUE

  And the only one to see him do it was Domergue. Her head is turned away from the black Major, her eyes are big saucers, as she watches The Poisoner poison the coffy.

  NARRATOR (VO)

  And the only one was to see ’em do it, was Domergue.

  OFF SCREEN The Poisoner locks eyes with Domergue.

  Domergue looks back…

  When…

  BANG!

  Domergue turns around at the shot fired behind her, we see from her perspective Gen.Smithers blown into the fireplace.

  PICNIC TABLE

  We see the people around the table (except for Domergue) rise and start to move towards the fire.

  WE SEE MAJ.WARREN’S PISTOL COME FROM OFF FRAME—POINT AND COCK AT THE PEOPLE INSIDE.

  The People freeze.

  MAJ.WARREN (OS)

  Let ’em burn.

  The people can’t take their eyes off of the burning Smithers….… all except Domergue… who sneaks a look behind her.

  DOMERGUE’S POV:

  Her perspective of the deadly blue coffy pot of poison… just sitting on the stove… waiting to be deadly.

  CUT TO

  BACK TO THE PRESENT

  DOMERGUE

  The CAMERA MOVES INTO A CU OF DOMERGUE with just the barest hint of a smile on her face.

  CUT TO

  EXT—MINNIE’S HABERDASHERY—SUNSET

  Joe Gage and O.B. have tossed the corpse of Gen.Smithers out in the woods. As they go back to the shelter they realize the sky is magnificently beautiful, windy, but beautiful. The SUNSET paints ice cream colors not only in the sky but against the surrounding white snow. With both the wind and the cold whipping around them, Joe Gage and O.B. take in the sight.

  Enjoying it.

  CUT TO

  INT—MINNIE’S HABERDASHERY—SUNSET

  The BLUE COFFY POT

  ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF FRAME sits the Blue Deadly Coffy pot on the stove. ON THE LEFT SIDE OF FRAME the camera is pointed at the front door in the B.G.

  The front door opens, and Joe Gage and O.B. walk through it.

  Bob slams the door, and goes about nailing it shut.

  The very cold O.B. makes a beeline towards the blue coffy pot.

  Joe Gage heads for the fireplace to warm up instead.

  John Ruth, by the pot belly stove, lifts the blue coffy pot off of the stove and pours the stagecoach driver a cup.

  Right after it gets poured, O.B. brings it up to his lips and DRINKS IT.

  John Ruth pours himself a cup, then replaces the blue coffy pot back on the hot stove.

  O.B. heads over to the bar, to light candles and lanterns now it’s getting darker.

  John Ruth takes the untouched coffy cup, and crosses the room back over to the picnic dinner table that Domergue is sitting at.

  He takes a DRINK OF POISON COFFY as he sits down next to Domergue.

  Domergue watches him do it, and can’t help but smile.

  John Ruth sees her smile at him.

  He holds out the coffy cup, offering her some;

  JOHN RUTH

  Want some?

  DOMERGUE

  No thanks. It’s getting late. Coffy makes me jumpy.

  JOHN RUTH

  You look a little jumpy. Must be all this Freedom.

  He puts down the coffy cup, grabs her arm and LOCKS himself back in the handcuff attached to her wrist.

  DOMERGUE

  Awww John, I thought—

  JOHN RUTH

  —You thought wrong, bitch.

  DOMERGUE

  If you just give me a chance—

  JOHN RUTH

  —Bitch, you had your chance.

  Then DRINKS MORE COFFY.

  Domergue giggles.

  She has to play it cool, but each drink he takes is like a knife plunge.

  John Ruth TAKES ANOTHER DRINK.

  Domergue smiles a satisfied smile, turns away and her eyes search for O.B.

  She finds O.B. walking around the shack LIGHTING CANDLES and LANTERNS. Bob and Chris do the same as the LIGHTING turns from DAY TO NIGHT.

  DOMERGUE

  watches.

  O.B.

  lights a lantern. He seems fine. He walks over to where Chris is lighting six candles in a candle holder. He removes a candle, and lights more candles with it.

  DOMERGUE

  watches O.B.

  Behind her we see the pot belly stove with the blue coffy pot on it in SOFT FOCUS in the B.G. We also see Chris enter this soft focus lighting candles.

  O.B.

  lights more candles.

  We SLOWLY ZOOM TOWARDS HIM.

  DOMERGUE

  watches O.B.… waiting.

  Behind her we see Chris in SOFT FOCUS pick up the blue coffy pot and pour a cup.

  O.B.

  puts down his candle, and picks up his coffy cup taking a big drink. We ZOOM CLOSER TOWARDS HIM.

  DOMERGUE

  watches O.B.… waiting.… WHEN…

  John Ruth, handcuffed to Domergue, GUTS EXPLODE INSIDE OF HIM VOMITING BLOOD.

  In the B.G. Chris with the coffy cup in hand, stops and looks.

  O.B.

  turns and looks.

  JOHN RUTH

  holds his belly. Looks at the puke in front of him, sees it’s blood. He doesn’t get it.

  THEN.…

  O.B.’s

  GUTS EXPLODE INSIDE OF HIM VOMITING BLOOD. Knocking him to all fours on the floor.

  JOHN RUTH

  Guts explode again, VOMITING MORE BLOOD.

  O.B.

  on all fours VOMITS MORE BLOOD on the floor.

  JOHN RUTH

  is ready to collapse from the picnic table. He looks over to the woman he is chained to and sees Domergue’s smiling face.

  Domergue smiles and bats her eyes at him.

  DOMERGUE

  When you get to hell, John?

  Tell ’em Daisy sent ya’.

  John Ruth realizes Domergue’s got a secret.

  She’s killed him.

  ROARING like a dragon, John Ruth rises to his feet, and takes his big fist and PUNCHES DAISY RIGHT SQUARE IN THE MOUTH.

  Her head SNAPS VIOLENTLY BACK, as her lips EXPLODE BLOOD. When Domergue’s head comes back, she SPITS OUT HER TWO FRONT TEETH, and laughs at him.

  John Ruth quickly turns to Chris Mannix with the cup of coffy in his hand;

  JOHN RUTH

  Mannix, the coffy!

  Everybody in the room hears this.

  Mannix throws his coffy cup to the floor, undrunk.

  Ruth turns back to Domergue’s laughing bloody face..… and PUNCHES it again, knocking her to the floor.

  Daisy continues to laugh, as he climbs on top of her, grabbing a handful of her hair with one hand, and bringing his other fist SMASHING IN HER FACE.

  THEN.…

  The poison hits John Ruth’s guts again, he RETCHES.… and PUKES BLOODY ALL OVER DAISY.

  Daisy just laughs..…

  His guts turn more.…

  He PUKES MORE BLOOD.…

  The pain in his guts makes him roll off of her on to the floor holding his sides… he weakly takes out his pistol from the holster on his hip.… she grabs at it.… chained together they struggle over the gun…

  Everybody watches the struggle on the floor.

  His guts retch again… he doubles over… leaving Domergue the pistol… she holds it with both hands.… She cocks back the hammer…

  And FIRES THREE SHOTS into John Ruth’s chest and body.

  The big bad bounty hunter tips over to the floor dead.

  One of Maj.Warren’s hands grabs Domergue by the hair, the other grabs the gun and wrestles it away from her grip, then hits her in the head with it, knocking her back.

  THEN.…

  MAJ.WARREN

  turns the pistol on everybody else in the room.

  MAJ.WARREN

  Everybody get your back sides up against that back wall!

  JOE GAGE

  Look goddamit—

  Maj.Warren FIRES his pistol.

  The bullet STRIKES the top of a wooden chair, right beside Joe Gage’s hand. The WOOD EXPLODES right next to Joe Gage’s flesh, burning, stinging, cutting, and shocking him.

  Gage jumps back, holding his stinging hand, looking at Maj.Warren.

  MAJ.WARREN

  Get or don’t get Gage. It’s up to you.

  JOE GAGE

  I’ll get.

  MAJ.WARREN

  Then get.

  Joe Gage gets up against the wall with the other men in the room.

  Chris Mannix, Oswaldo Mobray, Joe Gage, and Bob stand in a line, backs to the wall.

  Domergue sits on the ground, wrist still handcuffed to the wrist of the dead bad ass John Ruth.

  MAJ.WARREN

  two guns in hand, one of his own, the other John Ruth’s, a third in the holster on his hip, keeps them pointed at the four men.

  Maj.Warren looks down at O.B.

  Dead.

  He looks to John Ruth and Domergue on the floor.

  One dead, one stares back with hate.

  Then he looks to the four men he has lined up against the wall.

  MAJ.WARREN

  (to the room)

  Y’all keep your mouth shut and do what I tell ya’. Anybody opens their mouth, gonna’ get a bullet. Anybody moves a little weird.… little sudden—gonna’ get a bullet. Not a warning. Not a question. A bullet. Now y’all got that?

  They acknowledge.

  Using John Ruth’s line, the Major says;

  MAJ.WARREN

  Let me hear you say, “I got it”.

  He makes them say it.

  MAJ.WARREN

  Mannix?

  Chris Mannix’s eyes go to him.

  MAJ.WARREN

  Get over on this side.

  Chris moves cautiously away from the wall, to the Major’s side of the room.

  MAJ.WARREN

  Take that pistol out of this holster.

  Indicating the pistol still in the left side holster hanging from the Major’s hip.

  Chris looks at him with an expression that says; “Really?”

  The Major nods affirmative.

  Chris cautiously removes the pistol from the black man’s belt.

  Now Chris has a gun. He looks to the Major, who still has two guns pointed at the other three men against the wall.

  MAJ.WARREN

  Okay, point it at them. Like I said, they do anything—and I mean “anything”—kill ’em.

  Chris Mannix does that.

  CHRIS

  (to Maj.Warren)

  So you finally decided I’m tellin’ the truth ’bout bein’ the sheriff of Red Rock, huh?

  MAJ.WARREN

  (to Chris)

  I don’t know ’bout all that. But you ain’t the killer who poisoned that coffy. You almost drunk it your own damn self.

  The Major’s eyes go back to the three men against the wall.

  MAJ.WARREN

  (to them)

  But one of y’all is.

  The Major hears something, and he turns towards Domergue on the floor.

  She has dug the TINY HANDCUFF KEY out of John Ruth’s pocket, and is just about to stick it in the lock and free herself from the corpse… WHEN…

  Maj.Warren points one of his pistols at her, and FIRES into the FLOOR next to her. The SOUND in the enclosed log cabin is eardrum exploding LOUD. She freezes.

  Maj.Warren, his one arm outstretched, holding a gun pointed at the three men against the wall. The other arm is holding a gun pointed at Domergue on the floor. He takes the gun pointed at Domergue, and places it back in its holster. Then he holds his hand out, palm up to Domergue.

  MAJ.WARREN

  Gimmie the key.

  It breaks her heart, but she places the tiny handcuff key in the palm of his hand, his fingers close around it.

  Maj.Warren walks across the room to the pot belly stove. He opens the door of the stove above the fire, and TOSSES THE TINY KEY INSIDE.

  Domergue, whose modus operandi is outrageous behavior and the disarming affect it has on opponents, can’t believe Marquis just did what he did. She SCREAMS AT HIM;

  DOMERGUE

  YOU MOTHERFUCKING BLACK BASTARD! You’re gonna’ die on this mountain and I’m gonna’ fucking laugh when you do!

  Maj.Warren turns from the stove and FIRES his pistol at Domergue.

  The BULLET EXPLODES in the dead body of John Ruth next to her, SHOWERING HER WITH RUTH’S BLOOD. It shocks her enough to shut her up.

  MAJ.WARREN

  What I say ’bout talkin’? ’Meant it, didn’t I? You need to understand. You just shot the only man committed to getting you to Red Rock alive. Raise your voice again, and the next bullet goes in your lung.

  Major Warren has all the attention in the room. He turns from her on the floor, to them against the wall.

  MAJ.WARREN

  Now… one of you.… is workin’ with her. Or… two of you are workin’ with her. Or… all y’all is workin’ with her. But only one of you poisoned the coffy.

  (gesturing towards Domergue)

  Now whatever charms this bitch got make you brave a blizzard and kill in cold blood, I’m sure I don’t know. But.… John Ruth’s trying to hang your woman, so you kill him… okay—maybe? But O.B. wasn’t hangin’ nobody. He’s sure enough dead now though, ain’t he? Just like any one of us who’d drank that coffy.