The Killers

by Ernest Hemingway
The door of Henrys lunchroom opened and two men came in. They sat down at the counter. Whats yours? George asked them. I dont know one of the men said. What do you want to eat !l? I dont know said !l. I dont know what I want to eat. "utside it was getting dark. The streetlight came on outside the window. The two men at the counter read the menu. #rom the other end of the counter $ick !dams watched them. He had %een talking to George when they came in. Ill ha&e a roast pork tenderloin with apple sauce and mashed potatoes the first man said. It isnt ready yet. What the hell do you put it on the card for? Thats the dinner George e'plained. (ou can get that at si' oclock. George looked at the clock on the wall %ehind the counter. Its fi&e oclock. The clock says twenty minutes past fi&e the second man said. Its twenty minutes fast. "h to hell with the clock the first man said. What ha&e you got to eat? I can gi&e you any kind of sandwiches George said. (ou can ha&e ham and eggs %acon and eggs li&er and %acon or a steak. Gi&e me chicken cro)uettes with green peas and cream sauce and mashed potatoes. Thats the dinner. *&erything we wants the dinner eh? Thats the way you work it. I can gi&e you ham and eggs %acon and eggs li&er+ Ill take ham and eggs the man called !l said. He wore a der%y hat and a %lack o&ercoat %uttoned across the chest. His face was small and white and he had tight lips. He wore a silk muffler and glo&es. Gi&e me %acon and eggs said the other man. He was a%out the same si,e as !l. Their faces were different %ut they were dressed like twins. -oth wore o&ercoats too tight for them. They sat leaning forward their el%ows on the counter. Got anything to drink? !l asked. .il&er %eer %e&o ginger/ale George said.

I mean you got anything to drink? 0ust those I said. This is a hot town said the other. What do they call it? .ummit. *&er hear of it? !l asked his friend. $o said the friend. What do they do here nights? !l asked. They eat the dinner his friend said. They all come here and eat the %ig dinner. Thats right George said. .o you think thats right? !l asked George. .ure. (oure a pretty %right %oy arent you? .ure said George. Well youre not said the other little man. Is he !l? Hes dum% said !l. He turned to $ick. Whats your name? !dams. !nother %right %oy !l said. !int he a %right %oy 1a'? The towns full of %right %oys 1a' said. George put the two platters one of ham and eggs the other of %acon and eggs on the counter. He set down two side dishes of fried potatoes and closed the wicket into the kitchen. Which is yours? he asked !l. 2ont you remem%er? Ham and eggs. 0ust a %right %oy 1a' said. He leaned forward and took the ham and eggs. -oth men ate with their glo&es on. George watched them eat. What are you looking at? 1a' looked at George. $othing. The hell you were. (ou were looking at me. 1ay%e the %oy meant it for a 3oke 1a' !l said. George laughed.

You dont ha&e to laugh 1a' said to him. (ou dont ha&e to laugh at all see? !ll right said George. .o he thinks its all right. 1a' turned to !l. He thinks its all right. Thats a good one. "h hes a thinker !l said. They went on eating. Whats the %right %oys name down the counter? !l asked 1a'. Hey %right %oy 1a' said to $ick. (ou go around on the other side of the counter with your %oy friend. Whats the idea? $ick asked. There isnt any idea. (ou %etter go around %right %oy !l said. $ick went around %ehind the counter. Whats the idea? George asked. $one of your damned %usiness !l said. Whos out in the kitchen? The nigger. What do you mean the nigger? The nigger that cooks. Tell him to come in. Whats the idea? Tell him to come in. Where do you think you are? We know damn well where we are the man called 1a' said. 2o we look silly? (ou talk silly !4 said to him. What the hell do you argue with this kid for? 5isten he said to George tell the nigger to come out here. What are you going to do to him? $othing. 6se your head %right %oy. What would we do to a nigger? George opened the slit that "pened %ack into the kitchen. .am he called. 7ome in here a minute. The door to the kitchen opened and the nigger came in. What was it? he asked. The two men at the counter took a look at him. !ll right nigger. (ou stand right there !l said. .am the nigger standing in his apron looked at the two men sitting at the counter. (es sir he said. !l got down from his stool. Im going %ack to the kitchen with the nigger and %right %oy he said. Go on %ack to the

kitchen nigger. (ou go with him %right %oy. The little man walked after $ick and .am the cook %ack into the kitchen. The door shut after them. The man called 1a' sat at the counter opposite George. He didnt look at George %ut looked in the mirror that ran along %ack of the counter. Henrys had %een made o&er from a saloon into a lunch counter. Well %right %oy 1a' said looking into the mirror why dont you say something? Whats it all a%out? Hey !l 1a' called %right %oy wants to know what its all a%out. Why dont you tell him? !ls &oice came from the kitchen. What do you think its all a%out? I dont know. What do you think? 1a' looked into the mirror all the time he was talking. I wouldnt say. Hey !l %right %oy says he wouldnt say what he thinks its all a%out. I can hear you all right !l said from the kitchen. He had propped open the slit that dishes passed through into the kitchen with a catsup %ottle. 5isten %right %oy he said from the kitchen to George. .tand a little further along the %ar. (ou mo&e a little to the left 1a'. He was like a photographer arranging for a group picture. Talk to me %right %oy 1a' said. What do you thinks going to happen? George did not say anything. Ill tell you 1a' said. Were going to kill a .wede. 2o you know a %ig .wede named "le !nderson? (es. He comes here to eat e&ery night dont he? .ometimes he comes here. He comes here at si' oclock dont he? If he comes. We know all that %right %oy 1a' said. Talk a%out something else. *&er go to the mo&ies? "nce in a while. (ou ought to go to the mo&ies more. The mo&ies are fine for a %right %oy like you. What are you going to kill "le !nderson for? What did he e&er do to you? He ne&er had a chance to do anything to us. He ne&er e&en seen us. !nd hes only going to see us once !l said from the kitchen8

What are you going to kill him for then? George asked. Were killing him for a friend. 0ust to o%lige a friend %right %oy. .hut up said !l from the kitchen. (ou talk too goddamn much. Well I got to keep %right %oy amused. 2ont I %right %oy? (ou talk too damn much !l said. The nigger and my %right %oy are amused %y themsel&es. I got them tied up like a couple of girl friends in the con&ent. I suppose you were in a con&ent. (ou ne&er know. (ou were in a kosher con&ent. Thats where you were. George looked up at the clock. If any%ody comes in you tell them the cook is off and if they keep after it you tell them youll go %ack and cook yourself. 2o you get that %right %oy? !ll right George said. What you going to do with us afterward? Thatll depend 1a' said. Thats one of those things you ne&er know at the time. George looked up at the dock. It was a )uarter past si'. The door from the street opened. ! streetcar motorman came in. Hello George he said. 7an I get supper? .ams gone out George said. Hell %e %ack in a%out half an hour. Id %etter go up the street the motorman said. George looked at the clock. It was twenty minutes past si'. That was nice %right %oy 1a' said. (oure a regular little gentleman. He knew Id %low his head off !l said from the kitchen. $o said 1a'. It aint that. -right %oy is nice. Hes a nice %oy. I like him. !t si'/fifty/fi&e George said8 Hes not coming. Two other people had %een in the lunchroom. "nce George had gone out to the kitchen and made a ham/and/egg sandwich to go that a man wanted to take with him. Inside the kitchen he saw !l his der%y hat tipped %ack sitting on a stool %eside the wicket with the mu,,le of a sawed/off shotgun resting on the ledge. $ick and the cook were %ack to %ack in the corner a towel tied in each of their mouths. George had cooked the sandwich wrapped it up in oiled paper put it in a %ag %rought it in and the man had paid for it and gone out. -right %oy can do e&erything 1a' said. He can cook and e&erything. (oud make some girl a nice wife %right %oy. (es? George said (our friend "le !nderson isnt going to come. Well gi&e him ten minutes 1a' said.

1a' watched the mirror and the clock. The hands of the clock marked se&en oclock and then fi&e minutes past se&en. 7ome on !l said 1a'. We %etter go. Hes not coming. -etter gi&e him fi&e minutes !l said from the kitchen. In the fi&e minutes a man came in and George e'plained that the cook was sick. Why the hell dont you get another cook? the man asked. !rent you running a lunch/ counter? He went out. 7ome on !l 1a' said. What a%out the two %right %oys and the nigger? Theyre all right. (ou think so? .ure. Were through with it. I dont like it said !l. Its sloppy. (ou talk too much. "h what the hell said 1a'. We got to keep amused ha&ent we? (ou talk too much all the same !l said. He came out from the kitchen. The cut/off %arrels of the shotgun made a slight %ulge under the waist of his too tight/fitting o&ercoat. He straightened his coat with his glo&ed hands. .o long %right %oy he said to George. (ou got a lot of luck. Thats the truth 1a' said. (ou ought to play the races %right %oy. The two of them went out the door. George watched them through the window pass under the arc/light and across the street. In their tight o&ercoats and der%y hats they looked like a &aude&ille team. George went %ack through the swinging door into the kitchen and untied $ick and the cook. I dont want any more of that said .am the cook. I dont want any more of that. $ick stood up. He had ne&er had a towel in his mouth %efore. .ay he said. What the hell? He was trying to swagger it off. They were going to kill "le !nderson George said. They were going to shoot him when he came in to eat. "le !nderson? .ure. The cook felt the corners of his mouth with his thum%s. They all gone? he asked. (eah said George. Theyre gone now.

I dont like it said the cook. I dont like any of it at all 5isten George said to $ick. (ou %etter go see "le !nderson. !ll right. (ou %etter not ha&e anything to do with it at all .am the cook said. (ou %etter stay way out of it. 2ont go if you dont want to George said. 1i'ing up in this aint going to get you anywhere the cook said. (ou stay out of it. Ill go see him $ick said to George. Where does he li&e? The cook turned away. 5ittle %oys always know what they want to do he said. He li&es up at Hirschs rooming/house George said to $ick. Ill go up there. "utside the arc/light shone through the %are %ranches of a tree. $ick walked up the street %eside the car/tracks and turned at the ne't arc/light down a side/street. Three houses up the street was Hirschs rooming/house. $ick walked up the two steps and pushed the %ell. ! woman came to the door. Is "le !nderson here? 2o you want to see him? (es if hes in. $ick followed the woman up a flight of stairs and %ack to the end of a corridor. .he knocked on the door. Who is it? Its some%ody to see you 1r. !nderson the woman said. Its $ick !dams. 7ome in. $ick opened the door and went into the room. "le !nderson was lying on the %ed with all his clothes on. He had %een a hea&yweight pri,efighter and he was too long for the %ed. He lay with his head on two pillows. He did not look at $ick. What was it? he asked. I was up at Henrys $ick said and two fellows came in and tied up me and the cook and they said they were going to kill you. It sounded silly when he said it. "le !nderson said nothing. They put us out in the kitchen $ick went on. They were going to shoot you when you came in to supper.

"le !nderson looked at the wall and did not say anything. George thought I %etter come and tell you a%out it. There isnt anything I can do a%out it "le !nderson said. Ill tell you what they were like. I dont want to know what they were like "le !nderson said. He looked at the wall. Thanks for coming to tell me a%out it. Thats all right. $ick looked at the %ig man lying on the %ed. 2ont you want me to go and see the police? $o "le !nderson said. That wouldnt do any good. Isnt there something I could do? $o. There aint anything to do. 1ay%e it was 3ust a %luff. $o. It aint 3ust a %luff. "le !nderson rolled o&er toward the wall. The only thing is he said talking toward the wall I 3ust cant make up my mind to go out. I %een here all day. 7ouldnt you get out of town? $o "le !nderson said. Im through with all that running around. He looked at the wall. There aint anything to do now. 7ouldnt you fi' it up some way? $o. I got in wrong. He talked in the same flat &oice. There aint anything to do. !fter a while Ill make up my mind to go out. I %etter go %ack and see George $ick said. .o long said "le !nderson. He did not look toward $ick. Thanks for coming around. $ick went out. !s he shut the door he saw "le !nderson with all his clothes on lying on the %ed looking at the wall. Hes %een in his room all day the landlady said downstairs. I guess he dont feel well. I said to him8 91r. !nderson you ought to go out and take a walk on a nice fall day like this %ut he didnt feel like it. He doesnt want to go out. Im sorry he dont feel well the woman said. Hes an awfully nice man. He was in the

ring you know. I know it. (oud ne&er know it e'cept from the way his face is the woman said. They stood talking 3ust inside the street door. Hes 3ust as gentle. Well good night 1rs. Hirsch $ick said. Im not 1rs. Hirsch the woman said. .he owns the place. I 3ust look after it for her. Im 1rs. -ell. Well good night 1rs. -ell $ick said. Good night the woman said. $ick walked up the dark street to the corner under the arc/light and then along the car/ tracks to Henrys eating/house. George was inside %ack of the counter. 2id you see "le? (es said $ick. Hes in his room and he wont go out. The cook opened the door from the kitchen when he heard $icks &oice. I dont e&en listen to it he said and shut the door. 2id you tell him a%out it? George asked. .ure. I told him %ut he knows what its all a%out. Whats he going to do? $othing. Theyll kill him. I guess they will. He must ha&e got mi'ed up in something in 7hicago. I guess so said $ick. Its a hell of a thing: Its an awful thing $ick said. They did not say anything. George reached down for a towel and wiped the counter. I wonder what he did? $ick said. 2ou%le/crossed some%ody. Thats what they kill them for. Im going to get out of this town $ick said. (es said George. Thats a good thing to do. I cant stand to think a%out him waiting in the room and knowing hes going to get it. Its

too damned awful. Well said George you %etter not think a%out it.