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turning to page one
Solomon again awakens. He hears sounds beyond the door...footsteps. Eventually the door opens. Enter JAMES BURCH - who runs the slave pen - and EBENEZER RADBURN who works as a turnkey and overseer.
As the door opens, this is the first light to seep into the otherwise near-black room. The shine is painful to Solomon's eyes. With no salutation whatsoever, Burch asks:
BURCH
Well, my boy, how yah feel now?
Solomon rises up as best he can. With all the resolve he can put together he states what he considers to be fact:
SOLOMON
I am Solomon Northup. I am a free
man; a resident of Saratoga, New
York. The residence also of my
wife and children who are equally
free. I have papers. You have no
right whatsoever to detain me--
BURCH
Yah not any--
SOLOMON
And I promise you - I promise -
upon my liberation I will have
satisfaction for this wrong.
BURCH
Yah no free man. And yah ain't
from Saratoga. Yah from Georgia.
A moment. Not a word spoken among the trio, but Solomon and Burch do some serious eye fucking, neither man yielding. Burch says again:
BURCH (CONT'D)
Yah ain't a free man. Yah nothin'
but a Georgia runaway.
Burch waits for Solomon to acquiesce. Solomon does not in any way. Both men exchange a long and daring stare. They are clearly at an intellectual stand off. Burch, leans to Radburn, SAYS SOMETHING WHICH WE CANNOT DISTINGUISH.
Radburn exits the room, his physical absence is a long moment. But all the while WE CAN HEAR Radburn's footfall
Finally Radburn returns with a pair of "instruments:" a paddle - the flattened portion, which is about the size in circumference of two open hands, and bored with a small auger in numerous places. He also carries a whip. A cat-o-nine tails; a large rope of many strands. The strands unraveled and a knot tied at the extremity of each. Burch says again:
BURCH (CONT'D)
Yah a runaway nigger from Georgia.
Solomon stands with a quiet stoicism. He will say nothing of the kind.
As that is the case, Solomon is seized by both men, and roughly divested of his clothing. He is pulled over the bench, face downward. Radburn then STEPS ON HIS CHAINS holding Solomon down in a bent position.
With no preamble, Burch begins to beat Solomon about the back with the paddle. Burch strikes him wordlessly - no taunting, no sneering. Solomon screaming against each blow. His back immediately SWELLING WITH WELTS AND BRUISES.
This beating continues on and on and on until quite literally Burch WEARS HIMSELF OUT with the effort. Dripping in sweat and panting:
BURCH (CONT'D)
Yah still insist yah a free man?
SOLOMON
...I...I insist...
Burch regrets hearing this. Not from sympathy, but rather because he's nearly too tired to go back to beating Solomon. Yet, as if returning to work, Burch returns to pummeling Solomon. This time Burch punctuates the blows with:
BURCH
Yah a slave. Yah a Georgia slave!
Burch continues to strike, and strike... This time until the paddle SNAPS IN HALF. Burch then GRABS THE WHIP. Hardly missing a stroke, he whips Solomon relentlessly, the flails cutting into Solomon's back. Again, Burch's arm tires before Solomon "breaks."
BURCH (CONT'D)
Are yah slave?
SOLOMON
...No...
BURCH
Are yah slave!
Nothing from Solomon. Burch goes back to whipping and whipping, and whipping... SOLOMON'S BACK IS NOW TORN OPEN WITH LACERATIONS AND OOZING WITH BLOOD. Finally
Burch can whip no more. As he pours sweat and sucks air he chastises a limp Solomon:
BURCH (CONT'D)
I don't want to hear any more shit
about you bein' "entitled" to your
freedom, about being kidnapped or
anythin' whatever of the kind. I
swear what yah jus' got'll pale to
what ya'll receive.
Taking up their instruments Burch exits. Radburn lingers for a moment. He takes the irons off Solomon's legs. Opens the window some. As he makes these gestures, in a patronizing and confidential manner, one wrought with poor sincerity::
RADBURN
I seen a good many of the black
kind just where yah're; on the
floor face down and back bleedin'.
Sick. Make me sick. Often times
the situation was resolved, and I
think; what was all the beatin'
and abuse for? Things end as they
should, and the violence was for
naught. So why cause trouble when
they ain't no cause for it? Be of
a cooperative nature, and things
don't need be particularly
unpleasant.
(beat)
Or, yah can carry on like yah
been, and I fear yah won't live to
see Sunday next.
With that thought, Radburn exits. Solomon rests. But to rest seems like giving in to defeat. He begins pulling on his chains. But for all his struggling, the chain loosens none. Solomon calls out:
SOLOMON
Help me! Someone help me!
If anyone at all hears him, they do not respond. Solomon continues his plaintiff cry for assistance.