I'll Always Look Out For You

38 | Compromise | August 2, 1899

Now, the climax of the strike. Javid is strong. Enjoy! :)

Now that Jack has been in this room before, he feels more confident as he walks in.

He tosses the paper onto Pulitzer's desk. "Extra, extra, Joe. Read all about it."

Pulitzer stands with his back turned to them, smoking, subdued. "I promised you if you defied me, boy, I would break you. I'll keep that promise." He turns around. "Now, I gave you a chance to be free. Anyone who doesn't act in their own self interest is a fool."

David comes first. Always.

"Then what does that make you?"

That would be David speaking.

Pulitzer is surprised by that. "What?"

Slowly, Jack smiles. "Oh yeah, this is my pal, Davey." He slings an arm over him. "The Walkin' Mouth." he says it as fondly as possible. Then he stands back, wanting to see what happens next.

"Everyday, ever since the strike, you're losing thousands of dollars," David continues. Throughout it all, Jack's smile grows and grows. "You're circulation has been down 70%. All of this, just to beat us out of one miniscule tenth of a cent. Why?"

This is the one who has Jack's emotions all up in a twist. Oh yeah, my emotions picked the right person.

"It ain't about the money, Dave," Jack realizes. "If Joe gives in to nobodies like us, that means that we have the power. And you can't have that happen, no matter what it costs, now can you, Joe?"

"I sent for the police," is all Pulitzer says in response. "They should be here by now."

"I'm not going back to jail, Joe," Jack tells him firmly. "Not now. Not ever." Then he tugs on David protectively. "And Davey? He ain't going to the Refuge. Never ever. Ya hear? You ain't ever taking him." He means it. He'll keep David out of the Refuge if it's the last thing he does.

And suddenly, David realizes something as  Pulitzer watches Jack speak. The pair have been over this subject before. But there was only one place where that could have happened.

And suddenly, a lot more is making sense now.

So that is why Jack didn't escape that night.

Jack moves on. "But don't just take my word for it." He opens up the window. "Take theirs."

"Close that window-" Pulitzer moves to reprimand him. But once he steps outside on the little balcony, he's caught off guard by all the people there.

So many people, gazing up at Pulitzer and Jack, making as much ruckus as they can.

"STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE!"

Jack smiles. That's his crowd of angry strikers.

"CLOSE THAT WINDOW!" Pulitzer shouts.

"Now, you listen to me-" Jack says.

"No, you listen to me!"

"No, YOU listen to ME for once!" Jack shouts back.

Pulitzer is still covering his ears. "Shut the window and shut up!"

"There's a lot of people out there, Joe," Jack tells him. "And they ain't just going to go away. Putting them in jail ain't gonna silence them. Nothing is going to silence them. Now, they're going to be listened to. They've got voices now. That is the power of the press, Joe. So thanks for teaching me about it."