INT. MOTHERS KITCHEN - DAY

Cat & Pal, two brothers, are sitting at the kitchen tableover breakfast. They are dressed conservatively (pleatedDockers, square-toed dress shoes, starched button-ups). Theyare of similar height and build, except that Cat has theinexpressive face of a cat. Pal is clean-shaven, slightlybalding, in his mid- to late-forties, his human face asinexpressive as his feline brothers.

CATWell have to go to the shoe storelater to check on the business.

PALI know... [forlornly] I know.

CATThose men.

PALThey despise us.

CATThey want us dead.

PALThey miss father.

CATWe dont even miss father.

PALI dont want to go.

MOTHER[yelling from upstairs, off screen]BETTER GET TO THAT SHOP.

CAT & PAL[simultaneously] Yes maam.

INT. SHOE REPAIR SHOP

The brothers enter the shoe repair shop. It is dark, gloomy,hazy with cigar smoke. Three cobblers sit around a table inthe back room, surrounded by shoes in all stages ofdisrepair, but not attempting any work. They stare blanklyat the brothers as they enter the back room. As always, Cat& Pal chain smoke nervously yet politely.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 2.

CATHi.

PALHello... [clears throat] boys. [Hewinces] Men. Hello men.

CAT[whispering] Pal...

PAL[confidently] Hello to you, my men.

CAT[whispering] Enough.

The cobblers do not react to any of this. They stareblankly. Smoke rises from their cigars, and the dozens ofother cigars abandoned in ash trays throughout the backroom, still lit for some reason. The brothers take a fewnervous drags from their cigarettes.

PAL[pointing at a long metal spike]Whats this?

The cobblers stare at him for a long time before the one inthe middle of the group, the fattest, most grizzled lookingone, answers.

COBBLERIts an awl.

PALThats... pretty interesting.Whats it for?

COBBLER

Puncturing leather.

PALShoe leather. I understand. Thatmakes sense.

COBBLEROr cat leather.

PAL[nervously smoking] So everythingsgood here?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 3.

COBBLEROr human leather. [standing up fromtable] Human skin.

CAT[petrified, mechanically] You aredoing a great job and we appreciateeverything you do. We will see younext week.

COBBLERA mans heart. [increasinglyanguished] You dont know how amans heart works.

PALKeep up the good work.

COBBLERHow quickly... How quickly a mansheart can stop.

Cat & Pal hurriedly exit the shop in a cloud of cigarettesmoke.

INT. SUBWAY CAR

Cat & Pal are sitting closely next to each other in themiddle of a long, otherwise unoccupied row of seats, handsplaced politely on their laps, legs close together.

PALI dont understand why we have towork for a living. It takeseverything out of me going to thatshop.

CATIts utterly oppressive.

PALThere is no justice in this world.No justice but [looking into Catseyes] in the love of a brother.

CATI love you too.

PALOne day well attain full communismin this country and--

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 4.

CATShush, my brother. Dont look now,but we have company.

Two fat cops board the train and stand stupidly in thedoorway. They sensuously caress their holstered weapons.

PALWhy must these picks constantlyterrorize two peaceful lovingbrothers?

CAT"Picks?" Do you mean "pigs?"

PALThats a bit rude, no?

CATYoure right. Im sorry.

PALI forgive you. I love you. I dontneed to forgive you. I was neverangry. Youre so wonderful.

CATYoure a good brother.

PALI have to be honest, I am totallyrelishing this brotherly moment weare having right now, and I wish itcould last forever, and that Icould bask in the glow of yourbrotherly love for centuries astime passes around us, endlessly,and we never age, and our lovegrows stronger as millions are bornand die around us for all ofeternity, but those police officers[both of the cops are aggressivelypicking their noses with theirguns] are giving me the creeps. Ourstop is next. When I give mysignal, we run for it.

CATGreat idea, brother. I know that[the train begins to stop at theplatform] with the power of ourbrotherly love, we--

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 5.

PALGO!!!

Cat and Pal, surprisingly athletic, spring out of theirseats and through the train doors, blowing past the cops whodont even notice their exit, since they are occupied withthe act of sensuously sucking and licking their handguns.When we see the brothers faces as they sprint down theplatform, they are smiling for the first time, and not justsmiling, giggling ecstatically. The moment they emerge fromthe station they light up, and even though they are "safe"from the cops, they continue to run, hysterically laughingand smoking and hitting one another in the arm out ofexcitement.

INT. MOTHERS KITCHEN - NIGHT

Cat, Pal, and their mother sit around the kitchen table overmugs of herbal tea. The boys have calmed down and appearcalm and impassive, but are chain smoking as usual. Theirmother is wearing a light blue silk robe and, like Cat, hasthe expressionless face of a cat.

MOTHERSo? What did you boys learn today?

PAL[after a thoughtful pause] Nevertrust the police.

MOTHEROh, wow. And you, Cat?

CAT[after a thoughtful pause] Man isthe cruelest animal.

MOTHEROh, wow. Such good boys.

CAT & PAL[simultaneously] Thank you, mother.

MOTHERIm going to bed. Dont forget toturn the lights off.

CAT & PALYes, mother.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 6.

She leaves the kitchen. The pet cat walks along the kitchencounter behind the brothers. Cat & Pal arrange their chairsso that they are sitting directly across from one another.They look directly, deeply into each others eyes and smoketheir cigarettes calmly. The cat meows.

END