Post 3
We next see Duncan and Amanda in bed. "Where did you learn that?" she
asks Duncan about a particular bed skill. Duncan claims Amanda taught
him. Amanda doesn't think so, and asks where they were at the time.
"Budapest," says Duncan then quickly corrects it to Constantinople.
He asks her if she's feeling forgiving. He tells her that Kit has
been feeling bad. He's been coming back to the casino and losing.
Amanda asks if he wants her to rig the tables for Kit. Duncan doesn't
think that's a bad idea, but what he really wants is for Amanda to
give back Kit's lucky coin. Amanda agrees to do it for Duncan. "I
always knew you were a kind and loving soul," says Duncan kissing
her.
Then they learn that the casino is burning. They race there, but are
unable to save it. Duncan tells Amanda she'll find another place.
Amanda believes that Kit burned it down. Duncan argues that she
doesn't know that Kit is responsible.
In the present Amanda says she'll never forgive Kit and moments later
Kit comes up to the loft in the elevator. Kit says to Duncan that
he'd better get a new woman because this one's gone. Duncan asks if
they can't discuss this like reasonable people. Both Kit and Amanda
shout "No!" Duncan slugs Kit, carries her into the elevator, then
tells Richie, who'd recently arrived, to keep Amanda there. "How? By
killing her?" "Preferably!" responds Duncan showing his irritation
with her.
Amanda escapes Richie. She and Kit square off in the dojo. Duncan
pleads "Not here. It's my home." Kit suggests that he avert his
eyes. Duncan says that it's a shame for them to fight now that
they're partners. Then Duncan explains that he gave his half of the
horse to Amanda. Kit and Amanda decide to postpone their fight until
after the race the next day.
"At least that bought us a day," says Duncan to Richie after Kit and
Amanda leave.
Duncan gets hold of a copy of a newspaper article that proves Kit was
in the ocean after having been on a sunken ****p at the time the casino
burned down. Amanda admits that she was wrong, but Kit says she owes
him more than an apology.
They're about to face off again when they suddenly realize that their
horse won. They no longer feel the need to fight, but they can't
agree on their horse's trainer or jockey. Duncan suggests that they
gamble for owner****p of the horse. He brings out a deck of cards and
says "High card takes it!" Amanda actually wins the draw with the
Queen of Spades, but she conceals this and tells Kit the horse is
his.
After Kit exits, Amanda apologizes to Duncan for letting Kit have the
horse. After all, Duncan's money had been invested in that horse.
But Duncan is pleased by her generosity and kisses her.
Questions For Further Study
1) When Duncan tells Kit that he lost $2000 to a cheater, Kit refuses
to believe that it was that much. Are Duncan's feelings hurt by Kit
at that point? Would Duncan lie about such a thing?
2)Duncan says to Kit about Amanda in the flashback "You should see her
exit." Is that a warning to Kit about what Amanda might be leaving
with?
3) In the present Duncan tries to hustle Amanda out the back stairs in
order to hear a lecture on Thomas Aquinas. Why didn't Duncan realize
that was too transparent? Couldn't he have found some better pretext
that Amanda wouldn't suspect?
4)Duncan tells Kit that $120 K is about right for a race horse of the
Double Eagle's quality. How does Duncan know that? Has he bought a
race horse recently or considered buying one?
5)Duncan tells Amanda that she won the casino in a card game when she
speaks of it as something she's made that she's proud of. Does Duncan
disapprove of Amanda having acquired the casino through gambling?
Does Duncan think people ought to work for what they have?
6)Why does Duncan rouse Amanda's jealousy by displaying an amorous
skill that Amanda didn't teach him? Which woman might have taught
Duncan such a skill before the 1888 flashback?
7)Duncan tells Amanda in the flashback that rigging the tables in
favor of Kit might not be a bad idea. Duncan is later outraged when
Fitz cheats at golf in "The Stone of Scone". Why is cheating in Kit's
favor OK?
8)Why did Duncan tell Richie to keep Amanda in the loft when he
carries out the unconscious Kit, when Richie hadn't been able to do it
the first time?
9)Did Duncan suspect what would happen when he suggested that Kit and
Amanda gamble over the owner****p of the horse?
Next time I'll be posting about Amanda in this episode.
Professor Shomeret
|
