"Oh, Daniel... please... I am in desperate times," Eli stuttered on the verge of tears.
"I know," said Daniel.
"I need a friend."
"Yes, of course you do."
"I've sinned. I need help. I'm a sinner! I've let the Devil grab hold of me in ways I never imagined! I'm so full of sin," Eli broke down.
"The Lord sometimes challenges us, doesn't he?" Daniel said in a mocking tone.
"Oh, yes, he does. Daniel, yes, he does!"
"Yes, he does!" Plainview spat back at Eli.
"Oh! He's completely failed to alert me to the recent panic in our economy and this! I... I must have this, Daniel. I must have this. My investments have... Daniel, I won't bore you, but I... If I could grab the Lord's hand for help, I would, but he does these things all the time, these mysteries that he presents and while we wait for his word..." Eli said.
"Because you're not the chosen brother, Eli," Daniel said softly, smiling and moving in close against Sunday. "It was Paul who was chosen. Yes, he found me and he told me about your land. You're just a fool." Daniel reached out, pressing his hand into Eli's shoulder.
Confusion spread across Eli's face. "Why are you talking about Paul?"
"I did what your brother couldn't."
"Don't say this to me."
"I broke you and I beat you. It was Paul who told me about you. He's the prophet. He's the smart one," Daniel tapped Eli again, more forcibly. "He knew what was there and he found me to take it out of the ground, and you know what the funny thing is? Listen... listen... listen... I paid him ten thousand dollars, cash in hand, just like that." Plainview slapped his hands together, "He has his own company now." Daniel tapped his foot and touched Eli once more as the younger man sobbed. "A prosperous little business," Plainview continued gleefully, "Three wells producing. Five thousand dollars a week.
Eli's crying intensified as the revelation came over him. Plainview poked at him again, swiftly.
"Stop crying, you sniveling ass!" Daniel's voice was like a bludgeon now, "Stop your nonsense. You're just the afterbirth, Eli."
The young man shook his head weakly denying Plainview's insults. Daniel continued his triumphant rant,
"You slithered out of your mother's filth. They should have put you in a glass jar on a mantlepiece." Daniel rested his hand on Eli's shoulder with faux reassurance "Where were you when Paul was suckling at his mother's teat? Where were you? Who was nursing you, poor Eli? One of Bandy's sows? That land has been had. Nothing you can do about it. It's gone. It's had. You lose."
"If you would just take this lease, Daniel..."
"Drainage! Drainage, Eli, you boy. Drained dry. I'm so sorry.
"Here," Plainview pointed at Eli and then back to himself, "if you have a milkshake, and I have a milkshake, and I have a straw." He held up his finger. "There it is, that's a straw, you see? Watch it." He limped across the lanes, putting space between them. "Now, my straw reaches across-" he stretched out the word as he crossed the distance back to Eli, waving his finger up and down, wobbling it as if he were feeding a child as he did so,"-the room and starts to drink your milkshake. I... drink... your... milkshake!" Daniel slurped in air in a furious suction. "I drink it up!"
"Don't bully me, Daniel!"
Daniel roared and took Eli by the shoulders, hurling him into the lanes where he landed splayed, face down. Daniel made his way over in a limping shuffle, arms reaching out to grasp Eli.
"Did you think your song and dance and your superstition would help you, Eli? I am the Third Revelation! I am who the Lord has chosen!" he howled madly, hurling a bowling ball as Eli scrambled away.
"Daniel!" Eli cried, meekly.
"Because I'm smarter than you! I'm older!"
"I am your old friend Daniel!" Eli said, leaping over the next ball Daniel threw as he tried to find refuge at the far end of the alley.
"You're nothing but a false prophet, you sniveling boy! I am the Third Revelation! I am the Third Revelation! I told you I would eat you!" Daniel raved as he missed with another bowling ball and made his way down the lane at Eli.
"We're brothers!" Eli shrieked.
"I told you I would eat you up! I told you I would eat you up!" Daniel repeated as he chased cartoonishly after Eli, the buckle of his pants jingling with every step.
"Daniel, please forgive me! I beg your forgiveness!"