Stu Redman quotes from The Stand

Stu Redman

May God have mercy on his poor excuse for a soul.

Mr. Stuart Redman, Dr. Herbert Denninger. Would you mind accompanying us, please?

Stu Redman

Hey. You wanna take your hand off my arm, hoss?

[To the soldier accompanying him] He was one of the men who had direct contact with Campion; put him in the truck. If he resists-

Stu Redman

I ain't gonna resist. Country don't mean dumb.

Patty Greer says you've given her… quite a bit of trouble. She's quite upset.

Stu Redman

Well, that makes two of us. Being hijacked by a bunch of government sons of bitches in spacesuits does that to me every time. So, if you don't wanna see how quick I can rip a hole in that thing 'fore you can get outta here, you better give me a little information.

I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. Meet Geraldo.

Stu Redman

Geraldo, huh?

Um-hmm. Now, the virus your fellow townspeople contracted passes easily from human to guinea pig, and vice-versa, presumably. But Geraldo has been breathing your air, via convector, for the last three days. And Geraldo is fine and frisky, as you see. I'd call that rather comforting, wouldn't you?

Stu Redman

I see you're not taking any chances.

That's not in my contract. However, it does appear there is absolutely nothing wrong with you, Mr. Redman. Or, may I call you "Stu"?

Stu Redman

Just don't call me Geraldo.

All right, now, you listen up! I'm not responsible for you being here, or for the dead people in your home town. Neither is Denninger, or the nurses who come in to take your blood pressure.

Stu Redman

Then who is?

No one. Everyone. God. Who knows?

Stu Redman

Dietz! Calm down. I was just faking.

Why… why would you do a thing like that?

Stu Redman

You talk about this thing in here like you were outside of it. I just wanted you to get a little taste of what it's like on the inside. How'd you like it?

You stupid son of a bitch!

Stu Redman

Get the hell out. [Dietz and his men start to leave] Don't forget your damn guinea pig!

Just think, Stu. All of those tests we ran on you, and we never found a single immunity vector. Not one! What makes you so special? Have you been touched by God?

Stu Redman

[Warily] Where's your buddy, Denninger?

He's dead. They're all dead. Everyone except me, and thee.

Stu Redman

And you're here to take care of me, is that it?

Hole in one! [Goes into a coughing fit]

Stu Redman

Why?

Why? Because I've decided a piece of chicken-fried crap like you doesn't deserve to live. Not with so many good men dying.

Stu Redman

Those "good men" caused this mess!

Stu Redman

He's the first dog I've seen in, uh… well, since the third week of June.

Glen Bateman

Yeah. Superflu took most of the dogs… right along with their idiot masters. Most unfair.

Glen Bateman

The plague took the people, but it couldn't take the gadgets, could it? No, they're all still out there. Everything from electric can openers to cobalt bombs, just waiting for someone to come along and pick 'em up. And the scavenger hunt… starts today.

Ralph Bretner

Ah, hell, Professor. What's wrong with puttin' the rocks back in people's scotch?

Glen Bateman

It's the old way. And the old way was a death trip.

Stu Redman

That's a little heavy, don'tcha think?

Glen Bateman

Do you? There's an old woman down there who might tell ya different, East Texas. If she'd talk about this end of it at all, that is.

Stu Redman

What's the problem?

Glen Bateman

I don't know if there is one. But I know I'm very concerned about the way things are going. She wants a mass meeting. Except she says it's really God who wants the meeting. We say, "Fine. You're fine, Mother. God's fine, too." And then we go right back to tinkering with the power station, trying to recreate the world that damn near choked the human race to death. What's wrong with this picture?

Larry Underwood

Well… we haven't been elected one whole day yet, and already we've managed to, uh, reinvent the CIA. Who needs Monday Night Football?

Larry Underwood

Oh my God, I'm a politician. This isn't Colorado, it's Hell!

Larry Underwood

I can't believe we're doin' this!

Stu Redman

Hey, if you didn't wanna get your hands dirty, you shoulda stayed off the Committee in the first place! We're probably sendin' people off to get killed!

Larry Underwood

Yeah?

Stu Redman

Yeah, that's right! Makin' decisions like that is what bein' in charge is all about! Either grow up and do it, or get out!

Larry Underwood

You're awful cute when you get angry, Stu.

Frannie Goldsmith

Are you the same Tom that Nick met in Oklahoma?

Tom Cullen

Yes. No. I'm God's Tom.

Stu Redman

Look. And then you come back here to Boulder, when the moon is full. Do you understand?

Tom Cullen

Yes! M-O-O-N… spells moon.

Mother Abagail

You… your four men… are to go west… to take no food or water, but to go this very day in the clothes you now wear. You are to go on foot. I'm in the way of knowin' one will fall by the way, but I don't know which it will be. I'm in the way of knowin' the others will be taken before this Flagg, who isn't a man, but a creature from beyond the world. I don't know… if you will defeat him. I only know… God wants you to go, and with God's help, you will stand, and be true.

Frannie Goldsmith

And what if we say no?!

Stu Redman

Frannie, come on—

Frannie Goldsmith

What?!

Stu Redman

Come on, shhh.

Mother Abagail

Your will is as free as that of Eve in the Garden, child. "Go where ye list" has always been God's way, but… this is what God wants of you. Be true! Stand.

Larry Underwood

This is no game, Stu.

Glen Bateman

Stu's right, Larry. Mother Abagail said one of us would fall by the way.

Larry Underwood

W-what does that mean? Huh? What are you saying? You're a college professor, for god sakes!

Glen Bateman

Not anymore. In case you hadn't noticed, Larry, school is out.

Larry Underwood

Look, I thought he was your friend!

Glen Bateman

Of course he's my friend. But that doesn't matter now.

It's God's plan—

Larry Underwood

Shut up about God! I'm sick of hearing about God!

Stu Redman

This whole trip was based on the idea that Mother Abagail knew what she was talkin' about.

That's right.

Larry Underwood

It's not right. It's not right! This isn't God's will, or God's plan! It's a washout! And you got a broken leg, Stu, and I'm not gonna leave you here!

Stu Redman

When we came on this trip, we put our lives in the hands of Mother Abagail's God. Now, that hasn't changed. If he wants me to eat, he'll send food. If he wants me to drink… he'll send rain. It's his business. Yours… is to go against Flagg! Now, you've got to do that, and you've got to go without me!

Larry Underwood

[choking back tears] Man… do you know how crazy that sounds? Do you know how totally damn crazy that sounds?!

Glen Bateman

More than three or four would probably be fatal. Do you know that?

Stu Redman

Yeah, I suppose so.

Stu Redman

"I saw a pale horse, and a pale rider upon it. The name of the horse was Pestilence. The name of the rider was Death."

Tom Cullen

What was it, Stu?

Stu Redman

It's the end of Las Vegas, Tommy. And the end of Randall Flagg… if God is good.

Stu Redman

Lucy… Larry—

N-no, I know. I know what happened. I'm… sure that when the end came, they, um… met it on their feet. And that's what they were sent out there to do, wasn't it? To stand?

Stu Redman

I reckon it was.

He's gone… but I'll have his baby. Maybe… it's not all I wanted, or all I dreamed of having… but it'll have to be enough.