55 Days at Peking Page #2

are the best friends.

Im not in uniform, Major.

Things are fine

as they are.

Major Lewis.

A British orderly

to see you.

The Minister wishes

to see you, sir.

He told me to tell you

he s been authorized

to act for your Minister.

Fine. Tell him

I'll be right along.

Yes, sir.

Here s you key.

Thanks.

What about your things?

- Put them back.

- But there s only one room.

Let the Baroness

figure it out. She s clever.

Dont laugh yet, Major.

It s a very small room.

I've been

in tight places before.

So have I, Major.

- Daddy!

- Teresa!

Daddy!

Daddy!

- Hello, Britten.

- Good day, sir.

Wake up, sentries!

Take a tip

from an old soldier.

Whenever you see a Major

of the American Marines,

you will present arms.

And don't forget it!

If this be I,

as I suppose it be,

my little dog

will know me.

Come in.

Im, sorry,

are you busy?

Of course I am.

I always am.

Busier than usual?

Or just busy?

Both.

Well, what s

the pressing female problem?

Just this,

Am I to pack or not to pack?

Do we go to England?

Do we leave

this year or not?

I dont know.

You dont know...

Pack. If we dont go,

all you need do is unpack.

If men had

to do the packing,

the world

would be different.

- If I had my way...

- What?

We d have packed long since

and now be miles away.

We?

A comforting thought.

Thank you, darling.

Will it all

go up in flames?

- Not if I can help it.

- What?

I'll put it

in a nutshell.

If I encourage the Great Powers

to be tough with China,

China will become just

another battlefield for them

to fight over.

It s wiser to accept

temporary humiliation

at the hands

of the Boxers

in the hope that

by damping down the fire,

the kettle

won t boil over.

And then?

I shall probably receive

the Government s displeasure,

and we'll be retired

on an inadequate pension.

Remember what Napoleon said?

I never forget it.

Let China sleep.

' When she wakes,

the world will tremble.

He said a lot, didn't he?

Come in.

- Major Lewis, sir.

- Ask him to wait.

Darling, I have to put on

my official face.

You havent forgotten

our soire?

Twenty-four bottles of champagne

are already on ice.

- Anything else the Sahib requires?

- The first waltz.

I'll consider it.

Philip!

Major Lewis, Sir Arthur.

Stand up, sit down,

or walk around the room.

I'll walk around.

You please yourself.

I have an unpleasant

task to fulfill.

First, congratulations on

your initiative this morning.

We were a little late.

Unfortunate that

a Chinese was killed.

- A Boxer?

- A Chinese citizen, Major.

You re not

in the Wild West now.

You can t shoot

Chinese like red Indians.

No, sir.

Secondly,

I warn you that such

irresponsible behaviour,

could easily

involve us all

in a great conflagration.

I understand.

And lastly, since

your Minister is suffering

from a diplomatic illness,

you are required

here no longer.

No longer

required by whom?

This is a message

from your own Legation.

I d be delighted

if you stayed.

Yes, sir.

You know all hell s

going to break loose?

If it does, it will not be

because we have provoked it.

So we'll all

just walk soft and

hope for the best.

If we walked on our knees,

we can t stop it.

I've just marched

from Tientsin.

Boxers are everywhere.

Killing white men,

missionaries,

and all Chinese Christians.

The Imperial Army s

doing nothing about it.

Boxers have been

around for years.

You re unnecessarily alarmed.

Well, the next time

I see them killing an English

priest, I'll try not to be.

I've been a soldier myself.

I understand how you feel.

But my job s to see

the larger picture.

I wouldn't know about that.

I just patrol the rice paddies

in the back country.

I know this much...

If the Boxers come,

we'll need more soldiers

in these compounds.

Well, now weve both

had our say.

I'll go quietly.

Oh, by the way,

it s our Queen s birthday.

Tonight we re entertaining.

Why not come?

Thank you.

I won t leave Ming.

I'll pack him in my case.

Dont be silly.

He d suffocate.

- What s that?

- He d suffocate.

- It s only for five weeks.

- Come on.

May we speak

to you, father?

It s very important.

There are no negotiations

at the moment. What is it?

Mother says we can't

take Ming to England.

- I wont leave my dog.

- He s my dog.

- Who feeds him?

- Who taught him to sit up?

Tell you what.

We'll cut him exactly in two.

You each get a half.

- Father. Dont play King Solomon.

- Well, I tried.

Atten...

shun!

Shoulder...

arms!

Present...

arms!

Slope...

arms!

His Excellency,

the Minister of Austria-Hungary

and the Baroness Von Riedel.

Welcome, Prince Tuan,

to Her Majesty s Legation.

I am deeply honoured.

His Imperial Highness,

Prince Tuan.

I bring greetings

from our Empress.

You are

most welcome, Highness.

Greeting and felicitations

to your great queen.

May the lions

of China and Britain

live in peace forever.

Our Queen is touched

by the words

of your illustrious Empress.

Your Imperial Highness,

Your Excellencies,

ladies and gentlemen,

the first dance

will be the Military Two-Step.

Marvellous, fabulous.

They should be

around my neck.

Of course, Sophie,

you look naked without them.

- Shall we join the line.

- No.

Not yet.

I've waited

for this a long time,

and Im enjoying it.

Natasha, you blind us

with your glitter.

Would you recognize me

without them?

I understand

you're going to Tientsin.

That's right, Excellency.

Theres a Russian woman

who wishes to leave Peking.

Anyone we know, Sergei?

She d do well

to meet you.

It may be her only chance

to reach Tientsin.

It might be...

If you disregard me the

Russian government will remember.

- Sir Arthur.

- Evening, Major.

Lady Robertson.

I wanted

to thank you personally

for trying

to help Father Bemish.

You know the Baroness?

Yes, of course.

It s been a long time.

I know my husband

has thanked you.

Yes, I've expressed

my gratitude.

This is Baroness Ivanoff.

- And Major Lewis.

- Your Highness.

You must be the American

who had the encounter

with the Boxers this morning.

It was the priest

who had the hard time.

My government

is most distressed.

But do not conclude

that all Boxers are bandits.

Most of them

are harmless vagabonds.

Market place entertainers,

much like the gypsies

in your country.

In fact, Sir Arthur,

I have brought such a troupe

to entertain your guests

tonight.

Boxers here?

With your permission.

Of course, Your Highness.

He wants you

to take this sword

and try to strike him.

Try it.

It s part of the performance.

If I kill a Boxer,

does that, er...

create a diplomatic incident?

There is no danger.

You've made your point.

Not quite.

Bravo!

I guess he wasn't

a true believer.

It seems, Sir Arthur, that

your troops are invulnerable.

Forgive me,

but the Major

doesnt seem

to play the game

according to Chinese rules.

I apologize, Sir Arthur.

I dont think he came here

tonight to play games.

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