A Far Off Place Page #3

When they walked on the moon,

people all across the world saw it

at the same time because of television.

What's so funny?

- Well, you tell him.

- You tell him how it works.

Tell him how you put the moon

in that tiny, little box.

See, the moon in the box

isn't the real moon.

It's a pattern of light transformed

into electromagnetic waves.

Look. It's like my Walkman, all right?

Only with pictures.

The batteries are dead.

It's shrinking powder. It's magic shrinking

powder that shrinks the moon...

...down to the size of a baseball.

You know what a telephone is, eh?

There's this little man.

He's got really quick writing,

and he writes down everything you say.

- Mountains?

- More dunes.

Harry must not look back.

This is Harry's future.

Mopani. These audits.

What about them?

They're a dead end.

It's been two months.

You've found nothing, I've found nothing,

and neither have the police.

You said last week

you were onto something.

Some coffee merchants

trying to avoid export tax. Nothing.

Nonnie was like my own daughter.

Are you telling me to give up?

L"m telling you it wasn't

a corporate conspiracy.

Paul and his family

were killed by poachers.

It's taken you two months

to reach that conclusion?

And how long are you going to

pursue this... the rest of your life?

- If I have to, yes.

- Our friend is dead.

We buried him.

We've mourned him.

I think it's about time

we got on with the business of living.

I know that when I find the tusks,

I will find the killers.

If they don't find you first.

- Are you trying to tell me something?

- I don't want to lose another friend.

- Ready, Mopani.

- Don't worry. You won't.

I'm gonna go

get some more wood.

- Harry has a wife?

- No. Are you kidding?

Nonnie has no husband.

Of course she doesn't.

She's too young.

When Xhabbo was like Harry,

Xhabbo marry.

You got married when you were 16?

When Bushman is ready,

Bushman marry.

She must be pretty.

- Is she good-looking?

- You're wasting your time.

He doesn't have a clue what you're saying.

Bushmen never give each other

compliments about their looks.

Well, they gotta think something.

What did you think when you first saw me?

I don't remember.

Harry killed his first gemsbok.

Harry is a hunter now.

Harry feeling bad.

Gemsbok giving life

so Harry may be strong for journey.

Yeah, well, you don't understand, Xhabbo.

I killed him.

Only kill for food.

Only kill when you must.

The herd of gemsbok

have come back to our camp:

They're not afraid: Xhabbo says they've

accepted the death of one of them:

He says only to kill when you must:

What would I do face to face

with the man who killed my father?

Oh, you found your stick.

Are you gonna go get it? Fetch!

Go! Go get it!

We're gonna eat that?

It's Harry's gift.

You're giving this to me?

Harry's gift to Nonnie.

What is it?

It's beautiful. Is it for me?

No, I made it for me.

- You made it?

- Xhabbo showed me.

You're so...

- What?

- I don't know.

- Well, go ahead. Try it on.

- Right here, now?

Why not?

OK.

- So, does it fit?

- Just a minute.

OK.

You're the most beautiful gemsbok

I've ever seen.

When you went back...

to the house, I mean...

did you actually see them?

Yeah.

I wish I hadn't seen them.

When my mother died...

my father wouldn't let me see her.

'Cause he thought it would be better.

But it wasn't.

'Cause for me it's never-ending.

I still look for her sometimes.

I miss my birds.

Had them ever since I was really little.

My mother put them in my room

to sing me to sleep.

But I mostly think of hearing them

when I wake up in the morning.

I know it's stupid,

but that's home to me.

Hearing them before

I even open my eyes.

Wildlife Commission.

Mopani Theron. Please: For John Ricketts:

He's in the air, sir.

- Really? Still looking?

- Yes. Sir:

Can you tell me

where he's looking today?

I'm afraid I can't tell you that. Sir:

Would you like to leave a message?

No. Thank you:

That's all right:

That is the Shumba mine down there.

The Shumba mine

belongs to Ricketts. That's OK.

All right, all right, I'm coming.

Here we go.

No, come!

Come back, you bastards!

Run!

Over here!

Harry!

Aah!

Grab my hand!

Hintza!

- Hintza! Jump!

- Jump, Hintza!

- Is he gonna be all right?

- Yeah.

None of the wounds

are to the bone.

Thank you.

- For what?

- For catching Hintza.

Larry. Right on time.

- The shipment is ready?

- You have the letter of credit?

As agreed. And now I would like

to inspect the merchandise.

So you shall.

It's not far.

Solid gold. It reads, uh, "Nonnie,"

but you can get that off.

Where did you get this?

I bought it from a trader.

Where did you get this?

I found it. By the gorge.

- When?

- Couple of days ago. You want it?

I must apologize to you, Larry,

for bringing you all the way out here.

There's a small matter I must attend to

before I can allow you

to inspect the merchandise.

Hey, man, what happened to Patel?

I thought he was coming with us.

Those two kids in the desert. You

remember what I told you to do with them?

- Yeah. Go back and bury them.

- That's right. And did you do it?

- Yeah, of course I did.

- Good. Good.

This has got to be the last dune.

I can almost smell the ocean.

It's just more dunes.

Wind can do it, we can do it.

Aah!

Xhabbo!

Maybe Bushmen cross deserts:

Maybe they even make it:

But we're gonna die here:

All the wind will do for us

is bury us in the sand:

Take Harry.

Leave Xhabbo.

As brothers,

we go together or we stop.

Mopani?

Harry?

- Keep the damned thing steady!

- I can't hold it!

- I said, keep the damned thing steady!

- I just can't! You understand?

I'm losing control!

- I'm getting out of here.

- Turn around! Get me down now.

Nonnie!

Sebastian!

Sebastian!

Sebastian, come on!

Mommy! Mommy!

He'll be out in a couple of days.

It's just an allergic reaction

to the antibiotics.

It's white man's medicine.

You should go back

to your own ward now, young lady.

I'm not going back, I'm going...

Is this the young lady who

followed the wind across the Kalahari?

I thought I was never

gonna see you again.

Let me look at you.

It's a miracle. A miracle, what you did.

What all of you did.

- Did you get him?

- Get who?

Ricketts.

It's John Ricketts.

Ricketts:
John Ricketts:

Also detain and inspect all small aircraft

attempting to leave the country:

Meet me at the Shumba gold mine.

Bring backup.

Let's blow it up.

Wait a second.

These are corpses.

We have to bury them.

- You're pretty good at this.

- I had a good teacher.

- I miss him.

- So do I.

Step back from the gun, Mopani.

Nonnie, don't!

You're mad!

I can't let you do this!

You did it all for nothing.

There's millions of dollars worth

of ivory in there! You bloody fools!

Ricketts, don't!

It's too late!

- Will I see you again?

- Ask desert.

Desert knows to find Xhabbo.

We go together and now we stop.

Xhabbo will not look back.

Harry, you should go now,

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