A Matter of Life and Death Page #2

He's either AWOL|or there's been a mistake.

There hasn't been a mistake here|for 1,000 years.

Oh? So there have been mistakes?

The girl here before me|was here 640 years.

Holy smoke!

If the records don't balance,|alarm bells ring in the Records Office.

I bet they do. Proper flap, eh?

Yes.

That's only the living records.

Everyone on Earth has a file.

Russian, Chinese, black or white,|Republican or Democrat.

Holy smoke! If anyone had said clerks|worked up here just like on Earth...

Everyone here can start how they like.

Heaven, isn't it?

You see?

There are millions of people on Earth|who'd think it heaven to be a clerk.

And don't say "Holy smoke".

- Why not?|- There's no smoke without fire...

.. and we don't call smoke... holy.

Thanks for the gen,... Section Officer.

Boy, oh, boy, home was nothin' like this!

Mine was.

Sign here.

All right, I don't want to start|those bells ringing!

(bells ring)

I wonder where I report.

(dog howls)

Oh, I always hoped there would be dogs.

(# plaintive flute music )

(# gentle, wistful tune)

(dog barks)

Good morning.

Morning.

Where do I go from here?

- Huh?!|- I'm new, I only just arrived.

- Where do I report?|- You mean the aerodrome?

Aerodrome?

Where am I? This place, what's it called?

- The Burrows.|- Where?

- Lee Wood.|- Lee Wood?

- Yeah.|- Do you know Lee Wood House?

That's it - where the smoke is,|behind those trees.

- Is that the quickest way?|- There's a track. See that bike?

- Who is it?|- Dunno. One of the Yank girls.

They live up at the house.

Here, Jock! (whistles)

Hi!

Hello.

Hello yourself. What's wrong?

You're June.

You're Peter!

How did you get here?

I'm glad you're safe.|What did you do? What happened?

- I just don't know.|- Are you hurt?

My head feels a bit queer.

There's a little cut in your hair.|It's nothing much.

Oh, Peter, it was a cruel joke.

If it was, it was on me.

I've been crying|ever since we said goodbye.

- Don't cry, darling.|- Oh, Peter, darling.

(Recorder) 91,716 invoiced.

91,715 checked in.

- Conductor 71.|- It could've 'appened to anybody.

How did it happen?

Everything was calculated|but for the accursed fog!

The pilot jumped,|he got lost in the fog, I missed him.

Flying Officer Trubshaw.

You've been waiting all day for your pilot.

Yes, ma'am. Over the Channel,|there was a ruddy peasouper!

Ah-ha!

Oh, excuse the language, ma'am.

It was so thick, you could've stepped|out of the kite and walked on it!

- Sacr brouillard!|- And he, the skipper,...

.. ordered everybody|to bail out over the coast.

He knew his brolly... chute...|had been written off.

It was hit as he was bandaging me.

But he didn't tell the others.

I only knew because I'd bought it by then.

I mean, I was... dead.

I understand.

I knew he'd be clocking in here.

I thought I'd stooge around and|wait for him. Er, this young lady...

.. is not to blame at all.

- I'm sorry if I broke the rules.|- Thank you.

19 hours and 50 minutes have elapsed.

Don't you know that any slip|must be reported immediately?

- I lost my head.|- Not long in the service.

I joined in the so-called|Second Germinal...

.. of the so-called|glorious French Revolution.

I see. Natural death.

I lost my head.

The case is not so simple.

- Non?|- No.

He's fallen in love.

Ahhhh!

Oh.

- It complicates things.|- True.

- You must do your best.|- Oui, madame.

- Proceed to Earth immediately.|- Oui.

You'll explain your grave error to Carter...

- .. and ask him to follow you.|- Oui, madame.

Wait!

Your captain is not|an unreasonable man, I hope.

The skipper? Oh, no, ma'am...|unless he's had a few!

Er... pardon? 'Ad a few?

- Beers.|- Oh, la bire!

Scotch being hard to come by, you know.

- Naturellement!|- By the way,...

.. would you give Peter a message for me?

Avec plaisir.

Just say, "What ho".

Bon.

One is starved for Technicolor up there.

What a night for love!

Drink, darling?

Mon ami.

Evening.

I think I keep this for a little.

And how are you, my friend?

Never been better.

- June, wake...|- She cannot wake.

We are talking in space, not in time.

- Are you cracked?|- Look at your watch.

It has not moved since you said|so charmingly "Drink, darling?"

Nor will it move,...

.. nor will anything move...

.. until we have finished our little talk.

It is only a trick.

Who are you?

We should've met yesterday|at 04.10, mon cher.

Unfortunately I missed you.

You couldn't have because I wasn't here.

I bring you a message from Mr Trubshaw.

Bob?

- Bob's dead.|- Oh, yes, he's dead.

He says... "What ho!"

That sounds like Trubshaw.|But he is dead, isn't he?

- En effet. But how? Why?|- Cannon shell.

And what should happen to a man...

.. who jumps from his aircraft|without his parachute?

How do you know?

But it is I who am telling you, my friend.

It is I!

Your time was up,...

.. but I missed you because of your|ridiculous English climate.

I am French.

- But what do you want now?|- You, my friend.

- What for?|- To conduct you.

- Where to?|- To the training centre.

- Training for what?|- For another world.

You don't mean...?

But, my dear friend,|that is just what I do mean.

Oh, this is absolutely fantastic!

- June!|- (conductor laughs)

June!

All right, and what if I refuse to go?

But you cannot refuse. Your time was up.

Now, by mistake,|you overstayed by about,...

.. speaking in time, of course,...

.. 20 hours.

The advantage was exclusively yours.|You lost nothing, you only gained.

What about her?

(conductor chuckles)

Exquise.

You will see her again|when her time comes.

She will live to be... ninety-seven.|I looked her up in the files.

- I'm in love with her.|- But, my friend, what is love?

The feeling of the moment,...

.. but I represent eternity.

The law of this world and the other.

- Good, but what is law?|- Law is law.

- Law is based on reason.|- That is so.

Now, yesterday I wasn't in love.|Today I am.

But what is love?|How many people are in love?

Soldiers, airmen, how many sailors?

Do they protest when their time is up?|No, they don't.

- They have no right, but I have.|- Why?

Look, I've fallen in love|because of your mistake.

I'm in a different position|from what I was in last night.

I expected to die, I was ready to die.

It wasn't my fault I didn't, it was yours!

- What government do you represent?|- None!

What laws govern the place?

I cannot express any political views.

A respectable place|must have law of appeal.

- Be reasonable! Appeal to whom?|- You find out.

- It has never been done!|- Is that any reason why it can't be done?

You are determined|to get me into... the salad.

What about the salad you got me into?

Now, look here, you don't want me|to use force, do you?

Oh, well, you can always try.

- I think I leave you for a little.|- That's the form.

- I shall report for instructions.|- Now you're talking!

And... do not fall any deeper in love now.

You have been warned.

She is...

.. charming.

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