A Passage to India Page #4

Well, are you ill or aren't you?

No doubt Major Callendar

told you I'm shamming.

Well, are you?

The hot weather is coming.

I have a fever.

Sit down, sit down.

Sit down, all of you!

Mr Fielding, excuse. A question, please.

- Carry on.

- Nothing personal.

Personally, we're all delighted

that you should be here.

But how is England

justified in holding lndia?

- Unfair political question.

- No, no.

- I'm out here because I need a job.

- Qualified lndians also need a job.

I got in first.

And I'm delighted to be here. That's

my answer and that's my only excuse.

- And those who are not delighted?

- Chuck 'em out.

lndians are also saying that.

- (speaks Urdu)

- Mr Fielding...

What are you doing out here?

Please come back.

Of course.

Here you see the celebrated

hospitality of the East.

Look... look at the mess.

Look at the flies.

- Look at the plaster coming off the wall.

- Oh, please.

Here is my home,

where you come to be insulted

by my friends.

That was fair enough.

And you'd better get back into bed.

- And then you'll have to be off.

- You should rest.

I can rest all day thanks to Dr Lal,

Major Callendar's spy.

I suppose you know that.

Major Callendar doesn't trust anyone,

English or lndian. That's his character.

I wish you weren't under him.

But you are, and that's that.

There we are. Try sleeping for a bit.

Before you go, will you please open

that drawer under the clock?

There's a grey cardboard folder.

That's right. Open it.

She was my wife.

You are the first Englishman

she has ever come before.

Now put her away.

I don't know why you pay me this

great compliment, but I do appreciate it.

Oh, it is nothing. She was not a highly

educated woman, or even beautiful.

But I loved her.

Now put her away.

You would have seen her anyhow.

- Would you have allowed me to see her?

- Why not?

I believe in the purdah, but I would

have told her you were my brother.

- Would she have believed you?

- Of course not.

Put her away. She is dead.

I showed her to you because

I have nothing else to show.

Mr Fielding, why are You not married?

The lady I liked wouldn't marry me.

That's the main point.

That was a long time ago.

Before the war.

- You haven't any children?

- None.

Excuse the following question.

Have you any illegitimate children?

No.

- Then your name will die entirely out?

- Right.

This is what an Oriental

will never understand.

- There are far too many children anyway.

- Why don't you marry Miss Quested?

- Good Lord!

- But she's very nice.

I can't marry her even if I wanted to.

She's engaged to the city magistrate.

Oh.

So no Miss Quested for Mr Fielding.

However, she is not beautiful,

and she has practically no breasts.

For a magistrate they may be sufficient.

For you I'll arrange a lady

with breasts like Bombay mangoes!

No, you won't.

You must not tell Callendar, but last year

I took sick leave and I went to Calcutta.

- There are girls there with breasts...

- You've made a remarkable recovery.

- I have, I have.

- Please tell your chap to bring my horse.

- He doesn't seem to understand my Urdu.

- I told him not to.

But now I will release you. Hassan!

(both speak Urdu)

By the way, about this Marabar

expedition. It's going to cost an awful lot.

Would you like me to help you call it off?

No, no. Arrangements

are almost complete.

I shall know exact date tomorrow.

Well, good. Don't leave it too long.

Phew.

Hassan?

(both speak Urdu)

(train whistle)

You've come after all! I was afraid...

How kind, how very kind!

I'm sorry, Dr Aziz, but I've never been

at my best at this time of the morning.

- We're here anyway.

- Yes. Excuse me. Please come.

(speaks Urdu)

- This isn't all for us?

- For this great occasion

I've had help from all my friends.

I think you will not need your servant.

- No, indeed.

- Then we shall all be Muslims together.

Antony...

I don't like him at all.

Antony, you can go now.

We won't need you any more.

Master told me to stay.

Mistress tells you to go.

Master says

"Keep near ladies all morning."

Please go.

- What's that for?

- A surprise. You will see.

Come, come, come. Please, come.

You are travelling purdah.

You will like that?

- It will certainly be a new experience.

- Yes.

Where's Mr Fielding?

He'll be here.

Englishmen never miss a train.

Mr Fielding! Mr Fielding!

I'm most awfully sorry, Aziz.

Oh, Mr Fielding, you have destroyed me.

It was Godbole's prayers.

They went on for ever.

- Jump on! Jump!

- No, no.

- I must have you.

- I'm sorry, Aziz, but it really is no good.

We'll join you... somehow.

Mrs Moore, our expedition is a ruin.

Nonsense.

We shall now all be Muslims together.

- Dear, dear Mrs Moore.

- Go back to you carriage, Dr Aziz.

You make me quite giddy.

Poor Aziz.

We must try and get hold of a car.

Can you think of anyone?

ls anything the matter?

- You saw the gates shut against us?

- Yes.

- Today is Tuesday.

- Go on.

Not a wise day

to undertake such a journey.

Extremely inauspicious, Mr Fielding.

Godbole.

I wouldn't have missed this for anything.

- Memsahib.

- Oh, thank you.

- Tea coming.

- Yes.

What a relief after Antony.

Rather a strange place to do the cooking.

I always feel rather embarrassed

when people I dislike are good to me.

And I really don't care for Mrs Callendar.

But she's visiting a clinic and

the road goes up to just below the caves.

We'd better leave in half an hour.

Would you care for a coffee?

- Miss Quested!

- Oh, no.

ls Mrs Moore awake?

Yes. But please... go in!

Don't worry, Miss Quested.

Look, I am Douglas Fairbanks.

Tell me, dear. What's going on out there?

Mrs Moore, we're almost there.

I will now explain to you about the ladder.

It is to be your big surprise.

You cannot imagine how you honour me.

I feel that I am journeying back into

my past, and that I'm a Mogul emperor.

Sometimes I shut my eyes and dream...

I have splendid clothes again.

And that I'm riding into battle

behind Alamgir. He too rode an elephant.

Horrid, stuffy place, really.

- Everything is very well arranged.

- And here, ladies, is your port.

The best caves are higher up,

under the Kawa Dol.

But we start in this one.

The guide says,

everyone to go in quietly.

All sounds make an echo, and many

sounds create inharmonious effect.

I do hope I shall be all right.

In my early days with Ronny's father,

I made rather a fool of myself

in the chamber of horrors.

Horrors? What horrors?

The waxwork museum.

He was a very conventional young man,

which made it all rather worse.

- This was not Stella's father?

- No, no.

He was very unconventional.

My goodness me...

Sahib, sahib.

(both speak Urdu)

Hassan! Selim!

(baby cries)

(echo)

Shh. Shh.

(echo dies awaY)

(intensifYing rumble)

Kawa Dol.

(echo)

(rumble)

Mrs Moore!

(echo)

Please, please.

(rumble)

(voices)

- Are you all right?

- Yes, yes.

- Are you sure?

- Yes.

Godbole never mentioned the echo.

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