A Passage to India Page #5

No. And far too many people.

- Would you like something to drink?

- Oh, thank you.

I suppose, like many old people,

I sometimes think

we are merely passing figures

in a godless universe.

Get me some water.

Oh.

- There you are.

- Thank you, my dear.

I didn't know you'd gone. Now, now.

We should be thinking of moving on

before the sun gets too high.

Do forgive me, Dr Aziz.

I'm rather tired, so I think I'll stay here.

I've never been a good walker, and you

two will get on much better without me.

Dear Mrs Moore, nothing to forgive.

You're right. It is quite a big climb.

And I'm glad you're not coming,

because you're treating me

with true frankness, as a friend.

I am your friend.

- So may I make a suggestion?

- Of course.

Don't take quite so many people with you

this time. You'll find it more convenient.

- It does get rather crowded.

- Exactly, exactly.

We shall take just the guide. Right?

Quite right. And enjoy yourselves.

It's almost a mirage.

Dr Aziz,

may I ask you something

rather personal?

- You were married, weren't you?

- Yes, indeed.

Did you love your wife

when you married her?

We never set eyes on each other

until the day we were married.

It was all arranged by our families.

I only saw her face in a photograph.

What about love?

We were a man and a woman.

And we were young.

Dr Aziz,

did you have more than one wife?

One. One, in my case.

I'll be back in a moment.

(both speak Urdu)

- Miss Quested!

- (echo)

(rumble)

Miss Quested!

Miss Quested?

Miss Quested?

(rumble)

- What's happened?

- Elephant taking bath, memsahib.

Something else.

(sobs)

Miss Quested!

Miss Quested!

Miss Quested!

Miss Quested?

Fool!

(car horn)

- Morning, Mrs Moore.

- Mr Fielding.

So sorry about this morning.

Everything going well?

Have you seen Miss Quested and Dr Aziz?

No. I've just walked up from the road.

I'm dying for a drink.

Be with you in a moment.

Good Lord!

Oh, Mr Fielding, I'm so glad you're here.

Oh, I was coming over to you.

Nothing wrong?

Not exactly. But they went off with

the guide an hour ago - more, in fact -

and somehow...

I don't know this place,

but I'm sure they'll be back soon.

Fielding! Fielding!

Fielding. Fielding, I've so wanted you.

- Where is Miss Quested?

- What is it?

She went down the road.

I think she met Mrs Callendar.

- It looked like her car.

- Of course it was her car.

- She drove me here.

- Oh.

Why did Miss Quested

go off with Mrs Callendar?

I don't know.

But, Dr Aziz, when did you part with her?

I don't understand.

Nor do I. I went round the corner

to have a cigarette...

And?

Then the guide couldn't recall

which cave she'd gone into.

So I looked in all the caves,

and when I came out of...

I think it was the third cave,

I... I saw these.

And then - I think it was then -

I heard the car.

So I ran over to the edge

and I saw Miss Quested getting in.

And... and then she drove away

with Mrs Callendar.

That's all.

And these.

I think we'd all better go back.

Oh, Mrs Moore...

Our great day is in tatters.

I will never forgive myself.

Hassan!

Selim!

Aziz is an innocent.

Something else must have happened.

Of course something else happened.

This is a dangerous place

for new arrivals.

(sobbing)

Now lie back, dear.

Do your best to relax.

You'll be better very soon now.

After we've seen off Mrs Moore, I'm going

to take you back for a good stiff drink.

Here we are.

Good Lord, quite a crowd.

Dr Aziz, it is my painful duty to arrest you.

- What on earth are you talking about?

- Sir, I am instructed not to say.

Produce your warrant.

Sir, excuse me. No warrant is required

under these particular circumstances.

- Please refer to Superintendent McBryde.

- We certainly will.

Come along, old chap.

Some ridiculous mistake.

Dr Aziz, will you please come?

A closed conveyance is in the yard.

For God's sake!

Never, never act the criminal.

McBryde's a decent fellow.

We'll see him together.

But my children, my name...

Nothing of the sort.

We're coming, Mr Haq.

- What is it?

- Come. I've got a car waiting outside.

That's Mr Fielding's

and Dr Aziz's compartment.

- I'll explain outside.

- I can't leave without speaking to them.

Please come along, Mother.

I know what I'm doing. Make way, please!

Come on.

Take my arm. I'll see you through.

Fielding!

Fielding, I want a word with you.

Please... Please don't leave me.

I have to go. I'll be with you

as soon as I possibly can.

- Please, Mother, come along.

- I will not!

Something very terrible is happening.

- Absolutely impossible. Grotesque.

- I'm afraid not.

But who brings this infamous charge?

Mrs Callendar, who witnessed

the poor girl's flight down the ravine,

and the victim herself.

Miss Quested accuses

Dr Aziz of attempted rape?

- Yes.

- Then she's mad.

- I cannot pass that remark.

- I'm sorry, sir.

But the charge must rest on

some dreadful misunderstanding.

- Five minutes will clear it up.

- It does rest on a misunderstanding.

I've had 25 years' experience here. I have

never known anything but disaster result

when English and lndians

attempt to be intimate.

(door slams)

Oh, I hate these damned festivals.

I'll be glad when it's over.

Always have a feeling

they might go over the top.

You have a visitor.

I think I'll be off. See you tonight.

She hit him with these.

That's how she escaped.

If he had assaulted her, he'd scarcely

bring the evidence back with him.

- Doesn't surprise me.

- I don't follow.

When you think of crime,

you think of English crime.

The psychology's different here.

And particularly in regard to women.

I've been going through his wallet.

Here's a letter from a friend

who apparently keeps a brothel.

I don't want to hear his private letters.

It'll have to be quoted in court

as bearing on his morals.

Our respectable young doctor

was fixing up to see tarts in Calcutta.

Oh, come on.

You may have the right to throw stones

for that sort of thing, but I haven't.

- Tell them to wait.

- Sir.

Aye, it starts already.

Vakil Hamidullah and Mahmoud Ali,

legal advisors to the prisoner.

Where is Miss Quested now?

Staying with the Callendars

until she's out of danger.

- What danger?

- She has a fever.

But worse, hundreds of cactus spines

are embedded in her arms and legs.

There's a danger of them

entering the bloodstream.

Yes.

Her scramble down that ravine

was so precipitate

it started a small avalanche of stones

which stopped Mrs Callendar's car.

She hooted, thinking work was

going on above, and then she saw her.

She had got among some cactuses

and was beginning to panic.

I suppose there's no possibility

of my seeing Miss Quested?

She's in no state to see anyone.

Callendar's sedated her and proposes

to keep her like that for days.

- He's worried about shock.

- I see. But afterwards?

Why on earth do you want to see her?

I want to ask her if she's certain,

dead certain, that it was Aziz.

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