A Passage to India Page #6

Callendar could ask her that.

I want someone who

believes in him to ask her.

What difference would that make?

She is surrounded by people

who don't trust lndians.

Look, I don't want to be an alarmist,

but, in my opinion, the situation will

become very nasty in the next few weeks.

I would think so.

May I see Aziz?

Only on a magistrate's order.

- To whom do I apply?

- The city magistrate.

Nothing else excepting clothes, sir.

But these were under the bed.

- Very useful, Haq.

- Thank you, sir.

And there is also that.

- That's his wife.

- How do you know that?

He showed me that photograph.

She's dead.

I see. Well, I must press on

with the report.

I hope to see you at the club on Saturday.

I believe Turton wants us all there.

You are very good to greet us

in this public fashion.

For goodness sake.

Did Mr McBryde say anything

when my card came in?

- No.

- I'm wanting bail.

- Did my application annoy him?

- He wasn't annoyed.

- And if he was, what does it matter?

- I might prejudice him against Aziz.

Nonsense.

This is no way to be thinking.

Aziz is innocent, and everything

we do must be based on that.

Mr Fielding, are you on our side

against your own people?

It would seem so.

I think we'd better go somewhere else.

(speaks Urdu)

- Who should be counsel for defence?

- You, surely.

We need someone from a distance,

someone who cannot be intimidated.

- Have you heard of Amritrao?

- Amritrao? The Calcutta man?

- A high reputation.

- Notoriously anti-British.

- Freedom Movement.

- That worries me.

Amritrao would be regarded

as a political challenge.

When I saw my friend's

private papers carried in just now,

in the arms of that police inspector,

I said to myself

"Amritrao is the man to clear this up."

Let's not go too fast. We're bound to win.

She'll never be able

to substantiate the charges.

(whispers) She's been complaining

about an echo in her head.

- What about the echo?

- She can't get rid of it.

I don't suppose she ever will.

Back in a moment.

- Mother, that was unkind.

- Unkind? Unkind?

What about poor Dr Aziz

and those terrible police?

- Mother, quiet, please.

- I won't be quiet.

Aziz is certainly innocent.

- You don't know that.

- I know about people's characters.

It's not the sort of thing he would do.

Whatever you think, the case has got

to come before a magistrate now.

The machinery has started.

Yes. She has started the machinery.

It will work to its end.

(speaks Urdu)

- Ah, Godbole.

- I see you are in a hurry.

I must get out of these things

and go back to town.

May I speak to you just for a moment?

Er, yes. Come in,

if you don't mind me changing.

I wanted to apologise for this morning.

Oh, it's all right.

I hope the expedition was successful.

- The news hasn't reached you then?

- Oh, yes.

No. A dreadful thing has happened.

Aziz has been arrested.

Oh, yes. That is all round the college.

An expedition where that occurs

can hardly be called successful.

- I cannot say. I was not there.

- No.

I must not detain you,

but I have a private difficulty

on which I require your help.

I'm leaving your service shortly,

as you know.

I'm returning to the place of my childhood

to take charge of education there.

I want to start a school that will be

as much like this as possible.

- The point on which I desire advice is,

what name should be given to the school?

- A name for the school?

- A suitable title.

Godbole, have you grasped

that Aziz is in prison?

Yes. I only meant that when you're less

worried you might think the matter over.

I had thought, with your permission,

of the Richard Fielding High School.

But, failing that,

the King Emperor George V.

Godbole, let me ask you something. I was

under the impression that you liked Aziz.

- Most certainly.

- Then how can you be so indifferent?

- Don't you care what happens to him?

- It is of no consequence if I care or not.

The outcome is already decided.

- Destiny, karma.

- Just so.

Mr Fielding, we are all part of

a pattern we cannot perceive.

Why did Mrs Moore bring

Miss Quested to Chandrapore?

To marry the city magistrate.

Yes...

Or to go to the Marabar with Dr Aziz.

- Or perhaps to meet you.

- Very beguiling.

But at this moment my only interest

is to do something for Aziz.

Excuse me, but nothing you do

will change the outcome.

So do nothing.

ls that your philosophy?

My philosophy is

you can do what you like,

but the outcome will be the same.

(door opens)

Did you get bail?

They're afraid your presence

might incite further trouble.

Even riots.

(whispers) We've received

a telegram from Calcutta.

- From Calcutta?

- Amritrao is going to defend you.

Amritrao?

Read, read.

- What is "disbursement"?

- Fee. He will not accept a fee.

- Good evening.

- Good evening.

(crowd shouting)

There's not the least cause for alarm.

I want everything to go on

precisely as usual.

So don't start carrying arms about.

Ladies, don't go out

any more than you can help,

and don't talk before your servants.

Remember, one isolated

lndian has attempted...

has been charged with

an attempted crime.

And he will be brought to trial.

Those drums are merely

the festival, of course.

Yes, indeed. And no doubt they'll be

banging away throughout the night.

Apologies, Collector Sahib, everyone.

Heaslop's just behind me and

I want to say a word before he comes in.

- Of course.

- He needs all our support.

He blames himself

for allowing such an expedition,

as indeed do I for giving the wretch leave.

And then there's his mother.

It's been a most unsettling experience.

The good news is that the victim

is greatly improved and...

Ah, Heaslop, come along in.

Good to have you with us.

For goodness sake, do sit down, please.

Up here, Ronny.

Come and join us up here.

Thank you, sir. Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

- Please, do sit down.

- (man) Some of us never got up.

We were delighted to hear

the major's report on Miss Quested.

Thank you, sir. I didn't mean to

interrupt the meeting in this way.

Not at all. I was saying

before you arrived that you'd refused bail.

I was about to add

that there's a certain member

here present

who's known to be in contact

with the prisoner's defence.

I'd like to say one can't run with the hare

and hunt with the hounds.

At least, not in this country.

- I would like to say something, sir.

- Please do.

I believe Dr Aziz is innocent.

I shall await the verdict of the court.

If he is found guilty, I shall resign

from the college and leave lndia.

I resign from the club now.

She's old. You mustn't forget that.

Old people never take things

as one expects.

They can cause a great deal of trouble.

(knocking)

- Are you all right, Mother?

- Just... just having a little rest.

- It's very hot.

- Yes, it is.

I do wish I could persuade you not to

undertake this journey at this time of year.

At least stay until the monsoon.

It's very close now.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes