A Town Like Alice Page #2

I'll come back later.

Oh.

- Yow! Yow!

- [MAKES MACHINE GUN NOISES]

Bang, bang, bang,

bang, bang, bang!

Well, that's that.

Fishing boats put to sea.

No boats.

[TELEPHONE RINGS]

DO's office. Who?

The lighthouse keeper?

Yes, he's here.

For you, sir.

- Hello?

- Johnson here, sir.

- The Osprey's just passed the lighthouse.

Thank you, Johnson, that's fine.

They've sent the Osprey back,

it's just past the lighthouse.

- Get your party ready.

- Right, sir.

- Yooww! Yooww!

- [MAKES MACHINE GUN NOISE]

- Bang! Bang, bang, bang, bang!

- Yooww!

All right, get ready, please.

The launch is coming back, and

we can get you down to Singapore.

Now, be as quick as you

can, please.

[BOAT ENGINE NOISE AND

CHILDREN'S VOICES]

[CHILDREN CHATTER]

[BABY GIGGLES AND CRIES]

- I'll take these for you.

-Thank you.

[MACHINE GUN FIRE]

[MACHINE GUN FIRE]

[FIRING CONTINUES]

Bang, bang, bang, bang.

[MACHINE GUN FIRE]

Sergeant, save your truss.

Save your truss---

[GUNFIRE]

GET BACK, MAN! GE BACK, GET BACK.

[MACHINE GUN FIRE]

[MACHINE GUN FIRE]

[MACHINE GUN FIRE]

Bang!

[MACHINE GUN FIRE]

[SOLDIERS' FOOTSTEPS]

Bang!

[CHUCKLES]

Michael?

- Bang!

- Michael!

[SCREAMS]

Michael!

MICH--!

Michael!

[HE SOBS AND WAILS]

[SCREAMS]

Michael!

[CRYING]

[BABY CRIES]

Everybody stand up.

Men, stand.

Against the wall, with hands

raised. Like that.

There. There.

Women stand, in line.

Facing men.

Come on, hurry up.

We take all money.

Watches.

Jewellery. And you get

the receipt.

[SPEAKS IN JAPANESE]

[SPEAKS IN JAPANESE]

All turn round, now.

When Japanese officer

comes, all bow.

[SERGEANT ANNOUNCES

IN JAPANESE]

[APPROACHING FOOTSTEPS]

[SPEAKS IN JAPANESE]

You are prisoners now.

You do good things, you

get good from Japanese.

You do bad things, you

get shot very quick.

So do good things always, please.

Men must go to prison camp now.

Women and children stay here.

You say goodbye now.

Please may we know what will

happen to the women and children?

Imperial Japanese soldiers always

kind to women and children.

You say farewell now.

Truck waiting.

Thank you.

[SPEAKS IN JAPANESE]

- [SPEAKS IN JAPANESE]

- You stay. [BABY CRIES]

[SUBDUED VOICES]

Men outside, please.

Oh, no.

[BABY CRIES]

Quick.

Quick, please.

Goodbye, Daddy.

[SHE SOBS]

[BABY CRIES]

- [ BACKGROUND] Goodbye, Jean.

- Goodbye.

[SHOUTS IN JAPANESE]

You will send me a

postcard, won't you?

Hurry, please.

Goodbye, you old

stick in the mud.

[CRYING]

[BABY CRIES]

Don't leave me, please, please don't

leave me. No, don't leave me.

[BABY AND EILEEN CRY]

- NO! OH.

- You.

You come now, very quick.

No, don't go. PLEASE.

[BABY CRIES]

- Oh, God. Oh, don't go.

[EILEEN AND BABY CRY]

[SOMBRE MUSIC]

[SWORD UNSHEATHED]

[JAPANESE SALUTE]

[SYMBOLIC MUSIC]

[HE SALUTES]

[ORDER GIVEN IN JAPANESE]

Everybody stand up.

When Japanese officer

comes, all bow.

Ladies.

Orders come.

You go back Kuala Lumpur.

Then to Singapore, perhaps.

Prisoners' camp there

for women and children.

It will be very happy.

- Back to Kuala Lumpur?

- Yes.

You start now.

Captain.

You speak to Japanese officer.

You bow, always.

- Captain, may I speak, please?

- Yes.

Where is the truck?

- The truck?

- Truck for women?

No, you walk.

Walk? But it's fifty miles.

You go one bit each day.

Impossible. We can't walk

in this heat.

English women have

grand thoughts always.

Japanese women not mind walk.

- Now you walk.

- We're not Japanese women.

No.

You are the arrogant English.

You will apologise and bow.

Apologise, I say.

[WEAPONS COCKED]

- APOLOGISE!

- OH, NO!

Don't--- shoot.

It is hard to be prisoner.

We will try to do good things.

Very good thoughts.

You march now.

In line, please.

Kowtowing to a Jap.

Disgusting.

No, she's quite right.

We are prisoners.

They can shoot us if

they want to.

You can shoot me if I

ever kowtow to a Jap.

You march now.

In line, please.

[SHOUTS IN JAPANESE]

[STOICAL MUSIC]

OKAY. JUST A MINUTE.

YES.

YES, YES.

[MOSQUITOES BUZZING]

[BABY CRIES]

I'll take him.

- Are you all right, Mum?

- Yes, dear, I'm all right.

[BABY CRIES]

Oh..!

Quinine - who's got some quinine?

Here.

Thank you.

Jean, damp this for me.

Tell Mrs Knowles not

to drink that water.

Oh, I shouldn't drink that water

if I were you, Mrs Knowles.

We'll get some fresh in

the next village.

[MOSQUITOES BUZZ CLOSE BY]

[SHOUTS]

WE GO.

[SHOUTS IN JAPANESE]

Come on everybody,

on your feet.

[SHOUTS IN JAPANESE]

Oh, we can't take all this stuff.

Shall I just take enough for the baby,

and things for Freddie and Jane?

How far have we come?

We're doing fine.

A good seven miles.

- But it's forty miles to Kuala Lumpur.

- Forty miles!

[SHOUTS IN JAPANESE]

[SOMBRE MUSIC]

[BIRD CALLING]

[ORDERS SHOUTED IN JAPANESE]

- Eye drops.

- Thank you.

- Chloradine.

- Thank you, dear.

- Two aspirins.

- Thank you.

Thank you.

- Quinine.

- Thank you, dear.

Sorry, I haven't got any.

How lucky you are not to have

to bother with silly medicines.

Oh, not this one--- oh, no,

that's for after meals.

And this is to stimulate

my appetite.

I'll take this for the children

and come back for mine.

- Jean.

- Hm?

Do something for me.

Speak to Mrs Frith. She mustn't

get away with it.

I know what you want. But I'm a sick

woman, I'm under doctor's orders.

It's a miracle I've

got as far as this.

Come on, Mrs Frith, we

must share our medicines.

You can keep your special ones.

- I'll just take the quinine and the codeine.

- May God forgive you.

You'll be all right.

You'll be sorry when I'm dead.

Timothy.

Come here.

You can look after poor Timothy.

Well, I'd like to.

I'm so sorry, I simply

haven't the strength.

You can look after each other.

Why you not march?

Very bad thing.

Can we please have a

truck to Kuala Lumpur?

You not go Kuala Lumpur.

No railroad.

British destroy bridges.

You go Port Swettenham,

that way.

Then ship take you Singapore.

But it's nearly fifty

miles to Port Swettenham.

How're we going to get there?

- Walk?

- Yes, walk.

One bit each day.

You get there very quick.

Then ship to Singapore.

[BABY CRIES]

Come on. Shush.

Jean, goodness.

Mrs Holland.

Come on, now.

Jean.

Let me see him.

[SOMBRE MUSIC]

Oh, Robin's really taken to you.

Poor boy.

I had such a bad time with him.

I haven't been strong since.

You'll be all right.

Freddie.

Jane.

They're in God's hands now.

And yours.

[MUSIC SWELLS]

[BABY CRIES]

Oh, why don't you eat your

supper, Freddie?

[HE SOBS]

[CHILDREN CHATTERING]

[BABY CRIES]

Very sorry, no good.

Well, you can have these too.

- You have money?

- No.

- Cigarette?

- No.

- Anything else?

- Nothing.

Look, I must have some

milk for the baby.

Tinned milk or powdered

milk, anything.

Milk is for orphanage.

Well, haven't you any tins

of soup or vegetables?

Very sorry, all finished.

[BABY CRIES]

[SHE SPEAKS IN MALAY]

[TALKING HEATEDLY]

[PROTESTING]

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