Anna and the King Page #6

All this sabre-rattling.

Not good for trade, l can tell you.

The king's brother is most likely dead,

as is his general.

l would hardly call his action unprovoked.

What can l do for you, Mrs Leonowens?

Are the British behind these attacks on Siam?

Huh! Stick to teaching, Mrs Leonowens!

lt's obvious you know nothing about politics.

Burma would not make a move

without England's blessing. That l know.

Precisely.

But ifthis crisis isn't resolved soon and a

country under our protection is threatened,

we will have no choice

but to defend our interests.

Our protection?

Our interests?

The ways of England

are the ways ofthe world, my dear.

They are the ways of one world, Lady

Bradley. One l am ashamed to call my own.

You forget yourself, madam.

Now ifyou'll excuse us.

No, l will not.

You raised your glass to him!

You commended him for his vision.

And all the while you were waiting

to take his country from him.

How the empire conducts its business

is really none ofyour concern.

The last time l inquired, Lord Bradley,

l was still a British subject.

A fact you would do well to remember

next time you're cheek to cheek with the king.

Forgive me, but my Lady Tuptim

is in great danger.

l am Phim.

Someone found her in the monastery.

She must speak with you.

Only Buddha can save her now.

What is it?

Oh, my dear girl.

What have you done?

What l have done is not result of king

or intention to dishonor.

A concubine's heart

is of no consequence to king,

consumed with matters

of the whole universe.

But, Tuptim, why did you not come to me?

The king might have understood.

You simply can't do this to him - not now!

lf love was a choice, who would

ever choose such exquisite pain?

This is what l need His Majesty to know.

lf such does not compromise you.

l will tell him anything you wish.

l thank Buddha for giving me direction.

And now, with mem before me,

l thank him for giving me true friend.

Halt!

Halt!

Stay where you are!

Lady Tuptim, you are accused

of a traitorous act

against His Majesty, King Mongkut,

which carries the penalty

of death.

Please describe for the Court

the events as they occurred.

Why say anything

if l am not to be treated fairly?

ls this not the priest

whose letter was found

in your chamber,

written in English,

in hope, no doubt,

to disguise its lascivious intent?

Fear not, Tuptim,

all life is suffering.

Speak now, woman, or the cane shall be

applied to you at once.

My Lords,

His Holiness, Balat, is the only man

l have ever loved,

and being taken from him

was to deny

air to my lungs.

His Majesty does not need me,

but l need Balat.

He wrote to me to bid me farewell,

believing l was lost for ever to the inside.

So committed his life to monastery!

You will speak in your native tongue!

This priest disguised you

as the most sacred of human beings.

No, he did nothing!

l disguised myself.

When l knew he could not recognize me,

l became one of his brothers.

He never knew l was a woman.

My Lords, l speak the truth!

He gave you this robe

and you went to his bed!

That is not true!

And l condemn you

for your foul thoughts

and cruel hearts!

Cane her.

Stop it! Do you hear me?!

Don't you dare lay

another hand on that woman!

She has done nothing but to try

and find happiness! Do not touch me!

l will go to the king!

He will put an end to this savagery!

Thank you for seeing me, Your Majesty.

l was told by your prime minister

this was none of my concern.

lt is none of mem's concern.

And king is seeing you now

to tell you same himself.

Forgive me, but...

l do not wish for you to talk more

on this, mem. To king or anyone.

- l was only trying...

- Tuptim broke law!

By loving someone?

''Sacrifice your life for truth.''

''Persecute no man.''

Are these not the teachings of Buddha?

l am king! And l say enough!

You asked me to always tell you what l think.

What you think... and what you do

and how... and when you do them

are not the same thing.

lf you believe l wish to execute this girl...

But now, because you say to court

you can tell king what to do,

l cannot intervene as l had planned.

lntervene? After they're tortured?

Yes!

But you, a woman and a foreigner,

have made it seem king at your command.

You have made me appear weak.

And impossible for me

to step in and not lose face!

- But you are the king.

- To remain such,

l cannot undermine ability

to command loyalty,

- which l must have to keep country secure.

- You have the power...

Now is not the time to change

the way that things are done!

Well, if not now, then when?

How many more people must die

so that you might save face?!

Go home, mem.

You help enough for one day.

For the life of me, l don't know

how you people can stand this heat.

You have five minutes, Mr Kincaid.

l suggest you not waste them.

l don't suppose l could have a glass ofwater?

Right.

Then l'll come straight to the point.

As you know, l do a lot

of business with the Siamese,

many ofwhom have ended up

dead in recent months.

Which, as l have discovered,

is all part of some elaborate plot

to make you think we British are the villains.

l happen to know we are not.

The acquisition of a particular little piece

of information has cost me a small fortune.

But the fact is, when all is said and done,

l make more money

with Mongkut on the throne, so

l think l'm about to become your best friend.

Your Majesty, Alak will not stop

until all ofyour children are in velvet sacks.

Kincaid said he'll blame

the coup on Burma,

then launch a full-scale attack using

your troops already protecting the border.

Alak seeks to finish

what Taksin only dreamed of.

Taksin was insane.

No.

He was betrayed.

As we are now.

How long before Alak reaches the city?

A week.

Maybe less.

And my armies?

They will never reach the palace in time.

Then he has already won.

l will evacuate the royal family at once.

No.

Recall the army.

And announce to the people

we have just received glad tidings.

Glad tidings, Your Majesty?

Mother, doesn't chahng see kao

mean white elephant?

- Do you think they've found one?

- Yes. ln Prachin Buri.

Entire village has seen it.

The first in 20 years!

- l'll see to our tickets.

- l don't want to go, Mother.

l don't want to leave my friends.

- The king has done good things too.

- Your mother has much on her mind.

You said the Siamese people are just like us.

And what about Chulalongkorn?

Doesn't he matter any more?

Believe me, darling.

l wish this could all be very different.

lt is the right decision.

We must go.

Sir.

You of all are most aware

there are certain boundaries l cannot cross.

One being to contradict king.

Yes. And God help him.

Excuse me.

Passage for four on the Newcastle.

Thank you.

There is no white elephant, sir.

King invented sighting at Prachin Buri

so he can escort royal family

to greet imaginary beast, as in tradition.

l don't understand.

There is a traitor marching on palace.

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