Beat the Devil Page #7

He is what?

He says that's what they did

in the Royal Marines.

Look here, skipper, there's

a perfectly simple explanation

for all this.

I happen to own a dispatch box

which is very similar

to Mr. Chelm's.

When I didn't find it

in my cabin,

I asked Major Ross to see

if it had been stowed away

somewhere else by mistake.

The major found

what he thought was my box

in the saloon

with some other luggage.

The box has been in my cabin

ever since we sailed.

Under the berth.

As soon as I saw the box,

of course I realized at once

that it wasn't mine.

I simply opened it to find out

to whom it belonged

so that I could return it

to its rightful owner.

I can't conceive why

this gentleman should imagine

I should be interested in a box

containing patent medicines.

Heh. I-

I'm not a hypochondriac.

Purser, tell the captain exactly

what you told me about the box.

Why, sir, you asked me

whether I'd seen it

and I said

it might be the one

I had seen being carried along

the passage by Major Ross.

You distinctly told me

that you'd seen it being taken

from my cabin.

Oh, you must have

misunderstood.

You were rather ill at the time,

if you remember, sir.

That's all, purser.

He's been bribed. He's in league

with these criminals.

Just a case

of a misunderstanding.

That's how I look at it.

Now, what about a little cognac

to wash away any ill feeling?

No, I don't care

for a drink.

And this matter is far

from settled.

While rifling through

my personal effects,

you must've noticed

I had a letter of introduction

to the secretary

of the governor.

I suspect he'll be much more

interested in what I have to say

than this gin-soaked,

so-called ship's captain.

You mind your tongue!

Anymore insults, you're the one

I put in irons!

As far as I am concerned,

this is a closed incident.

You've got your box back.

Why not forget

the whole thing?

What interest do you expect

the Colonial Office to take-?

On the contrary, I expect them

to take a considerable interest

in a gang of crooks who are

trying to swindle a country

out of vast uranium deposits.

Just one moment, sir.

What leads you to believe-

This gentleman obviously hasn't

seen fit to inform you

that during

your supposed demise,

he attempted to lure me

into your nefarious venture.

Unfortunately for you,

he acquainted me

with all the pertinent facts.

Facts which I intend

to communicate

to the proper authority at

the very earliest opportunity.

I thought you were dead.

That's what they told me.

Everyone told me you were dead.

And if you were dead,

we had to have fresh capital,

heh, didn't we?

You, Ravello,

my own partner,

sneak up behind my back and-

And try to cheat me.

The milk's spilt.

It's no good crying over it.

Get after him, Billy.

Calm him down. Talk to him.

See if you can't get him

to change his attitude.

I'll try, but I don't think

it'll do any good.

I don't know why we have to

worry about Chelm's attitude.

Talk's no good.

Conversation never

convinced anybody.

I say, put an end

to words.

Shut up, Jack.

Time factor has entered

the picture again.

This time, fortunately,

it's working on our side.

Two weeks before we reach port,

that should be plenty of time

to convince our friend Chelm.

I beg you,

please end all this trouble.

If things go on,

either you will be

done away with

before we ever get to Africa,

or you will live and denounce

Peterson to the authorities

and that will be the ruin

of all my plans and hopes.

In the long run

you'll do much better

to get clear of these people.

They're thoroughly undesirable.

The long run.

I'm tired of the long run.

I am not even thinking

about them or about myself.

It's only you

that concerns me, Harry.

No need to worry

about me.

Ever since I met you,

you fill my thinking.

You are becoming an obsession.

Don't you understand, Harry?

I am deeply in love.

Maria.

My dear.

Only you could make

a woman feel like this.

All I want is to be

in your arms, now and always.

You forget I'm going

to be done away with.

Oh, no, no.

It will be easy to arrange.

What you must do is this:

You will write me a letter.

A love letter.

You will tell me that you cannot

denounce Peterson

because then I will suffer too.

Because you love me so much,

you cannot bear to hurt me.

Such a letter they will believe,

if I show it to them.

My dear girl, you must see

that this is quite

out of the question.

I don't propose

to make compromises.

Not compromises,

Harry, darling.

But you can see

if you cause trouble,

the whole of our plans,

my plans...

You would not want to make

the innocent suffer.

It would be much better

if you don't interfere, Maria.

I must handle this

as I see fit.

Then you intend to go ahead

with this business,

tell stories

and ruin everything?

It'll be much better if you cut

loose from these people.

No happiness can come

from such an association.

Harry, I'm asking you

not to do this.

Please write the letter,

then there will be no trouble

for you, no trouble for us.

No risk when we get to Africa.

I'm sorry, my dear,

we English are

a very pigheaded lot.

You think you can get away

with this?

But, Maria, my dear,

good Maria, listen.

First you make love to me, now

you tell me you will ruin me.

Heh. You'll forgive me,

but it was you who made, uh-

Oh, shut your trap!

Go on, do what you like.

You think you're such

a brave man.

I'll tell you what you are.

You are a heel.

Huh!

What the blazes now?

What's happening?

What's going on here?

Oil pump's on the blink.

Electricity's failed.

Utter folly, a ship lying

in darkness this way.

We might well be rammed

at any minute.

I'll attend to this myself.

Which way is the engine room?

The passengers are not

permitted to-

I'm sure your chief engineer

would welcome the advice of an

ex-officer of the Royal Marines.

Look here, you fool.

Are we simply abandoned

to our fate?

I insist on something

being done.

For instance?

Well, give out the life belts.

Organize the boat drill.

The clientele are requested

to remain calm.

To remain calm. Did the captain

feel no sense of responsibility

for the lives of his passengers?

It's my opinion

that the captain

doesn't feel much of anything

at the moment.

You mean to say he's drunk?

The fellow ought to be made

to walk the plank.

I'm afraid just now

he cannot walk at all.

But this is outrageous-

Oh, sit down, old man.

What have you got

to worry about?

We're only adrift in an open sea

with a drunken captain

and an engine that's liable

to explode at any moment.

Perfectly ordinary situation.

Happens every day.

But just in case any of you are

still at all anxious,

let it be known that Mr. Chelm

has taken charge

in the engine room.

Who's taken charge?

Harry, and he'll foozle it

for sure.

Shall I get out the hymnbooks?

Your husband claims to have

learned all the about engines

and such things when he was

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes