Bitter Victory Page #4

- Because I...

I saw the truth of you.

- I wasn't afraid.

- Yes, you were.

You were afraid to kill with your bare hands.

That's what makes a soldier

and destroys you as a man.

War is not murder.

Brand, you're wonderful.

You have the Christian decency

that forbids killing a dying man...

but approves the work of the sharpshooter.

Well, war is killing.

Better and better.

So the fine line between

war and murder is distance.

Anybody can kill at a distance...

with the same sort of courage

that a man shoots rabbits.

When it comes to the dirty work,

you have to call in the civilian.

What are you trying to say?

That I despise you for the

professional coward that you are.

You left me in the desert so there

wouldn't be any witnesses left...

to the real Maj. Brand, didn't you?

Therefore my death becomes essential to you.

I'm a kind of mirror of your own weakness.

And it's unbearable, isn't it?

Are you trying to goad me into killing you?

Perhaps.

Why?

Perhaps because I haven't

the courage to do it myself.

Nice work, Brand? Approved

killing from an approved distance.

They were the Arabs you saw at

the waterhole with the Jerry.

Weren't they, sir?

- Of course they were.

- You sure?

- What's the matter, sir?

- Scorpion! Kill it!

- Look at his leg.

- It's all right.

- Where's the kit?

- Yes, sir, right here.

Of course he won't die.

Here, drink.

Here.

- Blimey! A gent with guts.

- Knock it off.

There's nothing in the kit for this?

It wasn't foreseen in regulations.

It may help you. If it gets worse,

we can always put you on the camel.

Then who'll carry the

water and the documents?

Exactly.

Mokrane!

You want to kill me, too?

Ammonia. I should have thought of that.

Finest medicine chest

in the desert is a camel.

It could save him, sir.

You call that saving?

Pity about the camel.

Might have saved one of

us, mightn't it, Major?

Now we have to go on.

Divide the water and the

documents among yourselves.

Yes, sir. Come on.

- Barton, fall in the men.

- Yes, sir.

Come on, men. Fall in.

All right, sir? I'll give you a hand.

All right.

- Here you are, Barney.

- That's fine.

Come on, then. All right, sir. I've got him.

Wilkins and I'll look after him, sir.

All right.

- Captain doesn't look too good, does he?

- No, he doesn't, poor devil.

- Everything all right?

- Yeah.

- Don't see anything?

- No.

- Keep your eyes open.

- Yeah.

- I could do with some sleep.

- Aye. So could I.

Major Brand?

Mokrane? What's the matter?

I'm going to kill you.

I know you saw the...

He tried to kill me.

Is it that easy to kill?

I'm afraid Capt. Leith is pretty bad, sir.

- Can he walk?

- I don't think so.

Barney's afraid it's gangrene.

If we left him half our water...

And he has a gun.

To shoot himself with

when he runs out of water?

This is from my orders:

"You must not be captured by the enemy."

"If it endangers your mission, you

are not obliged to save the wounded."

But that's not war, sir.

Isn't it?

I'll stay with Capt. Leith, sir.

No.

I can't spare you.

I'm sorry, James...

but I hoped you would feel more fit today.

Prepare to move, Sergeant.

Yes, sir.

Is there anything I can do for you, sir?

Take over, Mr. Barton. Get the men started.

I have to talk to Capt. Leith.

- But, sir, I...

- Take over, Mr. Barton.

We're all murderers now, aren't we?

Welcome to the club.

Don't be a fool, Leith.

I want to get you out of this if I can.

So I see.

I wonder if you have the

courage to finish me off now.

You said you wanted to die.

Did I?

Whatever I did, you drove me to it...

with your insinuations about Jane.

Your insinuations, not mine.

You're not the sort of man,

Brand, who'd kill for his woman.

But you'd murder...

to stop her from finding out that

you're a coward, wouldn't you?

Brand, the returning hero.

The stuffed dummy...

with the medal on his chest.

And all the witnesses dead.

Mokrane dead.

Leith.

My veins full of poison.

You're not a man, Brand.

You're an empty uniform...

starched by authority...

so that it can stand up by itself.

But I'm standing.

Yes.

You're right.

You know, Brand...

for the first time...

I almost have some respect for you.

You'd better go now.

You'll miss the column.

Is there anyone to notify?

Mrs. Brand.

Any message?

Tell her she was right and I was wrong.

And ask her to forgive me.

Now...

if you haven't got the courage to kill me...

don't try to save me.

Stop! You'll walk to your death!

Don't you try to save me.

I contradict myself!

I always contradict myself.

Dig in!

Can we hold out? How

much longer will it last?

Ghibli can blow 24 hours, sir. Or minutes.

Leith and Brand, we've

got to get back to them.

We can't, sir, unless this lifts.

The ghibli must have killed him.

Wilkins. Here, take this.

There they are.

Lucky lads!

- Barton, Barney, come on.

- Sir.

- What happened?

- No.

Should have never left that Jerry alone.

So, you think it's funny?

Sir.

Mrs. Brand. I'm glad you're

here. I've just had some news.

Eight men and two officers

are on their way back.

Which officers?

- I beg your pardon?

- Which officers?

We don't know yet, I'm afraid.

- Michael.

- Coming.

Excuse me. The General's waiting for me.

- Any news?

- I'm afraid not. Still the same numbers.

Eight men and two officers.

I wish I knew who they were.

You send an operation out like

that, you expect casualties.

I'm prepared to accept that.

The group from Benghazi!

Hello, Brand. I'm glad to see you got back.

Will you bring your stuff

into the office right away?

The General's waiting for your report.

David! I'm glad to see you

back. Well done. Splendid show.

- Start on these right away, will you?

- Yes, sir.

I hope what we've brought

back is of some help, sir.

So do I.

May I ask your permission

to leave for a few minutes?

What?

Yes, of course. Don't go away, though.

I want to see the men, with you.

Thank you, sir.

It's good to have you home,

dear. I'm proud of you.

I suppose you'd like to

know what happened to Leith.

Yes.

The men think I killed him.

Did you?

I wanted to save him, but it was too late.

Anything else?

Just before the ghibli

struck us, he was saying:

"Tell Jane..."

And then the wind drowned him out.

I suppose he would have

said, "Tell Jane I love her."

Those would have been my last words, too.

Where is the hero of Benghazi?

Here comes the old man.

- Attention.

- First, may I congratulate you? All of you.

From what I've seen of the

stuff you brought back...

I think I can assure you that Gen.

Rommel is shortly going to find himself...

in a very delicate situation.

And I have the authority and pleasure...

to award to the man who

led you, Maj. David Brand...

the Distinguished Service Order.

Those who did not come back...

when I write to their families...

I will do my best to tell

them exactly what happened.

May I say how proud I am to have

had you all under my command...

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