Blood Alley Page #4

---

We call him Gabriel.

He better blow his horn before sunup,

or he'll end up in a frying pan.

- Have you seen Miss Grainger?

- No, Captain.

Baby, even the dead are going.

What are you doing?

Chiku Shan must have bright new eyes

to guide us on our voyage.

Get ready to shove off.

When Miss Grainger comes aboard,

put her things in my cabin.

I have not seen her all morning.

Yeah. Neither did I.

Get down to the ferryboat.

We no go.

You're going.

Grab what you can and clear out.

Where's Cathy?

She gone to watchtower.

We wait here. Daddy coming home.

That's what you think.

You can't make me go.

Get mad, good and mad.

It will take the curse

off of what I have to say.

Your father isn't coming back.

They killed him.

I don't believe you.

I've known it for a couple of days,

but I didn't have the guts to tell you.

- They wouldn't kill him. They need him.

- That big commissar died.

So they used your old man

for some high-grade hate propaganda.

Dragged him into a People's Court.

Everybody that could pick up a stone

got in the act.

I'm sorry.

Had he been drinking?

No.

There's no point in standing here, is there?

None at all.

There's not much I care to pack.

- Can I help you?

- No, thank you.

Kind of rugged, hey, Baby?

I hope they know what they're up against.

They're Chinese.

Stand by.

Let go of your stern line.

Let go of your bowline.

If you want a last look at home,

you better take it now.

I looked.

We'll head into that fog bank.

We'll hide there

until the patrol boat comes.

When it enters the channel,

firecrackers will go off.

That is our signal to bait the trap.

You better get below

and see that everything's set.

Did you get Miss Grainger's baggage

into my cabin?

She told me to move it out again.

I got a little job for you.

Just move it back again.

A little job, Captain?

This is it! Get on your toes!

Half ahead. The annunciator is jammed.

Stop engine.

Full astern!

Paint a patrol boat on that stack.

Full ahead!

Welcome to Blood Alley, Baby.

Gunboats!

Half the bloody Red Navy's out there!

Nothing to do but bluff it out.

Listen. It stopped.

I hope they think the Amoy ferry

lost itself in the fog.

It may take a couple hours of red tape,

but they'll get the word.

Then one of those skippers

will be out to do us in paint.

On his smokestack.

Secure down there.

You're not going to get any sleep tonight,

so you better grab it now.

I beg your pardon.

What have they done with the Fengs?

Most lie in the big room,

seasick with the others.

Their grandfather we have locked up.

He lies seasick, alone.

I tell them what happens

to their grandfather if they make trouble.

You have not met the Fengs.

I will introduce you, Captain.

They will make no trouble, Captain.

Anyway, they are seasick.

I'll try and keep them that way.

Why we stop?

She wanty baby born in Hong Kong.

You better go out on deck.

A little air would do you some good.

My stay here.

- The place has possibilities.

- It's your cabin.

I know. Big Han carried all these bags,

including us, in one trip.

I just came in for a shave.

- Would you like something to eat?

- A T-bone steak.

- That's the way I like my steak.

- Medium rare?

We'll be passing Honghai Bay

in a few days, won't we, Captain?

- Could be.

- Haifeng's not far inland from the bay.

- He's dead, Cathy.

- I've got to make sure.

Stop kidding yourself.

I'm not going to Hong Kong.

I'm leaving the ship at Honghai Bay.

For what? To put flowers

on a grave they didn't bother to dig?

He might be in jail, or...

Dead or alive, I'll find him.

You've been bailing your old man

out of trouble for years...

but he doesn't need you anymore.

- I'm asking you to put me ashore.

- Nobody's leaving this ship.

- Is that final?

- Final.

Watch me, Captain.

I thought you were

the bleeding-heart kid from Peiping.

Now you want to run out on these people

to pin down an obituary?

And don't try to stop me.

You're running this ship,

but you're not running my life.

We understand each other.

Finally.

Nobody leaves this ship.

Fill this in with green stuff.

Is old Feng still seasick?

Hear him clear to the mainland.

To us, it's a happy sound.

- Trying to scare up a blanket.

- Might as well sleep here.

I'll sleep fine in the pilothouse.

Still can't forgive me

for those things I said...

about leaving the ship, can you?

Surprised you're still here.

I tried walking on the water,

but that takes practice.

- Let's skip the morning charm.

- Does he bite, Baby?

There's no true charts aboard,

the compass is on the fritz...

and we're running out of fuel...

but this ship is going to Hong Kong

if I have to get out and push.

I haven't got time to worry about you.

You can stop worrying. I'm staying aboard.

I'll believe that

when we get to Honghai Bay.

Come on, Baby.

- You better come down to the saloon.

- Can't it wait?

They think our food's been poisoned.

Their bellies are empty, Captain,

but none of them will touch it.

The rice, the soup...

They may have poisoned everything.

Eat it, comrade.

It'll make you big and strong.

Or dead.

If I may suggest, eminent brother...

there is no poison

but the poison they put in our minds.

They make us fear our own food

in order to starve and weaken us.

Maybe.

Stay out of this.

He'll test it for us.

Captain.

Chief, you got garlic on your breath.

What have you been eating?

- Garlic.

- How's our fuel?

Not so good. Now my boiler gets thirsty.

I just checked the tank.

Pretty soon we got no more fresh water.

Maybe it last till morning.

All right.

Tea, Captain?

There's a party going on in the saloon.

- I thought you might like some.

- Tea?

Hang on to this wheel.

- I told you to put the chow under ration.

- There's nothing to ration.

A few handfuls of rice

we saved for the children.

Tomorrow, we'll roast two of the pigs.

Tonight, we fill our bellies with tea.

Listen. She makes a song for you, Captain.

I'll listen to it in Hong Kong.

Starting right now,

the tea is rationed, understand?

We can't spare the water,

or the wood you're putting in the stove.

Get your cousins to break out

some tubs and buckets.

- Maybe we can catch some rain water.

- Yes, Captain.

And get that tea water

off the stove and back into the tank.

You hungry, Baby?

You're gonna get a lot hungrier.

Good morning, Gabe. Morning, Baby.

And a good, good morning to you, Nursey.

Will you take the wheel?

- What's our course now?

- Just steer thataway.

Anybody tries to make soup out of him

won't live to eat it.

You ought to be in bed with that ankle.

Didn't the cold water help any?

Feels great.

Bucket of Blood Alley will cure anything.

I'll steer. You're going to stay off that foot.

Try a course of 045. Joker compass.

Way I figure,

we're somewhere near Honghai Bay.

I remember a graveyard of wrecks

hung up on the point.

If we can find them,

we can strip them to feed our boilers.

I watched you during the storm.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes