Comrades Page #4

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Cautions were posted.

Yes, two days before their arrest.

For an offence alleged as many months before.

The men were charged before

Charles Wollaston.

Your brother.

Half-brother!

Actually.

William Ponsonby committed them

for trial at the assizes.

- The Home Secretary's brother.

- Brother-in-law!

Actually.

And Judge Williams

will hear the trial in this very court.

Judge Williams? Herod's brother.

Whereas...

Yes, and the King's brother.

He also administers illegal oaths.

As the Grandmaster of the Orange Lodge.

One law for the rich and another for the poor.

The whole thing is a monstrous game,

a political box of tricks,

with the cards stacked against innocent men.

But there's one card left to be played.

Public opinion.

You'd be well advised

to forget George Lovelace.

And his kind.

No-one wants to know them!

And no-one will remember them!

l'm terribly sorry.

l'm afraid there's not much room.

Ah... Oh, dear.

lf you... Yes.

That's all. l'm afraid the court is full.

l'm terribly sorry, but the court is full.

(Baby cries)

(Whispering)

(Whispering continues)

(Muttering)

(Weeping in background)

What does trans...tr...

Transportation.

..mean?

lt means they're going

a long way away on a boat.

Seven years is a long time.

l'm seven, aren't l?

(Dog growling softly)

Mr Frampton is not at home.

When will he be back?

l don't know.

How l would love to visit Botany Bay.

Have you read Cook?

Readin' is for the leisured class.

But when it falls into the wrong hands,

it is a corrupter of morals.

Strange chance that rabble-rouser Loveless

falling ill, what.

Can't exercise his evil powers o?er

those gullible friends of his any more.

Next thing we know, the wives

are going to be asking for parish relief.

No family is entitled to relief if they can afford

to pay a shilling to join a union.

Their leaders are simply

feathering their own nests.

l wonder if he really is the ringleader.

Whether there aren't others, what.

Some shadow puppet master up in London

manipulating him with rods.

Pass.

ln some strange way,

l can't help respecting him.

l can't quite put my finger on it.

When all was lost,

his eyes looked with such uncanniness.

Almost as if he had won.

Hurry along, Frampton.

Good night, gentlemen.

Bad books.

lt's not the books that's bad, my cherub.

(Chains rattling)

Where's it coming from?

I don't want anything that doesn't belong to me.

I couldn't touch it.

Trust him, Betsy.

It won't make up for what's happened.

But it'll help.

It comes from London. People of all walks of life

are taking up our cause.

Calling themselves

the London-Dorchester Committee.

They've started a petition.

Meetings are being called all over the country.

Questions in Parliament.

They asked me to see

that you and the children don't go wanting.

They want you to have it.

It's a gift and it'll come every week.

The Lord be praised.

Hetty...

Hetty!

Oh, people are good.

Are you up to walking, sir?

I'm not likely to outdo you.

We're having to bash through the town.

Let me remove them.

It's all right.

I'm not ashamed.

We have injured no man's reputation,

character,

person,

or property.

We were uniting together to preserve ourselves,

our wives,

and our children...

.. from utter degradation and starvation.

(Horse-drawn vehicle passing)

'God is our guide.

From field, from wave,

from plough, from anvil,

and from loom.

We come, our country's rights to save,

and speak the tyrant faction's doom.

We raise the watchword "liberty".

We will, we will, we will be free. '

'God is our guide.

No swords we draw.

We kindle not wars, battle fires.

By reason, union, justice,

laws,

we claim the birthright of our sires.

We raise the watchword "liberty".

We will, we will, we will be free. '

He meant this for you.

And others like you.

Not me.

When you've done with it, don't throw it away.

Let it go from hand to hand.

My task is to teach the members of my class...

.. that injustice cannot be allowed

to go unchallenged.

Hello, Betsy.

GEORGE:
I thank you, my dear wife,

for the kind attention you've ever paid me.

And you may safely rely on it,

that as long as I live,

it will be my constant endeavour

to return that kindness

in every possible way.

And that I shall never forget

the promise made at the altar.

And though we may part awhile,

I shall consider myself

under the same obligations

as though living in your immediate presence.

Be satisfied, my dear, on my account.

Depend upon it.

It will work together for good...

.. and we shall yet rejoice together.

I shall do well.

For he who is the lord of the wind and waves...

.. will be my support...

in life...

.. and death.

For just one penny,

you can put the world in your pocket.

Absolutely charming thing.

- Nice journey, Captain.

- A profitable one.

A pound a head it pays to keep the scum alive.

British?

Only the very best, my dear sir.

Done.

(Chuckles)

(Piper plays in distance)

d Barnacle Bill

(Men shout encouragement)

Come on, more!

Into line, you lot.

Come on!

Name? Speak up, man.

Neilson.

OFFICER:
Can we have a few more along?

Hurry it up!

Name?

Blotters.

Name?

Loveless.

(Fly buzzing)

Next.

- Where do I go?

- It's all there.

OFFICER:
Can we have a few more along,

please?

Yes, but...

where is it?

That's for you to find out.

Next.

(Kookaburra laughs)

About 300 miles.

It should take you nine days,

a strong fellow like you.

Don't eat your rations all at once or you'll starve.

That way.

BOY:
Hey, mister!

Could you help me?

I don't know which way to go.

Take it.

Ta.

Look.

'C' stands for 'convict'.

No... 'comrades'.

What's your name?

Charlie.

Well, there you are, you see.

Things are more than they appear.

What's yours?

Christopher.

No, it isn't.

(Bird squawks)

Men are bad.

Are you bad?

So, not all men are bad.

The truth is...

that men are born good.

Tell me...

.. if we planted apples in this field,

and the fruit grew rich and strong,

and we planted apples in that field

and the fruit didn't grow rich and strong...

what's to blame?

Hm?

Well, go on.

The apples what didn't come out right,

of course.

No.

We could have planted them here,

they'd have been all right.

Some of them would have come out all right,

anyway.

True.

Some would survive in spite of everything.

But we want them all to grow, don't we?

You sound like a preacher.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.

It's OK.

You don't look like one.

(Horse's hooves approaching)

Wait there. Don't move.

We might be in luck here.

Whoa!

Sir! Whoa!

I wonder if I might ask you a favour.

We've got some papers.

It's got a place name on it, but I don't know

because I'm new round here myself.

I wonder if you could help him or...

if you know where that is.

Charlie, come here, quick!

Right, get him up.

Go on, Charlie, quickly. You're in luck, lad.

Come on.

Hold on.

Fetch his pack, then.

- Here you are, boy.

- Put it over your head.

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