Cry Freedom Page #7

Yeah, it's out of date,

but we doctored that.

It wouldn't get you out of Jo'burg,

but up in the sticks it ought to work.

Father David C. Curren?

Irishman.

- How did you get it?

- Father Kani lifted it.

He felt sure Father Curren would agree,

but for safety's sake, he'd explain later.

Black hair,

but apart from that,

if the light wasn't too good,

I suppose it could work.

You're sure those buggers

aren't behind us?

- Yeah, it's all right.

- Good.

This looks like a logical

place to get lost.

Let's look at the map.

Flying you out to

Botswana is out.

- But we have to. How else...?

- We can't, Donald, we tried.

We can't get a plane with the amount

of fuel needed without tipping our hand.

So, we're gonna take you

out via Lesotho instead,...

...and New Year's Eve is the best time,

everybody drunk as a skunk.

You turn yourself into Father Curren

and get up here, north of Queenstown.

Kani will drive you towards

Saint Theresa's Mission.

Now, that's a bunch of

nuns on the border,

so two priests, you see,

it's perfect.

And once there, Kani says

the border's only a river.

You can wade across

it at a dozen places.

- I'm a priest wading across the border?

- You do it at night.

And once you're across,

I'll be here to drive you to Maseru,...

...before the police

know what's going on.

And from there, you can

all fly out to Botswana.

The airline is run by a Canadian, with

a couple of New Zealanders as pilots.

If I get out, my one regret will be giving

you the biggest scoop of your life.

Pig's ass! I've had bigger

scoops on an ice-cream cone.

Why do I have to go so far north

before I meet Father Kani?

Well, it's thought that arms are

coming through on those roads.

Don't worry about them.

So any car registered out of the

district is automatically checked.

He's going up there

to get a local car.

He's a helluva bloke, Kani.

For a black guy to do what he's doing...

Believe me,

I know the risk he's taking.

I don't see how I'm going to get all the

way up past Queenstown. It's a long way.

You hitchhike, Father Curren,

you bloody hitchhike.

That way, if you do get caught, you won't

take Wendy and Kani down with you.

By five o'clock, New Year's Eve, all

the white police would be off for parties.

You hitchhike to the

rendezvous point.

It should be easy if you

don't leave too late.

What if someone phones me

and I'm not there? The whole plan...

In actual fact, New Year's Eve,

you've gone to bed quite drunk.

Nobody will question that.

The next morning,

Wendy drives off to the beach.

Only, she really goes to

her parents' in Umtata.

If you make it, you phone her

the minute you are in Lesotho

ten o'clock, or whatever

time you've arranged.

She takes the children north to the border

before they have time to pick her up.

If you don't make it,

and there's no phone call,

she turns right around and

goes straight back home,

so that she can't be accused

of being a party to it.

If I make it, they're going to

suspect your involvement.

Oh, probably...

...but as a man of the cloth,

it's proof they'll be missing.

In my case,

I think they'll want it.

NEW YEAR'S EVE 1977

- Do you think we can stay up tonight?

- Well, why don't you ask Mum?

Mary, come on.

Can we stay up for New Year's Eve?

We can get undressed first.

- Just wait and see. Get in the car.

- Come on, Charlie. In you go.

Duncan,

your ice cream's melting.

Charlie, don't lick me.

If you do get ready, I've rented a film

and cartoons. You can watch till midnight.

Mum, is Daddy going

to watch with us?

Well, I thought you might

like to ask Alan and Greg.

So Dad'll have to skip it.

But you know what he thinks

of your choice of movies.

But Daddy doesn't know

what good movies are.

I saw Alice and Larry

at the beach.

I must phone him. Maybe he'd come

over and play chess with me next week.

Did you pick up

the projector?

Oh, damn. The kids wanted ice-cream

cones, so I came home the other way.

We even talked about it.

I'll have to pick it up later.

Stupid.

Happy New Year.

Donald...

Thank God they're

so predictable.

- Dammit, it's my turn.

- No, it's not!

No, no, no, Duncan. I keep telling you.

I keep telling you all. Now watch.

Watch this.

Gavin. Mary.

You bend the back low on the table,

your hand flat.

If they see you,

don't say one word.

Where's Evalina?

Is she in her room?

No.

I sent her over the road to get hamburger

buns. She wasn't too pleased.

Well, if I've got to pick up that damn

projector, I might as well do it now.

Any chance of a lift?

No. I'm just dropping him and then

I'm going straight back into town.

No goodbyes, Father Curren.

Off you go. And take care of yourself.

Thank you for the ride,

Mrs. Woods.

Wendy!

- Don't forget to pick up the projector.

- The what?

- The projector.

- Oh, my God.

Thank God you reminded me.

I'd completely forgotten.

I'll see you soon, eh?

The military, the police...

Yes, of course I take risks. All the time.

But that is only unusual if you

think we're a land at peace.

You see, in a war, people take

great risks as a part of life.

Well... we're at war.

Hey, you want a ride?

Oh, thank you, sir.

But how far are you going?

- Near King William's Town.

- Thanks very much.

This side of King William's

Town is fine.

I'm going towards Queenstown.

I'll go as far as you're going.

Oh, don't mind him.

He just makes a lot of noise.

He doesn't do nothing.

9.25 PM. MASERU,

360 MILES

I tell you, Father, it's very hard

to see you in those dark clothes.

I couldn't tell what

you are at first.

Yeah, well, maybe I should

stand under a light next time.

Maybe you could let

me off in Stutterheim.

Yes, sir, as long as you ride with

me through King William's Town.

Those white kids will

be drunk tonight.

Maybe they give me trouble,

but with a white Father... Certainly, when

it is not New Year's Eve, it's a fine town.

I've met some good people

from King William's Town.

Yes... so have I.

The findings of the

court are as follows.

One, that the deceased,

Bantu Stephen Biko,...

...a black man, aged 30,

died on September 12th,

and the cause of death was brain

injury which led to renal failure.

Two, that on the

available evidence,

the death cannot be attributed

to any act or omission

amounting to a criminal offence

on the part of any person.

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho...

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.

Hey, hey! I'm a priest!

Get away from this truck. Get off!

Get off, you stupid bastard,

or I'll break your goddamn neck!

I suppose I'll have to say some

penance for that outburst.

Oh, yes, sir,

you're going to.

But you got me through

King William's Town,...

...so I think God

must be with us.

One minute to go, so...

Oh, look at the

red balloons!

Mind the bubbles, Evalina.

Mum, can Daddy come down

and sit in the other room?

No, no, he can't. He's upstairs asleep,

where you should be in about 15 minutes.

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