Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow Page #6

They shield this

Scarecrow and his

smugglers, don't they?

You have no proof

of that.

They do.

And if I find one of

them, any of them,

hiding a deserter,

there'll be some

hanging here.

Well, good night,

Sir Thomas.

It's time I was

getting home.

Good night to

you, Vicar.

JOHN:
I'll see you

to the gate, sir.

DR. SYN:
General.

(WHISPERING) If they

search every house,

they'll find Mr. Bates,

the American rebel

you're hiding.

We'll have

to move him.

Come on.

If you're the deserter,

we're here to help,

not harm you.

I'm Dr. Syn,

Vicar of Dymchurch.

Dr. Syn?

I can't believe it!

After all these years.

Do you know him, John?

It's Harry,

your brother.

I didn't recognize

you, either. You've

grown so much.

And you with a beard.

(CHUCKLING)

JOHN:
And you used

to be fat!

Have you just come?

I had to wait

till it was dark.

Anyone here

would know me.

Why, Harry,

come in the house.

Well, Father's

there and...

Really, I can't.

There's soldiers

there.

I saw them through

the window.

Harry.

You heard General Pugh.

They hang deserters

from the Navy.

Harry's the man

they're looking for.

The marshes

are now under

military law, sir.

I have my authority

from the King.

If you have any objection,

complain to him,

sir, not to me.

Thank you for dinner

and good night.

Good night to you, sir.

Madam,

Mr. Brackenbury.

General.

Won't you let Philip

stay a little longer?

Just as a favor

to me? Please?

Very well.

Speak to Father now.

All right, Kate.

Could I talk to you

a moment, sir?

Hmm.

Have I your permission to

ask for Kate's hand, sir?

No, sir. You have not.

I understand that your family

regards you as independent

and rebellious,

and they've cut you

off. Am I right?

Well, yes, sir,

it's true, my

father and I...

And that you live

on your army pay.

How am I to know

that you're not

more interested

in Kate's fortune

than her hand?

As Kate's father, sir,

you may consider it

your privilege

to question my honor,

but I'm afraid I do not.

Good night,

Sir Thomas.

Good night,

Mr. Brackenbury.

I'm leaving. There's

nothing more to

say after that.

Isn't there something

to say to me?

Father fights

everybody.

He only respects those

who fight him back,

and so do I.

Aren't you going

to fight for me?

Oh, Kate.

Do you know,

when we're in port,

we're netted below

decks like cattle?

Fed and watered and

penned and driven to

the slaughter, we...

What's this? Vicar?

Hello, Father.

Harry?

Harry.

It can't be!

It can't be you!

After all these

years, boy.

I thought you...

I thought you

were dead.

Only half dead,

Father.

You look it. Why are

you here, hiding like

a criminal, hmm?

I am a criminal, sir.

Harry's the deserter

they're looking for,

Sir Thomas.

You deserted?

Escaped.

They took me by force,

and I got away by force.

Four years of my

life they've had.

Want to see the

decorations I got

in the King's service?

I'm no longer going

to be treated

like a dog.

My dear boy.

Come over to the house,

you look starved.

I am, sir.

You can't go to

the house, sir.

Philip Brackenbury's

still there.

I must get you away.

Leave this to me,

Sir Thomas, will you?

Yes, but how

will you...

And ask no questions.

If you know nothing,

then you'll not

have to lie

when the Navy

comes searching.

I'll see you

again, boy. As

soon as I can.

Don't worry,

my sexton and I

will deal with this.

Go with your

father, John.

Good night, sir.

(WHISPERING) Do you think

he heard or saw anything?

I don't know, sir.

But if he did,

we'll soon find out,

and so will Dr. Syn.

I must warn him

to get Harry

away at once.

My family.

Hundreds of years of

pride and privilege.

I wonder what

they'd think

of me now,

running away

like a stray dog.

Cover that lantern.

All well, Mipps?

Yes, sir.

John warned me

just in time. I

got Mr. Bates here

out of the inn,

five minutes before

the soldiers came.

Mr. Harry,

I couldn't believe it

when I heard.

It's good to

see you, sir.

Harry, this

is Simon Bates

from America.

He's hunted

by the law,

too.

Mr. Banks.

How do you do,

Mr. Bates?

Deserter?

No, preaching sedition.

Freedom for

the Colonies.

Mipps, tell them

where they're to go.

Yes, sir.

Yes. Mr. Bates, you

remember broken barn

in the Bonnington Hills?

Take Mr. Harry with

you and hide there

till I send word.

Enter through

the barn doors,

and under the

fourth beam

there's a trap

door leading to

an underground stable.

An underground stable?

That's right.

You'll be perfectly

safe there.

We'll get food to

you as you need it,

but whatever you do,

keep undercover.

Mr. Mipps, Dr. Syn,

you're taking

a big risk.

So are you, and

you're wasting time.

Come on, off you go.

There are soldiers and

pickets everywhere, sir.

How are you going

to get the two

of them out?

By the first ship

that delivers for

the Scarecrow.

You hope.

Hope is brightest

when it dawns

from fears.

Two men coming.

Halt, in the

King's name.

What's this?

We caught him

and another one

besides, sir.

Call off the search,

we have them.

That...

That's Mr. Harry,

Sir Thomas' son.

Who are you?

All right.

You'll find your tongue,

I promise you.

You're going to be sorry

you were ever born,

the pair of you.

Take them both

to Dover Castle.

You'll either give me

the information I want,

here and now, or I'll

hand you over to more

forcible persuasion.

I could have you

hanged today,

both of you.

Apart from your

stealing from me,

you're already condemned,

and you stand condemned

a deserter.

But turn King's evidence,

I'll spare your lives.

Who sheltered you

all this time?

This Scarecrow

who flouts the

law down here?

No.

Then one of his men?

Must have been.

Answer me.

No.

And why did you head

for these parts?

Who did you think

would hide you?

This Scarecrow,

because he helped

another scoundrel

escape the King's service?

Who are your

friends here?

Talk, and I'll exchange

their lives for yours.

Take them to the

dungeons, and see what

answers you can get,

by whatever means.

Yes, sir. March!

SOLDIER:
The Vicar

of Dymchurch, sir.

Dr. Syn.

Well, what do you

want here, Parson?

I have my duties, General.

I'm chaplain to the jail.

I'm here to serve

Holy Communion to

the prisoners.

I normally report

to the garrison

commander

before I do so.

And Master Banks?

To assist me, sir.

Well, it's not

a duty I relish,

myself.

The stench in the dungeon

is strong enough to build

another wall on.

Our duties are not

always made easy.

For any of us.

But the end justifies

the means, eh?

BRACKENBURY:
Even when

those means include

torture, General?

Mr. Brackenbury's

talking of those

swine who just left.

To be tortured?

They hold the key to

unlock the conspiracy

of silence

which protects

this Scarecrow

madman,

and I intend to get it.

That's my duty.

Tell me one thing, sir.

If they had told

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes