Hornblower: The Frogs and the Lobsters Page #5

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-Do as I tell you!

Starboard!

Hold there! Form up in ranks!

-What's going on, Mr. Hornblower?

-I don't know, sir.

Fire! Reload!

Archie, where are they?

What are you shooting at?

-Hurry! Come on men, hurry!

-Archie! Mr. Kennedy, report!

Sir, enemy musket fire across

the river. They...

they took us by surprise.

'Came out of nowhere.

Keep your heads down, men.

Don't give them a target!

-Ready Styles?

-Ready!

-Gun ready!

-Hold your fire! Hold your fire!

Cease fire!

Any attempt on the bridge?

Uh, no, sir.

Very well.

I suggest your reform your men.

Yes...Aye, aye, sir.

Come on, men, stand to.

They made good time.

But, where's their artillery?

Why attack without it?

At first, we thought it

might be thunder, sir.

No, Mr. Bracegirdle, that is cannon.

What, in Gods name, is French

artillery doing this far west.

They should be miles over there

to the south of Muzillac!

I feel the general's campaign

is over before it's begun.

General, I've counted at least

30 artillery pieces-

-ranged against us.

-They have made a trap for us-

and we have walked straight into it.

Have we received word

from Mr. Bowles?

No sir, there have been

no further reports.

Then send a squad of men ashore.

They are to reach General Charette

with all speed-

and report back on his situation.

Aye, aye, sir.

If the cannon fire is stopped,

I fear we must assume the worst.

If you would just

-Send the men ashore, Mr.Bracegirdle.

-Aye, aye, sir.

Archie, no sign of their artillery?

Not yet.

I think I'll go see the Major

at the ford.

Horatio...

When they started shooting...

I panicked. I knew I was doing it,

but I couldn't stop myself.

-It was the suddenness of it,you see.

-I think it was-

the same for all of us.

But an officer, even

an acting lieutenant-

has no business to panic.

Archie, you've nothing to fear

from the enemy.

-They mean to kill us, Horatio!

-Aye, of course they do.

But their powder's no threat to us.

From this distance, they'd be

hard-pressed to hit a barn door.

If you can just stay calm and

keep yourself out of their sights

they cannot possibly touch you.

All right.

-We are finished, Mr. Bowles.

-Not yet, sir.

Save yourself, if you can.

This is not your country, Mr. Bowles.

You should not have to die here.

Careful, Mr. Hornblower.

We have a few wasps here-

-who are anxious to sting.

-So I see, my Lord.

Do you have any indication

of their number?

It's hard to tell.

They alter their position constantly.

-It is the same at the bridge.

-I have little time for an enemy-

that daren't show its face.

What do they hope to gain-

-with such a display?

-Perhaps you should inform-

-Colonel Moncoutant.

-By all means,if you can distract him

from his concerns at the village.

Your own concerns there last night,

I trust they were concluded

satisfactorily.

Why yes, thank-you, my lord.

I will talk to the colonel.

Mr. Hornblower

if you should speak to him,

I think a little more diplomacy

wouldn't go amiss.

Yes, my lord.

The shore party have returned, sir.

Well, Mr. Bracegirdle?

They failed to make contact

with General Charette's camp.

It is as we suspected, then.

All men are believed lost, sir.

I stand before you a man

accused, Mr. Bracegirdle.

-Accused, sir? By whom?

-By my own self. I knew

I believed this campaign was

a forlorn hope-

and yet I held my tongue.

-For what reason, sir?

-I was ordered to remain silent.

Then the responsibility does not

lie with you, sir;

-it is with those who gave the order.

-In principle, perhaps;

but what of conscience,

Mr. Bracegirdle.

And what of my order to remain

here? Must I also follow that-

for if I do, it is certain

more lives will be lost.

Now that the Republican forces

have defeated Charette,

surely they will turn next

to Muzillac.

Do I disobey my order?

Or do I stay here and wait

for the dead to return?

-The mathematics of defeat.

-Indeed.

A hateful equation

and I do not have the answer.

Yes, I got him. Up a bit.

-A bit more.

-Let it go.

Stand back.

Gotcha! Gotcha, you Frog!

Belay firing!

Don't waste the powder!

Jean Fabier, you have been found

guilty of sedition-

and treason and have been

sentenced to death by order-

of the Lord of Muzillac.

Vive le roi.

Mr. Hornblower, should you

not be at the bridge.

Colonel, the enemy continues

to put out only sporadic fire.

But there is no sign of

their artillery.

Afraid to show themselves.

Well, I would expect no more.

Thank-you, Mr. Hornblower.

Sir, may I suggest that you accompany

me back to the bridge.

I have no doubt we would all

benefit from your assessment-

-of the enemy.

-Thank-you for your invitation,

Mr.Hornblower,

but as you can see, I am rather

preoccupied at present.

Sir,I must strongly advise that

you come to the bridge at once.

-The enemy, sir

-Name? What is this man's name?

Sir, I cannot understand why you

persist with these executions-

when the enemy remains

at large and unaccounted for.

Enough, Mr. Hornblower,

as you can see, I have-

business here in the town.

If you wish to scout-

for the enemy,I will not prevent

you. But may I remind you-

I am your commanding officer and

in my experience it is proper-

to greet the absense of

an enemy as good news.

Good-day, monsieur!

Name?

Prepare to set sail, Mr. Bracegirdle,

before we lose the wind.

For Muzillac, sir?

Aye, aye, sir.

What of Mr. Bowles, sir?

We must assume him lost

with the others.

All hands to make sail!

So, you want a fight then, eh?

Is that what you want?

Keep your head or you will lose it,

is that understood?

Do you understand, Oldroyd?

Good man.

As idle as a painted ship upon

a painted ocean.

Sir?

We have no wind, Mr. Bracegirdle.

We are becalmed.

Call away the boats, Mr. Bracegirdle.

Call away the boats!

Sargent Major, form a platoon of

skirmishes to cross the river.

It's time we smoked these wasps

out of their nest.

Yes, my lord.

Platoon halt!

Right face!

Rear rank, present.

Rear rank, fire!

Artillery.

Number one!

Number two!

Number three!

-How far have we come,Mr.Bracegirdle?

-Perhaps three miles, sir

We'll get to Muzillac if I have

to row there myself.

Platoon, attention.

-How many, Sargent Major?

-Eighteen, sir

Eighteen? Is that all?

Then in Gods name where

are the rest of them?

Mariette, it's me, Horatio!

Have you not seen

Have you not seen what

is happening in the square?

-I needed to see you.

-Just now, they killed the baker.

He is guilty of no more than

selling stale bread.

Surely you can see how

dangerous Moncoutant is.

He's still my commanding officer.

As an officer, you obey him.

But as a man, you know

what he is, do you not?

Mariette...

I have to ask you something.

Before we came here,

did you see any enemy soldiers

passing through the village?

Which enemy soldiers did

you have in mind?

The Royalists? Or the Republicans?

-Mariette, please

-No.

You come here knowing nothing

about me or this place,

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