Khartoum Page #3

to you, to any man,

least of all to myself.

With your permission, General,

I think I need a turn on deck.

Send a telegram

as soon as we reach Calais.

Sir Evelyn Baring, Cairo.

Locate immediately

whereabouts Zobeir Pasha.

Signed, Gordon.

That's spelt Z-O-B-E-l-R.

Yes, sir.

I expected outrageous nonsense

from you, Gordon.

I expected the worst,

but Zobeir Pasha.

Even the Khedive was appalled.

I see nothing outrageous,

Sir Evelyn.

Zobeir's a Sudanese.

He used to be the most

important man down there.

He's able, wise,

still has a powerful influence.

You'd like to take Zobeir

with you to Khartoum...

to give him control

over the Sudan.

Gordon,

the man is a slave trader.

Was a slave trader.

My instructions

are to evacuate Khartoum...

and leave

some sort of order behind.

How?

Well, most of the chiefs...

Ioyal to the Mahdi today

used to be loyal to Zobeir.

I think

they'd come back to him.

Sir Evelyn, I cannot go

to Khartoum without a plan.

- I insist on seeing Zobeir.

- Why would he see you?

You not only put him

out of the slave trade...

you killed his son

in the process.

I must take the chance.

One must always take chances.

Why is Towfik making us wait?

Well, Sir Evelyn,

it's been my experience...

that when you're giving

orders to sovereign princes...

you have to expect

a little humiliation.

It makes them feel better.

Humbly, Highness,

I accept this command...

as Governor General

of the Sudan...

and I swear to you

my devoted service.

Do you understand,

Gordon Pasha...

that your wages

will only be 6,000 a year?

It is all I can afford.

I'll take 2,000.

It's all I need.

What about a B & S?

Sir.

God be with us.

Zobeir Pasha, you are well?

General Gordon

goes to Khartoum...

as Governor General

for the Khedive.

He pays you his compliments,

and he would speak with you.

This is my aide,

Colonel Stewart.

We come from London, Zobeir.

My government is determined

to lend Egypt no support...

in the face of the uprising

and to prevail on the Khedive...

to relinquish control

over the Sudan.

Sir Evelyn

will confirm what I say.

This is unwise.

There will be ruin...

and death, and tears,

and little else.

It is my government's policy.

I have no authority

beyond evacuating...

all Egyptians from Khartoum.

I could wish otherwise.

But you have the power

and the influence...

and the ability

to oppose the Mahdi.

Will you come with me

to Khartoum...

and accept the Sudan

from my hands?

Do I receive this offer...

from the British government,

Sir Evelyn?

No, my government renounces all

influence over Sudanese affairs.

This is a matter

between you and General Gordon.

If I give you my word that

there will be no slavery...

I regard the institution

as ended...

does my attitude

influence your government?

I understand.

My reputation.

But what would

your Christian world say...

if the slaver Zobeir

received ten million Sudanese...

from the hands

of the great Gordon Pasha?

My government

would oppose you... publicly.

I would defend you.

Publicly.

The general will defend me.

The great Christian hero

will defend Zobeir the slaver.

Before I receive my country

from your bloody hands...

I shall see it die.

You killed my son.

I executed him.

Do you have sons, Gordon Pasha?

Do you have sons?

No.

You killed mine.

God forgive me, Zobeir.

But let the dead

bury their dead.

You killed my flesh!

My blood!

My suleman.

Get thee from my house, and may

ye die in the desert untended.

May vultures consume thy flesh,

sands thy blood.

Go back. Go back to London.

There's too much danger,

too little hope.

I'll report

my news to Gladstone.

I'll stand by you.

Thank you.

You said you had to have a plan.

What can you do now?

Get up the Nile to Khartoum.

Stewart, just how far into

the Sudan would you say we are?

We'll reach Berber

in an hour or so.

In your report you said

that the Mahdi's people...

wore jibbers

covered with patches.

That's correct, sir.

And his main force

is still beyond Khartoum?

Yes, sir.

Look there.

We haven't even reached Berber.

Gordon Pasha!

Ali lbrahim!

Gordon Pasha!

No, Ali. No!

Sheikh Ali lbrahim

of the Manasir.

My friend before God.

Ali, please.

I weep for joy.

We are saved! We are delivered!

- Delivered?

- Berber is surrounded.

I am cut off from my people,

except by the river.

To the east, to the south,

to the north.

Mohammed al Khalia, the villain,

he has gone over to the Mahdi...

taking all the tribes

along this shore.

We saw a band downriver.

Did they get their guns

from the Mahdi?

Since the terrible disaster

of Hicks Pasha...

it seems all have guns.

But you return,

and we are saved.

- We are delivered.

- How? I bring no army.

You will find a way,

Gordon Pasha.

You have always found a way.

My friends, we must drink coffee

and speak of the old days.

Sir, I've prepared

a telegram for London.

I request that you read it.

I have an official

responsibility...

to advise you

to turn back to Cairo.

The situation has changed.

Situations always change.

Sir, Berber is surrounded.

The uprising spread this far

while we traveled.

You could be caught in a trap.

Give me a camel,

I can get out of anything.

You're a responsible spy.

Send your telegram.

You're bringing these people

nothing but false hopes...

and false expectations.

There are still 13,000 Egyptians

to be got out of Khartoum.

If the government

had known that by now...

there'd be armed Mahdis tribes

on both sides of the Nile...

400 miles north of Khartoum...

They wouldn't have sent me.

Then you cannot proceed further.

If Her Majesty's government...

at this moment wants

to run out publicly...

on the Egyptians,

send your telegram.

Get them to recall me.

But you have to make

the decision. They won't.

I've made my decision,

Colonel Stewart.

But what is your decision?

General, when you left London,

your only hope was Zobeir.

So, if you have

any further plan...

beyond vague self-confidence,

you haven't confided it to me.

Was I instructed

to confide in you?

I don't recall.

Are you willing

to delude the Sudanese...

gull the Egyptians,

and compromise your country...

just to satisfy

your own vanity?

Next time I'll shoot you.

I've shot men before.

Now send your telegram.

The boat is coming!

Look at that!

Isn't that marvelous?

How exciting!

Everyone in Khartoum

must be on the coast.

Gordon Pasha!

Welcome back, Gordon Pasha.

Thank you.

It's good to be home again.

You can't see anything

from down there.

Gordon Pasha

will be with us shortly.

Sheikh Abdul Rahim.

Gordon Pasha

will be with us shortly.

Mr. Frank Power, Her Majesty's

counsel in Khartoum.

Also the "Times" correspondent.

Where is he?

Gordon Pasha

will be with us shortly.

Monsieur Herbin,

French counsel.

Gordon Pasha

will be with us shortly.

- Khaleel, B & S.

- Yes, master.

B & S.

Thank you.

Now, master,

it has been a very long time.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes