King Rat Page #8

- What about my rats?

- What?

Who's gonna take care of my rats

after I've gone?

- You haven't gone yet.

- What about them?

You don't realize

they've been born in captivity.

They don't know no different.

Well, open up their cages.

They'll soon learn.

- Huh, Max?

- Yeah.

I wonder...

I guess there's been some

big changes back home.

I bet there's been some big changes

back home, huh, Pop?

You make it.

What are you doing?

Look at my shoes!

Make me a fresh cup of coffee,

corporal.

Get out before I put my foot

through your face.

Oh, you do that. You just do that.

I'll bust you.

Don't forget, I got the rank.

I am a top sergeant.

Top sergeant.

I can have you court-martialed.

- Tex, get that pot.

- Listen, listen!

What do you want? Money?

I got money. Good Jap money.

Here, 90 bucks.

Enough for one cup of coffee.

You make it. You make it, corporal.

- Tex, get that pot.

- Stay where you are!

Stay where you are. Stay.

As of now, I assume full

military command of this hut!

Under the authority invested in me,

this hut is now under full military..!

I'll kill you!

No! What are you doing?

What are you..? What are you..?

What are you doing?

I wondered where you were.

I missed you at the play.

What do you want?

Sir?

I just wanted to see you.

Well, you've seen me.

All right, soldier, salute me.

I said, salute.

Salute me, you bastard.

Now get in that bloody guardhouse

and stay there.

Good. The next time I say salute,

salute!

And you.

Hello.

I'm Weaver, paratroop corps.

Can you tell me or show me

who's in command here?

You are British, aren't you?

There's no need to be afraid of me.

I was passing bricks

back there myself.

I couldn't think what to say to them.

I just kept repeating myself.

You are British, aren't you?

Well, the war's over, you see.

I've been sent on ahead.

To look after you.

Smoke?

They're the real stuff. From home.

Players for you, remember?

What's the matter?

What's the matter?

The war is over.

Welcome to Changi, sir.

Thank God somebody here is normal.

I'm Capt. Weaver. I've been sent

to look after the camp...

...until the main lot arrives,

which could be any moment now.

I began to wonder if there was

something wrong with me.

Most of them are in a state of shock, sir.

It's been a long time.

Yes, I suppose it has.

- You're not British, are you?

- No, I'm American, sir. Cpl. King.

There are a few of us colonials

scattered around.

Maj. Brough is our officer.

Maybe you'd like to meet him.

Yes. Yes, of course.

Who are those poor sorts, corporal?

Just some of the guys. Officers.

- Officers?

- Yeah.

These are officers' huts.

The enlisted men are inside the wall.

- Are they all like that?

- Sir?

Do they all look like that?

- Then why are you so different?

- Sir?

Why are you so different?

- How do you mean, sir?

- Why are you dressed properly...

...and they're in rags?

No harm in looking after your clothes,

is there?

You're in good shape too, aren't you?

I've been keeping on the ball, sir.

- No harm in that either, is there, sir?

- No. No harm at all.

- Where's the commandant's quarters?

- Over there, sir. The end bungalow.

Right.

I won't forget you, corporal.

I'll certainly see Maj. Brough

at the earliest opportunity.

- What do you mean by that, sir?

- Figure it out, corporal.

I wish I had your nerve, Fortnum.

I couldn't talk to him.

I ran away. We all did.

He was so real. It was too real.

God, it's mad, isn't it?

It's over, and we've survived.

But it's still all mad.

What did he say to you?

He just asked me a few things.

What did he say?

Did he tell you anything?

Nothing I didn't already know.

Hey, it's over, isn't it?

It's not a mistake?

No. Forget it.

You've got the luck now.

Forget it?

Hey, listen, I'm talking to you.

You called me "sir" last night.

That's the second time

you've walked away.

The war's the only thing that's changed.

We're just the same.

Look, people don't change,

because...

When the all clear sounds, do they?

I haven't changed.

I'm not ashamed because you're

my friend. We survived it.

You and me.

Don't you remember what we had?

I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.

Don't you remember that?

You worked for me a couple times.

I paid you for it. That's all we had.

Fortnum.

Fortnum, friendship isn't a matter

of a 10 percent.

Don't ask me to forget it all now.

Please, not that, otherwise

what's it all been in aid of?

I'm not different.

But that's just you.

Mate. One at a time.

One friend.

That's good enough for anybody.

It's just a start.

- It's empty. Where have they gone?

- What?

Where have they gone?

Are you deaf or something?

- Where's who gone?

- King. The Americans!

Oh, the Yanks.

They're moving out.

They should be on their way now.

Come on, men, get in the trucks.

Let's go, boys.

Let's go, boys.

Come on, boys, we've got

a plane to catch. Let's go, boys.

Get your butt in the truck, corporal.

Yankee, go home!

That was worth waiting for.

Seeing him cut down to size like that.

It's our turn now, Marlowe.

We're getting even back home too.

Our vote slung old Churchill

and his mob out.

You people haven't got the world

by the shorts any longer.

It's our turn now.

Still, you can always feel proud

you were his friend, I suppose.

It wouldn't occur to you that you're

alive because of what he gave you.

I never took anything from him.

He never gave me anything.

Only hate, Grey. Only hate.

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