King Solomon's Mines Page #3

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there are 1000 creatures...

...living, killing, being killed,

eating, being eaten.

There's not an inch that doesn't have war

if you look for it.

Look.

And look there.

- I don't see anything.

- Now, wait a minute. It will move.

That's a mamba. One nip from that,

and you stay here.

Much of the forest lives up there.

The vines keep reaching to the sun.

They make that layer thicker until

they shut out the sun so completely...

...nothing green will ever grow down here.

Look. There's a sight.

Oh, look!

Yeah, a scavenger.

Everybody knows about vultures, but there

are others in the forest that keep it clean.

Hey, careful!

Safari ants. They attack in thousands.

Give them half the chance,

they'll eat you too.

Anteater.

Eating and being eaten.

There isn't a creature in the forest

that isn't hunted.

Except the elephant.

They're afraid of him. He's king.

- The elephant, not the lion?

- No, not the lion. Not in Africa.

Not brave or clever enough.

Elephant's the king.

And man?

Just meat like everything else.

No souls in the jungle,

little justice and no ethics.

In the end, you accept it all.

You watch things hunting and being hunted.

Reproducing, killing and dying.

It's all endless and pointless.

Except, in the end, one small pattern

emerges from it all. The only certainty.

One is born, lives for a time

and dies. That's all.

- All the rest is yeey saba.

- What's that?

Yeey saba?

Oh, it's a game the natives play.

It doesn't make sense. It's quite pointless.

A chases B, B chases C,

C chases A.

Then they go the other way

and make a fuss...

...trying to get things from each other.

Bits of nothing. Twigs and leaves.

It's quite senseless.

Except that the fellow here

has satisfied his desire to be over there...

...everybody's had fun

running after something...

...everybody's grabbed a handful

of stuff they wanted...

...because everybody else wanted them.

And, well, it's endless.

It's quite pointless.

It's a silly game, yeey saba.

I'm sorry.

- Sorry?

- You are sick of life, aren't you.

- What are you talking about, Elizabeth?

- Motives.

- You're being confoundedly enigmatic.

- No, she's not.

She's making very good sense.

Look.

Meat for the Zavonbardes.

- I saw a face in the bushes, watching us.

- That's right.

Look, there's another. What do they want?

Are they surrounding us?

- No.

- Why don't they say something?

Nothing to say. They know who I am.

They're just checking.

Did you see those fellows?

They're acquaintances of Mr. Quatermain's

with nothing to say. Just checking.

Where are they?

What happened to them?

Get the meat and the salt.

- I have the feeling they're about

somewhere. - They're about, all right.

Go ahead.

I thought it was always beads.

A bag of salt is worth 100 times

its weight in beads.

They're not stupid, you know.

- What happens next? - I'll bargain

with them for use of their boats.

The Zavonbarde River lies beyond.

We've got to cross it.

How can you bargain

with people you can't see?

I can see them.

Khiva...

...how long will this take?

- Not long.

Maybe two hours, six hours.

Not know.

Do they seem friendly to you?

I've got the oddest feeling

we'll get cooked in that pot.

They don't seem to be getting on.

Khiva, what are they saying?

Seven boat go over river.

- Is that all?

- Yes. Only got seven boats.

He says he's seen dozens

of hunters in the last two years...

...but he claims to remember Henry Curtis.

He had an odd bearer with him. A chap with

one eye and a scar on his cheek. I hope so.

- Why?

- Because I know that fellow.

A first-class bearer, tough, knows

the country. Curtis was in good hands.

- I wonder what that is?

- I don't care. I'm famished.

Better get her out of the sun

if we're gonna stop here.

We're not going to stop.

- Beth?

- Yes, Jack?

Beth, I've been thinking.

What would you say if...?

One thing that bothers me

more than anything is centipedes.

I've counted 40 varieties.

Have you noticed the one that leaves

a slimy trail? It's that long.

I'll have one stuffed and mounted.

A far more interesting trophy

than lions and panthers.

I've seen them.

I'll take a panther any day.

Or Allan Quatermain.

He's not a bad sort, Beth.

What's wrong between you two?

- Something seem wrong?

- You keep watching each other.

Each of you seems to be hoping

the other will fall on his face.

Beth, I've made a decision.

I think we should turn back.

I've talked with Quatermain.

He's willing if you are.

Quatermain would like nothing better

than to see me give up.

He took us through

that swamp intentionally.

That's not true.

He had asked me if you were up to it.

- You're being unfair.

- We made a poor choice selecting a guide.

His heart's not in it.

I wonder.

I've lost all my hairpins,

and my hair seems to be a trap...

...for every fly, every mosquito,

every ant in the forest and they...

And they bite.

Why don't you try pigtails?

I remember when you wore them,

and attractive they were.

I'm a grown woman, Jack.

Sometimes, I wonder about that too.

I think you owe that man an apology.

And some gesture of friendliness.

What happened?

- There was a large animal!

- Where, in here?

No, there. Outside!

What is it?

Nothing. She's been dreaming again.

It was not a dream.

The animal tried to get into my tent.

I said not to shoot

unless it was necessary.

Do you mean I'm lying? It dug its

claws right through the tent. Look at it!

I don't think you hit it.

The bullet holes are too high.

Oh, so there was an animal.

You turn in. I'll keep watch.

Next time, call me.

I did call you.

You go to bed!

- Good night, Beth.

- Oh, he's a dreadful man.

- Quick, get behind there.

- What is it?

Go on! Never mind. Get behind there!

- What are they running for?

- Bush fire. They're stampeding.

Look.

That's what started it.

All right, good.

Keep on firing. Scatter them.

Hey, come back!

What a waste of time,

and equipment and lives.

This ridiculous safari.

I hope the lady enjoyed it.

Wait here. Come on.

- Calecapesa.

- Calecapesa?

He apparently said

the Kaluanas are that way.

- Far that way.

- What does "calecapesa" mean?

It means unpleasant. Come on.

Who cut your hair?

What?

What happened to your hair?

Oh, I cut it.

What?

I cut it.

Oh, good idea.

- What?

- Good idea.

Lunch is ready.

Lunch.

Oh, look. There's our lunch.

Is it an ostrich egg?

Well, not exactly.

Look.

Watch. It's hatching.

See?

It's a crocodile.

- What a strange-looking man.

- Who the devil is that?

I don't know. He wants to talk.

He's must be 7 feet tall.

That face and hair...

- I've never seen a native like that.

- Nor have I, in all my years here.

What's he saying?

He wants to join our safari

and will act as bearer...

...if we take him along.

- How'd he get here alone?

I don't know. He needs our guns

to get through the dark country.

Why would he want to go

into the dark country?

- I don't like him.

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