Malta Story Page #6

You'll tell me in the end.

Why not save us both the trouble

and tell me now?

Why were you sent here?

(Alarm)

(Ship's hooter)

Engage!

Engage!

(Ringing)

(Bomb whistles)

Why were you sent here?

You know as well as I do.

The whole island knows.

Anyway, you're not an Italian, are you?

And your name isn't Ricardi, is it?

You're a Maltese.

And your name?

Look, darling,

I just wanted to say there's a big job on.

- Yes.

- You know?

Yes. The whole island is praying.

It is the novena to Our Lady

from now to the 15th.

Well, the 15th is just about the time

they'll get here...if they get here.

I just want to say that I'll be

a bit tied up

until then... and won't

see much of you.

All right, Peter.

I shall be watching you.

Take care of yourself.

You say your son's letters come

fairly regularly, Mrs Gonzar?

Fairly.

The last was about...six weeks ago.

Does he ever express any opinions

about the war?

Oh, no.

The letters are censored, of course.

Just ordinary letters asking

about the family.

Mm-hm.

Mrs Gonzar...

..is that your son?

Oh, yes.

Yes.

That is Giuseppe.

Something...something has happened to him.

Yes.

Is he...dead?

No.

I hate to have to tell you this, Mrs Gonzar,

but your son is in the prison here.

He was found on the shore.

He had a wireless transmitter with him and

he was put ashore from an Italian submarine.

You mean he was...

.. he was spying?

Giuseppe?

Yes.

What will they do to him?

I... I don't know.

You mean they will shoot him as a spy?

Oh, no.

A traitor is hanged.

I must go to him.

They will not stop me.

Say they will not stop me.

I must go to him.

- Giuseppe. - I can't promise that.

It's not in my hands.

But if I can get permission

for you to see him... I will.

(Sobs)

Your mother had to know, because otherwise

I couldn't be sure who you were.

There's no reason why any of the

rest of your family should ever be told,

or anybody else...

..if you help me.

Thank you.

It is of some importance.

- Go on. What do you want to know?

- Why you were sent here.

You know about the convoy.

Mm.

There must be an oil tanker.

In fact, there is bound to be one.

Yes.

If she got through...

I had to find the positions of the fuel

dumps after she had been unloaded...

..and signal them back

so that they could be bombed.

I'm not a traitor. I'm not a traitor!

This is my country, not yours!

You've no right here.

You were the only one?

They wanted someone who spoke Maltese.

(Reads) Cruisers Manchester and Cairo,

Destroyer Foresight and five merchant ships.

That's eight of the convoy

and four of the escort gone...

..including one of the aircraft carriers.

Well, nobody can say they're not

doing their damnedest to help us.

No.

Jim Hill's boy is in the Manchester.

I hope he got away with it.

- Nice boy, I remember him at Dartmouth...

- Oh, to hell with Jim Hill's boy!

- I beg your pardon, Payne.

- That's all right.

I never knew a job in which one just...

waited around so much. What was it...

you told me Willy Banks used to say

- ''I'll go and swim for the stuff''?

Yes.

Well, by tomorrow what's left of them ought

to be within range of our Beaufighters.

After that the Spits can follow up.

Six hours to first light.

Then we can go, thank God.

(Deep rumbling)

(Ackack gunfire)

(Recites prayer)

(Congregation recites prayer)

They should be over the convoy

in half an hour, sir.

You mean...they should be

over what's left of it.

Get my car out, Pearse.

And if Admiral Payne rings here...

I've gone back to the Operations Room.

Very good, sir.

CONTROLLER:

Pedestal now ten miles ahead of you. Out.

The fighters should sight Pedestal Convoy

at any minute now, sir.

OPERATOR:

Yes, we must keep one runway open.

Sir, another 25-plus bandits

approaching Pedestal from the north.

CONTROLLER:
Hello, Epsom Leader, 25-plus

bandits approaching Pedestal from the north.

Engage!

(Bell rings)

- Engage!

(Bomb whistles)

Hello, Epsom Leader. Vector 2-9-0.

Buster. Buster. Over.

Tally-ho. Bandits ahead and below.

Green Section break away. Take

high-level bombers. Blue Section up sun.

PILOT:
Got him. That's a beauty.

Close in, number two.

Get up, you clot! Green three,

watch your tail!

(Machine-gun fire)

- He's on fire. Got him!

Hello, Pedestal, this is Epsom Leader.

I think they've had it now.

Am taking up umbrella cover. Over.

This is Pedestal.

Thank you, Epsom. Nice work.

We're very glad to see you.

Not nearly so glad as we

are to see you, chum.

(Ship's hooter)

Four, eh?

Well, that's more than last time, anyway.

And full of lovely grub.

Aye, but not a ruddy tanker

among the lot of them.

What do you think we're going

to fly the planes on - dried milk?

What the hell's happened to the Ohio, eh?

She was hit six times, sir.

After she'd been abandoned, parties of

volunteers got back on board...twice.

Each time she was hit again.

She was still afloat the last time

we saw her, but on fire aft.

I should like to say, sir, that everyone

realised the importance of getting her in.

They did their best.

It's all right, Whittaker. We know that.

What are you going to do now, sir?

Well, that's our headache, my boy.

You go and get some rest.

Thank you, sir.

Well, as a matter of interest,

what are we going to do now?

They may hang me...

but that doesn't make me a traitor.

Malta is my country...

..and what I wanted to do was to save her

from any more of this suffering and misery.

You and...you and Paolo and Maria...

all of you, you're good people.

But you don't understand these things.

From where I was, I could see it all.

The British are finished. They cannot win.

Why should Malta go on being crucified

when a few bold strokes would save us all?

You do see, Mother?

You do know that what I was trying to do

was the best for Malta and for all of you?

You chose your side...as

we have all had to do.

Yes, but my side was the right side -

the sensible side that would bring peace.

You chose as you thought right, my son.

We have done the same.

The choices were different, that is all.

Ah...well.

At least you will not be

pointed at in Malta.

I have arranged that.

- How's Paolo?

- Well.

And Maria?

She is well too.

It is best that they should

not know about this.

Not for my sake, you understand,

but for theirs.

You will tell them that you have had a

letter to say that I have died in Italy.

Oh...

Oh, you know I would have wished

to stay and help you.

Giuseppe.

Is it permitted that I give my son this?

It is only a crucifix.

No, madam, I'm sorry.

But I'll give it to the priest for him.

I'll make sure he gets it.

(Bell tolls)

You see...

.. I am dead now.

You cannot touch me or give me anything.

Except your blessing.

They will not mind that.

I loved you all...

..but I am dead now.

Give me your blessing, Mother...

(Tearfully)..and go.

Frank...your tanker's coming in.

They've managed to put out the fire. To stop

her sinking she's lashed to a destroyer.

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