Mutiny on the Bounty Page #5

- Aye, aye.

- Mr. Fryer, give them muskets.

And arm another six men

and put them in the cutter.

At the first sign of treachery,

you will open fire

- and help us to retreat.

- Aye, aye, sir.

Select a work detail before you go ashore.

Advise Mr. Christian.

If our reception is friendly,

start gathering the plants right away.

One plant will be enough

to tell the story, sir,

but I shall have to find a specimen

that has sprouted from the root.

- Then instruct your men accordingly.

- Very good, sir.

No, not as a walking stick, Brown.

Bring the cutter in closer.

King George?

No, Your Excellency.

But King George ordered me

to pay his compliments to King Hitihiti.

I talk you talk. I go Captain Cook.

Visit many islands.

You Mr. Bligh. Me Minarii.

I know, I remember you well.

Our island pilot, and a fine one.

Oh, yes, very wonderful.

Will you please tell King Hitihiti

that King George

sends many tokens of friendship?

Hitihiti say, what he have,

King George want.

This is what we have come for,

Your Excellency, breadfruit.

That's right, uru.

King George wants his people

to be as strong as your people.

He wants your breadfruit to nourish them.

Hitihiti say take all breadfruit you want.

You are most grateful, Your Excellency.

Thank you.

Here you are, Brownie. This is one, isn't it?

No, no. Nothing like it.

Brown, is that it over there?

Right you are, sir.

Right you are.

Artocarpus incisa.

Isn't it amazing?

Such a delicate sprig

with the power to feed a continent.

You know, there's evidence to prove

that a diet of breadfruit

can sustain life all by itself.

Whose life? Not mine.

Lay on, Mills.

Watch your toes there.

They're like a string of live pearls.

- It must be some sort of game.

- Women only!

- Damn dull game.

- Oh, it has its possibilities.

Not a single man among them.

How many women

do you suppose are down there?

Enough.

Here! Do you think

we need to tell the others?

Look at those, fellows.

They're flogging the water.

- What they do?

- Chase fish for feast.

You like go?

Go ask him. Go on.

I'll ask him.

- There. Now, you see the new roots.

- I beg your pardon, sir.

Almost like little veins, aren't they,

stretching down into the earth?

- Would you just... For a moment, sir.

- What?

What is it, Mills?

It's a debatable point.

Some favor the longer, some the shorter.

They're fishing, sir.

I beg your pardon, sir,

but seeing them down there,

working their fingers to the bones,

well, we thought,

that is, the lads and I thought,

that we might just, well, nip along

and give them a little hand, sir.

Something to talk about

when we get home, sir.

Yes, sir, considering our mission, sir.

Well, can we give them a hand, sir?

Yes, I think

we should all give them a hand.

Mr. Christian, I'm ready for a man

to help me ball the root.

- To what?

- Ball the root.

Well...

- Mills?

- Gosh, sir, I...

I don't know a thing about gardening, sir.

Honest, I don't.

Well, go on, then!

Thank you, sir.

- I'm ready, Mr. Christian.

- Oh, damn you, Brown! I'm coming.

Mates! Hey, mates. What's that?

Don't be scared.

I'm going to take you home with me.

- Well, is it dormant, or isn't it?

- I couldn't say, sir.

Only the transplant itself can answer you,

by living or dying.

And when can I expect its decision?

Perhaps 12 hours,

perhaps three weeks, sir.

Excellent. You can't say yet.

Perhaps 12 hours, perhaps three weeks.

We've traveled a gardener 29,000 miles

to be told we don't even know

the condition of the breadfruit. Excellent!

You know, I heard that

if that bread plant dries up,

we could be here four or five months.

- You better pray it don't, mate.

- Pray it don't? What do you mean?

How did you like

your voyage out here, then?

Nice? Comfortable?

Nothing but fair and proper treatment

from the Captain, eh?

Worst I ever remember.

Well, what makes you

want to get underway, then?

Use your head.

If Captain Bligh was cooped up here

for five months,

five months, mark you,

who do you think he'd take it out on?

You think we sweat a bit,

making for the Horn?

Wait till he breaks our back

making for Jamaica.

We'll worry about that

when it comes. Here!

- Aye.

- Might as well at that, mates.

I wonder why they make

those women eat alone?

Because if they didn't,

you'd be too busy to eat.

Funny lot, aren't they?

They let us make free with their women.

They won't let us eat with them.

Isn't that like knocking at the wrong door?

Hitihiti say,

Captain dance with daughter now.

Dance? No, not me.

I thank Your Excellency, but I don't dance.

No say no. Hitihiti angry.

My apologies, Your Excellency.

I did not understand.

- You are amused?

- No, I hope I shall not be, sir.

But it does seem a rather difficult dance,

doesn't it?

We shall see.

Sorry to spoil your evening, sir,

but you said you wished to be informed

of any development.

It looks wilted, Brown.

It's dead, sir.

Might there not be

other plants that will flourish?

Sir, this proves

that the dormant season has begun.

Well, you did the best you could, sir.

It's a pity the Admiralty will blame you,

in any case, for the delay.

But, it's an unjust world. My sympathy!

I dislike failure.

I dislike it as much as the Admiralty does.

Forgive me. I have a partner over there.

Forgive me, please.

Hello.

Fletcher Christian is my name.

- "Is my name."

- No, no. Fletcher.

"No, no. Fletcher."

All right.

Thank you.

How very sweet.

Now, Maimiti, if I may?

That's a kiss!

"Kiss."

No, no, Fletcher.

Yes, Fletcher.

Yes, yes, Fletcher.

"Yes, Fletcher."

Mr. Christian?

You spoke, sir?

That's the King's daughter

you're tampering with.

You should know better

than to risk his displeasure.

Kindly satisfy your lust elsewhere.

Quite actually, sir, we were simply

discussing the incredible variety

- of Tahitian vegetation. It was...

- Acknowledge the order.

Lust to be satisfied elsewhere, sir!

But not today.

Report onboard, immediately.

You bloody fool.

Well, I'm sorry, old girl.

Good morning.

Thank you.

Would you like to come aboard?

You come here.

Yes, of course.

You tell Captain Bligh

he not get breadfruit.

No breadfruit?

Last night you go away from Maimiti.

Yes, regretfully. You see, I...

Hitihiti say,

daughter not good enough for England,

breadfruit not good enough.

Well, that's certainly

a very sound point of view.

- You tell Captain Bligh, no breadfruit.

- Yes.

May I suggest

that you tell Captain Bligh, yourself?

You see, I don't think

that he would believe me.

- I tell, yes.

- Thank you.

- Mr. Morrison?

- Aye, sir.

Would you direct this gentleman

to Captain Bligh, please?

Yes, sir. Please come with me.

You sent for me, sir?

Sit down.

A rather awkward situation has developed.

That daughter of Hitihiti's...

It seems he's quite attached to her.

Yes, she's a lovely girl.

In a civilized society,

certain lewd intentions toward

the female members of one's family

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