Never So Few Page #6

I'm so glad he exaggerated.

They didn't even lay a Band-Aid

on me.

Can you break out of here?

Can you sneak out the back door?

I don't like back doors, Carla.

Whatever you say.

I don't care, darling.

Tomorrow, then.

And in the meantime,

don't burn down the hospital.

I kiss you and the bells ring wildly

in my temples.

Temple bells.

Why do you suppose that is?

Because you put me in a turmoil.

Oh, it's too difficult to explain.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if

there were no more goodbyes?

It would indeed.

That day will come, and when it does,

I'll lead you a terrible life.

I will never let you out of my sight.

I will be greedy for you

every hour of every day.

I will be jealous too.

And 20 years from now, if you dare

to look at another woman...

...I wouldn't be ashamed

of making a scene.

All this, so beautiful.

You like it?

Yeah.

You do not like it.

How do you expect me to?

Take a look around.

Here we are playing house

in a hotel room, courtesy of Regas.

Flowers, courtesy of Regas.

Even the booze, courtesy of Regas.

Tom.

That day in the boat you made

a beautiful case for us.

For us alone.

It was a fairy tale, Carla.

- It was nice to believe for a while, but-

- But what?

I told you about the kind of world

I live in.

And this isn't it.

What's the matter with you, Tom?

You once told me I had

boyish notions about love...

...and that you knew love's realities.

Why must you spoil everything?

You said, "I think we'd better go

because Nikko will be waiting. "

And you were right.

So let's be honest.

That's the way it should be.

That's the way you want it.

Now I know what kind of man you are.

So brave in battle, but so afraid of life.

You talk of the future, but you won't

take a chance on it.

I won't plead with you, Tom.

I can't.

I don't know how.

Hey, Danny, where are those trucks?

I'm sick and tired and weary

of all this bird-dogging.

The trucks aren't there.

You want me to break out

another scouting party?

We've had scouts out for two days.

We're gonna move on Ubachi.

Without the artillery,

we got no support.

We're gonna hit Ubachi.

- We're gonna get murdered.

- You take the flank.

Well, things are gonna boil tonight.

Move your men out, Danny.

- What's your hurry? Let's think this out.

- Let's not.

Tom, you're a man

of gruesome courage...

...but moving on Ubachi without support

is as sensible as a hotfoot in hell.

Nothing in this war makes sense.

Why do you expect it

to make sense now?

Ammo...

...gas dump...

...barracks.

I think it's time for a meeting.

It's all right, Hiawatha.

It's all right.

Hiawa-?

Why, you lousy...

...Sergeant Rich Boy.

Danforth.

All right, old man, you can come out.

It's over.

Nautaung.

Old man.

Is it bad?

You have been good to me...

...Dua.

I'm sorry...

...to leave you.

I don't get it.

This is the convoy

we were supposed to meet.

I don't see how the Japs could've killed

our men without casualties.

Unless they've been carrying off

their own dead.

Get a load of these hats.

And what are these uniforms

they're wearing?

I found these men

in the village up ahead.

They say these guys weren't killed by

the Nips, they were killed by the Chinese.

What kind of Chinese?

- Ton quon or dai chak?

- Dai chak.

Renegades. Chinese troops of a warlord.

Holed up across the Chinese border.

According to them, they got Gl gear,

guns and everything else.

These warlords or troops or whoever,

they just didn't knock off a convoy.

They've been killing our men.

How would you people like to go

over the border to China?

- You can't cross the border.

- They paid us a visit.

- Let's return the courtesy.

- You out of your mind?

- China's a bit off our beat.

- I'd follow them to the North Pole.

- Take your suffering Kachins with you?

- I will. And you and the rest of you.

- Boss.

- Get the colonel.

Tell him we're gonna cross over to

China. Release these guys. Let's move.

Go home.

Little beauties asleep?

Yeah, they're not only asleep...

...I'll bet you a fiver they're drunk.

Good.

Good.

Get out.

- Jim.

- Yeah, boss?

- Your radio operating?

- It sure is.

Tell the colonel we've

occupied this place...

- ... we're taking these lice as prisoners.

- Right.

Danny.

Can you translate that?

Yeah.

It's a warrant from

the Chongqing government.

"The bearer is charged and entrusted...

...to preserve the territorial integrity

of China...

...by preventive measures,

if necessary...

...within or beyond the

geographical bounds of the Republic. "

- "Preventive measures"?

- Yeah.

"The bearer is further authorized

to confiscate all military materiel...

...to deal with all invaders,

to rout out all traitors...

...domestic or foreign. "

Do you mean that this thing gives

these lice the right to raid and loot?

And split the take with Chongqing.

- Fifty-fifty.

- Chongqing issued that?

That gives these bandits the green light

to kill Americans.

I've heard of warrants like this before.

All protected warlords have them.

Chongqing licensed these warlords

to knock off American convoys...

...and sell our gear to the Japanese,

and Chongqing pockets half the loot.

Say, what kind of a war is this?

Our government couldn't know

about that.

I thought I knew what a rat was.

I had no conception.

I got a message for you, boss.

Before I could get the other one off,

this came.

"Chinese government most disturbed

your crossing border.

Has filed complaint highest

American authority.

Do not make any attack. Repeat.

Do not make any attack.

Rearm and release any prisoners you

may have taken. Destroy any documents.

Headquarters will expect

immediate apology to Chongqing.

More afraid this is an incident.

Sorry. Signed, Fred. "

Looks like we're gonna get

a court martial.

They couldn't have understood right,

boss.

We're gonna get a court martial...

...for stopping the Japs from getting our

gear. For stopping these dirty little rats.

Round up the prisoners and

anchor them somewhere.

Yes, sir.

Whiskey.

- Just liberated it.

- How do you know it's not poisoned?

I don't. That's why I decided

to share it with you.

Thanks, chum.

What am I gonna do, Danny?

You're the boss.

It's your decision.

How tangled can a knot get?

If I were you, I wouldn't

stick your head out any further...

- ... or somebody's gonna knock it off.

- You rather I kept it buried?

I want to see justice done

just as much as you do.

You can't right all the wrongs

yourself, or you'll be destroyed.

What's the sense of fighting a war

if you can't yell for what's right?

How can you be so damn sure

you know what's right?

I'm not sure. But I'm gonna

do something, even if it's wrong.

You know this war seems

to go on forever.

The longer it lasts, the smaller

my loyalties seem to get.

We've been together

for what seems like a lifetime.

Despite your hard and thorny nature,

I rather like you.

And I don't want to lose you now.

Travis! Travis! Ringa!

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