Parer's War Page #2

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herself on the line like that,

when Lord knows if you'll ever

pop the question.

Don't be such an ass.

You ask me to look after her

while you were away, so I do.

We talk, mainly about you.

Great party, mate.

Thanks a lot, Damien.

Yep. Take care.

Hooroo, mate. Cheerio, Max.

Thanks, mate.

Damien and I

lost our hearts there.

Ah, Bill. Thanks, mate.

Athens in spring has a flavour

and beauty all of its own.

He's extensively well travelled,

aren't you?

You mean for the war? Yeah, well,

it does count, you know.

I mean, they have time to shop.

Behave, Cotter.

You're being naughty.

I just thought it

worth mentioning.

Ah, Cotter, I'll take you home.

Well, you don't have to, you know,

considering you didn't bring me.

This is how Silkie

told me how to drive...

Oh...

.. in North Africa.

Jeepers, Damien!

For heaven's sake, slow down!

Look! Aah-ha-ha-ha!

Don't! Damien!

Damien!

How much have you had to drink?!

Not enough! Ha-ha!

I suppose

I'll have to marry you now.

Have to?

You most certainly do not.

I mean, as you darn well know,

you've never even

properly kissed me before.

No, I didn't mean it like that.

What an awful thing to say!

I meant we should think about it.

How could you even ask me

when you're drunk?

No, I thought you wanted...

To be insulted?

'Oh, yeah, Cotter's

the sort of girl

who's no better

than she should be. '

I'd never talk about you like that.

Is that why you stopped writing

and you didn't tell me

when you were back?

No.

Well, then why?

I don't know why.

Well, that makes two of us.

Why don't you try and talk to me

when you're sober,

if you even remember!

You shouldn't be out here like that.

Oh, Father, forgive me,

for I've really sinned.

Not only parking with my boyfriend

and improperly dressed,

in fact, I'm not dressed at all.

Although I can't see Mum's chenille

inspiring anyone to lust.

But I could be wrong.

Oh.

And would it be an actual occasion

of sin

if Dad was watching us

the whole time?

He'd let you come out

and sit with me like that?

No, of course not.

He told me to fetch you in before

all the neighbours are up,

or you'll cause talk.

Oh.

For love is heaven,

and heaven is love.

Isn't Diana just everything?

I think I've truly lost my heart

this time.

Well, then

you're a lucky bastard.

You have to let it happen, Damien.

I think I asked Cotter to marry me

last night.

You think?

I made a real muck of it.

Go and take her for a picnic

or something, old fella.

Try and come home to us

for a while.

Hey!

Whoo!

Ah!

You lose!

Ah!

Oh...

Not likely.

Ah. Race you back up.

Hey! Hang on!

What happened to 'ready, set, go'?

So you can get a head start?

I don't think so!

Oh!

Slowcoach!

You spoilsport!

Hurry up! What's keeping you

so long?

Come on, Cotter! Pull your weight!

You are a cheat!

It'll take a penance

and an act of contrition

to get you out of that one.

Come on.

Here. Help me.

Help me!

Help me, Damien.

Here.

Take this.

What is it, darling?

It's nothing.

Sometimes I think I'm not much good

to you, or anyone, for that matter.

I know, but I've got

to do something

for the war effort, don't I?

You'll find no useful answer

in questioning God's purpose

for us.

Purpose?

What purpose is there

in so much suffering?

There's not an ounce of mercy in it.

It's not a fair go.

He tests our faith.

Every day of our lives, son.

I can cop that, Father,

but not when he tears apart

some other bloke to do it.

You'd be thinking

they're never gonna make it,

then they'd dig their big toe in

and inch their way up.

You've spent a lot of footage

on these native bearers.

Almost as many shots as you have

on the troops.

Because that's the story, Ken.

'No boongs, no battle,'

the boys reckon.

Boongs?

Natives' word.

Do we know what it means?

It's 'brother'.

We'd be wiped off the map up there

without 'em.

We need to be saying that.

And everyone back here

complaining about bloody smokes,

the price of things.

They have no idea

how much danger this country's in.

Didn't get the half of it.

Sorry. Thought it was better

than this, Ken.

Well, it lacks a bit of action.

Don't you worry about that.

You wait and see what we do

with it.

Yeah, well, it's just not there.

Not how it was.

But it will be.

If you introduce it, just the way

you've been telling it to us.

What, on screen?

No, no. I don't think

I'd come out well enough, Ken.

But you've got conviction

in your voice. That's all we need.

Not if I make a muck of it.

We'll bring you up to scratch.

Have a think about it.

Go stretch your legs.

Terry, you and I can move on to

the second film.

Put up the commando footage.

Terrific action.

I missed the real thing.

They're re-enacting it for me here.

Yeah, well, you wouldn't know.

Look at their faces,

how confident they are.

It's not how it is

when they go into battle, Ken.

Well, it'll work for us.

There's your out, Terry.

Who's this fella?

Hmm...

No, hang on.

This is from the lookout tree.

It's gotta go. We can't use that

shot until it's cleared, so...

It's on the dope sheet.

Yeah, I've got it as a cut.

I've seen that image before.

Tuesday.

The stupid,

incompetent bloody goats!

Mr Hawes!

Sir, I gave those men my word.

They trusted me to make sure

their lookout

wasn't given away to the Japs.

I can't understand

how it could have been missed.

Oh!

If it's our mistake.

I can't see how

if we'd been properly informed.

It's written on the dope sheet,

for God's sake.

'Pictures from scouts' tree

cannot be used

until they cease to use this place,

as it would endanger scouts' lives. '

I mean, how much clearer

does it have to be?

There's no need for that tone,

Mr Parer.

If indeed you're correct,

it's most unfortunate.

Of course, we'll investigate

how to...

I don't care how it happened,

Mr Hawes.

Just get the pictures removed

from the press immediately.

And alert the military censor

so the boys can be warned

if it's not too late.

I'll decide the appropriate course

of action, Mr Parer. Not you!

You are an employee

of this department.

You do the job you're assigned

and go where you're told to.

When you're directed to return

to Brisbane, that's where you go.

And don't you think a cable

supposedly from General Rowell

fools anyone.

If anything's happened to those men,

God forgive him.

Keep moving. He's still watching.

And you'd better know that

he released that lookout footage

to the Yanks too.

Oh, sh*t and derision!

If it's gone that far,

there'll be a lot of explaining

to do if he withdraws it.

Very likely. Oh, Chester rang

from the ABC looking for you.

He's back.

Bloody Hawes.

Petty little sh*t so full of his own

importance, nothing else matters.

The military censor

has to be alerted.

Anything else is unthinkable.

You'd reckon.

I just don't trust him to fix it.

Right.

Well, we'll see about that.

Jane, Chester here.

Yes, would you get me

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