Passage to Marseille Page #6

even it were two years.

Here on St. Joseph's Isle, there's

a building like nothing else in the world.

One can go mad in these pits.

Nothing to see except blank walls.

Nothing to think about except escape.

No sound

except the beat of one's own pulse.

Slowly one's mind,

like one's body and soul, gives way.

Then, when this happens,

one is put on the mad side of the barracks.

Until this happens, one may remain

in the cells of the other half,

where men are not mad,

but only going mad.

Here for long months had been Matrac,

the man I had sworn was a patriot.

Because of his intense and fiery nature,

imprisonment was especially bitter

to Matrac.

But somehow, slowly and bitterly,

the days of his solitary confinement

went by.

French justice.

Beautiful, decadent France.

A country that gives birth

to a bunch of rotten Fascist panderers.

I hate France.

He's talking to himself all the time now.

He'll soon be crazy like the rest of them.

Not me, my friend.

You will pay special attention

to Monsieur Matrac.

He's a famous person, friend of politicians.

He has influence, as you see.

You're as rotten

as the France that pays you.

If any letters come for Monsieur Matrac,

you will see

that they are delivered at once.

Monsieur Matrac does not like

to be kept waiting.

Now you'll get it.

Incorrigible.

Matrac? Marius.

- Hey! What are you doing there?

- Nothing.

This, then, was the man we had selected

to lead us.

By the time he returned from the rock,

everything was in readiness.

Clever Marius had even gotten himself

assigned keeper of our barracks.

Grandpre was waiting for us with a canoe

in the swamps of the Maroni.

This was the night.

Everything was in readiness.

With any luck at all...

Tonight before 10:00.

I'm going, too.

- Where?

- With you.

- There's no room.

- Unless I go, I squeal.

All right, Bijou, you go.

We waited in the semi-darkness.

9:
00.

9:
30.

Five minutes to 10:00.

One minute to 10:00.

Bijou.

- Where is Bijou? I don't see him.

- He changed his mind.

- Hi, Grandpre.

- Grandpre.

You made it.

No, we didn't.

We are still back in the barracks.

Save your jokes.

- So you're Grandpre?

- And you're Matrac.

I'm glad you're going to lead us back

to fight for our country.

Well, we better shove off.

Hey, be careful with that paddle.

Each time you splash, we ship water.

I can't help it. The boat is overloaded.

If we have to bail now,

what's going to happen

when we hit the rough water of the ocean?

We'll be swamped.

Stop yapping.

We'll have to take that chance.

It's getting light.

We'll get off the river

and hide out on that sand spit.

Put out to sea tonight.

Four.

Five.

- We are one too many.

- Yes.

If Bijou had come onboard, we would

all be at the bottom of the river by now.

I know what the rest of you are thinking.

- I am the heaviest.

- That's right.

Well, it's hard luck, Petit,

but you are elected, isn't he, Matrac?

What, leave Petit

when we're going home to kill Germans?

What do you say to that, Grandpre?

Whoever stays, it can't be him.

- But he weighs more than any of us.

- So he does.

Well, speak up, Grandpre. It's your canoe.

That's right. If it wasn't for Grandpre,

none of us would be going.

And who did he speak to first?

Not to you. You weren't even there.

What's that got to do with it?

I'm smaller than any of you.

Even Garou weighs

a good 10 pounds more than I do.

You weigh enough

to lighten the canoe all that's needed.

- Yeah? And who got the word to Matrac?

- Shut up, the bunch of you.

You...

Well, Grandpre?

Lads, Petit is going

and the rest of you with him.

It's me that stays.

- No. You? Never.

- Let him finish.

- What's the idea?

- Well, you see, lads, it's this way.

For 35 years, I thought that the one hope

of my life was to escape.

Yeah, that's what I've thought.

And when this came,

it looked like my last chance.

I'd never have another.

But, when it gets right down to it,

I suddenly find that I'm afraid of the sea.

Yeah, and I'm scared.

That's the plain truth.

I thought I'd have enough courage

to make this voyage,

but I see now I haven't.

You lie, Grandpre.

You, a coward?

I would swap my guts for yours any day.

All right, all right, maybe I could stand

the voyage if it came right down to it.

But the fact is, I've changed my mind.

I don't want to go.

This place is kind of a home to me now.

I'd miss it.

You lie, Grandpre.

Listen to me. You, too, Matrac.

It's my canoe.

Who goes in my canoe is up to me to say.

And I say it's you that goes

and me that stays.

I'm past 65.

I'm too old to fight.

That was the idea of getting away,

wasn't it?

Or was it?

I've got your promise on that.

I think I'd like to have it again,

kind of formal.

Not just nods, but words,

like you would speak in church, maybe.

- You want us to say our beads?

- Shut up, Marius.

What words?

I don't exactly know

when it comes down to it.

I'll have to make them up as I go along.

First, get up, all of you.

Raise your right hand.

That's to begin with.

This is between you and me.

Now first you say "I," and then your name.

I...

Promise that I will do everything

in my power...

"Promise that I will do everything

in my power."

...to reach France, our country...

"To reach France, our country."

...our mother country we love

in fair weather or foul.

"Our mother country we love

in fair weather or foul."

I promise to fight for her...

"I promise to fight for her."

...to the last drop of my blood.

"To the last drop of my blood."

I guess that's all,

except to get in the boat

and not waste any more of this good wind.

Good luck.

Good luck.

Good luck.

So you see we have gone through

quite something to get this far, Captain,

and nobody is going

to make us turn back now,

if only for the little old man

who didn't get to come with us.

Yes, Grandpre is the real hero

of our story.

I agree with you.

That was a good oath you swore

with the old man.

- I wouldn't want to be the one to break it.

- It will not be broken.

We trust each other.

Well, we've talked all night.

- You men should get some sleep.

- Now, wait.

- Are you going to help us?

- Yes. I'll speak to Captain Malo.

He agrees with me

that no soldier is unwelcome to France.

All hands on deck. All hands on deck.

All hands on deck. All hands on deck.

Men,

I have just received a wireless message

which is of concern to all of us.

"June 23.

"France,

under the leadership of Marshal Ptain,

"has signed an armistice with Germany.

"According to reports, an emergency

government has been set up in Vichy,

"and is negotiating with the Germans.

"It is agreed

that the Nazis will occupy the capital

"and that Hitler will make

a triumphant entry into Paris."

I will not try to express

the common feelings of all of us

on this blackest day

in the history of our motherland.

As further details are received,

they will be posted on the bulletin board.

You will now carry on with your duties.

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