Passage to Marseille Page #8

he drops them a letter

in a weighted steel tube.

When you saw him tonight,

he was asking permission

to turn 92 degrees south to Romilly

to drop such a letter.

So, you see,

they're not actually separated.

I beg your pardon, Captain.

The reports are beginning to come in now.

- Flights returning.

- Thank you, Sergeant.

Would you care to walk down

to the hangar?

Why, yes, of course.

Tell me, Captain,

what happened to the other men?

I know Matrac's here, but where are

the others? Where's Captain Malo?

He's in command of a minesweeper

manned by French seamen.

They work in the Channel. Often,

I suppose, in sight of their homeland.

- And Garou?

- Oh, you'll see him.

Step down, Garou.

Manning, this is Corporal Garou.

How are you, Corporal?

He's the best mechanic in Great Britain,

French or English.

Give him some scrap iron, a bit of wires,

some old aluminum pots and pans,

and he'll make you a plane in three hours.

You exaggerate, mon Capitaine.

It would take me four hours at least.

And what of Petit?

He's a tireless member of our ground

crew, often working 18 hours a day.

There he is now, over there by the crane.

Well, Manning,

I think that accounts for the lot.

All but one. What happened to Renault?

Not a sign of the old fear.

He's the pilot of the plane

in which Matrac is flying tonight.

They're coming, mon Capitaine.

C for Charles, landed 04:17.

C for Charles, landed 04:17.

F for Freddie, landed 04:23.

F for Freddie, landed 04:23. Over.

N for Norman, landed 04:36.

N for Norman, landed 04:36.

Who got the big oil tank?

Was it you, Rocroi?

Of course, who else?

Many thanks for the lights.

We made good use of it.

- Heil Hitler.

- We gave him heil tonight.

Mr. Manning,

this is Squadron Leader Dompierre.

Hi there, Mr. Manning.

- How about a smoke?

- Yes, please.

- Where is Renault?

- Oh, he'll be along.

Why don't you turn in, Dompierre?

I'll let you know as soon as they've landed.

No, I'm fussy as an old hen

with one chick missing.

V for Victor, come in.

V for Victor, come in. Over to you.

- There is no reply, sir.

- Keep trying.

V for Victor, come in.

Vfor Victor, come in. Over to you.

V for Victor, come in.

All planes accounted for except Renault's.

You gave him permission

to leave the formation.

- His plane took a lot of punishment.

- Yeah.

I'm afraid, Matrac, we can't make Romilly.

We have to turn back to the base.

Sorry, Matrac.

Now you make your wish

and blow out your candles.

All right.

Is it bad to make a bad wish?

Yes, Jean.

Even if it is about Hitler?

Well, it's better if you make a good wish.

All right, then.

I'll make a wish about Daddy. I wish...

Oh, you mustn't tell me your wish,

or it won't come true.

I'll know what it is, anyway.

Now come on closer,

and blow them as hard as you can.

All right.

- There.

- I did it!

Now I'll really grow up to be like Daddy.

I'm not supposed to say.

Oh, well, that's all right, darling.

You've got your wish already, anyway.

You're like him in many ways.

You have his eyes.

You have his nice hands.

I hope you have his heart.

Was it the best heart in the world?

I'll bet it was.

Oh, it is a very good heart, Jean.

A tender heart

to be in such a rugged body.

You know, you can thank God

if you grow up to be like him.

Can I eat my cake now?

Put your napkin on like a good boy. There.

- Daddy?

- Maybe. Let's look.

Come on, darling.

- Is it Daddy? Are you sure it's him?

- It may be.

- I think it is.

- But he wouldn't miss today, would he?

- Does he know it's my birthday?

- Yes, dear, he knows.

But they've gone past, Mama.

- I don't see anything. Do you?

- No, dear.

He didn't fly over.

Perhaps it wasn't him.

Ears like a dog.

Vfor Victor to Fox. We're coming in.

Two motors gone.

Limited control. Casualty.

Victor in trouble.

Stand by, ambulance and crash truck.

- Stretcher-bearers.

- Who?

Beaumont is hit.

Hurry, he's bleeding all over the place.

- Anyone else?

- Yeah, Matrac.

He got two Messerschmitts.

He didn't get the third one.

It was for his kid's birthday.

We couldn't make it.

My comrades,

I can think of no more fitting last words

for our friend

than those which he himself wrote

as his last words

and wasn't able to deliver.

"My dear son,

"today you are 5 years old,

and your father has never seen you.

"But someday, in a better world, he will.

I write to you of that day.

"Together we walk, hand in hand.

We walk and we look.

"And some of the things we see

are wonderful,

"and some are terrible.

"On a green stretch of ground

are 10,000 graves,

"and you feel hatred welling up

in your heart.

"This was, but it will never be again.

"The world has been cured

since your father treated

"that terrible abscess on its body

with iron and fire.

"And there were millions of healers

who worked with him

"and made sure

there would be no recurrence.

"Their deadly conflict was waged

to decide your future.

"Your friends did not spare themselves

and were ruthless to your foes.

"You are the heir

"of what your father and your friends won

for you with their blood.

"From their hands, you have received

the flag of happiness and freedom.

"My son, be the standard-bearer

of the great age they have made possible.

"It would be too tragic

if the men of goodwill

"should ever be lax

or fail again to build a world

"where youth may love without fear,

"and where parents may grow old

with their children,

"and where men will be worthy

of each other's faith.

"Take care of your mother, Jean.

"I hold you in my arms. I kiss you both.

"May God keep you and love you as I do.

"Good night and au revoir

till our work is finished.

"And until I see you, remember this.

"France lives. Vive la France."

That letter will be delivered.

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