Serko

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So I went berserk for we were about to die.

I, Emile Fragonard,

the most famous illusionist in Paris,

who've just dazzled the Emperor of China,

I tell them to go to hell.

Our boatmen invoke Heaven

but forget to row.

They begged me to pay them first.

"You'll get paid when we get there!"

The sea is choppy, the wind is gusty,

we're going to drown.

So I dive into the water and with my arms,

I pull the raft to the opposite ahore.

I set foot in Russia and I'm soaked.

I've lost my costume,

though it was made by Vesperini,

Paris' famous tailor.

We didn't know then,

but were soon to learn,

that upon landing in beautifuI Amuria,

I could hear at the same time

the sound of a drum.

Young Muktan is getting married.

Tradition dictates that

when a men gets married

he offer his betrothed a bear's fur.

But the bear, as you can imagine,

won't let men get their way.

So the shaman invokes the Spirits

for the bear to be generous.

You can't hunt without the Tsar's Cossacks,

what with the fax on fur.

So Lt Pechkov and his sons join

the Evenk hunters.

The younger one is a nice fellow.

I'll be meeting him very far from here,

and I'll tell you how.

Oh Lord! I beg you Lord!

I know that I am not alone on earth.

That you have other things to do.

But can you spare some time for me?

I beg you!

I beg you Lord!

What happened?

He got scared, didn't he?

What the hell has that idiot done?

Where the hell's that yellow-belly?

What are you laughing at?

Let this coward stay here! Let's go!

We'll get that goddamn animaI!

And no later than tomorrow!

And, Oh, will I enjoy eating his balls!

Move on!

The father won't take his cowardly

son to bear-hunting.

"Let him chop wood?"

The yellow-belly's name is Dimitri,

and his fate will soon be changed

by a chain of inevtable events.

Which proves that destiny

worls in mysterious ways.

Where's that scumbag, Nikolai Pechkov?

The lieutenant on a mission,

Mission, Bouvarine!

What mission? Don't make me laugh.

We saw a bear threatening some men.

It's very dangerour

and my father's hunting it!

I'd like to know how much

that shyster gets for his furs.

Enough to fill his mouth

with gold teeth, I'll bet!

My husband in an honest man.

He enforces the laws of the Tsar.

The tax on furs is a great burden

for the people here.

He is an honourable man.

Enough with the bull!

These men have come from the city

to buy horses from the Evenks.

I need your husband

to negotiate with those scoundrels.

Go find him, and be quick about it!

He won't be back before nightfall!

My Dimitri will take your friends.

He speaks the language.

He'll help you handle your transaction.

I'll take you there.

What are they up to?

Stay out to it!

His ImperiaI Majesty wishes,

to build a railway

that will cross the Empire.

from one end to the other.

A glorious challenge whose completion

will add to the magnificenec of our Empire

and to the happiness of each one of us.

These gentlemen can vouch for me.

The Tsar has entrusted us

with the noble task

of feeding the thousands of worders,

who will be working on the building site.

We will establish travelling kitchens,

that will move along with the workers.

Our first plan indicates that we'll need

to slaughter fifty horses a day.

Hence the order from on high to use,

your little, pretty much good for nothing,

horses to serve as meat.

Excuse me, Mister Bouvarine,

but you know better than anyone

that our Tsar gave them the privilege

of breeding horses for riding.

We are all the Tsar's subjects!

And when His Majesty

the Emperor says something,

it's always meant as an order!

How much do we offer for the horses?

Three sacks of flour for the herd.

He says their horses are not for sale.

Three sacks of flour is our finaI offer!

No need to translate! We understood.

Bunch of fools!

Stop! This is enough!

Hey, you what're you doing?

Leave our horses alone!

"Why kill our horses?",

complains the shaman.

Yes, why?

To scare these poor people out of rebelling.

The sky suddenly collapses

in a downpour of rain and tears,

as if in empathy with the unforunate Evenks.

Murderers! Murderers!

Muktan's killers will be tried and punished.

My father promises you!

Your father has not yet spoken!

I understand your pain, Isingu,

and I respect it.

But these men are not from around here,

and you fought them.

Those men came here like dermons,

in the name of the Tsar.

Be quiet!

For as long as his killer's

blood has not flowed,

my son's spirit will never be in peace.

Every night, he will return

to demand revenge,

and his spirit will never rest.

It's up to me to avenge his death,

but I can only do so according

to the laws of His Majesty.

You might speak our language,

but your heart belongs to those sevils.

So stay with those devils, you three!

His assassins will be tried,

as they deserve.

Father, I gave my wife my word,

in your name!

Well, you shouldn't have.

The only alliegiance that counts

is the one you swore to the Emperor.

Muktan is also my wife's brother.

When I married her,

her family became our family.

Let me give some good advice.

There is only one law,

but it is not the same for everyone.

The only law that counts

is the law of the fittest.

And the fittest is the high-ranked fellow,

who decided to requisitiong these horses

for their future railroad.

Without their horses,

the Evenks may as die.

Remember that they signed

a treaty with our Tsar.

And that's why we Cossacks

are here to see that it's upheld.

Think the Tsar's nothing better to do?

And how would you get there?

Saint Petersburg is over 6,000 miles away!

Do you mean to ride

Muktan's horse? Why not?

If it's the only way to be heard.

You idiot!

Your wife is carrying your second son.

And you want to ride off to certain death?

You look more like your father

than your brother does.

How old were you when I was born?

Although I'm 18 my father still despises me.

Blagoveschensk.

BaikaI. Irkutsk.

Tomsk. Omsk.

Perm.

Moscow.

Saint-Petersburg.

It's almost straight on.

As Dimitri's horse is a nag unable

to cross the horizon,

Dimitri saddles Muktan's horse at dawn.

Luckily, the horse would love to help

Dimitri in his mission.

So goes fate in a fortunate

combination of circumstances.

Keep still! Look how beautifuI it is!

Let's go this way.

There's a hare. Go right ahead!

Stop!

You horse,

will never know how good this is.

Look, Muktan would call you "my horse. "

What kind of a name is that?

It's like calling your dog, "dog. "

You've got such a beautifuI grey coat,

that I'm going to call you "Grey Horse. "

"Serko. "

How rude of you!

Don't you like your name. Serko?

You see. Serko, the onlly difference

between you and me,

is that all the creatures born on

this earth look down to the ground,

but man is the only one to look

up at the sky,

and wonder at the moon and the stars.

You're right, we men shouid

be a little more humble!

What does he want from us?

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