Son of Fury Page #5

with Silas Jones at the George & Crown.

Aye, that was a good pistol you made me.

I'm sorry you cannot mend it.

Good day to you.

Herbert.! Where's that wine, you scoundrel.!

Coming, Your Worship. Coming.

And so I said to Lady Beeval,

"You remind me of a weasel."

She said, "Why, Sir Arthur,

I thought you were a gentleman. "

I said, "Whatever gave you

that impression?"

Here is something

that may please you.

- Ben.!

- Shh.

I don't want to disturb your father,

at least not yet.

I can't believe my eyes.

Where? How?

I had to see you,

if only for a moment.

I'd begun to think

you dead.

Later you shall know all.

Ben, they're beautiful.

Priceless.

I've come back

with a fortune, darling.

I've come back to claim what's mine.

You haven't forgotten your promise?

No, dear,

not for a moment.

That may be Father.

If he found you here, he'd kill you.

He's tried that before.

- When will I see you?

- I'll come tomorrow, same time.

Where are you living? Suppose something

happened and I needed you?

I'm at the George & Crown in Bristol

under the name of Master Silas Jones.

You go around the rear.

You wait here.

You two inside

and wait for me.

Drop the reins

and put up your hands.

Could I have a word with the prisoner?

He's my grandson.

All right, gaffer.

We'll give you a minute.

- Did you see Pratt?

- Aye.

After trying for two days,

I reached him at his own house.

Ben, he said he knew

of no Benjamin Blake.

He denied flat ever

having heard of ya.

Yeah, I should have

known better.

I was a fool ever

to put my trust in him.

Have you anything to say

in your own behalf...

before the court

pronounces sentence?

No, Your Lordship. I have nothing

to say in my own defense.

For I am guilty of the crime

charged against me.

And if I could live my life again,

I'd be guilty of the same crime...

and be prepared to hang

for it again.

The charge is that I, a bonded servant,

attempted assault against my master.

It matters nothing that

that assault was richly deserved.

The law says that I must hang for it.

Beyond that, the law does not look.

If justice were not so blind, it'd be quite clear

that men like Sir Arthur Blake...

should not be permitted to make chattels

out of other human beings

to use them as playthings

for their cruelty and brutality.

I alone dared to defy him

because we are both of the same blood...

because I suffered

a personal injustice at his hands

an injustice which is

of no interest to Your Lordship or thejury.

Others have suffered

as much as I more than I.

Men have been crippled by him.

One was blinded.

Others broken in spirit and soul

without any hope of redress within the law...

because the law is on the side

of Sir Arthur and his kind!

Your Lordship,

this is treasonable!

The prisoner will be

allowed to finish.

Thank you, milord.

I hold no grudge against this court.

I have had a fair trial.

Your Lordship and the jury

have only done your duty toward me.

But I only hope in going

to the scaffold...

that I can hasten the doom

of this injustice.

That the day will come when Englishmen

who serve other Englishmen...

will do so as free men

paid for their work...

but keeping title

to their spirits and their souls.

What the prisoner

has said is interesting and largely true.

But as you point out,

the justice of this court...

is rigidly confined

by the law.

And so, I must pronounce

sentence upon you...

for the crime of which

you have been found guilty.

- The sentence of this court is

- Milord.!

May I beg the indulgence

of this court?

Uh

The court will listen

with interest to anything...

that Mr. Bartholomew Pratt

has to say.

But, Your Lordship,

the jury has already made its findings.

I submit that it would

be outrageous to

The court will hear

Mr. Pratt.

But what the learned gentleman

says is true.

The court has already

found the prisoner guilty.

On the basis of

the evidence submitted...

no other finding

could have been made.

The prisoner is guilty

of the crime charged to him...

but only if it

can be proved...

that any crime was committed

in the first place.

I do not understand you, Mr. Pratt.

The evidence has not been refuted.

The prisoner has entered no denial.

Perfectly true, milord.

As I understand it...

he is charged with

an attempted assault...

upon the person of Sir Arthur Blake,

baronet of Breetholm.

Yeah.

Then, milord, I must submit

that there has been no crime...

since there is no

Sir Arthur Blake...

and since the man accused

of committing it...

is and was at the time

of the alleged offense...

himself Sir Benjamin Blake...

baronet of Breetholm.

Milord, Your Lordship

knows that thejury

But, milord, these

these proceedings are highly irreg

Milord, I protest.

Most extraordinary

statement, Mr. Pratt...

from one of your standing

and repute.

I am prepared

to prove it, milord.

If Your Lordship

will read this entry...

from the log of the East India Company ship,

Calcutta Queen...

which I obtained from

the company's offices in London.

"This day, I joined

in holy wedlock...

Sir Godfrey Blake, passenger,

and Mistress Bessie Kidder, a passenger."

I have also here

the sworn statements...

of the mate of the Calcutta Queen

who is still living...

and of Dr. Fleetwood...

formerly of Bombay

and, uh, others.

Isabel!

Isabel!

Well, he's won.

- Won?

- Aye.

He had the proofs in court

and gained his release.

Bartholomew Pratt's

behind him.

No barrister in England

would take a case against Pratt.

Then Breetholm is his?

Aye.

Well, don't you understand?

We're ruined.

You are.

I'm not.

What do you mean?

I didn't tell you

why he came here that night.

It was to ask me

to remain here...

as his wife.

Not really.

Now that has possibilities.

Yes.

As a fond father, I might even be persuaded

to give my blessing to such a brilliant marriage.

I'm afraid your blessing

won't be appreciated.

I intend to make it

appreciated.

What do you mean?

You are my daughter.

We understand each other.

- Well?

- I know your marriage will be a happy one.

I only hope that in your happiness

you will not be tempted...

to forget your poor father

now that he is broken and humbled.

- Why should I forget you?

- Oh, I'm certain you won't.

I'm counting on the milk ofhuman kindness,

which I'm sure you'll not allow to...

uh, curdle within you

for your filial affection.

- Come to the point!

- If you insist.

In case you are tempted,

I ask you only to remember...

that we share one secret which might

be of interest to the happy bridegroom.

- Go on.

- A strange fellow, Ben

moody and quick

to take offense.

What would he say, for instance,

if he were to learn...

who told me that I'd find him

at the George & Crown the night he was arrested?

What would he say

to that, my dear?

- You wouldn't dare.

- Wouldn't I?

And even if you did, he wouldn't believe you.

Why do you think he came back?

For revenge? No.

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