The Charge of the Light Brigade Page #5

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Yes, Sir.

Troop, face left about.

Forward march.

Ask Miss Campbell

to come to my office immediately.

Halt!

Pull out the officers.

Prepare to dismount!

Dismount!

Dismiss.

-Captain Sahib.

-Prema.

-Up you go.

-Thank you, sahib.

Look, I brought you back a new salute.

Watch.

-How do you do it?

-Like this.

Try it on the general.

Well?

Miss Campbell left with the first patrol

this morning, Sir.

Confounded.

Well, yes. That's all. That's all.

Why didn't Elsa tell me of this?

That girl's a complete mystery to me,

outrageous.

She knew perfectly well

you were arriving today.

-Pardon, Sir?

-Elsa left for Lohara this morning.

Lady Warrenton might be ill, Sir.

Might have sent for her.

Not that I'm aware of. What if she were?

That's no excuse.

You don't need to tell me.

Well, well, you must have had

a long and tiresome journey.

A nice cup of hot tea

will really refresh you, my dear.

I'll never forget my appalling

honeymoon trip with darling Benjy.

You remember, dear? Benjy?

Yes, dear, be with you in a minute, dear.

Here's some nice cold water

to take with your pill.

I thought I might drink a little toast

to our delightful guest.

Keep me awake all night?

Well, you're wrong again.

I hope you and Sir Benjamin didn't mind

my coming uninvited like this.

-Certainly not, delighted.

-Mind? We're enchanted.

By the way, how is that

ravishingly handsome fianc of yours?

Young Vickers. Due here today.

No, Benjy, you're all muddled.

Elsa is engaged to the other brother,

Godfrey.

Geoffrey, dear.

-Some cake?

-No, thank you.

So the brother is coming.

Well, well, well.

That is a coincidence.

My dear, you remember

the appalling ball in Calcutta?

Well, I was convinced

that you and he were...

So to speak.

Pay no attention to my wife, Miss Campbell.

She has two obsessions in life:

Giving me pills and scandalous intrigue.

Captain Vickers, Sire.

Thank you. Lady Warrenton.

-Glad to see you, Vickers.

-Sir Benjamin.

Elsa. Why, this is a surprise.

-How are you, Perry?

-Good trip, my boy?

Don't be absurd, Benjy.

No such thing as a good trip in India.

One either travels in comparative

discomfort or in complete discomfort.

Mine was complete.

You two children want to be alone, I know.

You must tell Elsa all about Godfrey.

Geoffrey, dear.

All about your brother. Why you're not

green with jealousy of him...

...for annexing this adorable creature,

I can't imagine.

Come, Benjy.

Please don't disturb yourself,

Lady Warrenton.

Elsa and I will take a stroll.

-Shall we?

-Yes.

No, no, no.

Not out there, not on the veranda.

There. ln the summerhouse.

Where the birds are singing

and the flowers are burgeoning.

Across the veranda

and down the hall.

Really, Octavia,

your constant innuendos are intolerable.

You thoroughly embarrassed young Vickers

and the Campbell girl, not to mention me.

Why can't you resist poking your nose

into other people's private affairs?

-Is nothing sacred to you?

-Yes, Benjy, dear, your liver.

It's wonderful of you

to come here like this.

When I saw you just now,

I couldn't believe it possible.

Why did you take such a risk?

I had to.

I've tried to force myself to forget you.

I've even tried to hate you.

But I love you.

-I always have and I always shall.

-Darling.

Poor father.

You see, he's right

from his point of view.

He made me promise to try to get over it.

I did try for three months.

But I failed.

So I threw away all common sense

and came here to you...

...to make sure that you're ready

to face everything with me.

My love for you is even stronger,

more part of me than ever.

I was sure of it.

Tomorrow, I must go back to Chukoti

and tell father and Geoffrey...

...that whatever happiness

there is in me to give...

...must be given to you.

Face left.

Troop, halt.

Randall, coming?

Face left, column left, march!

-Report the return of the convoy, Sir.

-Very good.

-Sir Benjamin's compliment, Sir.

-You've had a scrap.

We were fired upon by Suristanis

in Kohat pass.

-Well, you had your orders.

-Yes. My patrol withdrew in good order.

We lost a man, Lancer Wentworth.

Wentworth?

That's all, Barclay.

-Anything else?

-Well, Sir, the khan--

-Well, that is, if I may.

-Yes, go on.

Well, you see, Sir, we ran across

a caravan coming down from the pass.

There was a Hindu merchant. He'd

just been to visit to the Suristanis...

...and he has it on good authority that

the Suristanis are preparing for an attack.

-An attack?

-Yes, Sir, on Chukoti.

Oh, come, come now, Barclay.

Khan wouldn't dare.

You must be mistaken.

That's all.

Yes, Sir.

Soldiers. Old women, that's what.

I feel that Barclay's information

is accurate, Sir.

What? You also?

All right, presuming it is,

why this garrison? Why Chukoti?

Now, answer me that, Vickers.

The khan's wise enough to know...

...that an attack on Chukoti now

will ignite the entire frontier.

Why, the infernal scoundrel.

He must know the home government's

feelings about a war.

That's it exactly, Sir.

Also the fact that England's about

to go to war with Russia.

Attack now, Sir. Strike the first

blow and you'll crush him.

Vickers, you will parade your men in full

marching order ready to move off at once.

Yes, Sir.

Goodbye, Mary.

Company, march!

-Troops are ready to move out, Sir.

-Stand at ease, gentlemen.

I have received the following

from General Headquarters.

"To the officer

commanding Chukoti garrison:

Upon receipt of this order you'll dispatch

all available men under your command...

...to Brigade Headquarters Lohara

to take part in maneuvers."

Maneuvers? At this time, Sir?

Sir Benjamin's orders, Vickers.

He knows more of the situation than we do.

Major Jowett, you'll be

in command of the troops.

Captain Carrey, Cornet Gordon,

Cornet Barclay will go with you.

The rest of you will remain

in the garrison.

Those are my orders from Sir Benjamin.

That's all, gentlemen.

-I beg your pardon, Sir.

-Yes, what is it?

Sending the men off to Lohara

on maneuvers now...

...leaves us with hardly

one company of infantry here.

Obviously it's strategic to put on a display

of force for the Suristani tribe.

More effective than bullets.

But that leaves Chukoti

almost entirely undefended.

Boldness. That, my boy,

is the essence of strategy.

But the women and children, Sir.

Jowett's wife and child.

-Elsa, the sepoys' families.

-Nothing to worry about.

-We have plenty of men left to defend them.

-We haven't enough men left. You can't--

Major Vickers, you've had your orders,

I've had mine.

That's all.

Yes, Sir.

Face right.

Face right.

-Face right.

-Face right.

Forward march!

Elsa.

Oh, it's you, Geoffrey.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.

You looked very far away just then.

What were you thinking of?

Of a peaceful countryside.

Of soft green downs

rolling to a blue sea.

I know, England.

No hot, burning sun.

No eternal treachery,

waiting for the unknown.

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