The Children of Huang Shi Page #2

far from their homes,

so they are less likely to run away.

They're trapped...

Leave. Hurry!

Hello?

Hello?

Who's in charge here?

This is for the person in charge.

I said,

this is for the person in charge.

Esteemed Headmaster...

I have the pleasure of introducing...

the great Oxford University scholar...

George...

Pig.

I am in charge, Mister... Pig.

It says 'Pig'.

How is it you speak English?

I'm not a peasant like these others.

I am Liu Shi-Kai.

My father is a Government Official.

Hello?

You think I can cook with just a pot?

Come and see...

I have nothing... look.

All I have is this.

Grown-ups.

Teachers.

Where?

Gone... all gone.

Do you have any rice?

Get up.

Get up.

Hurry

Who's there?

Miss Lee

The boys have taken the Englishman.

That's enough!

Touch him again...

I'm out of here forever.

She's bluffing.

You give me one good reason

why I should be bluffing, Shi-Kai.

Here. Let me take a look at that.

You're the nurse, aren't you? Lee...

Lee Pearson.

How do you do? I'm George -

I know who you are.

It was my idea to send you here.

'The great Oxford University scholar.'

Jack Chen has given you

quite an introduction here.

Except he's called you 'Mr. Pig'.

It's not that funny.

He's a very nasty bit of work, that one.

I can't think why.

He only saw his father beheaded,

his mother raped and beheaded,

his sister raped and beheaded...

After that they lined him

up on the edge of a pit

He's a smart kid.

He waited until he felt the guy

next to him get hit

Stop. Please.

Nanjing. I was there.

Jack told me.

That's why I thought you'd be good here.

You're going to need

a Chinese name, you know.

One they can actually say.

Ho-ke.

You're out of your mind

if you think I'm staying here.

I didn't come half way round the world

to play nanny to a bunch of savages.

- Okay.

- So in the morning,

if you'd kindly point me in the

direction of the war and I'll be off.

I said okay.

Why do they give you such a wide berth?

Out here people die all the time.

Typhus, cholera, tetanus.

Anyone gives me any trouble,

I just tell them:

'One day you graze yourself.

You'll think it's nothing.'

'Next day you wake up with a fever.'

'You think it's a cold. That's all.'

'Pretty soon your bones ache,

your jaw locks,

your teeth clamp together... '

'... and slowly, very,

very slowly, you die of tetanus.'

In my bag I have vaccines

when I can get them.

If I go, the bag goes with me. So...

Who's going to mess with me?

Why don't they just close this school

and send the boys home to their families?

This isn't a school.

It looks like a school.

This is an orphanage.

Every one of them

has a story, just like Shi-Kai's.

Now you want to find your war,

Mr. Hogg? Look around.

Because they don't need a teacher.

What they need is someone who can

make them care whether they live or die.

The beds are crawling with lice.

The kids are too.

How adorable.

No joke.

Body lice carry typhus.

Okay. Now for the boys.

What are you going to do?

Boil them? Jolly good!

Flea powder.

I haven't been able to

get my hands on any before.

But the thing is to figure out how to

make them understand it won't hurt.

I'm sure you'll manage.

Ho-Ke has lice on him.

Scratch.

The lice could make him sick.

This powder will kill the lice...

but will do him no harm to him.

Smile.

So Ho-Ke is very happy.

Now take off your clothes.

Oh, for Pete's sake,

it's nothing I haven't seen before.

Hands...

Slow down

Don't do that, the water is cold.

Here's to you, George.

I haven't had a real

coffee since Shanghai.

So, why China?

Because it's in trouble.

Because everyone back home

is waiting for the shoe to drop

- waiting for the next war.

It's like being stuck in a cellar

waiting for a storm to break.

I went to the States first.

Hitchhiked across the country - twice.

But they're hunched down in their

bunk holes even deeper than we are.

"War? What war, mister?

We're in a Depression here."

And so then I went on to Japan.

Learned some Japanese.

And they'll tell you

they don't want war either

- just ask them.

And then I went to Nanjing.

And I saw unspeakable things.

I begged Jack Chen to kill a man.

I never knew I had hate like that in me.

Everybody feels hate sometimes

No. Not us.

You see, my family are pacifists.

And not just your quiet,

normal, private pacifists

oh no,

they're famous for it.

My mother had Gandhi to tea.

And my father

went to jail during the last War.

He's the bravest man I know.

And now I think they're wrong.

I think there are times one must fight.

Couldn't sleep?

Me neither.

One of the kids had 'the runs.'

God-awful mess.

- You can keep the mule, by the way.

- You're leaving?

I've got a bunch of

medical stations to run.

I only stopped off to

bring you that grain.

My guess, it'll last

you about three weeks.

After that, you'll have to

try to find them something.

It's up to you.

But when will you be back?

May.

But this is March!

They're like kids anywhere, George.

They need to be warm,

safe, clean and fed.

Now if you can manage even one of those,

you'll be ahead of the game.

Now you listen to me.

I'm not staying here.

You find someone else!

There is no-one else.

You have to stay, George.

Bugger.

It keeps the wind out.

Rip it off.

You. Come and help me?

Yes, you. Come.

Thank you

Stones

Chair.

Chair.

Student.

Student.

Student. That's you.

Teacher.

I guess that means me.

- Student. Teacher.

- I'm looking for Merchant Wang.

Where would I find Merchant Wang?

Hello, My name is Hogg

I am looking for Merchant Wang

Please excuse my poor house, Mr. Hogg.

It has fallen on evil times.

The war?

War. Revolution.

Also gambling. Also opium.

So many ways to spend

money and to get nothing in return.

I take only solid currencies.

If you can only pay in

Chinese dollars, then the price,

I'm afraid, will have to double.

I should like to pay in vegetables.

Vegetables are solid currency.

- English humour.

- You advance us the food and the seed

- we do all the work.

You take your share of the harvest.

Crops fail, Mr. Hogg.

What is this?

Durham wheat.

Last year's harvest.

Red lentils.

I shouldn't think

they'd do well in this climate.

We can do business.

Please come again, Mr. Hogg.

And send my regards to Miss Pearson.

Yes, of course.

Hope god will listen to us

Let us have a good harvest

It's good to be back.

I'm sure you'll be pleased.

Wei-Ping.

- 'Dohh'

Say it in English.

This is a dog.

Doh.

Dog.

Do-g.

- Dog.

- Dog.

Dog.

- Dog.

Don't be afraid.

Dog...

Dog...

Dog...

Why the lamp is off?

Shi-kai! Don't!

Oh Shi-Kai...

You won't be able to save him, you know.

You might be able to

limit the damage he can do.

No more.

You never told me

what brought you here, Lee.

Freedom, I guess.

And what happens?

I end up in a dark hovel

with centuries of soot

falling on my head...

...doing an amputation by candlelight.

You're a surgeon, then?

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