The Deceivers

---

Can you see anything. Mr. Anglesmith?

- No. sir.

He's in there. by God.

I can smell him.

Sir. over there.

There he is.

Hold your fire. gentlemen.

Let him come to us.

He's a beauty.

Who was that?

God help him! Who was it?

Bloody fool!

-Plenty of blood and a bit of bone.

-There. I knew I'd bagged it.

Captain Devril. hold your tongue.

or I'll have the surgeon remove it.

There's a wounded tiger in there.

Have you ever tracked

a wounded tiger, Captain Devril?

No, sir.

- As a gambling man. Captain Devril...

I put all my money on that tiger.

With your permission. Mr. Wilson.

As you like. Captain Savage.

Me too. sir?

- Yeah.

Did you think I'd let you have

all the fun. did you. old boy?

Where is it?

Where the hell is it?

George!

Mr. Anglesmith.

- Miss Wilson.

My waltz. I believe.

- William?

You don't mind. do you. old boy?

- Of course not.

As my future son-in-law...

will you permit me

to offer you some advice?

The company likes you.

You have a future with it.

You're conscientious.

You speak four dialects like a native.

Not one in five

of my officers can do that.

And the company takes care of its own.

But... you in turn

must take care of the company.

Now, take, for example...

your Deorai tax revenues.

We're not collecting as much

from your district as the Marathas did.

Damn it. William.

You keep on asking me to lower them.

The honorable East India Company didn't -

- With respect. sir...

I don't consider it part of my duty

to extract taxes from people who can't pay.

You have a very high opinion

of your duty. Mr. Savage.

Yes. sir. I have 200 civil cases on my hands.

Then I want to drain some of the land

and build a school. On top of that. I wish to -

Mr. Savage. you know

the company's attitude perfectly well.

Yes. sir.

Do nothing.

have nothing done...

and let no one do anything.

Precisely. Mr. Savage.

Precisely.

Wilt thou. Sarah. take this man

to be thy wedded husband?

To live together

after God's ordinance...

in the holy state of matrimony?

Wilt thou obey and serve him

all the days of thy life?

I will.

May I have the ring, please?

Heavenly Father.

by your blessing...

let this ring be to William and Sarah...

a symbol of unending love

and faithfulness.

Won't be long now.

William. what is that?

- God only knows.

No one here about could tell you.

It's older than time

and just as mysterious.

It means we're almost home.

Madhya. My district.

Thirty-six villages.

Uh. no. 3 5.

One burnt down in December.

The river's the Seonath.

This whole area here was a ruin when we

took it over from the Bhonsles eight years ago.

Wars. civil wars...

dacoits. pindaris.

every kind of robbery under arms.

It's beautiful.

What is it?

What's happening over there?

I have no idea.

Ah. There's Chandra Singh.

- What is Chandra Singh? A maharaja?

Only a raja.

You'll like him. Come on.

Stand away.

Mind the step.

Thakur-ji.

- Savage sahib.

Welcome. Welcome.

Your Highness.

this is my wife. Mrs. Sarah Savage.

Memsahib. Memsahib.

I can see sahib has made a wise choice.

Now you must come to my house.

You are hungry and tired.

Uh. just a minute. Thakur-ji.

Um. what's happening here?

Why is there a crowd?

- Oh...

I had meant to tell you about that

when we were alone.

Tell me now.

The wife of Gopal the weaver...

is going to become suttee.

When?

Tonight.

William, what is she going to do?

I'm very much afraid

she's going to burn herself alive.

What happened to her husband?

Sahib, he went away on a journey...

one year ago and has not returned.

Well, then she has no proof that he's dead.

She dreamed the same dream three times.

In her dream she saw the body

of her husband in a dark place...

with a mark on his neck

and another woman looking at him.

So she knows that he's dead...

and she must go to him.

But... she's so young.

Why do you wish to do this?

For five weeks

my soul has been with my husband's.

Near that sun.

Nothing but this earthly frame is left.

And this I know you will suffer

to be burned...

for it's not your custom

to deny if it was love.

What if your husband is still alive?

Gopal is dead.

You've got to stop it.

- I have no authority. It's not illegal.

But it's barbaric!

You do not understand. memsahib.

Since there's no corpse.

the woman must decide.

There must be something you can do.

There would be a riot if you prevented it

Of course. if she saw her husband.

Saw him?

Thought she saw her husband...

from a distance. perhaps...

then her dream would be false,

and her relatives would not allow the suttee.

But how could you do it?

- Not I. memsahib.

I do not look like Gopal.

He was a tall man. yes...

but very slender.

His features were a bit like sahib's.

It's impossible.

- No. sahib...

it is not impossible.

Well. then. why didn't she look at me?

She saw only an Englishman

with white skin.

No one need know but you and I.

I can find some suitable clothes

in the house...

and we can make the stain.

No. It won't work.

No. sahib.

It's a foolish idea. perhaps.

William. you have to do it.

You know you do.

Gopal? Gopal!

Gopal!

Gopal!

Gopal.! Gopal.!

Gopal.!

Gopal.!

Ali.

Ali?

Ali.

Ali.

Ah.

My brother.

- You are late.

Look. How bright

the stars are shining. Look.!

There is an approver here.!

There.!

Thakur-ji.!

Thakur-ji.!

Thakur-ji! Thakur-ji!

Savage sahib. are you all right?

What has happened?

Murder! Murder. Thakur-ji!

Murder.

Savage sahib.

- What is it. Daffadar?

What have you found?

- Found nothing.

What do we do?

- Keep digging. Dig until I tell you to stop.

Do you understand?

- Yes. sahib.

What news. Thakur-ji?

Have you questioned the ferryman?

Yes. sahib.

He says he saw 12 - 13 men

with an old Rajput and his two sons...

go across the river yesterday afternoon.

But since then. he's seen no one.

Can you be certain of what you saw.

Savage sahib?

It was dark. Perhaps you were mistaken.

Of course he's certain.

- Sahib.! Sahib.!

What is it?

Well. don't stop. man. Keep looking.

Look. There's more.

It's an old grave. perhaps.

After a battle or sickness.

When there's nobody to burn the dead.

I told you to keep digging.

It's desecration. Savage sahib.

- Do as the lord says.

Yes. Thakur-ji.

Come here. Come here.

Give me - Give me that. Move. Move.

The Rajput.

They're here. Thakur-ji.

They're all here.

Sixty-eight people.

Perhaps more.

We can't count the bones.

Some have been here for centuries.

These robbers are

cruel and ungodly people.

Robbers?

No. Not just robbers.

Look for yourself.

They're all the same.

All strangled.

then gutted with these staves.

Their arms and legs...

broken and folded back

so they fill the space of a child.

Ritual killings.

No dacoit has ever done that.

Then who's done it?

I don't know. Thakur-ji.

I don't know.

but I'm going to find out.

Sahib. Over here. Come quickly.!

Sahib. Look.

Oh. dear God.

Dear God. Maunsell.

Keep those men moving.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes