The Flight of the Phoenix Page #3

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were you thinking of taking with you?

Well, apart from Sergeant Watson,

I don't know yet.

Well, perhaps now's

the time to find out.

Yes, perhaps it is.

- He can't walk out of here.

- No, of course he can't, but...

- He's entitled to try.

- He's not entitled to kill himself.

Oh, don't worry, Frank. I don't think

he's aware of the problems involved.

I'll get the maps.

HARRIS:
Gentlemen, I made a decision

and I'd like you all to hear about it.

Now, I intend marching out of here.

The plan is to travel

at night when it's cool...

...and then rest as best

we can during the day.

We leave at sundown this evening.

Sergeant Watson, would you come here?

I'll take Sergeant Watson and anybody

else who wants to come with me.

Volunteers, give me your names...

...and we'll start making

the preparations.

MORAN:

Captain Harris?

You wanted to know our position.

If you'd like to come over here,

I'll show you.

Now, gentlemen, we're in

the middle of this circle...

...which runs through

the three water points.

[STUTTERING]

That's Marada in the north, Tazerbo

in the east and Namous in the south.

Marada is 106.

Say, London to Birmingham.

Marada's not a city,

it's a flea-bitten waterhole...

...with some borax quarries,

an oil well and a few lousy palm trees.

Well, that's our objective then, Marada.

Say, captain...

...you done much marching

in desert terrain?

- On exercises and that sort of thing.

- How far?

Ten or 15 miles.

Full equipment, of course.

- Plenty of water, I suppose?

- Sufficient.

[STUTTERING]

Look, I don't know what your practical

navigation's like, mine's not bad.

But I wouldn't march

10 paces from here.

In the daytime,

it's hitting 120 in the shade...

...and out there, there is no shade.

If you could take as much

as four pints a day with you...

- ...you'd still be sweating 10.

- We intend marching by night.

Fine, well, precisely in what direction?

- There are compasses, you know.

TOWNS:
That's fine.

That's just fine.

Someday I'll have you tell me...

...what your compass was reading as

you passed the Jebel Haroudj Mountains.

They're mostly magnetic rock...

...and that sort of makes nonsense

out of the compass.

- One can navigate by the stars.

- If you marched 106 miles by the stars...

...and your calculations

were just one percent out...

...you could pass the Eiffel Tower

in daylight and never see it.

Look where Marada is.

There's absolutely n-n-noth...

- Nothing.

MORAN:
Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.

If you miss this glorious

little bunch of trees...

...there's n-nothing between you

and the coast, and that's 500 miles.

Well, nobody's suggesting

that it was easy, Mr. Moran.

Tell me this, captain,

are you right-handed?

- Yes, as a matter of fact.

TOWNS:
That means your right leg...

...is more developed than the other

and takes a longer step.

If you have an unreliable compass,

you just go around...

...in a left-handed circle

and there's nothing you can do about it.

You're right, Mr. Towns, but you're

talking about right-handed civilians.

In an officer's training corps...

...we military men are taught to march

with absolute precision.

I'd even send Sergeant Watson

here on ahead.

As it happens, he's left-handed.

Now, if you'll excuse me.

Come along, sergeant.

There's nothing you can do, Frank.

He goes by the book.

And you can't re-write it for him.

No.

Gentlemen.

I've been examining this aeroplane.

- You have?

- Yes. We have everything here...

...that we need to build a new one

and fly it out.

If you'd have a look

at my calculations.

- Don't know if you can read my writing.

- Are you trying to be funny?

- What did you say?

- I said, are you trying to be funny?

That is precisely the reaction

I'd expect from a man...

...of your obvious limitations.

What's happening to everybody?

Here. Here, you can have this.

And here you are, Ratbags.

I won't be needing this anymore.

I won't be needing this either.

Hey, you don't have a coat, do you?

Take mine. I won't be

needing it anymore.

- I don't think I should.

- What's wrong? That's a good coat.

It cost me 50 bucks in Marseilles.

It'd cost more than 100 in the States.

- If you really want me to...

- Oh, sure.

I gave the radio to the boy.

I won't be needing it anymore.

I'm going with Captain Harris.

I got something for you fellas too.

I got a lot of work shirts

I picked up cheap in Genoa.

They're good shirts.

I only washed them once.

Harris, don't you know better

than to tell Cobb he could go with you?

How far do you...? The man's crazy.

He wouldn't last a day out there.

- Cobb? I haven't even spoken to him.

- He seems to think he's going with you.

Does he? Well, I'll have

to disillusion him.

No, no, wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Just let it alone for a while.

Incidentally, I appreciate

your concern about me going...

...but I want you to know

I'm doing it all off my own bat.

It may be a gamble, but it can increase

your chances of being picked up.

Come on, sergeant.

HARRIS:
What's happened?

WATSON:
Must have twisted it.

HARRIS:

All right, let's get him over here.

Just tripped in the doorway, sir.

Must have caught it on something.

It seems there is nothing broken.

Perhaps you just sprained it.

Sorry we have no ice.

Looks as if you're for

the Sick Parade, sergeant.

Just my luck, sir.

I suppose I'd only be a burden to you.

- Well, it can't be helped now.

- Perhaps, if I could rest it tonight...

- ...I'd be all right tomorrow.

- I'm afraid we haven't time.

Don't you worry about it, sergeant.

Yes, sir.

What do you mean? You don't think

you're going out there on your own?

Oh, no. No, he's not.

He's not gonna go alone.

- I'm going with him. Isn't that right?

- I'm afraid not, old chap.

But I just told you.

I just told you I was going.

You're in no condition

to come with me.

Sorry, but I think it's better

that you stay here.

Why, I told you I was going!

I told you! I told you!

TOWNS:
Take it easy, Cobb. Come on.

COBB:
I told you!

- Let me go!

CROW:
Easy, Cobb.

- Let me go!

CROW:
Easy, Cobb, easy. Easy.

BELLAMY:

We don't want to hurt you.

COBB:

I told you!

[COBB SOBBING]

CROW:

We'll all end up like him, I'm betting.

Leave him now, captain.

I'll talk to him later.

Here.

Thank you.

- That an oil journal you're reading?

- No.

You're not in this line, then.

Line?

Well, yes. I mean drilling. Oil.

No, I'm a designer.

Oh, really? What, furniture,

that sort of thing?

No, Mr. Moran, aeroplanes.

I'm an aircraft designer.

Are you?

Then you really meant what you said

about getting this thing out of here.

Did you think I was joking, perhaps?

No, Mr. Dorfmann, that I didn't think.

You always have to spoil things

for me, don't you?

What did you have to tell the captain

I couldn't go along for?

- I didn't tell the captain anything.

- Yeah.

Well, you're the one had me fired

in Jebel, though, wasn't it?

Chief rigger, in charge of seven guys.

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