The High and the Mighty Page #8

to say it again.

What else is on your twisted little mind?

I'm in love with you, Gustave.

I guess I always have been.

And then you tie the ribbons like this.

These preservers are not inflated now.

If you jerk this cord on either side,

carbon dioxide will be released

from the capsules

and the vest will inflate immediately.

That's all there is to it.

- Any calls for me?

- Take your pick.

Boyd, public relations.

No, Tommy.

We've not lost an aeroplane.

I'm standing right here in Operations

and our plane is still in the air.

Yeah, we had a little trouble. No,

I don't know the passengers' names.

Yeah, okay.

Where's Garfield? This jerk newspaper

wants a statement from the manager.

He's on his way.

He'll be here any minute.

Boyd, public relations.

Listen, Oswald, this airline has flown

over 30 million passenger miles

without ever scratching a passenger.

Sure we want to cooperate.

You'll get the straight dope,

just give me time to get organised.

Goodbye.

Mr Garfield, can you give me a minute?

Just about. What's your trouble?

The papers are on my neck already.

What will I tell them?

How about "drop dead" for an opener?

- You know I can't do that.

- I know.

- How long can you stall them?

- I don't know, maybe an hour.

They're crying about morning editions.

An hour might be enough.

We've got real trouble.

Does it look that bad?

It don't look good.

Is everything all right with you two?

I don't know when I've felt better

in the last five years.

I've just elected Miss Chen as the girl I

would most like to be on a life raft with.

Of course, now,

she may prefer a younger man.

There is in my family a very old saying.

I will try to translate it for you.

"The youth of man will never die

"unless he murders it. "

I plead not guilty.

I just want to show you

how to use your life vest.

My neck won't stand any weight,

and my bones are only held together

by my imagination.

A burial at sea will save my heirs

a lot of money.

- I'm ashamed of you for talking like that.

- Why do that?

You just look more comfortable

that way, Mr Briscoe.

You impress me

as the open-collar type anyway.

Rugged, you know.

- Outdoorsy, you mean?

- Yes.

You behave yourself.

I'll be coming back to make sure

you're being nice to Miss Chen.

It's a rough assignment

for an outdoor man without his horse,

but I'll do my best.

Would you like

to put your vests on now?

Investigation will undoubtedly prove this

aeroplane was ready for the junk heap.

And we're in the hands of incompetents.

I don't want to make no trouble,

but why don't you shut up?

You hate me, don't you?

All of you hate me

because I tried to do what was right.

Do like the little lady says.

Don't touch me, please.

You're giving me a very bad time,

Mr Agnew. I'm only trying to help you.

I have a perfect right...

You got no rights at all

for some time to come.

Do like she says or no life vest

is gonna keep you from drowning

because I'm gonna hold your head

under till you stop wiggling.

If we should happen to go down,

I'll give you plenty of warning.

Cross your arms like this

right in front of your face.

Brace your hands

on the seat just ahead.

Bend your head down

between your arms,

and keep them there

until we've stopped completely.

Remember to remove your shoes.

You men should loosen

your collar and tie.

Why?

According to the ditching instructions,

there is less possibility

of breaking your neck.

Anything from 420?

Not a sound out of them, sir.

Those people,

if they have to ditch tonight

with the way that wind's

kicking up that sea,

they don't stand much of a chance,

I'm thinking.

Cristobal Trader from San Francisco.

We can work the aircraft clearly now.

Thanks for your help. Over.

Good. Muchas gracias.

Cristobal Trader over and out.

How about letting me take over

for a while? Save yourself for later.

- We'll need you.

- All right.

Hey, Skipper, it will be almost dry tanks.

Maybe 20 or 30 gallons left. But if the

winds are right we can make it.

We picked up four minutes

in the past hour. I figured it all out.

If we can pick up a total of 11 minutes,

we're safe.

Hey, Skipper,

the interceptor is calling us.

We estimate our position

at 145 miles east of you.

Expect interception

in approximately 20 minutes.

Get a bearing on him.

We will transmit every three minutes

from now on.

When your needle begins to

fluctuate rapidly, advise us immediately.

We will then be very close to you.

You should have a bearing by now.

How about it?

We're gonna make it.

Five degrees north of our course.

We're awful glad to know you're around.

We know what you mean.

Say, can you guys climb any higher?

Out of this stuff

interception would be a lot easier.

Negative. We can climb, but we don't

want to use the fuel to do it.

Every gallon's a mile nearer shore

for us.

Okay. We'll find you anyway.

- Are you still afraid?

- No, my darling.

I don't mean the aeroplane.

I mean us, our future.

I'm not afraid of anything now.

I can't hear you.

How could I ever be afraid

when you hold me like this?

- I love you.

- Darling.

No.

Just think where we are.

I'm thinking how awful it would be

if this was the last time

I could hold you so.

- We'll have years, all our lives.

- If this aeroplane makes it.

Careful, darling.

Howard.

I thought you weren't speaking to me.

Would you be sorry if I drowned?

- Don't be ridiculous.

- I have to know.

I'd be more than sorry.

You could go off to your North woods.

It's occurred to me

that trying to make a go at that mine

might turn out to be a bad dream.

But it is a dream, Howard, your dream.

It was.

I could switch things back.

I suppose that would please you.

I'd only lose you.

A few hours ago,

you insisted on getting rid of me.

At times I'm a very stupid

and selfish woman.

I think you should go up to your mine.

That's you.

And you might take me along for laughs.

I'm hearing things.

You'd be miserable.

No doubt.

But I want you.

The guy I had sense enough to marry.

If I choke on hotcakes, or try to put

evening gowns on the natives,

or have cocktails with the sled dogs,

you'll just have to be patient with me.

You don't have to, but I wish you would.

Mush! That's what you say

to a sled dog, isn't it?

I want to start practising.

Makes them turn left,

if you yell it loud enough.

You're very good.

- Can you get that through to Sullivan?

- I can try.

- Everything else buttoned up?

- Yes, sir.

- Any improvement in the local weather?

- I'm afraid not.

- Radar, anything yet?

- No target, sir.

Navigator, how's our position

for interception?

Dead on. Just got a loran fix.

We should be joining now,

if their navigator is anywhere near right.

- Radar?

- No target, sir.

- Somebody's wrong.

- We should be right on top of them.

We can easily miss this guy.

No target, sir.

That navigator's wacky.

We're already seven minutes overdue.

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