The Long Voyage Home Page #5

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"can wreck our lives,

"and that is this black shadow."

- Black shadow? | - Code word.

Sure, go on. Go on.

"Whenever you're tempted, dearest man,

"think of those who love you.

"Of Tommy and Betsy

"and of your own Elizabeth."

- Elizabeth? | - That's how it's signed.

- Queer. | - What does it mean then?

By the Holy, | here's one addressed to this ship.

- "S. S. Glencairn."

That was five months ago in Montevideo.

The writing's bad in this one.

Same hand, only a little shaky.

"Tom, darling,

"it's only from your chance meeting | with Harry

"that I know where to reach you.

"I know now that you hadn't stopped

"drinking.

"That you couldn't stop.

"That you lied about it.

"But I know you lied | to give me peace of mind.

"Always hoping you could fight it out

"and make it come true.

"My heart broke | at the thought of your trial,

"and I nearly died | when your letter finally came

"like a note from the grave

"telling me that, for my own sake,

"you would never return to England.

"Dear, dear man,

"loss of a commission is not loss of life.

"There is no disgrace | we can't go through together.

"I refuse to tell the children, as you asked,

"that their father is dead.

"He'll never be dead to me | because I love him.

"Oh, Tom.

"Tom, you must come back to us.

"Elizabeth.

"His Majesty, the King,

"has been graciously pleased to authorize

"the issue of the..."

What the devil am I reading that for?

Get the hell out of here, you black lugs!

- Swine! | - By devil!

Go on. Get yourselves a wink of sleep.

All's well, Smitty?

All's well, Ole.

Ole? Axel?

Yeah?

Do you not smell the land?

The sweet smell of Ireland.

The fields and the forests,

the green hills.

But that's England that way.

Did I ask you?

Make anything of it, Mister?

They're flying above the clouds.

I suppose it must be our lads | coming in for patrol.

Machine guns, bombs, bullets!

Hash, you marmalade!

By devil, I quit!

Quick! Hide! Quick! You...

Number Two lifeboat.

Give me a hand to lower this lifeboat. | Clear the shocks.

Sure, Smitty.

Veer your ship. Break your course, man. | Break your course.

Mrs. Fenwick.

Well, Smitty got home.

He's gone.

Gone.

Smitty's gone.

There you are, the last penny.

Put your mark there.

He can write, Mister.

Wanna sign up | for the next voyage, Olsen?

No, sir. I go home this time.

- Thank you. | - Is that all?

Aloysius Driscoll.

Aloysius Driscoll.

I know you men will want another berth | when you've spent your money.

So if anybody wants to sign on | for the next voyage before you go ashore,

you can do so now. So speak up.

Right. That's all.

I'm signing on, sir.

All right.

They'll be back, all right.

All except Olsen, sir.

Olsen.

Well, we'll see.

Come on now, lads. Shake a leg. It's | the last I wanna see of this rusty...

There, by golly, you don't spend | that money. That's for farm.

Ole!

Come on! Hurry up!

- Come on! | - Come on!

The first thing we do | is put Ole on his boat.

- But first, we go to the ticket office. | - Ticket office!

Ticket office is the word, and I'll show you | the way, and then we'll go to Joe's Place.

And after that, we...

Who the devil are you, | you little pish-posh?

Nick is the name, shipmate.

Nick is the name, mates, | and I'm glad to meet you one and all.

Now this here is a card for Joe's Place. | Lovely dancing girls, bow-wow,

no chance of being robbed, | and the best drinks in town.

Drinks?

There'll be no drinks | till we put Ole on his boat!

That's right, Drisk.

You're making a mistake, shipmates! | Best spot in town for a drink.

Nice girls to dance with...

Any of you shellbacks looking for a berth?

What ship is that?

Amindra.

Sailing tonight for Valparaiso. | We need another seaman.

Amindra!

A starvation tub, if ever I saw one.

Rotten grub, work night and day,

and your skull split open | if you open your mouth!

No wonder you can't get no crew, | you bluenose...

- Sling your hook! | - Stay away from me, I'm warning you.

Come on, Drisk!

I'll catch up with you one of these days, | you bluenose blaggart!

Amindra. Amindra.

Svensk Engelsk. Yeah, that's it.

In you go, Ole. | In you go, and buy your ticket.

Well, now, that's settled.

There's Ole's ticket!

Here, I take Ole's ticket.

By golly!

There, you got money for farm, | and stick ticket for Stockholm,

and you don't lose.

Now, you're all right!

And now, lads, | we've got a little time on our hands.

Time, mates? | The pilot's aboard, yo-heave-ho!

Anchor's away, | and we'll steer a course for Joe's Place.

And just to show | that my heart's in the right place,

I'll tell you what I'll do, mates. | I'll stand a drink all round.

Drink! Preposterous!

There'll be no drink | till that one's safe aboard.

That's the gospel truth.

Of course, a glass of beer maybe

to wish Ole on his way.

And drink a toast to Smitty.

And Yank.

Smitty and Yank.

Yeah, Yank...

That's a grand idea.

You know, mate,

when I seen you chaps coming ashore, | my heart was touched,

thinking of the way our sailor lads | is suffering these days.

Hearts of oak, I said.

Axel!

Sing us another one.

By golly, that's good beer! | You want a drink?

Ole, good luck to you!

Ole!

One glass of beer.

- The boat! | - The boat!

The boat! The boat!

- The boat! | - Wish! Wish! With a wish!

Do you hear it? | Do you hear what they're playing?

Tipperary.

But it's a grand night to be whirling about | in some fine...

Yeah, but don't you...

One dance! Just one dance!

Come on. Come on.

Sorry, you civilians can't go in there. | That's for these lads going off to war.

Going off to war!

Is there any place on land or sea | where there is no war?

That's it. Move along. | Get off the street. Get inside somewhere.

Best place to be during a blackout.

Blackout. Blackout. Blackout.

Blackout.

Everywhere people stumbling in the dark.

Is there to be no more light in the world?

Is there no place in this dark land

where a man who's drunk | can find a decent bit of fun?

What have I been telling you | all evening, mate?

Don't let them get your egg out. | Come on with me to Joe's Place.

Lots of lovely girls

and no blooming copper telling you | what you can do or what you can't do.

Devil take me, but I remember this place.

Ship ahoy, me hearties! Happy | to see you home again safe and sound.

Ship ahoy.

Ship ahoy, is it?

So it's you, you blaggart!

Five, six years ago,

I was robbed of my last bob in this place | in me sleeping.

Devil stiffen you!

If you come any of your tricks | over me this time, I'll...

You're mistaken, mate. | This is an honest place, this is.

Oh, yes, and you're a blushing angel, | I suppose.

Well, no matter. It's past and gone forgot.

I'm not a man to be holding | hard feelings my first night ashore.

- And me drunk as a log. | - Quite right. You've got my vote.

What's it gonna be? What's your pleasure? | What'll it be? What's...

- Irish whiskey! | - Same here.

Come on! Cut it out, will you?

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