The Mosquito Coast Page #5

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Spellgood was raving.

He was talking about hellfire.

- They were so frightened.

- Very angry at you, Father.

- They said we were communist.

- We're not communists, honey.

Very glad you're here, Father.

It's just jealousy and envy.

You build something up and people...

...come along and want to take it

away from you.

Who do that?

What? What, Francis?

- Men.

- Talk to me. Tell me what's going on.

- Ruckboos, Ruckboos.

- Where?

Calmly, Francis.

Three Ruckboos. Ruckboos. Three...

- Dad, what's wrong?

- I don't know.

Three! Three men. Guns.

I don't see anybody, Francis.

I must have drop these. Easy this time.

Three Ruckboos here.

Allie!

We didn't think we'd find you.

Where are your Zambus?

Gone. Saw your guns

and thought you were soldiers.

I didn't get a chance to tell them

you were friendly.

Probably dipping their arrows in poison

right now. Huh, Charlie?

Right.

Where are you going?

The coast is only a day from here.

I'll make you a map.

You can take the cayuka

which is down at the river.

Take it, it's yours. You'd like it there.

We like it here.

I wish there was some place for you

to stay, but we're...

...infested with ants.

They're in everything. We've gotta...

...tear everything down, burn it.

Charlie!

I told you to take Maywit's shack down.

Get a crowbar and get...

Don't run, don't run!

Take it down and stack it for burning.

I don't see any ants.

No, of course you don't.

If you could see them, you could kill them.

I've got a lot of work to do

and I'm not on vacation.

We'll look around.

No, take the cayuka. It's yours.

Take it. Go.

We'll look around.

Right, look around.

Look around all you want.

Me no see no ants, Father.

When I make a mistake, I make a good one.

I thought they were prisoners

of the Indians.

Are you gentlemen comfortable?

I mean, the reason I ask is,

I'm terribly sorry...

...but I'm going to have to ask you

to get up.

You see, war on the ants! Total war.

Charlie, bring up the chain saw.

All this furniture.

Mother, all these pads and things.

These should be boiled.

Get all the fabric up.

Get all this furniture. Excuse me.

Hold that for me, will ya?

Take this stuff off. All the furniture.

Excuse me, gentlemen.

Move outta here.

Get the crowbar.

- Do we have to burn every chair, Mom?

- Just put it on, Jerry.

- Do we burn Ma Kennywick's chair, too?

- Termites, darling, termites.

- She'll be very mad.

- I know, she'll be mad.

Everything's gotta go.

That's the only way to get rid of them.

Better not let Ma know.

Okay for all these things here?

I can't see them. Maybe they've gone.

They want some food.

Oh, God, are we stuck with them?

Stuck with them?

We're not stuck with anyone.

No one who has the slightest spark...

...has to endure a moment's oppression

in this world.

What are we gonna do?

Why do we have to sleep here

and not in our hammocks?

Because we've got guests tonight.

Now, you sleep tight, all right,

and I'll be in later on. Okay?

Night-night.

Excuse me.

Right, gentlemen.

Bunkhouse is ready.

Get your stuff together and we'll go.

What bunkhouse?

Well, it's not much.

Just the basic necessities.

But I'm sure you'll be comfortable.

Breakfast, 7:
00 a.m.

Eggs and bacon all around.

I can't do this alone.

Get your shoes and follow me.

They're sleeping. You've got to climb up

to the roof and shove this...

...through the brackets on the access door.

You gotta be very, very quiet.

Can you do it?

I guess so.

You gotta be more sure than that.

You could get us all killed.

Can you do it?

Yeah, I can do it.

All right?

Don't pity those men, Charlie.

Don't pity this insect. That's not his blood.

That's my blood.

I gave them every chance to leave.

If they just lay down, they'll be all right.

They won't feel a thing.

In a few moments they'll be frozen solid.

Why are you making ice this time of night?

Quiet down, Haddy!

Everybody back in the house!

- What is it, Mom?

- Do what I say! Inside, all of you!

They should lay down.

They put a hole in him!

No.

Mother!

Get back inside! Back!

- Behind the tree!

- Get your heads down!

Gas!

Gas!

Run!

I'm so sorry.

I'm happy. We're free!

My launch!

Little Haddy.

She was all I had in the world.

What good is a boat without a river?

The river is there, Father.

It's full of ammonium hydroxide.

Contaminated.

If we stay here, we die.

Look, we're here!

- Look, the ocean!

- We're here!

I'm going in! I'll race you, Jerry.

Wait for me, Charlie.

Let's go!

My home, that way!

United States, that way!

Let's go home! Let's go home!

Let's go home! Let's go home!

Clover, Apri! Let's go home.

We can go home!

Everything we need is here!

Right here! We can live simply.

Gardening, fishing...

...beach combing.

I'm a changed man, Mother.

No more chemicals or poisons.

If what you want isn't washed up

on the beach, you probably don't need it.

We could take that pipanto

up the coast to Mosquitia.

We could walk down the beach to Panama.

Or we could walk up the beach

to Cape Cod.

Yeah! Let's go to Cape Cod!

Can we go, Dad?

No! No!

We cannot go back!

Why?

Because it's not there anymore.

America's not there anymore.

What are you talking about?

A cataclysm. A blinding flash.

The end of that world.

No, darling, that was Jeronimo.

No, no. I'm talking about

the United States of America.

Millions of Americans burned to a crisp.

The flesh just melted off their bones.

Why are you doing this to us?

I'm not doing anything.

I'm our salvation. I rescued us.

Is America really blown away?

Did they have a nuclear war up there?

Mom.

No. It's all right, darlings. He's just joking.

It's just a joke.

Some joke.

Me can't take your Omega, Father.

I got no use for it anymore.

You take it.

You've been a good friend to us.

Experience!

But you'd like my place,

just down the coast.

They're my family.

No, Haddy.

If it's on a map, I can't use it.

I knew Father had lied to us

about America being blown up.

That lie made me feel lonelier

than I had ever felt before.

I wanted to take hold of him...

... to tell him I loved him and would stay

and work beside him forever...

... if only he would take back the lie.

Mom, how long are we gonna be here?

Has Hatfield and Mr. Polski

and our chickens and all America...

...been blown up?

If it has, then we're the luckiest people

on earth, aren't we?

What if it hasn't?

Then we're making a terrible mistake.

Somehow, we found what we needed.

We built a latrine and a hut

and planted a vegetable garden.

Father's hut was like a small barge.

He took care to make it waterproof...

... tarring its cracks to seal it

from the rats and moisture.

He found an old outboard

and took the motor apart...

... cleaning it piece by piece.

Father was fond of saying that in the end,

Robinson Crusoe went back home.

But we were staying.

It's Mr. Haddy.

Greetings.

Hi, how are you?

Hello, baby, hello.

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