The Pirate Page #5

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Thank heavens he's still alive.

Are you mad?

The man is a devil incarnate.

He'll twist anyone to his purpose.

We must get out of his reach. Capucho,

tell them to bring the carriage.

Come, Manuela.

We'll take shelter in the church.

No one is to leave this house

without my permission.

What right have you to give orders?

What have you done to Don Pedro?

Don Pedro is simply feeling

the normal reaction to fear.

Fear? Why should he fear you?

He knows who I am.

Well, what are you?

Some pickpurse or chicken thief?

Seora, your village is isolated

and remote...

...but even here

you must have heard the name...

...Macoco.

Macoco?

But you can't be. You're... You're a...

A strolling player?

Manuela, even a man desperately in

love has the instinct of self-preservation.

If it were known that Macoco

was on this island...

...all the vultures of the Caribbean

would be on my trail.

Now that you know,

you must make your choice.

A life of splendid danger with me

or a sorry existence with this...

...this creature.

What is he saying?

- What has he told you?

- Simply the truth.

The truth?

- What truth?

- Is it warm? Are you...? You're sweating.

What is he saying?

Whatever he's told you,

it's a lie. It's a gross lie.

Are you accusing Macoco of lying?

Think twice before you answer,

Pedro or whatever you call yourself.

What? What is this?

- What are you saying?

- This fat pumpkin...

...was traveling on a ship

I captured once. I spared his life.

But I may not be so kind this time.

One word from me, you know,

and you'll be hanging from a gibbet.

Please, please.

Capucho, do something.

I sense in this room an air

of strangulated discomfort.

These must be relatives.

Remove them.

Yes, yes. I think you'd better go.

Go on, go on. Leave the house.

I'm telling you to leave the house.

Can't you hear me? Get out of here.

Why don't you go away?

Get out.

You should try underplaying sometime.

Very effective.

Well, Manuela, are you ready

to come with me?

I have engagements on the seven seas.

Will you keep them with me?

No, no. We're not for each other.

Oh, we'll have a glorious life,

the open road, the canopy of the skies.

But... I hardly know you.

I hardly know you either.

We'll have the excitement of discovery.

But I, l...

- Do you two realize that I'm in the room?

- Must I remind you...

I won't stand by and allow you

to make love to my affianced wife.

You won't do what?

What won't you do?

- Lf I could see you for a moment alone...

- I have no time for sniveling cowards.

There are too many things

to be done. In the first place...

...I must have accommodations

for myself and my men.

I'll see what I can do for you

at the inn.

We'll stay at no scurvy inn.

If I know you, you'll have the best

house in town. We'll take that.

Look, be reasonable. I can't do that.

Now, please, Don Pedro,

don't make him angry.

But l... We are to be married.

They are waiting for us at the church.

Oh, the marriage, the marriage.

The marriage is postponed, indefinitely.

I shall see you later.

Macoco.

He won't get away with this.

He won't get away with this.

Manuela. Manuela. Are you all right?

Halt.

Dismount.

If you're thinking of riding to the

capital for help, you're idiots.

My crew and I are not alone.

The town is surrounded.

Those hills are full of my men.

Bloodthirsty men.

Cutthroats, who only await my signal

to come down and lay this town to ruin.

- Hey, boss.

- Trillo.

There is no necessity of keeping up

this pretense any longer.

They know that I am Macoco.

- Macoco?

- Trillo.

Go immediately

to Don Pedro Vargas' house...

...and arrange our quarters. Go ahead.

Do not anger Macoco.

Do not bring down Macoco's wrath

upon your heads.

Macoco!

Macoco!

Citizens of Calvados, listen carefully.

I know you do not want bloodshed.

I know you want to cooperate.

- Anything. Anything.

- Anything you ask for, reverend pirate.

Good. There is a young lady in this town

who has been fortunate enough...

...to have found favor in my eyes.

I wish her to be brought to me

at once.

Her name...

...is Manuela.

- Oh, no, not Manuela.

- No. Not Manuela. Oh, no.

- Please, not Manuela, reverend pirate.

- She's to be married to the mayor.

We have other girls, beautiful girls.

Suit yourself. But I warn you...

...if Manuela is not brought to me here

in 10 minutes, unmarried...

...I shall set torch to your town.

Your village will lie in ruins.

Your families will be scattered

to the winds.

Not one house shall be left standing,

not one stone upon another.

- No. No.

- Go fetch her.

- Where is Don Pedro? We must see him.

- You cannot see Don Pedro.

- He's not to be disturbed.

- I'm sorry.

This is a matter of life and death.

- Is that the padre?

- No, it's the advocate.

- Well, somebody get the padre.

- Don Pedro, I hardly know how to begin.

- It grieves me to bear this message.

- What is it? Speak up.

- Macoco has given us an ultimatum.

- Well, well?

Manuela is to be delivered to him

there within 10 minutes...

...or he'll put a torch to the town.

- What? What?

The brazen effrontery.

The impertinence.

You think Macoco

wouldn't burn a town?

He's done it 100 times,

and with far less provocation.

Where is Manuela?

Let us speak to Manue...

You will not speak of this to Manuela.

Seora, lock the door

and give me the key.

It's ridiculous.

The whole thing is insane.

You go right back to him and tell him

that I refuse to be intimidated.

Perhaps you would like to go to Macoco

and tell him he's lying.

Yes.

That is... Well...

I tell you, he can't do anything.

He wouldn't dare.

He knows he'd hang.

Be realistic. You think threat of hanging

frightens him? He practically invites it.

He's admitted that he's the pirate

Macoco. For that alone he could hang.

- Right. You're perfectly right.

- This man fears nothing.

He knows there's a price on his head

and yet he boasts of his evil deeds.

He's a desperate character.

He should be killed like a dog.

Yes. He's ruthless.

We must do nothing to oppose him...

He's a menace

to the whole civilized world.

Inez, the key.

I'll be back within an hour.

Where are you going?

To the capital, to get the militia.

- Militia. Oh, no, Don Pedro.

- You're going to certain death.

Macoco's men

are surrounding the town.

- No one can get through.

- Don Pedro. Don Pedro.

We've wasted four minutes.

Let's go and talk to Manuela.

- Manuela.

- No, no, you're not to speak to her.

- I won't allow it.

- I'm sorry, seora.

Manuela. Manuela.

- Yes?

- Manuela, did you hear?

I couldn't help but hear a little.

It's a frightful thing to ask a young girl

to sacrifice herself...

...but no one and nothing else

can save us.

Manuela, don't listen to them.

Don Pedro has gone for help.

I'm sorry, seora.

Manuela, even if he could get through

the hills, which he can't, it's useless.

He cannot get back for an hour

at the very least...

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