The Savage Innocents Page #4

---

Otherwise it will die and you with it.

How wise you are.

Now listen carefully.

As soon as the child is born...

...look to see if

it is a boy or a girl.

If it is a boy, you must

lick it clean with your tongue.

Then rub it with blubber.

But if it is a girl...

...you must put

her out onto the ice...

...and fill her

mouth with snow at once.

Why?

To raise a useless

girl you may delay...

...the arrival of a boy.

It is indispensable

that you raise a male...

...at once in the family.

He will bring in the food when you...

...and your husband grow old...

...which happens very quickly.

Once you have a boy,

you may have a girl too.

But now, you must put

her out onto the ice...

...at once, or you

will get very fond of her.

Is that all clear to you, little one?

Almost all, mother.

Somebody's glad it is.

She waits for the shape

that soon must come for her.

She thinks of the joy of Inuk.

The day he will meet the

great bear face to face...

...on the vast white sea.

She knows the future

because she knows the past.

Her knowledge of life

allows her to understand.

She accepts without bitterness

nature's eternal tragedy.

That the flesh must perish...

...so that the flesh may live.

She must die so

that the bear may live...

...for the day Inuk will slay

it to feed Asiak and her child.

And so she will return to them.

It came to pass woman

brought forth a child.

So.

Isn't he beautiful?

Someone has seen bear cubs...

...that were better looking.

He will improve as he grows.

He has everything he needs.

So.

Even a name. His name is Papik.

Truly?

- Truly.

How do you know his name is Papik?

Because a useless

woman likes that name.

Papik.

Papik.

Papik.

Papik.

Papik.

He has hair.

Has toes.

And a nose.

Asiak.

He has no teeth.

You must have broken some taboo.

Not to my knowledge.

Did you eat land animals...

...together with sea animal?

- Of course not.

Did you eat white caribou

or seal out of season?

No.

You must have done something wrong.

How about you breaking some taboo?

Me?

Think hard.

Perhaps the ghost of the white man.

Maybe.

Is it possible a stupid woman

does not know all about babies?

A mother would have told her.

Something must be done.

As he grows bigger a silly mother...

...could chew his food.

And when you die?

Men will mock him...

...and women scorn him all his life.

He must be put out on the ice, now.

Shall a father do it alone?

- No.

It will be better if

an ignorant mother...

...who loves her

child asks for help...

...from the powers

of the wind and snow.

There he is.

Alone?

There should be three of them.

I can make out at least two.

Can we land on this stuff?

Soft, but it should be alright.

Are you Inuk?

I am Ittimangnerk and this

is my worthless wife, Hiko.

We are looking for

an Eskimo called Inuk.

He's travelling this way

with his woman and her mother.

You see them?

Once, more than a season ago.

Much more than a season ago.

My wife will make you some tea.

Our igloo is just nearby.

Thanks, we'd better get going.

Wrong man?

- Yeah.

We got trouble.

How long will it take you to fix?

I've radioed base.

You can forget about

Eskimos for this year.

What do you mean?

By the time this is fixed,

the polar night will be here.

Next year, don't

come and ask me to fly.

This is a job for sleds and dogs.

Those Eskimos live near here?

- Yeah.

Tea? They offered us tea.

Take it.

Papik, look.

A fawn.

Asiak, come see.

Where you look?

No, there.

Asiak, how many do you think?

- Many.

Papik.

Papik, today you become great hunter.

There are so many of them.

Do you think they will stampede?

Even so you will be safe here.

Papik, you stay.

Papik.

Inuk.

Don't let him wander.

You want to know too much too soon.

Papik, you can play here.

Eskimo.

Inuk?

White men.

You are so far North.

You are lost?

We came all the way just to see you.

Truly?

- Right.

My igloo is not far away.

We have some tea and talk.

Where is your sled?

You killed a white man, Inuk.

Of course.

Many seasons ago, yes.

We've been looking

for you many seasons.

Why?

To take you with us to be punished.

Punished?

But someone was

right and he was wrong.

Anyone who kills a

man is given a fair trial.

After which he is hung from a

tree by his neck until he dies.

Dies?

One can see you are joking.

If you were going to

kill me, you would do it now.

Why take me on a

long, tiresome journey?

That's the law.

My father's laws have not been broken.

Get up.

You got a knife here?

Of course.

But someone needs that for hunting.

Come on, get going.

Come on.

One's wife is waiting.

She will worry.

Only until another man shows up.

It is best to stop

until the storm is over.

We are on the sea.

The wind can cause the ice to open.

Get up.

Let this one drive, who knows the ice.

He got us here.

The ice is gone. Watch it.

Help.

Inuk, come and help me.

He's a dead man.

Do not be foolish.

Don't touch the water.

Help me. His clothes are frozen.

The bears will enjoy your friend.

Instead of foolishly

saving your friend...

...you should have

saved the food and the guns.

We have six dogs and a knife.

We will keep going on foot and eat...

...the dogs if we have to.

On your feet.

Come on.

We're going.

My igloo is closer

than your hanging place.

This one is going his own way.

Inuk, stop.

You're my prisoner.

You are that strong?

Your hands are frozen.

Take off your gloves.

Can't you hear? Take off your gloves.

It hurts.

Good, it means life is coming back.

Only death is painless.

You can't stand pain?

To the white man, Arctic ice

and snow are pitiless enemies...

...but to the Eskimo

they can be useful friends.

The skin of an animal dipped

in icy water and frozen hard...

...will make a satisfactory sled.

One remembers this place.

Man...

...this one thinks food is nearby.

Don't sleep.

If you sleep...

...dogs will eat sled...

...or you.

Go on.

Get out of it.

Inuk!

Inuk!

Man, don't get scared.

Now we'll never get back.

Someone has

travelled without dogs before.

We will get back.

Inuk...

...when we get back...

...I'm going to have to arrest you.

You would have me punished?

It is my duty.

Not even a white man would punish...

...one who has saved his life.

You killed a man.

It was not meant to kill.

It makes no difference.

If you come back with me...

...I'll arrest you.

That is how it is.

That's our law.

Don't sleep.

Man, wake up.

You sleep, you die.

Inuk...

...you have been away for many sleeps.

Asiak.

Papik.

Papik.

Papik.

Food has been scarce.

Did you make a good catch?

Miserable catch.

Papik.

This man, and one other...

...took me away to be killed.

Why?

For what happened

to white man long ago.

Two men took you?

They had guns.

Other man...

...foolishly got himself dead.

This man's not bad.

A stupid woman

thinks it would be better...

...if he were dead too.

Good and old.

You're not like the missionary.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes