The Sleeping Dictionary Page #5

Yes.

Have you--?

Another daughter?

Yes.

The daughters

of sleeping dictionaries

become sleeping

dictionaries.

I thought

you were kind,

that you'd

treat her well.

Not quite as well as you ended up

treating her, of course.

And she doesn't know?

No.

I told her mother

to tell her

that I was

back in England.

It's normal.

This way is best.

Aggie--

it wouldn't be

fair on her.

I did my duty.

At least I didn't

kill anyone!

Belansai,

was it your intention

to kill me,

or just to wound me?

To kill you.

But did you

come to kill me?

Or did a sudden madness

seize you?

I came to kill you.

Belansai...

tell the court why

you had to try to kill me.

The court will adjourn

and pass sentence tomorrow.

- What are you doing?

- He saved my life.

Yes, and what a shame

that was.

Don't think you're going to sentence

him to anything except death.

You do that, and I'll just

step in and overrule you.

You understand me?

You'll have achieved nothing!

Leave her alone!

Go on, get back!

Move! Move!

Be upstanding.

This court is

now in session.

This court

is in session.

Belansai Ringan,

this court finds you

guilty of attempted murder.

Due to the lack of

mitigating circumstances,

I have no alternative

but to sentence you to death.

Tomorrow morning

you'll be taken from the jail,

and hung from your neck

until you are dead.

May God have mercy

on your soul.

Do they have to make

such a bloody noise

building a scaffold?

And it's all because

of that damn fool Truscott.

It'll do him good.

Now he's seen the consequences,

it'll settle him down.

But Cecilia said

she saw them talking.

- Surely we ought to--

- Do as little as possible.

He did what you asked him to,

today, didn't he?

- Hmmm.

- He's like you, Henry,

when it comes to what

really matters, he always gives in.

Now have another drink

and go to bed.

Hmmm.

You've no reason

not to take it.

Well, we're going to have

to run away together now.

Steamer leaves

tomorrow at dawn.

I'll leave at dusk, I'll be there

by 3:
00 a.m. at the latest.

You won't come.

They'll find out. They'll say you

must be an Englishman.

And I'll tell them

that I'd rather have you

than a country,

or a language,

or a history.

I can't prove it,

but I know what you've done.

And I'm going to treat you

as if you had done it!

Have you

anything to say?

You're a bloody disgrace!

If it wasn't for Cecil,

I'd put you in there!

Get out to the dam

and do something useful!

Go on.

You won't get

any sense out of her.

Listen, you're not welcome

at the Longhouse,

and you're certainly

not welcome here.

So Shipperly--

Neville--

has very kindly agreed to take you

on as a sleeping dictionary.

I presume you'd prefer that

to a spell in prison.

Off we go, then.

It was wonderful

at the school today.

I tried teaching in Iban.

And I thought I said

cooking yams-- "patanta"

but actually I said "matanta--"

cooking your lover.

They laughed and laughed.

And... now I'm going

to have to tell you.

I'm pregnant.

Doctor Smith came

from Miri today and...

there's no doubt about it.

Your face.

You look so happy.

Well, of course I'm happy.

I know I shouldn't

really say this...

but I nearly

gave up on us.

But I didn't.

And I'm so glad.

Shall we open

that bottle of champagne?

"Leeches."

Hmmm?

"Jungle."

"F***ing jungle."

"F***ing jungle...

full of prick-teasing,

little brown savages."

There she is,

swearing like a trooper

blood everywhere,

the cook-turned-midwife screaming,

- "Push, lady, push!"

- Henry completely useless.

Shouting to nobody

in particular:

"Why didn't we get her

downriver before the monsoon? "

And then in walks

this clouded leopard.

It was attracted

by the blood, you see.

However,

not really dangerous.

He starts shooting

anyway.

Bullets flying everywhere,

except anywhere near the leopard.

- In the middle of all this uproar--

- Out I pop.

Yes, bright pink.

And even then, she was

the loudest thing in the room.

She was wonderful,

wasn't she?

It was wonderful for us,

the first five years

before we had to--

you know, send you home.

Yes. She was wonderful,

wasn't she?

How many glasses of champagne

have you had, Daddy?

Oh, come on,

if a man can't celebrate...

Listen, I prayed that

this would happen for both of you.

It'll make

all the difference.

Look at him.

He's still in shock.

Get baby and go!

I catch you up!

It is for me, isn't it?

Why haven't you finished it?

Because nothing

I could think of seemed...

enough.

Tonight I've been

watching you,

trying to make myself

believe you were happy.

Because I was so determined that

this would finally do the trick...

that this would

make us be in love.

I did love seeing you

so happy.

I saw that, but...

it's not enough, is it?

You know...

I think you probably know my mother

and father better than I do.

You've spent more

time with them.

Five. I was...

five when I was shipped off

back to school in England.

Some mothers came with

their children, but not mine.

She never even

came home for Christmas.

She wouldn't let Daddy

out of her sight.

So when you asked me

to marry you, I thought,

"Here's someone

who's chosen me.

Not someone who's lumbered with me

and has to pretend to love me,

but someone

who really wants me."

But all the time

you loved someone else.

If it hadn't been for her,

we could've been happy enough,

couldn't we?

No, it's all right.

You don't have to lie.

And anyway, I'm not prepared

to settle for "happy enough."

Not anymore.

I want--

I want what

you and her have.

Now go.

I want you to go.

Anyway, you've left

something of yours behind.

I won't say anything to Mother

and Father till the morning.

It's better this way.

Psst. Psst!

She think you not coming.

She not catch boat.

She making a run for Dutch Borneo.

Head for old mine.

You do realize

I can't let you go.

You might need this.

My second present.

You know?

I guess eventually.

Seems I only

ever get to say goodbye.

Come on.

I do hope you're

not incorruptible.

They're both headed

over the mountains.

I have a party

ready to follow them.

Have you?

There's no whiskey trees

in the jungle, you know.

Henry, she tried

to kill Shipperly.

- That's a hanging offense.

- I can't spare the men.

Do you care nothing

for your daughter?

I care a great deal...

for them both.

Cecil, tell him.

I don't want John hurt.

Or my sister.

He said go after them.

Come along, idiot.

What are you waiting for?

Stay here.

Selima!

Selima!

Selima!

Afternoon.

I thought you'd

turn up eventually.

Handcuff yourselves

to the pole.

Come on! We don't want to wake

the baby up, now do we?!

Do it properly,

Truscott.

I've thought a lot

about the order of this.

But I reckon...

rape Selima,

kill baby,

kill Selima...

kill you.

Jam, did it?

Eeny...

meeny...

minie...

mo.

"The witch said

to the little mermaid,

'Why do you want to take human form

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