The Stars Look Down Page #6

- How then, Joe?

- Hello, Davey.

- Mr Barras.

- What do you want?

That's another contract for coking coal.

- I employ you to teach my son arithmetic.

- I hope you've got a strike clause.

Don't be hasty. Why do you think I'm here?

- I don't know. Why?

- I'll tell you.

Millington was signing this contract

and I was worrying about Scupper Flats.

I had to try and stop it,

but Mr Barras convinces me I'm wrong.

You rat. You told me they were certain

to break through that coal face one day.

You thanked God you were out of it.

Remember the strike? You said you

weren't going to drown to keep Barras fat!

- Nobody's going to drown to keep you fat!

- You think you can make them strike?

Start that misery all over again?

There's not going to be any more misery.

I'll get union backing.

I'm going to see Harry Nugent. Get it put

before the union on Wednesday.

If I can't do anything else, I'll raise a stink!

What right's he got to poke his nose

into other folks' business?

Think of Mr Millington.

Does he have any influence with the union?

He might.

We can't do anything till tomorrow morning.

That might be too late.

- How's he going to get back tonight?

- He can't. There isn't a train.

Let him go and see Mr Harry Nugent MP.

- Thank you, Mr Barras. Goodnight.

- See yourself to the door, will you?

- All right.

- Oh, Gowlan?

There'd be plenty of warning of any danger?

The pit? Yes, of course there would. Goodnight.

Of course.

I can convince them if you give me the chance.

You were convincing that day at the college.

- You said you'd help me, remember?

- When you'd got your degree.

I had great hopes of you, young Fenwick.

I had the notion you could step into my shoes.

It was a great disappointment

when you didn't think it was so important.

I'm not asking anything for myself.

- Aye. Maybe. You want me?

- When you're through.

I'll do what I can for you.

Thanks, Mr Nugent.

- How are you getting back?

- Don't worry. I'll hop onto a lorry.

- Goodnight.

- Goodnight.

Davey. I thought you weren't coming back.

Did you, Joe?

I had to come round to settle our difference.

- Forgive and forget?

- That's the way.

It didn't seem right to let

a misunderstanding come between us.

There's no misunderstanding for me, Joe.

That's the spirit.

Two sides to every question, eh?

I thought you were never coming back.

Where have you been?

- Tynecastle.

- You're so quiet.

Come and tell me about it.

It wasn't a silly old mining thing, was it?

Yes, it was a silly old mining thing.

I wish you wouldn't waste

all your lovely brain on these things.

- I've had a great idea.

- Have you, darling?

I've been thinking about you not having a job

and I thought that you could go along to

Millington's and have a talk to Joe Gowlan.

I'm sure he could get you in there

and he thinks a lot of you.

- Does he?

- You know he does.

Don't let's have any silly jealousy.

I'm only thinking of you getting on.

- Joe would give me a job?

- Yes.

But you'd have to give up

the silly ideas about miners.

- People don't have any patience with it.

- Did Joe say that?

Yes, of course...

You've always loved Joe, haven't you?

I can't blame you. I blame myself

for falling in love with you.

(DRILL WHIRRS)

Go ahead.

Ton after ton, further and further

into that barrier

holding back a million tons of floodwater!

- Have they taken drill tests?

- Drill tests!

You've all been working miners

and you know that without plans you can't

tell if your drill tests are deceiving you.

We can't inspect the plans because

the mine owner insists that they never existed.

My father insists that they did and still do

and I'd like to know

why they can't be inspected.

We can't listen to just anyone

who may have seen some plans.

The men in Scupper Flats listened,

and starved for three months to avoid it.

Anyway, Barras wouldn't

risk flooding his own mine.

There are owners who will take a gamble.

There are few miners who don't.

This gamble I beg you not to be a party to.

You may deny you intend to be a party

to anything, just to do nothing.

Like the man who sits

and watches a child drowning.

He's not a party to it. There's no crime

he can be accused of - certainly not murder.

If these men drown in Scupper Flats,

nobody can accuse you of murder.

You'll say you were not a party to it.

So will you and you.

But what will your conscience say?

And yours and yours?

It is in your hands today to decide whether

these men should enter that death trap.

Your hands and yours! Today!

They're stripping it now - that barrier

holding back a million tons of water.

- Mr Chairman.

- Yes, Mr Wilkins?

We've all been swept off our feet by

the eloquence and sincerity of this young man.

Hear, hear!

But is he as sincere as we think?

Please tell me when you decided

to come here today.

- Last Saturday night.

- Aye.

Scupper Flats had been going for three years

and it wasn't till last Saturday

that you decided to put this before us?

That's when I heard about the new contract.

Aye. A contract which you knew

was of great value to Mr Gowlan.

What are your personal relations

with Mr Gowlan?

- We used to be friendly.

- Aye. Up until last Saturday night.

The night you decided to try to put a stop

to this contract of Mr Gowlan's.

You and Mr Gowlan quarrelled?

That has nothing to do

with my coming here today.

Was it a bitter quarrel, Mr Fenwick?

It came to blows?

It had no connection with my coming here.

I believe it was your wife

you quarrelled about, Mr Fenwick.

Your wife has left you as a result of it.

- Hasn't she?

- What's that to do with Scupper Flats?

If Scupper Flats is dangerous now,

it's been dangerous for three years,

yet you didn't do anything about it

till last Saturday.

The night that you had

this violent quarrel with Mr Gowlan.

I put it to you, Mr Fenwick, that you

were determined to do anything you could

to revenge yourself upon him

and that's why you're here today.

- Thank you, Mr Chairman.

- It's obvious who's behind this and why.

- Mr Fenwick...

- He's given you a false impression.

- I beg you not to be stampeded into it.

- Mr Fenwick.

- Come on, lad. You're wasting your breath.

- Thank you for the trouble you've taken.

The next agenda item is whether to use

paint or wallpaper at the Gateport branch.

Mr Williams?

- How did you get on, Davey?

- No good.

I told you you were wasting your time.

Davey. I hear you didn't pull it through.

What happened?

I did my best, but I'm afraid that...

You can't do better than your best,

but I thought...

- You going down, Pat?

- Mr Fenwick's showing me the ropes.

- I'll break you in, boy.

- Davey! Davey!

It's happened. The letter just came.

They've asked me.

- Asked you what?

- To play for Tynecastle.

They were watching the match

when I scored three goals. I've got a trial!

- Grand, lad.

- Slogger! I'm playing for Tynecastle.

I told you they had their eye on me.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes