The Stars Look Down Page #7

You didn't believe me.

I'm playing next Saturday!

Not so hasty! Wait for the international.

- Don't be all day.

- Just putting on the artistic touches.

- You coming to see me play Saturday?

- 'Course I am.

They're thinking of running excursions

so everyone can come.

Harry won't be there. He's got his whippet

entered for the County Stakes.

- He'll win it.

- Break his neck if he doesn't.

I've got two and a tanner on him.

Yahoo! Mind your backs!

- This isn't the scenic railway!

- Just saving Scandinavia the trouble.

Scandinavia? Let's get this propped up.

No hurry. Don't see why we should

slave our guts out for our Joe.

Get back quick.

Come on, son.

The cage! Come on!

Come on to the next tunnel!

(SHRILL WHISTLING)

- Did you get that rig?

- Just trying, Mr Barras.

Get electrical gear. Ring Amalgamated.

Every rescue man. Steam winding gear.

- Get hold of...

- Scupper line!

- Hello.

- We've got to Scupper number five.

Water's rising and the tunnels are blocked.

There's five of us.

- Have you tried the air tunnels?

- They're full of gas.

- Get out.

- The rig's...!

I'll attend to that. Get out.

- Hello.

- Listen, Fenwick, carefully.

Make for the old workings

along the upper tunnel.

There's only a frame dam at the end.

Old workings?

The water's all in the lower level.

Don't take the branches or the left dip.

Keep due east for 1,500 yards.

- So you did have them plans!

- (EXPLOSION)

This way.

Come on. Hurry up.

(ALARM BELLS CLANG)

- Let 'em in. Barras's order.

- All right. Come on.

My son's down there, Barras. My son Bob.

Why don't you go and fetch him out?

That'll do no good, Tom!

What's being done?

Most of the shift are in the upper levels.

We're in constant touch.

- Is our Bob in there?

- There's a man getting the names through.

Your husband was cut off,

but he found a way into the old workings.

- Is Hughie there?

- I don't know.

- Can I come?

- Yes.

Stay in the yard, Mother.

Come on, Pa.

- Hurry up, lad.

- Come on, Pa.

Come on.

Watch your step, Hughie. You're no good

to United with a broken leg.

I'll be better than some they've got!

- Blocked.

- That's no sight for sore eyes.

There's no frame dam about this.

All right, Pat.

We're above water level and a relief party

will be drilling through any minute.

- We've nowt to do but wait.

- Aye. A rest won't do us any harm.

Best go easy on these pit lamps.

We're going to take it in turn jarring.

I'll start.

(KNOCKS RHYTHMICALLY)

Pity we lost Harry. He was looking forward

to his whippet winning on Saturday.

Saturday was Harry's big day. I'll think

of him when I'm playing in the trial.

# Oh my, you should see us gannin'

# Passing the folks along the road

just as they were stannin'

# There were lots of lads and lasses there

All with smiling faces

# Gannin' along the Scotswood Road

# To see the Blaydon races

# Oh, my... #

(RHYTHMIC KNOCKING)

We're through!

Keep on for 300 yards. Take the right dip.

It might be half a mile there.

If only we had some plans we'd know.

A plan wouldn't remove that fall.

We must expect difficulties.

We must blast a new way above it.

Come on. Let's get on with it.

Mr Fenwick, I feel really bad.

It's my stomach.

Hey. I know that.

Would you believe it? I don't know

if there's much nourishment in them.

My cough drops in my pocket

and I forgot all about them.

- First time in my life.

- Thank you, Mr Fenwick.

- What day would you say it was, Father?

- Friday morning I'd say, lad.

- It isn't Saturday yet?

- No, nowt like that.

It can't be, can it?

Call that calling?

We'll be here till Doomsday!

- We've got to be out by Saturday.

- Before closing time an' all.

What I could do to a pint!

I've still got that last cough drop.

Would you like it now?

Come on, lad, buck up.

Good evening, Mr Nugent.

We got the men out of Globe Cove.

Nearly 80 of them.

Mrs Fenwick. Nasty business this.

The union are feeling sick that

they didn't listen to your son that day.

Aye.

They'd eat out of his hand now.

I know that much.

A disaster's a disaster.

It's a chance every pit man's got to take.

- I expect they'll get your men out.

- Maybe.

How about our Pat?

You're an MP, what are you doing?

- Sarah, they're doing everything they can.

- Aye. Everything they...

- What's the matter?

- Stroke. Been overdoing it.

- What's the progress?

- Still a chance, Mr Nugent.

Wept... maybe we should have a service.

A service?

Let us take for our text the 12th verse

of the eighth chapter...

of the Book of John.

"I am the Light of the world.

"They that follow me

shall not walk in darkness,

"but shall have the light of life."

Down in this pit, dear brethren,

there is darkness.

All around us there is darkness.

But the Light of the world is here,

even here in the darkness of this pit.

What's all this preaching about?

This isn't Sunday.

It isn't Sunday, is it? It's not Saturday yet.

Woe, my brethren, is our lot upon earth!

And the fourth angel sounds and another

star falls in the bottomless pit!

Put a sock in it, Wept!

I see it, my brethren. I am given the gift

of prophecy. A prophet in the paradise pit!

- Sit down, man.

- I see them...

(LOW RUMBLING)

- Another fall up here.

- How's it down there?

- Can't do it without timber.

- Barras knew his way about here.

He's no use to us now.

There's nowt we can do but try this way.

I've lived a rotten life. Rotten.

Just a boozer. A big boozer.

The timber's giving! Get back!

We'll have to give it up.

Davey. Young Fenwick. We want you

to represent the men at the inquiry.

Represent the men? What men?

My father? Hughie?

Mrs Winthrop's two sons?

Harry Grace? Slogger Gowlan? Wept?

Young Pat Reedy?

What am I going to say?

"It was all very sad. No one was to blame."

I know what you want

and you'll get your chance.

The world's like a wheel. Your turn will come.

The way you said that,

you sounded like my father.

Night, Mr Nugent.

Our Father which art in Heaven,

hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done

on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

and forgive us our trespasses as we

forgive them that trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation

and deliver us from all evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

the power and the glory.

For ever and ever. Amen.

And so, out of the darkness

of the world that is

into the light of the world that could be

and must be.

A world purged of its ancient greeds.

A world where dreams are not empty

or sacrifices in vain.

A world of infinite promise,

which the unconquerable spirit of man

will some day forge into fulfilment.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes