The Tenth Man Page #2

Come and sit down.

You can't do anything about it.

But why...?

- I'm an innocent man.

- Look at it this way.

If it's not now,

it's another time.

None of us live forever.

You can't make me do this!

It's not up to us, is it?

You can't make me do this!

I'll give 100,000

francs to anyone...

who'll take this.

100,000 francs.

Please.

100,000. Please,

100,000 francs!

I'll give 100,000 francs.

Please!

No one's going to give his life for

money he'll never enjoy. It's obvious.

I'll give you everything I've got.

Everything.

My land, my house,

everything. Please.

- Nobody wants to die.

- Rich or poor. So just shut up!

Tell me more.

Maybe I'll take your offer.

100,000 francs,

my land, my house,

everything I've got.

- How rich are you?

- Don't laugh at him.

I'm not laughing,

I'm doing a deal.

You'll take my place?

- I'll take your place.

- What use is his money when you're dead?

I have a mother and a sister.

I can make a will.

I don't like this.

We can't buy our lives. Why should he?

If you've got money,

you can do what you like.

Buy another man's life?

Why not?

- It's not fair. - Why isn't it fair

to let me do what I want?

I'm going to die a rich man.

Anyone who thinks it

isn't fair can rot in hell.

Come here.

Sit down.

How much money is there?

300,000 francs, approximately.

- Approximately?

- Yes.

Well.

And the place?

- The orchards, the farmland, the house...

- What about Paris?

The office is rented.

- Any family?

- No, none.

Right.

You're a lawyer.

You better draw everything

up properly.

Make me out a...

what's it called?

- Deed of gift. - That's right.

Make it out to me. Michel Mangeot.

Michel...

Mangeot.

"I, Jean-Louis Chavel...

"of St Jean de Brinac...

"give all stocks and shares,

all money to account

"and all furniture...

"and contents of

St Jean de Brinac

"and the freehold

of said property... "

I need, er, two witnesses.

No, not you.

I want living men as witnesses.

Perhaps you could.

There's my pen.

- It's a very odd document.

- Give it here. I'll sign.

Better have somebody respectable

if this is to be taken seriously.

Right.

Now my will.

To my mother and sister equally.

I want something to show the

neighbours what sort of man I was.

You keep the documents. They'll let you

send them off when they've finished.

I'm a rich man.

Always knew I'd

be rich one day.

Chavel...

Tell me about my house.

It's about a mile

outside the village.

How many rooms?

There is the drawing room,

the dining room,

six bedrooms, my study...

a kitchen...

- Tell me about the kitchen.

- The housekeeper didn't complain.

Where's she?

I don't know.

Maybe she left, shut everything up.

Garden?

Oh, yes, there's a

fountain and some roses.

- Can I grow vegetables?

- Oh, yes.

Some fruit...

apples and plums,

and there's...

there's a beautiful walnut tree.

Walnut tree.

Yes.

How old's the house?

It was built in 1780.

Pity.

My mother has trouble

with her lungs.

I'd have liked something modern.

Lights out!

Mangeot...

it's no good. I must have been

out of my mind. We'll call it off.

Look, I don't want

this any more.

Waiting in line for

the bucket latrine,

eating slops, coughing my

guts up day after day.

Then, if I'm lucky,

back on the streets.

I'm going out in style.

Your style.

Mangeot, listen to me.

I won't let you do it.

I don't want to die,

God knows, I don't want to die.

But I can't.

You've got a family.

Yes.

And in my family, when we say

we're going to do something, we do it.

It's too late.

We did a deal.

What time is it?

- Six minutes to seven.

- Four minutes past.

Come on!

Ready?

Aim!

Fire!

What do you want?

You won't find anyone there.

They closed down years ago.

It's a nice ring.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Why does every passing

tramp have to ring this bell?

- Sorry.

- It's all right.

- You need food?

- I don't want much.

I haven't much in the house.

Where are you from?

I was in Paris, but there's no work,

so I thought I'd head south.

- Don't bring in dirt. I've scrubbed

that step. - I'll take my shoes off.

There's some food

in the kitchen.

Which...

which way do I go?

Where's...?

Where's what?

Your mother.

Er...

Where's your mother?

- How do you know about my mother?

- Your brother told me.

- You knew Michel?

- Yes.

When?

Were you with him in prison?

Yes.

Terese!

- Mother doesn't know.

- About his death?

The other business.

She thinks he made a fortune.

- What's your name?

- Jean Perrette.

Did you know the other one?

Oh, yes, I knew him.

- Who is this?

- Somebody who knew Michel.

- You knew Michel?

- Yes.

He said I should

look you up if...

Well, we all said

that kind of thing.

He was a wonderful boy.

He bought all this

for his old mother.

Silly boy.

I was OK where I was.

We had three nice little

rooms in Clichy. Cosy.

Here, we're cut

off from the world.

It's too much for

an old woman.

I thought he'd left enough

so you'd be comfortable.

There's things

money can't buy.

He's hungry.

Well, give him some food.

If he wants food, he should ask.

You'd think he was a beggar.

I'm not begging.

I can pay for food.

I have a few francs.

Shouldn't be so free

with your money.

It won't get you anywhere.

Look at those socks!

There's some bread and cheese.

- Tell me about him.

- Michel? Everybody liked him.

I didn't mean Michel.

I mean the other one, Chavel.

I looked at that name

on the documents.

Jean-Louis Chavel.

I've got a feeling

he'll be back.

He won't be able to resist seeing

what's happened to his beautiful house.

We're always getting

strangers at the door,

hungry, looking for a meal.

But every time that bell starts

to jangle I think to myself,

"Maybe this time that's him. "

- And if it was?

- I'd spit in his face.

That's the first thing I'd do.

And then I'd kill him.

If it wasn't for her,

I'd set light to the place.

What a fool Michel was. Did he really

think I'd rather have this than him?

Half of me's dead.

The night they shot him,

I felt the pain.

I sat up in bed

and I felt this pain.

It wasn't at night,

it was in the morning.

- Not in the night?

- No.

What did it mean,

that pain I felt that night?

Nothing.

It's often the way.

We think there's a meaning,

then we find the facts are wrong.

You wake up with a pain

and you think that...

but things don't fit.

Tell me what Chavel looks like.

He was just an ordinary man,

like the rest of us.

- Ordinary?

- Yes...

We are taught to

forgive our enemies.

I can't forgive him.

And one day,

I know I'll see his face.

- I think I should be going.

- Where are you going?

What did you do before?

I was in the civil service.

Nothing special.

Ministry of education.

- Don't you have any family?

- No.

We could do with some help.

This place takes a lot of cleaning.

- And there's the garden.

- I don't...

Beneath you, is it?

No.

There wouldn't be any

problem with wages. We're rich.

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