The Tenth Man Page #5

on a desert island.

You should have got in there,

made a play for her tonight.

Didn't you sense the emotion

that was in the air?

Thanks to me.

God, I'm tired, so tired.

Will you turn out the light, please?

Mother had an attack in the night.

She's very bad.

- Why didn't you call me?

- It wouldn't have helped.

She wants the priest.

I said everyone was tested

sooner or later, everyone.

And then you know

what you are.

I am a coward, just like him.

We're one of a kind.

When it came to it,

I didn't pass the test either.

- Why are you tormenting yourself?

- I should have shot him. I said I would.

You can't give a man shelter,

walk away, find a gun...

- then shoot him in cold blood.

- Why not?

He did to Michel as good as.

Er, you needn't think about

Chavel any longer. He's gone.

- When?

- Earlier this morning.

I would have expected...

You told him to go.

Michel's really dead now.

Terese.

You've been so kind to me.

To us.

So understanding.

I couldn't have managed on my own.

Could you fetch the priest?

Yes, of course.

I wonder where Chavel will go?

Switzerland, probably.

When I went into Mother, she was

frightened. She wanted me to pray for her.

I knelt there, mumbling all that

stuff about forgiveness of sins.

I felt terrible.

You didn't seem so anxious to

forgive him before you saw him.

It's not so easy to hate a face

you know as a face you imagine.

I'll fetch the priest.

I'll take the short

cut over the field.

Yes?

Who is it? What is it?

Sorry to trouble you, Father.

It's Madame Mangeot.

Oh, yes. I was expecting

something of the kind.

- It's heart trouble, I suppose?

- Yes, her daughter asked me...

Is it raining outside?

- No, it's not.

- Good. That's good. That's good.

Can I take that, Father?

She's breathing a

little easier now.

Thank you, Father.

Send for me if you need me.

I'll go to the market.

I'll be back as quick as I can.

I'm sorry to break

in on you again.

I got as far as the village and I heard

about your mother. I'm so very sorry.

- I hope it wasn't me.

- She knows nothing of you.

Oh, good. I wouldn't want

to add to her troubles.

We talked about her,

that night.

The night your brother died.

The night?

- He died in the night?

- Yes, of course. In the night.

- But Jean said he died in the morning.

- I'm afraid he was lying.

Why would he lie about that?

Why? To make me look

worse than I am, I suppose.

I mean, it is worse to let a man die

after a whole night to think about it.

Yes.

He said you tried

once to call it off.

Yes.

I didn't have another chance.

- They took him away.

- I knew it was in the night.

I woke suddenly with a pain.

- Why did he say that...?

- You don't know this man.

He's a liar, and a cheat.

But you bought your life.

There are so many things

you don't understand.

- Your brother was a sick man.

- I know.

He loved you very much.

He worried about what would happen

to you, the money, Germans...

We talked about that.

He showed me your photograph.

He didn't have

a photograph of me.

But he... Oh, I know,

it was a picture torn out of a newspaper.

Er, a street scene.

A beautiful girl, half-hidden in the crowd.

I suppose it reminded him of you.

People do funny things in prison.

Then, he...

asked me what I would

give for his blank slip.

What?

- He asked you?

- I know I'm a coward. I took his offer.

If I'd been guilty of

worse than that,

do you think I would have

dared to come back?

I don't expect

you to believe me.

Why should you?

Goodbye and God bless.

There is just one thing that

I think you should know.

- Thought you'd left.

- I decided to stay.

I had a long talk with the girl. Gave her

my version of what happened that night.

It's terribly unfair.

But that's life, isn't it?

She's very angry.

She wants you to clear out.

- She's letting you stay?

- She hadn't any choice.

I told her about the decree of the 17th

of August. She hadn't heard about it.

You haven't either, have you?

It makes illegal all changes of property

under the German occupation

if one party disputes the deal.

It's true.

I'm not making it up.

So as far as she's concerned,

the place is mine.

You can't make use of it. You're on

the run, a collaborator, wanted for murder.

Ah, yes, you saw the posters.

I'll just have to lie low until it's

safe to push on to Switzerland.

Things will quieten down.

Even a day's shelter is a help

in my situation. Or a week.

Anyway, it's time you left.

- You think I'll say nothing?

- I would advise you not to.

I wouldn't want the girl hurt

and as you so very rightly say,

I'm already wanted for murder,

so I've nothing to lose.

Do you think Chavel will show up?

Is he the type?

Probably he's on

his way here now.

Well, if the worst comes to the worst,

I've got the gun, haven't I?

Yes, I've got the gun.

So don't get any... clever ideas.

I'd use it on the girl first.

You won't forget that, will you?

She's very upset about

all the lies you told her.

- What lies?

- That her brother died in the morning.

Where is she?

With her mother.

No need to disturb her.

Just pick up your bits and pieces

and clear out, quietly.

Terese,

I've got to talk to you.

No more lies.

I know the truth about Michel's death.

- I told you the truth about that.

- Did you?

- He died in the night. I felt the pain.

- Terese...

Listen, it didn't happen that way.

- Mother needs the priest.

- I'm sorry. I'll get him.

Pater noster, qui es in caelis,

sanctificetur nomen tuum,

adveniat regnum tuum

fiat voluntas tua,

sicut in caelo et in terra...

Yes, it was an easy death.

No struggle. Of course,

you know that you'll have to move out of

the house. You know, you understand that.

In the circumstances. Or she'll have to

have someone come in from the village.

- as a companion.

- That's for her to decide.

Yes, I know,

but she's very young.

Simple sort of person.

She's seen life in Paris.

She's not just a country girl.

One place is a lot like another.

It's all a question of observation

and a little wisdom.

I've spent 50 years in

this backwater of a place.

And I haven't missed very much,

I can tell you.

Of life, I mean.

You seem to be a man

of some education.

Erm, are you telling me that

this is none of my business?

- What are you saying?

- I'm talking about human nature.

I mean, you can't sit day

after day as I do,

listening to people, men and women,

telling about themselves

without getting to know something

about human nature.

And she's in a state now where

she might do something foolish.

- She's mourning for her mother.

- These emotions have things in common.

People talk about the

sorrow there is in lust.

But you forget that sometimes

there's a little lust in sorrow too.

You wouldn't want to take advantage

of that, would you, my son?

Please trust me, Father.

I only want what's good for her.

That's good.

Very good.

Why can't you all

leave me alone?

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