The Water Diviner Page #3

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dead blokes in the cemetery.

She wanted them buried

in consecrated ground.

How much blood do you need

for it to be holy?

You know we lost over 2,000 men

in those four days at Lone Pine?

The Turks lost 7,000.

We didn't take

too many prisoners either.

I don't know

if I forgive any of us.

The prince closed his eyes

and said tang...

He sailed through the night

to his father's lands.

As the carpet settled gently

on the lawn of the royal palace,

the sultan dropped to his knees,

salted tears streaked his cheeks.

As he embraced Prince Hussein,

he cried, "My son.

My son.

After all your rich adventures...

...the magic carpet has carried you

on the four winds to this...

...your home."

Forgive my intrusion.

Major Hasan, I wanted

to apologise to you

for my outburst.

There is a Persian saying,

may you outlive your children.

It sounds like a blessing,

but it is the worst curse

one can place

on the head of a man.

I had this list

sent from Istanbul.

This is your family name.

What is this list?

If this is your son,

he was taken prisoner.

He did not die here.

He left Canakkale. Alive.

Joshua Bey.

Hello.

Did you find my father?

No.

Sorry, am I intruding?

Is it is his birthday?

No, his Sunnet.

Oh, bloody hell.

It's a private thing.

- No!

- Sorry.

Do you want to see my scar?

Ah, thanks, mate. No.

You have guests.

Welcome back to Stamboul,

Mr Connor.

- You are always welcome.

- Thank you.

My apologies, Major.

Admiral Calthorpe will have

to reschedule your meeting.

Perhaps next Tuesday?

Does that suit?

Yes. If your Admiral could

also reschedule the Greeks.

Allow us to handle the Greeks

through proper

diplomatic channels.

Let us not have another war.

It's the same war.

It hasn't ended.

Major Hasan,

can you tell me the...

No. I have finished helping.

Mr Connor,

do you have your passport?

You were specifically ordered

not to go to Gallipoli.

I'm not in your army.

All I need to know is the name

of the prison camp

they sent my son to.

If your son did not return home,

the sad reality is,

he's deceased.

This was the Ottoman Empire,

one of the largest empires

the world has ever known,

and presently

it's being carved up.

The Bolshies,

they want the Black Sea.

The French and Italians,

they want the Aegean.

And currently, in Anatolia,

where the prison camps were

incidentally,

the Turks and the Greeks

are turning the place

into a complete and utter blood bath.

So where, pray,

in all this madness

would you like us to start

looking for your son?

You said the prison camps

were in Anatolia?

Who would have those records?

The Turk army?

The camps are gone.

They're all gone.

And so are you.

Lieutenant, show Mr Connor out.

I will be at your hotel,

0400 on Thursday,

with your passport and

a ticket home via Calcutta.

Courtesy of the British Army.

We will make sure

you will not miss that boat.

Have you bothered

to ask yourself, man,

if your son was still alive,

would he not simply come home?

Mr Connor, please.

My brother died

on that bloody Peninsula.

My fiancee works

for the Red Cross here.

If it would be helpful, I

could arrange an appointment.

That would be very helpful,

thank you.

Well, Mr Connor, I think you

can show yourself out from here.

Good luck.

Thanks again.

Major Hasan?

I need to talk to Major Hasan.

Nobody will tell me

what prison camp

they sent my son Arthur to.

Your army must have records?

Please, I'm at a dead end.

Then now

we are in the same place.

I told you,

I cannot help anymore.

You must never come back here,

Mr Connor.

He is handsome, eh?

Don't you think?

Big, strong.

I do not think about other

men. I'm married.

No, of course. His equipment

is all there Ayshe Hanim.

In need of practice,

but all there.

Anne, Joshua Bey is coming

with us to the cistern.

No. It is just you and me

today. Special treat.

I am sorry, Mr Connor,

this is not possible.

- It will not be proper.

- Hm, I understand.

Next time.

Oh! Mr Connor...

Perhaps if you were to follow

20 paces behind,

then there would be no shame.

I will get my hat and my coat.

You know where I live, my home?

Sometimes it doesn't rain for

three or four years at a time.

We have to find water

that's fallen through cracks

in the earth.

How do you find it underground?

Well, there's the trick.

You have to feel it.

And you feel it every time?

No. I have dug a lot of wells

that just turned out

to be holes.

I'll show you.

I have something of yours.

Orhan asked me

to find your husband.

I hate this photograph.

Turgut is a musician,

never a soldier.

How long were you married?

I am married.

12 years.

My mother had arranged for me

to marry someone else.

But my father fought her.

He told her, 'Why would we

want our daughter

to be as miserable as us?

It is not easy

to marry for love here.

Maybe my mother was right.

Turgut was mad.

Bills to the roof not paid,

music all hours,

parties, lazy friends.

I miss the chaos.

I wish my mother

had arranged my marriage.

You did not love your wife?

Oh, I adored her.

I was just so bad at courting,

I think she only married me

out of impatience.

But it was happy.

Very. Until the boys were lost.

It's good to know

where they are.

Not lost or nameless anymore.

I was told my oldest son

was taken prisoner.

So he's alive?

I don't know.

But you have hope.

Hope's a necessity

where I come from.

Goodnight, Mr Connor.

Goodnight.

Take care,

your fate is in there.

It is a silly peasant game.

You have to drink it first.

Now we wait.

We decide everything here

by coffee. Business, holidays.

- Even our husbands.

- And that works?

When two families come together

to arrange a marriage,

the young girl

serves them coffee.

If it is sweet,

she approves of the match.

If it is bitter, go away.

The more sugar,

the deeper the love.

It is all peasant nonsense.

Stay here.

Stop! Stop, you fool!

This is not your business!

This is what you want?

The enemy?

It has nothing to do with him!

My brother was a fool!

You disgrace our family!

Go! Go, you have to leave now!

You've offended his honour,

he'll not forgive this!

- He hit you!

- I hit him!

You see, you understand nothing.

You will never understand!

I thought I was doing

the right thing.

Yes. Yes, you and your sons

and your armies,

all doing the right thing!

All you did was rob Orhan

of a father

and left me with choices

like this!

Then, please, let me help.

Ha, so now you will rescue us.

I didn't mean it like that,

I raised three boys.

And where are they now?!

This is not your world.

Go home, Mr Connor!

You don't need to go. She gets

angry with me all the time.

You would make a good

ambassador, Connor Bey.

You know him? This man

has dishonoured my family!

My orders are to take him

to Major Hasan.

Come here, Connor.

First we will teach him a

lesson about honour.

All four of you?

Come on.

I found your son's name

on a list of wounded.

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