Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines Page #5

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- We don't have the facts yet, sir.

- Don't argue with me.

We must get to the landing

field and welcome him.

Come along, everyone!

Lieutenant Parsons,

Royal Navy.

How do you do?

How do you do, sir?

- Mr. Richard Mays, Coldstream Guards.

- Excuse me.

Yamamoto, excuse me, sir.

First-a class-a flying machine.

Thank you.

- May I?

- Of course.

Now that the Japanese are here,

nobody's going to

stand a chance.

He's right. This'll be

the one to beat, governor.

In that case, we'll have to

nobble the man and not the machine.

Perhaps a little cascara

in his chop suey.

Shut up.

Excuse me, sir. May I

have a word with you?

You must've had

a remarkable journey.

Ten thousand miles, wasn't

it? Did you fly it all?

Of course. First I came

by mule train to Yokohama,

then by ship

to Vladivostok.. .

to catch

the Trans-Siberian Express.

Good heavens!

From Moscow, overland

to Paris, then to Dieppe,

where I took the cross-channel

ferry to Folkestone.

Quite a remarkable journey.

But at Folkestone I boarded my

machine and flew all the way here!

Four miles!

Amazing.

- Orvil.

- Oh, hello.

I've been looking all over

for you. Well, here I am.

- Listen, I've got an idea.

- Yeah?

While everyone's still here,

you know what we could do?

I know what we could do

and I know what I'd like to do,

but do you think

we dare do it?

Motorcycles go very much

If we left now, we could be back

at Brookley before everyone else.

- And then?

- Then...

you could take me up

in your flying machine.

Oh. You're really determined to get

me into trouble, now, aren't you?

Don't you think I'm worth it?

All right. Come on.

Bonjour, mon capitan.

Oh. Colonel.

The name of your second,

please.

My second?

Who wishes to be my second?

Oh, Jean Pascal.

Colonel Baron

Manfred Von Holstein...

demands satisfaction

before the race.

- I suggest at dawn tomorrow.

- Anything you wish.

But you are not serious?

This is 1910, you know?

I'm aware of the date.

Tell the idiot I agree.

He agrees.

The choice of weapons

is yours.

Do you wish to use pistols,

sabers or rapiers?

Balloons.

- Balloons?

- And blunderbusses.

You are trying to make

the fools of us again.

On the contrary. There is

an historical precedent.

- N'est-ce pas?

- Mm-hmm.

A similar duel between a Frenchman

and German took place in, uh-

- 1817.

- Is right.

The Frenchman won.

In that case, I accept.

Come along, everybody.

Let's get back to the motors.

I expect

you'll be flying back.

Come along, Richard!

Where's Patricia? I thought

she was with you, sir.

Well, of course she is-

What the devil is my daughter doing in that

contraption? Going back to Brookley, I think.

You don't think she's

persuaded him to take her up?

I absolutely forbid it. Stop him!

Stop him at once! Absolutely useless.

Faster. Richard.

Faster!

I'm doing nearly 40 miles

an hour as it is, sir.

Come down at once!

I absolutely forbid it!

Marvelous!

- It's fun, isn't it?

- Yes!

Oh, look, look!

Look, there's Father.

Let's give him a fright.

Oh, rats!

I broke a wing strut.

You take over the stick

and keep it steady, will ya?

Oh, no.

I- I- I can't.

Okay.

I said keep it steady!

Orvil, help!

Orvil!

I can't keep it straight!

Orvil! Help me!

I can't do it. Hurry!

- Did that girl fly the machine herself?

- Yes!

- Are you all right, Patricia?

- Of course I'm all right.

- How dare you take my daughter up!

- He isn't to blame!

This race was organized

to help flying,

not for brainless boneheaded

nincompoops to give joyrides.

I tell you, Father,

it was my fault.

It didn't occur to you, I suppose, that

if you'd crashed with a woman onboard,

you would have

put flying back 20 years.

- You might've killed her.

- Now, look,

I knew exactly what I was doing.

And I know what I'm doing.

Oh, Richard!

Patricia,

come with me.

Yes, Father.

Niven, I'll have that machine

scratched from the race.

- Certainly, sir.

- Oh, not now, Not in front of everyone.

- I am entirely to blame.

- I know that.

This is the last time

you'll go up flying...

and this is the last time

you'll ride a motorcycle.

Yes, Father.

And that includes...

the one you have

hidden in the garden.

- But-

- Get into the motor!

Oh!

She's at it again-

disobeying my instructions.

I don't think so.

It's the American.

The American? What's he doing

prowling around in my garden?

- You suppose he has a gun?

- Why should he, sir?

Well, the fellow's from

the Wild West, isn't he?

- It's only a motorbicycle, sir.

- Oh.

He's trying to get back into the race,

just as I've been telling you for some time.

Well, he's not going to.

He may have changed your mind.

Nothing is going to make

me change mine. Nothing!

Well, go and tell him so!

Well, don't stand there!

- Anyone thinks you're afraid of the fellow!

- Yes, sir.

I'm sorry, Newton. but Lord

Rawnsley's quite adamant.

Not only are you

out of the race,

but he expects you

to remove yourself...

and your flying machine from

Brookley as soon as possible.

Are you sure you told him

that I had to see him?

Look, if I don't get back in that

race, I'm gonna lose everything.

Boy, we don't even have enough

money to get back to London,

much less Phoenix, Arizona.

You should have

thought of that before.

Let's face it, old chap.

H only has one daughter.

Yes, but-

Aw, shucks!

Well, I wanna thank you

for trying to help me.

- What are you going to do?

- Oh, I don't know.

I guess I'll have to sell

my flying machine.

Oh, I'm sorry.

But at least you're in

the right place to do that.

Well, good-bye,

and the best of luck to you.

- You know your way out.

- Thanks for everything.

Orvil, I'm-

I'm terribly sorry.

Oh, well.

You were worth it.

Winning the race meant

a great deal to you,

didn't it?

Mm-hmm.

If I'd have won it,

I'd have been somebody.

I might've been able

to go up to any girl,

even a rich

and a beautiful one,

and say to her

what I wanted to say,

ask her what I wanted to ask.

Only it can't happen now.

Oh, pl-please

forgive me.

I've been

very, very selfish.

I'll never forget you,

Patricia.

- Good-bye.

- Oh, no! No. Wait.

I'm going to talk to Father.

It won't be easy,

but I'm going to get

you back into the race.

Well, uh-

He'll soon change his mind.. .

when he hears what the American

ambassador's got to say about this.

Well, does he know

the American ambassador?

No.

Neither do I.

But Father doesn't know that.

Achtung!

No one knows better than you gentlemen

of the international press that-

I guess a lot of innovations have been

introduced by the various competitors.

Oh, yes, indeed!

I- Well, uh,

take young Parsons of the

Royal Navy, for instance-

the fellow alighting now.

He's got a marvelous new naval idea

for stopping his flying machine. Look.

Uh, what's that?

It's a flying machine,

I think.

Yes, it must be a flying machine.

It's got, um, propellers.

- Any other questions?

- That's one out.

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