To Kill a King Page #3

---

Our victory has been sold,

the troops betrayed,

and l've led God knows how many men

to their deaths for nothing.

Lady Fairfax.

Oliver is shouting

at the king.

He dismissed me

in a way l thought--

- Man:
General.

- Holles:
Drive on.

- l'll explain.

- Man:
General!

Tom, is this

where they came?

Fairfax:
Only the king's guards

have access to these tunnels.

- The king does not deny it.

- Nor Holles.

Then we are all that remains

of an honest government.

We still have the army.

But our general

is going home.

Not yet.

Hear this, men:

You long for your homes.

So do l,

but last night the nation's treasures

were plundered.

We must wait to dig

our neglected fields.

- Parliament has betrayed us.

- ( murmuring )

to discount your efforts

and destroy the victory

you have won.

And unless those 89 men

are contained,

l fear there is no chance we shall see

the rewards we are owed.

l must ask you

for one last march--

not war, not bloodshed,

one brief call

to wake the nation.

Shall we crawl home

in meek silence

- because they wish us to?

- No!

- Or finish what we started?

- Finish it!

- Victory will be ours!

- ( cheering )

Man:
Victory!

- Cromwell:
So what next, Tom?

- The men must be ready to move at dawn.

We must act quickly

to keep the advantage.

So, to Parliament.

- lf l've seemed out of temper lately...

- l understand.

You look in the mirror

after all these years without one,

lt must be a shock

for an old man.

- ( laughs )

- Careful, Tom.

You're in

my territory now.

Perhaps l'll command this raid.

l only obey men

who know north

from south.

Tomorrow.

How are you feeling?

l'm not ill.

lf you'll excuse me, gentlemen,

l can see you're busy.

How did you find the king?

A little saddened, but willing,

l think to hear your demands

- if treated with a little courtesy.

- Fairfax:
One moment.

Fairfax:
l have arranged

for the king to be moved

to safety until

the treaty is signed.

He will not be harmed.

But tomorrow we will

arrest the traitors

who shared in

the palace treasures.

One half of the nation

already hates you.

Now you make enemies of the rest--

Margaret Holles, all our friends.

l am a soldier.

lf l do not finish this--

What kind of inheritance

do you think you build

for our son?

You chose this course.

He will pay for it,

born into a world his father

turned upside down.

Think.

Think what his life will be.

l will send Holles

away to exile.

Naming him as thief

will be due punishment.

He will never serve

in Parliament again.

Thank you.

Fairfax:

"Dear Holles,

you and Margaret should leave

for France immediately.

Parliament is

to be disbanded

and the conspirators

arrested.

l need not tell you the risks

l've taken sending this letter.

l give you this warning

in the expectation

that should it

become necessary,

my son will have

one friend at least.

Go now, but understand

you may never return.

Yours, Thomas."

Urgent,

for Mr. Holles, please.

Holles:
Hurry, my dear.

Margaret, quickly!

l shall see you...

this evening.

Mmm!

- That's mine.

- Hungry work in Parliament.

Tell the chef we have

guests this evening.

To the house.

Why have we stopped?

Cromwell:

Take him to the cells.

Man:
Unhand me!

Unhand me! Get off me!

Unlike Holles to be late.

( clamoring )

For the safety

of the kingdom,

this house is disbanded.

The following members

will accompany my officers:

Sir Thomas Soame.

Hands off me, sir.

Nathaniel Fiennes...

Sir Walter Erle.

How dare you?

How dare you?

( laughs )

And one can only suppose

that Mr. Cromwell has cast

a spell upon your husband

and this made him forget

his God, his king,

his duty and his

privilege as a lord.

But l have no doubt your

influence will be enough

to remind him, my dear.

Thomas only wishes

for the treaty.

Have him take care,

madam.

My son and court

are in exile,

not dead.

- Move along.

- Unhand me, sir.

Man:
Come on, get in line.

Keep up, get in line.

Get your hands off me!

( shouting )

Get your hands off me!

Not so high and mighty now,

are you, lord?

Unhand me, sir!

Man:

General Fairfax, sir?

He's with his troops.

Thank you.

l came to see if you--

if it was finished.

You think it's time Tom stopped running

around taking risks for the nation.

My wife was the same

when expecting her first child.

But by the second,

you taught her obedience?

Some men have

greatness in them.

You never saw Tom

in battle.

That man was put on earth

to lead armies and build nations,

not stay at home.

You're quick

at reading destinies.

You think l've misread his?

You think Tom should follow

the path of his forefathers,

suspect whatever is new,

change nothing,

question nothing.

l don't believe

l said that.

l'm not convinced that running

so fast is the best way to proceed.

You sent for me, father?

Come with me, son.

We caught him at the docks, General.

He was headed for Antwerp

With instructions

for Mr. Holles to exchange

all these goods for gold.

- Good work, officer.

- Sir.

ls our work done, sir?

Done.

- You can have your pay and go home.

- ( cheering )

They are the faces of

greed and treachery, son.

Take a good look.

Which one is

Mr. Holles, father?

- Guard.

- Yes, sir.

Where is he?

Tom.

Don't worry.

The worst is over.

Then you must tell the king.

He is not pleased with his new quarters.

lf he accepts the terms,

he will escape them.

He's hinting that the prince

in the court

will avenge

his ill-treatment.

ln war he sends

an assassin,

and in peace he makes

threats to my wife.

- So much for the godliness of kings.

- Cromwell:
Tom!

Tom, where's Holles?

Was he not in Parliament?

- No.

- Traitor.

We have a traitor!

Was it you?

Did you warn Holles?

Or you?

Are you a traitor?

Oliver!

These men have no reason

to betray you.

Holles must have

heard the march.

Let's set up the trials.

- We'll need more guards in Whitehall.

- Best to keep the whole army.

Once the king's allies abroad

find we're putting him on trial...

The king? We haven't

discussed this.

What is there

to discuss?

You fought a war against

the king's corruption.

Why stop now?

l will talk to him.

He seems reluctant

to grasp the sword

which the Lord

holds out to us.

Tom fights in the field.

These corridors

are new to him.

Lord General Fairfax.

Sit.

Have a plum.

They're quite delicious.

Your wife brought them.

A splendid woman,

Your lady Anne. You'd be a fool

to lose her, Thomas.

l came to discuss

the kingdom.

She's expecting a child,

l understand.

Congratulations.

And l'm curious--

if it is a boy...

do you expect

to pass him your title?

We have lost half

our government to corruption

and still await

an olive branch

from our king.

All the country hopes

and would believe

you care for the people's

welfare above all else.

lf you would

agree our terms,

we could be certain of it.

Am l your...

divinely-appointed king

set on earth by God

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes