To Walk with Lions Page #4

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Might do you some good.

Try as I might,

Fitzjohn,

I can't possibly

imagine how.

I suppose the question

can be boiled down

To one choice

when all is said and done.

People or animals.

Soon you will be able

to take care of yourselves.

And remember,

you are more important

Than our need for you.

I see you're yawning.

Time you went to bed.

It's time I went to bed.

Hello, Tony.

I've just been

to that village

To investigate

that poaching incident.

We found the truck

you reported.

Oh, good. You find the horn?

No. No rifles either.

In fact, they claim

they were driving

On the north side

of the river

When you fired at them

unprovoked.

And I did find a bullet

hole in the truck.

Yeah, I hope so. I shot at the bastards.

Yeah, well, they've lodged a complaint.

What?

I had to report

the whole thing to Nairobi.

I did tell them I thought

the men could be lying.

"Could be lying"?

We share a concern

for your security here.

This morning, they've

instructed me to shut down Kora.

You've got to move the lions

out of the area or to zoos,

And they're not going to

renew your lease in September.

You're out.

You're so full of sh*t.

You've wanted this for years.

It's for your

own good, Tony.

Close down Kora?!

Move my lions out of the area?

Send them to circuses...

To be laughed at?

Jeered?

Without any dignity?

Or to zoos?

To concentration camp

conditions?

You'll need an army

To move me and my lions out of Kora.

I wouldn't resist

if I was you, George.

Oh, I've stood in the path

of charging buffalos before.

I'm sorry, Tony.

I intend to go above

john bell's head.

The wildlife director,

David M'boya.

He's a friend

and an ally.

He has the authority

to sign the leasehold.

Take him this letter.

Be reasonable.

Tell him about the work

we're doing here.

I've asked him for

One more year for now.

All this will

blow over.

And don't

lose your temper.

No, you don't

understand.

I mean, right, have you ever

read any of Maslow's theories?

Nah.

No. I rest my case.

Sh*t!

Sh*t, I've gotta go. Tony,

Tony, have one more drink.

Jack, take this.

Tony, Tony.

See ya later.

Mr. M'boya, please.

I'm sorry I'm late.

Excuse me, sir. Wait!

Please!

I'm sorry.

It's okay.

It's Fitzjohn, isn't it?

Uh, Tony Fitzjohn.

I appreciate you

seeing me, sir.

And, uh...

I won't take up

much of your time.

I work with

George Adamson at Kora,

And he's asked me to...

To give you

this message.

We'd like you to...

He needs you to extend

the lease for Kora.

I'm not sure that's in

George's best interests.

The way things are going,

You need a permanent company

of armed rangers.

Yes. Can you send us some?

I can't do that.

Kora's not a national reserve.

It's a private leasehold.

Okay. You wanna raise

the rent? How much?

It's not a matter of rent.

I don't think you fully grasp

the implications of this matter.

Chief Haji is Somali,

As is armed forces

chief of staff muhammad.

If I extend the lease,

I'll have to explain

Where chief Haji's cattle

are to graze

If not at Kora.

It's not about bloody cows.

It's about ivory.

It's about rhino horn,

And it goes all the way to the

top with government ministers

In the pocket of every bloody

ivory trader in the country.

Start making allegations... why

don't you expose the bastards?!

If you start making allegations

about government ministers,

You're exposing Terence

and George to more danger.

Look, the lease is up

in September.

I can extend it

to the end of the year.

That's not enough.

You've gotta give us

two years at least.

What happens on Kenyan soil

Is a matter

best left for Kenyans.

But George and Terence built Kora.

It's under

my jurisdiction.

It's their territory.

It is not!

Oh, my god!

Eliza, can I have

another tusker, please?

Well, Bwana Fitzjohn

is buying his own drinks.

That's a cause

for celebration.

Johnny Maxwell.

Ha ha ha!

How did it go

with M'boya?

Oh, I really

screwed up this time, Max.

I think he might

kick us out.

What happened?

Ha ha!

Pissed on M'boya's

asperdistra.

You seem to have

a real talent for that...

Pissing people off.

Yeah.

Look, tomorrow, I'm flying

down to Meru.

Do you want a ride?

I don't know, man.

Bloody Kora.

Man, I'm just gonna

hang around here for a bit.

Okay.

Well, I'll tell George.

See you around.

Hey, Max, stay

for a drink, man.

Not this time, Tony.

I'm going home.

So should you.

Bloody Kora with those

bloody lions

And that bloody

stubborn old man.

If I'd had

any sense at all,

I'd have chucked it

and gone back to Mombasa.

But I did

the only thing I could.

I went home.

So...

You've come back.

All you had to do

was to remain sober enough

To deliver my letter.

Since your visit to David...

They are officially

canceling my lease on Kora.

I'm sorry, George.

Do you want me to go?

I think it's about time

you decided what you wanted.

I think you ought to go

and clean up.

Hello, George.

Lucy.

Thought you were

gone to England.

Oh, yes,

I was supposed to.

But I've got something

I'd like to show you.

You see here and here and

this big one here, Mkomazi...

They were set aside

as reserves in the '60s

But never used.

My friend at

the Tanzanian embassy,

She spoke to

their wildlife department.

They will be

very interested

In having you oversee

a new wildlife reserve.

Would they fund us?

A little to start.

But they suggested

a toft fund.

I'm sure with the Adamson name attached,

Money shouldn't be

a problem.

I bet I know a few

wealthy sponsors

In britain who would

love this sort of thing.

A wild animal fund.

Yeah.

Sounds good, George.

It's what, three times

the size of Kora?

Backing from the Tanzanian government?

We could take

the lions down.

What do

you think?

If you'll both excuse me.

George, can we

talk about this?

I mean, it could be our

chance for a new start.

Kora's my home.

I have lived here,

and I will die here.

Kora's changed. It's not

like it was in the old days.

Maybe there's

somewhere better.

I have given

30 years of my life to Kora.

It was my strong hope

That you would

succeed me here,

But that is a decision you'll

have to make for yourself.

I have some work to do.

I believe that...

I believe there's a young

lady waiting for you out there.

Yeah.

So?

I'm sorry.

No.

What?!

You mean you're not even

going to come and see it?

There's no point

if George won't go.

He could

change his mind.

Not George.

Fitzjohn, you're about

to be thrown out of here.

Wake up!

It's George's decision.

You could do it

without George.

You know about

game management.

You could...

without George.

Maybe I don't wanna do it

without George.

And maybe I don't need you

coming here

Telling me what to do.

You come in here with

your bloody maps and charts,

And bullshit theories

of self whatever.

We're just fine.

Just leave us alone!

Fine.

Fine. I postponed my flight

back to London for this.

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