Uncertain Glory Page #4

Yes.

What's the deadline

for this saboteur to give himself up?

Tuesday.

Three more days. Why?

What's the matter?

I'm a dead man.

You are Jean Emile Dupont.

Yes, but the criminal, Jean Picard,

has ceased to exist.

The manhunt's over.

I can look anybody in the face.

Everything's different.

This room, even you.

I am the same man.

Make no mistake about that.

Give me till Tuesday.

Three more days for living

until I really die.

I've been waiting for that.

No, Picard.

You have an appointment in Paris.

Tonight.

If the Germans can wait,

why should you be in such a hurry?

- Shut up, Picard.

- Why should I?

For one thing,

I'm not Picard, I'm Dupont.

Look, nobody loses anything.

Why do you wanna deprive me

of the last three days of my life?

What about the hundred families sitting in

these houses waiting for Tuesday evening?

- Trembling every time the clocks strike...?

- Let them tremble.

At this moment, everybody in the world

is trembling about something. Bonet.

I want those three days.

- Is that a threat?

- No.

I'm asking you as man to man.

When there's nothing left in life

except a few days...

Why, can't you understand?

I'm tasting every breath,

I'm counting every step I take.

I know I'm going to die, but...

Well, captain, what luck this time?

We searched the woods

and halfway to Poitiers.

Searched for what, mushrooms?

If the saboteur were here,

we'd have found him.

Huh. You Garde Mobile couldn't find

your own motorcycles behind a bush.

Have the Germans done any better

with 300 men?

- No.

- And why not?

I'll tell you, because this saboteur

was taken away by a British plane.

By a plane? How do you know that?

We found tracks

where one landed and taken off.

In a flat meadow,

not an hour's walk from the bridge.

May I be of any help to you, gentlemen?

Oh, no thanks. We were just looking.

Oh, yes, I'd like a shirt.

You got one my size? Sixteen.

I think so.

We haven't much

to offer our customers these days.

No, I suppose not.

That's fine.

- That's a nice looking rod.

- Yes.

- Interested in fishing?

- We were just talking about it.

- How is the fishing around here?

- I hear it's quite good recently.

Good, we'll take a couple of those rods.

- But...

And some hooks and line, you know?

- We have no time.

- Why, what do you mean, no time?

That's what we came down here for,

wasn't it?

I'll take this paper.

Why, yes.

I have the hardest time

persuading my friend here...

...to really relax and enjoy our vacation.

We've only got three days.

- Now, will that be all?

- Yes, that's all.

- By the way, what are they using for bait?

- Grasshoppers.

If you can catch them.

Oh, sure,

my friend here can catch anything.

- Where's the river?

- About 2 kilometers.

- And it's only a brook.

- I see.

Which way is it?

Well, you go up this street...

...through the village and turn off

the second footpath to your left.

Follow that footpath until you pass

an old farmhouse on the right-hand side.

- Cross the stone bridge, turn left again and...

Oh, left, right, left, right.

Why, we'd never find it. We'd get lost.

- Why don't you come along and show us?

- Well, l...

Oh, excuse me, I'll be back in a moment.

What are you trying to do?

Not bad, is she?

I never ran

into this fresh country type before.

This is no time

to get mixed up with a girl.

Why, on the contrary, Bonet.

What do you mean?

How better can a man spend

the last three days of his life, huh?

What is it, madame?

- Who are those men?

- I don't know, I've never seen them before.

- Where are they from?

- I didn't ask.

They said they had a three-day vacation.

- Oh, what else did they tell you?

- Well, they're going to fish.

The younger man asked me

if I'd show them the way to the brook.

Why don't you?

But, madame, they're strangers.

- Did they buy anything?

- Yes.

All the more reason

we should be hospitable.

Run along, child.

You've earned a little vacation yourself.

- I'll mind the shop.

- Thank you, madame.

I'll try on this side.

Oh, wait a minute.

There you are.

One of your pins.

Let me keep it.

- To remember you by.

- All right.

Say, just the two of you

run the shop, huh?

Now we do, yes.

Madame Maret's son used to run it.

But yesterday the Germans came

and took him away as a hostage.

They took 25 of the hundred men

from our village.

Yes, I heard about it.

I knew each one of them well,

ever since I was a child.

We don't know what to do

or where to turn.

Turn this way a little.

There, that's better.

- Worrying won't do any good.

- I know.

Well, let's forget about them. Let's pretend

we haven't got a worry in the world.

This is just a June day

like any other June day.

Let's talk about something

new and wonderful.

- Like what?

- Like you and me.

I don't even know your name.

Jean. Jean Pi...

Jean Dupont.

And your friend's?

Him? Oh, Alphonse.

And you're only going

to be here three days?

Uh-huh. Maybe less.

Well, you won't get a chance

to get tired of me.

I wouldn't.

Tell me about your sweethearts.

I suppose a pretty girl like you,

you must have a dozen.

- No.

- No? Are all the men around here blind?

No, it's just that

I never met anyone like that.

Then you've never been kissed?

It's not just the kissing.

But at times, one is very lonely.

I'd like to have something

to look forward to.

To belong.

Even if it was only for three days?

- Now you're laughing at me.

- No, I'm not.

- Your skin's beautiful.

- Thank you.

What are you thinking about, Jean?

I was looking at that little pulse

in your throat, here.

I was watching it tick away

like a rare and delicate clock.

And I was suddenly imagining it

racing like mad, breathlessly.

Where does that road lead to over there?

That?

Oh, it leads to Barraut's vineyard.

Oh, is it far?

Not very far.

We often go there on Sundays

after mass.

It's a lovely place.

I wish you could see it.

Yes, I wish I could.

Come on. We are going back.

What, so soon?

We've had enough fishing.

Both of us.

But why do you have to go

on Tuesday, Jean?

We've got an appointment in Paris.

Well, can't you put it off

for a day or two?

Uh-uh.

I don't think these people can wait.

- But we will see each other tomorrow?

- Mm-hm.

- What time?

- Oh, it's Sunday.

And I have to go to mass

with Madame Maret in the morning.

But immediately afterwards?

I'll be waiting.

Good night.

Good night.

Good night. Till tomorrow.

You tricked me into giving you three days.

You fasten on to the first girl you meet.

- And who knows what you told her?

- You'd be surprised.

- Did you see that look in her eyes?

- No, I saw the look in yours.

Stop talking to strangers.

They'll start asking questions

and that'll be the end of us.

What is the meaning of this?

Every stranger in this district

was ordered...

...to report to police yesterday

for identification.

- Why didn't you?

- We knew nothing about such an order.

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