Whale Rider Page #2

but you forget you've

also got the obligations!

Look at me, dad, for once in your life.

Go on.

Ah, you don't even

know who i am.

I know who you're meant to be,

who you were born to be.

Oh, yeah, right.

But i failed ya, eh, dad?

Yeah, because why?

I had a daughter?

Well, i'm probably gonna have another daughter.

And you know what?

I'm not gonna let you treat

another child of mine like that.

Then take her with you! You don't like the job

i'm doing, take her! Go on! Take her!

- Stop it!

- She's no use to me.

Pai?

No, leave her.

I'll get her. Pai!

You all right?

Gotta watch that koro sometimes.

Big mouth of his gets away on him, eh?

He didn't mean it...

about me.

Well...

you know, maybe

we should think about it.

Think about what?

You coming to live with me

for a while.

What do ya think?

Why doesn't he want me?

Oh, Pai, it's not you.

It's not even about you, in a way.

Koro is just... he's just looking for something

that doesn't exist anymore.

A new leader?

They exist.

Yeah, they do,

except i think...

it's become

even more than that.

In his head, your koro,

he needs a prophet.

What's that?

Well, somebody who's gonna lead our people

outta the darkness...

and who'll make everything

all right again.

Only problem is, you can't just decide who those

people are just because you want them to be, eh?

Like my brother?

Yeah.

Your koro made himself believe so strongly

that he was gonna be the one.

But what if he was?

And what if he wasn't?

You know, your koro,

he did the same thing with me.

Is that why he's

so hard on you?

Yep. Pretty much.

Because i can't be

what he wants, eh?

Me neither.

You think about it, okay?

You know you'd make me really happy

if you'd come and stay with me.

Mmm.

Just think about it.

- Ready, Pai?

- One more go.

You be good

to that girl.

That's right.

You look.

I'm gonna need

all the firstborn boys.

- It's time they learnt.

- Learnt what?

When she was born,

that's when things went wrong for us.

That's where we'll find the answer.

You all right?

Stop the car.

Pai?

What is it, Pai?

Can we go home now?

But why? What is it?

What's wrong?

- I have to go home.

- Why?

I just have to.

I know.

It's okay.

There are some discussions about the...

Paka!

I'm back.

Not now, Pai.

But i'm back.

I'm back.

Anyway...

where does

that information come from?

It comes from the books.

- You shouldn't be smoking.

- Tryin' to give up, aren't i?

- How come you didn't go with your dad?

- I did.

Hmm. For one day.

I would have gone.

When my dad gets out,

i'm gonna go with him.

- Where?

- Wherever. Get outta this dump.

Koro's gonna be pissed off

when he sees you smoking.

No, he won't,

'cause he's not coming.

- Is so.

- No, he's getting the school ready.

What school?

For us fellas, to teach us

the old ways and that.

Probably gonna be stink.

- You can come on the bus if you want.

- I'm waiting for koro.

- But he's not coming.

- I said, "i'm waiting."

- When you're ready.

- When everyone's here, i'll be ready.

They are here.

Those boys have waited half an hour.

You tell her you weren't

going to pick her up?

She could have come

on the bus.

You pick her up every day for years

and she's just supposed to guess?

Good. Let's go.

Do the welcome, bub.

Go on.

What do you think you're doing?

Pai.

You're a girl.

Go to the back.

What did i say?

What did i say?

Then leave.

Go on!

For you boys, this will be

a sacred school of learning.

You'll be taught

in the old ways...

in all the qualities

of a chief.

You will be tested

for your strength...

your courage,

your intelligence...

and your leadership.

Paikea's canoe sank...

and he called on the ancient ones for strength.

You're going to learn that chant.

All of you. Learn it exactly.

And if you break the chant,

you will suffer the utu...

the consequences.

Like what?

Someone dying or something?

Like your dick'll drop off.

So, hold onto your d*cks.

Enough. Hold onto your dick.

Now, repeat after me.

The taiaha is an instrument of war...

a tool for fighting.

If you want to master it,

you've got to show it respect.

Hemi. Here.

Peh!

Pick it up.

Good.

Be angry.

Anger's part of your battle.

You gotta learn to control it.

Now, take a break.

Get a drink of water.

The rest of you in pairs.

- Koro know you're doing that?

- I'm not doing anything.

How come you're hiding

around here then?

Koro's cool, eh?

He's teaching us to be warriors, man.

Gonna be chiefs.

We're gonna smack

all those other ones.

You shouldn't have hit

koro like that.

He was all right.

He was real patient, eh?

- How come he won't let you do it?

- Girls aren't allowed.

You could sit up the back.

Long as you were quiet. I wouldn't mind.

You're not even

holding it right.

Your hands should be

like this.

And your feet...

like this.

Go back to the school, hemi.

I said, "go."

I'll deal

with you later.

I'm sorry, paka.

You gone deaf now?

Somebody just

apologized to you.

You don't mess around

with sacred things!

She was

just watching!

She was using

a taiaha.

Let the girl do it.

You might be

the boss out there...

but i'm the boss

in this kitchen.

I'll do it.

You forgot

something.

Hey, it's not too bad

up here.

He's got a lot of rules

he has to live by.

- It's not fair.

- I know...

but sometimes you've just got to let him

think that he's the boss.

- He is the boss.

- Hmph. Not of me.

I let him think he is, though.

- What's wrong with me, nanny?

- Nothing's wrong with you. You hear me?

You got the blood of muriwai

in your veins, girl.

Think she'd be proud of you

saying things like that?

Anyway, that old paka's not the only one

who knows some tricks.

Eh?

Well, you wouldn't know it now,

but before he got fat and ugly...

your uncle rawiri was a bit

of a hotshot with the taiaha.

- True?

- Won a trophy and everything.

Oh, you should have

seen him.

He was beautiful.

What happened?

I don't know.

He was the second son.

But he knows some things,

your uncle rawiri.

Don't you worry

about that.

- Is uncle here?

- Out the back.

Hi.

Damn, girl.

What did i tell you about sneaking up on us?

I found this.

Didn't know

you played golf.

Not golf.

Taiaha.

Yeah, well,

this guy's playing golf.

They cut the end off

the golf stick...

swing it around,

and push it through there.

Hey, shut up!

I was good.

That's why

you're sitting here...

while your father tells a bunch

of snotty-nosed kids how to be chief.

Poor little bastards, huh?

Could you teach me?

- Hold up. This was a long time ago.

- So?

Please?

- Does koro know about this?

- No.

- Well, let's get it on then, eh?

- Yes!

You mean this?

It's a broom,

isn't it?

- Yee-hee!

- Woo-hoo!

Morning, dad.

- Hey! There goes that little girl, Pai!

- Move, girl! Move!

Get him, Pai!

Go, Pai!

Get him, girl!

When you extend your tongue...

you're saying to your enemies...

"i'm gonna eat you.

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