White Hunter Black Heart Page #6

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Good.

- Our chief hunter.|- For God's sake, let's have him in.

Explain to him what we want.|We want to go after some game.

Buffalo, preferably an elephant.

This man is wonderful.|What's his name?

Kivu.

He's called Kivu because he went|on a trip there once.

I must say, Kivu is amazing.|He found elephant tracks that big.

A whole herd. Only darkness prevented us|from going on. Tell him to sit down.

He says he prefers to stand.

Oh! Good evening, gentlemen.

So did the Hollywood hunters|have any luck today?

Tell Kivu to get a good night's rest.

We'll be leaving at 5:00 in the morning.|We'll get our elephant then.

I talked to Mr. Landers in London.|He's quite hysterical.

He wants to talk to you tomorrow.

I told him that we could drive you down|to the border and use that phone there.

- You did, did you?|- You'll be on safari, I suppose.

You're welcome to come along|with us if you'd like, Ralph.

No Hollywood safaris for me.

That word has crept into the conversation|quite a few times, hasn't it?

- Which word is that, sir?|- Hollywood.

I realize it's the name of a place, but|the way you say it has an added meaning.

Like an insult.

- Well, I didn't mean it like that.|- Don't contradict me, Ralph.

I've heard it all before.

In the Army, in New York...

...in the theater.|Hell, I've heard it everywhere.

People say Hollywood|when they want to insult you.

Well, really Hollywood is just a place|where they make a profit.

It's a factory town like Detroit|or Birmingham or Schaffhausen.

Because the cheap element of the town|has been so overly advertised...

...it becomes an insult to remind|a man he's from there.

They're not talking about the people|who work there...

...and that try to do|something worthwhile.

They're talking about the whores|when they mention Hollywood.

You know what that word means,|don't you, Ralph?

- Sure.|- Sure.

Whores have to sell the one thing that|shouldn't be for sale in the world.

And that's love.

Of course, there are other kinds of whores|than the floozies you frequent, Ralph.

There are whores who sell words|and ideas and melodies.

I know what I'm talking about because|I've done a little hustling in my time.

A hell of a lot more|than I'd like to admit to.

And what I sold when I was whoring|I'll never get back.

What I'm trying to say, it's the whores|who put Hollywood up as a big target.

Sure.

Hell, John, I didn't realize you|were such a hometown boy.

- Well, I am, kid. I am when I'm in Africa.|- Yeah.

No, I'm serious. It took Africa|to bring all this out in me.

Africa and the smell|of my first wild elephant.

It's a shame Kivu couldn't have heard|you say that, John.

Oh, Kivu knows. Kivu knows|without being told.

John, why don't you ask Kivu to go|back to Hollywood with you?

Not a bad idea, kid. He could be|mighty useful around there.

Yeah.

Where are we going this morning, John?

A place Kivu knows. And he says a lot|of elephant go there this time of year.

I was wondering. How do|you two communicate?

Oh, we get on. I asked him this morning|about going back to the States with me.

Zib here actually|acted as my interpreter.

- What did he say?|- Said he didn't know.

Said he'd have to think about it.|That it was a very big decision.

He says we're getting close.

He says they're in there, but he thinks|it best if only two shooters go.

- Pete, are you ready?|- No, you and Zib are plenty.

- You're not coming?|- No, I'll wait here.

Now, look, kid. I've never|given you much advice.

I've never forced you to do anything.|But this time it's different.

I think you should come.|I urge you as a friend.

No, you just go on in there,|John. I'll wait here.

If you don't come, you'll regret this|as long as you can remember.

- I don't want to shoot an elephant.|- That's besides the point.

If you don't come, it's because|you're scared. And you know it.

All right, well, I guess I'll just have|to live with that.

John. John, hold your fire.

John, don't shoot!

It's too dangerous. Hold your fire.|Come back slowly. Come on.

This is him. This is the one|I'm looking for.

It's not safe. There are too many cows|around. Come back slowly. Come on.

Just come. Do as I tell you. Come on.

I've never seen one before,|outside the circus or the zoo.

They're so majestic. So indestructible.|They're part of the earth.

They make us feel like perverse little|creatures from another planet.

Without any dignity.

Makes one believe in God.

In the miracle of creation.

Fantastic.

They're part of a world|that no longer exists, Hod.

Feeling of unconquerable time.

You certainly have a way with words,|Pete. No wonder you're a writer.

So, what happened, John?|Weren't you able to get close enough?

We got close enough,|but I wouldn't let him shoot.

Too many cows around the big fellow.|They'd have charged.

That was the biggest tusker|in all of Africa.

It would have been a risk|well worth taking.

- You all right?|- I'm all right.

John.

Come on, let's face it.|This country's too tough for us.

We're just characters from Vine Street.|We're not heroes out of one of your films.

Come on.

Get up.

You know, kid, we're gonna end up|together. When we're old, that is.

Probably live in a cabin up in the Sierras|and pan for gold. Have a couple mules.

Sit around the campfire at night.|Tell lies to each other.

- Yeah.|- About all the things we've done.

The wars we fought. Books you've|written, movies I've made.

You know, I don't doubt that, John.

You'll need two, possibly three cameras|on the fire sequence, John.

If you could just initial these plans,|I can go ahead and start construction.

It was a risk to all of us.

A herd of cows can go rogue very quickly|if they have their young with them.

There have been rogue herds created in|Kenya and Tanganyika in just such a way.

And then they have to go out and|shoot every bloody one of them.

All right. All right. Forget it.|We'll try again tomorrow.

Tomorrow morning. Tomorrow afternoon,|we leave. I have another safari.

You have to get started|on the film, John.

You can leave if you want. I'm staying.

The company arrives in Entebbe|the day after tomorrow.

I'm staying.

- Jesus Christ! Will you be reasonable?|- I am being reasonable.

I don't give a goddamn if the company gets|here tomorrow or got here three days ago.

I'm staying till I get my elephant.

You need someone with you.|You can't hunt alone.

- Kivu will go with me.|- What about that fellow at the fishery?

The one who used to be game warden|down on the Zambezi. Ogilvy?

Yes. Yes, that's the man. Yes, they say|he killed over 500 elephants in his day.

- Well, let's get him up here.|- John, how long do you plan on staying?

Well, that depends upon the elephants.|And on the guides.

If Ogilvy turns out to be another old lady|like the rest of you, it may take months.

But if he's half the man Kivu is,|it may take no time at all.

What's the matter, kid?|Go ahead and spit it out.

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