Zulu Dawn Page #3

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RUSSELL:

Don 't leave your gin around, Vereker, or Harford will have it

full of

preserved butteifties. A damned waste, if you ask me.

HARFORD chuckles as he replaces the lid on his jar.

VEREKER:

Oh I doubt if I'll leave much of that around. There's quite a

shortage

where I've been.

COGHILL:

Puffing on his cigar:

Theyfight with spears don 't they? I mean it doesn't seem quite

fair

against the Martini Henry.

MELVILL:

You didn't really have to chose between your country and the

Zulu did

you?

VEREKER:

Um. And a damn close thing it was too.

RAW:

Taking the freshly filled trophy from MURPHY.

Ah, well done Murphy. (He presents it to VEREKER).

HARFORD:

Stranger's Cup. (The Officers sit.) Down it in one and we where

share

your Mess bill for a week.

VEREKER:

And {fI don't?

RAW:

Then a bottle of good claret to each member of the Mess is

charged to

your account

MELVILL:

if it's too much we can have the bill forwarded to your

father... in the

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House of Lords. Oh no offence meant, Vereker.

VEREKER:

No offence taken, Melvill. (Taking the trophy from RAW).

To men who aren 't afraid to speak their minds.

RAW:

Good luck, Sir

VEREKER begins to drink. Gradually, the officers join in with

cheers of

encouragement until the entire Mess is chanting "Down, down,

down". They

bang their fists on the table in time with the chants.

Gulping back the liquid, VEREKER stops as if he has

accomplished his task.

The Officers applaud. General ad. lib. "Well done". Etc.

VEREKER (Expressionless)

Not quite.

Turning the trophy upside-down, he pours a small amount of

liquid onto the

floor. Appearing slightly intoxicated, his lips stained red

with the wine, he

smiles:

The bottles of claret, are on me Gentlemen.

General calls of "Here, here".

RAW:

Standing, he raises his glass to propose a toast:

The Regiment

OFFICERS:

The Regiment

VEREKER:

Still smiling, he wipes the remaining wine from the corners of

his moustache.

The Regiment.

42.EXT. ZULUKRAAL. DAY

A tall, bald imposing Zulu named MANTSHONGA enters the camp. He

makes

his way through a large regiment of young Zulu braves and older

INDUNAS:

(officers). They surround two young Zulu warriors who are

tautly circling.

Their shields are held at the defensive, their assegais poised

for underhand

thrust.

43. CLOSE SHOT - The two warriors fighting.

44. LONG SHOT - The vast crowd encircling the warriors.

45. The crowd cheers as CHIEF CETSHWAYO watches from his

throne.

12

46.MANTSHONGA, spotting CETSHWAYO, walks purposefully towards

him.

MANTSHONGA:

I bring greetings from your friends, the British, and from the

Great Lord

ChelmsforJ

CETSHWAYO:

Still watching the fighting Zulus;

And what do your Masters say?

MANTSHONGA:

They are angry and send these demands. They say you rule in old

ways

that are wrong, that you kill your people without triaL The

Great White

Queen herself cannot kill her lowliest subject though she rules

forty

lands, each greater than all ofZululanJ

BAYELE:

Kill the Traitor, Father'

CETSHWAYO:

Gesturing to his son to calm down:

I do kill, under the customs of the Zulu, and I shall not

depart from that

Do I go to the country of the white man and tell him to change

his laws and customs?

MANTSHONGA:

The British say your armies grow larger and they demand that you

disband your lmpis of War

CETSHWAYO:

Tell the British I will not cross the river which divides our

lands. But

ask Lord Chelmsford if he would disarm his warriors in the face

of

such threats.

47.CLOSE UP. The two Zulus are now in ferocious combat.

48.SWITCH back to alternate CLOSE shots of CETSHWAYO &

MANTSHONGA:

MANTSHONGA:

I will ask him but his answer will be to start war against

your 30,000

warriors.

CETSHWAYO:

My armies will defend this land

49.General uproar as one of the fighting Zulus falls to the

ground. Standing,

CETSHWAYO gives the signal to kill. The triumphant Zulu drives

his assegai into

the other's heart. A group of warriors converge upon the body

as MANTSHONGA

turns and EXITS.

13

50.EXT. GARDEN. DIOCESAN MANSION. DAY.

A garden party is in full swing. There are tables and chairs

dotted about a

spacious garden. Stringed music is playing and there is an air

of English civility.

There are ladies with parasols, children playing and Officers

present.

51.FANNY COLENSO -25, her cheeks aflame, her manner excitable,

is engaged in a

sedate' game of cricket with some children and officers. She

bats the ball some

distance away near COL. DURNFORD.

FANNY:

Anthony (Shouting)... Anthony

COL. DURNFORD, engaged in conversation with an Officer and a

lady, turns

on hearing his name. He spots the ball.

COL. DURNFORD (Handing his hat to the Officer)

Hold this.

Picking up the ball, he gives it to a little girl who has run

to collect it.

(Smiling at FANNY) Well batted Well batteJ

FANNY curtsies in mock recognition. Her eyes flash to his and

we sense their

secret feeling for each other.

52.VEREKER & two other officers ride along the drive to the

mansion. Dismounting

VEREKER hands the reigns of his horse to a well-dressed black

groomsman and

steps forward extending his hand in greeting to the black

butler.

VEREKER:

Joseph, how are all the Colenso girls?

JOSEPH:

They are all in the garden, Sir And they will be glad to see

you, I'm

sure.

VEREKER walks down the slope of the lawn, past a young girl on

a swing, her

maid is in attendance. Removing his hat, he spots FANNY being

bowled to by

LT. MILNE. Creeping up behind her, VEREKER indicates to MILNE

to bowl

high.

VEREKER (catching the ball MILNE has just bowled)

You tipped id Youtippedit! Out! Out!

FANNY:

I did not (Turning) William. (Hugging him) You cheat, you.

VEREKER:

Me cheat? Same old Fanny. (He kisses her on the cheek).

14

FANNY:

With genuine affection: Welcome. Welcome back.

Taking his arm, FANNY & VEREKER walk across the lawn. VEREKER

throws the ball back to the cricketers.

53.DURNFORD, still engaged in conversation, turns smiling. His

smile fades as he

spots FANNY with VEREKER.

DURNFORD:

Excuse me, Ladies. Leaving them, he makes towards FANNY &

VEREKER.

54.FANNY

Did you get your farm going?

Yes, I did.

Oh.How was it?

I've never been so happy.

VEREKER:

FANNY:

VEREKER:

FANNY:

Stopping, FANNY addresses him earnestly: I'm sorry you had to

leave.

55.DURNFORD approaches them.

DURNFORD:

You 've met the... Honourable William Vereker, I believe.

FANNY:

Yes Anthony, we were childhood friends.

DURNFORD:

Your childhood friend shot a dead cow at the gallop the other

day.

(FANNY laughs). He wasn 't impressed.

56.SWITCH TO MANSION VERANDA.

CHELMSFORD watches the threesome as BARTLE FRERE approaches him,

puffing on a cigar.

CHELMSFORD:

There is a Mrs. Dumford, is there?

15

BARTLE FRERE:

She exists.. .but er. . .nothing '5 been heard of her, the

eight years

Durnford's been in Africa.

CREALOCK:

Although much is spoken of her now, My Lord.

These three walk along the veranda.

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