[SHOW THEME – INTRO]
[EXT. THE GALLOPING ENGLISHMAN – DECK – LATE AFTERNOON – PAST]
[ALESTES’ MEMORIES: THE CREW OF THE GALLOPING ENGLISHMAN CHEER AS ANH AND ALESTES FIGHT]
[THEIR SWORDS CLASH. ANH PANTS]
ALESTES
What’s wrong, Annie? Feeling tired already?
ANH
Just thought you could use the break, what with your history of loss.
ALESTES
Is that what you’d call today’s quarry? A loss?
ANH
One ransacked ship and she thinks she’s the queen of the world!
[DISTANT OOHING FROM CROWD]
ALESTES
Guns?
ANH
Bare fists.
ALESTES
You’re on.
[FISTICUFF NOISES, THEY GRUNT AS FLESH CONNECTS TO FLESH]
ANH
Can you move any slower, my sweet?
ALESTES
I’ll pick up the pace once you learn how to throw a real punch.
[MORE OOHING]
Lost your sea legs?
ANH
Screw you!
[METALLIC SCRAPING SOUNDS: ANH DRAWS A WEAPON]
ALESTES
Knife? What happened to just fists?!
ANH
Are you scared?
ALESTES
Of what? You descaling a fish?
[A FEW MORE SWIPES, BEFORE ANH’S BREATHING BECOMES LABORED: ALESTES HAS HER HAND AROUND ANH’S NECK]
On your knees.
[ANH CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE]
I said: get down on your knees. Drop the knife.
Anh. Relent.
(quieter) Anh.
[ANH LAUGHS, WEAKLY, ON THE BRINK OF UNCONSCIOUSNESS.]
ANH
Make. Me.
[BEAT]
[ALESTES LETS GO, ANH COUGHS PAINFULLY]
ANH
You should have killed me!
ALESTES
Sometimes I wonder if you remember that we’re on the same crew, Anh.
ANH
Awww! You’re breaking my heart. Is that what Daddy tells you at night? “Sweet dreams, little ‘Lestes, and remember to be polite to the crew in the morning?”
ALESTES
Baker is not my father.
ANH
“Baker”? Huh. Funny. I bet you wish we were all a happy little family, sailing along, singing songs, hand-in-hand –
ALESTES
What exactly do you have, Anh? Playing second-fiddle for a man that barely remembers your name.
ANH
That’s more like it! There’s the Alestes with power.
ALESTES
“Power” is what you want, Anh. Leave me out of it.
ANH
Baker, Gammon, the both of them, can’t you see they’re… contorting you, keeping you down?
ALESTES
And you’ll treat me better?
ANH
You and me, Alestes. We’re the ones that should be in charge.
ALESTES
Power comes with responsibilities. Find someone else to entertain your mutiny.
ANH
How can you be so –
ALESTES
Stay here and moan if you want. I’m bored of this.
ANH
Alestes. Alestes!
[EXT. NETAOANSOM – DECK – DAY]
[A QUIET PORT. ALESTES IS HANDLING THE RIGGING]
[SUDDENLY, THE SOUND OF ANH’S FLUTE]
[ALESTES STOPS]
ALESTES
(sighs) Get off my ship, Anh.
[ANH CLIMBS DOWN THE RIGGING FROM THE BIRD’S NEST, LANDING ON THE DECK]
[ALESTES REMOVES HER COAT]
ANH
Oh my, taking our clothes off already, darling? Buy a lady a drink first!
ALESTES
I like this coat, and I don’t feel like scrubbing your blood from it.
ANH
Straight to the fight without any foreplay – just like the old days.
[ALESTES UNSHEATHES HER SWORD]
ANH
(smiling) I like it.
[INT. GAMMON’S HIDEAWAY – DAY – PRESENT]
[SIVA IS CRYING. MARY ENTERS AND SETS A TEA TRAY ON THE TABLE]
MARY
(softly) Let’s get some tea in you.
[SHE POURS THE TEA]
SIVA
Was he telling the truth?
MARY
About which part?
SIVA
That the raid was only successful because of my map.
MARY
They would have found the place eventually.
SIVA
…“Eventually.”
MARY
Though – yes, I don’t believe anyone involved could have imagined a document that allowed such one-sided tactical warfare. The poor devils were shot to pieces, and remained none the wiser until the very last second.
[SIVA SOBS]
MARY (CONT’D)
Oh – (uncomfortable) there, there now… Don’t cry, Mary’s here now.
[SIVA CONTINUES SNIFFLING]
Why don’t you tell me what’s making you so upset?
SIVA
I killed her.
MARY
Killed… who?
SIVA
My Nani. My grandmother. She told me to be careful, to trust no-one, and then she – she was hiding this behind my back!
If I had known, if she had told me what she was doing – who she was involved with, I wouldn’t have – I could have warned her – but she didn’t, and so I couldn’t, and…
And now she’s dead.
MARY
Johana Keijl was your grandmother.
SIVA
She didn’t… she hated that name. It wasn’t hers. It was what she was sold as. She was just Nani, she preferred that.
MARY
I see… And this Nani really is dead, this isn’t some subterfuge?
[SIVA MAKES A PAINED NOISE]
MARY (CONT’D)
Yes, yes… This one is important, Siva. I need you to really think about what I’m asking. Your grandmother, did she ever say why she might be plotting against the Governor?
SIVA
She wanted me to remember this island as it could be, not as it is.
MARY
(a humourless laugh) All this trouble because of an actual slave uprising. Graham will not be pleased.
SIVA
An “actual” uprising?
MARY
My brother is a pompous fool. He was worse when he was younger. A prig in every sense of the word. A school bully so polite that you thanked him for choosing you to bash against the wall. A man despised and desired by all, in equal measure. A gentleman in good graces. A Governorship across the sea – a whole island of people to order around.
[HER VOICE RISES; THIS IS FAMILIAR TERRITORY FOR HER]
“This is what I was born for, Mary,” he would say. The whole. Journey. Over. “This is what I was born for.” A small island, for sure, but plenty of potential. Cinnamon, tea, plantations of every kind. It could not have been more simple an opportunity!
And yet, even then. Even with one job to do. Even then, the crown got tired of him.
SIVA
He really isn’t the Governor anymore?
MARY
(snapping) Kalitivu has been officially deemed too insignificant to require a Governor for some years now.
SIVA
But – I’ve lived here my whole life. How did we not…
MARY
No use telling the locals and getting them uppity.
I told him that now would be the perfect opportunity to use whatever we had left. Invest it in a venture, secure our futures. But he couldn’t do one thing right with his life.
(catching her breath) In a few weeks, Captain Gammon will be caught, killed, and the occupied island of Kalitivu will be remanded back to the British soldiers because of the excellent work of former-Governor Graham Peters. “What better way to prove my worth than to catch a terrifying pirate leading slave rebellions, Mary!”
SIVA
But – but he’s Captain Gammon.
MARY
Yes? It’s far easier to mop up troubles of your own creation. Why actually help when one can create a problem and then make it go away?
SIVA
So he’s doing all this because –
MARY
A promotion to Governor of Ceylon, perhaps. But ultimately, he wants to go back to his damp little boys’ club with his honour redeemed.
[SIVA STARTS BREATHING FASTER. ANGRY.]
SIVA
That’s –
MARY
A monumental waste of time and money? And it almost came crumbling down around his feet because your silly little grandmother tried using a brain she wasn’t born to use.
[SHE LAUGHS. SIVA EXHALES SHAKILY – SHOCK, FURY…]
MARY (CONT’D)
Oh. Apologies. It is not in my nature to put on a maternal front. I’ll be honest, Siva, I don’t particularly enjoy being my brother’s little go-between, but you rats really do need to stop being so… scheming. It makes it so hard for one to get anything done around here.
SIVA
(defiant) I-I’ll tell them.
MARY
Who? The soldiers out there, eating food better than they get served in England? Or the rest of the defeated little revolutionaries crawling around the island? Or, better yet, the pirate captain you spurned outside?
SIVA
My friends, they’ll – they’ll come for me.
MARY
Then they’d better get here quickly. The second you’re not useful, Siva, it won’t just be your fingers Anh will remove.
[EXT. GAMMON’S HIDEAWAY – DAY]
[INEZ, BAKER AND NOOR ARE MAKING THEIR CAREFUL WAY THROUGH THE CORRIDORS]
INEZ
Once we’ve found Siva, we’ll need some way to get off the island.
NOOR
Alestes would not have really left, would she?
INEZ
Let’s not bet on the “Captain” having found a beating human heart in the last hour.
NOOR
She has her moments, but she comes around in the end.
INEZ
Oh, really?
If she’s still there, ask her what she pawned to afford those “magic” turtles.
NOOR
What are you… talking about?
INEZ
She’s always complaining that we’re not making enough, but somehow she can afford to buy the secret to a treasure hoard? She’s desperate, and she’s heartless.
[BEAT]
NOOR
She sold my bracelets?
INEZ
Why don’t you ask him?
NOOR
…Baker?
BAKER
…I… wouldn’t put it past her.
NOOR
Oh. I… I see.
[A GUARD ROUNDS THE CORNER]
GUARD
Hey! You there, stop –
[INEZ HAS STABBED HIM]
[HE WHIMPERS, THEN FALLS]
INEZ
Shh, shh, shh…
[SILENCE]
NOOR
Inez, you –
BAKER
Killed him.
INEZ
Because you two are blabbering too loudly.
What, you want us to tie him up? Ask him nicely not to shout for help?
BAKER
But – to take another person’s life… Inez…
INEZ
What is it with you two? With all of you? We are on a rescue mission. It’s us, or it’s them. Kill or be killed. That’s the world we live in.
BAKER
“Other people are all we have. We look after our neighbours, and they look after us.”
INEZ
(laughs) Would you rather he’d taken your life?
[PAUSE]
No, I didn’t think so. Now let’s go, before his friends find him.
[EXT. NETAOANSOM – DECK]
[ALESTES AND ANH FIGHT, METAL CLASHING]
ANH
I thought you’d try to run without saying goodbye, but I didn’t bet on you being alone. What’s the matter, ‘Lesty, you abandon your new crew already?
[ALESTES STAYS SILENT. ANOTHER CLASH OF METAL]
Oh no, did they abandon you? That is tragic!
ALESTES
(gritted teeth) Do you have to speak – so – much, or can we kill each other in silence?
[A PAUSE IN THE DUEL]
ANH
You know what’s been bugging me: in all our years together, I would never have described you as a quitter. Plenty of things I hated about you, but to quit? Not you. Not my Alestes. Not until the day you ran.
ALESTES
So that’s a no on the fighting in silence, then.
[WITH A SHOUT, ANH LAUNCHES BACK INTO IT]
ANH
We work well together, ‘Lestes. Equals in a sea of filth. And if you wanted out from under the pig’s thumb, you know I would have killed him for you. In a moment!
[THEY STOP TO CATCH THEIR BREATH]
ANH
We could have taken everything, that night. You could have had a pretty life for yourself. You don’t want power? No responsibility? Fine, all fine! I’d have even taken in your old man, if it meant keeping you by my side.
But you left. You just – left. Why did you do that?
ALESTES
I have my reasons, Anh.
ANH
Tell me.
ALESTES
You won’t like my answer.
ANH
I’d rather not like you than be confused by you, Alestes.
[PAUSE]
ALESTES
I was trying to protect you.
ANH
Protect me? From what? You?
ALESTES
From him.
ANH
Gammon? What makes you think I need protecting from him?
I’m not a fool, Alestes. You’ve always been plotting something, I know it. You can tell me. You can trust me. I am the only person in the world who sees who you really are. Who you could be.
[SILENCE, THE CRY OF SEAGULLS]
ALESTES
He won’t make you his heir. Even now. Even this close to getting what he wants, to going back to England, honour restored. He’d rather blow the whole fleet up than hand it over to you. You’re going to shoulder the blame, Annie. He’s going to sell you out like you’re nothing. A human sacrifice.
ANH
(faltering) You, you say that like it isn’t part of my plan –
ALESTES
If you know his plans, why are you still here, doing his dirty work?
ANH
Tell me where I’ll get a better view of his demise than by his right-hand side.
ALESTES
(quiet) You’re deluding yourself, Anh. You always have been. How many chances have you had to kill the man? But here you still are. Still vying for his affections, like it’s some competition between us.
You’ll go down for him one last time, and you’ll have no-one to blame but yourself.
[ANH LETS OUT A CRY OF FRUSTRATION, AND LAUNCHES A NEW BOUT OF ATTACKS]
[INT. GAMMON’S HIDEAWAY – CORRIDOR – DAY]
[INEZ, BAKER AND NOOR STILL CREEPING THROUGH THE CORRIDORS]
TRIO, IN TURN
Siva? Siiivvaa?
SIVA
(whisper-shout) In here!
BAKER
There, that door –
NOOR
Siva!
[NOOR BACKS UP, THEN TRIES TO BREAK DOWN THE DOOR]
INEZ
Shh! Do you want the whole island to hear? Move out of the way.
[WITH A JANGLING OF METAL, INEZ BEGINS PICKING THE LOCK]
BAKER
Explosives, assassinations and now lockpicking? Who are you?
INEZ
Quiet, I need to hear.
[THE LOCK UNLATCHES]
SIVA
You came for me!
NOOR
Of course we came.
BAKER
Are you injured? Did they hurt you?
SIVA
I didn’t know if – I couldn’t remember where the exit was and I was just running around the garden and –
INEZ
(surprised) You escaped?
SIVA
They caught me and – Alestes was there and she said all these horrible things and then Mary said Anh was going to kill me!
[SIVA NEARLY STUMBLES]
BAKER
Whoa, steady. Lost your land legs already?
INEZ
We don’t have time for your fainting fits, Siva.
NOOR
Here – if you can’t stand, let me carry you.
INEZ
(frustrated) Let him walk.
NOOR
You take the bag, Siva, and then get on my back –
[SIVA HEFTS THE BAG, NOOR LIFTS HIM UP]
SIVA
Thank you.
BAKER
You’re safe, Siva.
NOOR
We’ve got you.
SIVA
I killed her, Noor. It was me. I killed my Nani.
NOOR
No, you didn’t.
BAKER
Whatever they told you, lad, they were lying.
SIVA
I did! If it wasn’t for me –
INEZ
Now we’ve found him, let’s burn this place down and run.
BAKER
Burn it –
What, what is that?
INEZ
Alestes’ magic turtles. Filled with gunpowder and a fuse. One here, the other by the storage room out back. I bet you that’s where they’ve packed their ammo. Boom, the whole place will go up in flames.
BAKER
No, Inez! Absolutely not!
INEZ
Keep it down. Do you want to draw their attention?
BAKER
We are not blowing the place up. There are people in this building who work here! People like Siva’s grandmother, who will get caught up in whatever revenge fantasy you’re acting out.
INEZ
How else do you expect them to learn their lesson? To make them –
NOOR
Siva – stop wriggling, or I’ll drop you!
GUARDS
(distant) Over there!
INEZ
Come on, let’s go –
BAKER
Not until you give me that bomb, Inez!
INEZ
‘kaloka–! [Translation: you piss me off!] Baker, you want this to end? To stop the bad people from coming after Siva? This is how we do that!
[SIVA JUMPS OFF NOOR’S BACK]
SIVA
Inez?
INEZ
Yes?
[SIVA SHOVES INEZ]
INEZ
Ow! What the –
[SIVA YANKS THE BOMB OFF OF INEZ – THEN RUNS]
INEZ
Hey! Bring that back! Where are you going, Siva!
BAKER
Run, lad! Get that bomb back to the ship!
GUARDS
You there! Stop!
INEZ
Noor, the bag – get me a weapon –
NOOR
Siva has it.
[THE GUARDS FILE IN, SURROUND THEM]
GUARDS
Hands in the air!
INEZ
Shit.
[EXT. NETAOANSOM – DECK]
[ALESTES AND ANH ARE BOTH EXHAUSTED FROM THIS FIGHT. ALESTES JUDO-THROWS ANH]
[THEY TAKE A MOMENT TO PANT]
ANH
Oh, Alestes, straddling me in broad daylight? Someone might see.
[SILENCE]
ALESTES
He told me to kill you.
ANH
What?
ALESTES
He told me to kill you. But I didn’t want to do that, and so here we are.
[ANH DIGESTS THIS]
ANH
You should have tried.
ALESTES
I’m not going to kill you, Anh. Not then, not now, not ever.
ANH
If you don’t, I’ll chase you down for as long as I live, and make your life hell.
ALESTES
Do you not have anything better to do with your time?
ANH
Nothing delights me as much as that look on your face, when you’re seconds away from losing control.
ALESTES
(gritted teeth) Anh –
ANH
Yeah. There it is.
[A DISTANT EXPLOSION – AND THEN THE STARTLED FLIGHT OF BIRDS. BOTH STOP.]
ALESTES
That came from –
ANH
The house.
ALESTES
…Was that your plan?! Distract me down here while your cronies blew him up –
ANH
And miss the chance to kill him myself?
[ANH USES THE DISTRACTION TO WRESTLE HER WAY ON TOP. SHE PULLS OUT HER KNIFE]
ANH
I prefer when you’re on top, but… I suppose I could get used to watching you lie there, powerless…
ALESTES
I have to go.
ANH
Why, so you can protect the people that abandoned you?
ALESTES
Anh.
ANH
…You’ll hurt a girl’s feelings, thinking about other people at a time like this.
ALESTES
(softly) I have to go.
[EXT. GAMMON’S HIDEAWAY – FORECOURT – EARLY EVENING]
[PART OF THE HOUSE BEHIND THEM IS BURNING.]
MARY
Bloody ingrates – the lot of them –
GAMMON
Don’t gripe, Mary. It’s not lady-like.
MARY
Our estate is burning down, Graham, the least you could do is –
GAMMON
Oh don’t be so dramatic, they barely damaged the West Wing.
MARY
The wing we reside in –
GAMMON
I am dealing with the issue, Mary!
MARY
“Dealing with it”? You have the culprits, have a guard kill them!
GAMMON
You think whoever else is out there will take kindly to us killing our only hostages?
INEZ
Oh, you two just love the sound of your own voices, don’t you.
[GAMMON KNOCKS INEZ OUT. SHE FALLS UNCONSCIOUS]
NOOR & BAKER
Inez!
GAMMON
Why does nobody understand that I’m not just playing around, here? Guard, truss that one before they wake up. You two, get on your knees or I’ll knock you both down next.
BAKER
(spitting) Go ahead.
GAMMON
Don’t test me, Baker, or I’ll shoot that one in the headscarf and you can watch their blood water my damned roses!
NOOR
…Let us do as he says, Baker.
[SILENCE AS THEY PRESUMABLY KNEEL]
GAMMON
Thank you. The rest of you guards, fan out, find whoever else is lurking in what’s left of my walls.
[THE GUARDS LEAVE]
GAMMON
You know, Baker, you’ll probably find this strange, but I’ve missed this! You and I, vying for Alestes’ allegiance. I concede, it was a shame she chose you… But God knows the young must make their own mistakes to learn from them.
MARY
Wise words from the likes of you.
GAMMON
I won’t tell you to be quiet again, Mary!
MARY
Good. Don’t.
[GAMMON MAKES A BITTEN-OFF FRUSTRATED NOISE, THEN CONTINUES:]
GAMMON
And after the year she’s had, I’m sure Alestes has had more than enough time to reconsider her… unfortunate decision.
BAKER
You think she wants to swan around in London with you?
GAMMON
God, no! No, no, no. She’ll stay out here, inherit my fleet, keep my interests alive, just in case I ever need them again.
Go ahead, have at it while we wait.
BAKER
Have at what?
GAMMON
I expect some sort of – (puts on Glaswegian accent) “Aye, ya don’t own her!” – type speech!
BAKER
Alestes speaks for herself.
GAMMON
Ohhh, oh. Well? Don’t stop there.
[SILENCE]
Oh, go on, Baker. I bet you’ve always wanted to tell me to go frig myself with a sharp instrument! Now’s your chance!
[MORE SILENCE, EXCEPT THE BACKGROUND TENSION OF HIGH STRINGS]
No? Really? Gosh, how dull. I could always… force you, of course.
[…]
Not even a flicker of fear. Well, you can’t say I didn’t have a good old stab at asking for your final words. I really, really did not enjoy your presence aboard my ship, Baker, and I’m so glad I will kill you myself.
NOOR
Baker–!
BAKER
Shhhhh. It’s fine.
GAMMON
Now, how do you want this? Gun to the back of the head?
[GAMMON COCKS THE GUN]
GAMMON (CONT’D)
We could build some stocks and get a noose…
MARY
Just shoot him and get it over with, Graham.
ALESTES
(distant, calling over, breathless) STOP!
GAMMON
Ah. Earlier than expected. That Anh really is not good at her job.
ALESTES
(out of breath) Let them go, Gammon.
GAMMON
Oh, so soft, now, Alestes. And for what? A couple of nobodies and a pathetic old man?
…What, no defending their honour?
ALESTES
They don’t matter to you. I do. Nothing I say changes that.
GAMMON
Guilty as charged.
ALESTES
So let’s trade. They go free, I re-join your crew.
GAMMON
You’d really do that, for them?
ALESTES
I don’t have all day.
GAMMON
And what’s to stop you from running away again, hm? Breaking contract to go “straight.”
ALESTES
(safe in despair) You own half the ports this side of the world, Gammon. Where would I run? Who would have me?
GAMMON
Well, I can’t say that I’m complaining – I certainly get the better end of this deal.
Run along, Baker. Shame I can’t kill you, but… I’m sure watching her choose me is punishment enough.
BAKER
Alestes –
GAMMON
Oh no no no no no. Didn’t you just tell me that she can speak for herself? She’s made a trade. Now remove your ship-stained friends from my lawn, and piss off.
ALESTES
Get them to safety, Baker.
BAKER
Alestes –
ALESTES
Go on. I’ll be fine.
[BEAT]
BAKER
(sighs) Noor, do you think you can…
NOOR
Yeah. I’ll carry Inez.
[NOOR PICKS UP INEZ]
[MOURNFUL MUSIC AS THEY WORK IN SILENCE, THEN SUDDENLY–]
SIVA
(from a distance) AaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
[SIVA BREAKS THROUGH THE TREE LINE]
NOOR
Siva?!
SIVA
EVERYONE LAY YOUR WEAPONS DOWN!
GAMMON
Or what?
SIVA
Or, or I’ll throw this!
GAMMON
…A turtle shell?
NOOR
The other bomb–!
ALESTES
You gave him bombs?!
GAMMON
…Let’s just calm down, hey, lad?
SIVA
Not until you free my friends!
GAMMON
They are free to go.
SIVA
I don’t believe you! I don’t believe anything you say!
GAMMON
So what? You’ll blow us up with them along for the ride?
SIVA
I’ll blow up the store room you’ve filled with ammo. No more estate.
MARY
Come now, child –
SIVA
YOU BE QUIET, “MARY,” if that’s even your real name!
ALESTES
Let’s start by taking a deep breath…
SIVA
Ooh, acting the Captain now, are we?! Where was that when you were slagging off my Nani?
ALESTES
Siva, it was a ploy to get you out of there!
SIVA
That’s what you’d like me to believe, isn’t it!
[CLICK. A FLINTLOCK PISTOL COCKS]
GAMMON
Do not shoot, Mary! I want him alive.
MARY
I don’t give a damn what you want, Graham, I won’t let him destroy what’s left of this house!
GAMMON
I will not allow you to ruin my plans with your disobedience any further!
MARY
And what about my plans, Graham?
GAMMON
My plans, your plans, what is the use in this pedantic –
SIVA
AAAHHHHHH! BE QUIET!!!!!!
ALESTES
Siva, let’s talk about this on the ship –
SIVA
Apologise for what you said about her!
ALESTES
Fine! Yes! I’m sorry, Nani.
Now let’s put the shell down and –
[SIVA THROWS THE BOMB – ALL CRY AS IT COMES TOWARDS THEM – BUT IT LANDS WITH AN UNDRAMATIC SPLAT IN THE MUD]
[EVERYONE GASPS FOR BREATH]
BAKER
Oh, thank God…
GAMMON
Thank God for a bad throwing arm!
ALESTES
What the HELL are you doing, throwing it over here?! We’re on YOUR SIDE!
SIVA
Don’t SHOUT at me!
ALESTES
I’m not shouting at you –
SIVA
You are – you always are – and it’s not nice!
BAKER
Hey, now, let’s –
ALESTES
Nice?! I’m here, aren’t I? Saving your useless ass yet again –
SIVA
I didn’t ask you to come!
ALESTES
And yet here I am anyway!
SIVA
I, I wish you would just – just stop being so high and mighty!
NOOR
Siva, Captain – please!
SIVA
All of you, always telling me what to do – you, and Inez, and Mary, and Nani, all of you, thinking I’m just some stupid kid who doesn’t know anything –
ALESTES
We wouldn’t be in this mess if you knew absolutely anything about how the world works, Siva.
MARY
Enough!
[SILENCE]
MARY (CONT’D)
Siva. Come here.
SIVA
…No.
MARY
Fine.
[THE GUN COCKS]
ALESTES
SIVA – GET DOWN–!
[MARY FIRES]
[ALESTES JUMPS IN FRONT OF HIM]
SIVA
…Captain?
GAMMON
You SHOT ALESTES!
MARY
I was AIMING for the boy!
SIVA
Captain!?
ALESTES
(pained) Don’t shriek at me, Siva, I’m fine. It’s barely… a scratch…
[ALESTES COLLAPSES]
SIVA
Alestes? Oh God –
BAKER
Noor, get Inez to the ship!
NOOR
But Siva–!
BAKER
Go!
[NOOR RUNS]
BAKER (CONT’D)
(to himself) She’s alright, she’ll be all right. (louder) Siva, get some cloth, I’ll stem the blood flow.
[SIVA RIPS HIS SHIRT AS BAKER CAREFULLY TURNS ALESTES OVER. CERAMIC SHARDS FALL OUT OF HER INNER POCKET]
SIVA
What – why was she carrying a plate in her coat?!
GAMMON
Alestes, is she –
SIVA
Don’t come any closer!
GAMMON
Some weapon.
SIVA
It’s sharp enough to gut you!
GAMMON
It’s a shard of plate, boy. Put it down before you hurt yourself.
[A DISTANT BELL BEGINS TO CLANG]
BAKER
Oh, what now?
SIVA
That’s the British alarm! They’ll be able to – oh no, they’re going to – ohhh no.
MARY
Graham, let’s go before the Lieutenant-Colonel sees you fraternising with these people.
GAMMON
I… I need to make sure that Alestes –
MARY
You are this close to the end of your ridiculous plot, Graham. I have jumped when you told me to jump, and I have danced when you told me to dance. We are NOT letting it fail because you’ve got to watch some thug die on our –
GAMMON
Alestes? Alestes, can you hear me? It’s me, Gammon. Just, just listen to my voice –
SIVA
STAY BACK!
GAMMON
Think carefully about who you’re attacking, boy.
MARY
Ignore him, let’s GO!
SIVA
Stay where you are, or you’re next!
[AND THEN: A SHARP BLADE SLITS THROUGH GAMMON’S NECK]
[A THUD]
MARY
Graham!
SIVA
…Anh?
ANH
Baker. Is Alestes…?
BAKER
Breathing, but…
GAMMON
(choking) …Mary… help…
MARY
Don’t try to talk, Graham, it’ll be fine, it’ll be all right. You’re going to be fine.
ANH
Take her and go, Baker.
BAKER
But –
ANH
Go! Run!
BAKER
…Thank you.
SIVA
She – she – slit his – he’s –
BAKER
Siva, come on, before the soldiers get here.
[BAKER HEFTS ALESTES ON HIS BACK]
ANH
Now. Which one of you shot her?
GAMMON
…Alestes… is she, is she…
MARY
Graham, stay with me…
ANH
Answer me!
[SILENCE, OTHER THAN THE BIRDS CHIRPING]
MARY
Graham? Graham! No! No, no…
ANH
What’s it going to be, Mary?
[BAKER AND SIVA BEGIN TO RUN]
BAKER
Eyes forward, Siva, don’t look back.
[BOOM! THE SECOND BOMB GOES OFF]
[EXT. NETAOANSOM – DECK]
INEZ
The alarm’s sounding.
BAKER
Great, you’re up, come with me.
NOOR
Kedge anchor’s down.
BAKER
Good job – get to warping us out. Siva, get that jib unfurled, when I’m back up on deck we’ll brace and get out of here.
Don’t just stare, go!
NOOR
Aye, Baker.
BAKER
Siva?
SIVA
I – I –
BAKER
Sails first, breakdown later. Inez, with me!
INEZ
Shouldn’t I help with –
BAKER
Grab your taxidermy tools and meet me in the sickbay.
INEZ
Oh – no – Baker, we need to get her to a surgeon –
BAKER
Get us sailing, Noor!
NOOR
Aye-aye!
[BAKER BRINGS ALESTES DOWN INTO THE HOLD]
INEZ
The soldiers, they’ll come straight here once they find out we were the ones who blew the place up –
BAKER
Better not waste our lead by dallying, then.
INEZ
And then Gammon and his fleet–!
BAKER
Gammon’s no longer a problem. But his fleet, yes. That’s why we need to hurry. Go on, get your tools!
[INEZ HURRIES OFF. BAKER ROLLS THE DOOR OF THE SICK BAY OPEN]
[HE LAYS ALESTES ON THE TABLE, CAREFUL]
BAKER
I’ve got you, Alestes. We’ll get through this, like we always do.
[INEZ ENTERS]
BAKER
Clean the wound. Get as many of those plate shards out as you can. The more we can prevent infection, the better. Watch her like a hawk.
[THE DOOR BEGINS TO ROLL SHUT]
INEZ
Wait, where are you going?!
BAKER
We need to go, Inez. I need to brace the mast.
INEZ
But I don’t know how to –
BAKER
You’ve got this, Inez. I believe in you.
[BAKER LEAVES]
INEZ
(to himself) You’ve got this, Inez. You’ve got this.
[INT. NETAOANSOM – DAY]
[THE SHIP IS SAILING AT A CLIP]
INEZ
– but to have been unconscious like this for days, now?
NOOR
If it was an infection, you’d think there would be some kind of smell, or fever…
INEZ
Maybe there was some… poison on the bullet?
SIVA
No. She looked bad before the bullet hit her. And then – after – she was still standing. But it looked like she was convulsing.
NOOR
And now the shallow breathing… the heart flutters…
INEZ
I bet you Baker knows, but he’s been keeping it from us. Trying to make her seem stronger than she is, you know. Prevent mutinies.
NOOR
Now is not the time for conspiracies, Inez!
INEZ
Keeping himself busy, so we can’t ask him questions –
NOOR
He is worried, and he is panicking. He is not being purposefully deceitful.
INEZ
You’ve always had a soft spot for him.
SIVA
Isn’t there something you could do, Inez?
INEZ
I’m a taxidermist, not a damned physician. And what’s she ever done for us, anyway.
SIVA
(softly) She’s come to save me, every time.
[INEZ SCOFFS]
NOOR
…We can’t just watch her slip away like this. We have to find her someone who can help.
INEZ
And where do you suggest we go? When word gets out that we attacked the Governor –
NOOR
We don’t know that it will. Anh and Mary might keep it under wraps.
INEZ
Or they might do the exact opposite of that and prevent us from docking anywhere off the coast of Asia!
[PENSIVE SILENCE]
[THE DOOR ROLLS OPEN]
BAKER
…Siva.
SIVA
Uh, yes, Baker?
BAKER
Take these.
[BAKER HANDS OVER MAPS, SIVA PAGES THROUGH THEM]
SIVA
The Atlantic – and the Caribbean?
BAKER
You’re on navigation. Plot us the quickest route West.
SIVA
I don’t know how to –
BAKER
Tools are on the Captain’s desk. You’re smart, you’ll figure it out.
SIVA
Oh. Uh. Aye, sir.
BAKER
Noor, Inez, with me.
NOOR & INEZ
Aye, Baker.
[EXT. JAMAICA – ELIZABETH’S HOUSE – EVENING]
[BAKER WALKS THE PATH TO ELIZABETH’S HOUSE AND KNOCKS ON THE DOOR]
ELIZABETH
You again, cousin.
BAKER
You remember me.
ELIZABETH
I remember the trouble that one gave me.
Come on in out the rain, then. Let’s save ourselves a Captain.
[THE SOUND OF A STORM – AND MIXING WITH IT, A CALMING VOICE:]
ZHU ANRAN
Hey hey, little carp
Flying through the river there
Watch how she swims
ZHU ANRAN & NDILISWA
Underneath sun-warmed streams
Dazzling collar made from beads
Dancing, dancing, dance upstream…
Face painted white and gold
Over cheeks and above eyes
Dancing, dancing, dance upstream
ZHU ANRAN
Watch how she swims
Dancing, dancing, dance upstream
Dancing, dancing, dance upstream
Dancing, dancing, dance…
[SHOW THEME – OUTRO]
ANNOUNCER
Trice Forgotten is a podcast distributed by Rusty Quill and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Sharealike 4.0 International License. The series is created by Nemo Martin and directed by Rafaella Marcus. Today’s episode was written by Nemo Martin and edited by Nico Vettese, Lowri Ann Davies, Katharine Seaton, and Catherine Rinella.
Trice Forgotten features: Rebecca Brough, Naomi Bartoo, Vic Zander, Shahan Hamza, Gigi Zahir, Ashley Goh, Lowri Ann Davies, Tim Meredith, James Makepeace. Additional voices by Helen Gould and Joe Bence. Trice Forgotten is produced by Lowri Ann Davies, Ian Geers, and production manager Natasha Johnston, with executive producers Alexander J Newall and April Sumner.
To subscribe, view associated materials, or join our Patreon, visit rustyquill.com. Rate and review us online, tweet us @therustyquill, visit us on Facebook, or email us at mail@rustyquill.com. Thanks for listening.