The Tripods (1984) s02e02 Episode Script

Travel

(MEN SHOUTING) WILL: Look! -Beanpole's lot.
-They must be crazy.
-In open country like that? -But where's Beanpole, though? In the woods, probably.
He knows this area is full of Tripods.
(TRIPOD THUDDING) (WILL SHUSHING) -They're coming through the trees! -I told you so.
Spread out! Stand each at the base of a tree.
Kate! Josh! Look out! -Will! -I must find Beanpole.
WILL: Beanpole! Beanpole! It would be better for Beanpole to travel with you two now, even though barge skipper won't like it.
What is he like? Ulf's a bad-tempered fellow.
But it's his boat, and he knows the river and he knows the Black Guards, so you do as he says.
You'll see the river in daylight, follow it downstream and you'll come to the ancient city of Basel.
In the harbour there is where you'll find the Erlkonig.
Come on, Henry.
We must be in position by dawn if we're to observe more of these Tripod manoeuvres.
-Good luck.
-Goodbye, Will.
So, we come to the parting of the Parkers, yes? -Well, goodbye, Fritz.
-Goodbye.
Goodbye.
-And good luck.
-To you, too.
Imagine what it must have been like before the Tripods came, hundreds of boats passing up and down here each day.
From here, we travel by day.
Like official athletes on our way to the Games, we must accustom ourselves to living the normal life of the capped.
We leave now.
We're a two-man barge.
One extra boy is fair enough.
We start apprentices that way, but any more would draw notice and I'm not having that.
So, when we're tied up and in view of the Black Guards, you'll take it in turns to work on deck.
And when I say work, I mean work.
Eh? And the other two must stay below and not come up for anything, is that clear? Yes, Captain.
-Hmm? -Yes, sir.
Good.
So, I won't think twice about dropping somebody off who is out of line.
WOMAN: (GROANING) Ulf! -His wife.
-But -She's sick.
-It sounds like agony.
The cap is supposed to protect from sickness, is that not so? She's not capped, is she? Precisely, and neither are we, which means we could be open to infection.
(SHUSHING) Is she very ill? She has the plague.
And what treatment does she have? If she goes to a doctor, he'll call for an examination of the cap.
When they find it to be false, the Tripods will cap her, and then discover the secrets of the network.
Yeah, that's what the Captain fears.
-He should not have allowed us on board.
-Shut up, Fritz.
This is a danger to our mission.
-We should leave the boat.
-And how will we get to the Games? Walk? Perhaps we can help her.
-And risk infection? -She's one of us, man.
If she's in need of help and we can give it, it's a reasonable return for putting their lives on the line to get us to the Games.
(GROANING) (SHUSHING) In Wurttemburg, I'll find something to ease your pain.
Please don't make me sleep.
-I need to fight it.
-To do that, you need strength.
You must relax.
Take a little food or drink, and if possible, you must sleep.
-It is not possible.
-I know.
I know.
I was trained for the Games myself last year.
-Oh? What event? -Javelin, but I wasn't chosen.
So you were in the White Mountains, too? Yeah.
But after the selection, I was sent down here as part of the network.
Ulf, too, of course, and Petra.
They met in the White Mountains.
PETRA: Ulf, please! Water! Ulf, water! No, Will, we must fetch Ulf.
The problem with you is you have no discipline of any kind.
You're impetuous and dangerous.
Get out of my way.
You seem to have no idea what's at stake here, the enormity of the task that Julius has entrusted to us.
-Get out of my way! -No! -Come on, Fritz, leave it! -Let go of me! -Leave it! -ULF: All hands, we've lost power! Where's the other boy? Take us far forward, see what water we've got.
On deck! All hands on deck! No, that's not the problem.
We have too much steam.
Get away from there, boy! What are you doing? Please, Captain.
He knows more than I.
Power us down! Full ahead.
-Know about that contraption, do you? -A little, monsieur.
Then you spend the rest of the journey teaching that nincompoop, who knows nothing.
(KNOCKING LIGHTLY) -I told you to -Don't send us away.
Look, we've been discussing amongst ourselves.
Beanpole thinks if he can Know all about the body as well, do you? WILL: He has a great interest in all the sciences, as the ancestors called them.
I think, from what I've heard, that you really have nothing to fear.
BEANPOLE: Come.
Your wife, how long has she been ill? -The sores and fever together? -Mmm.
-About 10 days.
-And the sores spread? -Mmm.
-But you have no symptoms yourself? -No sore throat, temperature? -No.
-Only exhaustion.
-Oh, please, allow me to examine her.
-No! Absolutely not.
-But 10 days already.
If it was the plague, by now you would be showing.
It may be impetigo, with a high fever.
If so, there are herbs and berries we can pick and prepare.
In Wurttemburg, there's an apothecary.
I hope to bribe him for something to ease the pain.
Go on, boys.
Boys, you're good.
But Petra, she's my responsibility.
(ULF SHOUTING ORDERS) -Oh, fantastic! -Vraiment fantastique! And look at this.
Look, it's the work of your ancestors.
It must be more than 150 years old.
It won't have been used like this for all of that time, but they've certainly made it well.
Do you understand how it works? The basic principles I understand, but the details Boys.
I'm going ashore, and I'll be back by noon.
Now, Wurttemburgers are very suspicious of strangers from the South and very keen to uphold the laws of the Tripods.
Fritz will be allowed on deck as the official apprentice, but you two must stay out of sight below until we're clear.
-Is that understood? -Yes, sir.
-Will? -Yes, yes.
There's danger enough in what I have to do.
OFFICER: Erlkonig, anyone aboard? (SHUSHING) Stay very quiet.
PETRA: Ulf! Ulf! (GROANING) She'll bring the Black Guard on board, you fool! (SHUSHING) Black Guard.
We have a cargo of clocks from Basel for Cologne.
The captain's name is Ulf Reinhart.
-Tell him to report to my office.
-Well, he shouldn't be too long, sir.
I expect him.
-PETRA: You should not be here.
-Nor should the Tripods.
Ulf has told me about you.
You are from England.
Yes, and Jean-Paul here's from France.
-Is there anything we can get you? -No.
No, thank you.
You must go now.
I'm sorry.
When I wake, I don't know where I am.
Madame, please, may I examine your hand? -You must not touch me! -I have some knowledge.
If a doctor could not touch his patients, how could healing begin? WILL: These okay? That's perfect.
Excellent, Will.
-No sign of Ulf? -No.
-Fritz thinks he's in trouble.
-He would.
This is arnica to soothe your pain.
Thank you.
This is calendula for the sores.
I will put that on.
-It is not very pretty.
-But you will do it? I will.
Thank you.
Both of you.
We should go and search.
It is already well past noon.
If he's not back in one hour, I shall commandeer the boat.
What? Our orders from Julius are to win the Games by getting to the Tripod city.
Ulf is subject to orders from Julius also.
I do not intend to let anything get in the way of that.
Are you in this? I am determined to carry out my orders.
I do not intend to be delayed any longer.
-Is he serious? -Never more so in my life.
-Then you're out of your mind! -Keep away! Look! Instead of getting at each other's throats, why don't we go and find out what's happened to Ulf? Give us an hour.
In spite of this, it'll be better for all of us if we can go on together.
In my judgement, you are now a liability to the mission.
That was not Julius's opinion.
If you leave the boat, that is your affair.
If you are not back by dusk, I shall go on without you.
What's the boy done? He's been found guilty of stealing two apples from a store, and he's been condemned to the pit for seven days.
(PEOPLE CHATTERING) What's the matter? The company not good enough for you, eh, boy? I'm looking for someone.
Oh, yeah? Well, there's plenty of good people here.
But then, you're a foreigner, aren't you, eh? -From the Tyrol.
-Ah, I thought so.
And on your way to cheat at the Games again, no doubt, eh, boy? Hey, Heinrich! This is Heinrich Trautwein.
Here is the boy who should have been champion of the Games last year.
(PATRONS AGREEING) But he was felled in the final by a weighted punch from a Tyroler.
(PATRONS GRUMBLING) How'd you like to redeem that dishonour now, eh, boy? PATRONS: Yeah.
Yeah.
By drinking the health of our Heinrich Trautwein, the uncrowned champion of the Games! (PATRONS CHEERING) Heinrich Trautwein! ALL: Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink! Drink! A champion.
We have a champion.
Good night, sir.
(PATRONS EXCLAIMING) Heinrich! Heinrich! Oh, you want a fair fight, eh? Well, here in Wurttemburg, we will supply you with a fair fight.
(LAUGHING) -Where are the others? -They went to look for you.
-What? -I told them we would leave without them if they were not back by dusk.
-You did, did you? -I did, sir.
And I insist that we do.
You think you're the captain now, do you? (PATRONS CHEERING) Do you think you can beat me without cheating? You Tyroler cheat! Well done, Heinrich.
Well done.
(PATRONS EXCLAIMING) (SHOUTING) Why, you! You little cheat! You, you cheating -BOY: Too bad you woke up.
-Eh? Best not to know what's coming.
What? The Black Guards reckon it good sport to start the day by stoning to death anybody they find in here.

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