did you tell them? harry i was waiting for you.
not even jack? harry not even jack. the two of them look towards durrance for the first time. int. bar area.  the durbar court.  india office - night. durrance looks up as ethne and harry make their way through the crowd. he gathers himself, and walks towards them, concealing his feelings:
harry wanted to tell you before anyone else. it's my fault. i asked him to wait.
what if i hold the umbrella? harry i'd have to kneel.
nothing wrong with that. harry hands her the umbrella, bending under it.
you're very distant tonight. harry i'm locked in a barracks room all day.
what are you going to do in india? harry take you with me.
a hindu wedding? harry why not.
not on your life. she walks away with the umbrella, leaving him exposed in the rain.
i want the full works. the church near my home. a long speech from you. an entire regiment crossing swords. harry done.
i don't believe you. harry makes a rush and grabs her, eneveloping her in his arms.
you're soaking wet.
duty calls. harry feels the quiet regret in her voice. harry we've two days leave before we sail. once i tell them we're engaged i'm sure they'll give me more.
as long as you promise to make me miserable. argue with me all the time so i don't miss you a bit. her lightness is forced. harry you'll be fine.
you don't have to reassure me. i'm a soldier's daughter. everything under control. harry i've never kissed a stiff upper lip before. trench's voice bellows out again as they kiss: trench o. s goodnight, ethne's. goodnight, harry's. goodnight, goodnight, goodnight.  harrry and ethne ignore him, the rain falling all around them. int. regimental hall.  westminster barracks - night. the regimental song turns into a deafening roar. all around the mess hall, officers are laughing and banging on tables. harry and durrance stand on wobbly stools, downing pints of beer. as soon as their glasses are empty they set off down the hall at a sprint. it's an obstacle course. the two friends duck under two long tables, and crawl on their bellies, towards two more glasses. trench and castelton are busy laying bets on who'll win. durrance and harry step over a bridge of chairs. they have to find a pint of beer hidden under one of them. durrance finds his first. trench looks at castelton smugly, convinced he's going to win. harry and durrance step-walk over two long benches. durrance falls off. harry overtakes him. he throws his head back and finishes off another pint. castelton stands up, cheering. harry and durrance are level as they reach the last glass. as they start to drink harry stops, spluttering. harry this isn't beer, it's whisky. trench down in one! harry drinks again, but he's fallen behind. the pint of whisky disappears down durrance's throat. grinning, he makes his way towards the finish line. harry pours the whisky over his head, conceding defeat. ext. training ground.  westminster barracks.  london - day. an obstacle course of a different kind. the cavalry are training, galloping at full tilt, harry and durrance bringing up the front. at the sound of a bugle, they dismount their horses, and sprint towards a row of bayonets. they snatch up the weapons and charge a row of dummies.
how many days leave have they given you? harry how many days would you like?
they shouldn't have let you out of their sight. i'm going to kidnap you. harry i thought as much. this doesn't look like the way to your house. ethne laughs happily. harry can't quite bring himself to tell her yet. int. village church near ethne's home - day. dappled light shines in the small stone church. ethne takes harry under the arm, and walks him up the aisle. harry isn't this supposed to be bad luck?
seeing me in the wedding dress is bad luck. this is practice. ethne looks towards the church benches, as if she's greeting the guests. harry so i'm playing your father?
you have to be a little less steady on your feet. he's had a few to drink. harry how is he?
fine. he'll be thrilled to see you. ethne lets go of his hand as they reach the altar. she walks around him, and takes his other hand, as if he's the groom now.
"do you harry feversham -- harry -- you may kiss the bride." he tries to kiss her.
you can't jump ahead like that. you have to let me enjoy my wedding. it's your fault the real one isn't for another year. harry hesitates, finally seeing his opportunity. harry there's nothing to stop us getting married whenever we like, ethne. i've handed in my papers. a long silence. ethne stares at him, not sure she's understood.
when? harry yesterday. i'd been thinking about it for a while.
why didn't you tell me? was it because of me?
i would have supported your career. my mother did the same for my father. it's what's always been expected of me. harry i didn't think it was what you wanted. ethne still looks conflicted.
it is my fault harry. i gave you the wrong impression. i'm really much more stoical than that. it wouldn't have been easy, but i'd have coped. i love you far too much to let a year make a difference. harry it wasn't what i wanted for us. i love this place. i love you in this place. we'll help your father with the farm. we'll get it going again. we'll begin our lives together. ethne is silent, moved by his words. harry all i want is for you to be happy.
i am happy harry. she rests her head in his arms again.
as long as you're sure? harry of course i'm sure. he holds her close, kissing her hair, hiding his eyes from her. ext. courtyard.  ethne's home.  bintree - day dermod's dogs leap on harry as he jumps off the carriage.
which room do you want? harry the one with the connecting doors.
you must have imagined that one. int. the guest room.  ethne's house. day. sunlight fills the room as harry throws open the blinds. he takes a long look at the fields outside.
i see you've moved in already. harry why?
this one's addressed to you. she holds out the small parcel. harry walks over curiously.
a secret admirer? harry i wonder which one it is.
i'll open it, thank you. she undoes the wrapping. there's a small white box underneath. she opens the lid. there's nothing inside, except three white feathers, pinned to three visiting cards. ethne's about to make a joke when she suddenly sees how pale harry looks.
what is it? what does this mean?
i don't understand. harry these are feathers of cowardice. ethne laughs, nervously.
what a horrible joke. harry it isn't a joke ethne. they were sent in earnest.
by whom? who sent them? how dare they!.  harry willoughby, trench, and castelton.
you see it is a joke. they're your friends. she looks to harry for confirmation.
why are you saying that to me now? what is it harry? harry we were told on tuesday night that the regiment would be shipping out to the sudan instead of india. that we'd be seeing war within a week. i handed in my resignation the following morning. there's a long silence as ethne takes it in. like durrance she won't accept it.
i don't believe that's why you resigned. you wouldn't have come to me like this. you wouldn't have been able to look me in the eye. harry stares at her guiltily, tormented.
i don't believe you. three white feathers and our world is at an end. it can't be that simple.  and still he doesn't answer.
please harry.  you have to answer these charges.  harry i can't. all my life i've been following a path that's filled me with dread. i kept going because of the people behind me, and the people beside me, but all i wanted to do was turn and run. i didn't even have the courage to do that until i met you.
don't use me as an excuse. harry ethne --
-- this afternoon you told me you left the army because of me. or at least you made me believe it. tell me the truth? would you have resigned if we weren't engaged? there's a long silence. these are the hardest words harry's ever had to speak. harry yes. i would have resigned. i wouldn't have gone to war for anything. ethne stares at him a moment, then removes her engagement ring from her finger, and holds it out to him.
i've no right to call you a coward, but you are a liar. please take this back. harry takes the ring without protest. ethne turns and walks away. as she leaves she sets the feathers on the table, and closes the door behind her. harry listens to her footsteps fade. he walks towards the table. as he looks down he sees four feathers. ethne has snapped the fourth from her fan. very carefully, as if they were the most precious objects in the world, harry gathers them, his eyes shining with tears.
caroline read about your lecture in the times. we're both very proud of you.
would you mind if i didn't come with you caroline? i don't know the gilby's all that well.  caroline hesitates. we see the reluctance in her eyes, but she's far too dignified to show it.
that's six i've counted.
six married women, gawping at you. durrance smiles shyly, wondering if she's flirting with him. int. tea shop.  london - day. a tinkle of china and cutlery. ethne and durrance sit in a tea shop. ethne can't help sending up the place. she dabs her lips with her napkin, pretending to be all prim and proper.
no, it's lovely here. i'm teasing. durrance looks out of place in the surroundings, and nervous around ethne.
i want to hear all about the desert? she leans towards him, like a child waiting to hear a tale. durrance isn't sure if she's aware of the effect on him.
on what?
no. have you?
i know they had a falling out. she tries to sound casual, but durrance feels how much the thought of harry still pains her.
i don't as much as i used to. i certainly wasn't until you brought him up. there's a touch of reproach in her eyes, but also something flirtatious. it's as if she's forcing herself to put durrance above harry in her thoughts.
when do you go back?
so soon? durrance isn't sure how to read her disappointment. he feels conflicted about harry, but he can't help being drawn to her.
i thought the talk was fascinating.
you could always visit us in bintree. she feels her eyes drifting away from him, but she forces herself to look back, and holds his gaze. int. cave.  desert between egypt and sudan - day. harry opens his eyes painfully. his face is still battered and swollen from saadi's beating. as he picks himself up he sees gustave's body, lying exactly where the dinka slavegirl killed him, the jagged rock still embedded in his face. harry looks away as he hears a camel whinnying outside. ext. cave.  desert between egypt and sudan - day. the camel is tied by some rope to a jutting rock, a goatskin canteen slung over its back. harry realises the dinka girl he rescued has left them for him. he looks over the horizon. there's no sign of the dinkas, only the vast desert waste. ext. dunes.  desert between egypt and sudan - day. harry urges his camel up the steep slope of a crescent dune. his battered face is burnt raw by the sun, his skin covered in blisters. he looks out hopefully as his camel finally conquers the sandy peak, but all he sees in its place are miles and miles of rolling dunes. ext. water trough.  desert between egypt and sudan - day. harry's camel noses its way into a shallow water trough. harry almost drops off the animal in his haste to drink. he digs his hands into the mud and cups some of the precious liquid in his palms. it's only after he's drunk that he realises there are dozens of tics, stuck to his arms, and face. ext. desert between egypt and sudan - night. harry shivers in the cold night air, partly from the wind, but also from the fever he's caught off the tics. hands trembling, he burns the blood gorged insects off his arm with a glowing stick from the camp-fire. ext. shingles.  desert between egypt and sudan - day. harry's camel rears as it treads over the searing shingles. he topples off. eyes half shut, he grabs the reins, making sure the camel doesn't run off. he takes a knife from his pocket. harry . i'm sorry, i'm sorry.  he cuts a slash in the camel's hide and puts his mouth to it. he sucks up what little blood he can, and rolls the liquid around his mouth. ext. desert between egypt and sudan - night. harry talks to himself in the dark. his face is all puffed up with fever, his hair chalked with dust. above him the stars glimmer, promising another day of relentless sun. ext. desert hills.  desert between egypt and sudan - day. harry lies unconscious on the camel's back, roped to the animal. the camel noses it's way through the desert floor, coming across a few shrubs. it tears them out of the earth, and starts up the hill, in search of more nourishment. harry slides precariously down the camel's back. only the ropes hold him tight. as the camel finally reaches the top we see a vast plateau open up before us. the earth is still desert brown, but there are patches of green now -- and somewhere in the distance, the sky is blackening with rain. ext. streets of suakin.  sudan - night. a torrential downpour floods the narrow streets of suakin. a group of excited beggar boys lead harry and his camel through the rain swept alleyways. ext. local hotel.  suakin.  sudan - night. harry lies shivering on a bunk bed, overwhelmed by fever. an arab doctor treats his ravaged skin with balm. behind them the beggar boys argue with the arab hotelier, demanding more money for bringing the foreigner here.
it isn't stopping. ext. durrance's carriage.  street.  caroline's house - day. durrance stares ahead as the carriage passes caroline's house.
he might have thought i was going because i imagined he was helpless. i don't want him to feel like that. there's a quiet resolve in ethne's voice, as if she's been mulling over her future life with durrance. the doorbell rings.
that must be him. caroline gets up to answer the door. ethne walks to the window. her movements are nervous, her eyes tense. the door finally opens. durrance walks in, alone. as soon as ethne leaves the window he turns around and looks straight at her.
it isn't true then, you can see.
i hardly made a noise.
let me get you some tea, and then we can talk.
bound by what?
you're not a different man.
jack --
why does it have to be without me? her words make him hesitate.
if you don't know how i feel about you, then that's a good reason to call off our wedding. your blindness isn't. she stares at him, determined. durrance looks touched by her devotion, but still doesn't feel worthy of her love.
he seems to need his eyes less and less each day. it's incredible. nothing escapes him. sometimes i think he reads me like a book.
and you smell like a horse. go wash. ethne keeps smiling, even after durrance has gone. caroline watches her friend quietly, fighting the jealousy she feels within. a voice interrupts their separate thoughts: gardener o. s . someone to see you miss eustace. ethne looks up to see a uniformed officer, standing with the gardener, by the maze. she gets up curiously. ext. garden.  maze.  caroline's house - day. as ethne approaches the soldier she suddenly stops, recognising him. it's willoughby. willoughby i went all the way to bintree to find you. your father told me you were here. i'm sorry i came unannounced, i needed to talk to you alone.  ethne doesn't reply or return his smile. willoughby seems to read her thoughts. willoughby i understand how you feel, ethne. all i can say is that we never set out to hurt you. what happened was between us and harry, not the two of you.
what do you want, tom? willoughby hesitates, bracing himself. willoughby . i've seen harry. in suakin. he asked me to give you these.  he holds out two soiled white feathers. ethne stares at them, unable to speak, her whole world turned upside down. willoughby he risked his life to save our regiment. he fought as if he'd been born to it. i've come to tell you i've withdrawn my accusation of cowardice against him, along with castelton's.
is harry dead? willoughby he was fine when i saw him. he'd changed a great deal but he was in good health.
changed how? willoughby i didn't spend much time with him. i don't know what else to tell you ethne.
tell me everything tom. please.  if by your own admission you've hurt me, then i have a right to know. ext. patio.  caroline's house - day. caroline watches curiously from the patio, as ethne and the mysterious officer, walk into the maze, deep in conversation. ext. maze.  caroline's house - day. ethne and willoughby sit on a bench in the garden maze. willoughby . nothing prepared us for what happened. we were two miles short of abou klea when we were ambushed. we managed to hold off the enemy, but at a terrible cost. a few days later khartoum fell and the whole expedition was called off.  time dissolve back to:
i should have been proud of him before. or at least i should have tried to understand. willoughby you can't blame yourself.
why not, if you can. we all misjudged him, but i had the least excuse. he was the man i was supposed to love. suddenly a voice calls out: durrance o. s ethne.  they turn around, startled. durrance stands at the entrance to the maze. willoughby gets up nervously.
please, i don't want him to know you're here. willoughby stops. durrance looks in their direction. willoughby he can see us.
he can't see a thing. durrance reaches out and feels the hedge, finding his bearings, taking slow steps into the maze:
be quiet. durrance is only a few yards away from them now. he stares a moment, as if at ethne, then turns and walks back. ext. window.  caroline's house - day. caroline sees durrance, walking away from the maze, still calling out for ethne. ext. maze.  caroline's house - day. durrance's voice fades in the distance.
i didn't want him to find out what you just told me. willoughby harry was his best friend --
-- i'm engaged to jack. i'm going to marry him. willoughby stares in surprise. willoughby . i knew he'd proposed, i had no idea you'd accepted.  . i'd never have told you if i knew. i'm sure harry wouldn't have wanted me to.
i'm glad you did. i needed to know. do you know where harry is now? willoughby hesitates. willoughby he didn't tell me anything; i didn't feel i had a right to ask --
-- please, tell me the truth. there's no anger in her voice, only concern. willoughby looks torn. willoughby some of our men were taken prisoner. the dervishes took them south, in case we tried a rescue. trench was among the missing. ethne smiles sadly, as if she has her answer. willoughby harry may be determined but he isn't mad. he'll look for trench and then he'll come back.
he'll do whatever he has to do. there are still two feathers left. ext. window.  caroline's house - day. from her window, caroline sees ethne and willoughby, saying goodbye, walking off in different directions. as ethne approaches the house, caroline sees her gazing at something in her hand. int. stairway.  caroline's house - day. caroline walks down the stairs.
he was a friend of father's. he apologised for not introducing himself. he was in a hurry. caroline doesn't press. she notices the two white feathers in ethne's hand. int. living room.  caroline's house - night. ethne sits at the piano stool, still gazing at the feathers in her hand. she hears voices in the corridor. it's durrance, asking caroline where she is. ethne hears his footsteps approaching. she lifts up the piano lid and starts to play. the living room door opens. ethne ignores the quiet footsteps behind her. she feels durrance listening to every note. his hands cover her eyes gently.
who could that be.  she removes his hands from her eyes, and kisses them. durrance sits down beside her on the piano stool.
the melusine overture.
i'd rather listen.
what if she can't play at all.
i want to hear you play on your own. a moment's silence. then durrance turns back to the piano and starts to play -- quietly, tenderly. the haunting music breaks ethne's heart. almost involuntarily she starts to walk away from him, towards the open patio doors.
don't worry about the biscuits general. general feversham i wanted some myself. i need something sweet in the afternoons, otherwise i fall asleep. not today of course. ethne tries to answer his smile, but neither of them is particularly convincing. general feversham i'm very touched you've come all this way to tell me your good news. jack'll make you a wonderful husband.
he'll be pleased to hear that. general feversham i'm very fond of the boy. general feversham smiles weakly, and looks away. whatever they talk about seems to come back to harry. ethne finally broaches the subject:
have you heard any news from the sudan? general feversham hesitates. general feversham . an old friend of mine came to visit me yesterday, colonel sutch. you probably remember him.  ethne nods, panicking inside, sensing the old man's grief. general feversham . he used to receive the occasional letter from harry, letting him know that he was alright.  . harry made him promise not to tell me anything, unless the letters stopped. i'm afraid they did. over a month ago. ethne looks pale. she tries to hold back her tears for the general's sake.
i'm sure it doesn't mean anything. general feversham i asked some friends at the war office to make some enquiries. according to their spies, all the british prisoners are dead. ethne can't speak. the old man fights his tears as well. general feversham would you like to see his letters?
i'm not sure i could cope right now. general feversham no, of course not. i'm sorry.  ethne looks up, remembering his grief is as great as hers.
have you looked at them? general feversham oh yes. they make wonderful reading.  he travelled all the way from alexandria to suakin. across three hundred miles of desert. from there he followed the camel corp disguised as a coolie. he fought with them at abou klea, excelled himself by all accounts, saved dozens of lives. if he was still a soldier they'd have probably given him the victoria cross.
you must be very proud. the old man nods, suffering again. general feversham . there isn't a trace of fear in the writing. that's what i find so hard to understand. that someone could be so terrified of going to war; and yet when the time comes to face it for real, he embraces it, almost gratefully.
we all misjudged him. general feversham you only knew him a short time. i had no excuse. seeing him overcome by guilt and grief, ethne gets up and takes his hand. general feversham holds hers tightly. general feversham my son loved jack durrance like a brother. i know he'd be happy for you. he'd want you to live your lives. ethne nods gratefully, unable to speak, her whole world falling apart. ext. courtyard.  prison.  omdurman - day. the prisoners tear and claw at each other like wild animals, desperately trying reach a scrap of meat that's fallen to the floor. harry is in the thick of the fighting, elbowing and head-butting people out of his way. he's changed beyond recognition, and it isn't just physical. he fights with a primal savagery, oblivious to everything except the precious scrap of food. he finally gets hold of it, and swings his elbow round, breaking another prisoner's nose. ext. river's edge.  courtyard.  prison.  omdurman - day. trench lies by the riverside, sweating and shivering from fever, his eyes sunken back into his skull. harry kneels beside him, covered in blood. he holds out the scrap of meat. harry . trench. food. you have to eat. trench can't move his jaw, let alone eat. harry chews the meat for him. when it's soft between his teeth, he spits it out, and feeds trench with his fingers. for all the primal horror, there's a touching human tenderness in the moment. suddenly a pair of hands grab harry by the hair, and drag him away from trench. it's idris. the giant prison guard tears the scrap of meat from harry's hands and kicks him in the ribs for good measure. spitting out blood, harry crawls after him, no longer having to play the madman, he's halfway there. harry food master, food master please.  idris lashes him with his whip. harry's body arches in pain but his brain hardly registers. he kisses the ground at idris's feet, still begging for his scrap of food back. harry food master. food.  idris walks away in disgust. int. house of stone.  prison.  omdurman - night. harry holds up the semi-conscious trench, as they're buffeted around in the house of stone. the other prisoners try to push them under, but harry defends trench with the savagery of a veteran. a prisoner tries to blind trench with his hands, but harry grabs his fingers, sinking his teeth in as far as they will go. int. house of stone.  prison.  omdurman - day. daylight streams through the open doors. harry rests trench against a wall, and scavenges amongst the bodies of the dead, searching for any money they may have hidden. ext. courtyard.  prison.  omdurman - day. harry runs over to hassan, and drops to his knees in supplication, holding out a copper coin: harry food master. food. my master needs food. hassan holds out his arm to reveal a stump where his hand should be. hassan this is what idris gave me for helping your master.  there's some food. hassan turns and walks towards the fortress gates. the other prisoners scramble after him, desperate to receive their daily handout from their relatives. harry thinks about wading in and fighting them for it, but he has no energy left. he collapses in the sand, staring up at the sun. as he closes his eyes, he suddenly hears a whisper: arab boy o. s english.  harry looks up to see a small arab boy, approaching him. the boy stops as he sees harry's ravaged face, frightened by his mad, staring eyes. harry sees the piece of chicken in his hand, and waves him over. the arab boy finally kneels down, and offers him the chicken bone. harry snatches it and gnaws on it like a hungry animal. it's only when he examines the meat, making sure there's enough left for trench, that we realise how human he still is. he slips the half eaten chicken bone in his robes, and looks at the arab boy gratefully. the arab boy holds out some coins for him.
everyone said how much you'd changed. i didn't believe them. harry do i look that bad?
trench came to see me last week. he looked a good deal worse than you. harry he's suffered more.
that isn't what he told me. she stares at him with quiet pride.
may i have it back? harry that isn't why i came.
i'd still like it back. i have three of them, i'd like four. harry stares at her, then takes out the fourth feather. harry i'm almost sorry to let it go. it's brought me a lot of luck these past few months. ethne takes the feather, unable to look at him. she stares at it in silence.
when did you get back? harry two weeks ago. she looks hurt that it's taken him so long to come and see her, but she knows she has no right to expect more.
i'm glad you did what you did, on your own, without anyone's help. i'm glad for you, harry. harry i did nothing on my own. you were with me the whole time. the tears begin to shine in her eyes.
you've heard our news?.  harry yes. ethne nods, unable to continue. harry i didn't come here to change your mind. the most i hoped for -- and i hoped for it every day -- was that i could do enough to save the memory of what we had. so that you wouldn't always be ashamed of the time we spent together. ethne is too ashamed of herself to answer him. her eyes drift to a crack of sunlight on the church wall, glinting through the stained glass windows. harry what are you thinking?
you'd laugh if i told you. harry that might not be a bad thing.
i was thinking i'd get up and leave when that patch of sunlight disappeared. so far it's been quite resilient. she smiles gently. for a moment they're the harry and ethne of old.
i passed by your appartment the other day. harry when?
when you didn't come and see me.  i was in london for the day. it took me hours to pluck up the courage. when i finally drove by, your lights were off. harry i've hardly been out since i got back.
it was last friday. between five and six. harry i'd gone to see my father.
someone must be watching over us. the sunlight lingers precariously on the wall.
it will pass. you'll meet someone soon. then you and her, and jack and i, will sit over tea and chatter politely, as if there was never anything between us. harry that won't happen.
it has to happen. because i love you harry. and i can't. i can't. the sunlight on the wall finally fades. ethne wipes her tears and gets up to leave. as she tries to walk past him, harry takes her in his arms. she doesn't resist. if anything she's relieved. they stay like that for a moment, holding each other, unable to do anything else. we feel their desperate longing, but there's a self imposed wall that keeps them apart. ethne pulls away gently.
i'll take you to the station. he nods. harry i wanted to look in on jack. i'll leave him a note.
no, he'd love to see you. he's staying at the vicarage. it's on the way. they're polite around each other now, like strangers. ethne slips past him with an awkward smile. harry waits before he follows her. they walk down the aisle, several feet apart. int. durrance's room.  vicarage.  glenalla - day. durrance sits at a table, knotting his tie. there's a determination in his eyes, as if the smallest activity has become a battle to be won. suddenly he hears the noise of ethne's carriage outside. his face lights up. he feels his way towards the window. the carriage door takes a long time to open. durrance stares curiously. finally he hears footsteps on the gravel. they're heavier than he expected. they stop a moment. durrance knows whoever it is, is staring up at him in the window. he looks thoughtful now, as if he knows who it is. he turns away from the window and finds a chair. he sits, facing the door, checking to make sure the carafe of scotch and the crystal glasses are within easy reach. the footsteps climb the stairs. there's a knock on the door.