"From the Marquesas to the Celebes, from Sumatra to the Hawaii's, the idyllic peace and beauty of the South pacific lay undisturbed for centuries, but the white man came eventually." "He rolled it up, put it in his pocket, and took it home to sell." "His great trading empires, like Batjak, limited, the Batjak of the Dutchman..." "Mayrant Sidneye reached out everywhere..." "Hungry, greedy, demanding." "It was in the year 1860 that I shipped out on the Red Witch, the flagship of the Batjak line, under the command of captain Ralls." "Stand clear!" "Wet them down, Mr. Loring." "They can go some more." "Mr. Arrezo..." "Water." "They've had enough, captain Ralls." "Did I ask your opinion?" "You're getting it." "Anybody else who wants to fight aboard this ship can see what he'll look like when he's through!" "Now throw them in the brig." "Follow me, Rosen." "Strange, sadistic, and cold." "His eyes seemed to hold some hidden story, yet he commanded loyalty and a strange devotion from those about him." "I was one of them." "My name is Rosen, Sam Rosen, and this is my story." "Hand me a pair of those glasses." "Careful, are you?" "Yes, sir." "What would you say if I told you" "I was going to throw you in irons?" "Say?" "You're the captain." "If I object, mutiny, but you'll be making a mistake." "You got your master's papers?" "Yes, sir." "I don't know what you were doing on the beach when we picked you up." "That's your business." "But I've had an eye on you." "You seem to know what you want, and I think I know what it is." "Nice round pieces of silver." "Round enough maybe to roll right into a court of inquiry." "As long as they don't stick on the deck there." "All right." "Our sailing orders call for a meeting with an American ship at Davao in the Philippines." "Course is to the Carolines and due west." "Now, somewhere around longitude 149, 3 degrees South, we're going to need a new mate." "Named Rosen?" "Named Rosen." "That's for the benefit of the crew." "Is that clear, Mr. Arrezo?" "Aye, sir." "Ripper, what are we doing on a starboard tack?" "Mr. Loring's orders." "I told you port tack." "I thought you said starboard." "What's the matter with you lately?" "You look tired." "Are you sleeping?" "Not very well." "No." "You worry too much." "Yes, sir." "Now listen carefully, Mr. Loring." "Head due north one hour, then west by South for St. George's channel." "That's off our course, sir." "Is it?" "Don't you know our destination?" "Davao." "What course would you follow, the Southern, or the Caroline skirt?" "We were mapped due north to Kieta, but as you say, sir." "I don't like it, Mr. Arrezo." "That man's sick." "Loring's been acting like he's off his rocker." "Bring him to my cabin in a few minutes." "Mr. Rosen!" "Know who owns this ship?" "Batjak limited." "Know what Batjak is?" "Mayrant Sidneye." "Sit down." "Know anything about him?" "Only that he owns most of this part of the world." "I've sailed this ship for him a long time, and he has great confidence in his captains, but..." "Loring?" "Very noble character." "Protector of cargoes." "Especially protective now." "See, we're carrying a cargo of $5 million in bullion." "That's why I'm scuttling this ship." "(KNOCK ON DOOR)" "Come in." "What's your course, Mr. Loring?" "Why, due north." "Your head cold, Mr. Arrezo?" "I said head this ship 2 points west from north." "But, sir, I..." "I'm sorry to contradict you, captain." "You said due north." "Mr. Arrezo, what did I say?" "West, sir." "Mr. Rosen?" "West." "And that's the way it's entered in the log." "Nobody told you to sit down, Mr. Loring." "Captain, what are you trying to do?" "Do, Mr. Loring?" "If I keep changing the orders around, the crew will think I'm crazy." "Not just the crew." "But you're not, Mr. Loring." "You're just a sick man." "Need attention." "Look at me." "Turn your head to the left." "To the left, Mr. Loring." "Hmm..." "Put him to bed, Mr. Arrezo." "To protect the crew, keep him locked in his cabin." "Locked in my cabin?" "This is a trick!" "It's all right, Mr. Loring." "Now you got no more worries." "You're crazy." "This is going too far." "Off to bed." "I take it we're near longitude 149." "Very close, Mr. Rosen." "I want you to remember every detail of what happened today." "The court'll connect our stories." "Another thing..." "Tomorrow, make sure this position reaches the ears of the crew." "Where will we really be?" "Right here under short sail." "You and ripper take over the watch." "Head her into the sun." "Yes, sir." "No questions?" "No, sir." "I follow orders." "One night, while skirting the Caroline reef under shortened sail, there was a feeling of tension, uneasiness throughout the ship." "Ralls was in his cabin in one of his black, strange moods." "I sensed that tonight" "I would know something about him..." "The man who held the destiny and fate of all of us in his hands." "(DOOR OPENS)" "I got out, Ralls." "You're not going to keep me locked up, not now or any other time." "I know what you're trying to do, and I'll stop you." "I'm taking this cargo to Davao, even if I have to... (CRASH)" "Get forward!" "(GLASS BREAKS)" "(KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK)" "Mr. Loring picked a bad time to break out of his cabin." "How so?" "I've been expecting to see them bottles." "Ralls was drunk, huh?" "Yeah." "Only not like you and me." "Does he do it often?" "Once in a while." "He's a good man most of the time, but when he gets like that, he's bad." "Why does he do it?" "Maybe he remembers things." "What things?" "I don't know." "His whole life, I guess." "It was near dusk." "We were heading into the rays of the fading sun." "Though the plan was set," "I felt Ralls was destroying a part of himself in sinking the Red Witch." "We all set?" "Yes, sir." "Give me the wheel." "Get to your station." "All hands abandon ship!" "Mr. van Schraeven, do you want to question this man on behalf of Batjak?" "There's no need." "Thank you." "Captain Ralls' defense is based on the ship's log and Mr. Loring's supposed insanity." "Batjak, that is my brother-in-law Mayrant, whose illness prevents his being here, believes that Mr. Loring is sane, that the log's entries are false." "It's the only log there is." "Yes, Mr. Ralls, you made certain of that, but there are other points which have yet to be brought up." "One is you sailed contrary to orders after you'd been relieved of your command." "First time I'd heard that." "Mr. Loring, did Mr. Ralls receive a note from Mr. Sidneye a few hours before sailing?" "Yes." "I brought it to the ship myself." "What was in that note?" "I don't know that, sir." "Mr. Arrezo, did Mr. Loring bring me a note?" "No, sir." "He came aboard empty-handed." "Empty-headed, too." "You're a liar, Mr. Arrezo." "Ralls, I gave you that note as sure as I'm in this room." "Are you sure you're in this room?" "Captain Ralls!" "Mr. Loring, please." "Very well, then, disregarding the note, perhaps Mr. Ralls can explain this in terms of Mr. Loring's mental health." "If the Red Witch sank in the position indicated in this log, why did it take the survivors only 12 hours to reach a place that should've taken 50?" "My explanation to that is, unfortunately, you were picked up sooner than you expected." "Will you explain this, captain Ralls?" "I see." "(CROWD MURMURS)" "(GAVEL POUNDS)" "Captain Ralls, it is the purpose of this investigation to determine whether or not an act of barratry has been committed." "In the event that it has, we command you be held for further investigation." "The evidence presented..." "Mr. prosecutor, I've just received a communication from Mr. Sidneye." "Batjak limited withdraws its complaint." "(CROWD MURMURING)" "The court is adjourned." "Pardon me." "Jail don't bother me none, but that Sidneye, he's something else." "Once he gets his hands on you, you never get free." "Captain, old ripper's scared." "What are your plans?" "Picking up a little schooner." "Keeping out of sight." "There's plenty of island routes where they've never heard of Sidneye." "In a year or so, we'll head back for the witch." "How do we live till then?" "Fishing." "We'll cut up ripper and use him for bait." "That's a better deal than he'll get from Sidneye." "I can't understand why Sidneye dropped the charge." "They had us good." "He's got his own ideas, and his own ideas I don't like." "I'm telling you, Sam, that Sidneye's a bad one." "A fella did something to him once, and he put this fella in the mountains with cannibals." "They gave him a ring in his nose." "Ripper's only wearing a ring in his ear." "Hello, Munsey." "I thought you'd settled down." "How's her majesty's Navy?" "Still able to fire a shot across your bow." "Looks as if you got yourself into real trouble." "Not at all." "You were at the hearing." "That means nothing." "Mayrant Sidneye's a big man." "He doesn't let go so easily without reason." "Agreed." "He's hard and tough and crafty." "So I've heard tell." "No one's beaten him yet." "Does that include your majesty's Navy?" "The Navy has infinite patience." "We shall reckon with Mijnheer Sidneye sooner or later." "That goes for me, too, eh?" "Definitely." "How about a drink?" "Why not?" "This may be our last together." "Ralls said we'd spend a year fishing, and that's what we did." "It wasn't that lazy, basking in the sun sort of thing like fishing for pleasure." "This was a relentless game of hide-and-seek that kept gnawing at us day and night." "We bought an old schooner, the Melbourne queen, and sailed the little-known routes." "Every port we hit, there was either Munsey or Batjak..." "One or the other always there watching, waiting." "We didn't mind at first." "The constant tension of being spied on gradually wore our nerves raw." "Ripper worried about Batjak." "I worried about Munsey, but if I'd known then what ripper knew," "I would've..." "Anyway, I finally bought a map of a pearl island from a sailor in a Singapore saloon." "We went to see if we could find it." "Well, she isn't on the charts, but she's there, all right." "Maybe we struck it lucky." "About time." "By the teeth... 9!" "Hard and fast, ripper." "(DRUMS BEAT)" "That ain't on the map." "(DRUMS BEAT CLOSER)" "Ha ha ha ha!" "Welcome, captain Ralls." "It's so very good to see you." "To what do I owe this visit?" "To our mutual weakness, Mijnheer..." "Greed." "And this well-planted map." "It's a big surprise, isn't it?" "I'll give you credit for that." "Last time we met," "I vowed the next time I'd give you a surprise you'd never forget." "Went to a lot of trouble." "It'll be worth it." "I don't believe in an eye for an eye." "No." "I always take two eyes." "But you got to get your hands on them first." "I've got my hands on them." "So I suggest you prepare yourself for an extended visit here." "I thought I'd lie in awhile, but I can't afford to expose myself to scurvy." "So I may change my mind." "Oh, but you won't because you're my guest here, and as my guest," "I prefer you accept my hospitality until I'm ready for you to go." "So you'll join me at dinner tomorrow night?" "It'll be rijsttafel." "Sorry." "No rijsttafel." "Can't stand curry." "Tsk tsk." "That's too bad." "Perhaps you, Mr. Rosen, will join me and make up, in part, for the captain's absence." "Is that, uh..." "Just an old trader, Sam." "Sidneye." "Come on, boys." "Make it fast." "What's all the commotion?" "That's fresh water, captain." "I'll be ready soon." "Ready for what?" "Ready to shove off fast as we can." "Ripper's idea..." "I think a good one." "We're not shoving off." "We're after pearls, remember?" "The oysters can keep 'em." "Yesterday all you could think of was pearls." "Well, here's where they're supposed to be." "We're welcome to 'em." "Let's go." "What about Sidneye?" "He ought to be getting used to having things taken from him." "Give me those glasses." "Take a look across that inlet." "What do you see, Sam?" "Something bad, huh?" "It's not good." "Looks like ripper was right." "That fellow plays rough." "Let's tell Sidneye where the gold is and get out." "I've come as far as I'm going to." "From now on, Sidneye comes to me." "You're sure he will?" "Very." "He wants me more than that gold." "He wants us all." "I don't think so." "What makes you so sure?" "Never mind." "What do you mean, never mind?" "It's my neck, too." "I want to know why." "You're not in as deep as you think." "My book says different." "We got to go, even if it means rowing 1,000 Miles." "It'll be that first mile that'll be the tough one, ripper." "Joking isn't going to get us out of here." "Who bought that map?" "OK." "It's my fault." "Not at all." "I just wondered if you had any plans." "No." "Have you?" "One or two." "I don't know what besides gold is going on here, but I'm going to find out what it is." "Sidneye might tell you." "Ask him." "That's what I ought to do." "Ohh..." "Where you going, Sam?" "To get a breath of fresh air." "Shove off." "You'll breathe longer here." "Come on." "Get those empty casks back here." "More water?" "We'll have plenty for when we sail." "We just need the wind up and the gates down, eh?" "You betcha." "Miola, lower away that skiff." "Where you going, captain?" "Get a breath of fresh air." "(SPLASH)" "You are Mr. Rosen." "That's right." "I am Talia van Schraeven." "I know." "I've seen you before." "Oh." "You remember?" "As though it were yesterday." "You're coming to dinner tonight, aren't you?" "I've been invited." "Does that mean perhaps you won't come?" "Maybe." "Good." "What?" "Every minute you're on this island, you're in danger." "People watch your every move." "Are you going to be there?" "Why?" "Where?" "At dinner tonight." "I have no choice." "Hello." "Why did you come?" "You said perhaps you wouldn't." "We changed my mind." "You're being very foolish." "No more than usual." "Did you see anyone on your way?" "Only you." "Go back." "Go back." "How can you be so blind?" "This place is full of hate." "It's everywhere." "It's reaching out at you..." "And captain Ralls and your whole crew." "You've got to get away." "Now..." "All of you." "Through the gate?" "The gate can be lowered." "How?" "Well, we have one guest anyway." "Come in, Mr. Rosen." "Come in." "Are you alone, Mr. Rosen?" "All alone." "Captain Ralls didn't care to come?" "Said he wasn't hungry." "I see." "Well, evidently you are." "We shall accommodate you." "May I present my old friend Jahrma." "This is Mr. Rosen, captain Ralls' first mate." "How do you do?" "How do you do?" "And, uh," "Dr. van Arkin, this is Mr. Rosen." "How do you do?" "I believe you and Mr. van Schraeven have already met." "Well, I suppose captain Ralls has painted me very black to you." "He hasn't painted you any color." "Still in good form, I see." "Just as well." "Leaves you with an open mind." "You seem to be an enterprising young man, a man I could quite possibly use." "But to get down to cases, under the law, Mr. Rosen, you're guilty of barratry." "And I know that up here you have the location of 5 millions in gold which I want back." "Now, you may have thought that the sinking of the Red Witch was a daring and intrepid adventure." "I can understand that attitude." "It would have been mine at your age." "But whether you're aware of it or not, you've gone into partnership with a very dangerous man, a murderer, in fact." "That's a pretty strong accusation." "It's not an accusation, young man." "It's a statement of fact." "Talia, more Brandy." "Yes, you're being used by Ralls for his own purposes, purposes which I shall try to make clear to you." "If I know captain Ralls, he's told you very little about himself and, as you say, nothing about me." "So I'm going to tell you the real reason for the sinking of the Red Witch, and I'm not going to leave anything out, even though occasionally you may see me in a bad light." "Are you willing to listen?" "Good." "We must go back a few years, let us say..." "Seven, to my first meeting with..." "Captain Ralls." "It was a peculiar meeting to say the least." "In my younger days," "I, myself, had driven the Red Witch into every port in the Western pacific." "She was the beginning of Batjak limited." "On this day, we were off makin', Gilbert islands, due South at 172 degrees from threap." "On board, as owner," "I was demonstrating to captain younger the proper reward for breach of discipline." "I'm a strong advocate of discipline." "Here, you, go back there." "If you don't want to watch, perhaps we can position you so you won't see it, say, in his place." "Well?" "The boy has fainted, sir." "How many has he had?" "16, sir." "And the penalty for speaking back to the captain?" "25, sir." "Then we owe him nine, captain younger." "Pay our debt to him." "Oh, give him the other nine, captain." "Give him the other nine!" "Aye, aye, sir." "Man adrift!" "Dead ahead!" "Starboard your helm!" "Glass." "My glass." "Steady." "Steady as she goes." "Here you are, sir." "Fire a charge." "Drive off the sharks." "How can a man get himself in that position?" "We're off the Gilberts, Mr. Sidneye, and..." "I know." "Anyone who molests a Gilbertese girl gets slow death by sharks." "Have you been molesting, Mijnheer?" "If you're a Gilbertese, mister, you can set me adrift." "If you're not, pull me out of here." "Still a lot of fight left in him, huh?" "All right." "Bring him up." "All right, doctor." "Fill it." "He's had enough." "What's your name?" "Ralls." "Your full name." "Captain Ralls." "Captain Ralls?" "Well..." "In that case, hadn't we better extend the captain the courtesy of the ship's locker, eh?" "Ha ha." "(KNOCKING ON DOOR)" "Come in." "Good evening." "Come in, come in, Ralls." "Sit down." "Beautiful night out." "Makes me wish I were back in the Gilberts." "We were just talking about you, Ralls." "Uh, captain younger here seems to express some doubts that you're really the master of a vessel at all." "That's what I said." "Where are you bound, Mr. Sidneye?" "Papeete." "Tell me, what did happen to your ship?" "Sunk." "Wrecked?" "Sunk." "In fact, I need a new one." "I should imagine you would." "Dory should do." "Not for the cargo I'm after." "What might that be?" "Pearls." "Pearls, captain Ralls?" "As big as your eyeball, Mr. Sidneye." "Where?" "I'm no fool." "Of course not, well, you're a trader." "We should be able to reach some sort of agreement." "We might." "On what terms?" "First, that you make me master of the Red Witch." "Over my dead body." "Enough." "As good a way as any other." "Captain younger, would you excuse us for a short while?" "Tell me, what makes you think you're a better man than younger?" "By looking at him." "How do I know you can deliver the pearls?" "You don't." "I see." "Master of the Red Witch first." "And second?" "A half-share of the pearls." "Quarter." "You can drop me at the next island." "Captain Ralls, your drink." "Ah, it's a pity, but I'm the victim of one of the seven deadly virtues..." "Greed, captain Ralls." "Greed." "I think we understand each other, Mr. Sidneye." "Now you can set your course for an island called Tahuta." "I think I know it." "Under French mandate?" "That's right." "Have you been there lately?" "About three months ago." "Captain younger." "That's where I lost my ship." "To your very good health, captain Ralls." "Thank you." "Did you call me, Mr. Sidneye?" "Uh, oh, yes." "Throw this man in the brig." "Yes, sir." "I'll do it personally and with pleasure." "Ha ha ha..." "I hope I haven't inconvenienced you." "Not at all." "I wanted to be sure you understood this is still my ship." "I understand, all right." "Of course, it may be yours, but remember..." "No pearls, no ship." "Don't forget..." "I always keep my word." "I heard that you do." "Now that everything's clear, are you ready to go ashore?" "If it's Tahuta, I'll wait." "Why?" "I don't think the commissaire will be very happy to see me." "Why?" "What did you do to him?" "Nothing to him." "Maybe upset his natives a little." "Same way you did the Gilbertese?" "No." "Here, they were going to burn me." "How'd you get out of it?" "If I told you, you wouldn't believe me." "You ready, Mr. Sidneye?" "Very well, younger." "Oh, younger..." "From now on, whether afloat or ashore, consider captain Ralls as out of your jurisdiction." "He's on a special mission for Batjak." "After you, captain." "You're the commissaire?" "Oui." "Dusset is the name." "This is my niece Angelique." "Mayrant Sidneye." "Captain younger." "Monsieur." "I've heard much of you, Mr. Sidneye." "I never expected you'd come here." "Uh, rudder trouble." "I'm afraid we'll have to infringe on your hospitality." "I'd like nothing better." "It's a good time." "There's a native festival soon." "My home is yours, beginning with dinner tonight." "Delighted." "Uh, I forgot to mention, monsieur Dusset." "We have another captain aboard." "Will it be permissible to bring him, too?" "Of course." "I shall be delighted." "Very prompt, monsieur." "And this is the..." "Other captain?" "Captain Ralls, monsieur Dusset and..." "Mademoiselle Angelique Dusset." "Weren't you here a few months ago?" "Must have been my brother." "What was he doing here?" "He was after pearls." "That was my brother, all right." "A remarkable resemblance." "Shall we go in?" "(PLAYING CLASSICAL MUSIC)" "That's beautiful." "You play well, mademoiselle." "Yes, you play extremely well." "Brandy, captain Ralls?" "Are there many pearls like these on the islands?" "For the natives, yes." "More Brandy, captain?" "It's part of their worship." "Each month they have a great feast, bake one at the foot of a monolith, then scatter the ashes to the sea." "The pearls are in a chest in a cavern which is also the home of a giant octopus." "The diver who goes for them is a hero if he returns." "An offering to the gods if he fails." "A very violent religion." "Certainly no white man would want to tamper with those." "Captain Ralls' brother did." "Was he successful?" "Not quite." "The natives wanted to burn him, but a providential rain put out the fire." "After that, they called him the son of the gods." "I found it wise to order him from the island." "Captains Ralls' brother seems to be living a full life." "You know him, monsieur?" "I've heard of him." "(PIANO PLAYS)" "Still there, monsieur..." "Just the way you left it." "I intend that it shall stay that way." "(DRUMS BEAT)" "What is it?" "Perhaps captain Ralls' brother could tell you..." "If he were here." "Gu!" "(DRUMS STOP)" "We come for son of gods, son of Taro Tahto, beloved of gods." "Maika ino." "Your father has found you out, monsieur." "Beloved of the gods?" "Those whom the gods love die young." "Ever hear that proverb, monsieur?" "I have now." "It is wish of Wanuka that son of Taro Tahto come with us to place of gods." "Ehe, oy?" "(DRUMS BEAT)" "What a strange man." "I suppose your Uncle has spoken to you about me." "Yes, monsieur." "Well..." "I'm waiting for your answer." "The fact that you are waiting, monsieur, is my answer." "I see." "You know what I'm prepared to offer you?" "Love, monsieur?" "Yes, Angelique, love, too." "Monsieur, you have many things..." "Ships, men, warehouses, gold." "And now it seems you want me, too, but I'm not a ship or a warehouse." "I can't be bought." "And if my name were captain Ralls?" "I see." "You realize, of course, that he's a dangerous man." "He'll kill someday." "Monsieur, I've told my Uncle I won't marry you, and now I tell it to you." "I'm sorry." "There's nothing more to say." "Morning." "Morning." "How is the son of the gods this morning?" "Fine." "Your parents well?" "Best of health, thank you." "I should like to meet them sometime." "Any night." "Oh, don't they appear in the daylight?" "Not to such good advantage." "Finding any pearls?" "A few." "Big ones?" "Like this." "Oh, I'm sorry." "Kahluna." "Is he all right?" "It's all right, son." "It's all right." "Come on, kid." "Get us ashore." "I've learned a great deal about you this morning." "Yes?" "For one thing, you love children." "Oh?" "Afraid to admit it?" "Too bad they have to grow up." "I..." "I'm sorry I joked with you about being a son of the gods." "No reason to be." "It's funny." "But you mean a lot to these people." "Yeah." "They're kind of childish..." "Naive." "Say, this is beautiful." "That's beautiful, too." "Our ship?" "Mm-hmm." "Ships fascinate me." "They seem so..." "So..." "Well, so alive, and yet they're just wood and iron, beams and planks, and yet someone somewhere puts it together and it becomes alive." "It slides down the waves, and it's a ship." "It's more than a ship." "It's a home, a world..." "A breathing thing." "Nothing holds it back." "The wind takes it and carries it for 10,000 Miles, and every one of those Miles you're free." "It's like being a bird." "Instead of the sky, it's the sea." "You have a whole empire of freedom..." "Sea freedom." "You're alive the same way the ship's alive." "You run before the wind." "You never want to stop." "You..." "What is it?" "Now I'm talking foolish." "I don't think so." "I think people should talk about the things they love." "Some people don't dare to love." "And so with great dignity she said to the emperor, the emperor of France, mind you..." "Ha ha ha!" "Captain younger..." "He hasn't finished." "And she said," ""sire, if you love me, tell me so, but don't ruin my slippers."" "And now I have something most exciting to tell you all." "It is with great pleasure that I announce the forthcoming marriage of my niece Angelique to my charming and unexpected guest Mr. Mayrant Sidneye." "Let us drink to their happiness." "You're to be congratulated..." "For many reasons." "Ralls." "The son of the gods seems upset." "My little Angelique, too." "You're a man of violent method, monsieur." "I would have chosen a more gentle way." "In my country, monsieur, the family arrange all these affairs of the heart first." "Should we lower away a boat, sir?" "No." "But he might drown." "Let him..." "The drunken fool." "Ralls?" "Ralls." "Ralls." "Ralls!" "Ralls." "I know what you must think of me." "The way you looked at me so... so accusingly, but you must believe me." "I knew nothing about marrying Mr. Sidneye." "Why, it shocked me even more than you." "I've been looking everywhere to tell you." "Oh, you frightened me." "But I'm not frightened anymore." "You don't know anything about me." "Well, I've heard things." "Didn't Sidneye tell you where he found me?" "What difference does it make where he found you?" "We found each other." "Oh, it's no good." "Ralls." "A man like Ralls, Mr. Rosen, an unbalanced man, who can say what he might do?" "Not I, and I assure you" "I've never underestimated him." "During the next few days," "I sensed a brooding, dangerous tenseness, but nothing definite." "Until at last, what had been seething inside him burst through the surface." "The natives were preparing a great feast, a feast that none of us who attended would ever forget." "It was their festival of the half-moon, the ceremony of the pearls, Mr. Rosen." "(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)" "Taro Tahto good!" "Divers bring chosen pearl." "(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)" "(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)" "Only taro Tahto can save pearls." "Or perhaps the son of taro Tahto." "Aye, son of taro Tahto can save pearls." "Aye!" "Aye!" "Aye!" "Aye!" "Aye!" "Aye!" "Aye!" "Aye!" "Ralls, no!" "I'll bet 1,000 francs he never comes up." "I'll take that bet." "Never underestimate men like Ralls, monsieur." "(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)" "Taro Tahto good to son." "It's hot." "His people happy." "I bring word to Wanuka." "You rest." "Come later." "It's kind of close." "Oh." "Much too close." "I, uh..." "I guess the festival started." "Ralls, what makes you do such things?" "What happens to you?" "I don't know." "Well, it doesn't matter." "The only thing that matters is you're still alive." "Only that?" "That includes everything." "You?" "Includes you?" "I don't want to ever hurt you." "You never will." "I hurt everything." "Not anymore." "You believe that?" "I believe in you." "Something happened today in that water." "I felt myself floating up." "Got bright..." "There was singing." "Everything dark was washed away, and I couldn't look back." "Then I heard your voice, and..." "You said..." "I love you, Ralls." "That's what you said." "That's all I've ever wanted to say." "If someone had told me that one day I'd open my eyes and find a new world," "I'd have called him a liar, but it's true." "There is a new world, and I've found it." "It's you." "And you won't leave it now." "Uh-uh." "I'll never leave it now." "Look." "First the pearls, then Angelique." "All in good time, Dusset." "(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)" "Do you think we were wise in coming here?" "Something I've got to do." "What is it?" "Keep a promise that I made to a..." "Friend." "Taro Tahto..." "Has spoken." "Pearls of iron chest never return to sacred cave." "They will fly..." "Over face of earth in hands of son of taro Tahto." "They are his to spread over world." "The gods are with us tonight, monsieur." "Taro Tahto tell us..." "To burn eye of demon and spread ashes to the wind." "(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)" "(SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE) (SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE)" "Here is pearl." "There is chest." "Oh, the gods are strong, monsieur." "Now Ralls owns all the pearls and every year more." "The son of taro Tahto is false." "He's a murderous scoundrel robbing you of your wealth." "In the emperor's name, I place you under arrest." "Do you submit?" "For the last time, Ralls." "No!" "Oh, my God!" "No!" "It is justice of gods." "It is wrath of taro Tahto." "I kept my bargain." "So there you are, my friend." "Now you know what Ralls has never told you." "Not a very pleasant story." "I kept my part of the bargain." "I even had the charge of murder dropped." "I made him master of the Red Witch." "He got everything he wanted except the one thing he couldn't have..." "Angelique." "She never forgave him." "Never?" "I married Angelique." "Now do you think Ralls sank the Red Witch for gold alone?" "No." "The reason was hate, insane and bitter." "He knew he couldn't reach me through Angelique, so he destroyed the thing next dearest to my heart, and you helped him, Mr. Rosen." "I wonder if you'd excuse me, Mr. Sidneye." "I've got a lot of thinking to do." "Certainly, and, Mr. Rosen," "I'd like to think that eventually..." "You'll be on my side." "Good night." "Good night." "I was afraid you'd be back on the ship already." "We've got to talk." "What's wrong?" "Did you believe what my Uncle said tonight?" "I don't know." "I'm all mixed up." "Was he lying?" "Not lying." "Leaving things out." "Such as?" "The real end of the story." "I... (FOOTSTEPS)" "You don't know my Uncle." "He'd like to pit you against Ralls, the same way he did Dusset, simply for his own amusement." "So he twisted the facts all out of shape." "I was afraid you'd believe him and go over to his side." "Go on." "I'm listening." "Well, what he didn't tell you was that Ralls saw Angelique again..." "Twice." "The first time was nearly a year ago." "The Red Witch came into Serebaya for the first time in years to pick up a very important cargo... gold." "I was visiting Angelique then." "We were in the sewing room." "A gentleman to see you." "Thank you." "Did he give his name?" "No name." "Talia, this is captain Ralls." "My niece Talia van Schraeven." "It's, uh..." "It's been a long time, captain." "Very long." "Please excuse me." "I just remembered something." "Why have you come here?" "Orders." "But to this house?" "I had..." "I've known for a long time that I'd have to." "Angelique." "Oh, Ralls." "Ralls, all those years." "Did you hate me so much?" "Only at first, and then it was too late." "I'll make it up." "It's lost." "Nothing was lost." "We'll go away now." "Away?" "He took you from me," "I'll take you from him." "It's not that easy." "There's a child." "Bring the child." "Oh, by all means, bring the child." "Jahrma told me you had a visitor." "I'm reminded, Ralls, of the years of the locust." "It sleeps for seven, then comes up out of the ground and devours everything in sight." "I should have remembered this was the seventh year and kept you underground." "Not aware, however, the flower had been waiting for seven years to be devoured." "Ralls, please go." "I won't leave you, Mayrant." "And you should remember in whose arms you find yourself!" "Ralls, please go now." "And leave you with him?" "I'll be all right." "You don't owe loyalty..." "Ralls, please!" "Look to yourself, Ralls." "You made your last voyage for me." "If I ever hear that you hurt her," "I'll come back and kill you." "You won't hear it." "By dark, I'll have you on the beach and drummed out of every island in the pacific." "Remember what I said." "Jahrma." "Bring Mr. Loring to me." "You destroy everything, don't you?" "Everything." "Before Sidneye could stop him, that night, Ralls took the red witch on her last voyage." "I know." "I signed on that night." "Now you know why he did it." "You said he saw Angelique twice." "It happened right after the sinking of the Red Witch." "Angelique was ill." "My Uncle was taken sick first." "He was sick during the barratry investigation." "His will to live pulled him through." "But you can see how it left him." "Angelique was different." "I remember." "Ralls disappeared for a month when we were tied up at Bali." "I don't know how she got the message to him, but she did, and he came to her." "Have you no respect?" "Angelique." "You came back." "I knew you would." "I've been waiting..." "Knowing that someday I'd look out there and I'd see your ship sailing into the harbor." "The waiting's over now." "Mm-hmm, it's over." "Now we can be together always." "When you get well," "I'm going to take you away from here, to a new place..." "A new life." "I won't get well, Ralls." "Oh, yes, you will." "You've got to." "The mistakes I've made..." "They're not yours, Angelique, mine, all of them mine." "Ralls, don't forget me." "Never forget me." "Don't talk like that." "You're going to get well." "Hold me up." "I want to look at the sea again..." "Your sea." "The hours I've spent out here..." "Watching the water..." "And thinking of..." "You love the sea." "Only you." "My darling." "Wherever you go, whatever you do," "I'll be beside you." "This isn't the end, the beginning." "Angelique." "Angelique!" "And now you have the whole story, all the pieces my Uncle left out." "Now you can see things as they really are." "Why didn't Sidneye hold Ralls when he had him?" "He's not that direct or rational anymore." "The trouble he went to to get Ralls here wasn't the act of a rational man." "I don't know." "He seems to see himself as a kind of spider with this island as a web." "He didn't love Angelique." "No, but he owned her, and that, to my Uncle, is more than love." "Possession is the only thing he understands." "Ralls knows that." "That's why he took the gold..." "to save himself." "Ralls was right." "Looks like the one wrong thing in the sea was me." "But you don't have to continue to be." "What do you think will happen now?" "My Uncle will kill him if he doesn't get away." "You said the gate could be lowered?" "Yes." "When?" "Tonight, I think." "Could you go out tonight?" "If you can get the gate down." "Go back to the ship and wait." "If I can do it," "I'll let you know." "I'd better be getting back." "They'll be looking for me." "Talia." "Yes?" "You won't get in trouble, will you?" "I wouldn't want anything to happen to you because of..." "I'll be all right." "She must tell a pretty good story." "Ralls, it's your fight, yours and Sidneye's." "It's a personal matter, and I don't belong in it." "If I'd had the facts before I went into this thing," "I wouldn't have gone in." "I hope you win, but without me." "It's a bad business all around." "If I get mixed up in a feud, it'll be my own, not somebody else's." "I realize tonight I have a life to live, too." "All right, Sam." "You'll take her out?" "Just the way you want it." "Make you happy?" "It's better that way." "Ripper, it looks like you're going to be richer than expected." "Yeah, just so I ain't deader." "I was worried." "So was I for a while." "That means everything's set?" "Yes." "We're going to sail for sure now, captain?" "Get forward and make ready." "That girl..." "She's an angel." "Don't go." "I've got to go." "But I'll come back, Talia." "I'll come back." "I love you." "Don't go away." "Don't leave me." "I made a bargain." "I've got to see Ralls out of here." "I owe him that." "You owe Ralls nothing." "If you go with him, my Uncle will hunt you both until death." "You'll never be free with Ralls." "You'll be running for the rest of your life, and for what?" "Gold." "You said you..." "You loved me." "Don't let anything or anybody destroy what we've found." "I don't want to be another Angelique." "I'm sorry, Sam." "It's just that..." "All right, it's time." "Ripper!" "(RALLS) Cast off!" "Stay with her, Sam!" "Tell Sidneye where the gold is, but stay with her!" "I told you to disable the ship, not blow it to kingdom come." "You stupid idiot." "You'll live to regret this day if you live." "Now, get out of my sight!" "And you, yes." "Both of you." "Thought I was stupid enough to rely on the gate alone, didn't you?" "Stumbling blindly ahead, destroying the work of years." "Now you've killed Ralls." "I didn't do it." "You did!" "You wanted him dead." "In my own time, my own way." "A man can be alive and still be dead." "Alive, Ralls meant something to me, something you wouldn't understand." "If you were my daughter..." "If I were," "I would've done the same thing." "Where's the Red Witch?" "When you blew up the Melbourne queen, you blew your last chance of ever finding the witch." "I don't care how much you hated Ralls, if he went bad, it was your fault." "You've been hounding him for years." "Now he's gone." "He's off your hook." "And so is the Red Witch." "That's a pretty speech, Sam." "I love you, too." "One of your little brown brothers tried to finish the job." "What about ripper?" "He's on the beach." "You can scare him, but not kill him." "Sidneye, you owe me a ship." "Really?" "I should say we're even in the matter of ships." "The only thing that doesn't balance is the matter of money." "It balances in my books." "The books you're using now are mine." "So I was at the point of persuading Rosen to divulge the location of the witch." "Try to persuade me." "That will be even more interesting." "I'm willing to bargain." "Bargain?" "You?" "Mayrant." "Yes, what is it?" "Captain younger is outside." "Oh, he is." "He has captain Munsey with him." "Munsey?" "See what I mean?" "Oh, captain Munsey." "Well..." "Well, you honor us, sir." "Actually, I'm not here on pleasure." "He followed us from Serebaya, sir." "Really?" "Why?" "What's on your mind, captain?" "I intend to put you and your associates in a cell at Larangua." "I won't hesitate a moment if the circumstances warrant it." "Then I won't be sorry to see you disappointed." "This time, I may not be." "A ship was blown up tonight just outside the lagoon." "Oh, yes, yes, uh..." "Yes, there was." "I was her master." "Oh?" "Then the vessel was the Melbourne queen." "That's right." "What happened?" "Mr. Rosen and I put into the lagoon here a few days ago to mend sail and repair ship." "Mr. Sidneye was kind enough to entertain us." "Yes." "In return, we accepted a cargo of dynamite for Serebaya." "We sailed tonight to take advantage of the tide with flares to help us through the reef." "All of a sudden, it happened." "That's all there is to it." "The dynamite was left over from, uh, cargo brought in to widen the lagoon." "You'll find it declared in the records at Larangua." "Hmmph." "Very strange, wasn't it, that you should choose this particular lagoon?" "I thought there was bad blood between you and Mr. Sidneye." "Oh, no." "If there was bad blood between us, would I have put in here?" "As my guest, captain Munsey, your visit is most welcome." "But as a meddlesome official, no." "That's most unfortunate, because I shall, no doubt, visit you again as a meddlesome official." "As it stands," "I shall enter what has been told me in my report." "Captain Munsey," "I'll walk to the gate with you." "Mayrant," "I don't like this." "Ralls is planning something." "Mr. Sidneye, if I mix with Ralls again," "I'll kill him." "Of course he's planning something." "You must do something." "Before it's too late." "My colleagues." "What a miserable, sniveling lot" "Ralls has made of you, every one of you." "Babbling like a lot of idiots." "Turn back to the window and keep your eyes on a man." "Ralls lives." "He makes every day of living a challenge." "Beside him, you're all decadent." "Dead." "Ralls, I didn't believe a word you said in there." "I didn't think you would." "I mean to investigate thoroughly..." "I might be of some help." "Oh?" "We'll be off Dopple reef tomorrow around 2:00." "You might learn something of interest about the Red Witch and a few other things." "Such as what happened here tonight?" "Well, I'd be off Dopple reef tomorrow around 2:00." "And where will you and Mr. Sidneye be?" "Oh, we'll be there." "In that event, I'll wait and sail with you." "Sidneye will never set sail from this lagoon as long as you're standing by." "I see." "Very well, Ralls." "But remember, if you fail me," "I'll be back." "That I'm depending on." "Nice fellow, Munsey." "Well, Sidneye, I'm ready to bargain." "Your bargaining power is on its way to sea." "To the Red Witch." "You gave Munsey the position of the witch?" "False position." "Munsey's expecting us tomorrow at Dopple reef." "When we don't show up, he'll be back." "Looking for you." "When I tell him a different story on the Melbourne queen, he'll be looking for both of us." "You have 24 hours to get the gold." "Can we make it?" "If we can make a deal." "Well, that depends." "What is it?" "Half the gold, and we go free." "Ah, no, no, no." "They'll go free with part of the gold, but you and I have something to settle." "Done." "Younger, get ready to sail as soon as you can." "Yes, sir." "Ralls." "What are you doing?" "You had a way out with Munsey." "I want to spend part of that 5 million, Sam." "What's the matter, man?" "That ship's hanging over the edge of the world." "Her bow's on a reef, and her stern's hanging over" "1,000 fathoms of nothing." "You mean you're afraid?" "Yes, sir." "She's rolling down there something terrible." "You've got to go." "I'll triple your wages." "I wouldn't go down there for all the gold that's ever been sunk." "Neither would I." "If I had my way," "I'd send Ralls over the side." "I'd go down there if it was worthwhile." "You should be made to go down." "The gold is there because of you." "He's a sick man because of you." "You should be made to pay whether the gold's recovered or not." "I said I'd go if they made it worth my while." "Not one penny!" "I'll make it worth your while." "I believe you would." "(THUNDER)" "What's happened?" "Ralls is going after the gold." "What about the divers?" "A little family trouble." "Take that exhaust valve." "Well, Sam, here we are right back where we started." "You got what you wanted." "Now I'm going to get what I want." "All right, Jack." "You be careful, captain." "Red Witch don't like you no more." "(THUNDER)" "Feed out the line!" "More slack." "More slack." "Speed up the pump." "Lower the basket." "Bring up the basket." "He's in trouble." "No, no." "He mustn't be in trouble." "She's fighting him." "Shut up." "Bring him up!" "She's got him." "Ralls." "Ralls." "She was waiting for him all this time." "Ralls has gotten what he wanted, Sam." "Wherever you go, whatever you do," "I'll be beside you." "This isn't the end." "It's the beginning."