Swallows and Amazons (5 page)

They all arrive in the harbour
.

JOHN. Yes. Look at this white cross on the tree stump.

ROGER. Oh, yes.

SUSAN. I hadn't noticed that.

JOHN. The Amazons made it. And there's another mark, but it's a secret one.

TITTY. Where is it?

JOHN. It's this fork in the tree.

SUSAN. But what use is it all?

JOHN. It's extremely useful. If you're trying to navigate into the harbour, through the narrow channel, you look at those marks and steer so that one is always directly above the other. As long as you adjust your course all the time to keep them in line, you can scull straight in.

SUSAN. But that might only win us a minute or two of time.

JOHN. But that's not my idea. Listen: in real harbours, they turn these marks into lights at night, so that ships can navigate home in the dark. I remember Daddy telling me.

TITTY. That's clever.

JOHN. They call them ‘leading lights'. And we're going to do the same with these. Watch…

He hammers a nail into the middle of the white cross on the tree stump
.

Pass me a lantern, Susan.

She does so. He fixes it to the nail. They go to the forked tree
.

And now I'll fix one here – it'll have to be a little below the fork so that Titty can reach it. But as long as it's directly in line, it will be all right. Stretch up, Titty, and let's see how high it can go.

ROGER. But what about me? I have to reach it.

SUSAN. No you don't. You're not allowed to use matches, so you'll never be lighting it.

ROGER (
indignant
). Huh!

JOHN. Can you open the lantern, and reach inside?

TITTY. Yes. Just.

JOHN. Good. Lantern, Susan. (
Fixes the lantern in place
.) Now, all come down to the edge of the water. Squat down and imagine you're in
Swallow
. Do you see? If you keep them directly above one another, you know you're on a safe course.

TITTY (
moving her head from left to right
). It works!

SUSAN. But how will it help us to win the war?

JOHN. Because it's the one thing the Amazons think we can't do. They think we wouldn't attack in the dark because we wouldn't be able to get back to our harbour.

TITTY. But now we can.

ROGER. So let's go now! Let's take
Amazon
!

SUSAN. The only place you're going now is bed.

JOHN. And besides, that would be cheating. The war doesn't start till tomorrow. But we're going to win. I promise you that.

TITTY. I can't wait.

SUSAN. Come on now. Bring the lanterns. Let's go and get some sleep. We'll be up with the birds in the morning.

They start to head back, but
JOHN
doesn't move and
SUSAN
goes to him
.

John? Don't you think it's too dangerous? To be out on the lake in the dark?

JOHN. Why? We'll have the compass. We have to win, Susan. That Amazon Captain is a bit too big for her boots. We have to win.

Scene Eleven

In the camp. The
SWALLOWS
settle in their tents
.

JOHN. Ready for lights-out, Mister Mate?

SUSAN. Aye, aye, sir.

The two lanterns are blown out. Only the glow of the fire remains
.

After a moment
, JOHN
comes out of the tent. He goes quietly to the edge of the lake and gazes out across the dark water
.

Song – ‘Better Drowned Than Duffers'

JOHN.

The darkness creeps across the lake,

I used to be afraid of it,

Until Father told me that, if

You can't see them, they can't see you.

An owl hoots
.

Better drowned than duffers,

If not duffers won't drown,

No Father and no Mother around.

Just me to see that we're okay,

Just me.

An owl swoops past and disappears into the darkness
.

I'll navigate the starlit seas,

They look to me to lead the way,

Prove to Mother and Father that they

Can trust their eldest son.

Better drowned than duffers,

If not duffers won't drown,

No Father and no Mother around,

Just me to see that we're okay,

Just me.

Better drowned than duffers,

If not duffers won't drown,

No, Father, I won't let you down,

No, Father, I won't let you down.

ROGER (
speaking
). John! Are you coming? John?

JOHN. Don't worry. I'm here! Goodnight.

SUSAN
and
TITTY. Goodnight.

ROGER. Goodnighty, night-night.

Scene Twelve

The following morning. At the camp
, JOHN
is sitting by the fire, boiling water for breakfast
. ROGER
is asleep in his tent
. SUSAN
and
TITTY
are asleep in their tent
. SUSAN
wakes up and looks at her watch
.

SUSAN. Titty? Titty? Buck up. It's really late.

TITTY. Late? What time is it?

SUSAN. It's half-past seven.

TITTY (
sitting up
). Half-past seven! But the war's started!

They rush out of the tent
.

JOHN. Hello, you two.

TITTY. Why didn't you wake us?

JOHN. There was no need. Look at it.

SUSAN
and
TITTY
look out across the lake, which is bathed in sunshine
.

SUSAN. Oh. There's no wind.

TITTY. It's dead calm.

JOHN. And the barometer's steady.

ROGER
comes rushing out of his tent
.

ROGER. War! War! Everyone get ready for war!

TITTY. Forget it, Roger. There isn't going to be a war.

SUSAN. Not yet anyway.

ROGER. What? What do you mean?

JOHN. There's no wind, Roger.

SUSAN. We can't row all the way past Rio. And they can't row here.

ROGER. But I whistled for a wind!

TITTY. So did I.

SUSAN. Well, it didn't work this time.

ROGER. But that's not fair!

TITTY. It's a disaster.

JOHN. It could all change later in the day.

SUSAN. The wind might come. It's possible.

TITTY. But what will we do while we're waiting?

SUSAN. We could teach Roger to swim.

JOHN. We could clean
Swallow
and polish all her brass so she's fit for battle.

ROGER. I don't want to do that.

TITTY. Neither do I. Those are completely boring things to do.

SUSAN. Boring? I'm not having that. All we've wanted for weeks is to get here and do exactly those kinds of things.

ROGER. Well, now we don't want to. Now we want war.

SUSAN. And sometimes you can't have exactly what you want when you want it. (
Rallying them
.) Come on. We could collect firewood. I know – we'll go and see the charcoal burners. There must be lots of wood in their forest.

TITTY. You really think collecting firewood makes up for not going to war?

SUSAN. That's a terrible face, Titty. You'll stick like that if the wind changes.

TITTY. There isn't any wind.

Song – ‘Let's Make the Best of It'

SUSAN.

When plans go up in smoke,

Don't sit around and mope,

Find somewhere else to go,

A new game to play.

TITTY (
speaking
). No.

SUSAN (
singing
).

Come on, now, let's not build

A mountain out of a molehill,

We've got some time to kill,

Why waste the day,

Wishing it away?

TITTY (
speaking
). Why am I living?

SUSAN (
singing
).

Let's make the best of it,

Enjoy the rest of it,

Let's make the best of it.

TITTY (
speaking
). I wish I was dead.

SUSAN
and
JOHN (
singing
).

Don't make a meal of it,

A great big deal of it,

Just make the best of it,

Let's make the best of it.

TITTY (
speaking
). I'd prefer to eat sand.

SUSAN (
singing
).

How about hide-and-seek?

TITTY (
speaking
). No.

SUSAN (
singing
).

I'll count to ninety-three.

TITTY (
speaking
). No, you won't.

SUSAN (
singing
).

The last one found can be

Queen of the island.

TITTY (
speaking
). I can't hear you.

ROGER (
singing
).

No, let's pretend we're in

The lair of the Cannibal King,

In his big pot stewing.

SUSAN
and
JOHN (
singing
).

Oh, Roger, why can't

You be less violent?

SUSAN (
speaking
). Come on then – what are we waiting for?

ROGER. Where are we going?

SUSAN. To see the charcoal burners.

TITTY. Boring. Boring. Boring.

They climb into
Swallow
and sail off
.

SUSAN
and
JOHN (
singing
).

Let's make the best of it,

Enjoy the rest of it,

Let's make the best of it,

Don't make a meal of it,

A great big deal of it,

Just make the best of it,

Let's make the best of it.

They arrive at the
CHARCOAL BURNERS
' camp, and approach cautiously. There are two
CHARCOAL BURNERS
– old men, hunched over a large fire. Behind them is a large wigwam-like tent
.

JOHN (
speaking
). Good morning. Is it all right if we watch?

CHARCOAL BURNER 1. We don't object.

JOHN (
looking at the fire
). What do you burn the wood for?

CHARCOAL BURNER 2. To make charcoal.

JOHN. To sell?

CHARCOAL BURNER 2. Aye. Folks use charcoal to make iron. It burns hotter than anything, see.

SUSAN. Why do you block the fire up like that?

CHARCOAL BURNER 2. The slower the fire, the better the charcoal.

CHARCOAL BURNER 1. He darts out like a snake – see – if you let him.

ROGER. And bites you.

CHARCOAL BURNER 1. Aye. If you're not careful.

SUSAN. Why doesn't it go out?

CHARCOAL BURNER 2. Once he's got a good hold you can cover him up, and the better you cover him the hotter he burns.

SUSAN. Could we do it with a little fire? Would it keep alight all night?

CHARCOAL BURNER 2. Aye. Cover him with damp clods of earth. He'll be alight in the morning, and he'll boil your kettle for you when you take the clods off.

SUSAN. I'll try that tonight.

They stare at the fire in silence
.

TITTY. Don't you ever get bored?

CHARCOAL BURNER 1. Bored? What's bored?

SUSAN (
singing
).

It's boring to be bored,

What are we waiting for?

I am declaring war,

On scowling faces,

Less than a week ago,

We were all stuck at home,

Now we're here on our own,

In one of nature's

Loveliest places.

SUSAN, JOHN
and
ROGER.

Let's make the best of it,

Enjoy the rest of it,

Let's make the best of it,

Don't make a meal of it,

A great big deal of it,

Just make the best of it,

Let's make the best of,

Enjoy the rest of,

Let's make the best of it.

CHARCOAL BURNER 1 (
speaking
). Camping on the island, are you?

JOHN. Yes. How did you know?

CHARCOAL BURNER 1. When you see those girls…

CHARCOAL BURNER 2. The Blackett girls…

ROGER (
whispering
). The Amazons.

CHARCOAL BURNER 1. Tell them to give their uncle a warning.

TITTY. A warning?

CHARCOAL BURNER 1. Tell him to take care of his houseboat. Keep a padlock on the door.

JOHN. But why?

CHARCOAL BURNER 2. We hear things and see things.

CHARCOAL BURNER 1. Be sure he gets the warning today.

JOHN. We will.

TITTY (
to
JOHN). But we might not see the Amazons today.

JOHN. Then I'll take the message myself. I'll have to.

TITTY. How thrilling!

Scene Thirteen

Back on the beach on the island
. JOHN
sets off in a rowing boat
.

ROGER. Good luck, Captain!

TITTY
and
SUSAN. Good luck! Good luck, John!

JOHN
is rowing towards
CAPTAIN FLINT
's boat
.

Song – ‘Navy Stroke'

JOHN.

Navy stroke, navy stroke,

Not too fast, not too slow,

The proper way to row a boat,

Navy stroke, navy stroke.

The other
SWALLOWS
arrive back in camp. There is a forked stick stuck in the ground, with a note attached to it
.

SUSAN (
speaking
). Someone's been here.

TITTY. What?

JOHN (
singing
).

Just give him the message,

Turn and row away.

TITTY (
speaking
). It can't be the Amazons. They couldn't have rowed here.

JOHN (
singing
).

Hope that I can find

The proper words to say.

SUSAN (
speaking
). Oh, no. This is awful. It's from Captain Flint.

ALL. Captain Flint?

TITTY. Of all the nerve! To come into our camp when we're not here!

ROGER. What does it say?

SUSAN. ‘Called to tell you that you had jolly well better leave my houseboat alone. If any of you dare to come near my houseboat again there'll be trouble. No joking.' And it's signed – ‘James Turner'.

ROGER. So it isn't from Captain Flint. He's a naughty man, that James Turner.