Swallows and Amazons (3 page)

TITTY. The Island of the Harpies.

JOHN. Cormorant Island.

ROGER. I'm never going there! Horrible bird! I'm never ever ever going there.

SUSAN. It's just a bird, Roger.

ROGER. Never ever. Ever.

JOHN. Here it is! Here's our island! Look out for a good landing place, everyone!

TITTY. And look out for barbarians. We don't know if it's uninhabited.

JOHN. I'll sail all the way round it, so we can choose the best place.

They start to sail around the island. They all duck as the boom swings
.

ROGER. Rocks ahead!

JOHN. I'll come a bit further out. Ready to gybe. Gybe-O!

SUSAN
hauls in the sheet as fast as she can
. JOHN
puts the helm up
. Swallow
turns and the boom swings
.

That bay looks like the only place. It's exposed, but it will have to do. Stand by to take in sail! Lower away!

SUSAN
takes down the sail using the halyard
.

SUSAN. Grab the yard, Roger!

ROGER
does so. They put sail and yard down in the boat
.

TITTY. Rock on the starboard bow!

JOHN
shifts the tiller
.

JOHN. She's coming in nicely.

SUSAN. I'll move to the stern.

SUSAN
moves forward
.

JOHN. Any moment… any moment… Now!

There is a gentle grumble and a scrunch as
Swallow
's nose meets the pebbly beach
. ROGER
jumps out first with the painter. He secures it. They all carry something off the boat and put it down on the island
.

ROGER. We're here!

Scene Seven

TITTY. Our own desert island.

SUSAN. A new continent.

ROGER. We could be anywhere.

They begin to explore the island
.

Song – ‘The Conquering Heroes'

TITTY.

When Stout Cortez was staring out over the Pacific,

I wonder what he thought about?

JOHN.

He thought about, without a doubt, whether there'd be perch or trout,

Cortez loved his fishing.

TITTY (
speaking
). I'm Charles Darwin and I'm looking for giant tortoises.

JOHN. I'm Blériot flying the Channel.

SUSAN. I'm Mrs Beeton and I'm looking for wild parsley.

ROGER. I'm Mowgli and I'm getting suckled by wolves.

ALL. No, Roger.

SUSAN (
singing
).

I am Marco Polo, let me tell you where we are,

We are on the Silk Road from China to Milan.

JOHN.

I'm Christopher Columbus and I've just found America.

SUSAN.

Christopher, well done, but weren't you looking for Japan?

SWALLOWS.

We are conquering heroes, we are famous explorers,

We are mighty conquistadors lusting for gold and war,

Every stream is a river, every tree is is a forest,

Every rock is a mountain range, new and strange,

Hereby claimed by the Swallows.

JOHN
is standing in a clearing near the large pine tree. There is a spot in the middle of the space, where the turf has been scraped away and someone has built a primitive fireplace. Next to it is a pile of neat, dry sticks. The others run up
.

JOHN (
speaking
). Look.

TITTY. Barbarians!

JOHN. Very clever barbarians. This is an excellent fireplace, and this is a great spot for a camp.

SUSAN (
looking at the woodpile
). And they're very well prepared too.

TITTY. They must be coming back.

ROGER. Perhaps they're still here and they're watching us right now.

JOHN. We must spread out and search. Every inch of the island. Whistle, or give the secret signal if you find anything.

ROGER. What's the secret signal?

SUSAN. Hoot like an owl.

ROGER. Oh, yes. Twit-twhoo!

(
Singing, stealthily
.)

We are conquering heroes, we are famous explorers,

We are mighty conquistadors lusting for gold and war,

Every stream is a river…

JOHN (
speaking
). Hoot!

SUSAN. What is it?

TITTY. We're coming!

ROGER. Is it barbarians?

JOHN. No. I declare this territory entirely free of barbarians. But look!

They do so. It is a hidden harbour
.

SUSAN. It's completely hidden by the rocks!

TITTY. It's just right for escaping to. Or making a quick getaway.

JOHN. It's the perfect harbour for
Swallow
!

SWALLOWS (
singing
).

Every stream is a river, every tree is a forest,

Every rock is a mountain range, new and strange,

Hereby claimed by the Swallows.

Suddenly the peace is shattered by a very loud bang, which seems to come from the lake
.

JOHN (
speaking
). What on earth…?

SUSAN. What was that?

TITTY. It wasn't on the island.

ROGER. It sounded like a gun!

They all rush to the lookout point
. JOHN
scans the horizon with his telescope
.

JOHN. There's smoke over there – a big cloud of it. Near the houseboat.

TITTY. The cannon! It must have been the cannon!

JOHN. It's possible.

ROGER. The pirate!

SUSAN. But…

JOHN. Just a minute… ship ahoy!

TITTY. Oh, yes. I see it.

SUSAN. There are two boys in her.

JOHN. Girls.

TITTY. Girls?

JOHN. Girls with red caps, and they're coming right this way.

TITTY. Can I see? (
Takes the telescope
.) She's sailing close to the wind.

JOHN. She must have a centreboard. You can do that with a centreboard.

SUSAN. Can I see? (
Takes the telescope
.) They're dressed exactly alike.

ROGER. Can I see?

JOHN. No. Get down, everyone. They could be enemies.

They all drop down
. JOHN
peers over a rock
.

I can read the boat's name – ‘
Am
–
a
–
zon
'.
Amazon
.

TITTY. What are they doing now?

SUSAN (
peering over
). They're really close.

ROGER. Can I…?

TITTY. Stay down, Roger.

JOHN. They're fixing something to the mast… they're hoisting a flag… Oh!

TITTY (
peering over
). What? Oh!

SUSAN
and
ROGER (
peering over
). Oh!

TITTY. It is. It is.

ROGER. It's the Jolly Roger.

TITTY. Pirates!

JOHN. Stay down.

ROGER. Are they going to land?

SUSAN. No. They're turning back.

TITTY. They're hauling down the flag.

JOHN. They must have hoisted it just for us. To show us.

SUSAN. To warn us. That's what it felt like.

TITTY. Let's go after them.

ROGER. Let's see where they go.

JOHN. I'm with you there. Come on!

SUSAN. But we've only just got here.

JOHN. It doesn't matter.

SUSAN. But we haven't had lunch!

JOHN. Come on, Susan!

They all rush off
.

Scene Eight

Swallow
sails off after the
Amazon.

Song – ‘Fighting Swallow'

SWALLOWS.

Swallow
, the fastest ship under the sun,

Bar none,

Carry us over the waves to the adventure we crave,

Gybe-O,
Swallow
,

Swallow
, there's not a moment to lose,

Time to prove,

You have the speed to outrun practically anyone,

Come on,
Swallow
.

Load up the cannon, powder the musket,

Steel up the sinews, sharpen the cutlass,

We'll send our enemies to the bottom of the sea.

JOHN (
speaking
). She's heading for Houseboat Bay.

TITTY. They must be part of the Houseboat Man Pirate's crew. I'm sure it was him who fired the cannon.

ROGER. Don't go near the Harpy Island.

JOHN. She's not stopping. She's gone straight past. They certainly know how to steer.

TITTY. She's getting away!

ROGER. Past the Peak of Darien.

SUSAN. She must be going to the town.

JOHN. Rio – not the town.

SUSAN. She must be going to Rio.

ROGER. Look! Look at the Houseboat Man Pirate!

The Houseboat Man is shaking his fist at them
.

TITTY. He's very angry.

SUSAN. How rude.

ROGER
shakes his fist back
.

Don't, Roger.

JOHN. They'll have lost the wind on the other side of Darien. I think we'll be able to spot them once we get round there.

ROGER. There's Holly Howe. Hello, Mother! Hello, Fat Vicky!

SUSAN. There's Mr Jackson with his cows.

TITTY. They don't even know that we're in desperate pursuit of a pirate ship.

JOHN. Stand by, crew. We're coming round the Peak. Sing out if you spot her!

They round the Peak in Darien
.

SUSAN. There are too many boats in Rio Bay.

ROGER. Sail ho!

SUSAN. Where? (
Takes the telescope
.) He's right. It's her.

ROGER. She's miles away.

JOHN. She's going round the headland.

TITTY. Gone. What shall we do now?

ROGER. Go after her. And be quicker this time.

SUSAN. I don't know… It's an awfully long way and we haven't had lunch.

JOHN. She might be trying to draw us away from the island. If we sail down there and she comes out again, we might have to race her back.

SUSAN. I think we should go back.

ROGER. But we're in a desperate pursuit!

JOHN. No, Susan's right. We'll make camp and have lunch. And then I'll row to Dickson's Farm and leave word for Mother that we're all right.

TITTY. We said we'd do that every day.

JOHN. Stand by, crew. Ready about! Gybe-O!

Scene Nine

Three hours later. The tents are up
. SUSAN
is getting a fire going
. ROGER
and
TITTY
are in the lake, playing
.

SUSAN (
calling
). No further out than that, Roger!

TITTY. Are you swimming, Roger?

ROGER. Yes.

TITTY (
to
ROGER). Let's be pearl divers.

ROGER. I can't go upside down.

TITTY. Watch.

She dives down and wiggles her feet in the air. She comes up with a white pebble
.

ROGER. A beauty!

TITTY. Let's show Susan.

They come out of the lake
. TITTY
is first
. ROGER
winces as he crosses the shingle in bare feet
.

I found a pearl.

ROGER. Oo, ah. Oo, ah.

SUSAN. That's a very good pearl. Well done, Titty.

TITTY. No sign of the pirates?

SUSAN. I'm afraid not.

TITTY. I don't suppose we'll ever see them again.

SUSAN. Did you swim, Ship's Boy?

ROGER. Yes.

SUSAN. Without a foot on the bottom?

ROGER. No. But I changed foot quite a lot. Look at that fire!

SUSAN. I think it's finally taken.

TITTY. It looks like a real camp now.

ROGER. Can we have buttered eggs for tea?

SUSAN. Yes.

ROGER. Hurrah!

SUSAN. As long as the fire stays in. We'll eat out of the common dish. Egg's awful stuff for sticking to plates.

TITTY. Here's John coming back! Ahoy there!

TITTY
and
ROGER
help pull
Swallow
in
. JOHN
disembarks
.

Did you bring dispatches?

ROGER. Did you bring cake?

JOHN. I'm afraid that'll have to wait. I'm calling a council.

ROGER. Council! Council, everyone!

SUSAN. Has something happened?

ROGER. Sit down, everyone!

They do so
.

JOHN. It seems we have an enemy.

TITTY. The pirates?

ROGER. The harpy?

SUSAN. Hush.

JOHN. The man who owns the houseboat has been telling the barbarians that we've been meddling with his boat.

TITTY. What? We've never touched it.

JOHN. He thinks we have. He's trying to turn the barbarians against us and he says we shouldn't be allowed to camp on the island. I don't know why, but he hates us.

SUSAN. So he was shaking his fist at us.

TITTY. I knew he was a bad old pirate. He has a secret. They all have.

SUSAN. Perhaps this is his island. Perhaps he…

At that moment, something flies through the air and hits the kettle with a loud ping. It is an arrow, with a green feather sticking out of it
.

JOHN. Look out, everyone!

TITTY. Ah! An arrow!

ROGER. Indians!

TITTY. A parrot feather!

SUSAN. A parrot feather?

TITTY. It's him! It must be him!

ROGER
goes to pick it up
.

Don't touch the point, it might be poisoned!

JOHN. Hush, all of you. Listen…

The sharp crack of a dry stick is heard coming from the middle of the island
.

SUSAN (
whispering
). He's here.

JOHN. We must scout. Spread out. Titty, you keep Roger with you.

ROGER. I can go on my own. I'm not a baby. Fat Vicky's the…

SUSAN. Be quiet, Roger.

JOHN. Hoot like an owl if you see anything

ALL. Aye, aye.

They split up and go different ways. But they haven't gone ten yards when –

JOHN.
Swallow
!
Swallow
's gone!

They all rush to the beach
.

ROGER. Oh, no!

SUSAN. He can't have taken her! He wouldn't dare, would he?

JOHN. But he has! Spread out again. This is war. Comb every inch of the island.

They spread out again
.