Swallows and Amazons (6 page)

SUSAN. He is Captain Flint.

TITTY. It's his secret name.

ROGER. What a beast!

TITTY. Oh, no! We have to stop John. Captain Flint will be so angry. (
Calling
.) John! John!

ALL. John! Ahoy there! Turn about! John!

JOHN (
singing
).

Navy stroke, navy stroke.

TITTY (
speaking
). It's no use.

SUSAN. He's too far away to hear.

JOHN (
singing
).

Pull your weight, set him straight,

The grown-up way to row a boat,

Navy stroke, navy stroke.

TITTY (
speaking
). Poor John. Oh, poor John.

JOHN (
singing
).

Try to hold your nerve,

And look him in the eye,

Talk so you'll be heard,

And always be polite.

JOHN
has reached the houseboat
. CAPTAIN FLINT
is standing on deck. He has a suitcase next to him and is dressed in travelling clothes
.

CAPTAIN FLINT (
speaking
). Look here, did you find that note I left for you? Did you read it? I take it you can read. Well, I meant what I said. I told you to stay away from my boat, so what do you think you're playing at, coming here again?

JOHN (
singing
).

Just give him the message,

Turn and row away.

CAPTAIN FLINT (
speaking
). Funny, was it, letting off that firework on my roof? Come to take a look at the damage, have you? Don't you dare try that again.

JOHN (
singing
).

Hope that I can find

The proper words to say.

CAPTAIN FLINT (
speaking
). Just be quiet. Lay to your oars and clear out fast.

JOHN. It wasn't us.

CAPTAIN FLINT. Don't try to lie your way out of it. Who was it, then? One of the younger ones? You're the biggest, you're still to blame. Now, I have to go away tonight, but if anyone comes messing with my boat while I'm gone, I'll know who to blame. Believe you me. And there'll be hell to pay.

JOHN. It wasn't any of us!

CAPTAIN FLINT. Lies! Away with you! Go on! I don't want to hear your denials. I don't like talking to liars!

JOHN. But I'm not a…

CAPTAIN FLINT. You're a liar! Now get out of here! Go on!

JOHN
has turned bright red and struggles to contain his emotions. He rows back to the island
.

JOHN (
singing
).

Navy stroke, navy stroke,

Not too fast, not too slow,

The proper way to row a boat,

Navy stroke, navy stroke.

Scene Fourteen

JOHN
arrives back on the island. The others flock around him
.

TITTY. What happened? John?

SUSAN. What did he say when you gave him the message?

ROGER. Did you get to go on-board?

JOHN. I didn't give him the message. He wouldn't let me.

TITTY. Did you declare war?

JOHN. He called me a liar. He called me a liar.

JOHN
walks away. It is clear that he wants to be alone
.

TITTY. What an absolute rotter Captain Flint is. I hate him.

SUSAN. Don't say that. Mother wouldn't like it.

TITTY. We shouldn't just attack his boat, we should sink his boat right now!

ROGER. Listen!

The music has brought the wind
.

Do you hear it? And look –

He points to the trees which are beginning to sway
.

SUSAN. The wind.

TITTY. The wind! It's the wind!

ROGER. John! John! It's the wind!

JOHN
comes hurrying towards them
.

JOHN. I hear it! This is perfect timing. I reckon there's about two hours before dark.

SUSAN. What kind of wind is it?

JOHN. A southerly. That's a fair wind for us.

ROGER. Hurrah!

JOHN. There's no time to lose, crew. Gather round.

TITTY. What's the plan, Captain?

JOHN. The Amazons will see that it's a fair wind, but they'll think we won't launch an attack this late in the day.

SUSAN. Perhaps we shouldn't…

TITTY. They'll be on shore, feasting and sleeping off their drunken orgies.

JOHN. Three of us will sail to the islands off Rio and wait there until just before dusk. We'll need supplies.

SUSAN. Aye, aye.

JOHN. Then – if there's no sign of the enemy craft, we'll sail up the Amazon River to the boathouse. We'll cut out the Amazon and put a prize crew aboard her – that's you, Mister Mate – then we'll sail both boats back as fast as we can. Able Seaman Titty, how would you feel about staying here and lighting the leading lights for us?

TITTY. Staying here? On my own?

SUSAN. You don't have to, Titty…

TITTY. But I want to! I really want to.

JOHN. Good. That's settled then.

ROGER. What about me? What do I do?

JOHN. You can come along and be lookout.

SUSAN. Are you sure he shouldn't stay here? It will get awfully chilly on the lake when the sun goes down.

ROGER. I'm coming. If you try to leave me behind, I'll swim after you.

SUSAN. What – with one foot on the bottom?

JOHN. I'm sure he'll be fine.

SUSAN. Well, he'll have to wrap up well. Three of everything.

JOHN. Come on, then, everyone. We're going to war!

They put supplies and blankets on board
Swallow.

Right. Everyone ready?

ROGER
comes out of his tent wearing three of everything. He looks like a football, with his arms sticking out stiffly at his sides
.

ROGER. Is this all right?

SUSAN. He ought to be warm enough like that.

JOHN. Last check. I've got my compass. That's essential.

SUSAN. You've got the matches, Titty?

TITTY. Yes. Have you got your torches?

SUSAN. Yes.

ROGER. Oh dear.

SUSAN. What?

ROGER. Mine's in my pocket.

SUSAN. Which pocket?

ROGER. The one at the bottom.

JOHN. Never mind. Here's the telescope, Titty. Keep a good lookout. When you hear the signal…

TITTY. The hoot of an owl.

JOHN. Light the leading lights immediately.

TITTY. I will.

SUSAN. Are you sure you'll be all right on your own?

TITTY. Of course. I'll be Robinson Crusoe. I'll wear a blanket for a goatskin.

JOHN. And don't fall asleep, whatever you do. If the lights aren't lit, it'll be a disaster.

TITTY. I won't. I promise. I won't let you down.

JOHN. So, crew – to the ship!

They clamber aboard
Swallow. TITTY
helps to push her off. They sail away
.

TITTY. Good luck! Swallows for ever! Hurrah!

SWALLOWS. Hurrah! Hurrah!

Scene Fifteen

TITTY. I've been marooned. ‘Marooned.' What a wonderful word. ‘She found herself marooned.' I must keep a log.

Song – ‘Like Robinson Crusoe'

Since I could read I've longed to be like Robinson Crusoe.

(
Writing
.) ‘The history and adventures of Titty Walker, castaway.'

She thinks for a moment
.

The eighteenth of August, in the year of our Lord nineteen twenty-nine. This is my first day of being marooned upon this desert island and I am greatly content to be alone.

(
Singing
.) Making my home all on my own like Robinson Crusoe,

A castaway washed up one day upon a strange and faraway

Deserted island.

No Susan to take care of you in
Robinson Crusoe
,

And Roger, he does not need me in
Robinson Crusoe
,

When there are five and you're the third,

You have to shout just to be heard,

I'm tired of shouting.

One sandy beach to softly tread on,

One grassy bank to rest my head on,

One little cloud to keep my eyes on,

One tiny ship on the horizon.

Don't rescue me, I want to be like Robinson Crusoe,

At least not yet, I've yet to get like Robinson Crusoe,

When I've a beard and gone quite mad,

Then you can come and take me back,

Back home to Mother,

My lovely mother.

Scene Sixteen

Swallow,
with
JOHN, SUSAN
and
ROGER
aboard, is on the lake, sailing towards the Amazon River. The sun is sinking low in the sky. Clouds are gathering and the wind is getting up. There is a clap of thunder in the distance
.

SUSAN. Captain John? Did you hear that? I think the wind might be bringing a storm.

JOHN. Look! There's the mouth of the Amazon River.

SUSAN. I hate to say it, but I think we should turn back.

JOHN. No. We're not going back until we've captured the
Amazon
.

ROGER. Of course we're not going back!

SUSAN. But we can't sail in a storm. And it'll start getting dark soon. It's too dangerous. Mother wouldn't like it.

JOHN. Stop fussing, Susan. What does it matter if we get a bit wet? This is a war, not a picnic.

SUSAN. I'm not going to sail
Amazon
in the dark, and not in a storm. I've never even sat in her.

ROGER. I'll sail her. I love storms!

JOHN. See? Even Roger's not afraid.

SUSAN. Don't be silly – you know he doesn't understand.

ROGER. I do understand. I do speak your language, you know.

JOHN. Prepare to lower the sail.

SUSAN. No. We should go back and try again in the mor–

JOHN. This is mutinous talk, Mister Mate.

SUSAN (
shocked
). No, it's not. It's just…

JOHN. Is that was this is? A mutiny?

ROGER. I'm not mutinying.

JOHN. If you ruin this now, it'll go down as the greatest mutiny in history.

ROGER. We should make her walk the plank.

JOHN. It'll be recorded in the ship's log and you will face shame and infamy. And what is more, your name will forever be linked with cowardice. Is that what you want, Mister Mate?

Pause
.

SUSAN. No. No, it's not.

JOHN. Very well. Lower the mainsail.

SUSAN. Aye, aye, Captain.

ROGER. Aye, aye, Cap'n!

JOHN. Quietly. From the moment we row into that river, we're in enemy territory. We have to be completely silent and completely alert.

ROGER. Can I row?

JOHN
and
SUSAN. No.

JOHN. Mister Mate will row – as quietly as ever she can. I shall steer. You go forward, Ship's Boy, and be lookout. Remember, we're looking for a large boathouse on the right bank.

ROGER. With a skull-and-cross-bones over the door.

There is a distant rumble of thunder
.

Thunder!

JOHN
glances at
SUSAN,
who says nothing
.

JOHN. Let's make this raid swift and efficient. Sweeps in the water, Mister Mate. Right hand down.

SUSAN. Aye, aye.

JOHN. No – wait a moment.

JOHN
scoops water into his hand and wets the row locks
.

ROGER. What are you doing?

SUSAN. He's wetting the row locks so they don't squeak.

JOHN. Right. Let's go.

They row
Swallow
into the Amazon River. Everything changes
–
no more squally wind and open space
–
they are now in a sheltered narrow channel, with tall reeds on either side. There is the occasional rumble of thunder, and it's almost completely dark
.

Unseen by the
SWALLOWS,
the
AMAZONS,
hidden in the reeds, watch the
Swallow
row past. They snigger
.

SUSAN (
suddenly
). What's that? I thought I heard laughter.

ROGER. So did I.

JOHN. I didn't hear anything. Concentrate, crew.

They continue up the river. There is a sudden loud flap of wings in the reeds
.

ROGER. Aah!

JOHN
and
SUSAN. Shh!

They hear a quack as a duck flurries by
.

SUSAN. Just a duck.

ROGER. I thought it was the harpy.

JOHN. Eyes ahead, Ship's Boy.

They continue
.

This is very good. We've got them, I'm sure of it. They'd have challenged us long before this if they'd seen us.

ROGER (
whispering
). There it is! I see it! There!

JOHN. That's it.

SUSAN. The boathouse.

JOHN. Quiet now. Easy all.

SUSAN
stops rowing. They drift towards the boathouse
.

ROGER (
loudly
). The skull-and-cross-bones!

JOHN
and
SUSAN. Shh!

JOHN. That's it all right.

ROGER. It's a huge skull. I've never met anyone with a head as big as that. He wouldn't be able to hold it up.

JOHN. Can you see in? Can you see
Amazon
?

ROGER. There's a big boat in there.

SUSAN. That must belong to their parents… I mean, the barbarians. Will our mast clear the beam?

JOHN. Yes. Just. That's it. Gently now.

They row into the boathouse
.

Can you see the
Amazon
?

SUSAN. Don't bump the launch, Captain.

ROGER. She isn't here.

JOHN. What?

SUSAN. She must be.

JOHN
takes out his torch and turns it on. He scans the boathouse. There is an empty space on the far side where
Amazon
should be
.

JOHN. I don't believe it.

There is a large envelope pinned to the wall
. ROGER
spots it
.

ROGER. What's that?

He grabs it
.

SUSAN. Give it to me.

ROGER
hands it over
. SUSAN
and
JOHN
examine it
.

ROGER. What does it say?

JOHN. ‘To the Swallows.'

JOHN
opens it and takes out a note
.