Tolkien

Sir? Where are you going?

Up the line to find a friend.

If I'm not back, you know where to send my things.

Well, wait...

Sir, wait!

Tolkien, sir!

Sir, please don't do this. You need to rest.

No, I'm fine.

Go back to barracks and wait for me there.

Sir, you really need to lay down.

The doctor said that the fever might get worse.

- I really don't think... - Look, Hodges, stay here.

That's an order.

Cover your face, sir! Keep down!

That water was cold.

You need to keep yourself warm, sir.

It's a long journey to the front.

I don't think the night will treat us well, sir.

Fight, men!

There's too many of them!

We need reinforcements!

Take the banner!

Yes, I have the banner!

Stop them! He's getting away!

Where's Tolkien?

- Where is he? - Tolkien!

Ah!

I prayed for a strong pack mule

to help carry boxes, and look,

my prayers have been answered.

Where are we going?

Birmingham. I need you to go to your room and pack.

- What? Why? - Because I said so.

Because Father Francis has found us some rooms.

He's been very generous.

Find a box and collect your things.

I don't want to go to Birmingham.

Listen, both of you.

We...

Come here, Hilary.

Boys, we are going to face some difficult times,

and we are fortunate to have the church to support us.

With your father gone...

Ronald.

Ronald!

"Ubi bene ibi patria." Remember that, my darling?

Wherever you feel happy,

that's your home.

We will find our place, sweetheart, we will.

Lock all this all in your heart.

Lock it tight, and it will be there forever, I promise.

Boys, listen to me.

Do you know what impecunious circumstances are?

They're what we're in?

When I was a little girl,

all the new novels began like this.

A family of good and brave people

who suddenly find themselves in impecunious circumstances.

How did they escape?

By coming across some marvelous treasure.

Or else by marrying well.

I'm not marrying anyone.

Well, it will have to be the treasure then, won't it?

But, um, people don't find treasure, Mother.

Not in real life.

There's no fooling you, is there, John Ronald?

Let's just say there's treasure...

and there's treasure.

And leave it at that.

Let us begin, Ronald.

The earth began to shake with the weight of the dragon

as he crawled to the water,

and a cloud of venom flew before him

as he snorted and roared!

But Sigurd waited

till the dragon had crawled over the pit

and then he thrust his sword under his left shoulder

and right into his heart.

The dragon lashed his tail till stones broke

and trees crashed about him.

And then he spoke, as he died,

and said, "Whoever thou art"

that hast slain me,

this gold shall be thy ruin

"and the ruin of all who own it."

Sigurd said,

"I would touch none of it,

if even by losing it, I should never die.

But all men die

and no brave man lets death frighten him from his desire."

Do you know

how ridiculous you sound?

Oh, really?

I'm even funnier in Latin.

Do you know what that means?

An insignificant wart.

No.

I believe you now sound like a drunken peacock,

you duffer.

Hello, Mother. Did you get my stamps?

Hello, Mother.

Where did you put them?

Sir?

I'm going to have to keep going.

Sir, gas.

I'm intrigued to see the boys.

Well, boys, I was right.

She's an enormous beast,

with great scaly feet

and the most prominent pair of tusks I've ever seen.

She's chewing, on what I can only assume

is the femur of a small boy.

On the other hand, there is cake.

King Edward's?

That's a very good school.

Well, they're very bright boys, Mrs. Faulkner.

Very diligent.

After Africa, their mother home-schooled them,

and they are now fluent in many languages.

Yes, but I mean socially.

You boys will be mixing

with the cream of Birmingham's bonnes familles.

And quite a change from Africa, I shouldn't wonder.

They've been living in England

far longer than they ever were in Bloemfontein.

Isn't that right, boys?

Yes, we hardly ever carry our spears anymore.

Been difficult to place, have they?

They've had one or two temporary homes.

What they need, of course, is the civilizing influence

of a stable and refined environment.

Such as yours, Mrs. Faulkner.

If I have a fault, it's that I am...

too generous with my young lodgers.

Too attached.

Edith, another orphan,

is like a child of my own.

Stand up, the new man.

Tol-Kine.

It's Keen, sir.

What?

It's pronounced Tolkeen, sir. Not Tol-Kine.

Sorry.

Sit down.

As we are so sensitive

about pronunciation this morning,

perhaps you could all be so good

as to take out our Chaucers.

Mr. Tol-Keen can keep up as best he can.

Mackintosh. Begin.

Oh, for heaven's sake. Goodson-Thomas.

Wiseman.

Mr. Tol-Keen.

Pass to Tolkien. Out wide!

Moron!

Don't speak.

Don't say a single word.

What if he asks me a question?

He won't.

He's not interested in you.

Come.

Is it that you believe I have nothing better to do

than arbitrate in your quarrels?

No, sir. Absolutely not.

Collegiate relationships

are the cornerstone of learning.

Isn't that what we say at King Edward's?

Headmaster, with respect,

Gilson and I were just playing rugby.

A little forcefully, I admit, but...

Men should be comrades.

Wherever they come from.

From the highest,

to the lowest.

- You and Master... - Tolkien.

Will demonstrate this to the rest of the school.

You will do everything together

for the rest of the term.

- But, sir... - Everything.

Yes, sir.

He's made us liegemen.

Isn't that a little excessive?

It's an impossible standard.

It's designed to humiliate me.

- Doesn't it also humiliate me? - You're irrelevant.

Why do you keep on saying that?

- Because it's true. - No, listen.

I may not come from a respectable background...

It's not that, you idiot.

You're irrelevant to the headmaster.

- And you're not? - No.

Oh, because you're special.

Because I'm his son.

Oh, please don't stop, Edith.

Christopher, darling.

Gilson.

Christopher, sit still.

- Gilson, don't be absurd. - Christopher. Sit down.

- Stop! - Chris, sit down.

We're in a library. Christopher, sit down.