The Deceivers

Can you see anything, Mr. Anglesmith?

No, sir.

He's in there, by god.

I can smell him.

Sir, over there.

There he is.

Hold your fire, gentlemen.

Let him come to us.

He's a beauty.

Who was that?

God help him!

Who was it?

Bloody fool!

Plenty of blood and a bit of bone.

There, I knew I'd bagged it.

Captain devril, hold your tongue,

or I'll have the surgeon remove it.

There's a wounded tiger in there.

Have you ever tracked a wounded tiger, captain devril?

No, sir.

As a gambling man, captain devril,

I put all my money on the tiger.

With your permission, Mr. Wilson.

As you like, captain savage.

Me too, sir?

Yeah.

- Didn't think I'd let you have all the fun,

did you, old boy?

Where is it?

Where the hell is it?

George!

Mr. Anglesmith.

Miss Wilson.

My waltz, I believe.

William?

You don't mind, do you, old boy?

Of course not.

As my future son-in-law,

will you permit me to offer you some advice?

The company likes you.

You have a future with it.

You're conscientious.

You speak four dialects like a native.

Not one in five of my officers can do that.

And the company takes care of its own.

But you in turn must take care of the company.

Now, take, for example,

your deorai tax revenues.

We're not collecting as much from your district

as the marathas did.

Damn it, William.

You keep on asking me to lower them.

The honorable east India company didn't...

With respect, sir,

I don't consider it part of my duty

to extract taxes from people who can't pay.

- You have a very high opinion of your duty, Mr. Savage.

Yes, sir.

I have 200 civil cases on my hands.

Then I want to drain some of the land and build a school.

On top of that, I wish to...

Mr. Savage, you know

the company's attitude perfectly well.

Yes, sir.

Do nothing, have nothing done

and let no one do anything.

Precisely, Mr. Savage.

Precisely.

Wilt thou, Sarah, take this man to be thy wedded husband?

To live together after god's ordinance

in the holy state of matrimony?

Wilt thou obey and serve him all the days of thy life?

I will.

May I have the ring, please?

Heavenly father, by your blessing,

let this ring be to William and Sarah,

a symbol of unending love and faithfulness.

Won't be long now.

William, what is that?

God only knows.

No one hereabouts could tell you.

It's older than time and just as mysterious.

It means we're almost home.

Madhya.

My district.

36 villages.

Uh, no, 35.

One burnt down in December.

The river's the seonath.

This whole area here was a ruin when we took it over

from the bhonsles eight years ago.

Wars, civil wars, dacoits, pindaris,

every kind of robbery under arms.

It's beautiful.

What is it?

What's happening over there?

I have no idea.

Ah.

There's chandra Singh.

What is chandra Singh?

A maharaja?

Only a raja.

You'll like him.

Come on.

Stand away.

Mind the step.

Thakur-ji.

Savage sahib.

Welcome, welcome.

Your highness, this is my wife.

Mrs. Sarah savage.

I can see sahib has made a wise choice.

Now you must come to my house.

You are hungry and tired.

Uh, just a minute, thakur—ji.

Um, what's happening here?

Why is there a crowd?

Oh.

I had meant to tell you about that when we were alone.

Tell me now.

- The wife of gopal the Weaver is going to become suttee.

When?

Tonight.

- William, what is she going to do?

I'm very much afraid

she's going to burn herself alive.

What happened to her husband?

Sahib, he went away on a journey

one year ago and has not returned.

Well, then she has no proof that he's dead.

She dreamed the same dream three times.

In her dream she saw the body of her husband in a dark place

with a Mark on his neck and another woman looking at him.

So she knows that he's dead

and she must go to him.

But she's so young.

Why do you wish to do this?

- For five weeks my soul has been with my husband's.

Near that sun.

Nothing but this earthly frame is left.

And this I know you will suffer to be burned

for it's not your custom to deny if it was love.

What if your husband is still alive?

Gopal is dead.

You've got to stop it.

I have no authority.

It's not illegal.

But it's barbaric!

You do not understand, memsahib.

Since there's no corpse, the woman must decide.

- There must be something you can do.

There would be a riot if you prevented it.

Of course, if she saw her husband.

Saw him?

Thought she saw her husband

from a distance, perhaps.

Then her dream would be false,

and her relatives would not allow the suttee.

But how could you do it?

Not I, memsahib.

I do not look like gopal.

He was a tall man, yes,

but very slender.