A Thousand Blows

Oh, no.

- What's going on? -

- Make space. Please. I'm a midwife. - Help me.

My baby's coming.

- Can you walk, my love? - Not another step.

Oh, this lady's set to open.

Gentlemen, I ask you to close or avert your eyes

whilst I make an examination.

Breathe, now.

- Breathe. Deep breaths, my love. -

- Hezekiah. - Hmm?

I know you tell me to expect the unexpected

in this country, but this is madness.

The woman is about to give birth, so it's not unexpected for her.

But she's doing it in the street.

- Breaths. That's it, my dear. - Perhaps.

- Lots of breaths. Lots of breaths. -

- Breathe now. Breathe. - Perhaps not.

- That's it. That's it, my dear. -

I think she's going to have the baby right here on the pavement.

- Yo, wait-- - Yo, Alec.

We just arrived.

Let's see how the river run in this country.

Can one of you gentlemen find a carriage and get her to St Bartholomew's?

It's all right, ma'am, I found a copper. He said he'd take care of her.

So this is how the rivers run?

If you don't have it, you take it.

- So let's take it. -

Do I have a ten anywhere?

Nine lots of four bales. Four bales a lot.

- Sold to you for 11. - Very good.

The next lot is from the Peel plantation in Jamaica.

Six lots of raw cane. Starting the bidding at nine.

Alec. Come, come.

Excuse me, sir?

Sir?

My friend Alec and I

just get off the packet ship Endeavour from-- from Kingston, Jamaica.

We are looking for the East London Aquarium and, uh, Zoological Garden.

Excuse me.

A long way to come for a zoo?

Sir, I dream of this since I was a boy.

That true.

Been offered a position there.

That way. East.

- And there will be a hotel there? - How much money you got?

Five shilling, me have.

Five shill-- Then you really, really are heading east.

How far east you say?

You keep heading east until you get to where you can barely breathe the air,

where the sun don't shine, and the birds don't sing.

When you get there, you may find a hotel you can afford.

Welcome to London, gentlemen.

This position you got, what is it?

I've come to London to become a lion tamer!

Hello.

Yo.

Come.

Here.

- Excuse me, sir? Sorry. - All right.

We are looking for lodging.

- Sorry, we're full. - Look, we need only one room, alright?

- And we can share. - You can't 'cause we're full.

Then can you point me to another place that maybe has room--

They're full too.

Listen...

I've been there.

I'm Irish.

But I've got neighbours.

I ain't gonna rock the boat.

Good luck, boys.

Morning, ladies.

- Morning, Punch. - Morning.

Can you put this on Sugar's slate? He knows I'm good for it.

- Successful outing? - Rudely curtailed.

There was a time all a copper asked was two bob.

These young ones don't know the rules.

Tell Sugar I'll see him at the fight tonight.

Come on, boy.

Come on.

All right, ladies. Shell out.

Anne, take that to Max Miller.

We'll divvy up in the Blue Coat Boy tomorrow night.

You each take that with ya, I will put the rest in the rocking horse.

We'll all work the fight tonight. Tourists and new faces, yes?

Now,

business is good.

We're doing well, but real money ain't found

at the bottom of a man's pocket.

In the coming weeks, I'm gonna need you all to be on your toes.

Plans are forming.

For that reason, me and Esme will lodge in the Drum until further notice.

Belle, go back to the Elephant and Castle, bring Sharkey Devenish here.

We've only got one room.

Okay.

With your ladies' permission,

I will spend two bob of our takings on an extra room for tonight.

I badly need a fuck. It's only two bob.

- All those in favour, say "Aye". - Aye.

- Good. - All right. Well, in that case,

send Dickie Summerville up here as well.

If I'm listening to it through a wall, Mary, I might as well be doing it.

So Sharkey and Dickie delivered to The Green Dolphin boarding house.

- Do you want 'em wrapped? - Just sober.

Mmm, you'd better be fucking quick then.

- What's this plan of yours, Mary? - You'll know when you need to.

But anyone can steal from the bottom.

It's time we stole from the top.

It's either them say no,

or them ask treble the price.

You owe rent.

For last night and tonight

and one extra room with a soft bed for this evening.

So was it a boy or a girl?

What?

When you left this morning, you were pregnant.

Yeah. Uh, it was a little boy actually. Mmm.

He had four arms for stealing with,

two mouths for sucking with,

six legs for running away from the police with.

Mmm, yes.

Species do tend to adapt to their calling.

Mr Lao, I have instincts that come trickling down my spine.

You're on the run from someone.

A man is found reading a science book in East London

and that means he's on the run?

It means he's found himself in the wrong place, yeah.

And there is always a reason.

That is not instinct.

- That is logical deduction. -

Well, I believe in luck and chance,

and even though we're only recently acquainted,

I have made a note in my little notebook about you, Mr Lao.

Queen of the Elephants likes mysteries, Mr Lao.

And who are the Elephants?

We ladies are the Elephants.

The Forty Elephants.

And as the Queen of the Elephants, I travel around this beautiful city

offering poor, lost souls opportunities.

Opportunities that will change their lives.

And I may-- may have one such opportunity for you,

Mr Lao.

Madam.

I know your line of work.

I know you live in the shadows.

Yeah, shadows can't hold us, Mr Lao.

What the Queen has planned is so daring, the whole of London

- and the world will know-- - Esme.

Expect two men.

Rough coves, have them hosed down, sent to our rooms.

And what would I need with opportunities?

You don't have to say the words for me to hear them.

What words, Hezekiah?

- Coming here to London was my idea. - Mmm.

You're saying, "You got us into this. You get us out."

Me never say that.

- I said pick it up and read it! -

- You're being evicted! - Please, stop. Stop!

Yo. You believe in fate, right?

What?

You could earn some money in the ring tonight.

No, no. Hezekiah, no.

- You were good. - You were better.

Them call you the Morant Bay Whirlwind!

Only you who call me that.

And every time we fight, you win.

Hey, my position already filled, right? And now,

so is yours.

Look, I'm going to fight lions.

All you have to do is box that white man.

Our luck has changed.

Yo.

Leave this to me.

Soon come.

Right.

Good day, sir.

So I hope you can help me. I'm looking for a room.

The last room has just been taken.

You see, sir.

The truth is...

...the colour of my skin is making it very difficult for me

to find lodging in this city.

Don't care about your skin.

It is a question of mathematics.

What the fuck just happened?

A lot of Chinese workers came to my country.

My grandmother was Hakka Chinese.

So I spoke it when I was a child, you know.

And so when I speak it, it reminds me of her.

An African man who speaks Chinese.

Actually, I'm not from Africa. I'm from Jamaica.

Ah.

You are just one?

Yeah, man. Me just one.

Yo.