The North Water

Otto tells me that on the seventh day,

God looked down on the earth and saw that all was good.

Now, I'm a God-fearing Christian like the best of them,

but if I was a different kind of man,

I dare say I'd be asking for my money back.

Well, talk of God isn't going to invigorate us

and if we are to survive the winter

on the rations that we have,

then we must begin to hunt.

Today, we will split into groups of three.

Otto, McKendrick, myself

will take the rifles and climb the headland in search for food.

The other group will remain here,

spending a minimum of one hour tramping up and down the strand

in an attempt to maintain vigour.

You should let me help you, boys.

I'm a good shot, me. All I need's a rifle.

Gentlemen,

I can appreciate that morale may be scarcely low at this point,

but if you choose to remain immobile,

your blood will thicken and clot in your veins.

Your organs will become flaccid and eventually fail,

and you will die a most excruciating death.

Is that clear?

-Have I made myself perfectly clear? Yeah.

Yeah.

Very good.

The men do as I instruct,

but they make no effort.

Without the rigour and purpose of the shipboard duties...

...they are lost.

-We decide to break the first of the whaleboats. -

But the fire gives them little comfort or warmth.

Yet, gradually free from the wretchedness of my withdrawal,

the tyranny of my addiction,

I feel stronger.

Weeks pass,

or is it months?

And rations fade.

And the cold seeps into our bones.

Why are you giving me such a fucking raw deal?

I deserve better than this!

But I will not fall apart.

Lads. Wake up.

They've got seal.

You got seal.

Food.

-We're hungry. -Trade?

Yes.

Yes.

What have we got?

Pocket flask.

-Here. -No, no. no, this.

-Flensing knife. That's good. -Yeah, that isgood.

It's a good flask.

This is very sharp.

-Yeah, have a look at that as well.

No?

Yeah.

No, we, we can't eat this!

Food is what we want.

That.

Yeah?

Yeah, take that. Cut us a slice of that.

All right, back off, boys.

They know what we're about.

- -

Hey, Cookie.

Get some wood on.

Well done, Michael.

I don't think the pan's hot enough.

That's hot enough. D'you wanna come down here and do it?

Give us a minute.

I could eat it raw.

Mmm.

Same.

Mm. It's good.

If they keep on giving us seals,

we can burn the blubber for warmth,

-have enough meat to go around. -Hmm.

Look at them down there, laughing and joking with themselves.

We need to strike a good bargain.

The problem is, they already know we're screwed.

You think they'd let us starve to death?

Happily. Heathenish fuckers such as them

ain't burdened with the Christian virtues of men like us.

What virtues are those?

That's the God's truth of it.

If they don't fancy what we have to offer them,

they'll be gone just as quick as they arrived.

Offer the rifles then.

Each rifle for five dead seals, three rifles is 15 seals.

We should last the winter off that.

I'll tell 'em ten, ten per rifle.

Though I honestly doubt

those savage bastards can even count that high.

Hey!

Yeah, you. Come up!

Yeah, I wanna trade.

Recognise that?

That one. That one, the front one.

Yeah. Go on, go on.

That there's a good weapon.

Now, I want ten of your seals

for us to eat for one rifle.

-Ten. -Please.

Ah.

No, no, no. I won't be Jewed down by no fucking Eskimo.

-Ten. Shit.

Four seals for a rifle? What kind of cunt do you think I am?

If they walk away now, we will die for certain.

-We'll survive without them. -No, we will not.

Actually, give me that.

-That's part of the wager. -

Where's the pan?

Very good.

Of all the comrades that e'er I had,

they're sorry for my going away.

And all the sweethearts that e'er I had,

they'd wish me one more day to stay.

But since it falls into my lot

that I should rise and you should not,

then I'll gently rise and I'll softly call,

good night and joy be with you all.

You got a...

A nice, nice, nice fat-looking one you've got there.

I can help you. I-I-I can butcher him.

Oh, oh, yeah, yeah, my chains. Look.

See them fucks up there, they don't trust me, see?

They think I'm dangerous.

- -

Shh, ssh. No, no, no.

Let me do it. Let me do it. I can do it easy, come on.

Just give me a... Yeah, your knife.

I just need your knife.

- You cut it?

Hm. -Right you are.

Go on then, I'll watch.

Oh, I say, I say.

Oh.

Mm.

- -Go on.

I've eaten worse in my time. Plenty worse.

Mm.

Ah.

- -Hmm?

I've eaten eyeballs before.

An eyeball's an easy picking.

I'll gobble down anything you give me,

any fucking thing at all.

I ain't fussy. Brains, bollocks, arseholes.

Hmm.

Hmm.

What they saying?

I think they want to leave.

Well, they can't.

The sea is freezing.

If they don't go now, they'll be stuck with us.

We need more seals.

No, we've got enough from them to last us.

Provided they come back, we should survive.

Well, how about the old bastard goes,

and the other one stays here with us?

If they go off together, we can't be ever sure they're coming back.

We can talk to them, but don't go threatening them.

As soon as you do that, they'll be gone for good.

They may have that one rifle,

but they haven't got no balls or powder for it yet.

So I reckon I can threaten the bastards all I like.

He stays here.

-You can fuck off. -Michael.

No, don't turn your back on me.

You think killing them will change their minds, do ya?

I ain't killing anyone yet.

I'm just aiming to get a little more attention, that's all.

Put the gun down.

Please.

Excuse me?

Excuse me.