Original subtitles

It is a great honour for her.

So everybody keeps telling me.

-One day you'll... -One day I'll understand.

Yes, everybody keeps saying that, too.

-What are you doing here? -Remembering.

You too are here remembering, I think.

Why did you give her to the Tripods?

I am the champion of the Count and Eloise is beautiful.

-There was no other choice. -What about her cousin?

The one who was with you. The one you should have chosen.

What of her?

-Did you love Eloise? -No, but we should have been happy.

Perhaps we would have learned to love each other.

But then you arrived, Englishman.

We were in love.

What I cannot have, no one else shall have.

It was what she deserved and what you deserved also.

For you the future is good, Englishman.

For the Count's son, everything is permitted.

There will be other girls as beautiful as Eloise.

Your life will be happy and free.

Free?

Who is free?

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Entrez.

COUNTESS: Ah, Guillaume.

COUNT: Come in, my boy. Sit down.

You'll take some wine?

Thank you.

Sante.

Eloise was your only daughter?

Yes, she is our only daughter.

We are very proud of her today.

But she's been taken away.

Yes, to serve the Tripods in their city.

-What does it mean to serve them? -Well, the servants here serve us.

COUNTESS: She was very happy. You saw that, Will.

The Tripods do not come every year to the tournament.

It is only usual at the new year for the capping.

But you'll never see her again!

You're surely not afraid for Eloise?

She's gone. Just as if she'd drowned.

How can you say that?

We do not understand the Tripods and all their ways, it is true.

But they give us their trust. They give us freedom.

We were to be married. She was to be my wife.

I was to be a part of the family.

You still are part of us and always will be.

Be happy with us, my boy.

Tonight at dinner, you will sit at our side.

Sir, I ask permission to miss the banquet.

No.

Guillaume, you have much to learn,

and it is important to begin the learning now.

The banquet, to others, our guests, it is a pleasure.

But to us, it is a duty. A duty not to be sad.

We must set the example.

Yes, we must.

Take your horse. Ride. Get the wind on your face.

(BOTH SPEAKING FRENCH)

(PLAYING SOFT MUSIC)

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

(INAUDIBLE)

(INAUDIBLE)

(TRIPOD SCREECHING)

WILL: Steady. Steady, boy.

(SCREAMING)

Come on, boy. Come on.

(SIGHS IN RELIEF)

-We thought we heard someone on a horse. -We thought you were a Black Guard.

-We've seen two today. -You scared me stupid.

Well, that's not hard.

I see things are now back to normal.

-We thought you weren't going to come. -I said I would.

-And Eloise? Where is Eloise? -Yeah.

-Who won the tournament? -Sarlat.

-It's good, isn't it? -Pity we have to leave it.

We could take turns riding the horse.

Well, three boys on foot, no questions asked.

One boy on one horse, the same.

But, three boys with one horse...

We could sell him.

Whether we sell him or ride him, there will be questions.

Well, let's keep him for now, we'll see what happens.

-Beanpole. -Hmm?

I think a Tripod is only a sort of carriage.

No, it's a living thing. We've seen them walking, trampling. They have arms.

I don't think so.

I think it's... Well, like this boat was.

Or the carriages we saw in Paris.

-What do you think it carries, then? -WILL: I don't know.

You mean that each Tripod has a driver?

Of flesh and blood? Of human flesh and blood?

If a Tripod attacked somebody, took him inside,

why would it let him go?

-Well, they'd be capped. -No.

You mean you know someone who's been inside a Tripod?

-Who? -Me.

-You're making it up. -I wish I was.

I was riding away from the chateau and this Tripod almost stepped on me.

It grabbed me. I felt winded and shocked, I remember that.

And I remember seeing the panel underneath slide open.

Just for a moment, I thought I saw a shape.

-Did you see inside? -If I did, I can't remember.

I woke up on the ground. It had been dark and now it was sunny.

I felt sort of dazed.

Well, I bet the horse threw you and you hit your head.

No, I don't... I just don't know.

BEANPOLE: What you say is not impossible, Will.

It had not occurred to me that perhaps humans drive the Tripods.

Anyway, we shall talk of it in the morning. You should sleep.

Okay.

It's always the same distance, from bank to bank.

-It doesn't wind like an ordinary river. -No, men have made this.

You think everything out of the ordinary is made by men.

-You can't make a river. -It is a type of chemin de fer.

All right. If it is a chemin de fer, where are the stations?

What is it?

It's not a thing. It's a city.

-The City of Gold. -How do you know this, Will?

-The city of the Tripods. -No wonder we've heard so many.

You asked me where Eloise is.

Eloise is there.

She was capped all the time.

I never guessed. She looked so young.

And Sarlat chose her to serve the Tripods.

The Count's champion has that choice.

It was a great honour. That's what they all told me.

Eloise said that, too.

And now she serves them there in their city.

I shall go there one day.

And I shall bring her back. One day.

Don't you believe me?

-Yes, Will. -We believe you.

(TRIPOD SCREECHING)

-That was close. -Still is.

Why is it attacking us?

-We could be capped already. -We've been followed for several days.

Why not attack before?

Maybe it wants to know what we're doing.

Well, it can't follow us if it can't see us.

BEANPOLE: Henry!

Come on help. We can escape through the smoke.

-I'm not sure. -Oh, have you got a better idea?

(TRIPOD SCREECHING)

-What is it? -Water, I think. I don't know.

Come on, come on.

We should be safe in here.

For a while at least.

There's no way a Tripod can follow us in here.

If it's the same Tripod, the one that's been following us,

why hasn't it taken us before now?

Maybe it wants to know what we'll do or where we'll go.

So, what are we going to do?

-Will? -What?

Will, is there something wrong?

There's a...

thing in my side.

I don't know what it is.

It goes into the skin as a cap does. It is the same metal.

How long has it been there?

Since the Tripod took me from my horse.

And you never told us?

The Tripod tracks us with this button as a hunting dog follows the scent.

The Tripod caught you going from the chateau in haste,

at a strange hour when everybody slept. I mean, maybe it was curious.

Maybe it wanted to know what you would do or where you'd go.

So?

-What are we going to do? -Well, before anything is done

we must think carefully, all three of us.

He's had that thing planted in him now for days.

He's one of them now. He's been sending them messages with his mind.

-They must know everything. -Be calm, Henry.

Would Will have told us that a Tripod had caught him

and released him if he were now their servant?

Anyway, the button's small. It's not like the capping, not near the brain.

If we separate and I take a different way from you two,

the Tripod'll go on following me, you'll be all right.

-A different way? Where? -To the White Mountains.

Don't you understand? You'll still lead them there.

That's what the Tripods want.

Henry's perhaps right, Will.

All right, then I won't go there. I'll double back.

-Where? -Somewhere.

-And be caught and be capped? -I'll take the horse.

The Tripod'll have to catch me first.

The Tripod caught you before, even with your horse.

The Tripod will catch you.

-I can head it away, at least. -You and that girl!

You should have left the chateau with us or stayed there forever.

This is bad luck, Will, no more than that.

We shall think of something.

Beanpole? Look, I'll stay in here.

You and Henry can get away when it's dark.

They can't get to me here unless they dig me out.

By then you'll be with the Free Men.

-And you, Will? -I'll be free too, in a way.