SOME YEARS AGO I came upon the historical story of the discovery of America by Leif Ericsson in A (12 page)

THIRD MAN
(Craftily)
Lady, if Eric led this expedition he couldn't get any more girls into trouble.

THORHILD That's very true. Eric shall lead the expedition to the land that Bjarni saw. (
Lifts her mug) Skaal.

ALL THE MEN
Skaal!

ERIC
(Grumbling)
I never said I'd go.

THORHILD I did.

[FADE TO:

Farmyard at Brattahlid

(
Haki
and
Haekia
are -working at a haystack getting hay for animals; it is a winter scene and there is snow on the ground.
Tyrker
comes up and touches
Haki
on
the shoulder.)

TYRKER Your lord Leif wants you in the hall.

[DISSOLVE TO:

Hall of the Farmhouse

(
Leif
is seated informally on the dais, on a bed or a heap of furs.
Tyrker
comes in, followed by
Haki. Tyrker
goes
up on to the dais and stands behind
Leif; Haki
stands before him on the lower part of the floor.)

LEIF Haki, have you heard the story that Bjarni saw a new country to the south and west from here, where there were tall trees?

HAKI Ay, Lord.

LEIF Well, Bjarni didn't even land! He might quite well have brought us back a cargo of that lumber, and he didn't! I never heard anything like it!

HAKI With big trees we could build a new cowhouse.

LEIF That's right. We can build proper houses like we saw in Norway if we get the timber for the roofs. We might even have a go at building ships. Next summer we are going in a ship to find the land that Bjarni saw, to get a cargo of that lumber.

HAKI Lord, how will you ever find that place again? There are no landmarks on the sea.

LEIF We have bought Bjarni's ship. The ship will know the way back to the lumber, because it has been there before.

HAKI
(In awe)
The dragon on the ship will know the way. (
Crosses himself)

LEIF (Smiling) Yes, the dragon on the ship will know where the wood is. Now, look here, Haki. I want you and Haekia to come with me. If there are new lands to be found I must send word back to the King, and you can run across the land and tell me what it is like.

HAKI We can do that, Lord.

LEIF I want you to think about this for a day or so, and talk it over with Haekia. This journey will be difficult and dangerous; I do not even know where we are going. Every one coming with me must come willingly; I will not order any one to come upon a trip like this. Do you understand me?

HAKI
(Puzzled)
No, Lord.

LEIF Well, I say this. You and Haekia are a pair; I will not take one of you alone. If you two want to stay behind here, you may do so. But if you come with me, and if you do good work, then when we get back you shall be free people. I will set you free, and I will give you land to farm for yourselves, and beasts to start you off. I will do this for you if you come with me, but you must talk to Haekia first.

HAKI Lord, we would have come with you anyway, but for these gifts we would follow you through hell.

(Tyrker
stoops and whispers something to
Leif;
he nods.)

LEIF There is another thing. I will not have any unattached girl in the ship; when men are far from their wives they will quarrel over her, and fight. Are you and Haekia lovers? Do you sleep with her?

HAKI Lord, she does not think about such things yet. Besides, she sleeps with the women.

(
Leif
throws back his head and laughs uproariously, rocking on his seat. Behind him
Tyrker
stands, smiling gently.
Haki
is utterly nonplussed; he does not understand in the least what
Leif
is laughing about.)

LEIF You two will be the death of me. So. Before we sail Haekia must be betrothed to you, and I shall be the witness. If anybody takes a fancy to her then he'll have to face a fight with me, and I shall kill him, according to our laws. In that way I can keep my crew in order.

HAKI
(Obediently)
Ay, Lord.

LEIF Go and have a talk with Haekia now. Come back to-morrow and tell me whether you two want to come along with me or to stay here as slaves.

[DISSOLVE TO:

The Farmyard

(
Haki
and
Haekia
are talking in a sheltered corner by the hayrick.
)

HAKI If we go with him and if we please him with our running, he will make us free, and he will give us our own land to farm, and cows of our own. We should be free people then, like everybody else.
(He glances at her; the camera should dwell on her short hair and her white garment.
) You would be able to let your hair grow long, and wear dark clothes and ornaments, like other free women.

HAEKIA All this is very good, Haki. Of course we will go. When is he going to start?

HAKI
(Awkwardly)
There's just one thing. If we go, Leif says that you must be betrothed to me, in case the men come after you and fight with each other. (
He hesitates.
) This is for order in the ship. We can always break the betrothal when we get back here, if you don't want to marry.

HAEKIA
(Smiling)
I don't want to marry anybody yet, Haki. But we are the same people, and we think the same way, and we laugh at the same things. I would rather marry you than anybody else when the time comes.

HAKI
(Thoughtfully)
Perhaps if we please him Leif will give us land right away on the outskirts of the settlement, where we can live in our own way.

HAEKIA
(Earnestly)
That would be very, very good.

[DISSOLVE TO:

The Beach

(
Bjarni's
ship is being loaded for the voyage. This should be a spring scene; there should be no snow. It is a scene of great activity, with many men carrying the stores and gear on board under the direction of
Leif.
)

(
Haki
and
Haekia
come out of the crowd and stand looking up at the carved dragon on the bow of the ship; this is a very fierce dragon.
Haekia
crosses herself. In the background,
Leif
sees them and stops whatever he is doing.
)

LEIF You two Scots, come over here! (
They go to him; he stands erect and shouts.
) Hold everything a minute, men, and listen to this. A betrothal!

(
Around them the work stops; men lay down their burdens and look at
Leif
curiously. He turns to the
Scots.
) Take her hand, Haki. Do you know what to say?

HAKI No, Lord.

LEIF Well, say this after me, and shout it out so that every one can hear you. 'I name Leif Ericsson as witness that you, Haekia, betroth yourself to me, Haki, in a lawful betrothal, with handshaking and with no fraud or tricks.'

HAKI I name Leif Ericsson as witness that you, Haekia, betroth yourself to me, Haki, in a lawful betrothal, with handshaking, and with no fraud or tricks.

(
There is an interested murmur from the crowd.
)

LEIF Now listen to me, all of you. This woman belongs to this man, and I am witness to the lawful betrothal. I do this by the order of our King in Norway, who gave me these two slaves. If anybody takes a fancy to the girl, he'll have to deal with me. Now get on with your work, all the lot of you.

(
There is a laugh, and the men resume their work.)

[ DISSOLVE TO:

Eric's Farmyard

(There is a great bustle of preparation for the start of the expedition; there is a succession of men carrying burdens from the house down a track towards the beach.
)

(
Eric
is seen about to mount upon a very small horse or pony to ride down to the beach. A Shetland pony might do; the effect must be a very large man on a very small horse.
Thorhild
is with him.)

THORHILD Get on now, and get along down to the beach, or they'll go without you.

ERIC (
Hopefully
) Will they?

THORHILD If you don't get going I shall tell them all that Eric the Red, the great leader, is afraid to go.

ERIC Peace, woman.

THORHILD Well, get on and go. I don't know what you want to ride for, anyway. Can't you walk that far? You could if there was a pretty girl down on the beach.

ERIC Hold your tongue. There is a proper way to do things, and it's dignified for the leader to ride a horse down to his ship. They do that in Norway.

THORHILD All right, get on and go.

ERIC Did you say something about a pretty girl down there?

THORHILD Dozens of them. Now, get on.

(She helps him into the saddle and he rides off down the track, with
Thorhild
walking beside him.)

[ DISSOLVE TO:

The Beach Head

(Eric
appears riding his pony on the track, with
Thorhild
walking beside him.)

(The pony shies at something and pecks a little.
Eric
slides off onto the ground and lies there moaning. It is a palpably faked accident. People come running up in concern.)

THORHILD Well, what's the matter now?

ERIC
(Sitting on the ground)
I've broken my ankle.

THORHILD Nonsense.

(A
crowd gathers round, much concerned. Two very beautiful girls help
Eric
to his feet; he stands holding one foot off the ground, with an arm round the shoulders of each lovely girl)

(
He stands erect. He is taller than everybody, and in spite of his slightly farcical character and the girls supporting him, there should be dignity in him at this moment.
)

ERIC Hear this, everybody. This is an omen. I have found new lands in my time, but it is quite clear that I am not destined to find any more. I'm getting an old man now, and I must stay at home. I name my son Leif to lead the expedition in my place.

LEIF Father, won't you come?

ERIC You must go in my place. This accident has been a warning to us all; if I lead you we shall all meet with a disaster. You, Leif, are to lead this expedition in my place.

SEVERAL MEN Leif Leif the Lucky is going to lead us, and we shall do well. Leif the Lucky!

(
Eric
stands watching the beach, supported by the girls.
)

THORHILD You'll meet with a disaster all right. Wait till I get you home!

[CUT TO:

The Beach—Later

(
The ship is setting off upon her voyage, drawing away from the beach.
Leif
is at the steering oar, with
Tyrker
beside him.
Haki
and
Haekia
are in the well of the ship. She is manned by about fifteen men; she carries a small boat on board. There
is
also a fully grown bullock on board, which was taken as a draught animal to pull tree trunks down to the ship.
)

(On shore, a little group of people stand waving good-bye,
Eric
and
Bjarni
amongst them, and the
Priest.
)

[DISSOLVE TO:

The Classroom

CALLENDER It wasn't much of a send-off for people who were going to make history. But that's the way things happen. They went out to get lumber to build cowhouses, and they found America.
(He turns to the map.)
They landed first in Labrador across the Davis Strait—here. They had to go there first because that was the way that Bjarni came to Greenland, and they followed his course back to find the wood.

[DISSOLVE TO:

Labrador Fiord

(
The ship is sailing into a Labrador fiord. There are no trees, and the ground is barren, covered with large slabs of stone, partly snow covered. It is a very desolate scene. The ship anchors, and they put a boat over the side.
)

[ DISSOLVE TO:

Labrador Beach

(The boat pulls in and grounds upon the beach.
Leif
and
Tyrker
get out; other men stay in the boat.
Leif
and
Tyrker
walk a little way from the boat to the head of the beach and stand looking out over the bleak country.
)