Who Pays the Ferryman? (1977): Season 1, Episode 5 - Receive the Light - full transcript

Are you pleased with her, Leandros?

Yes. She handles beautifully.
Even better than I expected.

Good.
So now she may be christened?

- The Knot.
- You mean now? Today?

Why not?
I brought the champagne with me.

And you promised me the honour.
Remember?

Yes. I remember.

Spinalonga disturbs you?

Everyone, I think.

Why? It's only an old leper colony.

It's a place of the dead.



Sit down, Matheos.

It is my shame...

...that because my son lacks
the stomach for it,

I have had to place this burden
on your shoulders, Matheos.

The burden of vendetta.

And for a wrong done to my family
which I cannot reveal to you.

But you are performing a sacred duty.

On my behalf...
and with my support.

The Englishman must be driven
from Crete.

And if he will not go,

well, then,

you know what must be done.

What I expect of you.

And you will not find me ungrateful.



You know that.

You have much to gain.

The inheritance
which my son has forfeited.

For Leandros who gave new life to you,
I christen you The Knot.

- Bravo!
- Bravo!

May you and those you carry
sail in the palm of God.

Thank you.

You chose well.
That's a fine name, The Knot.

May it always hold fast
and keep you bound to Crete

and to all those here
who love you, Leandros.

Kalimera!

- Kyria Zeferis.
- Kalimera.

- Kyrie Nikos.
- Kalimera.

You are the one?

You are the Englishman.

The one who they call Leandros.

The one who was with the Andartes
in the war.

Yes.

Such stories are told of you,
of what a man you were then.

This is a great honour for me.

I am Xenophon Hasapis of Sitia.

And these are my sons,
Manolis and Costas.

Have you heard of me?
Of course you have! Who has not?

Am I not the best fisherman
in all Crete?

And is it not known as the truth
that in my life

and in my way
I have been the equal of Heracles?

He to whom Eurystheus gave
the 12 great labours.

Heracles?

Then it is I that am honoured.

- Heracles? Not Odysseus?
- No. Heracles.

But surely it was Odysseus
who was known for his bragging?

Odysseus, Heracles,
it makes no difference!

I am a match for either of them.

Now, I like you, Englishman.

So...this is what you have done

with the wreck which
Andreas Hagieleftheris gave you.

And with your own hands, I hear.

You have done well.
That is a beautiful caïque.

Mind you, in your work,
there will be mistakes.

Many. But then, you are a foreigner.

Not that I am against foreigners.

I am often in Athens and
the people there are good people.

But it is known as the truth.

Only a Cretan can build a caïque
for our waters.

Now, I have one.

Much like yours.

Not so fine-looking perhaps and older.

Much older. But with a sail.

I despise engines.

So I have only a little one.

For those days when there is no wind,
you understand.

I am a fisherman
and a man must make a living.

True.

But what I am saying is this,
Leandros.

I built my caïque as my father built his
and his father before him.

And they were Cretans
as I am a Cretan.

So, between your caïque
and mine,

it must be that mine
is the better of the two.

- Not necessarily.
- You doubt it?

Without proof, yes.

You're right, Leandros.

A man should accept nothing
without proof.

But how can one prove such a thing?

That my caïque is better
than yours?

- How?
- That's very, very difficult.

Unless of course...

But no, that would not be fair.

What wouldn't be fair, Xenophon?

I was thinking perhaps there is a way
in which we could settle this matter.

To prove that mine
is the better boat.

- How?
- A test.

- A race?
- How better?

All right. When?

The sooner, the better.

At any other time, I would say now.
Today. But it is Easter.

Tonight, Christ will once more be
in agony on the cross.

But on Sunday, Christ will rise again.
Is that not so?

- That is so.
- And that is a time for celebration.

All right. Sunday.

- In the afternoon.
- What will be the course?

Whatever the distance, that is
unimportant. The result will be the same.

You're that certain of winning,
are you?

No, Leandros.
I am certain of nothing except death.

But I am confident, as you must be.

Come, admit it.

Only a fool enters a race
he does not think he can win.

As only a fool enters a race
for which there is no prize.

Yes, Xenophon, a prize.
There must be a prize.

But, er...what?

I have it.

Your boat or my boat.

That shall be the prize.

Whoever wins will have
not one boat, but two.

Leandros...

It was only a thought.
It seemed to me a fair wager.

One worth the winning.
But you are right.

Between Cretans perhaps.

And with the odds so much
against Leandros...

And who will think
any the less of him?

So, my friend, some other prize then.
What shall it be?

Something you can afford to lose?
Choose.

No, I am content, Xenophon.

We agree.
The winner takes the other's boat!

I only hesitated because I have
no real need of two caïques.

But, well, I see now.
I'll just sell yours.

- Thank you.
- For what?

The lunch.

Not at all. I'm glad you could stay.

It's not very devout in Lent.
We should be fasting.

The little you ate, you'll be forgiven.
All that sea air, I was rather hungry.

And I'm not very good
at religious observance.

Do you think Elena disapproved?

I doubt it. She and Nikos
will be glad of the business.

I'm sorry to say that I must go.

There is much to do at the refinery
before we close for the holiday.

I'm sure there is. I ought to do a couple
of hours at the drawing board as well.

- I'm meeting Babis at five.
- Give him my love.

I will.

And say that I hope he will spend some
time with us during the celebrations.

So you mean...
you're going to be in Elounda for Easter?

Here.

I'm staying in the taverna.

I will be back later tonight.
Are you surprised?

Yes, I am. I thought you were going
to spend it with your family.

Elena is a part of my family,
isn't she?

And I want to be here.

I'm glad.

"Glad" is a word like "nice".
Polite, but without heart.

Yes, you're right.

All right, I'm...happy.
Very, very happy.

Are you, Leandros?

More than I can say.

How long were you away
from the house?

Dear, er...

Four hours perhaps.
I don't know, maybe more.

I took my boat out
and then had lunch.

And the front door was unlocked?

Who locks doors in Elounda?

Or in any village in Crete?

And nothing has been stolen, you say?

Not as far as I can see.

Who'd do this?

Regrettably, it is not only money
that tourists bring with them.

You mean it was just an act
of senseless vandalism?

One of the sicknesses of Europe.

And the carriers of that sickness arrive
here every day by air and by sea.

Perhaps even we Cretans
are not immune to infection.

I don't believe it.

That was important to you?

Very.

Hours and hours of work went
into these. They're the drawings...

They were the drawings of a new type
of sailing boat I was designing.

And now they are nothing
but waste paper!

I don't understand it, Babis.

It just seems to be my stuff
that's been damaged.

My camera, the record player,
all the records,

books, my drawings and designs.

Your stuff seems to be all right,

but I thought I'd better tell you
as it's your place.

Does Annika know about this?

No, it happened while we were having
lunch. She went back to the factory.

It will distress her greatly.

- You think so?
- You know her feelings for you.

What are her feelings for me, Babis?

Come now, Leandros.

No, I'd like to know for certain.

I thought it was obvious. She's in love
with you, as you are in love with her.

Has she really left you
in any doubt about it?

No.

- No, she hasn't.
- Nor me.

Well, has she told you as much?

She has told me, but without saying it.

She didn't need to.

When she speaks of you,
her eyes betray her.

Just as they betray
her bewilderment and her hurt.

Hurt?

That having gone so far
to show you her feelings,

and sensing that you return her love,
you don't respond.

Don't be ridiculous. How can I say I love
her? We're both free, we could be...

Later on, she finds out that I was her
sister's lover, her niece is my daughter.

No, I'd lose her for certain then.

You talked to me about
people getting hurt, remember?

Yes.

That risk is still there.

Nothing can change that.

But perhaps I was wrong.

When there is such need in two people,

each one gains in strength from
the other and often in understanding.

And in any case, perhaps it is better
to lose something precious

than never to have possessed it.

- You are here earlier than we thought.
- Happily.

The room is ready for you.
Can I take that?

No, it's not heavy.

Just the same, you are our guest.
And a very welcome one.

Thank you.

- You wouldn't have heard, of course.
- Heard what?

Someone entered Leandros' house
while he was away with you and Nikos

and did a lot of damage
to his possessions.

Is that not a terrible thing to do?

Leandros!

Leandros!

Elena told me what happened.
I'm so sorry, Leandros.

So am I. All my drawings
and designs have been destroyed.

- I'll have to start all that again.
- I'll help you clear up.

- No, no, it's all right.
- But I want to. We will do it together.

All right. On one condition.

That you let me take you
to dinner tonight.

- Thank you.
- For what?

- All the work you did today.
- It was nothing.

Nothing? The place looks tidier
than it did before.

I found things I thought I'd lost.

Who could do such a terrible thing?

We are not going to talk about that
any more, are we? Let's talk about...

Let's talk about tomorrow, for instance.

- Tomorrow?
- The procession. Tell me all about it.

You must know. You have been
in Crete before at Easter.

Yes, but there was very little time
for festivities.

Yes, but the festivities are later.

The procession tomorrow
symbolises the burial of Christ.

But surely, even during the war...

During the war, we were rather busy
burying our own dead.

I'm sorry. That was foolish of me.

No, come on, don't be silly.
That was a long, long time ago.

Anyway, you can remember very little
about the war, can you?

Hunger. I remember that.
Little else. I was very young.

My parents took me to our village
far away from all the fighting.

A good place to be.

Anyway, go on. The procession
represents the burial of Christ.

- Then what happens?
- Nothing.

For two days we are in mourning,

but then, on Saturday, on the stroke
of midnight, then the festivities begin.

The Resurrection?

Yes, a new beginning.

A new beginning.

It's a nice idea.

Leandros!

- Leandros!
- Coming.

- You look lovely.
- Thank you.

Come on, Alexis,
we're ready to leave!

Come on,
we are going to miss the procession.

It's so quiet now. So peaceful.

It's beautiful.

But tomorrow at the same time,
it will be very different. You will see.

Then Christ will have risen again.

It's, er... It's late.

It's very late, nearly a quarter to one.
I'd better walk you back to the taverna.

Very well, Leandros.
If that's what you want.

Yes, I'd like to walk with you.

Shall we go then?

- Kalimera.
- Kalimera.

Bravo!

Come, receive the light.

- Christ is risen.
- Christ is risen.

Now we must each return home
with our candle still alight.

If we do it, it is said that is a sign

that we shall have good luck in
the coming year and all that we desire.

Almost, but not quite.

My light is your light.
My good fortune is your good fortune.

Share it with me, Leandros.
Receive the light.

And all that you desire.

Stay with me.

What are you thinking?

I was wondering what ever I'd done
to deserve this moment.

Love is a prize
which we are given for doing nothing.

Only after we have it
do we have to earn it.

It is a lovely day.

It's a lovely day.

But I'm worried.
Today, you may lose your boat.

There doesn't have to be a race.
I can back out.

No, you cannot do that. Not now.

Of course I can. I'll send word to
Hasapis and say I've changed my mind.

He would spread the word
across the island.

The story would be told
as a joke in every café,

a joke against Leandros,
the hero of the Andartes.

So?

While you remain on Crete,
you would have to live with that.

I'd survive.

And you would do that
for no other reason

than because you know that
what you have done distresses me?

Well, if that's what
you really want, yes.

I want many things from you,
Leandros.

In some perhaps I ask too much,

but in this I want only one thing...

that you win.

- Are you ready then, Leandros?
- Ready, Heracles.

Well, then, the rowing boat there
marks the starting line.

And old Georgillis is the starter.

The race begins on his signal
and the course is as we agreed, yes?

Yes, we go up to Spinalonga,
through the channel,

round the headland
and back down the east coast.

The first past Georgillis again
is the winner.

We have a fair wind.

Good fortune, Englishman.
May Poseidon be kind to us both.

But take good care of my caïque?

Make sail!

Brava, brava.

Well done, Leandros. Such a win.
But for Xenophon Hasapis, such a loss.

For he has lost everything.
Without a boat, he has nothing.

He is a rogue
and as cunning as a fox.

But he's not a rich man.

- I won't hold him to that bet.
- But you have to.

Not to do so would be
to dishonour him.

And in public.
Is that not so, Annika?

Yes, you have won, Leandros.

You must take his boat
as he would have taken yours.

This brandy was to console you,
Englishman.

But you have no need of it...

so I shall drink it myself
with my sons.

You did well. I am proud to have
been beaten by such a fine boat.

By such a fine sailor.

But...now my caïque is yours.

Take it.

But you said that if you won it,
you would sell it.

Without a boat, I am nothing,
I have nothing.

So what do you ask for it, Leandros?

Well, how much? What's your price?

A bottle of brandy.

- One glass.
- A bottle.

- Two glasses.
- A bottle and that is my final price.

You drive a hard bargain,
my Englishman.

And now we celebrate your victory,

friendship and the Resurrection!

Leandros!

It is true what you said.

I have to be Heracles,
for you are Odysseus.

And I salute you,
one hero to another.

And guard that woman well,
my friend.

For she is your Penelope, I think,
and good for you.

What you say is true,

and you are very, very wise,
Heracles.

He says your caïque is on fire.

This has been a terrible blow to him,
Babis.

I know. That boat meant so much to him.

The Knot.

The knot that bound him to Crete.

Not only to Crete.

He will need us. He will need you,
Annika. Desperately.

At a time like this,
with so much lost,

what he built with such love destroyed,

a man could be tempted
to give up everything.

You have to know, Leandros,
that this was not an accident.

And also I am certain now
that what happened at your house

was not just a thoughtless,
uncaring act.

It was a deliberate one, as was this.

My men found
an empty petrol can

when they searched the boat
after the fire.

And much of the timber
still smells of petrol.

You do have enemies. Enemies
who wish to drive you from Crete.

Who?

Why?

There is a man who I think may be
involved. I questioned him this morning.

He claims he was elsewhere
last night

and there are those
who support his story.

So there is little I can do.

For now.

It doesn't make much difference now
one way or the other.

To me, it does,
for the law has been broken.

But to you, perhaps not,

for I think that your enemies
may already have succeeded

in that which they desire.

Kalimera, Leandros.

Leandros...

Leandros, look!

Well, Odysseus, how shall we begin?

You are the man who best knows
how to build boats.

- Did you arrange this?
- No.

What they are doing,
they are doing for you.

I don't understand.

Did we not celebrate friendship
yesterday?

Are we not your friends?
We are your friends.

And so what you have rebuilt
that was destroyed,

we will rebuild again together.

Is that not how you would have it?

To work alongside friends,
alongside your own people?

Receive the light, Leandros.
Love, friendship and belonging.

He's home. He's ours again.

Yes. And we shall hold on to him,
Babis.