Lemonade

He for whom nothing is written 

may write himself a clan. 

They are good for riding. Try. What are you doing, Englishman? As you see. Are you alone? Almost. Are you with those dogs drinking at my well? Yours? I am Auda Abu Tayi. I've heard of another man of that name. Other? What other? The Auda I'd heard of wouldn't need to summon help to look after his wells. He must be a great hero. He is. He wouldn't refuse water to men coming out of Nefud Desert. Now, would he not? No, that must be some other man. Here is my help. Son, what fashion is this? - Harith, Father. - What manner of Harith? A Beni Wejh sherif. And is he Harith? No, Father, English. Son... ...they are stealing our water. Tell them we are coming. Tell them. - Empty that! - Do not! It is Auda of the Howeitat who speaks. It is Ali of the Harith who answers. Harith. Ali. Does your father still steal? No. Does Auda take me for one of his own bastards? No. There is no resemblance. Alas, you resemble your father. - Auda flatters me. - You are easily flattered. I knew your father well. Did you know your own? We are you are two. How if we shot you down? Why, then you have a blood feud with the Howeitat. - Do you desire it? - Not the generals in Cairo... ...nor the sultan himself desire that. Call off your men. This honours the unworthy. I've only just begun to teach him. And what are you teaching him today? Howeitat hospitality? Be not clever with me, English. - Who is he? - A friend of Prince Feisal's. - So you desire my hospitality? - Yes. Is he your tongue? We do desire it. Then it is given, if you will take it. I'm at my summer camp, a poor place. Well, to me it seems a poor place. Some men find it marvellous. Tomorrow, maybe I will allow the Turks to buy you, friends of Feisal. But... ...dine with me. Dine with Auda, English. Dine with the Howeitat, Harith. It is my pleasure that you dine with me in Wadi Rumm! This thing you work against Aqaba... ...what profit do you hope from it? We work it for Feisal of Mecca. The Harith do not work for profit. Well, if it is in a man to be a servant, Sherif Ali... ...he could find worse masters than Feisal. But I... I cannot serve. You permit the Turks to stay in Aqaba. Yes, it is my pleasure. We do not work this thing for Feisal. No? - For the English, then? - For the Arabs. The Arabs? The Howeitat, Ageyil, Ruala, Beni Sahkr, these I know. I have even heard of the Harith. But the Arabs? What tribe is that? They're a tribe of slaves. They serve the Turks. Well, they are nothing to me. My tribe is the Howeitat. Who work only for profit. Who work at Auda's pleasure. 

And Auda's pleasure is to serve the Turks. 

Serve? I serve? 

It is The Servant 

who takes Money. 

I am Auda Abu Tayi.

Does Auda serve?

No!

Does Auda Abu Tayi serve?

No! 

I carry 23 great wounds, 

all got in battle. 

Seventy men have I killed with my own hands, in battle. 

I scatter, I burn 

my enemies tents. 

I take away their flocks and herds. The Turks pay me 

a golden treasure, 

yet I am poor! 

Because I am 

A River to 

My People. 

Is that service? 

No. 

And yet now it seems Auda has grown old. And lost his taste for fighting. It is well you say it in my tent, thou old tulip. Yet this is a tulip that the Turks could not buy. Why should they wish to? Now... I will tell you what they pay me, and you will tell me if this is... ...a servant's wages. They pay me, month by month... ... golden guineas. Auda. - Who told you that? - I have long ears. And a long tongue between them. what matters? It's a trifle. A trifle which they take from a great box they have. In Aqaba. - In Aqaba? - Where else? You trouble me like women. Friends, we've been foolish. Auda won't come to Aqaba. - For money? - No. - For Feisal? - No! Nor to drive away the Turks. He will come... ...because it is his pleasure. Thy mother mated with a scorpion. Make God your agent! Aqaba! Aqaba! God be with you. God be with you. God be with you. God be with you. Yes. Aqaba. Tomorrow we will go and get it. - Do you think we shall? - Yes. If you are right about the guns. He killed. He dies. This is the end of Aqaba. - One of our men murdered Auda's man. - Why? Theft? Blood feud? It makes no matter why. Ali! It is an ancient wound. I didn't come here to watch a tribal bloodbath. It is the law, Lawrence. The law says the man must die. If he dies, will that content the Howeitat? Yes. Sherif Ali! If none of Lord Auda's men harms any of yours... ...will that content the Harith? - Yes. Then I will execute the law. I have no tribe. And no one is offended. Gasim. Did you do it? Well, Lawrence... What ails the Englishman? That that he killed was the man he brought out of the Nefud. It was written, then. Better to have left him. It was execution, Lawrence. No shame in that. Besides, it was necessary. You gave life and you took it. The writing is still yours. Auda Abu Tayi! The miracle is accomplished. Garlands for the conqueror. Tribute for the prince. Flowers for the man. I'm none of those things, Ali. - What, then? - Don't know. Thanks. My God, I love this country. What! No gold in Aqaba! Auda, I found it! That's a pity. Ali, get a message down the coast to Yenbo. Tell Feisal to find boats, any boats... ...and bring the Arab army here to Aqaba, quickly. And you? I'm going to tell the generals... ...in Cairo. Yes, cross Sinai. Come on! Sinai? Yes. - With these? - They'll be all right with me. Look, Ali. If any of your Bedouin arrived in Cairo and said: "We've taken Aqaba," the generals would laugh. I see. In Cairo you will put off these funny clothes. You'll wear trousers and tell stories of our quaintness and barbarity... ...and then they will believe you. You're an ignorant man. Paper. Paper! There is no gold in Aqaba. No gold. No great box! Did Auda come to Aqaba for gold? For my pleasure, as you said. But gold is honorable... ...and Lawrence promised gold. Lawrence lied. See, Auda. "The Crown of England... ...promises to pay... ... golden guineas... ...to Auda Abu Tayi." Signed in His Majesty's absence... ...by... ...me. In days... ...I'll be back with the gold. With gold, with guns, with everything. Ten days. You'll cross Sinai? Why not? Moses did. And you will take the children? Moses did. Moses was a prophet... ...and beloved of God. He said there was gold here. He lied. He is not perfect.