# Hold fast to the law
# Of the last cold tome
# Where the earth of the truth
# lies thick upon the page
# And the loam of faith
# In the ink long fled
# From the drone of the nib flows on
# Till the last of the first depart
# And the least of the past is dust
# And the dust
# The dust is lost
# Hold fast!
# Gormenghast
Yah! Yah!
Come closer. What's the matter with you, boy?
Closer. l want to talk to you.
- You never have before. - Well, l do now.
You're seventeen, Titus.
How are you, my friend? It's time you grew out of this.
Are you talking to me or the bird?
You! That's yours.
lt's yours by inheritance and right.
You can't give it away. It's yours forever, whether you want it or not.
- Thank you, Mother. - What more do you want, boy?
There isn't anything else l can give you and if there was, l wouldn't.
l've understood that much.
- Ahh! - Grow up, boy!
You are no ordinary son and you have no ordinay mother.
look.
Turn! look!
Look at it! And learn to love it for what it is.
You can't love anyone or anything else.
Because there isn't anything else.
There is only your duty to those who love you.
Think, Titus... and grow.
Soon, perhaps, we will all need you.
Master Chalk!
Mr Flay.
Come back. Nearly time, Lordship.
Time? For what?
Won't wait much longer.
Who won't?
Been coming in. Watching.
Watching Steerpike, you mean?
All of you, Lordship.
Him most.
Rebellion soon. East Wing.
You - need - me - make - chalk - mark - under - lamp - old - hall.
Mr Flay, wait.
l hate Gormenghast.
Oh, no, Lordship. No, no. Can't be.
Can't be.
But l do, Mr Flay.
l do.
(Coughing)
Wake up, you bastards!
l want my breakfast! Three minutes!
Confound you, Peeledswitch!
how do you know when l'm going to appear?
Perhaps we're in harmony, sir.
l'm more in harmony with a dribble of piss!
And l've told you before, don't "sir" me in that obsequious way.
Why are you so damned clean?
Perhaps it's this habit of washing, sir.
Well, dull yourself down! Get the shine off!
Quite right, sir, l am too visible.
Not when you're wanted, whelp! l see through you!
Even when l'm invisible?
Are the norrth cloisters ready?
You're too dirty. You're going to have to die.
What's that, scum?!
They were dirty and l asked why. But they're ready for you now, sir.
l might be more difficult to get rid of than you think, kitchen boy!
How long have you plotted? Hey? (Chuckles)
You'll never rise further than the scum on your sink, wash or no wash!
You stretch my patience, grub.
l'll send you back to the filth you came from, do you understand?
My son will replace me, not you!
- You have a son? - Didn't know about him, did you?
Nobody does. Not yet!
l'm warning you,
you be very, very careful, Mr Steerpike.
You do exactly what l say,
no more, no less or l'll skewer you, sewer slug!
This has gone on long enough.
He'll have the keys off me before l can turn round.
Yes, you have, Mr Secretary Barquentine.
You've gone on far too long.
Dear son...
(Barquentine) l'll stop this before the scum gets to the inner sanctum.
(Knock at the door)
Go away! Did l ask for a son of a bitch to visit me now?
lt's your hot milk, Mr Secretary.
l said, go away!
Milk! We've got better things to do than to drink milk!
This'll take the shine off you, Mr Snakebite.
Good evening, Mr Secretary.
(Skewering) Ahh!
Ohh! Ahh...
lt's Mr Snakebite.
"Dear son..."
Son? That's me, isn't it?
Scum like you? A son of mine?
Never!
"Dear son, l believe it's time we were re-acquainted.
"l have it in mind..."
What had you in mind, Mr Secretary?
That he should succeed you?
lt's interesting that you realised a successor was necessary, isn't it?
But it won't be any son of yours. Guess who it'll be?
Piss-lump!
Kitchen boy!
Traitor!
lt'll take more than an insect like you to shake Gormenghast!
You haven't got long, you know?
Long enough! Help! Help me!
Excuse me, Mr Secretary.
Help!
Help me!
No one there.
Aaaggh!
ln case you were thinking of throwing something else.
Snakeshite! Poisonous slag!
Shh.
(Roars angrily)
Poor boy, he'll never know now, will he?
Goodbye, Mr Secretary.
Thanks for all your help.
(Steerpike) Warm today, isn't it?!
You're coming with me! You poisonous...!
Aaaah!
Grrragghh!
(Gerrtrude) The boy, Sneerbite. How bad is he?
(Prunesquallor) As a toast, Ladyship.
Face and hands could hardly speak...
l don't see how it could have been self-inflicted.
What? Why should it have been? What are you saying.
l? Oh, nothing, madam.
l really have no idea why l said it.
Though Steerpike is the hero. He tried to save the Secretary,
who had caught himself alight with the candle...flame.
He told me so himself before he passed out.
We will need a new Secretary, Doctor.
Who else but the hero, ma'am.
He's the only one who knows how to.
- When can he start? - In a matter of weeks, Ladyship.
Able, but l wouldn't say pretty.
Stupid!
So stupid!
And the twins make five!
Oh, do they indeed, Mr Secretary?
And what, pray, or who... was quite so stupid?
Hmm?
(Birds singing)
(Bellgrove) Planning any work, young Lordship,
or are you going to eat the entire pencil?
- Work, work, sir. - Good.
You know...
When l was your age, my dear fellow,
my very last term, my schooldays almost over...
l was suddenly taken with the remarkable idea...
of concentrating on the paper that my old schoolmaster had set me.
l had of course heard of the concept of work, but as you'll understand,
l'd never actually thought of applying it to myself.
Yet on that remarkable day, that's exactly what l did.
Listen to me, dear fellow.
l found that the paper set me was actually quite simple.
So simple that l was almost insulted by it.
Do you know what l did? l asked for more.
And then more. l became so fascinated by my own cleverness,
that l did far too much and made myself ill.
So take heed, Titus.
Look after your health
and slow down.
But if you don't hand that essay in by four o'clock,
l shall be forced to keep you behind.
A contradiction, l hear you say.
Such contradictions you will discover, Titus,
are the stuff of life.
So, get on with it, hmm?
Are you considering what l said, Titus
or looking at a paper handed to you?
- It's nothing, sir. - Well, show me this...nothing.
- l'd rather not, sir. - l'd rather you did, sir.
No.
- Lordship. - sorry, sir.
l'm ashamed of you, Titus Groan.
Stand up. You're going to have to be punished.
(Tutting)
- Oh, shut up... - l beg your pardon, Lordship?
lt was nothing to do with you.
Titus, you will apologise to the Secretary.
l will not.
Titus, l said you will apologise.
And l said l will not.
Headmaster, the next time l inspect your class...
l expect to find more discipline. And respect!
Er, yes, sir.
Of course, sir.
- Titus. - Sorry, sir.
l know you don't like me, Lordship. But if l may say such a thing,
l would prefer our relationship to be on a friendly basis.
l understand that may not be possible,
but with all due respect, l must tell you,
if you insult me you insult Gormenghast.
ls there anything l can do to make you happier?
Stop making me attend all these stupid ceremonies.
With respect again, Lordship,
these stupid ceremonies, as you put it, are the life of the castle.
They are how our time passes.
How we know where we come from. What we are.
And you control them.
And yet again, with the greatest respect, Lordship,
l organise the various traditional rituals, l do not control them.
- l am merely a servant. - You could be making them up.
You're welcome to look for yourself.
Rites, rituals, ceremonies! l don't want them!
l'm not a performing monkey.
- We all have our duty. - And l don't want duty!
What about me?!
- (Titus) Well, l hate him! - Because he does his job?
No, because of what he is! Why are you defending him?
l am not!
Why should l? l never see him!
l'm not surprised.
How he can see anyone with a face like that?
He can't help it! You are so arrogant. He saved our lives once.
ln the library? That was years ago.
And he tried to save Barquentine! We need him, Titus.
- The castle needs him. - Why care about the castle?
l hate it! Evey stone! And so do you!
- l do not. - You do.
You're miserable all the time. Who do you talk to? No one.
All you do is dream and what use is that. Nothing.
Unless you ARE seeing him.
Are you?
Are you seeing Steerpike behind my back?
You heard what l said.
l know l did.
Now, tell me the truth.
l have to have someone to talk to don't l? You just said so.
You speak to Mr Flay, don't you?
That's secret, Fuchsia. No-one knows he's here.
You haven't told Steerpike, have you?
No!
l told you, l hardly see him!
He's disgusting.
ls he? Oh, is he really? Is that what YOU think, Titus?
Who are YOU to say that about him?
What have you done that makes you so superior?
What are you tying to say, Fuchsia?
Perhaps l believe in equality!
No, you don't.
Then perhaps l think that... that he is better than all of us!
You might well be right.
- He's obviously better than me! - Titus.
Titus! l didn't mean it!
This place heard no step for two hundred years.
(Flay) Been here.
Been here.
And you.
But mostly, mostly him.
Steerpike.
This is eveywhere he's been?
- Since Barquentine died? - He killed him, Lordship.
He came down chimney from old room. Never came out of room.
l was outside, there, waiting.
He could have gone down to save him.
Respect, Lordship. Steerpike killed Secretary.
Had mirrors in chimney to watch him.
We have no proof. We can't go accusing without...
Don't need proof, Lordship! Know it! Followed him eveywhere.
Something up there. North. Can't find out where he goes.
That's not proof either.
Sees Lady Fuchsia, Lordship.
l know.
l'll watch her.
l don't know what to do, Mr Flay!
Catch him. Kill him.
You'll kill him?
Enemy of Gormenghast, Lordship.
My Lady, l'm here.
Mr Steerpike?
l prefer you don't see my face.
l've prepared a room for you.
Would Your Ladyship come to me there?
Would she talk with me?
Her knight of the clouds will wait forever.
l'll come.
(Sighs)
"How white and scarlet is that face who comes from some unusual place."
No need to read it out. A maid found it in Fuchsia's bedroom.
Her Ladyship wrote it? A poem?
White and scarlet. Is she referring to Steerpike?
Who else? Where's my bird?
Madam, do you mean that between Lady Fuchsia and the Secretary...
there is developing some kind of...?
Of course that's what l mean!
(Whistles)
Master Chalk!
Madam if l may mention something furrther.
When the Secretary lay in his delirium, as it were
after Barquentine's death, he did seem to say as he lay in his coma,
"And the twins make it five." l wondered...
What?
lf he was perhaps referring to - l realise l'm perhaps hypothesising -
Where is he?
lt occurred to me that IF ladies Clarice and Cora...
were numbers four and five...
Yes?
Who, then, were numbers one, two and three?
Why should the Secretary be talking of such numbers in his sleep?
l propose, Madam, that he was talking about deaths!
Deaths?
Exactly, Ladyship, deaths.
Perhaps he was including Barquentine.
You see with Lady Clarice and Cora, that would be three, wouldn't it?
Yes, Squallor?
He did say five. Er... And the twins...
Yes, l heard you the first time. We have apparently three. So what?
Er, l wondered, Madam.
And why is Lady Fuchsia writing poems? What does it all mean, Madam?
Go away, Squallor, can't you see l'm busy?
Yes, Madam.
(Flay whispers) Careful, my Lady.
l heard something...!
(locks door)
You fool! Why did you use a candle? Anybody could have seen you!
How dare you?!
Please forgive me.
Someone has been following me, l'm cerrtain we're being watched.
lt would be my death, Ladyship, if we were caught.
Oh, please forgive me.
Our time together is so valuable, l could not risk losing it.
l do apologise for my stupid behaviour.
Please forgive me.
This is what l've prepared for you.
The chair, the tapestry - it's the best l could find.
lt all belongs to my family, Mr Steerpike.
l decorated it for you.
There's something else!
Wait.
Close your eyes.
l don't want to close my eyes.
Then wait. Please...?
This is for you.
And with respect, it did not belong to your family.
His name is Satan.
l am very sorry, my Lady. l did not mean to speak to you like that.
l only mean to protect you.
You would be punished if they knew you were meeting me.
That's not your concern.
l've written you a poem! Would you like to see it?
No!
l don't want to see any more furniture or monkeys...
Cerrtainly no poems.
My Lady?
l want to see you.
Why don't you take that mask off?
Because, you'll be even more disgusted by me.
Why don't you let me make my mind up about that?
Madam...
Let me see.
Please!
Take it off!
Lady Fuchsia?
l must go.
l'm sorry.
Unlock the door.
See me again.
Unlock the door, please.
Don't leave me like this.
l beg you.
You are my only hope.
Let me out.
Please say you'll see me again.
l'll come.
- See me again! - l'll come again!
l've said it. l will.
Now unlock the door.
l beg you.
l know l'm a grotesque.
l know l come from nowhere...
but l love you.
Believe me.
l didn't do vey well there, did l?
She won't come back, but l'll have the lovely Lady, my little friend.
l promise you that.
And the whole family too.
l'm going to make them wish they were never born,
or at least never born where they were.
Maybe they should try the kitchens next time!
(Strangled wail)
Let's go down, my little friend.
lt will amuse me.
What else is there?
(Steerpike) We'll go when it's light and see what l've done.
Lordship! Lordship! It's time!
- Get doctor. - The doctor, Mr Flay?
Bring weapons. Meet me grand courrtyard.
l knew it! What...what weapons do you think Mr Flay meant?
l don't know.
l posses no firearms or swords... Pokers! By the fireside, be quick!
Yes, l knew it! And the twins make five, l knew it!
Twins - two Barquentine - thre'e. Ah...
Nannie Slagg.
The dispensary.
Poison!
You fool! Prunesquallor. Nannie Slagg, four! And five?
His Lordship...
Eh? Mad after the burning?
Does he make five? Why would we count him? Unless...
Yes... Steerpike, young Lordship.
At last.
This should be vey interesting.
(Doctor) The grand courtyard? Are you sure?
(Titus) Of course l'm sure! Look, here's a mark.
- It's Mr Flay. Must be. - Must be!
What's he written?
Catch me. Silence.
Stealth and speed, dear boy. Stealth and speed.
Be vigilant, dear boy...
for any hieratic instructions however small.
Ha! There!
Shh.
(Steerpike) Sit.
l like this place.
look around.
Why do you think l like it? Hmm?
Shall l tell you?
This is where l was born.
Up there. In that little room.
And when l was six
they sent me down to Swelter.
Just you and me now, Satan.
A little tune for you?
(Plays sad tune on pipe)
Down, Satan.
(Monkey cries)
Stop that noise, you idiot!
This is what l wanted to show you!
look!
There it is!
The aristocracy!
This is what they come to when they challenge me.
Your Ladyship Clarice, Your Ladyship Cora.
l brought a monkey to see you!
He's so impressed, he's screaming!!
Why don't we show him what we can do? Hmm?
Care for a dance?
(Plays happy tune)
Shh!
l'm as mad as mad can be!
Watch me get your whole family!
l'm as mad as mad can be!
And you two and me make three!
Come, Satan.
Peark...Peark.
(Roars)
Alas, poor Clarice, l knew you well.
Or is it Cora?
Good night, ladies.
Your servant leaves you to the mice.
(Flay) Now. Grub.
Ah! Put that knife down Master Steerpike.
We want you to come with us.
A visit from His Lordship! That is a privilege.
Hiding, is he?
Look to me, slug.
- Look to the servant? - Look to me!
Certainly.
Ooh!
(Doctor) Oh, Mr Flay. Mr Flay.
- Aaaah! - No!
Don't be frightened, my lord. It's only a boy from the kitchens!
See you in hell, Flay.
(Doctor) Mr Flay. Mr Flay.
l was a coward, Mr Flay.
(Gasping) You...will...always...be...
lord...ship.
(Gerrtrude) Why did nobody suspect? Why did nobody tell me?
lt was him. He killed all of them. He burnt the library!
(Doctor) l have no proof, Ladyship, but it seems so. We saw him dance.
Dance!
lt was a lunatic dance... He certainly killed Mr Flay.
Flay? A lunatic dance? Here? In Gormenghast?
Find him.
All work is suspended. Scour the castle.
Evey wing, evey room, evey inch.
Put a guard on all foodstores, l've no doubt the animal must eat.
Draw up your orders of search, Captain. l will have him.
Ladyship. Move yourselves!
You, poet.
lf you can write, l assume you can read.
Read the tomes. You are the new secretay.
Secretary? Ma'am?
That's what l said. Are you deaf?
Tomorrow is the day of the carrvings. Organise it.
l am a poet.
Now you are Secretary.
No sewer boy will hold Gormenghast to ransom.
And buy Flay.
Graveyard of the Select Retainers. He has earned his place.
Get on with it.
Yes, Ladyship.
And His Lordship, what will he do?
Will he defend his right or will he allow the vermin?
Steerpike!
From... from the sunrise to the night of the moon,
in eternal day and eternal night...
what has been has always been and...
..will always be...
..Gormenghast.
(All) Gormenghast!
Carrvers...
..create beauty...
- for the delectation of... - Aaah!
There! He's there!
On the roof!
Steerpike! You men! Take the fourth passage through to the dome!
The rest, up along the back wall!
Get out of my way! All of you!
lt's her! It's her! It's the wild girl!
Get back to the woods!
Stay down, Lordship!
Don't let him get away!
After him!
Mind your footing!
Aah!
Throw me that rope!
Where are you! Where are you!
You lost him?
And the Earl? Did no one see him leave?
Where is Titus? Where's he gone?
Damn him! Doesn't he know we're under threat?
Tell me, girl! You know, don't you?
- l love him. He's my brother! - Where is he?
He's all l've got left!
Seal the castle, Captain. No one leaves.
(Captain) All of you, outside!
lt's you!
No! Don't be frightened. l'm your friend.
l'm Lord Titus! l've run away! l was looking for you!
Please, l'm a friendl.
See?
l don't want to hurt you.
l think l'm like you.
l think you're my sister. My foster sister.
Please, l've come to find you.
l am Titus. l've known you all my life.
Please.
l've wanted to see you.
Titus!
No!
(Captain) Right, just keep moving.
Families stay together!
Right, up you go, lad.
(Gertrude) Put him in his room, under guard.
She's dead. l thought you'd like to know.
She was struck by lightning.
The wild girl is dead.
Can't you hear me?
You are the Earl of Gormenghast, what's she to you?
- l hate Gormenghast! - What?!
He is what he is.
The Carvers built a boat for you. Use it and learn how to survive.
Or perhaps you don't want that, either?
Captain, your reporrt.
- Mother... - Captain!
The ground floor passages on the norrth and south are impassable,
the Carvers are quartered in the fourrth hall.
The east wing is eight foot under water...
- Good. - Ladyship?
The higher the flood the less we'll need to search.
l don't care if the waters reach the chimneys.
l'll have you, Mr Steerpike.
(Shouting and cying)
(Baby cying)
Help me.
l'm starving.
Don't touch me!
- listen to me! - Don't touch me!
listen to me, please.
l did it. l admit it.
l killed Flay.
You know that, don't you?
l killed your aunts.
l burned the library. It was me!
l burnt your father's books.
l drove him mad. He killed himself because of me.
But l did it all for you.
l hate you.
l did it all to be where you could see me.
- l don't want to see you. - You love me!
l'm ugly and l'm disgusting and you love me.
You love me because l'm the only one who can see you.
You're so lonely, my Lady.
l'm the only one who knows who and what you are.
Go away!
- l know your dreams. - You do not.
- l do. You know l do. - l have my family.
Your mother?
ls that a mother?
She hardly looks at you.
And do you have a real brother? Who is he?
He's so wrapped up in himself, he can't tell.
He's even too weak to take what's given him.
Does he love you?
Does he even see you?
l'm sorry about your father.
l didn't think that would happen to him.
l thought you were all so strong!
Much stronger than me.
l wanted to rescue you, so you'd like me.
Believe me, my Lady, l'm yours.
You'll never know a love like mine.
l will die for you.
Look at me!
l'm dying for you now.
But l'll win.
They can't stop me.
Because now l know...
l'm stronger than all of them.
For you, l am.
With you, l am.
You're so ugly.
That doesn't matter any more, does it?
l will make you my queen.
l will give you eveything you need.
Yes. Yes.
Eveything.
Oh, Fuchsia.
How dare you call me that?!
l am Lady Fuchsia.
How dare you call me by a familiar!
Kitchen boy!
No! Lady Fuchsia!
Guard! Guard, he's here!
The kitchen rat!
ls here!
No! Lady Fuchsia!
Go away from me! Do not touch me! You have no right to touch ME!
Guardl. Guard, he's here!
The rat is here!
l could have given you eveything.
Remember that!
l could have made you eveything you ever dreamt of.
There! Quickly!
l love him.
No way out.
Just me.
Be careful, good sirs. This is human cargo!
Titus? We could possibly do with a little of His Lordship's vigour!
Not me, Doctor. l'm of no use to anyone!
Lordship! Please forgive my lowly theft!
The rain's nice, Nannie.
l can pretend l'm not cying.
(Knock at the door)
No!
(Maid) Lady Fuchsia?
No more, thank you.
(Splash)
Ladyship?
Lady Fuchsia!
l came over the roofs. l've seen him.
He's in the south wing. He's surrounded by water.
Captain.
Would you ako like to know that my sister's dead.
Titus?
They've just pulled her out of the water. Her maid said she jumped.
The maid's outside but you wouldn't see her.
She's still waiting, Mother.
She wants to tell you your daughter is dead.
(Captain) Can you show us where Steerpike is, Lordship?
Yes, l can. l'm going to kill him.
Guards!
l already know.
l'm sorry to have kept you waiting.
(Voices)
(Straining and roaring)
(Titus) Captain. This one.
Open the door.
Down there.
(Captain) Put some meat into it!
(Captain) Stand aside!
(Captain) See anything? (Steerpike) No one here, sir!
He was there!
- Look! - Ye gods!
- It's him! It's Steerpike! - My lord!
- Look out! - Aaah!
He's therel.
Go in! Kill him!
Aaah!
From one who should've been your son!
(Gertrude) Stop him! He's in the water!
He's there! In the ivy, you idiots!
Goodbye, Mother!
Titus?
Titus!
Come on!
Ouh!
You were lucky.
Lordship.
Welcome, Titus, Earl of Gormenghast.
He was right. He should have been your son, Mother.
At least he would have appreciated it.
And here lie the remains of Her Ladyship Fuchsia Anastasia Alice,
Gwendolina Marshal Groan.
Guardian of the South Pastures
Receiver of the Guild of Master Carrvers
daughter to Sepulchrave and Gertrude
sister to Titus.
(caw)
l'm leaving, Mother.
There's nowhere else.
You'll tread a circle, Titus Groan.
l must see for myself.
You are the Earl...
- l didn't ask to be. - And may do as you desire.
- Mother... - He'll return
won't he, my wise one?
Eveything returns...
Goodbye, Mother!
Goodbye, Captain.
Lordship.
Yah!