The Sky Table | Barkskins

[music playing] [thud] [panting] [thud] [thud] [thud] Ah. [thud] [cracking] [branches crunching] Excellent work, [inaudible] Sal. Come with me. There are more that need to be pulled from the sky. This way. [birds singing] I might be of help if you tell me what you're looking for. A span of trees. What sort of trees? Ones that will hold and reign over the rest. This is not that. Do you agree? That depends. Yes. So much depends. Yes. Yes. This is the place. I'm sure of it. Do you see how these create a perfect form? Yes? Leave them. Clear the rest. What are we building? A sky table-- these will be the legs. Sky table? Yes. I wish to stride over the trees and study the clouds and the smoke from [inaudible]. No man in New France will possess such a view. I have never heard of such a thing. I have invented it. I have made a sketch. There is no precedent for such a thing. [inaudible] at once. I have been granted a wife by decree of the king. And I wish to complete the table before we are properly bound. What of Marie? Marie is not my wife. Sir. Worry not, 'tis the [inaudible].. Bonjour! Ah. Tell me, Sal, what does a man such as yourself think of all day, besides the bite of the axe, I mean? I think of nothing. Nonsense. The bird of thought enters us all. What vapors fill your mind? [sighs] I think sometimes, uh, of my brother. He who is dead? Yes. This is what families are like. The ones who have come and passed from this world push us to find new fields. It is the fear of departing this realm without leaving a mark. You must do better than this dead brother. You must set a course for yourself. I will start with this. And Marie must not know a word of this. Now I need to be able to trust you. You have my word. Good.