Original subtitles

Halt!

(CROWD CHEERING)

Watch his eyes! He blinks before he strikes!

(SHATTERING)

The Chinese Communists and Nationalists would both give millions for it.

And what, pray tell, are you doing with this one?

He has agreed to be my protector.

(LAUGHING)

You hired Magnum?

He's my protector. He's your protect...

(LAUGHING)

(GRUNTING)

(ENGINE REVVING)

(INAUDIBLE)

(INDISTINCT)

Say. How about it?

Do you want to go? Fun time?

(CROWD CHEERING)

(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)

Hey! Duffy! Long time no see! When did you dock?

Midnight. Any of me mates about?

Not yet. But there's a malahini Pake at number three.

(CROWD CONTINUES CHEERING)

You Choi?

Well, let's get to it.

| was told in Hong Kong that you'd pay 5,000 American

for the location of one Mai Ling.

And since you're sitting at my table, | take it | was right.

(LAUGHING)

Don't tell me, mate. Don't tell me. Let me guess.

Which one of the arts is it?

Uh, Taekwondo? Shotokan?

Uh, Kung Fu? Shito-ryu?

Whichever it is, you don't scare me none, Rice Bowl.

Because I've fought them all, from Singapore to Yokohama.

And | ain't been whipped, yet.

So don't get cute.

I'll break your fingers like they was chopsticks.

Now,

we was discussing Mai Ling, and where she is.

And for 5,000 American and that bit of gold and jade

hanging around your neck, so can you.

What is she to you, anyway?

Runaway wife?

Sister?

You don't talk much, do you?

But you sure do know how to count.

She's in Kauai.

She runs an antique shop in Lihue.

It's called Treasures of the Dove.

You cannot miss it.

It's called Wing Chun.

T.C.: You know, Thomas, chasing a china doll could be fun,

if she wants to be caught.

T.C., do have to fly into the sun?

Do | what?

Have to fly into the sun?

| was out all night on a divorce case and I'm tired.

Aw! Well, I'm sorry, master, sir.

Old T.C. sure is sorry he let the master get

that sun shine in his little beady, blood-shot eyes.

How's that for you?

It's great.

What do they think they...

But maybe you should talk to them.

Nothing to worry about. Just a slight Kauai down draft.

Probably smooth sailing from now on. Won't happen again.

Just a Kauai down draft, honey. It won't happen again.

Kauai down draft. That's good.

If they upchuck all over my new upholstery, guess who's going to clean it, Thomas?

Come on, T.C., what did | do?

What did you do? What did you do? What you always do!

MAGNUM: /| didn't care about the sun, but T.C. was going to start in on Mai Ling again

and | didn't want to hear it. Now, if you don't want someone on you about one thing,

you give them something else to gripe about. It works every time.

Of course! What should | expect from a grown man

who spends all of his time chasing, of all things, a china doll?

MAGNUM: Well, almost every time.

T.C., that "china doll", as you call her,

happens to be an expert on ancient Oriental ceramics.

She is teaching me all she knows.

Mmm-hmm. The only thing she's teaching you is "No" in Chinese.

Since when are you interested in who teaches what?

T.C.: Since it started costing me a paying fare every time | fly to Kauai!

Harold! Hey, pilot!

Am | replacing a paying passenger? Maybe!

Was someone else going to fly with you today?

Well, maybe!

Look, Thomas. | don't expect you to pay a fare.

But once, if just once, you would offer to give me gas money.

That hurts, T.C. That really hurts.

When | think of all the times | saved your butt in Nam.

(LAUGHING) You saved my butt?

You've got me confused with some other beautiful human being, Thomas.

Okay. "Welcome to Kauai, the, uh, garden island.

"The, uh, oldest island in the Hawaiian chain.

"The first to be visited by Captain Cook."

Anything else you want to know, there's a tour guide back there somewhere.

Mister and Mrs. Dixon, you're sure you won't reconsider and fly back?

No. Uh-uh. Not ever.

No.

Well, | guess, in that case, you're entitled to half your money back.

Nah! I'm a small operation.

No, that's okay. Fares like this...

Sorry. Come on, Alice.

Well, you maybe might... 5:00...

| leave at 5:00.

(SIGHS)

Not coming back with us, huh?

Gas money. What?

Thomas, | am going to Monkey Pete's for a beer.

When | get back, | want those gas tanks topped off and the gas paid for.

You got it?

Don't you think you ought to use a half-pitch there?

You can backstroke to Oahu.

MAGNUM: Well, if | had to be marooned, at least it was on Kauai,

with Mai Ling.

(BELL CLINKING)

Mai Ling?

Ah.

Mai Ling?

MAGNUM: Some days, | shouldn't get out of bed.

Instead of Mai Ling, her Uncle Ho was in the shop.

For all Ho ever said to me, he could be mute.

But then, some people don't have fo talk.

Hi, Ho.

Uh, is Mai Ling here?

Ho?

Now, | realize that you're very busy,

but if Mai Ling is here, could you nod your head?

Blink or something?

Ho?

(DINGS)

Ho?

Oh, Mai Ling!

| must apologize for my appearance.

| was planting flowers at my father's grave.

| didn't expect you until this afternoon.

Uh, well, why were you expecting me at all?

Well, you've come every Saturday for a month, now.

| hoped today would be the same.

And it is.

Did you fly in with your friend? What's his name?

T.C.

T.C.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Mai Ling? Mai Ling!

What the hell is going on, here?

I'm going to Oahu with you for the weekend.

You are?

Of course, | intend to pay.

What for?

For your services.

To protect the vase you're carrying.

Until | can deliver it to a buyer flying from San Francisco Sunday.

| assume you do that sort of thing.

You are a private eye, aren't you?

Well, | prefer private investigator.

| also prefer to be asked.

I'm so sorry.

It was very stupid of me.

Mai Ling, | didn't say no.

| just said that I'd prefer to be asked.

Then | humbly ask you

to be my protector, if that is the proper word,

for the next two days and nights.

Well, | don't know if that's the proper word,

but | accept.

Excuse me. I'm sorry.

Bye, Ho.

MAGNUM: / wasn't quite sure what Mai Ling was up fo.

But how much trouble could | get into, protecting her and a little vase?

Excuse me. Treasures of the Dove?

Ah! Thank you.

Yes?

I'm looking for Mai Ling.

There is no one by that name here.

Do not lie to me.

(SHATTERING)

Mai Ling.

| know nothing of anyone... No!

Mai Ling.

Mai Ling.

Oahu.

And The Soul of Sung?

With her! She took it with her.

When?

(HELICOPTER PASSING BY)

(GROWLING)

Stay.

(WHINING)

Now, lads. (BARKING)

(SIGHS) Mai Ling, how are you with animals?

What kind of animals?

(BARKING)

That kind.

(BARKING STOPS)

(MAI LING SPEAKING IN MANDARIN)

Still in your jammies at this hour?

Zeus, Apollo. Patrol.

Mai Ling? This is Higgins. He kind of takes care of the place.

(BOTH SPEAKING IN MANDARIN)

I'll have an egg roll, the wonton soup and the chicken with snow peas.

And what, pray tell, are you doing with this one?

He has agreed to be my protector.

(LAUGHING)

Higgins. Higgins.

I'm sorry, Magnum. Really, |...

Higgins!

But the thought of you protecting a beautiful woman, you must admit...

Higgins.

(CONTINUES LAUGHING)

It's really rather funny, don't you think?

No, | don't!

Well, | do.

At least, Mai Ling, you'll be safe in the main house.

Security is quite stringent, with one exception.

The only thing staying in the main house will be this vase.

Mai Ling will be in the guest house with me. Vase?

I'm staying with my Uncle Han in Kahana.

Uncle Han? What vase?

The one Magnum is protecting until tomorrow.

You didn't say anything about an Uncle Han.

What kind of vase? Didn't |?

No. You didn't. The only thing you said,

was you needed my protection day and night.

Surely you didn't think | meant...

Yes, he did. Is the vase Chinese?

Mai Ling, of course | didn't think you meant...

Of course it's Chinese.

Which dynasty?

Mai Ling? That's not the dynasty.

Sung.

Sung?

It's this way.

Mai Ling, | hope you don't think that | thought what you think | was thinking.

Are you sure it's Sung?

Yes.

It must be worth a bloody fortune.

Which is why | hired Magnum to protect it.

| never thought anything else.

Honest!

May | open it?

No!

I'm merely an agent in this transaction.

The container was sealed in the seller's presence.

The seal cannot be broken by anyone but the buyer. I'm sorry.

No, no. | quite understand.

What, uh, color glaze?

Blood red.

Oh, what a bloody shame.

I'm sorry. | mean, | would love to have seen a Sung vase of that quality.

Well, if we're not going to see it, then why don't we just lock it in the safe?

| can't open the safe until you leave the room.

It would be a breach of security.

Shall | open it?

This is intolerable!

The combination will be changed in the morning. How did you get it?

By watching you open the safe.

When?

Just now, Higgins. Just now.

Mai Ling, lunch.

Excuse me, sir!

Yeah?

Did you just fly some people to Kauai?

Huh?

Fly me to Kauai.

You need a flight to Kauai? | mean, you want to fly Island Hoppers?

Gosh! You must be new here. Hey, step into my office.

(CROWD CHEERING)

One born every minute. Whoo-hoo!

What was the bet again?

Fifty. Fifty.

Bucks?

No. Pesos. They take pesos in Hawaii. Can you believe him?

What is this? What are you doing?

I'm writing my marker.

What do you think this is, Guys and Dolls? Did you ever hear of cash?

I'm a little short right now, Rick.

Oh! | owe you for two days, plus expenses.

No. Mai, that's all right. It's fine.

| insist. Please. Let me. It's fine.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You hired Magnum?

He's my protector.

He's your protect...

(LAUGHING)

How about a walk on the beach before lunch, Mai Ling?

He's been that way since Nam. Happens all of a sudden.

One minute he's fine, and then next thing he snaps.

A protector?

MAI LING: You have unusual friends.

MAGNUM: | guess you could call Rick that.

Not just Rick. T.C., Higgins.

Well, | wouldn't exactly call Higgins a friend.

Really? None of them are what they seem to be on the surface, are they?

| mean, I've only briefly met them, but underneath,

| sense something adventurous. Perhaps even dangerous.

Especially you.

It's what makes you so, uh, exciting.

So, I'm exciting. Very.

Then, why are you running away from me to your Uncle Han's?

Perhaps |, too, like to be asked.

Perhaps.

And perhaps you're just a beautiful woman

who knows how to use flattery on a man.

| don't think | like what you're implying.

And | don't like to be lied to.

Now, | don't know whether it was a Sung vase in that box

we locked in the safe or not, but | do know you lied to Higgins about the seal.

| watched your cousin Ho, seal that box in the antique shop

just before you came in.

There is a valuable vase in the box.

Why did you lie to Higgins?

Thomas, there are things | cannot explain.

Try me.

Perhaps tomorrow.

No. Not tomorrow. Right now.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

RICK: Magnum! Magnum!

Magnum! It's T.C., brah. He's hurt bad.

Take it easy. You've got a couple of cracked ribs. Lie back.

T.C., are you okay?

No. What happened?

You're in big trouble, boy.

Yeah. He's in big trouble. You've got cracked ribs

and a concussion and he's in big trouble.

All right. Look out.

Ow! I'm sorry.

Shouldn't you get him to a doctor?

Snow pea, | patched and fixed these two jokers so many times

in Nam, | know them better than their mamas.

What kind of trouble?

| don't Know.

But | could guess. Chinese dude.

Rick's size. Asking who | brought in from Kauai and where he could find them.

Did you tell him?

Does it look like | did?

RICK: He did this? Chinese guy about my size?

He caught me by surprise.

| ‘ain't never seen nothing like this boy. He just blinked and boom.

Never saw him move.

T.C., I've seen you whip half a dozen guys in a bar fight.

T.C.: Yeah, yeah, yeah. | must be getting slow.

He just, wham-bam! The whole thing only took five seconds.

I'm just surprised he didn't kill me.

What did he look like?

Like | said, Chinese dude,

Rick's size, late twenties.

Oh, yeah. He had something tattooed in the palms of his hands.

A red dragon?

Yeah. Yeah, | think it was.

(GROANS)

You know who he is?

| know what he is. | must get to my Uncle Han.

Not until you explain what the hell is going on here.

I'll explain in the car.

I'm so sorry for the pain I've caused you.

You didn't cause it.

Yes, I'm afraid | did. Please, can we go?

Anything he wants, Rick. It's on me.

Oh, sure. What are you going to pay it with? Your marker?

Anything, Rick!

Chinese dude, about my size! (LAUGHS)

Don't get cute, Orville.

(SIGHS)

Well?

The dragon tattoo is the sign of the Tong.

On the palm, it signifies a very strong warrior of the first degree.

Some people believe such a man can kill with a look.

Only women can do that, Mai Ling.

I'm serious. So am |.

You know, | am involved in whatever is going on here

because | went slightly nuts over you.

Which is really pretty stupid, considering our entire relationship consists

of a single kiss on Waikiki in front of a couple of thousand tourists.

Now, | do stupid things occasionally. And that's okay.

As long as I'm the only one who's hurt.

But my friend in there has a couple of busted ribs and a cracked head.

And before somebody gets killed, | think you'd better start filling me in.

MAI LING: Some people have already been killed.

MAGNUM: By who? The man with the tattoo?

And others who came before him.

It's the vase, isn't it? What's it worth?

As an art object, perhaps 100,000.

As a symbol, the Chinese Communists and Nationalists

would both give millions for it.

Have you ever heard of the Soul of Sung?

No.

I'm sure your friend Higgins has.

Oh, well, of course Higgins has.

It's a vase containing the ashes of a great Sung emperor Hui-Tsung.

It disappeared shortly after the death of the last empress of China, Tzu-Hsi,

in 1908...

Mai Ling, what does this have to do with this guy

who's chasing you all over the island?

On her death bed, the Empress gave the Soul of Sung

to a courtier. She made him swear upon his family name to protect it,

until another royal dynasty sat again, once more upon the throne in China.

Of course. It's all very clear to me, now.

That courtier was my great-grandfather.

He died protecting that vase.

As did my father and 10 others in the family.

Perhaps, by now 11.

Cousin Ho?

| will know more when | reach my uncle.

Next street, turn left.

My family's alone in this, Thomas.

We must carry on as the Empress instructed.

Now that | have been located, my cousin Pin will take over.

He's the one flying in tomorrow.

You know, you could have told me, Mai Ling.

| can trust no one outside the family.

| only tell you now because | have no choice.

| would die to protect the Soul of Sung.

Would you?

(HAN SPEAKING IN MANDARIN)

Mai Ling.

(SPEAKING IN MANDARIN)

(SPEAKING IN MANDARIN)

Mai Ling, English please!

Uncle Han does not speak English.

Well, how about French, then?

No.

Vietnamese?

No. Only Mandarin.

Only Mandarin. Of course.

(SPEAKING SOFTLY IN MANDARIN)

Hi, guy. Speak English? Hmm?

(SQUAWKING)

Ah. Of course. Only Mandarin.

(INDISTINCT)

The Tong murdered a merchant sailor last night on Hotel Street.

This sailor knew of my shop on Kauai, but not of this place.

So, I'm safe for the moment.

What about your cousin?

Uncle Han knows nothing.

Cousin Ho will contact us here if he's still alive.

Thomas, guard the vase closely tonight.

I'm staying with you.

I'm safe here.

Tomorrow, when my cousin Pin arrives, we will give him the vase.

And then you can be with me.

Until then, the vase is the only thing that matters.

Not to me.

But to me.

And therefore, it should be so to you, too.

There will be tomorrow.

At least we're cutting down on the size of the crowd.

I'll be back. Tonight.

MAGNUM: ! didn't like leaving Mai Ling, but | had to warn Higgins that a Tong warrior

might show up to bust his ribs.

Which was something that was Still bugging me.

A Tong would either walk away or kill. He wouldn't cripple.

Not unless he needed T.C. alive.

Damn fool. He was following you.

Han?

Mai Ling? Mai Ling?

MAGNUM: The note was short and to the point.

Mai Ling for the Soul of Sung. Noon tomorrow.

The location was a pay phone on Waikiki.

He didn't bother to threaten.

He didn't have to.

I'll get her back. I'll get her back.

(SQUAWKING)

Higgins wasn't around when | went for the vase, so | opened the Safe,

ran from the dogs, and spent the rest of the night at Rick's setting things up.

The Tong warrior would set up the swap in his favor.

All | could do was try and out-guess him and wait.

And wait...

He said noon, and it was already 2:00.

| was broiling.

And | had the feeling that's exactly what he wanted.

(PHONE RINGING)

Yeah? Walk Diamond Head.

Wait, wait.

MAGNUM: | didn't exactly panic.

But | was glad | hadn't had lunch.

(RINGING)

Where is she, hot shot?

On the beach.

The other way.

If you leave the sand with her before | have the vase, you're both dead.

Where is it?

It's the corner of Kalakaua and Ohua.

It's a blue Paradise Pedicab next to a grass shack.

The driver will take you to the vase.

MAGNUM: To put Mai Ling on the beach, he would have brought her out before dawn.

That meant, she'd been in the sun for eight, maybe nine hours.

Probably drugged, with no liquids.

| had to find her. Fast.

Hey, driver? Driver?

How much to Diamond Head, huh?

I'm on a tanning break, sir.

What? I've never heard of such a thing.

Look, lady, will you move along please?

My cab's not for hire.

Well, | think we should report this to the police.

For what? This is a public vehicle.

This is for the public to use.

Take a regular cab. It's faster and it's air-conditioned. Thank you.

Give it back. Alice. Come on.

(BOTH ARGUING INDISTINCTLY)

What did you do that for?

Well, | wasn't going to give it back to him.

Well, you should have. You give it back to him.

Mai Ling?

Mai Ling. Mai Ling?

Mai Ling?

Wait a minute. Wait. Put that down and shade her.

Yeah. Terrific. Just like that.

| need an ambulance and some water.

Mai Ling? Mai Ling?

It's alright, Mai Ling. It's over. And you're safe.

(SIREN WAILING)

Under the seat, there's a box.

(HELICOPTER HOVERING)

Okay. We're even now, pal. You've got the vase. We've got Mai Ling.

Not quite.

That could have been my head.

What head?

Come on, Higgins. Lay off Orville.

He darn near busted a gut running away from that Tong.

Oh, real funny, pal. Let me tell you something, you big lug.

After what he did to that vase,

| wasn't about to hang around and play Ring Around the Rosie until you showed up.

And besides, he was bigger than me.

(LAUGHING)

| think you did great, Rick. And you were the one who was

supposed to land and give him aT.C.

Man, Orville pedaled so far into the forest,

| had to park in a parking lot a half a mile away

and | don't run too good with busted ribs.

This vase is a reproduction.

You mean it's a fake?

| didn't say that. | said...

| said it was a reproduction.

There's a difference, you know.

No, you wouldn't.

This vase was thrown sometime during the 15th century.

It's a Ming copy of a Sung original.

Probably commissioned by a member of the Royal Court.

So, it's valuable, huh?

Well, it's no Silver Sung, but in one piece, it would be worth 50 or 60,000.

Bucks?

Pounds.

| shall never forgive Mai Ling for not letting me see it.

Well, she couldn't risk it.

What?

Well, she knew all along that Tong would be following us.

| mean, she even set it up so that he could.

Yeah, man, but why would she do that?

To buy time.

Time for her cousin Pin to fly into the islands

and escape with the real Soul of Sung.

Now if she'd let Higgins see the vase,

he might have recognized it as a fake.

A reproduction.

Whatever! Anyway, she couldn't

risk anyone knowing that the vase inside the box wasn't the real Soul of Sung.

If the Tong found out, he would have known where the real vase was hidden.

Where?

Right where she led him away from. Kauai.

T.C.: So, what did the hospital say?

MAGNUM: A couple of days rest and she'd be fine.

Did you talk to her?

No. She was still pretty doped up.

Whoo! | should have known something was wrong

within the minute she pretended she wanted

to spend the weekend with you.

Come on T.C.., she hired me to protect the vase.

| didn't think she wanted to sleep with me.

Oh, you didn't, huh?

Well, not exactly.

See, it was just the way she walked into the antique shop

and the cute little way she apologized for her hands being dirty.

Up! Take us up!

Huh? Take us up!

She wasn't planting flowers. She was hiding the vase.

There he is!

No place to land, Thomas!

Behind those trees! Put her down! I'll jump!

All right. It's your funeral.

Hey, Thomas. Don't be no hero, man. Use the .45.

Watch his eyes! He blinks before he strikes!

MAGNUM: By the time | hit the ground, | had so much adrenaline pumping

| wasn't even scared.

Well, not too scared.

Halt!

Turn around.

Down.

You're not a Tong.

Pin Ling?

(SPEAKING IN MANDARIN)

(GROANS)

(GRUNTING)

Don't even think it. Nobody's that fast.

(GUNSHOT)

(DOG GROWLING)

What is it, Magnum?

Oh, we just thought we'd come by and see how you were doing.

Uh-huh. Mai Ling.

(SPEAKING IN MANDARIN)

Oh, no. No. No. | know you both speak English.

It is impolite of us to converse in Chinese.

(CONTINUES SPEAKING MANDARIN)

(LAUGHS)

| wanted to apologize for having lied to you about the vase.

| quite understand.

May | offer my condolences on the death of your cousin, Ho?

That is most appreciated.

Is the Soul of Sung safe?

For the moment. My cousin Pin has departed with it.

Good.

| hope you don't mind.

I've been trying to piece this Ming version back together.

This is very good.

During the war, | was attached to the British Museum in Cairo for a brief stint.

Learned a thing or two.

You never told me that.

| don't tell you many things.

Which reminds me. The combination to the safe

has been changed to keep undesirables out.

Well, a dinner for two at the club

says | can get in and out without you knowing it.

(CHUCKLES)

Impossible. Is it a bet?

It's a bet. Come along, Mai Ling.

Dinner is on Higgins tonight.

You'll have to get into the safe first, Magnum.

| know.

Zeus! (DOGS GROWLING)

Apollo!

Kill!

(INAUDIBLE)