Original subtitles

One, two, three, four,

five, six, seven, eight,

nine, ten, eleven, twelve...

...thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine.

Of course war is inevitable, we're both aware of that.

But it won't come this year.

I presume you've read my reports.

If their plans for the 15th are successful,

all Europe will be plunged into war immediately.

We still have the fleet, Scudder. You're overstating the danger.

Karolides can hold the Balkans together.

But if you don't act now, before the 15th,

the fleet will be endangered and Karolides will be assassinated.

Sir Hugh, have I ever cried wolf before?

All right, give us the details.

I admit I don't know their English names, but every other fact I can verify.

You've been retired too long, Scudder, you're seeing phantoms everywhere.

And you, Lord Harkness, you're spending too much time at your club!

- That's quite enough, Scudder. - I cannot tolerate complacency.

Incivility does nothing to strengthen your hand, you know?

So you're all prepared to ignore the obvious warnings?

- I'll do what I can for you, for my... - Case!

Oh, don't be so touchy!

I'm not in this for my pride.

Scudder!

Don't you understand? The peace of the world is in danger now.

I'm in danger. So are you and your colleagues.

It's always been an obsession of Scudder's.

He sees Prussians in every wardrobe.

- He's always been reliable. - In the past perhaps.

I believe him.

Well, see about it. I'll speak to you in the morning.

- Night, m'lord. - Good night.

C'mon!

Dear Appleton, what an unexpected pleasure.

What on ea...?

- Lord Harkness. - Lord Harkness.

No one here will underestimate the tragedy of the death of Lord Harkness.

He stood solidly against all aggression, his words of guarantee to Serbia are well-remembered,

and had full backing from every one of us here,

every member of this society, which has worked so tirelessly for peace in Europe.

- Empire Rooms - urgent! - Righto, guv.

But I am now convinced that we are entering upon the last hours of that peace.

War is not only inevitable, gentlemen,

its shadow has already fallen on us.

You ready, Hugh?

- Well, should we take your carriage or mine? - Internal combustion or horse-drawn? You choose.

Horse, let's stick to the old order while we may.

Votes for women!

Votes for women.

Oh, it'll come. Has to.

Stay back, you can't come through.

We want the vote! We want the vote!

Move back, give us some room. Come along!

Good evening, my name's Scudder. Colonel Scudder.

I need your help. May I come in?

- You have an apartment here, don't you? - It's really rather urgent, Mr Hannay.

I dislike bothering you but I have no alternative.

You have another way of scraping an acquaintance, Colonel.

How did you know my name?

I know a good deal about you, Mr Hannay.

Enough to believe I can rely on your help.

Sit down.

And if I don't wish to? Help, that is.

Keep away from the door.

Snap.

But mine's loaded.

Move away from the door and put the gun down on the desk.

If you please.

I don't relish being threatened in my own apartment.

Go over to the window, look down carefully into the street and tell me what you see.

- Watching your place? - Yes.

He's a member of the Prussian intelligence service.

At this moment, two of his associates are searching my apartment upstairs.

I need sanctuary for perhaps 24 hours.

Can you help?

My information convinces me that on the 15th of this month

an attempt will be made to assassinate Karolides.

The Greek premier.

Yes, well, as long as he can hold the Balkans together,

a major war can at least be delayed until Britain and France

are a great deal better prepared than they are at present.

My research is all in here, Mr Hannay.

I need time to collate it.

Time and a safe place in which to work.

I don't understand half your stuff about "sleepers",

or how it affects the British fleet.

I'm not even sure you're telling me the truth.

So, if you want somewhere to stay, you're welcome to use the smoking room,

but I warn you, I'm going to Scotland the day after tomorrow.

- Scotland. - Mm.

Strathallan, the village I spent the first few years of my life in.

It's what they'd call in South Africa a one horse dorp.

Would it be a safe place to hide...

from people hunting for you?

It isn't there. We searched his apartment thoroughly.

Both Scudder and his notes have to be found.

He must be somewhere in the building - he can't have got out.

We've investigated the backgrounds of all the tenants,

only four have any reason to shelter Scudder.

I want their apartments searched.

Morning, Hannay!

Good morning.

Impressive.

In a defensive position, one should always have a line of retreat available.

I may need to leave here unrecognised.

I'm sorry there's nothing more amusing for breakfast.

As I'm going back to South Africa, I've let the staff go.

Colonel,

just out of curiosity, why don't you simply go to the police?

- I've no proof. - Ah.

- May I ask where you'll be today? - I'm going to my bank.

Then to Union-Castle office to get a ticket to Cape Town

and St Pancras to reserve a seat to Scotland. Why?

Just habit.

- Mr Hannay. - Yes?

If I need to disappear but need a last ally...

may I find you in Strathallan?

Yes, of course.

Scudder's hat.

Oh, excuse me.

Morning!

Morning, Mr Scudder! Didn't recognise you for a minute!

Cab!

Scudder's in that cab.

OK, lads, go pick the bags.

Hannay!

Oi, mate, what's your game? Get out of here!

Excuse me.

Someone's fainted.

- That man had a knife. - Yes, I saw it too.

Get the police!

Stop him!

Just a minute, sir. Steady on.

Damned idiots! That's the one!

When I let him in, he pulled a gun on me.

He said there were men searching his rooms and after his blood,

and he said something about the 15th and this plot to murder Karolides.

And you can prove that?

They killed him, didn't they? Why would they do that if he wasn't speaking the truth?

- But you didn't believe him. - Of course I...

Well, I... I wasn't quite sure what to believe then.

So... you emptied his gun, locked him in and booked passage to Cape Town.

And then, when he escaped from your friends,

you prepared a second chance for them at St Pancras.

Why would I want Scudder killed?

I've been in England only for ten weeks.

I was bored, so I decided to go back to South Africa.

That is why I booked a passage to Cape Town.

- How long have you been in South Africa? - 25 years, since I was a child.

And of those years how many did you spend in the German colony?

- Five. - Five.

Doing what? - I'm a mining engineer.

- Well, prove it. - What do you want me to do, sink a shaft?

Write to them! Ask them!

Who? The German authorities in East and South-West Africa?

- What are you trying to say? - What are you trying to say?

Can't you get it into your head that Scudder was on to something big?

So big it involves a war between this country and Germany!

- And Scudder told you this. - It was in his notebook.

The black notebook he was trying to give me when he was killed.

- We didn't find any notebook. - I don't believe this is happening to me.

- Ich glaube, Sie lugen. - Und ich glaube, dass Sie unfahig sind.

- Where did you learn your German? - In Africa, dumb cop, where did you learn yours?

Right...

I want a solicitor and I want bail.

Everything you've said and done is directly involved

with the official secrets under defence of the realm.

There'll be no question of bail, with murder and treason hanging around your neck.

The evidence assembled against you by the Metropolitan Police

in regard to the violent death of Colonel Franklin Scudder,

a former agent of the British Intelligence Service,

and your possible involvement in the deaths of Lord Harkness and Sir Hugh Porton,

satisfies me that you should be kept in custody pending trial.

Bail cannot be admitted.

Here he comes!

Traitor!

Where's the notebook, Mr Hannay?

What notebook?

Scudder's notebook.

Bring him a chair.

We've saved you from the gallows, surely we can expect a little cooperation in return.

If I knew what you were talking about...

Mr Scudder spent the whole of one night in your apartment,

he was still there the following morning,

surely you must have had some kind of conversation with him.

I thought he was a harmless lunatic!

He was obviously frightened of something.

But he wouldn't tell me what.

I felt sorry for him.

I told him he could spend the night in my apartment

and he promised to give me a full explanation the next evening.

Your...

colleagues prevented that.

Remove the handcuffs. Give him a meal and something to drink, will you?

By the way...

what do you know of the 39 steps?

The what?

Perhaps he's as innocent as he makes himself out to be.

What about the notebook?

If he knows where it is, he'll try to reach it.

It's his only way of establishing his innocence to the police.

I think we should leave him to his own devices for a little while.

He's out.

- Where's that train going? - Nowhere, it's empty.

I dropped my diary here last night.

Check down there.

I'm extremely grateful.

'It's what we'd call in South Africa a one horse dorp.

'Strathallan.'

Scots Express, platform one!

Dumfries, sir. Platform one, better hurry.

Thank you.

Overpowered a vicar in a lavatory at St Pancras?

Left his own suit behind? What kind of a...?

Check all trains that left St Pancras at 7 this morning.

Every one to be searched, every one!

What's happening?

- What's happening, Officer? - Nothing to worry about.

Climb down the riverbank, see if he's under the bridge.

Don't get out of the carriage, madam, please.

- Well, he's not down there. - He must still be aboard the train.

Aye, but where?

Come on! There's another train due! Come on!

Come back, you two! All back on the train!

We'll raise the alarm at the next station, get a search party out.

Good evening.

'My research is all in this notebook, Mr Hannay.

'Mr Hannay, if I have to disappear, may I find you in Strathallan? '

And when you get him, mind, I want my hat back!

Keep your eyes open for him, sir. He's a dangerous character.

How will we recognise him?

How? Well, he's disguised as a tramp.

Wearing a long black coat with an old hat.

Found him.

Oi!

What are you doing here?

This wood is private property!

What the hell's going on here?!

This is private property and you are trespassing.

I'm sorry, we're looking for a friend of ours.

Well, some fool went in there a minute ago.

- Well, we'll get him out for you. - No, you'll do no such thing.

I'm responsible...

Yours, Vivian!

My bird!

Shot, Vivian!

Hold it, everybody!

What the devil do you think you're doing, man?

- Lost my way. - Lost your way?

You're on a private estate, damn it!

I'm extremely sorry. Did I startle the birds?

What birds? Only had a brace all day.

Anyway, it's not my shoot, it's Hamilton's.

Running in like that, you might have been shot!

- Yes, I might. - What were you doing?

- Doing? It's a wager. - Wager?

- Yes. - What sort of wager?

- I have 500 guineas on it. - That's going up pretty strong.

What's it about?

Well, I have these two friends who bet me that, given an hour's start,

I couldn't reach Inverness before they caught me.

A manhunt?! How marvellous!

Enormously exhilarating.

Sleeping rough, changing clothes with a tramp to throw them off the scent.

If you'll forgive the expression. However...

not only do I smell to high heaven, I am extremely hungry.

Well, David, he must come back for refreshments.

What? Oh, yes. Yes, of course.

I'm Hamilton, this is Miss Mackenzie.

- Lord Rohan. - Here here.

- Royce! Dick Royce! - How do you do?

All right, everybody, let's get back to the cars.

After 36 hours of living rough I should be needing a bath and a shave.

Well, that should throw them off the scent.

And a civilised dinner.

Yes, Royce, they'll never look in here. Stay to dinner.

I'll have a whisky.

Listen, I have read an article in the papers the other day...

Thank you very much.

Excuse me.

I wouldn't have recognised you.

You even smell different.

You look breathtaking.

Thank you. To the good fortune that sent me here.

Come and meet some of the other guests.

I can't see any other guests.

At dinner, will you take Lady Nettleship in?

Who takes you in?

David, my fianc�.

Ah.

Mr Renfrew, I have to see the master at once.

Porton was a damn good man.

So was Harkness. No peace mongering with those two.

You believe this rumour about Germany having a hand in the murders?

We shan't know that, shall we? Not until this Hannay is caught,

the bloody scoundrel.

You're right. He lost 200 guineas.

Stuart wants a word with you, sir. He says it is most urgent.

- I'm sorry, will you excuse me a moment? - Indeed.

Well, what do you think, Mr Royce?

Will there be war?

Yes.

Murdered?

That's what Constable Forbes says.

Where?

Near Duncan Spinney.

He says they want statements from anyone who was in the woods.

Yes. Yes, of course.

Sir.

And all because this Greek, um, what's his name?

Er, Karolides, is addressing both houses.

- Karolides? In London? - Yes.

- When? - 15th.

A foreigner addressing the House of Commons and the Lords!

What's wrong, David?

One of my keepers...

has been murdered, up in the woods.

Oh, David!

The police will want statements from everyone who was at the shoot.

I shall have to ask you, Mr Royce, to stay until morning.

Yes, of course.

- Superintendent Lomas, Sir Walter. - Come in.

You wanted to see me, sir?

It seems you've been jumping to conclusions.

- Hannay was involved. He is involved. - But only as an innocent bystander.

He's not in the clear yet.

Everything he told you about his life is confirmed here by irreproachable authority.

Good god, man, he's been decorated twice for his services against the Boers.

- And his years in the German colonies? - As a mining engineer,

and a copper prospector for a British firm based in Natal.

Very well, sir. You have your opinion.

His story about Scudder's notebook is true.

The booking office clerk confirmed that.

Now... the foreign agents will be out to murder him and get it back.

We should issue a statement that Hannay is innocent,

then he can come into safety, and you can stop looking for him.

No! Sir.

If we stop looking for him, the enemy will have a clear field.

We must find him before they do.

Constable Forbes to see you, sir.

- I'm sorry to bother you so late, sir. - Ian, come on in.

- You'll have heard already about poor Donald? - Aye. Aye, I have.

It's just possible, maybe even more than possible,

that it's somehow connected with this man Hannay.

Hannay? The fellow who escaped from the police in London?

They've established he left the express at Drumbriggs viaduct.

And he appears to be heading in this general direction.

He's said to be a highly dangerous man so we're just going rounds and warning people.

We've asked anybody to let us know if they see any strangers at all.

- Is there any description? - I've no details yet, sir.

- There is some... - If we see anyone we believe to be the murderer,

we'll let you know immediately.

You can be sure of that.

Aye, fine. Well, thanks, ma'am.

- Sir. - Will you have a dram before you go?

That's very kind, sir, but I'll be away to my bed. It's been a long day.

- Fine then, thank you, Ian. Good night! - Good night!

Why?

Why didn't you tell him about Royce?

Because the idea is ridiculous. He obviously isn't a criminal.

- You're rather taken with him, aren't you? - I don't believe he's a murderer.

The local bobby was here.

Looking for Richard Hannay.

What did you tell him?

Nothing.

- David? - He likes you, but he has a strong sense of duty.

I don't have much time, then, do I?

I'm not a murderer.

I'm being pursued by a couple of Prussian agents, who seem to think I can put a stop to their plans.

- You mean they'd kill you? - They won't.

I've hunted in Africa for 20 years. I'm quite at home in the open.

Can't I help - hide you, perhaps?

No. By the 15th the police will know I'm innocent.

Maybe I'll see you in London.

I'm engaged, to David.

Yes.

Take care.

- I need a push! - Hey, Billy, Jimmy, Sir Harry needs a push.

You there! Are you the Liberal spokesman?

- Yes! - Then get in, man, you're half an hour late.

I thought you'd never make it. I couldn't possibly speak for an hour on my own. Right! Push!

Push! Come on.

Friends, neighbours and, er, fellow Liberals,

I should like, on your behalf, to welcome this evening

the prospective Liberal candidate for our borough,

Sir Harry McLean.

We are also gratified to have on this occasion

a notable campaigner for the Liberal cause, Mr, er...

Mr...?

- Rolls. - Mr Rolls.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr Rolls!

From Peebles!

Er, Mr Chairman, Sir Harry McLean,

ladies and gentlemen.

As I was, er...

being introduced just now...

a question occurred to me.

What is a Liberal? What does he believe?

Now, can anyone enlighten me?

- You, sir, what do you believe? - Aren't you the expert?

Well, I know what I believe, but do you?

What about the Irish question? Foreign policy?

When are you gonna stop asking questions and tell us something?

Very well, I will tell you.

You're not awake, the country isn't awake.

You don't think! You've no idea if...

You've no idea if those two men who just came in are fellow Liberals...

or agents of a foreign power. That's right.

Look at them. Ask questions.

Are they what they seem to be?

- And are you what you seem to be, sir? - Yes! I'm a true Briton

and I believe that all men should be free and equal under God!

Do they, or are they impostors?

Steady on, old chap!

We must be on our guard at all times

against those who would draw Europe into chaos and carnage.

Aye, that's the Tories for ye!

That's right, and if you believe that there's only one thing to do, isn't there?

- What, vote for Sir Harry? - Right!

Vote for Sir Harry McLean! Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Sir Harry McLean!

A great wee speech, but what the hell did it mean?

- But you're due to speak for half an hour. - Stomach cramp.

Ladies and gentlemen, please!

While I'm sure we were all most gratified to hear Mr, er...

Rolls' fearless denunciation of the Tory party,...

Hannay is trying to reach somewhere specific. Here?

We've checked, he goes on there, always in a north-westerly direction.

Now, he's here tonight, so he'll go on to there. Clanrith. Is there an hotel there?

There's a hydro there. A health resort. Favoured by Scottish hypochondriacs.

We shall take rooms there.

I've caught up with you at last.

You killed Donald!

- What the hell are you talking about?! - Donald!

Oh, no, not again.

Now, what can you do with a man who's prepared?!

Now, try and keep your head up, Mr Murcheson.

Mr Murcheson is due for another treatment. Shall we complete the formalities later?

Certainly, sir.

Good afternoon.

Can you understand what I'm saying?

A gentle restorative.

Never underestimate an amateur!

Your brain is clear now, you can see perfectly well and hear well enough.

Slowly sensation will return to your arms and body and lastly to your legs.

After dinner you and I will talk. I want the real notebook.

- Nuggy! Jim! - Hello there.

- Good evening, Mr Hamilton. - Mary. Donald.

Miss McKenzie!

- Mr Hamilton, delighted to see you. - Evening, Crombie.

- Good house tonight. - Excellent, sir. Every seat taken.

But remember, Hannay, I'm a patriot.

I will do my duty, however distasteful.

I will have that real notebook or I shall kill you.

Good. Time for a pink gin before the recital.

- Liqueur, madam. - Thank you.

Thank you.

- There's that same man. - What?

One of the Prussians Mr Hannay was trying to warn us about.

Room service.

Oh, blast.

Why can't they make up their stupid minds?

Good evening, sir. What can I do for you?

Oh, a foreign gentleman.

A wee bite to eat, sir?

A dram?

Ah, that's the ticket. And what might be your pleasure, sir, the whisky?

Drop of brandy, perhaps?

Neat, sir?

Water?

Soda?

Ah. Large or small?

Sorry, sir. Large.

Very good, sir. Large brandy and soda.

I'll be with you in a jiffy.

Thank God for Braille.

I've been recognised.

Good evening. I wonder if you could help us?

We'd be delighted.

We're looking for our cousin, his name's Hannay.

Would you know where he might be?

Hannay... I've heard that name somewhere.

Out and about, Mr Murcheson?

Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please.

The recital, as you know, will begin in 15 minutes...

First I should like a moment to mention the activities of the British Red Cross.

- Oh! - What was that?

There's plenty of time for the soiree, sir.

- I'm so sorry! - Good heavens, we were just talking about you.

I'm awfully sorry. Campbell!

Look, this is entirely my fault.

Will you see that this gentleman's clothes are cleaned and that

he and his colleagues have dinner this evening at my expense?

- It won't be necessary. - Nonsense! I insist.

David. Our cousin is having one of his attacks.

We must get him to a doctor.

- May I help? - No, no, you're a guest.

- Campbell, I'll borrow your chaps, if I may. - Yes, Mr Appleton.

- Will you send the coats out to the car? - Certainly, sir.

Sir, may I suggest you change out of those clothes as soon as possible?

Yes, of course. Tell me, who is that young gentleman?

I should like to return his hospitality, sometime.

Poor fellow. Did he say anything before he died?

What I think Scudder said, well, it sounded like "host of us".

- Doesn't make sense. - No, it doesn't.

- "Host of us"? Coast of us? - Most of us?

Toast of us, roast of us... It's impossible, the man was dying.

Ghost of us?

You do understand, Hannay, I'd insist on coming with you,

but with poor Donald's funeral today, I have to take all the servants to it.

I know.

You've done more than enough. Anyway, I don't have far to go.

Aye. And they won't be looking for you in those clothes.

Why did he want you to go to... Strathallan?

If I knew that...

Somewhere between leaving your rooms and reaching St Pancras,

Colonel Scudder must have got rid of the real notebook in a safe place.

Good thinking. But where? And how?

I know what I'd do. Perfectly simple.

I'd put it in a pillar box, the first I could find.

"Post Office".

"Post Office"!

Will you sign there, Mr Scudder?

Thank you.

Whoa. I'll get David's car ready.

- Mm. - Is it all in code?

Yes, except for this one phrase.

Ariadne's Thread?

That's one of the questions they asked me at their house.

What did I know of the 39 steps?

Ariadne gave a thread to her lover

so that he could escape from the labyrinth after slaying the monster.

Escape after a slaying. Karolides? At 11:45?

Richard, there's something wrong.

Of course!

Wait here.

Downstairs.

Alex, go!

Yes?

Mr Appleton, we've decoded the message from Berlin.

"British fleet: Affirmative. Karolides: Affirmative.

"Urgent you confirm requirements for Ariadne on 15th."

What was the last message from Scotland?

They're both on their way back, sir.

Then reply,

"The sleepers will proceed as planned".

All right, Mr Hannay, no need to hold your breath any longer.

Danke sch�n.

- How's the head? - It's fine. Just a graze.

Here.

- Where are we? - Just south of Sheffield.

My train from London nearly missed the connection.

Oh, by the way, I've brought you the announcement of your death.

Well, that should stop our friends looking for the notebook anyway.

Well, it doesn't give us much time to decypher it.

Tomorrow Karolides addresses both houses of Parliament at 11:45.

- 11:45? - That's the time set for the assassination.

We're not amateurs, Mr Hannay! Karolides will be guarded every moment.

And we also have the best code breaker at the War Office is waiting for this notebook.

Oh, if that meets with your approval, that is.

He only eats once a year, Sir Walter.

This is the first breakfast I've had in a week!

Come in.

- Good morning, gentlemen. - Morning, sir.

- Care for a cup of coffee? - No, thank you, sir.

- We have the clothes you wanted, Mr Hannay. - Thank you.

How's Tillotson doing with the notebook?

It seems it was Scudder's own personal code, sir.

But I understand that Tillotson's cracked the key to it half an hour ago.

And when shall we have the details?

He wants to see you, Mr Hannay and myself at the War Office at 11 o'clock.

That'll leave us 45 minutes!

I have a meeting with the Imperial General staff at 10:15, that usually takes about an hour.

Sir Walter, that meeting couldn't have anything to do with

what Scudder called "the safety of the British fleet"?

Mr Hannay, we owe a great debt to you for your courage and resourcefulness,

but you must realise there are still some matters that are classified as highly confidential.

Yes, I do understand that.

And you must realise

that I'm not exaggerating about these three Prussians.

They are men of extraordinary courage and devotion.

Courage?!

Yes, I know.

But they are courageous. And dangerous.

- We are taking as many precau... - Lomas!

Lines of policemen won't safeguard Karolides!

They're not gonna rush up and throw a bomb!

These men were chosen as steep as because they can pass themselves off

in any social situation as natives of this country,

not so much by disguise as by outrageous bluff!

Is Mr Hannay suggesting that we shouldn't guard Mr Karolides?

No. I simply want to remind you both

that Scudder's not, so far, been wrong about anything.

And today at 11:45...

Karolides will be killed.

What the devil?!

Get the girl!

That's the house where they held me prisoner.

Martins, find out who lives there.

Superintendent, it's Edmund Appleton's house.

Oh, you've got it wrong this time, Mr Hannay.

Edmund Appleton is a successful businessman and a friend of half the British Cabinet.

Edmund Appleton has shot grouse with King George!

Scudder did tell me one thing about the man we're looking for.

He was standing beside Porton when he was assassinated.

So was Edmund Appleton.

Hannay! Come here!

- Superintendent! - Yes?

Somebody's been trying to copy Sir Walter Bullivant's signature.

Superintendent, I repeat, the man who took the minutes of this meeting was Sir Walter Bullivant.

I tell you he wasn't.

Damn it, he's a member of my club, I've known him for years!

He was an imposter, sir.

- You must answer our questions. - "Must"? Are you insane, superintendent?

You may judge that for yourself when Mr Karolides is assassinated.

- Now, what was discussed at the meeting? - I warn you, your career is in great danger!

So is Mr Karolides, sir, and so is the British fleet.

Gentlemen, would you please just answer three questions?

- Did Sir Walter sign anything? - No. No, he didn't.

- Does "the 39 steps" signify anything to you? - Really, Mr Hannay, these games...

- Ariadne's Thread? - Ariadne?

- It's the name of a ship. - What ship?

A German cruiser. She's lying off Gravesend.

Asked permission to drop anchor there last night.

That's how they plan to escape!

I've been to Sir Walter Bullivant's house, sir. The butler was trust up in a cupboard.

He said Sir Walter and Miss Mackenzie were both abducted.

Now, sir, will you answer our question?

You haven't a moment to lose.

We were discussing the role of the navy in the event of war with Germany.

The bogus Sir Walter has the battle dispositions of the entire fleet.

Uniform, sir.

You know, Scudder unearthed an extraordinary amount of stuff, but...

Well, he- I remember once...

- Tillotson... - Mm?

Tell us what you found out.

In 40 minutes the Greek prime-minister may be assassinated.

Yes. Yes, I know, their... their timetable is quite remarkable.

Well, the sheer volume of background research these Prussians must've carried out is...

Tillotson!

Do you know how they're going to carry out the assassination?

Ah. Well, Scudder only refers to it as "the 39 steps".

- But what does it mean? - I don't know.

- It isn't in the book? - No.

Do you know how they're going to reach the Ariadne?

No.

Well, this had better be good news.

I don't know what it is, it doesn't make sense, sir.

Well?

Well, after Sir Walter was abducted from his home,

he went to his office for 20 minutes before going to that meeting.

The man at the Imperial staff meeting may not have been the real Sir Walter,

but the man who came here most certainly was.

Tell me, what exactly did he do while he was here?

He read the urgent mail I put in front of him, he signed two memoranda I drafted,

he took a telephone call from his tailor, he signed a Ministry of Works permit,

and then he went off to his meeting.

- He signed three papers. - Let me see those signatures, sir. Quickly!

Please!

Gentlemen. Gentlemen, please!

We would ask you to take your seats in the house within ten minutes.

- Mr Karolides? - Yes?

You will be escorted into the chamber within 15 minutes, sir.

Thank you.

I assure you the signatures are quite genuine.

Why would he risk coming here? It doesn't make any sense.

Because there's something here, vitally important to their plans!

Scudder's let us down. He didn't have the answer.

I don't suppose you know what the 39 steps are, do you?

Anyone with any knowledge of the Palace of Westminster would know that.

- What?! - Well, it's common knowledge.

The run of steps to the various levels of Big Ben were all built in multiples of 13.

- There was quite an outcry. - But what are the 39?

39 steps lead you from Lauderdale door

to the belfry of Big Ben itself. - Big Ben.

Appleton signed a permit for routine work to be carried out on the clock!

Lauderdale Door.

- 39. - Clever Scudder.

- They must be up there. - Right, break it down.

We have Sir Walter Bullivant and Miss Mackenzie.

- You hear? - We hear.

And send someone in we can talk to.

He's to come alone and unarmed.

He's ready!

- Hannay. - Yes. One step ahead of you both, as usual.

You're really not very bright, are you?

Listen carefully, we have Sir Walter and the girl, they're our passports.

If we reach Bremen safely, they will be released, unharmed.

Is that clear?

Bremen? You won't even get as far as the Ariadne.

Hannay, there is one thing that you cannot know.

If anything happens to us and we don't reach

our rendezvous, they will both be killed.

By Appleton.

Go back down, Hannay!

And if you really value their two lives, ask Mr Lomas to call off his men.

No interruptions, we've got four minutes left. They have some kind of device up there.

They must have synchronised it to trigger off an explosion

in the Parliament when the minute hand reaches 11:45.

So?

It mustn't reach 11:45.

How the hell do you think you're going to stop it?

Stop the hand. Rifle!

- Hannay, you're not going to...? - There's no alternative!

But they may be able to set that thing off by hand anyway!

That's your problem.

Right, load your rifle. And you.

Right, Scott, take over here, the rest of you stand by with me.

Shoot that lock off.

Right, look after the wounded.

And tell Scott to stand by to bring Hannay in as soon as I put this thing out of action!

Bring Hannay in!

- Give me your hand. - Don't be bloody stupid!

Here, get a line.

- Tie that end to the post. - Right.

I'm lowering a rope to you.

Put your foot through the loop. A little to the left.

That's it.

Look.

And there's a police launch down by the pier.

Pull out!

After you, Mr Appleton.