Original subtitles

VILNER: This is the case. I will show you.

Heat insulated, inside sterile.

And, of course, not to be touched,

not to be opened,

and not to be disturbed in any way.

Of course.

You have made your arrangements about this?

- Yes. - Please get on with it, Dr Vilner.

This tube will contain citrated blood...

..the best medium for transport of the grafts.

You understand?

Fascinating.

You will ensure the case remains sealed during transit?

Of course. Our people will look after it for you, don't worry.

Now, what happens to this end when these return from Switzerland?

Another operation, Mr Steed.

Just as delicate.

We take these, which represent the tissue grafts of the cornea

and transfer them to another patient.

I wouldn't have thought that's possible.

Oh, it is.

Difficult, but not impossible.

With the right resources...

..nothing is impossible.

SHE GRUNTS

Well, that was lovely.

I really enjoyed that.

I suppose I shall dry out eventually.

I'm sorry you were disappointed.

I was trying to broaden your outlook.

The outlook of the moment is distinctly threatening.

I sat through that abstract lecture

on "procognonal" magnon art last week.

Complaining bitterly the whole time, yes.

Anyway, I thought stock car racing just up your street.

Not in a 4.3 thunderstorm.

How about some coffee?

It's a marvellous sport, you know.

I understand they're all bank managers

and stock brokers getting rid of their frustration.

Have you ever heard of a place called the Mondblick Clinic?

HE WHISTLES

Mondblick. Mean anything to you?

No. Should it?

I only wondered. You know a chap called Halvarssen?

How about you getting to the point?

As you're closer to the medical field than I am,

I thought perhaps you might know if Halvarssen's name

had been mentioned in any of those depressing professional journals.

Why? Who is he?

He's a millionaire.

It's a start.

And he owns or at least runs a place in Switzerland

called the Mondblick Clinic.

It's 7,000ft up,

and the staff outnumber the patients five to one.

Why should he be in the news?

He's sponsoring a rather unusual operation.

Eye surgery.

Oh?

Corneal grafting.

Do you know anything about it? - A little, yes.

What's it got to do with you?

I'm representing Her Majesty's government in the affair.

Does the government know?

In places, yes.

Now the broad outline is this.

The grafts are taken from a donor in this Mondblick Clinic place.

Then it's flown over here by private plane.

Now everything's supposed to be all sealed up.

And, I, representing the government, and sterile as well,

am supposed to give my blessing on the affair.

Why you?

Well, there's some rather odd people involved.

Sounds to me like an extremely odd operation altogether.

HE CHUCKLES

There's nothing very unusual about corneal grafting,

but why all this business of flying from Switzerland?

What does Halvarssen have to say about it?

I don't know. I haven't seen him.

I've talked to all sorts of people, but not him.

Why on earth not?

Well, when you're rich, you know,

one learns how not to be talked to.

I'm terribly glad you're taking such an interest.

I think that you'd have more success than I've had.

Oh, I'm not going to talk to him.

I'm going on holiday in three days time, remember?

Of course, you are. All expenses paid to Switzerland.

Mountain air and sunshine.

What else do you suggest, the latest line in travel couriers?

I've got a much better setup than that.

MAN: Eve.

Come here a moment, would you?

These plane schedules, take-off and landing times.

I'll be there in a moment.

No, run along. He's waiting for you.

The plane schedules are Mr Steed's concern, aren't they?

We'd better send him a copy, also Dr Vilner.

DOORBELL BUZZES

ANSTICE: Ah! Herr Doctor.

What an exquisite surprise.

I would like to speak to Mr Halvarssen, please.

Would you really? He won't see anybody. You know that.

- But she's always... - If you're referring to Dr Hawn,

I would remind you that she and Mr Halvarssen

are shortly going to be married.

Now, what can I do for you, hmm?

I am worried.

HE CHUCKLES Is it a question of money?

No, no, no. This whole business.

Very little to do with you, Vilner.

We're paying you to give an anaesthetic.

Anaesthetic?

You're paying me for my name, "Dr Vilner."

That's what you're paying me for. - Precisely.

And we're paying you awfully well.

So what are you worrying about?

Do you know who I've been speaking to?

Mr Steed.

And do you know what he has done?

He wants us to meet a friend of his.

- A doctor. - A doctor?

- That's what I said. - What for?

How should I know? I thought she would be here already.

- She? What's her name? - Mrs Gale, I think.

She is a doctor.

Do you realise what this means?

In this circumstance, I cannot continue...

Oh, please. You really mustn't get so excited.

We have to make the decisions, not you.

Now when did you speak to Steed?

He telephoned me about 20 minutes ago,

and I came straight round here.

He said she would be here right away.

Did you know about this?

No. I didn't.

You see, I cannot continue. It would be too dangerous.

DOORBELL BUZZES

- Good afternoon. - ANSTICE: Good afternoon.

Mr Halvarssen?

No. My name is Anstice.

May I speak to Mr Halvarssen?

Can we help you?

Mr Halvarssen never sees anyone without an appointment.

I believe Mrs Gale has an introduction

from our friend Mr Steed, isn't that so?

- That's right. - Well, er, let me introduce you.

This is Dr Hawn, and this is Dr Vilner

of the Mondblick Clinic in Switzerland.

Now then, what, er,

little tale has Mr Steed been telling you about us, hmm?

He told me you were all about to undertake something rather special

by way of experimental surgery. Is that right?

I'm afraid he had no right to tell you anything of the kind.

No right at all. - Absolutely not.

I'm very sorry.

I... I didn't want to intrude in any way.

My interest is purely professional, I assure you.

Please excuse us if we seem upset, Mrs Gale.

You see, we had hoped to avoid publicity.

You are in the field of ophthalmic surgery yourself?

No. I've been in research for the last five years.

Biochemistry.

But I am interested in the whole field of tissue grafting,

and this seemed something quite new.

That's why Mr Steed told me about it.

In confidence, of course.

Oh, of course.

I see. Well, I'm sorry to have bothered you.

What I totally fail to understand

is why Steed should ask you to come see us at all.

After all, corneal grafting

has been performed before many times.

It was when he told me

you'd arranged special transport for the grafts

that I became interested.

He said you'd designed a special container, Dr Vilner.

Is this it? - Yes...

When he described it to me,

it sounded like the sort of thing you'd use

for transporting live grafts.

That is true, but that...

HE LAUGHS AWKWARDLY

You're very astute, Mrs Gale.

You're right, the grafts are to be taken from a live donor.

A live donor?

EVE: Now you can see why we hoped to avoid publicity.

Yes, I can indeed.

ANSTICE: It's a rather a long story. I won't bother you with it.

I must beg you to respect our confidence.

Dr Vilner believes we may lead the way

to a far higher success rate. - A new technique.

But one which for the moment must remain

a most private and personal matter.

Do you understand?

Yes, of course, I do.

I wouldn't dream of asking any more questions.

Perhaps you'd contact me later on

if anything comes of it? - Oh, we will.

And meanwhile, you'll keep it to yourself?

There was never any question of my not doing so.

Thank you. - Well, goodbye, Mrs Gale.

Oh, and could you tell your friend Mr Steed to...

To try and avoid publicity? Yes. I'm sure he will.

Goodbye.

Goodbye, Mrs Gale.

- VILNER: I told you. - You talk too much. Far too much.

I think you better go back to Switzerland.

Steiner will help you with your luggage.

Couldn't I see him for just one moment?

He won't see anyone.

We shall have to be very careful, I think.

Everything will be all right.

JOHN: The doctors...

..and his skilled and learned surgeons.

What do you think of them, huh?

Well, I know Vilner. At least I've heard of him.

He's Viennese. Very good, I believe.

Steed, they say they're going to use a live donor.

But it can't be. - Why not?

People give their kidneys to other people.

Yes. But not their eyes.

Anyway, I can't see how they're getting any advantage

from taking the grafts live.

Normally they're taken from people who leave them in their wills.

There's some sort of central bank in Paris, I think.

Hmm.

So, on balance, you think the operation's unlikely?

- Yes, I do. - Are you sure?

Reasonably, yes.

Reasonably is not enough.

Look, I'm afraid you're gonna have to watch it from start to finish.

Mean a little homework, but never mind.

Look, I said I'd go and talk to these people. That's all.

How on earth do you think I can go on pretending

to be a budding eye surgeon?

I don't know what you're worried about.

At least two of those are phoney surgeons.

I can't be sure of that.

I've got to be sure.

Now, look, if I interfere

and it turns out to be a perfectly genuine operation,

there'll be such a scream from the Royal College of Surgeons.

They'd...

Well, they'd spill all their early-morning coffee

all over their lancets.

Then get a second opinion.

Somebody who knows more about it.

Yeah.

Good idea.

I think I'll do that.

Why not have another try at Halvarssen yourself?

Yeah. I'll do that, too.

I didn't mean now. It's a bit late.

It'll help. Put your feet up. Enjoy yourself.

Turn the light out when you go.

DOORBELL BUZZES

HALVARSSEN: It's Mr Steed, isn't it?

Good evening. My name is Halvarssen.

HE CHUCKLES Good evening. I'm terribly sorry.

Erm, there was nobody about, so I came in.

Then I'm afraid my curiosity got the better of me.

What can I do for you?

It's an unusual hour to call, open to misinterpretation I think.

But you are welcome.

Was the door open?

Yes. Why?

I'm not often on my own.

I must have forgotten to close up the house.

What did you want to see me about?

Well, mostly to find out if you actually existed.

Up to now, there's been some sort of doubt.

Oh, I'm real.

You seem to upset my colleagues, Mr Steed.

They objected rather strongly to your sending Mrs Gale here.

But then perhaps she, too, wanted to know if I really exist.

She's interested in tissue grafting,

particularly taken from a live donor.

Taking sight from there...

..and getting it here.

It's a disquieting thought.

So, the grafts are for you?

You're quite right.

I wasn't too sure.

Even after meeting you, I wasn't sure.

I expect the psychologists would call it

overcompensating, wouldn't they?

The fact is, Steed, that I am a rich man.

And like all rich men,

I am able to organise my life to suit my disabilities.

Which we all have, isn't that so?

Mm-hm.

Look at this room.

Other people stumble. They find it awkward.

It is designed for me.

When did you lose your sight?

When I was young.

In Norway, as a matter of fact.

I expect I am, what do you say, bloody-minded?

There was no need for me to work.

I was a millionaire before I was born.

My father owned sawmills.

But that didn't affect you.

No, no.

I could not accept it.

I was already rich.

Now I'm richer by far.

Banking.

Oh.

Good.

I didn't realise you were anything of an expert, Mr Steed.

Left over from my army days.

JOHN CHUCKLES

ELECTRONIC OSCILLATOR WHIRS

GUNSHOTS FIRING

Each target is defined by a different note,

or should I say pitch.

The ear, therefore,

must be trained to be as fast and as accurate as the eye.

That was quite an achievement. I congratulate you.

Achievement? I've achieved enough.

I've built hospitals, bridges.

I was an architect when it happened.

Oh, that must have been during the war.

Oh, yes, it was. Why?

JOHN: I just wondered.

So now you are trying to have your sight restored

by corneal graft, huh?

It was Eve's idea.

She's a wonderful woman. You have met her.

Yes. I don't quite know why you don't go

to the Mondblick Clinic in Switzerland yourself.

Why have the grafts flown over here? - Why not?

With your cooperation, Mr Steed, for which we all thank you,

it is a comparatively simple business.

Simpler to go to Switzerland, though, certainly.

But out of the question.

You see this sculpture here?

Hilda Brauer.

It is her eyesight that I am accepting.

You... You know her?

Very well.

From a long time ago.

She is dying now.

So you will see, of course,

that I cannot possibly go over there,

stay under the same roof.

You do understand?

Er, in a way, yes. It's not my business.

And you will also see why you and Mrs Gale upset my colleagues?

This is a private matter. Very private.

Yes. Yes. It's coming quite clear to me.

Er, good night.

It's been a pleasure to meet you, Mr Steed.

DOORBELL RINGS

Steed? Someone at the door.

DOORBELL RINGING CONTINUES

Good morning. - Morning.

Name is Spender. I came to see Mr Steed.

Is he here? - Dr Spender.

Certainly nice to see you.

There was no need to come like this.

You told me all I wanted to know over the phone.

Er, this is Mrs Gale.

- How do you do? - How do you do?

That cock and bull story you told me.

Mondblick place.

Thought I'd go and see it for myself.

Thought I'd go and see it for myself.

Er, yes, sir.

I don't think there's any need to do that.

Never thought you'd become a Whitehall man, Steed.

Still, it doesn't surprise me.

Now, what about this half-baked operation in Switzerland?

Well, I needed an opinion, sir.

So, naturally, I thought of you first.

Right. I've given my opinion.

Thought I'd see it for myself, just to make sure.

What's the fellow's name? - Vilner, sir.

Oh, I know him.

Vienna. Talks a lot of rubbish half the time.

Can you get me there?

Er, well, sir, I don't know...

If you can't, I can get myself there.

They can hardly keep me out, can they?

Well...

This the... This the young woman that you told me about

on the telephone, researching?

Yes. I'm doing biochemistry.

It's very good of you, to take all this trouble.

But really, I don't think a busy man like yourself...

You don't want to go toddling off to Switzerland

to keep an eye on things.

Mrs Gale's going over there, aren't you?

That's right.

JOHN: There's no need, you see, sir.

Professional interest. Professional interest.

At least phone the fellow up. You owe me that much.

- Yes. Of course. Of course. - Splendid. Well, let me know.

You can find me in the club anytime. - In the club, right-o, sir.

Glad to have met you, Mrs Gale.

Goodbye.

Research, eh?

Well... let me know, Steed.

I will. Mind the mat, will you, sir?

- Thank you. - Terrible.

Yeah. That's not gonna be so easy, is it?

So now I suppose you expect me to cancel all my holiday bookings?

You asked me for a second opinion.

How was I to know he was going to go off his little nut like that?

So now I'm stuck with surgery and biochemistry?

Yeah. It's gonna be difficult enough getting you out there.

Why not just settle for him?

You're not gonna be able to stop him.

Let him go toddling off on his own?

He'd be like a schoolmaster in the long vac.

Somebody's got to look after him.

ANSTICE: Yes, Dr Vilner did expect that Steed would ask

if Mrs Gale could come to Switzerland.

But I never thought you'd agree.

As for Spender, we've never even seen him.

You really mustn't take things so seriously, Neil.

Who does Steed think he is, anyway?

We rely on Mr Steed's cooperation, you know.

Perhaps we should sell tickets.

We knew that we would never get away with this thing

without a certain amount of publicity.

We allowed for it. If we refuse all observers now,

we run the risk of getting more publicity than we want.

Enough to get in our way.

I prefer Mrs Gale and Dr Spender.

You think they won't get in the way?

They needn't get in the way.

I'm sure we can find a way to distract them.

Calm down.

Calm down.

It's too late to do anything about it now.

Then we shall just have to wait till we get to Switzerland.

Spender and Mrs Gale

shouldn't prove too difficult to deal with.

Mountain air, eh?

It's medieval for the modern treatment of TB.

Well, Mrs Gale?

We might as well enjoy it while we're here.

I didn't come here to look at the view.

I came to look at the patient.

I'd like to know your opinion of this proposed operation.

You do have opinions, I take it?

Or are those old-fashioned in the research world these days?

- No. It isn't. - And another thing.

I know nothing about your background, Mrs Gale.

And I know very little about yours, Dr Spender.

I think we better take each other on trust.

Yes. Well, when you get to my age, you'll take very little on trust.

Oh, I suppose you're competent enough for a woman.

Thank you.

Of course, I don't know.

When did you last look at a patient, make a...

..make a diagnosis, huh?

A long time ago, I'm afraid. HE CHUCKLES

Well, there you are. You see?

Oh, this operation.

I gather you disapprove?

A lot of rubbish. I'll tell them.

Never heard such nonsense in my life.

And don't look at me as if I've got one foot in the grave.

A lot of people have made that mistake before.

- I hope you're both comfortable. - Thank you.

I'd like to look at the graft donor, if I may.

I'm afraid that will be inconvenient just at this moment.

Perhaps later. - Oh? How much later?

I've been here already nearly 24 hours.

At your own invitation.

SPENDER: May I ask when the patient's going to theatre?

- Ten o'clock tonight. - Ah.

That's the first straightforward bit of information I've had

since I arrived. - I'm sorry.

But as I've already pointed out to you,

we're working to a very rigid schedule.

I can assure you that we'll do everything in our power

to assist you.

I'll call for you both later.

CATHERINE: Thank you.

Oh, I can't say he fills me with much confidence either.

Ten o'clock, eh?

Well, possess ourselves in patience, I suppose.

Will you excuse me if I have a look around?

Oh, what for?

You never know. I might even find our patient.

I don't know that I approve.

I know these people aren't being very cooperative,

but we are their guests.

Well, don't worry. I'll try not to upset anyone.

But I would rather like to see the rest of the clinic.

It looks quite impressive. I won't be long.

Mrs Gale?

What are you doing in here?

I just thought I'd come and have a word with the patient.

That's right, isn't it?

Hilda Brauer is to be the donor of the eye graft?

She is. But you had no right to be in here without one of us.

Dr Anstice, there's a great air of secrecy about.

Why? - Secrecy?

It's not a question of secrecy.

It's just that in a case like this,

the preoperative treatment is difficult and delicate.

There are special techniques.

A new form of sterile foam dressing, for one thing.

I see.

I'm sorry to have interrupted your routine.

I think you better come along with me, Mrs Gale. Please?

My dear young woman,

I'm not responsible for the movements of Mrs Gale.

Didn't she say where she was going?

No.

I fancy she got as tired of sitting around

and doing nothing as I have.

- Excuse me. - Dr Hawn.

You will be assisting at this operation,

I presume? - Yes.

You're a practised ophthalmic surgeon?

Of course.

In your own country?

That's right, yes.

In my country, women have a place in surgery.

You'll have across Dr Overland I expect?

Yes.

He works in Denmark. I do not.

But I have read many of his papers.

ANSTICE: I don't wish to be impolite,

but I must remind you that you are our guests here.

I've just been pointing out to Mrs Gale

that we're working to a very rigid schedule.

It seems that she was impatient to see Hilda.

I'm bound to say that I'm getting a little restive, too.

Well, if you could contain yourself for a few more minutes,

I'll arrange for you to see her.

Well, you seem to have to put everybody's backs up

in spite of my warnings.

Yes, it looks like it.

I gather you didn't see the patient?

No. The room was empty.

There was a wheelchair and a painting.

Possibly a self-portrait.

But no patient?

No.

Operation on a patient who doesn't seem to exist.

Live grafts.

There's not an atom of sense in it.

No theoretical background, nothing.

Dr Spender, will you listen to me?

I think we're the victims of some sort of academic hoax.

It might be something more than that.

Hmm? What do you mean?

I can't explain the whole story to you,

but I would be grateful if you'd help me,

without making a fuss.

Fuss? Fuss? I'm not making any fuss.

But if there's anything untoward going on,

I'll soon put a stop to it, believe me.

- Dr Spender. - Now, now, now.

You're a woman after all.

Please leave these things to me.

Everything is ready for you now.

Will you both come this way, please?

They're coming. I'm going to let them in now.

KNOCKING ON DOOR

I see. Prepared?

ANSTICE: Yes. These are our new sterile foam dressings.

SPENDER: For operation in something over seven hours?

ANSTICE: That's right.

Huh. A bit early I should have thought,

but you know your own operative procedure.

There's no question of my being able to examine her?

ANSTICE: I'm afraid not.

Is she under sedation?

Early sedation?

It's scopolamine.

You can try to talk to her.

Thank you. History?

Hilda Brauer. Adopted nationality, Austrian.

Age not accurately known. Believed 36 to 38.

How old are you, Hilda?

How old are you?

Oh, I am sorry.

I had hoped that she might be able to answer a few of your questions.

But the less disturbance of the skin

underneath the dressings the better,

as far as we're concerned.

Thank you. Go on?

She has neoplasia of the right lower leg,

confirmed at exploration.

Prognosis extremely poor. She will die.

SPENDER: The patient may still be lucid, you know.

It's unusual to be so definite. - She knows already, Dr Spender.

This is why she has given us permission to take the grafts.

I see.

There'll be no objection to my examining the leg?

I'm sorry, but there would.

Oh, we've performed all our preoperative dressings

most carefully,

so as to reduce the risk of cross infection from the legs.

- Mrs Gale? - Just one thing.

You said the grafts.

Surely you can't mean both eyes?

- Both. - Why not only one?

Yes. That's something I'd like to know.

It's a purely a question of success rate.

As you know, the percentage at the moment

is somewhere around about one-third.

If we operate on both eyes,

we increase our chance of success that much more.

Besides, it's something of a personal matter

between Hilda Brauer and Halvarssen.

You mean, something of a personal debt?

Precisely so.

She feels she owes Halvarssen her sight?

Something that happened some time ago. During the war.

None of us know the true facts, only the two of them.

But that's how it is. - But it's... it's macabre.

Is it? Remember that we don't know all the facts.

Oh, one thing that we do know. Halvarssen saved her life.

Well, since there's no possibility of me conducting an examination,

I've seen and heard all I need.

Dr Spender, we look forward to seeing you in theatre.

Very well.

Until this evening, Mrs Gale.

Yes. I look forward to it with great interest.

In the meantime, would it be all right if I go into the village?

There are one or two things I need.

Would you like me to come with you?

No, thank you. I can manage.

ANSTICE LAUGHS

It might sound as phoney as anything I've ever come across.

I've been checking up on Halvarssen's past.

He's a very interesting fellow.

He lost his sight during the war.

Research patrol in Norway.

Then corneal grafting would be out of the question, surely?

JOHN: 'That's right. Yes.'

You know this place is 7,000ft up.

You can only get there by chair lift.

Yes, as a matter of fact, if they thought of stopping it,

I'd be stuck down here for good.

That would solve a few of their problems.

You'd better get back up there. HE CHUCKLES

They'd hardly carry their performances

to perform the operation itself, would they?

You better hang around.

Oh, and do try and look after Dr Spender, won't you?

Goodbye.

No pathology here.

We look for metastases, of course, but there's no evidence. Agreed?

Agreed.

Have you performed angiogram?

Naturally. Here they are.

TELEPHONE RINGS

Yes?

Yes. This is Spender.

Now? I see.

Thank you very much.

In Miss Brauer's room?

Yes. I can find my way there, thank you.

Yes. Normal interval after injection.

These were taken a week ago.

Correct, Dr Hawn?

Yes.

And once again, no pathology.

So that's all right, as far as we're concerned.

Mrs Gale, you seem rather worried about something.

I was just thinking of Dr Spender. Surely he should be here by now.

As far as the anaesthetic is concerned...

ANSTICE: Please get on with it, man.

As far as the anaesthetic is concerned,

we shall treat this as a minor operation.

The patient will be under a light anaesthetic, thiopental.

We shall employ a local and retrobulbar infiltration.

That is to say behind the eyeball here,

and on the corneal surface.

Strictly speaking, this isn't necessary,

but personally, I prefer it.

I'll show you these, Mrs Gale.

The surface of the cornea that we'll be dealing with

is only seven-tenths of a millimetre thick.

In particular, I'd like to show you this one.

You may not have seen it before.

Dr Hawn brought it over from Sweden only very recently.

Look at it closely.

You'll see that the cutting edge is rather short and slightly curved.

SPENDER SCREAMING

RAIN PATTERING

- The rest are on their way. - I'm glad to see you.

Officially, he fell over the balcony.

It was quite a drop.

I suppose it was really quite clever.

Got rid of us both. Spender permanently.

And I had to spend 24 hours in the valley with police inquiries.

In that 24 hours, they performed the operation.

Or they say they did.

I got back to the clinic

just in time to join the flight home.

Together with Vilner's special container

for transporting eye grafts or whatever it is in there.

What are you getting at?

I don't know yet.

All this is some sort of gala performance

so that Halvarssen can smuggle something into the country?

Why not? He's adventurous, sense of achievement.

He's built hospitals, schools, bridges, banks.

Now he seems to get a kick out of other people's disabilities.

You mean since his blindness?

He likes to see them stumble.

He's got a good feeling of adventure in the dark.

JOHN CHUCKLES

Is murder an adventure?

I hope not.

From what I saw of him, I liked him.

ANSTICE: Morning, Steed.

Sorry to drag you out here at this frightful hour.

It's a pleasure.

Mrs Gale has been telling me about Dr Spender.

Oh, you need my signature, don't you?

- Please. - Yes.

It was most upsetting. We don't yet know how it happened.

He was an old friend of my family's.

Really? I am sorry.

What about your patient, Miss Brauer?

Oh, she's as well as can be expected in the circumstances.

Is everything all right? We must get on.

- It's all in order. - Thank you.

Oh, er, the pen?

Thank you.

I'm going to see him.

- Who? - Halvarssen.

What's the hurry?

The wheels are turning, and I need my breakfast.

And I need to know whether he's a murderer or not

before that case,

whatever it turns out to be, arrives.

Before breakfast?

I'm sure the official pool will sort everything out eventually.

But I have my own reasons for wanting to find out now.

Well, I've got one or two things to sort out

and this will come in very handy.

- Hmm? - Are you sure we can just carry on

as though nothing happened?

Yes, I'm quite sure. Why?

I didn't realise Spender would be killed.

Didn't you? What did you think we'd have to do?

I don't know.

Drug him, perhaps. Lock him in his room.

Distract him?

That sort of thing may be all right for amateurs

like Halvarssen, but not for me.

It's all so casual with you, isn't it?

Casual?

You're beginning to sound more like Halvarssen every minute.

It was necessary.

You weren't so sensitive about Hilda Brauer.

I'm not sensitive.

Good. Then we'll just leave it as it is, shall we?

We don't even have to break the sad news to him.

He's bound to find out for himself sooner or later.

And by that time you and I

will be somewhere quite different.

Hello, Neil.

So everything went off smoothly, eh?

Perfect. Not a hitch.

And the case is still with Steed?

Yes. It's still with Steed at Customs,

but I've arranged to pick it up this evening and bring it here.

And our two observers?

Well?

They were no problem.

Splendid.

I knew you could organise everything perfectly well

when it came to the point, Neil.

You've obviously done a good job, and I am grateful for your help.

DOORBELL BUZZES

- Mrs Gale. - Ah!

Mrs Gale? - Yes.

They were just telling me how things went.

Yes. It was terrible, wasn't it?

Terrible? What was terrible?

Dr Spender's accident.

- EVE: Mrs Gale... - Just a moment.

Mrs Gale, I'm very sorry,

but I don't understand what you're talking about.

Maybe Dr Anstice hasn't told you that part of it, yet.

Dr Spender is dead.

He fell over a balcony.

There was a sheer drop of 800ft.

Why didn't you tell me this, Neil?

I was going to, of course.

But at a suitable moment.

Nobody wanted to upset you.

I must thank you both for your considerations.

EVE: Yes.

Now, Mrs Gale.

I'm truly sorry that this should have happened.

Believe me.

Now if you wouldn't mind leaving us for a moment,

I will try and get things straightened out.

Yes, of course.

It's all right. I can see myself out.

EVE: Not at all.

By the way, when is it you're going to get married?

We haven't decided this yet. Why?

I just wanted to offer you both my best wishes, that's all.

Mrs Gale, I must make this quite clear to you.

This affair has been most unfortunate for us all, I know.

But it's over now.

Don't come back to this house again.

ANSTICE: It was an accident. It could have happened to anyone.

Dr Spender wasn't anyone.

He was a very distinguished eye surgeon.

You will pick up the case as arranged?

Yes, I will. Don't worry.

Nothing's going to go wrong with that side of the business.

JOHN: Well, that's it. Hilda Brauer equals Henrietta Miller.

She was an artist.

Quite a good one and she was at Mondblick.

CATHERINE: When?

A few months ago anyway.

That's her self-portrait.

He carries his sense of the dramatic to some lengths, doesn't he?

He does, indeed.

Now there's just one question I want to ask you,

and I want a straight answer. - Mm-hm?

Is he a murderer or isn't he?

No. I don't believe he is.

He had nothing to do with that part of it?

- No. - Right.

Then we can get everything wrapped up.

Now, Anstice, your friend.

Yes. What is he?

I don't how to describe him. He's a broker.

He worked with agents,

undercover finance of one sort or another.

He was always in need of money,

and now he needs money more than usual.

You think he's double-crossing Halvarssen?

I wouldn't be surprised. Now Hilda Brauer,

she was a friend of Halvarssen's at one time.

I should think 1942, 1943.

After that, she took up a little bit of forgery,

and after that, various other things.

She was quite a girl by all accounts.

They must have got on well.

- Past tense? - I'm afraid so.

She was fished out of the Rhine four days ago, dead.

- Four days ago? - Uh-huh.

Maybe she got on with Halvarssen, not with Anstice.

I don't know. The point is...

Whoever was underneath all those bandages,

it wasn't Hilda Brauer.

We've got to find out what's in that case.

What's so valuable in it?

HE LAUGHS

What's so funny?

I'm sorry.

But it just struck me.

It's like, er, taking pennies from a blind man, hmm?

Got them?

And what about Dr Spender?

He shouldn't have come, should he?

People tend to get a bit dizzy at 7,000ft. Lack of oxygen.

I don't know much about these medical matters,

as you well know.

And so he over-balanced

and fell 700ft, you said? - That's it.

Anstice, I don't care so much about you.

But what about Eve?

Well, you should know more about her than I do.

You're going to marry her, I understand.

Look. Why don't you just concentrate on your toys, huh?

HALVARSSEN: Toys?

And what would you say these were worth, Anstice?

Quarter of a million.

But are they worth a man's life?

And what do they mean to me?

How do I put a value on these?

These... hard bits of carbon

that men have dug out of a clay pit in Africa

How long ago?

I don't know.

They're known to have been in Peking,

and they passed through India and Prussia

and then through Lima years before I was born.

Eighteen months ago I heard of them, and I made them vanish.

Now the revenue departments of a dozen countries

are still looking for them, and I hold them here.

They are a... a token to me. They...

They are a symbol... that I've won again...

..in a world full of men who...

..who can see what is going on in front of them.

An achievement.

I made a mistake... because I am an amateur.

And even a talented amateur should not mix with a professional.

And you are a professional. Isn't that so?

Huh?

So professionally speaking,

you say that these are worth a quarter of a million pounds.

And I say that a man has been killed for them,

and they are worth...

They are worth nothing.

You are not moving. I take it that means you're armed.

ANSTICE LAUGHS

Yes.

I'm armed.

DOORBELL BUZZES

Mrs Gale, I told you not to come back to this house again.

I'm not very good at taking advice.

That's something you may regret.

You're right. Amateurs should never mix with professionals.

For one thing, a professional is always so much better

at killing people. - And cares less.

Good to have you with us, Mrs Gale.

But I'm afraid you'll be rather outside

your research department now.

I'm sorry we couldn't give you a nicer welcome, Mrs Gale.

Good evening.

Good evening. What a shame you bought a ticket.

We're just about to leave.

You've quite a lot to attend to, haven't you? Most of it needs money.

The Darracott spy exchange in Yugoslavia?

I'm relieved to hear that you've been engaged on research.

Darracott in exchange for George Kestersen,

plus, er, 5,000 quid at a guess.

Mr Halvarssen, it's rather like used car trading.

Most spies have a question of money in it.

Doesn't concern me. Money has no interest to me.

I'm thrilled to hear you say it.

In that case, we'll just leave it as it is, shall we?

Meanwhile, we'll be getting along with Steed and Mrs Gale, of course.

- Very well. - Just a minute, Mr Halvarssen.

You're on the edge of a big decision.

Over the edge or not?

Now, I enjoyed your little joke about Mondblick.

It was a little macabre but jolly.

Trouble is,

when you start these sort of things, people get killed.

Like Dr Spender.

- And Hilda Brauer. - That's enough.

JOHN: No, it isn't by a long chalk.

Now look, are you in or out, Halvarssen?

You can choose.

Hilda Brauer and Spender can't. They're dead.

HALVARSSEN: It's true.

I take your point, Mr Steed.

But as you can see, I am at a slight disadvantage.

I've thought of that, too.

I think there's something we can do about it.

GUNSHOTS FIRE

HE GRUNTS

Perhaps we could have a little light?

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