Original subtitles

Thanks, George.

But no markup.

No. No markup.

Every time I come home, I find someone different on my doorstep.

I brought your tickets and your travel money.

Why didn't they send a messenger?

Because I wanted to come myself.

Would you like a drink now you're here?

Yes, yes, thanks very much.

It's a very early flight, I'm afraid.

I could drive you to the airport.

I've told my parents I won't be coming home tonight.

I expect I could fit into one of your children's beds.

I wouldn't be any trouble.

He is thin.

Not a joke, I promise you.

I'm still waiting for the pay -off line.

It's a kiss -off, not a pay -off.

People are saying you're not going to come back.

That something's going to go wrong and you're going to get killed in Mexico.

And I want you to come back.

Yeah, me go.

Hello?

Dinner's had five days, Bernie.

You've already lost us two of them.

Speak something about this city that saps one's sense of energy.

Did you find me a gun?

This is Mexico, not Berlin.

It's not my backyard.

Just a stick to wave around?

Hmm?

You don't feel comfortable about all of this, huh?

You feel something is wrong.

So do you.

Stills keeps asking where you are.

He only has three days left.

I don't want him feeling too cozy.

Do you not feel him yet?

All day, every day.

She's waiting for you.

Erich accepts $250 ,000 as the final price.

But he wishes to remind you of one Russian defector who sold out to the

Americans, a man with a first -class brain, who ended up running a

Stanis wants a laundrette.

Erich won't actually move without you because he feels very exposed.

We all feel exposed, Dana.

Because you still don't believe him?

Perhaps you should try to understand that he is not wanting to come over

he likes the idea of living in the West.

It is because he can no longer stand to live in the East.

He needs to know what a way of life he will have.

The money is a sign to show that London is serious.

Then he will talk to us on his own chosen ground.

I'll meet Stennis wherever he wants, but alone.

Just him and myself.

The money is to be handed over in a trance.

In cash.

If there is no money, he won't even meet with you.

What is the intent of doing the suitcase full of pound notes in the middle of

Mexico City?

American dollars. That is what God is for.

In used hundred dollar bills.

Gold sovereigns, lotties, shark's teeth, curry shells. What's the difference?

He's flying to England.

He'll have a letter of credit and a bank account waiting for him.

I think he wants to put it somewhere where no one can get their hands on it.

I think he intends to give it to someone he trusts here in Mexico.

He gives his money to someone he trusts, and yet he's prepared to give his body

to somebody he doesn't trust.

I don't understand.

You wouldn't, would you?

You have no faith in anyone or anything since your wife left you.

She doesn't like to be left out.

I want to see Stennis face to face.

Not alone.

Okay? I don't even want you there, fella.

He's nervous.

He's being watched.

Zena seems to get to see him without any trouble.

Girlfriends don't seem to matter so much.

Isn't that why you are using her?

Oh, muchas gracias, my liebe Frau...

God, this looks like something Billy the Kid was playing with a hundred years

ago.

What are these?

I mean... Zeno's Infatuation Present.

Wrong.

There's only one thing Tina's infatuated with, and her stint is about to take

delivery of a quarter of a million of them.

Your view of love is very cynical.

I would do anything for her.

She'd like the crown jewels, Fiona.

She gives me more than she takes from me, Bernie.

Another man is not a real betrayal.

He needs just misery and humiliation.

Fiona didn't leave you for another man.

No, to be betrayed for an ideology is worse, though, isn't it?

Where were... Where were our feelings?

Emotions seem so bloody real.

It was all just a piece of theatre.

Twelve yards.

Meaningless.

I don't believe she had to invent the way she felt about you and the children.

Perhaps kids is what Zena needs.

You always make it seem as though you despise her.

And she's trying to help you.

I don't despise her.

She frightens me.

And you don't see why she frightens me, which frightens me even more.

She's an amateur.

And amateurs keep their eyes on the targets instead of looking over their

shoulders.

It's going to be you and me out there in the firing line, brother.

Going for a man I'm not sure of in a country I'm lost in.

It's like you say.

Mexico City's not our backyard.

We do not.

know the ground rules here.

You're not going to help much, are you?

Coming to you later.

All is in order?

Nothing wrong?

I hope.

Or did you try to unsettle me?

We'll get two days in silence.

Jet lag, Mr. Stennis.

We're told never to negotiate under the influence.

This is still a negotiation?

Oh, depends what game you're playing.

What games are there?

This Moscow game?

Where you lead me by the nose and then turn around and say no thanks?

You will find a way to prevent me.

I'm sure.

That is your job.

You got the money with you?

You're still negotiating?

Oh, you and I haven't even started to negotiate yet.

I asked for a job in one of your universities.

It exactly is a job in university.

I would like to teach Russian politics.

Oh, why Oxford?

They always win the boat race.

And perhaps there are people in Oxford that might attract the interest of few

degrees.

Is that meant to be some kind of an offer?

You haven't made one yourself.

Yet.

Well, I'm not sure that specific offers can be made in the two days left to us.

Apart from the money.

You asked me to take a hell of a lot of trouble.

Let me into the Samson.

If I thought you were playing the fool with me, I would kill you.

I can say the same.

One Russian passport.

In the names of Bernard, William, and Sally Thompson.

I know how she feels about her children.

I did not find it very easy to say goodbye to my son this time in Berlin.

Knowing I might never see him again.

The plan was abandoned on my orders.

Is this meant as another token of good faith?

What about you, Tocqueville?

but it was at least a second.

The money will be handled by a contact from the embassy.

There will be a safe room for you to count it in.

You mean the husband of the defector is not transferred with the cash?

We go direct from there to the airport.

No stopovers in other NATO countries? There is no American involvement.

So, if... Anything goes wrong, it will be your fault.

Ah, that is always the London game, Mr. Stenis.

The distance game, Samson.

How many seats are booked in the airplane?

Two, just you and myself.

No one else.

Mrs. Faulkner is meant to be traveling with me.

Apparently, your people in London agreed.

Well, I haven't agreed, and it's my operation.

You're very close.

We intend to be together.

As far as I can see, Frau Volkmann's chief interest lies in dollar bills.

I enjoy women, Mr. Simpson.

But I'm not stupid about them.

I'm not stupid about anything.

I'm over 40.

I'll not be ending up a general in Moscow with a car and a driver to take

home every night.

But you're not convinced what you're doing.

Two people are dead, Mr. Stilles.

I don't intend to complete the hat trick.

Moscow believes your wife is protecting you.

What do you believe?

I don't believe anything.

Listen, Stimmy.

You will be unarmed tomorrow.

And I'll kill you if I even see a KGB man whichever side you're on.

You're more nervous than last time.

You are going to need my cooperation, you know.

One raised eyebrow from me and they could begin to suspect you're Moscow's

What the hell are you doing here?

I'm your contact from the embassy.

A quarter of a million in used hundred dollar bills.

Jesus.

Well, what have you dragged me all the way out here for? Because it's discreet.

Were you followed? Of course I'm not being followed.

I'm not working against you, you know.

Look, you must understand that the success of this operation will be

whether or not we get our man to London.

Nothing else counts.

Is that life and death?

Very philosophical.

I can assure you, you get philosophical after London Central screw up for you a

few times.

London Central has confirmed that I have overall charge of this operation and

sole responsibility for the money.

Now, you have come to an arrangement with Stinnis and I have to know about

And where precisely in Takuba?

At Takaria, by the metro.

Thank you, sirs.

Ronnie would be gay.

Well, I can't risk a quarter of a million dollars of government money in

bedlam. The bedlam's the whole point of it!

What the hell have you told him? Mrs. Bultman's given him a new time and a new

place. Now she's sleeping with you, too?

I've agreed the money should be handed over to her.

Another room has been arranged for the country.

Gracias.

By the way, Samson, that was an extremely distasteful remark.

Not exactly checkpoint Charlie, is it?

You don't

seriously

think Sturridge is going to walk into this rat trap, do you?

Perfectly respectable money exchange, Mr. Thomas.

It's great, but unofficial.

I've been in Mexico a long time, Samson.

Believe me, I do know how to get things done.

Let's make a start. You

seriously

believe

he's just going to walk in here?

The arrangement has been made.

He knows the money's here.

Winter. 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 10, 20,

30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 90, 100,

10, 20, 30, 40,

50, 60, 100, 90, 100.

Who the hell are they?

Your lot, I suppose.

I didn't even know we were coming here. Remember?

They've come for Stinnis.

I imagine they'll shoot him.

Then she'll take the money. Is that the trade -off?

Poor van.

that he would not be hurt.

You clear it up.

Where's Cena? Tell me one thing, Justin.

Where is she?

She's running and he got us all killed. Where do you think?

Thanks for the warning. You were ten minutes too late.

I didn't know that he was a Mexican.

It just seemed a possibility.

Your lady friend reported everything back to him.

She did think you'd be safe.

That was the bargain she made.

Safe.

And good luck.

Stay in a country before your friend arrived.

Quarter of a million dollars, all present and correct.

I'm not here for the money.

Oh, take it anyway.

I'm sure you'll have no trouble getting rid of it.

Was she hurt?

Cena? It'll take more than Moskvin to kill Frau Volkmann.

And Moskvin?

He'll survive.

He won't like that.

And he won't forget it.

You mean I should have killed him?

Let's go.

Boy, you really think of everything, don't you? I prefer forever.

Vamos.

What is a death man?

Most people are.

Seems as if we might have something in common.

Nearly there, sir.

You abandon me here?

Come on, you know the form. One man brings you in.

Let's ask the question.

Good to see you again, Governor.

How are you? I'm great, never better.

Here we are.

Hi.

Here.

Come in with us.

Yeah.

Ferry Path, SAS, London Central.

Use for detention, repressor causes, and debriefing.

How long will they keep me here?

If there's nothing good to chew on, you could be out in the big wide world by

Christmas.

Am I six or am I five?

Six.

We find you, we get first crack at you.

There's a lot of very nervous deaf men in London waiting to hear what you've

to say for yourself.

I don't know.

Normality, sir.

$250 ,000 in $100 bills.

Okay.

How did you get it counted, sir?

In the tape.

Is it the passport you handed to Heathrow?

Price, no.

Temporary import license, if that's what you're looking for.

Home office have to accept you.

It would be amusing if they classified me as an illegal immigrant and sent me

back to Moscow.

Mexico.

Are we sent back to previous point of departure?

Oh, excuse me, sir.

There's a health form here that'll have to be filled in.

They'll be wanting it before dinner time.

I mean, there's no point in wasting money on custard pies if you turn out to

a diabetic.

Will you just lately follow me, sir?

You'll have to sign the papers.

Mr. Sampson.

Smoked salmon at Stilton.

I

understand

that everything that goes on in these four walls is your responsibility.

It was hard work getting him here.

Now he needs a little care and attention.

He is a Russian.

We're trying to seduce him, Mr. Barnes.

And I sincerely hope you haven't left a Gideon Bible in his bedroom.

You have to sign the papers.

Bit of a bloody mess, wasn't it?

I mean, Henry could have been seriously hurt.

I could have been seriously hurt.

Zena was seriously hurt.

Oh, people think it's a cushy number in here, don't they?

Well, they should have deputy controller parenthesis Europe reading down their

necks. And endless bloody meetings with every damn committee down both sides of

Whitehall.

I suppose, like Daphne, you think it's all lunches at the Mirabelle, don't you?

Yes.

Yes, well, I for one had clearly understood down that corridor that I had

absolutely nothing to do with the logistics of the operation in Mexico.

As far as I am concerned, you were in charge.

Pity you didn't tell that to your chum Tiptree.

You could say we were trying him out.

What, as a clown?

How is your Mr. Stinnes?

Our Mr. Stinnes, Dickie.

Your Mr. Stinnes, Bernard.

Disorientated.

Isn't that always the fate of defectors?

I'd like to keep an eye on his debrief on behalf of the German desk.

Why?

If they handle him wrongly, they'll get nothing out of him at all.

And I think he's got lots to tell.

That is exactly why I don't want my German desk to have anything at all to

with him.

Not until we know what kind of dirt they're going to dig out of him.

We've done our job. We've got hold of him. Now it's up to the debriefers.

You're not to go anywhere near him, and that is an order. Bernard!

And just remember, the DG doesn't like bad news in front of outsiders.

Carry on.

I persuaded the Mexico police to arrest the money changer for unlicensed

premises and then had Mrs. Volkman and the Russian carted off to a private

clinic. I believe the embassy had to pay hush money. $50 ,000, not including the

clinic.

And a very high -level apology that did not come easy.

I think I should say that it was Samson who created the situation by using an

unauthorized firearm.

You shot this subject?

Where?

In the heel.

Huh. And the Mexican with the machine pistol?

Mrs. Vaultman had already immobilized him, sir.

The machine pistol was lying on the floor.

Mr. Tiptree failed to pick it up.

He probably didn't know how to use it.

Where was Stennis?

Oh, it was clear to me that he wouldn't risk the rendezvous.

No one in their right mind would have walked up there, not in Stennis'

No, it was a bad error of judgment made by somebody with no experience,

appointed over my head, apparently with the sanction of someone here in London

Central.

Are you making an allegation?

I'm telling you what happened.

Your version of what happened.

What other version is there?

It seems to me that... Tiptree, sir.

Tiptree will correct his version of events and that it will be filed with

Samson's comments as a post -script.

Who's in charge of the debrief?

Barry Cubs, initially, E .G.

Uh, within my sphere of influence.

Whatever the hell that means.

What the hell does it mean, Brett?

It means first call, or whatever the hell that means.

Which one of you is holding the file for the debriefers?

Consensus seems to have become a department file, not a German desk file.

Department source material is Brett.

I said first call.

I can't agree. It's my direct responsibility.

Wonderful.

I risked my ass bringing this Soviet back for you because London Central

him so much, and all you can do now he's here is play pass the bloody parcel

with him.

Welcome back to the monkey house.

Hello. How are you?

What are you doing, Bernard?

Aren't you?

I missed you.

How's he?

Do you know, nobody seemed to know what was going on out there.

And nobody would tell me either.

Until the day before yesterday.

Then what?

Well, most people seem to think you did very well.

I'll bet Kimber Hutchinson loves the idea of a used car lot.

He calls himself a socialist, but holds it against me because I haven't got the

right family background or the right education.

I think the old dog really hates me.

He's not exactly crazy about me, either.

He's going all out for the children.

He wants formal adoption.

Over my dead body?

Yeah.

And Tethered.

And probably Fiona's, too.

Billy?

Billy! Sally!

Catch anything?

Right. Go and look at the men working on Daddy's new car.

Daniel gave him kids to have his own to play with.

Oh, don't you start. I get enough of that from my mother.

Daddy? Good heavens, no.

Daddy with a grandson called Kaczynski.

I think he quietly hopes if he's rude enough, poor George will disappear and

I'll marry an elderly yucky puppy with a good family name.

Everything all right with your Gloria?

Now, whatever put that idea into your head?

Sally was saying, Daddy's got a girlfriend.

How could she?

They haven't even seen her yet.

Well, it's time they did then, isn't it?

Little girls are good at getting that kind of thing.

And they also don't like to be left out.

You're going to have to tell them, Bernie.

Mummy's not coming home anymore.

Daddy!

Daddy, can I start the car?

Quite proud of finding that for you, Miss George.

That way.

Uncle George says it goes 130.

That's even faster than Mummy.

Daddy never drives far. Mummy says so.

Is Mummy coming back for Christmas?

But she still loves us, doesn't she?

Of course she does.

And still loves you, doesn't she?

This is going to be difficult, I know.

You mustn't mind it, I don't.

Evening, Miss Kent. Evening.

Oh, kids, this is Gloria.

Hello, Billy. Hello, Sally.

Night, Dad.

Why don't you show Gloria your room?

No. Quite right.

It's private, isn't it?

I wouldn't want to show anyone my room either.

Gloria's going to help me hang up the decorations.

That's right.

And when you come down tomorrow morning, the Christmas tree will be ready.

Will you still be here?

No. No, I'll be back in my home.

Good night.

Get up again.

Good night.

I've never ever done this, you know.

You'll have to tonight. You're under observation.

We're under observation.

What do you want?

I've got a message for Mr. Sampson.

Seems your Mr. Stinnett has come up with a last -minute Christmas present for

you.

You were going to bring me a bunch of flowers.

That was six weeks ago.

They've been keeping you away from me.

Yes.

Your methods of debriefing here are very amateur.

Six weeks now.

We have only covered routine procedures.

Without much stilton and smoked salmon.

You said I'd be out by Christmas.

I think by Easter I'll be lucky.

And this is an attempt to speed things up, is it?

What is?

I've been given an air ticket.

I thought they'd send you.

Four days before Christmas.

For you, Samson.

A couple of nights in Berlin.

You could go and sing... It's a... Oh.

Play Christmas by... Who is this target?

Private secretary of a junior minister in Bonn.

They take advantage of Christmas parties.

A passage of documents.

It's always a good time of year to move the pieces around the board in Berlin.

Instead, of course, you're thinking someone is pushing me around the board.

And what if that someone is setting me up for something?

What would you be thinking in my place?

Game, set and match continues next Saturday night at 9 .30 and Len Dayton's

novels are available from ABC Shops and Centres.

Tomorrow, Radio National presents the first of the 1991 Boyer Lectures from

Professor Fay Gale discussing a changing Australia.

Join us for the fascinating Boyer Lectures tomorrow afternoon at 1 .30 on

National. Stay with ABC TV now for our movie, Street Hero.