Original subtitles

Children! The stuff needs some salt.

Here�s salt, chef.

Say, chef, do you think there will be enough mashed potatoes for lunch?

Of course. About ten of us are leaving the ship later today.

I even have to hurry: I�ve got a plane to catch.

We�ll miss you, chef. Your chow was top notch.

True, chef. We were getting used to you.

My replacement will replace me very well. Goodbye.

Hey, quartermaster, will you come with me and check on the oil?

Yeah, OK.

- Good morning, Sir. - Good morning, Sir. How are you?

- We�re going to take samples then? - OK.

We�re going on holidays either to Martinique or Guadeloupe.

Either will be warmer than Antwerp, that�s for sure.

- Goodbye, chef. - Goodbye, quartermaster.

- And thanks for the chow. - You�re welcome.

- How was the crossing? - Fine. No problem.

Oh? Then why are you 24 hours late?

Who, us? Things like that happen at sea.

- Sure, they do happen but... - Mr. Giroux! - Yes.

Why, this is not possible. Mr. Giroux...

- Will you please look at this! - But... but this is not oil.

- This is water. Salt water. - But that cannot be!

Are you sure this tank was filled with oil in Puerto Lacoz?

Positive. Just like the others.

- Mr. Giroux! - Yes.

Tanks 6 and 7 are filled with water.

- All right, let�s check them all. - I�ll tell the skipper.

- Hello? Hello, Sir? - What? I�m on my way.

Come on, captain, you just have to give us an explanation.

I can only repeat that... I don�t understand.

You took 80.000 tons of oil on board in Puerto Lacoz, didn�t you?

- We did. - The oil was checked then, wasn�t it?

It was. Here are the quantity and quality certificates.

And, during the crossing, those 80.000 tons of oil changed into salt water?

I utterly fail to understand.

Do you know how much that cargo was worth, captain?

6 million dollars. 3 billion old francs.

You�ll have to excuse me but I�m calling the board of directors.

And I�m calling the authorities. Please do not leave your ship, captain,

and confine your whole crew until the investigation begins.

- Hi, Sir! - Hello, Mr. Max.

- Greetings, Mr. Max. - Mr. Max, good morning.

Come on, Wang, take my things up to my room

- and prepare a bath for me. - Yes, Mr. Max.

Stop that contraption! It pollutes silence.

Well, gentlemen, did everything go well on your side?

- Ideally. - No trouble?

- Fair weather! - What about the rendezvous in Tangier?

The others took over.

What about you, Mr. Max? Your arrival in Antwerp?

Perfect. One day late, as scheduled.

Oh, the look on their faces when they found water instead of oil!

But I slipped away before the show began.

- What an amazing job, don�t you think? - Indeed, indeed,

this is what you get when you have the brain of a genius, gentlemen.

I don�t mean myself but our boss: the Regent!

Once again, I can see you don�t believe in the Regent.

Well... we never saw him.

I�ll remind you of our agreement, Gentlemen.

We know, Mr. Max: no one must know the Regent.

Yes, we know. No one will ever know the Regent.

Except me, of course.

Hey, Mr. Max: here�s Eric.

Ah! Glad to see you, Eric. I couldn�t wait. Did Clark phone you?

Yes, he phoned me at home, fifteen minutes ago.

What about the oil on the "Azay-le-Rideau"?

It�s done. He sold it. The dollars will come through the arranged channel.

What a trick, Gentlemen!

- The King�s trick! - Checkmate!

Yes, but... there�s some trouble with Clark.

- What? - He�ll be here tomorrow.

- From London? - Yes, by plane,

landing in Ostend at 10 pm, and he wants to see you immediately.

- Did he... did he tell you why? - He wants $500.000 more.

- What? - Or else he won�t participate in your second venture.

Son of a bitch! He dares to do this! To me!

No! Who does the Irishman think he is?

Does he think he�s indispensable? No one�s indispensable!

We�ll do the second venture without him.

Nobody ever blackmailed me!

Or what I mailed back was an obituary.

- An obituary for an Irishman! - Amen.

Your attention please.

A bus is waiting in front of the airport

for the doctors attending the conference in Bruges. Thank you.

- Well? Is it done? - Yes, but there was a glitch.

- What do you mean? - Clark didn�t die immediately.

He had the time to talk to a passenger.

What could he possibly tell him?

Clark didn�t know anything about our organization. Not even our address.

But he knew about our next job.

And if he talked to the passenger... Oh! Here he is.

Bruges Convention.

You have to learn who he is, then we�ll deal with him.

Welcome to the Bruges Convention.

Let�s now talk about the Bruges Convention, doctor. Its subject...

You mean the dangers of overpopulation?

I�ve been given to think that you and your colleagues don�t all agree on that point.

Yes, indeed. On one side, you�ve got the pessimists who claim that the worid

is running towards its end as it overpopulates

and, on the other side, those who, like me.

- Trust in science. - Yes,

because our planet is extremely generous, our oceans are full of great wealth.

Yes, I understand. So, as a doctor, you�re betting on life.

Yes, but on the condition..

that man agrees to help his fellow man everywhere in the worid.

You are the epitome of that, doctor.

The documents I�m about to show you,

are pictures of Dr Justice caring for some Third Worid children.

A researcher, a general practitioner,

a respected member of Worid Health Organization,

Dr Justice is exactly the kind of generous doctor

who relentlessly flies to help the deprived people on our Planet.

And now, doctor, we�ll leave you to your training.

Good luck for the Bruges convention. Cut.

Thank you for receiving us, Doctor. Good luck.

Goodbye, sir, and see you soon.

Not bad, eh?

- Dr Justice! Dr Justice! - Here.

- Good morning, Doctor. - Good morning.

Pleased to meet you. And I mean pleased.

- You�re gorgeous. - I heard that line before.

- How�s the water? - Wonderful. Do you want to enjoy it?

I don�t have enough time, doctor. And neither do you.

Why? What�s up? Do you want to sell me a robe?

No, I just came to tell you that the bus

will be leaving in ten minutes for the Convention.

So see you soon: I�ll be waiting in front of the hotel.

Oh, wait a second. May I know who you are?

Well... guess.

Greta Garbo�s daughter? You know, the Divine?

Well, you win. And my name is Karine.

And what is my gorgeous Divine doing to earn a living?

- I guide convention members in Bruges. - Oh, I see.

For one time, I�ll be the guide.

After the convention sessi�n, tonight, I�ll take you out. OK?

Oh, sorry, doctor, but even my evenings are extremely busy.

Too bad. This is bad news.

Look, Doctor, stop holding my leg or you�ll miss your bus.

Shall I put my suit on, so you can give me the brush?

You should. Definitely.

- Hey... What�s the matter with me? - Nothing.

But, for a doctor, you too look like a movie actor.

Oh? Just a comic book hero.

Oh, Divine. Are you going to Provincial Palace? I missed the bus.

You didn�t: the bus is in trouble. Look.

Oh, no. Three flat tires at the same time? That�s a great shot.

One of your colleagues must have enemies around here.

- What can we do for them? - For your colleagues?

No, for the tires. Do you want me to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to them?

Better yet: I called a cab. Taxi!

- Here�s yours, doctor. - Ours, I hope.

No. Unfortunately, I�ve got other things to do.

- You work too much. You�ll get ill. - Well, you�ll cure me.

In that case, please hurry to get ill.

- I�ll join you there. - Sweet words, at last.

No, they�re just interested. I need a check-up.

- To Provincial Palace. - Yes, madam.

Mind the little girl!

- What happened? - A free for all.

- And you won? - Two to zero.

- Bravo. - Thank you.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we now interrupt our "Omnisport" show

to give you an important newsflash.

A new development in the case of the tanker "Azay-le-Rideau",

which is, it must be said, the greatest piracy operation of the century.

The captain and part of the crew were charged with being accessories.

The sailors who went off-board before the con operation was discovered

are wanted by the Police.

- Oh, the poor people! - That was fast.

- It was scheduled. - I say, it�s mean!

Yes, it�s mean, but six million dollars can dull a conscience.

- Don�t you think so, Eric? - I don�t have a conscience anyway.

...an interview of Dr Benjamin Justice

who�s a participant in the medical convention in Bruges.

Shut up! It�s our sawbones.

I�m glad to introduce you to an exceptional doctor.

He doesn�t just tell his patients to exercise,

he�s a sportsman himself. Aren�t you, Doctor.

Well, yes.

Oh, he�s a sportsman all right.

...and I think you�re also a great karate specialist?

Yes. Yes, indeed, I was lucky enough to be taught by the great Yamuri,

a Japanese philosopher and a great martial arts expert.

Shit! We stumbled on a samurai.

A philosopher, you say?

So there could be a connection between philosophy and karate?

Yes, of course. Karate mostly means disciplining your mind.

But karate means aggressi�n! Violence!

No. Karate is the art of defense, not attack.

Its practitioners can fight strength with speed and agility.

And karate is also, I think, a moral code.

Indeed. My master Yamuri taught me real courage.

He said it was doing what is right.

Oh, here�s courage for you!

Let�s now talk about the Bruges Convention, doctor. It�s subject...

You mean the dangers of overpopulation?

You�re going to start all over again.

I want the sawbones, do you hear me?

We could off him for you. That would be simpler.

No, you idiot. I want the doctor alive. In one piece. In working order.

But this time you�ll have to rack your brains a little to trap the samurai.

- I�ll tell you something: I have a plan. - Have you?

I�ll deal with your sawbones myself. I�ll deliver him here tomorrow at noon.

That�s fine but, tell me Eric, you don�t usually do that kind of work.

True. But since your little giris are letting you down...

- Would you repeat that? - Shut up! Go on.

Look, it�s easy: I�ve got two reliable and level-headed friends,

and let me tell you that your samurai won�t last long.

Yes, but I warn you again: alive.

Of course. In good health. So? Is it yes?

Good. I�ll go now: I�ve got to prepare the job.

It�s somewhat vicious, you know. Goodbye, ladies.

Well, I just have to go and inform the Regent.

Because the Regent is becoming nervous. Boris, come with me.

So where does the Regent live?

Oh, you really thought you were going to see the Regent, didn�t you?

No, no, my boy: you�ll follow Eric.

I like Eric, really, but all the same... Eric!

In conclusi�n, I shall quote Willy Brandt:

"Whether a man is killed in a war or condemned to starvation

by general indifference is the same from a moral point of view. "

Now I�ll hand you over to Professor Orwall,

a biologist and associate professor in Harvard.

Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen.

Nobody here can doubt my faith in science.

In the year 2000, the population on our planet will be 8 billion people,

twice as many as today.

Where shall we find enough food for such a huge mass of human beings?

And should we not find enough to feed them, how can we avert disaster.

A disaster which is not a far-fetched feat of the imagination: it�s already begun.

There is in Calcutta a whole hospital dedicated to starving children.

It is therefore urgent to put a stop to the human race�s anarchic reproduction.

Mr. President. I wish to answer Professor Orwall.

Sorry, sir, but this is the end of the sessi�n.

You�ll have the floor tomorrow night.

Ladies and gentlemen, please let me remind you that, tomorrow morning,

you�re invited to visit an aquaculture center near the Dutch frontier.

Departure is scheduled at 8:30. This sessi�n is now closed.

- Doctor. - Oh! Excuse me...

- Good evening, Divine. - Good evening, Doctor.

The radio says you�ve been the victim of an assault?

- No. Nothing serious. A short training sessi�n. - Oh, good.

So I�ll have the pleasure of seeing you tomorrow in the aquaculture center?

No, unfortunately, tomorrow morning at 9:00,

I have to go to the police station about my... minor incident.

Oh... but, wait! I can fetch you at the police station.

We�ll catch up with the Convention bus in no time.

All right, I agree. I�m not one for public transportation.

I�d rather have the intimacy of your car.

- Good night, doctor. - Good evening, Karine.

So you�re also a student, if I understand correctly?

Yes. I study literature.

I can picture you, bent over Baudelaire, smelling The Flowers of Evil.

Here, look. Little wild flowers: not bad either.

- Maybe we could stop? - What about our aquaculture?

Strangely enough, I feel more bucolic than scientific-minded.

What about the future of Humanity?

I can see it in your eyes. A wonderful future in a clear sky.

Well I can see a huge cloud.

You tricked me nicely.

The doll trick is very funny, but let me remind you that you tried it already.

Oh, be a wiseguy, why don�t you?

I have nothing more left to do, little wild flower.

- Here he is. - Bravo, Karine, and thanks.

Come on, get out, this is your stop.

Eddie, Cuff him, then take him to the shed.

And now, darling, the big game.

Hello, Max? This is Eric.

- I�ve got the parcel. - Bravo.

It's Eric... Will you bring him to me now?

No, Max. I put it in a cool hiding place of mine.

Now, I�ll explain, Max. If you want him, it will cost you $200.000.

Oh? Hey, guys, the kid is fining me $200.000.

I�m not joking, Max.

Oh yes? Interesting. So you�re living your own life?

Yes, I�m now self-employed. Deal with it, Max.

So, what is your decisi�n about the sawbones? Will you lay out the cash?

I�ll have to talk to the Regent first. I need some time.

I�ll call you back in two hours. But I�m warning you, Max:

Should you refuse to pay, I�ll kill the doc. Ciao.

Wang! Call Boris for me.

The fool thinks he can trick Daddy Max this way.

Hello?

- Excuse me: may I interrupt you? - Yes. What?

What exactly are we waiting for?

None of your business.

I�d be so bold as to point out that I�m personally involved.

You�ll be informed later.

Say, Eric, are you sure you�ll get the money?

More than sure. Fifteen minutes left.

I�ll call him back and he�ll ask politely where he can give me the dollars.

- Why would he give them to you? - Because he really needs him.

- But what does he want? - Ask him a couple of questions.

At last, I may learn why everybody�s so interested in me.

Eric!

Eric! Eric!

Hey, you! Come!

- Bastard! Bastard! - Come on. This way!

- Doctor. Stop! - No! Go away! Go away!

Thank you, doctor. Thank you for coming to me.

I�m sure you�re going to accept my hospitality.

Go. Go!

Playing little gangsters is dangerous, isn�t it?

What the hell were you doing with that gang?

I never was part of it. I don�t even know them.

What I did was for Eric. For him only.

Still it wasn�t exactly nice.

I know. I wasn�t fair to you. But Eric wanted the money so much.

- What for? - Precisely to change his life.

We were supposed to go to Canada.

But he had no money and he wanted a lot. Now.

Yes, of course. Same old song. But that�s why Max killed him.

Just as he�s going to kill us both. Because we know too much.

Come on, don�t bury us so soon.

Don�t tell me you�ve got hope? Did you see where we are?

We can�t complain. Look: we have a room, we�re fed, which is a major issue:

when you�re about to do battle, you must be in great shape. Come on: eat, Karine.

- I�m not hungry. - Come on, hurry, open your pretty beak.

Don�t you know sea air really gives you an appetite?

Come on.

- I really like your bracelet. - Eric gave it to me.

Oh, Eric gave it to you? It could prove very useful.

- Why useful? - Never mind.

Not quite enough Dry Martini.

Here.

Let�s give some toasted bread to the nice little animal.

- What�s your dish called? - Lobster in love.

- We, in China... - You, in China, you shut up.

Now we�ll do another kind of cooking:

after true shellfish, truth serum. Pentothal

- Wang, you, in china... - OK, Mr. Max.

Well, doctor, how do you feel? You look far better. It�s a happy sight.

Right. Let�s start the sessi�n.

Tell me if I�m wrong, doctor:

my friend Clark talked to you at the airfield before he died.

Answer, doctor. Did he talk to you?

Yes.

Did Clark tell you about our next job, doctor?

The place? The port town? Answer, Doctor, what did Clark tell you?

- They got me. - Is that all?

- The bastards. - Nothing more?

- And he died immediately after that? - Yes.

Oh, the good chap. He took our secret to his grave. How discreet.

- I�ll have a mass celebrated for him. - The other one, now.

You�re sad, honey, aren�t you? I liked Eric too.

But why did the little arsehole do that to me?

The ridiculous blackmail.

Well... he paid, didn�t he?

Now, little girl, you�re going to tell me what you know.

Your friend Eric told you that we were responsible

for the "Azay-le-Rideau" caper, didn�t he?

- Yes. - Damn. And did you tell anyone?

- No. - Fine.

And what about my new job? Did Eric tell you about it?

Didn�t he tell you that he was supposed to go abroad again with us?

- He did. - Oh.

- And did he tell you to what country? - No.

- Did he talk about a boat? - No.

Oh, this is it: the light is green, the way is clear.

Gentlemen, our secret hasn�t been revealed.

Well, just slightly. And a Martini, yeah.

- So, are we packing? - Yes sir. And in full campaign gear, please.

Say, Mr. Max, the two lovebirds down there... maybe we should shoot them now.

- Wouldn�t it be the sensible thing to do? - We�ll liquidate them when we leave.

Until then, they�ll be excellent hostages.

- You never know what can happen. - What if they escaped?

- From here? - Yes.

Well, let�s imagine they do. They would talk.

Of what? Our next job?

Of course. You just mentioned it while you interrogated them.

No, no, the drug leaves no memory. This is progress in medicine.

Crazy lobster in love, a specialty of the chef.

Enjoy your meal, gentlemen. I, unfortunately, must leave.

You really must be in a hurry, Mr. Max.

I must go and reassure the Regent.

- Will you be back tonight, Mr. Max? - No. Tomorrow morning.

Excellent. The beast really is in love, Mr. Max.

- It�s better than a woman. - You know, we, in China...

- You, in China... - I know, Mr. Max.

See you tomorrow, gentlemen.

Dr Justice has the floor. Dr Justice?

I think he�s missing, Mr. President.

Dr Justice boasted that he could refute my theory.

He must have thought it more sensible to shut up.

- What are you doing? - Shh. Leave it to me.

Open.

- Oh! Might I... er... - Untie him.

You may go to bed, I�m relieving you.

You�ll call me.

You may come.

- How did you do that? - Shhh.

Watch out!

Look! This is what we need. Quick.

There!

Put this on, it�s dangerous. Slip in there.

Shit.

It�s nothing serious. The bullet just grazed you.

It�s superficial.

- You�re a strange man. - Why?

I was awful with you. You could have told the Police about me.

Instead, you look after me.

A doctor�s duty is to cure, kid, not to avenge himself.

What about the others? The gang? Are you going to let them be?

Now that�s different. I�m no more a doctor, it�s a man�s business.

- Look, I�ll tell you everything. - Tell me what?

- Everything I know. - You want to avenge Eric, don�t you?

Yes. Because I�m not like you: I do avenge myself.

So I�m telling it all to you.

Max is responsible for the "Azay-le-Rideau" job. You know: oil.

I�m not surprised.

But do you know that the leader of the gang is someone called the Regent?

Oh? And who�s the Regent?

No one knows that. No one ever saw him.

For that very reason, Eric thought the Regent was Max himself.

What? You mean that Max could live a double life?

Yes, that�s what Eric said.

Max would in fact be an extremely important figure.

- I see. - And I know something else.

- Oh yes? What? - Max is preparing another job.

- Oh? And do you know what it is? - No. Eric gave me no detail.

You�ll wait for me here. I�ve got something important to do.

I�ll take the opportunity to rest for a while.

That�s the best thing you can do.

See you later.

- Please, sir. - Yes.

Would you call the Central Police Station for me please?

- At once, Doctor. - Thank you so much.

I must say I have a hard time stomaching those kind of scientists.

You�ll see that, soon, they will prove that Earth is square.

- Don�t laugh, Gentlemen. It�s true. - Good morning.

Oh, long time no see. You did a bad thing, Sir.

You promised you�d answer me during the Convention and you didn�t come.

I was slightly delayed. Please excuse me.

I deeply regretted it. And I felt frustrated.

Shall I buy you lunch?

I�d really like to cross swords with you.

That might be careless. I could wound you.

Doctor. The commissioner is on the phone for you.

Oh, thank you.

Sorry to decline your invitation

but, as you can see, I�m being called about that slight delay, precisely.

I�ve got a few explanations to make.

It seems that you always escape me.

We�ll meet again, professor.

Hello?

Now that is extremely important, doctor.

All right, we must go and see the judge

who�s in charge of the "Azay-le-Rideau" case. Now.

Your defense is absurd, captain.

The act of piracy could only succeed with your involvement, and your men�s.

I�m innocent, and so are my men.

Well, doctor, ask the defendant your questions.

Maybe they�ll refresh his memory.

Let me give you a few names, captain.

Maybe one of them will ring a bell. A man named Max...

the Regent.

- Eric. - Now, this is absurd.

Those names don�t ring any bell.

You won�t get anything out of me: I don�t know anything.

I was framed, doctor. That I know for a fact.

Now if you really want to find complicity on board,

there might be the fact that, when we arrived in Antwerp,

about ten crewmen left the ship for other assignments.

Yes, we know that. We found seven of them.

Yes, but three are still at large.

Do you know who the three missing men are, Judge?

A sailor, an engineer and the cook.

Could you vouch for those three men, captain?

Yes...

- except for the cook. - The cook? Why?

He was a replacement.

The regular one was the victim of an accident

on the eve of our departure from Puerto Lacoz.

- Serious? - Yes. He�s dead.

So the new cook came to see me, with excellent references.

- Could you describe him to me? - Red hair, sturdy, blue eyes.

- Did the cook speak with an accent? - Yes, indeed.

That�s it. The cook is the leader of the gang, Judge.

He�s the Max I mentioned.

Captain, your cook was in charge of the act of piracy.

But... but how?

That�s it: you�re wondering how your cook stole 80.000 tons of oil from you,

without you noticing it.

Guard. Escort the defendant.

We now still have to learn, commissioner, if your men arrived in time

- at the house in the dunes. - This is strange.

What do you mean strange. It�s quite clear on the contrary.

Thank you again doctor, for your precious help.

I�ll remind you, Gentlemen, that Max is preparing a new job.

About which you couldn�t tell us anything, doctor.

Hello? Yes, speaking. OK, thanks.

The house in the dunes is now empty.

What's happened here?

The seals affixed by the Police have been broken.

Max�s gang did a neat job of it. We�ve clearly been outstripped.

Why did you want so much to come here?

Look, Karine, I�m convinced...

- well I think the Police are making a serious mistake. - About what?

The captain and crew of the "Azay-le-Rideau" are surely innocent.

If I don�t step in, if I fail in taking Max red-handed,

the captain and his forty men will go to jail.

I must prevent a miscarriage of justice.

Wait. Can you explain to me how the sailors from the "Azay-le-Rideau"

- can be innocent? - I�m convinced they were manipulated.

But the Police will never admit that without proof.

How do you explain the mystery?

I�ve got a hunch about that, but I�ve got only one way to check its validity:

being there when Max launches his attack.

Where? You don�t know the place nor even the country.

No, and that�s why we�re here. In Eric�s place.

Because only here have I a chance to find a trail.

Well, at least a clue.

And I must be right if Max�s gang was here before us.

To find some damning evidence about them?

- About their second job, yes. - But what?

This. Eric hid it under the ice cubes, they melted and here we are.

- What is it? - A plane ticket.

It�s in Eric Saxe�s name. Destination: Crespo.

- And where is Crespo? - Colombia. Near Cartagena.

Cartagena is an oil trading port. Of course. Here�s Max�s new job.

You must be right. So you�re leaving for Crespo?

- Yes. And you�re coming with me. - No? You�re taking me there?

Yes. I need a man. A real man. A tough guy.

- And I�m all of those? - I saw you at work.

- All right, I�m coming with you. - Still wanting to avenge Eric?

Yes. And I have a number of things to atone for.

But, tell me: how shall we find Max?

It certainly won�t be easy.

But I think luck is with us for once. Look.

- What is that number? - Probably a connection.

42-12-50...

- Amigo! - Alverio.

- Did you have a nice trip? - Excellent.

- Que tal? - Muy bien.

Karine Grey, Doctor Alverio. Also from Worid Health Organization.

- Good morning, sir. - Encantado, se�orita. Vamos al coche.

I thank you, Alverio. I knew I could rely on you.

Don�t mention it. Friends must help each other. Se�orita!

Alverio... 42-12-50. Would you know this number?

Si. It�s a Cartagena number. That�s all I can say.

What did I tell you, Karine?

- Another small favour, Alverio. - OK.

Can you learn the address that goes with this number and take us there?

Claro.

Hey, it�s my Chinese.

Come.

What�s up?

The gang are here, kidnapping someone.

I think a car is following us.

Watch out!

Hey! The car is still following us.

- Who is it? - I don�t know. Step on it!

They�re on our heels.

Ok, I�ll drop him. We�ll kill two birds with one stone.

- He�s dead. - Let�s go. Hurry.

Your attention please: put on your seat belts, we�re about to take off.

- How is that? - We�re taking a short cut.

No, stay here.

They didn�t kill that Colombian for nothing.

What is this document, Alverio?

It�s a sailing booklet in the name of someone named Garachi,

who�s a cook aboard the tanker "Langeais".

Yes, that�s it!

They�ll certainly do the "Azay-le Rideau" trick again.

I�ll bet you a million dollars that Max is aboard the "Langeais",

hired as a cook to replace the poor bloke they killed.

I�m here because I intend to study the effects

of confinement on your crew during the long trip.

Wouldn�t it be more interesting aboard a submarine?

That will be the subject of my next missi�n.

Come in.

Excuse me, Sir, the new chef is here.

Since it�s his first meal on board, he comes to show you the menu personally.

All right. Go on, chef. I�m all ears.

Indian poached eggs. Crazy lobster in love.

Yum. That must be delicious.

Well, Mr. Van Ock? What�s next?

Exotic salad. Raspberry souffl�. That�s it, Sir.

- Chef. - Yes.

I hope you�ll surpass yourself in order to honour our guest, Dr. Justice.

Doctor, may I introduce you to our new chef: Mr. Van Ock.

Mr. Van Ock, Thanks to you, I�m in no danger of dying... of hunger.

Lunch is being served, Sir.

Well, doctor, with your leave, we�ll go to the dining room.

My pleasure, captain. How long will be the crossing, in your opinion?

- About 40 days. - Oh, yes? That long?

Oh, you could find far better.

Tanker crews sometimes stay on board for months at a time.

Like, for instance, when we feed the pipe-line...

Oh, fantastic! Regal! Say, the new chef surpassed himself, didn�t he? Yes, bravo!

Yes, you�ll compliment the chef for me.

Here is the Crazy Lobster in Love.

We must have ventilation.

- And you must learn not to leave your empty cans lying around. - Oh, yes.

It�s the best way of getting spotted.

I�m fed-up with the canned food, and I�m fed-up with the cupboard.

There already was the trunk when we got on board!

I�m suffering from claustrophobia.

And to think it�s going to be weeks.

Maybe they�ll act sooner than was scheduled.

Come on, Karine, be patient.

Think of the poor blokes from the "Azay-le-Rideau".

They too are in a cupboard and they might stay in it.

Yes, of course. But, you, at least, eat your fill.

- Was the lunch good, by the way? - Max is so talented!

- Did he see you? - That couldn�t be helped.

I thought he was going to have a fit.

Don�t you think he�s going to cancel the operation?

No, never. In fact, I feel that we should start to have fun very soon.

You seldom have much fun with Max.

You should be on your guard all the same: he�ll stop at nothing.

- Captain. Who shot this film? - I did.

Mr. Van Ock. Did you come to read me your next menu?

Is the movie over?

No but I noticed that you went away, so I told myself that...

- You deduced that I was in your cabin? - Exactly.

And why am I here, in your opinion?

Simply to have a small explanation.

- A+. Let�s have it. - After you.

OK. So, if you�re here, it�s because you want to know

- why I am here? Am I right? - You are.

As for you, you�re not on this tanker just to cook. Am I right?

- You are. - Let�s push our line of reasoning.

A tanker means oil. And oil means big money.

For instance the big money on the "Azay-le-Rideau".

That little bitch, Karine, told you that, didn�t she?

You guessed it. And she also told me that you were preparing a new job.

90.000 tons of oil, now on board the "Langeais".

A seven million dollars booty.

That�s more than three billion fr...

As you can see, my dear chap: nothing serious.

- Won�t you tell on me? - Strange, isn�t it?

No, because one plus one are two.

- And fifty plus fifty are one hundred. - You can�t be serious?

- You want half of the cake? - You may have the other one.

If you refuse, you won�t have anything.

I�ll report you and you won�t even get 1 dollar from the "Azay-le-Rideau".

You leave me no choice.

OK, you win. You�ll get 50% of the job.

Will the Regent agree?

Oh? You�ve heard about the Regent?

- I know he�s the big boss. - Always the girl, right?

- Well, I can deal with the Regent. - Fine. Perfect.

Now, my dear associate, you don�t have any reason to stay here.

OK.

By the way, I�d like to know how you manage to pump the oil out.

And I�d like to know how you managed to find me.

- You first. - You�ll soon know my trick.

- You�ll be dazzled, sawbones. - I�ve got a burning desire to know.

Don�t burn. You�d torch the ship. And what with all that oil...

I heard it all, you know.

- Come on! - Look.

I gave it a lot of thought. I should get almost two billion francs.

- You? - No, just kidding.

- It�s a trap I laid out for Max. - Oh? So he�ll carry on with the job?

Of course. Any other way, he might have cancelled it.

I must take him red-handed.

- And you think he�ll walk into the trap? - Not for one moment.

- What about you: do you think he�ll give me 50% of his oil? - So what?

So he�s sure to try and get rid of me before he starts the operation.

And you say it just like that?

Yes, because I have a surprise for our friend Max too.

- But... - Patience.

One minute, soldiergirl. First I�ll show you something.

- What is this gizmo? - Small gadgets that will enrage Max.

- We are here, on the right of the Spanish coast, right? - Yes.

Latitude: 43�30� North, longitude 10� West. Is that it?

- Exactly, doctor. - Well, doctor, always on the job?

Soon, I�ll know all about taking bearings.

And this is such a huge ocean that I feel less lost when I know where I am.

It sounds like a helicopter...

- Who are they? - They don�t look like they are the Spanish police.

No, that is a private craft.

Everyone has their helicopter nowadays, you know.

Just circle over the "Langeais". Low enough so Max can spot us.

There it is: Max put the sail in place. It�s the signal.

The operation is about to begin.

- Kid, get the meat out of the oven. - Yes, Sir.

Here you are, Sir.

- You may go and take a shower. - Thanks, Sir.

- Be ready on time to serve lunch. Go, go. - All right, Sir.

Let�s see if all those gentlemen had good digestion.

One.

Two.

Three.

Will you allow me, Captain?

Sorry, Sir.

Well, my little half. My fifty percent.

You�re in a sad condition. Come now.

We�ll take very special care of you, doctor:

we can�t let you wake up on the "Langeais".

My respects, Captain.

Do you know you have a beautiful hostage face?

And hostages must be evacuated.

You�ll be real cozy, alone in your small cabin.

Here you are, doctor. Please be seated in this chair.

Just like at the dentist�s,

we�ll check your sensitivity before extracting the oil.

Good, you really can�t feel anything.

And now, I�m sorry, but I have an urgent rendezvous.

See you soon, doctor.

- Mr. Max. - Will the others be at the rendezvous?

- Yes, Mr. Max. - Good.

You go down to the engine room.

Go to the tanks and check the lift. Go. Hurry.

You! Give them a hand.

Let�s go to the wheelhouse. Head for our rallying point.

- How�s the crew of the "Langeais"? - Great: Neck deep in a daze.

There was just a small glitch but I dealt with it.

Here they are! They�re here.

Bear right. Slow down.

Come on, hurry up. Start the pump now.

Well, it�s started. We�ll be pumping for the next ten hours.

Is it true that the underwater tanks

were installed here by the Germans during WWII?

Yes, in order to secretly refuel their submarines.

- And who discovered the tanks? - The Regent did.

- The Regent discovers everything. - Everything�s OK, Mr. Max.

- Oh, Steve, bravo. - Thank you.

Does your buyer from Tangier still come in 48 hours to take away the oil?

- Yes, yes. He sent me a wire to confirm. - Perfect.

Say, Steve, now that you replaced Clark, isn�t your ego inflating?

- No. Still the same size. - Good for you.

You saw what happened to people who ask me for $500.000 more.

Yes, I saw, Mr. Max. And it�s not a pretty sight.

Say, Mr. Max. Maybe we don�t have to fill the tanks with salt water this time?

Of course we do, you idiot. Like on the "Azay-le-Rideau".

Because should we leave them empty, the waterline wouldn�t be the same

and the crew would be suspicious immediately after they wake up.

This is a funny one. And what about the others?

To think that they�ll remember nothing when they wake up.

Like on the "Azay-le-Rideau".

A fantastic antidote, isn�t it? I feel fit as a fiddle.

How did you know that Max drugged the crews?

And for the antidote, you had to know what drug he used?

I�ll explain everything when I have enough time but not now.

Let�s get to the serious business.

Here: if we need it, this one is for you. And this one for me.

- You�re positive you understood how it works? - It�s child�s play.

- Perfect. Now may God help us. - But what are you doing?

- Escaping. - Are you crazy?

- No doubt about that. - But...

Ciao. And don�t you dare catch a cold.

Mayday, mayday, this is Dr. Justice on board the "Langeais".

Call the Spanish Police.

The "Langeais", flying the French flag, was attacked by pirates.

Approximate position: latitude 30�30� North, longitude 10� West.

Say, Steve. You should send your buyer a message

in order to confirm that everything is going OK

- and that you�ll meet him as scheduled. - OK, Mr. Max.

Mayday, mayday. I repeat: the "Langeais" was the victim of an act of piracy.

It�s approximate position is...

Max!

- This bloke is the Devil! - The bastard was sending an SOS.

- Shit. - What�s up?

We must go at once. Stop pumping. Evacuate.

- Shall we finish him? - No. He can still be useful as a hostage.

Because we�re not out of the woods yet. Come on, come on.

Let�s take him with us.

Alarm! Alarm! Stop pumping. We evacuate.

Alarm! Stop pumping. We evacuate.

- Mr. Max, Mr. Max! - Go with the launch:

I�ll send you back the helicopter: it will fly you to the airport in no time.

OK. See you at Headquarters.

- Here we are. This is the spot. - Whose spot? The Regent�s?

I�ll keep it a surprise for now.

Fill her up then go back for Steve and the others.

Take him to the Chapter room. Beware: he�s very dangerous.

- Come and see. Hurry. - Que pasa?

The chief of the pirates got away in a helicopter and he took Dr Justice

who could keep radio contact with me.

And the light indicates the position of the chopper?

- Yes. They stopped. - No problema. We�ll locate them.

Dr Justice... Dr Justice...

Professor Orwall. Listen closely: I was never fooled.

You always thought I was professor Orwall, didn�t you?

- Admit it, doctor. - No. No, you�re wrong.

- I admit you look a lot like... - My brother?

Yes, your brother, as far as looks are concerned, but not minds.

There were two of you, obviously. You, the axe, the executioner,

- and he... - The genius.

Let�s say the inventor.

Because in order to invent the drug

that could neutralize the whole tanker crew,

a real specialist was needed.

Can you imagine that I was curious enough to examine your work, professor?

Which is how I discovered

that you�re one of the most respected specialists of hallucinogens.

The conclusi�n was obvious: you were the Regent.

You were really wrong to discover that,

because you almost compromised the huge body of work that I have started.

A work on which Man�s fate depends. A considerable work.

I know how you fought me.

My brother Max told me about your determination to undo both of us.

What about you? Weren�t you determined to sacrifice

the crew of the "Azay-le-Rideau". Forty innocent men.

I don�t give a damn about the 40 innocents on the "Azay-le-Rideau".

I�m interested in the fate of our planet!

But you don�t know what I have in store for you.

You�re going to disappear. You�ll die without finding my secret out.

Go! Take this man to the collector and drown him like a dog!

Vamos, vamos.

Excuse me, George, I obeyed all your orders,

but I had to stumble on the damn sawbones.

Can you forgive me, George?

Didn�t I always forgive you, Max?

When we were children, I forgave your naughty behaviour.

You always did what you could. That was barely enough, little Max.

- I don�t have your intelligence, George. - Yes, I can see that.

- Go on. Go and see him die. - Thank you, George. Thank you.

Here is what can be called an historical place, doctor.

Here, my brother made the discovery which is about to shake the worid.

- Oh? What discovery? - I shouldn�t tell you but what the hell?

You�ll take our secret to your grave, as they say.

So here it is: professor Orwall�s discovery.

The Mega-Orwallus Mold. It has extraordinary properties.

Injected in the body of a male mammal,

it flawlessly sterilizes him.

- Including human beings? - Especially them.

My brother�s great plan, since there are too many people on Earth,

is to prevent some men from breeding.

Very interesting. Thus the problem of overpopulation will be solved?

We should have thought of that during the Bruges Convention.

If I understood correctly,

professor Orwall intends to sterilize part of Mankind thanks to... his mold.

Exactly. Go: I�ll follow you.

And how does professor Orwall intend to sterilize the population?

By massively polluting the drinking water sources,

but, of course, such a venture demands a lot, a whole lot of money.

Oh, and that�s how you got the idea of attacking tankers.

Floating billions that we only had to pump out.

And all those billions would have been used to impoverish Mankind.

Professor Orwall, your despicable Regent, is a madman.

A dangerous madman,

like all theorists who dare to push their fixation to absurd lengths.

Don�t speak ill of my brother!

I�ll shut your big mouth, just wait and see. Venga!

Well, doctor?

Bye, sawbones. We�ll be back when it�s too late.

All right, come. I can�t watch this.

I can�t stomach a never ending death.

A good cigar, please.

- Pedro. Is the helicopter gone already? - Si, professor.

It must be over now.

He won�t suffer anymore. Come on. Take the body out.

I�m going to tell the sad news to the Regent.

I�ve got the painful duty, brother,

to inform you of the respected Dr Justice�s accidental death.

- Cruelly cut down in his prime. - But he won all the same.

- What do you mean, George? - The Police are coming.

- It... it can�t be. - They�ll be here in a few minutes.

Here, help me. You know what we have to do.

I don�t want my secret to fall into their hands.

And don�t forget to give it back to the lab.

- Are you Dr Justice? - Yes.

- Are they dead? - Cyanide.

Oh, Karine!

Oh, thank you, soldiergirl.

Excuse me, doctor, but I�ll need your testimony.

Of course. Whenever you want.

Careful!

- It was booby-trapped. - Watch out!

Are you all right, Karine?

Come, now.

Translation: Goupil66 August 2011