Beat the Devil Page #4

on a piece of land

I'd bought for a song.

Heaven forbid.

The next thing there'd be

big ugly holes everywhere

and great horrid machines

instead of, uh, lovely scenery.

Anyway, I- I don't think

my husband worries much

about money and business,

that sort of thing.

Really?

I mean, to appreciate

my husband's point of view,

one has to understand

his background.

Those lawns,

hundreds of years in the making.

Those immemorial elms.

Those walls hung

with family portraits,

generations of them.

Those great echoing galleries

where so much of English history

has been made.

Taxes must be terrific

on a place like that.

What would people

like the Chelms care about taxes

with their kind of money?

I mean, when a family

has been a power

in the city of London

for so long,

one of the great

financial families.

"A power in the city."

You mean- Oh, yes, of course.

One of those Chelms.

I'm surprised you know

about them at all.

Very few people do.

They prefer

to work behind the scenes.

I find it rather hard

to believe

that a man

in your husband's position

would go to Africa

just for the coffee planting.

You're very quick, aren't you?

In point of fact, he isn't.

In point of fact,

he has a very special reason.

So I suspected.

It has to do with...sin.

Sin?

Since the war, my husband

has been almost exclusively

concerned with spiritual values.

He feels that

if he can get away there,

in the heart of Africa,

he will come face to face

with essentials.

He wants to work out

the problem of sin.

Sin?

Why, yes, of course.

Isn't that what we're all

most concerned with?

Sin.

Gwendolen,

what are you doing here?

I thought we were supposed

to meet on the beach.

Harry, I want you to meet Mr.-

My name is Peterson.

I've been having the most

delightful talk to your wife.

She tells me you're- You're

interested in spiritual values.

I myself am

vastly concerned-

Harry, we really

better be going.

You'll excuse us,

Mr. Peterson.

What have you been

telling that man?

Why, nothing, Harry.

He got on to the subject

of religion,

and I just happened to mention

that we usually go

to church on Sunday.

Billy, I-

I think it is high time

you take stock of yourself.

Can you truthfully say

about yourself, I-

I, Billy Dannreuther,

have acted fairly and squarely

to my associates, huh?

But of course he can,

Mr. O'Hara.

Everybody knows Billy

is the soul of honor.

Shut up, sugar.

Perhaps he is the soul of honor

and perhaps appearances

are deceiving.

Do you mind telling me what it

is I'm supposed to have done?

Nothing.

It's your conduct.

Your- Your-

Your conduct doesn't-

Your conduct does

not inspire confidence and-

And confidence, Billy,

is the most important necessity

in an undertaking of our kind.

One may be completely innocent,

but if one's actions

invite suspicion,

one might as well be guilty.

To be trustworthy

is not more important than-

Than to seem to be trustworthy.

Billy, have you done something

you shouldn't have?

Tell me, Billy.

Tell me the truth.

My conduct.

Who do they think I am,

their hired man?

But you are,

you know.

You are

their hired man.

How good and kind of you

to remind me.

How good. How true.

How kind.

Oh, I say, Dannreuther.

Good to see you.

How about a drink?

Well, I, uh-

Oh, come on, my dear fellow,

let me buy you a drink.

Oh, uh, Gwendolen, don't forget

to send one to Aunt Beatrice.

Can't understand it.

Gwendolen distinctly said she'd

join me on the beach,

then I come back and find her

sitting there in that caf.

Extraordinary creatures, women.

Well, let's drink

to them.

- Pernod.

- Scotch.

Come on, you tiny little wreck.

Have a drink.

We're drinking

to women.

Take the drink,

but won't join you in the toast.

A glass of Irish.

Women.

Hitler had the right idea.

Keep them in their place.

"Babies in the kitchen."

Say what you want to about

Hitler, he had his points.

Come, come. Look here.

This generation's

had its chance.

Hitler, Mussolini,

those were the men.

Now is the age

of the barbarians.

The world's going up in smoke.

I say let it come.

Get it over with.

Well, if you don't mind,

I'd like another year

or so of worrying.

Worrying?

Just one minute, laddies.

I've just two or three words

to say to you laddies,

and that's don't worry.

Don't ever worry.

I'm in a position to know.

Secret information.

The Rosicrucians.

The great white brotherhood.

The high secret orders.

But you've no faith.

You must have faith.

Faith and power. Secret power.

Men who guard the trust

from the deepest insides

of the whatchamacallit.

Mystic rulers.

All one club.

Chained together by one purpose.

One idea.

Mankind's champions.

Follow me, Billy?

Oh, why, of course.

This generation's

had its chance.

Hitler, Mussolini.

I can't stand here

and permit you-

Are you interrupting me?

Relax, Jack.

Have another drink.

I simply want to state

that things don't happen to be

what certain people imagine.

An officer may find himself

strapped for money

and he may undertake

certain things

which in other circumstances,

no, absolutely no.

Absolutely.

I mean, uh,

absolutely no.

In the old days I should have

simply told people of your ilk

to buy their own drinks.

Poor old Jack.

I'll teach you.

I'll teach you to insult an

ex-officer of the Indian army.

Well, are you yellow?

The bar.

You're Major Ross?

Right.

Ross here.

Right.

Right again.

Come along.

The Committee.

Saved by the bell.

I've never heard such rot

in my life.

Sin. Oh, sin.

All I could do was to keep

a straight face.

No. I'm certain of it now.

These are two very clever

and dangerous antagonists.

Sit here and help me close this.

But how could they possibly know

what we're up to?

Great interests like the Chelms

have ways and means.

Yes, and I'm convinced

they're out to get us

even before we get started.

We must get ahead of them.

Time has entered the picture

in a new way.

Never forget the time factor,

gentlemen.

It always enters the picture

in the end.

I'm sending a cable

to London.

I want full information

on those Chelm interests.

British Africa too.

Check up on his interests there.

Every time the plane lands,

I'll try and reach you

by telephone.

Keep me informed

of the latest developments.

Dannreuther,

that lying, swinish,

rum-swilling, double-crosser.

What pleasure it would give me-

Ah, ah, no, you can't

at the moment. We need him.

Right now we need that swinish,

lying double-

Did I hear my name?

Rub-a-dub-dub.

Three men in a tub.

Tub?

Oh, heh-heh-heh.

Been a change of plan,

Billy-Boy.

You and I are leaving

for Africa.

How's that?

You and I are flying to Africa

by the next plane.

Oh, what's happened,

Peterson?

It must be something important

to get you on a plane.

Perfectly simple,

Billy-Boy.

The trouble with the oil pump

and the general uncertainty

about when the Nyanga will sail

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