High-Rise Page #3

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Oh.

Oh, you're better!

Munrow's scan.

He's absolutely fine.

He's uncommonly arrogant.

He needs bringing down

a peg or two.

He's young.

Jean. Please.

How's the high-life?

Prone to fits of mania,

narcissism and power failure.

Sounds an interesting case.

Right up your street.

Possibly.

So, what's your final decision?

Everyone else has submitted.

It's only you who's

procrastinating, as usual.

Cheese and pickle.

Thank you, Jean.

Munrow?

- A word, please.

- Just a minute, Laing.

Munrow:
Look,

so I'll see you tomorrow.

Munrow:
Perfect.

Munrow:
Funny us living in

the same building.

We're just below Royal.

Where are you?

You took a tumble the other day

and we sent you for a scan.

Yes, it was unnecessary fuss.

I hadn't eaten.

I'm afraid we might have

found something.

What do you mean "something"?

My father's not gonna like this.

Woo-hoo! Come on, darling!

Chop-chop! Half a league onward!

- Dad:
What are you in again?

- Sound.

Just got back from Tanzania.

Recording the mating cry

of the baboon.

Awful bloody things.

They throw sh*t at you.

Talbot:
That's it.

An object that is in motion

will not change its velocity

unless an external force

acts upon it.

I've no qualms about

the invasion of my privacy

by government agencies or

data processing organizations.

All I want is my fair share of

the electricity so I can turn

a damned light on and ensure

I've wiped my backside properly.

Teething problems, Wilder.

The building is still settling.

Yeah, that what Herr Royal

told you, was it?

Talbot:
The fact is,

we're all bio-robots now.

I mean none of us can live

without the equipment

we surround ourselves with.

Cameras, cars, telephones.

Exactly.

- Thank you, Helen, very much.

- I wanna go home.

I suspect Laing here has

been charged with disseminating

propaganda amongst

the lower orders.

The dangling carrot of

friendship and approval.

Laing:
Look, Toby,

try to fit in, all right?

You want people to

like you, don't you?

The children were turned away

from the pool this morning

- for being too noisy.

- Under whose authority?

Our lives are too messy,

Richard.

Helen:
Successful people don't

want to be reminded

that things can go wrong.

Is that right, Laing?

Are we the ones

letting the building down?

I think any sensible person

would envy what you have here.

Well, I won't have

my children humiliated.

We'll start a

parents' action group.

- Here we go.

- Who wants to go swimming?

All right, come on.

Richard, I don't have costumes

for all these children.

I don't even know

if they can all swim.

I'm not a parent but I am

a psychiatrist. Will that do?

The more the merrier. Come on,

no time like the present.

Come on, kids!

Swimming pool, swimming pool...

- One thing's for sure.

- Yeah?

This building's nowhere near

as homogenous

as someone would like to think.

- You're right about that.

- Yeah. I'll see you later.

Bye.

Swimming pool, swimming pool...

Swimming pool, swimming pool...

Is it always like this here?

Yes.

Swimming pool, swimming pool...

Swimming pool...

Toby:

Why haven't you got a wife?

Why haven't you got a father?

Laing:
I'm so sorry. I...

I didn't mean

to say that out loud.

Sorry, Toby. Come on,

let's help clear this up.

Laura said your

family's all dead.

- What?

- Did you kill them?

Um.

No. No, Toby, I didn't.

What does it feel like

to be the last one?

You know, Toby, um...

when I was your age I was always

covered in something.

Mud.

Jam. Failure.

My father would never

associate with anything dirty.

- Or real.

- My father's up there.

You mean he's in heaven?

Toby:
Heaven's not real, stupid.

You should have gone with him.

I'm gonna take Toby home.

I think I've forgotten

how to sleep.

You know, everyone's in terrible

debt like us, I'm certain.

They're just better

at hiding it.

Perhaps I can help.

F***'s sake.

Come on, Toby,

let's take the stairs.

Swimming pool, swimming pool...

Guys, it's closed.

- Daiquiri for the screen siren.

There's nothing there.

Are you blind

as well as stupid?

Look in my ear

and tell me what you see.

Our party.

Our rules!

- Mind if we join you?

- Yes, we do.

- Share and share alike, Janie.

Last one in's a big fat sissy!

I shouldn't really.

No, you shouldn't.

It's undercooked. Send it back.

If it isn't the social climber.

Simmons:
She got you

babysitting now, has she?

Hold your horses.

That staircase is closed.

- Don't be absurd.

Well, we'll just have to make

our own entertainment.

Steele:
Won't we?

Come on.

Crack a smile, why don't you.

Scared your mascara will run?

You'll never work

in television again,

I'll make damn sure of that.

Cosgrove:

No children allowed.

Why didn't you punch him?

Good question.

Charlotte:
What's happening?

Have you seen Laura? She's

supposed to be babysitting.

No.

I'm going to the pool.

- Give me that f***ing candle.

- Who the hell is that?

Out of my way.

Munrow, know of a decent party

we can crash?

Out of my way!

Laing:
Pity.

An animal like this should be

strong enough to swim for hours.

It was like a child to her.

Pathetic really.

Wilder:

Where did you sneak off to?

Oh, well, the chlorine doesn't

agree with my eczema.

Well, don't do it again.

It reflects badly on

a man's character. Give me that.

Talbot:
Whoa.

Kids' parties always

put me on f***ing edge.

Now we're getting somewhere.

Eeny, meeny, miny...

mo.

Oops a daisy, you seem to

have fallen off your tuffet.

My hero.

Save me from myself.

Get your hands off her,

you cocky bastard.

I may be a bastard, madam,

but I'm a polite bastard.

- She's out of your league.

- What about you, Sonny Jim?

Lover boy. Twinkle toes.

Are you in my league,

by any chance?

Come on. Show the lady

what you're made of.

Oh, dear, dear.

That's not a good start, is it?

Shall we try again?

Try using your fists this time.

It's traditional.

Oh!

Should we do something?

Well, that's a

matter of opinion.

There's a school of thought

that says we shouldn't.

Could do more harm than good.

Huh? Sonny Jim.

Wilder, stop it.

Charlotte:
What do you

think of Laing?

Well, he's hiding

in plain sight.

It's not a bad party, is it?

There is something about him.

Wilder:
Come on.

Wilder:
Ha, ha, ha!

Wilder:
You can cross him off

your waiting list.

He won't be needing a

head doctor any time soon.

Laing:
No, he won't.

No.

So who do you want me to blame?

Suicide.

Yeah.

God, I feel sorry

for his mother.

I'm sure his people are

taking care of everything.

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