I See a Dark Stranger Page #2

Now, if it's all the same to you,

I'll be getting on with my sandwiches.

- Is this Dublin?

- That's right!

About time for it, too... I've a

terrible crick in the back of my neck.

Hey! Where are you going with that?

I'll see you to a cab.

Out of the way there, please...

out of the way!

Where to, Sir?

It's the young lady...

224 Beechwood Ave, is it?

I'll give my own instructions,

if you don't mind, thank you.

Sorry.

Don't mention it... it's

very kind of you... Goodbye!

Would you take me to the

Redmond Porters Gallery, please?

Very good, Miss.

I won't be long... will you wait please?

Me name is Bridie Quilty and I want to see the

Deputy Director, Mr Michael Callaghan, please.

Mr Callaghan doesn't usually see people

without an appointment, Miss.

What would your business be?

If you'll just tell him it's

Danny Quilty's daughter... that's all.

Danny Quilty's daughter...

Liam, keep your eye on the till...

I'm going to see Mr Callaghan.

Can I go inside?

Lastly... a portrait of James Joyce...

Painted by that well-known Irish artist,

Jack Yeats.

This way... keep close to me now.

In you come, me loves,

me doves, me darlin's.

In you come... where are we now?

Ah yes... the Gallery of the Famous...

Well, let's see if we can find out

who they are.

Here's our old friend

Sir Roger Casement...

A lovely man!

Knighted by the British for his fight against

Belgian tyranny over thee in Africa.

Hung by the British, for his fight

against British tyranny here in Ireland.

It's a mad world, me darlin's...

a mad world!

And this is Pdraic Pearse...

Commandant and chief of the Republican

forces during the insurrection of 1916.

And this is James Connolly...

one of the founders of the Citizen Army.

And here we have Michael Callaghan,

another leader of the insurrection.

Mr Callaghan is now Deputy Director

of these galleries.

Pass along, please.

And here are three famous

Irish dramatists...

J.M. Synge, Sean O'Casey

and George Bernard Shaw.

The first being dead,

and the other 2 living in England.

You asked to see me, young lady.

Is it Mr Callaghan?

It is.

Oh, me heart's beatin' like a drum!

To think it's really you I'm looking at

face to face, after all these years.

Didn't the man tell you...?

I'm Danny Quilty's daughter, Bridie.

Danny Quilty's daughter Bridie?

But surely you can't have...

Oh... now isn't that stupid of me...

How could you know me...?

I wasn't even born when

you and father were together.

That's what was puzzling me

for the moment...

Would you like to come into my office?

Thank you!

Won't you sit down?

Thank you.

You know, Mr Callaghan,

the way father used to talk about you...

I feel as if I'd known you all me life.

I can just see you both now,

waiting behind the back counter.

The back counter?

He told me that story

hundreds of times.

And every time, he made it live!...

He was a remarkable story

teller, me father.

Remarkable.

What suddenly gave you the idea

of coming to see me like this.

We're not likely to be interrupted,

are we?

I don't think so.

Why?

Because, what I'm going to tell you,

I've never told a living soul.

I've been storing it up inside me

until I saw you.

I want you to get me into

the Irish Republican Army.

I beg your pardon?!

I want to join the IRA, please...

I want to fight against the English...

the way yourself and father did.

But my dear child... we're not

at war with Britain.

I know they've a separate war on

with somebody else...

...and we're neutral...

But that's no reason why we shouldn't

carry on our own private war...

...that's been going on

for the last 700 years.

But in 1921, Ireland signed

a treaty with England.

Well, what has a treaty

to do with it?

Well, we got a good deal

of what we wanted, by it.

Not everything, mind.

Ireland is still partitioned.

I'm aware of that.

But I believe that if England and Ireland

come together...

...and discuss it

on a friendly basis...

...partition won't last very long.

"A friendly basis"?

It can't be you, saying these things,

Mr Callaghan.

Not after the way

father said you talked.

After the fight, yourself and himself

put up.

After all the English have done to Ireland,

since Cromwell.

Child of grace!...

Cromwell's been dead 300 years.

So? Not in Ballygarry.

No, I'd forgotten that.

You seem to have forgotten a great deal,

if I may say so.

Perhaps I'm more in contact

with reality.

Life is real enough in Ballygarry.

It's also very romantic,

and very remote.

We have the papers and

we can listen in to Raidi ireann.

Young lady... I'm going to give you

a piece of advice.

Times have changed.

And believe me, things are best done

nowadays by constitutional means.

So, forget this wild notion, will you?

And go home.

You're not going to help me?

No.

But I've come all this way.

I've dreamed of it for years.

I'm really very sorry.

So that's all you've got to say!

You're sorry, and do it

by constitutional means.

You've grown old and soft and comfortable

sitting here, Mr Callaghan!

Go out in that gallery...

and look at the pictures there.

Look at your own picture and ask yourself

if you're the same man.

Maybe I'm not.

We all lose something

as we grow older.

But if we're very lucky, we gain

a little wisdom on the way.

All I'm asking you is to think over

what I've said.

Goodbye.

There's nothing like books

for collecting dust.

Yes, they seem to be well-stocked here.

I've been looking for a 'Life of Curzon'

for years.

We were afraid

you wouldn't be here on time.

I was told on Wednesday, in Lisbon...

caught the first plane.

You've got your papers for England,

I take it?

Yes... I've an Argentine passport...

I could have thought of happier excuses...

I don't like bulls.

Bulls will be the easiest part

of your business.

Dis you ever meet Oscar Pryce?

Yes, in Leipzig, last autumn.

Did you know that he was in England?

No.

At the moment he's awaiting trial

in a military prison...

...in a little place called Wynbridge Vale,

in the west country.

Bad luck.

Well?

Pryce has vital information...

we HAVE to know what it is.

How?

We must get him

out of that prison.

I see what you mean about the bulls.

If we lost 20 lives over this matter,

it would be worth it.

Was anyone else arrested?

I don't know.

Then they may be suspect,

in which case I don't use them.

I'll have to get an entirely

new team together.

Do we know when Pryce will be tried?

No.

Or where?

No.

Know anything that's likely

to help us in any way?

Nothing I'm afraid...

Except that I found this little guide book

to Wynbridge Vale.

It'll show you the lie of the land.

Thank you.

I must call on the town clerk... I'm sure

he'll be delighted to lend us a hand.

Good luck.

Goodbye.

Are these all the German books

you've got?

I'm afraid we haven't many

at the moment, Miss.

How about this?

"German Without a Master, in 3 Months".

You haven't got one

that'll do it in less?

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