I See a Dark Stranger Page #4

Oh, I don't know...

Not far, I'm sure.

We seem to have been walking for hours.

What's the time?

My watch is bust.

It's... 5.30.

You must be slow.

No... I put it right, by the radio.

Tell me... what on earth gave you the idea

of spending your leave here?

Well... I was at Cambridge

when the war broke out...

...cutting short a brilliant

scholastic career.

Now I'm trying to pick up the threads... writing

a thesis for my degree, in my spare time.

At Wynbridge?

It's about Cromwell.

Cromwell?!

Wynbridge has one of the ruins

he knocked about a bit.

And you think he's a nice subject

to spend your time on?

Cromwell's a very neglected character.

Not in Ireland!

Ah... Ireland!

Don't say "ah... Ireland" like that...

Do you know what he did to us?

I know he was an underrated general.

He was a wicked murdering blackguard!

I'm only considering him

from a military point of view.

Who cares about

"a military point of view"?

Me.

You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

My father's great-great grandfather

knew him well.

It's getting a bit remote, isn't it?

There's nothing remote about it!

If you go to my country,

you can see what he did to us.

And you sit there and make

stupid jokes about him.

I'm only writing a thesis!

I don't care what it is...

And I don't care what lies you tell me...

As long as you don't pretend

you came here...

...to write a lot of nonsense about

a black soul like him.

We don't seem to be getting

along very well, do we?

Perhaps we better go back.

No... not yet... it's very early.

What?

I'm sorry I lost me temper like that...

It's just that...

Couldn't we forget it... maybe?

You know... you're very difficult

to understand.

Are you sure you're

quite straightforward yourself?

I suppose it wasn't you who slapped the

paint on Cromwell's statue the other night?

Now why would I do

a terrible thing like that?

Where would I get the paint?

If you smiled at me like that,

and I was the local paint merchant...

...I'd give you the run of the shop

I'm sitting on a thistle.

I thought I was going to land

an Intelligence job like yours, once...

...but it never worked out.

It depends where you are, of course.

Til last month, I was

stuck in north Scotland.

Absolute dead end.

It couldn't be worse than it is here.

Lucky, I managed to wag a transfer.

There's much more scope

where I am now...

I mean... take a little job like this...

There's nothing to it, is there?

But who knows?...

It's not what you're doing in the army

that counts...

It's what you're noticed doing.

Good evening, Sergeant...

Yes, the body-receipt

for your signature, Sir.

Thank you.

I don't know why they always have to

fix these jobs at night.

Same thought occurred to me, Sir.

Not exactly a prepossessing figure

for an ace spy... is he?

I don't know about that, Sir...

He's a nasty piece of work.

I'll be glad to see the last of him.

- All correct Sergeant?

- All correct Sir.

- Goodnight to you, Sergeant.

- Goodnight, Sir.

Wheel him into the RTO's office, Sergeant.

Fall in, the new escort.

Right turn.

Late, aren't you, Sergeant?

Yes, Sir... we were held up

by some haycart, Sir...

Thought at first it might be dirty-work.

Can I see your identity card, Sir?

What was it?

Just some fool trying to get too big a cart

through too small a gate.

Ah... here he is.

Good evening.

This is not Pryce!

You just collected him from the van.

Call the prison at once, Sergeant...

Find out what's happened.

- You hold the van.

- I think it's left.

I heard the engine running.

New escort... take them off.

Right turn.

Quick march.

That was Pryce in that car,

beside the driver.

Of course I'm sure!

Is another car about?

The RTO's... there.

Start it up right away.

Get on to HQ... tell them Pryce has escaped

with another man in a Rover14.

Get them to throw a cordon

around the entire district.

Now move, man!

It's just struck 9...

Your watch must be slow.

You can't have counted right.

I counted 9.

So it made 9 or 10...

What does it matter?

What do you mean,

what does it matter?

Well, does it?

Doesn't it?

My dear, I could stay here forever.

You haven't anything else to do?

Not a thing.

Apart from checking up on a gentleman

who's not mentioned around here.

Are you telling me the truth?

Of course, darling... why?

You've got me here

under false pretences!

What?

Oh, what a fool I've been!

Of all the low, mean tricks!

This is terrible...

I'm going home!

What the devil's the matter?

What is it?

Bridie... come back!

Here, wait a minute!

Well... how long

do you think we've got?

Until 3 in the morning...

when they get Freddy to London.

The only man who might have tumbled

was an Intelligence officer...

...but I drew him off with a woman.

How they pick these fellows

is beyond me.

I checked up on the town too...

I didn't smell a thing.

I suppose I should have been outside

when the van arrived.

That's what I was thinking.

You won't be the only one.

Yes, I had the whole thing sewn up,

when they caught me.

And I still have, too...

if we can get at it.

Do you know what to do?

No, but they wouldn't have sent for ME,

if it wasn't pretty big.

It's big, right enough.

Can't you go any faster?

The engine's governed...

she won't do more than 40mph.

Won't catch up with them then?

No.

We turn left here, somewhere...

That must be it.

Hullo!...What's happening there?

It's an army truck... can't turn here.

Hullo... who is it... who's there?

There's someone there on the right.

That looks like the car, Sir.

Yes, it's them alright... Rover14.

Halt or I'll fire!

Did they get you?

I think I'm out of this.

Everything is in a notebook

in the Isle of Man.

Get out!

I could have understood it,

if you'd gone off the deep end.

But carrying-on in this way...

You might at least give me a clue.

Say something!

I don't care what it is.

Anything! But something!

It's all very well striding along

like a sulky duchess...

But I consider I'm the injured party.

You can't go on like this...

there are limits.

I never expect women to behave properly...

but this is fantastic!

Absolutely... utterly... fantastic!

What are YOU doing here?

Has he gone?

Yes, he's gone.

But he's not an Intelligence man at all.

He's an ordinary English officer

on sick leave.

I've never been so humiliated

in my life.

It was a terrible mistake...

I've been shot.

Give me a cigarette.

I'll fetch a doctor.

Give me a cigarette

and keep your voice down.

Nothing can save me...

short of an operation... I know that.

There's a bullet inside me.

How do you know?

Because it didn't come out.

Give me a light.

Apart from which, they'd never get me

on the table in time.

Your hand's trembling...

Please try to control yourself...

I've got a lot to tell you.

And there isn't time to say it.

Sit down and concentrate.

I dislike giving orders like these

to a girl of your age...

...but I've no choice.

Neither have you.

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