Khartoum Page #2

Chinese Gordon.

What's Gordon doing now?

He's made a contract with

the king of the Belgians...

to take over the Congo

from Mr. Stanley.

We can arrange that

with Brussels.

Send Gordon to Khartoum.

The man who led

the Chinese Emperor's armies...

to victory after victory

carrying only a cane...

send him to Khartoum.

- Without an army?

- Gordon doesn't need an army.

Yes, remember, without

a single British soldier...

he ended slavery in the Sudan.

He's a hero...

to the Sudanese...

to the English,

to the anti-slavery people...

to the churchmen.

Send him to Khartoum,

and you'll be applauded...

from Land's End to Inverness...

and Her Majesty.

Granville,

you're wasting my time.

The man's a mystic.

He's an idealist...

with ideals strictly his own.

Give him an instruction,

he treats a military order...

as if it were

a birthday greeting.

Besides, I trust no man

who consults God...

before he consults me.

May I speak, sir?

In my opinion,

General Gordon would refuse.

After all,

when he went to the Sudan...

as Governor General

and put down the slave trade...

with nothing

but his own audacity...

and a few loyal lieutenants...

sir, he didn't face the Mahdi.

He didn't face a holy war...

and he didn't face

10,000 Remington rifles.

If you send him to Khartoum

on his own now...

he'll simply fail.

What a pity.

Sir, if General Gordon

accepted your proposal...

and the conditions of today,

my respect for him would end.

He'd be the vainest man alive.

Thank you, Colonel Stewart.

Now, would you leave us

to our deliberations?

My congratulations on

the excellence of your report.

Good day, sir.

I like that man.

Did I understand you correctly?

If we send Gordon to Khartoum...

Gordon, a national hero...

and he fails...

then the blame will fall on him,

not on the government?

It could happen that way.

It's the most

abominable proposal...

I have ever entertained.

Granville,

the colonel had a point.

Just why would Gordon do it?

Because he's a patriot

and a man of conscience...

or perhaps

the vainest man alive.

I dislike everything about this.

Worse, I distrust it.

I know nothing

about this conversation.

But let me know in Balmoral

what Gordon says.

Her Majesty

would be so pleased.

Apologize for the secrecy,

Gordon.

Politics.

Let's not waste time

with formalities.

Sit down, please.

I can't keep the train

for Scotland waiting forever...

or there'd be curiosity.

We need few words.

Granville

will see you tomorrow...

with a proposal

so disreputable...

that I can have nothing

to do with it publicly.

Privately,

I ask you to accept it.

Why?

Because it will provide me

with political comfort.

I can conceive

of no commodity, sir...

that could interest me less.

I'm not a free agent, you know.

I leave for the Belgian Congo

within weeks.

Granville could arrange that.

Gordon,

the Sudan was your child.

I don't need to inform you

it's in the gravest danger.

You don't need to inform me.

Gordon, I cannot and will not...

send military forces

up the Nile...

but I admit Khartoum

cannot be left to its fate...

without some gesture.

Am I the gesture?

The whole country

knows your capacities.

You've done before alone what

an army of blunderers can't do.

What's the proposal?

That you go to the Sudan...

supervise the evacuation

of Khartoum...

do what you can to leave

peace and order behind.

- With what powers?

- None.

Egypt will give you

some ribbon or other.

Politicians.

And when the Mahdi

floats me down the Nile...

the government will assume

a pained expression...

and say to Her Majesty

and the churchmen...

and the anti-slavery people,

"We sent Gordon.

"We did the best we could."

Precisely.

That'll be the end of Gordon,

but not of Gladstone.

In a nutshell.

I must say, Mr. Gladstone,

you're hardly a bore.

You don't bore me either,

Gordon.

You're illogical

and insubordinate.

I know if I send you

to Khartoum...

you'll play tricks,

you'll exceed your orders...

and in the name of some

mystical necessity...

apparent only to yourself...

you'll do your ingenious best

to involve this government...

up to the hatband.

But you're

in a very poor patch...

and you have no one

to turn to but me.

Again, in a nutshell.

I'll take a chance on your

tricks. That's all I can say.

I'll see Sir Evelyn Baring

in Cairo...

brings pressure

on the Khedive...

to appoint you Governor General

of the Sudan...

but I cannot

and will not back you up.

This must be understood.

No British troops

will come up the Nile.

I will not assume a British

obligation to police the world.

If you can help the Sudan,

your country will be grateful.

If you can't...

My country will understand.

I'll go.

You'll come back safe.

Gordon, first, last,

and above all...

you'll come back safe.

Do you hear me?

I hear you.

You'll need an aide.

I have a good man in mind.

Isn't such a choice

my prerogative?

Not in this case.

He'll be useful to you.

And to you.

Naturally.

Well, Gordon...

God go with you,

and I don't envy God.

Put my luggage aboard, please.

Very good, sir.

Yes?

Your second-in-command, sir,

Colonel J.D.H. Stewart.

So.

This is for you, General.

You'll find my report in here.

It'll bring you up to date.

Am I to understand

that Gladstone has cursed me...

not only with a spy,

but with a subordinate...

who thinks he knows

more than I do?

I was brought here

in chains, sir.

I don't know what to think.

Brandy and soda, sir.

B & S? It sounds as though

you'll need one.

- Thank you, sir.

- Right. Sit down.

You are Gladstone's spy,

aren't you?

Yes, sir.

Would it be indiscreet

of your commanding officer...

to inquire

as to your instructions?

Not at all, sir.

I am to report

to Mr. Gladstone...

any actions you may take

which, in my opinion...

conflict with your instructions.

I am to inform you and

the government if necessary...

of any situation

which, in my opinion...

places you in physical danger.

And if anybody in

the course of this mission...

must risk his life,

then I'm to do it, not you.

Apart from that, sir,

I'm yours to command.

Tell me what, in your opinion,

Colonel Stewart...

are the chances

of my sacking you?

If they existed, sir...

I'd be the first

to point them out to you.

Drink your brandy.

Thank you.

We seem to have sailed.

Farewell, England.

So you and I are definitely

stuck with each other.

Yes, sir.

For heaven's sake, man,

sit down.

May I ask a question?

If it's impertinent,

I withdraw it.

Why did you let them

talk you into this mission?

As is well known, I regard

myself as a religious man...

yet, I belong to no church.

I'm an able soldier,

but I abhor armies.

I could even add

that I've been introduced...

to hundreds of women,

yet I've never married.

In other words, no one's

ever talked me into anything.

Does that answer your question?

No, sir.

Then let me suggest that

my life is not an open book...

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