Mr. Arkadin Page #5

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- Guy Van Stratten.

- You know everything, don't you?

- Only what I need to know -

- Bracco, for instance?

- For my business.

- Oh, sure. Guy told me.

Money changing, munitions.

Some of the guns you sent

to the Reds in China didn't even shoot.

Is Van Stratten a communist?

- Are you kidding?

- Then what's he complaining about?

Nobody's complaining.

He's just doing

that crazy job you gave him.

Hey, you didn't answer

my question about Bracco.

Bracco. Van Stratten mentioned that name.

When did you talk to him last?

Bracco was killed and murdered

on the dock in Naples, Italy.

No, I mean, when did you talk

to Van Stratten?

Seems you were pretty chummy

with some Nazi collaborators in Vichy.

Have some champagne.

They trusted you with all their money,

those Nazis...

to invest in South America

for after the war.

- They didn't even ask for a receipt.

- I've heard that story before.

Now their families can't even prove

the money's theirs.

And then there's Mussolini.

All those roads you built for the fascists

in Ethiopia.

Bad water, not enough food.

Guy says more than a hundred

of the men died.

You know, you're kind of cute

in a weird sort of a way.

After a person gets over

being scared of you.

- Why'd you grow that awful beard?

- To scare people with.

When'd you grow it - 1927?

You know something about that year?

Van Stratten's discovered something?

We know where you came from.

- That's more than I do.

- Warsaw.

Huh? What's that?

That's why Guy wants me to see Tadeus

when we get to Tangier.

Who?

T -Tadeus.

He's an organized smuggler.

I mean, he organizes smuggling.

Shut up.

He knows all the crooks in all the world,

and he's Polish.

- What's that got to do with it?

- Warsaw is a city in Poland.

- I was aware of that.

- You see, Guy went to see your tailor in Zurich.

My what?

The tailor who made your first

suit of clothes when you came there.

- He's dead.

- You probably never even noticed the cutter.

But he remembers you and the label

in the coat you were wearing...

when you first came in the shop.

- Label?

- The tailor's label.

Your suit was made in Warsaw.

So that's where you came from.

Guy couldn't get into Poland now.

He'd never get a visa.

Awful lot of Poles left home

these last few years.

Refugees. They went everywhere-

all over the place.

That -That's what Guy's gonna do:

Look up an awful lot of Poles.

- But where?

- Just wherever you say, Mr. Arkadin.

Everywhere. All over the place.

Now, remember that Bracco

had made us a present of two names-

Arkadin

and somebody called Sophie.

So I asked around

about this Sophie too.

The first nibble I got on that

was up in Copenhagen...

in a flea circus.

Why come to me?

I am a legitimate entertainer now.

Please, watch your smoking.

I am only interested in my fleas.

Now we are rehearsing.

Besides, I have to get ready

for a show in a few minutes...

so I cannot give you much time.

Oh, please, please, please.

The fleas don't like it.

- Will you at least try guessing?

- Have you ever seen a football game?

Allez-oops. Ah!

Between allez-oops. Allez-oops.

Ah. Educated fleas.

Now here's the kickoff.

Allez-oops. Ah!

Now, allez-allez-

Allez-oops. Ah.

Allez-oops. Ah.

Now here is August.

He's the goalkeeper.

Pick it up, August. Put it in

the right position, August.

That's right. Allez-

Allez, August. Allez.

Allez, August. Poop.

Why would a man

want to escape from Poland?

In the past few years,

my country has offered its people...

a wide variety of incentives

for moving elsewhere.

Now, wait a minute, Professor. In your day,

you were one of the best con men in Europe.

Please, not so loud.

I don't see any reason why I should lower my voice,

if you're not gonna offer me -

uh, cooperation.

Feeding time.

Come on, Professor. Think back.

A police case in Warsaw

involving a woman called Sophie.

Couldn't you find another Pole?

- There's Tadeus, that contraband fellow.

- Yeah, yeah. In Tangiers.

- Why not try him?

- Nah, he's too young.

There's nothing a type like that

doesn't know about crooks.

Crooks - He has them jumping around

for him like my fleas...

only the fleas are smarter.

I got a friend that's due in Tangiers this week.

She'll see Tadeus.

Oh, come on, Professor.

What about Sophie?

Sophie? No.

A type like that, if she's alive,

she's legitimate by now.

- What makes you think she'd go straight?

- Simple. She was intelligent.

Did you ever stop to think why cops

are always famous for being dumb?

Simple.

Because they don't have to be

anything else.

Crooks aren't the worst people.

They're just the stupidest.

The fleas of the world.

And murder?

My friend, after 20,000 years,

murder is still a business...

that's mainly in the hands

of the amateurs.

You! You know Tadeus?

Tadeus!

I'm a friend of Guy's.

We used to see you

every time we came to Tangiers.

You must remember me.

I never remember pretty women.

It's too expensive.

- But my Japanese cameras?

- There I can't help you. Van Stratten?

- Has he got a new boat?

- This is not about business, Mr. Tadeus.

- We just want you to do us a favor.

- I never do favors.

We only want a little information

about Poland.

I never give in - Poland.

This won't cost you anything.

- Do you know of a fence in Amsterdam-

- Fence.

Called Burgomil Trebitsch?

Trebitsch?

We're not going to Amsterdam.

You and Van Stratten?

No, I'm not with him anymore.

- I'm on a sort of a cruise.

- Enjoy yourself.

"Trebitsch."

I'll remember the name.

- Thanks, Tadeus.

- Thanks for nothing.

Here.

Ah. Ah.

Here we have a telescope.

Uh, 110 guilder, my dear.

But you can always fix it

with a weenie bit of tape.

Why not try to stick to the subject?

You were gonna tell me

about a woman called Sophie. Remember?

Mmm, Sophie Radzweickz. Hmm.

She was quite a girl.

Uh, not that I remember her personally,

only by reputation.

And with the telescope

comes a leather case.

What happened to her?

Where is she?

Ah. Where is anybody?

Do you know if she's still alive?

Well, if you don't want the case,

I can sell you the telescope without it.

But then, of course, the price...

would be a weenie bit steeper.

- You haven't answered my question.

- You haven't bought my telescope.

But I will. I will, Mr. Trebitsch.

I'm gonna buy it.

- Now, what were you going to tell me?

Those girls!

- Those girls were the ruin of Sophie.

- Girls?

Ah, Hildegarde.

What girls, Mr. Trebitsch?

Imagine, my dear-

They were hired by the police...

to pose as members

of Sophie's dancing academy.

- What dancing academy?

- Well, perhaps you'd be interested

in a lovely aquarium for your tropical fish?

No, thanks.

I already got a telescope.

You haven't paid for it, have you?

Still, we can always discuss price,

can't we, my dear?

Now, look,

about this dancing academy-

I'm buying information.

"Buying" means that I'm prepared to pay.

I make it a principle

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