Page Eight

(GIRLS TALKING INDISTINCTLY)

Ah, we haven't met.

I'm putting out rubbish, obsessively.

Do you want me to take

it downstairs for you?

No! No, no, it's fine. I'll do it later.

I've been living here for a year

and I've never caught sight of you.

- I'm Nancy Pierpan.

- Johnny Worricker. How do you do?

I'm wondering if I could

ask you in for a drink.

But you seem to have company.

Exactly.

That is why I am asking you in.

- So you started a website?

- That's right.

It's a place where people can make contact.

People find it easier to talk to a machine

than they do direct.

Is that so?

Couples talk best in the car

'cause they're side by side,

they don't have to look at each other.

- Was it you who noticed that?

- That was my mum, actually.

Well, this has been nice,

but, bad news, Ralph,

I'm going to have to throw you out.

What, do you mean right now?

It's my fault. I've completely forgotten that I

promised to talk to Johnny about his novel.

- Johnny writes novels?

- Yes.

RALPH:
Am I going to see you soon?

Of course. I'm going to call you.

- It was great to see where you live.

- Yes.

It was nice for me, too.

(DOOR SHUTTING)

Oh, God, I'm so sorry. I want to apologise.

There's no need to apologise.

I assume you asked the young man back

then and changed your mind.

Yes, that's what happened.

Whose novel is that?

I would love it if you stayed

and had a glass of wine with me.

I can't. I've got to go home.

It's because I'm out of practice.

You'll have to explain.

Well, it's been a long time since

I asked anyone back.

And, um... Has this ever happened to you?

That you suddenly realise

you've made a mistake?

Huh.

And then I saw you on the landing.

(LAUGHING)

It was like you were sent from God.

It's very strange

that I've never seen you before.

Do you live on your own?

I've got to work tonight,

if that's all right.

Oh, God, I'm so sorry, l...

Call me if it happens again.

It won't happen again.

What are you thinking, Johnny?

What have you been thinking?

Why did you ask me what was I thinking?

It's unbelievable.

Someone who's meant to be responsible,

someone who's meant to be my boss.

I thought it was funny. No need to tell me.

Well, it isn't funny.

Not in a f***ing lift.

Anger management, Johnny!

I can send you on a course if you like.

I don't ask you, "What are you thinking?"

'Cause my mind's a perfect

blank, that's why.

Things are that bad, I got home last night

and watched the X Factor.

Yesterday was Tuesday, X Factor's

Saturdays, so I know you're lying.

Not lying, testing.

- Jill.

- Good morning, boys.

I'm coming your way in half an hour.

Jill's office.

- Morning, Muna.

- Good morning.

BENEDICT:

So, there's an awful lot of stuff going on.

An awful lot of traffic.

What does that mean? Intercept.

Among other things,

this building is swimming in information.

We have information coming out of our ears.

So...

So, the difficult thing

is to notice when someone

finally tells you something important.

No reaction.

He thinks he can be rude to me.

He thinks he can treat me how he wants

because we had a wife in common.

In my case, a long time ago.

All your wives are a long time ago.

Does Jill need-to-know of my wives?

Everyone knows about your wives.

So my point is this.

I've called the two of you together.

I want to share a source.

Now, before we go any further,

God's very excited.

Why is God excited?

I suppose like all home secretaries, God

can't resist a file marked "top secret".

You're going to read this

and you're going to think, "Hold on.

"The Americans are meant to be our allies."

I've never suffered from that delusion.

Johnny doesn't believe

in the special relationship, do you?

They're not what you call sharing partners,

are they?

Even you can't claim to

have read it already.

I've seen certain words,

I gather we're back in the Middle East.

- We're always in the Middle East.

- I don't like faith jobs.

I don't like anything to do with faith.

Still no faith yourself, Johnny?

The sun will rise in the morning,

I'm going to have a drink at 6:00.

That's my faith.

Really? A lot of people

in your church, are there?

Most people. Most people are in my church.

You're going to want to talk to me

when you've read it properly.

This country is under threat,

it's under serious threat.

Our problem is we can't always tell you

the nature of the threat.

If we did, we'd be giving

away intelligence.

That's not something I'm willing to...

(TALKING INDISTINCTLY)

This is a bit close, isn't it?

- This place is a bit close.

- Rollo.

Thought this place

was crawling with professionals.

That's why we're eating at 11:30.

No one will see us, except your friend.

- How are you, Johnny?

- I'm well, Rollo.

- And yourself?

- Trying to get used to my new profession.

I was hoping you could

help me with an inquiry.

What inquiry is that?

She's called Nancy Pierpan.

Then she has a beautiful name.

Do you know anything about her?

Are we going to do business

before we have lunch?

We're going to do business over lunch.

You're not going to let

me have a drink first?

(SPEAKING ITALIAN)

- He's putting on weight.

- Well, you would know.

You haven't asked me about my new job.

I read what you write,

but some of it goes over my head.

Really? Don't you have a double first?

I'm not really clever, Rollo.

I don't have what they call a first-class mind.

You were first class.

Sure. Look where it got me.

- I'm a journalist.

- A journalist who still works for us.

- Do l?

- Don't you get the cheques?

What are the cheques gonna get me, huh?

A house in Tuscany?

When? With whom? With the waiter?

Can't you go and do

some sort of profile on her?

I work in the foreign desk.

What possible interest

would I have in Nancy Pierpan?

So you do know who she is.

You were always quick, Johnny.

Not too clever, right enough,

but you are quick.

- England's a small country, isn't it?

- You tell me.

I mean, it's multi-cultural, sure.

There's more chaps named Shah, Patel.

But nothing's really changed.

It's still run by the same old crowd.

Is it? I don't know who runs England.

The bankers did,

and look what happened to them.

What I'm saying is there's still

an awful lot of people named Baron,

and Worricker and Pierpan.

Nancy was born in Damascus.

Her father was an Arabist.

What sort of Arabist?

Romance of the desert, that sort of thing?

Lawrence of Arabia?

- Why do you need to know?

- Because she's taking an interest in me.

What sort of an interest?

Making a play? Is she making a play?

She was putting out the rubbish.

She pretended it was a coincidence.

- Well, aren't you flattered?

- No.

What's the file?

Are you gonna show it to me?

Do you know...

I don't think I am.

(CHUCKLES)

(BEEPS)

(BEEPS)

(BEEPS)

What is this?

They're saying I need a new pass.

I was given a temporary. What's going on?

Are you gonna throw a wobbly?

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