Page Eight Page #3

I had no idea you were

going to be invited, Johnny.

Well, I am.

This is going to need long hours, Minister.

It's going to need expertise and judgement.

As my mother used to say,

"A problem shared is a problem halved."

So, what's your next move?

Give the whole thing to the Daily Mirror?

Post it on the internet?

I'm trying hard not to be offended,

Home Secretary.

Please try.

Home Secretary, do you want

to come back in and restart this meeting

at a lower level of tension?

I don't know about anyone else,

but I've got a heart condition.

I've got fatty deposits on my arteries.

I have a stent.

Benedict, I can take this

file out of the room,

across the river to SIS,

and your department will be royally f***ed.

The service has been

royally f***ed many times.

Usually by your government jumping on us

like Rover with a hard-on,

and we've always survived the experience.

Oi, out!

With respect, Minister,

politicians come and go.

I've counted them in

and I've counted them out.

And if you want to get rid of me, you can.

That's on the record, by the way.

I'd like to go walking in Patagonia.

I've heard the wildlife there is extraordinary.

- Johnny went.

- I did.

BENEDICT:
He loved it.

So if you want a new DG, go ahead, get one.

I'll gather up my whole family and take

them on a packet boat to Antarctica.

And a double bonus, I won't be around

for the end of the Atlantic Alliance.

Anthea, it won't have happened on my watch.

Okay, what are the Americans up to?

The Americans are up to what we've

always suspected they were up to.

This is different. This is proof.

If this is true.

They have prisoners all over the world

who don't officially exist on black sites.

- So it appears.

- Unknown sites that don't exist either.

Not officially.

And these prisoners are telling them things

which they then don't have

the courtesy to tell us.

Well, worse than that. Specifically, the

Americans are failing to keep us abreast

of things that are happening

on our own doorstep.

Dangerous things.

If were willing to trust intelligence

obtained by torture.

JOHNNY:
Quite.

ANTHEA:
Where did you get this?

BENEDICT:
Well, I thought

that might be your next question.

It is my next question.

Thought it might be.

And don't give me

any of that Jesuitical bullshit

about not revealing your sources.

I can't reveal my sources.

Benedict, you and I can play the game...

Seems like we've already begun.

But at the end of the

road, you work for me.

Remember, the people don't vote for you,

they vote for me.

They don't like the people

who work in the dark.

They don't know the people

who work in the dark.

If they did, would they be reassured?

(SCOFFS)

- My view is we go to the Americans.

- BENEDICT:
No.

- We speak to the Americans direct.

- No.

We tell them we know what they know.

That they have a network of sites

where they're illegally

detaining and torturing prisoners.

We frighten them by naming the sites.

Thailand, Afghanistan, Morocco,

Poland, Romania.

Show them we're not idiots.

- Why not?

- Because.

- Because what?

- Because you're going to tell your allies

that they've been lying to you.

You have to think through the implications.

Are you saying I haven't?

You also have to remember

that going back to the Americans

might endanger my source.

You'd need my permission.

What would you prefer me to do?

- Right now?

- Yes.

- lf it were my call?

- Please, imagine that.

Right now, I'd prefer you to do nothing.

If you want me to do nothing,

why did you give me the file?

Because I don't want you to be able to say

I didn't give you the file.

- Further down the road?

- Exactly. I answer to you.

You gave me the file

so that I would do nothing?

I gave you the file

so that you would know everything.

Makes sense.

Johnny Worricker thinks it makes sense.

Johnny's an excellent judge.

Weak on tactics occasionally,

but strong on strategy.

Is that what you think?

You back Johnny, do you?

Johnny's my best friend since Cambridge.

Well, then perhaps "best friend" can tell

us what the argument for doing nothing is.

The argument for doing nothing, Minister,

is that as yet you know so little.

And you shouldn't move until you know more.

Continue.

One simple thing: Her Majesty's Government

has always denied complicity in torture.

You've stood up in Parliament many times,

you've said it in the press.

Changing the story

is going to be embarrassing.

Well, it's only going to be embarrassing

if people find out.

How will they find out?

Why would this intelligence leave this room?

Who here would leak it?

I hope that question answers itself.

I hope it does. I hope so, too.

And anyway, remember, I thought

the claims were true at the time.

When I made the claims,

I didn't know they were untrue.

That may or may not be sufficient defence.

These things can get messy, politically.

- And...

- What?

You said "one simple thing".

What's the second simple thing?

Oh. I haven't talked to Benedict

about this, Minister.

So? Does "best friend"

need permission to speak?

Very well, it's this.

Has anyone actually read this thing?

I don't mean cast your eye over it,

I mean read it.

- Jill?

- Yes, I believe I've read it.

Home Secretary, you say you didn't know

the Americans had these prisoners.

I didn't know.

And you had no proof

they'd been torturing them.

I take your word. But perhaps

someone else in your government did.

Someone else?

Take another look at the

bottom of page eight.

- Page eight?

- JOHNNY:
Yes.

- What's on page eight?

- JOHNNY:
You haven't read it, have you?

I thought not.

Page eight, please.

American source quoted saying,

"Downing Street already knows about this."

I imagine that's what bothering Benedict.

There are two possibilities, aren't there?

Either our source is wrong

and the Americans lied to all of us...

in which case,

Downing Street is going to be furious...

or our source is right,

and the Prime Minister

knew everything all along,

he just didn't bother to tell you.

Now, I'm not sure which of those

two possibilities you prefer.

It's been an interesting meeting.

Thank you. It has indeed.

I'm going to do as you suggest

and leave this for a day or two.

Fine.

- Johnny?

- Fine.

We'll reconvene. Anna will be in touch.

You keep staring at that painting.

It's from the government art collection.

Don't blame me, I didn't choose it.

Actually, it was painted by my daughter.

Christ, then you're in

more trouble than I am.

Thank you.

I'm glad you said that.

- I'm sorry?

- About page eight.

I was hoping someone would say it.

Glad it was you.

Oh, okay.

I wasn't sure.

I wasn't sure whether to speak.

No, that was a good move.

It means the game's in play.

You. Need to talk to you.

Need a word, urgently.

Not here. Somewhere discreet.

Traditionally, it's the

stationary cupboard.

- What were you doing?

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