Pursuit to Algiers Page #4

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has been careless, Watson.

What's up?

Excuse me.

Excuse me, will you?

Nikolas.

- Something wrong?

- Excuse me, please.

- We're off Lisbon.

- Lisbon?

We're not supposed to

stop there, are we?

I rather fancied

we'd be getting

some unexpected passengers

aboard about now.

Yes, I think added caution

is indicated.

In the last 24 hours

they've undoubtedly

discovered that

we're not on that plane

and we are on this ship.

Those fellows

Kingston and Jerry

were outside the

wireless room today.

They said something about communicating

with someone in authority.

- Could they...

- Possibly.

Nikolas, Dr. Watson and

I are going on deck again.

I'm rather anxious to see

who's coming aboard.

Lock the door, will you, and don't open

it except for Dr. Watson or myself.

Right.

- Going on deck, sir?

- Yes, breath of fresh air.

I see, sir.

Holmes, did it occur to you that the

steward behaved rather suspiciously?

Quite.

I understand we stopped

to take on some cargo.

- Yes, three passengers.

- Yes.

Oh, Mr. Holmes,

you startled me.

Hello.

Did you see three

men have come aboard?

It's what Ms. Woodbury

just informed us.

Lisbon, beautiful city.

Too bad we shan't have a

chance to pay it a visit.

La muerte de playa,

la castile de George.

The cloisters

of the Geronimo's.

The Tower of Belm.

One of the most

fascinating examples

of Moorish architecture

I've ever seen.

Good evening.

Mr. Holmes, is it not?

Good evening. I'm afraid you

have the advantage of me.

Oh, that's the price

of fame, Mr. Holmes.

Who on earth's that?

I don't know,

but I've seen his face

before somewhere.

Mirko!

I think, Watson, we'd better

get back to your nephew.

This way, it's quicker.

Who's there?

It's I, Holmes.

Nikolas, I want you to

move in with Dr. Watson

until we reach our

destination, understand?

Certainly, Mr. Holmes.

I should think you'd want

to keep him under your eye?

I would if it...

weren't for that

I think Nikolas will be

safer in an inside cabin.

A porthole opening onto

the promenade deck

is apt to offer

too many temptations

to the three gentlemen in

the cabin opposite ours,

or anyone else who

might be interested.

Yes?

- Nothing, thank you, Sanford, good night.

Holmes, I... I don't

trust that fellow.

Yes?

- Oh, good morning, Sanford.

- Good morning, sir.

Put that down over there,

will you.

Breakfast will be served

in half an hour.

Coffee.

I don't see how you

can drink the stuff.

I never could

stand it myself.

Everyone in my country

drinks coffee.

My dear Nikolas,

apparently you don't realize

that it's tea that has

made the British Empire

and Watson

what they are today.

Well, we're both in pretty

good shape, aren't we?

I thought it was the playing fields

of Eaton that were responsible.

No, no, no,

it was the Battle of Waterloo.

Scummy looking stuff,

even for coffee.

Looks as if the cream

had gone sour.

- Don't drink it!

- Why not? What's wrong?

Mm, it's fortunate that you take

cream with your coffee, Nikolas.

I...I don't understand!

It happens to be an idiosyncrasy

of the cyanic acid group

it breaks up fat

in the globules.

Cyanic acid?

Do you mean to say that

Nikolas was almost poisoned

before our very eyes?

If it hadn't been for the

telltale appearance of the cream.

Cold-blooded murder!

Men who have engineered

one assassination, Watson,

will not stop at another.

I owe you my life,

Mr. Holmes.

No, not me, Dr. Watson,

with his keen sense

of observation.

Oh, thank you, Holmes.

Has it occurred to you

that steward chap

was the only one who knows

that you and I take tea

and he takes coffee?

You don't suppose Sheila?

Possibly, poison is a

woman's weapon.

A woman's weapon?

They might include

that Dunham woman

if she is a woman.

Mm-hmm.

Mustn't overlook that

little bearded fellow

and his goggle-eyed friend.

And don't forget the

three charming gentlemen

who came aboard

last night.

Good shot, Watson!

Oh, thanks, old fellow.

Was lucky, Dr. Watson.

Not luck, skill,

Mr. Merner.

Mirko if you don't mind,

M- i-r-k-o.

Oh, sorry, old bean.

Your turn, Mr. Holmes.

You've um, you've left

your man unguarded.

I don't think so.

It will be more difficult to

take him off than it appears.

Your turn, Mr. Gregor.

Oh, tough luck, partner.

Unfortunate.

And yet sometimes to

leave a man unguarded

may be a skillful trap

for one's opponents.

You flatter me, Mr. Gregor.

I'm not as clever

a player as that.

You're too modest,

Mr. Holmes.

Mirko is most accurate.

I'm afraid I'm not

giving him much help.

Are you conceding

defeat then, Mr. Holmes?

Oh, certainly not.

One always prefers to win.

Even when the price

of victory is too high?

Of course, that all depends on

the price one's willing to pay.

Well, that's it, Mr. Mirko.

I'm afraid we're too

good for you, old man.

Yes, Mr. Holmes and I,

shall have to send the drinks.

After your skillful playing,

Mr. Mirko,

I wouldn't think

of penalizing you.

The drinks shall be on me.

You are a good loser,

Mr. Holmes.

- I suggest we all meet in the lounge

after dinner. - Right.

Thank you for the game,

gentlemen.

Pleasure was ours,

Mr. Holmes.

Oh, now we can

really see it.

The Rock of Gibraltar.

We'll be getting to the

Mediterranean soon, Holmes.

Now that you have failed

to warn Holmes off,

our only safety lies

in first eliminating him.

But Holmes is not

our objective.

No, but he stands between

us and our objective.

It seems such a pity to

eliminate Sherlock Holmes.

You may accuse me of being

unduly tenderhearted,

but to destroy so great a man

in order to reach our target...

But the target we must reach

before we arrive at Algiers.

There's still plenty of time.

You're right, of course.

- I should like to have given Holmes

a chance, but... - Good.

Then tonight

it'll be done my way.

You really enjoy your work,

don't you, Mirko?

I promise you Mirko is

more than competent.

We cannot afford

to take chances.

And Nikolas must be disposed

of before we reach Algiers.

That's because you

don't know Mirko.

I've used him before, and I

promise you, he never fails.

Because your strong-arm methods

are apt to be too noisy.

With Mirko it's

swift and silent.

Understand?

Satisfied?

I'm sure Mr. Gubeck

is convinced.

Good evening, gentlemen.

- Good evening.

- Good evening.

Mr. Mirko insists that

losers pay off the bet.

We'd be delighted.

Won't you sit down?

What will you have?

- A brandy I think.

- Brandy.

Whisky and soda for me.

Steward, whisky and soda

and three brandies, please.

Pay nothing for

losing the game.

No ice in mine, Steward.

I can't think why you ruin good

whiskey by putting ice in it.

You see, Mr. Holmes,

losing the game

always carries a penalty,

sometimes greater than others.

Well, if one isn't willing

to pay the penalty,

one shouldn't

play the game.

Thank you.

To your health,

and long life.

Thank you.

I think I'll turn in now.

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