Salting the Battlefield Page #2

they've got Europe locked down.

By our count he's already moved

at least five times.

There's no plan to it.

Worricker's moving zigzag,

his brain's cotton wool,

he's just a... rat on a map.

And when we get him? What?

I mean, when he's caught him.

Have you thought about that?

Do you have any serious idea of what we

then do with him? And the girlfriend.

I've thought about it.

Good, because that's the next stage.

Alec, you're getting this

out of proportion.

No, getting him's the easy bit.

It's what we do with him then.

What d'you think? Pretty nice.

You'd better enjoy it.

Why? How many more flats do we have?

None.

Well, don't look at me.

By my reckoning, Wiesbaden's our fourth.

You never could count. Tenth.

You're including hotels.

Yeah. How could I forget?

And we're running out of money.

Great.

So can we go home?

Brian...

I've, er, got an unscheduled

meeting. I want somewhere secure.

Not in your own office? I said.

There's a room in the basement.

Come on, then.

I need to be left on my own.

It's national security.

It's kind of you

to make time for me.

I wanted to see you

because I'm deeply concerned.

Have you seen this?

Tell me about it.

I know security's

no longer your remit...

I still get to see a lot of

high-grade intelligence.

It passes across my desk.

Yes, that's at my insistence.

Is it really? Yes.

I didn't know that. Well, it is.

I believe it's important in government

that the most sensitive material

is always seen

by more than one pair of eyes.

You'll have to explain.

The Prime Minister's judgment

has always been faultless.

It certainly has.

Don't get me wrong.

He's a man who's called

every major issue

of the last ten years correctly.

And you're close to him. I am. I'm

very close. I owe him a great deal.

He made you acting head of the service.

More than that, he protected you. Yes.

When you most needed protecting.

I'm in his debt. But?

But it's also healthy for government

if there's a little air,

a little... ventilation

around important decisions.

That way things don't get... cramped.

I don't know if you heard

about a murder in the Caribbean,

a few months ago.

Yes, I think I heard something.

A man with a strawberry mark?

That's him. Yes, I saw a picture.

But, to be honest,

it hasn't been my priority.

I'm sure.

I've had problems of my own.

My errant husband.

Well, of course we may be able to

help you there. Sorry? Help me?

I mean, we may be able to give you

information you may not have.

About your husband.

Stuff you don't know.

What sort of stuff?

Go on. What you were

saying about the murder.

Have you heard of the Bridge?

The Prime Minister's plan to continue statesmanship

beyond his formal period of elected office?

Yes. I've heard of it.

Well, it was one of the donors

to that project that was killed.

Do we know who by? And we've had some questions

recently about the project's financing.

It's financing?

Yes. How it's financed?

Forgive me, but... I'm going to ask

a question, because time is short.

Oh, by all means. It's this -

what's the subject of this meeting?

What's the subject?

Yes. Give me a headline.

Say, I'm going home, this evening

in the car, or in the bath,

and I think, "I met Jill Tankard

today and we talked about..."

What? What did we talk about?

What was the subject?

I've come in to open up a channel.

What sort of channel?

A channel of communication.

To flag up potential trouble.

It seems to me any trouble you're talking of

isn't for me, it's for Alec. I think it may be.

Frankly, Jill, what you're saying

doesn't add up to much.

Doesn't it? I don't think so.

Why not?

Because what's the beef here?

In his eagerness for a life

beyond Downing Street,

the Prime Minister may have accidentally

befriended some dubious characters.

Crooks. So? What he'll do when he leaves government

isn't strictly a matter FOR the government.

Isn't it? Maybe not, but if people find out about

it - and this reference is the first sign -

then we may enter rough water.

And in rough water it'll be

to your personal advantage

to be briefed about what's coming up

before it actually happens.

OK. And another thing...

Yes? CIA's got a new boss.

How does that affect us?

He wants to draw a line under

the excesses of the last ten years.

Which ones? Private contractors

ripping off the American public.

And that's been bad news

for a couple of

the Prime Minister's friends.

Tell me one thing.

Is Johnny Worricker

mixed up in this?

Of course.

And is he still on the loose?

He's in Germany. He was in Switzerland,

with a... former intelligence officer.

A woman?

We have real hopes of

bringing them home. Soon?

Very. Nearly had them this morning.

An agent was out running.

But? We lost them.

How?

Incompetence.

So, meanwhile, you're offering me

an inside track?

You have it.

For what reason?

For the obvious reason. Because

you're Beasley's natural successor.

Hardly. Not at the moment I'm not.

Not while my husband's all over

the papers.

We can deal with that.

You can deal with the British

press in full cry?

I don't see why not.

At MI5 we've never had any

problem with the press.

Really?

Politics is fair game,

national security isn't.

They're like all bullies,

they don't like being bullied back.

My whole point, the closer you get

to us, the easier your life will be.

If I agree to this...

channel, what's going to happen?

I'm going to call you

and we're going to meet.

Where?

In this room. When?

Whenever we need to.

One thing, do your colleagues know

what you're doing?

No. Do yours?

Here, I got you these.

Herrings. The ones you like.

Your favourites. I'm going

to make a salad.

OK. I'm going to go for a walk.

After lunch? Yes. Do you want me to

come with you?

Great idea, and double the risk?

I got you this.

It's at the local museum.

From Raphael to Dali.

It started last month.

It's not too late to join.

Aren't you interested?

Of course I'm interested.

Well?

I started one art class in Lausanne.

I started another in Heidelberg.

I'm tired of starting things

I don't get to finish.

Margot, we both know the rules.

Keep our minds active.

Exactly. Keep doing things.

Oh, God is that your idea

of making a salad?

Sorry.

Here. Can't I send

you on a salad-making course?

That'll keep your mind active.

We can retire and grow lettuces

in Suffolk and you can practice.

This is all an attempt to break us.

Think of it that way.

We're feeling like prisoners,

that's how they want us to feel.

And do we have to stay relentlessly cheerful?

All the time? Once or twice can't we be moody?

You can be moody.

Gherkins. Another thing you like.

"Essigurke speziell fur

Feinschmecker."

I remember one thing about spying.

What's that? What do you remember?

What do I remember?

Spies work alone.

Julianne? Yes? It's Margot.

Hey - where are you now?

Don't tell me. Is everything all right? Yes,

it's fine. I haven't heard from Dad for weeks.

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