Salting the Battlefield Page #3

Well, no. He can't call you,

he's frightened. And I shouldn't.

But I couldn't resist.

It's kind of you.

Don't be silly.

I'm glad one of you cares.

We both care. It's just

Johnny's in an impossible position.

He's been in impossible positions

since the day I was born.

He thrives on them.

How big are you?

I'm big.

I'm due in a couple of months.

How's it going with Jez?

Oh, day by day. Life with a DJ.

Gets in when I'm getting up.

Are you living together?

Almost. Not quite.

Otherwise?

I'm superstitious.

I don't quite dare. But it does feel

like this time I fell on my feet.

I just don't want to push it too

far.

It's lovely to hear your voice,

Julianne.

I'll call you again. I don't know

when but I will. Margot? Yes?

Take care of yourself.

What? Seen this? You

know who wrote it?

I have this strange feeling, she's been

talking to our brothers in Millbank.

How do you know that?

I don't. I sense it. How?

Because that's how she came to us. From the BBC,

remember? She broke the Jake Pierpan story.

That peacenik with

the drippy sister.

Have you ever asked yourself why

the sainted Allegra got that story?

Or, more interesting,

why did they give it to her?

Maybe she's just a

virgin who got lucky.

Yeah, right. I wonder,

would you take her out for a drink?

If they're using us,

let's see if we can use them.

All right, let's get going.

Ted, one thing. The diary story.

Scan the Internet to see if it spreads.

Do it yourself, no one's to know.

Yes, sir, I'm sorry, I

thought you said to ignore it.

We are ignoring it.

I also want you to keep me informed.

You're back. Nice walk?

Yes. Sweet town, isn't it?

Yeah. Very sweet.

Bath, only in Germany

and more genteel.

I didn't know what you wanted to do

this evening. What do you want to do?

You could go to a movie.

Do you want me to cook supper?

You don't have to entertain me,

you know. Yeah, I know.

I was two years in Belfast,

never spoke to a soul, remember?

I'm perfectly happy being unhappy,

if you know what I mean.

You're very unfair.

Unfair. How?

About my cooking. Oh.

Years ago, remember?

I made you a carbonara.

How could I forget?

You made me a Milanese.

I'll make you another.

They were good times.

They are good times.

When we move, we're going to move so

fast you're not going to believe it.

Oh, I think I will.

How kind, thank you.

You're the first person in the

office even to admit I exist.

It's a newspaper.

You'll get used to it.

Yeah, but the

editor's something, isn't she?

You only have power if you don't give a

bugger. Belinda doesn't give a bugger.

That's what makes her special. When

politicians ask her to lunch, she doesn't go.

Let's face it, you can only do a job properly

if you're not frightened to lose it.

Are you trying to tell me something?

No, I'm trying to ask you something.

What? What are you asking?

Whether you work for

the security services.

Or whether your boyfriend does.

If I have a boyfriend.

Whether you've been planted on us.

Is this a serious question?

Like that story this morning.

What about it?

Where did you get it?

It's not a bed thing, is it?

One of two possibilities.

A bed thing or a family thing.

I'm going to lay a thousand

to one its family.

Why?

Because when a journalist goes out on a limb, it's

always family. Daddy works in intelligence, does he?

No.

Is he with the dumb ones in Millbank

or with the clever ones in Vauxhall?

And I'm not out on a limb.

What are you planning

to do with the story?

I'm not sure. I haven't decided.

You haven't decided?

OK. You don't spell it out,

you leave it for the reader to

join the dots, but you're implying

the Prime Minister takes money

from dodgy businessmen who fall in

the sea in mysterious circumstances.

And you haven't decided?

What does the look mean?

I'm trying to work out if you're a great deal

stupider than you appear, or a great deal cleverer.

Hello? Allegra? Rollo.

Are you at home? Yes.

Go to your computer, you'll find

something which moves the story on.

It'd be great if it could

go in tonight.

Rollo... Yes?

I'm getting frightened. People are

asking questions. What people?

The editor sent a journalist to

take me out for a drink.

That's great. That's exactly what we want.

Who did she send? Freddy Lagarde.

Oh, Freddy. Did he take your virtue?

For a Pinot Grigio?

People have done it for less.

One thing, get a new phone.

As from this morning, your name is out there. Always

assume someone is listening. And, Allegra? Yes?

Hold your nerve. With luck, there's

going to be a lot more of this.

You've endured weeks of headlines,

do you really believe you can

hold on as Deputy Prime Minister?

To be honest,

I see no reason I shouldn't.

I stand up for my husband,

I don't stand in for him.

Yes, but if he does appear in Kiev

on charges of bribing

government officials...

It's a very different

culture from our own.

And, by the way,

if people do have questions of him,

then I'm confident Bill's going to

have perfectly satisfactory answers.

But can you be sure of that?

Do you know, as a

matter of fact, I can.

Well, I think this has been a very

worthwhile evening.

It's good for the cabinet to meet

informally for a change.

Kick some ideas around.

We appreciate you coming in, Anthea.

Things must be heavy on your plate.

If things can be heavy on a plate.

Full on my plate.

Yes. Yes. Loaded.

It has been an ordeal, hasn't it?

Yes. But you are bearing up.

I wonder what you feel about that item in the

Independent this morning, Prime Minister.

What item was that? I don't think I saw it,

did I? Remind me. You didn't see it, sir.

You have time to read the Independent, do

you, Jock? Justice must be very under-worked.

It put up a red flag.

I'm amazed no one in your office

picked up on it.

Anthea, did you see it?

No. I've no idea what

he is talking about.

I'll tell you what it's about.

It said some of the people financing

the Bridge have dubious backgrounds.

Did it? It seems to be implying they're

not above murdering each other.

Well, that's the way the world is. There's always

someone who can't wait to fling a bucket of mud.

Get used to it.

I'll take a look at it.

Let's get out of here.

Oh, err... Worricker?

OK, this is going to be very simple. The simpler we

keep it the better. It's not going to be difficult.

It's going to suit me,

then, that's what you're saying.

We pick up cars.

OK. From different cities.

OK. This is your Europcar card.

Thank you. This is a map with a

route, I've marked it.

You return the car as designated.

Usual drill.

Except this time we stay separate.

Credit card. Passport.

Ah... Excellent. Who am I this time?

You're joking.

I liked it. It made me laugh.

And who are you? Cilla Black?

You don't need to know.

And, by the way, I've wanted to say this but

I haven't said it. What haven't you said?

I wanted to tell you, I minded it

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