Salting the Battlefield Page #5

which don't officially exist

and for which they've therefore

been able to overcharge.

Now you're telling me something new.

The American government

has put pressure on them

to get some of its money back.

A great deal of pressure.

And have they succeeded?

That's something you're going

to have to look into.

That's an interesting story,

I'm sure we'll want to cover it.

We all love laughing at the Yanks,

but I still don't see how that

reflects on Alec Beasley. Don't you?

No.

I'll tell you.

But if I do,

I'll be crossing a line.

What sort of line? The secret line.

I need to know

you're at peace with that.

Shouldn't that question be

directed at you?

Very well.

It's going to be hard to unpick,

because Beasley's affairs

are tangled up in companies

owned by Stirling Rogers.

But I can promise you,

somewhere there's a paper trail

which leads directly back

from the building of the camps

to the Prime Minister's

own personal finances.

Really?

Yeah.

I wonder...

Would you be interested

in staying to eat?

Miss Tankard?

Yes?

It's Amber Page. We've got Margot.

How? Luck. Pure luck.

One of our people

got on a train at Frankfurt.

He was on holiday,

he wasn't even working.

Listen, here's the good news -

she's heading home.

Where is she?

She's getting in

at Stansted from Paris.

We've got people waiting?

They're in place.

And him? No. He's not with her.

But it's all right.

One thing I can promise is he won't

be without her for very long.

Keep in touch.

'Amber.' Yeah?

'It's Jez.' Where are you?

I'm alone. I haven't got long.

Julianne's forgotten her phone.

'And?' You remember that call?

The one from Margot?

Of course. Last week. That's it.

'Unidentified caller.'

Yes, the office has broken it.

You've got Margot's number? We do.

Jez, I've got good news. We've also

got Margot Tyrell in person.

'She's heading back to the UK.'

Good. Then we're in business.

Text me that number. 'I've done it.'

Hold on, I have to go.

Jez?

Are you awake?

Ah good,

welcome to Barry's running buffet.

He's perfect, isn't he?

Heaven to live with.

We lack for nothing.

Thank you, Barry.

My pleasure.

I'm afraid you're going to have

to leave us again.

The coriander goes with the chicken

and the dressing

goes with the rocket.

Don't worry, we'll manage.

Enjoy!

You have everything.

And you?

Friends and family?

None of my business,

but you seem rather sad.

I'm not sad. It's just...

I suppose I was doing a job I loved

and now it's been taken away.

You're an editor,

I imagine it's pretty good fun.

And you were a spy.

Correct.

And you're wondering,

"If I'm not a spy...

"then what am I?"

Shall we get back

to the matter in hand?

There's a rule of thumb

with this kind of campaign.

What do they say? "It's never

the crime, it's the cover-up."

Well, there isn't a cover-up yet.

We haven't got that far.

Right,

so we have to force him into one.

We have to ask him questions

which he can't answer.

Do you know

what those questions are?

The other rule is, as you say,

a campaign isn't a campaign if it's

only been picked up by one paper.

No-one else is going to touch it

until they have to.

Well, then we'd better make sure

the questions are good.

Thanks, guys.

You ARE good at this.

Thank you.

Why don't you have a jacket?

Obviously cos I'm not as good

as you are. Where are we going?

To a safe house.

Good afternoon.

I'm an old friend of Johnny's.

How nice to meet you.

We were at Cambridge together.

Goodness.

Yes. Oh, yes. Johnny was

a very real loss to theology.

Can I leave her in your hands,

Padre? Of course you can.

Sorry, but I've to get back to work.

Talk soon.

It's the Church's

traditional function.

The thing we've done best

for two thousand years -

provide sanctuary.

..sweet chariot

Coming for to carry me home

Swing low, sweet chariot

Coming for to carry me home.

What the hell's going on?

It's a celebration.

That I can see.

We've been told tomorrow

the charges are going to be dropped.

Dropped?

All of them?

The Ukrainian court has decided

it's not in the public interest

to proceed.

Meaning what?

Meaning someone's done a deal?

I guess.

What sort of deal? A trade deal?

What sort of trade?

What is it always?

Weapons, of course. Arms.

It's always arms.

With one bound I'm free.

Get those men out of my house.

Jill?

Yes?

We need to meet. Urgently.

Yes, of course.

You know what's happening to Bill?

I told you, didn't I?

Stick close to us.

'I need to be clear.

Is this your doing?'

Anthea, can I say something?

It's one thing to go around

saying what you want.

The test comes when you're actually

given the chance to get it.

'That's when you're tested.'

When they wanted to get rid

of Margaret Thatcher,

John Major got toothache so he

didn't have to answer his phone.

A week later, he was Prime Minister.

How are your teeth?

Just beginning to ache.

Good. I'm glad to hear it.

You see him often?

Hmm, when he's in trouble.

But you know how Johnny is.

Once you're his friend,

you're his friend for ever.

He's loyal, above all things.

But you know that.

Yes. We were together a long time.

He wasn't threatened by me.

The stronger I was,

the more he liked it.

That's rare.

Good for him.

You know him well?

I helped him

through some difficult days.

When he was a student,

he loved the idea of faith.

The life of the church.

So someone had to point out

that he didn't actually believe.

And that was you?

Hm.

And he didn't?

No. He wanted to.

More than anything.

But, sadly, that's not

the same thing.

Thank you.

No, thank you.

Barry, good night.

Come on, Stirling.

Your backhand's normally terrific.

What the hell's going on?

My mind's elsewhere, sorry.

I need you to give me a game.

Do you want to play properly?

Cos if you don't play properly

there's no point in playing.

Oh, come on, Stirling,

you can do better than that.

All right, you know what this is.

No, I don't.

You bloody well do!

Ah... it's that again, is it?

I've reached a decision.

Alec, I'm roadkill.

I don't mean a thing.

Lose me, you lose nothing.

Think, the press are after us.

It's only a question of time.

So I issue a statement...

No.

It's simple, "Everything I've done,

I've done in good faith.

"My only interest has been

in safeguarding

"the Prime Minister's legacy."

Stirling, no!

However, unknown to you -

and this is the crucial part -

unknown to you, "I took money

from certain people in the States."

No...

But why not? It's a clean cut.

You know what it sounds like.

Unknown to me

you took dodgy money and I'm

so stupid I didn't even know.

Alec, you know where this is going.

No, I don't.

It's going where every

political scandal always goes.

The press doesn't give a f***

about the issues,

they just want a kill.

Clearly.

Well, here I am.

I'm offering myself.

No. And for one very good reason -

if I go, the screaming's over.

But it doesn't work like that.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes