Salting the Battlefield Page #8

Why? Well, wasn't it your idea

to bring him down?

It's interesting

you should say that.

As a matter of fact, Jill,

I rather thought it was yours.

Ah, Mr Worricker we haven't seen you

for such a long time.

I've missed you too.

We still have a bottle of scotch

in the back.

Do you mind fetching it?

I tell you, I had my suspicions

for quite a long time.

Really? I noticed

things were strangely easy.

As if our paths were being smoothed.

I mean, the choice of Amber Page...

What about her?

Never our most brilliant agent,

was she?

She did the job.

Yeah, badly.

Amber did her best.

Yes. That's what I mean.

And that business in Kiev...

Kiev, yes.

..had your fingerprints all over it.

You think so? You liked that,

did you? I liked it,

I wasn't sure

why Beasley had agreed to it.

It wasn't in his interest. I didn't

ask. I didn't need to.

How did you do that? I've been

a long time in Whitehall, remember?

I'm a data bank, Johnny.

And, please, don't make this out

to be some sort of coup.

Why? Wasn't it?

No. I wouldn't dream of messing

with the electorate's wishes.

That's way above my pay grade.

What would you call it then?

All I did was make

some preparations.

That's all I did

for an orderly hand-over.

As any good democrat would.

That's very good. Thank you.

I smoothed the way.

I made what would have been

difficult, easy.

What I don't understand,

why did you do it?

Beasley was on your side. Your whole

life, you owe him everything.

He was the one who put you in place.

Why did I do it? Yes. Simple.

Same reason as you.

Johnny, I saw the evidence.

When I saw the evidence,

I knew he was finished.

Ah, thank you, you're very kind.

It belonged to Mr Baron.

We didn't know what to do with it.

We all loved Mr Baron.

I'll look after it, thank you.

I miss him.

We all miss him.

Looking back at the events

of the past few years,

I don't think either of us has been

wholly right or wrong.

Life doesn't work like that,

does it?

I can see your point of view

and I suspect that you can see mine.

You know what I want for you?

I've got a fair idea.

You're the best intelligence analyst

I ever met.

And I'm the best administrator.

The new prime minister's coming in

with warm feelings towards

the intelligence services.

You've made sure of that.

Yes. After what I've done for her,

these are going to be golden years.

We get everything we want.

I'd like you to join me.

You're forgetting.

I've got other obligations.

People depend on me.

What sort of people?

My daughter.

I can promise, come back to work,

she won't be troubled again.

Rollo. Well, I'm sure we can bring

him back into the f***ing fold.

And most important of all...

there's Margot.

Ah, yes, Margot.

Are you hugging that scotch

to yourself?

Hasn't worked out, has it, Johnny?

What makes you say that?

Oh, come on, I mean, give us some credit,

please. We are professionals.

You love falling in love, don't you?

Just, not so good at being in it.

Come back to Millbank

and you're going to be able to

make her a very attractive offer.

What offer is that?

For the rest of her life,

she's going to be able to walk down

the street and not look behind her.

That's not nothing, Johnny.

I have a feeling

she's going to take it.

You don't know her.

Oh, I think I do.

I am going to keep

this statement brief.

I've always said I would leave

office at a time of my own choosing

and only when I had finished the job

I was elected to do.

This is that time.

I leave you strong

and I leave you secure.

Congratulations!

You just brought down a government.

Did I really? I know someone did

but I'm not sure who.

Any MP will tell you that the most

important people in their life

are the people who elect them.

Shall we go out and celebrate?

All right.

I'll finish the story,

then, yes, let's go and get drunk.

What are you doing?

I was going to leave you a note.

What kind of note?

A goodbye note.

You knew it was coming.

I feared it, but I didn't know.

Where's Julianne?

She's at the hospital.

What? It's all right.

She doesn't want you to go.

All right? Why is it all right?

Because her mother's with her.

It's going to be a long labour.

Can I call?

No. She's still angry.

She says you can call

in the morning.

Then I will.

And you? Where are you heading?

Oh. A start-up in Hong Kong.

Really? Yeah.

Well...

that's... that's a long way.

Yeah, well, I've been approached.

A guy I knew through Stirling.

He wants to sell clothes

on the internet.

He sees a gap in the market.

Does he have a lot of money?

Not a penny.

That's why he needs someone smart.

Margot, I made you a lot of promises

back in Turks & Caicos.

I want to keep them.

Say the word and I will.

I knew when it came down to it,

you'd always want to go back to work.

What, I just walk away

from everything, do I?

Is that the right thing to do?

I don't think so.

These days, everyone feels

powerless, I understand that.

That's what they want you to feel.

But if we don't fight, who will?

Johnny, you know these people.

They slide around,

they have nothing solid.

For them, it's simply

one day to the next.

They believe what they have to

and then when the time comes,

they believe something else.

For them nothing is ever at stake.

Look, I know what you're saying,

but even so,

if it's what you want

I can get you back in.

I've watched you the last few

months. You're brilliant at it.

You love it. Yes.

But I love you more.

It was quite an adventure,

wasn't it?

Yes.

I wouldn't have missed it.

Me neither.

I wish we'd done more.

Oh, Johnny...

we did plenty.

I'm going in the morning.

Why don't you just leave?

I'll miss you.

Yes. I'll miss you too.

I just want to say,

it's far too early for me

to be making any decision

about the future.

I'm part of a family and I want

to talk to my family first.

Meanwhile, let's remember

Alec Beasley.

It's his night.

Let's leave it with him.

Well done. Big one now, big one.

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