The Emperor's Candlesticks Page #7

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- They both have...

- A secret compartment, yes.

- And you have read...

- Your charming little document? Oh, yes.

Baron, please...

First time that anyone has

made a complete fool of me.

- But, dear baron...

- Oh, no, countess.

No, you don't.

If it hadn't been for a

light-fingered jewel thief,

you'd dear-baroned

me across the border.

The snow might be falling

on me gently at this moment.

You're an enemy of my country.

I had my duty.

And I have mine.

The saving of two lives.

One of them should be

dear to you. If anything is.

Arrest upon sight.

Shot down a revolutionary.

Good work.

But it's hardly in the rules to make your

eyes speak of love while you do it.

- Is this true?

- Quite.

- The life of your grand Duke is in danger.

- Trust me with this mission,

And you stay out of Russia.

I've been a fool for a few days,

but I haven't been frightened in years.

But I mean it.

Please listen to me.

From here on,

you'll listen to me.

But don't you see?

Neither of us is obliged to fail.

Neither of us will fail.

There's a countryman of

mine in one of your prisons.

He must be released.

I'll trust that job to no one.

Well...

I see nothing to do but take my

beating as well as I can.

You'd better take this along.

If colonel Radoff questions you,

the one with your delightful

plans for my future was stolen.

I'll furnish my own alibis, thank you.

You will remain in

London until tomorrow.

That will give me sufficient

time in Petersburg.

When my job is finished, I'll

return these documents to you.

You mean, you will carry your

own death warrant into Russia?

And give it back to me?

I know what happens to Russian

secret agents who fail in their duty.

It's my bad luck that I

can't let that happen to you.

Then please, once again...

Let me carry out both missions.

No, countess. We are enemies.

Let us be good enemies.

Please remember...

You left me

no alternative.

Maybe they found

the letter.

Wolensky is probably

in jail right now.

If they found the letter, it's because

the whole affair has been bungled.

I'm sure Wolensky has done

everything that could be done.

There's nothing we can do now

except to wait until we hear from.

Oh, yes, there is. The grand

Duke is still our guest.

What can we do about

the grand Duke?

- Everything he and his kind would do to us.

- No.

I say yes.

- And I'll accept the responsibility.

- One moment, please.

I brought the grand Duke here

and I insist on having a voice in

deciding what happens to him.

And I insist upon there being no childish

sentimentality in dealing with him.

If any attempt is made to harm the

grand Duke, I shall inform the police.

Yes, the police. We must wait.

This is Wolensky's affair.

Until we know he's failed there's

nothing we can do but wait.

- We've waited long enough.

- No, Maria's right. We shall wait.

How long?

24 hours?

We shall wait until

we hear from Wolensky.

Your highness,

your life is in danger.

On the contrary, I'd say my life

is being rather ably defended.

Your highness.

- I come to ask you a favor.

- A favor? Of me?

- Yes, your forgiveness.

- Oh, no. No.

Instead, you must accept from me...

my eternal gratitude.

Would you mind closing the door, please?

There's a draft here.

- It's a draft you won't object to.

- You're free.

- I... free.

- Thaddeus Orlich has been released,

and we're going to keep

our word with you.

Free, your highness. Your highness.

- Yes? What's happened?

- We're free. We're free.

I hope this isn't a practical joke.

- We're not going to be executed?

- No, nothing like that.

- Who's there?

- No one, your highness.

I thought-

I could have sworn...

Juliet?

There's no one here your highness.

No, I suppose not.

Well, don't worry, your highness.

Soon, the ball and our imprisonment

and Juliet will be just a memory.

- Yes, Suroff...

- Yes.

- You know what a memory is?

- A memory? Yes, of course.

It's a memory is a...

Memory is something

that's never forgotten.

No.

- Call captain Demiso. Tell him to hurry.

- Yes, sir.

- And get captain Kromsky, too.

- Yes, sir.

The Pavloff notes from Vienna.

Captain Demiso.

You know a Polish gentleman...

- Baron Stephan Wolensky?

- I know the name, col. Radoff. That's all.

Just now, baron Wolensky is the second

most important man in the Russian empire.

Wolensky?

I have a direct order from his

imperial majesty to bring this man in.

- To the palace?

- Before his majesty.

- Is he in Petersburg?

- Yes.

And if he escapes,

I shall be held responsible.

Cover the city thoroughly.

Spread a net from Riga to

Odessa. Leave no loophole.

You have a blanket order

for the men you need.

Begin now, captain. And don't

stop till further orders.

- Yes, sir.

- My coat.

Here's something from Pavloff in

Vienna with a memorandum in code.

A mission was entrusted to

countess Olga Mironova.

Something has gone wrong.

I'm going to pay the

countess a little visit.

- You'll find me there, if you want me.

- Yes, sir.

- Dear countess...

- Yes, Anna?

You quite break my heart.

- Ridiculous, Anna. I am thinking.

- Then stop it. Is bad for you.

It's this work I do.

I am fed up. Sick to death of it.

Intrigue, everlasting tension.

Don't dare make one mistake.

Oh, no, no, no, no...

That's inhuman.

- I want to stop and live my own life.

- Who's the man, countess?

Anna.

It might be the baron Wolensky.

Hurry. Bring him in. Please hurry.

Say I'm waiting for him.

Please announce me

to the countess Mironova.

- If she's at home.

- Announce me whether she's at home or not.

- Yes, but I...

- Go along, please. I haven't much time.

Wait a minute.

Not so fast.

I prefer that we enter together.

Now go ahead.

- Come in.

- Thank you.

And in future, when the chief of the secret

police asks you a question, don't lie.

- Colonel Radoff.

- Good evening, countess.

My visitors usually do me the courtesy

of asking to be admitted, colonel.

I've been waiting

for a visit from you.

Don't give me very much time.

I only arrived in Petersburg today.

Why did you alter your course

when you met baron Wolensky?

When you discovered that I should

think you might have found the reason.

So clever a man.

Romance has smashed

several of my best agents.

Romance?

I don't know what you're talking

about. Neither do you.

Is this the candlestick

that Pavloff wrote about?

One of them.

You spoke of smashing

people, colonel Radoff?

If the Wolensky papers are here

that might make a difference.

Open this.

Look...

there are two of these, exactly alike.

That is the reason why

I put off visiting you.

The other one was stolen. You see?

There's nothing here.

That's why I went tearing

madly through Paris and London.

This is the one I recovered.

And where is

baron Wolensky?

I haven't a remote idea.

The experience of those

who betray our secret police

is not a pleasant topic

for conversation.

Then let's talk

about something else.

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