The Ghost Writer Page #3

Could you transcribe this

as quickly as possible, please?

Of course.

- Thanks.

- How's it going?

Pretty well. He keeps calling me "man."

He always does that

when he can't remember someone's name.

There are sandwiches in the kitchen.

Oh, sh*t.

It's awful.

I'm sorry, sir.

I didn't realize there was anyone up there.

What on earth is going on?

It's just a security drill, sir.

We have it once a week.

So, there you are.

I'd rather lost track of you.

I'm a big boy now.

Can't keep your eye on me all the time.

Don't wander around on your own.

The security boys don't like it.

Gotcha.

- Did you win?

- Didn't play tennis. Gym.

Gym? What's he in training for?

The Olympics?

Here's your transcript.

Cambridge. Let's talk about that.

Sorry? Um...

Cambridge?

It was such a long time ago,

I can hardly remember.

You did a lot of acting?

Some.

It must have been good training

for politics, acting?

It was a good way to meet girls.

Let's not put that in, by the way, okay?

Still, acting must have been

very important to you.

Okay, let's say I enjoyed it.

You know, you go on the stage,

pretend to be somebody else,

and people actually applaud you for it.

Good, that's more like it. Let's put that in.

- No.

- Why not?

Because these are the memoirs

of a Prime Minister.

And whenever my opponents were stuck

with something to hit me with,

they always said I was a bloody actor!

Do you know what the Times of London

said the day I resigned?

"Kindly leave the stage."

So, no, we won't dwell, if you don't mind,

on my student days as an actor.

We leave it exactly the way Mike wrote it.

Would you like to take

a break for a minute?

Actually, that would be a good idea,

thank you. I need to make a call.

What a bastard.

Look at this.

"Former British Foreign Secretary

Richard Rycart

"has asked the International Criminal Court

in The Hague to investigate allegations

"that the former British Prime Minister

Adam Lang

"ordered the illegal handover

of terrorist suspects

"for torture by the CIA."

Don't!

The pack is on the move.

Unplug all the phones.

Is Ruth still out walking?

Sh*t! She is, isn't she?

- Barry! Barry!

- Yeah.

Would you please find Mrs. Lang

and get her back here as soon as you can?

- Right.

- Let's go.

- Rycart has made a statement.

- Yes, I know.

- He just called me.

- It's unbelievable.

He wanted very much to let me know

it was nothing personal.

He wanted very, very much to tell me

that it was only

because of his well-known stand

on human rights

that he couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"His well-known stand on human rights."

Dear God!

- Sorry to lose my temper earlier.

- Forget it.

And have you told her?

- Yes. Just called her.

- And how did she take it?

Sorry, Adam. This is running on AP.

"According to sources in The Hague,

"the prosecutor's office

of the International Criminal Court

"will issue a statement in the morning."

Oh, Adam.

Thank you, Alice.

Why weren't we given some warning

of this? Where's Downing Street?

The phones are disconnected.

Switch is probably

trying to get through now.

Now? What freaking use is now?

What are you people doing?

I mean, you're not telling me that

the Cabinet Office

didn't know this was coming?

The war crimes court doesn't warn

a suspect who's under investigation.

That's what Adam is now, a suspect?

You need to call Sid Kroll.

I think we should call London first.

Adam! If it suits them,

they will hang you out to dry.

You need a lawyer. Call Sid.

- Get Sid on the line.

- What about the media?

Issue a holding statement, something short.

This is when we need Mike.

I'll write something.

Let him do it.

He's supposed to be the writer.

- Hang on a minute.

- I should sound confident.

Not defensive, that'd be fatal.

But I shouldn't be cocky.

No bitterness, no anger, and don't say

I'm pleased at this opportunity

to clear my name or any balls like that.

So, you're not defensive,

but you're not cocky.

You're not angry, but you're not pleased?

- That's it.

- Then what exactly are you?

Told you he was funny.

I've always been a passionate supporter...

No, scrub that.

I've always been

a strong, no, committed supporter

of the work

of the International Criminal Court. Has he?

You're the writer.

The struggle against terror is too important

to be used for the purposes

of personal revenge.

Very good.

You could be the new Mike McAra.

- Hello?

- John Maddox.

This is gonna be big.

This can only be good for us.

- Could be.

- Here's the first chapter right here.

Okay.

What've you covered so far?

Um...

The early years, childhood, university.

All right, forget that crap.

Get him focused on the war crimes.

And he can't talk to anybody else, all right?

- Right.

- It's gotta be our exclusive.

Any chance of you

finishing the manuscript sooner?

Sooner?

Yeah, yeah, sooner.

Well, how much sooner?

I'm thinking two weeks.

Jesus.

Look, I know it's tough,

but if anyone can do it, you can.

I'm relying on you. We'll talk.

Sh*t.

I'd never have guessed you smoked.

I only allow myself one

at times of great stress or contentment.

- And which is this?

- Very funny.

Maddox just called. He wants the book

in two weeks instead of four.

Christ. Good luck.

Yeah, I wouldn't mind a lift back to my

hotel. I could get on with some work there.

You're not planning on

taking that manuscript

- out of here, are you?

- Course not.

Because you do realize

how serious this is getting, don't you?

- You can search me, if you like.

- That won't be necessary.

All right. Fetch your stuff.

I'll get one of the boys to take you.

Mr. Lang insisted he had always been

a committed supporter

of the work

of the International Criminal Court.

Mr. Lang added, quote,

"The struggle against terror

is too important

"to be used for the purposes

of personal revenge."

- Same again, sir?

- This is being widely interpreted as...

- Yes, thanks.

...an attack on the former British

Foreign Secretary Richard Rycart,

who has asked...

Could we change the channel?

- Sure.

- Thanks.

At issue is the practice

of so-called waterboarding,

an interrogation technique

considered a war...

- Something to eat?

- What've you got?

- Club sandwich. Clam chowder.

- Chowder will be fine.

You're English?

And so are you.

Indeed I am.

- You here on a holiday?

- No, I'm working.

So, what's your line?

Just this and that. Excuse me.

I hear Adam Lang's on the island.

Is he?

So I hear.

You don't happen to know

his whereabouts, do you?

No.

No, I'm afraid not. If you don't mind.

Raymond to Naslund and to Mattias Ohlund.

A slap pass to Lukas Krajicek.

He's in trouble against

Barret Jackman and the referee...

A**hole.

...and Ohlund can't hold it in again,

and this power play is just about over.

Keith Tkachuk almost set to come back on.

Hello?

- Can I help you?

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