The Ghost Writer Page #4

- Hi.

Yeah, can you tell me,

has anyone gone up to my room?

No, sir.

- Did anyone ask for me?

- No.

What about that other guest? The, um...

There's an Englishman.

You're the only guest in the hotel, sir.

- Hello?

- You need to check out

of the hotel immediately.

Things have changed. A car is on its way.

What?

See you then.

Hello?

- Okay.

- Just check on that. Okay?

- It's getting big, huh?

- So I see.

Who're you with?

I'm on my own.

Oh, sod it. Here we go again.

You've reached the office

of Rick Ricardelli. Leave a message.

Hi, Rick.

Now they want the book in two weeks.

Thanks for getting me this job.

Can't talk.

Some peace protestors are trying to kill me.

You're working for a murderer!

You're working for a murderer!

Liar! Liar! Liar!

- Are you ill?

- No, I'm aging.

This place is Shangri-La in reverse.

I tried to call you

several times last night.

You didn't answer.

I forgot to charge my mobile phone.

Really? And the hotel phone?

I'm a heavy sleeper.

Well, you can do your heavy sleeping here

from now on.

- Here?

- We're under siege.

You can't run the media gauntlet every day.

Eventually, they'll discover who you are.

And that would be horrid for you.

So, this is where you put the granny.

No.

This is where we put Mike McAra.

We haven't had a chance to clear it yet.

The sheets have been changed, though.

Actually, I make it a rule

never to stay in a client's house.

But now you can have constant access

to the manuscript.

Isn't that what you want?

Besides, Sid Kroll

will be arriving any minute.

Why don't you settle in,

and then come up and join us?

- You're practically one of us now.

- I am?

You drafted the statement yesterday.

That makes you an accomplice.

So, here's the score. You're not being

charged, you're not being arrested.

None of this is gonna amount

to a hill of beans.

The only thing the prosecutor is asking for

is permission to launch

a formal investigation.

- Investigating me for what?

- Connie?

Either crimes against humanity

or war crimes.

Well, that's absurd.

It's not exactly genocide.

"Under Article 25,

a person shall be guilty of a war crime

"if that person facilitates the commission

of such a crime

"or aids, abets or otherwise assists

in its commission."

- That's rather sweeping.

- Well, if it's any comfort,

you're in no jeopardy

as long as you stay here, among friends.

Are you saying

I can't leave the United States?

As your attorney, I strongly advise you

not to travel to any country

that recognizes the jurisdiction

of the International Criminal Court.

Well, just about every country in the world

recognizes the ICC.

America doesn't.

- Who else?

- Josh?

Iraq, China, North Korea, Indonesia, Israel.

- And that's it?

- There are some parts of Africa.

Wait!

I wish to make a short statement.

I won't be taking questions.

This morning, I was granted power

to investigate

the former British Prime Minister,

Mr. Adam Peter Bennett Lang,

under Articles 7 and 8 of the 1998 Rome

Statute of the International Criminal Court.

I shall shortly be contacting Mr. Lang

and the British government

to ask for their full cooperation. Thank you.

Oh, God.

Okay, we need to get you to Washington,

Adam, right away.

My plane is at the airport.

We can get you in to see

the Speaker of the House at lunchtime

and have a photo-op

with the Secretary of State in the afternoon.

Won't it look as if I'm panicking?

No, they'll both say

that the meetings were fixed weeks ago.

Well, what the hell

are we supposed to be discussing?

AIDS? Poverty? Climate change?

Who cares? The important thing

is to show the world it's business as usual.

- What do you think, Ruth?

- I think it's a terrible idea.

You'll look as though

you're America's whipping boy,

running crying home to daddy.

- So, what would you do?

- Fly to London.

The government will support you.

"The British government

will cooperate fully with the investigation."

Really? And what makes you think that?

I'm not thinking it, Ruth, I'm reading it.

...believe we can now go live

to the UN in New York,

where the former British Foreign Secretary,

Richard Rycart,

is about to make a statement.

I watched the announcement in The Hague

today with great shock and sadness.

Adam Lang was

and is an old friend of mine.

You cheeky bugger!

I regret that he's chosen to bring this down

to a personal level.

This isn't personal. This is about justice.

This is about making sure

every political leader knows

when they make a decision,

they will be held to account

by international law.

Thank you.

If you're called to testify, sir, will you go?

- Certainly, I'll go.

- Of course you will, you little sh*t!

That settles it. Washington it is.

I still say it'll look bad.

Not as bad as being led away

from Heathrow in handcuffs.

It would show you had some guts.

Well, then why the hell

don't you just fly back without me?

If the British government wants to hand me

over to this kangaroo court, then sod them!

I'll go where people want me.

Amelia, tell the boys we're leaving.

Have one of the girls pack me a bag.

You'd better pack one for yourself.

Why don't you share a suitcase?

It's so much more convenient.

I'll see you tomorrow.

I'm sorry to abandon you.

At least this might help sales.

Perhaps Rhinehart's PR department

organized the whole thing.

Well, tell them to stop it, will you?

Okay, people,

remember, happy, happy faces.

So, just to summarize

what we know so far, it's now official,

the special prosecutor

of the International War Crimes Court

is to launch an investigation...

...the special prosecutor announced

she was going to investigate Mr. Lang,

well, there was a big cheer, I can tell you.

So, let's talk to some of these protestors.

- You, sir, you're English, I believe.

- I am.

So, what brings you so far from home?

My son. He was killed

in one of Mr. Lang's illegal wars.

Lang's never visited the injured.

He's never apologized.

I was in the British Army for 30 years.

It's a disgrace!

Thank you.

Can I ask you the same question?

You're a murderer, Lang!

You're a war criminal!

Liar, liar, liar!

Lang, Lang, Lang!

Killer, killer, killer!

- Lang, Lang, Lang!

- Liar, liar, liar!

- Lang, Lang, Lang!

- Killer, killer, killer!

Over here, Mr. Lang!

I apologize for keeping you waiting so long

in the cold.

What's your reaction

to Mr. Rycart's statement?

I'd like to say a few words

in response to the news from The Hague.

These are strange times when

those who stand for freedom and justice

are accused of being criminals,

while those who incite hatred

and seek to destroy democracy

- are treated as victims.

- War criminal!

Let me make one thing perfectly clear.

While I have breath in my body,

I shall fight terrorism...

Liar!

...whether it's on the battlefield

or, if necessary, in the courts.

Thank you very much.

Have you spoken

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