The Looking Glass War Page #3

of a wrestle. Something fell over.

-l'll put a stop to it.

-Yes, that would be good if you could.

-We could hear it clear to the corner.

-l'm so sorry.

-Thanks again. Good night.

-Good night, ma'am.

Thank you.

Did l do it right?

Did l do it right?

Never lean on your opponent.

Never lose your temper.

And why fight over a knife when you

had a loaded gun under your arm?

You're a wonderful man.

Nothing ever pleases you.

He's half mad, you know?

Do you think he's all right for the job?

We didn't look very far...

...did we?

They have satellites

for this sort of thing.

Well, l don't believe in it anymore.

l'm sorry, l can't.

l don't believe that Taylor

was murdered.

And l don't see any rockets.

Am l right to risk his life?

We're not risking his life, he is.

That's easy to say here

in this dream factory.

Remember the V-2s, Adrian?

The sky was red with fire.

They were blowing London apart.

We killed dozens of fine young men,

the best of their generation.

Dropped them from aircraft,

sent them swimming in the night...

...on hunches, rumors...

...a smudge on a photograph.

None of them came back.

But finally one...

...radioed a few words of Morse

before they caught him.

Fifty million people slept

safer that night.

We had scruples like you...

-...but we learned to overcome them.

-lt's harder now, Adrian.

Our generation was tried

as no generation before us...

...and we were not found wanting.

lt's harder in peacetime.

Do you know what the director

is saying?

lf you want to do the job,

then get on with it.

But if you want to cultivate

your emotions, go elsewhere.

All right.

But the gun.

Sending a man across a border

with a gun is an act of war.

Yes, yes. l'm agin it.

lf anything happened at the border...

-...how would we explain it?

-A knife, l can see a knife.

You could call it an all-purpose

kind of thing.

Tell him, John. Make him understand.

lf he can't accept our discipline,

we can't let him go.

You switched off your phones!

-What's the matter?

-They called from the safe house.

Mayfly's gone.

He's flown the bleeding coop!

What are you looking at?

No, no, no.

No, wait, wait, wait. Wait.

l want to see if l can hear it.

-Hear what?

-Him.

Him.

Listen to you. What ego.

lt could be a girl.

lf it is l am already jealous.

lf any young men come

around here after her...

...they'll have to fight me.

l'm like an old wolf.

l'm king until l'm killed.

l want to see if l can hear him.

Him, them, she, they.

lf you hear anything, you let me know.

l've got a bloody packet coming

back from the doctor.

You don't understand, do you?

l got rid of it.

Listen, Fritsche...

...you don't want to be a father 9 to 5.

You wouldn't last a day of it.

Besides...

...who wants to marry some damned

Pole? They're like stray dogs.

You never know where

they're sleeping.

Darling.

Now, look, l had to live with it.

Are you all right?

Come in.

Pay attention.

He's involved in something

we can't tell you about.

You're to be silent.

You haven't seen him.

You don't know where he is.

What happened to you?

There.

What is it?

He isn't going to prison, is he?

You can see him again in a few weeks,

if you keep silent.

-What did he do to you?

-Nothing.

-Do you want a doctor?

-No.

l didn't think he was serious...

...until he hit me.

Doesn't look very good

for the future, does it?

l'll send someone.

Don't worry.

Hey, you, why did you hit her?

-What's your name?

-You can't have it.

-lt's a breach of security.

-Look...

...l am risking my life for you,

so l want a name.

Give me a name, l don't care,

any name!

-John.

-John.

John.

-You got a kid?

-Yes.

A boy.

What's he good for?

Good for walking in the park,

following dogs, collecting junk.

So you got the wife, you got the kid,

you got the job you believe in.

Well, you tell me what the hell

there is for me.

-She loves you.

-l did not love her, l loved the baby!

And she murdered it!

She's lucky l didn't kill her!

Go upstairs, will you?

Look, she loves you, she really does.

She wants another child, she told me.

You tell me how l'm to get rid of this.

Come on. Come on, let's go.

Come on.

Come on, let's get out of here.

Come on.

Come on.

Come on.

John? Where are you?

No, don't tell me, l don't care.

Just come back when you can.

Yes.

Asleep.

Good night.

Was she at home?

Did you know that they danced

on the eve of Waterloo?

-So?

-Well....

-We should have some girls.

-There l can't help you.

A married man is a foreigner

in his own town.

Come on.

-When's your birthday?

-February 1 4th.

Aquarius.

l see black wings beating

all around you.

You poor, stupid Pole.

You came here for the baby,

and now she's got rid of it.

lt's all right.

l will go anyway.

l want the asylum, so l'll go.

lt's all right.

lt's not bloody well all right.

To send an armed man across another

country's border, that's an act of war.

lt's not my decision.

lt works its way down to us.

lt's all decided at the top.

-Well, where's the top? Who is he?

-You can't see him.

He's one of the faceless ones.

He's busy. He's away

on a much-needed vacation.

He's attending a conference

in Geneva.

He's in bed with his secretary.

He's on the long-distance telephone.

He's having tea.

He's got the mumps...

...and says it would be most insecure

for you to know who he is.

He sends you his fondest regards.

Do you remember the V-2s, Adrian,

when the sky was red with fire?

By thunder, the rubble! By God!

There was a test of character

to separate men from boys.

There will be bluebirds

over the white cliffs of Dover.

My God, we'll never surrender.

The beaches red with blood and tears.

-Do you know l am a Russian spy?

-Hey, not here.

Hey, hey.

Turn that up.

-Come along, gentlemen.

-Keep your hands off my drink.

-l paid for it and l'll drink it.

-Hey, come along, now.

That's better.

l'll tell them you wouldn't go

without a gun.

l'll go.

Hey.

What are you doing?

Why don't you go home

where it's dry? lt's no good.

Sleep at the office, my foot.

Do you get operational subsistence?

Of course.

Well, it isn't a conference then.

A conference isn't operational

unless it's in the Kremlin.

All right then, Babs.

You said it, l didn't.

-lt's an operation.

-Don't give me that.

You're making it up.

There's nothing going on.

You're not going to smoke

that pipe in here!

Have it your own way.

There's nothing going on.

Christ, l hate you.

Why don't you go back to drinking,

Babs? lt relaxes you.

Well, what is happening?

l've a right to know. Secretaries know.

Why shouldn't the wives?

lf you've got one of your

little tarts set up...

...why haven't you got

the courage to say so?

Don't give me the "big operation."

We're putting a man over the border.

lt's the same as the old days.

War rules, a crisis.

There might even be war.

We're going back

to Germany tomorrow.

-He's gone.

-We never really knew him, did we?

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