The Quiet American Page #4

listening to Bach's

"Well-Tempered Clavier".

I just got her started on Bach.

Have you had a lot of women,

Thomas?

You start out by being promiscuous,

and end up like your grandfather,

faithful to one woman.

I know I'm not essential to Phuong.

But believe me when I tell you that

if I were to lose her,

for me...

...it would be the beginning of death.

Somebody's had it.

There are 30 or 40 of these towers

between here and Saigon.

They only hit one or two a night

so our odds aren't too bad.

So what do you think they'd do

if the communists attacked?

These two?

They'd fire a shot and run.

Why should they die for us?

Or the French.

What's that?

I thought I saw something.

Christ, they're here!

As far as I can make out,

he told them to give us up or else.

Stop! Give me that!

Come on, Thomas.

- What is it?

- I think I've twisted my ankle.

I'm gonna head up the road

to the next watchtower.

See if I can find a French patrol.

Sit tight, OK? I'll be back.

May I introduce myself?

Thomas Fowler.

Thomas! Thomas!

I found a patrol.

If I had died...

...you could have had her.

And I think you should

inform your sources

that General Th has a lot more men

than the hundred of their last count.

He's a story we should take seriously.

Never underestimate a patriot, sir.

What do you know about Muoi?

Could he finance Th's army?

He owns a bicycle factory!

Well, I think Joe Tunney

is plotting with both he and Th.

And it's more than just

foreign aid programmes.

I'll see what I can find out, sir.

Things are under control at the office.

- Try to get some rest.

- Thank you, Hinh.

- I missed you.

- Ow!

- Are you all right?

- I'm all in one piece.

- You got a letter from London.

- Yes?

- I fetch it for you?

- No. Give me a kiss.

Big one.

I will get it.

You look afraid.

I think I'd better have

a brandy and soda.

Pyle. Come in, come in.

Thought I'd drop by,

see how you were doing.

- Very well, thanks.

- How's the leg?

My tennis game will suffer,

but it wasn't much to begin with.

Ah. Thank you.

I'm glad you dropped by.

We have to thank Mr Pyle,

Phuong, for saving my life.

Thank you.

How's your sister doing?

- Sister?

- Yes.

Alden got her a job with Americans.

Oh, yes?

She likes it very much. Thank you.

Good. I'm very glad.

Since you're both here,

now is as good a time as any

to tell you that I have received

a letter from my wife

and she has more or less agreed

to give me a divorce.

Ow!

That's wonderful.

- Come sit.

- Thank you. I've got plans.

Thank you for dropping by.

Bye.

Sir, I...

I trusted you, Thomas.

Always a mistake

when there's a woman involved.

Couldn't you have won without lying?

What is it, anyway?

My sister read the letter from your wife.

I show it to her,

because... I was so proud.

- So happy.

- How could you treat her like this?

"Dear Thomas,

you always picked up women

"like you picked up mud on your shoes."

I'm sorry, Phuong.

- So then why'd you lie to her?

- Because I wanted to keep her.

That's not love.

See, he doesn't even deny

he's a liar.

"Have you ever stopped to think

how Ionely she'll be in England

"especially when you leave her?"

Shut up, for Christ's sake.

"I don't believe in divorce.

"My religion forbids it.

And so the answer is... no."

I was taught never to read

other people's letters.

- I was taught not to tell lies.

- Come on, Phuong.

I don't speak Vietnamese.

Get lost!

You were right about Muoi.

He does have connections.

Can we discuss this some other time?

Crates from overseas have been

moving through his factory,

bypassing French customs.

My sources have been unable

to determine what they contain.

He's probably got someone

on the take.

He's an exporter, not an importer.

Yes, well, we'll do that tomorrow, OK?

No. A shipment just came in

this afternoon.

It could be gone by the morning.

What are you doing here?

I'm looking for Monsieur Muoi.

He's not here.

He invited me to visit him here.

I'm a British journalist.

A friend of General Th.

Where is Monsieur Muoi?

-What is this Diolacton?

- We must leave immediately.

Crazy British, they drink too much.

He's nobody, he's no one.

- What are you doing?

- Trying to save your life. Go!

Phuong?

Good morning.

- Can I help you?

- You've done quite enough already.

- Where's Pyle?

- He's not in the office this morning.

- He does a lot of work at home.

- I know what he does at home.

- What do you mean?

- Ask her. She's fixed him up with my girl.

- We can't have scenes in the office.

- I know I am behaving badly.

But I have every intention

of behaving badly.

This is exactly the kind of situation

where one should behave badly.

- Could we please lower our voices?

- Why don't you bugger off?

Thomas, there is a lady here.

This lady and I know

each other quite well.

She tried to get a rake-off from me,

but now she's getting one from Pyle.

- We have a lot of work to do.

- If Pyle phones, tell him I called.

It would be polite to return the visit.

How did he get in here?

This is Boston?

No, that's Niagara Falls. So is that.

This is Boston. That's Faneuil Hall.

I can't wait to take you to my country.

My friend from school.

She go to airport with her boyfriend.

He said he'd take her to France.

But in the airport,

he disappear, leave her there.

So many girls with French boyfriend,

no one to marry them.

Well, that'll never happen to you.

I promise.

- Hi.

- Have a nice Christmas?

One long party.

Did Phuong forget something?

Heard you came by the legation.

Yes.

- Who's this?

- Bodyguard. We all have them now.

Are you married yet?

No, I figured I'd wait until we got home

and do it properly.

You don't mind living here improperly?

It's hard to talk

if you're going to be so cynical.

I meant it'd be good to do it

with my parents there.

I had a cable from head office.

They want me back.

Oh, that's...

So it's good that

Phuong went off with you.

She might have ended up as another

piece of arse for someone like Granger.

At least I know you'll treat her right.

So does this mean

that we can still be friends?

I don't see why not.

So what is Diolacton, anyway?

- You know about that?

- Shouldn't I?

Well... Diolacton is

a milk-based plastic.

It's used for the frames

in the eyeglasses.

Are you still in touch

with General Th?

- We keep the channels open.

- And Muoi?

Mr Muoi's helped

get our supplies through customs.

- The French have started to charge for...

- You asked me for advice once.

Here it is. Leave the bloody

third force to Joe,

forget York Harding,

and go home with Phuong.

And would you shut the door

on the way out, please?

Morning, Larry.

What is it today?

You know,

some cockamamie assignment.

We should go. Joe Tunney said

to be out of here by ten to eleven.

- What is it, anyway?

- I'm not sure.

- Is it a demonstration?

- I don't know.

My friend is in there.

Did you cut your hand, sir?

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