The Quiet American Page #7

You have all you can handle

with those crutches.

I've been meaning to write to you

while I was here to say thank you.

You certainly saved me

from an uncomfortable end.

Ready to go?

By the way, I have news for you

that I know you'll be glad to hear.

You've always said that Phuong's

interests are what we both had at heart.

I just received a letter from my wife.

She's more or less agreed to divorce me.

I wish you both every happiness.

That's very fair of you.

I had lied cruelly to them both.

But I thought,

at least, she won't leave me now,

before I have to go.

Aren't you setting up the tree

a little early for the Chinese new year?

It's weeks off.

If one waits, the best blossom are gone.

Which scarf did you decide to keep?

The yellow.

Why didn't you show it to me?

It is put away with the others.

I want to see it.

-- Come in.

- Good morning. Do I disturb?

- Not at all.

As you see, we're getting a six weeks'

running start on the Chinese new year.

You are very kind.

How is your leg?

Oh, coming along.

I shan't require even this stick much longer.

Oh, sit down, won't you? Some coffee?

Perhaps soda, if it is no trouble.

Phuong...

Uh, what's the story?

How quickly you always come to my point.

If it a story, it is one only for you.

In the wrong hands,

someone less objective,

it could be distorted into an ugly slander.

- Oh, it sounds important.

- It might be.

Thank you most kindly.

I would like to take you to meet

a Chinese friend of mine. Mr. Heng.

You must forget his name, of course,

and that you have ever seen him.

What's it about?

I would rather you heard from him.

Have you seen much lately

of the young American?

Well, not since the morning

he drove me home from the hospital.

How long ago is that? Two weeks? Three?

I do not remember.

Seems to me you should.

You gave every indication

that it was quite a happy day.

But you had come to know him well?

- In some ways. Why?

- His activities.

Apart from his charitable organization

and his studies.

Only what I heard from you.

This nonsense about plastics.

The third force.

Everybody's heard him

sounding off about that.

One hears it has now become

an obsession with him.

Yes, well, he was preaching that

when he got here.

It just shows that

he hasn't learned anything.

And that a leader

must be found for this third force.

He may have found his leader.

Does it matter?

I don't know.

May I take you now to my friend?

Well, if you think, it's worth following up.

- I'll be back for lunch.

- It will be prepared.

Au revoir.

- Your friend doesn't seem to be here.

- He said for you to enter.

And that he would meet you.

- Oh, well, how shall I know him?

- He will know you.

- Mr. Fowler?

- I've come with the Dominguez.

He said you had something to tell me.

I do not know any Dominguez.

Of course.

Oh, will you come with me, please?

- Do you see this?

- What about it?

Diolacton.

Afraid that doesn't mean anything to me.

I had two of these drums here.

They were picked up accidentally

with other junk

at a garage of Mr. Fangran Moi.

Do you know him?

Moi? No, I don't think so.

His wife is a relation of General The.

Well, I still don't quite see...

Would you know what this is?

Might be a bathroom fixture.

It is a mold.

This mold was made in the USA.

Diolacton is an American trade name.

Do you begin to understand?

Frankly, no.

There was a flaw in the mold.

That was why it was thrown away, but

it should not have been thrown away.

Now, the two empty Diolacton drums,

that was a mistake.

Mr. Moi came here personally.

Naturally, I could not find the mold

and only one of the two drums.

From here, Mr. Moi went directly

to the flat of a young American.

Well, perhaps, he was repairing

the American's car in his garage.

He was not and he never has.

Mr. Moi's visit was a private one.

You seem to have established

some sort of connection

between the American and General The.

A very slender one.

Certainly not a news story.

Not yet, perhaps.

And yet the Americans consider

opium habit-forming. (LAUGHS)

Uh, Mr. Fowler,

your neutrality is well known,

that is why you're here.

You can sympathize if some of us

feel strongly on whatever side.

If you're hinting that you're a communist,

don't worry, I have no politics.

It's important to my committee

that someone will take a fair view.

That is why I've shown you this and this.

Just what is Diolacton.

It sounds like condensed milk.

It has nothing to do with milk.

Do you see the fine white dust

on the bottom?

It's one of the American plastics.

Yes, he told me he was

importing plastics for making toys.

Not for toys.

We only want you to remember

what you have seen.

Perhaps, one day you'll have a reason

for writing about it.

But you must never say

that you saw the drum here.

Nor the mold.

Particularly not the mold.

That path will lead you

directly to where your friend is waiting.

Thank you.

Mr. Fowler.

Perhaps you will be near the flower stalls

on Boulevard Charner

at precisely half past 1 :00 this afternoon.

Half past 1 :
00?

Your friend, does he live here in Saigon?

He comes and goes, I believe.

The communist have

a couple of committees

who specialize in assassination.

His wouldn't be one of them, would it?

Forgive my ignorance.

Half past 1 :
00.

Almost the hottest time of the day.

I hope it's worth it.

- Oh, hello.

- How do you do?

Won't you sit down

and have a drink before lunch?

Or don't you?

Sometimes. I don't make a ritual of it.

Either way, I don't wanna sit down.

- Forgive me, if I remain seated...

- Fowler, why don't you belong to a church?

I thought we'd exhausted that subject.

I'm afraid I have no faith in your gods.

You have no faith in anything.

That shouldn't keep you

from belonging to a church.

Because of the social advantages,

I believe, that in America,

to belong to the proper Protestant...

You must need some repository for the guilt

and self-loathing you feel about yourself

as a human being.

I don't know that I do.

Your greatest talent lies

in diverting your own attention from it.

I assume that you're getting at something.

When you do pick a church,

choose one that'll hear your sins,

at least, your version of them,

and give you absolution.

- Get out of here.

- When I have finished.

You could lie to a church, you know.

And cheat it. Just as you do

to human beings who trust you.

You, for instance?

For one.

You should never trust anyone

when there's a woman in the case.

Were you afraid you couldn't win

without lying to Phuong?

European duplicity.

We have to make up for our lack of supplies.

- How did you find out?

- Her sister.

She knows you've been called home

by your paper.

Oh, that. (CHUCKLES)

Yes, I told Phuong about that.

She must have told her sister.

And the letter from your wife?

The lie about the divorce?

It is almost time for lunch.

Have yourself a rare steak for once.

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