The Year of Living Dangerously Page #5

and bitterness

of the failed romantic.

What's funny?

You're looking pooped, kid.

Good luck to you.

They're only jealous.

I hear she really

turns it on, huh?

That what you heard?

You saw it.

The guy's a lunatic.

I think our boy's in love.

Okay, start her up.

Switch her off.

Yes, sir.

Why London?

- Why are you transferrin' there?

- Why do you want to go to Saigon?

It's the center of things.

I'll be able to find out what's really

going on in the world...

not have to read about it

in the yellow press like most people.

Why don't you stay?

Why should I?

Hmm, Mr. Hamilton?

What is it?

You're soaking.

What is it? What's wrong?

We got a coded message through

from Singapore this morning.

A ship left Shanghai a few days ago

with arms for the P.K.I.

Civil war.

Yes.

I'm not giving you some scoop.

I want you to save your life.

- I know, but you can't expect...

- If the P.K.I. Take over...

they'll slaughter

every European in Jakarta.

I can get you out on a plane.

- I'll talk to Ralph.

- No, Jill, I'm staying.

Nothing will keep the Communists

and the Muslims apart now.

Not even Sukarno.

I wonder how they're

gonna get the stuff in.

Probably a port up north.

Yeah, they'll come in up north.

Under a false bill of lading.

Tennis rackets, toilet seats.

You can't use this.

Then you shouldn't have told me.

Hello, Billy.

What are you doing here?

Waiting for you.

Should be more work for you soon.

I'm trackin' something down.

- About an arms shipment?

- Jill told you.

Getting nowhere on it.

You shouldn't even be looking.

Why not?

She told you in confidence,

the same as she told me.

If you break the story,

everyone will know it came from her.

- I'll only run it with my own evidence.

- That should ease your conscience.

Everyone will still know

where it came from.

I can't let a story

like that just lie.

I'm not running any story until

I get independent confirmation.

That's the best I can do.

If the Communists have the slightest

idea what you're after, you're dead.

When that arms shipment comes in,

this whole country blows up.

I'm talking to you.

If I don't follow

something like this...

I might as well go

and grow watermelons!

You have changed.

You are capable of betrayal.

Is it possible

I was wrong about you?

You abuse your position as journalist

and grow addicted to risk.

You attempt to rule neat lines

around yourself...

making a fetish of your career...

and making all relationships

temporary...

lest they disturb that career.

Why can't you give yourself?

Why can't you learn to love?

A shipment that size does not come into

the country without somebody noticing.

Perhaps there is no such shipment.

No such shipment.

- Come back in two days.

- Keep an eye peeled.

Be careful who you talk to

about this matter.

I'm not P.K.I.,

but I might have been.

- No luck, boss?

- Not a bloody thing.

- Why are we stopped here?

- It's getting late.

- We'll have a rest and a swim.

- No, we got too much work to do.

Tomorrow.

What is this place?

An old Dutch villa. Tiger Lily

is a friend. We stay here sometimes.

Cheers.

I'll see you after siesta.

You are in old Java now, boss.

You're P.K.I., aren't you?

My country suffers under a great weight

of poverty and corruption.

Is it wrong to want to change that?

When the killing starts,

are you gonna be part of it?

- Sometimes there's no other way.

- Yeah, sure, Kumar.

You must not ask anymore

about the shipment.

- You know when it's arriving?

- Maybe it's already here.

- That's the confirmation I need.

- Listen to me!

I am unimportant in the Party.

Even Tiger Lily's more highly placed.

They have a death list.

You are on it.

Come on.

For craps sake.

Hello. Are you there?

- Hello?

- I'm sorry.

Miss Bryant is still unavailable.

May I take a message?

Sh*t!

I got something to show you!

Well, be-bop-a-lula

She's my baby

Be-bob-a-lula

I don't mean maybe

I got that b*tch, baby.

Saigon. Huh?

Be-bop-a-lula

She's my baby

I'll be blastin' gooks

and kickin' ass.

Want another shot?

Yeah.

The thing is this. I don't want

any ill feelings about this.

I know it's hard to squash

those pangs of envy...

when you're sitting in the presence

of talent like mine.

Think of it this way.

If there weren't guys like me in

this business, what would you aspire to?

I'm glad you're going

to Saigon, shithead.

I know.

You told me that four times.

You are gonna miss out on

the biggest story of your life.

- Like what?

- Just wait and see.

You terrify me.

I mean, there I am.

I'm waiting to announce that

China's entering the war. Right?

Along comes young Hamilton.

Blows me out of the water

with an update on Sukarno's pile.

You are pretty good.

You had me runnin' there.

Check this out.

Hey, yeah.

Misters, right.

Hey, yeah.

Okay, you bevy of beauties.

Come on, baby.

Let me show you how it's done.

No dance!

You! Stop dance!

- Take it easy.

- Out!

We're on the way.

We're just leavin'.

Good night, everybody.

We had a lot of laughs.

Adis.

- Is this reefer?

- No, it's a Mars bar.

Get the windows up!

Lock the door!

See anybody you like?

Let's get a little light

on the subject.

Do you like her?

She likes you!

This is what you call "yellow fever."

Me do it.

- Mister?

- Me cheap.

I think I'm in love.

I'm good, mister.

- Me cheap.

- Oh, yeah, baby!

Yes. Hey!

What are you doing?

What's the matter with you?

- It's a meat market.

- Come on.

- I'm goin'. Are you staying?

- I'm stayin'.

- Okay. Get out.

- Take it easy.

- Have a nice time.

- Yeah.

Girls. Huh?

It's your old pal, Pistol Pete.

Yeah, yeah, okay.

Sorry, Miss Bryant's

not available.

Thanks.

Billy, come over here.

Been looking everywhere for you.

What is all this?

Bulgarian Independence Day.

Not a crucial day in modern history,

but Sukarno's coming...

in a couple of hours.

We think he'll use

the occasion for a speech.

- I'm sure he will.

- Later. Right now we're celebrating.

- What are you celebrating?

- Curtis got Saigon.

Curtis got Saigon.

Well, we must all drink to that.

Don't give me this crap tonight.

Wherever human misery is at its worst,

the press will be there in force.

- To Saigon!

- Give me a break.

People are out there fighting

in the streets for rice.

I shot some footage.

Does anybody want it?

It's a temporary shortage.

Why don't you tell them

the true story, gentlemen?

Why don't you tell them that Sukarno

makes empty speeches...

and builds monuments to his vanity

while his people starve to death.

Tell them that he says,

"Eat rats!"

You were the one who told us

he was a great man.

He was. That's why

his betrayal is so hideous.

Steady on, Billy.

I've never agreed with you...

on just how much the people

mean to Sukarno.

The only thing he wanted to do for

his people was to go to bed with them.

The female ones, that is.

You're right. He does use his people

as objects of pleasure, but so do you.

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