Topaz Page #4

The only thing you can do...

is stay with me for a few days.

Then go home.

Let's get down to business

of opening our present.

- Our present?

- Yes. Yours and mine.

- A radio?

- A Geiger counter.

This will tell us if the Russians

have brought in nuclear warheads.

- There is a tape recorder inside.

- Clever.

You will have to find out

what streets in Havana they use

to transport the missiles at night.

That's a job for Tomas.

And this one?

We have got lots of cameras.

Not like this one.

Remote-controlled.

You can put the camera

half a mile away.

And take pictures of what?

The missiles, of course.

At San Cristano? Oh, we'll never

get near there, darling. We've tried.

I will show how in the morning.

Now, the other things I need -

what units of Soviet troops are here,

any new types of aircraft...

And the caves...

Where are the biggest caves?

- The biggest ones are at Managua.

- Good.

Is that all?

I think so.

Oh, I... nearly forgot.

A non-electronic present.

Oh, isn't that beautiful?

Thank you.

Let me show you how this works.

It's the radium in the clock figures

that is causing it.

It is not yet ten o'clock and we have

done nearly a day's work.

That's organisation for you.

I showed Tomas what to do

with the typewriter.

I know. He will do the job.

And now you will go into Havana

and behave like

an innocent commercial attach.

And you'll go to the rally...

with your landlord.

- See you tonight.

- Adios.

- Please sit down, Mrs Mendoza.

- We are leaving now.

No, sit down. Is everything ready?

Yes, Seora.

This is the long-distance lens.

- Good.

- And look, seora.

Very good.

And here.

- Cover them up.

- Alright!

We must make sure

that Pablo does not eat the camera.

Here, here, Seora.

From here I can get a clear view

of everything that is going on

in the port of Veriel.

- Aren't you too near the road?

- I promise you, it is safe.

Then here is your picnic.

Have a good time.

You will take care of Mrs Mendoza.

- God bless you.

- Thank you.

- Take care of your man.

- I will.

Hey, Carlos, take a look.

There is someone up there.

It was a man and woman.

Manuel, Enrique, Rafael.

You others, stay here.

- How long have you been here?

- Some time.

As you can see,

we are broken down.

Have you seen any other cars

go by in the last minute?

I saw one a few moments ago.

It went down the road.

- What kind of car?

- I think it was black.

- Ricardo, it's them.

- Pablo! Pablo!

Carlotta!

Take them.

Seor, you are making a mistake.

We don't know

why you are taking us.

Follow us.

There is a man, the night the papers

were photographed in New York,

outside the Theresa Hotel.

Where?

- Are you sure?

- 100 per cent.

He... he was as close to me then

as you are now.

Shall I... Shall I have him picked up?

No, not yet.

Well, it's understandable. After all...

May I join you for coffee?

Rico, let me give you some dinner.

- Dolores!

- Just coffee, thanks. I've had dinner.

Too bad. It is beautiful chicken.

- Oh?

- Black market.

You might have phoned.

It was a sudden urge.

Seora?

Ask Tomas to bring some coffee

for Seor Parra.

Si, Seora.

Please, sit down.

I have just come from having a long

talk with my ex-secretary, Uribe.

- You know Uribe?

- No.

- You know of him?

- No.

- Why did you dismiss Uribe?

- He turned out to be unsatisfactory.

Still, he was persuaded to tell me

what I wanted to know

before he went on his journey.

Journey?

The journey from which

no traveller ever returns.

What had he done?

It seems

he was working for the French.

And the French, I suspect,

were working for the Americans.

So you had a sudden urge

to come here?

What does that have to do with

Andr? Just because he is French?

The night in New York

when Uribe gave documents

to a Frenchman,

to photograph

inside the Theresa Hotel,

there was another Frenchman

outside the hotel.

- There may have been several.

- Hm.

But the only one

I give a damn about

is the one who was

so conveniently knocked over

when the French spy escaped.

That was smart.

What's this about?

Were you in New York?

Yes. For fun.

You are putting two and two

together and getting eight.

The things you learned from those

papers about Russia and Cuba

is the reason

why are you suddenly here.

And that makes nine.

I was in New York.

I did go up to Harlem

to see the show you were putting on.

And... it was a very good show.

The rest is coincidence.

Now, this is what I came to tell you.

If it were not for her,

if it were not

that it might involve her,

you would disappear tonight.

You would be with Uribe.

Your country would receive

bewildered apologies.

But you would never

be heard from again.

She is a widow

of a hero of the Revolution.

She is loved and honoured

in this country.

You are an intelligence agent.

Your assocation with her can put her

in great danger.

I want you out of the country

on the next plane,

early tomorrow morning.

If you have been

collecting information

about what the Russians

are doing in Cuba to help us here,

don't think for one minute

you will take it out of here -

you will not.

You will be searched

at the airport... completely.

And if anything is found on you,

you will be arrested.

And what can happen to you

after that

is something that you know about.

Now, if you don't mind

cutting your dinner short,

I will take you back to Havana...

to pack your bags.

No, you will not take him back

to Havana.

He is my guest.

He will have his dinner and enjoy my

company for as long as he pleases.

And when he is ready

to go back into Havana,

he will phone the residence

for a car to come and get him.

You are being a damn fool.

You have made up a story

because it's what you want

to believe, because of me.

I don't believe he had any contact

with your man Uribe.

I don't think anyone else will.

If you are doing him any harm,

I will raise such hell...

And you know I can.

And next time you desire

to drop in on me like this,

please telephone first.

Tomorrow morning.

Come in.

I have brought the typewriter.

It is done.

- Good, Tomas.

- The car is waiting for you.

May I show you?

What time did the missiles

go through Havana?

Just before three o'clock

in the morning.

On long trailers,

with soldiers in jeeps

and many, many trucks.

- And the thing clicked.

- Oh, how it clicked.

Not from the missiles,

but when the trucks went by

covered with canvas,

click, click, click!

Look. Just the way you showed me.

The tapes are right

in the centre of the spool.

They will have to undo

yards of ribbon to find them.

Good boy. Where is the information

about the Russian troops,

the caves and the installations?

Here, on this key,

miniaturised as a microdot,

on the bottom period.

Alright.

Now, you will give me

your own razor?

And extra blades?

Here is your new razor

and the cartridge for the blades.

How do you fit the film in there?

We just fold each one.

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