Original subtitles

That you take me for a fool.

You don't want us to see Mr. Wilson?

No, no, sir.

Senor Gilson.

Senor Gilson.

Excuse me, do you know John Gilson?

Where does John Gilson live?

Excuse me.

All right, that's enough of that.

Come on on your way.

What was all that about?

You've been asking about John Gilson.

Hi. Let me have a beer.

Fine, sir. It's ready for use of phone.

Step it out.

Has he asked you too, William?

Oh, yes, Miss Crowther.

He's asked everybody.

Says Mr. Gilson's a friend of his.

And what did you say?

Same as everyone else in this village.

Nothing.

Listen, ma 'am, it's very important.

Mr. Michaels is not available.

He asked me to phone in.

Then give me the information.

There is no information.

It's just that I don't like the setup here. I don't understand it, and I'd

to talk to him about it.

Would you just have him call me?

He has my number. My name's McGill.

Yes, Mr. McGill.

Okay, thank you very much.

Mr. McGill, they tell me you're asking questions about John Gilson.

I'm guilty, ma 'am.

And you're a friend of his?

Mm -hmm.

You've never seen him in your life?

Well, I'm really more of an acquaintance. You're not even that?

Not even that?

Mm -hmm.

That's right, I'm not even that. I don't even know the guy. So what is the harm

of asking a few questions?

You won't get any answers.

The Gilson's have lived here for the past 12 generations.

Then one of them must have at least heard of John Gilson, and I'm getting

silent treatment here. Now, why is that?

That's why.

In the past three weeks, farms have been burned, cattle hamstrung, machinery

smashed,

old men beaten after dark.

Every night you can hear motorcycles in the lanes.

And people bolt their door as soon as it's dark.

Well, does all this have to do with me?

It hasn't. It's got to do with John Gilson.

All the people hurt or bankrupted or frightened were once close to him.

And still are.

I see.

So, Mr. McGill, who are you?

What do you want?

Can you tell me why all this is happening?

That's quite a nice one.

Oh, this is quite a good collection for three weeks.

You can walk through that village at night and smell the terror.

It's taking too long. You're not getting results.

Stick to politics, Van Rees.

Better still, go home and stick to them.

I've got more to lose than you have.

You are a soft political pig.

Why don't you try working like those three men that Gilson killed in Milan?

Or like me.

Everyone is necessary. Let us remember that. Let us also remember that Gilson

can destroy us all.

Then find him. Then the whole of Europe.

A million backstreet hotels, a thousand fishing boats with greedy captains. He

could run forever.

So we must bring him to us.

And that little village is where Gilson belongs.

He'll come to it.

He'll know why.

He'll know it's a trap.

Oh, yes. But he'll still come.

He'll have no choice, not if we continue to escalate the unpleasantness.

And McGill will tell us when Gilson has arrived at his charming little village

what's left of it.

I used to have a riding stable, but now it's gone and three horses burned with

it. I thought you'd like to know.

I'm sorry.

Are you?

When we next meet up, Fat Robert, Sir Constable, won't be there, that's for

sure.

That feels better.

You see that bong go, eh?

What's the matter with you?

It's petrol all around.

Well, Paul, right then?

Yes, yes, fine. Just one little match.

Come on.

Yes.

There's a bridge about half a mile down West Lane.

Be there in five minutes.

Who is this?

You've been asking questions about John Gilson. That's right.

Then in your own interest, you'd better...

So you're McGill.

Ex -American intelligence, now freelance, for money.

That's me.

And who are you?

Why are you looking for John Gilson?

Why are you asking?

Police.

Let's see it.

Detective Sergeant Headley.

CID?

And shouldn't you be trying to find out who's starting all these fires around

here? One thing at a time. Now tell me about Gilson.

Look, I'm on the job.

I have a client in London that wants to talk to him on the telephone, that's

all. Well, I'd give it up. Just find another job, McGill, before you get in

way. Whose way? The CID's or Loudmouth's over there?

What's the matter with you? Don't you ever speak?

What branch of intelligence does he represent?

You've got intelligence on the brain.

I have a good memory.

It's a nice drive back to London at this time of year.

I'll have a nice trip.

I think about it.

The next time I see you, I'll have a warrant.

Why bother about a warrant?

Because that's the way we work.

We need the ground clear.

Well, clear or not, we can't stand around and wait much longer.

You saw their stables, Kay.

Hold off another couple of days. They'll kill somebody soon.

Hold off. It's important.

Well, so are people's lives and property.

Gilson's got to come soon. He has to. They're driving him and there's nowhere

else for him to go.

Oh, if he's alive, it's a month since you heard.

Oh, that's happened before.

Look, he's operating on his own. No drops, no cutouts. He reports to me.

We hope.

That's the arrangement.

Look, we've operated together for five years. I know what he'll do.

I can live inside his skull.

Well, so can the others.

They've set this whole village up as a cage, and they're forcing Gilson into

Well, then Gilson must have the network broken. He must have the names, the

routes, the codes.

All right, but then why here?

Well, they butcher innocent people. Why not Paris or London?

Because we've been this close before, there's been a leak.

We've had nothing.

A handful of thin air.

That's why it has to be Gilson to me, a straight handover.

No leaks.

I'm not convinced.

Then take another look at what we're trying to break.

The biggest drug pipeline in the world.

Narcotics being sold to finance industrial and political subversion.

Too big to risk another leak.

That's why it has to be Gilson to me, a straight handover.

I can get government sanction for the hold -off.

That doesn't worry me. But this village does.

Give me another couple of days.

Gilson has to show up soon.

All right, Philip.

Two days.

Listen, man, that's all I've been hearing from you now.

Now, I want to talk to him.

I want to know what all this stuff is about.

I'm sorry, I can't help you.

Listen, lady, don't mess around with me. I know a contact phone when I'm using

one. Now, you just tell him. Tell him that or either get another boy.

You could have expected Miguel to cause trouble.

He's a front, a false trail.

I must say, I find these 51 white burgundies a trifle insipid.

You live well for a common criminal.

A professional criminal. There's a difference, you know.

And don't forget that you supply the source of my income, the raw materials

pay for all this, while you live in a cheap boarding

house.

It's unimportant to me. We believe in different things.

No, we both believe in corruption.

You control a narcotics network that covers half the globe.

And you live like a sewer rat.

Like most of the world's millions.

I don't want all this. It's meaningless.

You sell narcotics for money, Peters.

True, I provide them, but for an idea.

An African with his ribs sticking out would run 70 miles in a night for me. He

wouldn't do it for you.

Well, he's running for me anyway.

But when his sort of world arrives, his first act will be to destroy people like

you. And you.

In the meantime, I supply $50 million a year to corrupt stockholders, to buy

information, to print gaudy leaflets, to subvert unions.

You wreck industry for a cause, and I wreck individuals for money.

Your zealots, my junkies, all on a stupid trip to a dreamland that doesn't

exist. And we sell tickets together.

Yes? Yes?

Mm -hmm.

I see.

Good.

Gilchin has been traced to Calais, sick or wounded, and has made no attempt to

contact his organization.

Well?

Your inside man seems to be earning his money.

We'd better hurry things up a bit.

Now, that tree has stood there, I suppose, for 500 years.

And this is one of the oldest gravestones.

That family's been buried there for more than ten generations.

You look troubled, Mr McGill.

Yes, sir.

I had a simple mind and I just...

Like to understand things.

That's the theologian's prayer. It isn't always possible.

Maybe not. I don't know, but I sure like to try.

What's that?

Ah, that's a dove cot.

Built 800 years ago to house pigeons so that monks could have meat to eat.

Really? Yes. The first battery farm.

Come and have a look.

This is all part of the old monastery walls, of course.

There, you see? A uniquely simple piece of medieval engineering.

That's very nice.

Have a look inside.

Mind your head.

There, you see?

500 pairs of birds can nest in here.

climb the ladder, push it round, collect eggs and squogs.

Have you ever tasted pie made of young pigeons, Mr McGill?

No, not that I know of, Dicker. Should I have?

Yes, but not too much, Ollie.

The old men say that if you eat three pigeon pie meals in a row, you die of

surfeit.

Well, I don't think I'm going to worry about dying of surfeit from pigeon pie.

Fried chicken, maybe.

Sounds a little bit like a warning.

Perhaps.

This village is used to trouble.

Those bells tolled out the alarm and brought the villagers out in arms many

times. King John's tax collectors, the Spanish Armada, Napoleon's privateers,

parachutes from the Third Reich.

Oh, yes, we've known trouble.

And you know John Gilson?

His parents died in the war. I brought him up here.

We all did.

And I know this village.

It looks after its own.

If you mean harm to John Gilson, be very careful. Look, I don't mean him any

harm, Vicar. I just want to talk to him.

I hope that's true.

But why do you want to talk to him?

I don't know.

It's okay. My name is Kane. I work with John.

What do you want here?

Wait, please, please.

That's John in the middle.

The others left to right, Baxter, Alderson, and Jones.

And this was taken in Germany in 1957.

Jones was in the hospital last year.

John lent him some money.

How is it I don't know about you?

How much does John talk about his work?

When John arrives, he'll want to see me.

My name's Kane.

Here's where you reach me.

But this... It's code.

Don't worry, John will understand it.

You seem very sure he's coming here.

Yes, he has to.

He has to?

What do you mean?

He has to because of what's been happening here.

The beatings, the burnings.

You mean they really are because of him?

Yes, but they'll stop when he comes, I promise. That's why he'll come.

Go on, call the police if you wish.

Ask for Detective Sergeant Headley.

He'll confirm what I'm telling you.

You mean you're allowing all this to happen?

We have to.

Nobody could do that. They can't.

I'm sorry, but we have to.

Just this morning, I begged the police to do something. All they did was to nod

their heads.

Why here?

Why John?

I can't tell you.

Only that it's important.

And the rest isn't. The whole village, everyone in the village, they're not

important.

It'll stop soon, I promise.

You must... I'm sorry, I can't tell you anymore.

You haven't told me anything.

Cain, remember that. Tell John I'm here.

They can't know what we're doing.

But they do.

Your mind works in a group and other people can follow that group.

That's why you're being allowed to burn and frighten. They know why.

Gilson will get there.

I know it.

Yes, they know it too.

Then?

What? Then rely on my agents.

Men and women who are working for a cause.

Not your custom -suited mercenaries.

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

The true believers.

Something you can't understand.

And what else did your tame traitor have to tell you?

Gilson is part of a British and American intelligence operation.

No drops, no cutouts, no contacts.

A direct line.

The other man is called Kane.

Well? He has gone to the village.

Now you have two men to trap instead of one.

Kane.

Have you a description?

Yes, a good one. In 15 minutes' time, Gardiner will tell you that.

You will give him the description and tell him to kill.

Come on.

It's time.

Look, um, isn't it better if we, uh, leave the priest business?

I mean, with this extra job coming up... This doesn't concern you. I am dealing

with Cain.

He's soft on priests.

Yeah, well, with his record, he ought to be.

Just do as you are told.

We'll do it, all right.

Don't worry.

You're, um, you're sure of the time?

Yep. He is a man of regular habits.

At 9 .30, you'll meet him at the crossroads.

Now, will you get going?

Good evening, Mr. McGill.

Good evening, Baker. Taking the night air?

Yeah, I thought I'd take a little walk, do a little thinking.

Very quiet, isn't it?

All the doors shut.

I don't think it's too good an idea, you being out yourself.

I've played dominoes with old Mrs. Thorpe every Wednesday for 15 years.

Habits are hard to break.

Especially public ones.

Precisely. This is my parish, and I walk in it where and when I will.

Good night, Mr. McGill.

Good night, Victor.

Don't touch him. Don't touch him. Don't move him. Just leave him alone.

You'd better get a doctor.

All right, Charlie, get him. Right.

Anybody see this happen?

I'd better get Dr. Hughes.

You're too late. Charlie's already gone for it.

A bit handy, wasn't it, mister?

You're just being there.

Listen, I have to talk to you a second.

No, go away.

Listen, I can hammer on this thing all night if I have to.

What is it?

There's been some trouble.

I heard the motorcycles.

What's happened?

One of them ran over the picker.

Wait a minute.

Is he all right?

He's hurt pretty badly.

They were sending for a doctor when I left.

I'm just going to see him. Wait a minute. No, don't you go out there.

You stay here. There's nothing you can do.

There's a doctor on the way.

What are you doing here?

Look, I know you don't trust me.

I understand that. I don't blame you.

I'm just trying to offer my help, and you're going to need some.

I feel terrible about just asking you a few questions and your stable's burned

down. I just got through talking to the vicar.

He's run over by a motorcycle.

And I have a feeling Gilson's being set up.

Kane said something like that.

Kane's American intelligence.

I just have a feeling you're both going to need some help and you're going to

need it fast.

And that's what I do.

Now, please, trust me.

Please, just call me if you need anything.

around me gil just keep walking slow and easy

Keep moving.

Hands on the wall.

Feet back.

Move!

A lot of people have suffered to keep this ground clear, McGill. You're not

wrecking it. How long are they going to have to keep suffering? Ask your bosses,

McGill, not mine.

What do you mean by that?

Oh, I wouldn't waste my breath on you, McGill.

But staking out Gilson must be the dirtiest money you've ever earned.

Headley warned you. You should have listened to him. I'm not leaving this

Good. Then you'll stay here dead.

I can do it, believe me, and walk away from it.

Now listen, when Gilson gets here, you're both going to need some help.

Not from you, baby, or your dope -pushing syndicate employers.

Now wait a minute.

Now wait a minute!

I don't know anything about any dope -pushing.

I swear to you.

Now what's going on, King? No innocence from me, McGill. We're both too old.

Gilson's coming in with a report on your network. He gives it to me, nobody

else, and certainly not you.

End of block, McGill.

Don't move, McGill. Stay just where you are.

No sign of him yet.

Where are Harry and Jacko?

They're keeping an eye on things.

Gilson won't walk up in daylight. He's been in the game too long.

So? Now that Cain's dead, Gilson will go to the girl's house.

We wait until sunset.

Tonight?

That's what the comrade says.

I've already told you.

Then tell me again.

I was hired by

telephone.

I was paid by registered mail in cash.

I report in by telephone. I gave you the number.

Yes, we've checked that.

It's a delicatessen, and they'd never heard of you.

And they are lying.

Yes, that's what I think.

Then why don't you do something about it?

Why, just like you did.

What do you use the scruples, McGill?

Don't you have a check on clients, or is anybody's money good enough?

Hey, don't you worry about my scruples, Buster. You're going to have enough

trouble handing your own.

How can you stand by and let all these people and everything they own be

destroyed? You're staking out a whole village here.

Now, what kind of law enforcement outfit is that?

Parapent test negative.

You didn't fire any guns last night.

I didn't think so.

But running drugs should put you away for five.

I'd love to nail you, McGill, just for breathing.

If your stupid head hadn't been stuck in the way, Cain might still be alive.

Now, don't leave the hotel.

Don't even leave this room.

Jacko. You meet Harry by the girl's house.

Now leave a way for Gilson to get to her, round the back.

Now when he shows, don't make a move. Just report back to me. Get going.

Improvising again?

Not improvisation.

Calculation. That girl is the cheese for our half -dead mouse.

Where's your bike?

Back down the lane.

Anything happen?

No, nothing.

What's happened?

There's men watching in the lane.

Draw the other curtains.

There's somebody else in there.

How did he get in?

Round the back, through the paddock, like Peter said.

Go and get the others.

Quietly.

Cain. Where's Cain? He should be here.

He's dead.

They killed him last night.

I've got to go.

You're going nowhere. I'm getting the doctor.

It's dead.

The lion's dead.

It's too late.

I was counting on Cain.

John, what are you doing?

Don't explain now, darling.

You can do one thing for me now.

Get out now.

I'm not leaving you.

Please, do this for me. Get out.

Now.

It's McGill. Now, let me in. Hurry up.

McGill.

Open the door.

No, he says he's trying to help John. I know McGill. He can be bought.

Do as I say.

Open the door, but stay away from him. Don't get between us.

No, I can't. Open the door.

Walked right into it, didn't you?

What do you want, McGill?

He's got a bullet in him.

Cain said there was a straight hand over.

Cain's dead.

Didn't give me that report.

Not that easy, McGill.

Now, what else are you going to do?

Now, somebody has to do it. You can't. You can't fight. You can't even run.

They're just going to kill you for nothing.

They'll kill me anyway.

And what about her?

And that report?

I've asked her to go. You can go, too, if you'll take her with you.

Wake up, Gilson.

Give me that report. I swear to you I'll deliver it.

John, give it to him, please.

Not to McGill.

You're no crusader.

I'm no dope peddler, either.

You're going to last about ten seconds out there.

Don't count on it. This is my ground.

It's too late.

Up the stairs, Johnny, quickly. Get up the stairs.

Listen,

I had to do that to keep him from getting killed.

I know.

Well, this is for you.

I'm going to take this report and bust out of here.

That's what they want, so they're going to follow me.

You tell them that.

You understand?

Yes.

It's Peter's round the back.

Where is it?

Where is it?

The gill's got it.

Stay here.

Come down, McGill.

Where is it?

Where's what?

You're losing your touch. That report could make you a great deal of money.

Well, I'd probably just spend it anyway.

I've got the report.

They're after him.

Oh, come on, McGill. You're wasting our time. Talk.

It's in one of those nesting holes up there. Which one? I don't know. I was in

hurry. It was dark.

They all look alike to me.

Check every hole.

Van Rees, outside.

Watch the road.

Come on, John.

You can make it.

The bells.

Ring the bells.

Go on.

The down cut.

By the back lane. Quickly.

Go on.

Quickly. We must go. Come back later.

Come on. Outside.

The report.

Where is it?

It's in there.

In one of the nesting holes?

No, it's over that door, the beam.