Original subtitles

Your strategy, as usual, is transparently obvious.

Arigato. Doitashimashite.

Excellent.

Tight situation.

You'll call it.

You happen to hope?

Mr.

Ruh, I'm Colonel Vasily Krasenkov, KGB.

You've heard of me?

Yeah, I've heard of you.

All right, Cunningoff, I admit it.

I'm baffled.

It's very simple, Mr. Rule.

I have an assignment for you.

You want me to work for you? For the KGB.

I admit it's a novel idea.

Which you don't completely reject.

Excellent.

And if you have no objection, I think it would be better if we discussed the

matter on Russian territory.

Professor Alexander Shelpin, age 65.

Nobel Prize winner, the Soviet Union's top biochemist.

For the past four years, Professor Shelpin has been working here at the

Lenin Research Institute in the Crimea.

His subject, germ warfare.

Yes, Mr. Rule, germ warfare.

We prepare for it, as do the Americans and the British.

Regrettable.

But it is a fact of international politics.

Unless we produce these terrible substances, we feel

insecure.

Sort of preserve the balance of terror, huh?

Precisely. I see you understand these things, Mr. Rule.

Well? To proceed.

Botulinus toxin alpha beta.

The most deadly fluid in existence.

The small amount you see here, dropped in this room, would wipe out everybody

in the building. If it were put into a river or a sewer, it would destroy a

major city.

Last night, Professor Shelpin disappeared.

And with him disappeared a file of the beta toxin, which we discovered was

from the Lenin Institute.

An hour after his disappearance was reported, a note was delivered to the

president of the Presidium, of which this is a translation.

Not much to go on.

You are right, Mr. Ruhl.

Shelpin gives nothing away.

Nothing but the fact that he intends to use the toxin. Where did Shelpin

disappear? In London.

He is head of the Russian delegation to the International Scientific Forum.

We have issued a cover story.

The other members of the party think that Shelpin is ill.

And you want us to help you find him?

Why?

You have a fairly efficient organization yourself.

Efficient? Yes, but also slow and cumbersome.

Your agents, on the other hand, are all citizens of their own countries, and

they can move freely and without suspicion.

We may have very little time.

Mr. Rule, I appeal to you.

Harry.

Okay.

We'll do what we can.

They could be setting us up, you know. And KGB?

Mm -hmm.

I don't think so.

I don't think so either. I believe it hasn't come.

But I'm going to check it out.

I thought of that file somewhere in London.

Hmm.

Professor Brodny, I'm the Contessa di Contini.

Ah, Contessa, the embassy told me you would be coming.

Now, how can I help you?

You are an old friend of Alexander Shelpin's, yes?

Yes, indeed.

Poor Shelpin, he has been prevented by illness from attending the conference.

Professor Brodny, I want you to tell me everything you know about Shelpin.

Everything.

Been doing some checking?

You knew?

Of course. Do I pass?

Well, that makes you think I should trust you anyway.

I am a Russian, Your Honor.

And I believe,

like myself, you have a wife and a son?

Yes, I have a son.

Therefore, Mr. Ruhm...

We may not perhaps share the same beliefs and ideas, but we do both have a

in the future.

If ideology has gone so far that two individual men can no longer trust each

other, then it is better perhaps that Shelpin drops his little pile of beta

toxin and destroys us all.

I agree.

And when will you start?

We've already started.

All right, Paul, as soon as you can. It's important.

Okay. Okay.

He'll be here as soon as he can. Oh, good.

Harry. You know, Shelton.

Well, I've been trying to put myself in his position.

He's an idealist, right?

Right. Then he's planning some sort of grand gesture involving that file of

toxin and...

Well, I suppose several million deaths.

What?

Well, the sort of thing that Sheldon has in mind is no good unless it's a very

public affair, right?

So he has to advertise.

Right, yes, sooner or later. He's got to make some sort of announcement so that

people will understand what he's doing and why.

Logical.

The question is, how?

You've searched the whole area?

All right, check again.

Hello.

What?

Shelpin is at the scientist's forum. He's saying he's beat now.

Now, tell him to keep away from him. Why?

He may have the file with him. That's what I said. Recheck.

Don't attempt to go near him. Is that understood?

Right, and keep the press away, too.

It is true of most men that until they have seen anything...

They will not believe it.

I am convinced that it was only the terrible and incontrovertible

evidence of Hiroshima that has so far averted a nuclear war.

But there is a form of warfare far, far more

devastating in its effect.

In conclusion, gentlemen, I am persuaded that until mankind himself

can actually see the effect of germ warfare, we

shall never be safe from the threat of it.

You are too late.

He's gone. How long?

Two or three minutes.

We had him. We had him in our hand.

He took a cab. Take care of it. I want it traced and fast.

When did?

You recognize this man?

Ah, yes. He booked in yesterday. Room number.

Room number.

302, third floor. Right wing to Paskey.

I'm afraid that's quite...

Not a move, Sherpa.

Turn around.

Please.

I think you know what this is.

Drop your guns.

Face the wall.

You can't go through with it. It's madness, you know that. I am not

in your arguments.

Face the wall, both of you. Listen, Sherpa. I am quite prepared to release

toxin now if you do not do as I ask.

I think you are aware of what the consequences would be.

Now face the wall.

Now you will remain here.

Should you attempt to follow me, I shall release the toxin.

I mean it.

We're back to square one.

We've lost Shelton, and we still don't know how he intends to carry out his

plan. Or where, or when.

Maybe he gave us a clue.

Paul, do you remember what Shelton said?

I'm quite prepared to release the toxin now.

He didn't say planned.

He said prepared.

Now, doesn't that suggest to you that he had a specific time in mind?

Yes, but I don't see how that helps us.

It's just a theory I've been thinking about since the beginning.

That he's keeping to a very strict timetable.

He knows the date.

August the 6th.

That mean anything to you?

August the 6th, 1945.

It's 9 a .m.

Hiroshima. He mentioned Hiroshima in his speech.

You think he's going to do it this morning at 9 o 'clock?

Well, it's just a theory.

It could just be right.

It's absolutely in character.

And if it is, That means we've got nine hours to catch him.

Yeah.

Look, I don't care how many taxis there are in London. I want them all checked

out.

And the car hires.

Right.

I fear it is hopeless, my friend.

I know he's in London.

Perhaps we should warn the authorities, give them a chance to prepare.

What could they going to do?

You know, the curious thing is that in some ways I sympathize with

Sherpin.

I understand what he's trying to do.

He has courage.

Nothing?

Nothing. We searched everywhere.

Every hotel, every boarding house.

We even looked on the park benches.

Nothing.

A man with a logical, scientific mind and a carefully conceived plan.

Where would he spend the night?

Somewhere he considered safe.

With a friend? An accomplice?

No.

Shelpin has no friends in London. He is doing this alone.

Somewhere where he thought we wouldn't look.

Somewhere where we've already looked.

Contact, Paul. Tell him to cruise the NW4 area. Right.

I missed him by a few minutes.

Come in, Paul.

He's driving a Blue Rover 2000.

Registration ARO 851F. Over. ARO 851F Blue Rover.

Got it.

Now keep heading towards the hotel and keep your eyes open.

All right. Over and out.

We underestimated Chopin all along the line.

We just missed him at the conference.

He'd have to trail to his hotel a mile wide.

And I'll just corner him in his room, knowing we'd have to let him leave.

He disappears again.

We search all night everywhere.

But one place we wouldn't think of.

Same room, same hotel.

He planned the whole thing.

Harry, I found him. He's just ahead of me. He's turned west down Park Road.

The Hamden Reservoir.

That could be it. Pull it to order.

Halt.

Heading toward the Hamden Reservoir.

Drop back. We'll take it from here.

Okay, check.

It's two minutes till nine.

He's sticking to his schedule.

Here, take the gun. Try and distract him. I'll circle.

Ten million people, Sherpin.

Ten

million, Sherpin.

Ten

million,

Sherpin.

Hotel Couchelpin.

What are you going to do with him?

An inquiry.

A trial.

A fair trial.

Just as if he were on your side, Mr. Rule.

This is your gun.

You know a great deal too much about this business, Mr. Rule.

What would you do in my position?

Well,

yesterday is now the past.

And we are men of the future.

In the avenues and alleyways Where the soul of a man

is easy to buy