"AFTERWARDS"
An Original Film Script
Maurice Rowdon
DAVID -
5-8 LOWER !
TES LTD: 9
: SQUARE,


COF :
CHARACTERS
GLEN
MURIEL
PAT
JOHN PALERMO
JEAN DE LISLE SWIBURNE
SHOPKEEPER
PROFESSOR' JEFFERSON GRIGG
LOUISE GRIGG
MYRA
CHARLES DORNELLING
VANCE
SHEPHERD
GREY-HAIRED WOMAN
GENERAL HEELEY
LEONARD HARCOURT SELSEY
PERCY KLYDONHALL
PEW
JACK RYAN
HOTEL PORTERS, RECEPTIONISTS, PARTY GUESTS, WAITERS,
CLUB COMMISSIONAIRE, etc.


EXT. A COVENT GARDEN STREE T. MORNING
GLEN (as he will later become known) is walking along a side street
in the Covent Garden area, glancing at the shop numbers. He is a
good-looking young man of about 25, sunburned, casual, well-dressed.
He finds a dark, open, unpainted door, which seems to be the right
one. There is a wooden staircase, unswept and uncarpeted, beyond
it, and no lights. He hesitates then goes inside.
CUT:
INT. PALERMO'S OFFICE. MORNING
This is a foyer-cum-office, a warm little cubby hole with two desks
SO close together that GLEN can hardly squeeze between them. There
is a girl at each desk. One of them is dark with moody eyes. She
is cutting pictures out of magazines, and slips of paper are floating
on to the floor. She is MURIEL. The blonde girl is typing. She is
PAT. They both have an over-painted, misused look. GLEN squeezes
apologetically into the room. Neither of the girls looks up.
GLEN
Mr. Palermo here?
DARK GIRL
Well, he came in. Unless he went out
by the window he's still here.
GLEN
Can I see him? Chandler Williams
sent me.
PALERMO (VOICE OVER)
Show the gentleman in!
MURIEL shows GLEN through a door behind the desks into another office.
On the glazed glass of the door is written the name JOHN PALERMO.
Be fore GLEN reaches this it bursts open and JOHN PALERMO himself
is standing there. He is a dark man, prosperously dressed. His eyes
are dazzling, compelling. He half pulls GLEN into the room with his
handshake, smiling at him watchfully. He has something both rough
and debonair in him. He has a defiantly crushed expression, and a
whining tone easily comes into his voice, even when he is insulting. He
is a Maltese Englishman. TRACK through to his office. He puts his
arm on GLEN's shoulder and leads him to a chair in front of his desk.
The room is hardly bigger than the other one and even lacks a window.
The desk is covered with clippings and india ink sketches. GLEN sits
dow n and PALERMO goes round behind his desk, talking all the time.
PALERMO
Did Chandler Williams tell you I
was related to one of the Tsars of
Russia?
GLEN
PALERMO
That my grandfather was an Italian
commendatore?


Contd.
GLEN
PALERMO
Or that I used to run a hotel in Cairo
- and a damned good one it was, too?
GLEN
PALERMO
Well, it's all true.
(leaning back and
lighting a cigarette,
taking an enormous puff)
And you're the chap from Italy?
GLEN
That's right.
PALERMO
Well, I suppose you know a bit
about personal management.
GLEN
(hesitating)
Oh yes.
PALERMO
(with an ironical look)
Otherwise you wouldn't have answered
the advertisement, would you?
GLEN shakes his head silently.
PALERMO (contd)
Well, then, I won't bore you with the
details. You probably know them
better than I do. What you don't
know is me. I manage anyone who
needs publicity, as long as they've
got the money.
(with a sudden burst
of affection)
Listen, ifyou really have given up a
job in Naples, to come and talk
business with me, you've found your man.
GLEN
Do you think you've found yours?
PALERMO
(eyeing him)
All you need is neck and I don't know
whether you' 've got it.
GLEN
You need neck for everything.
They spar with each other through their eyes. PALERMO puffs at his
cigarette, his eyes narrowed. GLEN taps his foot on the floor.


Contd.
PALERMO
Listen, why don't we go downstairs
and have a drink?
(he begins to
close drawers
and locks them)
I never go to bars usually, but :
you ought to see the barmaid in this
one. You've never seen anything
like it in your life, not even in
Italy.
They both get up and GLEN helps PALERMO on with his overcoat,
which is black cashmere. They walk into the untidy feminine room
next door. PALERMO talks all the time.
PALERMO
As I said, the thing is
(as they pass
out of his
office)
persuasion, everything hinges on
that -
(as they walk
down the dark
stairs)
persuasion is the alchemy of the
big deal, mind the steps, old
chap, or you'll find yourself arse
over tit. I did it once and they
had to remove my sex.
CUT:
3. EXT. STREET OUTSIDE. MORNING
On the entrance door of PALERMO's office, as PALERMO, followed
by GLEN, comes out and turns down the street,
PALERMO
(looking up at
the sky)
Some people have all the luck. My
wife, for instance. She's in the
south of France and I'm paying.
Just because she's jealous of these
girls in my office. Now, could you
be jealous of my girls?
GLEN
I might be.
PALERMO
Good God! How weak human
nature is.
CUT:


4. EXT. THE SAME STREET. MORNING
On the entrance of a pub further down the street, as PALERMO and
GLEN come into view, huddled against the cold. They duck into the
doorway.
CUT:
5. INT. THE SALOON BAR. MORNING
PALERMO, followed by GLEN, comes into the saloon bar of the pub.
C.U. of GLEN as he involuntarily glances towards the bar to find the
barmaid. PALERMO is watching him.
PALERMO
There, now that's persuasion.
You're looking for the pretty bar-
maid, aren't you? She exists, but
in another pub south of the River.
Now, if you'd been practising it all
your life you'd get a sort of flair
(to the BARMAN)
Hallo!
The BARMAN comes into view, flushed, limping.
PALERMO
Jock, this is a business associate
of mine. He's in wine. Got any to
offer us?
BARMAN
Well, it's rather duff. I got a nice
sherry. Dry and very pale.
PALERMO
Get out the whisky, quick.
(taking GLEN
by the arm
towards chair)
He's going to give us the finest
whisky in town, you can't even find
it in Scotland, except at the dis-
tillery itself.
GLEN
(as he sits.
down)
I'll have soda as well.
PALERMO
No you won't. This is Mortlach -
Glenlivet. You can get drummed
across the Border for watering it
down, eh, Jock?
JOCK takes no notice, preparing the drinks behind the bar.


5. Contd.
PALERMO
Another thing, tuck yourself under
somebody's wing who doesn't really
want you. If they hate you, you just
get closer, they'll learn to like it.
Hatred is a very malleable business
property, Glen - mind if I call you
Glen after this whisky, I can't stand
real names ?
GLEN
Alright.
PALERMO
As I was saying, when they want to
get rid of you it means you're be-
coming a force in their lives, how-
ever deadly, and it isn't long before
they begin to need you, they don't
know what they need you for but it's
up to you to tell them. You see,
Glen, they're missing something all
the time, everybody is, and you've got
to make them feel it's you. It can
happen in a minute. Girls have lost
their maidenheads and men their
fortunes in a minute.
The BARMAN puts the drinks down on the table and limps away.
PALERMO (contd)
You see, Glen, people need confidence,
these days. Their spirits are
horribly low and that's where my
pictures come in.
GLEN
What pictures ?
PALERMO
All lifeis pictures. A man has a
picture of himself, and a picture of
other people based largely upon his
picture of himself. I tell you, old
chap, I've worked it all out. A man
has a picture of what his clerks and
typists think of him, and, as I said,
if he comes into the office hating
himself one morning, this is where
he needs me, he needs my picture
of him, the picture I know he needs
to have. I provide pictures.
(finishing off
his drink)
Let's have another, shall we ?


Contd.
GLEN
No, thanks.
PALERMO
Jock! This colleague of mine wants to
buy me another! You see, Glen - the
way people are formed in our world
their pictures are very poor, they
haven't the time to get the right ones,
and then if they did it would all be a
mess. But everybody thinks he's some-
thingo This you can take as your sketch
and begin from there. Naturally, the
picture must be one the man can decieve
himself into thinking is himself: the dis-
crepancy mustn't be too great.
(as the new glasses
of whisky come and
GLEN pays)
You can't sell a fool as a clever man,
however much you try. But you can sell
a bad man to himself as a good man, in
fact that's one of my principal sales.
PALERMO puts down his drink in one or two gulps and stands up, taking
no notice of the fact that GLEN has not yet started on his. PALERMO
grabs his overcoat and throws it over his own shoulders, and GLEN gets
up without having touched his drink.
PALERMO
Goodbye, for now, Jock! And don't tell
me another time I can't sell your whisky
for you,you serve the worst Scotch in
London and I make it taste like the best.
Mortlach-Glenlivet my foot! You see,
Glen -
(as they turn to go)
- they'd never have a picture if you didn't
give them one. They may kick against
the picture you give them -
(as they pass
through the door)
- but ifit makes other people sit up and
take notice they'll love it, always
remember that!
AC.U. of the BARMAN's cynical face over the bar, with PALERMO's
voice over.
CUT:
EXT. STREET OUTSIDE. MORNING
On the pub doorway as PALERMO and GLEN come out and walk up the
street again, PALERMO still talking.
PALERMO
Never try to give a man what you think
his picture ought to be if he were you.
Let him walk into the jaws of Hell, if
he wants to, he may like it there.
PALERMO has a characteristic way of hurrying along, bent forward,
his shoulders seeming to cringe from something behind him.


Contd.
An attractive GIRL passes them, and he notices her at once.
PALERMO
(softly)
Going my way, Mouse?
(the GIRL takes no
notice and he continues
at once to GLEN)
Yes, you've got to develop an eye for
the man who lacks a picture and has
the money to pay for one.
CUT:
INT. PALERMO'S OFFICE. MORNING
PAT is smoking at the window while MURIEL is paring her fingernails
at her desk, bent over them like a child, her mouth open. PALERMO
enters, his face suddenly harsh, GLEN following.
PAT
It's lunchtime.
PALERMO
Well, get the hell out, then, and eat
some lunch.
PAT
That's what we're waiting for.
PALERMO makes a step towards his own door for the other girl
interrupts him.
MURIEL
Oh no you don't.
PALERMO
(stopping)
Don't what?
MURIEL
How do I pay for the food - with these
paper-clippings?
PALERMO
Haven'tyou heard of monthly salaries?
MURIEL
At the end of the month it starts being
two-monthly. Come on, you big pill,
cough, we're hungry!
PALERMO
(with a sudden mildness
and a smile at GLEN,
taking out his slim wallet)
Will a fiver be enough? Better be!
He hands her the money and immediately passes on to his office. The
GIRLS glance at each other.
PALERMO (contd)
(from the other office)
Oh, Muriel, before you go -
MURIEL
(with irritation)
Here it comes.


7. Contd.
PALERMO
(still from the
other office)
Slip down and get Jack Ryan's mid-
day final, will you, darling? I've
got a horse running!
MURIEL
I hope it loses.
CUT:
8. INT. PALERMO'S OWN OFFICE. NORNING
PALERMO has taken off his overcoat and is sitting behind his desk
again. GLEN is in his overcoat and is also seated.
PALERMO
Now, Jack Ryan, he runs a news a
paper. He feeds more people with
dirty thoughts every morning than
anybody else in the game. Remind
me to talk to you about the dirty
picture, that's in a category of its
own.
PALERMO opens a drawer of his desk and takes out a bottle of whisky.
Two glasses follow. He wipes them carefully with a clean, folded
cloth which he also keeps in the drawer. We notice his delicate hands.
He pours the glasses and they silently drink to each other.
PALERMO
(with a long
calculating
look at GLEN)
You're not famous in any way, are
you?
PALERMO seems to be thinking something out to its conclusion, gazing
right through GLEN.
GLEN
PALERMO
(absently)
I just wondered.
MURIEL brings the newspaper and leaves again. PALERMO begins
reading it with great concentration, frown marks deep in his forehead.
PALERMO
(snapping suddenly
at MURI EL in the
other room)
You still there?


Contd.
MURIEL
(from the other room)
Yes.
PALERMO
Take this down. No, better still, give
the buggers a ring. Professor Grigg.
Get his number. He's an American.
He's just arrived in Cambridge. Say
you're The Times.
MURIEL
(from the other room)
The Times!
PALERMO
Say Mr. Palermo, the features editor,
would be glad of a word with him.
(to GLEN)
Now then. He docked at Southampton
yesterday, but he still may know some -
body on The Times. So you've got to
get there before the afternoon's over.
I don't want him connecting up. We can
make a few hundred quid out of this.
I'll fix everything from this end. In
fact, I'll have a private chat with his
wife while you're on the way.
GLEN
(in astonishment)
Do you mean to say you're sending me?
PALERMO
Of course I am! What else is there?
GLEN
But what the hell do I ask?
PALERMO
You don't ask anything. You let him
shoot his mouth off. Listen, I could go
to clink for this. It's an offence to
imitate newspapers.
GLEN
I can guess.
CUT:
EXT. CAMBRIDGE STREET. AFTERNOON
A taxi going along the King's Parade with GLEN inside. There are
cycling STUDENTS everywhere.
CUT:
10. INT. TAXICAB. LATE AFTERNOON
From GLEN's P.V. inside the cab, the colleges along the King's
Parade - Peterhouse, St. Catherine's, King's College.
CUT:


11. EXT. CAMBRIDGE STREET. A FTERNOON
GLEN is walking along a Cambridge street looking for the number. He
finds an apartment block with a glowing foyer and a porter's office. He
enters.
CUT:
12. INT. GRIGG'S DOOR. AFTERNOON
The door of Professor Grigg's apartment is tall and whit e with a
plaster palladian frame all round.
GLEN rings the bell. The door opens and a woman bursting with action
confronts him. This is LOUISE GRIGG. She is So suddenly and stunn-
ingly there that he steps back with surprise. There are great laughter
lines round her mouth, and her quick eyes give the impression of having
been much screwed up with emotion. She is at the middle and wildest
stage of her life. She is flushed, not strikingly healthy but strong.
There is a burning interest in her eyes that might be drink or erotic
appetite or just curiosity. She puts out a hand and smiles, showing
good teeth.
LOUISE
Are you the fake Times man?
GLEN
Yes.
LOUISE
Well, come in and have a drink.
The old man's waiting for you.
We passed tea a half hour ago
and we're coming down the
straight to a gin and tonic. Where
the hell is he?
GLEN walks in and she closes the door.
CUT:
13. INT. GRIGG'S APARTMENT. AI FTERNOON
The entrance hall. LOUISE is leading GLEN to the sitting room.
Her woollen dress is close to her hips and a bracelet clicks on her
wrist as she moves. The hall is brightly lighted, with mirrors and
large pots withpussy willows in them, and carpets galore.
LOUISE
He's always disappearing.
CUT:
14. INT. GRIGG'S SITTING ROOM. AFTERNOON
LOUISE and GLEN come through the door.
LOUISE
Well sit yourself down. You'll
roast, but we' 've been dreaming
of an English fire for years.


14. Contd.
She motions him to a settee in front of the large log fire that goes
together with the central heating. The windows are tall, in two great
panes, with curtains that stretch down to the parquet floor. The walls
are covered with whitewood panels. GLEN sits down.
GLEN
This your first visit?
LOUISE
Well, we haven't been over for
five or six years.
GLEN
See any changes ?
LOUISE
None. They still say braces for
suspenders!
(with a massive
laugh)
GLEN
How did you know I was fake ?
LOUISE
A real Times man called.
GLEN
Did he want an interview, too?
LOUISE
No, he went to college with Jeff.
GLEN
There was a mistake in the
office, I think. Some girl -
she's new - anyway, I didn't
get the details - she made a
mistake
(he trails off)
LOUISE
That's, O.K., you don't have to
apologise, they call me the walking
lie detector. And by the way, I
certainly got some hot talk from
your office - who is that guy ?
GLEN
You spoke to Mr. Palermo?
LOUISE
You call him Mister! He sounded
like a dog!


14. Contd.
She goes to the table behind the settee, where the drinks are.
LOUISE
What can I mix you ?
GLEN
As I had three whiskies for lunch,
I suppose I'd better go on.
LOUISE
Well, don't let me ram it down
your throat.
GLEN
Well, thank you very much. Yes,
I'd like some whisky.
LOUISE
(as she pours
a drink)
You two certainly make a rum
outfit! But my husband and I have
a taste for adventure.
(handing him his
drink over the
table and calling
out, in a stupen-
dous voice)
Jeff! The Press is waiting!
(then to GLEN)
He's just shy, that's all. Have
you always been in this line ?
GLEN
(hesitating)
Yes.
One of the doors opens and PROFESSOR GRIGG fills up most of the
frame.
GRIGG
Well, look at that. Wife drinks
with unknown visitor!
He comes forward, tall and long-limbed with the same deep lines
on his face as his wife. It makes them look uncannily similar, as if
they had used the same forms of suffering to carve the same wrinkles.
His skin is harder and drier than hers, his eyes a little watery.
LOUISE
What the hell have you been
doing, Jeff! I wondered where
you disappeared to, the moment
he comes!


14. Contd.
GRIGG
(giving her a
swift familiar
look, with the
slightest twinkle
of hatred)
As a matter of fact, I wonder you
didn't hear me pull the chain.
LOUISE
(offended)
GRIGG goes on scowling in her direction, while she continues to look
away like a frightened deer.
GRIGG
(to GLEN, in
a deep voice)
The hell of it! She'll be following
me round with bloodhounds next.
No, I mean it. That's women.
Or rather, American women.
LOUISE
(to GLEN)
That's something for you to print.
GLEN
I'll print what you say I can print.
LOUISE
(to GRIGG)
Well, our visitor's a gentleman,
at least.
GRIGG
Gentleman my arse! He's a
reporter! Anyway, get me a
drink, I've had an afternoon of
Cambridge dons and all they
drink is tea.
LOUISE
Get it yourself.
GRIGG
Why, yousound high already.
LOUISE
I am.
GRIGG
Listen,
(going to the
drinks table
behind GLEN)
how many have you had ?


14. Contd.
LOUISE
This is my first - and who's on the
trail with bloodhounds now ?
GLEN
(in a burlesque
sort of way)
Well, marriage is a trial by fire
and water.
GRIGG
You're telling me.
(pouring himself
a stiff tumbler of
whisky and walk-
ing over to the
settee)
Now for the questions. What do
you want to know ?
GRIGG sits down so heavily on the settee at GLEN's side, throwing
another scowl at his wife, that GLEN involuntarily jumps in his seat.
GLEN
Are you two always like this ?
GRIGG
Is that the first question?
(making a kind
of grinding
chuckle that is
swallowed in his
glass as he takes
a gulp of whisky)
It's been like this for ten years
and we believe in it. Is that right,
Louise ?
LOUISE )
(giving GLEN
her broad, dry,
flashing smile
which has no
happiness in it)
I guess it is.
GRIGG swills the whisky round in his glass, staring at it with his
watery eyes.
GRIGG
You know, when I'm standing
around with these English academics
it feels like they haven't arrived at a
problem yet, let alone a solution!


14. Contd.
LOUISE
(sitting down,
too, then to
GLEN)
Listen, what's your name ?
GLEN
(for a moment
confused)
Call me Glen.
GRIGG
(leaning back
suddenly, making
the settee give
heavily a second
time)
Listen, what paper do you work
for?
GLEN
It's an agency.'
GRIGG
Well, you sound quite a crew.
First you fake a call from The
Times, then your boss seduces
my wife down the phone. That
was about the randiest phone
conversation I ever heard, what
do you say, Louise ?
LOUISE
(flashing another
smile)
I'm keeping quiet.
(then to GLEN)
Listen, can you stay to dinner?
GLEN
I'd love to.
LOUISE
(rising)
I'll tell the girl.
LOUISE leaves the room but suddenly pops her head round the corner
again.
LOUISE
Listen, Glen, do you like a sort
of beef stew? Well, it's more
like a pot au feu -
(JEFF chuckles
ironically at this
attempted French)
She leaves again.


14. Contd.
GRIGG
Come on. Give me your
glass. Was that strong enough ?
GLEN
I'll say!
GRIGG goes behind him and begins pouring new drinks.
GLEN (contd)
You'll get me drunk.
GRIGG
(seriously)
Just what I'm trying to do.
GRIGG seems deep in his own thoughts, frowning, making a slight
involuntary cough of concentration, his eyebrows S heavy over his
eyes, as he brings the drinks round to the settee.
GLEN
You're giving a few lectures
on atomic warfare ?
GRIGG
Way, sure. I'll be on and
off taat damned Continent for
a montn or more.
LOUISE bursts back into tne room, nearing nis last sentence.
LOUISE
Louise is going to feel lone
some, all rigat.
nudge)


14. Contd.
GRIGG
Well,
(swilling his new
drink round with
surprising vigour)
you're not a stay-at-home girl. I
don't think you'll suffer.
LOUISE
Still, this isn't London.
GRIGG
You'll be there!
The re is an intimate scowl between thei m and GRIGG puts down another
heavy gulp of whisky, sounding like water down a bung hole.
LOUISE
If you ever said anything new in
your lectures I'd come along with
you.
GRIGG
Do you expect a new lecture
every night, Louise ?
LOUISE
Well, I'm not going to sit around
listening to the same stuff every
night, just to keep myself out of
mischief!
GRIGG
That's dead right, mischief's the
right word, sweetheart.
LOUISE
(to GLEN)
Well, the children are grown up.
I don't feel like being a grand-
mother yet.
GRIGG
(with a laugh)
Grandmother! I'd like to see
you play that part!
(giving GLEN
an almighty
nudge)


14. Contd.
GRIGG (contd)
We've got two married daughters
and she's still the biggest kid in the
family.
LOUISE
I guess my life's work was bring-
ing them up, and that's over now.
GRIGG
You were always the same! You
never wanted to stay in the house,
you never went along with my work,
and I'll tell you why, because you
were dreaming of something else
all the time God knows what it
was, but it wasn't me!
LOUISE
Listen, this is getting personal.
GRIGG
I'm telling the truth' And accord-
ing to what you're always telling
me, you worship the truth - when it
goes against me!
GLEN
The same with most of us.
GRIGG
Like hell! She'll take things so
far - I've seen her lead a man!
LOUISE
(with a really
menacing
look this
time)
Now can it, will you?
GRIGG
O.K K., Louise. But just lay off
my work. Anyway,
(to GLEN)
let's say she's been about to
divorce me for twenty years.
GLEN
You know, that's probably what
keeps you out of the divorce
courts, telling the truth all the
time.


14. Contd.
GRIGG
(with a long puzzled
look at GLEN and then
at the drink in his hand)
Well, I never thought of it just like that,
but it's a way of thinking.
(with a sniff)
LOUISE
(to GLEN)
He means you're drunk.
(with such a loud,
rasping cackle that the
panelling seems to
Shake)
GRIGG
She has quite a voice, hasn't she ? It's been
ringing in my ears since I was a college kid.
She even tried it in a lecture of mine. Ihad
a bit Waere the words underbelly'and 'brief
explosion' came in the same sentence, and
she seemed to tnink that funny.
LOUISE
(with a bellow)
I never laugied SO much in all my life!
They all start laughing.
GRIGG
Well, that's the first good laugh we' 've had
since we docked yesterday - glad to have
you nere!
GLEN
Glad to have come.
CUT:
15. INT. GRIGG'S DINING ROOM. EVENING
The three of them are sitting round the table eating. Tais room is in
tne same panelling as the sitting room. GLEN looks less steady than
he did before, and is attacking his food witn enormous appetite, with
LOUISE's eyes on him from the otner side of tne table.
LOUISE
Don 't they let you eat on your job ?
GLEN
(suddenly aware)
This was a rush one.
GRIGG
Am I SO important ?


15. Contd.
GLEN
Well, things like tne de struction of the
world seemed important.
GRIGG
Listen,
(leaning forward)
how doe: S the Englisn F ress see me ? Can
you tell me that? You know, that's my
reason for coming over, to hell with the
lectures. I mean, I got such a damned bad
press over here on this book of mine, it
made me wish I'd never written it!
GLEN
Wnich book is that ?
GRIGG
'Aflerwards'. Alterwards". Know what
I mean by Afterwards? It's now. It's hell!
It's after Hiroshima. We'reliving in hell.
And we' 've got to face the fact. Remember
what Macbetn said - From this instant there's
nothing serious in mortality! All is but toys.
The wine of life is drawn!
(raising his wine glass)
The human being is dead. That's my
message, Glen. Print that if you like.
CUT:
16. INT. TRAIN COMFARTMENT. NIGHT
GLEN nodding asleep in a train roaring towards London. A book is
in his lap, the CAMERA PANS DUWN to a C.U. of this. It shows
the dust jacket : AFTERWARDS by Jefferson Grigg, Author of
Mexico and The World City. GLEN blinks awake again, stares before
him.
GRIGG's voice come S over.
Since 1945 the numan being's been dead.
That's my me: ssage! Print that if you like!
CUT:
17. INT. FALERMO'S INNER OFFICE. MORNING
GLEN and FALERMO are sitting there. From GLEN'S P.V. the news-
paper with the following headline : I ALWAYS SAY IT'S THE SHAFE
THAT GETS HIM, SAYS MISSILE FROFESSOR 'S WIFE, then a photo-
graph of LOUISE.
GLEN
(reading with astonishment)
It's the way it goe S up, and, of course,
the shape, said Louise Grigg, 46-year-


17. Contd.
GLEN (contd)
old wife of American Professor Jefferson
Grigg, one-time Hollywood gag-writer
referring to the nuclear mushroom . If
that's not a symbol of something, she said,
my name's not Lou.
(to FALERMO)
God, where did you get all that ?
One of PALERMO's telephone S rings. GLEN jumps.
PALERMO
(snatching up the
receiver)
Yes?
MURIEL (VOICE OVER)
There's somebody for Mr. Glen. I
think it's from Cambridge.
FALERMO immediately thrusts the receiver across to GLEN.
PALERMO
It's for you.
GLEN take S the receiver. FALERMO goe S on quietly working.
GLEN
Hello?
GRIGG
(from the other end
of the line)
Is that Glen? - because I don' 't know
your other name. I guess you know who
this is.
GLEN
Is that Jeff?
GRIGG (VOICE OVER)
Jeff my arse! You can call me Frofessor.
You know what I think of you' ?
GLEN
GRIGG (VOICE OVER)
That's a lie. By the sound of your voice,
you glass-eyed phoney, you know what I
think of you and you know I'm right. You
can quote me, too. Fut that in your
crummie paper, and Ihope it choke S you.
GLEN
Excuse ie but


17. Contd.
GRIGG (VOICE OVER)
What my wife thinks of you couldn't even
be put down on paper! Well, I don' 't su-
ppose we 'll bump into each other again, but
if we do, it'll be a big bump, and I hope it
hurts. I just wanted you to know you're a
shys ster, that's all.
GLEN
Id didn't -
The receiver is crashed down at the other end. Silence. GLEN
slowly replaces his own receiver.
GLEN (contd)
Listen. Did you write all that ?
FALERMO
(torn with difficulty
from his work)
Of course I did - with Jack Ryan's help.
I asked for a hundred quid, and he gave
me seventy-five. Not bad for a phone con-
versation, eh ?
GLEN
But they 're nice people!
FALERMO
I know! What's she like ? Forty-six is
just my dish. What d'you say ?
(with a wink)
Has she got 'it'?
GLEN shrug S.
PALERMO (contd)
I'll take her to the Mirabel, then, like
she asked me to.
GLEN
He said this would happen. Not exactly in
those words, but he said I was a reporter,
not a gentleman.
GLEN looks up at him steadily, but FALERMO is already touching
up another of his sketches.
GLEN (contd)
Do you know where I can find a room ?
FALERMO
Not a hope. Itried last year when my
w ife walked out on me. She sold the flat
from under my feet. She's spending the
money now, in Cannes. Where are you stay-
ing ?


17. Contd.
GLEN
A hotel.
PALERMO
Well, isn't that good enough for you ?
GLEN
Yes, but I'm trying to earn my living.
Can'tyou see that ?
PALERMO
Listen, Glen, I've got a job for you tonight,
but it's personal. Iwant you to take a girl
out. Keep her amused. But no monkey
business - you understand?
GLEN
Yes.
PALERMO
You see, I'll be tied up with the professor's
wife.
CUT:
18. INT. A HOTEL FOYER. EARLY EVENING
GLEN walks into the hotel. A clock shows a few minutes after
seven. He goe S over to the DESK FORTER who leans forward politely.
GLEN
Miss Jean de Lisle Swiburne, please.
Without a word the PORTER goe S to the hotel telephone and dials a
number.
PORTER
A gentleman to see you, madam.
(turning round to
GLEN and withdraw-
ing the phone a little
from his mouth)
Your name, please ?
GLEN
(hesitating)
Glen.
PORTER
(holding out receiver
towards GLEN)
Miss Swiburne.


18. Contd.
GLEN
(taking the receiver)
Miss Swiburne, good evening.
JEAN
(at the other end)
Is that chaise-longue ?
GLEN
What's that?
JEAN (VOICE OVER)
I suppose you're chaise-longue ?
GLEN
(out of his depth)
I'll be sitting under tne clock.
JEAN (VOICE OVER)
Just two minutes.
She puts the phone down, and GLEN hands his back to the PORTER.
He strolls across to one of the chairs in the foyer, looking perplexed.
CUT:
19. INT. HOTEL FOYER. EARLY EVENING
The clock is now at seven-thirty. GLEN is still sitting in his chair,
nodding nalf asleep. Suddenly he is awoken by a young woman standing
immediately behind him.
JEAN
Hi, there!
GLEN
(jumping to his
feet)
JEAN has blonde hair full of ringlets. She is smiling, with blue eyes
that shift pleasantly like glass in water. Her coat is SO immense that
she seems to have struggled to the top of it in order to show her head.
She is pale, but the pallor has a touching delicacy. She wears no hat.
Her earrings flicker in the light. She seems to have thrown everything
on from a careless distance. JEAN is American.
JEAN
(with a flickering
smile)
Did I keep you waiting ?
GLENN
John Falermo was very sorry -
tied up.


19. Contd.
JEAN
(with a very
quick stare)
Well;
(with a smile that
makes her face
flicker again)
where do we go, boss?
GLEN
I think a drink's a good idea,
don't you?
She walks slightly in front of GLEN towards the hotel entrance, so
close that she nearly trips him up.
CUT:
EXT. OUTSIDE THE HOTEL. EARLY EVENING
GLEN and JEAN stand waiting for a taxi. JEAN has one ungloved
hand at her neck, holding the collar of her coat against the wind.
She keeps glancing at GLEN - casually, with the touch of a smile,
a sadly wistful expression of the eyes. Her talk drifts in.
JEAN
try and create an illusion,
I suppose.
GLEN suddenly wakes up to the fact that she has been talking to him
for some time.
GLEN
What was that?
JEAN
I'm saying, we try and create
an illusion, and what else is
anything, anyway ?
The COMMISSIONAIRE gets them a taxi, and they get in.
CUT:
INT. TAXI. EARLY EVENING
GLEN is sitting next to JEAN. She puts her coat a little off her
shoulders, showing a woollen jumper underneath. GLEN leans
forward and speaks to the cabby.
GLEN
Could you just drive towards the
River, and I'll make up my mind.
He settles back in his seat.


Contd.
JEAN is now gazing out of the window at the pavement, a smile
softly and unsteadily on her lips. GLEN gives her jumper an
appreciative glance.
GLEN
How long have you known Palermo?
JEAN screws up her face as if he's said something unexpected, '
though the smile returns almost at once.
JEAN
Oh! Since I was born.
GLEN
Honestly?
JEAN
If you like.
GLEN stares at her in puzzlement. The cab passes down Regent
Street.
GLEN
How do you mean - if I like ?
JEAN
Well,
(her smile swelling
and making her
cheeks fat for a
moment)
if we're creating it all anyway
let's make up old friends, too.
He gazes at her helplessly.
GLEN
Are you here on work?
JEAN
(with even
fatter cheeks)
I was promised an anonymous
evening don 't forget!
GLEN
He's quite a character, isn 't
he, Palermo?
JEAN
(laughing a pleasant
high-pitched rippling
laugh)
Have it your own way. Have it
your own way!


21. Contd.
She goes on smiling to herself, her cheeks fat, shaking her head
slowly with a certain surprise too.
The cab throbs in a traffic jam.
GLEN
Do you know London ?
JEAN
Tonight I don 't want to know anything. I
get all mixed up with people. Yes, I do,
honest. With my husband, too.
GLEN
Oh! You're married.
JEAN
Yes.
The cab moves on, and GLEN leans forward to the cabby window again.
GLEN
(to the DRIVER)
Villiers Street, please.
JEAN
(turning to face him
fully, her face very
close to his)
You know, people are always pouring out
their hearts to me. I just sit and let them
pour and I'm damn well not interested, I'm
not.
GLEN
Is it your real name? De Lisle Swiburne ?
JEAN
Swinburne's my husband's name, but I
couldn't stand it, SO I cut out one N'.
'N' for nut. I'm like that - yes, sure. I
made him change his name by deed poll.
GLEN
You did - to Swiburne ?
JEAN
Yes.
GLEN
Is he in London ?
JEAN
Well, he's inside. Brixton gaol. I think
his parents are English and his mother
married again - some junk I didn' 't care to
go into. Listen, I'm awfully sorry, I must
sound terribly disrespectful. The fact is,
Irespect my husband more than anybody,
but I just have to be alone. I suppose that's
why I like hotels.


Contd.
GLEN
But is his name de Lisle, as well ?
JEAN
No, that's mine. I use both when
I'm travelling.
GLEN
So you're French as well ?
JEAN
No, I'm Scotch-American. I would
have been born in Detroit but my
parents were holidaying in Scotland.
It's a long story.
JEAN - suddenly disconsolate, her mouth drooping and for a moment,
looking not unlike Queen Victoria.
JEAN (contd)
Here, I'm sorry you 've got to
listen to all this.
GLEN
I enjoy it.
JEAN
You must get used to it, huh?
JEAN - giving him another close look with her face once again very
close to his.
CUT:
EXT. VILLIERS STREET. EVENING
The cab comes to a halt, and GLEN and JEAN get out.
JEAN
Do you get trained for it?
GLEN does not answer, being busy paying the cabby.
JEAN (contd)
No training?
CUT:
INT. SHERRY BAR. EVENING
In a crowded bar JEAN and GLENare seated on barrels, close together.
It is noisy and smoky.
JEAN
Well, look, this is quite a place.
Do you keep a kind of list, or
something ?


23. Contd.
GLEN
(undecided as to
what to say)
JEAN
You know, this is the first
time I've done it.
GLEN
What?
JEAN
Okay, okay!
(with a wide
smile)
Have it your own way! Well,
I agree, it's the right way to
play it.
GLEN
(nodding towards
her coat)
Won 't you take that off?
JEAN
No. It gives me security.
(with a pleas-
ant wink)
GLEN
But it's stifling here.
JEAN
I prefer to stifle.
GLEN
Will you have your sherry dry,
or sweet?
JEAN
Neither.
GLEN
Neither?
JEAN
Listen, if I drink all I want to do
is sleep.
GLEN
Can I get you a glass of water?
JEAN
I'd like a cake most, but they
won' 't have any.


23. Contd.
GLEN gets up with increasing puzzlement and goes to the bar. He
stands there waiting to give his order and casts a quick glance back
at her. A SHOT of JEAN shows her smiling vaguely towards him
though the smile could easily be a trick of her cheeks.
He orders his sherry, still casting back rather frightened glances.
Then he returns to his barrel. He finds that she is leaning slightly
at an angle and he has to more or less inch himself on to his seat So
that she is leaning against him.
JEAN
Hey, do you do this every night ?
GLEN
No. Too much work.
JEAN
(looking at him with
surprise)
Oh. And Mr. Palermo?
GLEN
He's. fine.
She is still leaning heavily on him and he seems to be having difficulty
in getting the dri ink to his mouth. To make it easier for himself, he
begins leaning towards her, taking the weight SO to speak. One of her
hands still secures the overcoat collar round her neck as if there were
a wind. To his surprise she looks down at his knees and carefully
plucks off a piece of fluff, but she does not move away from her rather
drowsy leaning position.
GLEN even begins to push at her slightly, but she does not seem
aware of any movement on his part. He is really getting squashed
into a corner.
JEAN
I like the way you carry your shoulders,
by the way. I think a lot depends on
shoulders: everything grows out of them -
the head upwards, and the arms sideways,
and of course the trunk downwards. Ilike
comparing noses and hands, and that kind
of thing.
GLEN
Yes?
JEAN
Eyes are hackneyed, and they move too
much. I guess there's something moral
about eyes. Know what I mean?
GLEN
I think so.


23. Contd.
JEAN
Sometimes I flatter myself that there's
nothing moral about my eyes.
GLEN
I don' 't think there is.
JEAN
Really? You don't know how good you
make me feel! I'd regard that as the
greatest achievement of my life, I really
would. Yes, really.
(nodding)
It took me five year S to look at people
the same way I look at things. And that's
where you come in. Ican be alone and
with you at the same time. You don't know
who I am. I don 't know who you are, and I
care less. You could go out and walk under
a bus, and it wouldn 't change my life.
Listen, if that sounds horrible, you'd better
excuse me.
GLEN
Oh, that's all right.
JEAN
I can be really alone with somebody if
he's the right shape. You know.
(intimately)
I think you are.
GLEN
Suppose I hadn 't been ?
JEAN
Oh, I'd have gone back to my room after
one peep. That was the understanding,
anyway
GLEN
Who with ?
JEAN
Your boss.
CUT:
24. INT. HOTEL SUITE. EVENING
GLEN and JEAN come into a spacious and comfortable suite.
JEAN walks straight across the sitting room to her bedroom, and
almost closes the bedroom door behind her, while GLEN stands
in the middle of the room. She come S back.
JEAN
Make yourself at home. Really!
GLEN take S off his overcoat and hangs it in the little hallway near
the door.
JEAN come S back into the room W ithout her overcoat, looking a new
person. Her feet are crammed into slim shoes, making a bulge along
the insteps. She walks towards the fireplace, gazing at GLEN placidly,
her head ducked a little, her shoulders hunched as before. She has
powerful shoulders. He looks at her with curiosity.


Contd.
JEAN
(smiling graciously)
Listen, just you get on that service
phone and order what you like -
how's that?
GLEN
What about you?
JEAN
Oh, I'm fine as I am; I've got
my cakes.
GLEN
Is that good for you ?
JEAN
Well, it's true, I ought to cut
down weight.
JEAN - looking down at herself, at her powerful breasts, her smile
gone, her mouth sagging with a touch of puzzlement as if she didn 't
belong to her own body.
JEAN (contd)
How old do you think I am ?
GLEN
Late-twenties.
JEAN
Boy, are you kind! I'm thirty-
six:
She sits down in one of the armchairs, her thick legs crossed.
JEAN (contd)
I've tried to cut down on cakes,
but I can't. Hey, stop looking at
me like that.
GLEN
Like what ?
JEAN
Like I'd be wrong to eat another
cake.
GLEN
Was that in my eyes?
JEAN
Listen, you're quite interesting. I
struck lucky, I really did.
(another vivid and
gracious smile)
Listen, you get on that phone and
order what you like.
GLEN goes to the house phone, and waits for the RECEPTIONIST.


24. Contd.
GLEN
Hello . Could you send up a wine
list and a menu, please.
25. INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR. EVENING
A NEAPOLITAN WAITER walks briskly along the corridor with wine
list and menu in his hand, swearing to himself.
CUT:
26. INT. HOTEL SUITE. EVENING
GLEN and JEAN are both seated when the WAITER comes in, almost
kicking the door open. GLEN takes the wine list from him.
GLEN
(to JEAN)
What wine do you like ?
JEAN
(directing her float-
ing smile towards the
WAITER instead of
GLEN)
Listen, just you go ahead and order
for yourself. Really, if I take a sip
of anything, I start saying the sillies st
things.
The WAITER thinks she was addressing him.
WAITER
Pardon, madam?
But JEAN misses this.
GLEN
(to WAITER)
What about some hock? And salad with
boiled eggs please.
WAITER
(with a haunted
glance at JEAN)
Yes, I will do that.
JEAN
I'll get things ready.
The WAITER leaves.
JEAN takes a cloth from the sideboard drawer and spreads it on the
table.


26. Contd.
GLEN
Is that where you keep your cakes?
JEAN
(turning round with a
rather screwed-up ex-
pression, her brow drawn
in between her eyes, mouth
drooping again)
Hey, listen! I wish you'd lay off that.
You really do want to make me feel bad
about it, don 't you ?
(as she straightens
the tablecloth)
Listen, you're not the persecuting type,
are you ?
GLEN
Not that I know of.
JEAN
Well, that's good to hear. Well,
(as she goes to
the sideboard again)
we don't have to be friends, if we 're
incompatible.
GLEN
I don' 't care how many cake: S you eat.
JEAN
Listen, will you lay off cakes once
and for all?
(swivelling round
at him)
GLEN
(laughing)
Okay.
She sits down again and begins gazing towards him. He becomes aware
that her gaze is set on his legs. He looks at her, then down at his legs.
He looks up again at her. She is still gazing towards him with the same
set and unblinking expression. He begins to sit in rather a fixed position,
aware of her eyes on his lower quarters. He begins to stare at her.
This mime is interrupted by the entrance of the WAITER with a trolley.
JEAN gets up again and make S hers self busy setting knives and forks
and glasses.
The WAITER opens the wine in front of GLEN after showing him the
label. The WAITER wheels the trolley with the ice bucket towards the
table and then leaves the room, after another glance at JEAN. To
GLEN's astonishment JEAN now comes and sits down at his side on
the settee very close to him.


26. Contd.
GLEN
What ?
JEAN
The cakes. They're in there.
(nodding towards
the sideboard)
GLEN gets up and goes to the sideboard, opens it. A SHOT of the
interior shows the cakes to be certainly there - a great platter full of
them, the kind of platter used for sucking pigs. There is every kind
of cake imaginable - pink and dark brown and white and spiralled and
coned and cylindered and peppered with chocolate pieces and spiced
and ice-sugared and creamed and baked shiny. GLEN looks at this
mountain of confectionery with his mouth open. With some effort he
takes out the vast dish. For a moment he stands with it, not knowing
where to put it.
GLEN
What shall Ido? Take some off, or
will you have the lot ?
JEAN
Hey, what have you got there ?
(springing up and
coming to his side)
You've got the whole damned works
there! Put it back - go on, put it back!
GLEN puts it back, sheepishly, and JEAN takes out a single normal
plate from the sideboard with three cakes on it - a chocolate meringue,
a pastry cake crowned with fluffed coconut, and a vanilla mousse,
which wobbles as she carries it over to her seat.
JEAN (contd)
You certainly frightened me for a
moment.
She sits down. Without hesitation, she starts it on the chocolate
mousse with a teaspoon, putting it into her mouth with quick regular
motions, her eyes fixed before her.
GLEN pours out his first glass of wine. It seems that all three cakes
are gone from her plate before he has had time to take his first sip.
He watches her with awed fascination. It is like a mechanical show;
the meringue goes S down with sullen crunches, while. she holds her
left hand underneath to catch any crumbs. Gradually her chewing
become S slower and then she stiffens altogether. She looks up at him.
JEAN
(in a whisper)
Don 't
that.
GLEN
What ?


26. Contd.
JEAN
Don 't
look at me. Go and sit down.
Go on.
GLEN sits down at the table and begins helping himself to salad.
She goe: S on chewing.
JEAN (contd)
You see, I've never been good at any -
thing. No, really, I mean it. My se-
cond name's Narcissus. Why, yes, my
face in the pool is the only face I know,
the only one I'm interested in. I'm in-
terested in other people when they're
interested in me. And you're interested
in me. Am I right ?
GLEN
Yes, of course.
JEAN
Not of course. If somebody's not in-
terested in me I see straight through
them. Hey, stop looking at my hands.
I know they're awful.
GLEN
Why awful ?
JEAN
I do my own housework. That come S
from three dish washes a day and some -
times the sheets.
GLEN
Here you do housework?
JEAN
At home, I mean.
GLEN
Where's that ?
JEAN
Oh, It travel all the time, looking at
my face in different kinds of pools.
You're a part of that.
GLEN
Of what ?
JEAN
The tour of Narcissus.
GLEN
How ?


26. Contd.
JEAN
Well, you're one of the pools.
GLEN
JEAN
That's why you're here. Listen, I'm
sorry I jumped down your throat about
the cakes. I gues SS it must be a hum-
drum sort of life after the first few
time S - huh ?
GLEN
How do you mean' ?
JEAN
(with a laugh)
Okay, have it your own way! Well,
would you like to see the bedroom?
GLEN
(gulping down his
food)
Bedroom!
JEAN
Sure! Come on!
(she gets up)
I always like to show the guests the
house.
He follows her to the bedroom door.
JEAN (contd)
Come right in.
(as he hes sitates)
No, come on in.
This is a pleasant room. A large teddy bear sits on the pillows.
GLEN goe: S to the bed and sits down on it.
JEAN (contd)
When I look at that bed I get so excited
I don' 't know how to hold myself. Know
what I mean? Just curling up - being
alone and having a book in your hand?
Are you like that?
GLEN
Sometimes.
JEAN
I don't often meet people who feel the
way I do. Would you not look at me for
a moment ? Please.


26. Contd.
GLEN
(turning away)
I'm sorry. I didn't know I was.
JEAN
I just feel I can't do a thing with-
out you pinning on to it. I just
don't dare to move! Stay like that,
will you?
GLEN
Certainly.
Silence again establishes itself between them.
GLEN
(his head still
turned away)
May I go and get my wine, please?
JEAN
Why, S ure.
He goes next door to fetch his glass of wine and returns with it.
JEAN
(the moment he
sits down on her
bed again)
Listen, do you mind getting off my
bed?
GLEN
(jumping up)
Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you
didn't mind.
JEAN
No, I don't mean that.
(her eyes cast down)
I like you sitting on my bed. I'd -
(hesitating while
he stands there)
Couldn't you please sit on a chair?
(imploring him,
almost crying):
And please don't look ati me.
GLEN
(turning his
back on her)
I'm sorry. But there isn't a chair to
sit on.


26. Contd.
JEAN
Well, please get one from the other room.
GLEN goe: S next door and brings back a straight-backed chair. He
places it by the dressing table but with the precaution of placing it
towards the window so that his back is half-turned toward her.
GLEN
(not looking at her)
How's that for bearings?
JEAN
(as he sits down)
You're sitting So funny.
GLEN
JEAN
Well, is that how you usually sit in
company ? With your back turned ?
He turns to look at her, at once there is a cry.
JEAN (contd)
Please don't. Iasked you not to look
at me. It makes me feel like a cactus.
It's horrible. How did you get eyes like
that ?
GLEN
Nobody ever told me.
(as he faces the
curtain again)
JEAN
I didn't mean you to sit with your face
in the curtains - just don 't stare at me SO
fixed, that's all.
He turns round again, but this time takes the precaution of holding a
hand over his eyes.
JEAN (contd)
Okay, keep it that way.
(her eyes fixed on
his trousers again)
You're looking at me, aren't you ?
GLEN
Yes. Through my fingers.
JEAN
Well, don 't. That's a dirty trick. Boy,
am I undoing all my concepts of the
polite Englishman!


26. Contd.
GLEN
You should have had Palermo, he 'd have
given you a run for your money.
JEAN
I wish you'd leave my money out of it
this is your job and let's leave it at that!
Keep to the signed clauses at least.
GLEN
I'll try.
JEAN
That's good. Now talk. Go on.
GLEN
What about ?
JEAN
Anything.
GLEN
I can't think of anything.
JEAN
Talk about my body - say, it's big
here, thin there, that sort of thing.
GLEN
Ah, go to hell, I'm tired.
JEAN
Oh, that's really nice. Thanks for
a lovely evening.
GLEN
(changing hands
over his eyes)
But why should I - what's the point ?
JEAN
You see
(in a pathetic
little voice)
if I'm away from my husband and alone
all the time, I get no guarantee of any-
thing. I mean, I wanna know I exist!
GLEN
Of course you exist, otherwise you
wouldn't be here. Somebody who eats
cakes must exist.
JEAN
Listen, you just mention cakes again
that's all!


26. Contd.
GLEN
(with resignation)
Your face is thin, but your cheeks are
fatter. Your hips are quite nice. I
like your powerful shoulders, too.
(adding, half to
himself)
Among other things.
JEAN
Listen, I don't want praise, I want
a statement: just tell me what you see.
GLEN
Your feet stick out of your shoes.
JEAN
How's that ?
GLEN
They just do.
JEAN
I'm not objecting. I'm just asking.
Hey, are you looking again?
GLEN
Your shoes seem to pinch.
JEAN
They do. I'm vain about my feet.
You're dead right - I need a size
bigger but won 't admit it. Go on.
GLEN
I can't, if I can 't see you. I've got
nothing to work on.
JEAN
Okay, but don 't look at my face.
GLEN
(peeping again)
Your neck's nice and smooth.
JEAN
Cut out the 'nice'.
GLEN
But mostly hidden in a sweater.


26. Contd.
JEAN
I can't stand having my flesh
looked at, that's why. It makes me
sick to look at myself. I get the
sensation of spreading all over the
place. I wanna stop myself spread-
ing.
GLEN
You've a right to your feelings.
He stretches his hand out blindly to his glass and takes a gulp.
JEAN
(moving closer to him)
What I mean is - I want you to define
me, that's what would stop me
spreading. I only spread in my
mind.
GLEN
How - define?
So interested in this that he takes his hand down from his eyes
involuntarily.
JEAN
(at once)
Look out! :
GLEN's hand shoots back to his eyes at once.
JEAN
You see, I wanna feel I'm alone
when I'm not. I feel myself when
I'm all alone, and I'd like to feel
the same with other people.
Listen, do you think we can be
friends?
GLEN
(with a shrug)
We haven't known each other long
enough to say.
JEAN
But I'll keep you on contract. You
don't have to worry about that.
I'll double the fee, if you like.
GLEN
What fee?
JEAN
Okay, play it that way, if you want


26. Contd.
JEAN (contd)
to, but think it over. I've got to
have a stranger, you see, not a
friend.
GLEN
But, you just now said you wanted
me as a friend.
JEAN
Yes, but only as a stranger. I
mean, you know me alright, but
only like a stranger. I can't
pick one off the streets every
night and explain what I want to
each one, can I?
GLEN
No, you can't, very well.
JEAN
I wanna person but not So as I
feel his breath down my back,
if you get me. So, I'm free to
be strangers if you want to take
the chance.
GLEN
Well, thanks.
JEAN
I don't even wanna know your
name. You've told me what it
was but I don't remember, which
I do, but I'm forcing it out of my
mind. After all, that's why I
chose the chaise longue.
GLEN
What do you mean, exactly, by
chaise longue?
JEAN
That's it! That's it! That's well-
played. It's the kind of thing I want.
Boy, you learn fast. Don't under-
stand a thing I say, that's how I
want you to play it. But I'll just
say again, to get the practical details
fixed because you have your bread
and butter to consider, after all -
I'll sign you up for a couple of years
and double the fee if you like.
GLEN
I don't understand.


26. Contd.
JEAN
Thanks! Play it like that. You're
doing fine. I don't understand
either. Listen, I want you to take
your hand down soon. Remember
you're a stranger, stranger. And
I'll never know your name.
(after a silence)
I want you to stare at me rudely.
GLEN begins moving his hand.
JEAN
(at once)
Not now! When I tell you!
JEAN gets up and goes to the other side of the room. She lifts her
skirt high above her knees, holding it with both hands. Her eyes are
fixed on his legs as before.
JEAN (contd)
Alright. Stare away. There!
Like in the street.
GLEN
(still behind
his hand)
I don't stare rudely in the street.
JEAN
Go on! At my legs! Legs!
GLEN lowers his hand, and tries the best he can to stare rudely at
what he sees before him. After a time, having digested his stare with
an appearance of shocked horror, JEAN lowers her skirt again.
JEAN
Okay. Close your eyes again.
She sits down on the bed, panting a little.
JEAN
(in a whisper)
Now, do you think you can be a
mirror?
GLEN
How? A mirror?
JEAN
Just reflect everything I say and
do, like you was putty. Take your
hand down.
(as GLEN does so)
Right! Let's go.
She now smiles at him in an exaggerated way, her teeth sparking.


26. Contd.
JEAN
(urgently)
Smile back!
(as GLEN tries
to do so)
Right! Let's go from there.
JEAN now frowns at him. GLEN frowns too. She waves at him with
a little flutter of her fingers and he does the same. She stares at him
lewdly, and he returns it, which brings her to a great pitch of excite-
ment. There is a peculiar authority in everything she does.
JEAN
(like a college girl)
Hi, there! Hi!
GLEN
(involuntarily looking
round as if to see
someone)
Hi, there! Hi!
JEAN's eyes narrow malevolently and GLEN gives her a nasty look
back. She gazes at his mouth and frames her own into a kiss and he
gives her a kiss back, a fruity one with noise thrown in, a small
raspberry. She bares her teeth, rocks with laughter, makes several
wild kisses into the air, some of them what we call French, with her
tongue out.
GLEN follows it all feeling more and more her partner. But she
suddenly leans forward and gives him a smart smack round the face
which provokes him to a kind of lascivious anger which he, least of
anyone, expects. Before he realises what he is at, he has caught her
hand on the rebound and begun dragging her towards him; with one
heave he pulls her on to his knees, grabs her shoulders and, before
she has even grasped the new situation, is planting hot kisses all over
her cheeks and her neck.
The effect on her is SO drastic that at first she only stares before her
with rapt horror and cannot make a sound. But then she begins
screaming. She clings to him as if to achieve better screams. Then
her grip suddenly loosens and she goes with a mighty crash to the
floor so that the whole apartment shakes. Her panic-stricken screams
continue, as she remains on the floor a hand held up to her mouth,
her eyes closed. And through the screams there are incoherent
phrases.
JEAN
You - you touched me. Oh
oh - my dear sir, you touched
touched -
Tears begin to take the places of screams; they pour down her cheek,
in great, helpless cascades. Her finger points blindly to the door -
he is to get out, at once.


26. Contd.
GLEN
(pleading with her)
Please stop. Please.
But this has the effect of bringing the screams back, so he is quiet.
He jumps towards the door, he speeds through the sitting room, grabs
his overcoat in the hall, then he is out of the suite altogether.
CUT:
27. INT. HOTEL CORRIDOR. EVENING
GLEN is running away from JEAN's suite, alarmed and frightened.
Her screams can still be heard. He runs towards the lift. There is
commotion below. Someone is running up the stairs. GLEN, hearing
this, slows down to a calm walk, slips his overcoat on, smooths his
hair down, puts his hands in his pocket.
The HALL PORTER appears at the top of the stairsstolidly puffing.
GLEN
(as he passes
the FORTER)
PORTER
(hardly looking
at him)
You're telling me it's number twenty-
two. It always is.
CUT:
28. EXT. STREET. NIGHT
GLEN is walking in a Covent
GRIGG (VOICE OVER)
Garden sides street on his way
Somewhere in a sealed room at
back to PALERMO's office.
the end of deep windowless corri-
dors where great doors turn on
CUT:
wheels so thick that they resemble
the wheels of steam engines, sitt-
29. EXT. STREET. NIGHT
ing alone in the midst of devised and
noiseless iron and even looking
GLEN reaches the dark door
virginal with locks and seals is,
way. He sees with pleasure
the trigger itself which despite
that there is a light upstairs.
the corridor S and locks can be
He goes in.
reached in a moment, and when
pulled will turn all things in a
CUT:
flash to hell
30. INT. STAIRCASE. NIGHT
GLEN walks up the stairs.
He pushes open the office
door. From his P.V. we
see into the office, where


30. Contd.
PALERMO and LOUISE
GRIGG are sitting on the
desk fondling each other.
LOUISE sees GLEN and shrieks. She quickly pulls blouse back over
her shoulders. GLEN backs out again apologetically and hurries down
the dark stairs.
CUT:
31. INT. PALERMO'S OFFICE. MORNING
Hands on typewriter.
The CAM. PULLS BACK to find PAT typing feverishly. MURIEL
is absent.
GLEN strolls in.
GLEN
Hello, all.
PAT
(without looking
up from her type-
writer)
Look out, the tiger's gone wild.
GLEN stands there for a moment, perplexed, and then walks through
to the inner office.
PALERMO is half-lying in his chair, his eyes fixed on the doorway as
GLEN enters. His eyes are black with anger.
PALERMO
(at once)
Listen! IfI ask you to go out on a job
I expect you to do it properly. Get
that ? I specially said, No monkey
business, didn 't I?
GLEN
She's mad!
PALERMO
I don 't care what she is. A job's a
job, and unless you can learn that you
can fou le camp - and you know what
that means in English!
(giving him a sudden
shrewd look)
If this job of yours in Naples was SO
big, would you be over here licking
your chops when I give you two ten-
pound notes, then drooling over the
first woman you see ? You know where
her husband is, don 't you ?


31. Contd.
GLEN
In prison, she said.
PALERMO
That's right. And she put him there.
GLEN
What for?
PALERMO
Assault. Did you assault her too?
GLEN
Well, she started to
it's a bit
difficult to describe. I hardly did any -
thing, really - just took her on my knee.
PALERMO
(with immense
admiration, coming
closer to GLEN)
You took her on your knee! - Jean de
Lisle Swiburne! Do you realise that's
never been done before? Listen, you
and me are partners from now on. The
first thing I'm going to do is install you
upstairs. Come on! Come with me.
They leave the office. PALERMO talks as they go out on to the land -
ing.
PALERMO (contd)
Anyway, you be careful she doesn't
put you inside, too.
GLEN
Oh, I feel pretty safe about that.
PALERMO
Not by the way she talked this morning,
when she phoned Chaise Longue.
GLEN
(stopping again)
Look, what is Chaise Longue ?
PALERMO
It's a small company for chaperoning
lonely girls. We've got about a dozen
presentable young men on our lists, but
they were all out last night, working on
a busload of Australians.
GLEN
That isn 't true, is it?


31. Contd.
PALERMO
Why ?
(with a cynical lookl)
Are you shocked ?
GLEN
Well, you might have told me that
before I started.
PALERMO
I might. And you might have refused.
(winking at him)
She screamed at you, didn' 't she ?
GLEN
Yes.
PALERMO
She screamed at him, too, just before
she put him inside.
They have reached a door on the attic floor. PALERMO kicks it open.
Before them there is a long bare room with dirty curtainless windows,
and no carpets on the floor, nor a stick of furniture.
PALERMO (contd)
(as they walk in)
Well, how do you like it?l
GLEN
It doesn't seem very warm, does it?
PALERMO
Okay, so you don't want it.
GLEN
Yes, I do. I'll fix it up. I'll put
a fire in.
PALERMO
And get some furniture. You'll need
some furniture.
GLEN
What about the rent ?
PALERMO
You're the rent - your body, your
innocence, that's my rent, and by God
I'm going to see it's exorbitant, too.
I'm going to use you, Glen, you've got the
kind of touch I've been looking for all these
years. I've never had a p'artner who really
worked. To be really gentle and really
crooked, like you, that's the real McCoy.
GLEN stands staring at PALERMO as he clatters downstairs again.
After a time he follows him.
CUT:
32. INT. OFFICE. MORNING
PAT is still typing feverishly. GLEN stands in the doorway looking at her.
GLEN
Did he go out ?
PAT
(without looking up)
I think so.


Contd.
GLEN
You're alone, this morning.
PAT
Yes. Muriel took an overdose of
sleeping tablets. She's in hospital.
He's gone round to see her, but
they won't let him in.
GLEN
What?
PAT
Oh, she tried to cut her wrists
before. Nothing unusual.
She goes on typing while GLEN stares at her.
CUT:
INT. FURNITURE SHOP. MORNING
This is a second-hand furniture shop crammed with articles.
The door opens making the shop bell clang and GLEN comes in. He
begins looking round, searching among the wardrobes, mirrors and
chests of drawers for what he wants.
The SHOPKEEPER comes out of his cubby-hole; he has a wide flushed
face SO fat that his mouth seems to have spread from ear to ear into a
smile like the folds of his chin. Hei is in his shirt sleeves. He lays a
fat hand on one of the bedsteads.
SHOPKEEPER
(smartly)
Well, sir?
GLEN
I'd like a bed. Maybe a chest of
drawers, if you've got one.
Nothing grand. And perhaps a chair.
SHOPKEEPER
(leaning forward,
straining his ears)
What's that, please?
GLEN
(raising his voice)
A bed! And a chest of drawers.
Maybe a chair.
SHOPKEEPER
A bed .
(stroking his chin,
and giving GLEN
fat glances)
Oh blimey!


Contd.
GLEN
(pointing to an
ugly iron bedstead)
There's that. I could paint it white.
SHOPKEEPER
Now, a bed.
(moving heavily
between some dusty
trunks)
There's this.
(pointing into the
darkness to a divan)
GLEN
Yes, that's the idea.
SHOPKEEPER
You'll need a mattress.
GLEN
Have you got a second-hand one? ?
SHOPKEEPER
No, we don't do that any more,
mate. It's not hygienic, d'yer
follow me?
GLEN
I'll have to buy a new one, do
you think?
SHOPKEE PER
Well .
(smiling coyly)
I won't say you' 'll have to but you'd
be well advised to - I mean, with
thirteen million inhabitants our
hopping friends thrive, eh?
(making a silent
trembling laugh
with his hand over
his mouth)
GLEN
I only want it for a few weeks.
SHOPKEEPER
I see. I might be able to lay my
hands on one if it's only a few weeks.
GLEN
You mean - you want it back?
SHOPKEEPER
No, mate.


33. Contd.
SHOPKEEPER (contd)
(again his trembling
laugh)
That'd be good, eh? No, what I mean
is, if it don' 't have to be special, I can
suit you, I think. Yes, it won't be
this week, though.
GLEN
I need it today. I've got nowhere to
sleep.
SHOPKEEPER
(his mouth open)
You an actor?
GLEN
No. I'm here on business, and
everything's a rush.
SHOPKEEPER
I was going to say - I get actors.
Free tickets have come to me, that
way. They want bits and pieces for
their digs, and then they try to sell
them back. Being sympathetic to the
art, I give 'em a good price - more
than I can afford -
(with a wink)
GLEN
Can we get the mattress today?
SHOPKEEPER
We can try. I'll phone my dumb friend
in Nightingale Lane, and he might be
able to drive something over.
GLEN
Will it cost a lot?
SHOPKEEPER
I can do you a divan and mattress for
fifty quid, and that's more or less
letting it go for the fun of it.
GLEN
I can' 't afford fifty.
SHOPKEEPER
Well
(smiling, and running
his teeth over his
lower lip)
I might knock off a little bit, but it
won' 't be less than thirty.


33. Contd.
GLEN
What about twenty?
SHOPKEEPER
(laughing silently)
I'll tell you what - give me twenty five,
down now, and I'll deliver the lot by
four this afternoon.
GLEN
I can give you ten deposit.
SHOPKEEPER
(stopping)
And what about the rest?
GLEN
The firm'll pay.
SHOPKEEPER
Famous last words. Then it'll have
to be thirty, mate. I'm lenient with
individuals, but firms have no faces,
as I always say. Come in here.
GLEN follows him into a dim, tiny room, with a frosted glass window.
SHOPKEEPER (contd)
Alright,
(giving GLEN a little
nudge in the side)
let's see the colour of your money.
GLEN counts out ten pounds, on the table. The SHOPKEEPER writes
him a little receipt in a laborious scrawl, heaving for breath.
SHOPKEEPER (contd)
(quietly)
You smoke?
GLEN
SHOPKEEPER
(opening a small
envelope and showing
GLEN some dark,
fluffy stuff)
Not this?
(closing the envelope
quickly again and putting
it in the drawer)
You never know when clients want a
puff. It may be their hour of need.
(looking at the drawer
with strange yearning
eyes, almost feminine)


33. Contd.
SHOPKEEPER (contd)
Where you from = the North?
GLEN
No. From Italy.
SHOPKEEPER
(pausing and looking
back into the shop)
There's many must be in need in Italy,
mate.. Going back some time?
GLEN
Yes.
SHOPKEEPER
Write me down your address, mate.
(pushing a scrap of
paper towards him)
GLEN
Where - Italy, you mean?
SHOPKEEPER
No, here. You said you wanted a
bed, eh?
GLEN
Oh yes.
CUT:
34. INT. THE ATTIC ROOM. MORNING
This is the room above PALERMO's office.
GLEN pushes his way through the door with his suitcases and puts
them down. He stands looking round. He takes some paper tissues
out of his briefcase, and begins cleaning up the window.
There is a sound behind him. He turns. It is PAT, in the doorway.
PAT
Hello. There's a letter for you -
from Cambridge.
GLEN
For me ?
PAT
Yes. I ve got it downstairs.
GLEN
I'll come down.
CUT:


35. INT. SECRETARIAL OFFICE. MORNING
PAT comes in, followed by GLEN.
GLEN
I've cleaned myself right out, buying
furniture. I'm moving in upstairs.
PAT
Are you?
GLEN
Does he pay you on time?
PAT
Not if he can help it.
GLEN
(sitting down)
I wish I knew where I stood.
PAT
(going behind
her desk)
I shouldn't worry. I don' 't know where
I stand, nor does Muriel. That's why
she took an overdose. Wouldn't you try
and commit suicide if you loved a man
like Palermo?
GLEN
She loves him ?
PAT
(handing him the
envelope)
Here's the letter.
GLEN
If it's from Cambridge, it won 't be good
news.
He rips open the envelope and takes out the letter. A cheque is
clipped on to the letter.
PAT
(watching closely)
That's a cheque.
GLEN
I know. And it's for three hundred
pounds.
PAT
Well! and you complain about money!
Ibet he'd like to have cheques for three
hundred pounds every morning. I can
see you' 've got the touch. Who's it
from ?


35. Contd.
GLEN
Louise Grigg.
He gazes at the cheque and the letter, then he suddenly tears up both.
PAT
Hey! You shouldn 't do that! That's
good money!
He throws the scraps of paper into the waste -paper basket.
PAT (contd)
Now what did you do that for?
GLEN
It was dirty money, that's why.
PALERMO pushes open the door.
PALERMO
Oh, here you are. I've got a job for
you.
GLEN
Another one ?
PALERMO
Why - have you come into some money?
PAT
(at once)
Yes, as a matter of fact he has. But
then he came out of it again. He tore
up a cheque for three hundred pounds.
PALERMO stares down at GLEN. He has gone quite pale.
PALERMO
You did what, Glen? You tore up a
cheque? Never do that! Glen, you
must never do that again. Never
tear up cheques.
PAT
He said it was dirty money.
PALERMO
But, Glen, all money's dirty. Didn't
you know that?
GLEN
It was from Louise Grigg. Money for
seeing you and her on that desk together.
PALERMO
She wants to pay you for giving me
pleasure? She must be mad! The


35. Contd.
PALERMO (contd)
difference between you and me, Glen,
is that when a woman wants to give me
pleasure, I take it. I'm ashamed of you,
Glen. I'll get her to write you another
one.
GLEN
How's Muriel, by the way?
PALERMO
Oh, she always does this at the end of
a heavy week - Thursday or Friday.
I can always tell when it's coming.
She's all right. She's having a rest.
PAT
That's a good way of putting it.
GLEN
What's the job, then ?
PALERMO
Another visit to Cambridge.
GLEN
Not to Professor Grigg?
PALERMO
He's invited you up for a party, tonight.
GLEN
Invited me ? H3 wants to cut my
throat, and yours, I should imagine.
PALERMO
No, Glen. I arranged it. Well, she
did - Louise. You see, I've got
rather deep with that girl. As you
saw last night. The position is this:
I want her old man to come inside and
feel warm. I mean, you could grease
the rusty joints and make a friend of
him. I can see you're good at that.
You don't succeed with women, but you
might with men.
GLEN
And how do I explain the newspaper
story?
PALERMO
You don't. And you 'll get three hundred
pounds out of it.


35. Contd.
GLEN
I don' 't want it.
PALERMO
You 'll get it, just the same. Dark suit
begins at eight . arrive at nine.
Ad I want a good report tomorrow
morning.
He leaves the office.
CUT:
36. EXT. CAMBRIDGE. NIGHT
A taxi is speeding along King's Parade, Cambridge.
CUT:
37. INT. THE TAXI. NIGHT
From GLEN's P.V. the colleges along King's Parade - Peterhouse,
St. Catherine's, King's.
CUT:
38. INT. GRIGG 'S FRONT DOOR. NIGHT
OPEN on the door bell. GLEN presses the button. We PULL BACK
as the door is opened by LOUISE GRIGG. She is in a transparent
dress, low at the neck, sleeves high.
LOUISE
Well, look who's here!
Her smile gives way to the faintest of twitches as they shake hands
and she walks into the apartment. Beyond there is the faint hum of
talk.
CUT:
39. INT. GRIGG 'S AP ARTMEN? T. NIGHT
GLEN and LOUISE walk from the front door.
LOUISE
Like to hang your coat, Glen?
GLEN
Thanks.
She takes him to a cloakroom. Its walls bulge with furs and expensive
overcoats.
LOUISE
(as GLEN takes
off his coat)
Just stroll into the lounge when


Contd.
LOUISE (contd)
you're ready, and if you find a guy
with white gloves - why, he'll give
you a drink.
She walks abruptly away.
GLEN glances at himself in the mirror, then walks after her, none
too certain of himself.
CUT:
INT. LOUNGE. NIGHT
The lounge is crowded with well-dressed GUESTS. There are
gleaming-white collars. Several heads are all but shaved. And there
is long male hair too. There is a gaunt middle-aged MAN in military
uniform.
A WAITER co.mes round with a tray of drinks making a slight old-
world bow every time a GUEST takes a glass.
GLEN is not introduced to anyone. LOUISE has disappeared and GRIGG
himself is not to be seen. GLEN takes a drink. One of the GUESTS
laughs, lifting his chin, an easy laugh in great contrast to GLEN's
situation.
The ARMY MAN slips on to the sofa at a pretty woman's side, with
a glance round him as if he were doing wrong. One of the other
pretty WOMEN moves about with a tray of dainty canapés; her dress
is the darkest in the room, with a Vee-neck and flounced sleeves.
Her hair is dark too, and in the relative dimness of the room it frames
her pale face like black satin. Her name is MYRA.
MYRA
(to GLEN)
Are you English?
GLEN
Yes.
MYRA
I'm in the rag trade. What are
you? Forgive me asking. I know
it's rotten form and all that, but
I have to single you out from the
nuclear nuts.
GLEN
Why? Are all these people nuclear
nuts?
MYRA
(blinking at
him as if they
had not spoken
before)
You said something about these
people being nuts?


Contd.
GLEN
Defence, I thought you meant.
MYRA
(leaning towards
him, screwing
up her eyes)
Pardon me?
GLEN
Defence?
MYRA
What about it?
GLEN
Are the other guests in it - most
of them, did you say?
MYRA
(pointing across
the room)
That's my husband.
GLEN
Is he one of them?
MYRA
One of the guests - sure. He's in
textiles.
GLEN
That's better than destruction.
MYRA
You never told me what you do.
GLEN
I grow wine, near Naples.
MYRA
You what?
GLEN
I grow wine.
MYRA
Well, listen to that! You got any
over here?
GLEN
MYRA
Well, listen to that! You ought
to connect up with my husband.


Contd.
GLEN
Why?
MYRA
(with a silent laugh,
showing perfect teeth)
He's trying to expand his Italian
market.
She winks at him, and walks away.
From GLEN's P.V. we see across the room to a flushed, plump
Englishman. This is CHARLES DORNELLING. He has fat gills from
more drink than he can comfortably take. He is roaring with laughter
at this moment.
DORNELLING
I couldn't agree more! I absolutely
couldn't!
LOUISE has reappeared and is bending down to take her drink from the
low table near the hearth. She shows mighty bosoms, and MYRA makes
a mock goggling movement towards them. They chuckle together like
college mates.
MYRA
(to LOUISE)
He's in wine. Now isn't that
something?
LOUISE
(looking bleak
for a moment)
Oh, is that what he told you?
GLEN
(to LOUISE)
A side you don't know about.
LOUISE
(with a glance
at her friend)
Oh, there's a whole lot I don't
know about you, I dare say. Well,
well, you're in wine now, are you?
Well!
(giving her friend
a pert look)
GLEN
That's right.
MYRA
In Italy. Listen, Louise, why don't
you take a seat? You'll start a riot
bending down like that.
They chuckle again together.
LOUISE
No, thanks, honey. I'll see to the
other guests. They're arriving fast -
in fact, they're cascading in.
GLEN
Where's Jeff?


40. Contd.
LOUISE
(as if another
word from him I
will be the last
straw)
He's on a plane - coming from Paris.
GLEN
Oh, he's coming?
LOUISE
That's right.
(fixing him
with her eyes)
And I hope you get on together.
Hear that, Glen? I hope you
get on.
GLEN
So do I.
LOUISE
Well, that's fine.
(really smiling
at him for the
first time)
Again we see the Englishman, CHARLES DORNELLING, from
GLEN's P.V.
DORNELLING is in a talkative group of people which includes a hippy.
He keeps glancing at the hippy whilst he talks, rather gingerly, then
at the other guests, as if getting permission from them to treat the
hippy seriously. We cannot hear what he says above the mounting
noise from the other guests.
MYRA has gone away.
The WAITER begins to lose his benign look and his old-world bow as
the orders for a gin and fizz or a highball or a Manhattan grow rougher.
The ARMY MAN has increased his public, and is talking with a bright
gleam in his eye, his lips pursed slightly, as if hammering something
home with a fine steel hammer.
MYRA appears again, silent as before. She sways, ever so slightly.
LOUISE walks past her and mutters something to her under her breath,
screwing her mouth up strangely to do so.
MYRA's eyes turn slowly and rest on GLEN. She walks slowly to his
side and almost pulls him down on to the settee.
MYRA
Lou tells me you're a liar.


40. Contd.
GLEN
How's that?
LOUISE
She says as for growing wine in
Italy - you don't know a grape from
a blackberry.
From GLEN's P.V. GRIGG suddenly fills up the doorway. There is a
great welcoming boom, male and female, from the guests, and
'Hi, Jeff!' with 'Hello, there!' and 'How's it go, boy?' He waves and
gives a prolonged creased smile.
GLI EN is beginning to feel hot, sweat begins to show on his brow since
he and MYRA are facing the huge log fire. He takes out a handkerchief.
The ARMY MAN passes on his way out.
ARMY MAN
Well, Myra, I guess I'd better git.
MYRA
(looking up with
mocking curiosity)
A council of war?
ARMY MAN
A date, as a matter of fact.
MYRA
You exciting fella!
(turning to GLEN
again after the
ARMY MAN has
gone)
That man has orders to gas all
wine growers in Europe in the
event of a nuclear catastrophe,
did you know that?
(with a laugh)
One of the lights goes out.
GLEN looks up and round, but nobody else seems to bother.
MYRA slips off her shoes.
MYRA
Here we go!
GLEN
Go where?
She makes no reply to this, but gazes in front of her towards the log
fire.


Contd.
A couple drift over and after saying 'Hi!' quietly to her, sit down
without a further word.
All at once GRIGG is behind GLEN, his great hand on GLEN's
shoulder.
GRIGG
Mind stepping outside a moment, Glen?
GLEN
(looking up
with surprise)
Oh! Why, certainly.
GLEN gets up and follows GRIGG into the hall.
CUT:
INT. THE HALL. NIGHT
GRIGG and GLEN sit down in a corner of the hall where a coffee
table and armchairs have been set.
GRIGG
(putting his face
close to GLEN's,
across the table)
I'll tell you something, Glen.. You 're
in my house because of your blabber-
mouth. You don 't mind me saying that?
GLEN
GRIGG
You were born with it, Glen, and you
know how to use it. But try and publish
the details of this party and, oh boy.
(laughing and
sitting back SO
suddenly that the
chair seems to
crack)
GRIGG stretches and yawns.
LOUISE comes over with a small tray, and sets two drinks down for
them.
LOUISE
Wake up, Dad, it's milking time!
She goes off again. We hear her voice in the other room.
LOUISE (VOICE OVER)
Well, doesn 't this look cosy.


Contd.
GRIGG puts out a blind hand for his drink and more or less drains it
in one gulp.
GLEN
How did they like the lectures over
there?
GRIGG
They just goggled! Chromosome
damage, alpha radiation, C.N.S.
they know nothing, they can't tell the
difference between 15 megatons and
a lighted match.
GLEN
What's C.N.S. mean?
GRIGG
You lose control over your limbs,
Glen. You get very excited, you have
difficulty breathing, you sort of black-
out now and then, and you're dead in,
say, eight to ten hours. That's C.N.S.
- central nervous system syndrome. I
gave a quickie on vaporation.
GLEN
What's vaporation?
GRIGG
Effect of the fire bomb. Everything gets
evaporated - buildings, people. Nothing
left, not even ruins.
The noise becomes greater from the lounge. DORNELLING's laugh
is heard. The ARMY MAN comes into the hall area.
GRIGG (contd)
(nodding towards
the ARMY MAN)
That guy is what you might call one of
our kept gentlemen. He collects antiques.
GLEN
Who ?
From his P.V. we see the ARMY MAN leaving the apartment after
shaking hands with LOUISE GRIGG.
GRIGG
The general. We like to get rid of him
and the butler early. It's his butler, by
the way. And he don't buy wine in a
shop, not Chester. He owns a vineyard.
Hey, that was a great gag of yours, Glen,
saying you grew wine. Louise told me all
about it.
(laughing pleasantly
and huskily)


Contd.
GLEN
It's true.
GRIGG
(consolingly)
Yeah!
(laying his hand
on GLEN's)
I guess we're both a couple of poor
hicks when you get down to it. You 're
a hired shyster and SO am I. Listen,
when you look round and think to your-
self what kind of a world we've got -
the crowds and the stink of automobiles
and the whole phoney racket. Now, is
it worth preserving' ? Wouldn't a damned
good blast clear the air a bit? Wouldn't
it be a real decent apology to God? Can
you say what a nice place the earth is?
(as GLEN hesitates)
There! You couldn 't say Yes, right on
the dot, because though you want to tell
me Yes you don 't mean Yes, you don't
register Yes right deep down, and that's
what I mean, Glen, we need the power to
blow the whole damn lot to pieces!
(getting up)
Take the waistcoat off. You 'll fry.
(waiting for
GLEN to do so)
Come on.
GLEN gets up and takes his waistcoat off. He notices a Madonna set
into the wall.
GRIGG (contd)
You never know!
(taking out hangers
and draping the
coats on them)
People start sprawling about in the early
hours, and a fur can get in a real mess.
GLEN sees a Madonnina on the wall, with a little red light under it.
He stops, surprised at this sudden little piece of Italy.
GLEN
You Catholic?
GRIGG
I am. And You?
GLEN
(as GLEN hesitates
to say anything
You don 't seem sure about all the
things you should be.


Contd.
GRIGG leaves with GLEN's waistcoat.
GRIGG
Park your arse again! I'll get more
fuel!
GLEN dabs his brow. A C.U. of him shows him looking down the
hall with astonishment.
FROM HIS P.V. we see the Englishman DORNELLING coming out of
the lounge and crossing the hall to the lavatory. GRIGG passes him
on the way back with fresh drinks.
GRIGG
How does it go, Charles boy?
DORNELLING
Couldn't be better, Jeff.
GRIGG puts the drinks down on the table.
GLEN
Was that chap in his socks?
GRIGG
Could be. He's the guy who owns
this apartment. Charlie Dornelling.
(pushing GLEN's
drink across to him)
Here, pour this down, foul mouth.
GLEN
IS he English?
GRIGG
(after gulping down
some liquid)
That's right. Defence.
(with a menacing
look)
A damned good friend of mine too.
GLEN
But where does he come in - Imean,
about lectures on hell?
GRIGG
Let's say I need his co-operation.
GLEN
What - as a lecturer?


Contd.
GRIGG
(with a grim
smile)
Listen, I don 't know if this interview
is your editor's concoction or not.
I know he was enrolled in the
Communist Party for eight years,
but you could get your hands burned,
boy, and I wouldn't like that.
GLEN
I haven 't got an editor.
GRIGG
We' 've got a dossier on him that thick.
(indicating the
width of his glass)
GLEN
Who's we?
GRIGG
(staring before
him glumly)
I guess I'm drunk, now, too. When-
ever I try to sound like the FBI it
means I'm drunk.
GLEN
(raising his glass
towards him)
Here's to hell!
GRIGG raises himself up slowly.
GRIGG
I guess I'd better put the heating up.
GLEN
Up? You mean down!
GRIGG
You've still got your shoes on.
GRIGG moves away heavily towards the bar.
GLEN
(calling after
him)
Why not?
GRIGG
Take 'em off! Everybody else has.
Rule of the game.


Contd.
GLEN's face registers surprise. He begins trying to take off his
shoes. He makes several efforts humming softly.
At this moment LOUISE slips past him in stockinged feet towards
the bedroom. As she does so, she drapes something over GLEN's
bowed head. It makes him jump. (He is still aiming at his shoes)
GLEN
What the hell's that?
Ho puts his hand up and draws the object off his head. It is a white
bra. He laughs, and LOUISE makes a pale smile towards him.
LOUISE
You can keep it as a memento. I'm
glad you're making out with Jeff.
GLEN
Whose is it?
At this moment GRIGG comes from the bar with two new drinks.
GRIGG
Looks like my wife's.
GRIGG puts the drinks down, and then hands GLEN a tiny object on
a string.
GLEN
(blearily)
You two keep handing me things.
He looks at the object and finds that it is a disc with number 49 on it.
GLEN (contd)
What's this for?
GRIGG
That's your number tag.
GLEN
I see.
GRIGG
You 'll find your sack in the cloak-
room.
GLEN
My sack?


Contd.
GRIGG
(sitting down heavily and
scowling sideways at him)
Sack! Sack!
(taking a quick
gulp of whisky)
GLEN has given up work on his shoes; they remain on his feet. He
returns to his drink and takes a sip.
More noise comes from the lounge and another of the GUESTS goes to
the lavatory, like DORNELLING, shoeless. He has no jacket on, nor
does he have a shirt, just a short-sleeved white undershirt with a
round neck. GLEN gazes at him blearily.
GRIGG
(calling out)
How you making out, Vance?
(VANCE simply
waves a hand
and goes on)
GLEN
What do I need a sack for?
GRIGG
Oh, can it, Glen, you know the rules
as well as I do.
GLEN
You actually put the heating up?
GRIGG
(with a yawn)
I actually did. You know, I like you,
you' 're such a damned crook I'm not sure
you haven't made hell your home as tho-
roughly as I have. Here, come on, we're
behind. Come on.
He puts a hand on GLEN's shoulder, and leads him down the hall to
the cloakroom, where there are not only coats and furs on hooks but
white canvas sacks hanging side by side, each with a number tag like
the one GRIGG gave to GLEN.
GRIGG stands in the doorway peering at the numbers, his long hunched
back blocking the light.
GRIGG
(turning)
Gimme your shoes.
GLEN
I still got 'em on . I can't get 'em off.
GRIGG
Here, dammit. Can you read the
number? I need my glasses.
GLEN
(swaying forward)
Whata they for?


Contd.
GLEN (contd)
(as GRIGG looks
at him impatiently)
This one's . 37.
GRIGG
I'm in the twennies. Whatta you ?
GLEN
(pulling out his tag)
Forty-nine.
GRIGG
Well, you're up there - close to the
door. Well,
(taking down his sack,
and peering into it)
sonova abitch if somebody hasn' 't put his
shoes in mine. That kinda thing takes
the whole night to work out, and my
experience is, it's like a running sore.
GLEN
(with appeal in
his voice)
What's it for?
GRIGG
Aw, come on, Glen, chuck yer boots
in and let's have yer shirt.
GLEN
My shirt?
GRIGG
Like this, crumb.
GRIGG takes off his shirt. After sweeping the strange shoes out on to
the floor, and putting his own in, he carefully folds his shirt and puts
it in the sack.
GLEN
You 've already got my waistcoat.
GRIGG
You mean - vest.
GLEN
I got my vest on.
GRIGG
(staring at him,
drunkenly)
Like hell, you have. You're in yer shirt-
sleeves, two-timer. Do you have to lie
about everything?
(making a leering
smile and swaying
perilously)
GLEN
I gotta vest under my shirt!


Contd.
GRIGG
Yeah, and Igot an overcoatunder my pants.
They both startl laughing and at this moment LOUISE comes across the
hall.
LOUISE
Well, isn't this nice! I never thought
I'd see the day when you two 'd be club
pals.
GRIGG
(in a throaty voice,
and with unexpected
intimacy)
Come in, honey. These Britishers insist
on calling their vests waistcoats, and he
starts telling me he's wearing his waist-
coat under his shirt, believe it or not.
LOUISE
You're drunk.
(coming further into
the cloakroom)
Come on, Joff, they're screaming for us.
GRIGG
Okay, okay. I can' 't be rushed. I don't
even know how to stand, honest, Lou.
To GLEN's astonishment LOUISE begins unbuttoning her dress and
slipping out of it. She folds it carefully and looks around.
LOUISE
(half to herself)
Now what number am I? Is it 21? No,
I think it's 23.
She slips her dress into the No. 23 sack, and then takes her petticoat
off. She is suddenly naked except for stockings and girdle.
GLEN stares at her with an idiotic smile. She folds her petticoat
carefully and puts it in the sack.
LOUISE
(to GLEN)
Come on, you 're behind.
GRIGG
(in the act of taking
his trousers off)
Seems to me, Lou, nobody briefed this
guy, else he's playing dumb.
LOUISE begins loosening her stockings from the girdle. She gives
GLEN a quick glance.
LOUISE
(to GRIGG)
He 'll be telling us this is his first one,
next.


41. Contd.
GLEN
First what?
LOUISE
There! Listen to him!
GRIGG
(chuckling and
folding his
trousers care-
fully)
I reckon he's smarter than his
boss.
LOUISE
That's what his boss says, too.
GRIGG
(in a snarling
voice)
Well, you ought to know.
GRIGG is down to a pair of underpants now, and GLEN goes on smiling
at him.
GLEN
Am I supposed to do this, too?
LOUISE
(as she passes
him on the way
to the door)
Well, you're going to look like a
misfit if you don't.
GRIGG follows her out, naked, too. GLEN stares after them.
CUT:
42. INT. THE LOUNGE. NIGHT
The lights have been turned down, and the big room is crowded with
naked and half-naked forms. Music is switched on.
There are people sprawled on settees, on cushions on the floor,
DORNELLING is down to his undershirt. Most of the other MEN are
the same. ONE MAN has taken his trousers off, but still keeps his
shirt on, his underpants gleam white on the floor. The WOMEN are
in all states - some have pulled their dressed down to their waists,
others have simply taken off their shoes and stockings.
GLEN enters from the hall in his shirt-sleeves, shoeless. He stares
from one per rson to the other. It all seems quite a normal activity
to most of the others. They even show little or no physical interest
in each other.


42. Contd.
GLEN takes a seat on the floor, as far from the blazing fire as he can
get.
A sigh goes up from everyone as LOU and GRIGG appear, They begin
to dance together in a peculiar way that seems to be accepted by every-
one else.
All this is a montage of SHOTS which concentrates on faces, hands,
legs rather than overall nudity. It should avoid direct erotic suggestion.
DORNELLING is leaning against one of the WOMEN, who smiles broad
and delighted.
The dim light and the flickering flames make GRIGG look rough and odd
in silhouette.
Their first movements are rather like conventional ballroom movements,
but then they touch each other lightly with onehand, half-turned towards
the audience, which makes encouraging remarks, such as 'Turn right
round there!' and 'Attaboy, let's see that hip, Jefferson!' and
"Oh, Lou, you're pointing right at me', and, "Wow! it's hurting me'.
And, from one of the MEN, urgently, 'Git! GitJeff!
A C.U. of this MAN from GLEN's P.V. .shows his face fascinated and
gentle; now and then LOU makes a slight jump in her dance and there
is an appreciative groan from the MEN. The smack of their hands
against each others hips can be heard.
GRIGG
(out of breath,
as he dances)
Come and join us, folks!
The first MAN gets up to join them, tall and spare. He leaves his
trousers behind as he walks towards the hearth.
Then a WOMAN does the same leaving her skirt behind. GLEN
notices that a MAN at his side is still in his shirt and shoes.
GLEN
(to his neighbour)
You're behind.
NEIGHBOUR
(looking at him
slowly and
yawning)
I guessI'm off the game tonight.
The MAN who has joined GRIGG and LOU is taller than either of them,
and they dance together.
The two men have an accidental grace; they dance on their toes around
LOU, or rather walk and trot round her, making feminine movements
though they only seem feminine because they are graceful.


Contd.
The other WOMAN dances with them,
GRIGG (VOICE OVER)
and they are now four, the two men
I see human creatures as
dancing round the two women.
naked
We're naked
because the world doesn't
The music is soft and haunting.
want us any more
Old
grandad History is dead!
In front of GLEN from his P.V. a rather ELDERLY WOMAN with bare
shoulders shows her bracelet to her neighbour and says, distinctly:
ELDERLY WOMAN
That ain 't going in the sack!
The FOUR DANCERS beckon to others on the floor to join them.
DORNELLING stands up and jettisons his trousers; his white skin is
very white and contrasts greatly with the pink flush of his face. His
legs appear under-exercised. He threads his way among the sitters
with some applause from them. He joins the DANCERS, rather
grotesque and without the slightest sense of rhythm.
A MAN behind them looks at his neighbour with surprise, when she
takes off her blouse and drapes it over his head. He stays that way.
The dancing now begins to become general.
One of the WOMEN calmly lets her plaited hair down to her waist, and
she whirls round.
MYRA joins the DANCERS without a word, looking rather like a girl
in her nakedness. She sways about with her eyes closed.
CUT:
INT. THE HALL. NIGHT
There is a queue outside the cloakroom. GLEN is the last in the
queue. The GIRL in front of him takes off her dress, but has difficulty
with her bra. GLEN helps her politely from behind, and she turns to
smile. .her thanks as the queue moves on.
One tall MAN in the queue is smoking a cigar and tilting it up from his
mouth so as to avoid naked flesh. Now and then a vast cloud of smoke
emerges from him.
The man with the uptilted cigar (SHEPHERD) calls out to another man
(VANCE) further down the line.
SHEPHERD
Why hello, Vance. Weekend run?
VANCE
On the way to Germany, Shepherd.
Just stopping off. How's the kids?


Contd.
SHEPHERD
Pain in the neck.
(with a scowl and
a huge cloud of
cigar smoke
towards the ceiling)
CHARLES DORNELLING is standing with the GREY-HAIRED WOMAN
of the bracelet. They are chattering and joking together in a social
way as if they were fully clothed.
MYRA is going from one person to another touching them lightly on the
shoulder, the buttocks, the stomach, a faint smile on her face, her
eyes half-closed.
INT. CLOAKROOM. NIGHT
GLEN is putting his clothes in a sack. He starts when he feels a hand
on his shoulder. It is LOUISE.
LOUISE
Come and sit down.
(leading him away)
Well, how do you like the party?
GLEN
Fine!
They go towards the chairs which he and GRIGG occupied earlier.
They sit down and GLEN waits for her to speak.
LOUISE
(peering into his
eyes and speaking
in a hushed voice)
Is it true you work for a male chaperone
outfit, Glen?
GLEN
Well, I didn't know what it was. There
was this mad woman.
LOUISE
(gripping him SO
hard that he screws
his face up with pain)
She's not mad, Glen. I'd say she was
about one of the most quietly gifted
people I've met in a long time.
GLEN
Jean de Lisle Swiburne?! Do you
know her?
LOUISE
Why, certainly.
GLEN
But she's mad.


Contd.
LOUISE
And she says you're bad. No, Glen, your
smears just don 't stick. There's some
truth in the world, and I think the truth
wins out in the end.
(patting his naked knee)
That'll be to your advantage later on
because you won 't be able to live on
smears all your life. There's not one
card the Devil ever offered you that you
haven' 't played, is there? I realise, by
the way, that you procured me forJohn
Palermo. You were dead right -my legs
went weak the minute I clapped eyes on that
man.
GLEN
I can't tell when your legs are going to go
weak!
LOUISE
That's jus st what I think you can do. I don't
know what itis, Glen, perhaps it's some-
thing old and ancient in you that we Ameri-
cans are too damned innocent to fathom.
One look at you tells anybody with the
smallest judgement that you're none of these
things - not a smear reporter or a procurer
or even a male whore!
(as GLEN looks
at her hopefully)
You're playing, playing all the time. Big
stakes, too. Frankly, you scare me - not
because you look scary, but because you
don't. I feel exactly like that girl de
Lisle Swiburne. We talked about you for
a couple of hours, Jean and I.
GLEN
You did?
LOUISE
She wondered if you had a feeling in your
body. She said you seemed in your
seventh heaven just mocking and pulling
somebody down all the time. You had
her crying out for mercy, she said. Now,
women are easy to pull down, Glen, don't
you realise that?
(taking his hand
in hers and to his
surprise putting
it on her leg)
There! I don 't know if you ever really
and truly experienced a woman, but it's
the only thing that could do you good.


Contd.
LOUISE (contd)
I just don 't believe a man can give
up being good. For one thing, my
religion doesn't allow me to.
GLEN
Nor does mine.
LOUISE
(at once, quickly
and fiercely)
God in heaven! You're not
Catholic, are you?
(as he hesitates)
Glen, go and find a priest. I
can take you round to our little
church in the morning. Take
Communion.
(as GLEN gives
her a puzzled
look)
I mean, don't you ever ?
GLEN
Ever what?
LOUISE
Confess.
GLEN
To a priest ? I haven't done.
LOUISE
Darling, you look miserable.
(suddenly giving
him a kiss on the
lips)
I'm not going to let you be damned.
Jeff even wouldn 't want me to.
GLEN
(speaking through
the kisses)
God's the judge of that.
LOUISE
You think we've got no power at
all? I'll show you that isn 't true.
I might save you. I'm weak and stupid,
but I could have a try.
CUT:


INT. KITCHEN. NIGHT
The kitchen is empty save for GLEN and LOUISE.
They are both naked still.
LOUISE stands gazing at him, close to him, bent forward. She
begins whispering.
LOUISE
You refused the cheque, didn 't
you?
GLEN
Yes.
LOUISE
At the same time she kisses him on the lips again, but GLEN starts
falling asleep.
GLEN
(his eyes closed)
I'm not used to late nights.
LOUISE
(gently)
Did you want more - more money?
Four hundred?
She lowers herself on to him with her legs astride, her arms round
his neck, face to face with him, on the same chair.
LOUISE (contd)
Four hundred and fifty?
(kissing him)
Five hundred?
(kissing him
again)
Five-fifty? Six hundred?
GLEN
(still half-
gripped in
sleep)
I'm not interested in cash.


Contd.
LOUISE
I'm gonna soften you. You can 't be
hard all the way through.
LOUISE - kissing him fiercely and moving to and fro while he sits
there slumped and passive underneath her.
LOUISE (contd)
Is that your trouble, Glen?
(putting one of
her hands down)
GLEN
What are you talking about?
LOUISE
Are you impotent? I won' 't give up
though!
GLEN's sleepiness disappears rather quickly. He begins to respond
to her with kisses and to play his part in the rising and falling motion.
The chair begins to move.
C.U. of the chair leg demonstrates this.
Then suddenly the door is pushed open with terrific force.
GLEN's eyes happen to be closed and he keeps them closed in sheer
fright. It is GRIGG standing in the doorway.
GRIGG
Comfortable ?
GLEN opens his eyes.
GRIGG sways in the doorway, glowering across at them. LOUISE
does not move, only turns round to speak to him.
LOUISE
(in a level voice)
Now, Jeff! Take it easy!
GRIGG
(quietly)
Am I too early? Or too late ?


Contd.
LOUISE raises herself from GLEN, slowly, keeping her eyes on
GRIGG.
GRIGG inspects GLEN's body with a dry pair of eyes.
GRIGG
Too late, it seems.
(to LOUISE)
Congratulations.
LOUISE
(like a high-
school girl)
Ih haven't done anything!
GRIGG still looks down at GLEN, his teeth shut tight, and slowly he
come S into the kitchen. He does not trouble to close the door.
GRIGG
(to LOUISE)
I knew it was one or the other
- either him or Palermo. Tell
you the truth, I thought this one
was too damned normal for your
taste.
(standing directly
in front of GLEN)
Know what I'd like to do to you?
I'd like to put your head in dark-
ness, and that's exactly what I'm
gonna do.
LOUISE
Now, Jeff!
He turns towards one of the kitchen shelves and on tiptoe takes down
a vast iron saucepan of the old fashioned type. It is so heavy that
he can hardly carry it alone.
GLEN jumps up, terrified.
GRIGG advances on him with the saucepan in his hand, his lips pursed
into a disgusted horse-shoe. Suddenly he places the saucepan deftly
over GLEN's head so that in a moment GLEN is truly in darkness
with the iron rim resting on his shoulder blades, and GRIGG now
presses him towards his chair and makes him sit down under the
weight of the saucepan.
LOUISE
Jeff!
GRIGG pushes harder and harder.
GLEN bows under the weight, doubled under it, and then manages
to slip himself off the chair on to the floor.


Contd.
GRIGG
(pressing down
with the handle)
Sonovabitch! Dirty, low-down,
two-timing male whore!
GLEN
(from inside the
saucepan as he
slips all over the
floor under its weight)
Now, look, Jeff!
His voice booms across the room.
GRIGG
Sonovabitch! Low-down crumb!
He goes on pressing.
GLEN has found a way of pressing up with his arms So as to prevent
his body being pushed down completely on the floor. But he finds
himself being slowly manoeuvred across the room, pushed and
dragged in a to-and-fro motion which since he cannot predict he is
always surprised by. Gradually GRIGG gets him towards the door.
VANCE appears from the hall.
VANCE
Anything wrong, in here?
GRIGG
(out of breath)
Sonovabitch here getting rough.
Help me pitch him out of doors,
Vance. The only thing that'll cool
him off.
Hearing that he is to be pitched in this state out of doors, GLEN
begins shouting incoherently inside the saucepan and hitting out
with his legs, but he now has two men on him.
The other guests are interested but do not come to his rescue.
GLEN's feet catch VANCE on the leg with a smack and VANCE draws
his breath in quickly with pain.
VANCE
Sonovabitch! Right on my
varicose veins. Sonovabitch!
And this brings a second helper to GRIGG. The three of them drag
and push at GLEN, GRIGG uses the saucepan handle as a man use: S
the shaft of a cart, while the other gue st grips him round the middle,
So that GLEN slides and bounces his way across the floor of the hall
towards the main door. The soft carpet gives him more levering
power and the three men have to pull all the harder, puffing and
groaning as they get him to the front door.


Contd.
GRIGG manages to pull the door open, and in a moment they have
him in one great heave outside and the door is pushed to.
CUT:
INT. THE STAIRCASE. NIGHT
GLEN is pitched out of GRIGG's door with the saucepan on his head.
He clatters into a heap as the door slams behind him. His first act
is to wrench the saucepan off his head and throw it to the ground with
a great clang. Here it is desperately cold for a man without his
clothes. He jumps, beats his arms about, he runs up and down,
he searches for something to put round himself, he hammers at the
door, he shouts:
GLEN
Grigg! Louise! Open up!
But it is too cold to stand hammering at the door for long.
He rings at the bell again and again, and then begins racing up and
down the stairs, to keep warm. He takes two steps at a time coming
up and one going down. He has his fists clenched like an athlete as
he runs. When he is warm enough he returns to the door, presses the
bell, hammers with the palm of his hand, shouts out again:
GLEN
Open the door! I'm naked! Open
the door!
He takes to running desperately up and down the stairs again.
Once more he searches for something to put round his body. He
is getting close to panic. He succeeds in pulling up a foot or two
of carpet but the rest will not come away. He hammers at the door,
rings again, but nothing happens. His teeth begin chattering. He
jumps up and down. He kicks against the door hoping to push it down,
shrieking at the top of his voice.
GLEN
Louise! Louise! Let me in!
But still nothing happens. He begins to give up. He gives way to the
cold. He goes to a corner of the hall as far from the cold stair-
case as possible and lowers himself down all in a heap like a tired
dog, and he sits there gazing before him quite sober now, his knees
drawn up to his chin. There is silence. Some time passes. He is
watching the door. It opens, slowly.
LOUISE is standing there in a silk dressing-gown, her feet bare.
LOUISE
(quietly)
Jeez, I'm sorry. He disconnected
the bell.


Contd.
GLEN gets up, shivering, hunched together and goes into the flat.
The door begins to close.
CUT:
EXT. CAMBRIDGE STREET. DAWN
GLEN strolls out of GRIGG's apart-
ment block, fully clothed now. He
GRIGG (VOICE OVER)
sniffs the air - feels good. Looks up
The Before still beckons us
at the sky. Looks all round him in
with its powerful centuries
the silence. No one about. He strolls
of habit. Surely the world
off.
is safe, it says! Isn 't there
the same cosy old furniture
CUT:
- the same murders in
Manhattan, the same eleva-
EXT. ANOTHER STREET. DAWN
ted train roaring over the
Bronx, the quiet rain that
GLEN walking along as before
stains the penthouse roofs
towards the Backs.
at night, the lonely walk
through Grand Central
CUT:
Station? And the country -
isn't that still there? - Old
EXT. THE BACKS. DAWN
Greenwich, Stanford, the
dark hedges, as safe as
GLEN walking towards a bridge
unbombed houses? But
leading to the Backs by the Science
the answer is No! After-
building. He reaches the bridge. We
wards has taken over!
TRACK after him in the silence. He
Nature's all pooped out!
stops, leans on the parapet, gazes
One space-shot can turn
down into the river. He looks up at
summer into winter! Only
King's College and goes on with his
hell's for real!
walk. We watch him from the bridge
as he begins to walk along the towpath
on the other side.
CUT:
EXT. THE BACKS. DAWN
GLEN strolls along the towpath, his
shoes sounding on the gravel. He
reaches a bench, sits down. He gazes
across at the lawn and quadrangle of
King's. He gazes up at the Chapel
roof. We see it from his P.V. He
yawns, stretches, turns up the collar
of his coat.
A ringing Morning! comes from a COLLEGE PORTER as he cycles
along the gravel path on his way to college.
GLEN looks up startled.
GLEN
Good morning.


Contd.
COLLEGE PORTER
(as he cycles
away)
Bit nippy.
GLEN smiles. He looks across at King's again.
CUT:
INT. PALERMO 'S OFFICE. MORNING
We open on the standing figure of PALERMO behind his desk. He is
quiet, delicate looking, in a spotlessly-white shirt that makes his
hands look frail and his lips fastidiously soft. He has no jacket on.
There is the sound of a typewriter behind. GLEN enters in his over
coat, and stands at the door. PALERMO looks up slowly and nods a
charming Good morning, and signals him to a seat.
GLEN takes off his overcoat and hangs it up; he then sits down.
There is silence.
PALERMO
(quietly)
All -night session?
GLEN
Yes.
PALERMO
Get some sleep - upstairs. It's all
ready for you.
GLEN
The furniture people came ?
PALERMO
Oh yes. And there's a carpet down
persian. You must have influence. By
the way, I opened a bank account for
you. Put three hundred quid in.
GLEN
What three hundred is that?
PALERMO
(with a lecherous
smile)
Why? Want me to take it back?
GLEN
(after thought)
PALERMO
(still smiling)
The only thing is, I don't want you to
think it's Louise's money.
GLEN
Well, thank you.


Contd.
PALERMO
(calling out)
Pat, give Glen his nice new cheque book.
CUT:
INT. STAIRCASE. MORNING
GLEN walking up the stairs to his new quarters. He reaches the first
landing.
CUT:
INT. LANDING. MORNING
GLEN walks towards his door and pushes it open. We TRACK in
after him.
He stands there astonished to see his room clean and modestly
furnished with a chest of drawers, a double divan bed, a mirror, an
armchair, and a small carpet. His suitcases are neatly stacked
along one wall. He throws himself down on the bed. He is asleep at
once, his new cheque book in his hand.
CUT:
INT. TAXI. MORNING
A taxi is travelling along the streets of Covent Garden, with GLEN
and PALERMO inside.
PALERMO
In a day from now Jefferson Grigg will
be eating out of my hands, and wanting
to kill me at the same time. You 'll see.
I'm working on something big.
(a beat)
She says the scandal's going to kill him.
Well, I don't reckon it will. That's
hopeful on her part. You'll see. But
don 't talk. I'm hanging on by a lifebelt.
So are you, for all you know. You do
your own swimming, cock, and I'll do mine.
CUT:
EXT. CITY STREET. MORNING
The cab draws up, and GLEN and PALERMO get out. PALERMO
almost stumbles.
GLEN
Are you all right?
PALERMO
(pointing to his
heart)
Ticker. Have to be careful. She's taking
it out of me, Glen!
(with a wink)
He leans on GLEN's arm for a moment, and pays off the taxi. They
walk into a doorway where a small wooden sign juts from the wall:
SELSEY ASSOCIATES.


Contd.
GLEN
Shouldn'tI know what this is about?
PALERMO
Just don 't talk, and you 'll be all right.
They enter the SELSEY ASSOCIATES door.
CUT:
INT. SELSEY ASSOCIATES. MORNING
There is a desk and a RECEPTIONIST. She jumps up from her
swivel seat.
RECEPTIONIST
(brightly)
He's with Lord Klydonhall.
PALERMO makes an amazed Whew! under his breath, and straigh-
tens his cuff. GLEN and PALERMO follow the RECEPTIONIST
through to another office.
There is a long corridor. The RECEPTIONIST has high, clicking
heels and pushes her hips from side to side. PALERMO walks behind
her imitating her quick steps and the roll of her behind.
Suddenly the door at the end of the corridor opens and a huge, beaming
red-faced fellow stands holding out his hand; his name is SELSEY.
He watches PALERMO's performance.
SELSEY
(in an enor-
mous voice)
Hello, old pal! Still up to your dirty
tricks? Come and meet my playmate.
He ushers PALERMO and GLEN into the room and nods Thank you to
the RECEPTIONIST who turns back.
CUT:
INT. SELSEY'S OFFICE. MORNING
SELSEY closes the door behind GLEN and PALERMO.
PALERMO
I've brought my stooge. Glen, this
is Leonard Harcourt Selsey, the
biggest hypocrite in the City.
SELSEY offers no hand to GLEN, only a quick nod.
SELSEY
Not in my game, is he ?
PALERMO
God, I should hope not!


57. Contd.
SELSEY
Oh, that's all right. Don' 't like fellow
dogs - feel inclined to bite them.
There is laughter from the other side of the room, and we discover
another man. He is a level young man, powerfully built, clearly used
to making big decisions and standing his ground. He has curly hair
which gives him the air of indeterminate late youth. His name is
PERCY KLYDONHALL. GLEN nods to him and gets a polite sparkle
but again no handshake.
PALERMO looks very gracious; he is all of a heap with awe; he
keeps directing admiring glances at KLYDONHALL while the huge
Leonard SELSEY bubbles with professional laughter, going to an
untidy desk, rubbing his hands together, ducking his head in an odd
way with a little hissing sound through his teeth.
PALERMO and KLYDONHALL sit down in two armchairs, and GLEN
has to find himself a straight-backed chair from the wall.
SELSEY
Now, as you know, John, we mustn't
lose money, John.
PALERMO
You're telling me!
SELSEY
We won 't lose money. And, of course,
John, keep our names out of it. If
you can launch us safely, you' 'll make
a packet. I can promise you that.
PALERMO
(with a touch of
vengeful grimness)
You'd better. I'll bring you together
right away, tonight. What about that ?
SELSEY
Matter of fact, Charles Dornelling and
I were at school together. We never met.
He was in Lower School. He was a crack-
shot on the range, I seem to remember.
PALERMO
What about my club - 8.15?
SELSEY
All right, Eh, Percy?
KLYDONHALL
I think so. And the professor ?


57. Contd.
PALERMO
He 'll be there.
CUT:
58. EXT. STREET OUTSIDE.
MORNING
GLEN and PALERMO are walking along together.
PALERMO
That young chap's a millionaire!
There isn't a pie on either side of
the Atlantic he hasn 't got a big fat
finger in. And my finger's in now,
by God.
(rubbing his hands
together)
I'll make people green with envy..
It'll eat through them, corrode their
insides. And you know what this is all
about ?
GLEN
PALERMO
Explosions.
CUT:
59. EXT. SOHO STREET. EVENING
GLEN and PALERMO are walking along after dark. They are
smartly dressed. They stop at the entrance to the club which has
a plushy foyer and '1812' over the entrance in neon.
PALERMO
(before they go in)
And shall I tell you something ? This
doesn't interest me one damned bit.
That's how I can do it SO easy. Keep
these words of mine in mind, Glen.
Never be too interested. Know what I'm
going to do?


59. Contd.
GLEN
PALERMO
I'm having Jefferson Grigg and
Klydonhall talking business within
an hour from now, while I'm in bed
with the wildest creature on earth.
(with a glance
towards the
entrance)
It was she who got me into this
deal. A woman always lets some-
thing drop when she isn' 't thinking,
or rather when she's thinking some-
where else, such as between her legs.
She let something drop about Charles
Dornelling a little project of his, a
project in his brain, a weapon, and I
could see it would probably stay in
his brain if he didn't meet the money
to develop it. So I'm providing the
money in the form of Klydonhall, and
who's to say I'm a rascal for doing
it? This isn't heaven we're in. I
don't say it's hell, either, but it isn't
heaven.
He begins to move towards the club, GLEN following him. But
he stops again.
PALERMO (contd)
And, listen, Glen. From now on
we sing hymns of praise for
Professor Jefferson Grigg. Alright?
If you know anything bad about him, -
forget it. In fact, keep your mouth
shut altogether. I only want you to
use your ears, tonight.
(giving him a
long firm look)
Remember what I say, and keep that
cheque I gave you this morning
dangling in front of your eyes, be-
cause if you say a word out of turn,
you won't get another.
They walk into the club, and the COMMISSIONAIRE gives an airy Good
eveaing to PALERMO.
CUT:
60.. INT. THE CLUB LOUNGE. EVENING
A burst of loud talk.
There is a bar along one wall of the room, getting a lot of custom
from well-dressed men; many of the comfortable chairs and
settees are occupied; the CAMERA TRAVELS leisurely round.


60. Contd.
We recognise no-one SO far.
Young WAITERS, not in the least subservient, go busily to and fro.
There are chuckles, laughter, the chink of glasses, and at last we
reach the male group round a table where GLEN and PALERMO are
seated.
There are five men in the group, including GLEN and PALERMO.
Of these, PEWis plump and bald-headed, with a large belly and
wasted damp skin. He has a twitch of the eyes that accompanies all
his talk, even when nobody is listening to him. He is well-dressed
in a conventional City way, without flair.
PEW
Old jobber Carter-Staines grumbling
the other day, no bloody political
crises. Have to engineer one, he
said. If only the P.M. 'd be caught
in a toilet soliciting he could work
a nice day-crisis and have the
bloody share prices down in a jiffy,
but all the sex perverts in the
Cabinet see m to be in hiding these
days.
The others sniff, smile, look in the direction of the bar, turn to
each other, mumble things.
PALERMO leans across to GLEN.
PALERMO
(under his
breath)
Biggest crooks in London, here.
You should be in your element.
(with a wink)
See the one by himself - corner
of the bar? He doesn't look ruth-
less, does he ? No, Glen, the more
crooked, the more innocent the
expression, eh ?
GLEN follows his gaze across the bar where A MAN stands talking
in a matter-of-fact way to the BARMAN, his expression quite un-
blemished. He is dressed in a fine suit, dark and smooth. We see
him from GLEN's P.V. for a moment.
PEW
I could have made a nice packet
out of that. I had it all over the
morning papers. Nasty lot of people,
stock jobbers. But I suppose I'm not
an angel myself.
(wheezing with silent
laughter So that his
belly shakes)


60. Contd.
The others mumble together, smile, scratch themselves, as before.
PALERMO
Well, look who's here! Another
rascal with an angel's face.
JACK RYAN walks into the FRAME, dressed unlike most of the
other men, in a sports jacket with a casual shirt. He is strolling
from the bar, his hands in his pockets. He is sharp, bright, attentive,
in his early middle-age. He nods Hello to PALERMO, who does
not rise.
PALERMO
This is Glen, by the way.
JACK
(as if he knew
GLEN already)
Hello, Glen.
PALERMO
Come and join us.
JACK
I'd like to. I've got to get
back to the office.
At this moment a WAITER brings drinks. JACK turns away from
the party with a Goodbye wink to GLEN.
The party round the table take up their glasses with brief move-
ments, make 'Cheerio' to each other, and drink. They gaze around.
Suddenly PALERMO is galvanised into attention, his eyes change.
He gets up from his seat. From his P. V.. we see the doorway.
LOUISE and GRIGG have just come in. LOUISE is in a gown fit to
kill, her shoulders are bare; GRIGG comes forward smiling,
seeming quite untired.
The two men who have not spoken drift off with polite bows in the
direction of LOUISE and GRIGG. LOUISE and PALERMO shake
hands, their eyes stay on each other, fascinated.
GRIGG blinks in their direction and nods casually towards GLEN.
LOUISE
Hello.
PALERMO
What can I get you both ?
(to LOUISE, under
his breath)
You look beyond all belief.
LOUISE
(flustered)
What you gonna have, Jeff?


60. Contd.
GRIGG
(mumbling as he
sits down)
Whatever it is, I'll take it neat.
PALERMO calls the WAITER as they all sit down again. LOUISE
is next to GLEN; she touches his arm softly, and leans towards
him.
LOUISE
(in a whisper)
I'm glad you took it, honey.
GLEN
Took what ?
LOUISE
The cheque.
GLEN
What cheque ?
LOUISE
(with sudden
anxiety)
Didn't he give it to you? The
three hundred pounds?
GLEN
He said it was for -
LOUISE
(gripping his arm
with a glance at
her husband)
Anyway, I'm mighty relieved.
So is Jeff. Have you used any
of it?
GLEN
A little.
LOUISE
That's good. Then it's too
late to be proud.
GLEN
Yes.
PALERMO looks up as the WAITER leaves with his order. MURIEL
is suddenly standing there, dressed in black which makes her look
like a child - very pale, with rather fuzzy hair, a Reynolds portrait.
She does not look at any of the others, only at PALERMO standing
quite still.


60. Contd.
PALERMO
Mouse!
(standing)
Come and sit down.
He indicates the chair next to GRIGG with a pointed expression. She
goes and sits down next to GRIGG mutely.
PALERMO
This is Muriel, Jefferson.
GRIGG, half-rising.
GRIGG
Hello, Muriel.
MURIEL nods slightly towards him, without a smile, and then gazes
blankly at the table before her.
LOUISE
(to MURIEL)
Hello, there.
MURIEL nods to her as well with the same blank expression.
PALERMO
(to MURIEL)
I got you a drink, Mouse. How
do you feel ?
MURIEL simply shrugs and continues to gaze at the table.
JACK suddenly appears again, strolling as before; he has apparently
returned from his office; he is smiling vaguely towards the group,
but bends down to GLEN.
JACK
(quietly)
I've got you a drink at the bar.
Come over and join us, old chap.
GLEN stares at him for a moment, then glances at PALERMO
whose expression tells him nothing. GLEN gets up and follows
JACK to the bar. PEW is standing there as well. We FOLLOW
GLEN. Drinks are waiting at the bar.
JACK
(with a smile)
You're Palermo's new acquisition,
I hear. He always seems to be
getting new men.
GLEN
Does he ?
PEW turns away and talks to the man at his side, in an undertone.


60. Contd.
JACK
Didn't mean to drag you away
from your friends. Cheers!
GLEN
(as he raises
his glass)
Cheers!
JACK
You'll be going on to a night-spot,
I hear. Lucky people!
GLEN
Oh . I didn't know.
JACK gazes at him with a mixture of respect and admiration. He
seems full of sanity and health. He establishes an atmosphere of
decency and cleanliness and good sense.
JACK
I was with John Palermo last night.
At this bar, as a matter of fact,
but you weren 't around. You were
asleep, or something.
GLEN
No . I was at a party.
JACK
Oh yes?
GLEN
In Cambridge.
JACK
(decently)
Friends of yours?
GLEN
The Griggs. Over there. The
couple.
JACK
Oh yes. They've taken Charlie
Dornelling's place in Cambridge,
haven' 't they ?
GLEN
That's right.
JACK
Best defence brain the country's
got Charlie Donelling - at least, out-
side the Government.


60. Contd.
JACK (contd)
(giving GLEN a
slight brotherly
nudge as if to
deprecate brains
among sensible
people)
Never will go for Parliament, old
Charlie. Keeps his influence with
both parties, that way.
GLEN
Yes?
JACK
(another very
bright smile)
was it a nice party?
GLEN
It went on all night.
JACK
(a brotherly laugh)
What could be nicer than that ?
GLEN
Have another whisky.
JACK
Don't mind if I do.
(indicating the
BARMAN)
Better tell him you're not a
member of the club. He chalks
it up, and you pay at the end.
GLEN gestures the BARMAN over and orders two more whiskies.
GLEN
You're a member?
JACK
Oh yes. They have to sweep me
out at dawn, sometimes. I've got
an office two yards away.
GLEN
That was a funny thing, last night.
I didn't get a wink of sleep all night,
but I felt as right as rain this morning.
Depends on the party, I suppose.


60. Contd.
JACK
On the host, too.
GLEN
(as the drinks
are placed down
on circular mats
as in a French
café)
Mind you, he shouts his mouth
off a bit, old Jeff. You know what
he's over here for, I suppose ?
JACK
A lecture tour, isn 't it?
GLEN
That's right. On vaporation,
when people and buildings just
melt in the heat. He's a scream.
JACK
He sounds it.
GLEN
There was some General or
other there. Anyway, Jeff said
he was a crumb.
JACK
That wouldn't be General Heeley,
would it?
GLEN
Yes. That's right. He called
him a chocolate soldier.


60. Contd.
They both laugh again. They sip their drinks, smile, gaze across
at the seated group: GRIGG with MURIEL, LOUISE with PALERMO.
GLEN
But he went early.
JACK
(as if he had
lost the trend)
Who?
GLEN
General Heeley.
JACK
Oh yes .
GLEN
It would have got a bit hot for
him, I think.
(with a laugh
while JACK
looks at him
expectantly)
They've certainly got central
heating in that apartment. We
stewed!
JACK
You did?
GLEN
Then everybody started taking
their clothes off, believe it
or not.
JACK
(with genial de-
tachment)
GLEN
You started with your shoes, and
then he gave everybody a little
number tag, and this was the number
of your bag where you put your clothes.
Yes, we had a ripe old night.
(laughs again)
Well, a sort of dance started up, the
idea being that you couldn't join in the
dance without being starkers. He and
his wife started off, and I can't reme -
mber who went up then. I think it was
that English chap.


60. Contd.
JACK
The defence brain?
GLEN
That's right.
(enjoying it now)
It was an experience worth having, but
when he put a saucepan on my head
and started dragging me across the
floor -
JACK
GLEN
Yes. You see, his wife, Louise, had
the idea that I was alway S writing to the
papers, and, you know, sort of spilling
the beans about their life. Completely
ridiculous, because I've never spoken to
an editor in my life, and apart from Palermo,
I've never met anybody even mildly connected
with the Press. But anyway she was convinced
that I was out for a story, and she was trying
to persuade me not to do it any more. Well,
anyway, there she was sitting naked on my
knee when - but who should come in but the
old man himself. Of course, he jumps to
the inevitable conclusion.
JACK
GLEN
The first thing he sights is the hugest sauce-
pan you 've ever seen - one of those jobs they
used when Mrs. Beaton was putting 16 egg S in
a souffle. He puts it over my head - and I
can tell you, if you haven 't had that weight of
iron on your brain-box, it hurts some. And -
this is nothing yet - wait for it. He calls in
a friend who's about eight feet tall in his socks
to help throw me out. And out they do throw
me - saucepan and all - stark naked and a firm-
ly-locked door between me and my clothes!
JACK
No-0
GLEN
You think I'm making it up, but I'm not.
There I was stuck outside. I reckon I was
out there for a full ten minutes.
JACK
Good God!
GLEN
Listen. You haven 't heard anything yet.
When she let me in, she told me he took
her over to the Madonna - they've got a little
Madonna - they're Catholics
JACK
Oh yes


60. Contd.
GLEN
That's right. Anyway, he leads her over
there and makes her swear that she's never
had anything with me, which she does, and
as he knows she wouldn 't risk hellfire for a
small mortal sin, being a Catholic, he be-
lieves her and says he's sorry, and lets her
let me in again.
JACK
Well,
(with a laugh)
that sounds quite an adventure. Have
another drink.
GLEN
Thanks.
JACK
(signalling to the
BARMAN)
Yes, it sounds quite an evening.
(to the BARMAN)
Get my guest another drink, will you.
GLEN
Aren 't you having one too?
JACK
No. I'd better get off. Don't worry about
it, by the way. I'll be getting in touch
with you.
(with a confident ial nod)
JACK strolls away.
GLEN looks after him, frowning with puzzlement : What did Jack mean ?
The BARMAN deposits his drink on the bar, GLEN takes it and turns to
PEW by his side, but PEW has his large round back in his face. GLEN
wanders back to his own seated group still pondering JACK's last words.
A WAITER is just putting down a fresh order of drinks on the table.
GLEN sits down.
The BARMAN comes across with five drink discs in his hand and puts
them down in front of GLEN. He bends down to talk to GLEN.
BARMAN
Your five drinks, sir.
He walks away at once.
PALERMO is watching GLEN with a twinkle.
PALERMO
Glen, that's quite a collection you have.
They charge night-club prices for non-
members. Still, you're well in the blue,
aren't you?
(with a wink)


60. Contd.
GLEN
(after taking a
sip of whisky)
Yes, I dare say I can run to it.
PALERMO leans across to him.
PALERMO
(with a cautionary
glance at LOUISE
who is talking to
MURIEL)
Listen. How many times do you
sell your soul ? You've sold it three
times to my knowledge. Aren't you
afraid of going into liquidation ?
GLEN
What do you mean ?
PALERMO
Well, first you sold it to me,
didn't you? Then to dear good
Louise, here. And now to Jack
Ryan, which makes you the cool-
est bastard under the sun.
(with hissing
menace)
Now, what was the deal? ?
GLEN
Jack Ryan? Who's he ?
PALERMO
(imitating him)
Jack Ryan! Listen, what was the
big laugh about, eh? I just want
you to get one thing clear - all
stories go through me. You're not
smarming your way through all my
contacts, and you can take that as
final.
(with narrow
eyes)
Boy, I've had just about enough of
you! If it wasn' 't for what you did
for me last night I'd kick you out
of here right now.
(with a glance
across at GRIGG
to see that he is
listening)
GRIGG is indeed following PALERMO with appreciation.


60. Contd.
PALERMO (contd)
(still to GLEN)
It takes you about two minutes flat to
get across the room if you see an
editor on the horizon, doesn 't it?
The only thing is I have to admire the
way you do it, with that innocent bloody
expression. And you know how to make
them laugh, it seems! Jeff and I
were watching you. You're quite a
performer, aren't you ?
GLEN
But I didn 't know who he was!
He just comes across here and
asks me to have a drink with him.
PALERMO
(with a sneer,
revolving his
hands like a man
playing a hurdy-
gurdy)
GLEN
Anyway, that three hundred wasn 't
yours to give.
PALERMO
(on the alert
at once)
Keep office busine: SS to office
hours.
GLEN
(seeing that he
has pacified him)
We'd better make that a pact, then.
One thing I did learn from Jack
Ryan is that you change employees
like a man changes socks. Well,
you don 't change me.
PALERMO looks at GLEN with quiet astonishment and GLEN seems
astonished at himself too.
PALERMO
(almost in a whisper)
I'll find out who's behind you, don 't
you worry about that.
But GLEN's remarks have clearly made him nervous of him and also
respectful.


60. Contd.
PALERMO (contd)
(leaning closer
to him)
Another thing : don 't go bawling
your mouth off to Percy Klydonhall
when he comes. He's always got a
smile on his clock, but let me tell
you this: he's not a decoration in
this town, he knows a thing or two
about weapons, and I don't mean
just weapons like yours, SO mind
your tongue because that man can
destroy.
GRIGG
(gazing across
at them)
Sounds quite a recommendation.
Who you talking about ?
PALERMO
(appreciating
the success of
his own remarks)
Percy Klydonhall's your biggest
contact of the year, if not the
decade, Jefferson.
GRIGG
(to GLEN)
I like to hear your boss chew
your balls off. Those your chips?
(pointing to
the five
discs in front
of GLEN)
GLEN
Yes.
GRIGG
Give them to me.
(moving the
lot over to
his side of the
table then calling
the WAITER)


60. Contd.
GLEN
Look here, I've got plenty of money.
This makes GRIGG laugh, and the lines on his face become deep and
dark, like crayon marks.
GRIGG
You're telling me! You got a
thousand bucks from me only this
morning.
(with a wink
at PALERMO)
The WAITER comes and GRIGG pays him with a generous tip.
PALERMO watches this with a sullen glower, trying to achieve the
maximum disapproval for GLEN.
GRIGG
(to LOUISE)
What say we move on to a
night-spot ?
LOUISE
Okay.
(to MURIEL,
girl to girl)
Shall we go powder our
nose: S ?
MURIEL nods mutely. The two of them get up and leave the
lounge.
GRIGG - leaning forward to PALERMO over the table and indicating
MURIEL.
GRIGG
Quite a girl! Been telling me her
life story.


60. Contd.
PALERMO
Glad you like her.
PALERMO says no more. He has a reserved and fastidious look which
mal kes him seem ancient for a moment. GRIGG expects more informa-
tion, nods, and looks at PALERMO briefly, his eyes narrowed for a
moment, seeming to take stock of PALERMO's detachment.
GRIGG
I didn't say that, old son. I didn't
say I liked her. I meant she's a
nice girl, she has nice ways.
It's a pity she got mixed up in -
(with a gesture
across the room)
PALERMO
Oh, she enjoys night life.
(narrowing his eyes
too as he puts a cigar-
ette in his mouth)
GRIGG
(watching him closely)
Do girls take an overdose of sleep-
ing pills when they're happy?
PALERMO
(the cigarette alight)
Sometimes.
GRIGG
Sometimes? How do you make that
out, Mr. Palermo?
PALERMO
(shrugging, and not
looking at him)
If she has problems and needed the
problems. That happens, you know.
(suddenly looking at
him with his large
piercing eyes)
GRIGG
(slightly less
ethical now)
Didn't I hear she was Percy
Klydonhall's girl of the year?
PALERMO
(rising)
She could only have told you that
herself. She could be keen on
Lord Klydonhall, for all I know.
The three of them stroll across the lounge to join the women.


60.. Contd.
GRIGG
(with special interest)
He's a lord?
PALERMO
That's right.
GRIGG
(excited by the news
but wanting to talk
about something else)
Still, a damned nice girl.
PALERMO
Yes.
GRIGG
Does his lordship go in for
young girls on a wide scale, I
mean?
PALERMO
Well, we're all friends. He might
have slept with her. Any law
against that?
GRIGG
No. I just wondered what it had
to do with the taking of sleeping
pills, that's all.
(not really
interested any more)
PALERMO
It had nothing to do with it.
GRIGG
I see. You say this guy's Ame rican
then what's he doing being a lord?
PALERMO
He gave up the title but we still use
it, and he appears to like it.
PALERMO looks round anxiously, glances at his watch. His
GUESTS have not arrived.
CUT:
61. EXT. SOHO STREET. EVENING
The COMMISSIONAIRE of the 1812 Club is calling a taxi. It draws
to the kerb and he turns round to signal to PALERMO who is in the
foyer with the rest of the party.
CUT:


62. INT. CLUB FOYER. EVENING
PALERMO and the rest of the party are standing chatting together.
They are in their overcoats. MURIEL stands hunched and chilled,
holding her mink collar up to her neck.
PALERMO
(to GRIGG, as the
COMMISSIONAIRE
comes towards them)
What say you take the girls, and
I follow on with Glen?
COMMISSIONAIRE
Taxi's waiting, Mr. Palermo.
PALERMO
(to the COMMISSIONAIRE)
Tell him The Mimosa, will you?
GRIGG
(to PALERMO,
with a twinkle)
Why, have you got a little article
to write?
PALERMO
I've got my assistant to brief.
(with a grim look
at GLEN, sideways)
GRIGG
Oh, that. I guess it must be quite
an uphill job. Why, sure, I'll take
the girls, and see you later, John.
PALERMO
You'll find a table waiting for you,
and order what you like.
GRIGG
(taking out
his wallet)
I'll do that.
GRIGG pushes two pound notes into the COMMISSIONAIRE's hands,
replaces his wallet, and takes the women - one on either side of him -
to the waiting taxi. Once he is out of earshot PALERMO turns to
GLEN excitedly.
PALERMO
Do you realise I'm trembling?
Klydonhall and Selsey haven't turned
up, and I've got to play it cool. Do
I look cool?
GLEN
Yes, you do.


62. Contd.
PALERMO
They should have been here an hour
ago! Sometimes I wonder how my
nerves stand it. This might be the
death of a deal!
(gazing at him
with admiration)
You're really cool. You really don't
care!
CUT:
63, EXT. SOHO STREET. EVENING
GLEN and PALERMO are getting into the taxi with the COMMISSIONAIRE
behind them. PALERMO turns to the COMMISSIONAIRE.
PALERMO
(taking the
COMMISSIONAIRE's
arm and speaking
very close)
Lord Klydonhallis coming. At least,
I hope to Christ he is. Tell him
we're at The Mimosa. Put him into
a taxi.
He pushes some money into the COMMISSIONAIRE's hand.
COMMISSIONAIRE
(with a confidential
nod)
You leave it to me.
PALERMO gets in the taxi. The door slams shut.
CUT:
64. INT. NIGHT CLUB. EVENING
The CAM. travels round the dim heavily-curtained, heavily-
carpeted night-club, its tables and armchairs raised on platforms -
one nook hidden from another by trellis work and potted plants. A
few couples are dancing on a lonely floor. The CAM. finds a table in
the corner with GRIGG, LOUISE and MURIEL sitting silent and rather
disconsolate with glasses before them and a bottle of champagne on the
ice.
WAITERS pass to and fro.
PALERMO and GLEN walk in. The party at the table does not seem
to brighten up. PALERMO and GLEN sit down. A WAITER at once
brings two more glasses and pours champagne.
GRIGG
What happened to your good friends,
John?


64. Contd.
PALERMO
They'll be right over.
He leans back in the chair, apparently quite easy with himself,and
lights a cigarette.
LOUISE
(to GLEN)
Enjoying yourself, Glen?
GLEN
I think so. And you?
LOUISE
(with a miserable
expression)
Whale of a time!
They sit there in silence.
Sudder nly a WAITER comes to PALERMO.
WAITER
Lord Klydonhall, sir.
PALERMO leaps up. In the doorway are KLYDONHALL and SELSEY
with CHARLES DORNELLING.
GRIGG
(calling out)
Well, hello, Charlie!
CHARLES DORNELLING deprecates the shouting, but covers it with
a cheerful wave. He is torn between obsequious power-feelings for
GRIGG on the one hand and class-awe of KLYDONHALL on the other.
PALERMO does the introducing.
PALERMO
This is Lord Klydonhall, Mrs.
Grigg, Muriel. This is Professor
Jefferson Grigg and here's my old
friend Leonard Harcourt Selsey.
DORNELLING
(to PALERMO)
I'm not sure we 've met before.
PALERMO
(giving him a steely
and determined look,
very erect and holding
out his hand)
How d'you do?
They shake hands and DORNELLING winces from PALERMO's grip.


64. Contd.
GRIGG
(with creased
smiles all round)
Very glad to meet you all. Well,
Charles, boy, how far did you get
this morning, in that punt?
There is boyish laughter all round.
DORNELLING
As a matter of fact, we grounded
at Caius!
GRIGG plants himself next to KLYDONHALL and they begin a close
discussion with each other, their heads bent together.
PALERMO
(to MURIEL)
Why don't you take Glen round the
floor?
This looks like an order and she gets up waiting for GLEN. He rises
too, and they walk on to the dark floor.
CUT:
65. INT. NIGHT CLUB. EVENING
GLEN and MURIEL are dancing on the floor, neither of them very
interested in the dance.
GLEN
Do you feel alright, now?
I heard about it - from Pat.
They dance on - she gazing ahead with disenchanted eyes.
MURIEL
You know what John Palermo said
to me one day? There are millions
of suicides, he said. Successful
ones. You meet them every day.
They did it so well there was no
body, not a mark to be seen.
Well, that's me!
She gazes into GLEN's eyes with a sad expression. They go on dancing.
The CAM.PANS round the night-club and once more finds our group in
the corner. It pushes in to find GRIGG, KLYDONHALL, SELSEY and
DORNELLING in close discussion, their chairs together. The CAM.
moves on to where LOUISE and PALERMO were seated. They are not
there.
CUT:


66. INT. GLEN'S ATTIC ROOM. NIGHT
The landing outside GLEN's room in darkness as a couple come up the
stairs, their shoes clattering on the bare boards. They stop to kiss.
The door of the attic room is open,and lamplight comes through the window.
from the street beyond. LOUISE and PALERMO arm in arm, clinging
to each other, reach the landing. They walk towards GLEN's room,
stopping constantly to kiss. He is already baring her shoulders. They
push the door, further open.
The CAM.TRACKS after them into the room. They fall on to the bed,
kissing and pulling each other's clothes off.
CUT:
67. INT. NIGHT CLUB. NIGHT
GRIGG, SELSEY, KLYDONHALL and DORNELLING are still talking,
though flopped out now in their armchairs, ashtrays full in front of
them, with bottles of wine, plates of sandwiches.
GRIGG
Yes, Harcourt, there's a helluva
lot in it, but you don't mind me
saying Massacre 2 is redundant.
SELSEY
I do mind, I do.
(with alarm and
some writhing)
No, Jeff. I can prove it works,
and Charles can give you book,
bell and candle on it - I mean,
he's the brain, after all.
GRIGG
Well, what Charles has to say
is gospel for me. as you probably
know. But in this case, I'm just
repeating what I heard back in
Washington.
DORNELLING
What you heard in Washington,
Jeff, was about Massacre I,
unless I'm mistaken. In fact, the
Under-Secretary said to me about
a week ago, I mean, this is off the
cuff and the record, he said
Massacre I as a weapon stank, but
it had been damned effective in
getting us noticed in the Pentagon.
(with a clubby laugh)
I'm not sure he had the ears of the
Minister there, but I've a damned
good idea they chewed it over about
a minute and a half before I came
into the room.


67. Contd.
GRIGG
Okay. I know your heart's in this,
Charles, and I don't need to tell you
I'm looking at it seriously all the
time. I'm open to persuasion. It's
a wonder weapon, and the cheapest
article of its size I've ever heard
about. Just to think - we're talk-
ing about total destruction - at a
decent market price! And people
say it isn't hell
SELSEY and DORNE LLING laugh with polite indulgence.
KLYDONHALL
(nodding grimly)
If we don't produce it somebody else
will.
CUT:
68. INT. GLEN'S ATTIC ROOM. NIGHT
PALERMO and LOUISE are frantic with enjoyment as the CAM. comes
down to them, to STAY on them for a time.
CUT:
69. INT. NIGHT CLUB. NIGHT
GRIGG, SELSEY, KLYDONHALL and DORNELLING are still talking.
DORNELLING
(in a seventh
heaven of satis-
fied ambition)
What the devil was that hunch of
Joe's called - it was beyond the
trial stage in six months? Clever
blighter, that, though true enough,
what he has in elegance he loses
in sheer fussiness. I mean, take
the fuse attachment. I ask you.
PAN over to the dance floor, where MURIEL and GLEN are still
dancing. ZOOM IN as the dance comes to a close.
GLEN
I think I'll push off.
MURIEL
My night's beginning.
(with a glance
at GRIGG)
GLEN
Why do you stand for it?


69. Contd.
MURIEL
Money. Why do you?
They walk off the floor.
CUT:
70. INT. . GLEN'S ATTIC ROOM. NIGHT
Back again to LOUISE and PALERMO who are in the calm after the
storm, kissing each other softly.
CUT:
71. INT. . NIGHT CLUB. NIGHT
GRIGG and MURIEL are sitting together, all the others have gone.
They are looking miserable in different ways: GRIGG creased and
tired, MURIEL apathetic.
MURIEL
(gazing down
at the table)
I thought it all out. The night I
took the pills. I thought, why do
away with your body, really,
because you haven't got a body,
anyway. It doesn't belong to you,
I don't feel it belongs to me. It
does things I don't want it to do,
with people I don't want.
GRIGG
(taking a drink)
Ya - ya. I get it. But nobody's
forcing you to anything.
CUT:
72. EXT. - COVENT GARDEN STREET. NIGHT.
GLEN is walking along a side-street alone, his overcoat open. The
dead of night.
The street is deserted. There is only the sound of his footsteps.
CUT:


73. EXT. COVENT GARDEN STREET. NIGHT
GLEN is approaching PALERMO's office. He walks into the dark door-
way, and we hear his feet clatter up the stairs.
CUT;
74. INT. GLEN'S ATTIC ROOM. NIGHT
We are on the landing outside GLEN's room, his feet come clattering
up. He reaches the landing. We TRACK in after him. He pushes open
the door and switches on the light, takes off his overcoat, hangs it on
a hook behind the door, looks at his suitcases, begins loosening his
tie, then he turns round and his eyes meet the bed. It is chaos
sheets, pillows and blankets are mixed up everywhere, and dangling
towards the floor is the bra that LOUISE put on his head the previous
evening. He goes to the bed and sits down. He takes the bra and
holds it before him.
CUT:
75. INT. GLEN'S ATTIC ROOM. MORNING
An envelope is leaning against the bedside photographs with 'GLEN'
in block capitals across it. The sound of a typewriter comes from
below. The CAM. PANS to find GLEN asleep on thebed in his clothes
with the bra still in his hand. He wakes up. He looks round, he
notices the bra, blinks, puts it aside, stretches, begins to recollect. He
looks across at the window with a rather wistful expression. Sunlight
is coming in. He puts the bra aside and begins to sit up with some
effort. He catches sight of the envelope. He takes it quickly, opens
it, and a C. U. of what he finds shows a cheque. It pays cash to the
sum of fifty pounds, and is signed JACK RYAN. GLEN puts it in his
pocket. He gets up, grooms his hair, looks at himself in the glass of
the window, he stretches again, then leaves the attic room.
CUT:
76. INT. PALERMO'S SECRETARIAL OFFICE. MORNING
PAT is typing when GLEN, looking dishevelled, comes into the room.
She stops.
GLEN
I've just woken up. Did you bring
the cheque?
PAT
What, another cheque? You seem
to have golden fingers, honey.
GLEN
It was from Jack Ryan.
PAT
I tried to shake you awake, but
it didn't work. You seem to have
had a good night of it.


76. Contd.
GLEN
I don' 't know about good. Is he in ?
PALERMO (VOICE OVER)
Yes, he is.
GLEN strolls through to the other office. We TRACK after him.
PALERMO is sitting behind his desk, idle, gazing before him, rather
sullen. He looks up at GLEN in a kindly way and gestures him to
sit down.
PALERMO
It was the tops, Glen. Never
had anything like it in my life.
I thought she was going to have
my blood as well.
GLEN
On my bed, too.
PALERMO
Where else do you think I'm
going? Hell, it's all my
property.
GLEN
Did you get your big explosion
last night, too ?
PALERMO
(screwing up
his eyes)
What big explosion ?
GLEN
You said you were bringing brains
and money together, and that
always meant a big explosion.
PALERMO
(unwillingly torn
from his subject)
Oh, that. I expect they'll produce
a nice new weapon. You see, they
have to develop those kind of wea
pons because they don 't know how to
use their own. But is that any worse
than what you do?


76. Contd.
GLEN
What do I do?
PALERMO
I'll show it to you in the morning
paper.
(taking the paper
and handing it to
GLEN)
GLEN
(taking it absently)
I grow wine, in Italy.
PALERMO
Yeah,
(with a smile)
and I grow toenails.
CUT:
77. INT. HOTEL ROOM. MORNING
This is a spacious hotel suite where the GRIGGS are staying.
TRACK through to a double bed. LOUISE is dead asleep. GRIGG is
seated on his side of the bed in his dressing gown, rubbing his eyes
awake. He turns to look at LOUISE. He shakes her. She does not
budge.
GRIGG
(to himself)
Yeah, yeah!
He gets up, disconsolate, and walks into the other room where a break-
fast tray has been set on a low table together with the morning paper.
Here sunlight pours into the room. The light is painful for him. He
sits down with a yawn, stretches his legs, and pours himself a cup of
coffee. He gulps down a tew mouthfuls and seems to feel some relief.
He takes up the newspaper, looks at it in an idle way, more yawns,
he opens it, clears his throat and then he is galvanised into life by what
he sees. He suddenly leans forward gripping the paper and from his
P.V. we see a picture of himself laughing and the bold headline "at:
THE NAKED TRUTH AT PROFESSOR'S PARTY.
CUT:
78. INT. PALERMO'S OFFICE. MORNING
We are on the same newspaper and the same piece of news, only
GLEN is reading it. He reads what he sees.
GLEN
(reading)
The guests at Professor Grigg's party


78. Contd.
GLEN (contd)
heard some naked truths last
night
GLEN's voice trails on over the next scene.
CUT:
79. INT. HOTEL ROOM. MORNING
GRIGG is reading the same piece. He grips the newspaper in both
hands as if squeezing someone to death.
GLEN (VOICE OVER)
Listening to the Professor talking
naked is quite an experience
The
great number of guests last night
presented in the Professor's language
a problem of identification, and it was
groovey to issue them with number tags
for their clothes. The central heating
was at the proverbial American boiling
point? At the end, close on dawn, I felt
like a man with his head in a saucepan,
being boiled.
GRIGG suddenly brings the whole newspaper together with a bang,
and with a few powerful movements crushes it into a ball and hurls
it across the room. He takes up the cream telephone at his side,
and with trembling self-control, gripping the phone SO that his knuckles
are white, he speaks.
GRIGG
Give me Reception. Good morning.
I believe we know each other. I'd like
you to do something for me. Give Mr.
Palermo a call, and tell him I'd like to have
Glen
(almost giving way
to his feelings)
for tea today - here at this hotel. Thank
you.
He crashe S the telephone down.
CUT:
80. INT. PALERMO'S OFFICE. MORNING
GLEN and PALERMO are still sitting there, GLEN has just finished
reading the article.
PALERMO
How much did Jack Ryan give you ?
GLEN
Fifty.


80. Contd.
PALERMO
I'll see he trebles that before the week's
out. I'll have to disapprove of you a lot,
Glen, I'll have to tell Louise I can't stand
the sight of you, and I'll have to promise
Grigg that I'm going to fire you. I'll have
to tell them that I'm afraid of you! And
sometimes when I look at you I think I
ought to be afraid. You have something..
(he stops, thinking)
something I've always wanted. I don 't
know what it is.
(he looks at his watch)
In half-an-hour from now they 'll be
having their conference on the new
weapon
(leaning back with
pleasure)
and tonight I'll be having my little con-
ference! My weapon does sn 't have to be
financed, by anybody.
(cheerfully)
Women are the ruin of men.
GLEN
No woman ever ruined me, unless I
wanted her to.
PALERMO
But I want her to.
CUT:
81. INT. HOTEL TEA LOUNGE. AFTERNOON
GRIGG is seated in one of the comforta ble chairs. There are a few
people taking tea. GRIGG is dressed with special care, his strikingly
white shirt with a tie-pin, a dark suit with black suede shoes. He has
a thick gold ring on his marriage finger, and he has clearly been to the
hairdresser.
GLEN walks into the lounge. GRIGG studies him as he approaches
without moving either body or face. GLEN stops in front of him.
GRIGG
Sit down, Glen.
GLEN sits down. GRIGG motions to a WAITER, who comes across
at once.
GRIGG (contd)
(to WAITER)
Tea and toast, for two, please. And
a double scotch.
GLEN
I expect you were steamed up about
that article. You see, it wasn 't my
fault at all. I just didn't realise -


81. Contd.
GRIGG
(harshly)
Okay! Let's cut out the phoney stuff!
In fact, Inearly burnt this hotel down,
but it made me give Palermo my per-
sonal account right away, without even
talking it over. Did he explain the work?
GLEN
GRIGG
(infuriated)
Listen! Why don 't you name your
price and be damned for it? You got
a thousand bucks out of Louise, that was
pay ment for procuring. Well, you made
two people very happy. She came back
this morning looking like a Roman em-
press when the old man's been away at
the wars knocked to hell. She rattled
when she sat down. There's nothing she
didn't do to that man.
GLEN
Anyway, what's my work ?
GRIGG
You name your terms, Glen, and then
we can start talking.
GLEN
But I don 't know what work's expected
of me.
GRIGG
Okay, play it that way, if you want to.
I wanna story once a week, and I don 't
mean the provincial press, either.
GLEN
What kind of a story ?
GRIGG
Well, hell, not the kind you let off this
morning.
GLEN
But, how do I know the papers are
going to be interested in what I tell
them - I mean -
GRIGG
(harsh again)
Listen, cut that out, will you! And I
wanna tell you one more thing : You
try and get a smear on me in any news-


81. Contd.
GRIGG (contd)
paper with a circulation above a thou-
sand, Glen, and you're finished as from
today. I'm in with your boss, and I'm
deep in, and Louise is paying with her
body. That's the kind of hell we live in.
The WAITER comes with the whisky. GRIGG grabs the glass before
the WAITER has time to take it from the tray. GRIGG has swallowed
half the whisky in a moment. The WAITER watches him with surprise.
GRIGG (contd)
By God, I needed that!
(to the WAITER,
holding his glass up
for soda)
Come on.
The WAITER, who seems used to him, spurts soda into the whisky, ,
and then deposits the siphon on the table. He leaves.
GRIGG (contd)
Know what she wants - Louise ?
GLEN
GRIGG
Just one night - a whole night with
John Palermo. Not just a couple or
three hours after dinner, but the whole
damned night from teatime on. Glen,
she needs it SO bad it's like a pain, and I
love her SO much I want to spare her the
pain. You don 't call that hell? What they
must be doing to each other - sometimes
it frightens me! She told me they only have
to get inside a room and they just kind of
throw themselves in like boxers - they 're
stripped off before you can say Heironymus
Bosch!
GLEN
Yes. On my bed.
GRIGG
(nodding and moving
closer to GLEN)
That's why we're here, that's why you' 're
staying with me all night.
GLEN
All night? ?
GRIGG
I've promised to keep you out of your
bed till dawn, and I'm a man who keeps
promises.


81. Contd.
GLEN
Till dawn! Listen -
CUT:
82. EXT. COVENT GARDEN STREET. EVENING
A taxi draws up outside PALERMO's office. PALERMO and LOUISE
get out. He pays off the taxi and they walk in.
CUT:
83. INT. GLEN'S ATTIC ROOM. EVENING
PALERMO and LOUISE come up the stairs pausing to kiss and fondle
each other. They reach the first landing. We TRACK in after them
as before, they throw themselves on to the bed.
CUT :
84. INT. HOTEL LOUNGE. EVENING
GLEN and GRIGG are sitting with champagne before them.
GRIGG
You don 't need to sleep! Nature's
a name for playing it lazy. : I'd like
some of these Nature bugs to tell me
exactly what Old Lady Nature is!
GLEN
Try not sleeping for a week, then you 'll
find out what Nature is. Nature's there
all right. I can see it in my vines, for
instance.
GRIGG
(with a sudden happy
burst of laughter)
Those vines again!
(gripping GLEN's hand
with great enjoyment)
They came o'er my ear like the
sweet sound of breeze upon a bank of
violets, stealing and giving odour!
(realising another
rusty guffaw, ducking
his head and shaking it
with enjoyment)
GRIGG relaxe: S again, gazing into the distance. He looks at GLEN in
a soft way.
GRIGG (contd)
What d'ya think they're doing now ?
Boy, I'm so randy sitting here I could
fertilise a stable full of cattle out of


84. Contd.
GRIGG (contd)
season. Don't tell me infidelity breaks
up marriages, Glen; it builds them into
Paradise, unless this is Hell. If it is,
I'm staying, because I like it.
(with sudden reso-
lution)
Come on! Let's pick up Muriel and
go to the club. Pick yourself out of
Nature's chair. There's a long night
ahead!
He pulls GLEN up with affectionate vigour and clutches his arm. -
They march out of the lounge.
CUT:
85. INT. GLEN'S ROOM. NIGHT
There is the sound of kissing and sighing and we come down to
PALERMO and LOUISE on the bed making soft love.
CUT:
86. INT. NIGHT CLUB. NIGHT
GRIGG, MURIEL and GLEN are seated together at the same table
they all occupied the night before. MURIEL and GLEN are looking
drawn and tired. There is a bottle of whisky and a soda siphon on
the table before them. GRIGG is talking rather unsteadily.
GRIGG
Yeah, our wives are unfaithful. We
feel damned insecure. We kill ourselves
every day, like the Mouse here, eh,
Honey? How you making out today,
Muriel?
MURIEL
Okay.
They sit looking glumly before them.
CUT:
87. INT. GLEN'S ROOM. NIGHT
We come down to more love-making, between LOUISE and PALERMO,
less soft than before.
CUT:
88. INT. NIGHT CLUB. NIGHT
The same table with GRIGG, MURIEL and GLEN. GRIGG is quite
drunk now.


88. Contd.
There are many more people than before. The dance floor is full.
There is a great noise round them.
GRIGG
Tell yer something, Glen. Me and
this girl here's gonna sleep together
tonight. And we don't even like each other.
(giving MURIEL a
pleasant look)
She's young, she treats sex like Heaven,
whereas I want the truth. Let's go back
to my hotel. Come on. I'd like to show
you two something. I'd like to show you
the truth. Come on.
89. INT. GLEN'S ATTIC. NIGHT
PALERMO and LOUISE are lying together, naked, asleep, she on top
of him.
CUT:
90. INT. GRIGG'S SUITE. NIGHT
This is the sitting room of GRIGG's suite.
GRIGG, MURIEL and GLEN are there. GRIGG is in the process of
unfolding a simply enor mous blueprint of DORNELLING's projected
missile across the floor. It nearly covers the entire room. As he is
fairly drunk he stumbles and gets the ends ruckled.
GLEN watches him from his armchair, his legs stretched out, his
eyes narrow with sleep. MURIEL stands gazing at the enormous
design, disconsolate. GRIGG keeps giving her quick upwards glances
as he bends to adjust it with pride.
GRIGG
(unbending)
Well ? How do you like it? That's the
egg your clever boss hatched up, and
you're wondering why I'm looking proud
and why I feel all of a sudden peaceful
because I know this is something we need,
this is something which gives us security,
and by God we all need that. Even you
need it, don 't you, Glen ?
GLEN nods, drowsily.
MURIEL stares down at the print and suddenly bursts into tears.
MURIEL
I don' 't want to see missiles!
GRIGG
(holding her)
Okay, honey. I'll fold it up.


90. Contd.
MURIEL
(looking over
GRIGG's shoulder
at GLEN)
And he's fallen asleep.
GRIGG
Ah, he's always been asleep.
That's why I like him. Iwish
I'd never woken up, either
(gazing across
at the window,
stroking MURIEL's
hair)
Hey, look, dawn's arrived.
(to GLEN softly)
You can get back to your bed now,
Glen.
CUT:
91. EXT. COVENT GARDEN STREET. DAWN
GLEN walking along a deserted street huddled against the chill air,
gazing down at the pavement.
CUT:
92. EXT. ANOTHER STREET. DAWN
GLEN enters the doorway of PALERMO's office and walks up the
stairs.
CUT:
93. INT. GLEN'S ATTIC ROOM. DAWN
GLEN comes up the stairs with slow steps; he reaches the landing;
he walks slowly on to his room. The door is wide open. We TRACK
in after him. He stands in the doorway looking round. We follow his
gaze until it rests on the bed.
PALERMO is lying there on his back naked, a sheet half covering
him, one arm dangling down to the floor.
GLEN
(to himself)
Oh no!
He walks across the room slowly and sits down on the bed at
PALERMO's side. PALERMO does not move. GLEN gazes down at
him. He looks at him with a certain tenderness.
Some time passes. He touches PALERMO but PALERMO does not
move. GLEN shakes him slightly.


93. Contd.
GLEN
Hey, I want to sleep,too.
He shakes PALERMO again. He frowns. He looks at PALERMO
more closely. He shakes him harder.
GLEN
Palermo! Palermo!
But PALERMO does not move. GLEN feels PALERMO's shoulder.
He keeps his hand there, he gazes before him with fear. PALERMO
does not move. He i's dead.
GLEN
(with fear)
Palermo!
He withdraws a little from PALERMO, he continues to stare down at
him, he withdraws from the bed still looking at PALERMO's motion-
less body, he walks back to the doorway still staring across at the
divan. He bumps into the door, starts, looking round frightened.
Then he looks back again at PALERMO. He leaves the room. He
walks slowly along the landing, his overcoat open, his hands in the
pockets, gazing down, astonished, lost, almost crying. He walks
down the stairs. We hear his heavy, slow steps.
We STAY on the open door of GLEN's room until the steps have ceased.
CUT:
94. INT. DOOR TO THE STREET. DAWN
GLEN is leaning against the door frame, gazing into the deserted
street. We see him from inside. He is quite motionless. There is
silence. The light is growing outside.
CUT:
95. EXT. COVENT GARDEN STRE ET. DAWN
MURIEL is walking along slowly, dishevelled, tears pouring down her
face, biting her lip.
CUT:
96. INT. DOOR TO THE STREET. DAWN
Again GLEN leaning against the door frame seen from inside, motion-
less as before. He looks down the street, he stirs. A flash of
MURIEL coming down towards him. Her steps sound in the silence
of the street. She reaches the entrance.
GLEN
I've got something to tell you.


96. Contd.
MURIEL
I know already. She came back.
Louise! She rushed into the room
she said, 'He's dead. Palermo's
dead! - He died underneath her. Oh,
Glen.
She collapses on to GLEN. They stay in the doorway.
GLEN
Has he got a wife ?
MURIEL
Who?
GLEN
Palermo.
MURIEL
Yes, he's got a wife. It's me.
GLEN
MURIEL
It wasn't much of a marriage
They remain together, the deserted street beyond thei m.
MURIEL (contd)
He was never nice to me. I've
given up trying to reason things out.
GLEN
And you let him send you off to other
men ?
MURIEL
(giving him a long look)
I'm not nice, darling! Not all of us
are.
(touching his face)
In the next life I might be. What are
you going to do now - I mean for a job
and that ?
GLEN
Go back.
MURIEL
Where ?
GLEN
Naples.
MURIEL
You thought you' 'd find a better
life over here ?


96. Contd.
GLEN
Yes.
MURIEL
Nice people are always fools.
GLEN
I know. I prefer it. Being a fool.
MURIEL
We ought to call a doctor. The police.
GLEN nods. They walk slowly up the stairs. We watch them coming
up, then to the office.. He goes to the telephone.
GLEN
(his hand on the
telephone)
Did you sleep with Grigg ?
MURIEL
No. He talked about hell all the
time.
(slumping into a
chair)
He's right.
GLEN
Oh. Hell's inside. So is heaven.
He begins dialling.