"Good morning, Mr. Phelps." "The man you're looking at is General Casimir Zepke, who is plotting to make himself a dictator." "Only one man stands between Zepke and absolute power:" "Stanislaus Cardinal Souchek, whose influence with the people has kept his country free." "We have learned that Zepke imprisoned the cardinal six weeks ago when he entered Zolnar Monastery for his annual retreat." "Zepke intends to replace him with an exact double who will politically endorse Zepke, guaranteeing his final seizure of power." "Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is to save Cardinal Souchek and stop Zepke." "As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions." "This tape will self-destruct in five seconds." "Good luck, Jim." "The fan exerts enough pressure to push them up and out the tube, just like the smoke." "How far will it reach?" "When we had it fully extended earlier, it reached over 40 feet." "Will that be enough?" "More than enough, Cinnamon." "Just received word the cardinal will leave the monastery day after tomorrow, on the eve of the elections." "That will be Zepke's man, the double?" "Yes." "I suppose Zepke's replaced the cardinal's staff too, huh?" "Yes, now, Rollin, you'll have to remember that every monk in that monastery is one of Zepke's troopers." "His favourite method for eliminating the opposition is suffocation." "Down here in the catacombs." "It's a network of tunnels and old tombs." "There are two entrances." "One here, back stairway leading down from the main building." "The other one is here, a tunnel from the outside." "Two doors." "One here." "One here." "Now, this one you can force your way through, but this one can only be opened from the inside." "Why is that, Jim?" "Because it's rigged with a deadfall." "Try opening it from the outside, and a couple of tons of rock comes down on you." "Rollin, here's your cross." "It tests up to 2 tons." "And if it doesn't, there'll be one of these over me." "How about the mosquitoes, Barney?" "Right here, Jim." "They've been feeding on a bacillus culture for 12 hours." "Perfect." "Perfect." "Even the scars from the plastic surgery, completely healed, invisible." "You'd swear we are one and the same?" "You are." "You're no longer Anton Nagorski, the actor, but His Eminence, Stanislaus Cardinal Souchek." "I've studied him through that mirror for so long, even I am beginning to believe it." "Yes, Major Felder?" "Excuse me, general." "Cardinal Souchek will be starting his Divine Office, if the practise is to continue." "By all means." "Get on with it, Nagorski." "One hundred and three." "You better get to bed." "I'll tell the general." "Why?" "Why today of all days?" "Well, perhaps we could delay." "Out of the question." "The press will be here in a few hours." "Get me the hospital at Valdosk." "Our only hope is that a doctor can shoot him full of something so he can go on the air tonight." " Dr. Escobar..." " Valdosk General Hospital." "Oh, this is Zolnar Monastery." "We need a doctor out here at once, please." "I'm sorry." "There are no doctors available." "What do you mean?" "There has been an outbreak of plague." "Plague?" "Yes, it is reaching epidemic proportions." "All the doctors in the district are working round the clock now." "But this may be a matter of life and death." "Well, I'm sorry, sir." "We have patients awaiting emergency treatment." "We simply cannot send a doctor for one single patient." "But..." "Hello?" "Can anyone hear me?" "This is the Zolnar Monastery." "Visitors are not permitted." "I don't wanna visit." "I wanna use a telephone." "I have a flat tyre, no spare." "There's nowhere else." "This is an emergency." "I'm a doctor." "What?" "Send him here." "Proceed straight ahead to the main building." "You will be directed there to a telephone." " No congestion." " Is it plague?" "It's hard to make a positive diagnosis without further tests." "From the condition of the lymph nodes, I don't think so." "What then?" "Well, it could be brucellosis." "Perhaps a staph infection." "In any event, he'll have to be kept in strict isolation." "I'm not leaving his side." "Your devotion is commendable, general, but it may be extremely dangerous." "He has to broadcast this evening." "Can you give him something to get him on his feet?" "I don't think that's possible." "It's of the utmost importance." "Well, we have to treat the symptoms, regardless." "Nurse." "Administer 2 cc's streptomycin IM, 0.5 gram chlortetracycline." "I hope that will do the trick." "At least it's supportive until we get him to a hospital." "Cardinal Souchek is not going to a hospital." "And you're not leaving here just yet, doctor." "There's an epidemic in the city, hundreds of children waiting for a doctor." "Just the point." "Hundreds of children and just one Cardinal Souchek." "You're not leaving here, doctor." "It's locked on the inside." "We'll take it off the hinges." "Temperature's down considerably." " How do you feel, Your Eminence?" " A little better, but still very hot." "General, could I speak to you?" "It's Cardinal Ortoloni, the apostolic delegate." "Says he's an old friend of Souchek's." "The name is not in any of the dossiers we studied." " Do you want me to send him away?" " Yes..." "No, we can't do that." "I'd better handle this personally." "You stay up here and keep an eye on things." "How does that compress feel, Your Eminence?" "Soothing." "Very soothing." "Just leave it in place, please." "A last request, major?" "Call it what you want." "After tonight, we won't need you anymore." "At least you are an honest murderer." "Let me adjust your pillow." "You'll be more comfortable." "I'm sorry, Your Eminence, but I would feel very guilty if anything happened to you." "I relieve you of all guilt, general." "And I repeat my request to see Cardinal Souchek." "Unless, of course, you have some other personal reasons for interfering with church matters." "You misunderstand, Your Eminence." "It is not I, it is the doctor who insists that Cardinal Souchek is to have no visitors." "With all due respect, general," "I would like to hear that from the doctor himself." "The general is quite right." "No one may see Cardinal Souchek." "No one who has not yet received the plague vaccine." "Oh, naturally, I was inoculated before coming to this epidemic area." "Well, in that case, I see no reason why..." "But, doctor, wouldn't that unduly excite the cardinal?" "It might do him good to see an old friend with perhaps a personal message from His Holiness." "Thank you, doctor." "Just one moment." "I'd better prepare His Eminence." "Three-feet-four from the sink." "Twenty-two inches up." " Who?" " Cardinal Ortoloni." "Your old friend." "I'm sure, Your Eminence, you will want to see him, despite your illness." "Yes, yes." "Peace be with you too, Your Eminence." "So formal." "So formal after all these years, Stanislaus?" "Surely you have not forgotten II Magro." "Il Magro, "the thin one. "" "You gave me that nickname yourself when I studied under you at the seminary." "His Eminence has had a very high fever." "Of course." "The Holy Father asked that I give you his blessing." "He suggested that you pray with him through me." "L..." "I..." "I'm very sorry, but I'm not feeling at all well." "So I see." "Yes." "And so if you'll excuse me..." "General, I should like a word with you outside." "Continue the compresses, nurse." "I am certain you know what I will tell the world about that man in there." " You mean Cardinal Souchek?" " No." "I do not mean Cardinal Souchek." "I mean, that man." "That impostor." "Correct, cardinal, up to a point." "You will not tell anyone." "Use the rear stairs to the catacombs." "I sure hope Rollin's on schedule." "If not, we've got our own tomb right here." "Shall we chance the door?" "Can't from this side." "Deadfall." "The sarcophagus is airtight." "The cover weighs over 300 pounds, so there is no point in struggling." "Barney." "Willy." " You all right?" " Yeah." "But he was better." "Isn't there anything else you can do?" "I intend to give him an alcohol rub and put him in an oxygen tent." "Oxygen?" "Yes." "It's often helpful in high fever." " Well, you have oxygen equipment?" " Yes, it's in the car." " We were taking it to the hospital." " Get it." "Very well." "I'll need a couple of men." "Oh, Brother, would you help the doctor get some equipment from his car?" "You too, Brother, if you please." "Careful now." "I'll open the door." " All right?" " They're coming." "How is he now, nurse?" "Sleeping." "His fever's down." "He's breathing more easily." "Good." "That will be all." "Thank you, Brothers." "Ristocetin seems to be working, general." "Does that mean he'll be able to make the broadcast?" "No guarantee, of course." "With this oxygen tent, I think there's a good chance." "Well, then, hurry with it." "Please." "Adjust the flow to 10 litres a minute, nurse." "Ten litres." "What...?" "What does that liquid do?" "Well, that's just water, general." "It humidifies the oxygen." "Prevents dehydration of the respiratory membrane." "Oh, I certainly wouldn't want that if he's to speak tonight." "Still think he'll be able to?" "A little while in this oxygen tent and I think, barring unforeseen circumstances, he'll probably make it." "What's wrong with the oxygen tent?" "Nothing, general." "Perfectly normal for it to mist up like that." "No cause for worry." "Where Cardinal Souchek is concerned, doctor," "I worry about everything." "What was that?" "Open the tent." "For best results, general, it's advisable to keep the tent closed until..." "Until I order it opened." "I assure you the cardinal is perfectly all right." "Step aside, doctor." "I am going to assure myself." "Don't open the tent, general." "Your cigarette with the oxygen, it's very dangerous." "Now." "General, the cardinal's car is here, and the reporters." "I'd advise at least another 10 minutes of oxygen, general." "There isn't time!" "He has to get up now." "Discontinue the oxygen, nurse." "And open the tent." "The zipper's jammed." "How do you feel?" "Better." "Much better." "Ready to meet the world?" "More than ready, general." "Anxious." "General, we really have to get on to the hospital now." "Your car's all repaired and ready to go, and, doctor, you have my thanks." "I would like to add my thanks and my blessing." "It's been our pleasure, Your Eminence." "Would you have the two brothers bring our equipment, please?" " Of course, of course." " Goodbye." "Tell the press that Cardinal Souchek will be down in a minute." " Of course." " And one more thing." "Get rid of the excess baggage in the next room." "Feel all right?" "Now, then, you're sure you remember exactly what to say when we get out there?" " I know exactly what to say." " Good." "We'll make an unbeatable combination." "I will go down first." "Give me a minute to set the scene, then you make your entrance." "Your Eminence." "When I learned that Cardinal Souchek was ill," "I hurried here at once from the capital." "I do not mind telling you he was deeply moved by my concern for his well-being." "As a result, I am happy to be able to tell you that we have effected a complete reconciliation, both spiritual and political." "General, can you tell us what the cardinal will say in his broadcast?" "Of course, I cannot and will not speak for the cardinal." "But this much I can promise you:" "Whatever the great spiritual leader of our country says, I will observe." "Here is His Eminence now." "You can ask him yourself." "Souchek." "Souchek, who did this?" "Who did this to you?" "Your Eminence, they would like to know if you can give them some idea of what you will tell the country tonight." "Yes, gentlemen." "I can give you a very definite idea of what I will tell the people this evening." "I will tell them the kind of man General Zepke truly is." "A monstrous liar, a traitor and a murderer." "And I will exhort heaven and earth to prevent his election." "Your Eminence." "Your Eminence..." "Nagorski." "Nagorski." " Nagorski." " It's not Nagorski, it's Souchek." "Look."