"THE PROFESSIONAL" "It's therefore obvious that when he arrived in Malagawi on May 14, the defendant, Josselin Beaumont, intended to make an attempt on the life of Colonel Njala, President for life of the Republic of Malagawi." "Mr. President, I find hard to believe the defendant's claim that he was acting on his own initiative." "You admit having come to Malagawi for the sole purpose of assassinating President Njala?" "Yes, Mr. President." "And you're aware how deplorable such a crime is?" "Yes, Mr. President." "You admit that you weren't subject to any political manipulation?" "Do you realize, Josselin Beaumont, that I'll have to make an example of you?" "Defendant, answer the Attorney General." "Defendant, get up!" "The heat has made the defendant ill." "The court is in recess." "Have you ever seen anything like it?" "I wonder how long the recess will be." "No." "No!" "No!" "No, I can't take it anymore!" "You'll drive me nuts with that stuff!" "What's the matter with you?" "Come on." "Why are you being so difficult?" "Come on." "I don't want any more." "There you go." "Now, be reasonable." "Come." "Very good." "Get him dressed." "Now let go of him." "Well, then, Mr. Beaumont." "Perfect." "Impeccable." "Let's continue where we left off." "I'll have to make an example of you." "Yes, Mr. President." "There you go." "Do you understand you will be made an example of?" "Yes, Mr. President." "Make three copies, one for the President's staff one for the Minister and one for Colonel Martin." "That way, our friends can read it once in a while." "We're live from the courthouse..." "Yes, Mr. President." "...where Joss Beaumont is presently being tried." "It seems only the President's mercy can save terrorist Josselin Beaumont" "From a death sentence." "Once again, all depends on Your Excellency's infinite compassion." "For France to be our ally, Beaumont must be a madman." "We'll therefore re-educate him." "Get up!" "Come on, get up!" "Get up!" "Take that!" "Dirtbag!" "Bastard!" "Dirtbag!" "Bastard!" "You filthy dirtbag..." "The soldiers are coming!" "Get out!" "Get out!" "Don't stay here!" "Hurry up." "Here they come." "Are you ready?" "Almost." "They're getting closer." "Don't shoot." "We'll sneak out the back." "All right." "No!" "Am I dying?" "Yes." "Are you scared?" "No, why?" "Because I'd be scared." "That's because you'd be going to hell." ""Luak Eral Ohfa Beca Ludo Koda." What is that, "Ludo Koda"?" "The signature." "Oh, I see." "Captain Valeras!" "Please come up for a second." "We got a strange telegram." "It makes absolutely no sense to me." "It doesn't match any of our current codes." "Where was it mailed from?" "The corner post office." "You know what it looks like?" "It looks like the code we used in Africa." "It's been a while." "Do you know how long it's been since we've used this code?" "Two years, Captain." "Who would use a two-year-old code?" "Somebody who disappeared for two years." "We'll know more once we run it through the decoder." "Hello?" "Hello, Alice?" "Edouard." "Am I bothering you?" "Were you taking a bath?" "No, I just got home." "Excellent." "Turn around and walk back out again." "Get a taxi and come back here." "Did you hear me, Alice?" "Yes, Edouard." "Come back to the office immediately." "Why?" "What's happening?" "Nothing good." "Now, hurry." "Okay." ""Joss Beaumont to Colonel Martin."" "Call the Colonel." "Call him where?" "Everywhere." "Now!" "Don't laugh." "Joss Beaumont is back." "Congratulations." "He's very good." "What does the telegram say?" "One moment." "It says that the contract will be carried out between the 12th and the 15th." "The contract between the 12th..." "The 12th is in an hour." "I remind you that President Njala will be a guest of France from the 12th to the 15th." "That's why we didn't hear from Beaumont after his escape." "I'll be right over." "Call Rosen in immediately, and tell Alice Ancelin to stay." "She could be useful." "Also, call the guy from the shooting school." "He might help us find Beaumont." "What's that idiot's name again?" "Instructor Picard." "That's it." "Picard." "Above all, find the Minister." "I want my ass to be covered." "I understand, Colonel." "Captain Valeras." "Yes?" "Put Joss Beaumont's wife under immediate surveillance." "He'd be crazy to go there." "And the telegram's not crazy?" "Yes, Colonel." "Maybe we should inform his wife." "What do you think I'm doing right now?" "Somebody's calling her." "Hello, Surveillance Squad." "Give them a few minutes." "Jeanne, you'll soon be under surveillance." "I won't be able to talk to you anymore." "No, don't hang up, Joss." "Please, Joss, come home." "They'll probably be there soon." "As soon as they're gone, close the blinds in the living room." "I'll come and see you during the night." "What is it?" "I'm clean." "It's only been a month since my last shower." "All right, fine." "Where's the wagon?" "You're not a policeman." "What time is it?" "What do you want in exchange?" "A partner." "What?" "A business partner." "Do you realize, Josselin Beaumont, that I'll have to make an example of you?" "Josselin Beaumont, you're a monster." "Of course." "You admit that you weren't subject to any political manipulation?" "Yes, Mr. President." "Josselin Beaumont, do you understand the monstrosity of your plans?" "Yes, Mr. President." "Gentlemen." "Hello, Martin." "Thank you for coming, Minister." "I have to rest a bit. I..." "ls there any coffee?" "Of course." "Alice." "Right away, Minister." "I was hoping to get a good night's sleep." "I haven't been sleeping well lately." "I took a sleeping pill." "Did I ask for coffee?" "Here it is, Minister." "Thank you." "I'm listening, Colonel Martin." "Josselin Beaumont is in Paris." "Who?" "Major Josselin Beaumont, a Secret Service agent." "He's returned after two years of captivity." "His return is problematic, Minister." "Why?" "He means to assassinate President Njala." "Njala?" "Assassinate Njala?" "But why?" "It's complicated." "Well, we had..." "How can I put this?" "We ordered him to do it two years ago." "Who is "we"?" "Your predecessor, Minister." "Marchandeau?" "Yes." "Philippe Marchandeau?" "Yes, Minister." "I can explain Mr. Marchandeau's political motives." "That won't be necessary." "What happened exactly?" "Well, we sent Maior Beaumont to Africa." "Yes, you've said that already." "Miss, would you give me some coffee, please?" "I'm listening." "When he arrived in Malagawi, the political situation had changed." "There was no longer need to kill President Njala." "Definitely not." "So you called Beaumont back." "No, Minister." "Why not?" "Would you like cognac in your coffee, Minister?" "Why didn't you call him back?" "Well, it was considered expedient to let President Njala know of Beaumont's presence." "You sold him out?" "No, we didn't sell him out, Minister." "We gave him away for reasons of state, and you never charge for that." "Let me present you my partner." "He has a little job for us." "He'll tell you what it is." "Let's go for a walk." "I can tell you the score on the way." "What's in it for us?" "Yeah, what's in it for us?" "Ask my partner." "Don't worry." "You won't regret it." "He's honest." "Can we go?" "All right, okay." "Come on, let's go." "Slow down." "We're not punching a clock." "I really want to know why he sent this message." "Why?" "Look at us, Minister." "This is our first sleepless night." "Many more await us." "What are you going to do?" "Whatever is necessary." "It's not going to be a walk in the park." "Instructor Picard here trained Beaumont." "The worst part, Minister, is that Beaumont knows all our tricks." "And why does he know them?" "Because we taught him all our tricks, every move, every ruse." "He was my favorite student, Minister." "If I had one, I'd want my son to be like him." "That's all very touching, but it hardly solves our problem." "If he's as good as you say, it'll be very difficult to stop him." "Still, he'll have to move around, make contact with some people." "Not really." "I taught him to operate without contacts, in enemy territory." "Whatever the circumstance, he has the white pieces." "It's a chess term." "The white pieces have the benefit of being on the offensive." "He'll always be one step ahead." "He'll pull tricks we never imagined!" "He'll constantly improvise." "He'll run circles around us." "He'll drive us insane." "Beaumont's not coming." "We'll sit here all night for nothing." "In his shoes, would you go and see your wife?" "No, I'd go to yours." "Very funny." "Go ahead." "Bastard!" "What's this?" "A bunch of bums." "They look completely drunk." "Go on, for God's sake!" "They stole my bottle!" "My bottle!" "They're like kids." "Yeah." "Follow me." "My bottle!" "You'll pay!" "Dirtbag!" "Get out of here, you drunks!" "Get lost!" "I'll get in there, damn it!" "Help me, you moron!" "I can't." "I'm stuck!" "Come on, get lost!" "Get lost!" "What is that?" "It's my alarm clock." "Leave!" "Get lost!" "Take it easy." "My alarm clock!" "My alarm clock!" "My little alarm clock!" "Maybe now is a good time to get some coffee." "You're right." "What is this lousy neighborhood?" "It's a lousy neighborhood." "All neighborhoods are lousy." "Plant all the grass you want, it'll still be a lousy neighborhood." "It stinks like the gutter here." "Gentlemen, I think you're being pessimistic." "This Beaumont was first brainwashed." "He then spent two years in Malagawi." "Finally, he must be exhausted from his extravagant escape." "He's probably been weakened." "Weakened?" "On the contrary, it probably invigorated Beaumont." "He's probably at his best!" "Let me tell you something, Minister." "If no one pulls the rug out..." "I mean, if the politicians don't make a patsy of him again..." "No more blacks!" "Enough, Picard." "Thank you." "Wait." "I'm not finished." "Thank you, Picard." "Gentlemen, after that brilliant thesis, I can tell you this much." "If there's no more blacks, there's no more Secret Service and no more Minister." "Everybody's gone." "No, we'll find him." "We'll stop him." "Stop him?" "Who's going to stop him?" "I will." "Inspector Rosen from the Special Action Squad." "Joss?" "Is that you, Joss?" "Two years." "I almost went crazy waiting for you." "Jeanne, I've already hurt you so much." "I don't want to give you fleas on top of it." "The guy who gave me this coat probably hasn't seen a bar of soap in years." "One minute of tenderness and hours of scratching." "Idiot." "Did you tell Alice Ancelin you were back?" "Forget Alice Ancelin." "It's been two years." "Statute of limitations." "I haven't forgotten." "I'm sure she hasn't, either." "I'm here with you now, aren't I?" "The Secret Service called me just two minutes after you did." "Valeras." "He told me about the telegram." "Why didn't you come before sending it?" "It was the telegram that caused them to tap the phone, to go through the apartment and to organize roadblocks downstairs." "Why did you do it, Joss?" "Are you here to see me or to provoke them?" "Did you come back for love or provocation?" "Valeras said that you want to kill Njala, that you've gone insane." "I can't lose you again, Joss." "I love you." "I don't like them, Jeanne." "They killed a soldier, Major Josselin Beaumont." "They got him in an ambush." "You can imagine they explained a lot to me before sending me down there, before I put a rifle in my suitcase." "They told me that Njala was a monster, that killing him was a matter of honor." "I had naive ideas about honor and pride back then." "I should've been smarter." "I hate them, Jeanne, and I'm going to make them pay." "At first, Valeras would come every Sunday, then every other Sunday, and then every three weeks." "Then, one night, he came and said, "I'm resigning."" "The newspapers had just announced your trial and your conviction." "His resignation was denied, but he handed it in anyway." "Yes, he handed it in." "At what time does the janitor throw out the garbage?" "Around 7:00, 7:30." "Put the bum's clothes and alarm clock over the garbage can." "Make sure they're clearly visible." "Why?" "What will you do?" "I'm leaving." "You're probably going to have visitors." "If you're lucky, Martin." "If you aren't, Rosen." "He's a bastard but an amazing cop." "He'll definitely come around to bother you." "What then?" "Then he'll leave." "No, I'm talking about us two." "Listen, Jeanne, at the moment, there's Njala." "There's Rosen." "There's Martin." "There's four of us." "There's six of us." "There's twelve of us." "It can't be about the two of us as long as all these people are involved." "Hello." "Edouard?" "Joss." "I'm at Jeanne's place, but I'm leaving soon to avoid Rosen's arrival." "Why Rosen?" "Like you don't know." "You should come." "Why did you call?" "You know the line's being tapped." "It's now illegal to tap people's lines." "What you just heard was birds perching on the cable." "Be nice." "Come quick." "The janitor brought out the garbage." "I put your stuff out just in time..." "Joss?" "Joss?" "So you've taken up scrounging in garbage piles, huh?" "Tell Rosen to come right away." "Beaumont was here." "Tell the others, too." "Ask them if they saw anything." "How did he pull it off?" "The bum!" "Where is he?" "Where is he?" "I won't ask 50 times!" "He's not here." "Don't pretend you don't know anything." "We're not stupid." "I just found the clothes and the alarm clock in the trash." "I recognized that alarm clock." "For the last time, where did he go?" "You're making a big mistake clamming up." "Rosen's methods are much worse." "Believe me." "At any rate, you won't catch him." "You bitch!" "Farges, Rosen is coming." "I'll go get him." "It's on the sixth floor." "Hello, Inspector." "Hello, Inspector." "Farges is waiting for you upstairs." "Congratulations, Farges." "He came and went right under your nose." "Then again, I can understand it." "You were waiting for a lone fugitive." "Instead, you find some bums drinking and singing." "Of course you think it's unrelated." "You're probably right, Inspector Farges..." "Inspector Greenhorn Farges." "Get lost, and get rid of all the roadblocks." "He's not coming back." "Funny bit, the alarm clock in the trash." "Now you're going to tell me when he left." "Who?" "Please, Mrs. Beaumont, when did he leave?" "I don't know." "Where is he now?" "I don't know." "When will you see him again?" "I don't know." "I think I'm starting to losing my patience." "Don't get angry, Inspector." "There's no point." "She's protecting him." "She can't help it." "It's love, passion." "You can't really blame her." "You're probably right, Sergeant." "I shouldn't lose my cool." "Please accept my apologies." "See?" "He's apologizing." "That's the kind of man he is." "If you tell him the truth, you might become friends." "I know you'll tell me the truth." "When will you see Beaumont again?" "I'm not convinced your friendliness is effective, Sergeant." "Sure, she and I will get along just fine." "You're going to tell me the truth, the whole truth." "The whole truth." "You're pretty hot, you know that?" "Beaumont must have been really happy to see you after two years." "I can tell from your eyes you didn't get much sleep." "All the things you must've done last night..." "All the things..." "All the things..." "All the things..." "After a night like that, don't you want to take a shower, a nice warm shower?" "No." "A nice warm shower and then a cold one and then a hot one." "No!" "I'll soap you." "You'll see what I can do with a bar of soap." "No." "No!" "I beg of you, stop these games." "Mrs. Beaumont, I cannot remain in the room with a naked woman." "It would be improper and against regulations." "Sergeant, take care of Mrs. Beaumont." "If that's an order, Inspector..." "There's no use screaming." "Rosen doesn't care what I do as long as I get you to talk." "If it helped find Beaumont, he wouldn't even care if I raped you." "You'll see." "It's really healthy." "It makes the blood flow." "That's what they do in Sweden." "Then they whip each other." "Want me to whip you?" "You're so cute." "Okay." "She's taking a bath." "ROSEN, I'LL ALWAYS BE RIGHT BEHIND YOU" "You knew he was there, didn't you?" "I'll get him, you hear me?" "I'll get him!" "Edouard." "Rosen, now I know how we'll find Joss Beaumont." "We'll just follow you around, my friend." "Because the day you get shot in the head, Joss will be right there." "Smart." "Now you don't have coffee." "Let go." "It's mine now." "I swear I didn't want to hit her." "Rosen made me do it." "I didn't want to hit you, either, but my wife made me do it." "Come on, Major, it's my job." "I hate slapping people." "You're right." "The job is what it is." "The croissant, it's on my friend there." "And he'll be staying for three days." "That's a long time, a very long time." "Not for us." "We're hoping to trade some of his reserves for a nuclear plant." "Three days isn't a lot of time to convince him." "True, but it's ample time to kill him." "Your Excellency, I'm sorry to disturb you, but..." "You did well, Arthur." "Martin, the Colonel of Security, would like to see you." "I'll see him after dinner or tomorrow." "Tomorrow you have a meeting with the President of the Council." "It'll be a busy day." "In that case, I won't see him ever." "It seems urgent, Your Excellency." "He's been waiting for over an hour." "They made me wait 15 years, Arthur, and most of that time in prison." "One little hour won't hurt him." "Gentlemen, His Excellency will see you now." "This way, please." "Yes?" "How are you planning to handle my safety?" "We understand all the comfort a luxurious hotel can offer, and the neighborhood certainly is very nice, but right now, this isn't the safest place for you." "Too many people come and go." "It's difficult to keep track of everyone." "This is a disaster in terms of security." "I'm trying to understand." "You don't intend to lock me up in the embassy, do you?" "Of course not, Mr. President." "We would never have even considered it." "Does Your Excellency need anything else?" "No, thank you." "Where do you plan to keep me?" "Fortunately, our nation is full of castles." "Unless you mean the senate's palace in the Luxembourg Gardens," "I can't help picturing one of your giant coolers in the countryside, where your kings would die of boredom." "My apologies." "I thought you were alone." "Miss Frederiksen." "Miss." "Miss." "Doris, darling, how do you feel about the French countryside?" "Chivalry forbids what prudence advises." "Goodbye, gentlemen." "Have a good evening." "You, too." "Thank you." "Damn it, another one!" "What's the first question?" "Doris Frederiksen." "She's been faithful to His Excellency for years now, but she's lately been having a very Italian and very demanding affair." "Well done." "With whom?" "Volfoni Salvatore, Volfoni of the ice cream and soda." "Well done." "Where?" "At the Hilton." "I could even tell you where to reach Miss Doris Frederiksen." "Wrong answer." "2250563, under the name of Mrs. Claude." "Get the third question wrong, and you lose everything." "Congratulations anyway." "Please hold the line." "I'll put her on the phone." "It's the madam." "Which madam?" "The madam." "Oh, yes." "Hello?" "Hello, Doris?" "Yes, is that you, madam?" "Does 4:00 to 5:00 tomorrow work for you?" "That depends on who it is." "The black man is coming tomorrow at 7:00." "Salvatore Volfoni." "Salvatore." "That's different." "Still at the Hilton?" "Yes, suite 1056." "Jean-Claude, send this to Inspector Rosen." "Doris Frederiksen?" "Yes?" "Inspector Rosen from the Special Action Squad." "Someone is planning to assassinate President Njala." "I thought I'd warn you." "How is that my concern?" "You're the President's weak spot." "The killer will try to get to him through you." "If he contacts you, try to keep him there, and call me at this number." "Two of my men will follow you for the next few days." "You don't ask for my consent?" "I couldn't care less about your consent." "What if I refuse?" "If you refuse, you'll have an accident, like in the elevator, for example." "The cable snaps, and they find you six stories down with your stiletto heels in your mouth." "See you soon, miss." "Yes?" "Mr." "Volfoni of the ice cream and soda?" "Yes." "Joss Beaumont, espionage and brawls." "Having fun following me?" "No, we're not having fun." "We're working." "Where are you headed?" "To work." "Past this point, it's private." "Who is it?" "It's Doris." "I'm coming." "Be a good boy, now." "I'm sorry." "I must have wrong suite." "Isn't this suite 1056?" "It is." "I'm the one who should be sorry." "I come here without notice, impromptu, a bit rude even." "Salvatore didn't warn me we'd be three." "Not that I mind, but..." "Three?" "Salvatore?" "Oh, good old Salvatore!" "What am I thinking?" "Yes, he's in the closet, under the ties." "What closet?" "I should have said "wardrobe." This is a suite." "I never lie." "I hope he won't wrinkle." "I forgot to put him on a hanger." "You think it's funny locking people up in closets?" "I needed to see you alone." "I heard a lot about you." "From whom?" "The black man." "Would you happen to be the delinquent that gorilla was telling me about?" "Did the gorilla tell you, "I'm Rosen from the Special Action Squad." ""I'll ram your shoes in your throat"?" "No, he didn't say "shoes." He said "stilettos."" "What is it the brute wants from me?" "Rosen?" "He wants to kill me, but to do that, he has to catch me first, and to catch me, he's depending on you." "And what do you have in mind?" "Do you really want to kill Njala?" "Would that bother you?" "No." "Well, that's not the point, but if you put half my source of income in the closet and kill the other half," "I'll end up with nothing to wear." "Figuratively speaking, I mean." "Let's make a deal." "I'll leave you Njala for a while longer, long enough to get as much money out of him as you can." "In exchange, you do me a little favor." "A favor?" "Yeah, tell Rosen I asked you many questions about Njala's safety, the number of bodyguards, the placement of his bed, his habits, things like that." "How will that help you?" "It'll keep Rosen up at night, and in his line of work, when you don't sleep, your hands start shaking, your vision becomes clouded." "Let's say it would give me an advantage." "He told me to keep you here and call him." "And that's funny?" "No, I was just thinking that I wouldn't mind keeping you here, but without calling him." "Where is that maniac now?" "He talks about espionage and brawls..." "Back to work." "I won't say anything." "I won't ask questions, but get out!" "What are you doing here anyway?" "It's my fault, and I'm leaving." ""Pierrot is reunited with Colombine." "Harlequin tiptoes out ever so quietly."" "You can't just walk out like that." "There are two cops outside." "Are you insane?" "They'll jump right on you!" "It's okay." "I have what is called the element of surprise." "One couscous with chicken!" "First, it was Mrs. Beaumont." "Then it was that presidential whore." "Soon we'll be the only people in Paris not to have seen Major Beaumont." "Congratulations, gentlemen." "I'm sorry, Colonel, but I can't keep an eye on Mrs. Beaumont, the whore and the five kilometers of hallways at the Intercontinental." "The Intercontinental was removed from the program." "We're moving the President." "Don't you remember his reaction to the notion?" "Because it was ours, but now it's an order from on high." "Where will you put him?" "In the countryside, at the Château de la Ferrière." "Two stonewalls, one main building, two stories high and a pavilion." "It's impregnable." "What about Beaumont?" "What about Beaumont?" "Do we stop Beaumont or not?" "Of course we stop him." "Why do you ask?" "I'm not asking you, Colonel." "It's Valeras I'm asking." "You're twisted, Rosen." "I see what you're saying." "What have you got against Captain Valeras?" "Nothing, Colonel." "I'm just asking him whose side he's on." "Is it ours or Beaumont's?" "It's just a question." "If memory serves, you and Joss were close friends." "What's that supposed to mean?" "If someone he trusted, Valeras, for example, arranged a meeting with Beaumont," "Joss would come." "Not a bad idea, is it?" "You're even more twisted than I thought." "All our efforts so far have failed, so I'm trying something else." "Your traps have all been failures, so you have to set another, preferably one that's even more reprehensible." "No, Alice, a meeting isn't necessarily a trap." "Captain, Inspector Rosen's idea is worth considering." "In any case, if anyone is to talk to Beaumont, who better than you?" "All right, I'll try to get in touch with Joss, but promise me only one thing." "Give me some time to convince him, or at least to try to convince him." "Of course we'll give you time, Edouard." "Right, Colonel?" "Of course." "How can you say that, Edouard?" "You know what they're like." "All they want is to kill him." "That's their only goal." "That's why I want to talk with him." "He's going too far, Jeanne." "It has to stop." "If I can't make him understand that tonight, it'll be too late." "Well, I can't make any promises, but if Joss calls, I'll tell him to meet you, but make sure Joss won't be in danger if he meets with you." "I swear it." "Good work, Valeras." "Very good work, Edouard." "You know, you're cute when you pretend to be asleep." "I'm not pretending to sleep." "Why do you say that?" "Two years, Edouard." "What about two years?" "You were about to ask how many years it's been, so I said, "Two years."" "I know it's been two years." "What's so funny?" "I was thinking of the face Martin would make if he could see us now." "Of course, you could always give him your resignation." "He won't accept it anyway, so you might as well." "Did you hear about that from Jeanne?" "Yes." "She was really quite impressed." "Why wouldn't she be?" "I can just hear you saying, "Jeanne, I gave my resignation this morning."" "Kind of like when you once told me, "Joss, I wish I could go instead of you."" "You know, you act those scenes rather well." "Do you have some coffee?" "It's all made." "I'll go and get it." "Speaking of Jeanne, do you think it was wise to go to her place?" "Her place!" "You're funny." "It's my place, too." "Look, the Condor Interceptor." "Isn't that the one I got you from Hong Kong?" "That's right." "The robots weren't hard to find, but the batteries were a bitch." "German batteries don't work in Japanese models." "I wonder if batteries from Brittany work in robots from Auvergne." "How's Alice?" "She's well." "Why?" "Is she the one who decoded my telegram?" "Yes." "Did she find it funny?" "No, not really." "She'd rather have heard from you some other way." "Me, too." "Everyone." "How many does that make?" "Robots." "How many do you have now?" "Over 100." "Maybe 150." "A small army, then." "What about the cops all around us?" "How many are there?" "A small army, too?" "Beats me, but there should be plenty." "There are some on the roofs." "In the unmarked car are Louviers and Farges." "You got him good." "In the alley are Ropert, Dugoineau and Perrin." "In front of the building next door are Vittoret and Goulet, and in the bistro are Martin and Michalon." "Why come here if you saw them?" "Because you invited me, Edouard." "I was hoping to convince you to stop all this before it's too late, Joss." "They'll shoot you down like a dog, and for what?" "There have been some big changes in the last two years." "The political circumstances have changed." "Yes, I've changed as well." "Everything has changed, except for Njala and the Secret Service." "It was right to kill Njala then, so it'll be right to kill him now." "Maybe it wasn't right back then, either." "Then you shouldn't have convinced me it was!" "I don't understand." "Why are you so stubborn, Joss?" "I'm starting to wonder who you hate more, Njala or the Secret Service?" "Take your pick." "Enough about that." "What's a good way out of here?" "Alive, I mean." "Maybe you'd better give me the password now that you've locked all the exits." "Joss, don't you get it?" "It's all over." "No, Edouard, it's not over." "We're beyond that now." "Sir!" "What the hell is that?" "The press." "The democratic press." "They haven't said a word about me in two years, so I thought they might like to be in on the sequel." "What did you tell them?" "I told them they could witness the execution of a Secret Service agent." "They seemed ecstatic." "Are you insane?" "It's against all the rules!" "Is it in the rules of the Secret Service to sell out your own agent?" "And that phone call you made to Jeanne this morning, is that in the rules?" "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being so punctual." "Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I'd like to inform you I'm in good health." "I'm back from vacation." "I've plenty of friends and so no reason to commit suicide." "I only say that in case you find me lying on a rug." "I've only two flights of stairs to go down to reach your microphones, so I'll see you in a second." "What are you doing this for?" "Because when I walk out of here, my back will be turned to you." "Joss!" "The bastard!" "Make sure none of them get in." "Unbelievable." "What can you do?" "If the light bothers you, turn it off." "What would you rather, Colonel?" "Would you rather I went out by the front door and answer the questions on everyone's mind, or would you rather I take the back door and you get rid of your men?" "Go out the back." "In that case, I want a car and nobody on the street." "Understood?" "Tell Ropert, Dugoineau and Perrin to come back." "Louviers, bring a car to the back entrance." "Right." "There you go." "It's much better this way." "I never did think much of Edouard's powers of persuasion." "It's just a flesh wound." "No harm, but there's a lot of blood." "Thanks for sending the flowers." "You see, Alice, I kept running and running, hanging on to my goal because I didn't want to lose it." "I knew when I got to Paris, I'd be sucked in by the old sorcery." "Colonel Martin's smile, Valeras' grip..." "You don't call him Edouard anymore?" "No, not anymore." "Valeras' grip, the irreproachable Jeanne, the marvelous Alice." "So many good reasons to keep me from doing what I knew I had to do." "That's why I sent off the telegram, so those reasons wouldn't exist anymore, so my madness would be incurable." "You can always change your mind." "That's what I mean." "Even if I changed my mind, it wouldn't do any good." "The machine is in motion." "Now it's just shouts, orders and targets." "There are two targets, Njala and me." "I must admit, I'd feel better if there was only one." "Earlier it was the door." "Now it's the window." "Do you really think anyone would be twisted enough to come looking for you here?" "I can think of two twisted people, Rosen and Farges." "The worst is Rosen." "What if you and I went away?" "Who would Rosen find?" "That's one way of looking at it." "We can always make plans, get on a plane, rent beach umbrellas." "Unfortunately, it's the 15th today, and I have a date at a fancy hotel in Paris to kill a president." "You're right." "It's the 15th today, but you're no longer one step ahead." "In fact, you're a step behind." "Your president isn't at the fancy hotel anymore." "He's at the Château de la Ferrière, 10 kilometers from Rambouillet-Yvelines." "By now, they've no doubt started digging trenches and getting sandbags in place." "What's the matter?" "You seem surprised." "Did you expect to be consulted?" "How many are they out there?" "Well, there are riot squads, cops, Rosen's bloodhounds..." "Oh, and a pilot." "A pilot?" "I believe they've arranged to have Miss Doris Andersen brought in..." "Frederiksen." "Right." "To have Miss Frederiksen brought in by helicopter." "That's what you should have started with, dear Alice." "The helicopter." "I know I hit him." "I'm sure of it." "Where could he have gone?" "I'd know if he went to a hospital." "I'd know if he went to his wife." "He doesn't have any friends left." "Listen, you worry about Beaumont." "My job is to watch the President." "Farges and Valeras are already at the castle." "I'll go and join them." "Poor Valeras." "I feel sorry for him." "Colonel, Miss Ancelin sends her apologies." "She won't be coming in today." "What's the matter with her?" "I don't know." "She doesn't feel well." "Just fatigue." "Is she perhaps overworked?" "Rosen." "I told you I'd always be behind you." "Excuse me, gentlemen, I'm looking for Dr. Touchard, please." "I already looked..." "Well, I checked the list of tenants." "I came to deliver..." "That's why I was asking..." "I was asking..." "Pardon me." "He has no papers." "Hello?" "No papers." "He only had an army dog tag with the name Beaumont, Josselin." ""Early reports state that the officer was killed by a bullet."" "Oh, crap." ""He was wearing an army dog tag with the number 322460" ""with the name Beaumont, Josselin." ""Early reports state that the officer was killed by a bullet."" "Someone must have set up a really sneaky ambush for him because he was unbeatable one on one." "Killed by a bullet." "I'd like to meet the guy who managed that." "Does the report say anything else?" "Only that they took the body to the morgue." "About that, you can tell Colonel Martin he'd better not ask me to identify the body." "That's his problem!" "He knows my feelings about this." "Calm yourself." "I'll tell him." "We all knew this could only end badly." "Why did he have to be so stubborn?" "All right, Farges, drive back to Paris to identify Beaumont's body at the morgue." "What is it?" "His Excellency wishes to know if all the measures regarding Miss Frederiksen's helicopter were taken." "This guy is really starting to piss me off with his whore!" "Yes, everything's ready." "He just needs to whistle, and she'll land on the lawn." "Are you happy, Arthur?" "Yes, I'm happy." "Isn't all this a bit much?" "We'll send all these people back to their barracks." "The regular service should be more than enough to protect the Royal Rumpus Room." "My God!" "Hello?" "Put me through to Colonel Martin." "Hello, Colonel?" "Farges?" "Hello, Farges?" "It was me you saw on that table." "Hello?" "Colonel, I was able to identify Beaumont." "It's him, all right." "What's the matter, Farges?" "You sound strange." "I was fond of Beaumont." "All right, see you soon." "Okay, let's go." "I didn't really believe Rosen when he told me he'd hit Beaumont." "Rosen is a strange cop." "He's a twisted jerk but a clever cop." "Well, meet me at the office." "I'll go and give the good news to His Excellency." "Do you know when the girl's helicopter is landing?" "At 3:30." "Why?" "Because we'll make our plans in function to that." "Calm down." "It's a nice day to be driving." "Breathe in." "It smells like spring." "Now, as we pass the front gate, just try to look as stupid as usual." "Got it?" "Act natural." "Looks like the Colonel sent his men home." "The path is clear." "Remember what I said." "Act natural." "You're overdoing it." "You look friendly." "Thanks." "Pull up in front of the steps." "Where is His Excellency staying?" "You want to end up on a slab like Rosen?" "Where is Njala staying?" "Second floor, in front of the stairs, the one with the big windows." "Where will the helicopter land, in front or in back?" "There, on the lawn." "Hold it." "Hi." "Now what?" "Greetings, Colonel." "Beaumont." "Who was that in the morgue?" "It was Rosen." "Are you disappointed?" "Disappointed in Rosen?" "Very much so." "I was just saying what a great a cop he was." "We're all great guys." "Now, hand me your weapon." "Hold it with two fingers, like on TV." "You can't imagine how happy it makes me to know you'll be there for the last act." "Did Njala give you a free pass?" "Let's go up and thank him." "You first." "All right, you may go, Colonel." "You have a lot to do." "You have to listen to Farges' excuses and put your snipers on the roof." "All routine preparations for disaster." "Only warn the Minister once everything is in place." "Come in." "I'd love to chat some more, but we mustn't make His Excellency wait." "No lights." "Above all, don't say a word, Arthur." "This isn't Arthur." "What can I do for you, Maior Beaumont?" "Open the curtains, turn on the light, and then die, Mr. President." "I see a desk corner." "I can make out a silhouette." "They just turned on a light." "Is that a signal?" "It could be a trick by the President to spotlight that idiot for us." "I'll pick him off like a clay pigeon." "Farges, you identified him at the morgue." "You were the last to see him dead." "When I said that, I had a gun pointed here." "Do you know how that feels?" "It's not invoices, reports or numbers." "It's a gun." "The curtains are open." "Can you spot anyone in there?" "If I see Beaumont's gun through the curtains, I shoot." "How much longer do we have?" "You, 10 minutes at the most, and I frankly see no reason why you should live any longer." "My country needs me." "No country needs a tyrant." "News of your death will be cause for celebration amongst your people." "They'll be dancing in the streets." "They'll burn you in effigy under the banners of liberty." "Believe me, no one will regret it." "There's one thing I regret." "I didn't kill you when I had the chance." "That's my one regret." "I often wonder why." "Perhaps your religion forbid it." "No, I had some ridiculous notion that I could one day trade you, but for what?" "You're of absolutely no value." "That's what misled you, this idea of values." "Right, wrong, good, evil." "In short, vague notions." "Now that we're here alone, it seems the solutions are quite simple, after all." "Unfortunately for you, they're also final." "Then what are you waiting for?" "The helicopter." "I'm not asking you to take a message!" "Put me through to the Minister!" "I want to speak to the Minister, miss!" "You're quite extraordinary." "You had to go through three revolutions and five republics before you achieved some semblance of democracy." "Yet you expect me to do it on the very first go?" "I don't give a damn." "I don't want to hear your nonsense about ethics, morals and comparative history." "You see?" "Clever as you are, you've got nothing left to say." "Now, phone them." "What's happening?" "I don't know." "Something's moving." "Right." "Captain, it's President Njala." "Hello?" "We don't want to see anybody when we come out, not on the stairs, not in the hall and not on the lawn." "And the helicopter is to be ready." "And the helicopter is to be ready." "Let me speak to Beaumont." "He wants to speak to you." "Hello, Joss." "I suppose we won't see each other again." "Why not?" "Invite me over to your house." "It's always a pleasure." "Is there anything I could say that would make you change your mind?" "I can't think of anything, but I promise to give it some thought." "All right, let's get it over with." "Sure, let's get it over with, but I never intended to kill you." "What about that thing?" "I suppose it's loaded with blanks." "No, it's empty, Mr. President." "I see his gun." "I don't understand." "You will soon enough, Mr. President." "Tell me..." "I got him!" "I said, I got him!" "Hold on, Mr. Minister." "No one budges until we get further instructions." "Hello, Minister." "President Njala is dead." "No, it was Inspector Farges." "No." "No, it wasn't a mistake." "It was carefully engineered." "You are all to stay at your posts and await further orders." "Are they tapping this phone?" "Of course, Minister." "Don't shoot." "No one budges without a direct order." "I'm waiting for your orders." "There's a helicopter ready for takeoff." "Beaumont is going to take it." "I know that." "So what do I do?" "Well, Colonel, do whatever you think is necessary." "I don't know anything anymore, Minister." "I'm just taking care of loose ends." "You'll find my resignation on your desk before 6:00." "So what will it be, Mr. Minister?" "What choices have we got?" "We can either kill him or let him go, but it's your decision." "What's happening here?" "Rosen is dead." "Njala is dead." "They're deciding my fate as we speak." "Want me to get you back to Paris?" "No." "You should keep out of the line of fire." "Minister, it's a matter of seconds." "There are some criminal elements, but it's also highly political." "After the statements Beaumont made to the press..." "Damn it, what do I do?" "You've got to stop him." "Is that an order?" "I'm ordering you to stop him." "We have to stop him, Farges."