"I'll let you have some more information as soon as I know myself." "All right?" "Thank you, Mokrane. 11:00 tonight." "Don't forget." " The General will see you now, Maj. Brand." " Thank you." "Excuse me." " You're late, Wilkins." "Where have you been?" " Talking to the Major." "I don't understand it, sir." "He doesn't seem to like me." "Hurry up and try and get used to this Arab costume." "We taking a little trip, are we?" "What do I do with this lot?" "Michael, you tell him." "There's a commando operation tomorrow at 1830." "It's to go behind the lines." "Surprise the Germans at Benghazi." "Plan all worked out?" "Not quite." "We only received final instructions an hour ago." " You can call on me at any time, sir." " That's good." "I know you've always wanted action." "You may be the man to command this operation." "It is paperwork, after all." " Do you speak Arabic, by the way?" " I'm afraid I'm not very good at languages." "I left South Africa, but I never got rid of my accent." "Your knowledge of German will help, anyway." "It's a great opportunity to show what you can do... and a chance of quick promotion, too." "We'll let you know later tonight, say, 10:00." "Thank you, sir." "Hello, Leith." "I thought the fan should cool the Colonel's head... and not the flies on the ceiling." "Yes, of course." " Would you like to come in now, Jimmy?" " Yes, thank you, Mike." " Maj. Brand, sir." " Yes?" "It's your wife, sir." " What's happened?" " Nothing's happened, sir." "She's here." " Here?" " Yes, sir." "She landed in Heliopolis an hour ago." " Where is she now?" " She's waiting at your hotel, sir." "Thank you." "Will you have a cigarette?" "No." "No, thank you, sir." " Well?" " It's a very difficult operation." "But you think it's got a chance?" "One in a million." " Does that mean you're against it?" " Of course not." "You do know Benghazi well, don't you?" "Yes, I spent two years in Libya before the war." "But you were on archaeological work then, weren't you?" "Andover's expedition?" "No, that was in India." "It was more fashionable in those days." "Indeed." " Do you speak Arabic?" " Yes, sir." " German?" " No, sir." "Are you considering me for this operation, sir?" "We'll let you know that in good time." "Very well, sir." "I'm not a regular officer like Maj. Brand." "I'm a volunteer." "Good night, sir." "Good night." " Good night, Michael." " Good night, Jimmy." "I want it." " Did you tell him about Brand?" " No, sir." "He saw him outside." "I told you he's no fool." "He caught on right away." "No fool." "You didn't tell me he was hardly civilised." "He knows the desert, sir." "He's lived with the people, he speaks their language." "Brand's got over 15 years' service." "And he'll know all about those documents." "You don't think he's been behind a desk for too long?" " He's commando-trained." " So is Leith." " Leith hasn't been in the battle." " Neither has Brand." "I can't be expected to find the right man for this at 20 minutes' notice." "Anyway, Brand will have more authority over the men." "Leith's..." "He..." "He's an intellectual." "And besides, he's Welsh." "It's MO4's idea, sir." "They're going to surprise Benghazi with 200 men... let the prisoners out of the cage." "We've got 10,000 there." "Then bring the navy over from Malta and..." "Ml5 says there aren't any POW cages in Benghazi." "They're all 200 miles to the south." "Hello, Leith." "Come on." "I want you to meet my wife." "Jane, this is Capt. Leith." "Hello." " Won't you sit down, please?" " Thank you." "You've been top-secret, Mrs. Brand." "Your husband hasn't spoken a word about you." " How long?" " It's almost as old as the war." "That's quite old." " We all have short memories nowadays." " Maybe it's for the best." "What'll it be?" " Whisky, please." " Two." "Mixing drinks, Jane?" "Three whiskies." "I wonder why people have short memories." "Do they forget what they want to forget, or don't they care?" " What do you think?" " They don't care." "Haven't you ever cared deeply about anything?" " Yes." " What was it?" "Jane." "Careless talk costs lives." "So does careless silence." "This isn't top-secret." "I cared once." " It happened before the war." " Yes?" "The first time I went to Libya, helping to excavate a Roman city." "I've never cared about anything much since." "What about the war?" "That's something you have to survive, like love." "Is that what you told Gen. Paterson tonight?" "Yes, but he didn't agree." "Apparently he has some elaborate plan to prevent my survival." " They're considering you, too?" " What are you two talking about?" "This is top-secret... so we'd better have a little careful silence." "To us, Jane." "To us." "Good Lord, I forgot." "I'll take you back to the hotel." "I won't be long." " Then I can wait for you here." " I'll look after her, Brand." "All right." "An officer can't keep GHQ waiting... to know how many camels were born this week." "See you later, dear." "You don't understand." "Here." "To your marriage, Jane." "Thank you, Jimmy." "Friday, August 25, 1939." "3:00, in front of the British Museum." "Like every Friday." "You never came." "I waited an hour, and then I telephoned." "No answer." "I've never had an answer." "I had to go back to Libya." "You knew I had to go." "But why did you have to do it that way, Jimmy?" "Why did you have to run away?" "Because I was afraid of you." " lf I'd stayed..." " lf you stayed?" "Jimmy, why didn't you stay?" "So you married a major?" " So I married a major." " Why?" "I loved him." "David didn't run away." "He isn't a coward." "All men are cowards... in some things." "Let's dance." "Yes." "Looks like it may be just what we want." "When do they expect to have it in service?" " October, sir." " Fine." " Excuse me, will you?" " Certainly, sir." " Excuse me, sir." "May I have a moment?" " Of course." "What is it?" "I just wanted to explain, sir... in case you thought I wasn't eager for action." "Dear fellow, I never had the slightest doubt about it." " Go on, fall out." "I'll probably see you later." " Thank you, sir." "Did you cure the General's insomnia?" "I beg your pardon?" "By setting him right on the birth rate of camels." "No time for jokes, Leith." "Your permission to leave, sir." "Good night, sir." "Good night, Mrs. Brand." "Good night." "Anything the matter?" "Want to go home?" "Sorry about..." " Sorry about what?" " Leith." "No manners at all." "Famous for it." "But I suppose one must make allowances." "Yes." "Always." "Did you object to the way he invited himself over tonight?" "Did you mind?" " But you invited him." " No, next corner, here." "So you didn't mind?" "I thought so." " You didn't dance with me." " But, David, you didn't ask me to." "You never gave me a chance." "The moment he sat down, you ignored me." "Aren't you being a little silly, David?" "I thought he was your friend." "I was only being polite." "Polite?" "You call that polite?" "You never took your eyes off him." "The way he held you when you danced." "I saw you." " But Jimmy..." " Jimmy?" "You call him Jimmy?" " Please, David." "You're hurting me." " How do you know he's called Jimmy?" " I heard you call him that." " That's not true." "I've never called him anything but Leith." "If you knew just how much I needed you." "And now, the first night you are here..." "Stop it, David!" "You're hurting me!" " Not bad, eh?" " I can't take me eyes off her." "Hey, Frenchie!" "How do you say "chick" in Français?" "Boys, look at that." "That's a smasher." "I'm sorry, Jane." "If I didn't care so much, I wouldn't..." "I can't help being jealous." "It's all right, David." "Let's go home." " You want something?" " The General wants to see you." "Already?" "I'm sorry, darling." "I'll be back as soon as possible." " What is it, David?" " Can't tell you now." " A little walk in the desert." " You shouldn't joke about it, Leith." " Especially when you're staying behind." " I'm not so sure that I am." "Goodbye." " Good night." " Good night." "Mokrane." "I am very happy to see you, sir." "It has been long time." " It will be very good to work with you again." " Thank you, sir." "Very good, Mokrane." "Very lucky to have him with us." " You seem to know him pretty well." " Yes, I met him first about five years ago." "First time I went to Libya, we worked together." " Loyal?" " A friend." " Michael?" " Sir." " Start the briefing right away, will you?" " Very good, sir." "I want to see you two for a moment." "Gentlemen, I've decided you're both indispensable." "So you're both going." "Maj. Brand will be in command, of course." "John Barton, who, in my opinion, is the best young commando officer we've got... will also be with you." "These are your orders." "I need not remind you that you'll be entirely responsible... for the lives of 30 men." " They're all expendable." " All of us?" "We don't expect you to do anything inhuman, of course." "But we need those documents from Benghazi." "We need them here, right away." "I understand, sir." " All right, then." " Thank you, sir." "Two planes will drop you in the desert... three hours' march from German HQ, Benghazi." "Sgt. Evans of the Camel Corps will meet you with your gear... and you'll proceed to rendezvous." "At 2305, Maj. Brand will lead his attack." "At the same time, Mr. Barton will put in his diversionary attack from the north." "Barton, will you show me on the model... the point from which you'll make your attack?" "From this direction, sir." "Good." "Now remember, if Maj. Brand is to succeed..." " you must hold out for 20 minutes." " Yes, sir." "Now carry on." "After the two groups have accomplished their missions... they will rendezvous 24 hours later at Bir El Sidi." "They will then proceed to Crown City... where Sgt. Evans will be waiting with the camels to bring you back." "It will be a four days' ride." "Wilkins, tomorrow night at 2300 where exactly will you be?" "Right here, sir." "Good." "Any questions?" "What happens, sir, if the camels don't arrive?" " We walk it." " What, with my feet?" " You'll have to carry me on your back, sir." " Anything else?" "All right, fall out." "And get some rest." "It may be a long journey." " Good night, sir." " Good night." " Good night, David." " Good night, sir." "Good night." "Sorry, fellows, you can't go out tonight." "These are my orders!" "I've got a date tonight." "I've got to get out of here." "I'm sorry, fellows." " Whose orders are they, then?" " Orders of Maj. Brand, Wilkins." "It seems our Maj. Brand doesn't like me personally." " He likes discipline, though." " Yeah." "The only thing he ever slept with is the book of rules." " Maj. Brand, please." " Who are you, please, ma'am?" "I'm the book of rules." " Is it true you're going?" " Yes." "When?" " In a few hours." " How long will it last?" " The survivors should be back in a week." " Survivors?" "Your husband's still here." "I don't want to see him yet." " Yeah?" " It's all so mixed up." "A year ago, I joined up to be with David." "What if he doesn't come back?" "Then he and I and you will become a part of history." " Of its futility." " Don't talk to me in riddles, Jimmy." "It's a long time since I was in Libya." "The Romans built wonderful cities in Libya, you know." "Dead bones sticking out of the sand." "War rolled over them." "Be good to see them again." "You always seem to prefer stones to people." " You learn things from stones." " What?" "All that people have forgotten in the centuries, and..." "I seem to remember that I was less than a stone to you." "I loved you, Jimmy." " Better go in." "There isn't much time." " What can I say to him?" "Tell him all the things women have said to their men... before they go to the wars." "Tell him he's a hero." "Tell him he's a good man." "Tell him you'll be waiting for him when he comes back." "Tell him he'll be making history." "Sgt. Evans, sir." "Mr. Barton's plane arrived an hour ago." " Very well." "Camels all right?" " Pretty healthy, sir." "We're relying on you, Sergeant." "They can't pick us up by plane." "If you're not at Crown City with those camels..." "Don't worry." "We'll get you back all right." " Here's your Arab clothing." " Thank you, Sergeant." "Your gear and provisions, you will find at map reference 278225." "That's at the head of the wadi, the riverbed 27 kilometres due east of Benghazi." "All right." " I'll have a man watching for you, sir." " Thank you." "Synchronise watches." "What are you waiting for?" "Barton." "He's early." "No, sir." "We're late." "Wilkie!" "Your baby!" "Hello, there." "Give us a touch, lovely." "Hurry it up, Wilkins." "Can't rush it, sir." "Skilled labour." "Lucky I'm not charging you overtime." "Here she comes." "Wilkie's won the war." "So crime doesn't pay, huh?" "All right." "Start loading." "Assemble the others, Leith." "I've got them." "All right, everybody out!" "I'll wear your hat for you, mate." "Glad to see you, sir." "Mr. Barton left a few minutes ago." "He's just ahead at rendezvous." " Was he all right?" " He seemed to be all right, sir." "With your permission, sir, I'll rejoin my group." " Thanks." " Thank you, sir." " I wanted to ask you something, Leith." " Go ahead." "Why did you take over with the sentry?" "I've been wondering when you'd ask me that." "You have?" "What was the matter?" " Couldn't you stand the tension?" " Couldn't you?" "Is that what you're going to tell at headquarters?" "What?" "That I failed?" "What happened tonight has nothing to do with me." "That's between you and you." "Are you insinuating that I was afraid?" "I wasn't." "Stout fellow." "I was." "All right." " Let's move on." " Yeah, okay, sir." "Please yourself." "There's Barton." "Leave the documents." "Good work, Barton." "We got here a few minutes before you did." "Jerries didn't see us." "We saw them, so we opened up on them." "You know what the instructions were." "We'll have all the patrols in the desert on our tails." " We could have taken care of ourselves." " I'm sure you could have... but we got the radio truck with our first grenade..." "Personally, I think you lost your head." "Who's that?" "You hang on there, Browning." "You'll be all right." "Just my horrible luck." "The man in charge of the documents." "Good work, Barton." " Just the man to help you sort them out, sir." " Our patrols will sort you out." "Seems a bit sulky, doesn't he, sir?" "And he's probably right about the patrols." "Colonel, you come with me." "Capt. Leith, we have to go on." "You stay behind with the wounded." "Casualty report, sir." "We lost Perkins and Hunter." "Roberts very badly wounded, sir." "Browning got a small chunk taken out of his leg." " And the Germans?" " They're all dead... except the Colonel here, and one badly wounded." " Thank you, Sergeant." " Sir." "Yes." "Yes, what?" "I'll stay." "Then take the men you need." "Wilkins." "Sgt. Dunnigan, you'll stay with Capt. Leith." "Sir." "With your knowledge of the desert... you should be able to overtake us before tomorrow night." " Barton, fall in the men." " Yes, sir." "What are we going to do about the two wounded men?" "Maybe we could rig up a stretcher of some sort." "No." "They'd bleed to death in an hour." "Anything I can do for you?" "Would you like a cigarette?" "Easy, easy." "Try to take it easy." "What are you going to do, guv?" "Knock them off?" "I'm the one for that job, you know." "They're no good to you." "Stand in your way." "There's no profit in it." "Why don't you let me do it for you?" "Follow the others." "I'd like to stay here with you, sir, if I may." " Follow the others!" " Sir." "All right, Jackie, I'll take that." " I can manage." " Come on, give it to me." " Thanks, Sergeant." " Get along with you." " I still don't get it." " What?" " Not waiting for Leith." " Maybe he's trying to lose him." "Maybe not." "Training for the postwar Olympics." "I wonder when that'll be." "We were so happy before the war." "Help." "Help me." "No more war." "Hurry up." "Any family?" "Don't drag things out." "Do what you've got to do." "But be quick about it." "You're a brave man." "Damn you!" "Let me down, damn it!" "You're hurting me!" "You coward!" "Leave me alone!" "I have been watching you, my friend." "He's dead." "Dead." "I kill the living... and I save the dead." "It's written for everyone to die." "It makes no difference." "Yes." "Except for that little matter of when, and for what." "German." " All right, Browning, let's have a look at it." " Doesn't hurt much." "This is not a break." "We have to reach the camels as soon as possible." "If we don't make an effort..." "This little piggy went to Benghazi... and this little piggy stayed home." "You sensible fellow." "And this little piggy had roast Jerry." "Wilkins, don't you want to reach the camels?" "It's not me, sir, it's them." "Get up." "I don't think we can go on, sir." "The men are worn out." "It's none of your business, Bob." "Get up!" "Ask me nicely, Major." "Death for death, I'll take this one." "It's quicker." " He's right off his rocker." " He's gone barmy." "Nutty as a fruitcake." "Who is?" "Wilkins or the Major?" "Jimmy and Jane." "Jane and Jimmy." " Who's Jane and Jimmy?" " Jane and Jimmy." "Jimmy and Jane." "Take a break." "All right, let's take a look at that leg now." "Hadn't we better make sure that Wilkins is all right?" "He'll come out of it." "More than we will." "He always does." "All right, come on." " Yes, sir." " Fall in the men." "Yes, sir." "Come on, men." "Let's get moving." " Sergeant." " Yes?" "Why do they call it Crown City?" "It looks like a crown." "Does it?" "Yes." "Why, it goes in and out." "Tents and things." " Can't you see that?" " No." "No." "It looks like Piccadilly Circus." "Yeah." "If the camels are there." " Tired, Sergeant?" " I'll be all right for another five days, sir." "Soon as I get my tablespoonful full of water." "I'm glad someone isn't thirsty." "Evans." "It's Evans, sir." "Where are the camels?" "Mokrane." "Captain Leith." "It's Mokrane and Capt. Leith, sir." "What happened to you?" "I had to hide from a German plane after you left." "When that had gone, you'd gone." "Mokrane knows the desert." " Without him, I'd probably be dead, too." " Too?" " The wounded you left me to kill." " I left you to save them." " One man to save three?" " You should have waited." " Barton." " Sir?" " Detail a party to bury those men." " Sir." " Sergeant." " Yes, sir?" " Get up a burial party, will you?" " Yes, sir." " Spicer, Anderson, over here." " You broke the rules." " I know." " It's inhuman." "War is inhuman." "No good trying to shift the responsibility." "What else have you been doing all this week?" "I have my orders." "What were your orders about attacking the sentry in Benghazi?" "I've been in the army for 13 years." "I still find it very difficult to kill a man in cold blood." "But not to arrange for him to die by himself." "You said the wounded hadn't a chance." "Without Mokrane, I didn't have a chance." "You're imagining things." "That's exactly what I mean." " What?" " You're running away again." "And you are running into a court-martial." "Capt. Leith, if you have any complaints against me... we'll take them up in Cairo." "I suppose there was nothing else to do." "About the wounded, I mean." "I broke the rules." "What would you have done?" "I don't know." "I don't know enough to break the rules." "You're lucky." " How many others?" " The entire party." " Evans, too, I suppose?" " Yes, sir." "Camels?" " No sign of them." " I see." " Any trouble with Lutze?" " Not so far, sir." " This must have been quite a city." " I can't make it out." "Berber, I think." "Tenth century." "Built, I suppose, to protect themselves from Arab invasions." "I'm not very good in this period." "It's too modern for me." "Without camels... how long do you think it will take us to reach headquarters?" "I hadn't thought about it." "Blimey, the camels are here." "What about that bloke Mokrane, then?" "Come on!" "The camels are coming, hooray, hooray!" "Hooray!" "Let's go!" "This is it." "You couldn't find any more?" "This is it." "Only one." " Load the documents on him." " Yes, sir." "Come on." "Leith, as soon as the burial detail is completed... will you fall in the men?" "We'll move out." "All right." "Here we go." "It's coming up." "He got some!" "Wait!" " It may be poisoned." " Cheerful Charlie." "I don't mind a bit of arsenic in mine." "Get back, Wilkins." "Mokrane knows his desert." "Get back!" "Yes, he knows his Jerries, too." "It's an old German trick, poisoning wells." "How about letting him take the first drink, sir?" "We do not poison wells." "Then it will be all right to drink this, won't it?" "You'll take a Crown City cocktail with us, won't you?" " With or without a cherry, Jerry?" " I tell you, we do not poison wells." "Who is poisoning wells?" "Mokrane's afraid the Germans may have poisoned the well." "So, suddenly nobody's thirsty anymore." "This water is not poisoned." "It's too soon to tell yet." "Come and get it." "Are you disappointed, Jimmy?" "Would you be happier if the poison were burning out my guts?" "Why did you drink the water, Brand?" "Was it to make yourself a hero in front of the German?" "We may be missing an officer." "Drink, sir?" "Thank you, no." "All right, fall in." "Let's get underway." "What's so funny?" " Courage." " What about it?" "It's odd that you had the courage to drink that water... but you didn't have the courage to kill the sentry... and you don't have the courage to kill me." " Why should I want to kill you?" " Because I..." "I saw the truth of you." " I wasn't afraid." " Yes, you were." "You were afraid to kill with your bare hands." "That's what makes a soldier and destroys you as a man." "War is not murder." "Brand, you're wonderful." "You have the Christian decency that forbids killing a dying man... but approves the work of the sharpshooter." "Well, war is killing." "Better and better." "So the fine line between war and murder is distance." "Anybody can kill at a distance... with the same sort of courage that a man shoots rabbits." "When it comes to the dirty work, you have to call in the civilian." "What are you trying to say?" "That I despise you for the professional coward that you are." "You left me in the desert so there wouldn't be any witnesses left... to the real Maj. Brand, didn't you?" "Therefore my death becomes essential to you." "I'm a kind of mirror of your own weakness." "And it's unbearable, isn't it?" "Are you trying to goad me into killing you?" "Perhaps." "Why?" "Perhaps because I haven't the courage to do it myself." "Nice work, huh, Brand?" "Approved killing from an approved distance." "They were the Arabs you saw at the waterhole with the Jerry." "Weren't they, sir?" " Of course they were." " You sure?" " What's the matter, sir?" " Scorpion!" "Kill it!" " Look at his leg." " It's all right." " Where's the kit?" " Yes, sir, right here." "Of course he won't die." "Here, drink." "Here." " Blimey!" "A gent with guts." " Knock it off." "There's nothing in the kit for this?" "It wasn't foreseen in regulations." "It may help you." "If it gets worse, we can always put you on the camel." "Then who'll carry the water and the documents?" "Exactly." "Mokrane!" "You want to kill me, too?" "Ammonia." "I should have thought of that." "Finest medicine chest in the desert is a camel." "It could save him, sir." "You call that saving?" "Pity about the camel." "Might have saved one of us, mightn't it, Major?" "Now we have to go on." "Divide the water and the documents among yourselves." "Yes, sir." "Come on." " Barton, fall in the men." " Yes, sir." "Come on, men." "Fall in." "All right, sir?" "I'll give you a hand." "All right." " Here you are, Barney." " That's fine." "Come on, then." "All right, sir." "I've got him." "Wilkins and I'll look after him, sir." "All right." " Captain doesn't look too good, does he?" " No, he doesn't, poor devil." " Everything all right?" " Yeah." " Don't see anything?" " No." " Keep your eyes open." " Yeah." " I could do with some sleep." " Aye." "So could I." "Major Brand?" "Mokrane?" "What's the matter?" "I'm going to kill you." "I know you saw the..." "He tried to kill me." "Is it that easy to kill?" "I'm afraid Capt. Leith is pretty bad, sir." " Can he walk?" " I don't think so." "Barney's afraid it's gangrene." "If we left him half our water..." "And he has a gun." "To shoot himself with when he runs out of water?" "This is from my orders:" ""You must not be captured by the enemy." ""If it endangers your mission, you are not obliged to save the wounded."" "But that's not war, sir." "Isn't it?" "I'll stay with Capt. Leith, sir." "No." "I can't spare you." "I'm sorry, James... but I hoped you would feel more fit today." "Prepare to move, Sergeant." "Yes, sir." "Is there anything I can do for you, sir?" "Take over, Mr. Barton." "Get the men started." "I have to talk to Capt. Leith." " But, sir, I..." " Take over, Mr. Barton." "We're all murderers now, aren't we?" "Welcome to the club." "Don't be a fool, Leith." "I want to get you out of this if I can." "So I see." "I wonder if you have the courage to finish me off now." "You said you wanted to die." "Did I?" "Whatever I did, you drove me to it... with your insinuations about Jane." "Your insinuations, not mine." "You're not the sort of man, Brand, who'd kill for his woman." "But you'd murder... to stop her from finding out that you're a coward, wouldn't you?" "Brand, the returning hero." "The stuffed dummy... with the medal on his chest." "And all the witnesses dead." "Mokrane dead." "Leith." "My veins full of poison." "You're not a man, Brand." "You're an empty uniform... starched by authority... so that it can stand up by itself." "But I'm standing." "Yes." "You're right." "You know, Brand... for the first time..." "I almost have some respect for you." "You'd better go now." "You'll miss the column." "Is there anyone to notify?" "Mrs. Brand." "Any message?" "Tell her she was right and I was wrong." "And ask her to forgive me." "Now... if you haven't got the courage to kill me... don't try to save me." "Stop!" "You'll walk to your death!" "Don't you try to save me." "I contradict myself!" "I always contradict myself." "Dig in!" "Can we hold out?" "How much longer will it last?" "Ghibli can blow 24 hours, sir." "Or minutes." "Leith and Brand, we've got to get back to them." "We can't, sir, unless this lifts." "The ghibli must have killed him." "Wilkins." "Here, take this." "There they are." "Lucky lads!" " Barton, Barney, come on." " Sir." " What happened?" " No." "Should have never left that Jerry alone." "So, you think it's funny?" "Sir." "Mrs. Brand." "I'm glad you're here." "I've just had some news." "Eight men and two officers are on their way back." "Which officers?" " I beg your pardon?" " Which officers?" "We don't know yet, I'm afraid." " Michael." " Coming." "Excuse me." "The General's waiting for me." " Any news?" " I'm afraid not." "Still the same numbers." "Eight men and two officers." "I wish I knew who they were." "You send an operation out like that, you expect casualties." "I'm prepared to accept that." "The group from Benghazi!" "Hello, Brand." "I'm glad to see you got back." "Will you bring your stuff into the office right away?" "The General's waiting for your report." "David!" "I'm glad to see you back." "Well done." "Splendid show." " Start on these right away, will you?" " Yes, sir." "I hope what we've brought back is of some help, sir." "So do I." "May I ask your permission to leave for a few minutes?" "What?" "Yes, of course." "Don't go away, though." "I want to see the men, with you." "Thank you, sir." "It's good to have you home, dear." "I'm proud of you." "I suppose you'd like to know what happened to Leith." "Yes." "The men think I killed him." "Did you?" "I wanted to save him, but it was too late." "Anything else?" "Just before the ghibli struck us, he was saying:" ""Tell Jane..."" "And then the wind drowned him out." "I suppose he would have said, "Tell Jane I love her."" "Those would have been my last words, too." "Where is the hero of Benghazi?" "Here comes the old man." " Attention." " First, may I congratulate you?" "All of you." "From what I've seen of the stuff you brought back..." "I think I can assure you that Gen. Rommel is shortly going to find himself... in a very delicate situation." "And I have the authority and pleasure... to award to the man who led you, Maj. David Brand... the Distinguished Service Order." "Those who did not come back... when I write to their families..." "I will do my best to tell them exactly what happened." "May I say how proud I am to have had you all under my command... for this operation?" "That's all, I think." "Fall out." "Get some rest."