"Good morning, Mr. Phelps." "You're looking at a picture of Premier Paval Zagov, taken yesterday." "But Zagov died a month ago." "His death was kept a secret by this man," "Deputy Premier Gregor Kamirov, who substituted this double called Gemini." "Kamirov is forcing Gemini to keep posing as Premier Zagov until a television address two days from now, when the double will announce his retirement because of failing health and name Kamirov as his successor." "Kamirov then plans to kill Gemini, abandon his country's policy of strict neutrality and ally with the Iron Curtain bloc." "Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is to stop Kamirov." "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." "It's lifelike." "Jim, assuming we can stop Kamirov, who would become premier?" "Paris?" "This man, Tracey." "Anton Massik, current minister of information." "We know that he'd be the popular choice for premier if elections were held." "Does Massik know about us, Jim?" "No, we can't get him involved, Willy." "He's a strict neutralist." "This is the most recent photograph of Colonel Silensky, chief of security police." "He's in with Kamirov." "Now, the double takes a drive through the park every day." "He has to, because it was almost a ritual with the real premier." "So let's hear your voices, Paris." "It's dangerous meeting like this." "That's my Silensky." "We live in dangerous times, colonel." "In fact, when I realised just how dangerous, especially for me, the more urgent it became that I see you." "And that's me as Zagov's double." "That's his real voice." "And how about the Zagov voice?" "Well, he's the easiest to do, because he has to be played as a very sick man." "One more thing, Barney." "How will they know it's not real?" "Shake hands, Jim." "It was good of you to come." "I've tried before, but all access to you seemed to stop at Gregor Kamirov's office." "I'm sorry." "I just haven't been up to visitors." "Even old friends." "But when Gregor told me how insistent you were this time..." "Kamirov has announced that you are to make a major television address." "There are rumours that you will announce your resignation." "Do the rumours also have it that I will name a successor tomorrow?" "Yes, but I assure you, I am not here on my own behalf." "I know that, my old friend." "I only want to caution you to be careful." "Kamirov is as ruthless as he is ambitious." "So be sure the man you choose to be your successor is your choice, not Kamirov's." "I assure you, Anton, my mind is clear." "And I shall do what is best for the nation." "Knowing you as I do, Paval," "I ask no more." "Not the slightest suspicion, Gregor." "Apparently not." "Still, it would be foolish to underestimate Massik." "It would be foolish to underestimate anybody, Silensky." "Yes?" "Your Excellency, Flight 147 arrives on schedule in one hour." "I am leaving now to meet them." "Hello." "Who is this?" "Your Excellency, Flight 147 arrives on schedule in one hour." "I am leaving now to meet them." " Nothing more?" " No, sir." "Go to the airport." "Find out who she is and who she's meeting." "Yes, sir." "Deutsche Lufthansa announce the departure of Flight 583 to Hamburg." "Will all passengers..." "Come, Lesser." "Open, please." "We're to have a special-entry permit." "All luggage must be inspected." "We were told we would not have to bother with customs." "Only diplomatic personnel are excepted." "I've never heard anything so ridiculous..." "Wait." "These gentlemen are to be passed immediately by order of Minister of Information Massik." " Thank you." " Will you follow me, please?" "Your transportation is outside." "Come with us." "The Marvellous Mr. Mechanico?" "Entertainers, Your Excellency." "Their names are Lambert and Lesser." "According to their special-entry permits, they're in the country on a theatrical tour." "Special-entry permit?" "Who signed it?" "The minister of information himself, sir." "Oh, Massik." "What was the name of the woman who met them?" "Her name is Maria Becker." "She is an employee of the ministry of information, sir." "Where did she take Lambert and Lesser?" "To an apartment on Bosny Square." "Number 42." "It is being watched." "I'm going to check into this Maria Becker." "You get what you can on Lambert and Lesser." "Yes, sir." "Just one moment, Mr. Mechanico, I distinctly saw you cheating." " I never cheat." "That's your speciality." " What?" "First you cheat and then you have the gall to accuse me of cheating?" "I haven't a bit of gall, only wires and transistors." "Why, you impudent pile of scrap metal." " I'm sorry that I ever created you." " Think how I feel." "Almost four billion people on Earth, and look what I get for a father." "That's the last straw." "I've taken all I'm ever going to take from you." "Yes, that reminds me, you still owe me for the last three performances." " I'll show you how much I owe you." " Hey." " Now what do you have to say?" " Father." "Give me back my cigar." "All right." "Massik brings a mechanical man into this country..." "Presuming that is what he spirited past customs." " For an intended theatrical tour which does not exist." "Now, why?" "Captain Danko." "Yes?" "The microwave transmitter operates off the apartment house current." "By aiming it out the window and setting the oscillator to the same frequency as the government station," "Lambert and Lesser can cut off our signal and replace it with one of their own." "Massik would name himself premier over state television by a mechanical man." "He knows what we're doing, of course." "He knows Zagov is dead, he knows Gemini is a fraud." "Otherwise, all of this would be out of the question." "And knowing it, he could expose us." "And still can, unless I arrest him and seize this mechanism." "No, no, no." "No, if he believes his plan is still in operation, he won't reveal Gemini." "When we arrest Massik, it will be at a time when it is quite clear to everyone what he intends to do with his mechanical man." "Yes?" "Priority transfer for you." " Yes?" " Colonel Silensky?" "This is Maria Becker." "It's very important that I see you." "Do we know each other, Miss Becker?" "You know who I am, colonel." "And if you value your position in the new government," "I suggest you mention this to no one and meet me at 10:00." "The government power plant at the end of Europa Street." "The gate by the west tracks will be left open." "She wants me to meet her." "Captain Danko." "I have some information about Colonel Silensky and Gemini that might interest you." "Would you like to hear it?" "Who is this?" "Kamirov's had the premier's limousine bugged for a long time." "Now, this switch prevents him from hearing anything in the premier's limousine." "This switch permits him only to hear what we prerecorded in this car." "Paris?" "It's dangerous meeting like this." "We live in dangerous times, colonel." "In fact, when I realised just how dangerous for me, the more urgent it became that I see you." "Get to the point." "The point is that I've decided I'm risking far too much for much too little." "How much more do you want?" "I want another $ 100,000 American deposited to the bank in Zurich." " But I don't have it." " Then get it." "I'll need time, perhaps after the broadcast." "Now, colonel." "Before the broadcast, while I'm still important to you." "All right, you'll get the money." "Just one thing more about Kamirov." " I must be protected..." " Stop worrying about Kamirov." "He'll be taken care of." "Then by 6:00 today, colonel, you will be the new premier." "Come in, Alexei." "Stay, Danko, for a few minutes." " What did the Becker woman want?" " I don't know." "You don't know?" "Well, I waited for her for an hour." "She never showed up." "Gregor, Massik is playing some game with us." " I want to arrest him and..." " All right, you'll get the money." "Just one thing more about Kamirov." " I must be protected..." " Stop worrying about Kamirov." "He'll be taken care of." "Then by 6:00 today, colonel, you will be the new premier." "Where did that come from?" " Your meeting with Gemini." " What meeting with Gemini?" "Gemini picked you up outside the government power plant on Europa Street." "You drove through the park, then you returned to the plant." " That's a lie." " I followed the limousine myself." "I monitored every word." "Well, Gregor, you cannot possibly believe that..." "It's a fraud." "I swear, Gregor." "The whole thing is a fabrication." "And your phone call with Maria Becker, was that a fabrication too?" "No." "You heard me speak to her." "I heard you speak to someone." "It was the Becker woman." "Find her, ask her." "Where was she?" "Outside the Bosny Square apartments." "Tell him." "I did not telephone you here or anywhere else, Colonel Silensky." "They're both lying." "Gregor, ask Gemini." "Ask one traitor to vouch for another?" " Traitor?" " Traitor." "Take him away." "But, Gregor, you're making a mistake." "Listen to me." "Gregor, you're making a mistake." "May I go now, Your Excellency?" "No, Miss Becker, you may not go." "I have another job for you." "And if you deceive me, if you deviate the slightest from my instructions, you will immediately follow Colonel Silensky." "Do we understand each other?" "It's time, Paris." "Ready." " Who is it?" " Mr. Lambert, it's Maria Becker." "I must speak to you." "It's all right." "My instructions were to see no one." "The plans have been changed." "It will not take place here." " But there's so little time." " Exactly, that's why we must hurry." "Well, I don't know..." "We must leave." "Now." "Open up." " Another staircase?" " Yes." "Can I leave this here a minute?" "It's only tools and spare parts." " I'll come back and get it if I need it." " Very well." "Where's Massik?" " He won't be here, Mr. Lambert." " You said it'd be safe." " You guaranteed it." " I had no choice." "He knows everything." "Well, Your Excellency, you must understand, we're nothing but performers." "I even told Miss Becker that I didn't wanna get involved politically." "I want nothing more or less than what you've already been paid for, Mr. Lambert." "With one correction." "That your premier name me successor, not Anton Massik." "But Massik knows about Mr. Mechanico." "It won't work." "You will do it." " No." " Well, Mr. Lambert," "I can't force you, but I can kill you." "If you consider that a choice, go ahead and think it over." "After it's over, how do we know that you'll let us go?" "You don't." "But at least this way you have a prospect." "The other way, you have none." " Lesser." " Please." "Is it ready?" "Not it." "Him." "All right, him." "I want to hear the speech." "My fellow countrymen I come before you today" "not as a premier reporting to the people, but as a friend speaking to friends." "But 20 years pass quickly." "Men once strong and vigorous grow old and infirm." " I among them." " Radio just announced that Colonel Silensky shot himself." "So it is in the best interests of the country I love..." "Issue a statement expressing my shock and remorse." " Of serving, that I have decided to submit my resignation..." "Can we turn that thing off for a minute?" "I shall submit the name of who I..." "We've no further need of Gemini." "What shall I do about Maria Becker?" "Keep her below." "We'll need her as a key witness against Anton Massik." "I will lead our nation in completing the great unfinished tasks which confront us." "The man I shall recommend is my old friend and comrade-in-arms," "Anton Massik." "Choice was..." "Is that the only time Massik's name is mentioned?" "No, he's mentioned twice by name, once by title." "How long will you take to make the substitutions?" "About ten minutes." "Remove your coat, please." "Don't make a sound." "Just as I say." "Get up." "Captain Danko." "Why have I been put in here?" "For your own safety." "But no one knows I'm here." "I have no friends who can help me." "Captain Danko." " What is it?" " May I speak to you?" "Please, I beg of you." "What's going to happen to me?" "I should say that depends on how well your friend upstairs performs his duty." "No, I meant later." "I know Kamirov is going to have us killed." "I just know it." "I'm afraid." "Won't you speak to him on my behalf?" "I know that you have influence over him, and I'd be grateful if you would speak to him." "I'd be more than grateful." "That would not be out of the question, Miss Becker." "We must talk about it again." "Later." "Captain Danko, please." "Please." "I promise." "Who are you?" "I'm a man who just saved your life." "How long you keep it depends on you." "Kamirov." "No, no, I couldn't." "What would happen if...?" "It's your only chance." "If Kamirov gets that job, you're a dead man." "I just wanna get out of here, out of this mess." "It's not that easy." "Well, please, just tell me what to do." "Cut him down." " What is it?" " Your Excellency, five minutes." "Very well." "How much longer?" "Just a few seconds." "I want to hear it." "Very well." "Is my old friend and comrade-in-arms, Gregor Kamirov." "The choice was..." "I will send someone to escort you to the pressroom." " Gemini?" " Dead." "Hanged himself." "Good." "They're ready with the premier." "Take them to the pressroom." "Gentlemen, shall we?" "Does he understand?" "He understands." "Less than a minute, Your Excellency." "I'll take it." "You'll have to leave." "My fellow countrymen," "I come before you today not as the premier reporting to the nation, but as a friend speaking to friends." "But 20 years pass quickly, and men once strong and vigorous grow old and infirm." "I among them." "And so I have decided to leave the choice of my successor to the people." "I am announcing that free elections will be held in two weeks' time." "No." " The choices are many." " We've been tricked." " I ask only that all of you..." " That is not Paval Zagov." "What we are looking at is a fraud." "Gentlemen," "I regret that such a charge must be brought before you at this time, but we are faced with a criminal conspiracy by an attempt on the part of Anton Massik to literally steal the premiership for himself." " That is a very grave charge, Kamirov." " Can you deny it?" "Of continued freedom." "I don't know what he's talking about." "You must be mad." "I'll prove it." "It is this nation's most significant accomplishment that it has remained free and independent, choosing its own course in world affairs." "I urge your unswerving support." "My fellow countrymen, we are the victims of a monstrous plot." "That is not the premier." "This is a mechanical device." "Look closely." "A counterfeit." "Just like the man who attempted to perpetrate this vicious hoax upon the nation, Anton Massik." "He can't be the premier." "Zagov is dead." "He's been dead for weeks." "Kamirov, it's me." "Gemini?"