"MAN [ON recording]:" "Good morning, Mr. Phelps." "Leo Vorka, the aging dictator, has assigned the notorious Georgi Kull to begin a purge which will decimate his country's younger artists." "If carried out, such a bloodbath would crush all hope for the new generation that is friendly to the West." "Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is to remove Vorka from power, and ensure Deputy Premier Bartzin's succession to the premiership." "As always, should you or any ofyour im Force be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge ofyour actions." "This tape will self-destruct in five seconds." "Good luck, Jim." "PHELPS:" "This tape-recorded demonstration is similar to what we'll be televising live, Nora." "NORA:" "But I don't see anything." "These glasses are sensitive to infrared." "Very effective." "PHELPS:" "This is Josef Sarni, Vorka's old enemy." "And I'm to be the old love he ran away with." "That's right." "With Paris' help and lighter hair, you'll make a perfect double for Lisa Ruger." " Vorka killed them both?" " Yes." "Jim, does Vorka have any specific mental illness?" "There's no hard and fast diagnosis, Willy." "There are reports of his having hallucinations during a recent illness." "And there are definite signs of senility." "This is a speaker, Jim." "Mm-hm." "The writer, Jan Golni." "Where did Vorka find him?" "Well, he didn't, Willy." "The State Publishing House found him." "They're always on the lookout for unknown writers that Vorka can steal from and then quietly murder." "Now, this is Stephan Zara, the poet." "He's the main target of Vorka's purge." "Raised at the Talma orphanage, parents unknown." " Jim, what happened to Vorka's son?" " No one knows for sure, Nora." "Vorka searched but never found him." "He's probably dead." "And when do you plan to begin the mass arrests?" "As soon as I get Zara's confession." "But I've heard the same answer from you for days, for days now, Kull." "Tell me, did I or did I not entrust you with the task?" "Tell me yes or no." "I have never failed you, Premier Vorka." "I never will." "Zara might have broken this morning, but he goes into a kind of a coma." " He faints." " He faints?" "Why?" "Why should he faint?" "Are you getting careless?" "The young man has a congenital heart disease." "I'm told it could be corrected by surgery." "Good, let's get him a heart transplant." "is that what you want?" "is that what you wait for?" "MAN [OVER PHONE]:" "Number please." "[lN SLAVlC ACCENT] Central Files, please." "[PHONE rings]" "Central Files." "This is Colonel Kull. I wish to speak with Major Trosk, please." "Yes, yes, Major Trosk." "He should be in the file rooms now." "Uh, I'm sorry, but, uh, no Major Trosk has arrived here as yet." "He is to call me as soon as he gets there." "I am at home." "I'm Major Trosk." "I am here to inspect" "Oh, uh, yes, uh, Major Trosk." "Uh, Colonel Kull telephoned a moment ago." "You are to call him at his home immediately." "Ah." "[TELEPHONE ringing]" "Colonel Kull, this is Major Trosk." "No, colonel, I only just arrived." "Yes, I'm sure I will be able to find the information you want." "Yes." "Yes, I understand the importance." "Yes, of course, colonel, at once." "Colonel Kull is very anxious to have information on certain enemies of the state." "I understand, Major Trosk." "Please." "Isn't it amazing how microfilm simplifies everything?" "Now we can have information on every man, woman and child in the state." " All in one room." " Yes, it is marvellous." "How can I help you?" "I would appreciate it if you would pull the S-T-R-O and the G-O-L-N rolls." "You are lying, Zara." "We know." "Then why do you torment me, Kull?" "Because you are the young people's hero." "What do they call you?" "Poet of Protest?" "I personally have nothing against you, but..." "Sign this and you will go free." "This whole thing, Kull, it is grotesque." "What is wrong with the old man?" "Has he grown senile?" "Why has he declared the war on youth?" "KULL:" "He's far from senile, Zara." "He must be able to leave all he has built to your generation." "He wants to be able to trust you." "Trust?" "He wants me to implicate hundreds in a plot that does not exist." "The old man is mad." "He is mad with all the blood that he has spilled." "I will sign nothing." "Zara you don't understand the alternatives." "Here you are, major." "Would you mount it for me, please?" " There you are, major." " Thank you very much." "is there anything else I can do for you?" " No, thank you." " Coffee, tea?" "No, no, thank you." "[CROWD chattering]" "MAN [OVER SPEAKERS]:" "Flight 1 14 arriving from Iraq at Gate 9." "officer:" "Jan Golni?" " Yes, yes." "Come with me." "MAN [OVER SPEAKERS]:" "Flight 1 17 now arriving from Europe at Gate 5." "BARNEY:" "The power pack is self-contained." "The aerial is in here, the audio pickup is here." "Now, as soon as I place it, I'll trip it on." " You'll get the image on the monitor." " Right." "We can start the makeup now." "[FOOTSTEPS NEARBY]" "Edmund Moore and his staff." "English Broadcasting Service." "Search them." "The premier is waiting for you." "Sorry, Mr. Moore, but even so distinguished a visitor as yourself must put up with these little inconveniences." "Please don't apologise, Colonel Kull." "We understand perfectly." "No, no, no, don't put them in jail." "Jail means nothing to them." "Young people don't understand time." "No one understands time until there is no time left." "Executions, Kull. I want executions." "Of course, Premier Vorka." "[TELEPHONE BUZZES]" "Yes?" "Send him in." " Premier Vorka will see you now." " Thank you." "VORKA:" "Come in, come in, Mr. Moore." "Ha, ha." "I have admired your work for a long time." "Thank you, Premier Vorka." "And thank you for seeing us." " l realise you're pressed for time." "VORKA:" "No." "As I promised, I am completely at your disposal." "I thought we'd conduct the interview" " quite informally." " Of course." "I think, in that way, it'll have more warmth, more appeal." "As you wish." "That's the way we'll do it, Mr. Moore." "Um, set up over there, will you, Stan?" "VORKA:" "And now if I may see a list of questions?" "By all means." "VORKA:" "Mm-hm." "Mm." "In question number three, you imply we are taking repressive measures against the youth of our country." "You in the West are doing that." "We are not." "Naturally, if we were to find individuals engaged in treasonable activities" "He is always looking on the dark side." "You'll delete number three, include this question, and open with this one." "Very well, sir." "Everything is ready, Mr. Moore." "Premier Vorka, Colonel Kull." "VORKA:" "This way?" "Here?" "I'm sorry, Mr. Moore." "If the premier is gonna wear his glasses, I'll have to reset." "No, uh, heh, I do not really need the glasses." "I'm never photographed in glasses." "Thank you." "MOORE:" "Are you ready, Premier Vorka?" "VORKA:" "Proceed." "BARNEY:" "Pardon me, I get a reflection from the clock." "Thank you, colonel." "All ready." "MOORE:" "Premier Vorka, as my first question today, I should like to ask, what steps are you taking to bring your young people more actively into government?" "VORKA:" "In contrast to your sudden awakening in the Western democracies, we have always known that young people wanted a better world." "There's little conflict in our country between the generations because our youth know that we share their idealistic zeal." "They move quite naturally from school into government and they are welcomed there, for it is to them that we look for new ideas, new spirit." "[BEEPS]" "Each year the party inducts 1 0,000 young men and women, making them a working part of our system." "I, myself, joined the party this way." "I believe that our young people trust their leaders because we never betrayed them." "assistant:" "Golni." "You may go." "Search him." "VORKA:" "Youth is a state of mind, therefore I expect to be young" "[VORKA CHUCKLES] for many years to come." "MOORE:" "And, uh, now for my last question, Premier Vorka." "What are you personally doing to reach the present generation?" "I'm writing a book on the young partisans of Talma." "It will be a few minutes yet." "Thank you." "Naturally, Mr. Moore, we shall expect to review the film before it is taken out of the country." "MOORE:" "I'll have it processed immediately, sir." "I was pleased with the interview, Mr. Moore." "You conducted yourself well, very well." " You're very kind, Premier Vorka." " Not at all." "Thank you." " Thank you." "Goodbye, sir." " Bye-bye." "[BUZZES]" "Golni?" "Yes." "Yes, I will see him." "You may go in now." "PHELPS [AS GOLNl]:" "I'm afraid it is only a very humble effort." "VORKA:" "No, no, no." "The manuscript is excellent." "The young partisans of Talma, yeah." "Oh..." "Yes, those were brave times." "They fought hard and they knew their place." "And that's because in those days we had real leaders." "Ah!" "Now those of us that are left are locked in a struggle against..." "Against a generation that has lost its mind." "Ah, yes, yes, yes." "Deputy Premier Bartzin, I only carry out orders." "Complain to Premier Vorka, not to me." "My office is 30 yards down the hall, and I have not seen the premier for two months." "He has his reasons." "Despite your innuendoes about his irrationality, he's as brilliant as ever." "What about his hallucinations?" "He had a fever, he was ill." "He's aware of how much you and the others in the cabinet want to get rid of him." "Are you suggesting that we want to do him physical harm?" "My security arrangements are designed so that no one ever gets the chance." "As I would do for you, given the opportunity." "VORKA:" "At this point, PHELPS:" "Yes." "VORKA:" "I should like to give the manuscript my personal attention." "You know, you'll work here, away from all distraction under my personal supervision." "Premier Vorka, I respect you so much." "I must confess, I'm in awe of you, but I must write as I write." "Of course you must." "Heh." "I have no intention of stifling your creativity." "I understand what it means to be an author." "How, uh, one must labour over each sentence." "Look, see, all those books are mine." "But I can help you." "Please..." " ..." "let me." "PHELPS:" "Of course." "Of course." "Now, uh, since I sent that manuscript to the State Publishing House, I have completed another 1 00 pages." "It covers the period when you were the head of the party apparatus in Talma." "It deals mostly with the conflict between you and the counterrevolutionary, Josef Sarni." "Where did you get that traitor's picture?" "In the archives." "All pictures of Sarni were to have been destroyed." "The new generation should know of your struggle with him." "Very well, tell them." "But he will remain a faceless evil." "PHELPS [ON television]:" "Well, of course." "Uh, certainly." "Uh... I hope, sir, that you don't have the same, uh, reaction to my discussion ofyour relationship with Lisa Ruger." "Lisa Ruger?" "What have you written about Lisa Ruger?" "That she was a partisan leader, a very beautiful woman, that she loved you." "That..." "That you loved her." "Yes." "True, true, true." " What else?" " That Josef Sarni abducted her" " and murdered her." " Yes, that's true." "He killed her." "Yes, wantonly, brutally." "But what has never before been published is that they were travelling with a child, a small boy." "I suspect he was your son." "What, what?" "Why do you suspect?" "I am a historian, premier." "There are secret police records in the archives of how you searched for the boy." "I searched for him." "I would have loved them both if I had had the chance." "How many times must I tell you, Kull?" "I would rather die than falsely incriminate my friends." "So your life means nothing to you." "What about your youth, Zara?" "We can make you old, Zara." "Older than you dreamed possible." "There is a story here, premier, of deep human tragedy." "The country should know it." "So, please, read and decide." "He would be a man now." "I will read it." "Excuse me." "Something wrong, premier?" "Mm... I thought I saw something." "Saw something?" "Where?" " Right there." "PHELPS:" "I don't understand." "What did you think you saw?" "Nothing." " Can I get you something, perhaps--?" " No, no, no, nothing. I'm all right." "I would like you to study my notes for your revisions, huh?" "I believe you'll be more comfortable in here." "But we have so much to discuss about Lisa Ruger." "Well, it's been so long since I thought about these things." "I need some time to reflect." "Yes." "[sighs]" "NORA [AS lisa]:" "Leo." " Leo." " Lisa?" "No." "No." "NORA:" "Leo." "You are afraid ofme." "There is nothing there that" "There is nothing there." "It's some trick or..." " ls it that I am--?" " Going mad?" "No." "Do not even think it." "Ifyou think it, you will say it." "Your enemies could kill you." "I am real." "I am very real." "What do you want of me?" "I have come to plead for our son." "Your son." "I thought he was dead." "I hid him from you." "I knew you would kill Sarni and me." "Would you have spared the boy?" "Spared him?" "I would have loved him." "I'm not a monster, Lisa." "I only did what I had to do." "Our son is here in this city, in one ofyour prisons." "He is about to be murdered." "Who would dare to murder him?" "You, your people." "He is..." "Zara." "Stephan Zara." "Raised in the state orphanage at Talma." "No, I don't-- l don't-- l don't believe." "There's nothing there." "There's nothing. I don't" "Lisa, leave me alone!" "Leave me alone!" "Lisa!" "Lisa!" "Help!" "Leave me alone!" "Leave me alone!" " Premier Vorka, what is it?" " There, there, look." "Lisa" " Lisa Ruger." "She's there." "Over there." "Tell me you see her!" "Tell me you see her!" "Gomal." "[OVER television] Gomal." "[VORKA GASPS]" " Premier Vorka, what is it?" "VORKA:" "Gomal." "I thought I saw someone." "Saw someone, Premier Vorka?" "Have the room searched." "GOMAL:" "Searched, Premier Vorka?" "Searched for what?" "VORKA:" "Don't question me." "The room must be searched now." "Now, immediately." "is there anything I can do, premier?" "No, uh..." "Go back to your work." "Very well, then." "I would like to use one of your books for reference." "Use it." "Get me..." "Get me Kull." "[rings]" " Bring me the Zara file." " Yes, Premier Vorka." " Where was Zara born?" " The province of Talma." " And brought up?" "KULL:" "The orphanage at Talma." "How old was he when he entered the orphanage?" "Premier Vorka, if there is something specific--?" "Answer me." "They don't know for certain." "About 7 years old." "And that year?" "1 949." "Who brought him in?" "An itinerant labourer." " His name?" " Stross." " Bring him to me. I want to see him." " Premier Vorka, it is so long ago." "The man may be dead." "I didn't ask you to bring him back to life, did I?" "Go find him." "Yes, Premier Vorka." " You wanted to see me, premier?" " Come in Golni, come in." "Your book, it was very helpful, thank you." "[BEEPS]" "Come sit." "I have been reading your manuscript." "You have a rare talent." "Your history is strictly Marxist in interpretation and yet your people are human." "Thank you." "Thank you very much, sir." "Yes, you bring back the past for me." "That's my boy." "[VORKA GRUNTS]" "Lisa had it with her when they found her body." "Yes." "He would have been a few years older than this when they killed her." "If only I had found him, how different my life would have been." "Golni, could he possibly be alive after all these years?" "PHELPS:" "Well, I suppose he could." "No record ofhis death." "It's possible, yes." "Leo," "[OVER SPEAKER] why do you doubt me?" "I have told you the truth." "Save him, Leo." "Save him." "Do you hear?" "Hear what, premier?" "Save him." "Do you believe in the supernatural?" "As a boy in Talma, the old ones, they-- They believed." "They would speak of troubled spirits." "Ah, yes, uh, the old superstitions die hard." "You're right, Golni." "Of course, you're right." "Only a peasant would fear the unknown." "[paris chuckling AS STROSS] I am honoured." "Never in my wildest dreams, I never thought I would be sitting here like this." "If my door is not open to all my people, then, heh, I am truly remiss." "Ah, but you're so busy." "You have to take care of all of us." "Stross, listen." "Twenty-five years ago, you delivered a boy to the orphanage in Talma." "You remember that, yes?" " No, no." "VORKA:" "Yes?" "Oh, yes. I remember." "Where did you get him?" "Oh, a lady." "Mm-hm-hm." "Beautiful, beautiful lady." "Who was it?" "Who was it?" "What was her name?" "The name, I don't remember it." "So long ago." "You'll have to forgive me." " l hope I've done nothing wrong." "VORKA:" "No." " She gave me some money." " Was this--?" "Was this the lady?" "Hmm..." "Uh, could, uh... I don't know, I don't know." "Poor lady, later she was killed." " How do you know that?" "paris:" "Ah..." "She was abducted, it said in the papers." "And then she was murdered." "[paris GRUNTS]" "Here, look." "Was this the boy?" "No, no." "The boy was older." " How much older?" " Six, maybe 7." "Look, look at it." "Study it." "Look at it hard." "Think." "is there a resemblance?" "Could be. lt's possible." "Around the mouth, the eyes." " Yeah?" "paris:" "I think-- l don't know, I don't know." " He was a sickly boy." "VORKA:" "Yeah?" "The doctor at the orphanage said there was something wrong with him from his birth." " Ah, what?" " l don't know." "Think, old man, think." "What was wrong with him?" "With his heart." "His heart." "There was something wrong from birth." "He had a bad heart." "Hmm." "You may go." "You may go." "Ha-ha-ha." " That's an honour." " Get out." "An honour." "[paris chuckling]" "You may go." "But surely, Premier Vorka, you cannot believe that Zara is your son?" "So many coincidences." "You don't expect me to ignore all..." " Bring him to me." " Premier Vorka." "lmmediately." "As you wish." "Give me the Stonenitz Prison." "[CHUCKLES]" "[rings]" " Yes?" " Ready and waiting." "Zara is leaving the prison." "GUARD:" "Come on." "Stalling won't help." "Number 22." "Twenty-two." "Dispatch to Car 22." "[OVER radio] Dispatch to Car 22." "Car 22." "There is a Major Kiri who has had motor trouble on his way to the capital." "He is at the intersection of Sedmoy and Pyatiy." "Render any assistance he requires." "Car 22 to Dispatch." "We will carry out instructions." "Out." " Major Kiri?" " Yes." "I am in a hurry." "We will send a mechanic back for the car." "Go." "Barney will tell you what to do at this end." "Leave us." "If the premier will pardon me," " this man is dangerous." " Leave us." "Come." "We'll wait outside." "Sit down." "You've done well to have resisted this long, especially with an illness." "That can be set right, you know." "Did you know that?" "Don't tamper with my illness." "It is one of the few things I can call my own in this worker's paradise." "You don't want to sit down?" "What is this?" "Why are you suddenly my benefactor?" "What do you want?" "What do you remember of your childhood?" "That I was raised in one of your state orphanages." "VORKA [ON radio]:" "Before that?" "paris [AS ZARA]:" "Nothing." "VORKA:" "No, no, no." "You must remember something before the orphanage." "Some little remembrance of your mother's love." "Her smile, her eyes?" "I don't know her." "I loved this woman and she loved me." "She loved me, yes." "She hated you." "You were only a little child then." " How could she explain--?" " Explain?" "What was there to explain?" "You were a butcher." "How could she accept that?" "How could anyone?" " How could you?" " l did what I had to do, Stephan." "You're my son." "I am Josef Sarni's son." "When I called, he answered." "When I cried, my tears fell on his cheek." "He died trying to save my mother from you." "From you." "You dare call me "son"?" "You murdered my mother." "Ah!" "No, boy, boy." "No." "No, Stephan." "Position matches." "Stephan." "NORA [AS lisa]:" "Murderer." "Do not touch him." "[GASPS]" "You have killed your own son." "No, no." "No." "No." "BOTH [lN unison]:" "Murderer." "No, no, no!" "BOTH [lN unison]:" "Murderer." " No." "ZARA  NORA:" "Murderer." "No." "[gunfire]" "No, no, no." "What?" "is he dead?" "See?" "He's alive." "I'd better get him to the hospital." "See, see, see?" "He's pointing at me." "He's pointing, see?" "Say you see him." "Say you see him." "She and he is pointing, pointing, pointing" "Me, me." "See them?" "See?" "There." "There, see them?" "Tell me you see them." "Say that you see-- Say that you see them." "Something's happened to Premier Vorka." "Sasha." "Sasha, look." "Look." "You see?" "They don't believe me." "Say you believe me." "Say it." "Say you believe me." "Yes, I do believe you." "You are exhausted." " You need peace and quiet." " Peace?" "You gave your life for the state, now the state will care for you." "VORKA:" "Yes." "GOMAL:" "Come, Premier Vorka." "VORKA:" "Yes." "Well, Kull, it appears that I must now assume the premiership." "At your service, Premier Bartzin." "Kull, you and Premier Vorka have been together for so long." "I could not bear to separate you." "I could not bear to separate you."