"Good morning, Mr. Phelps." "The man you are looking at is King Selim llI of Qamadan, a good friend of the West." "Unknown to the world, the king has been imprisoned somewhere for over six months by his younger brother, Prince Samandal." "With the king in his power," "Samandal now controls the huge oil royalties which are Qamadan's main source of revenue." "To suppress those opposing him, the prince resorts to inhuman torture and murder, carried out by this man, Colonel Hatafis, who heads one of the most brutal and feared police forces in the Middle East." "Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is to rescue King Selim and restore him to his throne." "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." "Our bottle, of course, will be genuine, the liquid colourless, and the drug itself will be harmless." "Is the prince's health really bad, Jim?" "No, not really, Lisa." "He's self-indulgent, he doesn't exercise, but most of it's pure hypochondria." "Now, the king has three sons, they're all in Europe in school." "So simply eliminating the king doesn't guarantee Samandal the throne." "But with Dr. Labashi's hypnotic control," "Samandal could eventually rule through the king." " Exactly." " What about the sheiks?" "Well, they're loyal to the king but Samandal has told them that the king is in religious retreat." "Now, we have no way of knowing where they're holding him, so we'll have to force them into producing him for us." " May we ask you a few questions, sir?" " Of course." "Mr. Demetrious, is it true that you are here to discuss a new oil deal with the king?" "I have come as a tourist to enjoy the well-known delights of Qamadan." "Will you be seeing the king?" "It would be impolite not to pay my respects to His Majesty." "That means he will be leaving the retreat to meet you?" "I do not know where His Majesty will give me audience." "Now, gentlemen, if you will excuse me." "Will you be discussing any business with him at all?" "I cannot forecast what will be said on future occasions." "The sheiks are becoming more suspicious every day." "They have gathered in the city and are demanding to see the king." "But it would be unwise to expose him in public before the control is complete." "You said that a month ago, Dr. Labashi." "Behram, I am freezing." "The sheiks will not accept the religious retreat story much longer." "This technique is something quite new." "A form of hypnosis by subliminal induction." "I will announce that the king is coming back and will attend cabinet four weeks from today." "Stop fussing so." "Go." "May I see you for a few moments, sir?" "I am here, Colonel Hatafis." "What is it?" "I must speak with you alone." "Takis Demetrious is in the city." "What is that to me?" "I thought perhaps he was meeting you." "Such a man always has a purpose." "Is this his wife?" "No." "Her name is Irina Bentley." "She's just a casual companion." "He never travels without a beautiful woman." "There are rumours he has come to discuss an oil deal with the king." "Well, then he will be disappointed, won't he?" "Yes." "Mr. Takis Demetrious is here, sir." "Without an appointment?" "The appointment was evidently made months ago." "He has a letter from His Majesty confirming this date." "Tell him His Majesty is not here." "Send him away." "Do not make my decisions for me, colonel." "Send him up." "At least I want to know what he's going to offer." "Oh, Cognac de Fernay." "A small gift." "I am told these are among the last bottles in existence." "The matter I am here to discuss is extremely urgent." "The king is out of the city." "He has authorised me to negotiate on his behalf." " Well?" " I heard nothing." "There is only one reason why a man like Demetrious would come to Qamadan." "Oil?" "But there is already an agreement with Anglo-Qamadan." "Samandal does not sign the renewal contract until next week." "And for assisting in the negotiations," "I am to receive 100,000 American dollars." "Then if Samandal makes a new contract with Demetrious?" "I get nothing." "What incentive are you prepared to offer me over our old deal with Anglo-Qamadan?" "A substantial increase." "How substantial?" "They have already agreed to an increase of 25 cents a barrel." "Twelve and a half cents, to be precise." "What do you offer?" "The same." "Hardly an incentive to disturb a successful partnership." "Your deal with Anglo-Qamadan calls for payments to certain other parties." "Colonel Hatafis, for one." "My offer would be direct to you." "We also offer certain additional benefits better not written into a formal agreement." "It would give me great pleasure to entertain you and this young lady at dinner this evening." "Unfortunately, I have another engagement." "However, I am sure Irina would prefer to dine here rather than at the hotel alone." "I would be most honoured to send a car for her." "Thank you." "I suggest an initial five-year period, with an option for a similar period at terms to be mutually agreed." "Excellent." "I shall have the contracts drawn immediately." " Get Dr. Labashi." " No, wait." "What is it?" "What's the matter?" "Get my own man, Dr. Schmidt, my hotel suite." "Bring him here at once." "And take him to the infirmary." "He needs complete rest and quiet." "I'll arrange to have him taken to a hospital." "I will not hear of it." "He will stay right here in the palace infirmary." "We have a laboratory here, doctor." " Would you care to see it?" " Yes, may I?" "Certainly." "This way, please." "Madame," "I am Prince Samandal." "Before he was taken ill, Mr. Demetrious said you might be willing to have dinner with me this evening." "If under the circumstances you'd rather not?" "I'd be honoured, Your Highness." "It is refreshing to find a sense of humour in a woman so attractive and intelligent." "Takis says intelligence in a woman is a liability." "Makes her go after things she shouldn't have." "Then he must also believe that they are only capable of cooking and bearing babies." "I would have thought he was more liberal where women are concerned." "In some ways." "But he expects them to do as they're told." "And do you do as you are told?" "When it pleases me." "But what pleases you?" "Fine clothes?" "Jewellery?" "Gifts?" "It pleases me not to be taken for granted." "Even when something is inevitable, your Highness," "I prefer at least the pretence of having a choice." "I see." "Crème de menthe?" "Brandy?" "Is that Cognac de Fernay?" "A gift from Demetrious." "Oh, he never serves that to his guests." "Apparently, he reserves his most exquisite gifts for his business associates." "A tiresome precaution wished on me by my advisors." "What shall we drink to?" "Some toasts are better unspoken." "Your friend Demetrious has superb taste." "Oh, isn't that lovely?" "It's beautiful, isn't it?" "There's one just like it in the Cairo museum." "A royal handmaiden took her very last drink." "It seems she was seeing too much of the Pharaoh so the queen had her executed." "Is there anything in life worth dying for?" "She loved him." "The pain, terrible." "What is it?" "He's exhibiting all the symptoms of uraemia." "Use plain language." "Kidney disease." " Has he suffered from this previously?" " Not to my knowledge." "Did he eat anything before the attack?" "He had dinner with Madame." " Did he drink?" " Only brandy." "Did you taste it?" "I had some too." "If this lady partook her drink and dinner and showed no ill effects, they could not be the cause." "Then what is the cause?" "I would prefer not to hazard a guess." "I am not a kidney specialist." "Then get one." "Send a plane." "I believe Dr. Mulhauser is a kidney specialist." " Doctor who?" " I meant Dr. Schmidt." " You said Mulhauser." " Erich Mulhauser?" "Do you know him?" "He is a leading authority on urology." "Then why is he masquerading under a false name?" "What difference does it make?" "Get him here." " Dr. Mulhauser." " Yes?" "His Highness has fallen ill." "You are wanted urgently." "I'm sorry, I'm not in general practise." "Dr. Labashi has diagnosed kidney trouble." "At another time, we can go into your reasons for masquerading under a false name." "There was no criminal intent." "Then there is no reason for not telling me." "My wife thinks that I'm at a medical convention in San Francisco." "And instead you are here with an international playboy and one of his girls?" "Yes, you were right, doctor." "The symptoms indicate severe nephritic degeneration." "So suddenly?" "You must understand, I was never in general practise." "My interest is in experimental chemistry." "No, it's no reflection on you that you weren't able to diagnose earlier." "Yes, well..." "What do you recommend?" "Lmmediate kidney transplant." "Labashi." "Your Highness, the pain you're feeling is caused by what we call nephritic degeneration." "In simple terms, it's kidney damage." "Somewhere, sometime, your kidneys must have been injured." "So right now, they're simply not doing the job they're supposed to do and your system is being poisoned." "The condition is almost impossible to diagnose without the proper tests." "You diagnosed it." "Yes." "And right now, it's gone so far that any expert could see it." "How far?" "It will be necessary to replace the functions of the diseased organs with a fresh one." "Transplant?" "I should point out that for optimum results, the new organ should come from a close relative." "Labashi." "His Highness's brother will act as donor." "The king?" "Send a car for him." "When will you operate?" "We can discuss that outside." "I can't perform this operation." "You must." "A transplant between the king and his brother would attract worldwide publicity." "The doctor's wife does not know that he is here." "If you perform the operation, I guarantee to control the publicity." "If you refuse," "I will arrange to let your wife know where you are anyway." "He'd have to be taken to a hospital." "He'd be recognised immediately, so would I." "He does not have to be moved." "You have everything you need here in the infirmary." "But this operation requires special equipment." " Then we will get it." " But where?" "No, wait." "We might be able to borrow it from the American Hospital at Beymul." "The medical supervisor's an old friend of mine." "We'd need a large work area." "The gymnasium?" "It's large enough." "I'll have it thoroughly scrubbed and disinfected." "May I use a phone?" "Operator, I'd like the phone for the American Hospital in Beymul." "Thank you." "You realise, of course, I can't perform the operation without a legal clearance from the king." "When can he be here?" "He can be here by 11:30." "Dr. Andriotti, please." "One moment, please." "Hello, Marcel." "Yes, Erich Mulhauser here." "I'm just fine, thank you, thank you." "How are you?" "Yes, that's right, that's the last time." "The convention at Vienna, 1962." "No, I'm sorry, Marcel, it's..." "It's not a social call." "L..." "I need a favour." "I want to borrow the whole equipment package for an implant." "No, no, here at the palace at Qamadan." "Yes, I know how it sounds, Marcel, but I promise you that I am not out of my mind." "This..." "It's a problem, Marcel, the same one that you had in Vienna in '62, if you follow me." "Yes, that's right." "Yes." "Yes, I'll hold." "I think it's going to be all right." "Yes?" "Thank you very much, Marcel." "Yes." "No, I'll try to make it up to you some way." "We'll be waiting." "Goodbye." "I'd like to see the gymnasium." "Is that it?" "The operation to remove the organ from His Majesty will take place here and the operation on the prince here." "Now, once these tables are in position, they can't be moved under any circumstances." "Anaesthetics will be Pentothol preop, halothane during." "Any technical problems?" "No big ones, doctor." "We'll have to run some heavy-duty cable off the main power supply." " You know where it is?" " Yes." " Look out for sabotage, Barney." " Right." "They will operate very soon." " Will he survive?" " I believe so." "Thank God." "Is your relief personal or out of concern for his deal with Demetrious?" "I know nothing of Mr. Demetrious' deals." "Yet you travel with him all the time." "Only when I'm not working." "What sort of work do you do?" "I'm an actress." "You must be a very successful one." "Madame, those are very beautiful earrings." "A necklace to match would be rather charming, don't you think?" "Are you trying to bribe me?" "Of course." "There's some people I just don't care to do business with." "I thought you did business with anybody who could pay." "You're not afraid of me." "Why?" "Answer me!" "All right." "Demetrious won't sign the contract until you have been removed." "Which you will be right after the operation." "Why is Demetrious concerned about me?" "He has certain ties with the democracies." "He can't afford to do business with a nation that employs a notorious sadist." "Doctor, you realise I can't begin the operation without the donor's permission?" "Have him in the gymnasium in 15 minutes." "Get Dr. Labashi." "Make a subcostal flank incision here, dividing the costovertebral ligament." "Isolate the left kidney and pack it until I'm ready to remove it." "I wonder what's keeping Paris?" "I've tested it four times." " Dr. Labashi?" " Yes?" "Takis is having a seizure." "Please come." "Very well." "Now, you will tell me who you are and what you are really doing here." "Thank you for coming, Dr. Labashi." "Skin knife." "Deep knife." "Haemostat." "Suture scissors." "Clamp." "Right angle." "Clamp." "Clamp." "Clamp." "Sponge, nurse." "Two restraining clamps." "Haemostat." "4- by-4." "Sponge." "4- by-4." "Right angle." "Pick up." "Two restraining clamps." "Specimen." "Kidney." "Sponge." "Suture scissors." "Sponge, nurse." "Haemostat, quickly." "What happened to the power?" "Lights." "I have to have lights." "My equipment is not functioning." "We must have power." "I will check the circuits." "Fever retractor." "Haemostat." "Right angle." "4- by-4." "Clamp." "3-0 silk on a passer." "Quicker, nurse." "Suture scissors." "4- by-4." "4- by-4." "Haemostat." "Call the sheiks." "Tell them I have an important announcement to make." "That it's urgent." "Five minutes, he'll be as good as new." "I want to continue the oxygen for 30 minutes." "When you are finished, see if Dr. Mulhauser needs anything." "I'm going to check on Demetrious." "Very well, doctor." "Doctor!" "Dr. Labashi!" " What is it?" " He's dead." " The king is dead." " Dead?" "Are you absolutely certain?" "Yes, he's dead." "What is this urgency, colonel?" "I have something of grave importance to tell you." "The sheiks will no longer deal with anyone but the king." "If your message is important, the king will want to deliver it himself." "Wait." "King Selim has been murdered." "Who did this thing?" "Why?" "It was planned by Prince Samandal." "Assisted by the palace physician, Labashi." "Now, the evidence is clear and available to you all." "Labashi killed His Royal Highness by asphyxiation." "Where are these men?" "Samandal is under guard." "Labashi has disappeared but he will be arrested on sight." "We will not be satisfied with your word, colonel." "To maintain order, I propose therefore, to assume the powers of regent." "Now, this has not been a quick or easy decision for me." "However, I feel confident in the affection and the support of our people, and in my ability to carry out the great work which was so close to His Majesty's heart."