"Baikieisadouce, respectabletown, notableforitsequableclimate andforthebracingquality ofitsseaair ." "Wehavenevergoneinforbrash advertizinginBaikie." "Ithasalwaysbeenfelt that  theattractionsof thetown speakforthemselves." "Foremostamong theseattractions arethewaters oftheBaikiespa ." "For100years, discerningvisitors havegainedmuchbenefit fromtheirmedicalproperties." "Mohammedhasbeeninthehabit , sotospeak, ofcomingto themountain." "Weproposeto changethat." "Timesarehard." "Rates andunemploymentarerising." "Sotheforward-thinkingmembers ofthegoverningboard ofthespa recentlycameto theconclusion thatweshouldcapitalize uponthisvaluableasset." "They provided substantial funds with which to set up this enterprise, to make Baikie water more widely available." "Mainly in the interests of the health of the general public, of course." "But there is no doubt that the advantages accruing to the town will be considerable." ""Bottled in Baikie, the Vichy of the north..."" " The Vichy of the north?" " ..will become a catchphrase." "It is therefore with confidence in our future prosperity that I now set this project in motion." "(Applause)" "Here you are, Willie." "Provost." "Thank you." "Hello, there, Captain." "Come on in." " That's it, then, Mrs. Curran." " Oh, thank you." "That's the stuff." "They'll soon be better with that." " Good night." " Good night." " That's it, then, Captain." " Are we taking a dram, then?" "Damn it, not tonight." "I've people waiting." "OK." "I'll look in tomorrow." "Come up to the house." "You want to see Peggy, don't you?" " You'll get your tea." " That sounds like a good idea." " You'll get a dram as well." " That's even a better idea." "(Tom) Right." "Shut the shop." "(Hums tune)" " Hello, Katherine." " Oh, it's you, Peter." "Come in." "Thank you." " Tom's still busy in the shop." " At this hour?" "Dr. Monroe's just finished his surgery but he shouldn't be too long." "We're in the garden, actually." "There's folk waiting for him already." "Tom's too easy." "His hours are stated on the door." " People should keep to them." " So should he." "He makes appointments to see folk and then leaves me to cover up for him when he's late." "Exactly." "You know Mr. Houston, don't you?" "Good evening, Provost." " Mr. Carmichael." " Evening, Provost." "The Baikie Advertiser here in strength, I see." "A social call, I presume." "Not exactly." "We just wanted a wee chat about an article your brother wrote some time ago." "About the spa." "This seemed an opportune moment." "Can I get you something to drink, Peter?" "Eh?" "No." "No, thank you." "It's a little early for me." " John?" " Just a wee one, please." "Aye, thank you." "Sorry you're having such a wait, but I'm sure Tom'll not be long now." "My brother's getting to be one of your regular contributors." "We're very glad to have him." "Thank you." "Tends to be a little outspoken at times." "He has the knack of putting his finger on a home truth, yes." "Um..." "Would you excuse me just for a minute?" "I suppose his lively style would appeal to your readers, though, of course, I've no ill will against your paper." "It's excellent in its way." "Thank you, Provost." "Aye." "There's room for everything." "That's one of the admirable characteristics of our community." "The spirit of toleration coupled with a willingness to move with the times." "Like bottling the spa water." "Exactly." "Look at us." "We used to be just a quiet little seaside town." "Not now." "People are beginning to know the name of Baikie." "They see the name of the town on the label of the bottle, and want to visit the place where it's made." "House and property values are going up." "This is not to be quoted, but we could be the only council not to increase its rates." "Better get two bottles." "Goodness knows how much longer your father's going to be." "Oh, and Peggy, get some crisps." "You know, nibbling things." "Otherwise they'll be in no fit state to talk to him when he does come in." "Have you seen the most recent unemployment figures?" "Tourism and the bottling plant will reduce them to the lowest in this part of Scotland." "We'll be featuring that in our next issue, alongside your brother's article." "Yes, I believe you said it was composed some time ago." "Yes, it was published originally in a technical journal." "This'll be a simplified version for the general public." "All about the therapeutic value of the water." "Tom's quite a fanatic where the spa's concerned." "So he should be, Katherine." "He draws a generous fee as technical adviser." "And they do say he was the driving force behind it." "Do they?" "Any mention of the work put in by the board of directors?" "Nobody would deny you've all put a lot into it, Peter, least of all Tom." "It was the board who initiated the bottling project, after all." "Were you aware that Thomas wasn't too keen on it?" "Oh?" "On what grounds?" "Oh, his argument was somewhat vague." "It was something to do with the balance of nature." "I fail to see the connection myself." "I'm afraid when it comes to practical matters, my brother's not exactly gifted with commercial foresight." "I was surprised to find you open so late, Tom." "If I wait till after surgery, they start getting better 12 hours earlier with very little effort on my part." "Cannae turn sick folk away." "Hope the news hounds have left some tonic in the bottle." "Kath?" "They must be outside." "Ho-ho!" "The symbol of civic authority." "I see we've got another distinguished guest." " Aye." "The Provost?" " None other." "In that case, Tom, I think I'll push off." "Not at all." "The best thing about my brother's visits is their brevity." "Kate?" "Kate?" "The captain for a dram." " Hello, Donald." " Is that all that's left?" "There's more coming." "Peggy's bringing some." " You might have known." " That you'd be so late?" "Any letters?" "Well, there's bills by the look of them." "Could I see them?" "They're on the hall table, dear." "Donald?" "Brother Peter." "David, John." "Take that stuff neat, Donald." "It's a good malt." "We need strong young men like you to stir things up." "And what, may one ask, needs stirring up in Baikie?" "Oh, well, Provost." "The best broth deserves a good stir." "That's a very peculiar remark." "Don't take it too literally for the minute." "Mr. Houston tells me he's going to publish an article of yours." " Oh, aye?" " About the spa." "Ah, well, yes." "Cannae publish that just yet." "Well, that's bad news." "Why not?" "The town needs all the publicity it can get." "In normal circumstances." "What's abnormal about the present?" "Now, look." "I cannae say anything about it... (Katherine) Yoo-hoo!" "Tom?" "Excuse me." "Is that the lot?" "Was there a telephone call for me from Glasgow?" " No." " Oh." "Well, it's a bit late now." "But I might be able to say something more definite tomorrow." "You see, there might be something very abnormal or I might just be imagining things." "I simply do not know." "Are you gonna take a dram before you go?" "This sounds very mysterious, Thomas." "Is it something I should know about?" "Look, Peter." "I can't..." "I insist that all matters concerning the spa should be passed through the proper channels." "I can allow no one to go behind our backs." "Nobody is going behind your back." "I'm not so sure." "You have a pig-headed determination to go your own way." "And that's not the way to do things in our well-ordered community." "As for publishing anything about the spa in a newspaper..." "I happen to own the newspaper, Provost." "Mr. Carmichael's my editor." "We..." "I'm addressing my brother, Mr. Houston." "Nobody's publishing anything at the minute, so why don't you sit back and relax?" "My wife assures me that our sadly-diminished stocks of liquor are soon to be replenished, so you can join us in a dram." "I don't feel like an evening's drinking." "I wasnae offering you an evening's drinking, but please yourself." "I shall." "Gentlemen." " (All) Provost." " Captain." "Provost." "I'll see him out." " Good night, Katherine." " Oh, are you away, Peter?" "Bye-bye." "I'm afraid my brother-in-law's not in the best of moods." "He's a man used to getting his own way." "He is that." "Perhaps the presence of the Advertiser's upset him." "I don't think so." "You seemed to be getting on fine with him." "An armed truce, Mrs. Stockman." "The provost and I are on opposite sides of the fence." "Are you sure there's nothing you ought to be telling me?" "Not just at the minute." "I've warned you." "You can't say I haven't warned you." "There's nothing we can do about that either." "Are you sure there wasn't a telephone call from Glasgow?" "Quite sure." "Couldn't have rung and nobody took any notice?" " Don't be silly." " It could happen in this house." "Well, it didn't." "All right." "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." "When will you be sailing again, Captain?" "Ooh, I've no idea." "My ship's been laid up for two months, refitting." "If there's another strike or go-slow, it could be the same again." "That's how it goes these days." "Dear, oh, dear, Captain." "That must be very frustrating." "How do you pass your time?" "Quite usefully, as it happens." "My parents left me a great barracks of a house, but I had no use for it, so my sister turned it into a hotel." " It's a good site." " It's doing very well." "We're building a new extension." "That'll cost you a pretty penny." "When the anticipated tourist boom takes place, we'll all end up very rich, though I have no romantic notions of it." "You see before you a happy man." "Aye, it looks like it, Tom." "Sorry about the article, John." "So am I. We'd like to have used it on Saturday." "Maybe it'll still be possible, but send me out a copy first." "I sympathize with Peter." "You're being very mysterious." "I'm not gonna rush into this one." "(Phone)" "That could be him." " Hello, Peggy." "You're late." " That's the phone, Dad." "So it is." "Tom Stockman." "Ah." "Angus." "Great." "Well, better late than never." "Just a minute." "Right." "Read it to me." "Thank goodness." "You take that out and hold the fort." "Who's out there?" "Mr. Houston and John Carmichael from The Advertiser." "Oh, and someone else!" "Oh, Mum..." "Chrome sulphate?" "Now, what would its toxic effect be in these quantities?" "No, no, no." "I suppose it isn't your business but it shouldn't be there at all." "Aye, yes." "Go on, please." " Hi." " Hello, Peggy." " Well, here it is." " Ah, great." "At long last." "Thank you." " Hello." " Hello." "You're late." "Parent-teachers meeting on top of everything else." " Not a good day, huh?" " No worse than usual." "It's the size of the class." "I've got nearly 40 just now." "40?" "And thousands of teachers unemployed." " Quite." " How do you control that many?" "I can control them all right, but I can't teach them." "You see, they range from very bright to rather slow." "I have to go at the pace of the slowest while the bright ones get bored." "That's not fair." "And are the dull ones not entitled to as much consideration as the bright?" "You've missed the point." "I was thinking of equalizing upwards." "I was just checking." "Do you know what I'd like to do?" "I'd love to start a class in the evenings and give the slower ones the attention they need." " In your own time?" " Why not?" " You're tired enough as it is." " I'd be doing something useful." "I don't think the provost or the town council would allow it." " Never." " I could do it off my own bat but accommodation's a problem." "There just isn't enough room here." "Listen, that mightn't be such a problem." "I'm not just talking about two or three kids." "More like 10 or 12." "Maybe we could find you a room at the hotel." "(Houston) There you are." " Could you?" " I'll see." "This is gonna make everybody sit up." "Who?" "The whole population." "Why?" "What is it?" " It's a discovery." " Oh, hell." "Another one." "It's a very interesting piece of scientific detection." "It'll teach people to talk about my pig-headed determination to go my own way." "What is it, dear?" "This is an analysis of the water of Baikie spa." "Generally considered to be of therapeutic value." "Invalids drink it when they can afford to." "And we're now stockpiling vast quantities of it to ship abroad and get ourselves a reputation of the Vichy of the north." "(Katherine) We know all that, dear." "But do you know what the waters of Baikie spa really are?" " Yes, they're medicinal..." " They're a slow poison." " Absurd." " But perfectly true." "Could you pour us a dram, dear?" "What gave you this idea?" "I've had a number of customers with similar illnesses." "I can tell by the prescriptions and by the look of them, jaundice for a start." "So I began to think there was a toxic element." "And I began to look for a common source." "And I discovered that they'd all been drinking spa water." "Cheers." "People have been taking it for years." "Drawing it by the cupful, fine." "But now they're taking off vast quantities and I believe that's affected the water table." "That's the general level of water below the ground." "I suppose it's possible." "What about it?" "The well is being forced to replenish itself from further and further afield." "New constituents are seeping into it." "Your brother said you were against the plant." "Had you foreseen this happening?" "I warned them." "If tinker with the balance of nature, unexpected things can happen." "It now contains appreciable quantities of chrome sulphate." "And my customers were suffering from chrome poisoning." "My God." "Any idea where it's coming from?" "Well, chrome sulphate is used to tan leather and the Dalhousie tannery is only four miles away." "What?" "Your father's tannery's the probable source." "Well, I don't know what he'll say about that." "But I'm sure it's a good thing that you've discovered it." " Of course it is." " (Peggy) What can be done, Dad?" " It'll need to be sorted." " Can it be sorted?" "I don't know." "We cannae use the spa in the meantime." "Why did you not tell anybody about this before?" "Because I wanted an independent analysis." "Baikie folk wouldn't believe me." "Still, I think you might have told us, your own family." "(Tom) Still, your grandfather should be the first to know." "He'll be interested." "It's his tannery." "I put a formal report in to Peter." "He won't like it." "He'll be glad it's been brought to light." "Tom?" "Will you give us a piece for The Advertiser?" "Two or three paragraphs." "Simple language." "I don't see why not." "It's a matter of public concern." "Precisely." "You know, of course, Tom." "This will enhance your reputation even further." "(Houston) Your concern for the welfare of the people is very refreshing." "(Peggy) That's true, Dad." " (Tom) Kate?" " Hello?" "There we are." "Ten past 12 on the dot." "Well, you're too early." "For once." "Any messages?" "Peter rang." "He wants to see you." "He said he'll be at the bottling plant this afternoon." "Is that all he said?" "I don't think it's all he wanted to say." "He was being careful over the phone." "Aye, that's why he didn't phone the shop." "He's a funny fellow." "Hates to think of anybody doing anything for this town if it's not himself." "Could you not share the credit with him?" "Make out that he gave you the idea." "Something." "I don't care who gets the credit." "The important thing is to get it sorted." "My father phoned." "He wants to see you too." "I'm not surprised." "Mrs. Mackintosh." "I've got her pills." "She must have forgotten it was early closing." "I'll call in on Archie on the way back." "Well, don't be too long." "I've got the women's rule at three." "Who's there?" "Who is it?" " Oh, it's you, Mr. Stockman." " Hello, Mrs. Mackintosh." " Good afternoon." " He's looking very well." " Oh, aye." "He's fine now." " I brought your pills." "Oh, dear." "Aren't I silly to forget those, eh?" "It's no trouble, Mrs. Mackintosh." "Oh, taking up your precious time." "My time is my own." "It's my afternoon off." "Oh, you're kind." "You're very kind." "Oh, heavens." "Oh, damn!" "Morning, Archie." "What's the trouble?" "I've got black spot." "How does it affect you?" "Can you describe the symptoms?" "God's sake, it's not on me." "On my roses." "Look." "I don't know much about gardening." " I leave that to Katherine." " It's a fungus." "Catch it quick or it spreads and can destroy the whole plant." "Hey, by the way." "What's this damn fool story of Peggy's?" "Something about poison." " She told you." " Yes." "Came in this morning especially on her way past to tell me." "What's she up to, eh?" "She's not trying to take the mickey out of me, is she?" " No, no." "She wouldn't do that." " I should hope not." "Do you mean to tell me it's true?" "Perfectly." "Oh, well." "I don't blame you." "Must be quite a temptation." "What is?" "To make a fool of that brother of yours." "But it's perfectly true." "The water's contaminated all right." "With chrome sulphate from my tannery?" "Probably." "(Scoffs) He's not gonna believe that." "He's got to believe it." "Everybody will." "Everybody?" "(Chuckles) Oh, well." "Good luck to you." "Ah, well." "Serve 'em right." "They threw me out of the council because I used to give them a bit of my mind now and again and they didn't like it one bit." "There's nothing in these fella" heads but feathering their own nests and running other people's lives for them." "You pull their legs good and hard." "It'll do them no harm." "Look, it's perfectly true." "The water's contaminated." "Oh, sure, it's true, yeah." "(Chuckles)" "Perfectly true, I'm sure." "Tell you what." "I'll give you a box of Havana cigars if you can get away with it." " Right." "You're on." " Good." "I think I'll go and see Houston before I see Peter." "Houston?" "Is he in on this?" "Aye." "You could put it like that." "Oh." "Well done, Thomas." "You're going the right way about it." "Get it into the newspapers and you'll pull it off all right." "What about the spa piece?" "Well, I've kept half a half-column for the front page." "That should be enough." "The first blast of a trumpet." " Aye, when we get started..." " Houston?" " Mr. Stockman's here." " Which one?" "The human one." "I'll see him in my office." "That's fine, John." "You're doing a good job." "Oh, Mary." "Bring three coffees." "On a tray." "(Tom) Sir, has the provost seen you before?" " I'm seeing him this afternoon." " I've been thinking about this." "Good." "For you, it's an isolated incident, but I don't think you realize how much it involves." "A considerable expense, but that can't be avoided." "See, that's what I wanted to talk over with you." "You think the source of pollution is the tannery." " Yes." " Well, there's another source." "And it's contaminating more than the spa." "It's contaminating the whole town." " Know what I'm talking about?" " No idea." "Mainly, I'm talking about the council." "Not all the council." "Some are reasonable, decent people doing what they think is a decent job." "But a few of them have the whole power of this place in their hands." "They and the people behind them." " What people?" " Oh, come on, now." "The people who don't want change unless there's something in it for them." "The people on the council are there because they've got ability." "Did they show any ability or experience when they agreed to the bottling plant?" " Against your advice?" " No, but that was a mistake." "That'll be put right." " You think it's that easy?" " It's gotta be done." "It will be done if I take the thing up." "I want your campaign." "Oh, no." "That sort of thing's not necessary." "I'm sure that the people on the council have the interests of the town at heart." "Well, I'm not." "When I bought The Advertiser," "I wanted to break these people up." "Let in some fresh air." "I wanted this town to be a friendly, cheerful place, for the fellow who's earning his daily bread." "I know, you told me." "They nearly broke you instead." "Yeah." "Yes, very nearly." "I was on the edge of going bust." "Then I got help from..." "well, someone I didn't expect." "I've been keeping quiet for a while, Tom, but now I'm just about ready again." "It's the corruption behind the red tape and official bloody-mindedness I want to get at." "I want this town run for the sake of the town's people instead of a few wealthy parasites." "Commendable." "You have given me a peg to hang it on." " A what?" " I had to work my way up, Tom." "I know what it's like to be the bottom of the heap." " (Phone)" " Hello?" "Do you know what people think of me?" "Sorry, he's in a meeting." "They think I'm dangerous." "They think I'm an agitator." " Do they?" " Yeah." "And they're quite right." " (Knock on door)" " Come in." "I thought I'd save the lassie the stairs." "Thank you, Mr. Geikie." "Machine coffee, I'm afraid, Tom." "Ah." "Thank you." "Missed my dinner." "Thank you." "Is it true what I hear, sir, that you've been demanding improvements in the water supply to the spa?" "Well, I suppose you could put it like that." "Any scheme to improve the town's amenities will have my support." "That's very kind of you." "It wouldn't do any harm to have the working people of Baikie behind you." "The proletariat." "We form, as it were, the silent majority." "And it's always a good thing to have the majority on your side." "It is, but not necessary in this case." "No, the whole thing is perfectly straightforward." "If you'll pardon me, sir," "I know our local authorities very well and they're often quite reluctant to act on proposals that come from other people." "If we could get up a wee demonstration..." "A demonstration?" "Aye, about the new water supply." "With moderation, of course." "Great moderation." "That has always been my watchword." "A well-known characteristic of yours." "Both in my trade union capacity and as chairman of the rate-payers." "I'll see you have the full support both of my members and the rate-payers." "Geikie, about this demonstration." "We'll have a word later, Mr. Carmichael." "Now we must show great moderation." "I mean, no point in offending the authorities." "That never did any good to anybody." "But they can't take exception to a moderate and reasonable demonstration of public opinion." "I'm sure it'll not be necessary." "Well, the authorities are always slow to act." "We'll stir them up in The Advertiser, Mr. Geikie." "Aye." "Well, remember, do you no harm to have the ordinary folk of this town behind you." "No, of course not." "Well, I'll away and get on with it, then." "Well, it's er...very reassuring." "He's a well-meaning sort of chap." "We've too many well-meaning, decent folk that wouldn't put out their tongues at a tame rabbit." "You can't blame the council for kicking them around." "This town needs people with drive and guts." "Tom, did you do that piece for us?" "No, I brought you this instead." "It's a copy of my official report to the provost." "That's even better." "Treat it as confidential for the minute." "Now, if I have any difficulty in getting what I consider to be adequate action, then you can make what use you like of it." "We shouldn't start the ball rolling?" "No." "I think we give the council a chance to put matters right." "I'm inclined to agree." "Let's save our ammunition until we need it." "All right." "But the moment you find you're up against a brick wall, and I'll be very surprised if you don't, you let me know." "Certainly." "But I don't think we'll have any trouble." "No?" "I noticed you express yourself with your customary violence." "The remark that we're peddling an expensive but effective method of self-destruction." "That's what it'll come to unless we do something about it." "You conclude that the toxic material" " is coming from the tannery." " Yes." "I called in on Charlie Duncan this morning." "You play bridge in the mornings now?" "In his capacity as chairman of the environmental health committee." "Sorry, sorry." "I put your theory to him as a hypothetical possibility, something that might have to be dealt with some time in the future." " In the future?" " We had a good laugh." "Did you?" "The effluent from the tannery goes into a settling pond." "It is then carefully filtered before it passes into the public sewerage system by which time it is completely harmless." "No, it's nothing to do with the public sewerage system." "It's probably seeping from the settling pond down into the water taper." "We considered that." "It's imaginative to say the least." " It's in line with the facts." " In your opinion." "Have you considered what might be involved?" "Well, that's not my business." "The tannery would have to close." "To rebuild the settling pond would require a very large sum of money." "And with the spa closed, that would be the two principle sources of prosperity gone." "I've no choice." "And in the end, your theory may well prove to have no foundation." "It's unlikely." "I am not convinced the water is as bad as you make out." "The figures are in my report." "They come from a reputable analyst." "If we go on drawing water at the present rate, they're bound to get worse." "I still think you're exaggerating somewhat." "Would it not be possible, Thomas, for a capable chemist to prevent any injurious influences from becoming too obvious?" "This plant is an established fact." "We must face it." "And the council might be prepared to consider certain improvements consistent with a reasonable expenditure." "I'm not gonna have anything to do with trickery of that sort." " Trickery?" " Fraud." "Criminal fraud." "All I am asking you to do is wait." "Later, I'll raise the question in council and we'll do what we can in private but in the meantime..." "In the meantime, not a word of this must get to the public ear." " It's too late." " What?" "Too many people know about it already." "Who knows?" "The Advertiser." "They know." "Oh, you're aye independent, Thomas." "(# Pop music plays)" "Aye." "There's a lot of people earn a shilling here." "Have you thought what this could do to you?" " To me?" " Aye." "To you and yours." "Explain that." "I've always tried to behave in a brotherly sort of way." " I've always tried to help." " Im trying lto help you..." "But the moment you get an idea into your head, you must write to the newspapers about it." "It's part of my duty as technical adviser to this plant to keep the public informed." "The public has got enough on its plate." "You see, here, Thomas, I'll be blunt with you." "You are doing yourself no good." "You're aye complaining about this, that or the other thing." "You complain about the local authority." "Not just you, your daughter too." "You complain about the health service." "Now you're complaining about the spa." "You have no consideration for anyone else's opinions." "You seem to have forgotten that you've got me to thank for your appointment at the spa." " I was the best you could get." " True enough." "And I did a lot of work in developing it." "But it was the practical men who initiated the big project." "When the right time came," "I and the council took the matter in hand." "And look at the ruddy mess you made of it." "Well, you only did it to bolster your own egos." "Now we're getting down to the tooth of it." "All you're wanting is to pick a quarrel with your superiors." "You have no time for anyone set in authority above you." "Any stick is good enough to beat them with." "I'll tell you this, though." "You are not going to get the better of me." "You have been indiscreet, Thomas." "All sorts of rumors will get about and rumors against established authority are dangerous." "So is that water you're bottling there." "It'll be necessary for you to issue a public disclaimer saying that after further investigation, you found that the condition of the water is not as critical as you first thought." "Do you really expect me to do that?" "Yes." "Oh, well, sorry." "I can't." "And you'll never bend it by tickling." "That's my opinion." "As a private individual, you can think what you like." "As our employee, you have no right to express any personal views." "I've a moral duty to." "Not on any subject concerning the spa." "I forbid it!" "You forbid it?" "You oblige me to take that tone." "And you really expect me to issue a statement saying that I don't know my job?" "Aye." "Some statement on the lines I indicated." "Well, you know perfectly well that I won't do that." "I can't!" "Well, that's unfortunate, Thomas." "Because I have some influence with the regional medical board." "I could have your license taken off you." "Car or dog?" "You know what I mean." "They'll stop you dispensing." "On what grounds?" "You don't keep to the stipulated hours." "I go over them." "That's legal." "And what about your amateur doctoring?" "Oh, I know what goes on." "A few pills here, a bottle of medicine there." " Doctors..." " Frown on it." "One little slip-up, one wrong diagnosis and you'd be finished." " It's never happened." " Are you saying it couldn't?" "My God, you've sunk pretty low." "I will use any means I can to make you see reason." "It's not just you." "It's your family I'm thinking of." "Leave them out." "It's the town I'm thinking of." "You'll do it no good by cutting off its principal sources of income." "What kind of an income is it that thrives on the sale of corruption?" "You should be ashamed to make offensive remarks like that about the town that gives your livelihood." "Perhaps I should say gave you a livelihood." "And with no help from me, you'll soon find yourself without customers when the people hear you've ruined the town's prosperity." " He said that?" " Arrogant pig." "What are you going to do?" "He's not gonna get away with it." " Good." " He's got power behind him." "And I've got power behind me." "I've got the people behind me." "I've got the press behind me." "But you can't fight your own brother." "Do you not want me to stand up for what I believe to be right?" " Of course." "He's got to." " It'll do you no good." "I've done my duty." "I'm not thinking of myself." "You're not thinking about your family either." "Oh, Mum..." " Don't worry about me, Dad." " I'm sorry, Katherine." "I'm not gonna give in to blackmail." "It's red-hot." "He does have a persuasive literary style." ""There can be no conflict of interests." ""My public duty must outweigh" ""any filial or commercial loyalty."" "(Woman) Mr. Houston?" "Telephone." "I've made one or two cuts." "It'll save us half a dozen libel actions." "Houston." "Oh, hello, Mr. Stockman." "Do I take it you've run into that brick wall?" "He's got to let us use it." "That's good news." "Good God." "That's going a bit far even for him." "Mmm." "What?" "Yeah." "We'll be seeing you, then?" "Right." "Goodbye just now." " OK, the fight is on." " Good." "It'll start something." "But we've got to follow it up." "They won't fall down at the first blast of the trumpet." "But if the provost and the council sit back and do nothing, the rate-payers will want to know why." "The council sank a lot of their money in the plant." "But it's the shareholders who get the profit." "It won't take the rate-payers long to detect the faint, sweet smell of corruption." "Do you know, I get the impression our provost's in a very satisfactory mess." "I had to give it to the papers." "That Houston man's just using you." " I'm using him." " He's a rabble-rouser." "That's just what this town needs." "Well, I don't trust him." "He's on Dad's side." "You heard what he said yesterday." "He wants public recognition for Dad." "You're easily taken in." "And so are you, Tom." "It's happened time and again." "You've a better brain than anybody else in this town but anybody can make a fool of you." "That's the kind of thing Peter would say." "You're beginning to talk like him." "Thanks very much." "Are you gonna make the tea?" "It's not too late to stop them printing the report." "I wish you'd go and see Houston." "Dad?" "All right." "I'll go and see Houston and you go and make the tea." " (Peggy) You can't." " Be quiet." "Is there any shortbread?" "I didnae get my dinner." " Did you really mean it?" " What, to see Houston?" "Cross my heart." "What's the matter with you?" "Well, I never thought I'd see the day." "You convinced me I should go and see Houston." "I did?" "Public recognition." "All that sort of nonsense." "I'll put a stop to that." "So you're going to let him print the report?" "Absolutely." "And give him ammunition for the battle." "Fantastic!" "It's strong meat, Geikie." "I hope it doesn't alarm you." "Oh, I've no objection to strong meat, Mr. Carmichael." "That's the stuff." "Hit hard and often." " Aye, but with moderation." " Moderation, aye." "All the incompetents are gonna be kicked out, and we're gonna put in honest, vigorous men." "This article is just the weapon we've been looking for." "Tom Stockman's gonna be useful all right." "It'll be fine if he sticks to the spa but I don't think it would be wise to follow him further." "Geikie, I detect a distinct tinge of yellow in you." "I'll thank you not to make personal remarks about my appearance." "It's all right, Mr. Geikie." "It just means perhaps you're inclined to be overcautious." "Oh, aye." "I'm a bit timid when it comes to offending the authorities." "I'm an older man than you are, Mr. Carmichael, and I've found it doesn't always pay." " Nothing more you want me for?" " Not at the moment." "Fine." "Look, I know he's the father of the chapel and all that, but can't we keep out of the editorial side?" "It's not that simple." "I'm bloody fed up with all this card-carrying business." "You seem to let him get away with it." "Geikie has a lot of influence." "He's got a finger in every pie." "Unions, rate-payers, the lot." " In a small town, that's good." " I realize that." "There's something you don't know." "That time we nearly went bust cos we couldn't pay bonuses." "It was Geikie who persuaded the workforce here to carry on." "Even now, if he insists on higher rates and withdraws his labor, we have to put up the shutters." "But surely..." "I'm perpetually balancing on a knife edge." "A few issues not published could finish me." "And the workforce." "They'd only be cutting their noses off to spite their faces." "One of the big newspaper groups is waiting for just that to happen, to take over this part of Scotland." "They'll snap this one up and the workers will be kept on with higher wages." " Oh, I didn't know that." " You know now." "So, I'm afraid we'll have to carry on with this." "Excuse me, Mr. Houston." "Mr. Stockman's here, the other one." "The provost?" "What the hell does he want?" "He wants a word with you." "I don't think he wants to be seen." "He came in through the case room." "All right, send him in." "Oh, Mr. Geikie?" "See we're not interrupted, will you?" "(Geikie) Do come through, please." "It's the provost, Mr. Houston." "Good evening, Mr. Houston." "You'll be surprised to see me here." "Yes, we didn't expect you." "Have we got a chair for the provost?" "You've very snug in here, Mr. Carmichael." "It serves its purpose, Provost." "It serves its purpose." "Long may it continue to do so." "Thank you." "A free and flourishing press is an essential part of the community." "And here I come, Mr. Houston, without notice, to take up your time." "Well, we're delighted to see you." "I've had a very annoying experience today." "Sorry to hear that, Provost." "Was your civic lunch not up to standard, Provost?" "My brother was responsible for the incident." " Really?" " Mm." "He submitted a kind of report about certain alleged defects in the water supply to the spa." " Indeed." " Did he not tell you about it?" " I thought he said..." " Yes, he did say something." "John, do you remember about a report..." "I'm sorry to trouble you, Mr. Houston, but I forgot to take the copy with me." "I can read it during the tea break." "Mr. Geikie." "Is that, by any chance, my brother's report?" "Aye, it is." "Mr. Houston and I were just chatting about it." " I take it you've read it." " I've glanced through it." " You'll publish it?" " Why not?" " Well..." " Just a minute, Mr. Geikie." " You don't mind, Mr. Houston?" " No, not at all." "You have the reputation of being an intelligent and thoughtful man, Mr. Geikie." "It's very kind of you to say that, Provost." "And a man of considerable influence, eh?" "I'm just a voice of the citizenry, sir." "I've no doubt you're aware of the general trend of opinion among them." "I believe I am." "Aye." "It's evidence of an excellent public spirit." "Mind you, it'll be no small sacrifice the people of this town are going to make." "Sacrifice?" "I don't think we understand you, Provost." "Are you talking about the spa?" "I would make a rough estimate of £150,000 to put the water supply right." " 150,000?" " Aye." "More or less." "It'll make a big difference to the rates." "The rates?" "Good God, don't say the town's going to pay for it?" "Where else do you expect it to come from?" "Not from the tannery?" "There's no hard evidence that they're the source." "The bottling plant is a private company." "Surely the shareholders would have to find the money." " Exactly." "Good point, Geikie." " No, no, no." "They're in no position to find it." "And they've already incurred a substantial capital outlay." "Let's remember that they are good Baikie men." "But if they're pushed too far, they may be forced to sell out." "To London, perhaps." "Well, that puts a different kind of complexion on things." "Nevertheless, Geikie, that report has to be published." "It'll mean closing the spa." "And the tannery." "And we'll not get many visitors if we announce that the water supply is contaminated." "And frankly, Mr. Houston, it'll hardly improve your circulation if you're seen to be advocating unemployment and an increase in the rates." "Is it possible, do you think, Provost, that Mr. Stockman has been exaggerating this thing a wee bit?" "I must confess, I find myself driven to that conclusion." "Indeed." "You might even say that he's been... imagining the whole thing, so to speak." "The possibility had occurred to me." "Well, I must say, I think that very remiss of Mr. Stockman." "You'll excuse me speaking about your brother in this way." "I'm a great believer in moderation, as you well know," " but in the circumstances..." " I take no offence, Mr. Geikie." "My brother has aye been headstrong." "I've tried to curb his excesses but it hasn't always been easy." "Difficult position for you, Provost." "I can see that." "You won't want to take this matter any further, Mr. Houston?" "Of course we bloody will!" "Now listen to me, Geikie." "Tom Stockman may be right or he may be wrong." "The only way to find out is to publish that damn report and have the whole thing thrashed out in public." "All due respect to you, Provost, but we cannot suppress that report just because you disagree with your brother." "It's not quite as simple as that." "You see, once this thing gets out, the town is ruined." "If that thing doesn't get out and is proved to be right, this town will be really ruined." "In the meantime, we must leave ourselves in the hands of the provost." "He wouldn't say his brother was imagining the whole thing if he didn't think it was true." "Don't you agree, Mr. Houston?" "Well, good God, man." "Of course you don't!" "I'm afraid I will have to put it to my members that it might not be in the interest of the ordinary people of this town to publish such a dangerous report." "And while I was making that proposition, all labor would have to be withdrawn." "I'll be in the case room if you need me." "John?" "John?" "Oh, well." "I'll be off to my work, Provost." "It was very good of you to straighten us out in this matter." "A painful duty." "Aye." "We'll get together and sort this out." "I bloody hope so." "It's a sensitive area." "You don't understand..." "I understand, all right." "It gives me a pain in my sensitive area." "Now, look." "I've had small-town politics up to here." "If you want to placate those two bastards then you may do so, but without my help." "I'll sort this out." "Just leave it with me." "I've drawn up a short statement, Mr. Houston." "It indicates the board is always on the lookout for possible defects and will not hesitate to put anything right without incurring too much expense." "Have you got it with you?" "As it happens..." "Ah." "Carmichael." "Now, this..." "Mr. Houston?" "The other one." "Well, well, Peter." "I'm surprised at you coming here behind my back." "I'm sorry to trouble you, Mr. Houston, but I thought we should include some statistics." "It's no trouble." "You know I had a number of customers with chrome poisoning." "There'd be no names, of course." "No means of identification." "It's an idea." "But can we talk about it later?" "We're very busy now." "As you wish, but...there's one other thing that I thought I'd mention to you." "You know what the folk here are like." "They're a good bunch in the main and, er..." "Well, so far as I know, they think quite highly of me." "Oh, they do indeed, sir." "They do indeed." " So far." " Exactly." "So I thought when this became public, they might feel they should make some gesture." "Look, Tom." "I can't hide it from you any longer." "No, I won't hear of it." "If anything of that sort is being planned..." "Anything of what sort?" "Well, I don't know." "I mean, anything." "I mean, whatever it is, you must give me your word you'll put a stop to it." "Don't think I'm ungrateful, I appreciate it very much, but I have done nothing except my duty." "See this, Houston?" " The symbol of office." " For God's sake, Thomas." "The symbol, not the man." "If I was to open this," "I wouldn't find a small lie or a tiny hypocrisy or even the slightest whiff of corruption." "But if I was to open its owner..." "Would you please put down my umbrella?" "You've been wasting your time, Peter, if you've come to try and stop Houston publishing my report." "And does Mr. Houston intend to publish your report?" "No, I don't." "That's what I've been trying to tell you." "I don't quite understand." "Well, he's not gonna ruin himself and his paper and the people of this town for the sake of an imaginary grievance." "What's all this about, Houston?" "You've given us a highly-colored account." "What do you mean by that?" "Your report exaggerates the whole thing." "I'm not asking you to understand it." "Just publish it." "Leave the explaining to me afterwards." "Sorry." "I can't." "What?" "You own this paper." "Carmichael edits it." "Between the two of you, you control it." "That's not quite true, sir." "It's controlled by the public." "Public opinion, of course." "The opinion of the men and the women of this town." " They would be against me?" " Oh, aye, they would." "They've changed their tune very quickly." "It would mean disaster for them if your report got out." "Economically, maybe, but a physical disaster for thousands of others if it doesn't." "Is this final, Houston?" "I'm afraid so." "The official statement will appear in Saturday's issue, Mr. Houston." "Yes." "Well, I'll get my report published privately." "And distributed." "You won't find it easy to get it printed in this town." "I'll hold a public meeting." "I'll tell everyone about it." " Are you a gardener, Houston?" " No." "Ah, but you've maybe heard of black spot." "It's a fungus that attacks the leaves and eventually spreads and destroys the whole plant." "Well, it seems to me that there's more than roses are prone to it." "Great things are done when men and mountains meet." "And this is not done by jostling in the street." "Small mountain." "Blake might have considered it big enough." "Imagine your father not getting anywhere else to speak but out here." "What's everybody afraid of?" "I'm not surprised." "After all, it's a controversial subject." "In circumstances like this, people are a wee bit nervous." "(Peggy) So am I. I'm glad to have someone around in case they start throwing things." "Let's stand by the archway." "We can make a quick exit if things get too brisk." "You don't think there'll be trouble, do you?" "You can never tell with a crowd like this." "(Captain) I see they're all here, eh?" "(Applause and cheering)" " Can you hear me?" " Yes!" "Ah, well, look." "It's 5:15." "I think we should just begin." "(Tom) There's no point in waiting..." "Would it not be better to elect a chairman?" " (Tom) What?" " (All agree)" "I think it would maybe be as well for us to have a chairman." "(Tom) All right, have a chairman." "If you want to have a chairman, pick who you like." "The provost will accept the responsibility." "For various reasons, I must ask to be excused." "But I'm sure we would all find Mr. Geikie acceptable." "(Applause and cheering)" "Brothers and sisters." "(All cheer)" "This is a democratically-convened meeting on a matter of public concern." "And I hope that we can give a full and frank discussion to the issues involved." "Within the bounds of moderation, of course." "(Man) Up the moderates!" "I'll have no interruptions from you, if you please." "Now, the chair recognizes the provost." "The provost has the floor." "Fellow citizens of Baikie." "My friends, I hope." "You all know that I stand in close relationship to the technical adviser of the spa." "He is my brother." "I would therefore have preferred not to take part in this discussion." "But my official position and my concern for the interests of the town compel me to." "I think my statement in The Advertiser puts the position plainly and simply so that any fair-minded son or daughter of Baikie can form his or her own opinion." "But I'm bound to add that the expert view is that my brother's proposals would saddle the rate-payers with the unnecessary expenditure of a very large sum of money." "I feel it is my duty to save you from that burden." "(Applause)" "I vacate the chair to say that I personally support the provost." "There is more behind his brother's ideas than you might think." "(Man shouts out)" "I'm not saying he doesn't mean well." "No two ways about that." "And I am all for the free expression of opinion as long as it is a moderate opinion and doesn't do anybody any harm." "But nobody is going to tell me that his opinion is a moderate one if it means a rise in the rates and in the unemployment." "You can pay too dearly for some things." "(Man) Shut up and get on with it, Geikie." "The chair recognizes Mr. Houston." "Come on, Houston." "Let's get your views." "Mr. Houston has the floor." "(Man) Current views, that is!" "Thank you, Mr. Geikie." "(Clears throat) Ladies and gentlemen." "I hope this meeting is in no doubt about the honesty and independence of The Advertiser." "We try to make our political attitude objective." "We try to be fair to all parties." "And we always try to reflect public opinion." "That is the first duty of a newspaper." "(Crowd) Hear, hear!" "There can be very little doubt where public opinion lies in this matter." "Against any substantial increase in the rates." "(Applause and cheering)" "I say all this with regret." "I've personally always had the greatest respect for Mr. Thomas Stockman." "Nevertheless, my duty to my paper, and to you, the public, has compelled me to break with it." "Thank you." "(Applause)" "I will now put the provost's motion to the fore." "No, no, Geikie." "Enough of that nonsense." "I ask you to show respect for the chair." "Shut up, Geikie." "Give the man a chance!" "Hear, hear." "The voice of reason." "Mr. Stockman has the floor." "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen." "There will be no vote here tonight." "Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie... (Man) Come on." "Get on with it!" "The water supply is poisoned and our curative spa..." "That's a bloody lie!" "I've been drinking it since I was a boy." "..that is what they won't admit." "But I've no bond with such a trivial matter." "Because once your elected leaders have had a certain amount of profit out of it, that matter will be attended to with your money by some nameless, faceless overpaid bureaucrat from somewhere or other." "But that too is a trivial matter compared with what I have discovered." "I have discovered that the very sources of our spiritual life is poisoned." "That the whole fabric of our society is infected with lies and deceit." "(Crowd uproar)" "If we don't do something about it, you'll all be dead as a dodo." "(All shouting angrily)" "All right, brother Geikie." "I'll stick to the point as you call it." "And my point is that suddenly in these last few days, my eyes have been opened, and the first thing I have become aware of is the overwhelming stupidity of the authorities." "And I do not know how, for so long," "I should have believed that these were dedicated men with our best interests in front of them." "But I did believe that." "I did believe that there were men who wanted a society in which a man could live as a man rather than an animal." "Hey, Jimmy, Is he calling us animals?" "(Chants) # We are the animals!" "(Claps hands)" "# We are the animals!" "#" "They're no' dedicated to anything except their own self-interest." "And I don't know why it's taken us so long to find this out." "Because day in, day out, I've had living right under my nose a prime example of their kind!" "Your own provost." "The one you elected." "My brother Peter." "(Man) You're out of order, Mr. Stockman!" "I'm no' bothered about your leading citizens." "They're all planted with the seeds of their own destruction." "And they are not the ones who are poisoning the very sources of our spiritual life." "The most dangerous persons in our community to truth and freedom are the ones who put them there." " Who are they?" " What are you talking about?" "Of course I will name them." "That is precisely why I am here." "The most dangerous enemies of truth and freedom in our community are you, the majority." "The damn silent majority." "You are responsible!" "The majority is always right, Stockman." "That is the fundamental principle of democracy." "Aye, you heard Mr. Houston." "It's fundamental all right." "It's fundamental trickery." "And it is also the most obvious lie that any individual free-thinking man has got to fight against." "Well, who are the majority?" "All over the world, there is a majority of fools over wise men." "How then can it be right for fools to govern wise men?" "Tom, Tom." "Yesterday you were fighting for a good cause." "Now you're talking like a bloody fascist, man." "Yesterday, Carmichael, you walked out on a good cause." "I walked out on censorship of the press." "Censorship?" "Censorship by Mr. Houston." "Right!" "And yet he's supposed to be a revolutionary agitator." "Prove..." "Prove that!" "When did I ever say that in my paper?" "You're attacking everything and everybody." "It seems to me you're the revolutionary." "My God, for once you're right." "I'm starting a revolution against the lie that truth and the majority go hand in hand." "What kind of truths do the majority generally rally around?" "Meaningless catchphrases." "Because that's what their leaders want." "Their leaders do not want to declare the victory." "They want the battle to continue because they believe that the continuation of a state of war is to their advantage." "And far less do those leaders have the vision to see the new horizons of thought." "That is something that is only given to a brilliant few." "Keir Hardie was such a man." "You keep Keir Hardie out of this." "What do you know about Keir Hardie?" "Keir Hardie won the battle." "Now, a hundred years later, brother Geikie and his like are picking over corpses." "The new horizons are far, far ahead of their miserable vision." "Listen to me, my friends." "You are not so stupid as to think that it was the majorities who achieved advances in the field of science." "You cannae be that stupid." "And all I'm saying to you is that in the political arena, in the management of our society, it will be one man, one Keir Hardie, one brilliant individual leader of thought who will reveal to you the new horizons." "The majority tramples the individual underfoot while you search for the truths of today." "The majorities all over the world have to trample all the individuals under a million brutal feet." "Whose side are you on?" "I'm not on any side anymore." "No, no, no." "Don't you see?" "I have to be free." "Your leaders want you on sides." "One side against the other." "Divide and conquer, one of them said." "And by God, they conquered." "Some of them are stupid enough to do it in his name." "They conquered the individual." "Trade unions, managements, political parties, whatever you like." "They have to conquer the individual because they want to get your brains and grind them into a single mash, so you're no longer capable of thinking for yourselves." "They pander to you on the telly and in the press so that you shall be their majority." "Theirs, mark you." "They do not want you to wake up and chuck the whole lot of them out." "Stockman out!" "Stockman out!" "Stockman out!" "(Geikie) That's an exaggeration." "(Tom) I am not exaggerating!" " They don't believe you." " Of course they don't." "They are the majority." "The majority stifles the conscience of the individual." "The point, Mr. Stockman, that you want to close the spa and ruin this town." "It sounds unimportant." "It's not unimportant to them because they are not gonna ruin themselves." "That is exactly what they are doing." "That is the whole point." "I mean, a majority becomes the enemy of the individuals who compose that majority." "You are the enemy, the enemy of the people, because you want to ruin the town." "I'd rather see it ruined than have it flourish on a lie." "What does it matter if a lying community is ruined?" "I mean, let it be razed to the ground." "Let all communities who live by lies be exterminated." "He's away." "The bastard's away." "Aye." "I'm gonna smash his windows in!" "I'll teach him!" "Here." "What's come over the chemist, Mr. Carmichael?" "Suffering the fate of old men who swim against the tide, Willie." "Aye." "They would rather have him, is that it?" "You see that?" "A pebble." "Didn't even have the courage to be full-blooded hooligans and chuck bricks." "What did the joiners say?" "I phoned both of them." "Ben said he was too busy." "McDowall was more honest." "He said it was more than his business was worth to do a job for you just now." "I suppose he's right." "We'll need to do a proper job on this, though." " Can I have the shovel?" " Just a minute." "Mind your hands." "Well, Mr. Downy phoned." "He wants to terminate the lease at the end of the quarter." " He can't do that." " Oh, I didnae argue." " Oh, Tom." " No." "I have been thinking about Canada." "The air's fresher and a chemist can aye get work." "We can't just up and away like that." "Why not?" "We're not as young as were, for a start." "And what about Peggy?" "She'll not want to go." "Oh, it's a great place for teachers." "She's aye complaining about the education system here." "Well, I think she'll have other reasons for wanting to stay." "Well, you can't expect me to stay." "This town..." "Well, they've insulted me." "Called me an enemy of the people." "Broke my windows." "Torn my best trousers." "Did I show you my trousers?" "Yes, dear, you showed me." "Aye, well, it's a lesson to me." "I'll never again go out to fight for freedom and the rights of the individual in my best trousers." "I know, dear." "Och..." "I'll sew them up again." "They'll be as good as new." "What surprises me is their ingratitude." "I know, and it's a shame." "But you did give them provocation." "I told them the truth about themselves and they didnae like it." "No, they did not." "Come on." "I've got to get moving." "I'm still open for business." "(Car horn beeps)" "Guess what?" "I've been suspended." " Why?" " Because I used school property to run off Dad's handbills." "I've been to see Grandad." "He said to give you these." "Cigars?" "Here's Peter." "I'll away and get you a tool box." "Are you going to the house, Peggy?" "Yes." "I'll run you, Mum." "Keep your bonnet on and your brolly up." "It's kind of drafty in here today." "I see you have a lot to do." "I won't keep you." "Good." "I'm sorry I wasn't able to put a stop to that demonstration." "Is that all you came in here to say?" "I have to give you this." "That's a termination of my services as technical adviser to the spa." "Yes." "Now, you'll excuse me." "I've got rather a lot to do." "Are you expecting customers, then?" "Maybe, after sore heads last night." "If you'll take my advice, you'll leave the district for a while." "Funnily enough, I was just thinking of that." "In my own time, of course." "That's the first sensible decision you've made for a long time." "Maybe when you've had time to think things over, you might be able to persuade yourself to write an apology, perhaps admitting that you made a mistake." "Do you think maybe..." "I would get my job at the spa back if I did that?" "Aye, it's just possible." "I can promise nothing but I'll do what I can for you." "And what about public opinion?" "Public opinion is a fickle thing, Thomas." "You wouldnae go against it, surely." "There is no saying what the public will think in six months." "And to be candid with you, it is of considerable importance that we should get some kind of written statement from you to that effect." "Aye, that's what you really came in for, isn't it?" "But you've no chance, Peter." "You'll never get a statement like that out of me." "You've no right to behave like this, Thomas." "It's no attitude for a man with a family to take." "I wouldn't have a shred of self-respect if I did anything else." "Very plausible - if there were no other explanation for your obstinacy." " But there is, of course." " Is there?" "But if you take my advice, you'll not build too much on your expectations." "They could very easily fail you." "My expectations?" " You have a father-in-law?" " What about it?" "Sir Archie's well up in years." "He's been failing of late." "And he is a comparatively rich man." "Aye, I suppose he is." "You can take my word for it, and you can take my word for it that you and Katherine are his principal legatees." "I didn't know that." " How did you?" " We don't need to go into that." "Another member of the bridge club?" "After what happened at that meeting, it wouldn't surprise me if Sir Archie changed his mind." "Oh, no." "There's no fear of that, Peter." "He was enjoying the whole idea of the thing." "And he's got no love for your crowd." "I see." "This explains everything." " Does it?" " Conspiracy." "Conspiracy?" "There's no word of truth in any of it." "It was merely the price you had to pay for Sir Archie's goodwill." "Do you really believe that?" "And you have the effrontery to talk about corruption?" "Your dismissal is final, Thomas." "I have a weapon against you now." " Morning, Archie." " Got them on the run this time." "This solution of copper carbonate is first-class." "It kills the fungus." "Thanks for the cigars." "Not at all." "You did me a good turn." "Did I?" "Oh, yourself really, I suppose." "See, I went down and enquired in the morning and I discovered that shares in the bottling plant were going for chickenfeed." "So I bought them." "What?" "A controlling interest, really." "You see, I've been putting aside a bit of money for you and Katherine lately." "You know, in the event of my unhappy decease, and so on, and it struck me, why the hell should you wait for it?" "So I bought you the bottling plant." "You bought...the bottling plant?" "I bought the bottling plant." "It's useless." "It can't be used in this state." "It's a dead loss." "Absolute nonsense." "It's up to you." "It's your money." "Yours and Katherine's." "You mean you put all my and Katherine's money into that useless load of rubble?" " Yes." " You must be mad." "Not at all." "I don't believe that story about chrome sulphate getting out of my pond." " But it's true." " It's a matter of opinion." "All you've got to do is to say that you made a mistake." "Nobody's gonna argue with you." "By and by, the shares in the bottling plant will go up and you'll have made a small fortune." "I cannae lie like that." "I think it's about time you came to terms with the facts of life." "You're not getting any younger, you know." "I wish to God I wasn't so certain." "I admit I've got a responsibility to my family." "Of course you have." "Maybe I'll talk it over with Katherine." "Good idea." "Get a sensible woman's advice." "But look, don't wait too long, cos if you're not gonna use those shares," "I've gotta do something with them." "I don't know what." "Give them to a charity, I suppose." "And what'll Katherine get?" "Katherine will get sweet damn all." "But why didn't you have a word with us beforehand?" "Just a hint to Mr. Houston or myself would have made all the difference." "A hint about what?" "About what was behind it all, sir." "Behind all of what?" "Say what you mean, Mr. Geikie." "Ah, come on." "No need to make such a mystery of it." "We're all men of the world here." "I mean, you're not gonna tell me that your father-in-law hasn't bought up most of the shares of the bottling plant." "No, no." "I suppose he has." "What's all that got to do with it?" "Well, wouldn't it have been better to have got somebody else to do it?" "Somebody who was maybe not so near related to you?" "I myself think it would have been better to have kept your name out of it altogether." "I mean, there was no need for anybody to know the attack on the spa came from you." "Pity you didn't have a word with us about it." "By the way, where's Carmichael?" "Ah, he's away." "Maybe just as well." "Didn't understand us being a stranger, so to speak." "On the contrary." "I think he understood you all too well." " And Mr. Houston?" " He's not well." "But as I was saying, you should have spread the responsibility." "You kept it too much to yourself." "All right." "Now what's your game?" "Well, the fact is, now we know the way the wind blows, we thought that we might be able to put The Advertiser at your disposal after all." "We?" "Who the hell are you to speak for Houston?" "Oh, but I do." "Good." "What about public opinion?" "Aren't you afraid of that?" "We'll change it." "Your reason for wanting to get hold of the bottling plant was in the public interest." "Oh, naturally." "I mean, that's why Sir Archie came in with me." "We'll tinker with the settling pond, make it look all right." "And it'll not cost a penny of public money." "That might work if you've got The Advertiser behind you." "The press is a power and free country, sir." "And the rate-payers?" "What about them?" "Oh, I think I can answer for the rate-payers too." "And er..." "What exactly is in it for Houston?" "Well, financial support for The Advertiser would be very welcome." "It's a bit shaky just now." "I would..." "Well, we would be unwilling to suspend it while it still had so much useful work to do." "And er...what if I was to refuse to give you a single penny?" "I mean, we rich men don't like parting with money." "Well, I'd just have to remind you that this business of the shares can be presented in two ways." "Ah." "And you're just the man to." "Oh, well, Mr. Geikie." "You can rest assured I'll give careful thought to all that you have said." "No hurry, sir." "Just take your time." "Thank you, Geikie." "You know, one of these days, somebody is gonna spray you with a solution of copper carbonate and it'll be a great improvement." "(Tom) No, no, no, Archie." "That is my answer and that is final." "(Hangs up phone)" "Dad, are you serious about Canada?" " Perfectly." " Fantastic." "When are we going?" "No." "We are not going to run away." "We're not going to Canada." "But you're not going back to that school." "Well, what am I going to do?" "You're going to make a start with those backward kids you're aye on about." "We are going to teach them that truth is truth." "That was your grandfather on the phone." "Even he..." "I gave him the answer no." "That means your mother has lost her expectations." "You think that's gonna bother her?" " Oh, I think it will." " Rubbish." "Maybe she'll have to pinch and scrape a wee bit on the house, but she'll manage that." "Come on." " How are you doing, Kath?" " Not too bad, Donald." "At least the cleansing department won't be able to report us to the higher authorities." "Don't be too sure." "We don't have union cards for this kind of work." " It's no joke, Donald." " Believe me, I'm serious." "I don't think Tom realizes just what he's stirred up." "I told Peggy to let him know if things get really bad, you can have rooms at the hotel." "You mean you think he's ruined the tourist trade?" " Maybe he's the making of it." " With the spa closed?" "You can buy spa water anywhere in the world." "But there's very little truth on offer today." "Kate!" "Kate, my darling Kate!" "We have it all sorted." "Here is the battlefield." "Was, you mean, and it looked like it before we tidied it up." "Is and always shall be." "We're going to start our own school." "This is my native place." "Beginning with the backward kids." "We shall teach them nothing, Captain." "No facts, no predetermined values." "They shall grow up as free and independent men." "What do you think the school board is going to say?" "I shall preach in season and out of season as it says somewhere." "Surely you saw last night that preaching does you no good." "To hell with the school board." "I just want to bang it into every idiot's head that democracy is the craftiest enemy of free men." "Why, it can strangle any promising young truth at birth even before it's born." "Majorities of fools can turn justice and morality upside down till life isn't worth living." "I think I'll be able to explain that to quite a few folk." "Probably, but I don't know a lot about..." "Of course." "My main trouble is going to be finding someone with enough independence and integrity to carry on my work after me." "For goodness' sake." "You've got all the time you'll need, Dad." "It's the leaders." "They must be wiped out." "They are like ravening wolves." "They have to feed on a certain number of small creatures every year in order to keep themselves going." "I mean, look at Peter and Houston and Geikie!" "See all the poor wee traitors that they polish off year after year or else mangle and maim until they are fit for nothing except to be members of the electorate and subscribers." "My God." "Subscribers to The Baikie Advertiser." "I have made a great discovery." "Oh, no." "Save us from that." "I am the strongest man in the world." " Oh, God help us." " Right." "But say nothing." "Not yet." "You see, the fact is, I am the strongest man in the world." "(Peggy) Dad?" "The strongest man in the world is the man who is most alone!"