I think I'd better leave your car here, sir.

We can walk.

- Isn't that Colonel Thй?

- General Thй.

- Who made him a general?

- He did.

He broke away from the French

and formed his own army.

- Hello.

- Hi.

You have a dog.

- Come in.

- Thanks.

- Where's Phuong?

- She's gone to see her sister.

- Would you like a whisky?

- Just a soda, thanks.

Does he have to do that?

Duke! Come here.

- You called him Duke.

- Yeah.

I found this guy in the street.

Didn't I? Who could turn

their back on a mug like that?

I saw you and Joe Tunney at the parade.

Did you go on to the rally?

Thanks. Yeah, I did.

It was really something else.

I thought only American politicians

went in for that nonsense.

All that was missing was the ticker tape.

They sure didn't forget the brass band.

Impressive guy, that General Thй.

It doesn't trouble you that

he's a complete egomaniac?

Look, I don't want to talk about

Phuong behind her back.

I thought she was going to be here, but...

- Her sister told me about her predicament.

- And what predicament is that?

I think you know.

You can't marry her,

and by living with you she can never have

a proper marriage to a Vietnamese man.

She doesn't need a proper marriage

with a Vietnamese man.

She's with me.

Here she is.

Hello, Phuong.

My sister is out.

- Hello.

- Hello. It's nice to see you.

It's you that Mr Pyle

has come to visit, Phuong.

So why don't we all sit down?

Unless, of course, you want me to leave.

No. That wouldn't be right.

We should sit down, then.

Fire away.

Ever since I met you

and danced with you and talked with you,

I haven't been able to get you out of

my thoughts for more than a moment.

I've fallen in love with you.

You fall in love with me?

Please believe me.

I've never behaved like this before.

I apologise. It is abrupt

and it is ill-mannered, but...

I'm in love with you.

Shouldn't you be on one knee?

Look... Phuong, I'm not a rich man

but I do have assets.

- Let's toss for her.

- What can you offer her?

- Oh, Christ.

- I don't expect you to love me right away.

You could always

make love to the chauffeur.

You have no right to insult her!

- Shut your bloody dog up.

- Come away with me.

Tell him to bugger off

and take his dog with him.

No.

Did you say no?

Yes. Sit down and have a scotch.

No. I should go. I'm so sorry.

- Do you want to smoke a pipe?

- A pipe?

Opium.

No. Why would I do that?

I know before we married you warned me

beliefs meant that

there could never be a divorce.

All the same,

that's what I'm asking for now.

The fact is, I love someone very much.

I want you to feel affection

and act before you have time to think.

Just cable and tell me you agree.

I've just asked my wife for a divorce.

Your sister...

Was she really out?

I told you.

I thought perhaps she sent you back

so that you could meet Pyle.

He's very young.

That's not so important.

Good news. They printed your story.

I got a cable from Stemins.

This got me a month's reprieve.

Page ten.

"French Break Communist Siege."

They didn't use much, did they?

Nothing here about

the villagers that were killed.

What did the French papers say?

Headlines blame it on the communists,

of course.

Well, a month is a month.

What else can you tell me

about this General Thй?

He's set himself up against both

the French and the communists.

Do you think he'd give me an interview

if I went up there?

Difficult to say.

Perhaps if he thought

he could get his message across.

The problem would be

getting it past the censor.

No, the real problem would be

to get close to the Cambodian border

and back before dark.

The communists control that road at night.

So many Europeans

have been killed out there.

I am Thomas Fowler of the London Times

and I'm here to interview General Thй.

I'm Thomas Fowler of the London Times.

I'm here to see General Thй.

September, October, November...

I'd seen Pyle only once since

he'd asked Phuong to marry him,

at the Continental.

He'd been polite, of course -

how was I, how was Phuong?

He'd been busy, he said, out of the city,

working on his medical programme.

Though somehow,

I wasn't surprised to see him.

I was surprised to be pleased to see him.

- What brings you out to these parts?

- I was hoping to interview the General.

But they've thrown me out of the place.

- What's your excuse this time?

- This is like a test run for us.

The French, in their typically French way,

have been very uncooperative

but General Thй has been good enough

to let us set up camp here.

I'll get them to let you in.

Joe Tunney's running aid programmes

with business people close to Thй.

- Mr Muoi.

- Mr Pyle.

- Hello. How are you?

- Good.

My name is Mr Muoi.

The General only has a few moments.

May I first ask you a question?

- Please.

- What is your relationship to the General?

I'm a businessman and a patriot.

Many of the supplies and aid you see

are the result of my efforts.

Shall we begin?

You say you've broken away from

the French and Vietnamese forces

with which you serve.

Do any ties remain?

The French are colonialists.

Not to be trusted.

It will take an independent

Vietnamese leader to rule our country.

How does the General expect

to launch a successful campaign

against the larger forces

of the communists and the French

with so few men and supplies?

And who is providing the means

for the General to achieve this?

Has he been fighting his war in the north?

There was a massacre at Phat Diem.

Were your forces present?

Regrettably the General has just recalled

that he has an urgent appointment.

- So, please.

- Thank you.

That was quick.

Things didn't go entirely according to plan.

Watch yourself with Joe.

I think he's up to something

with General Thй.

Can I get a ride to Saigon with you?

Something's wrong with my car.

Yes, of course you can.

Hello. Some kind soul

has had mine cleaned.

I heard a rumour

that you'd been recalled to London.

Really? Who told you that?

Phuong's sister.

- Shit.

- What is it?

We're out of petrol.

Some bugger up in the mountains

must have siphoned it off.

They might have some spare petrol

in that watchtower.

It looks like it's deserted.

I'll go in and have a look.

Hello?

- Is everything OK?

- Come up.

What are you thinking?

I was wondering

what she was doing right now.

This morning she met

her friends for elevenses

at La Fontaine.

Ice cream and the latest gossip.

On her way home

she stopped at the market

for fresh fish for dinner.

And now she's flipping through

the pages of magazines

Iooking at photographs of

the royal family and film stars,

listening to Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier.

I just got her started on Bach.

Have you had a lot of women, Thomas?

You start out by being promiscuous,

and end up like your grandfather -

faithful to one woman.

I know I'm not essential to Phuong.

But believe me when I tell you that

if I were to lose her,

for me...

it would be the beginning of death.

Somebody's had it.

There are or of these towers

between here and Saigon.

They only hit one or two a night

so our odds aren't too bad.

So what do you think they'd do

if the communists attacked?

These two? They'd fire a shot and run.

Why should they die for us? Or the French.

What's that?

I thought I saw something move.

Christ, they're here!

As far as I can make out,

he told them to give us up or else.

Stop! Give me that!

Come on, Thomas.

- What is it?

- I think I've twisted my ankle.

I'm gonna head up the road

to the next watchtower.

See if I can find a French patrol.

Sit tight, OK? I'll be back.

May I introduce myself? Thomas Fowler.

I found a patrol.

If I had died...

you could have had her.

And I think you should

inform your sources

that General Thй has a lot more men

than the hundred of their count.

He's a story we should take seriously.

Never underestimate a patriot, sir.

What do you know about Muoi?

Could he finance Thй's army?

He owns a bicycle factory!

Well, I think Joe Tunney

is plotting with he and Thй.

And it's more than

just foreign aid programmes.

I'll see what I can find out, sir.

Things are under control at the office.

- Try to get some rest.

- Thank you, Hinh.

I missed you.

- Are you all right?

- I'm all in one piece.

- You got a letter from London.

- Yes?

- I fetch it for you?

- No. Give me a kiss.

Big one.

I will get it.

You look afraid.

I think I'd better have a brandy and soda.

Pyle. Come in, come in.

Thought I'd drop by

and see how you were doing.

- Very well, thanks.

- How's the leg?

My tennis game will suffer,

but it wasn't much to begin with.

Thank you.

I'm glad you dropped by.

We have to thank Mr Pyle,

Phuong, for saving my life.

Thank you.

How's your sister doing?

- Sister?

- Yes.

Alden got her a job with Americans.

Oh, yes?

She likes it very much. Thank you.

Good. I'm very glad.

Since you're both here,

now is as good a time as any

to tell you that I have received

a letter from my wife

and she has more or less agreed

to give me a divorce.

That's wonderful.

- Come sit.

- Thank you. I've got plans.

Thank you for dropping by.

Bye.

Sir, I...

I trusted you, Thomas.

Always a mistake

when there's a woman involved.

Couldn't you have won without lying?

What is it, anyway?

My sister read the letter from your wife.

I show it to her

because... I was so proud.

- So happy.

- How could you treat her like this?

"Dear Thomas -

you always picked up women

like you picked up mud on your shoes."

I'm sorry, Phuong.

- So then why'd you lie to her?

- Because I wanted to keep her.

That's not love.

"Have you ever stopped to think how lonely

she'll be in England when you leave her?"

Shut up, for Christ's sake.

"I don't believe in divorce."

"My religion forbids it.

And so the answer is

no."

I was taught never to read

other people's letters.

- I was taught not to tell lies.

- Come on, Phuong.

I don't speak Vietnamese.

Get lost.

You were right about Muoi.

He does have connections.

Can we discuss this some other time?

Crates from overseas have been

moving through his factory,

bypassing French customs.

My sources have been unable

to determine what they contain.

He's probably got someone on the take.

He's an exporter, not an importer.

Yes, well, we'll do that tomorrow, OK?

No. A shipment just came in this afternoon.