Spies Three

	Stephen is behind his desk in the spies office when 
	Hugh enters.


Hugh		Morning Control.

Stephen		Oh. Hello Tony. Come in.

Hugh		Thank you, I will come in, just for the now.

Stephen		I expect you've heard the news?

Hugh		Well everything is in quite an uproar. You know
		what rumours are.

Stephen		Yes, it's terrible isn't it, how they spread? I don't
		know. I sometimes think that if I believed every
		rumour I heard I'd be believing some things that
		aren't true at all.

Hugh		T.

	Slight pause.

Stephen		Anyway, you'll have to forgive me if I yawn a bit
		during today, what with one thing and another I
		didn't get too much sleep last night.

Hugh		Poor you, you must be exhausted, or very tired at
		least, or is that wrong?

Stephen		No. I am tired, that's quite right.

Hugh		So perhaps you might tell me exactly what
		happened, Control, unless you're too tired.

Stephen		No, I'd be happy to fill you in, that way you won't
		have to rely on departmental rumours, will you?

Hugh		No. And that would be a great convenience.

Stephen		Well, we picked up Costain last night.

Hugh		I gathered as much from the rumours, but I
		wasn't sure whether it was absolutely true, so it's
		good to have it confirmed from you.

Stephen		I can imagine. He came very quietly, I think he
		had guessed that we suspected him of being a
		traitor for some time now.

Hugh		Which we had, hadn't we?

Stephen		Yes. When was it we first came to suspect him?

Hugh		Hoo, well I can't remember exactly, but it was
		certainly some time ago.

Stephen		Before last spring, I should think.

Hugh		Around there definitely. certainly no later than
		the fourteenth of May, because that's my birthday
		and I remember saying that catching Costain and
		putting his out of harm's way would be the best
		Christmas present anyone could ever have.

Stephen		I remember you saying those exact words, Tony.

Hugh		But any old way, you managed to arrest him then?

Stephen		Yes. He was taken to the ninth floor and I had the
		job of interrogating him.

Hugh		That's never a pleasant task is it?

Stephen		It's one of the things I least enjoy having to do
		as a matter of fact Tony. It's very difficult when
		someone doesn't want to tell you things and you
		have to think up ways of making them tell you.

Hugh		Yes, that can call on all your know-how, can't it?

Stephen		Costain I'm afraid really didn't want to tell
		us anything. But I thought it would be much
		better if he did because if he's been working for
		the Russians for the last twenty years it's quite
		important that we know everything that he's
		been up to.

Hugh		That way we know which of our secrets have been
		given away and which ones are safe.

Stephen		That's exactly right.

Hugh		Is the Minister pleased that we've caught
		him at last?

Stephen		Well, while on the one hand Tony, he's delighted
		that Costain is behind bars, on the other hand he's
		extremely anxious to avoid any publicity. And on
		the other hand he's ...

Hugh		You've got three hands there, Control.

Stephen		Whoops, I wasn't counting very carefully, was
		I? Well, let's say he's also rather cross that we
		allowed a Soviet agent within our own ranks to go
		undetected for so long.

Hugh		A mixed reception then?

Stephen		I think that's a fair way of describing it, yes. So
		all in all it's been a pretty tiring forty-eight hours.
		Well, forty-four to be more accurate. But it seems
		like forty-eight, I can tell you. Well, forty-six or
		seven at least.

Hugh		Tell you what, Control - if you're feeling that
		tired, do you think a cup of coffee might perk
		you up?

Stephen		Oh I say, Tony, that's ever such a super thought.
		I'd just love one.

Hugh		Coming right up.

Stephen		You're a lifesaver, Tony and that's a fact.

Hugh		And I tell you what, Control ...

Stephen		Mm?

Hugh		I'm going to make it a good and strong one.

Stephen		Doh!