Spies/Firing

	Stephen is at a desk. There is a knock at the door,
	and Hugh enters.


Hugh		Hello, Control.

Stephen		Tony. It's you.

Hugh		That's right. I understand from Valerie that you
		wanted reasonably strongly to see me.

Stephen		Valerie is by no means leading you up the garden
		path, Tony, because I do want to see you.

Hugh		I find Valerie's usually right in these little matters.

Stephen		Ng.

Hugh		Control?

Stephen		Yes, Tony?

Hugh		Did you want, I'm wondering, to speak to me
		as well, or was it just seeing me that was on
		your mind?

Stephen		Well now Tony, there was something I wanted to
		ask you, but it's a little bit tricky actually.

Hugh		Tricky?

Stephen		Yes, Tony. Have you ever been in the position
		where you've had to tell someone you like quite a
		lot that you've got to fire them from their job?

Hugh		No.

Stephen		Ah.

Hugh		That didn't turn out to be too tricky a thing to ask
		me, did it?

Stephen		Yes. Thing is, Tony, I haven't quite said the really
		tricky thing yet.

Hugh		Ah. Would it be the kind of thing that would go
		better with a good cup of coffee, Control?

Stephen		Perhaps a little later, Tony. I wouldn't want to be
		thought of as hiding behind that cup of coffee.

Hugh		That's just as well, Control, because the cup of
		coffee I had in mind was going to be quite small.

Stephen		Tell me Tony, have you, in your position as
		subsection chief of the East German and related
		satellites desk, noticed the way the wind is blowing
		on the other side of the curtain?

Hugh		It's been blowing in odd kinds of ways, hasn't it,
		Control?

Stephen		It has, Tony. Glasnost, perestroika and related
		phenomena have had their effect on the political
		map of Europe in no uncertain terms.

Hugh		Yes, Control. Only this morning, I had to ask
		Valerie if she wouldn't mind going out and buying
		some new political maps of Europe, as ours were
		really quite out of date.

Stephen		Yes, it's shaken all our lives up a bit, certainly. But
		Tony ...

Hugh		Yes, Control?

Stephen		It's also meant that our masters in Whitehall have
		started wondering whether they need quite so
		many people involved with spying.

Hugh		I'm not sure I fully understand, Control.

Stephen		Well they take the view, Tony, that nowadays, with
		the Russians simply ringing us up and telling us
		most of their secrets, we don't need to spend such
		a lot of money on finding them out.

Hugh		That's an astute piece of political thinking by our
		masters in Whitehall, Control.

Stephen		Yes, Tony, it is.

Hugh		How about that coffee now, Control?

Stephen		No, Tony. Not yet. Anyway, what this is all leading
		up to, Tony, if you haven't already guessed, is that
		I'm going to have to fire you from your job.

Hugh		Control. I'm slightly at a loss for words.

Stephen		Please don't think, Tony, that I'm getting any
		enjoyment out of this situation. This is one of the
		hardest things I've ever had to do in all my years
		of running the Secret Service.

Hugh		Mmm. I certainly don't envy you, Control, having
		to pass on a bit of news like the one you've just
		passed on to me.

Stephen		Yes, it is very hard, Tony.

Hugh		Oh well, Control. I suppose that's that, then.

Stephen		Yes, Tony, I'm afraid it is. I really am very sorry.

Hugh		May I take this opportunity of saying how much
		I've enjoyed working with you, Control, and wish
		you the very best of luck with all your future spying.

Stephen		Thank you Tony. I can honestly say that this place
		won't be the same without you.

Hugh		No, I suppose it will be a bit different because I
		won't be here.

Stephen		That's right.

Hugh		I'll be somewhere else.

Stephen		Yes.

Hugh		Well goodbye, Control.

	They shake hands.

Stephen		Goodbye, Murchison.

	Hugh exits. Stephen sits down again and blows his 
	nose. He picks up the phone.

		Valerie? Could you bring me a cup of coffee?
		(Pause) How do I like it? I like it the way Tony
		Murchison used to make it.

Stephen		If things had worked out
		differently it's strange to think I 
		would now be Foreign Secretary
		and Douglas Hurd would be an
		assistant librarian. Wierd, isn't it?