George! George, get in here! [Smiley enters.] George, sit down. [Smiley sits.] Take a look at this nonsense. Report by Soviet high command on their recent naval exercises in the Black Sea, just what the Admiralty has been begging us for some information on...
Where did you get this?
I didn't. Percy and his little cabal walked in with it.
Look, Control...
Shut up!
[flicking through document, casually.]
Style appalling, blatantly a fabrication from beginning to end. It just could be the real thing.
If it's genuine it's gold dust. But its topicality makes it suspect.
Smiley is suspicious, Percy!
Where did it come from? What's the access?
A new secret source of mine.
But how could he possibly have access-
He has access to the most sensitive levels of policy making. We've named the operation 'Witchcraft.'
[archly.]
Oh, Percy and his pals bypassed us, Smiley. Gone straight to the minister. Percy has been allowed to keep the identity of his new friend TOP secret.
The minister agrees with me that too many secrets are blown around here. Too much failure, too many scandals, too little solid intelligence.
Percy does have a point, Control; we should be fighting Communism, not each other.
No, we're losing our reputation, our partners-
Your bloody Yanks!
-and we've had enough! There's going to be changes.
We need to decide if we want to be part of the past or part of the future.
I should have left you where I found you.
Look-!
Control-!
OUT! ALL OF YOU!
[Alleline, Bland and Esterhase leave. Control glares at Haydon until he too exits, leaving only Smiley and Control.]
If Witchcraft is genuine-
Nothing is genuine anymore!
