Khartoum Page #3

with nothing

but his own audacity...

and a few loyal lieutenants...

sir, he didn't face the Mahdi.

He didn't face a holy war...

and he didn't face

10,000 Remington rifles.

If you send him to Khartoum

on his own now...

he'll simply fail.

What a pity.

Sir, if General Gordon

accepted your proposal...

and the conditions of today,

my respect for him would end.

He'd be the vainest man alive.

Thank you, Colonel Stewart.

Now, would you leave us

to our deliberations?

My congratulations on

the excellence of your report.

Good day, sir.

I like that man.

Did I understand you correctly?

If we send Gordon to Khartoum...

Gordon, a national hero...

and he fails...

then the blame will fall on him,

not on the government?

It could happen that way.

It's the most

abominable proposal...

I have ever entertained.

Granville,

the colonel had a point.

Just why would Gordon do it?

Because he's a patriot

and a man of conscience...

or perhaps

the vainest man alive.

I dislike everything about this.

Worse, I distrust it.

I know nothing

about this conversation.

But let me know in Balmoral

what Gordon says.

Her Majesty

would be so pleased.

Apologize for the secrecy,

Gordon.

Politics.

Let's not waste time

with formalities.

Sit down, please.

I can't keep the train

for Scotland waiting forever...

or there'd be curiosity.

We need few words.

Granville

will see you tomorrow...

with a proposal

so disreputable...

that I can have nothing

to do with it publicly.

Privately,

I ask you to accept it.

Why?

Because it will provide me

with political comfort.

I can conceive

of no commodity, sir...

that could interest me less.

I'm not a free agent, you know.

I leave for the Belgian Congo

within weeks.

Granville could arrange that.

Gordon,

the Sudan was your child.

I don't need to inform you

it's in the gravest danger.

You don't need to inform me.

Gordon, I cannot and will not...

send military forces

up the Nile...

but I admit Khartoum

cannot be left to its fate...

without some gesture.

Am I the gesture?

The whole country

knows your capacities.

You've done before alone what

an army of blunderers can't do.

What's the proposal?

That you go to the Sudan...

supervise the evacuation

of Khartoum...

do what you can to leave

peace and order behind.

- With what powers?

- None.

Egypt will give you

some ribbon or other.

Politicians.

And when the Mahdi

floats me down the Nile...

the government will assume

a pained expression...

and say to Her Majesty

and the churchmen...

and the anti-slavery people,

"We sent Gordon.

"We did the best we could."

Precisely.

That'll be the end of Gordon,

but not of Gladstone.

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