The Prisoner · Season 1
News of old friends travels quickly.
In a few hours.
To you and to me, news is like air. We breathe it deeply. We draw it from far and wide.
If it's interesting.
What are you going to do with your freedom?
Go fishing.
Perhaps you're fishing now.
What's that Number Six doing? Always walking. Irritating man. Doesn't he ever get tired?!
And remember.. you're mine.
Really?
Be horrible to other women.
I promise.
Oh, thank you.
Elections? In this place?
Of course--we make our choice every 12 months. Every citizen has a choice. Are you going to run?
Like blazes, the first chance I get.
I meant run for office.
Whose?
Mine, for instance.
You have a very delicate sense of humor.
Naturally. Humor is the very essence of a democratic society.
What physically happens if I win?!
You're the boss.
Number One's the boss.
Join me. [They enter Number Six's house] If you win Number One will no longer be a mystery to you, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I'll introduce you properly and see how you feel after assessing the madding crowd.
Good people, it is my pleasure to present to you the one and only Number Six!
Rah!
I am not a number. I am a person.
[Crowd laughs]
In some place, at some time, all of you held positions of a secret nature, and had knowledge that was invaluable to an enemy. Like me, you are here to have that knowledge protected or extracted.
That's the stuff to give them.
Unlike me, many of you have accepted the situation of your imprisonment and will die here like rotten cabbages.
Keep going. They love it.
The rest of you have gone over to the side of our keepers. Which is which? How many of each? Who's standing beside you now? I intend to discover who are the prisoners and who are the warders. I shall be running for office in this election.
"Gave up sugar four years and three months ago on medical advice." That shows you're afraid.
What?
You're afraid of death.
I'm afraid of nothing.
You're afraid of yourself. You are aware of that? Good, you are honest. That is of use here. Honesty attracts confidence and confidences are the core of our business.
There are those who come in here and deny that we can supply every conceivable civilised amenity within our boundaries. You can enjoy yourselves and you will. You can partake of the most hazardous sports and you will. The price is cheap. All you have to do in exchange is give us information. You are then eligible for promotion to other and perhaps more attractive spheres. Where do you desire to go? What has been your dream? I can supply it. Winter, spring, summer or fall--they can all be yours at any time. Apply to me and it will be easier and better.
The trouble with science is that it can be perverted.
You know what, why don't we settle this like gentlemen?
You're claiming to be a gentleman too?
Oh very good, very good indeed. That line is very worthy of me.
What the devil...?
[Number Six approaches Number Twelve; they look exactly alike]
[chuckles] Oh, very good. Very good indeed. One of Number Two's little ideas, I suppose? Where did they get you? A people's copying service, or you're one of those double agents we hear so much about these days?
[not amused] Since you've gone through so much trouble, the least I can do is... offer you a drink.
Scotch. [they enter the lounge] I take it I'm supposed to go all fuzzy round the edges and run off into the distance screaming "Who am I?"
Probably. I have no idea.
By the time we finish with him, he won't know whether he's Number Six or the cube root of infinity.
[to Alison; about Number Twelve] I am the original, he is the economy pack.
You don't believe it. A university-level degree in three minutes.
It's improbable.
But not impossible.
Nothing's impossible in this place.
You'll find the Professor most interesting.
Would I?
With an extraordinary range of knowledge.
The only subject I'm interested in is getting away from this place.
Exactly.
Who are you?
A cog in the machine.
These quotes come from Wikiquote's The Prisoner pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.
