(Ext. Day. Tommy is sitting on park bench, pretending to feed ducks and is approached by George Smiley lookalike.)

Tommy
Bad business, George, a bad business. You were running our agent inside the SNP HQ. What when wrong?

George
Hard to say Tommy, our friend on the inside got careless, it happens you know, in this game we play.

Tommy
But the morse code, the hidden radio, the dead letter drops, and don’t forget the NUJ card. We were so careful.

George
Careful? Yes. But remember our mole was up against the best counter-intelligence duo in the business.

Tommy
Ah Yes. Marwick and MacAskill, they know their trade George, I’ll give them that.

George
Sharp as tacks those two. Who’d think they’d spot the mole selling the SSP paper outside the SNP office?

Tommy
Yes it looks like we underestimated them. But what now George, do we pull the plug on the whole operation? Write it off, try something else? What to do George? What to do old friend?

George
Buck up Tommy, its not all bad news you know. We’ve still got our other agent working deep cover inside, confusing the membership, driving the SNP into electoral meltdown. That agent will come through for us.

Tommy
Oh Yes, I’d quite forgotten about John Swinney. So things aren’t looking too bad then?

George
Bad, good. They’re all just words in the game we play Tommy.

Tommy
Yeh, yeh, whatever. Look I’ve got to run, I’ve only got half an hour booked on the sunbed. (Hands George a bag of bread). Here, finish feeding the ducks will you, but don’t give any to that mallard, he’s already had his.

George
Mallard, ballard, smallard, they’re all just...