Character Relationship Map: The Internecine Project

Characters

• Robert Elliot (played by James Coburn) — protagonist

  A renowned American economist who secretly runs a London espionage ring. When a businessman threatens to expose him, Elliot manipulates his four operatives into killing each other to maintain his sile...

• Albert Parsons (played by Harry Andrews) — supporting

  A masseur and member of Elliot's espionage ring. Elliot gives him a key to kill Christina Larsson. Parsons strangles her in her apartment and plants forensic evidence to confuse investigators, only to...

• Alex Hellman (played by Ian Hendry) — supporting

  A corrupt Foreign Office official and diabetic operative in Elliot's network. David Baker replaces his insulin with a lethal dose. Despite hesitation, Alex reluctantly kills Albert Parsons on Elliot's...

• David Baker (played by Michael Jayston) — supporting

  A scientist and Elliot's associate who orchestrates parts of the mutual destruction. He swaps Alex's insulin and plants a timed sonic weapon that kills Christina. Distrusting Elliot, David leaves a po...

• Christina Larsson (played by Christiane Krüger) — supporting

  A sex worker and part of the espionage ring. She plants a timer on David's sonic weapon, which inadvertently leads to her own death when Albert Parsons strangles her in her shower. Her actions are a c...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Robert Elliot → David Baker (Professional Employer And Operative) — David serves as Elliot's scientific operative while secretly distrusting him.

  David Baker is described as the scientist assisting Elliot in his business espionage ring.

• Robert Elliot → Christina Larsson (Professional Employer And Operative) — Christina is a sex worker recruited into Elliot's espionage operation.

  Christina Larsson is identified as one of the four operatives secretly working with Elliot.

• Robert Elliot → Albert Parsons (Professional Employer And Operative) — Parsons works as one of Elliot's covert associates.

  Albert Parsons is described as a masseur and member of Elliot's espionage ring.

• Robert Elliot → Alex Hellman (Professional Employer And Operative) — Elliot directs Alex as a covert operative within the espionage network.

  Alex Hellman is identified as one of Elliot's four operatives in the London espionage ring.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Alex Hellman → Albert Parsons (Conflict Assassin And Target) — Alex reluctantly kills Parsons after Elliot pressures him to proceed.

  Alex waits outside Parsons's workplace and strikes him dead with a hammer.

• Albert Parsons → Christina Larsson (Conflict Assigned Assassin And Victim) — Parsons kills Christina as part of Elliot's engineered chain of murders.

  Parsons enters Christina's apartment with a key from Elliot and strangles her while she is taking a shower.

• David Baker → Christina Larsson (Weapon-Based Conflict) — Their actions form a lethal chain involving David's weapon.

  David demonstrates a sonic weapon to Elliot, and Christina plants a timer on it; the weapon later kills David.

• David Baker → Alex Hellman (Conflict Murderous Saboteur) — David secretly arranges Alex's death through poisoned insulin.

  David replaces Alex's regular insulin supply with a stronger, lethal dose.

Story Analysis

A covert operator engineers the destruction of his own network, only to be defeated by a dead associate's final countermeasure.

Plot Progression

1. The Hidden Espionage Network — Robert Elliot is presented as a prominent economist secretly running a London business espionage ring. A threat to his advancement makes his former operatives dangerous liabilities.
2. A Blueprint Of Mutual Death — Elliot decides to eliminate his four associates without exposing himself. He visits them individually and convinces each that another operative intends to betray the group.
3. The Chain Begins — David poisons Alex's insulin, while Christina places a timer on David's sonic weapon. The planned murders begin to operate through overlapping acts of sabotage.
4. Violence In The Shadows — The sonic weapon kills David, and Parsons strangles Christina in her shower. Alex retrieves a hammer and struggles against Elliot's demand that he kill Parsons.
5. The Last Countermove — Alex kills Parsons and then dies from David's lethal insulin dose in Elliot's presence. David's poisoned notebook finally reaches Elliot and overturns the apparent success of the conspiracy.