WEBVTT 00:00:18.400 --> 00:00:25.640 Come in. Welcome. I'm E .G. Marshall. For most 00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:29.280 of us, is there any more alluring form of minor 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:32.439 masochism than the good old -fashioned ghost 00:00:32.439 --> 00:00:36.380 story? The icy fingers running shivering shocks 00:00:36.380 --> 00:00:40.159 up and down the spine, playing that fascinating 00:00:40.159 --> 00:00:45.320 dichotomy of, this might have been me, but, oh, 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:49.189 thank the Lord it wasn't. So this ghost story 00:00:49.189 --> 00:00:52.530 begins with Joel and Jane Trent, early twenties, 00:00:53.270 --> 00:00:56.030 married eight months, starting out in life with 00:00:56.030 --> 00:01:00.469 a future unlimited, except the present unfortunate 00:01:00.469 --> 00:01:03.609 necessity of counting every penny to make life 00:01:03.609 --> 00:01:06.909 work and to live in some dignity and comfort. 00:01:07.650 --> 00:01:11.510 And then, the fabulous break, or what seemed 00:01:11.510 --> 00:01:14.909 the fabulous break. that marvelous ad in the 00:01:14.909 --> 00:01:18.310 classified section of the Sunday Chronicle. Joel, 00:01:18.730 --> 00:01:21.590 I found us a home. Are you listening? All ears. 00:01:22.629 --> 00:01:25.430 Eminently desirable two bedrooms and bath for 00:01:25.430 --> 00:01:28.569 the right couple. Fully furnished sublet for 00:01:28.569 --> 00:01:32.310 at least two years. Please not before 10 a .m. 00:01:33.090 --> 00:01:39.909 Sunday, H .S .M. Apollyon, 27, Southwest 62nd 00:01:39.909 --> 00:01:43.890 Street. So? So what that's right off Central 00:01:43.890 --> 00:01:46.930 Park it had cost a fortune I saved the best for 00:01:46.930 --> 00:01:52.909 the last rent 200 a month one month security 00:01:52.909 --> 00:01:55.409 There's got to be something wrong with it. Why 00:01:55.409 --> 00:01:58.409 it's too cheap Does that mean we can't look at 00:01:58.409 --> 00:02:00.590 it? No, we'll be there on the dot fighting the 00:02:00.590 --> 00:02:07.609 line. What have we got to lose? And don't be 00:02:07.609 --> 00:02:11.719 afraid of a crowd Yours is the only paper this 00:02:11.719 --> 00:02:16.979 ad will appear in because it's you I want One 00:02:16.979 --> 00:02:21.240 advantage of being a rather special printers 00:02:21.240 --> 00:02:35.680 devil Our mystery drama the real printers devil 00:02:36.030 --> 00:02:38.509 was written especially for the Mystery Theatre 00:02:38.509 --> 00:02:44.150 by Ian Martin and stars Paul Hecht and Jada Rowland. 00:02:55.509 --> 00:02:58.909 Could there be a more mundane, run -of -the -mill 00:02:58.909 --> 00:03:02.330 beginning to a really haunting ghost story? than 00:03:02.330 --> 00:03:05.090 two young people on the way early on a bright 00:03:05.090 --> 00:03:08.090 Saturday morning to answer an ad for a sublet 00:03:08.090 --> 00:03:12.849 furnished apartment. But such an apartment! From 00:03:12.849 --> 00:03:16.229 their point of view, a steal at the price, at 00:03:16.229 --> 00:03:18.689 the location, containing everything they ever 00:03:18.689 --> 00:03:22.030 wanted, a long-term lease, a promise of heaven. 00:03:22.889 --> 00:03:27.770 But from another point of view, oh, well, that, 00:03:27.770 --> 00:03:32.060 as we shall see, is the hell of it. The rooms 00:03:32.060 --> 00:03:35.180 will be small. So, how big are we? It'll be crawling 00:03:35.180 --> 00:03:37.599 with cockroaches. My best friend's uncle's cousin 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:40.020 is an exterminator. It did say two bedrooms, 00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:42.400 didn't it? That's what it said. The second one 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:44.740 is probably just a walk -in closet. So, I'll 00:03:44.740 --> 00:03:46.439 build a fresh air duct to it. A crib doesn't 00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:48.979 take all that much floor space. Hold it. What's 00:03:48.979 --> 00:03:51.659 the matter? The baby didn't... No, the baby didn't 00:03:51.659 --> 00:03:54.439 do anything. It's me. Oh, the way my tummy's 00:03:54.439 --> 00:03:56.139 revolving, it's lucky there aren't three of us 00:03:56.139 --> 00:04:00.419 here already instead of two. I'm scared. Of what? 00:04:01.189 --> 00:04:05.150 Look, 62nd Street. This is the corner. Supposing 00:04:05.150 --> 00:04:08.650 it really smells. Supposing the price was a misprint. 00:04:08.750 --> 00:04:12.629 Supposing the John's out in the hall. Suppose 00:04:12.629 --> 00:04:15.229 someone got there first and took it. No way, 00:04:15.289 --> 00:04:17.709 no way. It isn't even 10 a .m. yet. Oh, never 00:04:17.709 --> 00:04:19.970 mind. Let's get going. What was the number? 15? 00:04:20.069 --> 00:04:23.149 17? Uh, 27. There it is, on the other side of 00:04:23.149 --> 00:04:26.250 the street. Oh, it's an attractive building. 00:04:26.389 --> 00:04:29.089 Yeah. Hey, there's a nice little garden around 00:04:29.089 --> 00:04:31.509 the main door. And it looks so well kept up. 00:04:32.290 --> 00:04:34.949 Oh, Joel, it just seems too good to be true. 00:04:35.050 --> 00:04:41.230 Well, come on. Let's find his bell. Ah, here 00:04:41.230 --> 00:04:44.889 it is. H .S .M. Apollyon. That's our fairy godfather. 00:04:45.089 --> 00:04:47.410 Don't call him that. I don't care how gay he 00:04:47.410 --> 00:04:49.990 is. The apartment's all I care about. Press the 00:04:49.990 --> 00:04:54.430 bell. Okay. Be ready when he buzzes down. Yeah. 00:04:56.430 --> 00:04:59.329 Oh. Why doesn't he answer? Maybe he's in that 00:04:59.329 --> 00:05:03.389 john down the hall. Oh, you... Huh? Enter, my 00:05:03.389 --> 00:05:09.089 love. Oh, I love the carpet. Bittersweet. I hope 00:05:09.089 --> 00:05:12.750 nothing I said hurt his feelings. Well, the elevator's 00:05:12.750 --> 00:05:15.410 waiting. Let's get it over with before I faint. 00:05:16.709 --> 00:05:19.170 I have a few butterflies myself. Got the floor 00:05:19.170 --> 00:05:24.300 number? Yeah. And we are off. Everything's so 00:05:24.300 --> 00:05:28.040 clean and efficient, well taken care of. You 00:05:28.040 --> 00:05:31.160 sure it wasn't East 62nd? No, look, here, 27 00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:34.839 West. I hope it's not too high up. What floor 00:05:34.839 --> 00:05:38.920 is it? Forget it, darling. Ask for later. Well, 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:47.600 here we are. I thought I heard... the lift my 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:51.279 Anglican background or I should say English elevator 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:54.220 I meant of course are you here to see the flat 00:05:54.220 --> 00:05:58.040 apartment I mean naturally yeah yeah we are I'm 00:05:58.040 --> 00:06:01.279 Joel Trent this is my wife Jane HSM Napoleon 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:04.560 here and won't you come in you know everyone 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:07.339 always thinks I must be retired Navy or something 00:06:08.759 --> 00:06:12.060 HMS, you know. His Majesty's Ship, whatever. 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:16.439 Only it isn't. It's HSM. Stands for something 00:06:16.439 --> 00:06:20.139 quite different, I assure you. And besides, I'm 00:06:20.139 --> 00:06:23.959 not one for water at all. Can't abide it. Well, 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:27.639 this is the vestibule, or the foyer, or perhaps 00:06:27.639 --> 00:06:29.959 the hole, you'd call it. As you can see, it's 00:06:29.959 --> 00:06:32.879 very much like any other of its kind. Oh, not 00:06:32.879 --> 00:06:36.459 at all, Mr. Pollyon. It's... It's absolutely 00:06:36.459 --> 00:06:39.660 fabulous. Oh, well not exactly but how nice of 00:06:39.660 --> 00:06:43.180 you to say so One does do quite a bit of traveling 00:06:43.180 --> 00:06:46.480 and some of the things you see particularly those 00:06:46.480 --> 00:06:50.879 from the East are quite Well, I won't say fabulous 00:06:50.879 --> 00:06:54.759 unique perhaps now that Chris for example Would 00:06:54.759 --> 00:06:59.040 you believe that it has both perfume and poison? 00:06:59.439 --> 00:07:03.500 forged into the steel of its blade And the sorceress 00:07:03.500 --> 00:07:06.399 came. Well, that's real hair, you know, the handle. 00:07:06.699 --> 00:07:09.740 Now, which would you like to do first? A cup 00:07:09.740 --> 00:07:13.079 of tea and get acquainted and then do the flat 00:07:13.079 --> 00:07:16.199 or the other way around? Oh, if you don't mind, 00:07:16.420 --> 00:07:19.560 I'm just dying to see the apartment. I mean the 00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:25.170 flat. Then off we go. Oh. Oh, no. And by the 00:07:25.170 --> 00:07:28.689 by, before we do start, only because once before 00:07:28.689 --> 00:07:31.829 I did have quite a disappointment after showing 00:07:31.829 --> 00:07:35.230 a rather peculiar individual the apartment some 00:07:35.230 --> 00:07:38.769 19 years ago, this man went all the way through 00:07:38.769 --> 00:07:42.009 the apartment. He was some sort of a minister, 00:07:42.110 --> 00:07:44.709 as I remember. And after deciding to take it, 00:07:44.730 --> 00:07:48.050 he changed his mind when he learned the number 00:07:48.050 --> 00:07:53.259 of the flat. You did notice it, didn't you? Joel 00:07:53.259 --> 00:07:56.240 knows it. I don't. What is it, Joel? It's apartment 00:07:56.240 --> 00:08:02.939 D. On the 13th floor. Oh. Well, that's just a 00:08:02.939 --> 00:08:07.360 silly superstition, isn't it? Isn't it? Well, 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:18.009 now, shall we have a look about? Do you take 00:08:18.009 --> 00:08:20.790 sugar with your tea, Mrs. Trent? One month, please. 00:08:21.110 --> 00:08:23.870 But really... Mr. Trent, would you prefer something 00:08:23.870 --> 00:08:27.410 stronger? No, no. Tea's just great. Two. Lumps, 00:08:27.430 --> 00:08:30.769 I mean. How about milk, Mrs. Trent? No, thanks. 00:08:30.889 --> 00:08:33.710 Neither of us. But really, Mr. Pollyon, this 00:08:33.710 --> 00:08:35.929 is awfully kind of you, but we must be holding 00:08:35.929 --> 00:08:38.929 you up. I'm sure there'll be loads of other people 00:08:38.929 --> 00:08:41.570 in answer to your ad. Well, they're not here 00:08:41.570 --> 00:08:45.990 yet, so we can enjoy our tea, eh? Besides, my 00:08:45.990 --> 00:08:48.830 dear, I have a sneaking suspicion that... Oh, 00:08:48.909 --> 00:08:52.649 your cup. Thank you. That not so many people 00:08:52.649 --> 00:08:55.330 are going to turn up and answer to the ad. For 00:08:55.330 --> 00:08:57.470 a dream apartment like this, I can't believe 00:08:57.470 --> 00:08:59.470 that. I was surprised there wasn't a line a mile 00:08:59.470 --> 00:09:03.340 long. Well, how nice both of you are. You know, 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:06.700 I've really taken quite a fancy to you. That's 00:09:06.700 --> 00:09:08.820 very sweet of you. Yeah, thanks. Thanks a lot. 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:11.700 It's so difficult today to find young people 00:09:11.700 --> 00:09:17.100 with all the good old -fashioned virtues. What 00:09:17.100 --> 00:09:19.759 am I saying? It's been very difficult for generations. 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:26.440 So, for my purpose, you're quite ideal. I don't 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:29.139 quite understand. I thought I'd make myself quite 00:09:29.139 --> 00:09:32.860 clear. You're just the people I want in my apartment. 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:35.659 That is, of course, if you're interested. And 00:09:35.659 --> 00:09:37.440 if there's anything I can do to make it more 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:40.179 attractive to you... Attractive? Well, the whole 00:09:40.179 --> 00:09:42.940 place is just a dream. It's the sort of place 00:09:42.940 --> 00:09:45.460 Joel and I made up dreams about living in after 00:09:45.460 --> 00:09:47.600 saving everything we could make for the next 00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:51.399 10 or 20 years. And now to think that... At a 00:09:51.399 --> 00:09:53.720 price we can afford, we can start living that 00:09:53.720 --> 00:09:56.679 way right now. Oh, dear me. Now, I didn't mean 00:09:56.679 --> 00:09:58.779 to upset you. She's only crying because she's 00:09:58.779 --> 00:10:01.059 so happy, you see. You got to excuse her. It 00:10:01.059 --> 00:10:03.019 says in the book that women in her condition 00:10:03.019 --> 00:10:07.500 sort of... Uh -oh. Oh, Joel. I just slipped out, 00:10:07.740 --> 00:10:10.360 Jane. Women in... We just thought we'd have trouble 00:10:10.360 --> 00:10:13.019 finding something we could afford, and we wanted 00:10:13.019 --> 00:10:16.320 to have plenty of time. Nat Gertrude's plays 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:18.220 in Mount Vernon just doesn't have room for all 00:10:18.220 --> 00:10:20.759 of us now. Let alone... Why, you're going to 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:26.379 have a baby. Well, now isn't that nice? My congratulations. 00:10:27.500 --> 00:10:31.299 It's a sort of a bonus in a way. You mean you 00:10:31.299 --> 00:10:35.700 don't mind babies? Mind? I love them, just adore 00:10:35.700 --> 00:10:39.039 them. You can't know how much extra pleasure 00:10:39.039 --> 00:10:41.940 they afford me. Gee, that's great. What did you 00:10:41.940 --> 00:10:47.440 mean, a sort of bonus? Oh, that. I had to think 00:10:47.440 --> 00:10:49.740 of being able to use the crib and the baby bath 00:10:49.740 --> 00:10:51.919 and all those things I once bought for a tenant 00:10:51.919 --> 00:10:55.980 and his wife and baby who were unfortunately 00:10:55.980 --> 00:10:58.659 lost in a plane crash on the very day they were 00:10:58.659 --> 00:11:03.220 to move in. Oh, how awful. Yes, snatched away 00:11:03.220 --> 00:11:07.120 from me at the last moment. Oh, I don't mean 00:11:07.120 --> 00:11:09.980 that the way it sounds. You see, I've grown almost 00:11:09.980 --> 00:11:14.940 as fond of them as I... Have a view. Now, we 00:11:14.940 --> 00:11:17.639 must get down to business. I'll have the bed 00:11:17.639 --> 00:11:20.059 taken out of the small bedroom and set up the 00:11:20.059 --> 00:11:25.080 crib for you. And when could you move in? Why, 00:11:25.460 --> 00:11:27.659 the sooner the better. At your convenience, of 00:11:27.659 --> 00:11:30.379 course. Oh, if I told you my convenience, my 00:11:30.379 --> 00:11:35.059 dears, I'm sure I would shock you. Try me. Well, 00:11:35.059 --> 00:11:38.460 today. This minute, this afternoon. If at all 00:11:38.460 --> 00:11:41.870 possible, not later than six o 'clock. You shocked 00:11:41.870 --> 00:11:44.230 me. I know the ads had immediate occupancy, but 00:11:44.230 --> 00:11:46.250 I wasn't quite expecting it. Let me explain. 00:11:46.750 --> 00:11:49.450 I had a tenant, you see, a most interesting man, 00:11:49.590 --> 00:11:53.409 a sort of a Billy Sunday, you might say. Fascinating 00:11:53.409 --> 00:11:55.809 challenge. Challenge? Well, I shouldn't admit 00:11:55.809 --> 00:11:58.590 it, but I feel I know you both so well, even 00:11:58.590 --> 00:12:02.190 after the short acquaintance. Do you know, I've 00:12:02.190 --> 00:12:04.289 traveled a great deal, and I've never been able 00:12:04.289 --> 00:12:08.149 to resist the inordinately... evil things that 00:12:08.149 --> 00:12:10.710 men have dreamed up as the centuries went rolling 00:12:10.710 --> 00:12:15.350 by. The grimoires, the devices of the Inquisition, 00:12:15.889 --> 00:12:21.240 our own New Englanders. Well... I bought all 00:12:21.240 --> 00:12:24.460 sorts of quite horrible things. Pictures, instruments, 00:12:24.879 --> 00:12:28.519 statues, charms, and so forth. I keep them all 00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:30.820 hidden away in that big closet at the end of 00:12:30.820 --> 00:12:33.840 the hall. Oh, that's the only thing that's off 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:36.879 limits, by the way. I keep it locked. Oh, that 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:38.620 would be perfectly all right. There's plenty 00:12:38.620 --> 00:12:41.980 of other closet space. And you wouldn't be interested 00:12:41.980 --> 00:12:47.480 in this awful stuff anyway. As I said, this man 00:12:47.480 --> 00:12:50.820 was a minister, so I, um... I thought I'd really 00:12:50.820 --> 00:12:55.820 give him a start. So, I replaced everything and 00:12:55.820 --> 00:12:59.320 hung up all this perfectly awful stuff. Oh, quite 00:12:59.320 --> 00:13:03.120 bone -chilling and terribly evil. But why? Well, 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:05.720 I wanted to see his reaction, so I thought I'd 00:13:05.720 --> 00:13:08.639 scare him off. And naturally you did. Good gracious, 00:13:08.840 --> 00:13:14.799 no, he loved it. Couldn't wait to move in. But 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:19.370 someone greater than us solved the problem. Unfortunately, 00:13:19.470 --> 00:13:24.250 he was taken from us with a heart attack. Oh, 00:13:24.309 --> 00:13:27.809 the poor man. Yes, actually, he never realized 00:13:27.809 --> 00:13:32.960 how fortunate he was. Oh, but I didn't mean to 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:35.600 depress you. Let's get back to all the fun and 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:38.840 practical things. Now, I have some urgent business 00:13:38.840 --> 00:13:41.539 in the Near East, and I've booked an overnight 00:13:41.539 --> 00:13:44.820 plane for tonight, if I could possibly make that. 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:47.379 Joel, there's no reason why not, is there? You 00:13:47.379 --> 00:13:49.899 have the money, and we'd have the time to run 00:13:49.899 --> 00:13:52.440 up to Mount Vernon and back and get enough clothes 00:13:52.440 --> 00:13:54.700 to settle in. Then we could bring the rest later. 00:13:54.799 --> 00:13:59.360 Well, I guess it might be arranged. Oh, by the 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:01.879 way, what business are you in, Mr. Apollyon? 00:14:02.679 --> 00:14:07.700 Oh, that's a little difficult to explain. Rather 00:14:07.700 --> 00:14:10.879 like the import and export business. Oh, you 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:13.940 deal in objet d 'art? In a sense, yes, but perhaps 00:14:13.940 --> 00:14:18.909 a better word would be subject. But to get back 00:14:18.909 --> 00:14:21.529 to our business, if you have the rent and the 00:14:21.529 --> 00:14:23.309 security with you, we'll exchange them for the 00:14:23.309 --> 00:14:26.409 keys, sign the leases, give you a thorough briefing 00:14:26.409 --> 00:14:29.750 on the entire apartment, and then I can be off 00:14:29.750 --> 00:14:33.330 just as soon as you return. Oh, well, Mr. Oh, 00:14:34.169 --> 00:14:36.570 forgive me, but at my age, I think I can take 00:14:36.570 --> 00:14:40.740 the liberty to use your first name. I'm a rich 00:14:40.740 --> 00:14:44.259 old man with no children and money is no object 00:14:44.259 --> 00:14:48.399 to me. Now, if the rent is too high... $200 a 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:50.600 month for a two -bedroom apartment furnished 00:14:50.600 --> 00:14:53.659 like a palace? Why, it... Hush, hush, hush, hush, 00:14:53.659 --> 00:14:56.460 hush, hush. Now, it's all I want from the right 00:14:56.460 --> 00:15:04.519 people. Besides, um... There is one little catch 00:15:04.519 --> 00:15:08.360 to the whole thing. Oh dear, I hope it won't 00:15:08.360 --> 00:15:13.960 prove too much of a problem. Catch? Yes, I'm 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:18.039 afraid so. Are you by any chance afraid of cats, 00:15:18.539 --> 00:15:23.779 Jane? Cats? No, I love them. So does Joel. In 00:15:23.779 --> 00:15:25.899 fact, we've been thinking of getting one. Oh, 00:15:25.919 --> 00:15:29.639 well, now that is a relief. You have one. and 00:15:29.639 --> 00:15:33.279 such a cat. Pure Abyssinian and the delight of 00:15:33.279 --> 00:15:35.940 my life. He's the only reason I must always find 00:15:35.940 --> 00:15:39.960 just the right tenants. Can we meet him? He might 00:15:39.960 --> 00:15:43.580 not like us. Oh, have no fear about that. Smokey, 00:15:43.600 --> 00:15:46.919 that's his name. Smokey, he loves everyone. Well, 00:15:46.919 --> 00:15:50.039 where is he? I'm dying to see him. At the moment, 00:15:50.279 --> 00:15:53.679 he's at Le Chasseron being attended with loving 00:15:53.679 --> 00:15:57.029 care by Pierre and Christophe. So he will look 00:15:57.029 --> 00:16:02.730 his very best for his new Conquest Conquest you 00:16:02.730 --> 00:16:07.649 my dear. Oh, I promise you he will win your heart 00:16:07.649 --> 00:16:18.889 and soul when you meet him on your return Well, 00:16:19.029 --> 00:16:21.639 what do you think? Oh, darling, it's marvelous. 00:16:21.720 --> 00:16:23.919 Just what we need. Yeah, and just what we can 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:26.279 afford. You won't have to go tiptoeing around 00:16:26.279 --> 00:16:28.139 Aunt Gertrude's every night? We both won't have 00:16:28.139 --> 00:16:30.679 to take a subway and a bus for 45 minutes to 00:16:30.679 --> 00:16:32.960 get to work every day. We could even walk. Jane, 00:16:33.019 --> 00:16:35.000 Jane, darling, the whole wide world's our oyster. 00:16:35.080 --> 00:16:39.039 Don't you agree? Yes. Yeah, but something is 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:43.200 bothering you. Oh, I know it's silly. It's just 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:48.740 that... that 13. Couldn't it have been 12 or 00:16:48.740 --> 00:16:51.299 14 or any other number? Now, you're not gonna 00:16:51.299 --> 00:16:53.720 let something silly like that bother you. You 00:16:53.720 --> 00:16:57.580 know how superstitious I am. I just have such 00:16:57.580 --> 00:16:59.919 a funny feeling. Maybe it's the number made it 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:02.840 so cheap. Maybe we ought to be grateful. I sure 00:17:02.840 --> 00:17:06.319 hope we're going to be. I guess we're in it now. 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:10.200 Jane, you and me just made the damnedest deal 00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:20.859 in the world. If only Joel could know how prophetic 00:17:20.859 --> 00:17:25.359 those words are. If only all of us were a little 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:29.200 less gullible. The devil might have a long hard 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:33.359 task that could even discourage him. And if only 00:17:33.359 --> 00:17:36.799 he'd just take the people who are going his way. 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:40.359 Why is he driven to tempt and maneuver and triumph 00:17:40.359 --> 00:17:44.420 by winning the others by artifice and indirection? 00:17:45.680 --> 00:17:49.769 Is it because He was once an angel, and when 00:17:49.769 --> 00:17:53.170 Lucifer fell, in his own shame, he must drag 00:17:53.170 --> 00:17:55.730 the rest of the world into the pit with him? 00:17:56.910 --> 00:18:12.910 I'll return in a moment with Act Two. Rocking 00:18:12.910 --> 00:18:16.200 in her chair, the bright hook flashing as she 00:18:16.200 --> 00:18:19.240 crocheted away at another rug. Aunt Gertrude 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:22.359 found it hard to share completely in Joel and 00:18:22.359 --> 00:18:27.259 Jane's bubbling enthusiasm. Two reasons. One, 00:18:27.680 --> 00:18:30.319 she knew how large a gaping hole they would leave 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:34.940 in her lonely life. And two, Aunt Gertrude was 00:18:34.940 --> 00:18:38.779 a pragmatist. You say only 200 a month for that 00:18:38.779 --> 00:18:41.019 apartment. Where shall I put my baseball spikes? 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:43.660 Oh, Lord, do we have to take those? What did 00:18:43.660 --> 00:18:46.539 you say, Aunt Gertrude? Well, I just can't get 00:18:46.539 --> 00:18:50.220 over the price. It's a giveaway. I know, but 00:18:50.220 --> 00:18:53.099 we do have to take care of the cat. Oh, my, my, 00:18:53.259 --> 00:18:56.400 such a chore. Open a can twice a day. Don't forget 00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:58.400 the litter pan. Now, don't change the subject. 00:18:58.980 --> 00:19:01.940 Tell me, what's wrong with the apartment, I wonder? 00:19:02.220 --> 00:19:05.160 There's something fishy. Andy, you had Bob Anderson 00:19:05.160 --> 00:19:07.380 go over the lease with a fine tooth comb. And 00:19:07.380 --> 00:19:10.140 he's a real estate lawyer. Oh, I'm quite satisfied 00:19:10.140 --> 00:19:13.740 with all the legal aspects. It's just... I don't 00:19:13.740 --> 00:19:16.579 know, something else gives me a funny twinge 00:19:16.579 --> 00:19:19.299 in the left shoulder blade. Used to be a kind 00:19:19.299 --> 00:19:24.279 of storm warning. Now I guess it's just arthritis. 00:19:24.940 --> 00:19:28.730 Don't worry about us, Andy. And don't... Please 00:19:28.730 --> 00:19:31.029 don't have any doubts. Why have you been having 00:19:31.029 --> 00:19:33.230 some of the lover Mike? Would you two Cassandra's 00:19:33.230 --> 00:19:35.210 would you lay off here? We have the break of 00:19:35.210 --> 00:19:39.349 a century and you're quite right Joel I I Guess 00:19:39.349 --> 00:19:42.470 I'm getting so old that the milk of human kindness 00:19:42.470 --> 00:19:47.150 is beginning to sour Now I I feel just like both 00:19:47.150 --> 00:19:50.250 of you. It is just it's just too good to be true 00:19:50.250 --> 00:19:55.210 and To be practical it does solve all our problems 00:19:55.860 --> 00:19:57.859 There really isn't room for the three of us in 00:19:57.859 --> 00:20:00.740 this tiny apartment of mine and when the baby 00:20:00.740 --> 00:20:02.960 comes like the clowns climbing into the midget 00:20:02.960 --> 00:20:07.180 car Yeah, well, I'm gonna miss not being part 00:20:07.180 --> 00:20:10.180 of bringing up that baby though. Oh, you'll have 00:20:10.180 --> 00:20:12.920 plenty of chance I'm going to leave that bed 00:20:12.920 --> 00:20:15.960 in baby's room as well as the crib Besides there's 00:20:15.960 --> 00:20:17.759 a huge couch in the living room. There's the 00:20:17.759 --> 00:20:21.480 cab. Oh brother. We all pack. Yes Well, I guess 00:20:21.480 --> 00:20:23.599 this is it. I'll take the heavy suitcase out 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:26.519 first. It's gonna seem strange with only one 00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:28.740 instead of three. At least we're not changing 00:20:28.740 --> 00:20:32.039 numbers. The cat makes three. He's pretty special. 00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:34.440 He's an Abyssinian. What's that? Oh, they're 00:20:34.440 --> 00:20:36.920 gorgeous. Looks like a Siamese with blue, blue 00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:39.660 eyes and a lovely gray coat. Like the gray in... 00:20:39.660 --> 00:20:42.750 Oh, in chinchilla. Only shorter. His name is 00:20:42.750 --> 00:20:44.829 Smokey. Come on, Jane. He rustled the bustle. 00:20:44.970 --> 00:20:46.869 A chariot's waiting. Oh, wait a minute. I need 00:20:46.869 --> 00:20:48.890 the phone number. Jane, take a couple of the 00:20:48.890 --> 00:20:50.490 shopping bags out, will you, honey, while I write 00:20:50.490 --> 00:20:52.809 it down for Andy? Sure. Only, how did you get 00:20:52.809 --> 00:20:54.930 the number? I forgot all about it. I took it 00:20:54.930 --> 00:20:58.869 off the bedroom phone. Let me see. Three, one, 00:20:58.910 --> 00:21:04.819 three. One, three, one, three. My that's a terrible 00:21:04.819 --> 00:21:08.619 number, especially after apartment 13 D Jane. 00:21:08.619 --> 00:21:10.559 He doesn't know it yet I want to break it to 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:13.859 her slowly you superstitious people I got a twinge 00:21:13.859 --> 00:21:16.180 in my shoulder blade now like I was bit by a 00:21:16.180 --> 00:21:20.279 horse No one dear come on grab the rest of this 00:21:20.279 --> 00:21:22.900 gear before our impatient hacky runs out on us 00:21:22.900 --> 00:21:26.980 Come on be right out. Oh Jane. I'm gonna miss 00:21:26.980 --> 00:21:30.759 you. Oh me too. So will Joel What the heck? It's 00:21:30.759 --> 00:21:32.700 not the last time we'll be seeing each other 00:21:33.230 --> 00:21:35.390 Don't forget we're having dinner Thursday night 00:21:35.390 --> 00:21:37.789 at the new digs. Oh, that reminds me, just in 00:21:37.789 --> 00:21:39.950 case I forget the address, can I have your copy 00:21:39.950 --> 00:21:43.009 of the newspaper? Yeah, well, oh no, I left it 00:21:43.009 --> 00:21:45.490 downtown. Oh. Don't worry, I picked you up a 00:21:45.490 --> 00:21:49.549 fresh copy. The ad is on page 37, column 5, a 00:21:49.549 --> 00:21:52.089 first one in furnished apartments. Now look, 00:21:52.269 --> 00:21:55.710 this really is goodbye. Let's go. I'll worry 00:21:55.710 --> 00:21:58.109 about you. Promise me to call as soon as you're 00:21:58.109 --> 00:22:00.150 settled. Oh, it might be almost midnight. I don't 00:22:00.150 --> 00:22:03.569 mind. Come on. Now, that's the last call. It 00:22:03.569 --> 00:22:05.950 sounds like the Trump of doom. Oh, goodbye, Donald. 00:22:05.950 --> 00:22:08.009 Goodbye, Anna. We'll call you. Don't worry about 00:22:08.009 --> 00:22:11.569 it. All right, it is. Oh, I'd better get that 00:22:11.569 --> 00:22:14.269 address written down before I forget. Now, let's 00:22:14.269 --> 00:22:21.269 see. Page 37. Column 5. Oh, furnished apartments. 00:22:21.710 --> 00:22:29.250 Here we are. Oh, that's very strange. The ad 00:22:29.250 --> 00:22:44.569 isn't in this paper. There's no add at all Well, 00:22:44.569 --> 00:22:47.029 he didn't answer downstairs and we have to let 00:22:47.029 --> 00:22:49.390 ourselves into the building maybe he's off getting 00:22:49.390 --> 00:22:51.910 old smoky Well, then I guess we should just use 00:22:51.910 --> 00:22:53.869 our keys and go right in. Well, that's what we 00:22:53.869 --> 00:22:57.609 paid the rent for You want the honor? No, I'm 00:22:57.609 --> 00:22:59.490 terrified to let go this bag with the eggs in 00:22:59.490 --> 00:23:06.079 it You open the lock. Okay, here goes. I guess 00:23:06.079 --> 00:23:15.859 we need the bottom one, too. Mr. Apollyon? You 00:23:15.859 --> 00:23:22.240 try, you're louder. Mr. Apollyon? Oh, look. It 00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:26.579 must be Smokey. Hey, Smokey boy. Oh, isn't he 00:23:26.579 --> 00:23:29.279 cute? Rubbing himself against your leg just as 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:32.559 if he'd known you all your life. Where's Apollyon? 00:23:32.700 --> 00:23:35.180 Hey, you don't suppose that he's look at smoky 00:23:35.180 --> 00:23:37.819 He's backing off as if he was inviting you to 00:23:37.819 --> 00:23:40.500 come in Look leave the rest of the gear here. 00:23:40.500 --> 00:23:42.400 You dump that stuff in the kitchen while I look 00:23:42.400 --> 00:23:49.880 through the rest of the house Joel Joel yeah, 00:23:50.019 --> 00:23:52.480 Jane, what is it? There's a note on the refrigerator 00:23:52.480 --> 00:23:54.980 door explaining everything. There's nothing to 00:23:54.980 --> 00:23:57.859 worry about what happened Darling, you know the 00:23:57.859 --> 00:24:00.380 oil shortage. They canceled the plane he was 00:24:00.380 --> 00:24:02.599 to leave on because of too few reservations, 00:24:02.980 --> 00:24:06.759 but offered him a seat on an earlier plane. Well, 00:24:06.759 --> 00:24:09.539 that's a relief. What are you getting all head 00:24:09.539 --> 00:24:11.500 up about? I don't know, Jane. I just had a kind 00:24:11.500 --> 00:24:15.000 of nutty feeling. I don't know what to call it. 00:24:15.859 --> 00:24:18.920 A death, I guess. I honestly thought I was going 00:24:18.920 --> 00:24:21.119 to find that nice old man lying somewhere with 00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:25.880 a heart attack or something. Yeah, I feel silly 00:24:25.880 --> 00:24:28.160 enough as it is now smoke. He's laughing at me 00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:31.140 not him It's explained on a very detailed note 00:24:31.140 --> 00:24:34.400 on the fridge. It's smokies didn't in time. He's 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:38.660 hungry Look what he gets looks like raw flesh 00:24:38.660 --> 00:24:43.720 Whatever it is you can see he loves it that cat 00:24:43.720 --> 00:24:46.319 is losing its attraction for me. Oh, don't be 00:24:46.319 --> 00:24:49.500 a goon Look how crazy you are for steak tartare. 00:24:49.500 --> 00:24:52.200 Well, that's different. You give him some mouthwash 00:24:52.200 --> 00:24:54.490 after he's through Where are you going? I'm going 00:24:54.490 --> 00:24:56.529 to bring the rest of our stuff in. Great. Just 00:24:56.529 --> 00:24:58.529 dump it in the bedroom. I'll sort it out later. 00:25:07.009 --> 00:25:10.710 That was a wonderful dinner. Oh, ought to be. 00:25:11.029 --> 00:25:15.309 Took long enough. What time is it? Gee, I don't 00:25:15.309 --> 00:25:18.509 believe it. It's just midnight. Oh, it's been 00:25:18.509 --> 00:25:23.640 a long, glorious, wonderful, relaxing... What's 00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:30.680 that? I don't know. Joel, that was a shot. Don't 00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:33.759 be silly. She walked out on him and shut the 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:37.700 door. She? Or someone. Didn't old HSM give us 00:25:37.700 --> 00:25:42.059 a rundown on our neighbors? Let's see. According 00:25:42.059 --> 00:25:45.480 to the bulletin he left on the fridge door, upstairs, 00:25:46.380 --> 00:25:49.619 no problem, a very ancient hermit who winters 00:25:49.619 --> 00:25:53.109 in Florida and seems to... Estivate in summer? 00:25:53.190 --> 00:25:56.150 What's that mean? Advantages of a classical education. 00:25:56.390 --> 00:25:58.650 If you sleep through the winter, you hibernate. 00:25:58.650 --> 00:26:00.710 If you sleep through the summer, you estivate 00:26:00.710 --> 00:26:03.089 from the Latin, estivari. Well, I thought the 00:26:03.089 --> 00:26:05.069 Greeks always had a word for it. I'm pulling 00:26:05.069 --> 00:26:06.910 your leg. I have the faintest idea what it is. 00:26:06.930 --> 00:26:08.809 What's the poop on our other cliff dwellers? 00:26:09.529 --> 00:26:12.930 Let's say A across the hall is a widow who just 00:26:12.930 --> 00:26:16.650 left on a round -the -world cruise. B next door 00:26:16.650 --> 00:26:18.990 is a couple of swingers who never seem to be 00:26:18.990 --> 00:26:22.420 home at the same time. And next door are two 00:26:22.420 --> 00:26:24.599 young kids he thinks we'll like who go to the 00:26:24.599 --> 00:26:26.579 movies and theater a lot. Okay, I'll blame the 00:26:26.579 --> 00:26:28.380 noise we heard on the swingers. Let's hope that's 00:26:28.380 --> 00:26:31.559 their last contribution for tonight. Well, we're 00:26:31.559 --> 00:26:33.680 forgetting the dishes tonight. Oh, good. We're 00:26:33.680 --> 00:26:36.400 going to bed and pull the covers over our heads. 00:26:36.579 --> 00:26:40.690 It mightn't be a bad idea. Okay, let's go. Well, 00:26:40.690 --> 00:26:42.990 what are we standing here for you're not just 00:26:42.990 --> 00:26:46.130 standing I have my arms around you and I'm loving 00:26:46.130 --> 00:26:48.470 you and I'm wondering if maybe I was just the 00:26:48.470 --> 00:26:50.930 most Trusting gullible dumb dumb in the world 00:26:50.930 --> 00:26:52.730 and maybe you should fetch me a smart karate 00:26:52.730 --> 00:26:55.130 chop to the left temple What are you talking 00:26:55.130 --> 00:26:57.450 about my darling idiot? I'm just wishing your 00:26:57.450 --> 00:26:59.849 darling idiot hadn't taken all our dough and 00:26:59.849 --> 00:27:02.450 paid it out in cash for security and the first 00:27:02.450 --> 00:27:10.569 month's rent How's the bed Like floating on air. 00:27:10.890 --> 00:27:13.309 Then look a little happier. I'm just remembering 00:27:13.309 --> 00:27:15.490 I forgot to call Aunt Gertrude. Well, you can't 00:27:15.490 --> 00:27:17.730 call her now. It's after one o 'clock. Hey, where 00:27:17.730 --> 00:27:20.470 are my pajamas? In the old beat -up case on top. 00:27:20.690 --> 00:27:23.430 Toilet stuff, too. Oh, but before you do that, 00:27:23.450 --> 00:27:26.329 could you do me a favor? Sure. I forgot my calcium 00:27:26.329 --> 00:27:28.390 pill. It's with all the vitamins in the kitchen. 00:27:28.490 --> 00:27:34.609 Okay, I'll be right back. Oh, Lord. Please don't 00:27:34.609 --> 00:27:38.119 let me have made a terrible mistake. I loved 00:27:38.119 --> 00:27:42.019 this apartment so at first, but now... Joel? 00:27:42.779 --> 00:27:52.059 Who? Who's that? No. Please. Oh, Smokey. Oh, 00:27:52.059 --> 00:27:54.200 what a start you gave me jumping on a bed like 00:27:54.200 --> 00:27:58.019 that. Oh, you're mad at me. Why are you looking 00:27:58.019 --> 00:28:01.380 at me like that? Did I forget to say good night? 00:28:03.299 --> 00:28:08.849 What is it? You want me to come somewhere? Oh, 00:28:09.029 --> 00:28:11.069 maybe I should have given you some milk. All 00:28:11.069 --> 00:28:15.829 right. We'll take care of it. No, the kitchen's 00:28:15.829 --> 00:28:23.250 that way. Nup. Where is it you want to go? Joel, 00:28:23.430 --> 00:28:27.269 come here. I'll be right there. What is it, honey? 00:28:27.650 --> 00:28:30.450 It's Smokey. Look at him. He came and got me 00:28:30.450 --> 00:28:33.349 and led me here. And he seems desperate to get 00:28:33.349 --> 00:28:35.509 into this closet. Well, that's the one Apollyon 00:28:35.509 --> 00:28:37.589 has all his little ghoulish treasures tucked 00:28:37.589 --> 00:28:40.230 away in. We couldn't open it anyway. It's locked. 00:28:40.549 --> 00:28:43.230 Try it, just in case. There may be something 00:28:43.230 --> 00:28:45.269 of Smoky's that got locked in there by accident. 00:28:45.430 --> 00:28:51.549 Okay, here goes. Oh! Oh, my God. Oh, how terrible. 00:28:52.730 --> 00:28:59.329 How terrible. And vicious. And unspeakable. And 00:28:59.329 --> 00:29:02.299 vile. Oh, no wonder that man. Oh, Joe, close 00:29:02.299 --> 00:29:06.119 it up. Oh, just shut away that horror. Oh, for 00:29:06.119 --> 00:29:08.240 God's sake, take me to bed and help me forget 00:29:08.240 --> 00:29:11.339 I ever saw it. Okay, honey, what about smoking? 00:29:11.420 --> 00:29:13.859 Whatever it was, he found it and ran. Close that 00:29:13.859 --> 00:29:18.700 door up. Shut it. I wish I could think I'll ever 00:29:18.700 --> 00:29:22.799 be able to shut it out of my mind. No wonder 00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:34.380 I thought this was all too good to be true. Too 00:29:34.380 --> 00:29:38.019 good to be true? Better to interpolate and make 00:29:38.019 --> 00:29:43.759 it read, too true to be good. Poor Jane and Joel. 00:29:44.700 --> 00:29:47.319 But how were such simple, ordinary people to 00:29:47.319 --> 00:29:51.019 know the language of black magic, or that H .S 00:29:51.019 --> 00:29:54.660 .M. Wapolyon is only a synonym for the more familiar 00:29:54.660 --> 00:29:58.160 and deadly spirit we usually call the devil? 00:29:59.140 --> 00:30:15.599 I'll be back shortly with Act 3. A short and 00:30:15.599 --> 00:30:19.480 classic definition of tragedy is the downfall 00:30:19.480 --> 00:30:23.279 of a noble person whose character is flawed by 00:30:23.279 --> 00:30:26.720 a single weakness which causes him to break a 00:30:26.720 --> 00:30:31.180 moral law which leads to his destruction. But 00:30:31.180 --> 00:30:34.059 how much more tragic is the destruction of the 00:30:34.059 --> 00:30:37.579 innocent, particularly when they happen to cross 00:30:37.579 --> 00:30:40.440 the path of someone who makes their disaster 00:30:40.440 --> 00:30:44.390 equally inevitable. Which brings us back to Joel 00:30:44.390 --> 00:30:48.089 and Jane Trent Jane? Yes, darling. You stopped 00:30:48.089 --> 00:30:51.470 shaking. You think you can sleep now? I'm sorry. 00:30:51.490 --> 00:30:56.589 I was so so childish before I Think it's because 00:30:56.589 --> 00:30:59.930 I'm carrying one. Oh you are childish. I'm just 00:30:59.930 --> 00:31:03.309 the same. I got the willies, too I guess it's 00:31:03.309 --> 00:31:06.289 just because it's all so strange to us. I think 00:31:06.289 --> 00:31:09.349 so, too Let's get a good night's sleep like everyone 00:31:09.349 --> 00:31:14.549 else's Good Lord, what was that? I don't know. 00:31:14.789 --> 00:31:18.109 It's from upstairs. It must be the old man. What's 00:31:18.109 --> 00:31:22.789 happened to him? I don't know. Just pay it no 00:31:22.789 --> 00:31:24.990 attention. Pay it no attention? No one could 00:31:24.990 --> 00:31:27.109 sleep with that noise going on. I'm gonna go 00:31:27.109 --> 00:31:29.410 up and tell him to stop. No, please, don't do 00:31:29.410 --> 00:31:31.809 that. Please don't go up there. Why not? Are 00:31:31.809 --> 00:31:35.869 you gonna be ill? No, it's that, up there. You 00:31:35.869 --> 00:31:41.839 mean our noisy neighbor. I'm scared, John. Yeah. 00:31:41.839 --> 00:31:43.759 I've had about all I can take, and that noise 00:31:43.759 --> 00:31:46.180 is really driving me up the wall. Yeah, me too. 00:31:46.640 --> 00:31:48.660 I know what I'll do. I'll call the superintendent. 00:31:49.039 --> 00:31:52.740 Got his number on the sheet? No. Wouldn't you 00:31:52.740 --> 00:31:55.019 know it's the one thing he left off? It's just 00:31:55.019 --> 00:31:57.680 his apartment number, 1A. Oh, yeah. Look, I'll 00:31:57.680 --> 00:31:59.819 take a run down in the elevator and get him to 00:31:59.819 --> 00:32:01.960 come back up and see what's going on up there. 00:32:02.299 --> 00:32:06.220 Will you be all right alone? Yes. No. Oh, Joel, 00:32:06.359 --> 00:32:08.000 I don't know what's the matter with me. I'm not 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:09.799 usually like this. I don't know what's got into 00:32:09.799 --> 00:32:14.700 me. I do. What? My son in there. Oh, you male 00:32:14.700 --> 00:32:16.680 chauvinist. Just because she's carrying a baby 00:32:16.680 --> 00:32:18.880 doesn't mean a woman has to act like one. I'm 00:32:18.880 --> 00:32:21.059 sorry. I know, honey. Look, I'll tell you what. 00:32:21.140 --> 00:32:23.220 I'll just take the elevator up there and I'll 00:32:23.220 --> 00:32:25.240 find out what's going on myself. Oh, no, you 00:32:25.240 --> 00:32:27.039 don't. You don't know what you'd be getting into. 00:32:27.160 --> 00:32:30.400 Go get the super. His name is Bill Josephs, 1A. 00:32:30.519 --> 00:32:35.809 All right. Okay. I gotta stop that somehow. Oh, 00:32:35.809 --> 00:32:38.009 well, here's your protector standing guard by 00:32:38.009 --> 00:32:40.710 the door. Go on in, Smokey. Keep Mrs. Trent company. 00:32:40.789 --> 00:32:54.250 I'll be right back. That ghastly racket up there 00:32:54.250 --> 00:32:58.089 doesn't turn you a hair, Smokey. Then you're 00:32:58.089 --> 00:33:00.890 male cats, I suppose. That makes us totally different 00:33:00.890 --> 00:33:04.470 breeds. Yeah, Jane, it's just me. Would you believe 00:33:04.470 --> 00:33:06.529 it? That damn elevator's out of order. I rang 00:33:06.529 --> 00:33:09.849 and rang. It just stays in the first floor. That 00:33:09.849 --> 00:33:12.769 damn racket's still going on. Yep. Only one that 00:33:12.769 --> 00:33:16.089 doesn't bother is Old Smokey here. Joel, are 00:33:16.089 --> 00:33:18.029 there fire stairs? Yeah, but I'm not going down 00:33:18.029 --> 00:33:20.930 any 13 flights just to find a locked door. All 00:33:20.930 --> 00:33:23.130 the doors, even ours, have a safety lock on them. 00:33:23.150 --> 00:33:25.250 What are we going to do? First off, I'm going 00:33:25.250 --> 00:33:27.910 upstairs to tell Barnacle Bill or whatever his 00:33:27.910 --> 00:33:32.920 name is. Uh, it's Nemo. Oh, like Captain Nemo 00:33:32.920 --> 00:33:35.420 in 20 ,000 Leagues Under the Sea? I guess. Okay, 00:33:35.440 --> 00:33:38.500 I'm gonna tell Nemo to up anchor and get out 00:33:38.500 --> 00:33:40.759 of range. Joel, don't get into any fights. With 00:33:40.759 --> 00:33:43.099 a guy old enough to be my great -grandfather? 00:33:51.660 --> 00:33:53.960 Joel? Yeah, it's okay. It's me, Jane. Half a 00:33:53.960 --> 00:34:06.599 sec. Joel? Yeah, I'm right here. What did he 00:34:06.599 --> 00:34:08.199 say when you got him to open the door? What was 00:34:08.199 --> 00:34:12.800 he doing? I... I don't know. He didn't open the 00:34:12.800 --> 00:34:16.739 door. Why? Look, I... I don't know how to tell 00:34:16.739 --> 00:34:19.340 you this, Jane. Well, just tell me anyway, but 00:34:19.340 --> 00:34:21.900 tell me. What is it? Well, I took some newspaper 00:34:21.900 --> 00:34:24.179 with me to wedge a door so I wouldn't get trapped. 00:34:24.599 --> 00:34:27.739 I fixed hours. Then when I got to the top of 00:34:27.739 --> 00:34:31.780 the stairs... Was a different kind of door. What 00:34:31.780 --> 00:34:34.000 do you mean different? Well, it was you know, 00:34:34.039 --> 00:34:36.639 one of those heavy steel fire doors with a big 00:34:36.639 --> 00:34:39.480 heavy strap bars you slide home but why would 00:34:39.480 --> 00:34:42.400 14 have a different kind of door from ours because 00:34:42.400 --> 00:34:46.500 Well, look Jane darling, maybe I just try to 00:34:46.500 --> 00:34:48.780 try to skip the well you better not or I don't 00:34:48.780 --> 00:34:50.579 know what might happen to Well, all right. All 00:34:50.579 --> 00:34:53.239 right. Take it easy. Just hang on because I'm 00:34:53.239 --> 00:34:56.639 gonna have to give you a real rocker Let me have 00:34:56.639 --> 00:35:00.800 it. It's a different kind of door, because there 00:35:00.800 --> 00:35:04.900 isn't any 14th floor at all, or 15th, or 20. 00:35:06.019 --> 00:35:13.920 All that's over us is the roof. Are you all right 00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:16.099 now, dear? What's that you've been giving me? 00:35:16.300 --> 00:35:19.579 Oh, Brandy, I had a good jolt myself. The sound, 00:35:19.739 --> 00:35:23.300 it's still there. That's right. What causes it? 00:35:24.199 --> 00:35:26.469 Something... loose up there on the roof? No, 00:35:26.610 --> 00:35:29.190 I searched it thoroughly. It's not coming from 00:35:29.190 --> 00:35:31.570 the roof. Then where? The neighbors? I checked 00:35:31.570 --> 00:35:34.349 that out. Whatever other lies Mr. Pollyon told 00:35:34.349 --> 00:35:36.510 us, there isn't anyone in any of the apartments 00:35:36.510 --> 00:35:38.869 on this floor. I've done everything but break 00:35:38.869 --> 00:35:41.190 down the doors to make sure. Then what are we 00:35:41.190 --> 00:35:43.730 going to do? I can't take this all night, Joe. 00:35:43.889 --> 00:35:47.239 Nobody could. I am going to call the police. 00:35:47.900 --> 00:35:49.659 I don't know what we've gotten ourselves into, 00:35:49.840 --> 00:35:52.920 but we are now getting out. Oh, I'm afraid it's 00:35:52.920 --> 00:35:56.619 a little too late for that, Mr. Trent. Apollyon, 00:35:57.099 --> 00:36:00.480 where the devil are you? Sitting right in front 00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:05.920 of you, in his other form. Smokey. I should have 00:36:05.920 --> 00:36:09.280 known from the beginning, from his eyes. Shine 00:36:09.280 --> 00:36:11.920 a strong light in a cat's eyes, and what happens? 00:36:12.269 --> 00:36:16.969 the pupil closes up into a long narrow slit but 00:36:16.969 --> 00:36:19.789 in a human being it closes into a tight round 00:36:19.789 --> 00:36:23.190 dark circle like mr. smokey look as the lamp 00:36:23.190 --> 00:36:26.710 shines in his eyes yes very observant jane i 00:36:26.710 --> 00:36:30.670 should have been more careful but since the illusion 00:36:30.670 --> 00:36:36.469 serves no function anymore i might as well resume 00:36:36.469 --> 00:36:40.760 my father christmas guys Normally, I wouldn't 00:36:40.760 --> 00:36:43.300 have had to return to it except for you. Why 00:36:43.300 --> 00:36:47.079 not? Oh, people act in so many strange degrees. 00:36:47.199 --> 00:36:50.659 Some just go to sleep no matter how strange the 00:36:50.659 --> 00:36:53.780 noise is. Some trap themselves between floors. 00:36:54.019 --> 00:36:56.579 Some very hysterical ones try to leap from roof 00:36:56.579 --> 00:36:59.360 to roof. Some break through the neighbors' doors 00:36:59.360 --> 00:37:02.519 and meet quite unexpected deaths since there's 00:37:02.519 --> 00:37:06.460 nothing but space beyond them. And some sit awake 00:37:06.460 --> 00:37:10.039 all night not realizing that morning... Will 00:37:10.039 --> 00:37:15.840 never come again and some are a little troublesome 00:37:15.840 --> 00:37:20.659 But none escape well, it wouldn't be very good 00:37:20.659 --> 00:37:25.780 for my reputation would it Who are you Jane you 00:37:25.780 --> 00:37:28.079 tease me about my classical education a little 00:37:28.079 --> 00:37:32.219 good. It served me a Polly on of course a synonym 00:37:32.219 --> 00:37:36.429 for the devil and the HSM His satanic majesty, 00:37:36.690 --> 00:37:40.289 I presume? We all have our little conceits. Well, 00:37:40.349 --> 00:37:43.369 this time, maybe we can take that conceit down 00:37:43.369 --> 00:37:46.190 a peg or two. Not with the phone. It's not connected. 00:37:46.349 --> 00:37:49.150 As a matter of fact, it doesn't really exist. 00:37:49.650 --> 00:37:56.550 Listen. Now what? Well, if you will forgive the 00:37:56.550 --> 00:37:58.949 devil quoting scripture, or to be more exact, 00:37:59.110 --> 00:38:04.679 the book of common prayer. As it was in the beginning, 00:38:05.380 --> 00:38:09.760 is now and ever shall be. You'd kill us? Oh, 00:38:09.780 --> 00:38:11.920 my dear, as attractive as they are, I have no 00:38:11.920 --> 00:38:15.099 interest in your corporeal presence. The soul 00:38:15.099 --> 00:38:17.519 is all I'm after. Well, you won't get ours without 00:38:17.519 --> 00:38:23.699 a fight. There was no pain, my dear. You'd kill 00:38:23.699 --> 00:38:27.440 him. But you won't get me. Jane, it's too late. 00:38:27.500 --> 00:38:31.000 The contract is made. The elevator. The elevator. 00:38:33.970 --> 00:38:46.829 No, don't step in there, the car is... Now why 00:38:46.829 --> 00:38:49.809 didn't she wait for me to tell her the car was 00:38:49.809 --> 00:38:54.670 still on the first floor? Poor crushed little 00:38:54.670 --> 00:38:59.550 sparrow. But what matter? The bodies live and 00:38:59.550 --> 00:39:04.869 die in the blink of time's eyelid. The soul is 00:39:04.869 --> 00:39:09.190 what lives forever. No time to waste philosophizing. 00:39:09.289 --> 00:39:11.969 Tomorrow is another equally busy day. A quick 00:39:11.969 --> 00:39:15.469 general clean -up, and then the ad must be sneaked 00:39:15.469 --> 00:39:19.369 into that one right paper so the Smithers will 00:39:19.369 --> 00:39:24.369 get it. I wonder what the New York Chronicle 00:39:24.369 --> 00:39:27.469 would have to say if they knew that they had 00:39:27.469 --> 00:39:43.969 a real printer's devil. Yeah? Look, my name is 00:39:43.969 --> 00:39:46.590 Gertrude Conway. and my niece and her husband 00:39:46.590 --> 00:39:49.090 are renting Mr. Apollyon's apartment. Now, I've 00:39:49.090 --> 00:39:50.769 been trying to call them ever since last night, 00:39:50.869 --> 00:39:54.389 and I have now not only been informed by the 00:39:54.389 --> 00:39:57.269 telephone company that there is no such number... 00:39:56.829 --> 00:39:59.309 but that there could be no such number. Also, 00:39:59.510 --> 00:40:02.210 Jane, my niece, she promised to call me if I 00:40:02.210 --> 00:40:04.369 didn't call her, and even if she thought last 00:40:04.369 --> 00:40:05.889 night was too late, she would have called this 00:40:05.889 --> 00:40:07.670 morning. You see, she's going to have a baby. 00:40:07.869 --> 00:40:10.690 Well, then, maybe she went to a hospital. In 00:40:10.690 --> 00:40:13.590 the middle of her second trimester? Huh? The 00:40:13.590 --> 00:40:17.460 baby is less than five months old. Oh. Still 00:40:17.460 --> 00:40:20.099 it doesn't matter. Anyway, I've checked with 00:40:20.099 --> 00:40:22.039 all the hospitals and she has not been admitted 00:40:22.039 --> 00:40:24.599 I'm worried something may have happened. I want 00:40:24.599 --> 00:40:27.119 you pleased to take me up to the apartment with 00:40:27.119 --> 00:40:32.159 the keys. Oh What apartment mr. H SM appallion 00:40:32.159 --> 00:40:36.260 who sublet it to them lady? We ain't got no mr. 00:40:36.699 --> 00:40:39.380 Appallion honored or whatever his name is in 00:40:39.380 --> 00:40:42.360 this building. Certainly you have this is 27 00:40:42.360 --> 00:40:44.820 Southwest 62nd Street, isn't it? Sure. That's 00:40:44.820 --> 00:40:48.710 right. Oh very well It's apartment 13 -D. 13 00:40:48.710 --> 00:40:51.710 -D? That's right. That solves the whole problem. 00:40:52.110 --> 00:40:56.590 Oh, good. There ain't no apartment 13 -D in this 00:40:56.590 --> 00:40:59.389 building. What? Point of fact, lady, there ain't 00:40:59.389 --> 00:41:03.289 no 13th floor. You know, like most New York buildings. 00:41:03.750 --> 00:41:08.289 We go from 12 to 14 and then right off up to 00:41:08.289 --> 00:41:11.489 30. Are you sure? Look, I've been running this 00:41:11.489 --> 00:41:15.750 building for 22 years. Oh, my God. I have this 00:41:15.750 --> 00:41:17.929 terrible feeling there's something awfully wrong. 00:41:18.909 --> 00:41:21.050 Nothing unusual happened around this building 00:41:21.050 --> 00:41:24.309 last night or in the neighborhood. No, no. Quiet 00:41:24.309 --> 00:41:27.969 as a church, ma 'am. Not even a muggin'. And 00:41:27.969 --> 00:41:30.789 believe me, I get all the word when Officer Strauss 00:41:30.789 --> 00:41:34.289 drops in for his morning coffee. But too healthy 00:41:34.289 --> 00:41:37.150 young people can't just disappear into thin air. 00:41:43.619 --> 00:41:48.019 Uh, what was the floor, George? Uh, 18. Good 00:41:48.019 --> 00:41:50.260 thing we ain't either of us superstitious, huh? 00:41:50.400 --> 00:41:54.000 Yeah. Not a dish rent. Look out for the catch, 00:41:54.079 --> 00:41:59.099 huh? Don't worry. You just trust me. Ah -ha! 00:41:59.099 --> 00:42:03.760 I thought I heard the lift. My Anglican background, 00:42:03.920 --> 00:42:07.079 I should really say English, actually. Elevator, 00:42:07.199 --> 00:42:09.860 I meant, of course. Are you here to see the flat? 00:42:10.239 --> 00:42:14.469 Uh, apartment, I mean? Uh, yeah. I'm George Smithers, 00:42:14.869 --> 00:42:18.449 and this is my wife, Violet. Ah, H .S. Amapalian 00:42:18.449 --> 00:42:21.409 here. Everyone always thinks I'm Navy, but I'm 00:42:21.409 --> 00:42:25.869 not. It isn't H .M .S., you see. H .S .M. stands 00:42:25.869 --> 00:42:28.650 for something quite different. Oh, yeah. Well, 00:42:28.710 --> 00:42:30.730 do come along in. I'm sure you're dying to see 00:42:30.730 --> 00:42:35.510 the apartment, and I... I can promise you... 00:42:35.510 --> 00:42:43.789 I won't disappoint you. Two more sacrificial 00:42:43.789 --> 00:42:47.389 lambs to the slaughter. Their doom, of course, 00:42:47.409 --> 00:42:52.989 is sealed. But, as Mr. Joseph says, so many people 00:42:52.989 --> 00:42:57.250 disappear in a big city every day. Not quite 00:42:57.250 --> 00:43:00.510 in this way, of course. But I suppose you can 00:43:00.510 --> 00:43:04.369 never be too careful. The sad trouble is that, 00:43:04.530 --> 00:43:07.769 as Elizabeth Barrett Browning said, the devil 00:43:07.769 --> 00:43:12.809 is most devilish when respectable. I'll be back 00:43:12.809 --> 00:43:30.829 shortly. Caveat emptor, the Latin phrase which 00:43:30.829 --> 00:43:36.250 says, let the buyer beware. This is true of all 00:43:36.250 --> 00:43:38.849 advertisements, of course, and the tighter the 00:43:38.849 --> 00:43:43.199 economy gets, the more the buyer should beware. 00:43:44.280 --> 00:43:46.619 But we wouldn't want to suggest you need fear 00:43:46.619 --> 00:43:50.059 the kind of ad we have featured tonight. In the 00:43:50.059 --> 00:43:52.719 beginning we promised you a spine -tingling ghost 00:43:52.719 --> 00:43:56.739 story, which featured the two phrases, too good 00:43:56.739 --> 00:44:00.880 to be true, and too true to be good. As a good 00:44:00.880 --> 00:44:04.599 night, we'd just like to suggest it was all in 00:44:04.599 --> 00:44:08.800 fun. And even if it wasn't true, We hope you 00:44:08.800 --> 00:44:12.820 found it good. Our cast included Jada Rowland, 00:44:13.059 --> 00:44:16.559 Paul Hecht, Ian Martin, and Bryna Rayburn. The 00:44:16.559 --> 00:44:18.800 entire production was under the direction of 00:44:18.800 --> 00:44:22.219 Hyman Brown. This is E .G. Marshall inviting 00:44:22.219 --> 00:44:25.340 you to return to our mystery theater for another 00:44:25.340 --> 00:44:31.519 adventure in the macabre. Until next time, pleasant 00:44:31.519 --> 00:44:32.699 dreams.