"THE NIGHT OF THE DEVILS" "Do you recognize this face?" "Tell me." "Who are you?" "What's your name?" "Come on." "Try to remember." "Who are you?" "He was found not very far from the border." "But, you know, he might just as well have come from the other side." "Do you understand our language?" "Do you understand what we are saying?" "He couldn't have got across the border without documents." "Well, I suppose he could have escaped the surveillance walking through the woods." "He was exhausted and full of abrasions." "It was pretty obvious he'd come a long way on foot." "He's in an observation site right now." "Here we are." "This is the one, Inspector." " May I?" " Come in." "Good evening, Professor." "Oh, Inspector." "Any news yet?" "I'm sorry, I've got no information at all on him." "We gave his photo to the press and alerted the other police stations." "How about his clothes?" "Any marks anywhere?" "His shoes and pants have Italian tags." "The rest of his things have English tags." "Top quality, too." "He must be quite wealthy." "Any progress here?" "Something to help us?" "Take a look in there." "To me, he looks fine." "Right at this moment, yes." "However, I've been noticing a certain reaction pattern that follows the 24-hour day-and-night cycle." "What are you saying?" "I can't swear to it, but the trauma that produced his mental confusion, his total amnesia," "I would say is closely connected with night or at least darkness." "In fact, the second that we turn off the lights, he becomes very agitated." "He stands at the window all night, every night, just looking into the darkness like a scared, cornered animal." "It's as though he were waiting for someone." "Please hurry, driver." "How much further is it to get to the Salus Clinic?" "About five minutes." "That's all." "But I don't think they'll let you in at this time." "The mental patients will all be asleep by now." "Yes." "It's him." "I'm sure about it." "You're his wife?" "No." "Are you related?" "No." "We met last week in Zehdenick." "He said he was there to buy lumber for his company." "You should know his name, then." "Yes." "It's Nicola." "Nothing more?" "That's all I know." "I met him very briefly." "Did you have a love affair with him?" "I'm sorry." "It's not important anyhow." "Hello, can I speak to the inspector, please?" "Yes, it's Tosi." "Professor Tosi." "That's right." "Was he mentally balanced when you met him?" "Oh, yes." "Completely." "I'd say just a bit preoccupied with what he was doing, his business affairs." "Well, business problems are what brings most of the patients here." "Yes, hello." "It's Tosi." "Yes, I've got a young lady sitting here in front of me who says she knows our nameless patient." "Yes." "Just by chance, she was passing through Italy and saw one of the photographs that you'd circulated." "No, very little, really." "Just that his name is Nicola and he's a lumber importer." "All right, Inspector, all right." "Doctor, may I see him?" "Naturally." "I want you to identify him." "Please follow me." "Nicola!" "Nicola." "Don't you recognize me?" "It's Sdenka." "No." "No!" "No!" "No!" "Let go of me!" "Let go of me!" "Now, just take it easy, all right?" "Try to relax and sleep." "There's nothing to be afraid of." " Professor." " What?" "I'll do it later." "The girl who was here, where is she?" "I don't know." "I guess she must have left." " I haven't seen her." " Check with the gateman, will you?" "And tell him to stop her if he sees her." "Okay." "Hello?" "Yes?" "Are you sure?" "All right." "Please call me if you see her again, all right?" "The man at the gate hasn't seen her, though she could have left, I guess." "They're looking for her anyway." "I'll be very annoyed if we can't find her again." "We are never going to break this case without help of some kind." "How did your lab tests go?" "The analysis and the report are completed." "They're right here if you want to see them." "Thanks." "I'd think it was somebody else if I didn't know these tests were done on that patient." "It's amazing, really." "Could be a perfectly normal man." "There's the one problem pattern on the right side." "It's nothing." "Everybody has patterns like that." "Come in." "There you go." "Excuse me, Professor." "That woman's nowhere around." "She must have gone." "But someone left this behind." "It's her purse, all right." "I remember it, yeah." " Thank you." " You're welcome." "It's empty." "There's nothing in here." "Nothing at all?" "Not even lipstick, powder, or documents?" "Not one thing." "It's completely empty." "I find that pretty strange." "Just like everything else." "What was she like?" "Just a young woman like many others." "Only one thing." "Our patient had a very interesting reaction to the lady." "It had a traumatic effect." "He went berserk." "As if that woman was part of a reality that his mind distorted, a traumatic experience that he's trying to forget now." "Oh, no!" "The oil pan's gone." "Who was it?" "I don't know." "Never seen him before." "A foreigner, I think." "He was heading towards the house." " Could he be looking for us?" " I guess it's possible." "That is enough." "Come on." "What are you waiting for?" "Someone needed to kill him." "And I did it." "He's dead now." "And he won't be coming back." "May God give you peace in heaven and this clean water wash away your sins." "May these seeds sprout to great height and strength and find the nourishment it requires from your blood and entrails, that life may be created out of death." "Amen." "Take with you the things dearest to you." "What do we do if that foreigner finds the house?" "So much the worse for him." "Is there anyone here?" "Is there anyone around?" "Anyone here?" "Take it easy, boy." "Hey, hello." "Hi, there." "Would you let me in?" "Can you please open the door?" "Can you hear me through the window?" "Are you alone?" "Hey, wait." "Wait a second." "Hello, there." "Excuse me." "I'm afraid I'm gonna need a hand with my car." "Ran over a log back down there a way, and the oil pan's gone." "Some crazy woman standing in the road, and I had to swerve to avoid her." "You must be mistaken." "There are no women around here." "In fact, everybody has left." "It's only us left here." "Well, I'm telling you, I saw her as clear as a bell." "She came from nowhere then disappeared." "I'm afraid I, uh..." "If I've arrived at the wrong moment, I'm sorry." "We buried my dear brother just a couple of hours ago." "Oh, that's terrible." "I really am very sorry to hear that, but I need your help with my car." "I'm already very late, and I've got to get to Zehdenick." "Tomorrow." "Have patience till tomorrow." "But there's got to be a village that's close." "I mean, a place to stay." "Why don't you stay here?" "It'll be dark soon." "And it's dangerous to be in the forest around here." "Well, I appreciate it, but I don't want to cause any bother." "You won't." "Come in." "Through there." "Lord, please listen to our words." "I beg you to help my brother to find peace, the peace he could not find on this earth, and give his young widow the strength and wisdom to guide the steps of his children Mira and Irina," "who are still too young to fully understand." "Lord, protect us and bless the food that is before us." "Amen." "Amen." " Enjoy your meal, everyone." " Thank you." "Thank you." "Is there a chance someone could give me a ride to the nearest town in the morning?" "Naturally, they'll be paid." "It's not a question of money." "It's a long way, and we only do that journey once or twice a year." "And that's a decision that Pa makes." "Well, what about if you need something urgently or even just a doctor?" "We don't, ever." "But doesn't anyone near here have a car or something..." "A motorcycle?" "I already told you, everybody's left." "They left, but why?" "Because up here life is hard and the rewards are small." "The younger generation likes money." "They don't want to break their backs all day for practically nothing." "They want the good life." "My oldest son, Jovan." "It's a pleasure." " I had a little trouble with my car." " I know." "I heard." "I did a bit of mechanics years ago." "It was the one thing I learned in military service." "I might be able to fix your car." "But tomorrow." "Tomorrow, when the sun is shining." "Come on, Irina." "It's bedtime." "It couldn't be." "Please, Ma." "Yes, it is." "Come along now." "Off you go." "It's bedtime." "May I take my dolly to bed with me, please?" "She hates sleeping alone." "She gets afraid." "No, no, you'll crush her dress if you take her to bed with you, dear." "She can sleep here." "You don't need to worry." "Oh, please." "I know she cries if she's left alone all night." "Let her come to sleep with me." "She'll be good company." "You'll have company tonight." "You children are going to sleep with me." "Come along." "Off we go." " Would you like some grappa?" " Yes, thank you." "Sdenka made this herself." "Then it must be good." "I compliment you." "Thank you." "Excuse me, but somebody's at the door." "It is the wind." "But it sounds to me more like somebody knocking." "Then you're mistaken." "At night, no one is around." "It's getting late." "We get up very early in the morning." "There is work to be done." " Sdenka?" " Yes?" "I'll leave you to show our guest up to his room." "All right." "I haven't been to bed this early since I was 16 or 17." "I can understand that." "In a city at night, there are places to go and see." "The restaurants are open until midnight, and one can dance, too." "Well, to be quite honest, I generally have to work until late." "Then, if I'm lucky," "I sit in the armchair and watch television." "Television?" "That's something I've never seen." "Please follow me." "I'll show you to your room." "Tell me, haven't you been in a city?" "Oh, yes." "At Christmas, to go shopping." "But why are you still out here when everybody else is gone?" "Because Pa cannot leave this area." "All of his ancestors are buried down there in the woods." "Sorry about the mess in here." "It's not exactly clean." "But this is the only room we have for you." "It was my uncle's room and where he used to work." "He did wood carving." "He lived in here and only came out for meals." "He had a crippled leg, so it meant he couldn't work with Pa and the others out in the forest." "He's a real artist." "They're beautifully made." "Extremely original style." "He sold a lot of them in the city markets, mostly to foreigners." "You see that one up there?" "He was carving it on the day he died." "It's a pity that he wasn't able to complete it." "It was to be a present to me." "It's a great pity." "It's a beautiful piece." "Yes." "Over in that pitcher there is some water." "You want anything else?" "No, I'm fine, thank you." "Well, good night, then." "Wait a minute." "Why do you close up the house so tightly with these bars?" "Why are you all so afraid?" "Don't!" "Don't ever open the window at night!" "What's the matter?" "Just don't open it, please." "Have you gone mad, Jovan?" "The way you acted in front of that stranger at dinner, you could have jeopardized everything." "It is my right to move into his place." " And I intend to claim my right." " You will not, Jovan!" "As long as I live, I will be the one who will make the decisions, and you will never take the place of my dead brother." "He was dirt." "And you know that." "Dirt who betrayed his own family in heaven, betrayed his wife with that crazy woman who was never much better than a soulless animal and who's trying to drag us into her hell." "It's all your brother's fault if the curse struck us." "No." "It's my fault." "I should never have allowed that witch to wander around the house every night." "She spread her curses amongst us to make us become like her..." "Living dead." "You better send them to bed in their own bedroom." "Didn't you hear me?" "Send them to their room." "Go on." "To your bedroom, children." "No." "I want to stay here with you." "Please send him away." "Please, go and take care of Mira." "Put her to bed and cover her properly." "Go on, now." "Come on, Mira." "Don't, Jovan." "Don't." "You want this as much as I do." "More than me." "Don't." "Leave me alone." "No." "No." "I'd be almost out of my head whenever that cripple of yours went to bed with you, but now you're free." "I've wanted you so much for so long." "The only reason I stayed here was because of you." "Don't, Jovan." "We really mustn't do this." "He was buried only just today." "It's more than a month that your damn husband has been dead." "A whole month that we could have spent together." "Is that where your uncle is buried?" "Yes." "What happened?" "It was an accident." "What kind of accident?" "Accidents are all the same." "Hey!" "Go on!" "Mira!" "Mira!" "Give me that dolly!" "It's mine!" "Well, the oil pan is distorted and pulled away from the crankcase." " You think you can fix it?" " Yeah, I expect so." "Good enough to get you to town, anyhow." "How much time will it take?" "I don't have many tools, so I really can't say." "Jovan, my mind is made up." "I must go now." "If you should fail in this... it won't just mean complete destruction for you, but for the whole family." "Don't go." "I am going whether you like it or not." "I'm not a coward." "I'm going." "I cannot live with this curse any longer." "It's up to you, Pa, but you listen to me." "I'll give you until sunset, but if you're not in the house by 6:00, I swear," "I won't have mercy for you, even if you are my father." "I agree to that." "Give me the blanket." "We have to cover her up properly." "Oh, what a beautiful doll." "Where did you get her?" "You mustn't touch her." "She's terribly ill." " Oh." "What's wrong with her?" " It's a special illness." "She doesn't speak anymore." "She has to sleep now." "Listen, I should tell you that I'm a very famous doctor, and if you want, I can cure..." "Shh!" "Talk quietly." "Otherwise you'll wake her." "Oh, I'm sorry." "Hey!" "Come over here a moment, quickly!" " What is it?" " Over here." "Look at that." " Put your fingers there." " What for?" "Put your fingernails in there." "Well, it could be fingernail marks, I suppose, but no human being's that strong." "They weren't done by a human being." "But you don't need to be afraid." "By tomorrow, the danger will have disappeared and gone underground." "So, don't worry about ending the way my uncle did." "But your uncle didn't pass away yesterday, did he?" "No!" "A month ago." "Jovan killed him." "Jovan?" "Hey, Vlado, get over here!" "Come on!" "You damn witch!" "I'm not going to end up like my brother!" "You want another blanket on the bed?" "No, no." "Thank you." "It's fine as it is." "Look at this." "There's a button coming loose." "Well, it happens quite often." "Your wife should take care of this." "Yes, I agree, if I had one, but I haven't found the right girl." "I like that." "All of you men say those things." "You know, when you're smiling, you're really lovely." "You're the first man who has ever said that." "There isn't very much to smile at here." "By the way, Sdenka..." "Tell me what the hell's going on around here." "I get the impression that you're all trying very hard to hide something from me." "I can't tell you what's going on." "You would think I'm mad." "How do you know?" "Why don't you at least try me?" "No." "It's better not." " May I please talk to you, Doc?" " Of course you can, Irina." "What is it?" "She's awake, and she's much better." "She can speak now." "Listen." "Ah, I must say I'm impressed." " May I see her?" " Yes." "Ah, her pulse is now steady." "Her temperature has gone down." "And her tongue?" "I'd say she's completely cured." "Hey." "Just now, I overheard you speaking to Sdenka, and she was afraid to tell you, but I know what's going on here." "Oh?" "What's that?" "Well, there's a bloodthirsty old witch out there in the woods, and at night she comes around to try to get us." "Really?" "And why doesn't she come around during the day?" "Well, because..." "Because witches are like evil spirits." "All bad things go around after dark." "But you don't need to worry." "Grandpa went to kill her." "Grandpa went to kill her?" "And it's not easy." "You have to pierce her in the heart with a stick." "The trouble is is that she's very strong." " She might win against Grandpa." " And what if she does?" "If she wins, Grandpa will turn into the same as what she is." "Well, it seems like a pretty contagious disease, huh?" "Oh, what's that?" "It means an illness you catch easily, like measles." "Oh." " Listen, tell me." " What?" "The others..." "do they know about this?" "Yes, sure." "If Grandpa gets home when it's dark, after 6:00," "Jovan will have to pierce his heart, because it means that even Grandpa has become like that witch." "Just what do you intend to do with that?" "Mind your own business." "Well, I do mind my own business normally." "But I want to give you a little advice." "Leave your father alone." "Mind your own business." "You are just an intruder." "And I'm telling you, if you so much as lay a hand on your father," "I will make you pay for it." "Go away." "Get away from here." "Put that thing down." "I'm not afraid of you." "And don't take my advice too lightly." "Don't forget what you said, Jovan." "No." "Just a minute." "The last chime was still being rung when he opened the door." "And that means he was too late." "6:00 had passed." "No!" "It means it was still 6:00." "The curse has been broken." "There is the proof." "Hey!" "Who's there?" "Who's there?" "Wait a minute!" "Nicola!" "Nicola!" "Come back in." "It's cold." "Why did you get out?" "I thought I heard something, and sure enough, there was somebody out there." " Where?" " There." "Behind the house." "Behind the house?" "That's where the children's bedroom is." "Who's there?" "What do you want, Sdenka?" "Nothing, darling." "Nothing at all." "Have you heard any noises out in the forest?" " No, I was sleeping deep." " So was I." "Good girls, go back to sleep now." "Mom is coming." "That door was open." "That's why I went out." "I mean, it seemed rather strange." "Well, there couldn't have been anyone out there." "But I saw somebody." "It wasn't imagination." " You've been drinking this?" " Yes." "If you're not used to it, it's a killer." "Your imagination was playing tricks." "What the hell is going on down here?" "Give a man a little peace and quiet, can't you?" "You're supposed to sleep at night." "Go to bed." "Sorry, Father." "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about that." "The trouble is we're simple, countrified people, unsophisticated." "It's not your fault, Sdenka." "You're the only one who's shown nothing but kindness to me." "What annoys me is that everybody else here has made it clear that they think I'm imagining things." "Well, it's not important." "Tomorrow, you'll leave, and this will mean nothing to you." "You're saying it as if you were sad about it." "Of course I'm sad about it." "Because we won't see each other anymore." "What you're saying is, if we don't meet again, it's important, is that it?" "For me, yes." "But you are different." "You'll soon forget." "A little time and I won't exist in your thoughts." "No, you're wrong." "I was drawn to you, Sdenka, right from the first moment." "From the first time I saw you." "You only say that to make me feel happy." "I'd much rather you didn't." "You see, I think I'm in love with you, Nicola." "It's still leaking." "But only a couple of spots." "It will be ready in a couple of hours." "You can turn it off now." "Hello, Mira!" "Are you trying to blind me?" "What a beautiful watch." "Does it really work?" "Yes." "It also makes a sound." "Listen." "And who gave it to you?" "That belongs to my father." "Where'd you get it?" "Grandpa gave it to me." "And why did he give it to you?" " It's a secret." " What secret?" "He doesn't want me to say that Irina had gone off with him." " Gone where?" " In the woods." "They left early this morning." "He came to get her." "While it was still dark?" "Yes." "Irina!" "Irina!" "Irina!" "Irina!" "They didn't go through here." "Those deer wouldn't be in the area now." "Irina!" "They didn't go up the hill." "Why don't we try this passage together?" " Wait a minute, Jovan." " Irina!" "Please, stay close to me." "I'm desperate." "She's gone, and she's not coming back." "Why do you say that?" "I'm frightened, Jovan." "I'm frightened at the thought that even your father..." "Oh, no!" "No!" "Had I been left to do what I should have done, my old man would have been dead and the curse would have finally been broken." "Sorry to be leaving like this, without knowing what's happened to that poor girl." "Oh, but I'm so frightened, Nicola." "I'm so frightened." "A girl like you deserves a different life." "I'd like..." "I'd like to take you away from this crazy place." "Elena is so upset right now." "I couldn't just desert her." "Tell me you'll come back in a while, Nicola, that you'll eventually come and take me away." "Why isn't Sdenka back in the house yet?" "What is she doing with that foreigner?" "Bring her in, Elena." "Go on, get her!" "Go on." "Gorca!" " Where is Irina?" " I don't know." " She was with you." " It's not true." "Irina left with you." "Where is Irina?" "What have you done with her?" "You bastard!" "What have you done to the girl?" "Tell me!" "What have you done with Irina?" "No!" "It's monstrous!" "Murderers..." "You're all murderers." "I had to do it." "You saw him too." "He wasn't like us." "He wasn't a human being." "But you can't understand this." "Maybe not." "But maybe we should let the police decide on it." "Nicola!" "Wait a minute!" "Nicola, wait!" "Don't, Nicola!" "Please don't!" "Forget what you saw." "Pretend you never came here." "Please don't go and tell the police!" "Don't tell anybody!" "It could be the end for all of us." "So long, Sdenka." "Nicola!" "If you go to the police, then talk to Kovachich..." "Brigadier Kovachich." "He's lived here." "He'll understand what happened." "It's time to go to bed, Elena." "You go ahead." "I won't be long." "As you wish." "Irina!" "Irina!" "Irina!" "Irina!" "Irina, what happened?" "Where have you been, my darling?" "Oh, sweetheart, I've been going out of my mind with worry." "I was so worried for you." "We searched all day for you." "Where have you been, my darling?" "You're frozen, Irina." "Your cheeks are freezing." "Elena!" "Elena!" "Where are you?" "Elena!" "Elena!" "Answer me!" "Elena!" "Are you all right, Elena?" "Elena!" "20, and with that makes 25 stacks." "You're lucky to still find them here." "I very nearly sold them." "Then I thought I'd give you another day." "I had trouble with the car on the shortcut that runs through the hills." " How did you manage to get this far?" " A man out there fixed it." "You know, I thought they'd all moved out of the forest." "They were very strange." "Totally ignorant and hardheaded." "From what I heard, they left the area because they were frightened witless by all the local crazy legends, fairy tales, and..." "Listen, is there a police post here in Zehdenick?" "Yeah, sure, there's a small one." "Two or three agents, but they're pretty difficult to find." "They shift 'em out a lot." "Do you know a Brigadier Kovachich?" "Yeah, sure, I know him." "I'd like to see him." "Well, at this time you'll find him in the village, in the church." "He goes up there and plays the organ during his free time." "Excuse me, are you Brigadier Kovachich?" "My name is Kovachich, but I'm no longer a Brigadier." "I was fired for being too superstitious, for practicing exorcism." "They got rid of me the same way they got rid of witches in the old days." "What do you want with me?" "I thought you were with the police here." "I want to report a murder." "Whose?" "Gorca Ciuvelak." "And I looked for you because his daughter Sdenka told me to." "Sdenka." "Such a pretty little girl." "And somebody used a wooden stake to pierce his heart, right?" "Yes." "Don't let it worry your conscience any longer, then." "That isn't classed as murder because what it means is that poor Gorca was a Vourdalak and already dead." "Dead bodies don't walk about." "Those type of dead bodies do." "The Vourdalak are incorporeal material creatures." "Something like the notes of this music." "It's the terror of silence on which they feed, the terror of loneliness." "They kill others primarily because they want company, especially those persons they happened to have been in love with." "And their victims search for their own company." "A never-ending chain of death unless one can break a link." "But you don't believe me, do you?" "No, actually no." "A village like this is still attached to ancient traditions." "You must say nothing, or they'll go there and burn everything down the same way they have always done." "Did you see all those ruins?" "Yes, I saw them." "If you care about Sdenka, go to her now." "Take her away before they pierce her heart and they burn her with the whole family." "Go for her now before it's too late." "Sdenka." "What happened, Sdenka?" "Everybody's dead." "Irina murdered her mother." "Elena, Jovan..." "And then everybody else." "You're so cold." "Why?" "I was so terribly afraid because I didn't think you were going to come back." "How come you're still alive and the others are dead?" "I don't know." "Maybe because they loved me less than the others." "I want you to stay with me forever." "We won't be apart anymore." "We must not let anybody come between us, darling." "There's blood all over your neck." "What happened to you?" "I don't know." "I haven't even noticed it." "It was probably a chip from the door." "I slipped before when I locked myself in." "Anyway, it's not important." "It doesn't hurt." "Don't be frightened, Nicola." "You'll stay here with me tonight." "Next to me." "It'll be beautiful, like our first night together." "We'll be together..." "Forever." "Nicola?" "Nicola?" "Nicola!" " Nicola." " No." "No." "Go away!" "Why are you afraid?" "Please calm down, calm down." "It's only Sdenka, your Sdenka." "Don't touch me!" "But I love you." "I can't stay without you." "I came to take you away so that we can be together." "Nicola." "Why are you running away from me, Nicola?" "I came here for you." "Calm down, Nicola." "Calm down." "What are you afraid of?" "What are you doing?" "No!" "No!" "Let go of me!" "Let go of me!" "I'm not a murderer!" "She was cold!" "She was already dead!" "Go on, look at her!" "Go on, look at her face if you think I'm lying to you!" "Have a look at what I've already seen!" "You'll see the blood running out, her face putrefying, too." "I'm not crazy!" "I had to do it!" "Look at her!" "Go on, look at her!" "Sdenka." "Sdenka!" "Sdenka!" "THE END"