"Here passes from this Earth Hélène Delambre, ...widow of my brother André, ...whom I loved deeply, hopelessly." "She was destroyed in the end by dreadful memories:" "A recollection of horrors that did not dim as the years went on, ...but instead grew monstrously, and left her mind shocked and unsteady so that death, when it came, was a blessed release." "Beg pardon, gentlemen." "May I speak to you?" "No, you may not." "You're Philippe Delambre, aren't you?" "My condolences on the death of your mother." "Would you please get out of our way?" "I beg your pardon sir, I am an accredited freelance journalist." "You are an accredited, freelance scandalmonger!" "Now will you please leave us alone?" "Why don't you want me to speak to your nephew, Mr. Delambre?" "Is it because there are a lot of unanswered questions about the death of your brother?" "All very mysterious." "First it was called murder." "Then it was called suicide." "First Hélène Delambre was held." "Then she was released." "All very odd!" "Granville, will you get out of here." "And I advise you to never try these tactics again." "Inspector Beauchamp!" "You were part of that big cover-up, weren't you?" "This is going to make nice reading, I promise you." "Thank you, Inspector Beauchamp." "The newspapers can be unpleasantly persistent." "You must understand their eagerness to uncover a mystery, Mr. Delambre." "Yes." "You and Inspector Charas were very kind." " I only aided Charas." "It was his case." " No." "No, you were invaluable, too." "I shall never forget that." "You had a great deal to bear, monsieur." "If I can be of any help, please call on me." "Thank you." "That man's a disgrace to all decent journalists, intruding at such a time." "Nevertheless, he asked a question." "Why was Mother accused?" " I can't tell you." " You've got to." "All my life I've heard whispers." "I know something terrible happened, something even more terrible than suicide or murder." "What was it?" "François..." "Anything is better than not knowing." "If I tell you, Philippe, ...it will haunt you for the rest of your life." "Tell me." "I have a right to know." "Take us to Delambre Freres, please." "The old foundry." " Monsieur Delambre!" " Gaston." "Philippe!" "I beg of you, please, do not enter here." "This place is cursed and I swear to you it is!" "Ever since... ever since the day André Delambre began to work in it." "It is I who..." "who found his poor, crushed body." "Believe me, I know..." "I know." "Please." "Please, I beg of you." "Do not go in." "OK, Gaston." "All right." "Thank you for warning us." "Now, we won't be long." "Go about your work." "Poor old fellow." "It disturbs him when anyone comes here." "He remembers too much." "This laboratory has been locked since the day André died." "It's just as he left it." "The equipment..." "It's all smashed." "Yes, he did it - in a blind rage, to destroy the machine he created, ...because it destroyed him." "It destroyed him and your mother because he ventured into areas of knowledge where man is not meant to go." "That's pure superstition!" "There are no areas of knowledge where man is not meant to go." "Fifty years ago, stupid people said man was not meant to fly." "Father did research in the transmission of molecular structures." "I know that." " Just tell me what happened." " Very well, Philippe." "I will tell you." "Yes, it's true." "André did do research in the transmission of matter." "The device you see lying shattered there was built to prove his theory:" "That solid three-dimensional molecular structures can be transmitted instantaneously through space," "...much in the same way as a television image is." "But a television image is merely an electronic representation of light and shadow." "André's machine actually disintegrated the molecules of solid matter, ...and then reintegrated them again in a different place." "Eventually, André gained such confidence in his machine that he put himself through the disintegration-integration process." "He successfully transmitted himself." "Then, on a tragic second attempt, ...something went wrong." "Unwittingly, he found himself in the disintegrator chamber, ...but he was not alone." "With him was a fly." "The result was a creature with the body of André Delambre, ...and the arm and the head of a fly." "And so André decided to dispose of himself in such a way as to keep such an abomination from the eyes of the world." "With your mother's help, he crushed his monstrous head and arm in one of the presses out there in the old foundry." "Now you know why I didn't want to tell you, ...and now you know, Philippe, ...why we got to get out of here and lock this place up and never come back again!" " François?" " Yes?" "Do you remember what you told me after my father's death?" "Yes, I think so." "You said he was like an explorer in a wild country where no man had ever been before." "That he was searching for a great truth." "He almost found it, but for one instant he was careless." " Yes, Philippe, I remember that." " Do you remember what I asked you then?" "Yes." "You said you wanted to be an explorer like your father." " And you asked me to help you." " Will you help me?" "Haven't I done so?" "The finest scientific education..." "No, I said I wanted to be an explorer like my father." "I've read his scientific papers." "I understand what he was trying to do." "I've done some work in the field myself." "I want to rebuild this." "It'll be his monument, his vindication." "Philippe..." "It destroyed him." "It could destroy you." "He was careless." "I won't be." " No, Philippe!" " You'd break your promise?" " It was the promise to a child." " It was a promise to me." " Philippe, I'm sorry, I can't help you." " Why not?" "Give me one reason besides your touching concern for my safety." "All right I'll give you one reason:" "Money." "I simply can't afford to back you in this venture." "Neither can the business." "That's the plain, unpleasant truth of the matter." "All right, François." "I don't believe you, but I won't argue the point." " Then you'll give up the idea?" " Of course not." " Philippe, look..." " I'll never give it up." "While Mother was alive, she was so obsessed with fears that I couldn't work openly." "I did what I could." "I worked secretly." "Now, she's gone." " Philippe, listen to me..." " Please!" "I want to be alone." "I want to stay here for a while." "Please leave me alone." " Hello, Alan." " Hello, Phil." " I hope it wasn't too trying." " Thank you." " I had a talk with my uncle." " Oh?" "Did he agree to help you?" "No." "But I learned some things today that made me more determined than ever to go ahead." " You still want to work with me?" " Of course I do." "I'll pay you the same salary my uncle does, ...as long as my money holds out." "We'll pick up right where my father left off." "The money isn't important." "It's the chance to follow up on André Delambre's work that counts." "When do we start?" " Right away." " Here in the plant?" "No." "I want to get out of Montreal." "I've got the perfect place to work." " Would you like to see it?" " Of course!" "This was my grandfather's house." "My father loved it so much, the old man left it to him." "So now it's mine." "Phil, it's a mansion." " Monsieur Philippe, so good to see you." " And you, madame." "This is Mr. Alan Hinds." "This is Madame Bonnard, my housekeeper." "Pleased, monsieur." " Mama?" " Hello, Cécile." "Hello, Philippe." " Cécile, this is my friend Alan Hinds." " I'm pleased to meet you." " How do you do?" " Alan's going to work with me here." "I'd like him to have the room next to mine." "Of course." "And now you will stay for tea." "Oh, no." "I..." "Well, it sounds as though we're staying for tea." "While we're waiting let's have a look at the workshop." "You know, Phil, you weren't exaggerating about the girl." "She's a beauty." "Yes, she is." "Come along." "Here's where I've been working." "It's fine." "Plenty of room to expand." "Well, this whole situation's ideal." "We can live here in comfort." "We'll have complete privacy." "The nearest neighbor's house is half a mile away." "Good." " Now the first thing we have to do..." " After we've had tea." "...after we've had tea, is to go back into town and get my father's papers out of the old lab." "I wouldn't want François to know." "There's a watchman there, an old fellow named Gaston." "We may have to lure him away." "Well, he doesn't know me." "I'll cook up some kind of a story for him." "All right." "We'll take what we need." "Diagrams, notes of experiments, anything we can find." "Then we'll get to work." "You won't know the old wine cellar when we get through with it." "We'll have it filled with equipment." "We'll let you visit if you bring us biscuits like this to eat." " I will." "I baked them myself." " I don't believe it." " Truly I did!" " Really?" "You've known each other a long time, haven't you?" "Since we were children." "I used to come here to visit my grandfather." "We played together in the garden." "Once Philippe got very angry at me and threw sand in my face!" "Threw sand in this lovely creature's face?" "You cad!" " Philippe!" " What on earth's the matter?" "Are you ill, Monsieur Philippe?" "You look as if you've just seen a ghost, old man." "It was the fly." "The fly disturbed you." "I've always hated them." "I..." "I'm sorry." " Now what do we do?" " I don't know." "A water-cooled tetrode would do the job, but it'd cost a fortune." " Bank account getting anaemic?" " Yes, it is." "Look, Phil, I've been meaning to speak about this." "You've been paying me for three weeks now, ...and I haven't spent a dime." "There's been no need to." "The food and lodging here are wonderful." "So forget about the salary." "Pay me when your gadget's a whopping success, which I'm sure it will be." "Thanks, Alan." "Believe me, I appreciate it." " Good day, Madame Bonnard." " Bonjour, Monsieur François." " Where is Philippe?" " In the cellar, working." "Thank you." "Hello, François." "I wondered how soon you'd find me." "Well, it didn't take a genius to do that." "Well, I see you've gone ahead, against my wishes." "Well, this is my house." "I've used my own money." " So you knew Alan Hinds was with me?" " Yes, of course." "I suspected that when he left my employ." "Thanks for your loyalty." "Well, as you said, this is your house." "Now I suppose you'll ask me to leave." "No, François, I wouldn't do that." "As a matter of fact I'm glad you came here." "You've saved me a trip into town." "The truth is, I've about run out of money." " I said I wouldn't back you." " Yes, you did say that." "But I am half-owner of Delambre Frères?" "Yes, you are." "All right, I want my half." "Nonsense." "You can't divide a business like a sack of apples." "I'll sell my half-interest for whatever it will bring, ...to anyone who will buy it." "You can't be serious." "Would you destroy a company that's been in our family for over 100 years?" "If I had to." " You're holding a gun to my head." " I'm sorry, François." "But if you won't help me, I'll raise the money any way I can." "Yes, I think you would." "I think you would." "Very well." "Because I have a sense of responsibility to Delambre Freres, even if you do not, ...I'll undertake to supply you with whatever you need." "Thanks, François." "It's going to work." "Believe me, I don't want just your money." " I want you to work with us." " I'll work with you." "Not because I'm won over, ...or have any hope that you will succeed where André failed, ...but to protect you, if I can, ...from the deadly consequences of building this device." "And I'll keep on trying to dissuade you every step of the way from continuing with this project." "That's fine." "You're welcome to try." "But just work with me." "I promise you'll come to believe in this thing as firmly as I do." " We'll see." " We will see." " When can I order new equipment?" " Whenever you like." " Today?" " If you like." "I'll meet you at the plant." "Very well." "Phil, you were wonderful." "Now we can really get started." "I'm sorry I had to do it that way." "I'll tag along with you if you don't mind." " I've got some errands in town." " All right." " I'll pick you up here about three." " Three it is." "Taxi!" " Hello, Ronnie." " Not Ronnie." "Alan Hinds, if you please." "Well, Mr. Hinds, what brings you here?" " Money." " Did you say money?" " You'll get none from me, my boy." " Just a moment, my fine fat friend." "What would you say if I told you I'm on the track of something worth millions?" " I'd say you were lying." " Not this time, Max." "Look, one thing you'll admit:" "I know about electronics." "I've been working for Delambre Freres." "The new radar for the Canadian Air Force." "Might be valuable." "Max, this is no radar." "It's something really fantastic, ...and I'm in a great spot to steal it." "Go ahead and steal it." "Why come to me?" "I need someone to sell it for me." "I'll nab the drawings and specifications." "You sell them." "Ronnie, you'd double-cross your own mother." "So would you." "But there's plenty for both of us." " I tell you, it's tremendous." " Very well, it's tremendous." "What is it?" "Were you here in Montreal when André Delambre was killed?" " I was." " Do you recall some strange rumours about the project he was working on at the time of his death?" "Yes, I do." "You get in touch with the leading electronics outfits, the big international cartels." "Ask them just one thing:" "If they're interested in a disintegrator-integrator." "Then sit back and wait for the offers to come in." "They'll want something to go on, some sort of proof." "I'll bring you something in a day or so." "Just enough to whet their appetites." "Anything we get we split 50-50." "A deal?" "I'll work with you." "Not that I trust you." "Naturally not - you'd be a fool to." "And you're no fool." "A greedy pig perhaps, but no fool." "Thank you." "By the way, where can I reach you if I need you?" "Max!" "Please give me credit for a little sense too." "You'll hear from me when I'm ready." " You can depend on me." " I'm sure of that." "With the British police looking for you, you wouldn't dare play games with me." "How many years would they give you if they took you back to London?" "Nothing like that." "Hanging, perhaps, but no prison." "You see, I once terminated a partnership with a chap who proved unreliable." "As a matter of fact, I terminated him." " Goodbye, Max." " Goodbye, Ronnie." "Alan!" "What are you doing in this part of town?" "An old friend - I..." "I visit him whenever I'm in town." "OK, Alan." "It all checks out." "Well, sir, now that we're ready to give it a go, ...would you like to make a little wager?" "Not as sceptical as you were?" "I knew we'd make a believer of you." "Since an ashtray was the first object transmitted in Father's experiments, ...I consider it only fitting that we use one in ours." " Perfect." " No transposition." "None." " Morning, Philippe." " Morning, François." " Morning, Alan." " Morning." " Well what's on our schedule for today?" " We're going to try a live subject." " A guinea pig?" " Finished here, Phil." "Would you check the fire circuit, François?" "Right." " Giantism!" " Must be in the amplitude control." "Well, let's find it." "Let's check everything." "Hello, Cécile." " It's late." " Yes, I know." "Thank you, Cécile." "Phil?" "Well, he looks perfectly normal." "Put a guinea pig in the disintegrator cabinet, will you, Alan?" "Now that we have the giantism's corrected, ...we'll attempt the experiment Father describes here." "First the disintegration half of the cycle:" ""Hold the subject in a disembodied state for a time,"" ""...then complete the cycle and bring the subject back."" "Disintegration cycle only." "In none of his experiments did he record any ill effects from delayed reintegration." "Well, we'll bring him back tomorrow morning about ten." "All right." "I'll make it a point to be back here then." "Come on, Phil." "Call it a day." "You can't work day and night, you know." "I'm not tired." " Too excited, I guess." " I can understand that." "Got him." "Phil!" "I'm sorry, old man, really I am." "Here." "What is it?" "Why do those nasty little brutes bother you?" "I'm your friend." "You can tell me." "If you are my friend, don't ever do that again." "Certainly not." "I won't." "Come on." "You've had a big day." "You've got to take care of yourself." "Go on upstairs and get some rest." "Tomorrow will be a big day, too." "I suppose you're right." "Ronald Holmes, you're under arrest." "None of that now!" "Stand up." " How did you find me?" " Never mind about that." "Where are all your coppers?" "You... you didn't come here alone?" "Turn around and put out your hands." " Philippe, what was it?" "The lights!" " They dimmed in my room, too." "Alan?" "What happened?" "Every light in the house dimmed." "Short circuit." "Stupid of me." "I got the back of this chair tangled with the main power switch." "Hope I didn't ruin anything." "Some chunks of copper melted out." "That's about all." "I don't see how it could affect the machine." "I'm sure it couldn't." "Maybe we should try it, ...bring the rat back a little ahead of schedule." "Wait a minute, Phil." "François said he'd make it a point to be here, didn't he?" "I'm sure he'd be offended if we just went ahead without him." "The machine's all right." "The circuit breakers didn't even kick out." "You're probably right." "We'll wait." "I was just going to bed when the lights began to dim." "I just came down to have another look at the ballast circuit." "I'll put the stuff away, then I'll turn in too." " All right." "Good night, Alan." " Good night." " Hello?" " Max, I want you to meet me tonight." " I can't." "I've got some work to do." " It's got to be tonight." "No, I can't come there." "I'll tell you when I see you." "Max, you meet me in 40 minutes out on the old Cross Creek road, a mile west of the highway." "You be there!" " Couldn't this wait until the morning?" " No." "I have to get rid of this car now." "Ronnie, what are you up to?" "Over she goes, right there." "Well, Max, any interest in our proposition?" "Interest?" "Yes, indeed." "I got in touch with the four biggest concerns." "Two of them are ready to do business." "All they ask is an indication that we've really got it." "Well, here's your indication." "Just enough to show we're on the right track, ...not enough to give away the whole idea." "Right you are." "I'll process this film when I get back." "I'll walk the rest of the way." "You get busy with your contacts, ...show them that film, and line up the best deal you can get." "I'll finish up my end here and get in touch with you tomorrow." "All right, Ronnie." " Hello, Alan." " Philippe, you... you startled me." " What were you doing out there?" " Well I heard a car starting, ...so I went out to investigate." "Madame Bonnard heard a car." "She woke me up and told me about it." "But that was nearly two hours ago." "Oh, no." "This was only 10 or 15 minutes ago." "A different car, perhaps." "Mysterious goings-on, eh?" "Very mysterious." "Bloodstains there..." "It looks as though someone tried to wipe them up." "They are bloodstains, aren't they?" "Well, Phil, I'm heartily ashamed, believe me." "You did try to reintegrate the rat, didn't you?" "And got nothing." "It's inexcusable, I know, but I was so curious to see whether we had that giantism problem licked, ...that I brought him back to have a look at him." "Go on." "You're doing fine." "Well, the little beggar bit me, ...I lost my temper, and I killed him." " I'm sorry." " Let's see the wound." " What?" " Let's see the wound." "Rat bites are dangerous." "They should be cared for." "It's nothing, really." "It's just a scratch." "Not worth bothering about." "You have an explanation for everything, don't you, Alan?" "Look, Phil, old man, I..." "Let's hear you explain these." "Oh, I can explain those." "But I'm not going to." "With this, a chap doesn't have to do any explaining, does he?" "Give me your keys." "Your keys!" "Open the cabinet!" "I trusted you, Alan." "I'd have given you a fair share of anything I made on the machine." "Open it!" "It's too late, Alan." "I've already called the police." "Monsieur François!" "A quarrel?" "Where is Philippe?" "Cécile." "Cécile, I had a telephone call from Philippe." "Some trouble about Alan." "Where is he?" " They fought, monsieur." " Fought?" "Who fought?" "Alan?" "Philippe?" "Where?" "Where?" "Down there." "Philippe cried out." "And then I heard the machine!" "The machine?" "!" "Alan?" "Alan?" "Alan, where?" "Where's Philippe?" "That's an interesting question, Mr. Delambre." "Where is he?" "Shall we say, he's sewing the cause of science?" "Alan!" " Monsieur François!" " Help me get inside." "This is a terrible wound, monsieur." "Please let me call a doctor." "No, I've got to get down to the laboratory." "It's the only way to save Philippe." "Help..." "The police." "I don't want the police here until I've finished with the machine." "Madame Bonnard, delay them if you can." "Halt!" "Police Department." " Police Department." " This is Sergeant Dubois." "We have an injured man, gunshot wound." "Send an ambulance to 418 Cromwell Road." "Help me!" "Cécile!" "Help me!" "I'm here!" "On the door!" "Cécile!" "Help me!" "Cécile!" "Monsieur?" "What is it?" " Good morning, Lieutenant." " Where's Delambre?" "Just back from surgery." "They got the bullet out." "I want to talk to him." "I'm told it'll take several hours, and then some." "This whole thing is beginning to tie together." "The handcuffs were Evans' all right, ...and it's my belief that he's been killed." "There were bloodstains on the ground outside and marks where someone had been dragged to a car." "I want to talk to François Delambre as soon as he's conscious." "Yes sir." "Thank you." "Get Lieutenant MacLish, please." "Monsieur Delambre, I am Sergeant Dubois, Police Department." "Did you..." "Did you catch him?" "Your nephew?" "No, we did not." "But you saw him." "You know." "You saw the creature." "The creature, sir?" "My men and I saw someone in the laboratory." "He disobeyed an order to halt, ...so I fired, but he escaped." "Then you didn't see him?" "We didn't see his face, if that's what you mean." "It was your nephew, wasn't it?" "I must talk to Inspector Beauchamp." "I'm sorry, but Inspector Beauchamp is out of town on official business." " Lieutenant MacLish is in charge." " I..." "I must talk to Inspector Beauchamp." "Monsieur Delambre, this is Lieutenant MacLish." "I won't speak to anyone but Inspector Beauchamp." "Mr. Delambre, I'm in charge here." "You will kindly answer my questions." "Why did your nephew run away?" "I demand the right to speak to Inspector Beauchamp!" "Mr. Delambre, your continued refusal may cost your nephew his life!" "He has repeatedly disobeyed orders to halt." "Now my men have orders to shoot on sight." "No..." "That would be murder." " He's done nothing." " Then why did he run from us?" "I want to see Inspector Beauchamp." " Stay with him." " Yes, sir." "Monsieur Delambre..." "Tell me, please, why must you talk to Inspector Beauchamp?" "Why?" "He aided Inspector Charas in the investigation of my brother's death." "He knows the... the terrible secret." "You wouldn't believe..." "You would not believe..." "This terrible secret..." "Does it concern a fly?" "What..." "What did you see?" " What did you see?" "!" " Nothing." "I..." "I thought I..." "It is nothing." "I'll get in touch with Inspector Beauchamp at once." "Hello?" "Ronnie?" "Where are you?" "I've been getting the material organized." "You all set on your end?" "Yes, yes, all set." "They've got the money ready." "I must say, you've botched things thoroughly." "There's no doubt of it." "Young Delambre is looking for you." "Exactly." "He's looking for me." "You have nothing to worry about." "Perhaps not." "But I suggest you hurry." "Thank you." "Inspector Beauchamp..." "Thank God you're here." "Inspector, it's..." "it's happened again." "To Philippe." "Yes, when I heard about the laboratory and that strange machine, I knew..." "The machine..." "The machine must not be tampered with." "If it's disturbed, Philippe will be lost forever." "It won't be touched, I assure you." "If..." " If Philippe is taken alive..." " Yes?" "If Philippe is taken alive, ...we still have to find the tiny creature, you remember?" "Yes, I remember." "We'll find it." "I'll go to the laboratory myself." "The integrator cabinet was smashed." "I've..." "I've instructed them to make a new one." "Yes, but will you have the strength to operate the machine when the time comes?" " I'll find the strength." " I'm sure you will." "Take him upstairs, please." "Mademoiselle, I'm Inspector Beauchamp." "Would you mind taking me to Mr. Philippe's workshop, please?" "I will show you." "Cécile!" "I'm Philippe!" "Philippe!" "No one will help me!" "Cécile!" "Cécile!" "Cécile!" "I'm Philippe!" "Philippe!" "No one will help me!" "Cécile!" "Cécile!" "Cécile!" "I'm Philippe!" "Philippe!" "Help me!" "Cécile!" "Cécile!" "Cécile!" " Nurse, would you excuse us, please?" " Yes, Inspector." " Did you catch it?" " Yes, I caught it." "It seemed feeble." "I gave it food." "How long does a fly live?" "Musca domestica, common housefly:" "Life span about three weeks." "But they die very quickly when it's cold." "I'll see that the laboratory is kept warm." "But how can we know how much of its life span this creature has left?" "It seems so hopeless, Inspector." "So hopeless." "My dear friend, nothing is ever hopeless." "But with 100 men searching for him, ...hunting him down as though he were a wild animal..." "How can he elude 100 men?" "Perhaps he's dead already." "Wounded by one of your police bullets, ...he may have crawled into some lonely thicket to die." "Keep up your courage." "You're going to need it, all of it, when we find him." "What is it?" " The man you knew as Alan Hinds." " Yes?" "He's dead." "Neck bones crushed by some gigantic pressure." "Also, a notorious dealer in stolen property named Max Barthold." "Did Philippe do it?" " What can we do?" " Wait until the police catch Philippe." "Or, if he evades them, wait until he comes here." "You and the girl and her mother are the only ones he can possibly turn to for help." " Inspector..." " Yes?" "Suppose he does come here." "And suppose he's not like André." "When this same ghastly thing happened to my brother, ...he still had a human mind and a human conscience." "What if Philippe does not have the mind of a human, but the murderous brain of the fly?" "I pray that he does not." "But if he does come here, not for help, but to kill?" "Then he will have to be destroyed." "Inspector!" "Please, help me!" "Tell François he's needed in the laboratory." "He'll understand and do not let the nurse interfere." "I'm all right." "Put him in the cabinet, quickly."