"Alan!" "Darling!" "Look, it's taken." "See?" "You're right." "Reared from seed." "The first Mrs. Chlorys in captivity." "It will blossom, I promise." "You're a clever girl!" "Of course, I caught you, didn't I?" "You'll get me the sack." "Come on." "My goodmorning kiss?" "See you later." "You have green fingers!" "Supply and demand." "Cut out the middleman." "I'm growing my own buttonholes." " Why?" " lt's got to staft somewhere." "Morning Sunrise, a bloom of delicate russet tints in a haunting bouquet." "For you, Mrs. Peel." " l sense a bribe." " Nonsense." "I offer you the first fruits of my effofts." "What nasty situation have you in store for me?" "You've an early warning system!" "A look in the eye..." "roses..." "Roses..." " Roses?" " Roses." " The missing hofticulturalists." " Bull's eye!" "Professors Taylor and Knight, and Dr. Connely." "Disappeared without a trace." "Right?" "There's a 4th one." "Yesterday, another one joined the group." "She trampled a lot of prize plants and disappeared." "An old acquaintance of yours, Laura Burford." " Laura?" " l'm afraid so." "You introduced us." "Fair, glamourous creature..." "An expeft in plant diseases." "One of the best." "What do you think?" "I don't know yet, but it's all very baffling." "Four expeft hofticulturalists disappear at the same time." " A trail?" " Not much." "What we know is they all disappeared in this area." "Surrey." "Who told you about Laura ?" " Cafter." " Who?" "I thought you knew." "She's engaged to a chap named Cafter, botanist." "She left so strangely." "Like what, Mr. Cafter?" "What happened yesterday?" "Nothing." "She was here, happy, and then..." "Did you see or hear anything?" "No, but I might not." "It's a bad habit to turn down the volume." "It was the way that she went." "Trampling the flowers!" "Smashing glass frames, destroying months of research!" "Almost as though it no longer mattered." "I've a meeting of the Hofticultural Circle." "The president's ill and I'm standing in." " Sir Lyle Peterson?" " The first meeting he's missed!" "Everything seems to be going wrong!" " l'd like..." " l'll be in touch." "Thank you." "Stay here until the rain stops." "I hadn't the heaft to ask..." " Laura and another man?" " lt's possible." "Anything is." "It might just be a coincidence..." "Peterson, imminent hofticulturalist missing a meeting." "And his home is situated in Surrey Green." "I have an appointment with Sir Lyle Peterson." "Yes, sir." "Come in." " Sir Lyle will see you shoftly." " Thank you." "Wait here." "Come autumn, I hope to see more of you!" "That's all for the moment." "Repoft again later." "Miss Perkins, welcome to our little group." " Let me know if you need anything." " Thank you." " Mr. Steed." " Sir Lyle!" " Tree Preservation Society?" " That's right." "Let's talk in my office." "Do you drink brandy?" "Am I accustomed to drinking it?" "Yes." "Would I like one?" "Yes." "Good." "Man differs little from plants." "Liquids are essential... I do agree." " Difficult to survive without!" " And unnecessary." "Thank you!" "Your call interested me." "Trees are our national heritage." "lndiscriminate felling, mutilation, is a crime." " We think alike." " l'm so glad." "We're pressing the government to plant in cities and towns." "Your name as a member would insure success." "You'll have it." " Thank you !" "Delicious!" " l'm so glad!" "People often see plants as these wax figures." " Passive, inanimate." " Pretty hair!" "Yes." "Real too." "Yet see how they climb!" "They may feel, or even think." "I want to show you something." "My favorite plant, Venus flytrap, devours insects." "Quite a gourmet." "Aren't you, pet?" "Paftial to blue bottles, but can't abide house flies." "I have a treat for you!" "Specially impofted." "See how you like that." "Now, you have that." "Now don't snap!" "That's right." "One for you, my pretty." "How about that?" "is that nice?" "And you!" "Here it comes!" "There. ls it good?" "Interesting gadget!" "Yes, it's experimental." "Controls soil temperature and water supply." "First class equipment and brains..." "You're well stocked!" "By the way, wasn't that Laura Burford and Dr. Connely ?" "The cat's out of the bag, I see!" "I'm doing research that has great commercial potential." "A new flowering shrub." "I've formed a great team of expefts." "Perhaps I was a trifle overcautious?" "You're very observant!" "The press does talk." " You know Miss Burford?" " l've met her." "Let's have her in." " Send in Miss Burford." " Right away." " Another?" " No, thanks." "Don't want to overindulge in such a perfect vintage." "Fascinating!" "Miss Burford, come in." "An old friend is here." "I met you with Mrs. Peel." " Yes, how are you?" " And you?" " l'm sorry?" " l saw your fiancé." " He's frantic about you." " l imagine... I couldn't resist the oppoftunity!" "It's such an exciting project I just dropped everything." " What exactly are you doing?" " What?" "The project?" "We're experimenting a new flowering shrub." " Yes, a new shrub." " Oh!" "I'll be going." "Me, too. I have some forests in Cambridge to attend to." " l'll send you the forms." " Please, do." "Lennox." "If my car had a roof, I'd have gone through it." "Or fufther!" "These barbs are deadly." " How did we upset Sir Lyle ?" " Don't know." "Finding Laura and the others?" "You dropped it!" " Where has it gone?" " Under there." "I must say that oil derrick puzzles me." "It's not oil they're drilling for." " There is none in Surrey." " You called them?" "Peterson placed 2 orders." "One for the estate." " And the other one?" " Got it." "They're calling back." "It was supposed to go to a farm, but was canceled." " Did they say why?" " No." "Do you mind." "Mrs. Peel speaking." "Could you repeat?" "Yes, got it." "Mot Farm, Denby." "Well!" "Not my idea of striking it rich!" "No wonder Peterson canceled his order." "Mind the puddle!" "Well... after you." " No, after you." " So kind!" "It's a pleasure, Mrs. Peel." " l prefer the west wing." " This is not bad." " What for?" " A pied-à-terre." " There's been a fire." " Something's under there." "Steed, Mrs. Peel..." " We've identified it." " And?" "A spaceship, launched last year." " What happened to it?" " Technical failure." "Poor chap died up there, alone, 5 000 miles in the cosmos." "We hushed up the whole thing." "Since then, ship and body have been orbiting." " What caused re-entry?" " Good question." "A collision." "Collision with what?" "We're about to find out." "What on eafth's that?" "Looks like a mad octopus." "What was it doing in the cosmos?" "From the dent it made, impact must have been enormous." " Probably weighs 50 pounds." " Animal, vegetable?" " Or mineral?" " Vegetable." "Vegetable?" "These aren't tentacules, they're pappus." " Oh, pappi." " lt's definitely vegetable." "In 30 years of botany I've never seen the likes!" "But it is vegetable?" "There's no doubt." "Come, I'll show you." "Now, look." "The seed case with the embryo and reserves of food." "Rather damaged in collision, I'm afraid!" "And these are undoubtably pappus." "Very observant of you!" "Can you hazard a guess?" "To which family of plants does it belong?" "It's unusual, very unusual." "It's not tropical, I'm ceftain." " l'll have an analysis." " Just a guess?" "Don't hold me to it, but I think it's a composite." "Really?" "Better known as a "parachute seed", dispersed on the wind like a dandelion." "Hundreds of little parachutes!" "Dispersed on the wind." "Where does it come from?" "Mars." " Mars?" " Or the moon." "Recent photos show areas of vegetation." "Do they show outsized dandelions?" " Mr. Steed..." " Yes, Commander." "A message from the Air Ministry, radar control." "A meteorite was repofted on the 4th of last month." "Fits in with all this." "The meteorite was, in fact, the spaceship?" "I'm sure of it." "Thought you'd like to know." "Thanks, Commander." "4th of last month?" "Odd." "That's the day 3 of our hofticulturalists disappeared." "Any connection?" "Whatever it is, Peterson's got it behind barbed wire!" "We could cut through." "You have a chat with the locals." "And you?" "Mr. Cafter!" " Mr. Cafter..." " Sorry." "Terrible weather!" "I saw your fiancée." " Laura?" "is she all right?" " Fine." " Where is she?" " With Sir Lyle Peterson." "This joke is of the worst possible taste!" "She's working for him." "Working for him!" "But she loathes him!" "He's one of her pet hates!" "Their theories are diametrically opposed." "She would never work for him!" "All the same, she's there with Knight, Taylor and Connely." " Doing what?" " Same as her." "Developing some new flowering shrub." "You can't graft shrubs in this season!" "That's what I heard." "Call and get her to explain it." " After she walked out on me!" " Surrey Green, 1, 1, 4." "Same again." "I'm looking for Joe Mercier, farm supplies." "Yes, Miss." "Joe, there's someone for you." " Looking for me?" " Yes." "Mrs. Peel." "I just bought a small farm." "You supply..." "You supply a friend of mine, Sir Lyle Peterson." "He's my best customer." "A pint for the lady. I sell him fencing, insecticides..." " And this." " What's the polythene for?" "Contains heat and moisture, helps seed germinate." "This is all that's left, like the feftilizer." "He bought it all." "Thank you." " Cheers!" " Cheers!" " What's he growing?" " l don't know." "I've supplied him 20 tons this month." "The last lorry's just gone up." "Commander Davis!" "Come here." "Take a look at that!" "No, focus it." "What do you see now?" " Looks like a sponge." " A sponge!" "It's unbelievable!" "History in the making!" "What you see there are brain cells.." "This seed had an embryonic brain." "What a disaster it was damaged!" "Imagine, a plant that could think!" "You see?" "I've tried a dozen times." "There's never anyone." " Maybe the phone's out?" " l had it checked." " And Peterson's there?" " He was." "I've thought about what you said:" "Peterson and Laura." "It doesn't make sense." "Why work for him?" "She's got a good job, research facilities!" "Money." "Brains are marketable and Peterson wants the best." "Exactly, Laura's clever." "She was a pupil of mine, but she's got a lot to learn." " Sour grapes?" " l would have said no." "I'm surprised he didn't!" "If I were looking for the most able botanists, I wouldn't have picked Connely, but Dr. Sheldon." "All this secrecy!" "Why not talk to me?" " Ask her." " lf l could reach her!" "I'll do my best." "Excuse me." "Steed here." "Hello?" "I'm going to Peterson's." "I'll break in if I have to!" "Dr. Sheldon..." "Cafter!" "Yes." "You what?" "Now as our project is nearing completion, I'd like your repofts, in order of priority." "Germination, Professor Taylor?" "Satisfactory." "Expected at 1800." "Under soil heating, Knight?" "Temperature is being maintained." "Irrigation, Dr. Connely?" "All channels are working." "Excellent!" "And finally, pest control?" "All on schedule, Sir Lyle." "These cells are identical to human brain cells." "Yes, but the shape." "This is the seed of a climbing plant." "A bean stalk." "Where are we?" "The average bean is half an inch long, and grows 4 or 5 feet high." "Propoftionately, this would grow to... 200 times higher than the Empire State Building." " Charming!" " Think of the tendrils!" " l'd rather not." " Reaching out for miles!" "Allowed to seed, it would cover the eafth within weeks!" "There'd be no shoftage of beans!" "This isn't a garden vegetable!" "Having a brain, it has reflexes." "The tendrils would move, feed, protect it." "I beg your pardon!" "The digestive system intrigues me." "Germination would require tons of feftilizer, enormous heat and water." "Miss Sheldon, this just arrived." "Now, I'll be able to tell you." "The lab repoft." "I sent some specimens for analysis." "Hydrochrome oxidase!" "A chemical enzyme in the tissue." "But enzymes are perfectly harmless!" "Yes, but essential for growth." "We were lucky this was damaged!" "Why?" "The one source on eafth of hydrochrome oxidase is man." " Man?" " Yes." "This was a man-eating plant." "Germinated, it would have required us as we require vegetables!" "Luckily, there's only one!" "lncrease temperature 5 degrees." "lndicate rate of growth." "300 and rising steadily." " Where is she?" " Collecting herbicide." "She'd better be quick." "That's not all." "The missing hofticulturalists must have been under a spell." "How's that?" "Peterson ordered a special drill for planting at the right depth." "How did he know?" "The scientists were hand-picked by the plant." "Alan and Miss Sheldon are more qualified." "Indeed." "Put that on." " lt's a deaf aid." " Pardon?" " A deaf aid!" " What for?" "Breaking into the estate." " Alan and Miss Sheldon..." " ...were immune." "What did they have in common?" " How does it work?" " A transitorized circuit." "Acts as a barrier." "A barrier!" " Don't lose it!" " Why not?" "The plant's only man-eating." "Temperature to maximum." "You're sure herbicide will work?" "There's nothing like propyonic acid." "A teaspoon full would kill a large oak." "Let's hope the plant's no bigger than that!" "Excellent." "Excellent!" "You've done well." "Your service will not go unrewarded." "Your experience is invaluable." "Have no fear." "You'll be protected when we have complete control." "Where's the driver?" "Three guesses." "We'll park here." "Where is everybody?" "The battery..." "Miss Sheldon!" "Oh, dear!" "Oh, dear!" "How extraordinary!" "Yucca Gloriosa." "You should see it in the summer!" "The roof, the foliage, the rate of growth is fantastic!" " You see it grow." " lt's growing darker!" "Peterson's office." "The controls are there!" "Don't touch that!" "Get away from it." "Get away from it!" "It's taken them all." " You can't resist it." " l'll get you a drink." "It's covered the building." "Soon, it will seed." "Keep it in!" "It's a barrier against the plant." " What can we do?" " Nothing." "How does this work?" "It's too late. lt's like some prehistoric monster!" " We need a herbicide." " We've got some." "Miss Sheldon!" " Where is it?" " You had it last." "I'm all right." "Thank you so much." "Look after her." "Don't you recognize me?" "Apparently not!" " We can't get out!" " The herbicide!" " What?" " The herbicide." "For heaven's sake, hurry!" "Come on!" "Will it work?" "Steed..." "What happened to...?" "Oh, that?" "I'm a herbicidal maniac." "Didn't you know?" "Lunch first, then a meander across the down, through woodland glades, just in time for tea with a friend of mine." "He runs a nursery." "All softs of plants:" "roses, daffodils, giant climbers!" " What?" " Tall as this!" "What do they eat?" "Strictly vegeterian." "Subtitles by:" "Jeannie Taillat" "Processed by:" "B.B. COM" " Paris"