"The Missing Boys Of Saint-Agil based on the novel by Pierre Very" "Directed by Christian-Jaque" "The Saint-Agil Boys' School, where the action takes place, does not exist in reality and the characters are imaginary." "We simply wanted to provide viewers with an opportunity to remember a time when they too were thirsty for amazing adventures." "Saint-Agil Boys Boarding School" "Dormitory" " Hi, Martin." " Hi, Martin." "Hi." "We were up to Article 7." "We'll read it together." "Then we'll discuss it." "It's pointless." "Once we decide to do something, we have to do it." "Not just "do it", but "accomplish it"." "Which means studying the question in depth." "Thanks." "Planning it out." "Silence, please!" "I need to reread the report." "It's just a bunch of papers!" "And it's freezing in here." "Don't you think, Martin?" "What did you say?" "Nothing, I was talking to Martin." "With all these drafts, he's gonna get a cold." "Leave Martin be!" "It's true!" "Our skin and flesh act as a kind of overcoat." "But he's naked all year round." " I demand silence." " Fine." "I'll shut up!" "OK, I'll read it." "Report on the secret activities of the Able Cowards Club." "Statutes." "Article 1." "The Club members' goal is to set sail for the USA." "Article 2:" "The Club comprises three members." "Let's do a roll call." "Number one?" "Present." "Number two?" "Present." "Number three?" "Present." "I'll continue." "Weekly night-time meetings will be held in the science classroom, presided over by Martin the Skeleton." "Article 4:" "Members have sworn not to set sail individually." "I repeat:" "I say we strike that article." "Too late, you took an oath!" "If you had a chance to go alone, wouldn't you take it?" " I'd go with you, or not at all!" " So you say..." "Can I read the last notes?" "Sure, go ahead." "A:" "Which airline do we choose?" "B:" "How do we board?" "C:" "What will we do once we reach free America?" "D:" "Remember to study the St Etienne Standard Catalog of Military Firearms." "E..." "Footsteps." "It's Planet again." "Planet?" "Always Planet!" "Is he a sleepwalker?" "Not a sleepwalker, an insomniac." "It's the same thing." "So we�ll adjourn... till next week for the report?" "And we won't set sail for a decade." "You're always griping!" "No." "I'm just saying." "You're "just saying" what?" "If Columbus had worked this slow, he'd never have gotten anywhere." "You think he didn't study the map before leaving?" "Study the map?" "He took an egg, balanced it on its tip and took off in his ship." "That's how he did it." "And I'll do the same." "Now I'm going to bed!" "Me too." "Aren't you coming?" "No." "I wanna work on my novel." "Your "novel"!" "What's this novel about?" "It's about all the adventures we'll have once we get there." "Once we get there..." "How depressing to hear this!" " Are you coming?" " Yes." "Chapter IV Where the three Able Cowards, after making (and losing) a fortune, arrive at the Mexican border." "Second meeting with the mysterious man." "Why are you back so soon?" "I saw something." "Sorgues?" "I hope they didn't catch you!" "No, but I saw something." "Something amazing!" "Who's talking?" "Who's talking in the middle of the night?" "Unbelievable." "Tell us in the morning." "We'll pretend we're sick." "We'll be able to talk at the infirmary." "Yes." "Unbelievable!" "What's all this chatter?" "In the middle of the night?" "I've never heard of such a thing!" "I believe you're talking to yourself, my friend." "I'm sorry, Mr. Planet." "You're forgiven." "Come, gentlemen!" "Come on!" "Time to get up!" "And be quiet about it!" "Get up, gentlemen!" "Come on!" "Get a move on!" "What're you waiting for?" "Didn't you hear the reveille?" " Yes, sir." " Well?" "All that talking kept me awake last night." "So I wasn't dreaming!" "There was talking..." "Who was talking?" " It was..." " Who?" " I don't know, sir." "I fell asleep right away." "Macroix." " What're you doing?" " I'm sick." " What is it?" " Red robin." " What?" " My throat's red." "It hurts, as if a bird were pecking at it." " Sir!" " What?" "I'm sick too." "What have you got?" "Same thing as Macroix." "It burns, it hurts!" " It hurts, sir!" " You too?" "It hurts here." "How very curious." " Sir?" " What is it?" "I think I've got it." " What?" " Red robin." "No, this can't be!" "Morning, Mr. Planet." "Morning, Donnadieu." "I trust you slept well." "Please keep your jokes to yourself." "Jokes?" "I suffer from insomnia, and every morning people ask me how I slept." "It's stupid!" "And uncalled-for." "Good morning." "Good morning, Lemel." "Good morning, Donnadieu." "Good morning, Planet." "Slept well, Planet?" "No, Mr Lemel." "I didn't." "I never sleep." "You understand?" "Never!" "Do I ask if your wine's well fermented?" "You and your insinuations..." "I'm just saying aloud what people say behind your back:" "that you drink... alone, in secret!" "You're imagining things, Mr. Planet." "You have no character." "You're an oddball, a crackpot." "A sleepwalker, in fact." "As such, I despise you." "He despises me!" "Did you hear, Mr. Donnadieu?" "That lush despises me!" "A man who drinks in secret and who reels along in public." "What?" "I, reel along?" " I dare you to repeat that!" " Don't start fighting, gentlemen." "Between Frenchmen, when war is imminent?" "When the enemy's at our gate?" "Good morning, gentlemen." "I trust you slept well?" "Yes, headmaster." "I mean... no." "I mean... a little." " Good morning, gentlemen." " Good morning." "Good morning, Mr. Walter." "That Mr. Walter doesn't look like a very nice man!" "Indeed." "Gentlemen!" "He looks like a perjurer to me." "Furthermore, he scares the children." "I beg your pardon, gentlemen!" "Walter is undoubtedly a fine man." "He hasn't been here long, but his work is beyond reproach." "He may be slightly reserved, but he's an excellent living language teacher." "I don't like foreigners." "You shouldn't generalize, Mr. Lemel." "Like in everything, there are good ones and bad ones." "Well, I'm sure he's a bad one." "Good or bad, it's always with foreigners that we'll go to war." "Can't you watch where you're going?" "Sorry, I didn't see you!" "That's no excuse to step on my feet." "You gotta look before running." "You gotta look!" "You hear me?" "Yes." "I'm not deaf." "What?" "Talking back to me?" "Dirty little rascal." "I'll teach you some respect, you hear me?" "You're here to obey, not to talk back!" "You hear me?" "To obey!" "You good-for-nothing!" "Excuse me, Mr. Lemel." "You shouldn't yell at the kids." "They're fragile." "Children are sensitive." "Yelling scares them." "Think you don't scare them, with that mug of yours?" "Trust me, Mr. Lemel, yelling is no way to teach children." "If I started yelling in your ear, to teach you respect..." "If I started yelling like this...!" "Gentlemen!" "What's going on here?" "Well, headmaster, this lunatic is always provoking me." "Excuse me, headmaster." "Mr. Lemel is exaggerating." "I was just explaining something." "I'd like a word with you, Mr. Walter." "I'm telling you." "It's like he came out of the wall." "Then he disappeared again." ""Like he came out of the wall." We get it!" "You dragged us here for that?" "I tell you: it's true!" "Better quit writing novels;" "you're going batty!" "You can laugh as much as you want, but something odd is going on around here!" "Gentlemen!" "Have you quite finished?" "This isn't the visiting room!" "We're not talking, we're gargling." "Then gargle in silence!" "There!" "Now stay put." "You're not sick!" "Why did you come here?" "I lied!" "It's my turtle that's sick." "We have to cure it." " What's the problem?" " It won't eat." " What do you feed it?" " Nothing." " Why?" " I don't know what turtles eat!" " They eat lettuce." " Lettuce?" "Thanks." "Who's that little boy?" "He's younger than the others." "Mr. Brezillier's son." "The teacher who died." "He was a widower, so the headmaster and I decided to keep the boy on." "Brezillier was a strange man." "He dabbled in the occult sciences." "You believe in that stuff?" "Not really..." "I do." "I'm telling you this for your own good." "You're not likable enough, and you're aggressive." "Which explains the other teachers' hostility towards you." "Their hostility, headmaster, doesn't bother me in the least." "I'm here to work, so I work." "I ask for nothing more." "It's not just about work, here at Saint-Agil." "You have to make yourself likable too." "And it seems that even the children..." "I mean..." "You bother them..." "You scare them." "Me?" "I scare the children?" "Mr. Mazeau!" "Got any gum?" "Gum?" "Another American invention!" "Eating rubber... it's ridiculous!" "Do I eat my suspenders?" "Got any lettuce?" " Lettuce?" " Yes." " Not here, no." " I'll get you some later, son." " Thanks, Mr. Mazeau." "Why did you ask for lettuce?" "For the little one's turtle." "Are you eavesdropping again?" "I wasn't!" "This yard belongs to everyone." "But you're the only one who'll get a good spanking!" "Beat it!" "They wanna beat me up, sir!" "Not big enough to fight back?" "It's three against one!" "He's lying; we'd never gang up on him!" "They would." "They're always threatening me." "They always stick together!" "Who knows what they're up to!" "They even plot at night..." "They're up to no good!" "I never asked you." "Why are you telling me all this?" "'Cause they're up to no good." "It's not nice to spy on your peers, Fermier." "If you don't stop, we won't be friends anymore." "I'm warning you:" "we won't be friends at all." "I'd like to ask you a question." "Will you answer sincerely?" " Yes, sir." " Yes, sir." "Do I scare you?" "No, sir." " No." " No, sir." "That's what I've been told." "Then they're liars." "We're not scared of anything, anyway." "Thank you." "I didn't dare tell him, but sometimes he does scare me." "Why?" "I don't know, he's kinda weird." "Silence, please." "For today's dictation, I've chosen a writer who's not on the curriculum, but I thought it'd be interesting, to get away from the classics." "His name is Wells." "W" " E" " L" " L" " S." "H. G. Wells, who wrote many novels, the most famous being..." ""The Invisible Man."" "In English: "The Invisible Man."" "First, I'll read a few excerpts." "The invisible man, is a man... who's found a way to disappear at will." "Obviously, this is just science fiction, therefore inconceivable." "No it's not;" "I saw it!" "What could he have seen?" "What's that, Sorgues?" "You read this book?" "No, sir, but I saw one." ""One" what?" "A man who can disappear." "Silence, please!" "Sorgues is losing his marbles!" "Silence!" "Sorgues..." "I'm warning you." "I don't like that kind of joke." "Now for the dictation." "Chapter one." "The strange man's arrival." "The stranger came early in February..." "I tell you I saw him!" "Who spoke?" "Was it you, Sorgues?" "Yes, sir." "I said I saw him, as clearly as I see you." " Who?" " The man who appears and disappears." "Here we go again!" "Gentlemen!" "Silence, please!" "Please, keep quiet." "Sorgues..." "I'm sorry, but I won't have you mocking me like this." "I'm throwing you out." "He's lost his marbles!" "Maybe he really did see something." "Like what?" "The Headless Horseman?" "I demand silence!" "Go see the headmaster and give him this." "I thought changing the curriculum a bit would make you happy." "To my great regret, I see I was wrong." "Therefore, today's dictation won't be "The Invisible Man", but the life of Shakespeare." "So Mr. Walter threw you out because you were clowning around, and you invented this far-fetched story as an excuse?" "No, sir." "I assure you." "It just came blurting out." "But I swear I saw that man!" "A "supernatural" man?" "And you just happened to see him in the science classroom." "At night." "And what were you doing there?" "Huh?" "Thorny question, huh?" "I can't tell you, sir." "It's a secret." "A secret?" "You have too vivid an imagination." "It'll play nasty tricks on you." "Here." "Go back to class." "Why bother asking for lettuce?" "Now that you've finished, we'll move on to another type of exercise." "Visual memory." "Take a quick look at both sides of this banknote." "Don't linger." "Quickly." "I repeat: to learn to draw well, visual memory is essential." "Grevin, for example:" "What did you notice about the banknote?" "It was a 100 Francs note." "And what'd you notice, Billard?" "A man with an anvil." "And a woman holding a shovel." " And..." " And what?" "A hammer and an anvil." "Very poor visual memory!" "And lots of numbers..." "And what did you notice?" "I noticed five women." "Maybe six..." "Yes, sir: six women." "What's so funny?" "They're naked, sir!" "There's no point in going on." "You're looking without seeing." "That's why real masterpieces go unnoticed." "No one even bothered looking at the artist's signature." "The signature of the engraver." "Yet I once knew a brilliant engraver." "Do you know how he exploits his brilliance?" "He teaches a bunch of idiots!" "What's so funny, Macroix?" "Always the Three Musketeers." "The same three rebels!" "I'll lick you into shape!" "On your feet, Macroix!" "Baume, on your feet!" "Sorgues, on your feet!" "Sorgues, on your feet!" " Where is Sorgues?" " He's not here, sir." "He left without asking permission?" "No, sir, he was never here." "Sorgues wasn't here for drawing class?" "Where is he, then?" "Sorgues's gone missing." " Well?" " Nothing." "We asked everybody in town, but there's no sign of him." "As if he'd disappeared into thin air!" "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, gentlemen." "I'm convinced the boy simply ran away." "Possibly." "Sorgues is an impressionable young man." "Maybe Mr. Walter was a bit too aggressive... when he threw the boy out of his classroom." "Please, Mr. Lemel!" "I only did my duty." "Children are sensitive, Mr. Walter." "You should go easy on them." "Please don't speak to me in that tone." "I'm only stating my opinion." "It's no surprise that a student runs away from a boarding school, when one of the teachers scares the students!" "Say that again and...!" "Mr. Walter..." "Get a hold of yourself." "Sorry, sir." "But there are times... when I can't help myself." "May I be excused, sir?" "And to think some people refuse to believe... that there'll be war!" "Please, Donnadieu, leave us in peace!" "Sorry, sir." "Look what I found in Sorgues's desk, sir." "Very curious." "Travel brochures, catalogs, fares..." "I believe our young friend premeditated his actions." "But he won't get far, that's for sure." "He might already be at home by now." " Did you wire his parents?" " Yes." "Good." "Fetch his two friends, Planet." "Baume and Macroix?" "Very well, sir." "Baume, Sorgues and Macroix." "A fine trio they make!" "Hope you didn't shout it from the rooftops, Mazeau?" "I don't want this unfortunate incident to leak out." "I was incredibly discreet, sir." " Yet..." " Thanks, you can go now." "Fine, sir." "Yet, I'm extraordinarily worried." "I told you to go, Mr. Mazeau!" "Fine, sir." "I'm worried because I'm firmly convinced... that little Sorgues was hypnotized." "I'm sure someone here has the evil eye, and I'll prove it!" ""Hypnotized"!" "Why not "bewitched"?" "The occult sciences will end up turning Mazeau's head." " But it might be true." " What?" "That someone's got the "evil eye"." "Mr. Lemel, you're not being coherent!" "What?" "How dare you say that?" "And if front of Mr. Donnadieu, the worst gossip in the school?" "That's not very nice, sir." "That's not very kind." "I've had it with being spied on!" " One of these days..." " One of these days, what?" "Come in." "You may go." "Fine, sir." "What are you doing here, Mazeau?" "I'm thinking." "I'm more and more convinced that the boy was put to sleep." "Put to sleep?" "I know what I'm talking about." "Hypnotism." "The eyes..." "You can't understand, Mr. Planet, since you never sleep." "Maybe it's Planet who's got it." "Got what?" "The evil eye." "So you refuse to answer?" "We're not refusing, we can't tell you." "'Cause we don't know anything." "Fine." "I appealed to your sense of honesty and loyalty..." "I was wrong." "I swear Sorgues didn't tell us anything." "I swear it too." "Goodnight, headmaster." "Goodnight, Mr. Planet." " Sweet dreams!" " Right..." " Good night, sir." " Good night, Mr. Walter." "Good night." "Don't you find it odd that Mr. Walter is going out, given that he rarely leaves the school?" "You're the odd one, Planet." "A student's disappeared and now you see mystery everywhere!" "There's mystery in books, but rarely in life." "Trust me." " Good night, headmaster." " Good night." "You shouldn't have come tonight!" "Something's happened." "That's precisely why I came." "I doubt you really know what happened." "Obviously!" "No one tells me anything." "They use me, spy on me, watch my every move." "You have a persecution complex." "That's not good." "I've had it!" "I feel like everyone suspects me!" "It's unbearable." "There are times when I just wanna blurt it all out." "It's suffocating me!" "Blabbing might suffocate you even more." "It's fair to say it'd suffocate you for good." "What're you doing here?" "I came to keep you company." "'Cause I know you don't like drinking alone." " Cigarette?" " No, thanks." "Me neither." "What're you reading?" "Albrecht Durer's biography." "A brilliant painter." "Other people's lives interest you?" "Obviously, since I botched mine." "What're you moaning about?" "You make a good living." ""A good living"!" "No?" "It's none of my business, but I'd love to know how you spend your money." "See these reproductions of Albrecht Durer?" "Well, they're not reproductions!" "They're originals." "That's how I spend my money." "Wonderful works of art!" "Genuine masterpieces!" "I don't like art; it's useless." "How dare you say such a thing?" "Not so loud..." "Careful." "Let's have a little game." "As you wish." "Do you really think art is useless?" "Useless!" "Once you hang it up, that's it." "It's over." "Huh?" "I'm a simple man." "I like simple and fun things." "A knife, a box of matches..." "These are simple, fun things." "With a knife, you can sharpen a pencil." "With matches, you can start a fire." "With a knife, you can also slit someone's throat." "With matches, you can burn a house down, or start a forest fire." "Huh?" "What can you do with a painting?" "Number 8." "I've got it." "12." "I've got the 12 too." "Lottery games are just great!" "To think some people bother playing chess!" "65." " I�ve got that too." " You must be cheating!" "Number... 90." "I've... got it." "Number 78." " I've got that too." " Screw this game!" "Mr. Lemel..." "I came here today to tell you, as nicely as possible, that you absolutely must stop drinking." "Huh?" "Alcohol's bad for you." "Makes you do stupid things, makes you say stupid things." "Unless you drink it like me." "That is: on occasion." "I demand to know what was done to that boy!" "In a respectable boarding school, boys who don't sleep in their beds at night must be punished." "Let's start with roll call." "Baume?" "Present." " Macroix?" " Present." "Sorgues?" "Sorgues is declared missing." "Let's read the minutes." ""We disapprove of Sorgues's behavior," ""He wasn't supposed to leave without us." ""Especially without telling us." ""Without money or a sense of initiative, without a working knowledge of English," ""he's bound to fail." "Serves him right!"" "Sign it." "I won't sign." "I don't agree." "He was right to leave." " Planet." " Yes, Planet." "We'd better go back to bed." "Five cases of sparkling wine." "1, 2, 3, 4, 5." "Good." "14 boxes of cookies." "Good." "Four cases of lemonade." "1, 2, 3, 4." "Good." "Hey, where are the banners?" "Got the mail, Mazeau?" "I didn't have time for that, Mr. Planet!" "I'm taking deliveries." "It doesn't look good." "Tomorrow's Saint Agil Day... and the banners aren't here yet!" "The mail's on my desk." " I'll sort it." "Every year the banners get here at the last minute!" "How hard can ordering banners be?" "What poor organization!" "How odd!" "What?" "A postcard for Baume, from America." "America?" "That's incredible." "And from New York to boot!" "Signed "Able Coward"." "What an unusual name!" ""Able Coward"?" "Looking for something, Mr. Walter?" "Yes, is there a letter for me?" "No, sir." "Thank you." "He asks about a letter every day, but he never gets any." "Bizarre..." "Say!" "Could this postcard be from Sorgues?" "From Sorgues?" "It's possible!" "He's been missing for two weeks." "But it's signed "Able Coward"." "So?" "It could be a nickname." "So where's my lettuce?" "You promised to get me some." "Don't worry, I'm on it." "Baume!" "Yes, sir." "Thank you, sir." "It's incredible!" "He's a bastard because he left alone, but he made it there, and that's just incredible!" "Why's it addressed just to you?" "Dunno..." "How rotten!" "He could've sent me one too." "Or addressed it to me too." "They'll question us." "Planet was gawking at me!" "We've got a spy in our midst!" "This is what we do to spies!" "We rub their ears." "Then we tear 'em to pieces!" "You're hurting me!" "You bullies!" "You fat lumps!" "Hey, here's your lettuce!" "Thanks, sir." " Macroix, out!" " But, sir..." "Macroix, I order you to leave!" "If it turns your crank..." "How dare you...?" "After I order you to leave, you dare say to me, "if it turns your crank"?" "If that's the way you want it, it's off to the headmaster's office for you!" "If it turns your crank." "Gentlemen, after this unfortunate and unpleasant incident, we'll play "March of the Giants"." "On my command!" "1, 2..." "Headmaster, when I noticed Macroix's absence," "I told myself:" ""That's it, he's gone missing!"" "Don't be alarmed, children." "You can sleep in peace." "Your schoolmate can't be very far." "But how extremely unfortunate!" "Extremely, headmaster." " Headmaster?" " What is it?" "This afternoon, in the schoolyard," "Baume and Macroix said a lot of things." "We'll discuss that tomorrow." "It's time for these young ones to calm down... and get to sleep." "Come now!" "Time for bed!" "Headmaster." "I searched everywhere, and found absolutely nothing." "But I got to thinking, and something struck me." "A mysterious detail, which worries me more and more." "I think you'd better go to bed, Mazeau." "Yes, sir." "When Sorgues disappeared, I found his lettuce on the floor." "Macroix asked for lettuce and he's disappeared too." "But now I can't find his lettuce." "Why is that?" "That's the question." "Why lettuce, and for whom?" "It's a mystery!" "Where'd they go?" "Pipe down!" "Anyone still up in three minutes won't be attending the festivities tomorrow night." "What'd you tell the headmaster?" "Tell me or I'll break your nose!" "Don't." "I gotta tell you something." "What?" "You lost your postcard from America, right?" "How would you know?" "Did you swipe it?" "No, but I know who did." "I asked for silence, remember?" "Lights out, gentlemen." "Come in." "I want my postcard back, Mr. Walter." "Your postcard?" "What postcard?" "The postcard from America." "You picked it up off the ground." "Give it back." "I don't know what you're talking about." "Fine." "You don't trust me?" "I trust no one here." "MARTIN THE SKELETON." "Sorgues, declared missing." "Macroix, declared missing." " Baume..." " Present." "I knew I'd find you here." ""Martin the Skeleton, or the Adventures of the Able Cowards"." "This is all very clear." "The other two ran away, and you planned on joining them." "You won't have to bother!" "You're expelled from the boarding house." "You three were troublemakers." "Two are gone, and when you leave, there will be no more trouble!" "I'll wire your guardian to come pick you up." "Till then, I advise you to behave." "You can attend the festivities tomorrow." "It's all I can do for you." "Hernani!" "I tell you the time has come." "My time." "What will you do with me?" "Your choice:" "the dagger or poison!" "What have you done, poor wretch?" " You asked for it!" " What a horrible death!" "No, Hernani, don't." "Everything's going dark, Do�a Sol." "Are you in pain?" "I feel nothing." "Do you see lights in the shadows?" "Not yet." "Do�a Sol!" "Look at me." "Closer, still closer!" "Is she dead?" "I am accursed!" "Magnificent!" "I love it when the dead come back to take their bows!" "It's the world turned upside down." "It should be the living paying homage to the dead." "To the buffet, children!" "It was good, wasn't it?" "Help yourselves." "Tragedies make me thirsty." "I believe you've had enough champagne, Mr. Lemel." "What would you want me to drink, headmaster?" "I gotta leave the lemonade to the kids!" "Besides, champagne isn't bad." "It's the teetotallers who are evil." "Right, Mr. Walter?" "You look like death warmed over." "Actually, you look like a spy!" "Please, Mr. Walter..." "Please!" "Stop making a spectacle of yourself!" "Why?" "I have my reasons for drinking." "I could tell you my reasons." "In fact, I will tell you... sir!" "If you don't shut up, there'll be consequences!" "Consequences?" "I'm finished; a failure!" "Consequences mean nothing to me." "Come, Mr. Lemel." "Let's go take a walk and get some air." "Why?" "There's nothing left to drink, here." "I've set aside a few bottles in my room." "Mazeau, you're a peach!" "You lead, I'll follow." "Come." "One shouldn't make a spectacle of oneself, headmaster." "Come, Mr. Lemel, come!" "Yeah, I drink!" "So what?" "If I were a success - a great artist, for example " "I'd be commended for it." "All the great men drank." "Even the Great Charlemagne!" "Henri IV liked the sauce... too." "I know, I know." "Come, Mr. Lemel!" "Ravaillac drank too!" "Michelangelo..." "Robin..." "Robinson Crusoe." "Du Guesclin." "Philip the Fair." "Come, Mr. Lemel!" "Philip the Fair." "What a man!" "He had the Knights Templar burnt at the stake, because they were spying on him." "Served them right!" "They're spying on me too." "'Cause I got something in common with Philip the Fair." "Let me tell you..." "Headmaster!" "What's the commotion?" "What's going on?" "I don't know." "The fuses must've blown." "Get the emergency lamps." "Please remain calm!" "Nobody move!" "Headmaster!" "Mr. Lemel fell." "The lamps, sir." "Mind the younger ones." "He fell over here." " What happened?" " I don't know." " Quick, get a doctor!" " No." "Wait." "He's dead." "A horrible accident." "Yes." "An accident?" "Yes, an accident." "It's awful." "He almost fell on top of me." "I was here and he fell there." "Close call!" "Mr. Planet, please contact the chief of police." "Fine, sir." "Mazeau, replace the blown fuses." " Fine, sir." " Here." " Thanks." "Come on, boys." "Time for bed." "Come on." "Go to bed, children." " He fell from the second floor." " Did you see him?" " He wasn't bleeding much." " Yet he must have fallen on his head!" "Since you're here, hold this." "I'm checking which fuses blew." "This one's OK." "This one too." "This one too." "It might be this one." "It was." "Now go to bed." " The party was going so well!" " But ended so badly..." " Alas!" "You say Lemel drank a lot?" "He's dead now - we can say it." "He was a drunk." "Especially tonight." "I get it." "He undoubtedly fell over the balustrade." "Mr. Boisse, could you pinpoint... the source of the blackout?" "I'm not sure." "A short-circuit, no doubt." "We've always had... electrical problems here." "If you don't mind, I'd like to examine the exact place where he fell." "A simple formality, before I can give you a burial certificate." "Come on, gentlemen!" "Time to get up!" "Up!" "What's the holdup?" "Quick!" "Time to get up, Baume!" "Baume!" "Where's Baume?" " Have you seen Baume?" " No, sir." "Baume's gone." "That's the third one!" "Already finished?" "Don't wolf it down!" "Easy..." "Briquet's right, this isn't normal." "After Sorgues..." "Macroix." "And after Macroix, Baume." "Who's next?" "I'm gonna write my folks." "I don't wanna stay here;" "I'd rather go to public school." "Say!" "Maybe there's a vampire here." " A vampire?" " Yeah, a bloodsucking vampire!" "I don't wanna stay here...!" " I want to leave." " Calm down now!" "It's getting stifling now." "If you ask me, it's a bad omen." "Trust me: all hell's gonna break loose." "Hell's gonna break loose!" "Like a thunderstorm!" " What?" " War." "That's three missing now..." "I came to get my postcard." "And I found it." "Don't come any nearer!" "Stay where you are or I'll scream!" "I'll scream!" "You're crazy!" "What's wrong with you?" "I don't trust you." "I don't trust anyone here." "You're scared of me?" "I wasn't before, but I guess I was wrong." "Don't come any closer!" "Stay where you are!" "Fine, I won't budge." "How'd you get in here?" "Everyone's looking for you." "They think you've gone missing too." "I'm not missing." "I just pretended to be." "There are things I need to find out." "And I will." " First of all, why'd you take my card?" " Why?" "Because Sorgues's disappearance seemed strange to me." "I wanted to know..." "Know what?" "Who'd sent that postcard." "Sorgues sent it!" "No, it wasn't Sorgues." "He may not have mailed it, but he's the one who wrote it." "I recognize his handwriting." " Only..." " Only what?" "He didn't add Martin's secret sign." "Which means he was telling us something's wrong!" "I know what's up!" "Sorgues didn't go to America voluntarily." "He was kidnapped!" "I have more proof." "Sorgues was writing a novel, the only thing he cared about." "He left without it!" "So what?" "It means he didn't have the time to take it with him!" "I don't know who took him away, but I'll find out." "Have a close look at that card." "And you'll see... that the stamp is a fake." "This card did not come from New York." "It's just been dropped in the school mailbox, by someone who wants us to believe... that Sorgues has left for America." "Who might that be?" "I don't know yet, but I'm trying to find out." "Maybe it's you." "Are you still suspecting me?" "Can't you see I'm trying to help you?" "Maybe together we'll be able to solve the mystery." "I don't trust you." "You got so mad yesterday!" "You threatened Mr. Lemel." "When someone picks on me, I become violent." "Yes." "Very violent!" "That's why Mr. Lemel fell." "What are you saying?" "You're crazy..." "Do you really believe that?" "I was just joking." "I know it wasn't you." "I was by your side when Lemel was murdered." "You have no evidence." "Here's your evidence!" "Look, a fork." "A short circuit is very easily made." "Look." "And it's easy to push a drunk man, when it's dark." "I'm astonished." "Who do you suspect?" "I already told you." "Everybody." "But me." "And you." "So, you trust me?" "As far as the fork is concerned, you can't be blamed." "I don't know about the rest." "Saint-Agil." "What a curious boarding school this is!" "I was making fun of Sorgues, when he said that he saw someone coming out of the wall." "I was wrong." "He must have seen something in the science classroom." "And that's why he's missing." "I'll investigate tonight." "What kind of investigation?" "I don't know yet, but I'll find out." " What?" " I don't know." "Well, I'll go with you." "As you wish, but be careful... if you do anything stupid, everyone will hear me." "I won't be taken away as easily as the others!" "Mr. Walter, what do you think of Philip the Fair?" "Philip the Fair?" "What are you talking about?" "I'm asking you what you think of him." "Philip the Fair was a French king." "Lemel said he was like Philip the Fair." "Then he fell." "Do you know what Philip the Fair used to do?" "Not much, I believe." "He was a counterfeiter." "That's odd..." "Sorgues and Macroix have been kidnapped... because they've seen something!" "Sorgues saw a man appear and disappear out of the wall, right here." "Out of the wall?" "That's ridiculous!" "You know what we look like?" "Well..." "We look like two idiots." "Sorgues saw a man appear and disappear!" " Enough!" " No!" "I can't stand listening to this, over and over." ""Appear and disappear!"" "I feel like I'm going crazy, or like I'm becoming an idiot." "Footsteps!" "Come." "We won't find anything here." "We will." "You're so stubborn!" "I'm staying." "Go ahead and stay." "If you want something, you know where you can find me." "Philip the Fair!" "What is it?" "Nothing." "I'm invoking the moon." "It's a Mexican tradition." " Really?" " Yes." "...and Sorgues, held captive by the counterfeiters in the old Mexican mill, suddenly started invoking the moon." "And the moon said:" "Able Coward." ""Able Coward"?" "What does it mean?" "Leave me alone!" "I told you that I hate it when someone reads over my shoulder when I'm writing!" "It wouldn't matter;" "I can't read!" " Why are you looking, then?" " I like it." "Well, I don't!" "OK..." "This boy's got a wild imagination!" "How can he come up with all this stuff?" "I already told you." "I don't like people reading over my shoulder." "And you can't even read!" "It's not my fault if I can't read!" "I've had it - this is my mill!" "Your mill?" "It's a fine one, for sure!" "Nothing but ruins!" "Ruins!" "Ruins and dust!" "Is it my fault if the industrial mills ruined me?" "If my wife ran off with a big-shot miller?" "Next you'll say it's my fault if you got into counterfeiting!" "I had to do something..." "I get bored when I do nothing." "Thank God the boy's here!" "When I read his novel, it's the best part of the day." "Leave me alone." "Don't read over my shoulder!" "I wanna know what happens." "Can't you read it aloud?" "If it makes you happy..." ""In this old and stuffy" ""Mexican mill," ""poor little Sorgues was being held captive." ""It was Bernadin, known as Boulder Bernadin" ""because he was so hard-headed" ""who was put in charge of guarding him," ""because he was a stupid and illiterate brute." ""But deep down, he wasn't really a bad Mexican."" "That's me, right?" "He's talking about me in his book?" "It's wonderful!" "I'll get you some coffee for that!" ""There was also Alexis the miller." ""He smoked a pipe all day long, like a poor devil." ""In his absence, his accomplices..." ""talked behind his back, calling him a cuckold and laughing about it."" "Now that's funny!" "And acutely observed." ""The third..." That would be me." ""seemed one of those people who talk all the time..." ""and do nothing at all."" "That's a keen observation too." "Enough already!" "How can I write with all this talking?" "I can't concentrate!" "I need pens, paper and blotter!" "Don't get upset now!" "Take this." "It will cheer you up a bit." "It's strong, but I added extra milk." "Coffee's good for people who do brain work." "Thanks, Bernadin." "You're very kind." "I'll continue. "One fine day, Sorgues found out that "Three Stars"," ""the students' nickname for their drawing teacher" "" - due to his cognac drinking habit " ""was also part of the gang."" "Three Stars..." "Poor Lemel!" "He won't draw the banknotes any more." " It was you who murdered him?" " You're crazy!" "I have never killed anyone." "Never." "Besides, I wasn't in charge of killing him." "I only had to keep an eye on him." "Wait for me there!" "You're too young." "Go to bed and sleep." "What are you doing here?" "I think it's dangerous." " You want to rescue him?" " Sure." "Go get the others." "Tell them to wait for us on the first floor." "Quick." "Go quietly!" "Someone's talking?" "Who's talking?" "Now they talk in the middle of the night!" "I'm telling you:" "I don't want to go!" "Shut up or I'll cut out your tongue!" "Follow me." "I'm dreaming..." "How funny, I'm dreaming..." "I see Baume." "Baume..." "The third one to go missing." "So, what's this mill?" "Just an ordinary mill." "Don't worry." "Get down." "Are we going to get in?" "The most important thing is getting Sorgues and Macroix out of there." " Have you seen Macroix?" " No." "Maybe they've separated them." "Macroix is tough." "They must have locked him in the basement." "I want to get out of here!" "Silence!" "You could keep quiet without me having to ask you." "I want to get out of here." " Go away." " Those trees scare me!" "Stay, then." "But shut up!" " What are we going to do?" " We need a strategy." "Position yourselves for battle." "The third dormitory, the elders, will be our shock troop." "To the front!" "The second dormitory, our backing troop, to the right!" "The first dormitory, the youngsters, will be our reserves!" "To the back, quick!" "This is what they call "night manoeuvres"!" "Silence!" "Why did they lock them up in a mill?" "To turn the millstone." "Like slaves!" "Holy cow!" "My butt is cold!" "'Cause you're scared." "Do you understand?" "We have to surprise the enemy." "Anyone want to volunteer?" "To do what?" "To come with me." "Into the mill?" "No." "I'm too scared." " I'm going." " Very well." "Now, everybody walk to the door." "Quietly." "Are you leaving?" "Yes." "I don't like murders." "What's that?" "Some copies." "Worthless samples." "A souvenir of Lemel." "You made up your mind, then?" "Are you leaving?" "Yes." "Any counterfeiting business always ends up badly." "Not a word." "Don't insist!" "Look!" "And there are three times more in the back!" "These kids have some guts!" "We are besieged by Lilliputians!" "What do you want?" "Sorgues!" "Sorgues!" "Nothing less!" "And Macroix!" "Macroix?" "Who's Macroix?" "Our friend." "He's not here!" "I've never seen him." "Oh, your friend!" "Sure!" "How would you know?" "He's here." "In the basement!" "Sure, in the basement!" "Then go get him right now!" "Right." "Let's go get him." "Come on, to the basement!" "Come." "Come on, to the basement!" "The basement is 10 km away." "We're going to the station, what did you think?" "!" "Leave it to me." "Come on." "Did they hurt you?" "They're nice fellows." "I had them under my thumb." "Who took you away?" "You'll never guess." " Baume, they have escaped!" " Who?" " The gangsters!" "They won't go far." "Quick!" "What is it?" "All the students are missing!" "It's impossible." "He's out of his mind!" "He's completely crazy..." "Mazeau!" "Mazeau!" "The dormitories are empty." "All the students are missing!" "Huh?" "Stop!" "Stop!" "They're here!" "What's going on?" "This time it�s war!" "So?" " Don't you want to come in?" " No." "Why?" "We're scared;" "we're talking about a crime." "And there's a murderer." "We don't want to be taken away." "Well, OK." "I'll go in with Sorgues." "Stop people coming out." "What if it's the murderer?" "Take him prisoner." "Silence, now!" "Sir!" "Headmaster, sir!" "It's disgraceful." "They're crazy!" "It's disgraceful." "They forced us to go with them." "They say that you have taken Sorgues away, that you have killed Mr. Lemel and Macroix!" "Baume said that!" "Then he said..." "What did he say?" "That you killed Lemel because he was going to talk." "This kid is a mythomaniac." "He's getting his revenge because I threw him out!" "He took me away when I told him that I had seen a mysterious man in the science classroom." "When he dismissed me," "I went out that door." "Then he caught me from that one, while I was passing by." "Where I found the lettuce!" "Headmaster... the evil eye... it's you!" "Lemel's murderer, it's you." "And you've killed Macroix!" "No." "I wouldn't dare..." "You've lost, Boisse." "Yes." "I've lost." "But I don't know anything about Macroix." "I couldn't hurt a kid." "I don't know where he is." "That's the truth." "I'm sorry, I fell asleep." "You're excused." " Macroix is back!" " You see!" "This is good news." "People in town were starting to talk." "I didn't want to tell you, sir, but you understand..." "Macroix!" "Baume, Sorgues!" "How are you?" "Where were you?" "I went to America." "Are you serious?" "Well, almost." " Almost?" " I was in Le Havre, in Normandy." "I embarked secretly." "They caught me." " It's incredible." "Tell us more..." " Boisse is going to scold me!" "You shouldn't worry about Boisse any more." " No way..." " Yes!" "Macroix?" " How do you do?" " How are you?" " Very well, thank you." " I'm glad to see you again." "Mr. Walter..." "Do you want to attend our secret meeting in the science classroom?" "Certainly." "With pleasure." " Hi, Martin." " Hi, Martin." "Mr. President." "Mr. Walter, Able Coward." "The Able Cowards secret society, as a token of gratitude for your services, has decided to nominate you Chairman of Honor!" "I give you the floor." "My friends, thank you." "Mr. President," "I'm very honored." "The missing Boys of Saint-Agil based on the novel by Pierre Very" "Directed by Christian-Jaque" "The Saint-Agil boys' school, where the action takes place, does not exist in reality and the characters are imaginary." "We simply wanted to provide viewers with an opportunity to remember a time when they too were thirsty for amazing adventures." "Saint-Agil Boys boarding school" "Dormitory" " Hi, Martin." " Hi, Martin." "Hi." "We were up to Article 7." "We'll read it together." "Then we'll discuss it." "It's pointless." "Once we decide to do something, we have to do it." "Not just "do it", but "accomplish it"." "Which means studying the question in depth." "Thanks." "Planning it out." "Silence, please!" "I need to reread the report." "It's just a bunch of papers!" "And it's freezing in here." "Don't you think, Martin?" "What did you say?" "Nothing, I was talking to Martin." "With all these drafts, he's gonna get a cold." "Leave Martin be!" "It's true!" "Our skin and flesh act as a kind of overcoat." "But he's naked all year round." " I demand silence." " Fine." "I'll shut up!" "OK, I'll read it." "Report on the secret activities of the Able Cowards Club." "Statutes." "Article 1." "The Club members' goal is to set sail for the USA." "Article 2:" "The Club comprises three members." "Let's do a roll call." "Number one?" "Present." "Number two?" "Present." "Number three?" "Present." "I'll continue." "Weekly night-time meetings will be held in the science classroom, presided over by Martin the Skeleton." "Article 4:" "Members have sworn not to set sail individually." "I repeat:" "I say we strike that article." "Too late, you took an oath!" "If you had a chance to go alone, wouldn't you take it?" " I'd go with you, or not at all!" " So you say..." "Can I read the last notes?" "Sure, go ahead." "A:" "Which airline do we choose?" "B:" "How do we board?" "C:" "What will we do once we reach free America?" "D:" "Remember to study the St Etienne Standard Catalog of Military Firearms." "E..." "Footsteps." "It's Planet again." "Planet?" "Always Planet!" "Is he a sleepwalker?" "Not a sleepwalker, an insomniac." "It's the same thing." "So we�ll adjourn... till next week for the report?" "And we won't set sail for a decade." "You're always griping!" "No." "I'm just saying." "You're "just saying" what?" "If Columbus had worked this slow, he'd never have gotten anywhere." "You think he didn't study the map before leaving?" "Study the map?" "He took an egg, balanced it on its tip and took off in his ship." "That's how he did it." "And I'll do the same." "Now I'm going to bed!" "Me too." "Aren't you coming?" "No." "I wanna work on my novel." "Your "novel"!" "What's this novel about?" "It's about all the adventures we'll have once we get there." "Once we get there..." "How depressing to hear this!" " Are you coming?" " Yes." "Chapter IV Where the three Able Cowards, after making (and losing) a fortune, arrive at the Mexican border." "Second meeting with the mysterious man." "Why are you back so soon?" "I saw something." "Sorgues?" "I hope they didn't catch you!" "No, but I saw something." "Something amazing!" "Who's talking?" "Who's talking in the middle of the night?" "Unbelievable." "Tell us in the morning." "We'll pretend we're sick." "We'll be able to talk at the infirmary." "Yes." "Unbelievable!" "What's all this chatter?" "In the middle of the night?" "I've never heard of such a thing!" "I believe you're talking to yourself, my friend." "I'm sorry, Mr. Planet." "You're forgiven." "Come, gentlemen!" "Come on!" "Time to get up!" "And be quiet about it!" "Get up, gentlemen!" "Come on!" "Get a move on!" "What're you waiting for?" "Didn't you hear the reveille?" " Yes, sir." " Well?" "All that talking kept me awake last night." "So I wasn't dreaming!" "There was talking..." "Who was talking?" " It was..." " Who?" " I don't know, sir." "I fell asleep right away." "Macroix." " What're you doing?" " I'm sick." " What is it?" " Red robin." " What?" " My throat's red." "It hurts, as if a bird were pecking at it." " Sir!" " What?" "I'm sick too." "What have you got?" "Same thing as Macroix." "It burns, it hurts!" " It hurts, sir!" " You too?" "It hurts here." "How very curious." " Sir?" " What is it?" "I think I've got it." " What?" " Red robin." "No, this can't be!" "Morning, Mr. Planet." "Morning, Donnadieu." "I trust you slept well." "Please keep your jokes to yourself." "Jokes?" "I suffer from insomnia, and every morning people ask me how I slept." "It's stupid!" "And uncalled-for." "Good morning." "Good morning, Lemel." "Good morning, Donnadieu." "Good morning, Planet." "Slept well, Planet?" "No, Mr Lemel." "I didn't." "I never sleep." "You understand?" "Never!" "Do I ask if your wine's well fermented?" "You and your insinuations..." "I'm just saying aloud what people say behind your back:" "that you drink... alone, in secret!" "You're imagining things, Mr. Planet." "You have no character." "You're an oddball, a crackpot." "A sleepwalker, in fact." "As such, I despise you." "He despises me!" "Did you hear, Mr. Donnadieu?" "That lush despises me!" "A man who drinks in secret and who reels along in public." "What?" "I, reel along?" " I dare you to repeat that!" " Don't start fighting, gentlemen." "Between Frenchmen, when war is imminent?" "When the enemy's at our gate?" "Good morning, gentlemen." "I trust you slept well?" "Yes, headmaster." "I mean... no." "I mean... a little." " Good morning, gentlemen." " Good morning." "Good morning, Mr. Walter." "That Mr. Walter doesn't look like a very nice man!" "Indeed." "Gentlemen!" "He looks like a perjurer to me." "Furthermore, he scares the children." "I beg your pardon, gentlemen!" "Walter is undoubtedly a fine man." "He hasn't been here long, but his work is beyond reproach." "He may be slightly reserved, but he's an excellent living language teacher." "I don't like foreigners." "You shouldn't generalize, Mr. Lemel." "Like in everything, there are good ones and bad ones." "Well, I'm sure he's a bad one." "Good or bad, it's always with foreigners that we'll go to war." "Can't you watch where you're going?" "Sorry, I didn't see you!" "That's no excuse to step on my feet." "You gotta look before running." "You gotta look!" "You hear me?" "Yes." "I'm not deaf." "What?" "Talking back to me?" "Dirty little rascal." "I'll teach you some respect, you hear me?" "You're here to obey, not to talk back!" "You hear me?" "To obey!" "You good-for-nothing!" "Excuse me, Mr. Lemel." "You shouldn't yell at the kids." "They're fragile." "Children are sensitive." "Yelling scares them." "Think you don't scare them, with that mug of yours?" "Trust me, Mr. Lemel, yelling is no way to teach children." "If I started yelling in your ear, to teach you respect..." "If I started yelling like this...!" "Gentlemen!" "What's going on here?" "Well, headmaster, this lunatic is always provoking me." "Excuse me, headmaster." "Mr. Lemel is exaggerating." "I was just explaining something." "I'd like a word with you, Mr. Walter." "I'm telling you." "It's like he came out of the wall." "Then he disappeared again." ""Like he came out of the wall." We get it!" "You dragged us here for that?" "I tell you: it's true!" "Better quit writing novels;" "you're going batty!" "You can laugh as much as you want, but something odd is going on around here!" "Gentlemen!" "Have you quite finished?" "This isn't the visiting room!" "We're not talking, we're gargling." "Then gargle in silence!" "There!" "Now stay put." "You're not sick!" "Why did you come here?" "I lied!" "It's my turtle that's sick." "We have to cure it." " What's the problem?" " It won't eat." " What do you feed it?" " Nothing." " Why?" " I don't know what turtles eat!" " They eat lettuce." " Lettuce?" "Thanks." "Who's that little boy?" "He's younger than the others." "Mr. Brezillier's son." "The teacher who died." "He was a widower, so the headmaster and I decided to keep the boy on." "Brezillier was a strange man." "He dabbled in the occult sciences." "You believe in that stuff?" "Not really..." "I do." "I'm telling you this for your own good." "You're not likable enough, and you're aggressive." "Which explains the other teachers' hostility towards you." "Their hostility, headmaster, doesn't bother me in the least." "I'm here to work, so I work." "I ask for nothing more." "It's not just about work, here at Saint-Agil." "You have to make yourself likable too." "And it seems that even the children..." "I mean..." "You bother them..." "You scare them." "Me?" "I scare the children?" "Mr. Mazeau!" "Got any gum?" "Gum?" "Another American invention!" "Eating rubber... it's ridiculous!" "Do I eat my suspenders?" "Got any lettuce?" " Lettuce?" " Yes." " Not here, no." " I'll get you some later, son." " Thanks, Mr. Mazeau." "Why did you ask for lettuce?" "For the little one's turtle." "Are you eavesdropping again?" "I wasn't!" "This yard belongs to everyone." "But you're the only one who'll get a good spanking!" "Beat it!" "They wanna beat me up, sir!" "Not big enough to fight back?" "It's three against one!" "He's lying; we'd never gang up on him!" "They would." "They're always threatening me." "They always stick together!" "Who knows what they're up to!" "They even plot at night..." "They're up to no good!" "I never asked you." "Why are you telling me all this?" "'Cause they're up to no good." "It's not nice to spy on your peers, Fermier." "If you don't stop, we won�t be friends anymore." "I'm warning you:" "we won't be friends at all." "I'd like to ask you a question." "Will you answer sincerely?" " Yes, sir." " Yes, sir." "Do I scare you?" "No, sir." " No." " No, sir." "That's what I've been told." "Then they're liars." "We're not scared of anything, anyway." "Thank you." "I didn't dare tell him, but sometimes he does scare me." "Why?" "I don't know, he's kinda weird." "Silence, please." "For today's dictation, I've chosen a writer who's not on the curriculum, but I thought it'd be interesting, to get away from the classics." "His name is Wells." "W" " E" " L" " L" " S." "H. G. Wells, who wrote many novels, the most famous being..." ""The Invisible Man."" "In English: "The Invisible Man."" "First, I'll read a few excerpts." "The invisible man, is a man... who's found a way to disappear at will." "Obviously, this is just science fiction, therefore inconceivable." "No it's not;" "I saw it!" "What could he have seen?" "What's that, Sorgues?" "You read this book?" "No, sir, but I saw one." ""One" what?" "A man who can disappear." "Silence, please!" "Sorgues is losing his marbles!" "Silence!" "Sorgues..." "I'm warning you." "I don't like that kind of joke." "Now for the dictation." "Chapter one." "The strange man's arrival." "The stranger came early in February..." "I tell you I saw him!" "Who spoke?" "Was it you, Sorgues?" "Yes, sir." "I said I saw him, as clearly as I see you." " Who?" " The man who appears and disappears." "Here we go again!" "Gentlemen!" "Silence, please!" "Please, keep quiet." "Sorgues..." "I'm sorry, but I won't have you mocking me like this." "I'm throwing you out." "He's lost his marbles!" "Maybe he really did see something." "Like what?" "The Headless Horseman?" "I demand silence!" "Go see the headmaster and give him this." "I thought changing the curriculum a bit would make you happy." "To my great regret, I see I was wrong." "Therefore, today's dictation won't be "The Invisible Man", but the life of Shakespeare." "So Mr. Walter threw you out because you were clowning around, and you invented this far-fetched story as an excuse?" "No, sir." "I assure you." "It just came blurting out." "But I swear I saw that man!" "A "supernatural" man?" "And you just happened to see him in the science classroom." "At night." "And what were you doing there?" "Huh?" "Thorny question, huh?" "I can't tell you, sir." "It's a secret." "A secret?" "You have too vivid an imagination." "It'll play nasty tricks on you." "Here." "Go back to class." "Why bother asking for lettuce?" "Now that you've finished, we'll move on to another type of exercise." "Visual memory." "Take a quick look at both sides of this banknote." "Don't linger." "Quickly." "I repeat: to learn to draw well, visual memory is essential." "Grevin, for example:" "What did you notice about the banknote?" "It was a 100 Francs note." "And what'd you notice, Billard?" "A man with an anvil." "And a woman holding a shovel." " And..." " And what?" "A hammer and an anvil." "Very poor visual memory!" "And lots of numbers..." "And what did you notice?" "I noticed five women." "Maybe six..." "Yes, sir: six women." "What's so funny?" "They're naked, sir!" "There's no point in going on." "You're looking without seeing." "That's why real masterpieces go unnoticed." "No one even bothered looking at the artist's signature." "The signature of the engraver." "Yet I once knew a brilliant engraver." "Do you know how he exploits his brilliance?" "He teaches a bunch of idiots!" "What's so funny, Macroix?" "Always the Three Musketeers." "The same three rebels!" "I'll lick you into shape!" "On your feet, Macroix!" "Baume, on your feet!" "Sorgues, on your feet!" "Sorgues, on your feet!" " Where is Sorgues?" " He's not here, sir." "He left without asking permission?" "No, sir, he was never here." "Sorgues wasn't here for drawing class?" "Where is he, then?" "Sorgues's gone missing." " Well?" " Nothing." "We asked everybody in town, but there's no sign of him." "As if he'd disappeared into thin air!" "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, gentlemen." "I'm convinced the boy simply ran away." "Possibly." "Sorgues is an impressionable young man." "Maybe Mr. Walter was a bit too aggressive... when he threw the boy out of his classroom." "Please, Mr. Lemel!" "I only did my duty." "Children are sensitive, Mr. Walter." "You should go easy on them." "Please don't speak to me in that tone." "I'm only stating my opinion." "It's no surprise that a student runs away from a boarding school, when one of the teachers scares the students!" "Say that again and...!" "Mr. Walter..." "Get a hold of yourself." "Sorry, sir." "But there are times... when I can't help myself." "May I be excused, sir?" "And to think some people refuse to believe... that there'll be war!" "Please, Donnadieu, leave us in peace!" "Sorry, sir." "Look what I found in Sorgues's desk, sir." "Very curious." "Travel brochures, catalogs, fares..." "I believe our young friend premeditated his actions." "But he won't get far, that's for sure." "He might already be at home by now." " Did you wire his parents?" " Yes." "Good." "Fetch his two friends, Planet." "Baume and Macroix?" "Very well, sir." "Baume, Sorgues and Macroix." "A fine trio they make!" "Hope you didn't shout it from the rooftops, Mazeau?" "I don't want this unfortunate incident to leak out." "I was incredibly discreet, sir." " Yet..." " Thanks, you can go now." "Fine, sir." "Yet, I'm extraordinarily worried." "I told you to go, Mr. Mazeau!" "Fine, sir." "I'm worried because I'm firmly convinced... that little Sorgues was hypnotized." "I'm sure someone here has the evil eye, and I'll prove it!" ""Hypnotized"!" "Why not "bewitched"?" "The occult sciences will end up turning Mazeau's head." " But it might be true." " What?" "That someone's got the "evil eye"." "Mr. Lemel, you're not being coherent!" "What?" "How dare you say that?" "And if front of Mr. Donnadieu, the worst gossip in the school?" "That's not very nice, sir." "That's not very kind." "I've had it with being spied on!" " One of these days..." " One of these days, what?" "Come in." "You may go." "Fine, sir." "What are you doing here, Mazeau?" "I'm thinking." "I'm more and more convinced that the boy was put to sleep." "Put to sleep?" "I know what I'm talking about." "Hypnotism." "The eyes..." "You can't understand, Mr. Planet, since you never sleep." "Maybe it's Planet who's got it." "Got what?" "The evil eye." "So you refuse to answer?" "We're not refusing, we can't tell you." "'Cause we don't know anything." "Fine." "I appealed to your sense of honesty and loyalty..." "I was wrong." "I swear Sorgues didn't tell us anything." "I swear it too." "Goodnight, headmaster." "Goodnight, Mr. Planet." " Sweet dreams!" " Right..." " Good night, sir." " Good night, Mr. Walter." "Good night." "Don't you find it odd that Mr. Walter is going out, given that he rarely leaves the school?" "You're the odd one, Planet." "A student's disappeared and now you see mystery everywhere!" "There's mystery in books, but rarely in life." "Trust me." " Good night, headmaster." " Good night." "You shouldn't have come tonight!" "Something's happened." "That's precisely why I came." "I doubt you really know what happened." "Obviously!" "No one tells me anything." "They use me, spy on me, watch my every move." "You have a persecution complex." "That's not good." "I've had it!" "I feel like everyone suspects me!" "It's unbearable." "There are times when I just wanna blurt it all out." "It's suffocating me!" "Blabbing might suffocate you even more." "It's fair to say it'd suffocate you for good." "What're you doing here?" "I came to keep you company." "'Cause I know you don't like drinking alone." " Cigarette?" " No, thanks." "Me neither." "What're you reading?" "Albrecht Durer's biography." "A brilliant painter." "Other people's lives interest you?" "Obviously, since I botched mine." "What're you moaning about?" "You make a good living." ""A good living"!" "No?" "It's none of my business, but I'd love to know how you spend your money." "See these reproductions of Albrecht Durer?" "Well, they're not reproductions!" "They're originals." "That's how I spend my money." "Wonderful works of art!" "Genuine masterpieces!" "I don't like art; it's useless." "How dare you say such a thing?" "Not so loud..." "Careful." "Let's have a little game." "As you wish." "Do you really think art is useless?" "Useless!" "Once you hang it up, that's it." "It's over." "Huh?" "I'm a simple man." "I like simple and fun things." "A knife, a box of matches..." "These are simple, fun things." "With a knife, you can sharpen a pencil." "With matches, you can start a fire." "With a knife, you can also slit someone's throat." "With matches, you can burn a house down, or start a forest fire." "Huh?" "What can you do with a painting?" "Number 8." "I've got it." "12." "I've got the 12 too." "Lottery games are just great!" "To think some people bother playing chess!" "65." " I�ve got that too." " You must be cheating!" "Number... 90." "I've... got it." "Number 78." " I've got that too." " Screw this game!" "Mr. Lemel..." "I came here today to tell you, as nicely as possible, that you absolutely must stop drinking." "Huh?" "Alcohol's bad for you." "Makes you do stupid things, makes you say stupid things." "Unless you drink it like me." "That is: on occasion." "I demand to know what was done to that boy!" "In a respectable boarding school, boys who don't sleep in their beds at night must be punished." "Let's start with roll call." "Baume?" "Present." " Macroix?" " Present." "Sorgues?" "Sorgues is declared missing." "Let's read the minutes." ""We disapprove of Sorgues's behavior," ""He wasn't supposed to leave without us." ""Especially without telling us." ""Without money or a sense of initiative, without a working knowledge of English," ""he's bound to fail." "Serves him right!"" "Sign it." "I won't sign." "I don't agree." "He was right to leave." " Planet." " Yes, Planet." "We'd better go back to bed." "Five cases of sparkling wine." "1, 2, 3, 4, 5." "Good." "14 boxes of cookies." "Good." "Four cases of lemonade." "1, 2, 3, 4." "Good." "Hey, where are the banners?" "Got the mail, Mazeau?" "I didn't have time for that, Mr. Planet!" "I'm taking deliveries." "It doesn't look good." "Tomorrow's Saint Agil Day... and the banners aren't here yet!" "The mail's on my desk." " I'll sort it." "Every year the banners get here at the last minute!" "How hard can ordering banners be?" "What poor organization!" "How odd!" "What?" "A postcard for Baume, from America." "America?" "That's incredible." "And from New York to boot!" "Signed "Able Coward"." "What an unusual name!" ""Able Coward"?" "Looking for something, Mr. Walter?" "Yes, is there a letter for me?" "No, sir." "Thank you." "He asks about a letter every day, but he never gets any." "Bizarre..." "Say!" "Could this postcard be from Sorgues?" "From Sorgues?" "It's possible!" "He's been missing for two weeks." "But it's signed "Able Coward"." "So?" "It could be a nickname." "So where's my lettuce?" "You promised to get me some." "Don't worry, I'm on it." "Baume!" "Yes, sir." "Thank you, sir." "It's incredible!" "He's a bastard because he left alone, but he made it there, and that's just incredible!" "Why's it addressed just to you?" "Dunno..." "How rotten!" "He could've sent me one too." "Or addressed it to me too." "They'll question us." "Planet was gawking at me!" "We've got a spy in our midst!" "This is what we do to spies!" "We rub their ears." "Then we tear 'em to pieces!" "You're hurting me!" "You bullies!" "You fat lumps!" "Hey, here's your lettuce!" "Thanks, sir." " Macroix, out!" " But, sir..." "Macroix, I order you to leave!" "If it turns your crank..." "How dare you...?" "After I order you to leave, you dare say to me, "if it turns your crank"?" "If that's the way you want it, it's off to the headmaster's office for you!" "If it turns your crank." "Gentlemen, after this unfortunate and unpleasant incident, we'll play "March of the Giants"." "On my command!" "1, 2..." "Headmaster, when I noticed Macroix's absence," "I told myself:" ""That's it, he's gone missing!"" "Don't be alarmed, children." "You can sleep in peace." "Your schoolmate can't be very far." "But how extremely unfortunate!" "Extremely, headmaster." " Headmaster?" " What is it?" "This afternoon, in the schoolyard," "Baume and Macroix said a lot of things." "We'll discuss that tomorrow." "It's time for these young ones to calm down... and get to sleep." "Come now!" "Time for bed!" "Headmaster." "I searched everywhere, and found absolutely nothing." "But I got to thinking, and something struck me." "A mysterious detail, which worries me more and more." "I think you'd better go to bed, Mazeau." "Yes, sir." "When Sorgues disappeared, I found his lettuce on the floor." "Macroix asked for lettuce and he's disappeared too." "But now I can't find his lettuce." "Why is that?" "That's the question." "Why lettuce, and for whom?" "It's a mystery!" "Where'd they go?" "Pipe down!" "Anyone still up in three minutes won't be attending the festivities tomorrow night." "What'd you tell the headmaster?" "Tell me or I'll break your nose!" "Don't." "I gotta tell you something." "What?" "You lost your postcard from America, right?" "How would you know?" "Did you swipe it?" "No, but I know who did." "I asked for silence, remember?" "Lights out, gentlemen." "Come in." "I want my postcard back, Mr. Walter." "Your postcard?" "What postcard?" "The postcard from America." "You picked it up off the ground." "Give it back." "I don't know what you're talking about." "Fine." "You don't trust me?" "I trust no one here." "MARTIN THE SKELETON." "Sorgues, declared missing." "Macroix, declared missing." " Baume..." " Present." "I knew I'd find you here." ""Martin the Skeleton, or the Adventures of the Able Cowards"." "This is all very clear." "The other two ran away, and you planned on joining them." "You won't have to bother!" "You're expelled from the boarding house." "You three were troublemakers." "Two are gone, and when you leave, there will be no more trouble!" "I'll wire your guardian to come pick you up." "Till then, I advise you to behave." "You can attend the festivities tomorrow." "It's all I can do for you." "Hernani!" "I tell you the time has come." "My time." "What will you do with me?" "Your choice:" "the dagger or poison!" "What have you done, poor wretch?" " You asked for it!" " What a horrible death!" "No, Hernani, don't." "Everything's going dark, Dona Sol." "Are you in pain?" "I feel nothing." "Do you see lights in the shadows?" "Not yet." "Dona Sol!" "Look at me." "Closer, still closer!" "Is she dead?" "I am accursed!" "Magnificent!" "I love it when the dead come back to take their bows!" "It's the world turned upside down." "It should be the living paying homage to the dead." "To the buffet, children!" "It was good, wasn't it?" "Help yourselves." "Tragedies make me thirsty." "I believe you've had enough champagne, Mr. Lemel." "What would you want me to drink, headmaster?" "I gotta leave the lemonade to the kids!" "Besides, champagne isn't bad." "It's the teetotallers who are evil." "Right, Mr. Walter?" "You look like death warmed over." "Actually, you look like a spy!" "Please, Mr. Walter..." "Please!" "Stop making a spectacle of yourself!" "Why?" "I have my reasons for drinking." "I could tell you my reasons." "In fact, I will tell you... sir!" "If you don't shut up, there'll be consequences!" "Consequences?" "I'm finished; a failure!" "Consequences mean nothing to me." "Come, Mr. Lemel." "Let's go take a walk and get some air." "Why?" "There's nothing left to drink, here." "I've set aside a few bottles in my room." "Mazeau, you're a peach!" "You lead, I'll follow." "Come." "One shouldn't make a spectacle of oneself, headmaster." "Come, Mr. Lemel, come!" "Yeah, I drink!" "So what?" "If I were a success - a great artist, for example " "I'd be commended for it." "All the great men drank." "Even the Great Charlemagne!" "Henri IV liked the sauce... too." "I know, I know." "Come, Mr. Lemel!" "Ravaillac drank too!" "Michelangelo..." "Robin..." "Robinson Crusoe." "Du Guesclin." "Philip the Fair." "Come, Mr. Lemel!" "Philip the Fair." "What a man!" "He had the Knights Templar burnt at the stake, because they were spying on him." "Served them right!" "They're spying on me too." "'Cause I got something in common with Philip the Fair." "Let me tell you..." "Headmaster!" "What's the commotion?" "What's going on?" "I don't know." "The fuses must've blown." "Get the emergency lamps." "Please remain calm!" "Nobody move!" "Headmaster!" "Mr. Lemel fell." "The lamps, sir." "Mind the younger ones." "He fell over here." " What happened?" " I don't know." " Quick, get a doctor!" " No." "Wait." "He's dead." "A horrible accident." "Yes." "An accident?" "Yes, an accident." "It's awful." "He almost fell on top of me." "I was here and he fell there." "Close call!" "Mr. Planet, please contact the chief of police." "Fine, sir." "Mazeau, replace the blown fuses." " Fine, sir." " Here." " Thanks." "Come on, boys." "Time for bed." "Come on." "Go to bed, children." " He fell from the second floor." " Did you see him?" " He wasn't bleeding much." " Yet he must have fallen on his head!" "Since you're here, hold this." "I'm checking which fuses blew." "This one's OK." "This one too." "This one too." "It might be this one." "It was." "Now go to bed." " The party was going so well!" " But ended so badly..." " Alas!" "You say Lemel drank a lot?" "He's dead now - we can say it." "He was a drunk." "Especially tonight." "I get it." "He undoubtedly fell over the balustrade." "Mr. Boisse, could you pinpoint... the source of the blackout?" "I'm not sure." "A short-circuit, no doubt." "We've always had... electrical problems here." "If you don't mind, I'd like to examine the exact place where he fell." "A simple formality, before I can give you a burial certificate." "Come on, gentlemen!" "Time to get up!" "Up!" "What's the holdup?" "Quick!" "Time to get up, Baume!" "Baume!" "Where's Baume?" " Have you seen Baume?" " No, sir." "Baume's gone." "That's the third one!" "Already finished?" "Don't wolf it down!" "Easy..." "Briquet's right, this isn't normal." "After Sorgues..." "Macroix." "And after Macroix, Baume." "Who's next?" "I'm gonna write my folks." "I don't wanna stay here;" "I'd rather go to public school." "Say!" "Maybe there's a vampire here." " A vampire?" " Yeah, a bloodsucking vampire!" "I don't wanna stay here...!" " I want to leave." " Calm down now!" "It's getting stifling now." "If you ask me, it's a bad omen." "Trust me: all hell's gonna break loose." "Hell's gonna break loose!" "Like a thunderstorm!" " What?" " War." "That's three missing now..." "I came to get my postcard." "And I found it." "Don't come any nearer!" "Stay where you are or I'll scream!" "I'll scream!" "You're crazy!" "What's wrong with you?" "I don't trust you." "I don't trust anyone here." "You're scared of me?" "I wasn't before, but I guess I was wrong." "Don't come any closer!" "Stay where you are!" "Fine, I won't budge." "How'd you get in here?" "Everyone's looking for you." "They think you've gone missing too." "I'm not missing." "I just pretended to be." "There are things I need to find out." "And I will." " First of all, why'd you take my card?" " Why?" "Because Sorgues's disappearance seemed strange to me." "I wanted to know..." "Know what?" "Who'd sent that postcard." "Sorgues sent it!" "No, it wasn't Sorgues." "He may not have mailed it, but he's the one who wrote it." "I recognize his handwriting." " Only..." " Only what?" "He didn't add Martin's secret sign." "Which means he was telling us something's wrong!" "I know what's up!" "Sorgues didn't go to America voluntarily." "He was kidnapped!" "I have more proof." "Sorgues was writing a novel, the only thing he cared about." "He left without it!" "So what?" "It means he didn't have the time to take it with him!" "I don't know who took him away, but I'll find out." "Have a close look at that card." "And you'll see... that the stamp is a fake." "This card did not come from New York." "It's just been dropped in the school mailbox, by someone who wants us to believe... that Sorgues has left for America." "Who might that be?" "I don't know yet, but I'm trying to find out." "Maybe it's you." "Are you still suspecting me?" "Can't you see I'm trying to help you?" "Maybe together we'll be able to solve the mystery." "I don't trust you." "You got so mad yesterday!" "You threatened Mr. Lemel." "When someone picks on me, I become violent." "Yes." "Very violent!" "That's why Mr. Lemel fell." "What are you saying?" "You're crazy..." "Do you really believe that?" "I was just joking." "I know it wasn't you." "I was by your side when Lemel was murdered." "You have no evidence." "Here's your evidence!" "Look, a fork." "A short circuit is very easily made." "Look." "And it's easy to push a drunk man, when it's dark." "I'm astonished." "Who do you suspect?" "I already told you." "Everybody." "But me." "And you." "So, you trust me?" "As far as the fork is concerned, you can't be blamed." "I don't know about the rest." "Saint-Agil." "What a curious boarding school this is!" "I was making fun of Sorgues, when he said that he saw someone coming out of the wall." "I was wrong." "He must have seen something in the science classroom." "And that's why he's missing." "I'll investigate tonight." "What kind of investigation?" "I don't know yet, but I'll find out." " What?" " I don't know." "Well, I'll go with you." "As you wish, but be careful... if you do anything stupid, everyone will hear me." "I won't be taken away as easily as the others!" "Mr. Walter, what do you think of Philip the Fair?" "Philip the Fair?" "What are you talking about?" "I'm asking you what you think of him." "Philip the Fair was a French king." "Lemel said he was like Philip the Fair." "Then he fell." "Do you know what Philip the Fair used to do?" "Not much, I believe." "He was a counterfeiter." "That's odd..." "Sorgues and Macroix have been kidnapped... because they've seen something!" "Sorgues saw a man appear and disappear out of the wall, right here." "Out of the wall?" "That's ridiculous!" "You know what we look like?" "Well..." "We look like two idiots." "Sorgues saw a man appear and disappear!" " Enough!" " No!" "I can't stand listening to this, over and over." ""Appear and disappear!"" "I feel like I'm going crazy, or like I'm becoming an idiot." "Footsteps!" "Come." "We won't find anything here." "We will." "You're so stubborn!" "I'm staying." "Go ahead and stay." "If you want something, you know where you can find me." "Philip the Fair!" "What is it?" "Nothing." "I'm invoking the moon." "It's a Mexican tradition." " Really?" " Yes." "...and Sorgues, held captive by the counterfeiters in the old Mexican mill, suddenly started invoking the moon." "And the moon said:" "Able Coward." ""Able Coward"?" "What does it mean?" "Leave me alone!" "I told you that I hate it when someone reads over my shoulder when I'm writing!" "It wouldn't matter;" "I can't read!" " Why are you looking, then?" " I like it." "Well, I don't!" "OK..." "This boy's got a wild imagination!" "How can he come up with all this stuff?" "I already told you." "I don't like people reading over my shoulder." "And you can't even read!" "It's not my fault if I can't read!" "I've had it - this is my mill!" "Your mill?" "It's a fine one, for sure!" "Nothing but ruins!" "Ruins!" "Ruins and dust!" "Is it my fault if the industrial mills ruined me?" "If my wife ran off with a big-shot miller?" "Next you'll say it's my fault if you got into counterfeiting!" "I had to do something..." "I get bored when I do nothing." "Thank God the boy's here!" "When I read his novel, it's the best part of the day." "Leave me alone." "Don't read over my shoulder!" "I wanna know what happens." "Can't you read it aloud?" "If it makes you happy..." ""In this old and stuffy" ""Mexican mill," ""poor little Sorgues was being held captive." ""It was Bernadin, known as Boulder Bernadin" ""because he was so hard-headed" ""who was put in charge of guarding him," ""because he was a stupid and illiterate brute." ""But deep down, he wasn't really a bad Mexican."" "That's me, right?" "He's talking about me in his book?" "It's wonderful!" "I'll get you some coffee for that!" ""There was also Alexis the miller." ""He smoked a pipe all day long, like a poor devil." ""In his absence, his accomplices..." ""talked behind his back, calling him a cuckold and laughing about it."" "Now that's funny!" "And acutely observed." ""The third..." That would be me." ""seemed one of those people who talk all the time..." ""and do nothing at all."" "That's a keen observation too." "Enough already!" "How can I write with all this talking?" "I can't concentrate!" "I need pens, paper and blotter!" "Don't get upset now!" "Take this." "It will cheer you up a bit." "It's strong, but I added extra milk." "Coffee's good for people who do brain work." "Thanks, Bernadin." "You're very kind." "I'll continue. "One fine day, Sorgues found out that "Three Stars"," ""the students' nickname for their drawing teacher" "" - due to his cognac drinking habit " ""was also part of the gang."" "Three Stars..." "Poor Lemel!" "He won't draw the banknotes any more." " It was you who murdered him?" " You're crazy!" "I have never killed anyone." "Never." "Besides, I wasn't in charge of killing him." "I only had to keep an eye on him." "Wait for me there!" "You're too young." "Go to bed and sleep." "What are you doing here?" "I think it's dangerous." " You want to rescue him?" " Sure." "Go get the others." "Tell them to wait for us on the first floor." "Quick." "Go quietly!" "Someone's talking?" "Who's talking?" "Now they talk in the middle of the night!" "I'm telling you:" "I don't want to go!" "Shut up or I'll cut out your tongue!" "Follow me." "I'm dreaming..." "How funny, I'm dreaming..." "I see Baume." "Baume..." "The third one to go missing." "So, what's this mill?" "Just an ordinary mill." "Don't worry." "Get down." "Are we going to get in?" "The most important thing is getting Sorgues and Macroix out of there." " Have you seen Macroix?" " No." "Maybe they've separated them." "Macroix is tough." "They must have locked him in the basement." "I want to get out of here!" "Silence!" "You could keep quiet without me having to ask you." "I want to get out of here." " Go away." " Those trees scare me!" "Stay, then." "But shut up!" " What are we going to do?" " We need a strategy." "Position yourselves for battle." "The third dormitory, the elders, will be our shock troop." "To the front!" "The second dormitory, our backing troop, to the right!" "The first dormitory, the youngsters, will be our reserves!" "To the back, quick!" "This is what they call "night manoeuvres"!" "Silence!" "Why did they lock them up in a mill?" "To turn the millstone." "Like slaves!" "Holy cow!" "My butt is cold!" "'Cause you're scared." "Do you understand?" "We have to surprise the enemy." "Anyone want to volunteer?" "To do what?" "To come with me." "Into the mill?" "No." "I'm too scared." " I'm going." " Very well." "Now, everybody walk to the door." "Quietly." "Are you leaving?" "Yes." "I don't like murders." "What's that?" "Some copies." "Worthless samples." "A souvenir of Lemel." "You made up your mind, then?" "Are you leaving?" "Yes." "Any counterfeiting business always ends up badly." "Not a word." "Don't insist!" "Look!" "And there are three times more in the back!" "These kids have some guts!" "We are besieged by Lilliputians!" "What do you want?" "Sorgues!" "Sorgues!" "Nothing less!" "And Macroix!" "Macroix?" "Who's Macroix?" "Our friend." "He's not here!" "I've never seen him." "Oh, your friend!" "Sure!" "How would you know?" "He's here." "In the basement!" "Sure, in the basement!" "Then go get him right now!" "Right." "Let's go get him." "Come on, to the basement!" "Come." "Come on, to the basement!" "The basement is 10 km away." "We're going to the station, what did you think?" "!" "Leave it to me." "Come on." "Did they hurt you?" "They're nice fellows." "I had them under my thumb." "Who took you away?" "You'll never guess." " Baume, they have escaped!" " Who?" " The gangsters!" "They won't go far." "Quick!" "What is it?" "All the students are missing!" "It's impossible." "He's out of his mind!" "He's completely crazy..." "Mazeau!" "Mazeau!" "The dormitories are empty." "All the students are missing!" "Huh?" "Stop!" "Stop!" "They're here!" "What's going on?" "This time it's war!" "So?" " Don't you want to come in?" " No." "Why?" "We're scared;" "we're talking about a crime." "And there's a murderer." "We don't want to be taken away." "Well, OK." "I'll go in with Sorgues." "Stop people coming out." "What if it's the murderer?" "Take him prisoner." "Silence, now!" "Sir!" "Headmaster, sir!" "It's disgraceful." "They're crazy!" "It's disgraceful." "They forced us to go with them." "They say that you have taken Sorgues away, that you have killed Mr. Lemel and Macroix!" "Baume said that!" "Then he said..." "What did he say?" "That you killed Lemel because he was going to talk." "This kid is a mythomaniac." "He's getting his revenge because I threw him out!" "He took me away when I told him that I had seen a mysterious man in the science classroom." "When he dismissed me," "I went out that door." "Then he caught me from that one, while I was passing by." "Where I found the lettuce!" "Headmaster... the evil eye... it's you!" "Lemel's murderer, it's you." "And you've killed Macroix!" "No." "I wouldn't dare..." "You've lost, Boisse." "Yes." "I've lost." "But I don't know anything about Macroix." "I couldn't hurt a kid." "I don't know where he is." "That's the truth." "I'm sorry, I fell asleep." "You're excused." " Macroix is back!" " You see!" "This is good news." "People in town were starting to talk." "I didn't want to tell you, sir, but you understand..." "Macroix!" "Baume, Sorgues!" "How are you?" "Where were you?" "I went to America." "Are you serious?" "Well, almost." " Almost?" " I was in Le Havre, in Normandy." "I embarked secretly." "They caught me." " It's incredible." "Tell us more..." " Boisse is going to scold me!" "You shouldn't worry about Boisse any more." " No way..." " Yes!" "Macroix?" " How do you do?" " How are you?" " Very well, thank you." " I'm glad to see you again." "Mr. Walter..." "Do you want to attend our secret meeting in the science classroom?" "Certainly." "With pleasure." " Hi, Martin." " Hi, Martin." "Mr. President." "Mr. Walter, Able Coward." "The Able Cowards secret society, as a token of gratitude for your services, has decided to nominate you Chairman of Honor!" "I give you the floor." "My friends, thank you." "Mr. President," "I'm very honored."