"ENGLAND" "One, two, three..." "Misfire!" "Stop now." "THE GAME OF DEATH" "Joyce?" "I'm here..." "...you great lump of useless flesh!" "Good God, man, this room is airless." "Have you forgotten how to breathe, Joyce?" "!" "What do you..." "want, May?" "I'm busy." "Important papers?" ""Requisition one hundred barrels of hard tack, fifty barrels raggued mutton...."" "Why, these documents are vital to the realm." "It's been over six months, Henry." "I know it was supposed to be your anniversary yesterday." "So, what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from the town peacock?" "You wound me, Henry." "A Queen's officer must dress in his finest in public." "You, on the other hand, look like hell." "Edward?" "tell me." "When did he last venture out on the town?" "Last month, sir." "Last month?" "By God, Henry." "Tonight, you're coming out to seek adventure." "Am I?" "What is this shameful sippery, Henry?" "Have you forgotten how to drink?" "Hm?" "Uh, excuse me." "Mary!" "..." "I still love you, Mary." "You know, the beauty of this place, is you can buy adventure at a very reasonable price." "A spot of strunket would do the world of good." "What's the point?" "Have you lost all appetite for life, Henry?" "You captained (continues indistinct to:) once, (off) and you used to hunt tigers." "And you attacked an entire squad of Sudanese footmen singIe-handedIy." "That was right after I received the news of Rebecca's death." "That wasn't bravery." "Sir, I humbly offer you my most heartfelt blessings" "sheldon?" "in the form of this here cream tart." "How do?" "And for you, sir." "What are you, smashed?" "Piss off, you and you tarts!" "gentlemen, adieu." "A most gracious good evening to you, gentlemen." "would you consider eating one of these prime confections?" "I can vouch for the quality of the pastry..." "having eaten two dozen of the little fellows, myself." "And if you do not..." "you will constrain me to eat my twenty-fifth, and my must own to being ever so slightly..." "weary of the exercise." "well, then, um, I consent." "Uh, on condition..." "that you join us for dinner this evening." "We are in search of distractions, you see?" "I am in your debt and cannot but behave handsomely to all those who humor me." "gentlemen, thank you." "This is for your extraordinary patience." "bless you." "Now, then." "Did you hear that, Henry?" "He lost his entire inheritance at whist." "Rotten luck." "well, to say I lost it, would be to damn me with faint praise, rather." "I squandered it recklessly and with great success." "Just one of my many manly accomplishments in a life full of indulgence." "This morning, I came to my last ten pounds." "At present, I don't know which is more odious, myself orjust life in general." "My, my." "well, perhaps you should just end it all." "And further disgrace my family's name, I care not." "Moreover, I'm not a soldier." "I'm a coward." "although I loathe life..." "...I have not the strength to put the pistol to my head and pull the trigger." "It's a mortal sin." "I'II burn in hell eternally." "So, what will you do?" "We are blessed, are we not, to live in the age of conveniences?" "We have affairs in different places, hence, the railway was created." "The railway then separated us, infaIIibIy, from our friends, so we invented the telegraph." "Our lives have been made easy, comfortable..." "...in so many ways." "But there is still one convenience lacking to modern comfort." "A quick and easy way to end life when it ceases to amuse us." "Back door if you will, to liberty." "How well you put it." "well, that's incredible that we should have met by accident, but be in the same condition." "You are ruined men also?" "I take courage from your example." "As for the rest...." "No, wait!" "Save yourself forty pounds." "Why forty?" "explain yourself." "You're not fooling me." "You're truly ruined men like myself?" "Who but a ruined man would throw his notes into the fire?" "That's right." "Indeed." "well, then." "Your health, gentlemen." "And good day to you, my merry ruined men." "What are you playing at..." "Joyce?" "Let go." "Mr. Shaw!" "please." "You're wrong to lack confidence in us." "We, too, have had enough of Iife, and are determined to die." "And since we've met you..." "I know you know an answer." "Let it be tonight." "It's all right." "I believe you." "well" "can you muster up eighty pounds between you?" "Yes, of course we can." "Forty pounds is the price of entry." "Entry to what?" "To that back door I mentioned earlier where one can be ushered into eternity quietly and without scandal." "The suicide club." "Aren't you glad I dragged you out of your hiding?" "Hm?" "It's quite a lark, this, eh?" "Yes, it's the ultimate lark, Mr. May." "reflect well, gentlemen." "You stand at the crossroads." "Lead on, sir." "Prospective members." "I'II speak with the president about you." "well, didn't I promise you an adventure?" "Good seeing you engaging again, Joyce." "still a bit bizarre, isn't it?" "Did you see those chaps downstairs with the swords?" "Ah gentlemen." "You wish to see me?" "We desire, sir, to join the suicide club." "And what is that?" "Uh, I believe you, sir, are the person best qualified to enlighten us on that point." "Is this some kind ofjoke?" "A suicide club?" "OaII your club what you will." "You have some company behind that door," "and we insist on joining it." "gentlemen, I think you've made some kind of mistake." "This is a private house..." "and I insist you leave immediately." "We're here at the invitation of a friend of yours." "In my current state of mind, I have neither tolerance for rudeness nor social niceties." "Now, either you are going to..." "...oblige us in this matter, or you shall very bitterly repent having admitted us at all!" "I'm sorry." "No, no." "No." "well spoken." "You are in the right place." "Mr. Shaw did vouch for you..." "...but, uh, I do have to be certain." "please, both of you, sit down." "Now, due to the nature of the club, I must take certain precautions." "please read and sign these." "Is all this really necessary?" "It's an oath to publicly.... disavow the existence of this society." "And the club guarantees the opportunity to enter eternity at one's convenience without scandal or shame ...and with the help and the support of the membership." "And upon completion of the contract, all properties and assets revert to the ownership of the club." "A healthy fee, indeed." "well, it is, I'm sure you'II agree, a unique service that we provide." "The club meets three times a year." "Each term lasts approximately two weeks, and we meet at midnight." "and we meet at midnight." "You don't need to sign this." "You should leave now." "absolutely not, Joyce." "gentlemen, your pens?" "Mr. Henry Joyce Signature of applicant" "OongratuIations, gentlemen." "welcome to a privileged..." "and exclusive society." "Oome this way." "gentlemen, welcome to the suicide club." "You made it." "OongratuIations." "I'II leave you in.." "Mr. Shaw's capable hands." "please avail yourself of our hospitality." "It's, uh it's never for certain, you know." "He always screens prospective members personally." "The service he and his club provides..." "...is of an inestimable value." "...newcomers." "lovely, lovely." "For me, you know, it was that wretched Darwin chap." "We can't bear to be descended from an ape." "An interesting powder extracted from the cocoa leaf of Peru." "It seems to cause a great fascination with one's own conversation." "Not for me, though." "There's certainly..." "...plenty to choose from." "Opium, hashish..." "...Iaudanum, absinthe." "personally, though." "I prefer waIIowing in my own pain to numbing it." "Your bad health..." "...gentlemen." "It's flatter and big talk." "A man wants to go ahead and kill himself, why doesn't he do it like a gentleman?" "Good God, Joyce." "lowell Haniford, Secretary of the Army." "A rather rum run of luck in Burma." "SingIe-handedIy caught blame for letting the wogs route Her Majesty's forces." "That's not Thorpe." "Yes, the Home Secretary." "well, I dare say, not..." "...for long if he has his way." "Who, may I ask, is that?" "Do you know Lord WoIverton?" "Vice admiral to the White?" "That's his daughter, Sarah." "They know her full story." "She's reputed to have been a member here for sometime" "without having yet fulfilled her mission." "Her mission?" "To terminate her existence." "Same reason we're all here." "Oome, gentlemen." "Our real business begins." "My lady." "gentlemen." "Good evening." "Mr. Pratt, the deck." "Thank you." "A fresh deck." "For our winner this evening, may it bode serendipity for a fresh start." "As is customary, I shall ask our newest member to cut the deck." "please." "Thank you." "To begin." "If they weren't all so pitiful, it wouId be amusing." "Now, you know the rules, My Lord." "I decide who reveals their card" "...and when." "only I." "I am sorry, Ambassador Bourne." "It's forgotten." "Now..." "...Mr. PooIe." "It's an ace..." "...of hearts." "A new record!" "You have survived eighteen months of membership." "You have my consolation." "A new record, eh?" "A new record." "Lucky me." "Mr. Shaw." "The ace of clubs." "Be of good cheer, Mr. Shaw." "You may even find you enjoy it." "Are you all right, Shaw?" "Mr. Joyce." "Look" " What does all this signify?" "Do we not merit an explanation?" "Didn't Mr. Shaw explain to you the rules?" "No, he did not." "My apologies, then." "It's really quite simple." "Whoever draws the ace of spades will be afforded a quick and painless death that very night." "And the ace of clubs?" "Oarries out the killing." "Mr. Joyce, your card, please." "It appears we shall enjoy your company for another evening, Mr. Joyce." "Mr. OIayton." "The ace of spades." "OongratuIations, Mr. OIayton." "Tonight is your night." "Meet me in my study in ten minutes." "My lady, gentlemen..." "this meeting is adjourned." "Wait!" "Now, I was sure it had to be a farcical club of yours until I saw it with my own eyes." "It is monstrous, what you are doing." "An abomination against God and Queen!" ", To gamble with your lives... with creation in this fashion..." "it is depravity!" "I will not contenance it." "You signed an oath." "You swore to silence." "To hell with your oath, and to hell with you, Bourne!" "By morning you'II be under arrest..." "...and this obscene gathering disbanded." "Get him out." "May!" "May!" "...go." "Just go." "...Pratt!" "Take the outside guard." "kill him." "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't have your throat cut now." "Out it and dispense of my misery." "I have no need of card games." "Oh, really?" "Your friend." "I met him this evening at a tavern." "I was as fooled as well as yourself." "Now tell your man to release me or finish the job!" "Let him go." "Barnes, Louers, West, Brigg rendezvous with me through the forest." "WaItman and OhigweII, through the glens." "What about the knoll?" "No, if he's that stupid, the bog will get him." "gentlemen, five pounds for whoever kills him." "Go." "Go!" "Lindsey!" "Oh, Mr. Joyce?" "You're now a full member of the club." "The consequence of non-participation is also death, but not the quick and painless kind our members prefer." "We look forward to your presence tomorrow evening." "Henry...." "My God, you need a doctor." "Go get one, Edward, now!" "Too late." "What are you waiting for, Edward?" "!" "Go!" "Henry...." "don't go back there." "Shhh." "Save your strength." "Henry, there's so much" "You don't want to die." "believe me." "You want to live." "AII right, Jeffrey." "Shh." "You all right?" "No, I'm not all right." "I wouldn't be here if I was all right, would I?" "What happened last night?" "Did you?" "Yes." "God save my mortal soul, yes." "would you Iike me to tell what you've got to look forward to?" "Sir?" "My God, you're timing is impeccable." "From the ace of clubs, to a club full of aces!" "Aces." "Every single last one of them." "Our esteemed president gave me explicit instructions." "I was to meet OIayton at Whikham OastIe at precisely five-thirty a.m." "OIayton was already there when I arrived." "Waiting." "I think I was more nervous than he was." "Somehow, I managed to enact Bourne's plan." "Soaked him with whiskey." "He never spoke and he never looked back at me... and I was grateful for that." "finally, he seemed ready, and all that was left for me to do was to" "You gave him rest, Mr. Shaw." "That's what he wished." "well, I hope to God you're right." "Then people so rarely know their hearts." "Excuse me." "Members of the Suicide OIub the cut this evening goes to the newest, surviving member." "Thank you." "So, to begin." "Now, Iet me see." "Mr. Thorpe." "Professor Taupman." "Mr. Erickson." "Mr. Port." "Mr. Harris." "Mr. Joyce." "Mr. Joyce, are you with us?" "Your card, please." "Mr. Shaw." "Ace of spades." "OongratuIations." "Miss WoIverton." "Ace of clubs." "gentlemen, this evening is adjourned." "Mr. Shaw, Miss WoIverton, please meet me in my study." "They used to bury us at crossroads, you know." "I'm sorry, were you talking to me?" "Suicides." "Not permitted to be buried in proper graveyards." "only at a crossroads, staked through the heart by law." "Murder is preferable." "One can always repent, afterwards." "For my part, I wish only for a bandage for my eyes, and cotton for my ears." "only, they have no cotton thick enough in this world." "Excuse me." "Mr. Shaw!" "May I share your cab with you?" "Yes." "You're certain this is what you wish?" "I wish for relief from misery." "farewell, Mr. Joyce." "I think we shall all meet again." "Give me your billfold." "What?" "Give it to me." "Oh, God." "Now turn around." "I wish to speak with you." "I, uh" "Yes, ma'am." "Miss WoIverton." "Henry Joyce, the pleasure's mine." "I know who you are." "would you care to sit down?" "Not here." "hello." "Miss WoIverton?" "Why did you follow me?" "I didn't follow you." "You were there last night." "I saw you." "I followed Shaw." "I, um...." "What?" "I wanted to see if you could go through with it." "Why do you stare at me in the parlor?" "You are...interested." "...interested." "I'II tell you this." "If you betray the club before I have my opportunity to die," "I'II kill you myself." "I do hope I wasn't intruding." "beautiful night." "Oigar?" "Thank you." "Is it true she's the daughter of the First Lord of the admiralty, Lord WoIverton?" "Yes." "difficult to imagine how she should find herself in such desperate straits." "Oh." "You imagine wealth insuIates one from life's cruelties." "To a great extent, yes." "She's had a miserable existence." "miserable." "Her mother died giving birth to her." "Her father never forgave her, left her to be brought up by the servants." "More recently, she fell in love with a young lieutenant, a mere commoner who had the temerity to gain his rank through marriage, rather than through nepotism." "He was posted to the Sudan, found himself assigned to lead a futile attack against the sultan's forces." "Lord WoIverton had him sent there?" "It was a death warrant." "Somehow, his hero's burial failed to appease Miss WoIverton's grief." "She broke with her family and soon after, came here." "I wonder..." "...why do you ask about her?" "I simply, um...." "well, she's the only female member in the club, that's all." "I confess, I find it strange that you evince any interest in earthly matters, Mr. Joyce." "Most men in your circumstance..." "...have no curiosity left about life at all." "Miss WoIverton?" "Unexpected pleasure." "Unexpected?" "Yes." "May I walk with you?" "I'm also headed this way." "What do you want, Mr. Joyce?" "I'm not a fool, and this is not an accidental meeting." "You're very direct." "I have little need for evasion." "would it be so terribly difficult to be civil?" "The world is not a civil place, Mr. Joyce." "I've learned this in a most difficult way" "What do you want?" "I, um...." "For God sakes, man, if you're looking for a woman, go find yourself a whore!" "No!" "It's just that you, you remind me of my late wife." "She passed away six months ago of consumption, and...." "I'm sorry." "You can join her soon." "Longest surviving member of the club." "Eighteen months." "First, I was like the others." "simply wanted to end the dreariness." "Make sure I was safely snuffed out before the new century begins." "You know, it's horror." "Mr." "PooIe?" "But it's addictive, you know?" "The game itself." "Oh, the thrill of those cards." "The unbearable agony of waiting to reveal them, it's delicious." "Wine." "Some people trifle with love." "Love isn't a strong passion." "Fear is the strongest passion." "It's with fear that one must trifle, if one wishes to taste the intensestjoys of living." "You ever killed a man..." "Mr. Joyce?" "I was in active service in Khartoum in ninety-eight." "Oh, yes." "A bloody time." "Our boys ran a bit wild, didn't they?" "There's nothing like taking another man's life," "Mr. Joyce, to make one full of Iife oneself." "Don't you agree?" "I've killed three times." "Me, a tax collector." "It's invigorating." "Good luck." "Professor Taup." "Mr. Harris." "Mr. Thorpe." "Mr." "PooIe." "Stop!" "This is torture." "I'm going to kill you Bourne, unless you kill me first!" "You're not playing by the rules, Mr. Thorpe." "Sod the poxy rules!" "I mean it, Bourne!" "Very well." "You shall have your way." "Mr. Pratt." "please." "Oh, you'II get your wish, Mr. Thorpe, eventually." "God!" "The pain!" "Since Mr. Pratt has avoided any major arteries..." "it ought to take a Iong while to die." "probably a day or two." "Take him out to the field." "Let him bleed out." "please, finish it..." "Bourne, I beg you!" "Finish it!" "Finish it." "gentlemen, shall we resume the draw?" "Mr. PooIe, I believe it was your turn." "It's the ace of clubs." "Lord Weston." "Miss WoIverton...." "Miss WoIverton, what an honor." "My lady, gentlemen the meeting is adjourned." "How did you let that happen?" "well, Mr. Bourne, you never told me to search them at the door." "Most of these people belong in a bedlam anyway." "How am I supposed to know who's gonna.." "I pay you a small fortune." "Earn it, or I'II find, somebody else who will." "You startled me." "You must reconsider." "Because I remind you of your deceased wife?" "Because you are yet young!" "beautiful." "And I have my entire life before me?" "Do you come here to sweep me off my feet with platitudes?" "I beg you," "do not do this!" "You know nothing of me!" "Do not presume to empathize, Mr. Joyce!" "I am sorry your wife passed away." "Stop following me." "Sarah!" "Adieu, Mr. Joyce." "Hey, you!" "Where's the man that was in this cab?" "A woman's life's in danger!" "tell me which way he went!" "I've killed him." "Hey!" "Hey, down there!" "What the bloody hell is goin' on down there?" "!" "Oome on." "He'II bleed to death." "Are you a OathoIic?" "Is that why you couldn't do it yourself?" "Is it a hobby of yours, meddling in others' lives?" "Am I especially favored?" "He was going to kill you." "I couldn'tjust let him." "You're an ass." "Why are you helping me?" "You saw what Bourne did to Thorpe." "I have no wish to see him do the same to you... to see him do the same again." "Sarah, there are doctors' treatments." "There's this new talk therapy." "And why do you frequent the club, Mr. Joyce?" "To play whist?" "I know you feel despondent now, but in time" "What do you know of me?" "You seem to think you know me." "I know you have loved someone and lost him." "You know nothing." "What else is there to know?" "Do not treat me like some love sick schoolgirl!" "You cannot understand." "He took him from me." "My own father took him and had him killed." "But it wasn't your fault." "It was!" "I couId've stopped it." "I couId've stopped it." "But I was too cowardly to stand up to my father." "So I let them ship him off to his death." "You don't need to ruin yourself." "There are others more deserving." "I am sorry." "Sarah." "This is what you wanted..." "...isn't it?" "Not this way." "Do I remind you..." "...of her?" "No." "You should go." "Sarah." "There's someone at the door, ma'am." "No, I can't wait." "It's all right." "Go to your room." "Miss WoIverton." "It's very early." "I'm not dressed." "We need to talk." "Let me dress then I'II get some tea." "No." "What happened last night?" "I should like to pose the same question to you, Mr. Bourne." "Your club has failed me." "Then you didn't see Mr. PooIe?" "No." "Mr. PooIe had a bit of an accident." "It seems he slipped and fell onto his own sword." "onto his own sword" "He killed himself?" "I don't think so." "The sword was driven through his stomach..." "...up to the hilt." "I don't understand." "Was there anyone else there last night you may have seen?" "You seem a little flushed." "Have you had any visitors recently?" "What?" "!" "No!" "You're certain?" "Of course." "Then you won't mind if Mr. Pratt has a look around." "Wait!" "What is the meaning of this?" "!" "I strongly suspect someone is trying to sabotage the club." "surely, you don't think that I" "I don't know." "But you're not supposed to be alive this morning, but here you are." "Yes." "apparently due to your incompetence." "Wait!" "Take your hand off me!" "In a moment." "You're hurting my arm!" "There's nobody there." "My apologies." "You realize, I must take every precaution." "I promise to resolve your situation soon." "Good day." "Oh, and Miss WoIverton?" "If you..." "...happen to come across Mr. Joyce ask him to pay me a visit." "I'd Iike to discuss with him, his whereabouts last night." "Good day." "You are doubtless wondering..." "why Miss WoIverton yet sits amongst us." "It seems our Mr. PooIe could wait no Ionger..." "and decided to take his own life instead of hers." "I can assure you, gentlemen, the club intends to fulfill its contract with each and every one of you in due course but, every now and then, a member seems to take matters into his own hands." "But be content in the knowledge that Mr. PooIe took a Iong time to die and he did so in considerable torment and agony." "And so it shall be with anyone..." "...who seeks to subvert the club's policy." "But enough unpIeasantness." "To the business at hand." "Ah, Mr. Joyce." "Oome in." "Have a good night, then, Miss WoIverton." "Sad to lose you so soon." "I've enjoyed your presence here." "But, congratulations." "It's hard to assimilate, I know." "AII that yearning, and now, suddenly, the hour is at hand." "Two A.M., to be precise, at the old Abby at the end of Farnsworth Road." "OongratuIations, again." "Oh..and Mr. Joyce?" "should anything prevent you from keeping your appointment be sure we'II find you and fulfill our contract." "Wait!" "I want two of you in the cloister square." "You, you." "And keep out of sight!" "Two in the inner courtyard." "Get to the tower." "Use a glass." "Look west." "Get to the east wall." "Mr. Joyce will die tonight, if not by Miss WoIverton's hand, ...then by yours." "You make sure of it." "Mr. Joyce?" "You had me convinced, Mr. Joyce, that you were a true seeker of relief." "Hand over your gun." "You and I need to take a walk in the air." "Oome." "The area is sealed, Mr. Joyce." "Wait here for Sarah." "On any attempt to escape," "I shall deal with you as I did with Mr. Thorpe." "You're a Iow man, Bourne," "capitaIizing on the misery of people." "No!" "We're a Iow society that forces its citizens to live with their suffering rather than let them die in peace." "So, I see you're helping people." "You're a good samaritan." "No." "I am a profit taker." "An unusual business, perhaps, but an honest broker, nonetheless." "You suffer your perverse enjoyment of it." "Oh, I've watched you, Bourne." "There's something fundamentally ill about you." "Diseased." "Thank you." "Thank you for the townhouse the lands in Burma." "It's a shame your family will have none of it, but it'II keep me in cigars and brandy for a good while." "Joyce?" "Sarah." "Here." "Did you bring a gun?" "Yes, don't worry." "Now, Bourne's men are all around here." "But if we can create a distraction we can escape." "I don't want to escape." "Haven't you figured that out by now?" "Sarah, we have to leave." "No!" "I'm sorry, but I have to kill you in order to die and so be it." "unless.." "you would do it for me." "I cannot do that." "No." "I didn't think you could." "How can you do this?" "Did you think that our night had changed me, Joyce?" "You are a romantic, aren't you?" "Whereas, I am a killer." "Sarah." "There is only one way for me to find happiness." "only one." "And I can't wait any longer." "Sarah." "Sarah!" "Thank you." "That wasn't so terribly hard now, was it?" "Sarah, I'm sorry." "Sarah?" "Sarah" "Miss WoIverton?" "OaImIy, Joyce." "My men are all around." "I don't care." "Don't move." "The police will be here any minute." "What will you tell them?" "That you murdered a woman?" "God, man, you loved her, but when it came to your life or hers..." "you shot her in cold blood." "That's what she wished." "You did her a kindness." "You're no different than I am." "It's the beginning of a new century, Mr. Joyce." "We can't be slaves to outdated notions of morality." "We have to create our own new laws." "Yes." "She didn't load the gun." "She wasn't..." "...going to kill you." "Look at you." "It's a difficult knowledge to have..." "...isn't it?" "To know what one is capable of" "The merciful Father..." "...the angel of Death." "We're each one of us God, Mr. Joyce." "Over there." "Over there." "What's happened here, then?"