"'Why should I hide?" "Why should I hide?" "'Why should I hide?" "Why should I... '" "'Come on!" "Find it, its real shape." "Let's see it. '" "Let's see it!" "Sapphire?" "I'm sorry, I can't do any more." "There was a barrier." "I'm sorry." "You're sorry?" "!" "What do you mean?" "You almost had it." "It was..." "It..." "Well, at least we know what it is." "We haven't seen it but we know what it is so let's try and find it." "Well, come on." "Whatever you did, you certainly caused havoc." "In every photograph there ever was." "Well, who is he in this one?" "Him?" "Him?" "Him?" "No, they have their own faces." "The figure we're looking for will always be half-seen or turned away like that, or not even seen at all." "What about that one?" "Could be behind the fence or in the street beyond or in the next room." " But always in there somewhere?" " Yes." "So every photograph is a photograph of infinity." "See, saw, sacradown..." "Which is the way to London town?" "'All irregularities will be handled 'by the forces controlling each dimension." "'Transuranic heavy elements may not be used where there is life." "'Medium atomic weights are available." "'Gold, Mercury," "'Copper," "'Jet, Diamond, Radium," "'Sapphire, Silver and Steel." "'Sapphire and Steel have been assigned. '" "Paper bubbles." "Paper parasols." "Paper children?" "The photograph, it..." "'Look behind you. '" "'Not yet." "Tell me what you see. '" "'What I see?" "I see the same as you see... '" "'Describe his face. '" "'Well, it's a youngish face, dark hair, narrow eyes, pointed chin... '" "'That's not the face I'm looking at." "'Where are you going?" "'" "'You stay there." "Watch him." "I'm going to take a closer look. '" "'Excuse me... 'would you prefer us to communicate in this way?" "'" "'It doesn't make much difference to me." "'So I'll tell you what I'll do... '" "'I'll let you choose." "How's that?" "'" "All right, let's communicate like this, shall we?" "Why not?" " With our true voices." " Fine." "And our true faces?" "These are ours." "The only ones we possess, I'm afraid." " How about you?" " Me?" "Yes." "Well, we'd like to see your true face." "The real one." "I'm afraid this one will just have to do." "No, it won't, not for us." "But then again, maybe you don't have a real face - not the human kind." "Am I right?" "I mean, you have millions to choose from, don't you?" "But we'd really like to see what you look like... before we send you back where you came from." "Oh, that can't be done." "Oh, it can." "That's our job." "That's why we're here." "Tell me about the children." "Why do you need them?" "Why have you brought them back with you?" " And the people." " People?" "Yes, the man and the woman." "They belong in this time, in this period." " Not in a photograph chosen by you." " So?" "So, before we get rid of you, we'd like them returned." "Well, perhaps you could tell them that." " What?" " Yes... when you join them." "What do you mean, "join them"?" "You'll find out..." "later." "# I'm the king of the castle, get down, you dirty rascal #" "He's here." " Now where?" " There." " He must be somewhere." " Don't you mean "anywhere"?" "If he can disappear into photographs like some tunnel system..." "We can't follow him into that thing." "What's wrong?" ""When you join them. " I wonder what he meant by that." "All right, we'll destroy every photograph in the place." "Well, why not?" "Remember the house?" "It got into a picture and we destroyed all the pictures." "That was one painting in one house." "This is the whole process, the entire art of photography." "Can you destroy every photograph in the world?" " You still here?" " Elizabeth Owen?" " How d'you know that?" " Look at this." "How did you know that?" "I haven't used that name for years." " Look at this photograph." " Liz Duprey." "That's my name." " That's been my name for..." " The photograph." "What about it?" "It's just a photo." "There's hundreds like it here." " I'm late for work." " Look closely at it." "Yeah, very nice." " Your friend, Ruth Phillips." " I never told you her name." " She shared a room with you?" " Course she did." " Until a few months ago?" " Yes, I've told you that." "Can you see her in the photograph?" "See her in it?" "In that thing?" "!" "How can I see her?" "That thing must be a thousand years old." " 87." " What?" "It's exactly 87 years old, give or take a week." "The building at the far end of the street." "The top floor, in the window." "I'm not sure." "I mean, it could be anybody." "Here." "All right, so it looks a bit like her." " Same shaped face." " It is Ruth." " If this picture's 80 years old..." " Look." " I said look there." " What am I looking for this time?" "Just look." " I don't believe it." "Him." " Williamson?" " Your previous landlord?" " Yeah." "Who disappeared about the same time as Ruth?" "One... two." "Wait a minute." "Anyone can play tricks with a photo." "They can, yes." "Especially if they know what they're doing, if they're professional." "And he was." "Mr Williamson was." "He probably did that - faked that thing." " Why?" "Listen, would you mind..." " It was his job, his hobby." "I have to work - 'Sapphire... ' - to concentrate, so would you mind?" "Would I what?" "Listen, you're not the only one who has to work." "Liz... will you come with me?" "I need your help." "Is Ruth interested in photography?" "Oh, yeah." "But she couldn't take a picture to save her life." "She likes watching, though, seeing how it's done." "She used to spend hours in the darkroom with Williamson." "Hours and hours just watching him work." "Used to fascinate her." "It's only a cellar." "Have you finished with me yet?" "Was Ruth in the darkroom that night?" " What night?" " The night she disappeared." "Look, no one's proved she's disappeared." "I don't know, I suppose she must have been." "She never took her coat so I doubt she went out." "Yeah, I suppose she must have been there." "Mr Williamson... what did he do?" "Do?" "Yeah." "Well, he must have done something wrong." " Accidentally, yes." " So what was it?" "Something to do with his photography?" "Yes, he let something in." "In where?" "In the house?" "What?" "Just what are you talking about?" "We're hoping Ruth can tell us - when we talk to her." "If you reckon Ruth is stuck in some picture," " then how are you gonna talk to her?" " You'll see." "Nobody can talk to a photograph and get an answer." "It's not locked, just jammed." "Something I do happen to know." "I've spent half my lifetime making quick exits." "How about you?" "Back yard." "OK?" "Here, that's funny." "Where's the kids?" "Aah, they must have gone." "Oh, what a shame." "They bring a bit of life into the place, playing their games." "Skipping and that, singing their funny songs." "Do you know what's funny?" "I used to think they were foreign or something." "Or from the country." "Their songs always seemed sort of old - sort of old-fashioned, do you know what I mean?" "Yes." "It's funny, though, I've never seen their parents." "No one comes to look for them and take them in." "They're out here till all hours and no one gets them." "Anyway, they're definitely not here now." "Oh, there they are." "They must have been hiding." "Here, what's the matter with them?" "I frighten them." "Frighten them?" "You like frightening children?" "Well, they're not exactly children." " You don't believe me, do you?" " Well, not 100 per cent, no." "Go and look." "I will." "Small ghosts, isn't that what you once called them?" "Yeah, but I didn't mean these!" "The same?" "Ghosts?" "That's one way of describing them." "Except that these are ghosts before death, not after." "What's the matter with them?" "Their clothes?" " The colour?" " That's close enough, Liz." "Aah, poor little boy." " Do you want your mum and dad?" " Liz." "Ah, poor little soul." "Is that proof enough for you?" "'I'm ready. '" "'I'm ready. '" "Are those the clothes she was wearing the night she disappeared?" "Photos..." "You mean this man can actually put people into photos?" "Yes." "And take them out again..." "like those children?" "He can, yes." "Poor Ruth." "I'm going to try to communicate with her." " Can I help?" " Just sit there and be quiet." "You sure I can't put myself in a trance for you?" "That's my friend - my best friend." "Just sit there." "If we need you to be put into a trance, she'll do it." "Well, get on with it." "Ruth." "Ruth?" "Can you hear me?" "Can you try to speak to me?" "Try, Ruth, try it." "Try to speak to me with your mind." "I can help you." "Please, Ruth." "Try very hard." "'As I was going up the stair... '" "That's her!" "Her voice!" "Be quiet." "'What is it?" "A rhyme I knew when I was a kid." " 'How did it go?" "'" " Tell us." "'Hang on, I'm trying my best." "'Yes... that's it." "'"As I..." "As I was going up the stair..." "'"I met a man who wasn't there" "'"He wasn't there again today" "'"I wish..." "I wish he'd stay away"" "'Yes... that's it." "'That's the one." "I remember it. '" "Why that rhyme in particular?" "'Because I'm remembering a lot of things these days like..." "'Like it's..." "like daydreaming." "'No, I know why I remembered that." "It was the man, the man on the stair." "'That's weird, that seems like the last memory I've ever had." "'There's been nothing to remember since. '" "Do you know where you are?" " 'No. '" " Can you see anything?" "'Not really, no." "'Only my thoughts." "'Things I remember." "'It's, well..." "It's a bit like being asleep, 'like having an operation." "'When I was a kid I had an operation, it's like that." "'Dreams and real things all get mixed up in my head." " 'Am I gonna be all right?" "'" " Ruth!" "'The experiment." "Ask her about the experiment. '" "Yes, you're going to be all right." "'Oh, good. '" "Ruth, the man on the stair..." "'He just appeared, that's all." "'I was with Mr Williamson and he was working, then the man just appeared. '" "What was Mr Williamson working on at that precise moment?" "'I don't know." "Some sort of photograph." "'Are you sure I'm not in danger?" "'" "Yes, I'm quite sure." "Was Mr Williamson working in his photographic room?" "'Yeah, in the darkroom. '" "But you can't remember exactly what he was doing?" "'No, not really." "'He was very pleased, excited." "'He said he'd discovered something." "'I said would it make him rich and he laughed." "I remember!" "'He was ever so pleased." "He said he'd found a way to..." "What's happening?" "!" "'What's happening?" "What's happening?" "'What's happening?" "What's happening?" "'No!" "No!" "'No!" "'"