"Good morning, sir." "It's a damn strange business, Tom." "A man literally shredded to death right in the heart of London." "That's the last one." "Bats appearing out of nowhere?" "I don't know, it just..." "just doesn't make sense." "Ooh, they're nasty-looking little blighters, aren't they?" "Seen them in Mandalay." "Suck your throat dry, they would." "Yeah, well, that's where they belong, in the tropics." "I mean, not -- not here." "Not in a place like this." "Yes, all right, thank you very much." "Take them all off to the laboratory, would you?" "Right, sir." "And have them double-checked for rabies." "Yes, sir." " Now, Morgan?" " Yes, sir'?" " Where the hell are you?" " I'm up here, sir." "Oh, so you are." "When you're finished up there," "I want you to question the butler again." "There may be something he's overlooked." "Very good, sir." "Remember when you were in Scotland at the beginning of last week?" "YES." "Well, there was another surgeon who died." " A Dr. Thornton." " What about him?" " It's was more the way he died." "This...reminded me of it." "He was stung...to death by bees in his library." "Bees in his library?" "That's right." "Before we arrived, the whole place must have been swarming with 'em." "I've got the file on my desk now." "You should have seen his face." "The whole flesh was a mass of..." "well, boils." " Boils?" " All over." "Stings, I suppose." "I wonder if there is a connection." "Well, I'll go through the file." "God knows what we've got." "Two doctors, both dead." "Oh, don't take him out like that!" "At least cover his face up." "What's left of it." "Good God." "Nobody told me this was a -- a masked affair." "For me?" "How very elegant." "But, my dear fellow..." "It's beautiful!" "I say, jolly fine party, what?" "Don't believe we've met." "My name's Hargreaves." "Dr. Hargreaves." "I'm a psychiatrist, actually." "Head shrinker." "I say, would you -- would you oblige?" "Some fancy catch." "Much obliged." "Now point me towards the ladies." "Thank you." "Say..." "Is that you, Freda?" "This mask is jolly tight." "Hi." "Absolutely not." "We're short-staffed as it is, and you want me to give you more men to go charging off on one of your half-baked theories?" "It's ridiculous." "Anyway, medical men die every day." " I'm aware of that, sir." " Good." "They're composed of the same flesh and blood as you and I." "I'm aware of that, too, sir." "I happen to have seen rather a lot of their flesh and blood in the past few days." "And another thing." "Suppose the press get hold of this." "Don't you talk to me about the press, Trout." "You keep your ideas you've got to yourself on that one." "Mention this to the press and you know as well as I do, given half a chance, they'd whip up a panic story overnight." "The whole damn place would be an uproar." "It was not my intention." "It's certainly not mine." "I want no statements." "Can you imagine what they'd make of bats, bees and...and what?" "Frogs." "Exactly." "Why don't you go and reread "Aesop's Fables"?" "Then perhaps you'll come to me with a rather more pertinent theory." "That's all, Trout." "Look, three men have died, sir, all in the medical profession." "Does that not suggest --?" "No, it damn well doesn't." "There are some very strange people practicing medicine these days." "Dr. Longstreet." "Mrs. Frawley." "I'm Off." " You're what?" " Off." "Oh, yes." "Yes." "You're sure you don't mind me having the evening off?" "No, no." "I shall rather enjoy it." "I mean " " I mean, have a good time." "I've got you some cold brawn." "Oh, that sounds delicious." "I won't be back late." "I'll be back before midnight." "You don't have to hurry." "You won't turn into a pumpkin." "I don't know, though." "Mrs. Frawley!" "Dr. Longstreet, we are naughty, aren't we?" "We haven't touched our supper, have we?" " Oh." " And what is this?" "This?" "What's thi" " Well, it's a..." "Oh, I see what you mean." "Oh, yes." "It's a " " It's a new thing on the market." "It " " It keeps out drafts." "Dra..." "I'm..." "I'm Dr. Longstreet, you know." "Who's this?" "How did it go, Harry?" "It didn't." "It came to a great grinding halt if you want to know." "All he's worried about is the press." "Well, they've been on, of course." " And?" " I've killed it, don't worry." "We're playing it all down." "I'm sitting on the lab reports." "I don't care what the old man says, Tom." "There is a pattern here, a most definite pattern." " Is there anything in there?" " Well, I've been through the whole lot." "Correspondence, family, all that sort of thing." "Yeah, well, what does it tell us?" "Well, they have one thing in common." "If you say they all died mysteriously, I'll bloody kill you." "Vesalius." " What?" " Dr. Vesalius." "That's a funny name." "Who the hell's he?" "Well, they all worked for him at some time, and judging by the correspondence here, were fairly close associates." "Good, good, yes." "What else?" "Nothing." "Nothing?" "I see." "You mean to say that after 24 hours diligent research, that is all you have been able to discover." "Well, do we have an address for this man?" "An address." "Oh, damn it all, Tom." "where does he live?" "This way." "He's through here, sir." "Ah, I see." "Thank you very much." "Father." "Father, there's someone to see you." "Inspector Trout." "From Scotland Yard." "Detective inspector." "Good evening, sir." "I " " I'm sorry to intrude like this, sir, but it is a -- a very urgent matter." "And I thought perhaps you might be of some assistance to us, sir." "How?" "Three men..." "Three men in your profession have all died in the past week in most unusual circumstances." "Inspector... men in my profession die every day." " You have your foot on my pliers." " I'm sorry, sir." "Thank you." "Do the names Hargreaves, Thornton, and Dunwoody mean anything to you, sir?" "It's hard to believe." "I'm " " I'm sure of that, sir, but can you think of anything, anything at all, that would relate to the killing of these three men?" "Nothing." "Nothing." "Only last week I was talking to Thornton." "Hello." "Yes, he is." "It's for you." "Thank you." "Hello." "Trout." "I see." "Where's that?" "Yes, all right." "Ten minutes." "Did you know Dr. Longstreet?" "You heard a what?" "Well, a -- a violin or a cello or something." "At half past two in the morning, woman?" " Yes." " In the street?" "Yes, I told you." "Don't keep on at me." "I'm sorry." "Like I said, I heard it." "Then there was this car door banging." "Well, I couldn't get off to sleep, so I co-- came down to find some aspirins." "The door was open a bit, and as I looked through, there he was." " And then I rang for you lot." " And that's all?" "Well, that's enough for one night." "I mean, look at him -- all white and everything." "There's nothing except this." "And, uh, that." "Ah, now..." "Do you recognize this, madam?" "Unh-unh." "Fingerprints." "No, it's not mine." "And it's certainly not his." "Well, thank you, madam." "That's all for the moment." "You may go." "We'll come back in the morning and take a full statement from you." "Thank you, Mrs..." " Frawley." " Thank you, Mrs. Frawley." "Oh, he was a nice man." "Good to me, he was, in his own sort of way." "Yeah." "You were his... housekeeper?" "Whoever did it must have been a real pro." "He's as dry as a bone." "That is his bone." "Poor devil, I'll bet he was still conscious when it happened." " Do you think it can be the same --?" " Oh, I don't think anymore, Tom." "Ah, this is the object in question, sir." " Oh, dear me, you've broken it." " What's that?" "It really is incredible the amount of vandalism that there is around these days." "I mean, I make something like this, a thing of beauty and a joy forever " " Ah, you did make it, sir?" " Yes, of course I made it." "I wish to establish that, sir, yes." "Yes, certainly I did." "That's my mark on the back there." "Good, thank you." "Now, can you tell me a little bit about it, please, sir?" "Yes, yes, certainly." "It's one of a very unusual set, this." " A set?" " Yes." "There's more than one?" "Of course there's more than one." "It's a set." " Yes, well, how many in the set, sir?" " Ten." " Ten?" "!" " Ten." "Yes, well, I see." "Were " " Were they all the same?" "Of course they weren't all the same." "Do you want 10 amulets looking exactly the same?" "Each of them had a different symbol." "I see." "Well, who ordered the set?" "It was a lady." "Oh, a woman, eh?" "No, no." "A lady." "Yes, I remember the occasion well." "She " " She came in here, she gave me a set of working drawings, she paid half the cost there and then in cash and the other half later." "When she returned for them, she was absolutely delighted with them, as well she might be." "That's beautiful craftsmanship, you know." "Yes." "You don't often get craftsmanship like that nowadays." "Could I take another look at it?" "Now, one more question if I might, sir." " Yes?" " What did she look like?" " Well, she was a tall..." " Tall." " Attractive..." " Attractive." " Young lady." " Mm-hmm." "She didn't speak much, as I remember." "But she was, um..." " She was " " Smart, sir?" "Fashionable." "Ah." "Yes, sir." "Uh, can you tell me anything else about her, sir?" "No, I don't think so." "Aren't you going to write down "fashionable"?" " I think I can remember that, sir." " Oh, good." "No, as a matter of fact, she didn't stay very long." "And then, of course, there was the money to be counted." "Yes." "Yes." "Well, thank you very much indeed, sir." "You've been a great help." "I'm sorry to take up so much of your valuable time." "Reasonably valuable, yes, it certainly is." " Good day, sir." " Good day, Inspector Pike." "Trout, sir." "Oh, yes." "Yes, of course." "Oh, by the way..." "Sir?" "That sign, that mark on the amulet," "I don't know whether this is of any assistance, but, uh, it is, I believe, Hebrew." "Thank you very much, sir." "Hebrew." "This is it, sir." "It's a Hebrew symbol for blood." "Oh, I see." "Part of the G'Tach." " The what, sir?" " The G'Tach." "The 10 curses visited upon the Pharaohs before Exodus." " Here, I'll show you." " Thank you, sir." "They were all ancient maledictions... solemn curses... anathemas... wished upon the Pharaohs for keeping the Israelites in bondage." "Ah, here it is." "But, uh, all this would just be myth of course, sir." " Oh, I think not." " No?" "No." "There is little doubt that the plagues did occur, though so distant now as to seem a myth." "I see." "Well, what form would the curses take, sir?" "Oh, such as the curse of boils, of bats..." " Frogs?" " Frogs, yes." "And the curse of blood..." "I see, sir, yes." "I see." "Uh, these 10 curses, would they follow any particular order?" "Oh, that is a point that Talmudic scholars have debated for generations." "But there is no doubt that the classical tradition is the curse of boils, bats, frogs, the curse of blood, the curse of rats, hail, of beasts, the locusts, of course, the death of the firstborn," "and then, finally, of darkness." " Darkness, Rabbi?" " Yes." "The final curse upon the land to end forever the sleep of man." "My love." "Sweet queen and noble wife." "I alone remain to bring delivery of your pain." "Severed, my darling, too quickly from this life of fires drawn and of memories met." "I shall hold our two hearts again in single time." "I have prepared a little mathematical equation for you, Inspector." "These files represent all of the surgical cases on which I have served over a decade." "Some, uh...1,200." "As you know, modern surgery is all a matter of teamwork, sometimes requiring the services of, oh, a dozen or more people -- interns, residents, other specialists." "Quite so, sir." "Now, ruling out all the cases that are over five years old, the year that Dr. Dunwoody, our bat victim, resumed his practice in London, that leaves us 37 cases on which I worked with any two of the four now-dead men." "A scant dozen with three, but only one... just one case... where I worked with all of them." "Victoria Regina Phi-bes." "I think they called it "Phibes."" "Victoria Regina Phibes." "Born November the 27th, 1893." "Married, no children." "Diagnosis, immediate radical resection." "Well, what happened?" "We were too late." "Nine killed you." "Nine shall die, and be returned your loss." "Nine times nine." "Nine killed you." "Nine shall die." "Nine eternities in doom!" " Very attractive." " Quite beautiful." "A strange presence even in death." " And the husband?" " Dr. Anton Phibes." "He was in Switzerland." "We cabled him." "But as he raced back, his car went off the cliff and he was burned to death." "Are you quite sure of that, sir?" "I know it must be a tempting theory for you, Inspector, but they were interred at the same time in the family vault just outside of London." "Were they fond of each other?" "They seemed so." "Completely." "Completely devoted." "Of course, you realize, don't you, what your equation proves." "Someone, some madman, has condemned the whole surgical team for her death." "I mean, everybody in this list here, including yourself." "Obviously, you're going to put the remaining people involved" " under police protection." " Mm-hmm." "Although, heaven knows from what." "From the G'T ach, sir, if you know what that is." "Isn't that the, uh... curse of the Pharaohs?" "That's right, sir." "Quite right." "Someone is using these ancient biblical curses to kill everyone associated with the Phibes operation." "But, I mean, the husband's dead, there's no children, it all happened ages ago, so who the hell are we looking for?" "There's a young lady in a spot of trouble, Benson." "See if you can help her out." "Hello." "What have we got here?" "Ah." "Needing some help, Miss?" "Hail, rats, beasts, locusts -- take your pick." "Or there's death of the firstborn and, of course, darkness." " Darkness?" " Yes, darkness." " Coffee." " Thank you." "On this list of Vesalius, there are five people who are in danger." " There's Hedgepath, Kitaj " " Oh, it's pronounced "Kit-eye. "" "Oh." "Whitcombe, the woman Nurse Allen, and Vesalius himself." "I've located everybody else, but so far we can't find..." "Kitaj." "We think he's somewhere in Europe." "What about the Phibes estate in Switzerland?" "Well, the insurance and bank accounts were closed after his death was reported." " So his money's still over there." " No." "Two years ago, the bulk of the money was transferred here to England." " To whose account?" " I don't know." "But later it was withdrawn by a woman in cash." "In fact, the whole estate was transferred into her name." "A woman." "She tall, attractive, hardly speaks a word?" "Right." "Oh, now, I'm very interested in her." "It's a quarter to three" "There's no one in the place" "Except you and me" "So, set 'em up, Joe" "I've got a little story" "I think you ought to know" "We're drinking, my friend" "To the end of a brief episode" "So, make it one for my baby" "And another one" "For the road" "Over here, Inspector." "We found him sitting off to the side of the road, sir." "He's quite out of it, I'm afraid." "In shock." "You won't get much out of him, poor devil." "Well, what happened to him?" " Well..." " Yeah, I see." " Is that the car?" " Yes, sir." "We traced the owner, sir." "It's a man called Hedgepath." "Dr. Hedgepath?" "Well, what's all this?" "He's in the back, sir." "It's frozen solid." "A curse of hail in the bloody middle of nowhere!" "Take a look at this, sir." "He worked it off the motor." "He brought the internal temperature down to at least 100 degrees below zero." "Mercifully, he didn't feel much, sir." "Like hell he didn't." "Check." "Check." "Huh?" "Oh!" "Well done." "Get up to bed." "Uh, it's not mate, father." "You can still move." "Oh, well, uh, we'll finish tomorrow, Lem." "Up you go." "You " " You wouldn't like to hear some " "I'm afraid I'm not very good company tonight." "You read a little." "I must play to you tomorrow." "Old Darrow put me on to it." "It's a super piece." "Darrow." "You know, the chap at the music shop." "Mm." "I always thought he was such a bore, but what a fantastic memory he's got." "Get him talking about the great organists..." "Bridges, Drew, and Phibes, he knew 'em all." "Anyway, 'night, Dad." "Good night." "Mr. Darrow." "Mr. Darrow, did you know this man?" "Excuse me, Mr. Darrow." "Did you know this man?" "Sixpence." "Yes, but... did you know him?" "Oh, God knows what the old chap meant." "He couldn't tell you anything else?" "He kept insisting in his strange way that Phibes has been his patron for years." "Mm." "And still is." "He didn't tell you what he looks like?" "Oh, no, he's blind as a..." "Well, he can hardly see at all." "Well, he might not be able to see, but there's something I very much want to have a look at." "May I use your phone?" "I don't know what you expect to find here." "I don't know exactly, sir, but we've drawn a blank everywhere else." "Fools." "Fools!" "They'll have the worms soon enough." "What happened to the money?" "The Phibes estate?" "Oh, that's an immensely complicated matter, sir." "It seems he had money invested all over Europe, but we're still investigating." "Trout... where did he get all those degrees?" "Ah, that I can tell you, sir." "He took, uh, a degree in music in Germany at Heidel..." " Berg." " ..." "Berg." "and another one in Paris at the..." " Sorbonne?" " Yes." "Uh, now, that was a PhD in theology." "Theology?" "Hm." "That rather neatly explains his knowledge of the Old Testament." "The G'Tach, sir." "Open up, please." "Does anyone ever visit this place?" "Well, someone has." "Are you sure that...?" "Well, here he is." "Anton Phibes." "Right next to his wife." "Let's take a look." "Notice that smell." "ROSES?" "No." "More like formaldehyde." "Mind your fingers." "Careful." "There." "Ashes." "Anton Phibes." "Now are you satisfied?" "Well, I'm not sure that I am really, sir." "Now, just think about it." "All this proves is that somebody was incinerated in that car crash." "Well, the Swiss police have told us that already." "Exactly." "But suppose for the sake of argument that that somebody was not Phibes at all, but his chauffeur." "And Phibes is back in London?" "Just like the old man told you." "She was not incinerated." "Let's have a look at her." "My love... my sweet queen... my noble wife, severed too quickly, too cruelly, from this life." "I remain and suffer to bring delivery of your pain of fires drawn and of memories met." "Soon we shall hold our two precious hearts in single time." "This one here -- Kitaj or however you pronounce it " " Schenley's on his way down there?" " Yes, sir." "Crow!" "I've been looking for you." "Now, this is most unsettling." "Thank God the newspapers have been slow in picking up these stories so far." "Well, we've managed to withhold most " "I don't proposed to go into the seriousness of this, Crow," " but if the press do get hold of this " " We'd have a disaster on our hands." "What the hell do you think we've got at the moment?" "And if we don't handle this with kid gloves, there'll be questions in the House." "This whole thing's a political time bomb." "Do you realize that?" "We're, all of us, as vulnerable as hell." "Especially me." "The men are working as hard as they can." "That's not hard enough!" "Now, Crow, you come upstairs with me." " You..." "What's your name?" " Trout, sir." "Oh, Trout." "I don't know what the hell you're doing standing there." " Where's your jacket?" " Um " "You get out there with the rest of them." "There's a madman out there, and I want him brought in here now!" "And another thing, Crow..." " All right, Harry?" " Okay." "Okay, Dr. Kitaj...brakes on." "Brakes on." "Throttle closed." "Throttle closed." "Switches off." "Switches off." "Throttle set." "Throttle set." "Contact." "Contact." "Well, you should have driven faster!" "Faster?" "As it was, I got there a couple of minutes before the locals." "Yeah, but two minutes after the crash." "I was going over 90 miles an hour through the outskirts of the town." "I thought the damn thing was going to explode a couple of times." "Whose -- Whose car is it, by the way?" "Oh, God knows." "When we got the call about Kitaj," "I came down to the Yard and got the fastest car I could see." "But I mean, it is one of ours?" "It must be." "There's a -- a police book in -- in the front." "Uh-huh." "It's gonna need a damn good service now, though." "A couple of the oil seals have gone." "Hey, you!" "What's your name?" "Pike!" "Uh, Trout, sir." " Why has my car been moved?" " Your " "Yes." " Is it your car, sir?" " Well, of course it's my car!" "It's a very sophisticated piece of machinery." "It's not to be moved at all, not even pushed." " Do you understand?" " Perfectly, sir." "The engine's not run in yet." "Have we located this fellow Kitaj yet?" "Pronounced "Kit-eye," sir." "Well, uh, that's a bit of a long story, sir." "I wanted to talk to you about him." "You see, the fact is " "I'll expect your report in the morning." "I can't wait now." "I say, any more news on this fellow Pheebs?" "Phibes, sir." "Are you in the habit of contradicting your superiors, Bream?" "Well, we are on to him, sir." "But where are you concentrating the search?" "I mean, where was he last seen?" " Highgate, sir." " Highgate?" "Good. whereabouts?" " Well, the cemetery, sir." " The cemetery?" "Yes, sir." "That's where he's buried." "Good." "Well done, Perch." "And this nurse?" " Nurse Allen." " Yes." "Yes, I've got men all around the hospital." " Vesalius?" " I've got him covered, too." "And That just leaves that fellow..." " Dr. Whitcombe." " Yeah, Dr. Whitcombe." "Well, we're gonna take him off to the country for a few days if he'll come with us." "If he'll come with us?" "I appreciate your concern, Sergeant, but you must understand that I owe it to my patients to be back in London within the week." "Of course, Doctor." "I guarantee we'll have you back here within a few days." "Let me take that, sir." "Inspector Trout, sir." "I must say, I feel rather like a head of state!" "All right now." "Careful, son." "Easy does it." "I think it's a left-hand thread." "Yes, it is." "Shh." "It's coming." "Yeah, pull..." "Gentlemen, can't we have a little quiet in this club?" "Pull." "It's brass!" "He's cast the thing in bloody brass!" "It appears to have been fired by a catapult, sir." "Oh, brilliant." "Where can we find two better hemispheres without sharp north, without declining west?" "My face in thine eye." "Thine in mine appears." "And true, plain hearts do in the faces rest." "Within 24 hours, my work will be finished." "And then, my precious jewel," "I will join you in your setting." "We shall be reunited forever in a secluded corner of the great Elysian field of the beautiful beyond." "Seventy men are active on this case, trying to find a man who, according to you, has been buried once." "It's one of Trout's theories, sir." "Well, I don't know about Trout's theories, but I've had a bellyful of Trout's practice." " Ah, I'm talking about you." " Sir?" "Now, it seems to me that with immaculate precision, you've been arriving on the scene just after the victim's death." "Now, this time, due no doubt to some organizational oversight, you arrived there before the crime." "But as I've come to expect from you two, that made little difference." "It was still committed." "A brass unicorn has been catapulted across a London street and impaled an eminent surgeon." "Words fail me, gentlemen." " Yes, excuse me, sir." " Where are you off to now, Trout?" " The lavatory, sir." " Highly appropriate." " Evening, Constable." " Sir." " Everything quite normal?" " Nothing to report, sir." "Good." "The whole place is completely sealed." "It's as simple as that." "Simplicity isn't exactly the word I'd use in dealing with this man, Inspector." "I've got half the Yard, sir, plus some of the local boys and a small mobile unit here." "I've got cars all round the place here, here, and here and, of course, some plainclothes men." "So unless he drops in on us from above in a balloon, which I wouldn't put past him, she should be safe." "Supposing... he's in the building already." "I hope he is." "'Cause if he's in, he can't get out, and we've got him." "After all, he has killed 7 people in the last 14 days." " Dr. Vesalius." " Ah." "What on Earth are you doing here?" "You're not involved in this charade, I hope." "I am afraid I am, Nurse." "Doctor, these men have told me that I must not leave the hospital building." " Now, why me?" " For your own..." "Surely that's not right." " Nurse Allen, please." " Just what is going on here?" "Please, Miss, if you'll be so good as to to your room, we'll have your supper sent up to you." "I've already eaten, thank you, Officer." " Now, Dr. Vesalius " " Inspector Trout is doing his best." "Now, please, you must go to your room and stay there for at least 24 hours." " Twenty" " Now, don't say a word, please." "I know just what your feelings are." "Please come." "The police have reason to believe..." "And just what do the police have reason to believe, Doctor?" "Uh, do you remember assisting me in an operation four years ago?" "Yes." "Well, in connection with that, the police have reason to believe that a...a man is going to try to kill you." "Kill me?" "Yes, uh, within a few hours." "I'm sorry." "I don't know how you expect me to sleep with all this going on, Doctor." "I suggest you take a sleeping pill." "Good night." "Good night!" "There is one aspect of this situation we have not yet explored." "Oh, don't worry about it, sir." "Sooner or later, he's gonna get stopped by the oldest snag of all -- human error." "Oh, human error won't stop him." "Why?" "What do you mean?" "He's had years to hide, to plot this damnable thing." "He's compelling himself to follow exactly the classic death pattern of the G'Tach." "It's a psychic force that holds the man together, this maniacal precision." "If we could just throw it off, interrupt the cycle, then he might be stopped by his own inflexible standards." "Three curses left." "YES." "Uh, of course, the, um, the thought does occur, if you'll pardon the liberty, sir, that it could be your turn tonight." "I've considered that." "I have a feeling he's saving something special for me, that I'll be last." "After all, I was chief surgeon on the case." "Yes, well, if he keeps to the classic pattern, it should be the darkness for you, sir, though heaven knows what that could be." "Have you, um, have you considered the death of the firstborn, sir?" "Well, the fact that my older brother is dead should surely exclude me from that particular curse." "Well, you must just resign yourself to the fact that I am going to remain by your side until we apprehend this man." " Thank you." " Not at all, sir." "It..." "What about your firstborn?" " Schenley!" " Ah?" "Get two cars, take the doctor home," " put a guard on his house..." " My God." "...alert the local division, and report back here." " Right." " The sergeant will take you, sir." "The back door was hanging off." "The lock had been forced." "Bit of a struggle upstairs by the look of it." "Oh, the lad's been taken all right." "Stay here with Vesalius." "I'll get back to Trout." "Poor little devil." "The boy's gone." "Oh, no!" "Any sign of Phibes?" "No, none at all." "We'll go check on Nurse Allen, and then we'll get over there." " How's he taking it?" " Vesalius?" "You can imagine." "Yeah." "Open it." "Slowly." "Soon, Victoria, soon." "But one world to possess." "There to love and sleep again in our own eternal paradise." "We're doing everything we can, sir." "Perhaps a little brandy might help." "There must have been something I could have done to prevent this." "Hello?" "Who's there?" "Nine killed her." "Nine shall die." "Is that you, Phibes?" "Phibes?" "Phibes?" "Eight have died." "Soon to be nine." "Nine eternities in doom." "Phibes, I--I must see you." "Where are you, Phibes?" "I must speak..." "Phibes!" "Where is my son, Phibes?" "!" "The organ plays till midnight." "The large house in Maldine Square." "Come alone." "I'm going alone." "Perhaps he'll trade my life for my son's." "If you think you can reason with him, then you're as mad as he is!" " Trout " " Oh, no, we're coming with you." "We'll break the place open." "Your men have made very little contribution to this ghastly affair." "Their presence there could only accelerate the death of my son!" "I'm sorry, sir, but I cannot allow you to go there alone." "My son's life is at stake!" "We shall take every possible precaution, sir, but I cannot allow you to go there alone." "I am." "I am prepared to use force if necessary!" "I'm very sorry, sir, but you are my responsibility." "All right, all right." "All right, Trout." "I'll do whatever you say." "At least there's time for me to make a telephone call, I hope." "If you're quick, sir, yes." "Your brandy." "I'm sorry, too, Trout." "Good evening, Dr. Vesalius." "I have come for my son." "He will die at midnight." "If you must take a life, take mine." "I will have killed nine times in my life, Dr. Vesalius." "How many murders can be attributed to you?" "None." "I did not kill your wife." " No?" " I tried to save her." "With a knife in your hand?" "Doctor, I have no faith in your profession." "I was told after my crash that I would never speak again." "The doctors were, of course, wrong." "For as you see and can hear," "I have used my knowledge of music and acoustics to re-create my voice." "You don't have to remind me of your ingenuity, Dr. Phibes." "Where..." "Where is my son?" "!" "May I give you one final reminder, Dr. Vesalius?" "You will see your son under circumstances which may bring back memories to you." "What is it you want?" "The skill of your hands, Doctor." "I am giving your son the same chance that my wife had." "You need not be alarmed." "He has already been anaesthetized." "Your wife, no, Phibes, but you I will kill." "But you can't, Doctor." "I am already dead." "Your son needs you." "Sergeant!" "Are you receiving me, Vesalius?" "That is an x-ray of your son's rib cage." "You will see from it that a tiny key has been lodged close to his heart." "It will unlock the halter around your son's neck and will free the trolley." "If you are wondering why you need to free the operating table, then I suggest you look above his head, Doctor." "In a few moments, acid will be released into that tube." "It will creep down slowly, inexorably." "It will take six minutes to reach the outlet over his face." "Exactly six minutes, Doctor." "Please hurry." "For God's sake!" "Don't cry upon God, Dr. Vesalius." "He is on my side!" "He led me, showed me the way in my quest for vengeance." "Not God, Doctor." "Look to yourself." "Those hands, those skilled hands of yours." "You can be his only salvation." "Look above your son, Doctor." "Vulnavia, my work is nearly finished." "Go now." "Destroy all I have created." "Work faster, Doctor." "The acid is descending." "My wife existed only six minutes on the operating table, and then she was dead." "You murdered her." " No!" " Murdered her!" "But he will have what she did not -- a second chance." "Perhaps your hands will shake and he, too, will die under your knife." "A few remaining minutes are all you have, because when the acid reaches him, he will have a face like mine." "Follow me, men." "Vesalius!" "Is the boy all right?" "YES." "Turn that damn thing off!" "We'll need an ambulance for Lem." "Well, what about...?" "Oh." "Right!" "The two of you get downstairs and bring that boy up here." "The rest of you, keep searching the house." "We have got to find Phibes." "Oh, where the hell is he?" "!" "Where the devil did this come from?" "Well, what comes up must go down." "Brilliant." "Ah-ah, no." "Don't touch it, sir." "Much better to leave it to us." "Never know, it could be a trap." "He's gone." "Vanished." "That's bloody impossible." "That still leaves the final curse." "Darkness." "Well, he'll be working on it." "Wherever he is."