"Ted Bottomly here, with the BBC Special News Service Bureau at London Airport." "Well, the midday transatlantic jet has just landed." "A tranquil beginning to what could possibly prove to be a highly explosive moment." "For this is the homecoming of that indomitable zoological professor George Edward Challenger." "How dare you!" "Gentlemen, please." "Allow the passengers to descend first." " Professor, please." "I'm from the Mirror." " Are you indeed?" "I'm Ed Malone, Global News." "I'd like a few words, if you don't mind." " I have no doubt." " We've heard some hair-raising tales about your expedition." " Would you care to say a few words?" " Anything I have to say about the expedition will be said tonight at the institute and not before!" "What about New York eight hours ago?" "Why'd you punch that reporter on the nose?" " What provoked you to hit him?" " I'll tell you what provoked me, sir." "He made the same mistake that you are making:" "He invaded my privacy, just as you are doing now." "Come now." "This is all in the interest of news making." "Surely you realize..." " I realize that you're in my way, sir!" "Outrageous!" " Hey!" "Hey, have you gone crazy?" "Oh, my head." "My back." "Fools!" "Imbeciles!" "Have you no sense of decency?" "Out of my way!" "Hey, look out!" "Watch it!" "Careful!" "Go away." "Go away." "You're a pack of fools." "Is there no privacy anywhere?" "Reporters, invaders of privacy." "How dare you!" "How dare you!" "Fools!" "Will you get out of my way!" "Frosty." "Here, Frosty." "Frosty, stop that." "Come back here." "Stop that." " I'm sorry." "She..." " Yeah." " She's crazy about men." " Yeah, well, somebody's crazy." "I'll get even with that guy even if it means losing my job." "Oh, don't get so carried away, Mr. Malone." "The professor's merely eccentric." "Oh, sure." "Eccentric enough to be in a padded cell." "How'd you know my name?" ""Ed Malone, Global News Service."" "Oh, I'm afraid there goes your story." " And there goes my bus!" " Oh, I'm sorry." " Say, look." "My car's right here." "I can give you a lift into town." " I appreciate that." "I have to change these wet clothes and then get out to that lunatic's meeting tonight." "That makes two of us." "I'm going also." " You?" " My name is Jennifer Holmes." "That's right." "Your boss's daughter." "You didn't really think I was in the habit of picking up strangers, did you?" "Mr. Malone, you'd better come along." "I think so." "Examiner!" "Read all about it!" "Challenger assaults London newsman!" "Evening Forum." "Read all about it!" "Fiery professor reveals secrets to Zoological Institute tonight!" "Professor." "Ah." "Summerlee." " Who's he?" " That's Professor Walter Summerlee." "He's Challenger's bitterest critic." "The redhead is Challenger." "My lords, ladies and gentlemen, your attention, please." "Thank you." " Well, the man in the puddle." "Hello." " Hello." "Johnny, uh, this is Mr. Edward Malone." " Lord John Roxton." " How do you do?" " Hi." " That's the man on the front page." "Should be quite a delightful evening." "Bless you." "I have been asked to introduce our distinguished colleague whose international standing as a zoologist is so highly regarded." "Such an introduction poses no problem." "The professor has a remarkable aptitude for getting himself in the headlines by clashing with the press head-on, you might say." "As you know, the professor has recently returned from a protracted trip of the headwaters of the Amazon River a trip engendered by his desire to verify certain conclusions which I myself had come to..." "With regard to the Cucama Indians." "The professor has returned with, uh, a report which he insists will turn the scientific world Topsy-turvy." "He claims to have seen certain strange things." "At least that's what he says." "But he has been known to exaggerate." "Therefore the institute does not necessarily accept or endorse any opinions expressed here this evening uh, that is, by Professor Challenger." "But again, in fairness, we must all admit that he has contributed much although noisily to both zoology and anthropology." "And so, fearing the worst, but with the pious hope that he may be persuaded to refrain from using that, uh that lethal weapon with which he so frequently punctuates his opinions..." "I give you Professor George Edward Challenger." "Ladies and, uh, gentlemen when my distinguished colleague implies that we have been in disagreement he pays me a high compliment." "And when he expresses reasonable skepticism he is not being unreasonable not in view of the fantastic discovery which I shall not minimize by any false modesty." "That was not one of my fears, Professor." "Ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves for a shock for I bring you news of a discovery so staggering as to rate with the feats of Columbus..." "Edison and Einstein." "About 2,000 miles up-country on that still barely explored outpost of civilization which is loosely described as the headwaters of the Amazon on a wild and unscalable jungle plateau so isolated as to insulate the area from the laws of evolution there exists today many forms of creatures long believed to be extinct." "What sort of creatures?" "For heaven's sake, not now." "The Indians call them Curupuri:" ""The terrible spirits of the woods."" "Although I have never reached the top, from the base of that plateau I have seen these creatures with my own eyes." "Curupuri." "To the Indians, creatures of the supernatural." "And well they might be." "For we know them as gigantic creatures of the long dead Jurassic period." "In other words live dinosaurs." " You're a fake!" " Ridiculous!" "Liar!" "Who called me a liar?" "You must forgive us, Professor, but did you say dinosaurs?" "Your hearing is excellent." "Were they big dinosaurs, Professor?" "I do not deal in small dinosaurs." "I assume that you have photographs of these dinosaurs, Professor." "No, sir." "I have no photographs." "On my way downriver the boat overturned and all my equipment was lost." "Hmm." "Pity." "In 40 years as a scientist I have never been known to lie." "I say that they were live dinosaurs." "Live dinosaurs!" "And I challenge the world to dispute what I say." " Can you prove what you say?" " Put me to the test, young man." "I further propose that a new expedition consisting of Professor Summerlee and myself together with two impartial and acceptable members of this audience proceed at once to the Amazon to investigate my claim of the existence of a lost world." " Hear!" "Hear!" " Well said." "Hear, hear." "The dry season in the Amazon ends in November." "So I further propose that the necessary extensive preparations be undertaken at once in order that we may leave not later than four weeks from today." "Professor, I would be the first to approve of such an undertaking but the institute has limited funds." " We have only" " The money will be forthcoming by public subscription if necessary." "However, there is something more important." "Professor Summerlee has implied that I have been lying." "Is he ready to prove or disprove my claim?" "Will he join me in this new expedition?" "Answer him, Summerlee." "I doubt that anyone would contribute to such a wild scheme." "But if they do, I'll accept your invitation." "I'll go." "Provided that proper financing is arranged and that the institute certifies all other acceptable volunteers." "Volunteers!" "Volunteers!" "Yes." "Volunteers." "May I call for qualified volunteers?" "Ladies and gentlemen, volunteers?" " Here." " And who are you, sir?" "My name is Lord John Roxton." "I've earned a certain reputation as a big-game hunter, explorer." "Lord Roxton." "Your eminence in the field of exploration is well-known." "I feel sure the professors will approve." "Oh, by all means." "You're welcome, sir." "Summerlee?" "For myself, I prefer a man of less notoriety." "From what I hear, Lord Roxton's more famous shall I call them escapades which have been so widely reported in the gossip columns have hardly been in the interest of science." "However." "John, how wonderful." "I'm going too." "You're what?" "You there, Professor." "And you too." "My name is Jennifer Holmes, and I can ride, fly and shoot better than any man I know." " I want to go too." " There will be no women on my expedition." " But, Professor." " That's final!" " Hmph!" " May I hear from other volunteers?" " It's a man's world." " Then why don't you volunteer?" "May I hear from other volunteers?" "What about it, Malone?" "The climate's very good for colds." "You know, the professor owes me something for that hit on the head." " Good for you, Malone." " You, sir." "Your name, please, and your qualifications." "My name is Edward Malone." "I'm with Global News." "A fine collection of volunteers." "Women and reporters." "Didn't you have enough at the airport, young man?" "Must you continue to invade my privacy?" "I'll have no reporters on this trip!" " Not even for $100,000?" " Dad!" "My name is Stuart Holmes." "I'm executive vice president of Global News Service." "And I herewith authorize just such a contribution." "What about it, Professor?" "Will $100,000 pay for the passage of Edward Malone?" "Very well put, my dear sir." "And since I was never a man to resist logic... or cash..." "I shall ignore my personal feelings and approve Mr. Malone as a member of the expedition." "Summerlee?" "An adventurer and a newspaperman." "Hardly a crew for a scientific expedition." "Certainly not men of my choice." "But apparently, with public appeal... and funds reluctantly I agree." "Then that settles it." "Now, may I suggest that this public demonstration be adjourned?" "Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for your indulgence." "The meeting is adjourned." " Well, that does it." " For both of us, I guess." "Well, I'm afraid you'll both do only too well." "Oh, here comes Dad." " Hello, Johnny." " Stuart." " Jenny." " Hi, Daddy." " Thank you, sir." " Hello, Malone." " Mr. Malone." " My dear professor we of Global News are perfectly delighted that one of our bright young men is going to represent us on your epic-making expedition." "Delighted?" "I should most certainly hope so." "Good evening." "Jenny, I'm sorry they turned you down but delighted about Malone here." "And good for you, Johnny." "I'd appreciate it if you'd look after my boy here." "I'd be glad to, Stuart." "But at the moment I'm looking after your girl." " Excuse us." " Good night." "What's wrong, Malone?" "Read all about it!" "Challenger leaves for the Lost World!" "Challenger leaves on safari!" "Telegram!" "Here's Worldwide News." "The latest bulletin from Ed Malone, special correspondent for Global News Service reports the Challenger expedition now flying over entirely unexplored wilderness en route to Professor Challenger's still undisclosed destination his Lost World somewhere in the endless rain forests." "According to Mr. Malone..." "The trading post of Tarama, gentlemen." "The port of no return." "Hot, what, eh, Summerlee?" "Triumphal music." "Seems appropriate." "Who are those two characters?" "We'll soon know." "Senors, I am Senor Costa, in charge of your arrangements here in Tarama and all the supplies necessary to make your journey to whatever place the senors seek." "Please, may I have the honor of your name, senor?" "Lord Roxton, isn't it?" "Why, yes." "Have we met?" " We have now." " Please, senor." "This is Gomez, your helicopter pilot." " Please, Gomez." "Allow me." " You talk too much." "As I said, uh, Your Lordship, I am Senor Costa." "It gives me great pleasure to welcome Your Lordship's party." " It's not my party." " Uh, not... not your party?" "Oh, senor." "Please pardon my understandable error." "May..." "May I wish all good fortune to your undertaking." "Thanks." "But you'll still take your orders from Professor Challenger." "Senor Challenger?" "Ha!" "Oh, Senor Challenger, please forgive me." "Let me help you." "Here." "Your slightest wish is my command." "Ah, splendid." "That'll be a pleasant change." "So you're our helicopter pilot, eh?" "Yes." "Manuel Gomez." "Very happy to be at the service of such a famous person." "Oh." "So you've heard of me, have you?" "Since your last visit to the Amazon, who hasn't heard of you?" "When I was told of..." "Of your return I moved heaven and earth, trying to be under your command." "Well, that's very understandable, Gomez." "Very understandable." "Is your aircraft ready?" "Everything ready." "We spend the night here at the trading post." "In the morning we only have to load your equipment." " Which I have arranged." " Oh, you have, have you?" " What are those?" " Those, Professor Challenger, are mine." " What is this?" " Johnny and Mr. Malone." " What's she doing here?" " A girl like this, it's anybody's guess." " Mr. Malone, your cold seems so much better." " Well, how'd you get here?" "I flew in with Senor Gomez." " What do you mean by bringing this woman here?" " She said you were expecting her." "Oh, don't blame him." "He didn't have any choice." "David, you can come out now." " David?" " Hi." " Well, who is David?" " My brother." "We're both going along with you." "Your bro..." "I told you in London that there'd be no women on this trip." " And I meant no children either." " You can't mean me, Professor." "I'm past 21." "Professor may I remind you that my father has invested $100,000 in this expedition?" "Yes, indeed." "It was very generous of him." "But that paid for only one passenger, not three." "In that case, what would you do?" "Abandon us here in the jungle?" "You will go back on the same plane that we came in on." "Sorry, Professor, but since there's only one means of transportation I'm afraid we'll have to borrow your helicopter for a week." " For a week?" " That'll be quite a delay with the rains coming." "Well, we can't walk." "I'm not going to argue with you." "You heard him, Gomez." "We'll leave in the morning." " It'll be a real pleasure." " We'll try to get your helicopter back to you just as quickly as possible." " Coming, David?" "Shall we pack?" " Uh..." "Uh..." "Wait a minute." " Yes, Professor?" " "Yes, Professor." These women." " What do you say, Summerlee?" " Well, unfortunately, we have no choice." " Gomez?" " Dangerous." " Roxton." " I'd say we'd be crazy to take any woman along." " Johnny." " But knowing this one, I'm afraid we're stuck." " Thank you, Johnny." " Malone." "I say no." "It's much too risky." "Please don't be alarmed, Mr. Malone." "If things get too risky for you, well, I'll just hold your hand." "Come on, David." " Oh, uh, thanks, Professor." "I know it'll be fun." " Fun?" "At the risk of all our lives?" "We're on the verge of positively confirming one of the world's greatest discoveries, and you call it fun!" "I'm sorry, Professor." "And dogs too!" "You know, you'd better turn in too." "We're making an early start in the morning." "Yeah, I will in a minute." "Good night, jenny." "Oh, uh, thanks again for voting me in." "Oh, I didn't." "I was neutral, remember?" "Meaning you didn't want me along?" "Meaning a woman's place, my love, is in the home." "Whose home?" " Well, I..." " You know something, Johnny?" "You could do worse than marry me." "I think I'm one of the few girls in the world that could put up with you." " Thanks for the offer." " I take it that's a polite refusal." "Well, no, but..." "Jenny, I never commit myself at 22 minutes past 11:00." "You're ridiculous." "You're beautiful." "Or maybe it's the moonlight." "One of these days." " Good evening." " Good night." "Oh, Roxton." "Hello." "Something wrong?" "That girl shouldn't be on this trip." "I agree, probably not for the same reason." "Then why didn't you back me up?" "You have no right to let a girl risk her life just so she can prove she's as daring as a man." " That why you think she's here?" " She said so herself." "Malone, you don't know very much about the female of the species." " Oh?" " If you must know Jennifer's here for two completely unrelated reasons." "First, she is daring." "She's as brave as a lioness." "But second, and more importantly, she wants to marry a title, specifically mine." " That's very modest of you, Lord Roxton." " It's true." "She tried to bring it off for the last two years in London." "She's wonderful, but, uh, I'm not in the marrying mood at the moment." "Oh, she's not quite good enough for you, huh?" "Let's say I know her well enough to realize that Jennifer doesn't love me, but she does love what I represent." "I don't believe a word of it." " That's just because you're interested in her yourself." " I..." "There's no need to deny it." "I knew it the first day we met." "But forget it." "We've got much more important things to worry about now like getting an early start in the morning." " Good night, Malone." " Uh, Roxton." "Yes?" "Lipstick." "That means nothing, to me." "Good night." "Good night." "Beautiful night, isn't it?" "Where will we be tomorrow night?" "Well, Professor Challenger keeps his own counsel." "I have to fly wherever he directs." "Even into Curupuri land?" "Even there." "What is Curupuri, Gomez?" "Have you ever met an Indian who'd seen it?" "No Indian who's seen it ever lived to tell." "It's always bumpy like this?" "Usually." "Sit down back there." "That's an order." "The professor does not seem to like you, Senor David." "He doesn't make it easy for me to like him." "The bumpiness makes my stomach feel funny." "Gomez." " Gomez." " Huh?" "Hold it right there." "It isn't much further." "As you say, Professor." "Land ho!" "Land ho?" " Are we there?" " Are we there?" "This is the greatest moment of your lives." "There it is, directly ahead." "You know, not too long ago, I was at the base of that plateau." "High overhead, walking along the cliff edge, was a live dinosaur." "Dinosaur." "I couldn't have been mistaken." "In any case, we'll soon know either way." "There is the plateau!" "Doesn't look very big to me." "A body of land uplifted by volcanic eruption a hundred million years ago cut off from the march of time by the unscalable nature of its cliffs." "A land where monsters live!" "George Edward Challenger's Lost World!" "I claim the honor to be the first to set foot here." " Unless..." " It's your plateau, Professor." " I thank you!" " Wait, Professor." "Oh, you don't mind, do you?" "A great moment in history." "A picture of Challenger and his Lost World might be in order, I think." "Have you got your camera, Malone?" "It's right here, Professor." "You're so right about a picture." " Reporters." " There's only about one more hour of daylight left." "We'll camp over there." "Let's unload what we need for tonight." " You two keep your rifles handy." " You sure he knows how to use one?" "Give me a hand, Gomez, will you?" "All right." "Sure you brought us to the right plateau, Professor?" "Not a dinosaur in sight." "Bah!" "What?" "What?" "Whatever it is, it's coming this way." " Now get back, all of you!" " Come on!" "This way!" " Back, under the trees!" " This way, Professor!" "Come on, Professor." "Hurry!" " Run!" " I can't run faster." "Johnny!" "Gomez, use your machete!" "Johnny!" "Johnny!" "Malone, Gomez, pull it off!" "Are you all right?" "Get her out!" "Go ahead, Professor." "What a plant." "Careful, Summerlee." "We rest here." " Are you all right?" " Yeah." "Well, you disbeliever, you." "Summerlee, did you ever see such a plant?" "I didn't see anything." "What?" "Whatever it was, it fell over the cliff." "No." "It's moving again." " In another direction." " Well, we've got to find out what it is." " Not in the dark we don't." " What could it have been?" "Well, hazarding a guess, I would say we've just been visited by a fully grown specimen of Jurassic dinosaur of the order Sauropoda." "In other words, a brontosaurus." " You, sir, are insane." " And you, sir, are a lunatic." "Quiet!" "Listen!" " No, please!" "Please!" "I will not stay here!" " You fool." "Come back!" " Costa!" " Costa!" "Costa!" "The precipice!" "Costa!" "Now stop it!" "Have you gone crazy or something?" "Shut up now." "He went crazy for a moment." "He's all right now." "But something else is not, huh?" "Oh, no." "The helicopter's wrecked." "We've been running in circles." "We're back to the camp." "My helicopter." "The dinosaur, whatever it was, whatever we heard smashed it and pushed it over the hill." "Gone, somewhere far below." "And our radio's gone with it." "That's the last of my wire stories." "The end of outside contact." "The end of us." "Now wait there." "Malone, come with me." "Prehistoric vegetables, Summerlee." "At least we'll have breakfast." "Uh, I couldn't stand the thought of it." "You're very difficult to please, Summerlee." "Difficult I may be, but I cannot understand why we're going inland." "Here we are on top of an unscalable plateau our only means of flight smashed and beyond reach." "Why we're not searching for another avenue of escape completely eludes me." " It eludes me too, senor." " So much eludes you, Summerlee such as the fact that we actually heard dinosaurs pass us in the night." " But we didn't see one." " Exactly." "And until we do see one, with our own eyes I'm not going to discuss any further method of escape." "Well, in that case, we could be here for the rest of our lives." "Dinosaurs." "Really!" "The rest of our lives, senor?" "The rest of our lives, senor?" "Well, Summerlee, you may not like vegetables but they're certainly crazy about you." "Get me out of this monster!" "A very affectionate plant, Summerlee." "Are you all right back there?" "Yes." "We're all right." "Go ahead." "No harm done." "What do you mean "no harm done"?" "Come on." "Malone." "What the devil's that?" "Challenger!" "Summerlee!" "What next?" "Oh, dear." " Johnny." " Challenger." " Yes." " Frosty." "Look at that." " Gomez." " Quiet." "Summerlee." " What is it?" " Very likely what we came to see in the first place." "Frosty." "Frosty." "Come on, baby." "Come on, Frosty." "Come on." "Aw, good." "Jennifer." "Johnny!" "Johnny!" " Don't move, Jennifer." " There it is." "Big as life." "I knew it was true." "I knew it!" "Challenger." "Did you ever see such a monster?" " A dinosaur!" " I don't believe it." "Challenger, how can I ever apologize?" "And what'll they say to this at home?" "They'll say you're a liar and a charlatan." " In the face of Malone's photographs?" " "Fakes," they'll say. "Fakes."" " Specimens then." " Specimens?" "But how could you get a gigantic creature like that off this plateau?" "Well, how do we get ourselves off, senor?" "Our first thought surely..." "Challenger, run!" "Run!" "Come on." " Run, Professor!" " I can't." "Well..." "Look there." " After her, Malone." "Catch her." " Hey!" " She's invaluable." " I'll get her." "Hey!" "Challenger." "Malone." "David!" "We're up here." "We found a good hiding place." " Oh, David." " Malone, where are you?" " Challenger, what happened?" " Are you all right?" " Yes, I'm all right." " Where's Malone?" " Well, he's out there somewhere." " I'll try to find him." " Here you are, David." " Where are you, Malone?" "Here!" "Right here." "Good." "You caught her." "What in the world?" "Quick." "Up here." "Malone, hurry up." " That's it." "Come on." " Quick." "Come on, David." " Ay." "A girl." " A real beauty." "We met informally in the jungle." " Oh, oh, oh." " Hey." "Can't you see she doesn't understand you?" "Poor girl." "She probably thinks we're trying to hurt her." " Summerlee." " Yes?" "Interesting." "Native Indian." "Certainly not aboriginal." "Proving that her tribe must have found a way up here to the plateau which also means there's a way down." "Yes, your theory makes sense except that, uh, why would a tribe stay here?" "Living with the dangers of this plateau would be like pitching a tent in a cage of lions." "That's true." "Uh, now, if the skull were cast in a more primogenial mode..." " Careful, Summerlee." "She bites." " Oh." "Now, Summerlee." "You were saying that this young creature could be" "I'll tell you what she is." "She's a hundred pounds of walking dynamite." " Dynamite?" " She's explosive but lovely." " And you dragged her in here." "Haven't you any sense at all?" " I told him to catch her." "The pantologic value here is incalculable." "This is a scientific expedition." "All right." "It's a scientific expedition." "But bringing this girl here could result in all of us being killed." "But I don't see how." "Can't you understand, either of you?" "This girl proves there's human life on this plateau." "Her tribe will be trying to find her." "Now, unless tracking is a modern art, they'll find us too." " But she'd already seen the both of us." " And she followed you, eh?" "Chased after the irresistible, red-blooded American boy?" " But she wasn't after my title." " What's this?" " Leave Jennifer out of this." " That's what I asked you to do:" "Leave her out." "But you hedged." "You had to have her along to build up your ego." " Mr. Malone!" " So you could go on boasting that she was after your title." "Oh!" "Come on." "Get up." "Get up." "What is it?" "What'd you find?" "What is it?" " Burton White's diary." " Burton White?" "Who is Burton White?" "Or should I ask who was Burton White?" "You better read it for yourself." "Three years old." ""December the 10th."" ""We're at the base of the plateau."" ""Still no radio contact with..."" " "..." "Roxton."" " No contact with you." " Were you here?" " Go on reading." ""The rains are coming." "We have to move fast."" ""We'll ascend to the plateau tomorrow."" " Ascend?" "How?" " White had a map showing the way up." ""December the 11th, reached the top of the plateau."" ""No time to write now of the marvels we've seen." ""Rain may come any day." "Heading for the diamonds tomorrow."" ""Diamonds," he said." "Diamonds, Gomez." "Callate!" ""December the 12th." "Disaster has hit." "They came in the night."" ""They"?" ""They've taken Colver, Braddock, Santiago."" ""Looks like they'll get me next."" ""Still can't contact Roxton."" ""God help us all."" "Is that the last entry?" "Professor." " May I see it?" " Yeah." "Me too." "Is there further mention of the diamonds, Gomez?" "I am not thinking of diamonds." "You've been holding out on us, Roxton." "You knew about this plateau even before Challenger." " Oh, now, just a minute." " I think you'd better tell us the whole story, Johnny." "I guess you're right, Jennifer." "Actually, I suppose it started centuries ago." " The legend goes way back." " The legend of Curupuri?" "Of Curupuri, the terror and also of what Curupuri seemed to guard." "The 16th century Spaniards talked of it." "Voltaire wrote of it in Candide." "So he must have heard of it too." "El Dorado." "Nobody's ever been able to pinpoint it." "Always the word stood for riches beyond compare." "Well, in our legend we have them both." "Curupuri and El Dorado." "A terror guarding riches." "Are you claiming that this plateau is El Dorado?" "I'm not claiming anything, Professor except that, for me, this story started three years ago when Burton White came to me." "He was an American." "He'd spent most of his life tracking down ancient civilizations and all that goes with it." "He told me of how, in some Indian village out here in the jungle he'd met a fever-stricken white man who babbled on about a plateau with monsters and diamonds." "Curupuri." "El Dorado." "Well, the man died." "He left a map..." "A map showing a jungle route to the plateau and a way up to the summit." "What happened to the map?" "White would never let it out of his hands." "See, his interest was archaeological." "Mine was purely mercenary." "Diamonds were the only reason I financed the expedition." "Burton White, Jim Colver Jeff Braddock." "And Santiago." "You knew him?" "Many people along the Amazon knew Santiago." "A very fine man." "Well, they started without me." "I promised to guide them, keep them out of trouble, keep them from being killed." " But you didn't." " No, I never made it." "The rains were coming in a month." "White and his party pushed on expecting me to follow by means of radio directions they were transmitting." "I was thousands of miles away." " But why?" " A girl." "Oh, I told myself I could catch up good old manana." "I never even started." "And?" "None of them ever came back." "You abandoned them." "But even without a map you could have tried to follow." "Yeah, I suppose I could." "But time passed." "I ran out of funds." "Simple as that." "But when your chance did come, Johnny, you did try to find them." "I'm afraid not, Jennifer." "My reason was still the same:" "The diamonds." " Johnny." " Face the facts." "Three years in this country is a lifetime." "You've heard the diary." "I admit there's a chance of them being alive, but the odds are one in a million." "What do you say, Gomez?" "I'm afraid you're right." "Well, now you know the kind of man you've been traveling with." "I guess my title doesn't mean much to you anymore, does it, Jennifer?" "I wish now I'd never come." "But we must find the..." "the diamonds, senors." "More to the point, we must get off this plateau." " White's map showed a way." " My helicopter is gone and with it, all radio contact with the outside." "No way of escape." "Well, Challenger's monsters are only too real." "Now this new threat of unfriendly natives." "Well, Mr. Malone, what do you suggest?" "Roxton?" "It's almost dark." "There's very little we can do today." "Tonight we all take turns standing guard." "The first problem is keeping alive until the morning." "You're fond of the guitar, aren't you?" "Yes, I am." "Santiago was pretty good on it too." "To me, he was the best." " You knew him well?" " Yeah." "Very well." "Poor boy." "Too bad." " Well, that's fate." " Maybe." "But he shouldn't have died before his time." "I'd better check out back." " Everything all right?" " So far." " Cigarette, Jennifer?" " No, thank you." "Thank you, Mr. Malone." "You're welcome." "Wait a minute." "Come on." "Calm down." "Are you all right?" "I'm sorry what happened in there." "We're not all like that Costa." "You know, you're kind of nice." "Have a chair, huh?" "See?" "Isn't that better?" "Hey, look." "Even though I know you don't know what I'm talking about why don't we try some sign language, huh?" "You know what this is?" "This is a rifle." "It shoots." "Bang, bang." "You understand." "Hey, be careful." "Who taught you that trick?" "How did you find out about a rifle?" "Young idiot!" "Have you lost your wits?" "Who let that girl out?" " She wasn't trying to escape, sir." "She..." " She told you so, I suppose." " In the language of love, undoubtedly." " Never mind the language but she did tell me something we ought to know." " Senors!" "Here." "Come here, young creature." "Summerlee!" "Miss Holmes!" "Look after this young woman." "Malone!" "Challenger!" "Here!" "Quick!" " Senors!" " Gomez?" " What is it?" " Something moved." "About..." "About 50 meters away." "Seems quiet enough now." "There was something there, under those trees." "Be so kind as to keep me covered." " I'll come with you." " No, no, no." "Please." "I go alone." "Malone!" "Roxton!" "Help!" " He's over there." " I'm being attacked!" "Gomez, where are you?" "Gomez!" "What happened?" "Gomez!" "Oh!" "Roxton!" "I found Gomez." "He's hurt." "Was he shot?" "I don't know." "I'm all right." "I'm all right." "Some..." "S..." "Something..." "S..." "Someone grabbed me, hit me from behind." "Struck my head." "Say, where's-where's my rifle?" " Is he badly hurt?" " No, no." "I'm" " I'm all right." " Give..." "Give me a hand, eh?" " Let's get him back to the hideaway." "Give me a hand." "That's it." "I'm all right." "I'm okay." "What's wrong there?" "It's all right." "Bullet ricocheted." "It's only a graze." "Well, somebody fired that rifle." "Which means that one of us must be guilty." " Who else on this plateau would know how to handle a gun?" " But someone else does." "That's what I was trying to tell you, Professor." "It might have been one of those men." "Burton White or Santiago, still alive." "What makes you say that?" "Because someone taught that girl how to fire a rifle." "I'm sure of it." "Where is that girl?" "Go after her!" "Scatter." "That'll give us a better chance." "Malone, try that way." "David, up here." "Roxton!" "Roxton!" "I found her!" " Where?" " Over here." "I'll get her!" "Malone!" "Where are you?" "Where are you?" "Malone!" "Malone?" "You lost her, didn't you?" "I didn't have a chance." "That kid can run." "All right?" "Come on!" "It's like a toy against them." "Come on." "Come on, jenny." "Roxton!" " There's no one on guard." " David?" "Gomez!" "David!" "Oh, no." "Looks like a cyclone hit the place." "My brother..." "Johnny..." "That was the shooting we heard." "That girl's tribe must have been waiting for their chance." "David" "They're all gone." "Roxton!" "Challenger!" "They're all probably dead." "Oh, Frosty!" "Oh, it's all my fault." "Oh, poor David." "I persuaded him to come." " He thought it was going to be fun." " Oh, come on." " Come on." "It's not your fault, jenny." "Come on." " All I wanted was Johnny." "Frosty!" "Frosty, come..." "Oh!" "Oh, Frosty!" "That's it." " David." " Oh, David!" " Where are the others?" " They've got them." " Who's "they"?" " War-painted natives." "They dragged us off." " I only escaped by the skin of my teeth." " How'd they get here?" " They dropped on us from the rocks up..." " Ed!" "Ed." "Jennifer." " Johnny." " Are you all right, David?" "So they got you too, eh?" "Well, that's that." "What do we do now, Professor?" "Well, what do we do now, Professor?" "Perhaps the only thing to do is to pray." "The-The drums are beating faster." " It's getting on my nerves." " Well, they would." "No doubt." "Those guards still outside, Malone?" "They're still there." "Just a little touchy." "But the ones below are really getting nervous." "Ay." "They must be planning something terrible." "What can it mean?" "It means that the news of my great discovery will never be known to the outside world." "They undoubtedly intend to kill us." " Kill us?" " Why not?" "An invasion of privacy gives a man the right to kill." "We are the invaders." "Besides, they are obviously cannibals." " Ay, cannibals." "No!" " Costa, Callate!" "No!" " The last tenant, no doubt." " Ha!" " I don't want to die." "Not me." " Shut up." " But why should I die?" "What have I done?" "Why should..." " Will you shut up?" "David, look!" "David, look!" " Huh?" " Look who's here." "A friendly enemy perhaps." "Must be a passage up there in the roof." "She's asking David to go with her." "But I can't come without the others." "You must take all of us." "All of us!" "No, he..." "He must come too." "All right then." "Let's all go up." "Somebody help Summerlee." "I'm perfectly capable of helping myself, Professor." "Oh." "Who is it?" "Who is it?" "White." "Burton White." " Who is it?" " Johnny." " Johnny?" " He must be the one who shot you, Professor Summerlee." "He couldn't have." "This man is blind." "There it goes again." "Third time tonight." "One day it'll blow its head off." "Burton, listen to me." "Don't you recognize my voice?" "Johnny Roxton." "Roxton?" "Johnny Roxton?" "I made it..." "Three years too late." " Senor White." " Yes?" "You do not know me." "My name is Gomez." "There were others with you." "Among them, Santiago." "Is he alive?" "No." "I'm sorry." "I'm the only one left." "Then..." "Santiago dead." "Ah." "So that's it." "If what she says is true, you're really in trouble." " How bad?" " Will they kill us, senor?" "Of course, if they can." "Except she doesn't want you to die." "Ah." "That rumble was stronger." "Burton, you had a map showing the way on and off this plateau." "Can you help us?" " Uh, maybe." " Well, can you?" "The answer is still maybe." "And you'd have to risk the Cave of Fire." "The Cave of Fire?" "This whole mountain is honeycombed with volcanic passageways most of them leading to dead ends." "But one of them, just one, goes from the top of the plateau down through the heart of the mountain and out through a cave exit more than a mile from its base." "Oh, but that one passageway leads you right through the Cave of Fire." "Just what is this Cave of Fire?" "The reason the natives came to the plateau many years ago." "And it's why they stay, even though death and terror constantly threaten them." "It's the altar of sacrifice to their fire god." " Sacrifice?" " Yes." "The place they undoubtedly plan to kill you." " No!" "Not me!" "Please!" " Costa!" "All of you, as soon as they catch up." "Burton, listen." "It's Johnny again." "Is there a chance through this Cave of Fire?" "If you can beat them to it and close the great swinging rock behind you a boulder might hold it shut." "Then, if you're real lucky, the fire god will be sleeping." " But, see, senor..." " How do we find the cave?" "That way." "There." "Follow the passage down through a place the natives call the Graveyard of the Damned." "You'll find a ledge across the cliff face." "Follow it if you can." "The entrance to the fire cave is beyond." "You're coming with us." "No, no." "Too old." "Too tired." "If the natives think he helped us, they'll kill him." "They won't hurt me." "Killing a blind man is one of their taboos." " What about the girl, Mr. White?" " Yes, yes." "You must take her with you." "They'll kill her if they find out she helped you escape." "Yes." "Johnny, now!" "Mr. White, my name is Challenger." "I'd like to help you." "Is there anything" "Forget it." "Quick." "On your way." " Senor..." " Costa..." "One little matter." "Diamonds." "There was talk of diamonds." " You'll see them on the way." " See them?" "If you make it that far." "Go on." "Diamonds." "Johnny!" "Guns." "Wait." "Here." "Here." "Maybe these will help you." " Burton..." " Go!" "No, Gomez." "Not now." "I saw the picture." "I understand." "But don't kill him now." " He's responsible for Santiago's death." " Si, Si." "I know." " But there will be a better time." " What better time than now?" "After they help us find the diamonds." "I don't care about the diamonds." "But there might be a better time." " Si." " Vamos." "Burton White was correct." "This plateau is in danger of blowing up." "Let's hope he was equally correct about a way of escape." "Ay!" "We cannot pass!" "Go!" "Excuse me." "Vamos!" "Look at the size of that skeleton!" "It must be the oldest cemetery in the world." "The old man was right." "It is the graveyard of the damned." "Pray heaven it won't be ours." "White said to keep left." "That's that skeleton down there." "Let's keep moving then." "These fumes are deadly." "Careful now." "Watch your step." "Go ahead." " What's the matter up there?" " I don't know." "What's the matter with that girl?" "She's afraid." "It must be the native taboo." "One of us had better take the lead." "You go ahead." "I'll keep an eye on the others." "All right." "Professor." " No." "Give her a minute." " Jennifer." "Come on, Professor." "I'll take that." " I think I can reach him." " Hold this." " I think I can reach him." " Hold this." " Hang on!" " Oh, David..." "No!" "Get back up!" "That's an order!" "Hang on, Professor." "They'll get you." "Give me your hand." "You young lunatics." "Have you seen what's below?" "Come on." "That's it." "All right." "Hold on, boy." " Oh, David, David!" " Hang on!" " Give me your hand, boy." " I can make it." " Professor?" " Yeah." "Give me that." "All right." "Let's keep moving." "Hurry!" " Gomez?" " Coming!" " My fire won't hold them very long." " Help me with this." "Push!" "Push!" " Now jam that boulder against the rock." " Yeah." "Come on now." "All right." "This might stop them." "Oh." "Are you all right, Professor?" "Oh, I'm all right, Summerlee." "I have to thank you all for saving my life." "Malone, I never did apologize for hitting you on the head with my umbrella." "That's okay, Professor." "What now?" "Look." "A lake of boiling lava." "Dammed in by the natives." "Fixed so it can be broken." "See that log?" "It breaks, and we're covered in hot lava." "Why should the natives wish to break the dam?" "One more quake, it'll come down anyway." "Let's try and find a way out of here." " If the escape passage still exists." " It does!" "Right there!" "Let's go!" "Wait!" "The diamonds!" "We are rich forever!" " Diamonds." " Challenger, look." " Look." " Dinosaur eggs." "Summerlee, what unbelievable luck." "Not so lucky." "This is the end of the journey." "Roxton, drop your rifle." "Gomez, have you taken leave of your senses?" "No, Professor, no." "I almost wish I had." "But this is something I have to do." "Don't move, Costa." "Gomez, am I not your partner?" "You never were." "You wanted the diamonds for yourself." "I want your life, Roxton." "In exchange for that of a man you sent to his death when you deserted Burton White." " But White's alive." " I don't mean White." "I mean Santiago, my brother." " Your brother?" " Put that gun down, Gomez." "There'll be no killings here." "It is my vow, Professor." "I tried it before." "My bullet struck the wrong man." " Then it was you who shot at me." " That's right." "Gomez, be reasonable." "What have these people done to hurt you?" "Nothing." " Unfortunately, I have" " Gomez, don't kill me." "I beg you." "Gomez!" " We've gotta find another way out!" " There's one chance." "Be ready to run for it." "I'll break the dam." "Eaten alive." "Horrible." "Horrible." "Gomez." "Gomez." "Roxton, I..." "We are even now." "A life for a life." "The young fool." "What's he doing now?" "I'm in your debt now." "It was my shot that awakened the monster." "Gomez." "Come on, Gomez!" "That's enough!" " It's not enough!" " Gomez, come on!" "It's breaking!" "You go ahead!" "Gomez!" "Let go!" "Gomez!" "Jump, Gomez!" "Come on!" "Run for the cave!" " Professor..." " Ed!" "Ed!" "Malone!" "Gomez!" " Where's Gomez?" " Look!" "My Lost World." "Lost forever." "Now we'll never prove anything in London." "Oh, yes, we will." "I thought this might help." "One of the dinosaur eggs." "Hardly worth the lives of all those men." "But then nor were these." " Johnny!" " How'd you manage those?" "No fire monster's big enough to deprive you of a wedding gift." "Well, "Mrs." is still the best title for a girl." "But, uh, don't you want any of them?" "Well, I, uh..." "I kept a few for the rest of us." "A baby dinosaur!" "Ha!" "Tyrannosaurus rex." "Ha!" "But will it live, Professor?" "Will it be all right?" "It'll live long enough to grow as big as a house and terrify all London." "Then what'll we do?" "Well, we'll move out of London as fast as possible!"