"In the name of God..." "please tell me who you are." "Because I know you're here." "I'm a friend... and I want to help you." "So will you let me help you?" "Please?" "You can trust in me." "I..." "I want to help you... who... whoever you are." "'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, Lead," "'Copper," "'Jet, Diamond, Radium," "'Sapphire, Silver and Steel." "'Sapphire and Steel have been assigned. '" "I want to help you." "So in the name of God... who are you?" "Who are you?" "You..." "I am from the other side." "What?" "The down platform." "My candle." " Do you know what you've done?" " Yes." "You've blown it out during an important psychical investigation." " Have I?" " Yes, and that could be dangerous." "Mind the thread there." "There's another one there!" " I'd appreciate an explanation." " For what?" " Breaking in here and..." " You own this place, do you?" "No, but I'm conducting an investigation..." " So am I." " What?" "Conducting an investigation." "A serious one." "You better pack up your junk and leave." "When I was here first?" "Oh, no!" "'Steel. '" "I've been observing here for nearly two months." " 'Yes?" "' - 'Anything on the footbridge?" "'" " 'No." "Where are you?" "' - 'The platform." "Your side." "'I think you better come here - now. '" "It's my ghost, you know." "I located it first." " Have you seen it?" " No, but I've heard it." "I've been observing here for two months, that gives me every right..." "You have no rights." "Not in this." "You see, it happens to be more than just a ghost." "Now what?" " The time of year now?" " Late October." "Why?" " Not here." "Not on this platform." " What?" "It's summer." " Summer?" " Yes." "Can you feel it?" "It's a summer night." "Can you feel the warmth?" " No." " And the air." "It's filled with the smell of flowers." "And trees - the movement of them." "And the smell of newly-cut grass." " What time period?" " I don't know." "And the source?" "I can't tell." "It's just that..." "it doesn't seem malevolent." "The sensation of warmth and calmness." "It is malevolent." "It has to be." "Sapphire, there are no trees, there are no flowers." "There's only you and I, it... and a man." "It's not locked." " Who is the man?" " Some would-be ghost catcher." "He's in the booking hall trying to make contact with what he thinks is a lost soul." " Does it feel like summer in here?" " No." " This man..." " What's in there?" "What's in there?" " It leads to the reception area." " Reception area?" "This wasn't just a station." "There was once a hotel attached to it." "A railway hotel." "How romantic." ""1947."" "They still had steam engines in those days." " Why a derelict station?" " I don't know." "Why this place?" "It's hardly what we expected." "It depends what it has in mind, what form it's taken." " Or whose form it's taken." " Yes." "Landing." "Hotel bedrooms." "There are two more floors like this." " How many rooms are there in all?" " About 20." "It doesn't seem to have taken up residence in any of them." "You expect it to arrive with a suitcase, do you?" "No." "Steel." "Something's happening in here - a change." "Stay there." "Watch me." " What am I looking at?" " It happened just now, twice." " My clothes and my hair changed." " Into what?" "It was a light cotton shirt..." "and a straw hat." " Summer clothes?" " Yes." "Summer clothes" " I don't see them." "You smell summer" " I don't." " From here?" " Yes." " No?" " No." "Well, it seems to be interested in you, whatever it is." " What did it look like to you?" " Human." " Male or female?" " I couldn't tell." "Steel." "They're real, they exist." "The soil's fresh." "It's been newly dug." "Chrysanthemum compositae, geraniaceae, caryophyllaceae..." "Summer flowers at full bloom." " Late October." " Yes." " The man in the booking hall." " What about him?" " Does he exist?" " He's in there." "But is he real?" "You said it could take any form." " Did you do a spot analysis?" " You know that's not my territory." "It is mine, though." "Are you playing tricks with me?" " Tricks?" " Yes." "Tricks with flowers." "I happen to be a psychical investigator, not a conjuror." " So, you've seen the flowers?" " I've seen some flowers, yes." "On the platform?" "Well, I shouldn't worry, they won't be there long - they never are." "Even if you took some home, they'd still disappear later." "I've tried it." " And what about you?" " Me?" "Are you likely to disappear later?" "I shouldn't think so, no." "If I didn't make these notes straight..." " How do you do?" " How do you do?" "My name is Sapphire." "Oh." " And your name is?" " Tully." "George Tully." "Well, I'm so very pleased to meet you, Mr Tully." "'Muscular power emission, 'mass times acceleration times distance divided by time... '" "Pleased to meet you." "I suppose my friend didn't introduce himself." "'... by its power of contraction enables movement to be made. '" " I always have to apologise for him." " Do you?" "Oh." "'Voluntary muscle existing mainly for movement of the skeleton. '" " He thought you might be a ghost!" " I thought he was one!" "'Blood circulating throughout the body 'carrying nutrients and oxygen to the tissues. '" "You don't look like a ghost to me." "Oh, I'm not." "Flesh and blood like everyone else, I'm afraid." "'Blood has four main constituents - plasma, erythrocytes... '" " 'In other words, human. ' - 'Yes." "'Life expectancy of present subject... 57.03 years. '" "This ghost of yours..." "Mr Tully?" " Yes?" " Describe it to me." "What?" "I'm glad you asked that question but it's not really my ghost." ""It's my ghost, I located it first. " Describe it to me." " That woman, is she..." " What?" "Is she a relative or just a friend?" " A business associate." " Ah." "Business." "Yes, I understand." " Mr Tully..." " I always work alone, myself." "Not that I prefer it that way but it's difficult to find someone compatible, someone..." "Business associate?" "A kind of darkness." "Like a piece of darkness, not quite a shadow." "Yes, like a piece of darkness." " And that's all you've seen?" " Well, it's enough." "I'm a patient observer." " Two months." " What?" "You've been observing this presence for two months." "Approximately, yes." " Been with you long?" " What?" " Your business associate." " Quite a long time, yes." " Good working relationship?" " Perfect." "That's a godsend these days..." "How long has it been haunting this place?" "As far as I know, just those two months." "From the time I found it." "And I regard that as an important private and personal discovery." " So, what's your interest?" " I'm here to get rid of it." "But making contact with that ghost, as I have done, is essential." " Not to me." " It's necessary." "It's of supreme importance both to psychical and theological groups..." "You won't get rid of it, you can't." " It is not just a ghost." " Thank you." "What else can it be?" "Whatever it is..." "it represents a kind of energy." " What kind of energy?" " Negative energy." "Cranks like you could never understand it." "You only increase the danger." "By trying to help?" "By interfering." " You're still in the Dark Ages." " Am I?" "Well, at least in my ignorance I'm sympathetic." "At least I know he's in trouble..." "and he's been hurt in some way." "That he needs help." "He?" "I just feel that it's a man, the ghost of a man." "Why?" "It's just that..." "Well, I sense it, I suppose." "I accept that it's a man." "I haven't seen him but..." "I just know." "And then there's the sounds." "What sounds?" "Of the things he carries." "Heavy sounds." "Well, not all that heavy but it's as if..." "As if he were carrying bulky objects - bags, luggage." "That's why I feel he was a traveller or a member of the station staff." "I feel..." "I feel he cares about this place." "He has a... weird kind of interest in the place, yes." "No, he cares." "Someone who provides flowers, has the power to decorate that platform with flowers, how could he represent danger or evil?" " When will you be back?" " Tomorrow." " At what time?" " 'Steel!" "'" " To continue my investigation..." " Keep quiet." " Pardon?" " 'What is it?" "'" "'It's the platform again." "Something... changing." "'Something happening'" "'The flowers have appeared again and the smell of summer 'but there's something else, Steel, something else this time. '" "'Can you identify it?" "'" "'Just... a very powerful feeling..." "of hatred." "'And resentment, a strong feeling of resentment." "'The whole atmosphere out here is charged with it." "'And that sound, Steel. '" "'Can you hear that?" "'" "'No." "What is it?" "'" "'It's the sound of a band." "It's approaching. '" "'It's coming here. '" "Listen." "'And I can hear men... marching. '" "Do you hear that?" " 'Be careful, Sapphire. '" " You hear it?" " 'Sapphire, be careful. ' - 'I'm all right, Steel. '" " # What's the use of worrying... # - 'Sapphire, leave that platform now." "'We're in the waiting room." "Come here now. '"