"EYES WITHOUT A FACE" "The Professor?" "No, not yet" "I'll tell him as soon as he finishes" "Man's greatest new hope is the recapture of physical youth" "This hope is afforded by the heterograft" "But the heterograft, that is to say the transplanting of living tissues or organs from one human being to another has hitherto been possible only when the two subjects in question demonstrate a perfect biological compatibility" "What we must now do is modify the organism receiving foreign tissues" "One method is to use heavy radiation bombardment to destroy the antibodies which form an obstacle to the heterograft" "To achieve this end, however, the intense radiation required is such that the patient cannot survive" "So exsangunination is practised" "The patient under radiation is drained of the last drop of blood" "There was a call for you, Professor" "The forensic people... you know, the morgue." "You're to go right away" "Your paper was a perfect tonic" "Thrilling, wasn't it, Carlo?" "What a wonderful future you showed us" "As to the future, Madame, we cannot wait that long" "He's changed since his daughter vanished, he makes strange remarks" "It's a strange business, but that's how it looks to me" "Génessier's daughter vanished from the clinic, her face an open wound" "The lack of facial tissue of course confirms your supposition" "The car crash, the facial burns, then prolonged immersion in water..." "And the rats... don't forget the rats" "True." "Yet the description of this drowned girl fits Simone Tessot" "I asked the Tessot girl's father to come in... something doesn't sit right" "It's odd that the body should have been naked but for a man's coat" "Why should Génessier's daughter, disfigured in a car accident feel the need to strip naked before drowning herself in her despair?" "And that vast open wound in place of a face is odd, too" "The edges are so clean that it might have been done by a scalpel" "Here he is" "Doctor Lherminier..." "Inspector Parot, from the Missing Persons Bureau" "I deeply regret the unfortunate circumstances occasioning this meeting" "Please explain" "This morning, two bargemen retrieved the body of a girl from the Seine" "The period of immersion tallies with your daughter's disappearance" "The description also tallies - facial tissue destroyed, the eyes undamaged" "IDENNTIFICATIONN ROOM" "It is her" "Monsieur Tessot is here, Doctor" "Tell him we have an identification." "It is not his daughter" "I called him in case..." "Yes... of course" "Forgive me, Professor..." "I'm Henri Tessot" "I came about my daughter, but they tell me she was yours" "Are you certain, Professor?" "Quite certain?" "All too certain, unfortunately" "It was such a shock when they called me..." "I thought I would go mad" "It's ten days since we saw Simone." "Something must have happened to her" "Strange that I should have to comfort you, for whom some hope yet remains" "I've simply got to find a room" "He gets more and more like his father as he grows older" "Remember old Génessier, the notary?" "He wasn't exactly skinny, either" "He doesn't enjoy munch luck, anyway" "Lost his wife four years ago, now his daughter" "Paris, fame, fortune..." "what does it all add up to?" "Who's the young man?" "The daughter's fiancé, a doctor." "He works with the Professor" " And the woman?" " His "secretary"." "A foreigner" "She looks upset" "Go home, my boy" " No, let's leave" " I like things done properly" "Let's go." "I can't take any more" "Be quiet!" "For my beloved daughter" "Doctor Géressier's residence" "No admittance to patients and their visitors" "Where did you find this?" "I don't like the way you poke into everything" "I haven't the time to explain to you just now" "You see here your name bordered in black" "What are you imagining it means?" "I don't have to imagine - I see, I live horrors" "What have you done now?" "What had to be done, for your sake" "All of it is for your sake" "The announcement of a death, the name substituted..." "That girl died after the operation, you see" "I took another risk, and pretended that it was you who died" "Since people think you are dead, they will not ask questions or try to find out what is going on here" "Christiane... your mask!" "You must get into the habit of wearing it" "Where have you hidden it?" "The habit..." "No, no, I only meant the habit of wearing it until we are successful" "Please don't cry, darling" "I shall succeed, I promise you" "I don't believe that any more" "You have no reason to doubt me" "I'm a man of distinction, am I not?" "You shall have a real face, I pledge you my word" "I'm not allowed mirrors, but I can see my reflection in the window" "If the windows are open, there are other shiny surfaces the blade of a knife, polished wood" "My face frightens me, my mask terrifies me even more" "Have faith, Christiane" "Look at me... wasn't he successful with me?" "You had a face, though." "Ravaged perhaps, but not destroyed like mine" "He's lying to me, because he knows it was his fault" "His fault?" "It was a car accident, pure chance" "He always has to dominate, even on the road." "He drove like a demon" "I nearly died after the accident." "Why didn't he let me?" "I wish I were blind... or dead" "Who is this?" "Why don't you say something?" "Would you like this spare ticket?" "My friend hasn't turned up" "I'd be delighted, but I thought of buying a cheaper seat" "There's no need to pay for it" "Sorry to be late." "My class overran" "I was so anxious to pass on the good news." "I've found you a room" "I can't believe it." "I'm so pleased..." "how can I ever thank you?" "Thank me after you've seen the room, I think you'll like it" " Whereabouts is it?" " A very nice area" "Same again for the young lady" "I'll drive you there." "The owners are friends." "Trees everywhere, you'll see" "It seems a long way" "I made a big detour." "The traffic is so heavy at this hour" "There's the train that will get you to Paris in less than 20 minutes" "Don't you feel lonely, so far away from your family?" "A little, sometimes" "Those dogs... how many are there?" "You see?" "You'll be well guarded" "Mademoiselle Edna Grünberg..." "Monsieur Dormeunil" "Delighted." "A drop of port to pick you up after your journey?" "No, thanks." "I don't want to stay long" "We're not in that munch of a hurry" "In a moment, I'll show you your room" "It has a lovely view over the trees, I'm sure you'll like it" "I don't know..." "I'll have to think it over" "You really must see the room" "Of course, you can't judge properly in the dark" "It's not that... but being so far out isn't very convenient for me" "Not convenient?" "It's very convenient here, very convenient" "Perhaps, but..." "I don't want to be too late getting back tonight" "I must meet a friend." "I'll let you know tomorrow" "Tomorrow will be too late, my dear" "I'll start after diner" "This time I must try a larger graft removed in a single section" "People are all the same." "They love animals when they're young" "Then the animals grow up, eat too munch and get dumped in the woods" "I don't think one should ever do things by halves" "Especially as the second half is by far the easiest" " Did she eat well?" " Yes, luckily." "She was wasting away" "She's happy this time." "She believes" "I showed her how well it is healing" "It looks perfect, so munch better than yesterday" "I was so afraid" "Don't be." "I, too, believe this time" "I can only hope" "To achieve such a thing..." "God, it would be beyond price" "I have done so munch wrong to perform this miracle" "I have done you great wrong, too" "I know, but I shall never forget that I owe my face to you" "Yes, I sometimes forget that myself" "With good reason, it shows so little now" "What have you decided about Edna?" "Look after her, feed her." "I'll let you know later" "Edna has escaped... that way" " No other details come to mind?" " No" "Yes..." "Edna said the woman always wore a big pearl necklace" "Wound around her neck like a choker, if you know what I mean" "Yes, but it doesn't help too munch" "You may go now, Mademoiselle" "Pretty, isn't she?" "Another one with blue eyes" "All of them students, all the same age, all the same type" "All mysteriously disappearing" "This one's Swiss, so we'll have the embassy on to us, telephone calls" "Talking about the series of blue-eyed girls, what about my one?" "Brought in for shoplifting" "Let her go with a lecture." "But get her address... you never know" "This sort of thing will land you in jail" "I've never done it before." "I don't know what got into me" "You'll be up in court next time." "Give me your address 12 Rune des Pyrénées, 20th" "Now hop it" "I was certain of success" "To think you doubted me" "Now you have your pretty face" "Your true face" "You can start living again" "Yes... but how can we let people know I'm still alive?" "To start with, you'll travel..." "a long trip" "I'll arrange papers for you." "You can choose a name for yourself" "It'll be fun" "A new face, a new identity" "You're more beautiful than ever." "Now there's something angelic about you" "Angelic?" "That I wouldn't know" "When I look into a mirror, I feel I'm seeing someone who looks like me, returning from far away" "What about Jacques?" "Jacques?" "Yes, that does pose a problem, of course" "I'll explain to him." "He loves you so munch" "He'll be very happy" "Smile..." "Smile... not too munch" "Try Pentothal." "I'll come at once" "Another emergency" "Will you come with me?" "Not using make-up, I hope" "No." "Why?" "No reason." "You look good, that's all" "See you tomorrow, darling" "I won't be long." "I'll come and say good night" " You seemed anxious, examining her" " You're imagining things" "Why are you lying?" "I've learned to read your face." "Tell me the truth" "It's failed" "February 15" "February 20 A week after healing spots of pigmentation appear" "Later palpation reveals small subcutaneous nodules" "On the 12th day necrosis of the graft tissue is evident" "20tl day" "The first ulcerations - signs of rejection of the graft of infection" "The dead graft tissue must be removed" "Take any dog, and everything works" "I'm stuck with this beastliness" "Say something... this is aggravating" " Are you mad?" "Who were you calling?" " Nobody" "Do you realize how rash you've been?" "I know the dead should be silent, then let me really die" "I can't bear it any more afraid to look at one's face, to touch it for fear of feeling the cracks and furrows" "Calm down, my dear." "Trust him." "He will succeed, I know it" "You're lying." "He'll experiment as if I were one of his dogs" "A human guinea-pig, what a godsend for him" "You've no right to say that" "I want to die... please!" "Give me one of those injections the dogs get when things go wrong" "Stop that!" "You must kill me." "I can't bear it any more" "Come at once!" "It was Christiane's voice, I'm sure" "You thought you heard it..." "Have you mentioned this to Professor Génessier?" "Of course, but he insists the body was his daughter" "I know, I was there." "What can I tell you?" "A joke in bad taste, perhaps" "I deal in facts, and these statements by witnesses are nothing but "seems", "possibly", and vague details" "A red taxi picking a girl up..." "A pretty woman with a pearl choker like a dog-collar going off with another one" "A pearl choker like a dog-collar?" "That rings a bell with you?" "Yes, it reminds me of someone" "I thought that was all over" "I hoped so, Mademoiselle Paulette Mérodon, but the high-ups think I was too lenient" "So I suppose I'm for it." "Must I go to jail?" "A court case first" "If I know my parents, they'll never get over it" "I've been thinking... there may be a way to get round all this" "Of course, it would involve munch discretion, and some intelligence" "I can be very discreet." "As to intelligence if it's not too complicated..." "Don't worry, it's just a little service you can perform for us" " What must I do?" " Bleach your hair, for a start" " You're joking" " Jokes aren't in our line" " You have to be much blonder" " It won't suit me" "Never mind." "Next you'll see a doctor, who'll send you to a clinic" " But I'm not ill" " You'll say you are" "Brief her on the details" "At the clinic, you'll complain of headaches..." "I'll write this down" "I'll give you a note to take to Doctor Gleize" "He'll give you one for Doctor Génessier" "What?" "Wait, I'll note that" "She could come in tomorrow morning" "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her." "It's only to check out a possibility" "If anything happens, I'll alert you" "You're doing well" "Thank you, Doctor" "She was admitted this morning" " Referred by?" " Doctor Gleize" "Severe pain?" "Yes... sometimes" "Do an opthalmoscopic and an electroencephalogram today" "Doctor... are they going to shave my head?" "No..." "I hope not, anyway." "It would be a shame" "Don't be afraid..." "we're friends, aren't we?" "Tell me how many fingers I'm holding up" "Three" "And this time... how many?" "Three" "No... two" " What do you think, Doctor?" " I'm very hopeful" "Can you make him better?" "Certainly... just trust me" " What's your prognosis?" " What is yours?" "We're in agreement" "Close your eyes" "Open your eyes" "That's it, you can open your eyes" "You'll feel a slight electric shock." "It won't hurt" "Send me the trace as soon as you've finished" "No signs of anything wrong with this Paulette Mérodon" "Haemorrhage in Number 15, sir" "See to that, Jacques" "Here's the trace, sir" "Nothing evident." "Discharge her tonight, that will free a bed" "We may well have an emergency" "Am I supposed to give you this form?" " May I make a call?" " To Paris?" "What number?" "Mum?" "It's Paulette." "Everything's fine, I'm coming right home" " What do I owe you?" " No charge" "How can I get back to Paris?" "There's a buns." "Turn left as you leave, a 15 minute walk" "Can I give you a lift as I'm going your way?" "Inspector Parot?" "It's Jacques Vernon" "She's left already?" "They don't hang about at your clinic" "They don't seem to be kidnappers, either" "I'll check anyway, to make sure she arrived home safely" "Thanks for calling us" "Two men want to see you at the clinic" "Not now." "They can come back tomorrow" "Good evening, Professor." "We're sorry to bother you at this hour" "Did Mademoiselle Paulette Mérodon in fact leave the clinic this evening?" "How did you know she was to leave?" "She called her mother to say she'd be back." "She never arrived" "So we've come to ask about her" "It's easily verified." "My orders were that this patient could go home" " Has Paulette Mérodon left?" " I'll check" "So you're interested in this young lady?" "Yes, she's involved in a case, and we wanted to talk to her today" "I have a feeling that you're a little late" "Paulette Mérodon..." "I remember now - a girl with blue eyes." "She made a telephone call" "I told her where she could catch the buns" "I'm sorry, but once they go through these doors patients are no longer my responsibility" "I understand, Professor." "Forgive us for having bothered you" "Good night, then, Professor" "Since you're leaving, Jacques, please show these gentlemen out" "I'm sorry to have troubled you" "Don't worry about it, we're used to following up false trails" "I quite understand what must be going through your mind" "All these coincidences..." "I wanted to be sure in my heart of hearts" "Quite right, and now we are sure" "Speaking of hearts, I'm sure you'll soon find things looking brighter" "You're young, Doctor, you have your life before you" "Christiane, put that down" "Why?"