"In truth," "..the greatness and nobility of His Eminence d'Abbeville," "..whose chair I'm honored to occupy from now on," "..can be summed up in a just few words:" "..this man of the Church belonged to no chapel." "Yes, this great humanist had..." "welcomed... all ideas..." "By re..fusing... that... ah..." " Ah..." " Oh...!" "Call for help!" "Call the doctor!" "Extraordinary, splendid!" "But, sir..." "Mr. Mortimar is dead!" "But that's what is exciting, I'll know more soon." "Pardon, Isidore Fandor, "Le Matin" newspaper." "Let me know if you hear something crunchy." " Crunchy?" " What interests the reader." "I smell scandal right there." "I'm counting on you, sir." " Sir?" " Lalouette, Gaspard Lalouette." "Merchant and expert in curiosities, 128 rue Mouffetard, 5th arrondissement, 2nd floor." "I was once consulted by the Academy." "See you soon, Mr. Lalouette." "I fear Mortimar's death will disrupt our..." "Our..." "The thing that ties us together." "How will the circle of Pneumatics... ..be affected by this affair?" "Grand Master, you too, were..." " ..candidate for d'Abbeville's chair." " And I still am." "Yes, La Beyssière, I'm telling you loud and clear.." "I, Eliphas de St-Elme de Taillebourg de la Nox," "..Grand Master of the circle of Pneumatics," "..believe that the chair at the French Academy should go to me." "Woe to whoever tries to sit in it before me." "But, the navy captain, d'Aulnay," "..is also a candidate." "And he has good chances of winning." "In that case..." "Well, Mr. Fandor?" "You don't applaud captain d'Aulnay?" "Oh, Lalouette." "Applauding d'Aulnay?" "You want me to read his book, too?" "He wrote a book?" "It's what you do if you want to be an academician." " Please!" " An urgent envelope for Mr. d'Aulnay!" "What interests me is whether he'll die, like Mortimar." "Oh, Mr. Fandor..." "Mr. D'Aulnay?" "I'm afraid, Mr. Permanent Secretary that.." "Hum, hum..." "Gentlemen..." "The words that came out of His Eminence d'Abbeville's mouth... ..weren't ours." "How so?" "It's very simple." "They were inspired by the Divine." "And if our eminent prelate's sermons... ..still ring in our ears," "..making our miserable bodies tremble," "..it's because he wasn't afraid to incur the Wrath of men," "..only that of God." "It's not possible." " What did you say?" " Nothing." " What is not possible?" " On the contrary, everything is possible." "I beg your leave, sir." " What did he die of?" " Cerebral convulsion..." "Probably." "Why not an indigestion?" "!" "My article will be titled "The Curse of The Academy" or..." ""The Haunted Chair"." "You don't beat around the bush, do you?" "Two violent deaths during plenary session." "..that's normal?" "For people who are supposed to be immortal," "..you lot die a lot." "We don't verify the candidates' state of health." "State of health!" "What rubbish!" "They all received an envelope before commencing" "..their speeches." "Don't tell me you didn't recover those letters, I won't believe you." "To Mr. Mortimar." ""Fragrances are sometimes more tragic than one thinks." ""Signed..." "E.D.S.E.D.T.D.L.N."." "To Mr. d'Aulnay." ""There are more dangerous voyages..." ""..than the ones round one's cabine." "E.D.S.E.D.T.D.L.N."" "Is that crunchy enough for you?" "It's the titles of their work." "Mortimar, "Tragic Fragrances"." "..and d'Aulnay, "Voyage round my cabine"." "Those are threatening letters." "What's the meaning of that signature?" "The initials of Eliphas de St-Elme de Taillebourg de la Nox." "Also candidate for d'Abbeville's chair?" "Yes, so-called Grand Master of the circle of Pneumatics." "Is that a secret society?" "If by that you mean a circle of illuminati, then yes." "Too bad an eminent academician like de La Beyssière.." "..is part of it." "What do they do at the circle of Pneumatics?" " Pneumatic comes from the ancient greek word "pneuma": breath or soul." "It means they deal with the past, the present, the future" "..the hereafter and all the rest of it." "You don't believe those stories, Mr. Patard." "You have both feet on the ground." "Better than in the ground, like those unfortunates." "Nobody will believe they died from natural causes." "Ah, look at this..." "The letter to Mr. Mortimar was written in green ink." "That's odd." "I thought it was a tribute to our green friend." "Funeral tribute." "Oh, do you realize it?" "Two dead, as if..." "An invisible hand that governs the universe," "..has decided to reduce the number of academicians to 39." "Oh, now you're talking rubbish." "Anyway, you won't convince me that" "..they are not ready to find the 40th." "Are you telling me you won't present yourself as a candidate?" "Present myself, present myself..." "That's just what you want." "Because your place is at the Academy, my Gaspard." "To replace the chair with a coffin?" "So you didn't tell them about the two books you published?" "No." "Nobody wears academician clothes better than you." "Green was always the color that suited you best." "All this is beside the point," "..there were 3 candidates for d'Abbeville's chair." "I know there was a 3rd candidate, a musicologist," "..Martin Latouche, is it?" "Grand Master, the letters for Mortimar and d'Aulnay.." "..were signed with your initials." "I can't believe that you, dear Eliphas, have..." "It matters not, my good La Beyssière, for I'm already elsewhere." "What are you doing?" "Elsewhere is calling for me." "But don't forget that we share secrets" "..my friend." "Do not forget." "Damn and blast it!" "What are they doing?" " Who's that?" " Who's that!" "?" "Your colleagues, evidently." "Well, let's get to the heart of the matter." "Mr. Mortimar and Mr. d'Aulnay..." "Who are well and truly dead." "I beg your pardon?" "We must seriously consider a new candidate... ..to succeed His Eminence d'Abbeville," "..and our dear departed." "In short, this chair can't... ..remain unoccupied." "We could consider Mr. Eliphas." "Surely, you jest?" "!" "He only published one grotesque book:" ""Surgery of The Soul"." "He also wrote the letters our lamented colleagues received." "They are fakes." "The Grand Master of Pneumatics is incapable of such despicable act." "On that subject," "..why is it that.." "..a great man like you is in their company?" "You know it very well." "I have dedicated my life to pyramids of Egypt." "I've discovered astonishing things." "The Pneumatics welcomed me.." "..when others mocked my works." "Even here I've been mocked and jeered at." "Anyway, we have Martin Latouche." "If he is still a candidate." "Why wouldn't he be?" "Because the Academy's ceremonies have become funeral services." "What think you," " .." "Loustalot dear?" " Hear, hear." "Surely you have an opinion." "I like.." "..onion." "Dear friend." "Everybody knows you are one of the most esteemed people." "Don't they call you "The Great Loustalot"?" "Everybody admires you." "Your fertile brain has produced more ingenious inventions" "..than any of us could count." "But the situation is critical." "What think you of Martin Latouche.." "..as a successor to..." "you know whom?" "Richelieu is not looking good, I'm worried for him." "Professor Théophile Sardent, chancellor of the Institute." "..Mr. Aristide Beaubois de Montsablé." "My apologies, dear colleagues," "..but one can no longer find a carriage in Paris." "Especially one that will go here." "A driver even asked us.." "..if it wasn't preferable to go directly to the cemetery." "What insolence!" "Everybody is talking about this haunted chair." "Gentlemen, not you, too!" "This chair is not haunted, it's unoccupied, that's all." "In that case, Mr. Permanent Secretary," "..please make yourself comfortable in it." "What for?" "To prove that you are not superstitious." "But..." "I can't sit in it." "Even you, dear, wouldn't dare." "An Egyptologist who has visited the tombs of the pharaohs... ..has nothing to fear from a chair." "In that case, the honor is yours." "Our Permanent Secretary before everyone else." "You mock d'Eliphas," "..yet you knock on wood." "I am not knocking on wood, I am leaning on it." "It was your idea, you go first." "What, did you feel something?" "Hear voices?" "Let's talk about... ..Latouche." "We are listening to you, dear Great Loustalot." "Oh you know, one more, one less dead body..." "Do you think it's a malediction?" "Masculinization." "Don't you think, my dear Patard," "..that a little visit to Latouche is in order?" "Who will go?" "The Permanent Secretary, of course!" "Well, gentlemen, if we need a volunteer," "..I'll try to convince Mr. Latouche to join us." "And what will you tell him?" "I will... tell him: "Courage, my friend"." "Who is it?" "Mr. Patard, Permanent Secretary of the French Academy." " What do you want?" " To see Mr. Latouche." "He is not home, but please come in." "Mr. Latouche is absent, you said?" "You wanted to ask him to present himself at the Academy?" "Yes." "If I had my way, he wouldn't." " What are you afraid of?" " You will kill him." " Madame!" "Madame...?" " People call me Babette." "Two academicians are dead, that's true," "..but they died of natural causes." "Tatatata..." "A man called Fandor came here," " ..he told me the truth." " What truth?" "That it was a sorcerer, Eliphas, who poisoned them." "Eliphas does not exist, Fandor invented him." "And the letters, he invented them, too?" "!" "Bad taste pranks." "Besides," "..Eliphas has disappeared." "So he exists." "Well, yes." "You shouldn't take la Babette for a fool!" "With all those rumors, the police came looking for him.." "..nobody, no furniture." "Not even a speck of dust." "But Fandor showed me his newspaper, "Le Matin"," "..I saw the photos of the two dead people." "Mr. Mortimar and Mr. d'Aulnay?" "Yes, I recognized them." "They came here on numerous occasions to see my master." "Mr. Latouche received Mr. Mortimar and Mr. d'Aulnay?" " Yes." " Here?" "In his cabinet." "I never go in there, because of the musical instruments." "I don't like music." " Oh, but I heard things." " What things?" "I heard my master tell those men... ..that there would be no greater crime in the whole world." "No greater crime in the world?" "I heard him as surely as I'm seeing you right now!" "That's him!" " That's him." " Who?" "Eliphas." "Come look." "For the last 3 days he's been coming here and played his music of death." "3 days?" "Indeed, it's been 3 days since Eliphas disappeared." "I know this music." "In Rodez, we lived on the same street where... ..a poor man got his throat slitted and then bled to death like a pig." "The famous crime of Rodez." "The organ of Barbarie drowned out the cries of the person being killed." "It was this music, the music of death!" "They will kill my master!" "Eliphas is back!" "But he doesn't look like Eliphas at all." "Anyway, Eliphas is a charlatan, Babette." "He is leaving." "But he'll come back." "My master got it into his head to buy that satanic instrument... ..for his collection, he said." "Mr. Latouche takes no heed of superstition." "If only he had listened to me, but no, he only thinks of the Academy." "Nothing will happen to him." " I trust he is in good health?" " Oh, yes, he is." "I take good care of him, I make him great tripous the way they make them in Rodez." "Would you like some tripous, Mr. Permanent?" "Another time I would be delighted." "Congratulate him for me, his election is assured." "I don't like music." "What is taking him so long?" "It's curious that an academician... ..should be late the day of his admission." "It's not curious, it's strange." " Mr. Latouche is not in sight?" " I see nobody coming." "Oh...!" "He is dead!" "He is dead!" "My master is dead!" "It's that damned music of death!" "The music that kills!" "The series continues." "Hello, Lalouette." "Ah, Isidore!" " Always on the go?" " Now more than ever, my friend." "Here, read this." "Yes." "Yes, yes, yes." "Mr. Fandor?" "You can't live without my Gaspard, eh?" "Let me see." ""Who's next?"" "That is not encouraging." "Exit the haunted chair, enter the deadly chair." "Did you hear what Latouche's maid said?" "She said the music of the organ of Barbarie killed her master." "What you don't know is that the man who played under Latouche's windows... ..has now vanished." "Like Eliphas." "Eliphas and the organ player would be the same person?" "Some think it to themselves, others voice aloud their doubts," "..it has everyone talking." "I interviewed la Babette." "La Babette?" "Babette." " Latouche's maid." " Ah, la Babette, yes." "She went shopping, for Latouche's reception." "When she came back, she found him dead behind his window." " Blood came out of his ears." " How dreadful!" "The organ of Barbarie is suspected," "..but the police refuses to say what happened to it." " I can tell you." "They gave it to me." " What?" "They wanted me to look at it." "What?" "In recognition of my husband's talent." "Yes, they gave it to me for assessment." "There it is." "There it is." "One of the most beautiful organs ever made." "It must have been made in Italy." "And... it's ordinary?" "Well, yes, I think." "Lalouette, let's be serious," "..this instrument, could it have.." " ..played the music that killed?" " That, I do not know." "Wonderful, I'll write.." "..that the greatest expert in Paris has doubts." "It will double the print run, like with the Secret of Toth." "The Secret of Toth?" "My article published the day before yesterday." " You didn't read it?" " I did, I just don't remember the details." "The Permanent Secretary said something strange... ..after Latouche's death." "He said to la Beyssière, the egyptologist:" ".."For heaven's sake, don't bring out Eliphas and the secret of Toth again."" "I cited the secret of Toth in my article," "..nobody knows what it means." "And the Permanent Secretary didn't want to say anything?" "Not a word." "So I asked our great scholar, Loustalot." "When I posed the question to him, he looked at me strangely." "I insisted "What is this secret?" No answer." "I said: "You mock me", He replied: "Acme"." " Acme?" " Acme?" "So I reminded him that I was a journalist." "..and so he said: "You said it, Henri"." "But my name is Isidore." " Unbelievable, The Great Loustalot." " Those scholars are children." "Then, I told him: "Your duty is to talk to the press"." "He said: "You're right, Léon"." "But my name is Isidore." "The Secret of Toth, the music that kills..." "Tragic fragrances..." "My God..." "Ajax!" "Achille!" "Down, boys!" "Yes?" "I'd like to see Mr. Loustalot." "I am Mr. Gaspard Lalouette." "Merchant and expert in curiosities." "..128 rue Mouffetard, 5th arrondissement, 2nd floor." "What is this about?" "It's... about..." "The French Academy." "Wait here." "Stay there!" "Come in." "Have a seat." "What brings you here?" "I wouldn't have dared bother you, the Great Loustalot..." "That's right, I have... ..no time to waste." "Ah..." "They look sweet." "Like lambs." " I'm listening." " Well..." "They asked me to assess the organ of Barbarie." "The one that..." "Yes, and you made your doubts known, I read the newspaper." "I wanted to ask you, the greatest of all scholars," "..if the music.." "..that comes out of that organ," "..the music that kills," "..could have something to do with," "..a certain secret," "..the Secret of Toth," "..of which I know nothing." "My dear..." "Hum... very dear..." "Very, very, very dear..." "What is your name, already?" "Lalouette." "Silhouette." "Yes, certainly, yes." "Certainly, yes." "But, hmm..." "The Secret of Toth..." "It's an inscription discovered by that idiot La Beyssière," "..during one of his useless expeditions in Egypt." "He was incapable of deciphering it," "..so he appealed to the circle of Pneumatics." "If only he had consulted me..." "You would have decoded it." "Obviously, The Great Loustalot deciphers everything." "Yes... yes, yes, certainly." "And then?" "Well, La Beyssière spoke to.." "..Eliphas something or other.." "..whatchamacallit." "I don't know him.." "..but I have good reasons to think that.." "..he is highly educated." "He deciphered everything." "And then?" ""You shall die by mouth, nose and ears," "..for I am the master of air, light and sound"." "And that's the secret of Toth?" "Discovered in a tomb full of snakes." "Snakes?" "There were rattlesnakes, too." "It was a good one, yes?" "Ah yes, yes, a good joke." "Yes, but..." "it's very funny." "It's all nonsense." "Utter garbage." "Of course." "But please allow me to ask you another question." " Did you hear that?" " What?" " A cry." " What cry?" "A scream, I don't know where it comes from." "From somewhere." "Everything comes from somewhere." "Screams, shouts, rattles..." "it doesn't stop there." "Poachers, gamekeepers, ghosts." "Ghosts?" "Any house worthy of its name must have a ghost." "So, then, your question?" "I wanted to ask... ..if Mortimar, d'Aulnay, and Latouche," "..were assassinated in unknown ways, that only the Secret of Toth can explain." "You are the expert." "You examined the organ of Barbarie." "It's you and the press.." "..who talk about the music that kills." "I'll tell you what I think." "It's rubbish.." " ..spread by idiots." " I thought so, too." "Science cannot give credence to such charlatanism." "Satanism." "Ah!" "Well, you said it, Bibi!" "Listen to this:" ""You do me great honour, gentlemen," ""..by inviting me to become part.." ""..of your illustrious circle," "..but I prefer waiting for my death than actively looking for it"." "What impudence!" "And this." ""Since I refuse to take a dome as a mausoleum," "".." "I will ask you to please strike my name from your list... ..of potential cadavers"." "What are we going to do, my dear chancellor?" "Oh, listen to this:" ""Mr. Permanent Secretary, Mr. Chancellor," "".." "It is my great honor to..." ""..apply for.." "".." "His Eminence d'Abbeville's chair," ""..which also belongs to... ..those gentlemen:" "Mortimar, d'Aulnay, and Latouche."" "And it's signed: "Gaspard Jules.." "".." "Louis Marie Lalouette." ""Merchant and expert in curiosities," ""..128 rue Mouffetard, 5th arrondissement, 2nd floor." ""Post-scriptum:" "..I had the honor of being consulted by the Academy."" "Let me see." "Lalouette?" "You know him?" "Yes, it seems that not long ago he appraised a painting... ..that the Academy.." "..inherited." "Perfect, he will be the 40th." "There are other candidates." "I doubt that." "We must meet him." "Let us go." "Forward." "Gentlemen?" "Allow me to present my esteemed colleague" "..professor Sardent, chancellor of the Institute." "And this is our venerated Hyppolite Patard," "..Permanent Secretary of the French Academy." "Gaspard!" "Remarkable." "Mr. Lalouette, congratulations on your books... ..the perusal of which.." "..looks fascinating." "Well, say something." "My wife says..err.." "I mean to say" "..my works are not widespread." "They are known only by those.." "..who frequent the auction house." "My husband is modest." "I have here a letter from someone who recognizes Mr. Lalouette's true value." "See for yourself." "A letter from the Prince of Condé?" "I always have it on me." "After Mr. Lalouette," "..it is my most precious possession." "Soon, we will be able to call you "my dear colleague"." "My God!" "Your candidacy, Mr. Lalouette, does the Academy honour." "I was certain we'd find... ..in France," "..a citizen of courage and honour" " ..to put others to shame." " Really?" "Will you visit the house with me?" "Your abode overflows with treasures, of which you are the most valuable." "But it's the Louvre." "I was going to say that." "One must makes a living." "If only you knew.." "..how happy we are to have met you." "This 40th chair has been" "..worrying me." "So much it gave me those "abajoues" (jowls)." "We say "bajoues", Mr. Permanent Secretary." ""Abajoue" is not French." "I beg your pardon," "..but we say "abajoues"." " Bajoues." " Abajoues!" "If you will allow me," ".."abajoues", alteration of the word "bajoue"," "..feminine noun," "..refers to the cheek pouches.." "..that some monkeys have," "..inside their mouth." "They serve as reservoir for food not immediately consumed." "As for bats, those "abajoues" serve to facilitate their flight," "..by introducing air... ..into their subcutaneous tissue." "By extension, it also refers to drooping cheeks." ""Abajoues", "bajoues", refer also to the side parts... ..of pig snouts and veal heads." "Would you like to continue.." "The visit?" "But certainly." "Oh, what is that?" "Mon abacus puzzles you, Mr. Chancellor?" ""Une" abacus, what does it do?" "We say "un" abacus, from the greek word "abax"." "Bar, buffet..." "For the Greeks, it's a table, put in a sanctuary... ..to receive offerings." "For the Romans, a kitchen cabinet containing tableware." "In mathematics, it's a calculation table of Greek origin." "In architecture, flat slab forming the top member of the capital of a column." "His Eminence d'Abbeville's chair will have a worthy occupant, I see." "Dear colleague, the time has come to take our leave." "We are henceforth looking forward to receiving you under our dome." "Have some plum brandy before you leave." "My sister sent it all the way from Alsace." "I'd love to partake," " ..but they're waiting for me in Sorbonne." " That's too bad." "But our Permanent Secretary shall be glad" "..to have a taste of it." "I'm sure." "Hum, what marvelous odor!" "You can leave us," "..Juju, please?" "My husband likes to call me that." "My first name is Julie." "Have some more." "I'm glad to be with you," "..I have something important to confess." "Important?" "Very." "Then proceed." "But it's not possible!" "Come now, Mr. Lalouette!" "Ah, I give up." "..surely this is a gag." "Ah, you like to have a laugh, you." "But me, too," "..you know." "It's not a joke." "I can't read." "Another." "I can't believe it." "What about your books?" " I dictated them to my wife." " And your knowledge?" " In art, in bajoues..." " Illustrations of texts." "As for the rest, my wife makes me learn the dictionary." "I am currently at A:" "Abajoue, abaque, abraque..." "How awkward!" "Indeed..." "Very, truly awkward." "It's the speech, you know, I won't be able to read it." "You can't be an academician without making a speech." "You need to deliver a eulogy for His Eminence d'Abbeville." "Say a few words about Mortimar, d'Aulnay, Latouche." "It makes for a rather long speech." "Well, a speech at the Academy is always long." "If only you were at the letter U in the dictionary..." "But A..." "Oh no, this really is awkward." "Another glass, Mr. Perm..." "Permanent Secretary?" "Mister de Richelieu," "..you founded this house," "..built it so that it survived... ..the Monarchy, the Republic, the Empire," "..it even held out against scholars who know nothing." "Your genius anticipated everything." "Everything, except..." "Except an academician who can't read." "I am telling you, Mr. Cardinal," "..it's very, very, very awkward." "You told him everything?" " Everything." " What did he say?" " That it was awkward." " That's all?" "No." "While leaving, he said "My dear colleague"." "Well then everything is alright." "It's marvelous!" "You are in the Academy now, Gaspard!" "Yes, you are!" "Look who I found!" "I present to you Eliphas de St-Elme de Taillebourg de la Nox." "Oh..." "Don't believe what you hear," "..I am not a candidate for the Academy, not at all." "At all, no, no." "No, no, the chair is all yours." "There's no cause for alarm." "M. Eliphas couldn't care less.." "..about the Academy." "There is no more d'Eliphas, no more Pneumatics." "I went back to my real name, Octave Malinchar." "And at least you have found... ..your niche in life." "I've had enough of Paris, it's overrun by charlatans." "I have settled in this land of Provence," "..where olive trees grow." "From now on, I am exporter of olive oil." "I have clients all the way to Russia." "Admit it, Lalouette," "..it leaves you speechless." "So, my husband can join the Academy?" "It doesn't bother you?" "Are you sure you don't want to be part of it any more?" "Sure," "..because you will be." "I must admit..." "I was afraid." "I didn't leave Paris in order to flee." "I am not responsible.." "..for the deaths at the Academy." "Otherwise, I wouldn't come here with Mr. Fandor," "..who so cleverly found my trace." "As a result, the mystery remains." "This is crunchy material!" "But, tell me, Mr. Minchar..." "Mar..." "Was it you who elucidated... ..the secret of Toth?" "Champollion was my great-uncle, sir." "Champollion..." "Champollion of the hieroglyphics?" "Himself." "Unfortunately," "..my friend La Beyssière didn't retain everything he learned." "Going to Egypt is just not enough to become an Egyptologist." "But do you believe that all those deaths at the Academy" "..were natural?" "Just because I am not the murderer," "..doesn't mean there is not an assassin." "Something bothers me." "Babette, Latouche's maid," "..told me her master entertained Mortimar and d'Aulnay." "So, they knew each other." " So?" " So, Mr. Lalouette, you didn't know them." "So you are safe." " I'm a bit lost." " Let's see, it's very simple." "The cause of their death must come from the fact that they knew each other." "And that they shared some awful secret." "Perhaps the Permanent Secretary could enlighten us on that subject." " Or the Great Loustalot." " You know him?" "Sure." "The Great Loustalot told me he didn't know you." "He lied." "Before I revealed the Secret of Toth to La Beyssière" "..the Great Loustalot sent his right-hand man, Igor," "..to steal that secret." " And did he?" " Hélas." "Anyway, you must go to Loustalot's." "As a candidate for the Academy it's your duty to pay visits." "I will dig into all this, my friends!" "Don't blow it all out of proportion." "You're wrong." "The golden rule is:" ""The bigger it is, the better it sells"." " Some plum brandy?" " No, thank you." "This is the only thing I drink nowadays." "My olive oil." "Why do you insist I go with you to Loustalot's?" "You could ask the chancellor." " He had class at Sorbonne." " Really." "Besides, you know my secret." "Don't think I can forget it!" "But there are things you don't know." "Isidore Fandor taught me things." "It doesn't justify traveling in that uncomfortable train." "Fandor leaned that Mortimar, d'Aulnay and" "Latouche took this very train to La Varenne," "..to see the Great Loustalot." "All three?" "All three." " You are afraid of dogs?" " Yes." "Ajax and Achille are very impressive." "They are Loustalot's dogs." " Go on, ring." " Do it yourself." "Curious." "They are not barking." "We made the trip for nothing." "Let's go back." "When you have something in mind, you... (Someone screams)" "What is it?" "Loustalot says it comes from the woods.." "..a poacher, certainly." "It's the cry of a beast." "No, not a beast's, it's a monster's cry." "A monster?" "A creature born from a union between..." "I don't want to imagine." " Mr. Lalouette, I'm leaving." " Patard, you can't!" "Mister Patard," "..you represent the Academy." "You faced three unexplained murders," "..you're not going to flee before a... monster." "In that case, go ahead, there may be danger." "Loustalot must have forgotten to close the door while leaving." "Where did that come from?" "!" "When one is outside, one thinks it's inside," "..and when one is inside, one thinks it's outside." "I never would have thought Loustalot so poor." "I'm more intrigued by what's not there." "I see no place where Loustalot could work." "A scholar like him must have a study." "..a place to carry out experiments." "That's right." "It comes from there." "Oh... if this is modern art..." "Well, go ahead." " Ah!" " Ah!" "Well, mister..." "Me, Dédé, they will kill you!" "They killed them all!" "Great Loustalot discovered secret!" "Quick, quick!" "Again you forgot to close the panel and the grill." "It will bring bad luck." "It's your fault the dogs escaped again." "What's more, Dédé must have screamed." "Dédé, you screamed?" "The dogs are nervous, they sense something." " Did you tie them up?" " Yes, but they are hungry." " Me hungry too, eat." " Ah but, for that," "..you have to work." "Let's see" "..what you found." "So..." "Oh... incredible!" "I can't believe it!" "You did it, Dédé?" "It's the complete formula?" "Tell me, is it?" "Formula, yes." "Oh, you're a real genius." "I mean, I am a genius." "My next lecture at the Academy... ..will enable science to make a great leap forward." "Dédé, you've earned your lunch." " What do you want?" " Jam, white wine." "Very well, Igor will get them for you." "I am delighted, filled with wonder, with joy." " Assassin!" "Assassin!" " Oh, stop it." "God will punish you, crimes avenged, punishment, punishment!" "It's too much!" "Go feed them!" "Yes." "You waste your time, Dédé." "And you're making me waste mine, which is infinitely more precious." "Don't think you'll ever get out of here." "Don't think that someone will come to your rescue, either." "Do you know what happened to those who tried?" "This is horrible!" "Who were the people who tried to set you free?" "Three men, Academy, candidates." "Eminence's chair." "Three candidates?" "His Eminence d'Abbeville's chair?" "Mortimar, d'Aulnay, and Latouche." "They came so Loustalot not vote... ..for Eliphas." "House empty, dogs escaped, door opened." "Loustalot and Igor came back, made men swear silence." "Igor said:" ""Must eliminate the three," "..because men discovered secret prisoner"." "Dédé made up everything, not Loustalot, Dédé!" "The murders at the Academy," "..it's impossible!" "How did he do that?" "!" "Secret of Toth, deaths by secret of Toth." "Euh..." "I don't get it." "Dédé found.." "..secret to make special ink," "..ink giving off delicious perfume, but deadly." "One folds paper on which one wrote," "..in darkness of the envelope, particular fermentation." "Person who unfolds paper breathes in wonderful odour." "..odour kills within minute." "Greened ink." "I don't know why." "Must check formula again." "Letter to Mortimar written in green ink." ""You shall die by eyes," "..for I am the master of light."" "So sayeth Toth." "And d'Aulnay, deadly ink again?" "No, Loustalot also stole the secret of the parchment that kills," "..a mystery that the egyptologists never solved." "Parchment captures heat." "Great intensity of light liberates heat." "Ray burns eyes and brain." "I read that letter, I held the parchment in my hands." "Great brightness under dome of Academy." "Such intensity that deadly ray triggered," "..ray kills." ""You shall die by eyes... ..for I am the master of light."" "So sayeth Toth." "And the music that kills?" "Mr. Lalouette examined the organ of Barbarie and found nothing strange." "Organ, organ, inside!" "Hum, hum, hum!" "Hum, hum!" "Invented by Dédé, make deadly vibrations.." "Skin bursts, haemorrhage." "It's the organ player's beard." "Organ player, Igor." "Babette said when she came back," "..she found her master dead behind the window," "..blood coming out of his ears." "While she was out, Igor must have played the deadly serenade." ""You shall die by ears," ""..for I am the master of sound." "Toth."" "My fault, Dédé miserable!" "We'll save you." "Chimney, behind." " Leave." " We're bringing you with us." "Leave." "With you." "No, no, Great Loustalot, father." "Loustalot, father." "Quick!" "We'll send the police." "No, or else Igor kills Dédé." "No!" "I'm keeping you from your expeditions." "Yes, but so many things were cleared up." "When Babette said she heard Latouche say:" ".. "It would be the greatest crime in the world"." "Latouche was talking about what we have seen." "The greatest crime in the world was failing to denounce Loustalot." "Forget all that, don't you have better things to do?" " Learning to read?" " For one." "Not in time for my speech, though." "I will write it for you, then you learn it by heart." "Mme Lalouette will make you repeat it, just like with the dictionary." "Our colleagues will be surprised that I can't read." "On the contrary, without paper and notes, it's even more grandiose." "But don't think you will get away with it so easily." "After the speech, first lesson." "Dédé?" "Dédé?" "Dédé!" "Dédé!" "He poisoned himself!" "Poisoned, Dédé!" "My little boy." "My little boy." ""I am without a doubt the greatest criminal ever..." ""But my crimes are nothing..." "The death of my beloved son, my only child..."" ""commands me to renounce everything, first and foremost, my life." ""Farewell." "Signed: the one they will never again call The Great Loustalot"." "It'd be better if everyone remembers him as a great man," "..don't you think?" "I was going to say that, Mr. Permanent Secretary." " Well, are you ready?" " Ready." "The speech?" "I know it like the back of my hand." "Perfect." "But watch out, when it's finished, it begins." "Rendez-vous at nightfall." "You will see, old friend," "..I've got something for Lalouette, we'll have a good laugh." "An envelope for you," "..Mr. Lalouette." "No, thanks, my friend," "..I can't read." "Don't be like that." "Lalouette outsmarted you, that's all." "Mr. Fandor?" "An urgent message for you." " For me?" " Yes, sir." "How about that!" "Chéri-Bibi escaped, I have to go!" "That, my boy, is what I call crunchy." "BA, BA." "B-E, BE." "B-I, BI." "B-O..." " You follow?" " Hum, hum." "BO, BO, B-U, BU." "Let's start again." " B-A?" " BA." "BE?" "BE." "BI?" "BI." "BO?" "BO." "BU?" "BU." "More difficult." "C-A?" ""KA"." "Very good." "CE?" " "KE"." " No, "SE"." "Yes, that's it." "C-I?" ""SI"." "CO?" ""SO"." ""KO"." "C-U?" ""SU"!" "Translated by Croaker" "Corrected by jcdr"