Beat the Devil Page #5

forces me to sacrifice

my personal comfort.

I prefer to fly rather than run

the risk of arriving too late.

Well, there's also such a thing

as arriving too early.

What do you mean by that?

The land doesn't come up

for auction

for a couple of weeks.

My friend can't make

his move until then.

If we sit around in British East

all that time,

somebody's gonna start wondering

who we are and ask questions.

Is that your real opinion,

Billy,

or are you just looking forward

to a long sea voyage

with the attractive

Mrs. Chelm as your companion?

Or perhaps you have

even other reasons.

Such as?

That's for you to know

and for us to find out.

You better get

your packing done.

Billy, where are you going?

Off to Africa.

Flying.

Just like that?

Weren't you even going

to kiss me goodbye?

I wish-

Don't say it.

What?

That you wish we'd never met.

You'll be coming on the boat

and in Africa

we'll get together and-

I think I hate you.

Letting those revolting men

order you about.

Don't deny it.

I've watched them.

They treat you

like a servant.

They say hop it

and off you hop.

I know what it is.

They have a hold on you.

Some black secret

that could ruin you.

Oh, what makes you think that?

Oh, it happens all the time.

My old Spanish nurse told me

that half the people in the

world would be ruined at once

if everyone told

what they knew.

But...couldn't you have them

done away with?

I mean, you must know plenty of

people who could bump them off.

It'd probably cost

a good deal,

but it'd be worth it certainly.

Oh, it's not impossible.

Except that afterwards

I wouldn't have any money.

This way I stand to make a lot.

Millions?

Maybe.

Then perhaps your connection

with those men

isn't quite so undignified

as I thought.

Those millions, would they be,

uh, pounds or dollars?

Oh, either way suits me.

Now, that's very careless

of you.

The state of the pound

is so uncertain.

You must think in terms

of hard currency.

Maybe I should hire you

to handle my affairs.

You could do worse.

I'm awfully intelligent,

really.

Come along, Billy-Boy.

The car's waiting.

If we can't go faster than this,

we'll miss the plane. Press on.

Press on.

Try posting.

Push, push.

Come on.

One, two, three!

Driver, driver!

My car, my car!

My beautiful car.

You did that on purpose.

What?!

You planned it that way.

I know what you're up to.

I know everything.

I know about the uranium

on the Chelms' land.

The Chelm interests

in the city of London.

The what?

You heard me.

The Chelm interests.

I take it your information comes

from a reliable source.

It does. From Mrs. Chelm

herself, in fact.

Ha, ha. Magnificent.

Simply magnificent.

You must pay me back for

the loss of my beautiful car.

If you weren't

a benighted jackass,

if you could see

as far as you spit,

you'd know there's no such

thing as the Chelm interests.

You'll have to do better

than that, Mr. Dannreuther,

very much better than that.

Don't believe me!

Check with London.

If you find out he's anything

more than a down-at-heel

Gloucestershire squire, you can

have my services for nothing.

You mean, Mrs. Chelm

is an unqualified liar?

Well, let's say she uses

her imagination

rather than her memory.

You will make restitution,

will you no, Mr. Dann?

Either the money

or a new car.

Why, you fat bandit, I gave you

the car in the first place.

How I came by it

is beside the point.

The fact you gave it to me

doesn't make it

any the less mine.

Shut up.

That's right, threaten me.

It is not enough that you

destroy my beautiful car.

Now you-

My beautiful car.

Stop!

Hey, stop.

More than anything,

I want Billy to make

a grand success out there.

Well, as you care so much

about money,

I should have thought

you would have left Billy

for some rich man.

I shouldn't think Billy

would mind, really.

I mean, neither of you are

in love or anything.

You are a strange girl.

Of course I love Billy.

Actually,

I adore him.

And Billy loves me very, very,

but very much.

That's why I trust him with

his little unimportant amours.

And what does he say

about yours?

But, darling, all husbands

like their wives

to seem attractive

to other men.

Be sure you to explain

that to Harry.

I'm going back to the hotel.

Mrs. Dannreuther, Maria.

I have, I'm afraid- I have

some shocking news for you.

The boat is not going

at all?

There's been

a terrible accident.

Your husband's car drove

over a cliff.

The people on the bus saw it

fall into the sea.

It seems almost certain that-

What is it? What-?

What are you trying to say?

He's saying

that Billy is dead.

It's become necessary

to redistribute the stock

in our company.

Stock. Stock.

What good is the stock now?

We can't deal

with Dannreuther's friend,

not without Dannreuther.

All the effort.

The money.

Everything went over the cliff

with that car.

Ravello, you forget the English

are very sentimental people.

I tell you, there is nothing

that Billy's friend

will not do for his widow.

And in black, mwah,

she's a very touching figure.

Poor Maria.

You really have had a-

A wretched time of it.

You are very understanding.

If only there was something

I could do.

Just now if you could bring me

an aspirin. I have a headache.

Don't move. Just you wait there.

I'll be back in a moment.

Mussolini, Hitler

and now Peterson.

A great man.

A great loss.

I'm... I'm going upstairs

and read my bible.

Why all the gloom?

Maria has a headache.

What's the matter with you?

Go away.

My dear girl, I'm as sorry

about Dannreuther as you are,

but after all, it isn't as if he

was one of our oldest friends.

I was in love with him.

He was a very pleasant

acquaintance.

What did you say?

I was in love with him.

Really, darling,

have you no control

over your romantic fantasies?

I loved him.

Can't you hear me?

I loved him, I loved him!

Oh, rot.

You're just dramatizing again.

By George, you were right

after all. Ha! I did pack it.

Oh, what shall I do?

I feel as though

I were drowning.

He's dead.

He's dead, and I'm left

with a fool like you.

I'll tell you what to do.

Have a bit of shuteye.

You'll wake up in an hour

feeling your old self again,

and there'll be no more

silly stories

about falling for a middle-aged

roustabout, rest his soul.

Oh, please go away.

I'll just take these to Maria.

Mr. Chelm,

this is very important,

for you as well

as for myself.

Yes, well, get on with it.

There is now

an opportunity for you

to secure enormous profits

with virtually no risk.

I won't beat about the bush.

Our purpose in going to...

For you, as Billy's widow,

it will be very easy to persuade

his friend in British East.

And- And for capital,

we have Chelm.

Quite evidently you've been

misinformed as to my interests.

What's the matter

with all of you?

Is somebody dead?

The car.

It went over a cliff.

We thought

you'd both been killed.

Dannreuther, I'm delighted

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