FairyTale: A True Story Page #3

nothing today, Miss Griffiths,

but I'll be sure to keep an eye out.

- Good-bye, Albert.

Come.

- Good-bye, ladies.

- Bye.

Well?

Mr. Snelling.

Extraordinary.

Quite extraordinary.

The most extraordinary

thing I've ever seen. Amateurs.

Whoever took those didn't know

the first thing about photography.

They are fake then?

- Photographic fakery is an art, Mr. Gardner,

not something the

amateur could attempt.

Not exactly what you might call

a household pursuit. No.

What you have here...

are untouched, open air,

single exposure shots.

And, um, the fairies?

Personally, I wouldnt know a fairy

from a firefly.

But I can tell you this.

You look here, hmm?

Look at those wings.

One thing I'm certain of, at the time

of exposure, those wings were moving.

But... the photographs...

they're genuine then?

As the king's beard.

Would... Would you excuse me?

- Yes, of course.

Do you ever think about us

not having a photograph of Joseph?

Not except one they took at school

when he was six.

I don't need a photograph.

- Don't you?

Well, I do.

I think about him sometimes.

Here in this house.

Out on the street.

And I can't... I can't see him.

I can't see his face.

It becomes anybodys face.

I can't hold it in my mind.

It...

twists... like...

it frightens me.

I think that's why

I bought this camera.

Do you think they're true?

The photographs.

No, Polly.

No, I don't.

I know they can't be.

Do you?

I don't know.

I'm not sure which

frightens me more,

that the children are lying to us,

or that they're telling the truth.

It feels cold suddenly.

- Well, a spirit is present.

May I have the note?

Please read what is written

on the paper.

"Their time will come."

Are those your words, Sir Arthur?

- Exactly as I wrote them.

Marvelous.

But let me assure you that I was not

assisted in this endeavor by any spirit.

It is a trick,

ladies and gentlemen.

But I hope a very good one.

What's that?

- Shh!

- What are we going to do?

We're going

to make a promise.

Are we? What kind?

- The kind that lasts forever.

Hold out your hand.

- This is so exciting.

- Shh!

Repeat after me:
I, Elsie Wright...

- I, Elsie Wright...

Be serious.

- Sorry.

I, Frances Griffiths...

hereby, on this day...

- hereby, on this day...

swear never again to break

the code of fairy secrecy.

Say it.

Swear never again to break

the code of fairy secrecy.

Didnt hurt.

Fairies, we call to you.

What happens

if we break our promise?

We won't!

Where did you get these?

- Edward Gardner brought them to me.

Theosophists.

Will you never learn?

My friend, there's a point

where learning teaches you nothing.

Those fairies aren't real.

- These pictures were taken by two children

who'd never used a camera before.

- Anything can be faked.

By two little girls?

- By anyone.

May I show you

another photograph?

Your son?

He died in London lust year,

offer being wounded of the Somme.

I'm very sorry.

Two months ago,

with the help of Mrs. Annie Bitton,

a medium in London,

I made contact with him.

He spoke to me.

I heard his voice.

Do you have any idea

what that meant to me?

Do you think I'm such an old fool

that I can be tricked into believing

that I am speaking

to my own child?

You wouldn't be the first.

What do you make of these?

Drawings.

They mean nothing.

They could be

the work of a madman.

Hmm. Perhaps they were.

Certainly, they were produced at the

Montrose Royal Lunatic Asylum, outside Edinburgh.

By my father.

Look at them.

This is what he saw

every day of his life.

He wrote about them, talked about them.

They devoured him.

You don't have children, but talk to mine.

Ask Jean whether she believes in fairies.

She'll tell you she saw one

in this very garden

not ten yards from where

we're standing now.

Those photographs have been pronounced

genuine, not by a Theosophist,

not by a medium,

not by a believer,

but by an expert in photographic trickery,

Mr. H.R. Snelling of Harrow.

Do you have any idea of the

implications, if he is correct?

I'm not sure I do, myself.

When Columbus knelt in prayer

upon the edge of America,

what prophetic eye saw all that

a new continent might do

to affect the destiny

of the world?

Cover your ass.

- Cover my what?

You need proof, backup,

sworn statements,

more photographs, whatever.

Believe me, you're going to need it, if you

intend to tell the world you believe in fairies.

Dear Mr. Wright,

Mr. Edward Gardner was pleased to show me the

fairy photographs of your daughter and niece.

As I shall be staying

in the area with friends,

I would be very grateful to you if I were allowed

to have half can hour's chat with the girls.

Is that for me?

- It's from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

He wants to come visit...

talk to the girls about the photographs.

No sign.

- Perhaps they've forgotten.

I'll check the girls.

I'm going to be sick.

- No, you're not.

I am. I always know.

Elsie, Frances.

If there's anything

you want to say to me,

anything at all,

it's not too late.

We'll be down in a minute,

Uncle Arthur.

Elsie?

We'll be down in a minute.

What are we going to do?

Pray for rain?

My wife, Polly.

- Mrs. Wright, Arthur Conan Doyle.

How do you do, Sir Arthur?

- Good evening, Mrs. Wright. Harry Houdini.

Mr. Houdini, please, let me take your coat.

- Thank you, sir.

Why don't we go to the...

- Sir Arthur, this way, please.

Please help yourself.

Come on.

- I can't.

- Of course you can. Come on.

Ah, "les enfants."

Frances, Elsie...

This is Sir Arthur

Conan Doyle.

How do you do?

- How do you do?

What a great pleasure

to meet you both.

Mr. Gardner had

your photographs tested.

Merely as a precaution, of course.

Oh, they're quite real.

They're quite extraordinary.

And we brought something for you.

There's one for each of you.

- Thank you.

Thank you very much.

How does it work?

- It's exactly the same as your Midg camera.

I made certain of it.

- Sir Arthur would like you to

take some more photographs.

Of course.

- It will take us a moment to get ready.

Are you mad?

- What was I supposed to say?

We made a promise.

Look, the rain stopped.

- I think I'm going to be sick.

May I help you?

- Harry Houdini.

- How do.

I'm sorry, but I'm very interested in

photography myself, and I was just curious.

Is this where...

- This is where I do my exposures, yeah.

Using natural light

And this is where I developed Elsie's

pictures, if that's what you're asking.

- I see.

Mr. Houdini, I don't know

exactly what they did,

but two things I do know: There was

no trickery done in this darkroom,

and there are no fairies

of the bottom of my garden.

Nice.

Good heavens,

I had no idea.

Look our, Mr. Gardner!

- Never ever step inside a fairy ring.

I, I know! Um, quite true!

I was foo... I was, um...

I was foolish.

Not paying attention.

Thank you.

- You could have been captured.

Do you know what to do when you're captured?

- Um, well, I suppose...

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