Strange Intruder Page #2

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he always used to wind it.

Yes, he always carried the key

and he took it with him.

He gave it to me

to bring back. May I?

It's 20 of 6.

( bell dinging )

This is wonderful.

It's exactly as

he always said it would be.

Oh, my dear boy,

I do hope you'll be able

to stay with us for a few days.

I'd like that. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

May I have Adrian's room?

Of course, why not.

Meg will take your things

right up.

Oh, I must go over

and tell Alice right away.

Alice?

But doesn't she live here?

Oh, no,

Alice has her own home.

But...

( slow theme playing )

But the children...?

The children are with her.

I must see them,

I must.

You see,

I only have till Sunday.

They're quite near.

You mustn't excite yourself.

You look very tired, Paul,

you've been ill, haven't you?

Yes, I have

but I'm all right now.

It's, heh, just the excitement

of coming home.

Yes, heh,

of course it is.

And now

before you go up,

I'd like you

to meet Adrian's father.

Oh,

is he home so early?

WOMAN:

Home?

Oh, you see he had a stroke the

day we received the telegram.

But he's

much better now,

I know he'll be so glad

to see you.

James.

Yes, dear.

This is a friend of Adrian's.

He was with Adrian in the army.

My name is Paul Quentin.

And there's the ship.

Yes.

My boy built that.

You're Jodie,

aren't you?

Jodie, this is Paul Quentin,

a friend of Adrian's.

Adrian said that the first meal

we'd have when we came home

would be

your fried chicken.

I can manage that.

And for desert?

Well, Jodie knows, don't you?

Yes, but we want

to hear you say it.

Hot Peach Cobbler

would make it perfect.

Of course.

And now you must go to your room

and rest for a little while.

Jodie will show you.

I know the way.

Oh, this is rather wonderful,

isn't it?

Almost like

having Adrian back.

Is he going to stay with us,

Mary?

Well, I've asked him

to stay over the weekend.

( mysterious theme playing )

( knocking on door )

ADRIAN:

Come in.

( slow theme playing )

I, uh, came in to see

if you needed anything.

Where is everything?

Where's his set

of carved chessmen?

And his collection

of Indian flints?

There should be a bag

of golf clubs in that corner,

and all his books.

They all went

over to Thornfield.

Thornfield?

Yes, his and Alice's house.

Oh, he didn't tell me

about that.

You know,

Adrian was very proud of you.

I was of him too.

He said you were pretty.

I think you're beautiful.

Heh, not really,

but wait till you see Alice.

I've seen her picture.

Don't you think

she's beautiful.

Yes,

I suppose so.

She's not only beautiful

to look at,

she's a wonderful person.

Adrian didn't tell me

much about her.

After dad had his stroke,

Alice took over the bookstore

and she's been running it

for us ever since.

And she doesn't have to,

you know,

she has plenty

of money of her own.

Tell me about yourself.

I'm still in college.

Then what? Oh, heh,

you'll get married,

Nobody as beautiful as you

could stay single for long.

Oh, I can run

pretty fast.

What do you do?

Well, I was going

to be a musician.

Concert pianist,

then conducting, perhaps.

Was?

Aren't you going

to go on with it?

I should think

you'd have a great future.

Future?

For me?

Why not?

Anyone who plays

as well as you,

shouldn't be allowed

to do anything else.

Well, I'll, uh, leave you

alone for a while.

How would you like

to go swimming tomorrow?

( chuckles )

I'd love to but I don't have

anything to swim in.

Some of Adrian's things

are still here,

I'll bring them to you.

All right.

Okay.

( piano playing

in distance )

( playing )

Alice, this is Paul.

You played

that very beautifully.

It was a favorite

of Adrian's.

Yes, I know.

MR. CARMICHAEL:

You've just missed a wonderful treat.

I heard some of it.

Well, now that we're all

together, let's, uh, sit down.

Come and sit by me, my boy.

Now, Paul,

can you tell us about Adrian?

What do you want to know?

We never heard anything

of the years he was a prisoner.

We received no letters.

Did you?

What?

Did any letters

get through to you?

No, we never stayed

in one place for long

until we got to the last one.

Now Paul, could, uh,

could Adrian

receive medical supplies?

Supplies?

We had nothing but

what we stood up in, nothing.

Not even food, sometimes.

If it hadn't been

for Adrian,

I don't think any of us

would have lived.

When we wanted to die,

he would scorn us

and lash us with his tongue.

And when we had to die...

( soulful theme playing )

PAUL:

I, I never met anyone like him.

He used to talk for hours

about you and this house,

until I knew almost

as much about it as he did.

He gave me this home

with his words

and I used to live it

in my mind.

I could live

through a whole day

from morning till night,

every meal, everything.

I believe that was what

kept me going, kept me alive.

He was a sort of saint

both terrifying and comforting.

You can't tell

about a saint in words.

( sobs )

You can save your tears.

He would have no use for them.

He said to me once

that the only weapon

we had left against

the evil around us was life.

He said we had no right to doubt

or to falter for a moment.

He said that was the great sin

to give in.

Paul, were you with him

when he died?

Yes. He died hard.

He fought to the last inch.

( sighs )

James...

I'm all right,

I'm all right.

Thank you, my boy,

thank you.

I'm glad you came here.

I can manage.

Alice, I've never seen him

do that before.

Yes, dear, it's wonderful.

( both chuckle )

Look, do you mind

if I have a word alone

with Paul for a few minutes?

Oh, no, of course.

Goodnight.

Goodnight.

Paul, how did Adrian die?

They told us

he died of an illness.

No, they killed him.

They tortured him

for three days.

Three days.

I tortured him

much longer than that.

Please,

I can't talk to you here.

Would you drive home

with me? Please?

If you like.

Thank you.

Did you see him

using his right arm?

Yes, Mother.

Oh, Mother...

Yes, I'll be right back,

I'm just gonna get him

a glass of water.

Would you mind

if Paul drove home with me?

I'd like to talk to him.

Oh, no, no, of course not.

I'll just leave the door

on the latch.

Shall we go, Paul?

( slow waltz theme playing )

( upbeat theme playing )

( tender theme playing )

Come in, Paul.

Do you care for a drink?

Did Adrian live here?

Yes.

I don't know this place

at all.

We only moved in a few months

before we left.

The children.

Would you like to see

their room?

Yes, please.

All right.

Well, where are they?

Why?

What have you done with them?

They're in school.

School?

Yes, didn't the family tell you?

I run the store for father

and the children

stay in school in town.

They come home weekends.

I'm sorry, Adrian made me

promise to come and see them.

( soulful theme playing )

Isn't that Adrian's watch?

Yes, he gave it to me.

It's broken.

Yes,

it has the children's picture

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