Tarantula Page #2

I'll hop out with Ridley, grab a couple

of pictures, and see what I can find out.

By the way, Doc...

how long had Jacobs been dead when

our friend here remembered to call you?

- Will you lay off?

- Eight or ten hours.

Thanks, Doc.

I'll be sure to spell your name right.

As for your friend,

it might just slip my mind...

to support him the next time he comes up

for election.

Say, that's a good idea, Jack.

Him going out to Deemer's.

Joe will get him so riled up with questions,

he may take to me.

If you go into the hotel, miss,

they'll tell you the best way to get there.

Thank you.

I wonder if you might tell me the best way

to get out to the Deemer place?

- It's about...

- I know where it is.

Is there a bus or cab available?

Well, yes, but there won't be any buses

through anymore today.

Then would you mind calling a cab for me?

I wouldn't mind it a bit.

But it wouldn't do no good.

Because Jasper, you see, it's his cab.

He's out at the Bar Six

and won't be back for a couple of hours.

Maybe longer.

Well, what'll I do?

Sit down and wait. That's all you can do.

Thank you.

You ain't come through here before,

have you?

No.

Didn't think I'd seen you.

You any kin to this man, Deemer?

No, I'm not.

He any kin to you? Oh, no.

- I don't suppose that...

- I doubt it.

Me, too.

Josh, I'm expecting a call from Dan Simon.

Switch it to the Deemer place, will you?

You going out there?

- Just leaving.

- Take her with you.

Well, you see,

I was asking how to get out there, but...

Well, I wouldn't want to impose on you.

He won't mind.

No, I'd be glad to drive you.

- Well, if you're sure.

- Are these yours?

Ain't you two going

to introduce yourselves?

- No.

- No.

Getting to be a fast world.

Think it's about time?

- Dr. Matt Hastings.

- Stephanie Clayton. "Steve."

I like Steve.

I'm really indebted to you,

Dr. Hastings, for this ride.

Or rather, I'm indebted to your friend Josh.

So am I.

I guess it's none of my business asking why

you're going out to Deemer's place, but...

Why not?

I'm doing graduate work in biology.

The professor teaches it, or he did.

I knew it would happen.

Give women the vote and what do you get?

Lady scientists.

Well, student so far.

You see, I wrote a paper on the nutritional

aspects of expanding populations...

and Prof. Jacobs read it

and offered me a job for the summer.

How about a place to live?

There are a couple of nice boarding houses

in Desert Rock.

- Cost less than a hotel.

- Well, no.

I'm going to stay at the professor's.

You see, it's all part of my contract.

I'll be laboratory technician, cook, student.

The whole works.

I see.

Well, it's one way of earning a master's.

And it's worth it working with people

like Deemer and Prof. Jacobs.

- How well did you know Eric Jacobs?

- I've never met him.

He just read the paper and liked it,

and that was that.

He's dead.

Died yesterday morning.

How?

Glandular condition called acromegalia.

Acromegalia? Isn't that a very rare disease?

Extremely.

Are you sure it was that?

No, I'm not sure at all.

He has a wonderful lab here.

One of the best.

Looks like nobody's home.

There must be someone.

That's Joe Burch's car over there.

Might as well.

The electric panel shorted.

And, well, you can see for yourself.

You estimated the amount of damage yet,

Professor?

The greatest damage, of course,

was to the work that was destroyed.

Let's get back to Jacobs.

- Why did he leave...

- I've told you all there is.

Will you gentlemen excuse me?

One more picture.

- Pat the monkey, Professor.

- I said that was all.

I think that ought to be enough, Joe.

- Professor's had a rough couple of days.

- Yes. Thank you, Dr. Hastings.

Thanks for the story, Professor.

I didn't mean to add to your troubles.

Come on, Ridley.

- See you later, Matt.

- See you, Joe.

I thought I'd never get rid of them.

You must forgive an old man.

- Have I met you before, miss?

- No.

This is Stephanie Clayton.

It seems Prof. Jacobs wrote for an assistant.

- She's it.

- Yes, Eric told me you were coming.

But I didn't expect to see a biologist

that looked like you.

That was intended as a compliment.

- I'm afraid I've gotten a bit rusty.

- Well, thank you, sir.

Well, I don't know that you'll want to stay on

with all that has happened...

You're welcome to, of course.

But Eric...

I know. Dr. Hastings told me on the way out.

I see.

Well, with Eric gone, I'm alone.

I'm sure I can be of service.

I mean,

if you're going to continue with your work.

Yes, indeed. For Eric's sake, if nothing else.

Wasn't Paul Lund working with you,

Prof. Deemer?

Paul...

STEVE:
Yes, he was studying

for his doctorate...

when I was a freshman.

STEVE:
I'd heard he came here.

DEEMER:
Yes, of course.

Paul Lund. No, he's not with us anymore.

Well, come now, Miss Clayton.

Let me show you my lab.

- Are you interested at all, Doctor?

- Yes, of course.

I've put all I own into this.

It's my life.

Everything that I have and care for is here.

Unfortunately, part of it has been destroyed.

I see.

What's in the vial, Professor?

DEEMER:
A nutrient.

STEVE:
You mean a synthetic?

DEEMER:
A completely nonorganic

food concentrate.

Medicine has lengthened the life span,

and people live longer.

But the food supply remains fairly static.

World population is increasing

at the rate of 25 million a year.

An overcrowded world.

That means not enough to eat.

The disease of hunger,

like most diseases, well, it spreads.

There are 2 billion people

in the world today.

In 1975 there will be 3 billion.

In the year 2000,

there will be 3 billion 625 million.

The world may not be able to produce

enough food to feed all these people.

Now perhaps you'll understand

what an inexpensive nutrient will mean.

Well, not many of us look that far

into the future, sir.

Our business is the future.

No man can do it on his own, of course.

You don't pull it out of your hat

like a magician's rabbit.

Well, you build on what hundreds of others

have learnt before you.

I thought that synthesis was impossible

without a bonding agent...

to hold everything together.

And we use the simplest of all: The atom.

Let me show you.

MATT:
That's an isotope, isn't it?

DEEMER:
A radioactive isotope.

DEEMER:
Ammoniac.

- And that's what binds your solution?

- Binds it and triggers it.

Using it, Eric's dream and mine

may be a reality before...

Excuse me.

Hello?

Yes.

It's for you, Doctor.

Thank you.

Hello? Hi, Josh.

Of course.

Call her back.

Tell her I'll stop by on my way home.

Bye.

Sorry to break this up.

Thanks for the tour, Professor.

Maybe one of these days

you'll invite me back.

Oh, yes, of course.

Professor, I...

I'm still puzzled by the speed with which

Jacobs' malformation developed.

Can you explain it?

Eric is dead and he shouldn't be.

But the cause was acromegalia.

Nothing else.

It seems such a deviation

from the classic cases.

You're being very diplomatic, Doctor.

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