The Horror of Frankenstein Page #2

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Outside, both of you.

- This is preposterous.

- If you're not outside in five seconds,

I'll shoot you.

We'd better do as he says, my dear.

- Highwaymen.

- Probably.

We've always had that trouble around here.

- Well, aren't you going to help?

- Good heavens, no.

It's none of our business.

Besides, a man could get hurt down there.

Well, you might be content to let them

get away with it, but I'm not.

Come on.

I hope you've got more to offer

than this, old fool.

- Let's get him.

- Please drop your guns, gentlemen.

And now I suggest

you make yourselves scarce.

And to make sure you do...

Well, you didn't have to shoot him.

Actions speak louder than words, Wilhelm.

Delighted to have been of service, frulein...

Victor, don't you recognise me?

I'm sorry, I...

Wait a moment. Elizabeth?

My dear Elizabeth, how you've grown.

People do in six years.

Father, this is Victor Frankenstein,

you may have heard me speak of him.

Oh, we owe you an enormous debt

of gratitude, young man.

- You and your friend.

- Oh, may I introduce Wilhelm kassner?

Professor heiss and his daughter, Elizabeth.

A pleasure, herr professor, frulein.

Now, you must allow us to speed you

on yourjourney.

Are you going to stay

now that you're home, Victor?

Yes, I am.

Perhaps you and herr kassner

could come to dinner one evening. Soon.

Indeed, I insist!

- Of course we shall come.

- Thank you, young man.

- Drive on.

- Go on, get on.

Another of your conquests?

Believe it or not, Wilhelm, no.

I'm delighted to hear it.

Come on, let's be on our way.

You fetch the horses.

There's something I must do here.

I said a man could get hurt down here.

Welcome home, herr baron.

Thank you, alys.

You're looking remarkably well.

Thank you, sir.

And you've put on weight

in a couple of places.

- Not too much, I hope, sir.

- Not at all.

Oh, this is herr kassner.

Herr kassner will be staying with us

as a houseguest for a while.

- Did you dismiss the servants?

- Oh, they went yesterday, sir.

- Has my equipment arrived?

-Lt's been arriving all week, sir.

I've had it put in your old rooms.

And I've taken the Liberty

of moving your personal things

to your father's old bedroom.

Good. I trust nothing has been changed.

The same furnishings,

bed warmer, things like that.

Exactly as your father always liked it, sir.

Admirable. We'll have dinner in one hour.

Come, Wilhelm.

Who was that?

Awe. She's my housekeeper.

You're joking.

Not at all. She gave satisfaction

to my father, she can do the same for me.

I hope she can cook.

Many more meals like that

and we can forget work.

- We'll both be dead.

- It wasn't as bad as all that.

- It was revolting, I've never tasted anything...

- Shh!

- Hope you enjoyed your meal, gentlemen.

- Very nice, thank you.

Are you sure you'll be able

to handle everything on your own, alys?

Oh, I think so, sir.

I can always have help sent up

from the village for the heavy work.

Good idea. You're my housekeeper,

I don't want you slaving away

in the kitchen all the time.

Tomorrow, you will engage a cook.

Oh, you didn't enjoy the meal.

No, I assure you, we did.

But get a cook, just the same.

But no living-in help.

- If you say so, sir.

- Good.

- That's settled then. Come on, Wilhelm.

- Where?

Upstairs. We've got to unpack the equipment.

- What time will you be retiring, sir?

- Uh, two hours.

Very well, sir, I'll prepare your bed.

Like father, like son, alys.

Of course, sir.

You know, I have the strangest feeling

that I'm missing something.

You probably are, Wilhelm.

But don't worry about it, old friend.

I'll have you working so hard that you

won't even know what it is you're missing.

Thanks a lot.

- I think I'll go to bed.

- Rubbish.

- We've got to unpack this lot first.

- But it'll take a week.

The sooner we start, the better.

Here.

You start over there.

Victor.

- Mmm?

- Victor, I'm going to bed.

- Mmm.

- Victor, it's 3:00.

- What?

-Lt's 3:
00 in the morning and I'm tired.

3:
00 already.

3:
00? Well, good heavens,

why didn't you tell me how late it was?

I did. Five times.

Come on. We'll finish in the morning.

- Until tomorrow, then. Sleep well.

- You, too. Goodnight.

- What time is it?

-Lt's bed time.

- What on earth is this?

- What?

-It's a blood purifier.

- A what?

A sort of artificial kidney. I saw it advertised

in last month's medical journal.

What on earth do you want

with a blood purifier?

You never know

when we'll find it useful in our work.

Victor, what exactly is our work?

- Research.

- I know that, but research into what?

Life, Wilhelm. Life.

Now let's get on with it.

- Yes, alys, what is it?

- You have visitors.

- Well, tell them I'm busy.

- Well, they say they're friends of yours.

- The gentleman asked me to bring this card.

- Well, what does it say?

"Lieutenant Henry Becker."

Lieutenant? I don't know any lieutenants.

Wait a minute. Of course, Henry Becker!

We went to school together.

- Henry! How are you?

- Welcome home, Victor.

Elizabeth told us you were back.

- And Maggie.

- Hello, Victor.

You've grown up

just as beautiful as I knew you would.

Wilhelm, I'd like you to meet

two very dear friends of mine.

Margaret keil and Henry Becker.

- Wilhelm kassner.

-Lt's a pleasure.

- How do you do?

- Henry and I are engaged, Victor.

My congratulations.

What's the uniform, Henry?

- Are you in the army?

- Police.

So mind you behave yourself, Victor.

I always did.

And now, let me offer you a drink. Alys!

Champagne for my guests.

- This is a semi-official visit, Victor.

- Yes?

Elizabeth told me how you saved her

and the professor from those highwaymen.

- It was nothing.

- It was very brave.

Nonsense, my dear,

anyone would have done the same thing.

You shot the leader

of the group, I understand.

- Was that all you did?

- What else?

Well, it's very strange.

When I arrived on the scene,

the body had been mutilated.

Mutilated?

His head had been cut off.

How frightful!

I don't see why.

He obviously had no further use for it.

I suppose you know nothing about it.

Good heavens, no.

I imagine his companions probably returned

and removed the head

to prevent identification.

Possibly. I hope you don't mind my asking.

Of course not.

We all have ourjobs to do, don't we?

Ah. Now, we will drink a toast.

To the reunion of old friends.

Why, Victor, why?

- Ugly brute, wasn't he?

- You didn't answer my question.

Admittedly, he doesn't look at his best now.

Even so, he was a pretty revolting specimen.

- Victor.

- W hat?

Why did you do it?

Do what? Oh.

Well, you remember the trouble

we used to have at the university

-during the anatomy classes?

- What trouble?

There were never enough bodies

to go around.

That was at the university.

What do you want with that here?

Just because we're on vacation,

it doesn't mean that we've stopped working.

A head like this would have been shared

among 200 students.

Now we've got it all to ourselves.

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