The Phantom Light Page #2

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You'd better not let Trinity House hear

him. How could the light drown him?

But he is right, lightkeeper. It

was the light that drowned them all.

Everybody knows it is a haunted light.

And when a ship comes into the channel,

suddenly out goes the light and another

light comes up onto the cliffs,

and the ship goes

on to the rocks over there.

A phantom light, I tell you.

Oh. So this is a good

place for wrecks, is it?

Well, now, I'm going

to tell you something.

It ain't going to spoil my sheet.

I've been in the service now

for 25 years come Michaelmas,

and I've never had

me light go out yet.

Hello, David. -Dr. Carey, this is Mr.

Higgins, the new chief lightkeeper.

Good evening, Mr. Higgins.

-Good evening, sir.

I suppose they've been chilling

your blood to begin with, eh?

Well, they've been

doing the best, sir.

They tell me the Merry

Fern signaled up channel.

Claff Owen will be pleased. His

son's the chief officer on board.

What ships that, sir? -The Merry Fern.

-But I thought she was wrecked last year.

Oh, no, no, that was

her sister ship. -Oh.

Yes, it hit the village

pretty hard too.

Most of us are

small shareholders.

Oh, by the way, David,

where is Sergeant Jones?

You will find up to the public

house, Dr. Carey, courting Mrs. Owen.

Well, we better go down

there and find him.

I don't suppose you'll object,

Higgins? -Lead me to it, sir.

Here. Did you say Mrs. Owen? -The

name Owen is not uncommon in Wales.

God blimey, it must be half

the blinkin' directory.

How's the sea? -It looks like

a bit of a chop come in, sir.

We'd better have a

look at the glass.

Yeah, it don't look

too good, do it? -No.

By the way, Sam. -Yeah. -You don't

believe all those old women stories

about Jack Davis' death

and the men after him, do you?

Well, I don't know, sir.

It seems a bit odd to me.

Oh, pure coincidence.

Don't let them frighten you.

Well, it's the only bed I've got.

Take it or leave it.

Oh, I'll - I'll take it.

You were quite right

about that mattress.

I said it was a flop mattress.

-I thought you said rock.

Your health?

She is staying whatever?

These skinny bits of girls from London

do not know when they are well-off indeed.

Aye, it is not everyone who is as

good a judge as you, Sergeant.

Perhaps it is because I am used to

looking at a really fine woman, Mrs. Owen.

YES.

Hello, chum. -Good evening, Dr.

Carey. -Evening, Evans. Evening, Mort.

Good evening, doctor.

Good evening, sergeant.

Mrs. Owen, I want a couple

of good tarts of rum.

It is rum, isn't it, Higgins?

-Thank you, sir. Doubles.

Sergeant, they shall

want you directly.

This is the new

lightkeeper Mr. Higgins.

Good evening. -So you've come

to take poor Jack Davis' place.

Well, his place where

he was, not where he is.

Ha-ha. Joke.

-I hope it's the right one.

Well, cheerio. -Cheerio.

Same again? -I should

say so. -Single.

You blokes, what about

having one with me?

No.

Well, it isn't many fisherman would care to

drink with the man that has his fate on him.

Well, perhaps I better pay

before I pop off.

We're all ready now, doctor.

-Oh, right David. Sergeant?

Yes, doctor, Whenever

you're ready.

We'll need to be getting right

away on the tide, doctor.

Even now it will be dark before

we get to the North Stake rocks.

You got a special

rig for Tom Evans?

That's what I just came

up to show you. -Right.

You will follow Higgins. -As soon as

I've got my rations, sir. -Good night.

Slowdown, young man.

You're in a hurry, aren't you?

Sorry.

Whiskey and splash, please.

Planning for a rough

night? -Bloody rough.

I want a word with you,

lightkeeper. Have one?

Well, I don't mind if I do.

Doubles.

Cheerio. -Here, here.

Going out to the lighthouse now?

-Yeah. -I'd like to come with you. -No.

YES. -No! -Have another.

Well, um... -Doubles.

Now listen,

do you think that

if I could - now, look here.

You heard what the

harbormaster said, didn't you?

That nobody could go out to the

lighthouse under no conditions.

No.

No.

You're a reporter, ain't you?

How'd you guess that? -You're so

ready free with your office money.

Chin-chin.

Does anybody here got a motorboat

I can hire? -There is Tim Morgan.

Where can I find him? -Well, he

lives at the grocers down the street.

Say you'll come from me. He'll

want paying in advance, young man.

It's a very old boat he has, and

the coast is very dangerous.

I know the coast.

Gin and soda, please.

Not much gin.

And soda? -Not much.

Good evening. -Good evening.

-Nice evening, isn't it?

Yes, very.

I know what that is. That's a map.

I've got one at home.

An awfully nice map.

What did you say?

-I didn't say anything.

It is a nice evening, isn't it? -Yeah.

-Lovely evening to go out in a boat.

Is it? -Oh, I'd love to go out

in a boat tonight. -Would you?

Do you know what I'd do if anybody

asked me to go out in a boat? -No.

Well, just ask me

and you'll see.

Well, of course I would not go out

with you now if you begged me to.

Thanks very much. -But you are going

to beg me, aren't you? I know you are.

Anything else you know? -Yes. You

want to go out to the lighthouse.

Oh, do I? -Yes, and you've

hired a motorboat. -Have I?

Yes. I heard you when

I was around there.

I see. -Well, what about it?

-Why do you want to go out there?

Well, I want to go because

you're... to be with you... -Goodbye.

No, but... no, no,

listen. Wait. Wait.

Listen, I'm going to

tell you the truth.

Oh no, you're not.

Use the tressel.

God blimey, King Kong.

Well, Higgins, how do you like your new

quarters? -Oh, they're all cozy, sir.

Especially the loony ward.

Oh, thanks.

When was the last attack? -This

afternoon, Dr. Carey. About teatime.

Well, he looks as

quiet as a lamb now.

Get off of me.

[Fighting]

There, there now.

Larry? -Yes, Dr. Carey? -We

must have a word about this.

It's impossible to get him away in

this condition. -What sent him that way?

Who knows. Perhaps it was

Jack Davis dying so suddenly.

No, David, he's certainly

not fit to be moved.

Well, he's fit enough to all but

murder you, sir, and chance it.

It's out of the question,

Higgins.

Any sudden shock might be very

dangerous to the poor fellow.

Well, no offense, sir, but

I'm in charge here, you know?

And if me and king - I mean,

if me and Claff Owen and the boy

have to look after the light and take

on his nibs in all his resting as well.

He's not to be moved, Higgins.

-Well, look here, Sergeant -

You heard what the doctor said,

lightkeeper. That's enough now.

Dr. Carey surely ought to

know what you should be doing.

Uh-huh.

Well, I've made me protest.

That's all I've got to say.

If anything happens

it won't be my fault.

Here, how do you know it wasn't him

what done to these blokes before me?

Do you know who that

poor boy is, Mr. Higgins?

My sister's son. He's a

good lad when he is normal.

Ah, when he is normal.

But he ain't normal.

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