The Phantom Light Page #3

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I mean, he has these

come-and-go fits.

When they come, somebody goes. -Aren't

you talking rather wildly, Higgins?

Well, as I said before,

sir, I'm in charge here.

You've said that many times. We

know it now. -Well, I am, ain't I?

There's no need to worry, Higgins.

-Oh, I'm not worrying, sir.

But if I'm found tomorrow morning at the

bottom of the sea with my throat cut

I'll know who is responsible.

Well, I'll know then that

you have done your duty.

Oh, I have no doubt it's very

funny because I'm busting my sides.

The tide is on the turn,

doctor. We should be going.

Oh, alright,

David, I'm coming.

There's nothing we

can do here tonight.

I'll need the three of

you to look after him.

I'll come over first thing

in the morning. -For the body?

Well, he's not going to die.

-Oh, I didn't mean his body.

What's going to happen the next

time he goes off the deep end?

These will keep anybody quiet. If

one isn't enough give him a couple.

Don't worry, he's only a bit

unhinged. -Yes, I've noticed that.

Goodnight. -Goodnight,

sir. -Sleep well.

He seems peaceful enough now.

God blimey! Now,

now, now, look here.

I've got two things

to put you to bye-n-byes

and one of them is this.

Who leaves spinners about?

Yeah. Pressure's alright.

Come on.

This is Bob, isn't it? -Yes, sir.

-You've got a nice face.

How did that happen?

Isn't she a beauty?

Not a half. -It wasn't

me who left the spinner.

Oh, forget it, old timer.

We'll be having it up

and forth before long.

You'd better taking

your observations.

I see the log book as I

come up. -Aye-aye, skipper.

But why did this man want

to come down here?

Reporter - newspaper reporter.

Can you beat it? -Yeah.

There's a lot I don't know, as the

farmer's daughter said to the squire,

but there's one thing I do know,

and that's how to cook a sausage.

Look at them. None of your

smooth bananas here, my boy.

Every one with

a split stomach.

You can have that one.

It's a beauty. The king his self

would be proud to eat that sausage,

though I said

that it shouldn't.

YES.

Well, to resume.

Bread please.

Thanks. Pepper.

About this reporter bloke, he takes a

bundle of notes out of his pocket, see,

and he says, Mate,

one night on the lighthouse and you

can have the lot." Tried to bribe me.

Me, with 25 years

service come Michaelmas.

Then he takes out a lot more,

bundles and bundles of notes,

all spread out before me.

Pound notes or ten shillings?

-Pound or ten, what's it matter?

What about the honor

of the service?

Then at the station there

was a girl. What a peach.

You know, lovely beauty

parlor lips, film star eyes.

"Take me with you", she

says. Just like that.

What did you do?

Do? I give her a look like the one

you got now. That settled to her.

Claff? Claff?

Yeah. -Are you aware

that I've been talking?

I've been listening. Do

you hear anything? -No.

What is it? -Footsteps.

Soft footsteps like Bob and me heard

last night. -You've got the rhets.

Sometimes I think of the ships

passing to and fro in the storm,

and I listen to the

gulls beating against the glass

and breaking

their little wings.

It's then I realize the

lives that are in my hands.

Suppose I let

that light go out?

I'd have all those drowned

souls on my conscience,

beating their wings against

my window like the birds.

The phantom light. That's what

you and me's go to think about.

The phantom light.

-Some of you blokes...

well, sure, you'll make me

believe it myself before long.

Of course, you know what

your trouble is, don't you?

Listen.

Did you hear anything?

I could have sworn.

Last night when Bob

and me heard the steps,

I ran downstairs and shouted,

but the only answer I got was

a scream from poor Tom Evans.

In his bunk he was lying with

his face hidden in the pillow

and babbling about

Jack Davis and the light

and God knows what besides.

All over the floor was the

marks of wet feet

leading from the bedroom

down the stairs.

So down I go to the bottom,

and the outer doors are opened

Open. And the wind is whistling in,

and the spray from the

waves wets my face.

The feet led to

those open doors.

It was the spirit of Jack

Davis up from the sea,

mangled maybe by

the rocks below.

YES.

Poor Jack Davis, back from the dead

with the water streaming from his hair.

Oh, God, the phantom light. The

phantom light. I don't know...

Now's the time for his sleeping drought.

-No, wait 'til he gets real violent.

Oh, he ain't been

real violent yet?

Well, I'm going to get a bit of

a rope, see, and tie him down.

There's no need. I know Tom.

My sister's boy, poor fellow.

Well, personally, not

being one of the Owen's,

I'd feel safer if your sister's

little boy was tied down, see.

Ahoy.

Lighthouse ahoy.

Ahoy below. -Hello...

Mr. Higgins, there's a

motorboat off the lighthouse.

Right-o. Standby the searchlight.

AYE-Bye, sir.

Ahoy below. Who are you?

Motorboat drifting,

running out of petrol.

Throw us a line. -You can't land

here. How much juice you got?

Almost gone. I've

got to land. -Alright.

Claff!

Tom - Tom Higgins, ahoy, Sir.

Hello. -Come back. It is

against the regulations.

No one must land here.

Come back.

Come on, give us a hand.

Come on!

Come on, hurry up.

Here, catch hold of this.

Good God, sir, it's a weight.

And this.

How many more? -Look out, I'm

going to abandon her. -Alright.

Oh no, you don't. -Eh?

Hello... -What the

hell are you doing here?

You swear at me later. I don't

want to drown now, even if you do.

Here, grab hold of this.

No, don't do that.

Here, give it to me.

Now, when I say jump, jump-

I don't think I can. -You've

got to. Now then, jump.

Here now. Catch hold of this.

Go on, quickly. There you are.

Give her a hand.

There you are.

Oh, it's cold.

I couldn't help it.

-Here hand on to this.

Oh, wait 'til I get across.

Don't.

How do you expect us to get up here out of a

little boat up to this great, big high place?

What are following

me about for, anyway?

Well, I wouldn't have followed you

if you had you spoken to me nicely,

but the way you shouted

at me, what do you expect?

Oh, come on, for God's sake.

Jabber, jabber, jabber.

I've never heard

anything like it.

In there, you. You'd better change

quick before you make any more puddles.

Yeah, I bet you can do it.

Me best trousers.

Oh well, it can't be helped. Now

look here, that's my Sunday clobber.

Now you got easy on em', see?

Well, what are you

doing? You'll crease them.

What's in there? -Nothing. You caring

about my clothes just as if you...

now come on, off with

those things of your'n.

It's went enough outside as it is.

Come in.

Here. Help, miss.

Help. They've tied me.

What's up? -There's a

man over there. -Oh, him.

Oh, don't mind him, miss.

That's the one, old man.

Now you go to bye-bye, see.

You see, miss, he's batty. He's always

seeing things. Anyway, he's tied down.

But I can't undress

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