The Plague Dogs

I think he's starting to pack it in.

Now, Stephen!

2 hours, 20 minutes, 53 and two fifth seconds.

Six and a half minutes longer than Wednesday's test, about 12 minutes longer than the one before that.

It's remarkable how regular the increase appears to be, isn't it?

It'll be interesting to see what happens when its expectation of removal is countered by its physical limits.

Shouldn't wait too much longer.

Shall I schedule the tank for Monday, doctor? - Same procedure as last time.

And oh yes. Stephen, Cambridge are anxious for us to go ahead with the social deprivation series.

We do have a monkey set aside for that, don't we?

Just waiting for the go-ahead.

Right. Then, get it into the cylinder this evening.

Oh, and that tank, Stephen... Better clean it out a little bit.

Ah, well that's for thee there.

Now, get ya down.

Here up, ol' lad. You're not still getting nowhere?

Eh, what's this? Poor little bugger.

Too much for you, was it?

Harry? Harry? - Hallo!

You still mucking about in there?

Right!

Well I'm going into Coniston for a pint. Catch you out on the car?

Aye, alright! Just a few more packets here and I'm done!

Can't keep me awaitin' forever!

Just comin'.

Rowf! Come back!

I can't do it. I-... I'll fight.

I'll tear their white coats. Damned white-coats.

It's not the white-coats, Rowf. It's me, Snitter.

Listen. The door is not a wall anymore.

The tobacco-man lit it with his matches.

Can you smell it burning?

I can't stand the water anymore.

When I shut my eyes, the water comes again.

How do you get out? Do you drink it?

Or does the Sun dry it out? Or what?

I don't know.

I hate it, Snitter.

The water's terrible.

The wire's loose here, Rowf.

Along the bottom.

If I put my nose under it, I might be able to get through.

Why do they do it, Snitter?

I'm not a bad dog.

I don't think they do it because they think you're bad, Rowf.

Do you think you're the only one who hates this damn place!?

Rowf. Now I remember.

That's why I came. The door in your pen is unfastened.

We can go through it, Rowf.

They'd only bring us back.

We can do it.

We can get out of here.

It's... It's safe in here.

I don't mean out of your kennel, I mean out of here.

The whole place.

We can do it.

It's bad out there. - Bad?

Think of the water. What could be worse than that?

Hours of struggling in the metal water with the white-coats peering down into the tank, watching you.

And one day you won't get out.

They'll let you drown.

They say "Go in the water", I'll-... - They're not masters.

I had a master once, and I know...

...whatever the white-coats are, they are not masters.

Where are you going?

How did you get loose?

And what's that on your head?

It's smells of the stuff the white coats put over everything.

The white-coats made me better. First they made me ill, and then they made me better.

I've been ill, you know. - Look, flat face. How does the tobacco-man go through that door?

He is usually carrying things.

And he pushes it with his shoulder or his foot, and then edges through sideways.

Let me tell you what happened when I was ill.

First of all, the white-coats made me better, as I said...

...and then they made me worse. I didn't know whether I was coming or going...

...first I was well, then I was ill...

Don't jump at it, Rowf.

Just push.

That's it.

There must be some reason, mustn't there?

It must do some sort of good.

Some terrible sort of disease in there.

That's what the smell's about.

Leave it spilt, old Rowf. Let it trickle away.

It's made the floor sharp, and the blood will run out of your nose.

Come on.

Mud and rain...

...gutters and leaves' smell.

No good, though.

Won't get through here.

It's cold. My feet are cold.

Something's been burnt in there. It's a death place.

Bones... hair...

They must burn creatures in there.

Fresh air, Rowf.

Sheep, rain... I can smell it underneath the ashes.

In there?

Smells come through cracks. Dogs don't.

Outside. Don't you see?

Past the burnt smell.

Snitter!

Are you hurt, old Rowf?

I was afraid I'd never get through.

Alright now.

This is your idea of fresh air and rain?

Snitter, stay!

It's that terrier! It was its fault!

The dog killed him!

Wake up, Rowf. We've got to get on.

Not yet, I'm tired.

It's warm in here.

This is where it's coming from.

Fresh air, Rowf.

...the bloody hell is all this?

Rowf, we can't stay here.

The white-coats will find us. We've got to get out!

There isn't any out.

Yes there is.

You can smell it out here.

We could be free!

Go on, Rowf! Go on!

Get on, Rowf!

Come on, light, damn it.

What's the matter with the thing?

Damn this place. Damn the white-coats.

Damn you all!

You bit me!

I bit you? I didn't!

Really, I didn't.

You did.

You've hurt me.

Get up and come with me, old Rowf.

We're free!

They've taken everything away.

The houses, the roads... cars, pavement. The lot.

How did they do it Rowf?

The white-coats must've changed it, so they could do something or other to animals.

My master never used to do anything to me. - I don't want to hear about your master.

When I was at home, my master... - Aren't you listening to me?

Masters are different, Rowf!

You will see what I mean when we've found one.

Suppose there aren't any masters left. What then?

There must be!

It's just that I wasn't expecting...

...this.

Look. Rowf, look.

Everything's so still in there.

If I was in there, covered over... My head would be cool.

Things would keep still.

If you fall in, they won't let you out.

Well...

...It's better out here than in the pens. Isn't it Rowf?

When are we gonna eat?

I'm hungry.

The flies in my head...

..they keep buzzing.

Feels like smoke.

Look, how the wind sends the leaves running across the sky.

There are the houses!

I knew they couldn't have gone far.

Come on Rowf! We're alright now.

Go on, get out ya bugger! Get out!

Away with ya!

You spoiled it, Rowf!

You've got to treat the properly if you want to get anything from them.

Did he hit you with that stone?

No.

If he had, I'd have really gone for him.

You mustn't rootle about in dustbins, however nice they smell. Not if masters are anywhere near.

Makes them angry for some reason.

The proper thing, if you want to get food out of a man, is to go and make friends first.

Then, he gives you something.

You do the man before the food.

Not after.

Look. There's a shop.

A shop.

You know, where they keep meat, and biscuits, and things.

Now, watch me, Rowf.

And remember...

...do the man first.

Ey, a dog with cap on!

Oh why, look at that!

White-coats! - It was a white-coats place?

Maybe the towns are all white-coats.

I must've made a mistake. It looked like a shop.

One of them had a knife.

They must cut them up on those glass tables in there.

Why has everything changed so much?

Rowf!

I'm blind!

Rowf, the truck's coming.

The truck's coming!

Been run over, do you think?

Nay, not run over. It's been to the vet, look at the dressing on its head.

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