The Plague of the Zombies Page #4

She's talking of getting up.

Well, I feel like a stroll.

Care to join me?

Yes.

I want a word with the sergeant

so we'll call in on the way.

Where are we going, sir?

Up on the moors.

A breath of air will do us both good.

I didn't know this place even existed.

What did they mine here?

- Tin, sir.

- Tin?

Yes, there's a rich vein

runs under here sir, worth a fortune.

Then why has it been allowed

to fall into decay like this?

There was a lot of accidents, sir.

Miners killed and maimed.

They wouldn't go down there.

They said it was unlucky.

Old Squire was furious,

but he had to shut it down.

Has young Hamilton tried to reopen it?

Oh, no, sir, but then

he don't need the money.

- Where does he get his money from?

- I can't rightly say, sir.

He was away

when his father died in foreign parts.

The old squire left him the house

and a lot of unpaid bills.

When young Squire come back here,

he shut himself up there,

wouldn't see nobody.

Then suddenly he had a lot

of young people down staying there

and spending money like water.

It's creepy.

- They do say, sir, that it's...

- What do they say, Sergeant?

- That it's haunted?

- Well, how did you know that, sir?

It doesn't take much guessing, does it?

Come on, Peter, we mustn't leave

Sylvia alone too long.

Thank you, Sergeant.

- May I come in?

- Please.

Thank you.

What can I do for you?

At our last meeting

you made it abundantly clear

that my attentions

would not be welcomed,

that you would as soon

never see me again.

I appreciate your feelings

and the reason for them.

I wouldn't dream of imposing

myself on you, only...

Only I felt I had to come

and tell you how terribly sorry I was

to hear the news of your friend,

Alice Tompson.

I knew her, you know, not very well

but enough to realize

what a very fine lady she was.

Please accept my sincere condolences.

Thank you, but would they not be better

given to her husband?

I fear they would not be accepted,

Miss Forbes.

- Oh?

- Doctor Tompson doesn't like me.

You are not alone in your opinion of me.

I can't imagine that the opinion

of others affects you very much.

Oh, I should like to be popular,

of course.

I should be lying if I said otherwise.

But I realized long ago that

in order to be popular one must conform.

I find that too big a price to pay.

Conform?

Well, to the standards of conduct

dictated by convention.

I have my own standards.

I conform to them.

At least you are honest, Mr. Hamilton.

Probably my only virtue.

I'm always honest,

even with myself.

I wonder how many people

can truthfully admit to that.

Not many, I agree.

I am becoming a bore.

I have taken up enough of your time.

Oh, I wonder,

could I impose on you

for a glass of water?

Oh, yes of course.

Unless you prefer sherry?

Please, I don't want

to put you to any trouble.

It's no trouble.

Do you believe in life after death,

Miss Forbes?

- That's an odd question.

- Odd?

To ask a stranger.

I was hoping that

you no longer considered me a stranger.

Very well.

Yes, I do believe in life after death.

Do you?

I'm sure of it, Miss Forbes.

I'm sorry.

- Here, let me...

- Oh!

How clumsy of me. I'm so sorry.

It's nothing, really.

This should prevent

the risk of any infection.

You must think me a clumsy idiot.

I really do apologize.

One cannot be too careful.

There. Is that better?

- Thank you.

- A safety pin should hold it.

I have one in my bag.

Allow me.

May I say that I consider you

to be a very brave young lady.

Because of this?

Because of everything, Miss Forbes.

I'll see myself out.

it's the Master. Open.

Man that is born of woman

hath but a short time to live

and is full of misery.

He cometh up

and he is cut down like a flower.

He fleeth, as it were, a shadow

and never continueth in one stay.

In the midst of life we are in death.

Yet, O Lord God most holy,

O Lord God most mighty,

O holy and most merciful Savior,

deliver us not into the bitter pains

of eternal death.

O holy and merciful Savior,

Thou most worthy judge eternal,

suffer us not at our last hour

for any pains of death

to fall from Thee...

...for as much as it has pleased

almighty God in his great mercy

to take unto Himself the soul

of our dear sister here departed.

Vicar, may I ask a favor of you?

I am given to understand

that you have a fine collection of books

on a variety of subjects.

I wonder if you have any

on witchcraft or black magic.

If so, may I have the use

of your library?

- Come with me.

- Thank you.

Come in, sir.

No, no, please sit down.

Oh, hello, Peter.

Peter...

Have you ever heard of voodoo?

- it's a form of witchcraft, isn't it?

- Exactly.

It's practiced in the Caribbean,

in Haiti to be precise.

Please sit down, Vicar.

I find all kinds of witchcraft

slightly nauseating

and this I find absolutely disgusting.

You're not following

and there's no reason why you should

if I don't explain properly.

- Unless you would like to...

- No, I'm ignorant in these matters.

Oh, well.

Sylvia tells us that

she saw something on the moors,

something that was a man

and yet not a man.

Her description

was of a walking corpse,

the corpse of Martinus' brother.

Now...

...young Martinus also says

that he saw something on the moor,

something that he insists

was his brother.

But we know that his brother is dead.

We also know

that he is not lying in his coffin.

Now, what do you make of that?

That he was buried alive,

that he somehow freed himself

and he's out there.

But I've told you, Peter, I saw him.

And he was as dead then

as any corpse I have ever seen.

No, that's not the answer.

Then, what is?

What is the connection with voodoo?

Someone in this village

is practicing witchcraft.

That corpse wandering

on the moors is...

...an undead, a zombie.

It's incredible, sir.

How can you, a man of science,

believe that?

I have an advantage

over you there, Peter.

I spent the afternoon reading up

the subject in the vicar's library.

And it's all there.

It's all clearly scientifically stated.

And we have the evidence

of two sensible human beings.

What can be done?

About Martinus' brother? Nothing.

I'm thinking of Alice.

- Are you saying that Alice is...?

- Peter, I am.

I pray that I'm wrong.

But I'm going to watch over her grave

tonight with the vicar until daybreak.

I'll come, too.

I'd rather you didn't.

I think you need some rest.

- I am rested, sir.

- Well, I'm...

If anything were to happen,

I'd rather you weren't there.

I'm coming with you.

Very well.

- Vicar?

- What?

I think you should go home now.

it's very late.

Dr. Tompson and I will stay on.

- If you're sure.

- Yes, yes. Quite sure.

All right.

- Good night, Sir James.

- Good night.

What happened?

- Who attacked you?

- I don't know.

He wore a mask.

We'll take you home.

I shall be all right now, thank you.

If you should need me...

Don't worry.

We won't hesitate to call you.

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