The Skull Page #2

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Hm.

That's rubbish.

Huh.

Well, suppose I'll put them down.

Hm.

Ah!

That's wonderful!

Wonderful!

That's it.

One head.

Dr Londe could not explain his action

to the police.

To all their questions,

he merely replied, "The skull."

And this, according to you, is the mysterious

skull of the Marquis de Sade?

Here's the description. Read it for yourself.

There are plenty of skulls

that will fit that description.

You know me, Mr Maitland.

I have never sold you anything

which was not truly authentic.

You can take my word for it.

I know that is the skull

of the Marquis de Sade.

1,000!

No. It's too much for a skull

and a flimsy story.

Well...let's say 800.

All right then - 500, and right now.

This is the first time I've known you

to lower your price.

- Now I know it's a fake.

- On the contrary.

If it were, I wouldn't budge from my price.

You stole that skull, didn't you, Marco?

What does that matter to you?

You can tuck it away in your collection,

look at it whenever you like

and know that it's yours.

Nobody need be any the wiser.

Think about it, Mr Maitland.

For 500.

Yes.

Yes, I will think about it.

Here's my address.

Oh, thanks.

Top floor.

Room number 57.

If you change your mind,

come round tomorrow night.

Bring the money with you.

- Oh, really!

- Bad luck.

I seem to be having an off night.

I've never played so badly in my life.

You certainly don't seem to be able

to concentrate. Anything the matter?

I was offered an item last night

by a mutual acquaintance, Marco.

Oh, yes? A somewhat shady individual.

But useful.

He offered me a death's head which he said

is the skull of the Marquis de Sade.

He wanted 1,000

but finally came down to 500.

Naturally, I'd like it in my collection,

if it's genuine.

- It's genuine enough.

- How could you possibly know that?

Because, my clear fellow,

it was stolen from me.

- What?

- Brandy?

No, thanks. Marco's expecting me later

this evening. Why don't you come with me?

You could identify your property

and get it back.

I shall do nothing of the sort!

I'm glad that the skull has been stolen

and I advise you to leave it alone.

- But why?

- Because it's dangerous.

You've never taken any notice

of superstition before.

Exactly.

That is why, when I tell you that I sincerely

believe the skull to be dangerous,

you'd better take my word for it.

But how can a mere skull be dangerous?

Unless your mind makes it so.

De Sade said he wasn't mad.

And I believe him.

He was far worse than mad.

He was possessed -

possessed by an evil spirit.

A spirit which still inhabits the skull.

I kept the skull locked in a glass case

in the library. I had the only key.

Once a month, during the two nights

of the new moon,

the time of devil worship and black magic,

I found in the morning

that the skull had been removed.

Who removed it?

Those who use its power.

Invisible beings,

spirits from a strange, evil world.

Sometimes, I used to hear them calling me

to join them in their ceremonies.

It took all my powers of will to resist.

I wouldn't resist, given the opportunity.

I'd wait for them. It'd make a good chapter

for one of my books.

Don't think that I wasn't tempted.

I knew that the moment I set foot in the room

I'd be unable to resist the forces of evil.

I would do whatever the skull

wanted me to do.

Remember the auction?

Remember these -

Lucifer, Beelzebub, Leviathan?

And Belberith, who incites to murder.

I bought them. I told you at the time

that I didn't know why.

But I know now.

Then why did you?

Because the skull wanted me to.

It needed this one for its worshippers.

They were all kept in the library

till after the skull had been stolen but

I never went into the library

on the nights of the new moon.

Never.

- You're a coward.

- Perhaps sometimes it's better to be.

All I can say to you is...

keep away from the skull

of the Marquis de Sade.

Is this what you're looking for?

Where'd you get that?

Have you been messing about in my room?

- What would I be doing in this junk heap?

- Where did you get that?

- I found it.

- Where?

- In the hall.

- Where!?

- In the broom cupboard.

- Huh!?

I AM the caretaker here.

Thank you.

You're the strangest tenant

we've ever had here.

Is this junk worth any money?

- Oh, it's of no value.

- Huh.

Anyone must be barmy

who collects things like this.

Come in.

Well, who are you?

- What do you want?

- Are you Christopher Maitland?

- Yes.

- We have a warrant for your arrest.

- My arrest?

- I must caution you that anything you say

will be taken down in writing

and may be given in evidence.

- What is the charge?

- You'll find out.

- Come along.

- My wife is out. I must leave a note for her.

You can phone from the station.

Come along.

But this isn't the police station.

Who are you?

What do you want?

Why am I here?

Jane!

Jane.

- Oh, Chris.

- It's OK. It's all right.

It must be terribly late.

You must be freezing. I'll get you a drink.

I thought you were working. Why didn't

you leave me a note, like you usually do?

Where were you? What were you doing?

I don't know, Janey.

I honestly don't know.

I was sitting over there, reading.

I can only imagine that I fell asleep.

Had a most terrifying dream.

It was a nightmare.

When I woke up,

I was in Marco's lodging house.

I have never been there before in my life.

It was almost as if something

had compelled me to go there

and I went without knowing.

This is what I was afraid of.

I tried to warn you.

Did Marco bring you anything last night?

Yes, he did,

but he wanted far too much for it.

I must find out more about it.

Marco?

Marco?

You say this door was open

when you came in?

Yes.

- Why did you come here?

- Marco had a volume I wanted urgently.

Some reference material

for a book I'm writing.

Mm-hm?

I telephoned him

and said I'd pick it up tonight.

When I found the door open

I thought he'd gone out for a moment.

I came in to wait.

I found him like that

and called you immediately.

- I don't understand it.

- What don't you understand, Doctor?

- The caretaker, sir.

- Thank you, Constable. Come in, Mr...?

Travers. Bert Travers.

Well, Bert, have you known the tenant long?

A couple of years.

I had nothing much to do with him.

He did his own room.

Didn't let anyone near it.

- Mr Travers, do you have a pet of any kind?

- No.

Does anyone else in the house -

a large dog, perhaps?

- We don't allow them.

- Thank you, Mr Travers.

Doctor, what have animals to do with this?

The man's jugular vein was bitten -

clean through.

- Do you know what last night was?

- How do you mean?

- The date.

- Oh, it was...

- It was the 23rd.

- Well?

The first night of the new moon.

The first night of the new moon.

- That's the first night of the rituals.

- Exactly.

And tonight is the second.

If you have the skull...

get rid of it!

Would you take this?

It's to protect you,

as it protected me against the skull

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