The Thirteenth Tale Page #3

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Well, I haven't, and I

certainly don't intend to.

HANDLE RATTLES:

SHE SHRIEKS:

DISTANT LAUGHTER

WIND WHISTLES:

During that summer, Dr Mawsley visited.

...a little more frequently than

was perhaps medically necessary.

I'm at my wits' end with Adeline.

She's an aggressive and dangerous child.

She hardly eats anything.

It takes two of us to

hold her down at bath-time.

She seems impervious to

any kind of human emotion.

Is she intelligent?

It's hard to tell, given

that she refuses to speak.

Soon after I arrived, I sent off

for a number of studies of twins.

Really?

If I've understood correctly...

what tends to happen is

that certain pairs of twins.

...divide up available emotions and

personality traits between them.

Thus, one being placid and

passive, the other wild and violent.

One clean, the other dirt-loving.

Of course, you would know

much more about this than I.

Not necessarily.

Yes.

My wife's opinion...

I... I do sometimes discuss

my patients with my wife.

She thinks the child may

quite simply be wicked.

I think the explanation may be

a little more nuanced than that.

No doubt. My wife is apt

to take the layman's view.

I was thinking that the situation.

...does present a rare opportunity

for original research.

Indeed.

In which I would be more

than happy to assist you.

Hmm.

DOOR BELL RINGS:

Where's Adeline?

Back soon.

KEY TURNS IN LOCK

I hate you! Adeline, behave, please.

ADELINE SHOUTS:

Emmeline! Be careful, John.

Watch her, please.

Adeline!

Miss Barrow, take the door.

SHE STRAINS AND SCREAMS

Emmeline! Is she in?

Come on. Ready to go?

Come away.

LOUD SOBBING:

KEY TURNS IN LOCK

Oh, my goodness, Emmeline.

Come in. Let me show you your room.

You'll like it, you'll

have it all to yourself.

I tell you, no good'll come of this.

Adeline...

And naturally there have been

reports that point to some evidence...

Hester and Dr Mawsley

had become so engrossed.

...in their scientific experiment.

...and so relished their daily discussions.

...they quite failed to

notice that their patients.

were making no progress whatsoever.

They completely ignored the

only and most obvious diagnosis -

...the twins were missing

each other desperately.

Emmeline!

There you are. Come along,

it's time for your tea.

Where have you been?

I've been looking for you.

We went down to the woods.

No, you should say, "I

went down to the woods. "

I went down to the woods.

Mm. And what did you do there?

We picked some bluebells.

Come on.

Where did you put your bluebells?

The bluebells you picked?

Did you put them in the vase?

No, we saved them for Adeline.

Well, you correct her, you see,

and she gets it right for a moment.

...but then she always

goes back to saying "we".

I'm afraid Adeline never

speaks at all. Oh, dear.

I don't think it would be prudent.

...to let her out of the house, do you?

I say, I don't think it would be safe.

...to let Adeline out of the house.

No.

KEY TURNS IN LOCK

I thought we'd agreed that the

rooms not immediately in use.

...should be kept locked.

Yes, that's right, miss.

Well, just now I found

the drawing-room open.

Not a bad idea to give

it a bit of an airing.

Oh, so you opened it, did you?

Oh, no, miss.

I don't have the keys

any more, remember?

You've got the keys.

THEY GIGGLE:

FRANTIC KNOCKING

What is it? Why have

you let Adeline out?

Oh... Oh, that's impossible!

I've just seen her this minute

with Emmeline in... in the grounds!

Calm down. Here.

Adeline has been here, in

this room, this past hour.

Ever since breakfast.

But...

I must be going mad!

SHE SOBS:

FOOTSTEPS APPROACH

I'll thank you to leave

this house immediately.

And send John for the child.

I can...

I'll speak to you later.

The next day, Hester had vanished.

Packed her bags, slipped

away, never seen again.

What happened to her? I've no idea.

The doctor had disappeared as well,

so we can make an educated guess.

Rumour was they'd

disappeared to America.

Wherever it was, I'm

sure they both flourished.

Hester was a resourceful

little... THING.

CAR APPROACHES:

CAR DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES

THE MISSUS:
She's upstairs.

Emmeline!

SHE ROARS:

But why did you do that?

I... I-I couldn't tell you.

Over the next five or six years,

in spite of strenuous efforts.

...to maintain the status quo,

bit by bit, everything changed.

First, a letter came from the asylum.

...saying that Isabelle

had died of pneumonia.

FLIES BUZZ:

A week or so later, we noticed

that Charlie had stopped touching.

...the food that The

Missus had left for him.

He'd gone.

I had an idea where Charlie might be.

I'd often followed him and watched

what he did there with Isabelle.

FLIES BUZZ:

I never said a word to the others.

If Master Charlie has gone,

didn't we ought to tell someone?

No call to.

I collect the money from

the bank end of the month...

...same as always.

And if we run short...

I know a man that'll buy some

of that wine from the cellar.

Oh, he wouldn't like that.

Anyroad, I better

take him up his dinner.

Of course, The Missus was suffering

from some kind of dementia.

But we drifted on pretty

much as we always had.

PIERCING SCREAM:

GIRL SINGS SOFTLY:

"Ring A Ring O' Roses"

CHILD:
'Forgive me, please!

LOUD SCREAM:

'Margaret, I'm sorry. '

HORN BLARES:

DISTRESSED WAILING

SHE SOBS AND WAILS

SOBBING:

SHE GASPS AND MUTTERS

SHE GRUNTS:

Underground...

Emmeline?

Dead go underground...

Are you Emmeline?

SHE MUTTERS:

MOANING:

DOOR OPENS:

KISS:

You look like death warmed

up. What's the matter?

I didn't get sleep much last night.

Oh?

Are you in a fit state to continue?

Yes, of course.

Um, we were talking about what

happened after The Missus died.

John brought in a local

boy to help with the garden.

Ambrose Proctor.

I don't see why we need him.

He's all right.

Keeps himself to himself. Works hard.

Gives me a bit of time for

what needs doing in the house.

You said you were going to

show me how to trim the topiary.

Well, I will, then. Huh?

Now, you check the

safety latch first. Right?

Right. Bit wobbly-like,

against the tree.

You need to test it before you go up it.

Right...

Up you go.

Never cut into the sun or towards

your own shadow, all right?

Yes. And never look at the clouds.

They keep moving, see,

and they throw you out.

Good girl.

Yes.

GIGGLING:

BANGING:

Where's the ladder?

Mr Digence took it. He's round

the back, fixing the guttering.

Obviously somebody had tampered

with the safety catch. Who?

We said no questions.

After that, everything's a blur.

But I did have the presence

of mind to tell the police.

...that Uncle Charlie was away.

After the funeral, we had a meeting

with the family solicitor, Mr Lomax.

So where exactly is your uncle?

Peru, I think.

Peru? I believe so.

And when will he be back?

I'm not sure. Quite soon, anyway.

You're 17 now, if I'm not mistaken.

That's right.

I'm just wondering what

arrangements we can put in place.

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