Unearthly Stranger Page #4

I think even you will be satisfied

with the half I'm going to give you.

You see... it's about his wife.

Oh? What about her?

In every area of our check-up,

there's no record of the girl anywhere.

Hello, my darling.

Aren't you a beautiful baby?

Mark! Mark! Mark!! Ohh...

Good morning, Miss Ballard.

Good morning, Dr Davidson.

The Director wants to see you.

Splendid.

Where've you been?

Shopping, if you want to know.

Want to see what I've bought?

Only, er, don't take too much of a fancy to

it, 'cause - er - I don't think this'll fit you.

Matter of fact, it's for someone with

a much more interesting shape than you.

- What d'you think of it?

- Put it away.

- Or would madame like me to take it to the light...?

- Put it away!

What's wrong with you this morning?

I'm going to send you on leave.

Well, thank you very much indeed, but

I've only just come back off my holiday.

This is not a holiday.

I'm sending you on leave because I cannot allow

you to work on this project for the time being.

- You're joking!

- I'm not joking.

I don't know what you're talking about.

I'm telling you in the

plainest possible terms.

You're not allowed to work on

this project for the time being.

However, so that this will only

be known between the three of us...

What do you mean, "the three

of us"? Who's the other one?

- The Major.

- Oh, really? And why, exactly, is...

...so that this will only be

known between the three of us,

you're permitted to continue

to have the use of your office,

but you'll only be allowed to work

on material which is in no way secret.

Why do you have to talk to me in that stupid,

pompous, ridiculous, civil-service jargonese?

We've known each other for... oh, I don't know

- fifteen years?

- And you have to come

out with that tripe.

Why can't you say what you mean?

What's behind all this, anyway?

You know what's behind all

this. Security is not satisfied.

You mean the Major's not satisfied.

The Major is not satisfied about the

information he has on your wife's background.

Well, I've told him all I know!

- Well, it's not enough.

- Has he been nosing around?

Now, look

- he's made enquiries and he's not satisfied.

He hasn't, by any chance, been checking

up on your wife too, has he, I suppose?

Oh, no, he wouldn't have to, would he?

She's from a nice, respectable

English family, isn't she!

Now listen, Mark, I don't

want to row about this.

But you must admit that the whole

circumstance of how you met your wife...

well, it was so extraordinary, and you

really know so very little about her.

Well, you must accept that in a

government department such as this,

we have to put up with

this kind of performance.

Meanwhile, I'm to sit here

and play noughts and crosses

whilst everyone else believes I'm still

working my scientific fingers to the bone.

Now look, it'll only

be for a few days...

It won't even be for

a few minutes. I'm off.

What do you mean?

If you want me, I'm at home!

Well, I'm very sorry about this. But it'll

only be for a week at the most, I'm sure.

That's perfectly all right.

Perfectly all right.

It'll give me a chance

to paint the bathroom.

You know, they talk about these emulsion paints being

waterproof but they're not, old boy, they're really not...

once the steam gets under that paint

it comes off like a huge blister.

I know how you feel. I'd

feel exactly the same.

But, my dear Major, you

told me you were a bachelor.

Don't tell me you're keeping

a secret wife somewhere?

It's very unpleasant to have this kind of

investigation into someone who's close to you,

someone you love very dearly.

But as far as my department's

concerned, as far as our files show...

Oh, yes, the files, the files...

So far as we know, your

wife may come from anywhere.

I mean, she may even come

from out there.

Oh, Miss Ballard.

Yes, Dr Davidson?

If anybody wants me, I'm in

the bathroom with a paintbrush.

- Yes.

- And if they want to speak to me on the phone,

tell them to whisper...

'cause you never know who's listening.

Miss Ballard. Yes, Major Clarke?

How do you find it working for these

temperamental scientific fellows?

Major Clarke. I enter this office

at nine o'clock every morning.

I have been doing this

for a number of years now.

I do my job and I get paid for my job.

How would you like to do a

little job for me, Miss Ballard?

- What kind of job?

- Keeping an eye on things?

Well, I'd like to, but I think I would

find it rather... dull... working for you.

Now, if you were a little

more temperamental...

Thank you, Miss Ballard.

Well, how did he

take it, coming from you?

Not very well. But I'm not surprised.

Well, I trust it will all be cleared

up to all our satisfaction very soon.

So do I.

By the way, I hope when he gets

home he takes his wife to the doctor.

Do you know, there seems to be

something wrong with her eyes.

She seems to have burnt

the skin just under here,

and all the time I was talking to

her she didn't blink her eyes at all.

Julie...

Julie?

Julie.

Why are you home so early?

Oh! I thought you were asleep.

- Are you all right?

- Yes, I'm fine.

Then what are you doing

home at this time of the day?

Don't ask stupid questions.

- Have you had a row with somebody?

- Leave me alone.

- Can I get you something to eat?

- I'm not hungry.

Is this because of me?

Why should it be?

A man was here, asking questions.

The Major.

Would you like me to go

away until all this is over?

It might make it easier for you.

It was all so simple when we

were in Switzerland together.

None of this would have happened

to us if old Munroe was still alive.

How long are you going to be home for?

They've put me on indefinite leave

until all this business is cleared up.

Marvelous.

Yes. So we should have

some days together.

And I think we ought to make

the most of them, don't you?

Mm...

Poor, sweet Julie.

We didn't spend much time together

during the days I was at home.

Although I was forbidden

to work on the project,

it still filled my head during

the days and nights that followed.

I wanted so much to find out just how far

my old chief had got before he was killed...

all his notes destroyed with him.

My mind went back to the last time I saw him...

just before I went on holiday to Switzerland.

I tried to remember

everything we discussed.

I went over and over my

notes, hour after hour...

until, one night, I felt sure that

I'd come to the same point he had.

Hello?

- John?

- Yes.

- It's Mark.

- Now, look here...

Yes, I know what time it is...

and I'm not going to

apologise for disturbing you.

I think I've made the breakthrough

and solved the first part of the formula,

just as Munroe had before he died.

Are you sure?

Yes, I thought you'd be interested.

Shall I come round to the office in the morning

- or won't I be allowed in the door?

What about now?

What do you mean, now?

Do you know what time it is?

See you at the office.

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