The Pale Horse

Episode Transcript
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(00:08):
Is this the priest's house? Isit, father Garman you were looking for?
He's wanted? Who wants him?What for? What? As a
woman and says she's dying, brainFell Street number twenty three, Missus poppinsent
me. This is a Catholic placein it, the woman says. The
vicar want too, It's a Catholicplace, all right, I'll set him
straight away. What's the name ofthe poor woman that says she's dying,
Davis, Missus Davis, Telefontaine,you remember that Telefontaine? Yes, Sanford,

(00:42):
Sandford and hescar dui heskis du bois. It must be stopped. You
will stop that. I will dowhat is necessary. Missus Davis, you
can trust me. Such wickedness,such terrible evil, the bearer of death,

(01:15):
the Pale, the bail Horse.We present Stephanie Cole, Jeremy Clyde,
Mary Wimbush, Terence Alexander, HildaSchroeder and the BBC Radio Drama Company

(01:41):
in Agatha Christie's the Pale Horse.I've done your party for you, inspectors.
And what's a verdict. I've savedthe technical business with the coronel of
its second The priests was hit witha heavy caution. The first blow probably

(02:01):
killed him. But whoever it wasmade absolutely sure. It's quite a nasty
business on earth would want to killa poor parish priest. He couldn't have
had much money on him. Wasit robbery? And the pockets were turned
out? And the lining of hiscassock ripped? Oaton hm hm, can'd
God? Why Battery's headed? There'stwo possible answers. It could have been
done by a vicious young thug wholikes violence for Van's sake, and there

(02:24):
are plenty of never bat. Andthe other answer somebody had it in for
father Gorman is that like him,Most unlikely, he was a popular man,
well loved in the district. Noenemies as far as one can tell.
But there's one thing is rather curious. There was something on him that
the killer didn't get. It wasin his shoe. What the hell was

(02:45):
it doing in his shoe? Hehad holes in his pockets. His housekeepers
and by way of being a bitof a slat, and never kept his
clothes mended. She said that nowand again father Gorman would slip a paper
or a letter down the inside ofhis shoe so that he could keep its
Remember What was this paper? I'vegot it here. It's a list of

(03:06):
names. Let me see Olmer atParkinson, Short Tuckerton, Harmon's with Corrigan.
Well, I'm on the list inhere, Sandford, de la Fontaine,
Hesketh. You never met father Gorman. Never are dozens of Corrigans anyway?

(03:27):
What's the list supposed to mean?And Father Gorman had been to see
a woman called Missus Davis. Shewas very ill and wanted to see a
priest. He was with her forabout half an hour. She died just
before the ambulance arrived to take herto hospital. Always the way the next
week of Father Gorman is at Tony'splace. It's the local greasy spoon.
Father Gorman asked for a cup ofcoffee. Then he asked Tony if he

(03:50):
could give him a piece of paper, this scrap of paper. So what
happened then? When Tony brought thecoffee, the priest was writing this list
out. Shortly afterwards he left,leaving his coffee practically untasted, for which
I don't blame him. Anybody elsein the place, three young lads were
sitting at one table. An elderlyman came in and sat at another he

(04:10):
went away without ordering he followed FatherGordman. Could be Tony didn't notice when
he went. Well, we're askingfor anyone who saw Father Gorman between a
quarter away till eight fifteen to getin touch with us. Nobody's come forward
yet but thirly days. So thislist is the only thing you've got to
go on. I think it's important. The dying woman told him something,

(04:33):
something she wanted to get off herconscience, and he wrote these names down
before he forgot them. Could havebeen blackmail. They are not a smone
of names mine included, and noaddresses Hesketh Duboe. I can't be many
of them about pass a telephone?Direction? Will here? John, Hesketh

(04:57):
Plumber, Sir? Is it doorhere? We are just the one Hescuth
Dubois, Lady forty nine Elsmere squarsurfs one. What say we just ring
her saying what the inspiration? Willcome? Go ahead over six four five

(05:23):
eight. Of course, there's noway of knowing whether the list has anything
to do with the murder at all. Could just have been a common or
garden cushing. It was pretty foggy. Hello is that lady Hesketh Dubois's house
guy speak to please. Oh,oh, I see, I am sorry.

(05:50):
So that's why you were so readyto let me ring out. She
died last April. We don't reallyneglect the obvious six months ago. She
didn't go in suicide or anything likethat. And as you died of a
tumor on the brain, and youknew all along. Even so, I'd
like to do a little investigating onmy own account. If you've no objection

(06:14):
because of the name Corrigan of somethinglike that, Sure, where do we
go from here? Think of theperson on whom suspicion is least likely to
fall. Now do you know whosaid that? Sherlock Holmes, Wilkie Collins.
Up to now, it's always workedlike a dream with me, it
never fails. But this time,Mark, I'm really cornered. I just

(06:38):
can't think of how anyone gets awaywith murder in real life nonsense, you've
been doing it for years. Notin real life, Mark, murder parts
quite easy. It's for covering upthat's so difficult. Tell me, Mark,
do you think it's possible to killsomeone by remote control? Surely you're
not going to have someone killed witha death ray Ariadne. That sort of

(06:59):
thing went out of the No no, no, no, I mean black
magic wax figures with pins in them. Oh goodness, no, I did
that in the Random Mystery. Butqueer things do happen in Africa the West
Indies. People just curl up anddie. Vodoo, Oh juju, you
know what I mean? You meanyour new story is about death by voodoo.
It's just a passing thought the moment. It's a good old fashioned blunt

(07:20):
instrument. But how could he havefailed to notice it? I've been trying
for days. I cannot see awayround that. You don't have to tell
your hair out nonsense. Hair's tough, though. When I had measles at
fourteen with a very high temperature,it did come out all round the front,
and it was six whole months beforeit grew properly again. Awful for

(07:41):
a girl. Thought of it.Yesterday when I was visiting Mary de la
Fontaine. Her hair was coming outjust like mine. Did. I saw
a girl pull another girl's hair outby the roots. Not longer. You
must go to some funny places.It was a coffee bar in Chelsea.
What on earth drove you to aplace like that? Desperation? I tying
to write an article on mogul architecture. That doesn't seem much of an excuse

(08:03):
anyway. The girl didn't seem tonotice great tufts of red hair torn out
of her scalp, and she didn'tbat an eyelid. Who on earth was
this girl? Tommy Tucker? Theycalled her what Tomas Sina Tuckerton, an
heiress with a taste for low life. She'd stolen the other girl's boyfriend.
And do you know a week laterI read in the Times that she was
dead. I mean, the wouldn'tbe another girl with a name like that.

(08:24):
I'm sure they couldn't. You didn'tcome here to talk about girls having
their hair torn out, frankly,No. But the fact is that my
cousin wrote a deskbard is organizing achurch fate at much Deeping, and she
wondered if you could persuade your famousfriend Harry and Oliver to open it.
Oh no, you wouldn't have toopen it. What would you have to
do? Would be to sit ina tent and sign your books? Would

(08:46):
I have to wear a hat?I'm sure it's all totally informal, and
it would only be for an houror two, and after that there'll be
a cricket match and a fancy dresscompetition. That's it. Of course there's
a cricket match. Oh what agood thing you came around, Mark.
I don't quite see what's got That'swhy he doesn't notice Greenwood. It's been
lovely to see you, Margaret.What I've got to do now is work

(09:07):
this out. That's all right.I've got to get to the theater anyway.
But about this thing, I'll thinkabout it now. Where on earth
did I put my glasses? Idon't see what more I can tell you,
Inspector. I told it all beforeto your sergeant. I don't know
who missus Davis was or where shecame from. She had a job,
presumably, yes, if you cancall it a job. She worked for

(09:28):
one of those customer research organizations.She didn't mention where she came from,
what part of the country. Idon't think she was a Londoner. Came
from somewhere up north, i'd say. And there's nothing you can tell me
about her. Nothing unusual, notreally though. When she got ill she
seemed to be worrying about something.I've got the impression it might have been
to do with that firm she wasworking for. Possibly did she say anything

(09:50):
else. She went down with ahigh fever, could hardly climb the stairs.
I must have a priest, shesays, and quickly, or it'll
be too late, So I said, Mike, Profar Gorman. While we
were waiting, she kept muttering aboutwickedness, wickedness, and something about a
horse horse racing. It might havebeen it's got to be stopped, that's

(10:11):
what she said, wickedness. Mark, good lord Mark, east of there's

(10:35):
a table free just here, ifyou can bear sit next to us,
that is, we'd love to.It's not reserve or anything, nor madam,
let me take your thank you.This is my particular pet, Poppy.
Hello, meet Mark and Hermia.Hello. Mark and Hermia are very
seriously high brown and you must tryand live up to them. I bet
you two have just come from areally boring play and the bear actually the

(10:58):
old Vick, and it wasn't theleast boring. And what did they do
with the witches this time? Oh? They were awful. I thought they
were very funny. If they alwayscome on with all that smoke and thunder
and lightning. If I were doingMacbeth, I'd make them very ordinary,
just sly quiet old women like thewitches in a country village. But there
aren't any witches herd is are they? But you say that because you're a
London girl. But there's still awitch in every village in rural England.

(11:20):
I don't like the country. Andthat Beth turned out was the third murderer?
Is that usual? Oh? It'sbeen done before, but then what
hasn't It simply shows that Macbeth couldn'ttrust anybody, what even higher murderers.
How convenient it must have been inthe good old days to be able to
call in a handy murderer whenever youwant a little job done, but it
is done? What are they calledcontract killings? Oh? I don't mean

(11:41):
big time gangsters, I mean ordinaryeveryday folk. I want to get rid
of someone a business rival, andevil and so rich and so unfortunately long
lived, and know how convenient ifyou could bring up Harods and say please
send along two good murderers, willyou? One can do that? In
a way? What way? Popit? Well? I mean people can

(12:01):
do this if they want to,people like Lass. You said, Oh,
I believe it's very expensive. Whaton earth are you talking about?
That thing? They call the palehorse. That's what to say about.
It's the pale horse. What kindof pale horse? I expect I've got
it wrong. It was just somethingsomebody mentioned. I think what you need,
my girl, is another glass ofwine, and it's time we all

(12:22):
had some food. Waiter, waiter, Oh, good morning, inspectors,
in good morning. Won't you comethrough? Dorian will look after the shop,
weren't you, Dordine, Yes,mister Osborne. All this way,
inspector, and we can talk quiteprivately in here. I'll just draw the
curtain across. Very nice little businessyou've got here, Miss Osbourne. Love

(12:45):
all those colored bottles and pretty jazz, good old fashioned family chemists. My
grandfather was here, and my fatherbefore me. Mind you, I didn't
see it that way. When Iwas young, I wanted to go on
the stage. A year and ahalf in provincial reps soon cured me of
that. But I'm selling the businessnow. I'm getting a good price for
it, and I've made a downpayment on a nice little bungalow near Bournemouth.

(13:09):
Retire while you can still enjoy life. That's my motto. You said
you had some information that you thoughtmight interest mister Osbourne's. Yes, that's
right, I think I may haveseen your murderer. Really, it wasn't
a busy evening. We keep openuntil eight on Thursdays, and my young
lady was behind the counter. I'dgone to the door to look at the

(13:33):
weather, thinking to myself that thefog was coming down very fast, and
I saw Father Gorman coming along onthe other side of the street. You
knew him, Oh, we'd calledin a few times. Anyway. He
was going in the direction of WestStreet. A little way behind him there
was another man. It wouldn't haveended my head to notice him. But

(13:54):
quite suddenly this second man came toa halt, just when he was level
with my door. I wondered whyhe'd stopped, and then I noticed that
Father Gorman, a little way ahead, had slowed down almost to a stop.
And then he started on again,and the second man started to move
also, as if he were followinghim. Well, that's what I am

(14:15):
sure he was doing now, notthat I thought anything about it at the
time, what with the fog comingdown, I lost sight of both of
them almost at once. Well canyou describe this man at all? Well,
yes, I think so. Hewas a tall man at all,
or nearly six feet I'd say,though he might have seemed taller than he
was because he was very thin.Sloping shoulders he had, and a definite

(14:37):
Adam's apple, grew his hair ratherlong under his homburg, that great beak
of a nose, very noticeable ageabout fifty five. I'm going by his
walk, A very detailed description.Mister Osbourne. Do you think you would
recognize this man if you saw himagain? Oh, yes, Inspector,

(14:58):
I would recognize him. Never forgeta face Blacksman sevens v eight for one.
I've thought about it, and I'llcome. Thought about it. Signing
books at your cousin's fate in muchDeeping, I'll come if she still wants
me to. That's frightfully nice ofyou, Harry Anne Well, they'll put
you up. Of course, aroad is married to a chap called Guy

(15:20):
Despard. Colonel Deaspard actually, orfind them very hospitable. Of course,
I shall have to cope with allthose people who say how much they like
my books. Perhaps we could losethem all and sneak off and have a
drink in the pale horse. Thepale horse, well, isn't that the
name of the pub in much Deeping, or did the Pink Horse, or
perhaps it's somewhere else. I mayhave just imagined it. Anyway, I'll
see you there, Ah Blaxman seventhsveight for one, mister Easterbrook. That's

(15:46):
right. My name is Shome's WhiteSolicitors. I'm ringing you about the estate
of your late godmother, Lady Heskethdu Bois. Under the terms of her
will, you are entitled to choosethree of her pictures. Oh, that
was very thoughtful of her. It'snothing valuable, of course, I seem
to remember some very charming watercolors ofIndian scenes. Quite so. Probate has

(16:07):
now been grounded and the executors arearranging for the sale of a London house.
If you would go round to ElsmereSquare in the near future. I'll
go now. Oh, good morning, I was wondering if you could.
I don't live here. I wasjust leaving. You'll need to see the
caretaker, don't I know you?Aren't you Jim Corrigan, Mark eastern Brook.

(16:34):
It must be fifteen years you wereat Bayland and you were at Wadham.
What are you doing here? I'mcollecting some watercolors left me by my
godmother, your godmother, Lady Heski'sTuba. She's your godmother. Yes,
what's so unusual about that? There'snothing, I think except that I called
around here open to find out somethingabout her. I suppose you didn't have

(16:57):
type of spot of lunch. There'sa little place just off Land Square.
And my godmother was on this list. Yes, and it was such an
unusual name. I thought it wouldbe pretty easy to track down. But
what did you hope to find out? I'm not quite sure. I wanted
to follo up the idea that shemight have been blackmailed. Blackmail, Good
lord, I shouldn't think that's verylikely. Who else is on this list

(17:18):
of yours? Got a copy ofit? Here? Parkinson? I know
too, Parkinson's. And there wasa Sandford. He used to be rector
of our church when I was aboy, Tuckerton. That's odd, But
Thomasina Tuckton. I suppose there couldbe. For all I know? Who
is she? What does she do? Nothing? Now? In one week
she was having her hair torn outin a coffee bar, and the next

(17:41):
I noticed her death and the timesgood to la Fontaine. I've heard that
name lakely, but I can't rememberwhere Corrigan is that why you're taking such
an interest? Do you think itmight be you? I devoutly hope not.
I have a feeling that it's unluckyto have your name on that list.
Why do you think he's got somethingto do with blackmail? Was inspector
le journe idea. It seemed themost likely possibility, but there are plenty

(18:03):
of others. But I thought youwere a pathologist. He always takes such
an interest in the police side ofyour work. No, no, I
don't. But seeing my own nameon the list made me want to find
out what it was all about.One Corregan to the rescue of another Corregan
and the Spectlationan's got quite a lotof his place at the moment, so
he's got nothing against me editing alone, Well, I don't think I can
give you a useful lead about ladyHeskeu's dubois. She led far to blame

(18:26):
this a life to have been blackmailsany other escus dubois is that you know
about. She didn't have any children, her husband died some time ago,
but she got a neverewr niece,I think, but not of that name.
I can't think of any reason forher to be on your list.
If someone killed that priest to gettheir hands on the list, the reason

(18:47):
must have been pretty important. Ohdo you love fireworks? They make me
feel like a wild again. Sucha wonderful way to round off the day.
And did you have a successful signingsession or whatever you call it?
Sixty three books at five for atime? Come. I suppose it wasn't

(19:08):
too bad that people do ask suchfunny questions. One man wanted to know
whether I had ever tried out poisonson myself? Can I top you off?
Missus Oliver? Oh? Thank you? How about you mister Brooker?
Oh thank you very much. Everyonecalls me Ginger. Ah, thank you
Ginger. I think missus Horsfall cheatedover the bottle of champagne and nephew got

(19:30):
it. A lady brook Bank lookedpretty embarrassed when she won that peg.
Or we didn't come out of ittoo badly better than last year, Rodin
wouldn't have been very difficult. Wegot rained off last year. Yes,
damp squib was particularly approvious. Didn'tyou burn your hand or something? Because
a Roman candle I was so determinedto get to think alike. That's why

(19:52):
I'm keeping my distance this year Igot the King's Arms was particularly generous,
hive bottles of whiskey and five ofgin. Pretty sporting of them. The
King's Arms. I thought you saidthe pub was called the Pale Horse,
Aria. Well, I did say, I might have imagined it, only
you didn't imagine it, missus Oliver, that they used to be a pub
called the Pale Horse. But it'sjust an ordinary house now. I wouldn't

(20:15):
call it ordinary, mostly sixteenth century. But I do think they should have
changed the neck. Oh no,it would have been awfully silly to call
it Wayside or Fairview. I thinkit's much better to call it the Pale
Horse. And that's the lovely oldsign. Still they've got it framed in
the hall. Who's there? Itbelongs to third of Gray. You may
have seen her today, tall,rather manished looking, close cropped hair.

(20:37):
She's very much into the Ocot goesin for spiritualism and chances and magic.
Not quite black Masses, but thatsort of thing. I don't quite see
miss Gray as Madame de Monte spinlying naked on a black velvet altching,
not in front of the vicar.Sorry, mister Calthrop, who don't apologize
my dead? Far worse things onthe television. Still want to know who

(21:00):
they are? Miss Grayant? Whoelse? Oh, there's a friend who
lives with her, a civil stamfordis. She acts as a medium.
I believe you must have seen herthe face she was telling fortunes, lots
of scabs and bees, and sometimesshe puts on a sary. I can't
think why she's never been to India. And then there's Bella, she's their
cook. She's also a witch.Comes from Little Dunning. She had quite

(21:22):
a reputation for witchcraft. There runsin the family. Her mother was a
witch too. You sound as ifyou believe in witchcraft vicure. Of course
they do. It's all treated quitematter efectly. Children are told not to
tease your cat, and people giveyou a cottage cheese or a pot of
homemade marmalade from time to time.The locals believe they are all three of
them witches. I wouldn't like tooffend none of those three. That's what

(21:47):
old missus cripsay, so excited.I'd love to meet them, if I
won't take you over there tomorrow.The houses really won't she bring up Thurs
in the morning. We can goon there after we've had lunch with And
who is this mister Vennibles. He'sreally a most interesting man. He's been
everywhere and done everything, knows allsorts of strange things. He had polio

(22:08):
or soul in his semi crippled,so he has to go about in a
wheelchair. It's very sad because hewas a great traveler. I believe.
I'm sure you'll take to him,missus Oliver. I met you, yes,
then, your professional capasitor. Thisis Oliver, six of your books
with signatures ideal for birthdays and Christmaspresents. I thought you stood up to

(22:32):
it very well. It's a strangefeeling. I never quite get used to
it, but it's the only chanceI have to meet my readers face to
place. It was awfully good ofyou to come to the fake mister Vennibles,
after that generous check you centers.I didn't expect you to turn up
in persons or you couldn't give meaway part of English village life as nit

(22:52):
my jew this young lead in nearlylanded me with a live duck. You
did buy five tickets, mister venables. I even let Sybil tell my fortune.
She did her best to think ofsomething cheerful for me. I don't
know what she thought. She wasdressed up in that clostal turban. We're
seeing her this afternoon. Missus Oliverwants to have a look at the pale
horses. I can't help wishing ithad been left as an inn. I

(23:15):
always feel that the place has hada mysterious and unusually wicked past history.
Seems rather tame to have turned intoa des res for three old maids.
Three old maids. Most of thelocals are convinced they're up to their ears
in witchcraft. Yes, it's astrange thing, witchcraft. I've run into
it all over the world. Ifyou believe in it, the power it

(23:37):
can hold over you is quite terrifying. Evil is very powerful, sometimes more
powerful than good. I really can'tgo along with this modern playing down of
evil as something that doesn't really exist. Do you believe in the devil,
Missus Oliver. I was brought upto believe in him, but seems such

(23:59):
a silly idea. You know,horns and a tail and all that.
Oh, the devil doesn't have tohave horns of a tail. There is
evil, real and tangible evil,and perhaps I am a little worried about
the ladies of the Pale Horse.They mayn't be playing with forces that are
far stronger than they know. That'squite enough of that. I believe you

(24:19):
are an expert on the art ofthe Middle East, mister Easterbrook. Obviously
my reputation has got around. Thereare some figures from Isfahan on which I
would welcome your opinion. Has beenquite a wealthy man, you're, mister
vannibles those jades and the African sculpturesaying nothing at the Mison and Bow.

(24:41):
You're lucky to have such a neighbor. How did he make his money or
has he always had it? Noone knows anything about him. He once
told me that the reason he cameto live in Much Deeping was because he
knew no one here. It's abit of a mystery. That's the pale
Horse there that the buildings set backfrom the road. It looks harmless enough,

(25:02):
rather over restored, not nearly sinisterenough. Wait till you get inside.
The Pale Horse must be one ofthe oldest surviving in signs in the
country. Can't see much of itin this night looks as if there's something
else there. You haven't forgotten,Miss Gray. You are going to let

(25:22):
me clean it for you. No, I haven't forgotten, but I'm still
rather doubtful. I suppose you ruinit. Oh, of course I shan't
ruin it. It's my job.I work for the Manticore Gallery. Well,
I'm not sure that I entirely approveof modern picture estoration. I was
appalled when I saw what they'd doneto the Titians in the National Gallery.
Looked as though they'd had a bathin the latest detergent. You can't really

(25:45):
prefer them all dark and mustard colored, and lot more would come up with
a little cleaning. The horse mayeven have a rider. There is something
else there, Oh dear dear horse. We fell in love with the old
sign the second we saw it.I really think it worked on us to
buy the place. This is MissusOliver, the Sybil stamp. Did you

(26:07):
know that all horses were sacred inthis country in ancient times? Missus Oliver
to the goddess Epona. She wasborn from a wild mare Ricotona Rihannam,
And this is Bella. He's ready, I'll come on through, and I

(26:29):
just used to be the bar.We didn't think there was much point in
trying to disguise it. I thinkit's charming. What lovely chrysanthemums. God
all you want them? Yes?Thank you? Bella? Well, I'll
leave you to it. Bella isdisconcerting, isn't she, mister Haasterbrook.
I know it's the way she lookedat you. Yes, she's certainly disconcerting.

(26:52):
I actually got rid of both herhusbands by turning the evil eye on
them. He slowly sickened and pinedaway. I'm sure you've heard, Missus
Oliver, that we all practice witchcraft. We've got quite a reputation, you
know, not undeserved. Perhaps doplease help yourselves to tea. Perhaps you
could pour ginger. I'd love tosee Missus Oliver. Thank you. I

(27:14):
was always attracted by the okhaut.Even as a child. I realized that
I had ok out powers. Ifainted once when I was taken to tea
in a friend's house. Oh dear, I knew that something awful had happened,
And then we got the explanations thathad been a birder there in that
very room. Quite remarkable too,spoonfuls. Please didn't try, sinister.
Things have happened in this house too, but we have taken the necessary steps.

(27:36):
The earth bund spirits have been freakinginto a kind of spiritual spring cleaning.
I suppose you could put it likethat. What a re markably striking
Sorry that is your web. Ohyes, I got it in India.
Oh it was a fascinating place,but I couldn't help feeling it was all
too sophisticated. I am one ofthe few women who have ever. You

(27:56):
don't believe any of it, doyou, missters to rock You're wrong.
You know you can't explain everything awayas superstial or fear or religious bigotry.
The elemental tools and elemental powers alwayshave been. I don't think I would
dispute that, wise man, snipaway. I want to show you my

(28:22):
library. You've got some astonishingly rarebooks here, Miss Grays. Is this
an original Malia smell of Akarum?Oh hardly. If it was, I
would have sold it. But itis fifteenth century like this, So do
Sistmas, treeumpharts, the green wire, Fnorius, the Gremorium, therem Barretts
makers. It's nice to meet someonewho can appreciate one's books. There can't

(28:48):
be much about the practice of witchcraft, sorcery, and the rest of it
that you don't know what gave youan interest in it in the first place.
It's difficult to say. It's beenso long idle curiosity at first,
and then I got hoked. Butdo you really believe in it all?
I don't believe in it, Iknow, But how in what way?

(29:11):
Why have people come throughout the agesto the necromancer, the sorcerer, the
witch doctor. There are only twothings that are wanted badly enough to risk
damnation, the love potion and thecup of poison, love and death.
The love potion to win the manyou want, the black mouse to keep
your lover, like Madame de Montespan. All the capitalistic circles and incantations are

(29:33):
any window dressing. The truth isthe aphrodisiac in the draft and death.
Death. You're so interested in death? Who isn't has always been a greater
trade in death than love potions.Borgers and their famous secret poisons. Do
you know what they really used?Ordinary white arsenic, just the same as

(29:56):
any little backstreet wife poisoner. Butwe we've progressed a wrong way beyond that.
Nowadays there are new horizons the mind, knowledge of what the mind is,
what it can be made to do. You mean the witch doctor's medicine.
Man, But surely that won't workunless the victim believes in it.
Oh, we've gone much further thanthe witch doctors. The psychologists have shown
the way. The desire for deaththat's there in everyone, work on that,

(30:21):
work on the death wish. Youmean, you work on your subject
to commit suicide. Nothing as ordinaryas that you heard of traumatic illness.
Of course, people who because ofan unconscious wish to avoid returning to work,
for instance, develop real ailments.So in order to destroy your subject,
pole must be exerted on his secretunconscious self. The death wish that

(30:45):
exists in all of us must bestimulated, heightened, And you see a
real illness will be induced by thatdeath thinking self. But how do you
propose to stimulate this death wish thatwe possess? And that's my secret?
There are communications without physical contact.Can you do it? You mustn't ask

(31:11):
me to give all my secrets away? Why have you told me all this?
And you recognize my books? Oneneeds someone sensitive to it to talk
to some one. And besides,yes, I had the idea. Bella

(31:34):
has it too, that you mightneed us need you. Bella thinks you
came here to find us. Sheseldom wrong. Why should I want to
find you? But I do notknow yet. What do they keep all

(32:00):
as hens for? They're not hens. They're concrews. That's what Bella told
me. They're useful to us,she said, That's all I could get
out of her. I don't likethat woman. I don't like her at
all, Bella. Oh, sure, she's quite harmless. Really, No,
no, no, I don't meanher. I mean Sybil. She
seems just silly. All that stuffabout voodoo and all those reincarnations. She

(32:24):
was going on about. Why isit that anyone who was a kitchen maid
or an ugly old peasant never seemsto get reincarnated? All was Egyptian princesses.
Perhaps the kitchen maids can't afford thefair? And do you have a
railway timetable back at the house,Colonel No, I need to look up
a train for the morning. Youcan try it back with me. Oh,

(32:45):
it's very kind of you, Mark, but I'd rather take an early
train. I've got a funeral tomorrow, and I mustn't be late. Mary
de la Fontaine was a very dearfriend, of course. That's when I
heard the name de la Fontaine.You said something about visiting her in a
nursing her did I? I wasquite likely? What did she die of?
Toxic pollin your writers or something likethat? All right, Mark,

(33:07):
you've gone quite pale. Two fivetwo Inspector leg speaking, I don't know
whether you remember me. Inspector.My name is Zachariah Osborne. Ah,
you're the chemistry reported seeing a manfollowing father Gorman. That's right, Well
I've seen him again? Where when? On Saturday? At a place called

(33:29):
much Deeping. I'm living down atBournemouth now and Much Deepings about twenty miles
away. There was a village Fateand I saw that Haryadne Oliver was going
to be autographing her books. Iam a great admirer of her word.
What about the man? Oh,I saw him quite distinctly. He must
have met with an accident because hewas in a wheelchair, but there was

(33:49):
no doubt about it, no doubtat all. Did you manage to find
out what his name was? Yes? I did. I made some discreet
inquiries. And it seems he isa local resident of the name of vene
Venables, and he lives at Prior'sCourt, much deeping. They say he's
a man of considerable means, andyou're certain it's the same man. I
take my oath on it. Morecoffee, madame, thank you, so

(34:19):
just little, thank you, sir. And this Delafonte woman was on the
list as well. Yes, Andwhat's more, I went over to the
King's Arms and sneaked to look inthe hotel register, and someone called Parkinson
and someone called Sandford had stayed thereduring the past year. Both names were
on Corrigan's list. And then Inoticed the name of Martin Digby. Now,

(34:44):
if that's the Martin Digby, Iknow he was Lady heathkestdu Bois nephew
and probably came into her money.And do you think that the names on
the list are somehow connected with thesemiddle aged witch ladies at the Pale Horse?
Yes? I do. Do youremember Poppy, that girlfriend of David
Ardingen, pale faced girl with sillyvoice. She talked about the Pale Horse
having some connection with getting rid ofpeople who weren't wanted. I got the

(35:05):
impression she didn't know what she wastalking about. I went round to see
her in the flower shop where sheworks, and she denied all knowledge of
it. But she was scared stiffhermia. She was shaking like a leaf.
Mark. You're letting your imagination runriot. I didn't think I am.
The menace is real. I'm worriedabout what's going to happen to the
other names on that list. Thewhole thing is real. I daresay your

(35:27):
old pussies are quite genuine in believingit themselves. But it's all just fantasy.
You can't believe in this sort ofthing. You simply can't. I
want to get to the bottom ofwhat's going on Hermia. No, I
think you should. It might bequite interesting, in fact, really rather
fun. I wanted to ask ifyou'd help me, Oh, help me
investigate her Oh, I'd love to, Mark, But I just can't.

(35:52):
But there's my article for the journal, and there's still that Byzantium thing.
I understand you've got too much onyour plate, and supernatural hijinks in quaint
old winds with dotty old ladies isn'tquite my style. Why don't you try?
Your friend Corrigan it's unutterable border ash, isn't it? Just? But

(36:13):
you believe there's something in it,don't you? Let me ask you a
question first, that this stuff abouteveryone having a secret urge or wish for
death, is there any scientific truthin that? I'm not a psychiatrist.
Strictly between ourselves, I think halfthese blokes slightly bom me themselves. You
might if I pull myself another dramOh, go ahead, thank you.
So you don't believe in it?What the power of the death wish?
Oh? I believe in it,but these chaps take it much too far.

(36:37):
And as to some half baked villagespinster being able to induce it by
remote control, it's just rubbish.I take my word for it. I'll
drop the subject. How are yougoing on with that list of names?
Uh? The boys have been doingtheir best, but these things take time
and a lot of routine work.Names without addresses and Christian names aren't easy
to trace and identify. I'd bewilling to bet you one thing. Within

(37:00):
a fairly recent period, say ayear to a year and a half,
every one of those names has appearedon a death certificate. MA, Raight
you are right? For what it'sworth, but there's nothing fishy about any
of the deaths. Pneumonia, cerebralhemorrhage, tumor on the brain, nothing
in the least suspicious ordinary illness leadingto death. Just as Thurs a Gray
claims, are you really suggesting thatthat woman can cause someone she's never seen

(37:24):
miles away to catch pneumonia and dieof it. I'm not suggesting it she
is. I'd like to think it'simpossible. But there are certain facts that
worry me, as the casual mentionof a pale horse in connection with the
removal of unwonted persons. A Thursof Gray, who boasts of getting rid
of people through induce traumatic illness,lives in a place called the Pale Horse

(37:45):
in much Deeping, And it's justa nit Where did you say much Deeping?
Is it somewhere near Bournemouth? It'sabout fifteen miles away, so as
you can come across something called Venerablesdown there. Certainly I do. What's
he like? Who? He's themost remarkable man? Are really powerful personality.
Although it's completely crippled by polio.What he had polio some years ago.
He's paralyzed from the way he's died. I thought he was too good

(38:07):
to be true. How do youmean who he's just at? A chemist
called Osborne saw a man following FatherGorman on the night he was killed,
and he very positively identified that manas Venerables. He saw him at some
village Fate. Venables was at thevillage Fate, but he couldn't have been
the man who was following Gormant hewas so positive about it. According to
Inspector journe Well, I suppose itis impossible from the medical point of view

(38:30):
that the paralysis could be fair.Of course not limbs would be atrofited.
It's pity in a way this organizationfor getting rid of unwanted people really exists.
Venables is just the kind of brainthat I can see running it.
All. These people who died sotidily in their beds were the people who
profited by their death. Someone alwaysprofits by death to a greater or less

(38:52):
degree. Lady Hesketh Duboire left aboutfifty thousand pounds and meets a nephew inherit.
Nephew lives in Canada, then meetsin the North of England. Seen
Aatucketon was a wealthy heiress. Ifshe died unmarried before the age of twenty
one, the money reverted to herstepmother, which it did. Missus Delafontaine
left her money to a cousin inKenya. Here is how many of them
are so far away. In thethree possible Sandfords I've checked up on,

(39:13):
one was an RC. You wouldn'tgive his wife a divorce if the Harmonsworth
on the list could have been ablackmailer, and quite a few people would
have liked to have seen out ofthe way. So what you're saying is
that all these deaths were convenient deaths, and rather looks like it. I've
got to investigate this pale horse business. Will you help me? Of course
not, it's rubbish. Even thoughyour name's on the list. I've told

(39:35):
you it's a common name. Anddon't think that your witch of endor is
going to strike me down with aduer deanal ulcer or Spanish flu. Sorry,
Mark, but it's no going inany case. My boss thinks I
spent too much time on the casealready, So back to pathology for me.
Or don't worry. I've just thoughtof somebody who might help me.

(40:00):
Ariadne Oliver Ariadne. This is MarkEasterbrook. Mark. Look, this isn't
a very convenient time to call.I've just realized that made of credit and
couldn't possibly have been at the sceneof the crime, and he's got to
be. It won't take a second. Can you tell me the name of
that girl who was staying at thehouse for the fate? I expect so
Ginger? That was her name,I died if she was christened Ginger?

(40:21):
What was her other name? I'vegot it written down here somewhere. And
her address and phone number? Phonenumber that's marvelous, and lady reminded me
I was going to send her oneof my books, such a bright girl.
Yes, here we are. Shelives in gardener Use, Calgary Place
and her number is Capricorn three fivenine eight seven. And what's her name?

(40:45):
Corrigan? What Catherine Corrigan? Itis something the matter? No,
nothing, Thanks a lot and goodluck with the major. But it's quite
terrifying. I must admit I've alwaysthought they were just three dotty old ladies.
But it dull sounds too close tobe just coincident. What are you

(41:07):
going to do about it? I'mnot sure. I need to get inside
it all somehow, m you seemto have one or two leads. Perhaps
I can help. What about yourwork? Oh, they're fairly easy going
at the gallery, and there's plentyI can do outside office hours. What
about that poppy girl? She obviouslyknows something. Yes, but she got

(41:28):
frightened and cheered off, and Itried to ask her questions. She definitely
wouldn't talk. That's where I canhelp. She tells me things she wouldn't
tell you. Can you arrange forus to meet your friends and her and
you and me are show or dinneror something that shouldn't present much of a
problem. As for you, Ibelieve your best bet would be the Thomasina
Tuckerton angle. There seem to betwo possibilities, the stepmother or the girl

(41:52):
she had the fight with. Haveyou any idea what the girl's name was?
Not a clue? I'm afraid thewicked stepmother's probably been a better bet
anyway, after all, she wasthe one who got the money. You'll
have to tackle her. It's moreup your street than mine. I'd have
to have some pretext for going tosee it. It shouldn't be too difficult
for you. You're someone you seean art historian and you've got letters after

(42:15):
your name. Missus Tuckerton will probablybe tickled to death to see you and
the pretext, Wow, something abouther house? Didn't you say it was
by Nash or somebody like that?But it isn't my period. She's not
going to know that. All you'vegot to do is get your foot in
the door somehow or other. Youslip the pale horse into your conversation and
see how she reacts. If shehas any kind of a guilty conscience,

(42:38):
she's bound to show some sign,And if she does, then we'll know
we're on the right track. Oncewe're sure, we can go full steam
ahead. Do you think I couldhave another drink? Of course? Do
forgive me such a relief to havesomeone to talk to about this. It
doesn't think I'm off my head,Jules, same again, Yes, mister

(43:00):
Easterbrook. You mustn't get the ideathat I'm a dipsol or something. It's
just that it's all rather exciting.There's something else that's occurred to me.
Why do you think there's a gradetold you all? She did tell you?
Why does she so forthcoming? Whyare you in particular? I had

(43:21):
no idea. Look at it thisway. This poppy creature knows all about
the Pale Horse in a vague kindof a way. Probably she's heard some
talk about it. She's worried becauseof what she lets slip to you,
and perhaps she tells somebody this.Anyway, they remember your name. Go
on. The next thing is thatyou turn up at much Deeping. You're

(43:43):
brought to the Pale Horse. Presumablyyou've asked to be taken there, and
what happens there's a gray goes intoher sales talk one peno for madam,
one dry m Martique. Thank you, George. But I remember now she
said I had the idea you mayneed us, so you are them.
Do you think she can do whatshe claims to do. Personally, I'd

(44:06):
be inclined to say, of courseshe can't, but odd things can happen.
I don't think it's true, butI'm terribly afraid it might be.
It must be some way of findingout whether we're imagining it all. That's
when missus Tuckerton comes in. Weneed to prove a link between Father Gorman's
list and the Pale Horse. Fancyyou're being interested in this house, mister

(44:30):
Easterbrook. Of course I knew itwas built by John Nash. My husband
told me so, but I neverrealized it would be interesting to a person
like you. It's a particularly unusualdesign for Nash, and the internal layout
is a complete breakaway from his usualpractice. Oh, I'm afraid I'm terribly
stupid about that sort of thing.I know nothing about architecture. What I

(44:51):
do know is that the house isfar too big for me. I put
it out for sale. It's luckyyou called when you did. I'll take
you around and then we'll have teain the octagon room. I sha'n't miss
it at all, I assure you. I want to travel. I hate
this miserable climate, and I wantto get into the sunshine. I think
I shall winter in Egypt. Inever had the chance to do that while

(45:14):
Tommy was alive, my late husband. He never wanted to go anywhere.
I imagine he had a good manybusiness interests that kept him in the country.
That's right, and he was avery lonely man. I was much
younger than he was. Of course, he missed his first wife very much
and didn't know what to do withhis daughter. He doated on her absolutely

(45:35):
doted on her. You know,I have an idea I may have met
your daughter, oh stepdaughter once wasshe called Thomasina? Yes, she was
how old? Somewhere in Chelsea?I think Chelsea, Yes, it would
be. She used to hang aroundsome very odd places. Her father had
no control over her at all.She was even threatening to get married as

(45:57):
a totally unsuitable person. It wasn'teasy being her stepmother. I'm sure it
wasn't. In a way, itwas quite a relief when she insisted on
leaving home. But she got inwith the most undesirable set. I rather
gathered that, poor Thomasina. Butperhaps you don't know. She died about
a month ago in Catholitis very sudden. It's a disease that attacks young people.

(46:23):
I believe, very sad. Idid know that she was dead.
Thank you very much for showing meover your house, Missus Tuckerson. I
can't tell you what a valuable experienceit's been. It's been a pleasure.
Mister Easterbrook. By the way,I believe you know the pale horse,
don't you the pale horse? Whatdo you mean by the pale horse?

(46:49):
Oh, my mistake. There's avery interesting old pub in much Deeping.
I was down there the other dayand was taken to see it. It's
been very charmingly converted, keeping allthe atmosphere. I certainly thought your name
was mentioned, but perhaps it wasyour daughter who had been down there.
I have never even heard of theplace. I know nothing about it at
all. She was white as asheet and was shaking with panic. So

(47:14):
now we know. Now we know. So what we do next? You
make a little trip to Birmingham whenon earth Shad, I go to Birmingham
to see a man called Bradley.I've been working on Poppy in a big
way. I told you I couldget something out of her if I tried.
Once I got her softened up,it was easy. How did you
manage that? We had lunch together, and I went on about my love

(47:36):
life. I told her I'd fallenfor a married man with an impossible wife
who wouldn't divorce him, made hislife hell, and how she was an
invalid, always in pain, butnot likely to die for years. Really
much better for her if she diddie, said, I'd a good mind
to try the pale horse, butI didn't really know how to set about
it, and wouldn't it be terriblyexpensive? And Poppy said yes, she

(47:58):
thought he would. She'd hard theycharged the earth, So I said I'd
try it anyway. How did oneset about it? Poppy came across with
the address of this man Bradley.You had to go to him first,
she said, to settle the businessside. She told you this quite openly.
You wouldn't understand. The point isthat if a girl tells things to
another girl, it doesn't really count. And after all, Mark, if

(48:20):
what we think is true, thebusiness has to be more or less advertised,
doesn't it. I mean they mustwant new clients all the time.
So are you going to Birmingham tosee mister Bradley? Oh? Yes,
if he exists. What's he supposedto be anyway? Can't call himself the
agent for the pale Horse? Notquite. He calls himself a commission agent.
I can't wait to find out whathe comes up with. Sit down,

(48:45):
won't you? That chair there?That's quite comfortable, funny Soliday,
isn't it. It doesn't seem tobe able to make up a miment.
It's going to rain or not.I don't believe you came here all the
way to talk about the weather.What can I do for you? How
much? Mister Bradley? Well,well, well, if you can't talk

(49:05):
about the weather, you just jumpin at the deep bend. And what's
the answer. We haven't introduced ourselvesyet, have for a year. I
don't know your name at the moment. I don't really think I feel inclined
to tell you cautious? Are wecautious? So? Who sent you to
me? Who is our mutual friend? Again? I can't tell you.
A friend of mine has a friendwho knows a friend of yours. And

(49:28):
that's the way a lot of myclients come. Some of their problems are
rather delicate. You know my profession, I take it turf commission agent.
You're interested in horses. I'm nota racing man. There are many aspects
of the horse, racing, hunting, betting. Any particular horse you had
in mind, A pale horse,very good? You yourself, if I

(49:52):
may say so, seem to bea rather dark horse. You mustn't be
nervous? Why mustn't I I canassure that you needn't have any anxiety.
I am a lawyer myself. Thisbad, of course, otherwise I wouldn't
be here but I can assure youI know the law. Everything I recommend
is perfectly legal and above board.It's just a question of a bet,

(50:14):
a bet. Yes, I don'treally understand this business of the pale horse,
and that worries you. Ah,it worries a lot of people.
Frankly, I don't understand it myself, but it gets results if you could
tell me a little more about it. Do you know the place at all?
Yes? I was staying nearby withsome friends. They took me there,

(50:35):
charming old house full of historical interests. Did you meet my friend Thursa
Gray, Yes, I did.She really is most extraordinary woman, isn't
she? Yes, yes, youhit it exactly, an extraordinary woman,
and she has extraordinary powers. Butsurely the things she claims they're just not
possible. That's just the point.The things she claims to do are impossible.

(50:58):
Everybody would say so court of law, for instance, the whole thing
would be ridiculed. In this dayand age, one really can't cud it
that someone can send out thought wayssitting in a cottage in sausage and call
someone to sicken and die of aconvenient disease. Add in capri or somewhere
like that? Is that what sheclaims? Oh? He is. And
I do believe without any doubt thatthursy Grade does know beforehand when someone is

(51:22):
going to die. It's a giftshe has. Let's assume a hypothetical case.
Someone would yourself or another would liketo know very much when let's say
great aunt Eliza is going to die? Nothing unkind in it, nothing wrong,
It's just a matter of business convenience. Will there be a useful sum

(51:43):
of money coming in by next November? Now that is where I come in.
I am a betting man. Naturallyyou wouldn't want to bet on the
old girl's passing house. So weput it this way. You bit me
a certain sum that Aunt Eliza willbe alive and kicking by Christmas. I
bet you that you won't. Nothingagainst that is there. So what happens

(52:07):
We draw up a contract and signit. If you're right, I pay
you. If you're wrong, youpay me what terms? Eh? So
we came in, isn't it?In some cases it depends on the funds
available to the client. An inconvenienthusband or a blackmailer or something of the
sort would depend on how much myclient could afford to pay. I don't

(52:31):
make it clear. Bet with poorclients. The odds would work out normally
at five hundred to one. That'spretty steep, my way, dear,
is pretty steep to prophesy. Somebody'sdeath within two weeks means pretty long odds.
Supposing you lose, that's just toobad. I pay up, and
if I lose, I pay up. Supposing I don't, Oh, I

(52:55):
wouldn't advise that. I really wouldn't. I must think it over, certainly,
think it over. If you decideto do business, come back and
we'll go into the meta fully.There's no rush, take your time.
Sooner or later. We've got tofind out what really happens at the Pale

(53:17):
Horse, and there's only one wayto do that. One of us has
to go to Bradley as a genuineclient. I don't like it. Why
we'd have to have a real victim. Can't just invent somebody. They'd almost
certainly check up, and we'd haveto have a real reason for getting rid
of him. He'd have to agree. It's a lot to ask who is
there that you or I would wantto get rid of. There's my uncle

(53:38):
Max. I suppose I'll come intoa very nice packet when he goes.
But he's over seventy and more orless gargles, so it would be more
sensible for me to wait. Whatabout you? Have you got any relatives?
So we're going to leave you anymoney? No one at all.
It's a pity you've never married.We could have cooked up a bit of
bigger me if you had. Ohdear, I've put my foot in it.

(54:04):
It doesn't matter. It's a longtime ago, rather dieted as anyone
now who knows about it? Youmarried someone? Yes, while I was
at Cambridge. What happened? Wewent to Italy in the long back.
It was a car accident. Shewas killed out right and I wasn't in
the car. She was with themsomebody else. I'm sorry. You were

(54:31):
married in England, yes, herregistry office in Peterborough. But she died
in Italy. Yes, so therewill be no record of her death in
England. No. Then, whatmore do you want? Nothing could be

(54:51):
simpler. You're desperately in love withsomeone and you want to marry her,
but you don't know whether your wifeis still alive. You farted years ago
and haven't heard from her since then. She suddenly reappears. She refuses to
give you a divorce and threatens togo to your young woman and spill the
beams. Who's my young woman?You certainly not, I'm the wrong type.

(55:13):
I'd probably be happy to live insin with you. No, that's
statuesque brunette. You go around withHermia Radcliffe. But what about the wife?
Don't want details where she lives andso on? Brace yourself, I'm
your wife. What that'll on needto be so taken? Aback. It's
not a proposal, but you'll beputting yourself in danger. That's my lookout.
Why it wouldn't hold water from mote, Oh yes it would. I

(55:35):
arrive at a furnished flat with asuitcase or two with foreign labels. I
take the flat in the name ofmissus Easterbrook, And who on earth is
going to say I'm not? Theycan verify the marriage by checking at Somerset
House. They can easily find outabout your friendship with Hermia. So why
should there be any doubts. Isuppose something happens to you, it wounds.
I'm fore warned and forearmed. Iknow what somebody is going to try

(55:59):
and do to me. I'm ingood health, and I simply cannot believe
I'll develop gallstones or meningite us becauseold Furs had draws pentagrams on the floor
and Sybil goes into a trance.I don't like it. I don't like
to think of you alone in someplace under a false name, with no
one to keep an eye on you. Well, I think before we embark

(56:20):
on this, we ought to tellthe police what we intend to do.
But you don't mean to tell methat you actually believe any of this,
And that's the beauty of it.Nobody could possibly believe it. But I've
established the link between that list andthe pale Horse. Even if you have,
there's not sufficient evidence for me toinvestigate the place. It's not even
in my parish. Well, I'mnot asking you to do anything, specter.

(56:40):
There's a chance that I may beable to get to know a little
more about how it works, butI thought I ought to let you in
on it first, just in caseanything goes wrong. You see, this
friend of mine is taking one hellof a risk by playing the part of
the victim. So what's this wharfof yours been doing to you? She's
come back that what did you thinkhad happened to her? Actually, I

(57:02):
suppose I assume she must be dead. She never wrote her anything. I
never had news of her. Thetruth is you wanted to put her out
of your mind. You see.It wasn't as though I wanted to marry
somebody else. But now you do. Well, yes, as a matter
of fact, I do tell meall about it. I don't want the
girl brought into it. She doesn'teven know about my wife. I don't

(57:23):
want to tell you anything about her. Quite natural. But what about divorce?
Isn't that the most obvious solution.My wife simply won't hear of it.
Deary, deary me. Now thatI'm successful, she wants to come
back to me. She's utterly unreasonable. She knows that someone else, and
she's acting nasty. She's quite young. I take it she'll live for years.

(57:45):
Oh yes, well you never know, mister Roasterbrook. She's been living
abroad. I think you said so. She tells me. I have no
idea what she's been. It mayhave been out east. Sometimes, you
know, you pick up a germin those parts moment for years, and
then you come back home and suddenlyit blows up I've known two or three
cases like that might happen in thiscase, if it will help to cheer

(58:10):
you up a better small amount onit. Fifteen hundred to one that the
lady dies between now and Christmas?How's that it'll have to be sooner.
She's threatening to go to my girlfriendand make trouble. I can't risk that.
Yeah, al to the odds.Then we'll say eighteen hundred to one.
Your wife's are gone her in undera month. I've what a sort

(58:32):
of feeling about it is? Ifyou'll your sign here? Is this legally
binding? I don't think this it'llever be put to the test. A
bets a bet we don't like Welsh's. I shan't Welsh. I'm sure you
won't, mister Easterbrook. Now forthe details, missus Easterbrook, I take

(58:53):
it is now living in London whereexactly I've got the address here? Oh,
I thank you. The next thingis to arrange an appointment with miss
Gray, and she'll wants you totake something your wife has worn, a
glove, order, handkerchief, anythinglike that. I suppose I can manage

(59:14):
that. And then you go downto much deeping. I think you said
you had friends or relations in theneighborhood, a cousin ah, and doubtless
your cousin will put you up fora day or two and after that Miss
Gray will then be in charge.Afterwards, I would suggest that you take
a little trip abroad. The ItalianRiviera is very pleasant at this time of

(59:37):
the year, just for a weekor two. It's not convenient for me
to go abroad at present. Wellin stay in England if you must,
but definitely not London. Now I'ma strongly advise not London. Why not?
Clients are only guaranteed absolute safety ifthey obey orders. What about Bournemouth?

(59:58):
Would Bournemouth do this? Bormers wouldbe ridiquot shri at a hotel,
make a few acquaintances be seen intheir company. The blameless life, that
is what we aim at. Areyou really going to say once at further's
this very evening? Why not?I never knew you were interested in that

(01:00:21):
sort of thing, man, Ithought it was such a peculiar set up
that day we went over there.I'm curious to see what sort of show
they put on. I shall comewith you. I've always wanted to go.
You do nothing of the short roader. But I don't believe in spirits
and all that guy, you know, I don't. I just want to
go for the fun of it.That sort of business isn't fun. There
may be something genuine to it.That probably is, but he doesn't have

(01:00:45):
a good effect on people who goout of idle curiosity. Then you want
to persuade Mark too. Mark's notmy responsibility in any case. Rhoda,
miss Gray, was most emphatic.One outsider is quite enough, she said,
and she was being deadly serious.And I want you to sit in

(01:01:05):
this chair here right, Yes,I must impress on you, mister Easterbrook,
and the necessity of remaining absolutely still. On no account must you move
from the chair. You would beputting your light at risk. This is
no child's game. I am dealingwith forces that are dangerous to those who

(01:01:25):
don't die to handle them. Thecouch on which Sybilistra lie is protected,
as you see, by a circleinscribed with cabalistic signs from the grimorium rum.
The brazier and the copper bolum whichBella will make the sacrifice are both
protected by the sign of tetragrammaton.I see that you've put your remarkable library
to good use. Although our ritualsare based on those of antiquity, we

(01:01:51):
do not scorn the twentieth century.As you see, we also employ a
wave transmitter. The old magic andthe new, the old knowledge of belief
the new knowledge of science. Togetherthey will prevail. You have brought what
you were instructed to bring, aglove. I hope that will do most

(01:02:12):
suitable physical emanation from the wearer.Quite strong, Bellah said, all we
are ready. There are clouds overthe face of the moon to night.
I do hope that won't interfere.Please don't adopt a skeptical frame of mind.
Mister Easterbrook does so hinder things.I won't, I promise, And

(01:02:32):
mister Easterbrook has not come here tomock. Are you quite comfortable, Sybil?
Yes, thank you dear. Oh, if you could just shade that
lamp. Too much light is harmfulto a complete trance. Is that better?
Ah? Perfect? Then I thinkwe are ready, Bellah, oh

(01:02:58):
his left hand. In my account, I invoke and conjure the spirit.
I command me by ancor Amican amydays theodonious Anipa. I exhort and command

(01:03:22):
thee old spirit come presently. Whyhave you brought me to this play?

(01:03:52):
Is that macandle A Mack? God, are you prepared to submit to my
desire and my will? Ah?Will you undertake to protect the body of

(01:04:15):
the docum that dries here, inwhich you now inhabit, from all physical
injury and harm? Will you dedicateits vital force to my purpose? That
that purpose may be accomplished through it? I will you so dedicate this body

(01:04:40):
that death may pass through it,obeying such natural laws as may be available
in the body of the recipient.The dead must be sent to cause death.
It shall be so. Now,Bella place the inverted cross on her

(01:05:10):
breast. All is ready, marksoul mark. I don't suppose you're much
impressed, miss Brook. Some ofour visitors are, do you. They
say it's salt so much puffer jumper, But don't be too sure. Ritual

(01:05:31):
a pattern of words and phrases sanctifiedby time and usage, has an effect
on the humans. Vidit these oldtime incantations. They play that part and
thin le toss al has ill thosehit no melter. Bella's preparing to sacrifice

(01:05:57):
the control. Don't care for itmuch? Do you melt the death spell?
You are led hand a gand frommother to daughter. No melt.
Now we are ready civil Diana Helen, you are set free from your mortal

(01:06:26):
sheep, which the spirit mchandle Godsafe before you. You are free to
be one with the owner of thisgun. Like all human beings, her
goal in life is towards there.The weak spout is always a weak spot

(01:06:49):
deep in the tissues of the flesh. Through weakness comes strength, the strength
and peace of death. The tissuesof the body obey the mind command them
towards death. Death, death,hitch name melter, blood, blood,

(01:07:19):
blood death, Dad day, HelloGinger, Are you all right? Of
course I'm all right. Why shouldn'tthat be? I just thought you might

(01:07:42):
have had bad dreams or something.Well, I didn't, so tell me
all about it. That was allrather pathetic. Really, Sybil lay on
a couch and went into a trustwas it black velvet? And did she
have nothing on? Well? Actuallyshe wore quite a lot of clothes,
peacock blue, and that really itwas rather beastly. She killed a white
cock and then dipped your glove inthe blood. Oh nasty. Have you

(01:08:05):
had any suspicious callers? Only whatyou might expect. The milkman, the
man to read the gas meter.I checked his credentials. A woman asking
me what cosmetics and patent medicines Iused, an old lady who wanted a
subscription for blind dogs. Oh,and one of the flat porters meant a
di fuse for me. It seemsharmless enough. What were you expecting?
I really don't know. So whatare you going to do with yourself?

(01:08:28):
I've agreed to stay on another nightwith Rhodas. I'm rather stuck. I
thought I might call in on Venables. I still think there's something rather mysterious
about him. I suppose you mightsay that I've always known what I wanted.
Money for me was always a meansto one end, infinite leisure in
which to contemplate the beautiful things ofthis world, natural and artificial, and

(01:08:50):
since to go and see them intheir natural surroundings has of late years been
denied me. I have them broughthere from all over the world, But
money's still has to be found.Aren't you rather limited? Stuck down here
in the country. I don't needto go outside this room to make money.
I have all the latest technology inmy disposal machines that can supply me

(01:09:10):
with the answers to my questions inseconds compared to hours or days of human
labor. Technology that can take theplace of man, there still has to
be man, the controller, man, the thinker who works out the questions
to ask. Man, the supermanwielding power, but never known to wield
power, perhaps a man who sitsin his chair and pulls the strings.

(01:09:30):
Are you casting me for the partmysteries to Brook, I do which it
was, so we need something tocompensate for this humiliating incapacity. No I
am ill fitted for the role ofyour superman. But you're right in a
sense. I have never believed inlaborious toil, only the full toils.
One must think, plan the campaignin every detail. The secret of all

(01:09:54):
success is something quite simple, butit has to be discovered. Once one
has done that can put it intoexecution, a kind of master plan exactly.
But tell me what has brought youback to much deeping. It can't
be that you wanted to cheer upan impath it on a dull evening.
No I came down here with avery definite purpose. And what was that?
To attend one of further Gray's sciences? And were you impressed or did

(01:10:17):
you find it all great nonsense?I don't know. There is a kind
of power there, power the powerof the pale horse, as I heard
it spoken of, And I'm surethere's dear ladies believe in it, which
is harmless, tomfoolery, harmless?Well, how could they possibly injure anybody
in the street to brook? How? Indeed? But it's getting late and

(01:10:41):
I must hurry back. Rhoda willbe wondering what's happened. Oh, do
give them my regards that we mustarrange another lunch from party soon. You're
sure you can find your way outcertainly? Thank you, good night,
Thank you for your company. I'veforgotten how really dark it gets in the

(01:11:01):
country. I can't see a thing. Who's there? Oh, I'm so
sorry. I didn't mean to startleyou. I should have brought sort.
Are you going to the house?Oh no, I'm on my way to
the bus stop to get a busback to Bournemouth. Have you been to
visit mister Venables, Yes, Ihave. I take it that he's a
friend of yours, hardly a friend. I've only met him once before.

(01:11:24):
You must think it rather odd ofme to be lurking about in his garden
like this. I really would liketo explain, mister Easterbrook. My name
is Osborne, Zachariah Osborne. Thereis quite a respectable little cafe at the
petrol station close to the bus stop. Perhaps you will allow me to offer

(01:11:45):
you a cup of coffee. Butthen I heard from Inspector Jeurn that mister
Venibles had been a cripple for someyears as a result of polio. He
said, I must have been mislaidby trans resemblance, which would seem to
settle matter. I am an obstinateman, mister Easterbrook. As the days
have passed by, I have feltmore and more sure that I was right,

(01:12:12):
and I have obtained some very interestinginformation. Mister Vennobles was seen by
the local doctor in much Deeping whenhe first arrived, but that doctor retired
and went to live abroad. Thepresent man has never attended mister Venibles.
But I scarcely see how that affectsthe situation. Will just suppose that mister

(01:12:33):
Venibles makes contact with a genuine poliocase in poor circumstances who resembles him in
a general kind of way. Venablesmakes a proposition. He knows that the
local GP intends to retire soon.Venables is known in much Deeping. He

(01:12:53):
bribes the genuine polio victim to beexamined by the GP, calling himself Venables.
Mister Venables is thoroughly documented as apolio sufferer with atrophied limbs. But
this is pure speculation. Oh thatwas why I was outside of venables house
tonight. I wanted to pick apeep through his windows to see what happens.

(01:13:14):
We need it alone. Oh butthere's my boss. Thank you for
giving me the opportunity to explain.I found a quiet little hotel just outside
Boscombe. It's got a couple ofnice, unobtrusive side exits. I might
be able to sneak up to Londonand see you. You want to,

(01:13:35):
really, I suppose, I mustsay, it be rather heaven if you
did. You've no idea how boringit is being stuck in here by myself.
Perhaps I can slip out and meetyou somewhere, Ginger, what's the
matter with your voice? Nothing,I've just got a sor throat or something,
that's all. Oh, for goodnesssake, Look, anyone can have
a sore throat. I'm starting acold. I expected a touch of flu.

(01:13:58):
Tell me exactly how you're feeling.You mustn't fuss. I'm aching a
bit all over, you know thekind of thing temperature, Well, perhaps
just a bit. Look, really, there isn't anything to panic about.
We've got to take every precaution.Ring up your doctor and get him to
come and see you straight away ifyou insist, we don't think I'm a

(01:14:19):
terrible fuzz put Miss Corrigan's ill.It could be serious. Have you any
idea what's wrong with her? Herdoctor doesn't seem to know. She's got
a temperature, She aches all over, she can't bear anything touching her,
and her hair's starting to fall out. But isn't some sort of specialist you
can call in. I'm a policeman, not a doctor. What's all the
specialists? I don't know someone whoknows something about suggestion and hypnotism and brainwashing

(01:14:44):
and all that kind of thing.I'm worried about that damn box? What
damn box? That wave transmitter offurther grays or things like that don't exist
outside science fiction. But I agreewe should call somebody in. It maybe
a false alarm, but it maybe some kind of in used psycho formatic
illness, can't afford to take risks. There is somebody else who may be
able to help. And is thata girl called Poppy. She was the

(01:15:09):
one who put me onto the palehorse in the first place. Yeah,
so it was you. You're theman with the invalid wife who was getting
in the way of you and Ginger. She told me all about it.
She wants to know about the palehorsey and somehow it's all gone very wrong.

(01:15:30):
It all seems to have recoiled onher. Did you ever hear of
that happening before? She really seemsto be very ill. I've never known
it happened that way. What doyou mean. I've heard of things happening
when people didn't pay up. Therewas a man who fell in front of
a tube train. Or she wasa sweet girl, Ginger. I wish
I could help. I kin randommight know something. I suppose who she

(01:15:50):
was. She used to work withsome consumer research outfit, you know,
asking people about what kind of truthplacethey use, that kind of thing.
But she got worried and gave itup. I mean she thought he might
be connected with a pale horse insome way. I don't know about that.
She got frightened. I think I'vegot her address. If you wanted,

(01:16:15):
Mark, I've been trying to getyou for days. It's Ariadne.
Look, I really haven't got timeto talk. Now this is important.
I'll bring you back the sea.No, Mark, I want to talk
about it now, very well,go on, Well, Millid, she's
the woman who does for me.She's got tons of lights. So I
rang up the agency and asked themto send someone. Right, I really
don't see what this has got todo. This morning a woman came along,
and who do you think it turnedout to be? I can't imagine.

(01:16:40):
Edith Binns. Really, look,Harry, I've got she worked for
your godmother, Lady Heskith Dubois,and we got to talking about her last
illness, and she happened to mentionthat when the poor lady was taken into
hospital, her lovely white hair wascoming out in handfuls. Good look yes,

(01:17:00):
And that set me thinking. Now, the same thing happened to my
friend Mary de la Fontaine, andto that girl you saw in the coffee
bar, and to Ginger. Well, you know I'm something of an expert
on poisons. I suddenly realized whatthey must all have been suffering from thallium
poisoning. They've verified that, nodoubt about it. And is Ginger going
to be all right? Do theyknow how to treat it? There's a

(01:17:20):
very good chance you'll pull through nowthey know what's wrong. So that's the
simple truth about the Pale Horse.No witchcraft, no hypnotism, no death
rays, plain old fashioned poison.The whole Pale Horse set up was bogus,
and the beauty of it was thatit was all totally safe. If
further Gray was charged with murder,it'll be laughed out of court. You

(01:17:41):
think that she's the ruling spirit asfar as the Pale Horse is concerned,
Yes, but she's not the realbrains of the show. The mastermind is
someone who has no connection whatever withthe victim. Any ideas on it,
I'm not sure. A common factorseems to be that on every occasion,
some pleasant, harmless seeming woman callswith a question. Gennaire on behalf of
a consumer research agency, and youthink she plants the poison. I suspect

(01:18:04):
it's not as simple as that.I think we ought to talk to a
woman called Aileen Brandon. She workedin a music shop off the Tottenham Court
Road. I left because I hada feeling that there were things going on
that I didn't know about. Youmean, you didn't think it was a
genuine concern. The questions didn't seemto follow up any particular line of research.
It was if there were a cloakfor something else. Sometimes I'd be

(01:18:26):
asking about cereals and cake mixes,sometimes cosmetics, face powders, lipsticks and
so on. Another time it mightbe patent medicines, brands of aspirin,
cock pasitals, mouthwashes. You werenot asked to supply samples of any particular
goods, No, never. Youmerely ask questions and noted down the answers.
Yes, I wasn't the only onewho thought something funny was going on.
I got talking to another woman andmissus Davis. She said that she'd

(01:18:48):
overheard that the whole setup was aracket of some kind, and then she
added something really strange. I feellike typhoid Mary, she said. Typhoid
Mary said, some of the peopleI call on seemed to curl their toes
up and pass away just from havinghad one look at me. And that
was all she said on that occasion. Yes, but sometime later after i'd

(01:19:09):
left, I saw her in acafe in Greek Street. We talked a
bit and I told her why I'dgot another job, and I asked her
if she'd found out what it wasall about. She said, I can't
be sure, but I'll tell you. I recognized someone the other day coming
out of a house, worried,no business to be and carrying a bag
of tools. What was he doingthere? I'd like to know? And

(01:19:30):
she asked me if i'd heard ofa pub called the Pale Horse. And
asked her what the Pale Horse hadto do with it, and what did
she say? She told me toread my Bible. The real question is
who was the man Missus Davis recognizedcoming out of a house where he had
no business to be and pretending tobe a workman of some kind. If
she recognized him, he may haverecognized her. And if she passed on

(01:19:51):
that particular item of information to FatherGorman, it was vital that he should
be silenced before he could tell anyone. You agreed, Oh, yes,
I agree, And you've no ideawho the man is? Yes, I
have an idea, and we haven'tgot a shred of evidence nothing. Yes,
I think it's time we paid yourmister Venables a visit, and we'll

(01:20:12):
take Osborne along with us, justto see why it's so certain that Venables
is the killer. You seem tobe spending a good deal of time in
this part of the world Industry's book. Do sit Dan and you, inspector.
And who is this gentleman? Thisis mister Osborne. How do you
do I'll explain why he is herewhen we come to it. This So
what can I do for you,Inspector. I'm making inquiries about the death

(01:20:33):
of a Catholic priest, father Gorman, on the eighth of September in West
Street, Paddington, at around eighto'clock in the evening. We believe you
may be able to assist us.Andy too happy to do so. But
I've never heard of father Gormon.Well, I've been given to understand that
you were in the neighborhood at thetime of his death. Paddington is not
a part of the world I illin her at all. Look what exactly

(01:20:56):
is all this about? Father Gormanhad been called out to the day bed
of a woman nearby. She'd becomeentangled with a criminal organization, an organization
which specialized in the removal of unwontedpersons. Its headquarters are said to be
a place called the Pale Horse.Ah. Now I begin to understand.
So that is what brings you toour pleasant rural neighborhood. My friend's theres

(01:21:19):
a gread all her occart nonsense.Don't tell me that Scotland, Jada,
wherever you come from. Take thisseriously. We take it very seriously,
mister Venable. But you really believethat thurds are grades bring about people's debts
by invoking the power of the devil. Oh? No, the cause of
death is much less complicated. Thalliumpoisoning thallium I didn't think I've ever heard

(01:21:42):
of it. It's used extensively asrat poison, occasionally as at apillotry for
children with ringworm. It can beobtained very easily. Incidentally, there's a
packet of it tucked away in thecorner of your potting shed. By potting
shed, someone must have put itthere. I know nothing about it?
Is that? So would you likeme to tell tell you how this little
removal racket was worked? I cansee that you're determined. It only the

(01:22:03):
client, the person who wants aninconvenient person eliminated is intended to believe that
the person he once removed dies asa result of this witchcraft, when in
reality it wouldn't kill a black beetle. But behind the scenes, certain women
are detail to canvass the intended victimwith a questionnaire what toilet articles or cosmetics

(01:22:24):
do you use? What brand ofcorn flakes? But I don't see what
this has to do with murder,And so to the last stage. The
only action performed by the originator ofthe scheme in person. He may be
wearing a mansion flat porter's uniform.He may be a plumber or an electrician,
or calling to read the gas meter. Whatever role is playing is real.
Object is simple, the substitution ofa preparation he brings with him for

(01:22:48):
a similar article which he knows asthe result of the questionnaire that his victim
uses, and that preparation contains thallium. But how do you come to know
all this when we have aspicions ofa certain person. There are ways of
making sure indeed, such as wellnothing very remarkable a hidden camera, for
instance, we've got some excellent picturesof the uniform flat porter gas man,

(01:23:13):
and so on. Our man wasdisguised, of course, but even sir,
he is being recognized quite easily.Recognition is an interesting thing. Mister
Vennibles, for instance, mister Osbornehere is willing to swear he saw you
following Father Gorman on the night ofthe murder. He saw before, and
I did see you. I describedyou exactly, rather too exactly, perhaps

(01:23:36):
because you didn't see mister Vennibles thatnight when you were standing outside the doorway
of your shop, you weren't standingthere at all. You were across the
street yourself, following Father Gorman untilhe turned into West Street. Then you
came up with him and killed him. It's ridiculous. Mister Osborne has been
under observation for some time, andhe was unwise enough to plant a packet

(01:23:57):
of thallium salts in your potting shed. Knowing of your disability. He had
amused himself by casting you as thevillain of the piece. Being a very
obstinate as well as a very stupidman, he refused to admitted, made
a blue stupid. You dare tocall me stupid? Could you have done
what I have done? If youhad any idea what you shouldn't have tried

(01:24:17):
to be so clever. You knowwhy, if you'd just sat back in
that shop of yours and let wellalone, I shouldn't be here now warning
you, as it might you todo so that anything you say will be
taken down and may be used asevidence against you. Did you always suspect
Osborne right from the beginning? Hmm? What did he do that put you

(01:24:40):
on to him? Well? Straightaway started telling lies. He said he'd
seen a man following Father Gorman,and he gave us a very detailed description,
But he couldn't possibly have seen himthat closely across the street on a
foggy night, who was obviously adescription of somebody had actually seen. I'd
say he had probably come across Venablesone day sitting in his car and didn't

(01:25:01):
realize he was a cripple. Butwhat made him go on insisting it was
Venables when he knew he was paralyzed? Vanity, I suppose, typical criminal
vanity. He wasn't going to admitfor one moment that he'd been wrong.
Like a fool. He stuck tohis guns and put forward all sorts of
preposterous theories. But it was aningenious idea, yeap One's got to give
him that. See what beats me, it always does, is how a

(01:25:24):
man can be so clever yet besuch a perfect fool. So that's the
end of the Pale Horse. Notquite. I think there's one more thing
to be cleaned up. Oh's thatthe old inside Ginger was no sooner out
of hospital than she was off tomuch deeping, and with further gray and
her little covern out of the way, she wanted to investigate the pale horse

(01:25:45):
itself. Look what was hidden underall those centuries of crime. I was
sure the horse had a rider inthere hears a grinning scaleon and with a
scythe and I looked him. Beholda pale horse, and his name that
sat on him was death, andthe grave followed with him. The Book

(01:26:08):
of Revelations most appropriate. Really.When Eileen Brandon asked Missus Davis about the
pale Horse, she told her tolook in the Bible. I suppose I
had a very narrow escape, andlook such a freak. Do you mind,
darling, Your hair will grow againvery soon. You're quite sure you
don't want to go back to thathermia cretur. I'm quite sure after all

(01:26:30):
these weeks of calling you, MissusEasterbrook. I've got rather used to the
idea, and you're sure you won'thave to call up the power of the
Pale Horse to get rid of me. I think we can forget about the
power of the pale Horse. Withthe weird sisters safely out of the way,
it's going to go back to whatit used to be a pub.

(01:26:55):
In Agatha Christie's The Pale Horse,Mark Easterbrook was played by by Jeremy Clyde,
Ariadney Oliver By, Stephanie Cole,Mister Venables by Terence Alexander, and
Ginger by Federa Holmes, Thursa Gray, Mary Wimbush, Sybil Jill Graham,
Bella, Hilda Schroeder. In SpeculaJourne, Jonathan Adams, Jim Corrigan,

(01:27:17):
Stephen Hodson, Zachara Osborne, JohnFleming, Rhoda Despard, Jillie Mears,
Colonel Despard, John Ebitts, Fermier, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Poppy, Theresa Gallagher,
David Ardingly, Matthew Morgan, Bradley, John Badley, Soames White,
John Church, Missus Stuckerton, MelindaWalker, Missus Coffins, Diana Payanne,

(01:27:40):
Eileen Brandon, Melanie Hudson, theReverend Calthrop, Philip Anthony, Missus Davis,
Sandra James, Young, Missus Garretty, Kate Binchy, Father Gorman,
Keith Drinkle, and Mike David Thorpe. The Pale Horse was dramatized for radio
by Michael Bakewell and directed by ENIDT. Williams or within sat Thetis and School

(01:28:02):
PSI PoTA Vitorias China the pius anadult, The Sad Thing About the

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The Pale Horse

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