The Devil-Doll

Turn off your motor.

Hold the light up in those trees.

We'll get them

before they leave the island.

- Lavond, my friend, will we make it?

- Yes.

The dogs lost our scent

when we crossed that river. Come on.

Yes, I've work to do.

I've dreamt only of my work.

Well, my work is no dream.

I've been awake for 17 years.

But you have only hatred in your heart.

My work will help the world to live.

My work will help three men die.

What is it, Prince?

What're you trying to tell me?

What's wrong?

Lachna. Go away. Go away, Prince.

Lachna, Lachna,

see what's wrong with the dogs.

It's Marcel, my husband!

Call off the dogs, Lachna.

Call off the dogs, quickly!

Come here, Prince. Quickly!

Go to the shed. Go to the shed.

- Here. Help me.

- We're safe.

Easy now. Easy, old friend. Come along.

Marcel.

- Marcel, my husband.

- Malita.

So you've come.

How did you get here?

Did they pardon you?

- We escaped.

- But the police. They'll be following you.

No. They lost our trail, weeks ago.

Come, let's get inside.

Malita, I knew you'd come here

as we planned.

I knew you'd be waiting.

Oh, Marcel. Marcel.

You've been working.

I knew it by the howling of the dogs.

But you've failed, you've failed again.

I can see it in your face.

Now, now, don't excite yourself, Marcel.

He's weak, madame.

- He's been ill a long time.

- Who is he? Is he...

I know our mistake now.

It came to me one night

in that cesspool of stupid minds.

- Marcel. Marcel.

- No more failures, Malita.

The next one will have a perfect brain.

Marcel.

But we're not alone.

Oh, Paul.

- Malita, this is my friend, Paul Lavond.

- Madame.

We escaped together.

- He saved my life more than once.

- I am grateful, monsieur.

We need have no secrets from him.

Now, Malita, where are they?

- I've thought, I've planned so long.

- They're in the next room.

Malita, help me. Help me.

Malita, shut off the tanks.

No.

No.

No.

Malita, some of the others, quick.

Careful. Careful, Marcel,

you might hurt them.

No. Just as I thought.

They're all alike.

They might as well

not have any brain at all!

What is it?

Is this the great work you've been

dreaming of so long? Toy dogs?

Toy?

Forgive me, Lavond. Have you been

locked away from life so long

you don't recognize

a prisoner of life itself?

Why, it feels warm.

Almost flesh and bone.

- Like the real animal.

- It is.

Eight hours ago

it was a full-grown Saint Bernard.

You think I'm mad.

The world would think so, too,

if they knew what I was going to do.

Lavond, my friend, millions of years ago

the creatures that roamed

this world were gigantic.

As they multiplied,

the earth could no longer

produce enough food.

Think of it, Lavond, every living creature

reduced to one-sixth its size,

one-sixth its physical need!

Food for six times all of us!

Lavond, you know that all matter

is composed of atoms?

- Yes, yes, of course, I know.

- And all atoms are made of electrons.

- Yes, I know.

- Well, I've found a way

to reduce all atoms

in a body simultaneously

to any desired degree and still

maintain life, as in this little dog.

Well, then, the dog should be alive.

It is! It is. Only, in reducing the brain,

all records are wiped off, no memory left,

no will of its own.

A creature capable of responding only

to the force of another will.

Malita, place it on the table.

Now, watch.

Malita, a piece of bread.

Lavond, watch the others.

Watch them.

See, Lavond, only a few crumbs

is all they need.

Napoleon, Napoleon.

Get down. Get down. Get down.

That's a nice dog.

See, Paul? See?

Look! Look, look,

the little ones are falling down.

Naturally, I stopped concentrating.

- I broke the beam of thought.

- No man can do this.

But I did. You saw me do it.

But tonight, my friend,

I'll show you a complete success.

A little dog this high,

but perfect with an active brain.

- Malita, get the big dog.

- No, no, Marcel, not now.

- Rest.

- Rest? How can I rest? I tell you...

Oh, you've done enough tonight.

Have you any brandy?

- Yes.

- Come along.

Lachna, get some brandy, quick. Quick.

Prince, Prince, go upstairs. Go.

Brandy, brandy, you moron.

Now some hot broth. Hot broth!

What use are you? Go!

Malita, where did you get her?

In a Berlin slum.

She's an inbred peasant half-wit,

but I wanted no prying wits about me.

Did anyone know she came with you?

No, Marcel, no one knows.

A friend of Marcel's is a welcome guest.

I hope you can stay with us a long time.

You'll be safe here.

And you can help us with our work.

Oh, thank you very much, madame,

but I'm afraid that'll be impossible.

I have work to attend to myself.

You see, when a man saves an ambition

in a dirty dungeon

for 17 years,

it becomes almost an insane obsession.

Well, with Marcel it was science,

with me it was hate.

Hate and vengeance.

I may not look it, madame,

but I was once a very successful banker.

Three men, my partners,

lied and tricked me into prison.

Well, three lives are going to pay for it.

Well, now you know why I can't

take advantage of your hospitality.

I'm leaving for Paris and tomorrow.

- Malita.

- Yes, Marcel. I'm coming.

Madame.

Marcel, please, that's all you can do now.

You must sleep.

No. No, I must see it through, every detail.

You've corrected her brain, Marcel.

She's no longer the stupid half-wit.

She's going to be beautiful.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes