The Outsider Page #2

---

All right.

How are you, Sturdee?

- I won't disturb you long.

- You never disturb me.

Well - what is it?

It's, uh---

- No, thanks.

- No.

It's about Ragatzy.

Ragatzy!

You want me to help you to get him

run out of the country?

With the greatest of pleasure.

No. I want you to meet him,

with the rest of us.

No.

But he has cured cases that we've

pronounced incurable.

He oughtn't to be allowed to.

Not allowed to cure people?

Not without the knowledge that'll give reasonable security

that he won't either kill or cripple them instead.

But, you're always the first to say we

have a duty to science.

This isn't science.

It's not like you to be so obstinate.

It isn't obstinacy.

I've a very personal reason, for not only

discouraging quacks like Ragatzy...

...but for running them out of business.

You know how Lally is.

But you don't know why.

Her mother was young and beautiful.

So young.

So... beautiful.

She died, giving birth to Lalage.

I felt I'd lost everything.

Well, after it was all over they brought

the child to me, but...

...l couldn't even look at it.

Instead of hating myself, as I should

have done, I hated the child.

So I sent her away, to my old

nurse in the country.

Well... after that I left England.

Travelled around a good deal.

I practised in the East...

...went to the States.

Then one day I received a letter.

It said the child was pretty, and

remarkably intelligent.

But, at nearly three years, couldn't walk.

Only crawl - dragging one little foot.

But there was no need to worry, because they were

having her treated by the local bone-setter.

Well!

I think I realised then, for the first

time, that I was a father.

When I heard that my own little daughter

was in unqualified hands...

...brutal, blundering hands.

- I'm sorry, Sturdee.

- I hurried back, but...

...well, in those days there were no aeroplanes

to cut the world in half.

And before I could reach her, the child's

hip, dislocated at birth...

...which - after all - is a simple

matter to put right.

- If it's done at once.

- Yes, but it was not.

This ignorant quack had so damaged the hip socket by his

twisting and turnings, that nothing could be done.

My little daughter, who smiled and...

...dragged herself onto my knee to kiss me...

...was lame for life.

A cripple.

One can hardly believe she is a cripple.

She has so much charm and spirit.

And a very great gift.

I think we forget it often - but she never does.

I don't like to make the suggestion now, but I came here

to ask you if we couldn't use this man's invention to...

...help her in some way?

I'd try anything that wasn't downright risky.

But you know yourself, how easily you can

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes