Original subtitles

(theme music plays)

(organ notes playing)

Greer! Greer!

Greer!

(notes continue)

(organ stops)

(doorbell rings)

Oh, listen, Steed, I just had the finest joke.

I'm sorry. I'm in a frantic hurry.

No, listen, it'll only take a second.

You see it's about this vicar, and it...

Good morning. Please go on with your story.

No time, vicar.

Tara, this is Teddy Shelly, a very old friend of mine.

Tara King. We really must go, Teddy.

Where are you going?

We're going down to Teddy's church.

There's been a very strange death there,

- and we want to look into it. - Oh? How strange?

Well, this archeological society

are conducting a dig actually under my church.

Of course, the church itself stands on a much earlier site.

Here endeth the lesson. We'll explain later.

Well, can I come?

No. I want you to see Harvey Truman.

He's an expert in electric science.

Just show him that, ask him how it got there.

On we go, Teddy.

- Oh, but, Steed... - Oh, about that Vicar joke,

if it's the one... "Ours was a quiet wedding.

The vicar had laryngitis," I've heard it.

Morning, Inge!

Vicar about?

Good morning, Major Star.

No, he's in London.

Trying to drum up interest in what's happening down here,

I imagine.

Well, it's a waste of time.

We can handle our own perfectly well.

We've not done so well so far.

Greer is dead.

Yes, well, that wouldn't have happened

if I'd been running the show.

Whole affair's been too haphazard.

It needs discipline, organizing.

What have you got there?

I found it last night.

It looks like a bracelet, or at least it was a bracelet.

The metal seems to be fused.

No corrosion, no tarnish.

Could have happened fairly recently.

Where did you find it?!

In the north tunnel.

(laughs) It's the same damage as on Greer's lantern.

Be a feather in our caps if we can settle this affair

before Shelly gets back.

Come on, show me where you got it.

- Not until Teddy comes back. - Nonsense, girl.

You don't win medals waiting for the other chap to be heroic.

Now come along.

Check your lantern.

Good.

All right, now stick close to me at all times.

Which way now?

I think it's straight on.

No. Wait a minute...

Oh, come along, girl, come along.

- Don't move! - (gasps)

What is it?

By your foot.

A track of some sort.

What the deuce could make a trail like that?

It's come out of there.

Who went in there?

Let's get going.

(tapping)

Oh, it's Bill Reston.

I'd forgotten he's down here.

He's working the next section.

(whirring and slow scraping)

Aaagh!

Fetch the doctor. I'll see what's happened.

(sneezing)

Bless you.

Thank you.

Um, the lamp, Professor?

Uh, yes, the lamp.

Well, it's drained, totally drained of power.

Well, what about the case?

Alloy High melting point.

Snuff?

No. Thank you.

I say, you couldn't tell me what caused this, could you?

Intense heat. Great heat.

But notice the wrapper of the battery.

Isn't marked. It's not even scorched.

No. Hm.

May I ask you something? What caused this?

Oh, that's what I want you to tell me.

Oh.

Well, in that case, I'd better get back to the lab with it.

- I'd like to run a few tests. - Of course.

Meanwhile, you wouldn't like to hazard an educated guess.

- Would you? - Yes.

Well, it is a guess, mind, but I'd say this

has been in close contact with a high discharge

of electrical energy.

Oh...

(sneezes)

Frankly, I think we should call the whole thing off.

Seal up the tunnels.

Certainly not.

This could turn out to be one of the most important

archaeological finds in the country!

Put this village on the map!

Maybe so, but two people have died.

All the more reason why we should go on...

Find out how and why.

You're all acting like frightened children.

Philips, how about you?

I say we go on.

Williams?

Yes.

Good chaps.

Well?

I know I speak for Inge, and we're against it.

Well, that's three to two at the moment.

Brett, where do you stand?

Well, it may be dangerous.

I would like to uncover some more Stone Age tools.

For science, you know.

Good man! Good!

Well, let's get our campaign organized.

That divides the work areas.

We'll go down to mark out the sections.

Well, come along, Brett!

I'm not going to be the one to break my first order.

We work in pairs.

Check your lantern.

It's getting late.

Teddy should be back by now.

Don't worry, he'll be here.

(organ notes playing)

Quick! Let's have some lights.

Come on.

(organ notes continue)

Good evening.

What is it? What's happened?

It started again.

Star and Brett are down there.

Yes. We're gonna need some more lights.

After you, Teddy.

The cloth is better acquainted with the rocky path.

Uh, if you'd all stay here.

(slow scraping)

(distant clunk)

It... it... it...

(whirring and scraping)

Brett, try and understand me. This is most important.

Brett, can you hear me?

We have to find out what it was you saw in the tunnel.

What was it?

What did you see?

How is he?

He's bad.

Has he been able to speak yet?

No.

Any trace of Major Star?

No. Steed's searching for him.

Shall we go on?

This is a new fall.

Yes, and Major Star could be behind it.

Maybe even in it.

It's going to take a lot of work.

Shh!

(whirring and scraping)

What is it?

Start to clear this away.

You better...

(whirring and scraping)

Hmm, well, there's no damage to this one.

- (clicking switch) - That's odd.

I put new batteries in just before they took them down.

Yes, that is peculiar?

I'd better go and check the others.

Yes. You will excuse me, won't you?

Mm-hmm.

Oh, how do you do?

With all the excitement, we haven't been introduced.

- Steed, John Steed. - Inge Tilson.

In a moment you must tell me your life history.

- I would love to... - But first.

Excuse me.

(telephone ringing)

Hello?

Oh, Steed, you'll never guess what I'm doing.

Icing a cake?

I'm sending you another flashlight.

Show it to Professor Truman.

And you can reach me at 476...

6... 6...

7... 7...

0.

I'll be in touch. Goodbye, Tara.

Bye.

What could be in those tunnels?

I don't know.

But at least its activities are confined

underground for the moment.

I only hope it stays that way.

Major Star?

He was under the fall.

Have you ever seen a wound like that before?

Never.

The... the pond!

The minnow pond.

Well, what is it?

Terrible.

I never saw anything like it in my life.

You better come see.

I suppose it could have been an explosion.

Salmon poachers often use dynamite.

An explosion would throw up a lot of mud and debris.

This water's perfectly clear.

I'd like the pool dredged.

I can arrange that. What are we looking for?

Anything.

Everything.

I'd like to drive back roughly in that direction.

(wheezing)

Bless you, bless you, bless you.

Thank you, my dear.

This was a fresh battery, you say?

Oh, yes.

But it's certainly discharged at a considerably greater speed

than this bulb demanded of it.

Well, what should I tell Steed?

Anything you like.

Well, I can certainly think of no logical explanation.

I'll take it away with me

and see if it gives me any ideas.

Right.

Oh, I say.

What a magnificent cake.

Did you make it yourself, my dear?

It's just something I threw together.

- It's nothing really. - Nonsense.

It's superb.

It's a work of art.

Oh, it's far too good to be eaten.

It's should be preserved for...

for...

for... for...

(sneezes)

Oh.

What can I say?

Say nothing, Professor.

That's the way the cookie crumbles.

Ah.

I alarmed you, vicar. I frightened you.

I didn't hear you come in.

I'm very light on my feet, you know.

Yes.

Uh, can I help you?

I'm sorry.

I beg your pardon?

I'm sorry. For alarming you as I did.

Oh. (Chuckles) That's all right.

What a charming old church. Norman?

Well, late 11th Century.

Feels like 12th to me.

Well, those are much earlier structures on the same side.

Definitely 12th Century. Norman I should say.

- Is that an axe head? - Uh, yes.

I imagine that might have taken human life,

savage weapon from a savage past.

Yes, I sense it. This has killed.

Uh, y... well, it comes from a much more barbarous period.

No more barbarous than now.

The stone axe has become the gun or the bomb.

Man has ever sought the perfect method of destroying men.

- Do you mind if I look round? - No. No, no not at all, no.

I promise you I won't disturb you.

I'm very light on my feet, you know.

This about ends the mystery tour.

Where are we?

It's an old quarry.

It's been abandoned for years.

Well, as we're here, let's have a look around.

All right.

Not one of the outstanding beauty spots in the country.

I don't know, I should think that hermits

and recluses would find it rather attractive.

I doubt if anybody's been up here for months, years.

Somebody or something has.

Those were made quite recently.

What's this, Vicar?

Um, uh, it leads to some tunnels.

Ah! May I go down?

Oh, I'm afraid not, no.

Oh, there've been some unfortunate accidents.

Ah, yes, accidents.

I'd heard some gossip in the village.

I heard that those accidents were without explanation.

Uh, well, we don't know the reason for them.

- Inexplicable, huh? - Yes, inexplicable.

- Bizarre? - Bizarre.

Thank you very much, vicar.

Most helpful.

You've been most helpful.

(both chuckle)

It's gonna be all right. I know where one of them is.

It has got ventilation holes.

And that's insulating material.

It's a compartment.

What could it be, Steed?

Two very small Eskimos?

Do you think this has anything to do

with what happened at the church?

I used to have a very favorite aunt,

and she used to say,

"If Christmas had come in August,

chestnut stuffing would never have been invented."

And what does this mean?

I haven't the faintest idea, but she was always saying it.

Shall we go?

Now that's interesting.

Have you found something?

It exactly matches the one missing on my bed.

Perfect.

Very amusing.

Steed.

Can you make anything out of this?

In an emergency, yes.

I should put it over there, we could use it later.

It's in the church.

As soon as they leave, we'll get it.

(sniffles)

(groans) Well, there's nothing here that could account

for killing the fish.

Except for a lack of water.

We'll call it a night.

Come on, Inge, I'll walk you home.

- Are you coming, Steed? - No, you two go ahead.

I'll have a final look down below.

Right.

Goodnight, Steed.

Goodnight.

Goodnight, Steed.

Goodnight.

Are you all right, Steed?

A nocturnal visitor.

He seemed to be very anxious to get a hold of this.

Isn't that part of the stuff we got out of the river?

Uh-huh. What time is the next train to London?

About 15 minutes from now.

Good. We'll go. I'll get my hat.

I'll send this to Tara.

(organ notes playing)

(notes continue)

(whirring and scraping)

There's no alternative now.

We have to close up the tunnels.

I agree. I absolutely agree.

I'd like to be one exception myself.

It's too great a risk.

Leave it alone, Steed, forget it.

My most insatiable vice is curiosity.

Curiosity killed the cat.

It led to the invention of anesthetics,

the airplane, the wheel, electricity.

Where is this powered from?

There's a small generator.

We use it to light the main tunnels.

Ah-ha.

And this?

Tracks of some kind.

I've noticed them before.

There's similar tracks near the pond

- and up at the quarry. - What do you think made them?

A little black box.

That again?

I thought you were onto something with that.

Remember Brett was killed after you sent that thing London.

- Which proves? - The box can't have done it.

Or there's more than one.

(Harvey wheezing, sneezes)

(snorting and panting)

Bless you.

Thank you.

Would you care for a pinch, Miss King?

Oh, snuff.

Oh, at my age, it's the only kind of pinching

in which I can indulge.

Uh, to get back to the box,

it appears to be completely enclosed

in a metal casing.

No joints.

Do you know I'm afraid that I shall

have to cut this open to find out what's inside?

Oh, well, I thought of that, so I took it to the labs

- and had it X-rayed. - Eh? What?

I said I thought of it.

So I took it to the labs and had it X-rayed.

Oh, how very efficient. I like that.

Well, let's have a look.

Oh... mm.

Oh! (Laughs)

You know what it is?

Not the faintest idea.

Very interesting but quite baffling.

Entirely baffling.

Miss King...

this is very dangerous.

- You should have it repaired as soon as possible. - What's that?

The insulation has been stripped from this wire.

You could get a very nasty shock.

I just had a nasty shock. That lamp's practically new.

(sneezes)

God bless you.

I'm afraid I may be getting a cold.

Well, never mind.

Just think of all the money you'll save on snuff.

(chuckles) Yes. Yes, indeed.

Oh, yes. Yes, thank you.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, too good of you.

Thank you, a most expectatious economy.

Yes, thank you, Miss King.

Very g... oh, good-bye, Miss King!

- (door closes) - Bye.

Now this is the general complex of tunnels here.

And these are the points where the unfortunate deaths occurred.

Mm-hmm.

And the generator is situated here.

Right in the middle of things.

You think it's significant?

I think that what it generates is significant.

It generates electric power.

Mm-hmm.

Inge, do you think that you could do a few of these...

Excuse me, Steed, but speaking as a theological layman,

could you tell me exactly what's going on?

Well, take a city, London, for instance.

Its appetite for electricity is insatiable.

It gulps up millions of kilowatts

and then converts them into heat and power and light.

But if you stop feeding them, it begins to die.

That actually happened in New York.

That's right, all the lifts, the lights,

the subways, they all ground to a halt.

Look, are you saying that whatever is down there

is powered by electricity, and when it runs out,

it, well, just eats more?

I saw a demonstration once, a robot vacuum cleaner.

It swept around the house, went back into its cupboard,

automatically plugged in and recharged itself.

Personally I prefer a switched-on Swedish au pair.

Yes, well, I think you're both on the wrong track.

I don't go along with this electricity idea at all.

If it turns out to be poltergeist, Vicar,

you shall exorcise it.

Now I've made a list of a few things here.

If you could drive into town and collect them.

I'll go now. Anything else?

Sit on the right-hand side of the car,

but drive on the left-hand side of the road.

Mm.

- Steed. - Hmm?

Look, this is my church.

I really do think I ought to come down there

with you tonight.

No, vicar, up is your dep...

I mean, you baptize and bury them.

And I'll try and see that the interval between the two

is as long as possible.

Two weeks, Mr. Kruger.

For two weeks I am sitting in this mobile refrigerator

waiting for you to recover them.

Two of the boxes are still at large.

Our contract called for total secrecy!

But I've explained the accident with the van.

Anyhow, I have located another.

- (scoffs) So you tell me. - Well, it's true!

There's one in the church deactivated.

And the other is in the tunnel active, very active.

It has already killed.

The electric organ plays on account of it.

The box must be feeding on some part of its circuitry.

- I'll get it back tonight. - I give you 12 hours.

If in that time you have not recovered the box,

you can consider our contract null and void.

But I've invested time and money in developing those boxes!

Then for your own sake, don't fail.

You can verify my authority at the number I gave you.

Yes. Now have you got this clear?

All mains electrical power to the village

to be cut off at 8:00 PM precisely.

Excellent. Goodbye.

I think I've got everything, walkie-talkies.

- Here, you have one. - Right.

How do these things work, Steed?

Push that in, pull that out.

Hello, hello, hello?

Hello, hello. That's all right.

Is this what you wanted?

That is perfect.

The rest of the stuff is in there.

Uh-huh. The boots, the gloves.

Yes, in that case, I think I'll get started.

Will you throw the rest down to me?

Oh, right.

Mind your head, Steed. Right?

Right.

(whirring)

(telephone rings)

(vacuum cleaner stops)

Hello. Tara King.

(violent sneeze)

Hello, Professor Truman.

Miss king! (wheezing)

Miss King, I... I've interpreted the X-rays.

Get out of your apartment. That box is lethal.

It has one purpose only... To destroy!

Now get out. Don't hesitate, just run!

It's gone.

D-Don't look for it.

Get out!

(wheezing) Get out!

(whirring and scraping)

How do I stop it?

(Harvey wheezing)

Professor, how do I stop it?!

Professor?

Get to your fuse box, switch off the power...

s-so it can't recharge!

The power is off.

You have to exhaust its power,

make it run down.

(lively music plays)

(whirring)

It's working. But it's still working.

- What now? - Water.

Water is the only thing that will dissipate its power.

Water!

(whirring stops, music slows)

(electrical crackling)

Miss King!

Miss King, are you all right, Miss King?

Yes, I'm fine. Thank you.

The box. What about the box?

Well, it's passed out. I think it's dead drunk.

Well, put it in a bath of water.

Oh, and get on Steed.

Yes, it's vital that you warn him.

I'll call him right away.

Oh...

4... 7...

(rings)

Hello!

Hello, Teddy. Hello, Teddy.

I'm in position at the generator.

Anything happening up top? Over.

Generator, eh?

He's making things too easy.

Hello, Teddy? Hello, Teddy? You receiving me?

Receiving me? Over.

Huh.

What's happened?!

They cut the power off to the village.

It's too late.

My little box has all the charge it needs.

Kruger, isn't it?

There was a Kruger at the Royal Establishment.

What was it you were working on?

The projection of electric power through space?

Interesting theory.

Theory? I've done it. Proved them all wrong.

My little boxes are the evidence.

Boxes designed to kill.

With a high-voltage charge,

A mechanical animal living on electricity,

able to seek it out and devour it.

Oh, yes, I gave it the power of movement.

And most of all the will to kill!

And when you're ready,

you'll release them around the country.

Hundreds of thousands of them!

Oh, you've hit on the most ingenious way

of attracting my box, turning off the mains power

so it's compelled to feed on the generator!

Then you intend to lure it on with that...

With that high-powered arc of electricity!

Bait for my hungry little killer!

Poison bait.

When it comes near this, it'll melt.

But it won't.

Now it's my turn to make deductions.

You have not returned my fire.

Therefore, I presume you're unarmed.

(box whirring)

(groaning)

Miss King!

Listen. Where's Steed?

I've got to warn him.

Well, where is he?

In the tunnels down there.

Somebody asking for me?

Steed, are you all right?

Yeah.

I feel absolutely vibrant, not to say electrical.

Steed, what happened to the box?

The box? Oh, hold on a sec.

It overheated.

By the way, don't worry about down there.

You can wander around your catacombs till kingdom come.

And now I pronounce you both free.

(organ notes play)

A lot of diagonal lines and a blob.

But they're in black and white.

Can you move the aerial somewhere else?

Tara: Oh, all right.

But I still think you should have called in a serviceman.

Oh, where's your sense of adventure?

Wind in your hair, it's like conquering the Eiger.

Yeah, look who's doing the conquering.

That's better!

Oh, got a picture?

No, but the diagonal lines

and the blob are in color!

Oh, lovely, I'll move the aerial back again.

See anything now?

Yes, a woman, long flowing hair.

Oh.

What's wrong?

It's not a woman at all. It's a dog.

Oh, what kind?

Looks like an Afghan Hound. Only saw her from behind.

Oh, lovely. (Chuckles) Life in the country.

Picture any better now?

Slightly.

I'll just move the aerial

a little closer to the edge of the roof.

Now that is getting better!

Keep going, keep going, it's clearer!

Keep going! Keep going!

- That's it! - Good?

Perfect picture.

Oh, hold on.

We have to manage this very delicately.

After all, we don't lose the picture.

Are you all right? Don't want to lose the picture!

(theme music plays)