Alfred Hitchcock Presents s05e16 Episode Script

Oh.
Good evening.
I enjoy digging around in old tombs.
They can be quite convenient, too.
If your assistants become as difficult as mine are, you can always manage to leave them inside.
This one is typical.
Quiet, comfortable, attractive and roomy.
Man has always provided better living conditions for the dead than for the living.
But that's enough persiflage and badinage.
Now, for tonight's story.
When was he here? It isn't an hour, Mr.
Carpius, less than an hour ago.
Well, what did you tell him? I told him you'd been away for the past two days and that I expected you back at any moment, sir.
He was a monk, you say? From what monastery? He didn't say, Mr.
Carpius.
You should always ask.
And he had an ikon to sell, you say? Yes.
But it was just a copy, sir.
The paint was hardly dry.
Just a copy.
Just a copy.
Where there is a copy there must be an original.
And the original may have been worth a fortune.
He'll probably sell it somewhere else.
Oh, I don't think so, sir.
I told him that you were very interested in such paintings.
He said he would try to come back, sir.
Well, let's hope he does.
What else happened while I was away? Mr.
Harari bought the bronze camel bells, sir.
All of them? Yes, sir.
And he says he can use many more.
Camel bells are very popular now in America, he says.
They hang them on the walls.
Why would that be, sir? Well, who cares why? Let them hang them around their necks, as long as they buy.
What else? Also the parchment Sanjek map, sir.
Good.
Good.
And all six of the silver coins of Tiberius.
Not bad.
Well, it's about time you began earning your keep.
And you, Mr.
Carpius? Did you have good luck on your journey, sir? Good luck! Do I have ever anything but bad luck? How I despise this miserable island.
It's a filthy prison cell.
But someday I shall break free.
I shall travel around the world.
I shall dine on exquisite foods.
The wild pheasants from Papiya, I shall taste the cream cheeses of France.
And I shall sip the cool, bubbling wine from the slopes of Mount Vesuvius.
Well, come and eat your rice now.
Malvira.
Always cool.
Cool and sweet as an Egyptian pomegranate.
Your language is extravagant, Carpius, but nothing else about you is.
You think so, do you, eh? Well, look what I brought for you.
Aren't they lovely? Yes.
What are they? Antique amber.
They don't sparkle.
Of course not.
But hold them up to the light.
They have a kind of inner glow.
Hmm.
Well, sit down and eat.
Lamb pilaf again and stuffed grape leaves.
Well, it's the best I can manage.
You bring me amber beads instead of sapphires, because that's all you can afford.
I give you lamb and rice, because it's all I can afford with the money you give me.
I'm sorry, my dear.
But things will change soon.
They must.
When? Ha! When? You sit there and dream day after day and nothing happens.
It will happen, my dear, you'll see.
Mr.
Chiringirian is here, sir.
Ah, perhaps it already has happened.
Eh? My dear, dear, Mr.
Chiringirian! Hello, Carpius.
And Major Major Parslow.
Parslow.
How do you do? Major Parslow here is looking for a gift.
His commanding officer is being retired and we need a parting present.
Something heavy and hideous, I think.
I'm sure you'll have exactly what the Major wants.
Well, we'll try to satisfy the Major.
Offer him a fifth of what he asks, Major.
Oh.
Quite.
You wouldn't happen to have a nymph carrying an inkwell in the shape of St.
Paul's Cathedral, would you? That kind of rubbish.
Your kind of rubbish, Carpius.
Mr.
Chiringirian's sense of humor is quite famous, isn't it, Major? Oh, quite, yes.
Oh.
Examine it well, Major.
It tells the time, the day and the month, the year and the phases of the moon.
Really? Yeah.
Paul, help the Major.
Well, what have you been doing for me? Things are very bad right now, very bad.
Have you that ikon for me? Mr.
Chiringirian, if I had found it, I wouldn't wait for you to call.
Remember what I told you.
My client is not an inquisitive person.
And he can afford to pay very well.
A genuine ikon, pre-11th century, if possible.
Well, he'll even settle for something more recent.
Originals are very scarce.
But I haven't given up.
I'm looking.
Carpius.
I'll get it for you.
Just give me time.
I say, this is rather jolly, isn't it? Oh, delightful.
I'll take it.
Very good choice, Major.
An excellent choice.
And only L10.
He'll pay five.
You see, Major, what a really exquisite piece of workmanship this is? genuine Swiss movement.
I couldn't possibly let it go for less.
Really, Carpius, you forget whom you are dealing with.
You can buy the same atrocity anywhere for L5.
Major Parslow won't pay more.
This antique happens to come from the beautiful home of a close personal acquaintance.
I know its value.
I must insist on at least L8.
That's final.
And five is his offer.
Not a penny more.
I mean it.
If the Major wasn't a friend of yours, I wouldn't even consider it.
That will be L5 then, Major.
Thank you.
May I again congratulate your exquisite taste? Oh.
Quite, quite.
And I'll be hearing from you soon, Carpius? Well, I'll do what I can.
Goodbye, Major Parslow.
And do give my regards to the Colonel.
Of course, thank you.
Oh, you are so beautiful, my dear.
You light up this miserable room and turn it into a palace.
I am leaving this palace.
Oh, what do you mean? I have cooked you your last meal.
I am leaving you, Carpius, for good.
Oh, be patient, Malvira.
I have been patient.
My luck must change and then we'll go away.
Venice, Paris, the Orient, wherever you wish.
My pockets will be full of money, and I shall spend it all on you.
I have heard that tune before.
No, I am leaving in the morning.
And where will you go, you little fool? Back to the market place where I found you? And your filthy stall to sell pots and pans? Have you forgotten so soon? Your ragged dress, the sandals split at the seams.
Look at you now, everything you are you owe to me.
I took you in, I fed you, I clothed you.
Don't misunderstand me, my dear.
If you attempt to leave, I shall kill you.
Kill me, my love.
Do.
Who is it? My name is Theodoras.
The clerk told me to come back.
Come in.
You are the monk with a copy of an ikon to sell? Yes, sir.
Well, you realize of course, that copies fetch very little money.
Well, let me see.
Hmm.
Early Byzantine or late Hellenistic.
Was this painted at your monastery? By one of my brothers.
From an original which is there? Yes, sir.
As you see, it depicts the Prophet Elijah in a fiery chariot, raising his hand in benediction.
Hmm.
The original must be very old, and very holy.
There is no holier ikon in all of Cyprus.
It is never left unguarded for a moment.
How much do you want for this? Would five piasters be too much? Three.
Four? There is a great deal of work to making a good copy.
Well, all right, four.
Which is your monastery? The monastery of Sts.
Barnabas and Basil.
I don't think I've ever heard of it.
Where is it? A day's journey by bus.
And then one must walk.
It is in the mountains about eight miles northwest from the end of the Paphos line.
Oh.
That's rugged country, isn't it? We see very few people, sir.
Why do you live in such an isolated place? There was a quarrel over Church doctrine some years ago.
A group of monks who disagreed with the parent order were put under a ban, so they went away by themselves to establish their own monastery.
Yeah, taking their treasures with them, I suppose.
But I am keeping you.
Good night, sir.
Good night.
Oh.
Would you give me your blessing? Thank you.
Malvira, Malvira! I can't believe it! The lkon of Elijah! And only a day's journey away from here.
And you have someone who wishes to buy the lkon of Elijah? He will pay us a fortune.
When Paul comes in the morning, tell him to get hold of Mr.
Chiringirian.
I shall leave at daybreak and return the day after tomorrow, in the morning.
And I shall have with me the item Mr.
Chiringirian's client desires.
May I speak to the Father Superior? You wish to speak with me? I'm very grateful that you have received me, Archimandrite.
I'm Carpius, from Nicosia.
Yes? Yesterday, I bought an ikon from the monk, Theodoras.
An ikon of the Prophet Elijah.
This is Brother Constantine.
He painted the copy you bought.
It's very beautiful.
He must not speak.
He has taken a vow of silence.
It is really a very good copy.
And it troubled me that I paid so little for it.
In fact, I scarcely slept the whole night after he left.
I kept thinking of the Prophet Elijah, how he fled into the wilderness to escape from the wickedness of the priests of his day.
I don't know how to express my feelings, my emotions.
But, I feel a great dissatisfaction with myself, with my life.
I've not been as honest in my business dealings as I should've been.
I found myself questioning the meaning of life.
It tortures me, Archimandrite.
I would like to seek the true religion.
That's why I came to you.
Can you help me? My son, you are welcome here, most welcome.
Please stay with us, pray with us.
We will have plenty of time to talk with you and to ask God for guidance.
I am happy that you found us.
Isn't it strange that it was this lkon of Elijah that brought me to you? The ikon is highly venerated here.
You see, just as Elijah denounced false worship, so did we.
And just as Elijah was forced to flee into the wilderness, so were we.
Then you feel the Church is in a state of heresy? One night, in a dream, or in a vision, I stood in a dense white fog, as cold and isolated as the most desolate of God's creatures.
And through those vapors, I beheld a most marvelous light.
And Elijah appeared unto me, holding out his mantle and saying, "Thou art cold.
Cover thyself.
" I might say the same to you, my son.
Thou art cold.
Cover thyself.
We will show you to a cell now, and send food to refresh you.
Then tomorrow we will talk.
There is an abundance of time here.
And the hours flow as swiftly and brightly as wine into a goblet.
Archimandrite! Would it be possible for me to see the original lkon of Elijah? Oh, yes.
There will be plenty of time for that.
Uh, uh I couldn't see it now? It suddenly seems I've waited my whole life for this.
Very well.
Come with me.
What a great honor he has! The responsibility of guarding such a treasure.
An honor not lightly earned.
Brother Damianos would give his life for it.
Come now.
Come now.
Brother Constantine will show you where you may sleep.
What do you want? There is no need for you to frighten me out of my wits.
I simply couldn't sleep in this strange place, and I thought I'd walk about a little.
I'm sorry, Brother Constantine.
Help! Help! Help! Help! It was an accident.
Don't you see? It was an accident.
Carpius, why? Why did you kill Brother Damianos? Kill him? I didn't mean to kill him.
I reached for the ikon and he thought I wanted to steal it.
I only wanted to look at it, touch it.
But he grabbed me by the throat.
I got frightened.
And I hit him.
It was an accident.
I'm sorry, I'm truly sorry, but it was an accident.
An accident.
Moses appointed cities of refuge for the manslayer to flee to.
Sanctuaries for those who kill accidentally.
You say you are sorry.
I shall choose to believe you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Nevertheless, my son, you have sinned and you must pray.
Pray for divine forgiveness.
You must repent and pray.
Oh, I shall.
I shall.
Then, begin now, my son.
Pray, pray without ceasing.
We shall bring you food and water twice a day, and oil for the lamp.
What do you mean? We shall feed you as the ravens fed Elijah.
You shall remain in this cell and we shall feed you.
As long as you live, this will be your world and you will pray.
Pray for forgiveness.
So much for the Carpius Caper.
I'm sure it's very comforting to know where you are going to spend the rest of your life.
These teenagers, defacing property.
Does it seem dark to you? I'll bet my assistant has accidentally shut the tomb door.
I have a feeling it's time for me to say goodnight.
Help!