The Mind Benders

Paddington, Oxford Street.

Taxi, Dr. Hall?

Taxi.

The train now standing

at platform one is for Oxford.

Oh, Professor Sharpey.

Tate.

I am sorry.

I managed to get us a couple of seats

Good, good.

- Are you all right? - Oh, yes, perfectly, I...

Are you sure?

Yes, yes, London's very tiring.

Excuse me.

There's an apocryphal story that the famous Dr. Einstein

was travelling on exactly this train route

before the publication of his relativity theory.

He's asking, does Oxford stop at this train?

I find this an amusing anecdote.

Absolutely, sir.

I think what is particularly amusing

about this anecdote which might possibly be better described

as a philosopher's chestnut is that the incident

is supposed to have taken place in...

Sharpey!

What's this mess about?

Oh, dear, now the train will be late.

He's dead.

Did you know him?

It's Professor Sharpey.

It was the most extraordinary tragedy.

He simply got to his feet and jumped out of the compartment.

Perhaps we should give your names to the guard.

Are you a police officer, sir?

Not exactly.

It's his briefcase.

It's money.

A great deal of money.

You'd better give it to the guard.

Major Hall.

That's very clever of you.

I don't forget faces.

The director's in his room.

It is Major, isn't it, or is it Doctor?

It's both.

You're presenting me with Hobson's Choice.

Part of our work is classified,

that's why I can't stop you from coming in,

but I can give you my opinion as director of the lab.

It can't help the work or the atmosphere of the place

having a security man asking questions.

Somebody paid 1,000 pounds in notes to Professor Sharpey.

And I know the people he saw in London, yesterday.

I'm telling you I have evidence of treason.

Well, that doesn't surprise me.

I'm afraid you're missing my point.

- Doesn't surprise you? - Well, of course it doesn't.

- You didn't like Sharpey? - I liked him very much.

I worked with him off and on for over 20 years.

And anybody who denies he was one of the greatest

physiologists of our time must be a fool,

but with all his good intentions,

his ban the bomb-ism, his pacifism, all his left-isms,

he was as naive politically as a child of seven.

And the Americans knew how dangerous that was.

That's why they flung him out

of space physiology over there.

They never proved anything against him.

As soon as he was back here

he was meeting all these strange gentlemen

with central European names and snow on their boots.

Cultural attaches, you know.

There was nothing in it, then?

He had complete integrity until very recently.

Until the last few weeks.

Suddenly he's no longer the humane

old professor protesting for peace.

He's taking money.

He's talking to the professionals,

from draughty telephone boxes or on park seats,

the whole chilly paraphernalia of treason.

Isn't it reasonable that I should ask a few questions

about his work here this summer,

about his closest colleagues?

You're still missing my point.

Just as I knew the old man was dangerous

I know that you're wasting your time asking questions here.

Dr. Longman was with him in America, I believe.

Yes.

Was he still working with Sharpey here?

If you can call it work.

Longman hasn't been in the lab for six weeks.

Until then, were they still

experimenting on space physiology?

Yes, in addition to their teaching work, of course.

An aspect of it they call isolation.

I suppose it had some value.

Isolation could make a good starting point for me.

I should like to know more about it.

Longman's not here, you say?

I wouldn't think so.

Is there anybody else who could help me?

Well, there's young Tate I suppose.

He helped with the earlier low temperature work.

I could introduce you to him.

You're very persistent.

That's the military mind.

Couldn't you have done something?

Couldn't you have seen it coming?

There really isn't much point in asking questions, Stuart,

if the answer's obvious.

Yes, but was he all right at Paddington?

He said he was tired.

Do you really think it could've been an accident?

I mean it was after a station, wasn't it?

Gentlemen, I can't approve of this sort of talk.

It really doesn't help the lab to have

this sort of gossip going on.

Sorry sir.

Who's he? - Shh.

My dear fellow, you mustn't encourage that sort of talk.

They're naturally curious.

Isn't that what we train them to be?

Of course I understand.

We're all working under a sense of strain.

You're standing in for Longman here.

- He's ill? - Oh, yes, mm.

I know Longman has his own methods,

even to refusing to answer his telephone.

Well, never mind, you must just stand in for him again.

I want you to meet Major Hall.

Military intelligence.

We have already met.

Hello.

- He's also a scientist. - I was.

And he's interested in isolation.

If you'd help me, I'm afraid it's all quite new to me.

Well, I certainly can't lecture on it

and I don't know much more that you do.

I know nothing.

That's what I mean.

Well, you could start with the film.

That'll put him in the picture.

- Sharpey's film? - Mm.

I've got it here.

We'd better pull down the blinds.

Well, I've work to do.

When you've finished perhaps you could

find your way back to my room.

Thank you.

I gather Dr. Longman worked with Sharpey in the States.

That blind's not quite shut.

We're ready now if you'd care to sit down.

All right, Norman.

The Arctic Circle in April 1960.

This is the hut, where an extremely

brave French geophysicist Dr. Jean Bonvoulois

spent the winter of 1959, 1960.

A small party of us, relieved Dr. Bonvoulois that spring.

He spent the last four months of it alone

in almost perpetual darkness.

At that time, our party was interested

in the effects of low temperature.

We simply wanted to know what happens to people

when the thermometer drops far below zero.

The applications of such knowledge could be useful

in anything from modern surgery to space travel.

Dr. Tate and I interviewed Bonvoulois a few hours

after we had found him in his hut.

And this film was taken at that time.

Notice his behaviour.

No need to be afraid.

Drink.

Now, where do you think you are?

It may be too soon.

No, it's all right.

It's important we get something down straight away.

Tell us your name.

Do you know what you're called?

Yes.

- What? - Your name, your full name.

My name is Dr. Jean Bonvoulois.

What am I drinking?

What is this?

How long do you think you were in the hut?

You must know things for science.

We want to know how long you think

you were alone in the hut.

Alone.

No, I'm not alone.

For a few days, maybe.

In the beginning.

No, no, no.

He came.

But who came?

He came.

When things were bad, he came.

Who was it, who was he?

Who was this man who visited you?

Not a man, an angel.