The Face of Fu Manchu

"In the name of Imperial China,"

"your presence is commanded here"

"to witness an execution."

Let the prisoner be brought forward.

"Prisoner before us,"

"you have been tried and condemned of crimes almost without number."

"If it had not been for the tireless efforts of the foreigner"

"who is with us today,"

"you might still have escaped our vigilance."

"Your efforts to build an empire of crime"

"have today brought you to the end you so richly deserve."

"Let all who envy your thirst for power"

"take note of your fate."

Executioner,

in the name of Imperial China,

death to Fu Manchu.

A rest, they said. A desk job in London,

with all the privileges of an Assistant Commissioner at Scotland Yard.

I'd rather be back in Burma, Petrie!

Oh, it's just this weather getting you down. This damned fog.

No, it's...

just not being able to get out and get to grips with things.

There's something going on, Petrie.

Something big.

There are signs of it all over Europe.

- You mean this crime wave? - No, it's more than that.

It's all so centralised, so organised.

There's one big mastermind

that seems to be controlling the whole thing.

Thank you, Lotus.

- Water with it? - No, thanks.

Haven't you noticed a sudden increase in drug crimes?

A number of Orientals involved in gang killings?

Not the "Yellow Peril" again! You are overtired!

It's all very well for you pathologists.

A corpse is a corpse, and that's the end of it. Cheers.

To the happy return of the days of hunting Fu Manchu.

Why did you say that?

- What? - What made you mention Fu Manchu?

I don't know.

But you haven't mentioned him for months.

Look, what is all this?

I had a very vivid dream last night, Petrie.

I dreamt that Fu Manchu was still alive.

And you're taking that seriously?

Well...

I've been uneasy all day.

But you've told me a dozen times, you saw him executed!

Yes.

Yes, I know.

It's a real pea-souper.

In half an hour, you won't be able to see your hand in front of your face.

Not a night to be out on the beat.

Good evening officer. Is this St Luke's, Limehouse?

Yes. What do you want here at this time of night?

This is it, Professor.

Excuse me, sir, but perhaps you don't know it,

but St Luke's has been deserted for years. It's all locked up.

We have no business with the church, Officer.

Oh, sorry, sir. Only trying to be helpful.

- Thank you, Officer. Good night. - Good night, sir.

Hurry up and park the car, Mathius, will you?

Ja, Herr Professor.

We're late. The note said "eleven o'clock, precisely".

I think you were wrong to come here, Professor.

Why choose such a place for a meeting, and on such a night?

Anyway, we can't get in.

You are wrong.

We're expected.

I don't think we should go any further.

Then wait here.

Professor Müller?

Yes?

You were instructed to come alone.

But he's my driver, my servant.

Alone.

Get up. Come on, sir. Come on.

- Where did you get this? - From the neck of a dead man.

- You mean it was used by a strangler? - Apparently.

As it was of Eastern design, I thought it might interest you.

Tibetan. A prayer scarf.

Did you examine the weight in this corner?

No. I supposed it was a stone.

I have a feeling we shall find

a small copper medal of the goddess Kali.

How did you know?

Can I see the body, Petrie?

Yes, of course. It's down at the morgue.

- Hats and coats, please, Lotus. - Yes, sir.

Petrie, remember I told you about my dream last night?

About Fu Manchu?

Yes.

Fu Manchu studied in Tibet. He had great power and influence there.

He learned all their secrets of the mind,

and also certain other customs.

He used as his most trusted servants, a gang of Burmese Dacoits,

and taught them to strangle their victims

with these prayer scarves from Tibet.

To them, the act of murder is blessed by the goddess Kali,

and every ritual murder is a passport to heaven.

Oh, here we are. This is the one, Doctor.

Oh, excuse me.

That's strange.

The marks have disappeared, haven't they?

Well, yes.

But the marks of the scarf were on the neck

when I examined him in the churchyard,

now there isn't a trace of them. And that's impossible!

No, Petrie, it's always like that.

- Every piece of the pattern fits. - Excuse me, sir.

This is Mr Jannsen. He's come to identify the body.

Yes.

It's him.

What was his name?

Who are you?

Thank you.

Nayland Smith, Scotland Yard. This is Dr Petrie.

His name is Mathius.

He was the servant of my employer, Professor Ernst Müller.

Müller...

Professor Müller of Heidelberg?

You know him?

I've heard of him. He's a biochemist, isn't he?

Yes. The foremost authority in Europe, if not in the world.

I am his personal assistant.

- I'd like to talk to him. - He is away.

Where?

I don't know.

When will he be back, Mr Jannsen?

I don't know. I'm sorry. I...

Perhaps his family could tell me more.

No!

There is only Maria, his daughter.

I'm sure she doesn't know.

I see.

Do you know what this man was doing down in Limehouse?

No. No, I don't.

No. I thought you wouldn't.

J...

K...

M...

Mac... Mason...

Müller.

Listen to this, Petrie.

"1907, attached to the Government Survey Department of India."

"1910, accompanied the Buller expedition to Tibet."

I knew there'd be a link!

- A link? With Fu Manchu? - Yes.

Believe me, Mathius was killed by Fu Manchu's men.

What I want to know is,

does this mean that Müller is working for Fu Manchu?

You keep talking as if Fu Manchu was still alive.

- Yes. - But you saw him beheaded!

I saw someone beheaded.

Lotus, I want you to send this cable to Hong Kong.

- Send it urgent rate. - Yes, sir.

Petrie, have you found that address yet?

Yes. Professor Müller, 27 Hillside, Hampstead.

Is that you, Carl?

Maria!

Oh, Carl!

Darling...

Are you all right?

What happened?

There... There was someone out there.

He had a knife.

He... And he left that message.

But I saw no-one.

He must still be in the house.

No, Carl.

The message, please.

It must be about Father.

"If you value your father's life, say nothing of his disappearance."

Carl, what is all this? Where's Father?

I don't know, Maria.

The laboratory!

You stay here, Maria!

Somebody here?

Carl!

You!

Do you always greet your visitors so roughly?

Carl, who is this?

He was at the morgue.

He said he was from Scotland Yard.

Assistant Commissioner Nayland Smith, at your service.

Carl,

perhaps he can help us to find Father.

No!

I don't trust him.

But if he's a policeman...

Why should he break in here, if he's a policeman?

Very well, I'll tell you.

There's a man whom I thought was dead.

Now, I believe he's still alive.

He's cruel, callous, brilliant,

and the most evil and dangerous man in the world.

His men killed Mathius.

I wanted to know if Professor Müller was working for him.

That's why I broke in.

You thought my father was...