The Black Room

Well, doctor?

An heir, my lord, and a brother for him.

Twins.

Twins?

A toast.

Let's drink to it.

No.

Don't toast this birth.

Please.

Do you all know how our family began?

With twins.

Brand and Wolfram.

And it will end with twins.

Brand, the younger, murdered his brother.

This house began with murder.

It will end the same way.

"Principio et finem similia"

"I end as I began."

My eyes.

Lieutenant Hassel, would you please?

Certainly, sir.

"And after that night, Wolfram was never seen again,

either within the castle or without.

And all men knew that he had been slain

Even if it were true,

there's no younger and no older.

They're twins.

You're wrong, Lieutenant Hassel.

One is always older than the other.

Your boys were born a minute apart, my lord.

The prophecy must fall on my children.

The older will inherit the title and the lands.

The younger bitter-

the younger will have greater reason

than that for bitterness, my lord.

His right arm is paralysed.

Paralysed?

I'm sorry.

But, your Lordship, you're not really going to worry

about this barbaric prophecy.

A thing that has been believed in for hundreds of years?

Read.

Read further.

"And the wise have thought that once again

there shall be twins

and the younger shall slay the older.

That is the meaning of the motto

of the house of De Berghman."

But you can't believe in this, sir.

I do believe it.

This murder will happen again.

In the black room just as it did before.

No, no, don't open it.

My friends, this tragedy may not happen

for 20, 30, 50 years.

I will be dead then.

We all may be.

What can I do now to prevent this prophecy

from ever being fulfilled?

Your Lordship's living in the past.

We don't believe-

I do.

Something must be done.

May I offer a simple suggestion?

You believe that the younger brother

will kill the older in the black room?

Yes, I do.

Then the prevention is simple, seal it up.

And there won't be any black room.

If you'll permit me to say so, your Lordship,

your parents' graves are in a disgraceful condition.

I know, I know.

But now that my brother's returning,

we can take care of it together.

Good.

The Budapest post arrives at the inn in an hour.

You're sure you don't want to meet him there?

There've been so many attempts on my life of late,

I don't want to be seen in public places.

Hurry him to me at the castle.

I only thought as you haven't seen your brother,

- Anton, in 10 years- - That's why I want

to meet him alone.

Don't be afraid, say it.

The baron is a tyrant.

He's worse than that.

He's a fiend.

There is only one way to protect ourselves from him.

That won't be so easy.

He keeps to himself.

Oh, you're afraid, that's the trouble.

You're cowards.

We begged the authorities for help.

A lot of good it did us.

What does he have to do to us till we strike back?

It's easy to talk, but who's going to do it?

Just give me a chance.

Put him in reach.

The coach from Budapest.

Has the baron's coach arrived?

Oh.

Some Sherry, please.

He looks like the baron.

Say, he does.

Didn't the baron have a brother who left here long ago?

Yes.

What's he come back for?

One De Berghman is enough.

There's the baron's coach now.

Anton.

Why, Colonel Hassel.

I'm glad to see you.

And my brother?

Gregor?

Gregor is at the castle.

I am to bring you to him.

Come, Tor.

You'll find things changed.

If Gregor's letter hadn't been so insistent,

I should never have returned.

I couldn't believe that he'd write to me like that.

It wasn't an invitation.

It was a plea, an entreaty.

You should never have left.

It was unbearable here before.

I had to leave.

Because of a superstitious legend?

No.

Because of what hearing so much about it did to me.

I began to believe in the prophecy, in spite of myself.

Every time I looked at Gregor, my own brother,

he seemed to expect me to kill him.

That was meant for your brother, Gregor.

Welcome home, sir.

Oh, Peter, how are you?

Very good, sir.

Thank you.

Thanks for bringing me, colonel.

My niece and I are expecting you

and your brother to dinner tonight.

You remember Thea?

Why, of course, I remember Thea.

A lovely little girl.

Only now she's a lovely big girl.

We'll be there.

Thank you.

We are all happy you are back, sir.

The castle will be more cheerful, sir.

It is a gloomy place.

10 years almost made me forget it.

Now it all comes back.

One does feel the gloom, sir.

"Principio et finem similia"

Anton.

This is good.

Let me look at you.

You're looking good.

Enjoy your years in Budapest?

Oh, very much.

It's gay there.

But how are you, Gregor?

If my subjects hadn't been so unruly,

I'd have proclaimed a great festival in your honour.

They don't deserve a feast, much as you do.

Sit down, Anton.

I've ordered some wine for you.

Thanks for coming back to our home.

It's been lonely for me here.

But now we can divide the responsibilities.

Come in.

I brought wine from the south vineyards.

I remembered Mr. Anton was fond of it.

Thank you, Peter.

Drink it.

Did you hear what I said?

Yes, your Lordship.

Why do you do this, Gregor?

That's all.

Surely you don't think he poisoned it?

Think?

I know.

Those swine will do anything.

They don't know what they want.

I can't trust my servants or anyone.

My life's not my own anymore.

Gregor, on my way here today, I was shot at.

They mistook you for me.

But what is it they have against you?

Lies.

It's not worth talking about.

But you must deny them, Gregor, or I will.

Fine, Anton.

That's why I sent for you.

The black room and its prophecy

have stood between us long enough.

A solid wall of brick stands between it and us.

We can forget it.

What do you say, brother?

With all my heart.

Then we've nothing to torment us