The Creeping Flesh

Come in.

A gentleman to see you, professor.

You have come to help me?

Sit down. Sit down.

I must talk to somebody. Nobody will listen to me.

- I must have help with my researches. - Of course.

Even now it may be too late. Too late. Do you understand?

There is so much to do.

I must have a qualified doctor to assist me.

You are a qualified doctor? I asked for a qualified doctor.

Yes, of course.

My work is of the utmost importance...

for the survival of the human race.

Do you believe in evil, doctor?

I do not mean evil as it is commonly understood.

I mean the existence of evil as a living organism...

as a plague, a disease, which infects humanity like cholera or typhoid...

an epidemic slowly spreading until it affects the whole world.

Evil is a disease...

a disease which can be prevented or cured like many others.

Come. Come. I will show you.

These.

Here.

Now, you are looking at the very essence of evil itself.

The isolated bacillus of the most deadly plague of all.

But you see. You see with your own eyes. They all see.

Yet nobody believes. You must believe me.

I alone have looked into the face of evil.

I alone possess the knowledge of how to combat this terrible force...

which I stand guilty of unleashing upon the world...

3000 years ahead of its appointed time.

Some people even say that I am mad.

Everything is here.

Everything is documented.

I am a scientist, not a madman.

Three years ago I had just returned from New Guinea...

where I'd been searching for the remains of primitive man.

I brought back what I thought would be...

the most sensational scientific discovery of the century.

The complete skeleton of a primitive man...

which would revolutionize our ideas of the origin of our species.

- Right. Start to unload. - Right.

Emily!

- Emily! - Yes, miss.

Emily, it's Father. He's back.

- Welcome home, Father. - Penelope, my dear, dear child.

Oh, how good to see you again. Let me look at my little girl.

Yes, I do declare. I do declare you've grown taller.

Oh, it's good to see you again, so very good. And so good to be home.

Everything the same. Why, even to Martha.

- Martha, how are you? - It's Emily, Father.

Emily? Oh, yes, yes, yes, of course.

How stupid of me. Emily, nice to see you.

- Welcome home, sir. - Thank you. It's Emily, yes.

Waterlow, my old friend.

Welcome home, professor. And well-timed.

I'm just concluding the final experiment you suggested in your last letter.

Good, good. We have a lot to talk about. And much, much to do.

Be careful, please! That way.

Waterlow, take them through to the laboratory, will you?

Now take care. Whatever you do, don't stand it upright.

- Keep it horizontal. It's very delicate. - Horizontal it is.

Excuse me, dear. I must just check that this specimen...

has survived the journey intact.

Careful.

By the way, what did happen to Martha and the other servants?

I'll explain it all at breakfast. You will be taking breakfast with me?

Why, yes, yes, of course. We also have a lot to talk about.

Give me just a few minutes and I'll be with you.

Yes.

Can you get around it? Put it over there.

- Don't hit the table with the experiments. - I won't.

- Right. Over there. - All right.

- Right. - Let me just clear the things off the top.

There we are.

- The auger must be worth a few... - Waterlow, I've done it.

I've found it. This is it, my friend. This will change everything.

We'll have university fellowships. We'll write books.

Might even win the Richter Prize.

Richter Prize. 10,000 pounds. Why, we can have a better laboratory...

new equipment. I could double your salary.

And it's not only us who will benefit, but the whole world.

All right. Thank you very much, sir. Good morning.

Come on.

Old skinflint.

Him and his "Riggler" prize.

10,000 pounds.

Just a moment.

Bless you. Thank you, miss.

Excuse me, miss.

- Will your father be taking breakfast? - Oh, I do hope so, Emily.

We have so much to discuss.

This advanced scientific research is to a point I'd never have credited before.

But when he goes to the laboratory, it will take more than breakfast...

with his daughter to pry him out.

If you hadn't returned this week, my experiments would have stopped.

Oh, that's of no importance now. This is what we must concentrate upon.

Every means at our disposal.

Fantastic, isn't it?

Now...

between these two skulls.

Neanderthal man: Primitive, ape-like. They had very, very small brain cavities.

Now compare that with this new specimen.

Far greater brain capacity.

You may inform my father that breakfast is ready, Emily.

Sir?

Breakfast is ready now, sir.

- Breakfast, sir. - Oh, no, no, Martha. Not just now.

No. I'm extremely busy.

Miss, your father says he's busy at the moment.

Very well. Perhaps you'd ask him again in a few minutes.

- Yes, miss. - Thank you.

The strange thing is that I found this skeleton in these rocks here.

Whereas the remains of Neanderthal man...

which I found on my previous expedition...

were in this layer here.

Therefore, this new skeleton must be much older than the Neanderthal.

Yes. Anything else?

But the new one seems to be more advanced.

Why, exactly, Waterlow!

Which means all our theories of evolution are turned upside down.

My discovery proves that there was advanced intelligent life on Earth...

far earlier than thought. This is the link scientists have been searching for.

Come in.

This will revolutionize scientific thinking.

Excuse me, sir. Miss Penelope sent me...

to ask if you'd come take breakfast with her.

Oh, yes, of course. Tell her I will join her directly.

I'm sorry to have been so long.

- I'll get you your breakfast. - You look after me so well.

I'd like to hear what you've been doing during my absence abroad.

I trust you have not neglected your music lessons while I've been away.

No, Father.

And... Just tea, thank you.

And all the domestic arrangements have proved satisfactory?

I had to dismiss two of the servants as you may have noticed.

Oh, yes. Martha and...

Why, my dear?

We can't afford them, Father.

It's been so hard these last 12 months making ends meet...

saving pennies here, pennies there. It's been such a strain.

What would I do without you, Penelope?

Ever since your dear mother died, you've been everything to me.

But you won't have to worry anymore.

This time my discoveries will bear fruit. I promise you.

- What is it? You're not unwell? - Oh, no, Father. I'll be all right.

- Are you sure? - Yes, Father.

Perhaps you spend too long alone in this house.

Now that I'm back, you'll be able to go out again. The two of us together.

Just as soon as I've completed my present work.

- Yes, Father. - Excuse me.

My dear brother, although this letter will not reach you until your return...

I unhappily write to inform you that your wife passed away this morning.

Needless to say, I have respected your wishes...

and have not informed Penelope.

Is something wrong, Father?

Nothing that need concern you, my child.

Oh, good afternoon, sir. Drive on, coachman.

Giddap there.

Naturally, I'm sorry, Emmanuel, but we must treat your wife's death...

as a merciful release for you both.

There was no improvement towards the end? No...

I'm afraid not. We had to continue treatment until the last.

- Won't you come in? - Thank you.

During your absence we made the appropriate funeral arrangements.

Marguerite is buried here in the cemetery if you wish to visit the grave.

Thank you.

And Penelope? How is she?

I don't imagine she'll be disturbed by this...

because she's believed her mother to be dead for many years.

When are you going to tell her the truth about it?

I can't.

You know I can't.

What do you mean?

For so long it's been on my mind that her mother's...

illness might be hereditary, that it might recur in Penelope.

James, you're the authority in this field.

Is such a thing possible, or am I worrying needlessly?

Very soon I hope to be able to answer that.

The answers, and many others, will be in this manuscript when it is published.

I'm entering it for the Richter Prize.

- The Richter Prize? - Yes, Emmanuel.

Things have changed.

It was always you who was destined for great success...

whereas I was only the poor, hard-working half-brother...

whom you had to put up with.

Now it is I who am a success.

I intend to win that prize, Emmanuel...

and the prestige that goes with it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have many matters to attend to. Oh, yes.

Your wife's documents, committal papers, death certificates, et cetera.

You'll find them all in order.

Very grateful.

One moment.

I want to make it quite clear that I do not propose to continue...

to subsidize your ridiculous expeditions to the ends of the Earth...

to prove your lunatic theories about the origin of man.

Good day.

- Lenny's escaped, sir! - Escaped?

He smashed the door, knocked the guard out and got away.