the speckled hide Archives - Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama

Baked Apple Were-Custard (Serves 8)

Philip Robotham — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 22:04:26 +0000

For dessert — Baked Apple Were-Custard (Serves 8)

These themed recipes are for dishes cooked in England and Continental Europe during the late 1800s.

1 dozen large apples
moist sugar (sugar mixed with a little molassis) to taste
1 small teacupful of cold water
grated rind of one lemon
1 pint (568 ml) of milk
4 eggs
2 oz (56 g) of normal sugar

Method: Peel, cut, and core the apples. Put them into a lined saucepan with the cold water, and as they heat, bruise them to a pulp. Sweeten with moist sugar and add the grated lemon rind. When cold, put the fruit at the bottom of a pie dish, and pour over it a custard, made with the above proportion of milk, eggs, and sugar. Grate a little nutmeg over the top, place the dish in a moderate oven, and bake from 25 to 35 minutes. The above proportions will make rather a large dish.

This recipe is in the public domain and may be used freely.

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Baleful Moon Asparagus Pudding (serves 8)

Philip Robotham — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 22:03:47 +0000

As a side dish — Baleful Moon Asparagus Pudding (serves 8)

These themed recipes are for dishes cooked in England and Continental Europe during the late 1800s.

A bunch or two of asparagus spears
4 eggs
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1 tablespoonful of very finely minced ham
1 oz (28 g) of butter
pepper and salt to taste
milk

Method: Cut up the nice green tender parts of asparagus, about the size of peas. Put them into a basin with the eggs, which should be well beaten, and the flour, ham, butter (melted), pepper, and salt. Mix all these ingredients well together, and moisten with sufficient milk to make the pudding of the consistency of thick batter. Pour the mixture into a pint buttered mould, tie it down tightly with a floured cloth, place it in boiling water, and let it boil for 2 hours. Turn it out of the mould on to a hot dish, and pour plain melted butter round, but not over, the pudding.

This recipe is in the public domain and may be used freely.

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Roast Leg of Were-Pig (serves 8)

Philip Robotham — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 22:02:43 +0000

For the main course — Roast Leg of Were-Pig (serves 8)

These themed recipes are for dishes cooked in England and Continental Europe during the late 1800s.

8 lbs (approx.3.5 kg) leg of pork,
a little oil for stuffing (see recipe below)

Method: Take the leg of pork and score the skin across in narrow strips, about 1/4 inch (6 mm) apart. Cut a slit in the knuckle, loosen the skin, and fill it with a sage-and-onion stuffing, made according to the recipe below. Preheat the oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit (220 degrees Celcius) and brush the joint over with a little salad-oil/vegetable oil (this makes the crackling crisper and a better color). Roast the pork for half an hour and then lower the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celcius) and continue roasting for one and a half hours before removing it. Baste it well, and serve with a little gravy made in the dripping-pan. Do not omit to send to table with it a tureen of well-made applesauce.

Were-Sage-And-Onion Stuffing for Roast Leg of Were-Pig

4 large onions
10 sage leaves
1/4 lb (113 g) of bread crumbs
1-1/2 oz (42 g) of butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg

Method: Peel the onions, put them into boiling water, let them simmer for 5 minutes or rather longer, and, just before they are taken out, put in the sage leaves for a minute or two to take off their rawness. Chop both these very fine, add the bread crumbs, seasoning, and butter, and work the whole together with the yolk of an egg, when the stuffing will be ready for use. It should be rather highly seasoned, and the sage leaves should be very finely chopped. Many cooks do not parboil the onions in the manner just stated, but merely use them raw. The stuffing then, however, is not nearly so mild, and, to many tastes, its strong flavor would be very objectionable.

This recipe is in the public domain and may be used freely.

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Were-Chicken Cutlets (serves 8)

Philip Robotham — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 22:02:04 +0000

For the appetizer — Were-Chicken Cutlets (serves 8)

These themed recipes are for dishes cooked in England and Continental Europe during the late 1800s.

2 chickens
seasoning to taste of salt, white pepper, and cayenne
2 blades of pounded mace
egg and bread crumbs
clarified butter
1 strip of lemon-rind
2 carrots
1 onion
2 tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup/mushroom sauce
thickening of butter and all-purpose flour
1 egg

Method: Remove the breast and leg bones of the chickens; cut the meat into neat pieces after having skinned it, and season the cutlets with pepper, salt, pounded mace, and cayenne. Put the remaining bones, trimmings, etc., into a large saucepan with 1 pint (473 mls) of water, adding carrots, onions, and lemon-peel in the above proportions. Simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours, and strain the gravy. well beaten. Stir it over the heat, and bring it to a simmer, but do not allow it to boil.
If this is a little too much bother then pick up some chicken breast and chicken stock instead. Thicken the stock with butter and flour, add the ketchup/sauce and 1 egg.
Cut the chicken into neat pieces and season with the pepper, salt, mace, and cayenne as above.
Egg and bread-crumb the cutlets, and give them a few drops of clarified butter. Fry them a delicate brown, occasionally turning them. Arrange them pyramidically on the dish, and pour over them the sauce.

This recipe is in the public domain and may be used freely.

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The Speckled Hide – Episode 3 – The Fall of Dr Roylott

Philip Robotham — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 23:38:05 +0000

Below we present the complete text of The Fall of Dr Roylott, episode 3 of The Speckled Hide.

Gaslamp Mystery – GM003 – The Speckled Hide

SCENE 10: INT. — CAVES BENEATH THE ROYLOTT ESTATE — MOMENTS LATER (MARTHA, YOUNG HOLMES, HELEN)

MUSIC: OPENING THEME – LET IT FINISH.
NARRATOR – Escaping from the dungeon of the evil Dr Roylott and the, presumed, dead girl (Layla Stoner) our heroes, Sherlock Holmes, Martha Hudson, and the young Layla Stoner are seeking a way of escape…
MARTHA: [CUE] Are you sure we’ve come the right way, Mr ’olmes? This tunnel seems to be wanderin’ along forever.
SOUND: [29] LOW CHANTING — FADE IN AND UNDER.
YOUNG HOLMES: There were no other ways out of that basement and this tunnel hasn’t branched once since we entered it.
MARTHA: Then I guess there’s nothing for it, but to keep goin’ forward.
HELEN: Can you see the light up ahead? I think there’s a chamber.
YOUNG HOLMES: And if that chanting is anything to go by there are a goodly number of Roylott’s colony members within. We’ll need to be cautious.
MARTHA: After you.
MUSIC: [3] (BRIDGE) NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 11: INT. — DR ROYLOTT’S MEETING CHAMBER — SECONDS LATER (MARTHA, HELEN, YOUNG HOLMES, LAYLA, DR ROYLOTT)

SOUND: [9] (WALLA) LOW CHANTING — ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
MARTHA: The chamber’s enormous — a natural cavern of some sort.
HELEN: Can you make out what’s going on, Mr Holmes?
YOUNG HOLMES: A ritual of some sort. They are all gathered in the centre of the space… around a circle with candles at the cardinal points.
HELEN: (SHOCKED) Black magic?
YOUNG HOLMES: Yes, I think so. A summoning of some kind by the look.
MARTHA: Can we make our way to th’other side without bein’ spotted?
YOUNG HOLMES: Perhaps, but I think something important is going on here. Something which may require our intervention.
DR ROYLOTT: Rise, O Zathrus, master of flesh. Receive from us this sacrifice of blood and grant us self-control for another year.
COLONISTS: Murmur in unison.
HELEN: They’re cutting themselves and placing the blood in that golden cup.
YOUNG HOLMES: So that’s how they did it.
MARTHA: What?
YOUNG HOLMES: They’ve made a blood pact with a demon. Blood in exchange for the ability to control the shift in their forms.
HELEN: Something is happening.
YOUNG HOLMES: Yes, the demon is manifesting within the circle. We must hurry and reach the door. If it manifests fully, it will be under Roylott’s control and he will not hesitate to send it after us.
HELEN: He can do that?
YOUNG HOLMES: Yes. The creature will be bound to his will until dawn. There’s no time to lose.
MARTHA: I thought you said we should intervene.
YOUNG HOLMES: I fear it is too late. We cannot cross the distance to disturb the circle in time and even if we did, the demon is manifesting. It would be loosed to destroy us in its rage, along with everyone else in this cavern.
MARTHA: Obviously, you’ve never shied a rock at a crow what’s been at yer cabbages, Mr ’olmes.
YOUNG HOLMES: What are you suggesting, Miss Hudson?
MARTHA: I have an idea, Mr ’olmes. But first we need to get to that iron door.
LAYLA: I don’t think so, Miss Hudson. You, Mr Holmes, and my sister are going nowhere. (CALLING OUT) Guards!
DR ROYLOTT: (CALLING BACK) No, do not break the circle or cease chanting. The ritual must be completed! Layla, what have you done? You are outside the area of effect.
LAYLA: (CALLING TO ROYLOTT) I saw them sneaking through, my love. It would only be a year without the power to change at will and it seemed wisest to deal with them before they could intervene and ruin everything.
DR ROYLOTT: (CALLING BACK) Then do so quickly. The key moment approaches.
HELEN: Layla, how could you? We are family.
LAYLA: (LAUGHS) Ha. Family? What kinship binds us beyond blood? We were raised apart at separate boarding schools. We hardly know each other. You always were a sentimental little twit, Helen. In my new life I have loved more fiercely than you could know… and killed more frequently.
HELEN: I don’t know you at all, do I? I guess I never did.
LAYLA: Oh, and there it is. That delicious moment of realization. (BEAT) That’s right Helen, you never knew me at all.
HELEN: … Then I guess that gives me a certain advantage over you.
LAYLA: Oh? And what would that be?
HELEN: You don’t know me either, and as such you won’t be expecting this…(GRUNT).
SOUND: [30] SMACK OF FIST AGAINST SKULL — LET IT FINISH.
HELEN: Or this… (GRUNT).
SOUND: [30] SMACK OF FIST AGAINST SKULL — LET IT FINISH.
LAYLA: (SWOONING) Ohhh!
SOUND: [28] BODY DROPS TO FLOOR — LET IT FINISH.
HELEN: Now, let’s be off while they are still preoccupied with their ritual.
MATHA: (ADMIRINGLY) ’elen, I didn’t know you ’ad it in you.
HELEN: Fortunately, neither did she. Here we are.
MARTHA: Alright, we’re at the door. This is my idea: I throw one of these rocks at a candle ’n break their little circle, releasing the demon. We bar the door against their escape and leave the monster to deal with the shifters while we run like the blazes. Any objections?
YOUNG HOLMES: Miss Hudson, remind me to publicly take back all the unflattering things I’ve ever said about you.
MARTHA: (AMUSED) Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Mr ’olmes. Here goes. (GRUNTS WITH EFFORT).
SOUND: [33] WHOOSH AND SMASHING OF CANDLEHOLDER — LET IT FINISH.
SOUND: [31] HUGE ROAR AND SCREAMS WITHIN THE CHAMBER MUTED BY THE CLOSING OF THE IRON DOOR — LET IT FINISH.
YOUNG HOLMES: Ladies? After you.
SOUND: [32] SOUND OF RUNNING AS THE CARNAGE BEHIND THEM FADES INTO THE BACKGROUND — FADE OUT.
MUSIC: [3] (BRIDGE) NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 12: INT. — CARRIAGE RETURNING TO LONDON — SHORTLY AFTER DAWN (HELEN, MARTHA, YOUNG HOLMES)

SOUND: [6] (WALLA) CLIP-CLOP OF HORSE AND CARRIAGE — ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
HELEN: I have never been so glad to see the dawn in my entire life.
MARTHA: But I doubt I’ll ever get over seein’ the bodies in that chamber after the demon ’ad returned to its realm. Is anyone so evil as to deserve bein’ torn apart like that?
YOUNG HOLMES: They were playing with powers beyond their capacity to control. Layla herself admitted to engaging in numerous killings. It would not surprise me if the number of missing persons in this region of England is significantly reduced from this day forward.
MARTHA: It was still awful.
YOUNG HOLMES: Yes, it was. And no less than for Miss Stoner. Will you be alright, Miss Stoner?
HELEN: No, I don’t think I will. But life is like that, isn’t it? We endure.
YOUNG HOLMES: Yes, we do.
MARTHA: And where shall we be leaving you today, Mr ’olmes?
YOUNG HOLMES: Actually, Miss Hudson, I’m coming back to 221B (TWO TWO ONE B) with you. I have an appointment with a young doctor who is looking for someone to share the rent on some lodgings there.
MARTHA: Oh, no! You aren’t Dr Watson’s friend, are you?
YOUNG HOLMES: Actually, I’ve never met him. But I do believe that was his name. What is he like?
MARTHA: He’s confined to a wheelchair and very polite. He seems both tidy and respectable, which is more than can be said for you, Mr ’olmes.
YOUNG HOLMES: Now, now, Miss Hudson. You did invite me to look for someone with whom to share the rent so that I could move out of my current Soho lodgings after that business at Musgrave Hall.
MARTHA: I did. And I can ’ardly penalize Dr Watson for his poor choice in livin’ companion, now can I?
YOUNG HOLMES: (AMUSED) No, I don’t suppose you can.
MARTHA: I jus’ ’ope you don’t go alienatin’ ’im too quickly is all.
YOUNG HOLMES: Oh, I shouldn’t worry too much on that account. I have a number of stories to regale him with that I am sure will make us fast friends.
MARTHA: Oh, lord. You really need to stop showin’ off. People aren’t nearly as impressed with you as you think they are.
HELEN: If you find Mr Holmes to be such objectionable company, Miss Hudson, why do you continue to assist him in these investigations?
MARTHA: (SERIOUSLY) Actually, Miss Stoner, I don’t object to Mr ’olmes quite so wholeheartedly as it seems. As you ’ave no doubt realized for yourself, ’e is truly a great man beneath those rough edges. It’s my ’ope, ’owever, that a good man can be salvaged from within that greatness as well.
YOUNG HOLMES: My dear Miss Hudson, I believe that is the first real compliment you have ever paid me.
MARTHA: Don’t let it go to your ’ead. I may only ’ave one real compliment in me ’n I don’t expect you’ll be seein’ another fer some time.
YOUNG HOLMES: Well, Miss Hudson, you have my thanks.
MARTHA: It was just a compliment, Mr ’olmes.
YOUNG HOLMES: Er… yes, but I was actually referring to the fact that you saved our lives down in that cavern. None of us would be here if it weren’t for your quick thinking.
MARTHA: Why thank you, Mr ’olmes. I may have to record this day on my calendar.
HELEN: Hmmm. (ARCHLY) I do believe there is a deal more mutual regard between the two of you than I at first thought.
ELDER HOLMES: And so the affair of the speckled hide was brought to an end. Miss Stoner came into her inheritance, though she was, I think, little pleased with it in the end. I was paid and dutifully split the fee with Miss Hudson. Dr Watson and I took up residence at 221B (TWO TWO ONE B) Baker Street and settled into quite an amicable relationship.
It turned out that Dr Watson was inclined towards a bit of amateur authoring and when I discovered this I was forced to ask him to significantly modify the records he was making of my activities. This he did, publishing them through the good offices of his friend, Arthur Conan Doyle.
Little did I realize how popular these fictions would become. They quite hurled me into the public eye. At first Martha was quite put out that Watson cast himself as my companion in these adventures, but in the end I believe it saved her from becoming the target of some of the many enemies I made in the course of my career. All in all, things seemed to be going along rather swimmingly. I should have known it couldn’t last.
MUSIC: [2] CLOSING THEME — LET IT FINISH.

The Speckled Hide

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The Speckled Hide – Episode 2 – Community of Evil

Philip Robotham — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 01:14:26 +0000

Below we present the complete text of ‘Community of Evil’, episode 2 of The Speckled Hide.

Gaslamp Mystery – GM003 – The Speckled Hide

SCENE 5: INT. — MISS STONER’S ROOM — LATER (DR ROYLOTT, HELEN, MARTHA, YOUNG HOLMES)

MUSIC: OPENING THEME – LET IT FINISH.
NARRATOR: Concerned for the safety of a young runaway (Miss Helen Stoner), Holmes and Martha have accompanied her to her ancestral estate where they have been met and conducted to her bedroom by her guardian; the sinister Dr Roylott…
SOUND: [17] DOOR CREAKS OPEN — LET IT FINISH.
DR ROYLOTT: Here you are, Miss Stoner. You should be very comfortable. I have received word that we should expect a storm this evening so I have arranged for extra candles by all the beds. There is a lock on the inside of the door so you shall have nothing to fear.
HELEN: (SCREAMS) Aaaah!
MARTHA: Miss Stoner. What’s the matter?
HELEN: Through the window. There was a face. A hideous face!
DR ROYLOTT: (ANNOYED) There is no need for alarm! It would merely be one of the apes satisfying its curiosity. You will have scared it as much as you yourself were startled, Miss Stoner. The windows are adequately barred so, I repeat, there is no cause for alarm.
HELEN: Ugh. It was horrible. Why did you insist on bringing me to this horrible house, Dr Roylott?
DR ROYLOTT: (ANGRY) For thirteen years I have been the trustee of your financial affairs, Miss Stoner. I have seen to your general care and schooling and have sought to keep you — and your sister, God rest her soul — in a manner fitting to young women of breeding. Is it so wrong of me that, at a time when this duty is finally to come to an end, I should seek to become acquainted with those on whom I have spent my care and concern? As it is I shall leave you to settle in. Dinner is at seven.
SOUND: [18] STEPS TO THE DOOR. DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES — LET IT FINISH.
MARTHA: Well, thank goodness ’e’s gone. ’e’s positively the most discomforting individual I’ve ever met.
YOUNG HOLMES: He does have an unnerving manner, doesn’t he? (BEAT) Well, let’s give our attention to the room. What do you see, Miss Hudson?
MARTHA: Oh no! Must you do this every time?
YOUNG HOLMES: (SURPRISED AND SLIGHTLY INJURED) What do you mean?
MARTHA: You have an incredible brain, Mr ’olmes. But sometimes I could just swat you on the nose.
HELEN: Miss Hudson!
MARTHA: I’m as ’appy to watch you show off as the next girl, assumin’ the next girl thinks the sight of a man showin’ off his brains in public is particularly amusin’, but I don’t appreciate bein’ quizzed in front of an audience. It ’as, after all, been some time since I was sittin’ in a schoolroom an’ I don’t appreciate bein’ made to feel like an ignorant child.
YOUNG HOLMES: I see. Shall I just get on with being brilliant then?
MARTHA: (AMUSED) I should think so, yes!
YOUNG HOLMES: A quick survey then. The large four poster bed is bolted down and placed against the inside wall of the room. An unusual positioning for a fixture made permanent by large iron bolts. There is a bell pull beside the bed…
SOUND: [19] SOUND OF PULLY GOING DOWN AND UP — LET IT FINISH.
YOUNG HOLMES: …that is not connected to any bell. Above the bed is a large circular vent leading out into the hallway. The windows are barred and the door can be bolted from the inside. (TO HELEN) From these elements I am convinced that your sister was indeed murdered and that I understand the villain’s method.
HELEN: You do? But how?
YOUNG HOLMES: No, not yet. We shall test my hypothesis first. If you would be so good as to follow these instructions when you retire this evening… Do not go to sleep in the bed. Instead, come and sit upon this chair by the window and wait. At the first sign of anything untoward in the room, call immediately for help and throw the bolt open. Martha and I have been given rooms on either side of yours and we shall be by your side in but a moment.
HELEN: But?…
YOUNG HOLMES: No, I shan’t be saying more. It would be best to act as though you are blithely unconcerned about what the evening may bring.
MARTHA: Are you sure ’e’ll strike tonight?
YOUNG HOLMES: Oh, absolutely. Dr Roylott’s pride has been wounded and he wants nothing more than to humiliate me and demonstrate that he can outwit me in shortest order. His impulsiveness and pride guarantee that he will make the attempt this evening.
MARTHA: If’n you say so, Mr ’olmes.
YOUNG HOLMES: I do.
MUSIC: [3] (BRIDGE) NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 6: INT. — THE HALLWAY OUTSIDE MISS STONER’S ROOM — AFTER DINNER (MARTHA, YOUNG HOLMES, HELEN)

SOUND: [7] (WALLA) OCCASIONAL CRASH OF THUNDER. SOUND OF RAIN ON ROOF AND WINDOWS — ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
MARTHA: That’s quite the storm.
YOUNG HOLMES: Yes, it is. You’ll need those candles I should think.
HELEN: Well, I guess it’s time to retire. I’m beginning to feel frightfully sleepy.
YOUNG HOLMES: Before you go, Miss Stoner, and you, Miss Hudson, take one of these.
MARTHA: What are they?
YOUNG HOLMES: Mild stimulants. They should counter the soporific that was administered with dinner.
MARTHA: The what? Roylott drugged us?
YOUNG HOLMES: He attempted to drug us, yes. Fortunately we were too smart for him.
MARTHA: You’ve got that smug look again, Mr ’olmes.
HELEN: I don’t understand… what’s going on?
MARTHA: It’s alright, Miss Stoner, don’t panic.
HELEN: Don’t panic? You just told me I’ve been drugged.
YOUNG HOLMES: That’s right. Dr Roylott intends to strike tonight so he attempted to drug us. The antidote I just gave you has effectively countered that strategy, however, so you need have no further worries on that score.
MARTHA: And just ’ow dangerous do you expect things to get this evenin’, Mr ’olmes?
YOUNG HOLMES: I expect the attempt Dr Roylott is going to make on our lives — and I believe he will try to kill all of us once he realizes none of us are asleep — would be highly effective if it was wholly unexpected. As it is, I have my cane and we shall do just fine.
HELEN: Your cane, Mr Holmes. Do you expect to beat off the attack with nothing more than a cane?
MARTHA: Mr ’olmes’ cane ’as a sword in it. And in the ’ands of Mr ’olmes is quite the effective weapon. That said, I can’t ’elp feeling you’re keeping a little bit too much to yerself.
YOUNG HOLMES: As I indicated earlier, I did not wish to reveal too much before my hypothesis was fully tested.
MARTHA: And you enjoy the look of surprise on everyone’s faces when yer brilliance is revealed an’ all. (BEAT) Well, I don’ think Miss Stoner should be left on ’er own so I’ll sit with ’er while we wait fer the attack.
(TO HOLMES) Don’ you dare be late.
YOUNG HOLMES: I’ll be right next door.
MUSIC: [3] (BRIDGE) NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 7: INT. — MISS STONER’S ROOM — MIDNIGHT (HELEN, MARTHA, YOUNG HOLMES, SNAKE, ELDER HOLMES)

SOUND: [7] (WALLA) OCCASIONAL CRASH OF THUNDER. SOUND OF RAIN ON ROOF AND WINDOWS — ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
HELEN: (SCREAMS) Aaaah!
SOUND: [20] DOOR CRASHES OPEN AND HOLMES BURSTS IN — LET IT FINISH.
YOUNG HOLMES: I’m here! Where is it?
MARTHA: Slithering down the bell pull. Draw your sword, man!
SOUND: [21] SWORD BEING UNSHEATHED — LET IT FINISH.
HELEN: Oh kill it! Kill it!
SNAKE: HISSSSSSS!
YOUNG HOLMES: It’s huge. Nearly ten feet long and as thick as a man’s arm. Did it come in through the vent?
SNAKE: HISSS!
MARTHA: ’course it did. Now drive it off.
YOUNG HOLMES: Of course. (GRUNTS AND GRUNTS AGAIN)
SNAKE: HISS OF PAIN
YOUNG HOLMES: Well, I struck it and it’s retreating.
MARTHA: There. It’s gone back through the vent.
YOUNG HOLMES: Are you ladies alright?
MARTHA: ’course. Where’d you wound it?
YOUNG HOLMES: In the neck. I’d better get after it.
SOUND: [22] DOOR OPENS AND FEET RUN OUT — LET IT FINISH.
DR ROYLOTT: (SHOCKED) What have you done, man? You’ve killed my maid! Stabbed her in the neck!
YOUNG HOLMES: Don’t be a fool, Roylott. This isn’t what it appears to be.
DR ROYLOTT: You have been caught standing over the body with a bloodied sword. It’s the police for you. Don’t even think of trying to escape.
MARTHA: What on earth? Miss Stoner, look away!
YOUNG HOLMES: Hmm! Nicely played, Roylott. Are all your servants shape-shifters? It looks like you’ve a veritable colony here.
DR ROYLOTT: Oh, so you have figured it out. Well, no matter. Your meddling is now over. (BEAT) Attack!
SOUND: [23] ANIMAL SNARLS, BARKS, AND GROWLS — ESTABLISH AND FADE UNDER AND OUT.
ELDER HOLMES: And so, before our very eyes, the members of Roylott’s domestic staff shifted form and came bounding towards us in the guise of a variety of primates and other wild animals. My last memory, before the darkness closed in, was of Martha and Miss Stoner fleeing back through the house as an inhumanly powerful fist crashed into the side of my skull, bringing an end to all conscious thought.
MUSIC: [4] (BRIDGE) OMINOUS SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 8: INT. — THE BASEMENT — AN UNKNOWN TIME LATER (ELDER HOLMES, DR ROYLOTT, YOUNG HOLMES, MARTHA, LAYLA, HELEN)

ELDER HOLMES: [CUE] It obviously didn’t take the shape-shifters very long to chase the two women down. When I awoke they were chained beside me to the wall of a dank basement somewhere beneath the estate. Down here the sound of the storm raging outside was dimmed but its effects were still obvious.
SOUND: [8] (WALLA) DRIPS AND SPLASHES AS WATER FINDS ITS WAY INTO THE ECHOING CAVERN — ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
DR ROYLOTT: Ah, Mr Holmes, I see you are awake. I don’t believe you’ve met Miss Stoner senior yet, have you? Layla, this is Mr Sherlock Holmes.
YOUNG HOLMES: Miss Stoner senior? You mean you are the sister of Miss Helen Stoner? (BEAT) How could you let your sister mourn for you this past year?
LAYLA: You would be surprised what inducements power can bring. Had you not interfered, the bite from poor Lydia would have transformed Helen as well and we would be together once more.
YOUNG HOLMES: One big happy family under the pack leadership of Dr Roylott I presume?
DR ROYLOTT: Yes, but you’ve put paid to our original plans. We have set ourselves upon another, greater prize.
YOUNG HOLMES: Oh yes?
DR ROYLOTT: Yes! You see, we, or should I say I, inherit the balance of the estate on Helen’s death whether we fake that death or… arrange something more convincing. But our little community cannot be allowed to grow too large. We need to remain hidden from the humans if we are to survive in numbers for any significant period of time. Helen was a useful recruit because of the inheritance, but her corpse can achieve just as much. You on the other hand… well someone of your intellect and understanding would be a noble prize indeed.
YOUNG HOLMES: You’re not serious?
DR ROYLOTT: I am very serious indeed. And becoming one of us has its compensations. Barring accident or injury our lifespans are virtually limitless. We move amongst the human population largely unnoticed, and aside from the occasional blind rage brought on by the full moon, we thrive in relative obscurity.
YOUNG HOLMES: Now that is something that interests me. How is it you manage to change at times when the moon is not full? And by what method do you keep command of yourselves when the change overtakes you?
DR ROYLOTT: That, Mr Holmes, is the result of a discovery of my own… and one I am disinclined to share until you have joined our ranks.
YOUNG HOLMES: And, pray tell, what price would I pay for this great benefit?
DR ROYLOTT: Little enough. Loyalty, and a willingness to put your prodigious talents to work for the benefit of the community.
LAYLA: There are other compensations also, Mr Holmes. (BEAT) Do I not seem fair to your eyes. I will never grow any older than you see me now… or at least my aging will be so slow as to seem like none at all.
DR ROYLOTT: There are worse ways to spend eternity than in the company of beautiful women, are there not? And if you insist, you can keep one of your companions. The rules regarding our numbers can be bent a little for a mating. What say you?
MARTHA: You must be totally insane if’n you think anyone would want to spend eternity with that one.
DR ROYLOTT: Ah, Miss Hudson. How nice of you to join us. I suspect Helen will wake up shortly as well. But as for who you spend eternity with, I think you protest a little too much. We have animal instincts, my dear, and can tell which way the pheromones are blowing.
MARTHA: Ooh, I’ll bet you think you’re hysterically funny, don’t you?
YOUNG HOLMES: Besides, I took the liberty of checking on your finances, Dr Roylott. You have heavily mortgaged this property. Even with the money brought in by the Stoner inheritance, you will barely break even on your debts and you will certainly have nothing more to live on.
LAYLA: Is this true?
DR ROYLOTT: It is of no consequence, Layla, my dear. I have lived for a very long time indeed. Too long to care about such petty matters.
YOUNG HOLMES: I’m sure you have. But I am also aware of the towering pride that drives you. When you do fall it will be protesting that you still have numerous tricks up your sleeve even as your world comes crashing in. All the while you will be trying to convince your followers that nothing but good times lie ahead.
LAYLA: You never told us that things were so dire!
DR ROYLOTT: They are not. And, Mr Holmes, if you keep this up I will be forced to rescind my offer.
YOUNG HOLMES: Firstly you need not extend your offer further. I will not be taking you up on it. And you would do well to find a new way to reassure the elder Miss Stoner regarding the future. The doubt that now rises in her eyes is quite plain from my vantage point. I’d venture to say that the end is very near indeed and you cannot escape it, inheritance or no.
DR ROYLOTT: Then you leave me no choice. You and your companions are all going to die. But at least you will provide the community with something valuable in death.
MARTHA: Oh, and what would that be?
DR ROYLOTT: Sustenance, my dear Miss Hudson. We are going to eat you. (BEAT) Layla, let us retire and call in the cook. (TO HOLMES) She’s a dab hand with the cleaver, is our cook, Mr Holmes. It’s a pity you won’t have much of a chance to get to know her before… well, before you get on intimate terms with her cleaver.
(OMINOUS LAUGHTER) Bwahahahaha!
MUSIC: [4] (BRIDGE) OMINOUS SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH.

ACT 3

SCENE 9: INT. — THE BASEMENT — SHORTLY AFTER DR ROYLOTT’S DEPARTURE (MARTHA, HELEN, YOUNG HOLMES, COOK)

MARTHA: [CUE] Helen, wake up! Helen!
HELEN: Hmmm. Ugh. Where are we?
YOUNG HOLMES: We’re in Dr Roylott’s basement, I think. Underground at any rate.
SOUND: [24] CHAINS BEING TUGGED — LET IT FINISH.
HELEN: Ow. Are these… chains?
YOUNG HOLMES: Yes. We’ve all been chained up. Fortunately for us they aren’t normal chains.
HELEN: What do you mean?
MARTHA: There are sigils carved into the chains. Dr Roylott thinks of ’imself as something of a magician.
HELEN: I don’t understand any of this. How does that help us?
YOUNG HOLMES: Dr Roylott locked the chains with magic. If he had done so with a simple lock and key we would be undone. But, as it turns out, your nanny left you the key to our predicament.
MARTHA: Don’t tease ’er. Things are desperate enough.
YOUNG HOLMES: My apologies, Miss Stoner. Perhaps a demonstration would be best. Can you reach the pendant around your neck — the one your nanny gave you?
HELEN: Er. I believe so.
YOUNG HOLMES: Grip it hard and imagine the chains to have fallen away.
HELEN: Er… are you sure?
MARTHA: Don’t worry, Miss Stoner, you’ll be fine.
SOUND: [25] CHAINS FALLING TO THE FLOOR — LET IT FINISH.
HELEN: It worked. How did you?
YOUNG HOLMES: You will remember that we mentioned your pendant held some powerful magicks on our journey here.
HELEN: Yes, but I thought you were joking!
YOUNG HOLMES: Miss Stoner, I never joke!
MARTHA: Ahem.
YOUNG HOLMES: Well, almost never at any rate. Now if you wouldn’t mind. Please release Miss Hudson and myself.
HELEN: Yes. Yes, of course.
SOUND: [25] CHAINS CLANK TO THE FLOOR (X2) — LET IT FINISH.
HELEN: There.
YOUNG HOLMES: Thank you, Miss Stoner. I think we should now get out of here before the cook arrives and proceeds to hack us to pieces. Do either of you see my sword cane?
MARTHA: It’s ’ere on the table.
COOK: Too late, Mr ’olmes. They say it’s bad form to play with yer food, but in your case I’m ’appy to make an exception.
SOUND: [26] BABOON GRUNTS AND CRYS — ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
HELEN: She’s turned into a baboon.
YOUNG HOLMES: Stay clear of that cleaver.
SOUND: [21] SWORD CANE BEING DRAWN. LET IT FINISH.
SOUND: [27] GRUNTS. SWISHES. CLANGS OF SWORD ON CLEAVER — ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
YOUNG HOLMES: (AFTER A FEW MOMENTS OF FIGHTING) (GRUNT)
COOK: (BABOON-LIKE CRY OF PAIN) Aaargh!
YOUNG HOLMES: (ANOTHER GRUNT)
COOK: (A FINAL BABOON-LIKE CRY OF PAIN BEFORE DYING) Aaaargh!
SOUND: [28] BODY FALLS TO GROUND — LET IT FINISH.
HELEN: Is it dead, Mr Holmes?
MARTHA: I think so. It’s turning back into a human.
YOUNG HOLMES: (PANTING SLIGHTLY AND A LITTLE ANGRY) We need to get out of here. Now.
MARTHA: (SHARPLY CONCERNED) Are you alright, Mr ’olmes?
YOUNG HOLMES: This is the second member of the fairer sex I have been forced to kill since entering this house. I would like to avoid being required to engage in any more killings if possible.
HELEN: Of course.
MARTHA: Wait just a moment, Miss Stoner.
YOUNG HOLMES: What now?
MARTHA: She doesn’t know about ’er sister. We can’t go on without tellin’ ’er.
HELEN: My sister? What about Layla?
YOUNG HOLMES: Oh very well. Miss Stoner, your sister whom you believed dead, still exists.
HELEN: (Happy) She’s alive?
YOUNG HOLMES: Not strictly speaking, no. She has joined the shape-shifters… become one of them.
HELEN: She’s become a monster?
MARTHA: She was willin’ to let Roylott kill you.
HELEN: I don’t believe you! He must have some power over her.
YOUNG HOLMES: She’s no longer entirely human, I’m afraid. I’m sorry, Miss Stoner, it’s the truth.
HELEN: (WITH A CATCH IN HER THROAT) No… no, it can’t be.
MARTHA: (GENTLY) Come on, Miss Stoner. We must escape this ’orrible place.
HELEN: Yes. We must get out. Before anything more hideous is revealed.
MUSIC: [3] (BRIDGE) NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH.
MUSIC: CLOSING THEME – LET IT FINISH.

The Speckled Hide

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The Speckled Hide – Episode 1 – The Runaway

Philip Robotham — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 22:54:30 +0000

Below we present the complete text of ‘The Runaway’, episode 1 of The Speckled Hide.

Gaslamp Mystery – GM003 – The Speckled Hide

ACT 1

SCENE 1: INT. — PUBLIC BAR OF THE CRITERION HOTEL — MORNING (ELDER HOLMES, STAMFORD, YOUNG HOLMES, MARTHA, HELEN)

MUSIC: [1] OPENING THEME — LET IT FINISH.
ELDER HOLMES: As I look back over my life at the many and varied adventures I have undertaken, I am constantly amazed at how much it was possible to keep out of the public eye — especially after my biographer and friend, Dr John Watson, through Mr Conan Doyle, began popularizing the wholly fictitious tales about my life that the two of them concocted. In the end the fictitious nature of those stories did provide me with the smokescreen I required but I always worried that the subterfuge would ultimately fail. It is my fond hope that you, dear reader, living long after the true events have been forgotten, will belong to an age that is ready for the real truth. It is a sad thing, as I commented to Stamford on that long ago day in 1881, that our mastery of science has brought us no closer to understanding the many ancient and non-scientific dangers that continue to plague humanity. … I can only say that we continue to court such ignorance at our own very grave peril.
SOUND: [5] (WALLA) PATRONS HAVING A FRIENDLY DRINK IN THE STAMFORD BAR — ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
MR STAMFORD: Gracious, Holmes. Is it typical for you to deal with such matters?
YOUNG HOLMES: More or less, Stamford old boy. Sometimes things are a lot more pedestrian. As a consulting detective it is not always poltergeists, hauntings, and exorcisms… but it would probably surprise you to discover just how often it turns out to be something with a supernatural origin.
STAMFORD: Well, Holmes, I’m incredibly grateful. To finally have that thing put to rest is a weight off my mind. The servants will be resting easy as well without that what-you-may-call-it throwing things around the kitchen and tumbling things out of the pantry.
YOUNG HOLMES: It was a little matter really. A minor poltergeist. But I dare say it would have grown stronger if we had left it unchecked.
STAMFORD: Regardless, I’m awfully grateful. I hope that this will be sufficient to cover your costs and expenses.
SOUND: [10] SOUND OF PAPER CHANGING HANDS — LET IT FINISH.
YOUNG HOLMES: Quite sufficient. Thank you.
STAMFORD: I hear you’re doing quite well for yourself these days, Holmes… Why are you still in that horrible little room in Soho?
YOUNG HOLMES: It’s true that I am finding regular employment these days as a consulting detective, but it is not sufficient, yet, to change my place of residence.
Mycroft, my brother, as you may remember, is still furious with me for refusing to enter government service and, as the trustee of our parents’ estate, has cut me off.
STAMFORD: But surely, Holmes, you could afford to share lodgings with someone.
YOUNG HOLMES: Now, Stamford, who do you propose would be willing to share lodgings with me? I am, as you know, reputed to be singularly difficult to abide even in limited social encounters.
STAMFORD: It’s funny you should ask, but a friend of mine, a military doctor, has been invalided back from the Anglo-Afghan war. He wishes to remain in London, but his finances do not allow him to take lodgings alone. Shared lodgings would suit him very well, and he has some “eccentricities” of his own, if it comes to it.
YOUNG HOLMES: Oh? Very well, arrange a meeting.
SOUND: [11] COMMOTION AND UPSET IN THE BAR — LET IT FINISH.
MARTHA HUDSON: Seriously, in this day ’n age you’d’ve thought they’d stop trying to keep us out. ’tis a public bar after all.
YOUNG HOLMES: Hello, Martha. I take it you’ve been keeping well the last day or two?
MARTHA: Passably, Mr ’olmes. I take it from the paper in yer pocket that the exorcism went well?
STAMFORD: Good Lord, man, I thought you were discreet. Does all London know of my doings?
YOUNG HOLMES: Oh, do be sensible, Stamford. I didn’t tell Miss Hudson anything… you did.
STAMFORD: (INCREDULOUS) I did? Don’t talk rot, man. If you are going to break confidences the least you could do is show some remorse when caught out.
MARTHA: Oh, I am sorry, sir, but Mr ’olmes is right. It was you ’oo told me, just not with words.
STAMFORD: (CONFUSED) I beg your pardon?
MARTHA: I’m familiar with the work Mr ’olmes likes to involve ’imself in and seeing you sittin’ ’ere all disheveled so to speak, with candlewax on yer coat-sleeves and chalk still clingin’ to yer fingers, I assumed ’is most recent job was an exorcism. Given your reaction, I’d say my guess was right.
YOUNG HOLMES: Oh, don’t look so pleased with yourself, Martha, and do sit down. People who hover always put me in a mood.
STAMFORD: Oh Lord, yes. Where are my manners? Please join us.
YOUNG HOLMES: And your nervous-looking friend? (RESIGNED) You’d best ask her to come sit with us as well.
MARTHA: (ASIDE TO STAMFORD) ’e really doesn’t like bein’ shown up. (LOUDLY) Miss? Would you join us please?
YOUNG HOLMES: And what have you brought me this time, Miss Hudson? No, wait. Let me guess…
MARTHA: (TO NO ONE IN PARTICULAR) ’ere we go. Can’t allow ’imself to be outdone by the likes o’ me, can ’e? (TO HOLMES) Go on then. Tell us about ’er.
HELEN STONER: Miss Hudson?
MARTHA: It’s alright, deary. Mr ’olmes is just goin’ to show off fer a minute. We’ll attend to your business soon enough.
YOUNG HOLMES: And on that note… our young guest is clearly wealthy. This year’s fashions and expensive jewellery. But not accustomed to the city I’d wager. She’s come to London from the country. Too young to be here unaccompanied, but the fact that she is in the clothes she was wearing yesterday suggests she is, nonetheless, on her own. A runaway, I’d wager.
(TO HELEN) What is it that brings you to London, my dear? An unsympathetic guardian? An unwanted betrothal?
HELEN: (ANGRY) Murder, Mr Holmes. I believe my sister was murdered and I would like you to investigate.
YOUNG HOLMES: Miss Stoner, what makes you think your sister was murdered?
HELEN: I didn’t give you my name.
YOUNG HOLMES: Actually you did. Your surname is on the clasp about your throat and your sister died just over a year ago in circumstances that were irregular, according to the papers.
HELEN: The papers stated my sister’s death was from natural causes.
YOUNG HOLMES: True, but they described an illness of unknown origin that took her life in less than twenty-four hours.
HELEN: You have a singular memory, Mr Holmes.
YOUNG HOLMES: What makes you think it was murder?
HELEN: My legal guardian, and the trustee of my estate, Dr Roylott, required my sister to move into his home one week prior to her twenty-first birthday.
YOUNG HOLMES: At which time she would have become the beneficiary of her portion of the estate Roylott kept in trust?
HELEN: Yes. Only she died during her stay with him.
YOUNG HOLMES: And now?
HELEN: Mr Holmes?
YOUNG HOLMES: Forgive me, Miss Stoner, but your sister died over a year ago. What has rekindled your suspicions at this point in time?
HELEN: Ah. I see. (BEAT) I received a letter from Dr Roylott, requiring that I come and spend the week leading up to my twenty-first birthday in his home as well.
YOUNG HOLMES: And you suspect he will take the opportunity to… kill you, Miss Stoner?
HELEN: I know it sounds silly by the light of day but…
YOUNG HOLMES: Does your guardian stand to gain anything if you and your sister should pre-decease him?
HELEN: Yes. The balance of the estate would fall to him.
YOUNG HOLMES: I see. And what is it you would like me to do, Miss Stoner?
HELEN: I would like you to investigate my sister’s death. I would like you to bring Dr Roylott to justice.
YOUNG HOLMES: And how do you propose to pay for my services? You do not appear to be terribly financial at this point.
HELEN: But I will be, once I come into my inheritance. Supposing I survive the week.
HELEN: Well, Miss Stoner, I’m very sorry but I don’t see anything to interest me here.
HELEN: But Mr Holmes…
MARTHA: Mr ’olmes, please?
YOUNG HOLMES: No. This is clearly a very pedestrian matter. Miss Stoner has let the unfortunate death of her sister play upon her imagination to the point that she has become a runaway. I do not think this is a business into which I should care to become entangled.
(TO HELEN) My only advice to you, Miss, is that you get yourself home as soon as you are able. A week from now you will know one way or the other.
HELEN: (ANGRY) And if you are mistaken and I die?
YOUNG HOLMES: Then I will mourn your loss and bring your killer to justice. With time I am sure I will learn to live with my mistake. Good day!
HELEN: (OUTRAGED) Good day, Mr Holmes!
SOUND: [12] RETREATING FEMALE FEET — LET IT FINISH.
MARTHA: I’m not done with you, Mr ’olmes. We’ll be ’avin words ’n shortly.
YOUNG HOLMES: I look forward to it as ever, Miss Hudson.
MARTHA: I’d best get after ’er. Hmmpf!
SOUND: [12] FURTHER RETREATING FEMALE FEET — LET IT FINISH.
MARTHA: (AT A DISTANCE FADING) Miss Stoner, please wait…
STAMFORD: You could have been a little more sympathetic to the young woman, Holmes.
YOUNG HOLMES: Don’t be ridiculous, Stamford. People don’t come to me looking for sympathy. They come to me looking for truth. It’s hardly a good use of my time to indulge people’s desires for sympathy. She got what she needed. A simple dose of truth. And I didn’t even charge her for it.
(BEAT) Now about this chap looking for shared lodgings. What did you say his name was?
STAMFORD: Watson. John Watson.
MUSIC: [3] (BRIDGE) NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 2: INT. — HOLMES’ SOHO ROOM — THAT EVENING (YOUNG HOLMES, DR ROYLOTT)

SOUND: [13] LOUD AND IMPATIENT KNOCKING ON DOOR — LET IT FINISH.
YOUNG HOLMES: Dash it all. Consulting hours are between 9.00 and 11.00 each Tuesday and Thursday, not midnight! Come back in the morning.
SOUND: [13] RENEWED IMPATIENT BANGING ON DOOR — LET IT FINISH.
DR ROYLOTT: (SHOUTING THROUGH THE LOCKED DOOR) Open this door immediately or I will break it down.
YOUNG HOLMES: I should warn you then, that I have a loaded pistol on this side of the door and no compunction about handing a corpse over to the police if forced to it.
DR ROYLOTT: I have no fear of the police, sir. I have it on good authority that you are aware of the location of my ward, Miss Helen Stoner, and if you do not open this door this instant I will break it down, pistol be damned!
YOUNG HOLMES: In that case…
SOUND: [14] LOCK BEING THROWN OPEN — LET IT FINISH.
YOUNG HOLMES: …there we are. What can I do for you, sir?
DR ROYLOTT: (SPLUTTERING) What can you? For a start you can produce my ward.
YOUNG HOLMES: I take it you believe I have… kidnapped her?
DR ROYLOTT: Of course! Now produce her at once?
YOUNG HOLMES: Sir, I am a consulting detective not a kidnapper. Now if you are inclined to engage me to recover your missing person…
DR ROYLOTT: I know very well who you are, sir! And…
YOUNG HOLMES: Very good. Then you know I do not do charity work. If you wish my help you will need to sign a contract.
DR ROYLOTT: I’m warning you, Mr Holmes. See that poker by your hearth?
SOUND: [15] METAL SCREECHING AS POKER IS BENT IN HALF — LET IT FINISH.
DR ROYLOTT: If you don’t wish to end up the shape of that poker, you’ll start being a deal more cooperative.
YOUNG HOLMES: Dr Roylott! And it is Dr Roylott, I presume. If you are hoping to intimidate me, you have chosen the wrong man.
London is a very large city and should you wish to locate your ward it is going to take you some considerable time. I do not believe you have a lot of time, sir, and if you wish my help you will need to produce a retainer and sign this contract! …And I am adding the cost of the poker to it, by the way.
DR ROYLOTT: This is extortion…
YOUNG HOLMES: Of a sort. Yes!
DR ROYLOTT: I see. You’re not a man easily cowed, are you? Alright, I suppose I can respect that. Give me the contract!
SOUND: [16] SCRATCHING OF PEN ON PAPER. RUSTLE OF NOTES CHANGING HANDS – LET IT FINISH.
DR ROYLOTT: There. I take it you’ll help me find her now.
YOUNG HOLMES: Most assuredly. As you surmised I am fully aware of her location and will take you to her.
DR ROYLOTT: Hmmpf. Good!
YOUNG HOLMES: You should also be aware that your ward has engaged my services.
DR ROYLOTT: What? When?
YOUNG HOLMES: Just this morning actually. She wishes an investigation to be made regarding the death of her sister.
DR ROYLOTT: Mr Holmes, I am not going to stand by and let you…
YOUNG HOLMES: Oh, do calm down and let’s be off. Do you wish to see your ward or not?
MUSIC: [3] (BRIDGE) NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH.

ACT 2

SCENE 3: INT. — CARRIAGE APPROACHING THE ROYLOTT ESTATE — THE FOLLOWING DAY (MARTHA, HOLMES, HELEN)

SOUND: [6] (WALLA) CLIP-CLOP OF HORSES PULLING A CARRIAGE — ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
MARTHA: Alright, Mr ’olmes, enough with the smug looks. What changed your mind about Miss Stoner’s circumstances?
YOUNG HOLMES: What makes you think my mind has been changed, Miss Hudson? Perhaps I simply thought it a lovely day for a trip to the country.
MARTHA: You can’t abide the country! ’n you ne’er do anything without reason.
YOUNG HOLMES: True enough.
MARTHA: Oh no you don’t! I’m sick o’ seein’ ’ow pleased with yerself you are. Tell us exactly what changed yer mind or I’m going to swat you on the nose right ’ere and now.
YOUNG HOLMES: You know, that’s just what I did to Miss Stoner’s guardian… metaphorically speaking. He’s a rather unpleasant sort, isn’t he?
MARTHA: Well that almost goes without saying. Dr Roylott was in the most towerin’ o’ rages when ’e arrived with you last night… ’n when you said you’d be the one to bring Miss Stoner to ’is estate… and that you’d be stayin’ until she reached ’er majority as part o’ the investigation, I thought ’e’d up ’n die of apoplexy.
YOUNG HOLMES: Yes. I did rather enjoy that moment.
HELEN: Mr Holmes, you mustn’t underestimate my guardian. I believe him to be a most dangerous man. And you have made a bitter enemy of him regardless of how meek he appeared at the end.
YOUNG HOLMES: Please, calm yourself, Miss Stoner. I don’t underestimate anybody.
MARTHA: (STIFLING A LAUGH OF DERISION) Hmmpf!
YOUNG HOLMES: (IGNORING MARTHA) Your guardian’s performance at my lodgings and his behavior afterwards have given me reason to reconsider my first assessment of your case.
HELEN: I assumed something must have.
YOUNG HOLMES: You’re quite afraid of him, aren’t you?
HELEN: Yes, Mr Holmes. Yes, I am.
YOUNG HOLMES: I couldn’t help noticing that pendant you have around your neck. Martha, do you recognize it?
MARTHA: Oh my. I certainly do. They’re fairly rare, aren’t they?
HELEN: This old thing? My nanny gave it to me when I was a child. What is it to you?
MARTHA: Gypsies wear ’em for good luck. They’re supposed to be able to dispel ’ighly potent magicks.
HELEN: Really? I never realized that my nanny went in for such superstition.
YOUNG HOLMES: Then think nothing of it… though I would hide it away against your skin if I were you… rather than display it in the open.
MARTHA: Returnin’ to Dr Roylott, Mr ’olmes, an unpleasant manner is ’ardly the makin’ of a killer.
YOUNG HOLMES: And if it had just been his manner that offended me I would likely have disregarded the matter entirely, but it was not. He took my fire iron and bent it like a pretzel.
HELEN: He what?
MARTHA: (LIGHT DAWNING) Ohhhh! Now I see what caught yer attention. You think there’s somethin’ unnatural goin’ on.
YOUNG HOLMES: I do! And I believe Miss Stoner’s sister may have thought so as well. In fact it shouldn’t surprise me if Dr Roylott is behind all of it. I am of a mind that he will attempt to kill all three of us before this affair is concluded.
HELEN: (GASPS IN SHOCK) Oh!
MARTHA: Well, there’s no need to sound so excited at the prospect, Mr ’olmes. It’s indecent.
YOUNG HOLMES: Oh very well. It’s time we composed ourselves anyway, I believe we are about to arrive at our destination.
HELEN: Good grief, Mr Holmes. Is that a snakeskin hanging over the gate? It’s enormous.
HOLMES: It’s at least thirty feet long if it’s an inch and at least two feet around — a huge speckled hide. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.
MARTHA: You’re not about to quote Shakespeare at us again, are you?
YOUNG HOLMES: I could, but it rather takes the fun out of it when you pre-empt me like that.
MARTHA: Maybe fer you, Mr ’olmes. It does yer soul good t’ have the wind taken out o’ yer sails once in a while.
MUSIC: [3] (BRIDGE) NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 4: INT. — THE ROYLOTT ESTATE — MOMENTS LATER (DR ROYLOTT, YOUNG HOLMES)

DR ROYLOTT: [CUE] Welcome to my home. I will be plain. With the exception of my ward, Miss Stoner, I do not want you here. Nonetheless, the members of my domestic staff are at your service and will endeavor to treat you as honored guests. In the interests of maintaining my privacy I must ask you to please refrain from entering my private library, study, and cellars.
YOUNG HOLMES: Dr Roylott, I have been engaged by your ward to conduct an investigation into the death one year ago in this house of Miss Stoner’s sister. I insist that you give us access to the entire house.
DR ROYLOTT: You may insist all that you wish, Mr Holmes. This is my house and I have invited you here under sufferance. I am only entertaining this farce in so far as I have nothing to hide and wish your “investigation” to be over with as soon as possible. I will not, however, countenance any infringement of my privacy. Is that understood?
YOUNG HOLMES: Hmpf. Perfectly, sir.
DR ROYLOTT: Now, I must also warn you to avoid the grounds. I spent some time in India and have populated the grounds with some of the local fauna. They are not particularly dangerous unless you surprise them. However, they are wild and, like any cornered animal, will fight to protect themselves from a perceived threat.
YOUNG HOLMES: I thought I detected a baboon or two in the trees as we entered.
DR ROYLOTT: Yes, and there is a wolf, a number of snakes, and a few other animals besides. Do not say you were not warned.
Now, Miss Stoner, I will lead you to your room. And, yes, it is the one in which your sister stayed. I wish you to see that there is nothing to fear in this house and that you have done me a great injury by your ridiculous mistrust.
YOUNG HOLMES: I dare say. My associate, Miss Hudson, and I will accompany you as we need to make investigation of the room.
DR ROYLOTT: (INTENSELY ANNOYED) As you wish!
MUSIC: [3] (BRIDGE) NEUTRAL SCENE ENDER — LET IT FINISH.

The Speckled Hide

Don’t forget to check out the free sample portions of our titles at http://weirdworldstudios.com/product-category/our-products/ .

The post The Speckled Hide – Episode 1 – The Runaway appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Share the Fun #7

Philip Robotham — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 09:02:03 +0000

From now until January 1 we are providing a weekly discount on our books.
This week we are selling “The Speckled Hide” for $3.95 – You SAVE $2.00 off the cover price.
Just use the coupon code from the bottom right of the postcard below in our shopping cart. But hurry, January 1 isn’t far away!

Coupon “shapeshift” $2.00 discount until 2015 -01-01

Be sure to check out the other great scripts available on our products page.

The post Share the Fun #7 appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.