SCENE 1.—This scene is built inside the Second. PROFESSOR MORIARTY’S underground office. A large vault-like room, with rough masonry walls and vaulted ceiling. The general idea of this place is that it has been converted from a cellar room of a warehouse into a fairly comfortable office or head-quarters. There are no windows.
The colour or tone of this set must not be similar to the third Act set, which is a gloomy and dark bluish-brown. The effect in this set should be of masonry that has long ago been whitewashed and is now old, stained and grimy. Maps on wall of England, France, Germany, Russia, etc. Also a marked map of London—heavy spots upon certain localities. Many charts of buildings, plans of floors—possible tunnellings, etc. Many books about—on impoverished shelves, etc.
PROFESSOR ROBERT MORIARTY is seated at a large circular desk facing the front. He is looking over letters, telegrams, papers, etc., as if morning mail. He is a middle-aged man, with massive head and grey hair, and a face full of character, overhanging brow, heavy jaw. A man of great intellectual force, extremely tall and thin. His forehead domes out in a white curve, and his two eyes are deeply sunken in his head. Clean-shaven, pale, ascetic-looking. Shoulders rounded, and face protruding forward, and for ever oscillating from side to side in a curiously reptilian fashion. Deep hollow voice.
The room is dark, with light showing on his face, as if from lamp. Pause. MORIARTY rings a gong at desk, which has a Peculiar sound. In a second, buzzer outside door replies twice. He Picks up a speaking tube and puts it to his mouth.
MORIARTY (speaking into tube in a low voice): Number. (He Places tube to his ear and listens, then speaks into it again.)Correct. (Drops tube. He moves a lever up against wall and the bolt of the door slides back with a solid heavy sound.)
(Enter JOHN noiselessly. No sound of steps. He stands just within the door in the half darkness.)
Has any report come in from Chibley?
JOHN: Nothing yet sir.
MORIARTY: All the others are heard from?
JOHN: Yes, sir.
MORIARTY: I was afraid we’d have trouble there. If anything happened we lose Hickson—one of our best men. Send Bassick.
(JOHN goes out. Bolt slides back. Buzzer outside door rings twice. MORIARTY picks up tube and speaks into it)
(Speaking into tube.) Number. (Listens. Speaks into tube again.) Correct. (He slides back bolt of door.)
(Enter BASSICK noiselessly Bolt of door slides back. BASSICK goes to MORIARTY’S desk at once and stands. MORIARTY motions to sit. He does so )
Before we go into anything else, I want to refer to Davidson.
BASSICK: I’ve made a note of him myself, sir; he’s holding bad money.
MORIARTY: Something like six hundred short on that last haul, isn’t it?
BASSICK: Certainly as much as that.
MORIARTY: Have him attended to. Craigin is the one to do it. (BASSICK writes a memo quickly) And see that his disappearance is noticed. Have it spoken of. That finishes Davidson … Now as to this Blaisdell matter —did you learn anything more?
BASSICK: The whole thing was a trap.
MORIARTY: What do you mean?
BASSICK: Set and baited by an expert.
MORIARTY: But those letters and papers of instructions—you brought them back, or destroyed them, I trust?
BASSICK: I could not do it, sir—Manning has disappeared and the papers are gone!
(Music melodramatic. Cue, as MORIARTY looks at BASSICK.)
MORIARTY: Gone! Sherlock Holmes again. That’s bad for the Underwood trial.
BASSICK: I thought Shackleford was going to get a postponement.
MORIARTY: He tried to—and found he was blocked.
BASSICK: Who could have done it?
(MORIARTY turns and looks at BASSICK almost hypnotically—his head vibrating from side to side as if making him speak the name.)
Sherlock Holmes?
MORIARTY: Sherlock Holmes again. (His eyes still on BASSICK.)
BASSICK (as if fascinated by MORIARTY. Slight affirmative motion.) He’s got hold of between twenty and thirty papers and instructions in as many different jobs, and some as to putting a man or two out of the way – and he’s gradually completing chains of evidence which, if we let him go on, will reach to me as sure as the sun will rise. Reach to me!—Ha! (Sneer.) He’s playing rather a dangerous game! Inspector Wilson tried it seven years ago. Wilson is dead. Two years later Henderson took it up. We haven’t heard anything of Henderson lately, eh?
BASSICK (shaking head): Not a thing, sir.
MORIARTY: Ha! (Sneer.) This Holmes is rather a talented man. He hopes to drag me in at the Underwood trial, but he doesn’t realize what can happen between now and Monday. He doesn’t know that there isn’t a street in London that’ll be safe for him if I whisper his name to Craigin—I might even make him a little call myself—just for the satisfaction of it—(business of head swaying, etc.)—just for the satisfaction of it. (BASSICK watches MORIARTY with some anxiety.) Baker Street, isn’t it? His place—Baker Street—eh?
BASSICK: Baker Street, sir.
MORIARTY: We could make it safe. We could make it absolutely secure for three streets each way.
BASSICK: Yes, sir, but—
MORIARTY: We could. We’ve done it over and over again elsewhere – Police decoyed. Men in every doorway. (Sudden turn to him.) Do this tonight—in Baker Street! At nine o’clock call his attendants out on one pretext and another, and keep them out—you understand! I’ll see this Sherlock Holmes myself—I’ll give him a chance for his life. If he declines to treat with me—
(He takes a savage-looking bulldog revolver from under desk and examines it carefully, slowly placing it in breast pocket. Ring of telephone bell is heard, but not until the revolver business is finished.)
(The music stops.)
(MORIARTY gives a nod to BASSICK, indicating him to attend to phone. BASSICK rises and goes to and picks up telephone. MORIARTY resumes business of examining papers on his desk.)
BASSICK (speaks into receiver and listens as indicated): Yes —yes—Bassick—What name did you say? Oh, Prince, yes. He’ll have to wait—Yes—I got his telegram last night – Well, tell him to come and speak to me at the phone. (Longer wait.) Yes—I got your telegram, Prince, but I have an important matter on. You’ll have to wait—Who? (Suddenly becomes very interested.) What sort of a game is it?—Where is he now?—Wait a moment. (To MORIARTY.) Here’s something, sir. Sid Prince has come here over some job, and he says he’s got Holmes fighting against him.
MORIARTY (quickly turning to BASSICK) Eh? Ask him what it is. Ask him what it is. (BASSICK is about to speak through the telephone. Quickly.) Wait! (BASSICK stops.) Let him come here. (BASSICK turns in surprise.)
BASSICK: No one sees you—no one knows you. That has meant safety for years.
MORIARTY: No one sees me now. You talk with him—I’ll listen from the next room. (BASSICK looks at him hesitatingly an instant.) This is your office—you understand—your office—I’ll be there.
(BASSICK turns to telephone.)
BASSICK (speaking into telephone): Is that you, Prince? – Yes, I find I can’t come out—but I’ll see you here—What interest have they got? What’s the name? (Listening a moment. Looks round to MORIARTY.) He says there’s two with him—a man and a woman named Larrabee. They won’t consent to any interview unless they’re present.
MORIARTY: Send them in.
BASSICK (speaking into telephone): Eh, Prince—ask Beads to come to the telephone—Beads—eh—? (Lower voice.) Those people with Prince, do they seem to be all right? Look close yes?—Well—take them out through the warehouse and down by the circular stairway and then bring them up here by the long tunnel —Yes, here—Look them over as you go along to see they’re not carrying anything—and watch that no one sees you come down – Yes—(Hangs up ear-piece, turns and looks at MORIARTY.) I don’t like this, sir!
MORIARTY (rises): You don’t like this! You don’t like this! I tell you it’s certain death unless we can settle with this man Holmes.
(The buzzer rings three times.)
(Moves towards opening.) Your office, you understand—your office.
(BASSICK looks at MORIARTY. MORIARTY goes out. BASSICK, after MORIARTY is well off, goes and takes MORIARTY’S place at the back of the desk. Rings gong at desk. Buzzer replies twice from outside.)
BASSICK (speaking into tube): Send John here.
(BASSICK pushes back bolt. Enter JOHN noiselessly. He stands just within door. Bolt of door slides back when door shuts.)
There are some people coming in here, you stand over there, and keep your eye on them from behind. If you see anything suspicious, drop your handkerchief. If it’s the woman pick it up—if it’s the man leave it on the floor.
(Three knocks are distinctly heard on door from outside. On last knock JOHN goes near wall.)
(Picks up tube and speaks into it.) Number. (Listens – speaking into tube.) Are the three waiting with you? (Listens – drops tube and pushes lever back, and the bolt slides back from the door. The door slowly swings open.)
(Enter SID PRINCE, followed by MADGE and LARRABEE. The door Closes and the bolts slide back with a clang. At the sound of the bolts LARRABEE looks round at door very sharply, realizing that they are all locked in. BASSICK motions MADGE to chair. MADGE Sits. LARRABEE is suspicious, and does not like the look of the place. PRINCE remains standing. BASSICK sits behind desk. JOHN is in the dark, watching LARRABEE and MADGE, with a handkerchief in hand.)
I understand you to say—through our private telephone—that you’ve got something with Sherlock Holmes against you.
PRINCE: Yes, sir—we ‘ave.
BASSICK: Kindly let me have the particulars.
(LARRABEE gives “H’m,” indicating that he wants to hear.)
PRINCE: Jim and Madge Larrabee here, which you used to know in early days, they have picked up a girl at ‘Omburg, where her sister had been havin’ a strong affair of the ‘eart with a very ‘igh young foreign nob who promised to marry ‘er—but the family stepped in and threw the whole thing down. ‘E be’aved very bad to ‘er an had let ‘imself out an written her letters an given her rings and tokens, yer see—and there was photographs too. Now as these various things showed how ‘e’d deceived and betrayed ‘er, they wouldn’t look nice at all considerin’ who the young man was, an’ wot ‘igh titles he was comin’ into. So when this girl up an’ dies of it all, these letters and things all fall into the ‘ands of the sister—which is the one my friends ‘ere has been nursin’ all along—together with ‘er mother.
BASSICK (to LARRABEE): Where have you had the people?
LARRABEE: We took a house up the Norrington Road.
BASSICK: How long have you been there?
LARRABEE: Two years, the fourteenth of next month.
BASSICK: And those letters and—other evidences of the young man’s misconduct—when will they reach their full value?
(LARRABEE is about to answer, but PRINCE jumps in quickly.)
PRINCE: It’s now, don’t you see. It’s now—There’s a marriage comin’ on, an’ there’s been offers, an’ the problem is to get the papers in our ‘ands.
BASSICK: Where are they?
PRINCE: Why, the girl’s got ‘old of ‘em, sir!
(BASSICK turns for explanation of this to LARRABEE)
LARRABEE: We had a safe for her to keep them in, supposing that when the time came we could open it, but the lock was out of order and we got Prince in to help us. He opened it last night, and the package containing the things was gone—she had taken them out herself.
BASSICK: What did you do when you discovered this?
PRINCE: Do—I ‘adn’t any more than got the box open, sir, an’ given one look at it, when Sherlock Holmes rings the front door bell.
BASSICK (intent): There—at your house?
LARRABEE: At my house.
BASSICK: He didn’t get those letters?
LARRABEE: Well, he did get them, but he passed them back to the Faulkner girl.
BASSICK (rises—in surprise): Passed them back, eh? What did that mean? (Goes down a little, thinking.)
LARRABEE (slight shrug of shoulders): There’s another thing that puzzles me. There was an accident below in the kitchen—a lamp fell off the table and scattered burning oil about, the butler came running up, yelling fire. We ran down there, and a few buckets of water put it out.
(MORIARTY suddenly appears at his desk. Lights on his face.)
MORIARTY: I have a suggestion to make. (All turn in surprise and look at MORIARTY.) The first thing we must do is to get rid of your butler —not discharge him—get rid of him. (To BASSICK.) Craigin for that! To-day! As soon as it’s dark. Give him two others to help —Mr. Larrabee will send the man into the cellar for something – they’ll be ready for him there. Doulton’s van will get the body to the river. (MADGE shudders slightly.) It need not inconvenience you at all, Madam, we do these things quietly.
(BASSICK is writing orders.)
(To BASSICK.) What’s the Seraph doing?
BASSICK: He’s on the Reading job to-morrow night.
MORIARTY: Put him with Craigin to-day to help with that butler. But there’s something else we want. Have you seen those letters, the photographs, and whatever else there may be? Have you seen them? Do you know what they’re like?
MADGE: I have, sir. I’ve looked them through carefully several times
MORIARTY: Could you make me a counterfeit set of these things and tie them up so that they will look exactly like the package Sherlock Holmes held in his hand last night?
MADGE: I could manage the letters—but—
MORIARTY: If you manage the letters, I’ll send some one who can manage the rest—from your description. Bassick—that old German artist —eh—
BASSICK: Leuftner.
MORIARTY: Precisely! Send Leuftner to Mrs. Larrabee at eleven. (Looks at watch.) Quarter past ten—that gives you three quarters of an hour to reach home. I shall want that counterfeit packet an eleven tonight —twelve hours to make it.
MADGE: It will be ready, sir.
MORIARTY: Good! Bassick—notify the Lascar that I may require the Gas Chamber at Stepney tonight.
BASSICK: The Gas Chamber?
MORIARTY: Yes. The one backing over the river—and have Craigin there a quarter before twelve with two others. Mr. Larrabee – (turning slightly to him)—I shall want you to write a letter to Mr. Sherlock Holmes which I shall dictate—and tonight I may require a little assistance from you both. (Taking in PRINCE with his glance.) Meet me here at eleven.
LARRABEE: This is all very well, sir, but you have said nothing about —the business arrangements. I’m not sure that!—
MORIARTY (turning front): You have no choice.
LARRABEE: No choice. (Looks fiercely to MORIARTY.)
(MADGE rises to quiet him. JOHN drops handkerchief. Pause.)
MORIARTY (looking at him): No choice. (PRINCE aghast.) I do what I please. It pleases me to take hold of this case.
LARRABEE (angry—crossing to desk): Well, what about pleasing me?
(BASSICK looks across at LARRABEE.)
MORIARTY (perfectly quiet—looks at LARRABEE an instant): I am not so sure but I shall be able to do that as well. I will obtain the original letters from Miss Faulkner and negotiate the for much more than you could possibly obtain. In addition—you will have an opportunity to sell the counterfeit package to Holmes tonight, for a good round sum. And the money obtained from both these sources shall be divided as follows: you will take one hundred per cent, and I—nothing.
(Brief pause of astonishment.)
LARRABEE: Nothing!
MORIARTY: Nothing!
(LARRABEE moves to PRINCE.)
BASSICK: But we cannot negotiate those letters until we know who they incriminate. Mr. Larrabee has not yet informed us.
MORIARTY: Mr. Larrabee—(LARRABEE looks round to MORIARTY) —is wise in exercising caution. He values the keystone to his arch. But he will consent to let me know.
(LARRABEE goes to MADGE.)
MADGE (going across to MORIARTY): Professor Moriarty, that information we would like to give—only to you. (Looking toward BASSICK).
(MORIARTY motions BASSICK away. BASSICK moves a little. MORIARTY hands a card and pencil to MADGE from desk. MADGE writes a name and hands it to MORIARTY. He glances at name on card, then looks more closely. Looks up at MADGE astonished.)
MORIARTY: This is an absolute certainty.
LARRABEE: Absolute.
MORIARTY: It means that you have a fortune.
(PRINCE drinks in every word and look.)
Had I known this, you should hardly have had such terms.
LARRABEE: Oh well—we don’t object to a—
MORIARTY (interrupting): The arrangement is made, Mr. Larrabee —I bid you good morning. (Bowing with dignity and Pulling lever back.)
(LARRABEE, PRINCE and MADGE move toward door. Bolts, etc., slide back on door. BASSICK motions JOHN, who stands ready to conduct the party. BASSICK crosses to door. All bow a little and go out, followed by JOHN – business of door closing, bolts, etc. BASSICK turns at door and looks at MORIARTY.)
Bassick, place your men at nine tonight for Sherlock Holmes house in Baker Street.
BASSICK: You will go there yourself sir!
MORIARTY: I will go there myself—myself (Revolver out) I am the one to attend to this.
BASSICK: But this meeting tonight at twelve, to trap Holmes in the Gas Chamber in Swandem Lane.
MORIARTY: If I fail to kill him in Baker Street, we’ll trap him tonight in Swandem Lane. Either way I have him, Bassick. I have him. I have him.
(Lights off gradually but not too slow on this act, and leave light on MORIARTY’S face last.)
(Music. Swell out forte for change.)
DARK CHANGE