4 Devil Island

The sealed book.
Once again the keeper of the book is ready to open the ponderous volume in which is recorded
all the secrets and mysteries of mankind through the ages.
All the strange and mystifying stories of the past, the present, and the future.
Keeper of the book, what tale will you tell us this time?
What tale shall I tell you?
I have here tales of every kind.
Tales of murder, of madness, of dark deeds and events strange beyond all belief.

Now let me see.
Yes, yes, here's a tale for you.
The story of a small and desolate island off the coast of New England and the people who
lived on it.
The title of the tale is Devil Island.
Here is the tale as it was told by Anne Drake and is written in the sealed book.
It all began on that bleak autumn day when I hired a motorboat to take me out to the island,
Devil Island.
The bleak looking island which lay ahead and belonged to the Drake family for 200 years
was to be my new home.
I kept staring at it, wondering what it would be like to live on this island with my father
whom I'd never seen.
20 minutes later the boatman had landed me at the dock and left.
Towering above me was a high cliff and on top of it was the house, a huge stone mansion
that looked as old and weather beaten as a medieval castle.
I climbed the steep rocky path that led from the dock to the house.
Hello, I'm...
Don't tell me.
Anne, I recognize you any place.
You look exactly like your mother.
Are you my father?
Yes.
Are you disappointed?
Oh no, no of course not.
Come into the drawing room.
Your stepmother and uncle are waiting to meet you.
Hester, Henry.
I want you to meet my daughter Anne.
Anne, this is a great pleasure.
Thank you, Uncle Henry.
Anne, I'm your stepmother and I can't tell you how happy I am to have you here.
Won't you call me Hester?
Thank you.
I'd like to.
Oh, and let me introduce you to the remaining member of the household, Anne.
This is Abel.
He served the family for 30 years.
He can't talk but he understands what you're saying.
Abel, this is my daughter.
Hello, Abel.
Oh, Anne, it's going to be wonderful having you here.
You're just what Drake Manor needs to make it live again.
I do hope we'll be able to make you happier.
The week slipped by and I was happy.
I spent the days reading with father and taking long walks with Uncle Henry and being taught
cooking by Hester.
And at night, Uncle Henry and I would play chess.
Well, that's another game for you, Anne.
The trouble is I taught you how to play the game too well.
Oh, it looks as though another Northeaster is on its way.
Yes, it does.
Would you like me to draw the curtains, Uncle Henry?
If you will, Anne, that window over there seems to be...
He's there, looking in at me.
Who, Uncle Henry?
There's no one at the window.
Can't you see him?
He's beckoning to me.
But there's no one there.
Here, I'll draw the curtains.
Is that better?
He can't see me now but he's still out there waiting for me.
Who is?
Your uncle, Richard.
Uncle Richard?
But he's been dead for 15 years.
Yes, I know.
And now he's come for me.
No, Uncle Henry, you only imagined you saw him.
Perhaps the same thing is happening to me that happened to the others.
What happened to the others?
Your grandfather, Daniel, Aunt Harriet, Uncle Richard.
They all died insane.
Oh, no.
No, it can't be.
But they did, Anne.
There's a strain of insanity in the Drake family.
Aunt Harriet, for weeks before she died, kept screaming that Grandfather Daniel was trying
to pull her into the grave.
And Uncle Richard, he died crying out that Aunt Harriet was at the window calling him.
Oh, no.
No.
They all died during a storm like this one.
And now my time has come.
Richard is waiting for me.
I'll be the next of the Drakes to die.
Please, Uncle Henry, you mustn't say things like that.
Oh, Anne.
I'm so afraid of insanity.
Of dying.
Uncle Henry, I'll spend all of my time with you now.
We'll end this nightmare you're living in.
If you only end to it, we'll be dead.
Uncle Henry never spoke of his terrible fear again.
But in the weeks that followed, he grew haggard, became frightened at the sound of a door opening.
Then one day, another Northeaster set in.
By nightfall, it had whipped itself into a gale.
At midnight, I woke suddenly to hear Uncle Henry speaking to someone in his room.
Richard, stop tapping on my window.
Go away, do you hear?
Why can't you leave me alone?
I don't want to go with you.
No, not yet.
I quickly opened my door.
I stepped into the hall.
Please, don't take me now.
Uncle Henry's voice grew wilder and wilder as I approached his room.
Why don't you go away?
You're dead.
Dead.
You have no right to bother the living.
Uncle Henry, let me in.
It's Anne.
Uncle Henry, please unlock the door.
I won't go with you, Richard.
My time hasn't come yet.
No, I won't.
You can't make me.
Uncle Henry.
Why are you raising my window?
No, Richard.
Don't come in.
Stay away from me.
Uncle Henry.
Uncle Henry.
Uncle Henry.
Uncle Henry.
Uncle Henry.
Uncle Henry.
Uncle Henry.
Uncle Henry.
Uncle Henry.
Uncle Henry.
Uncle Henry.
Uncle Henry.
Uncle Henry.
Anne, what is it?
What's wrong?
Father, do something.
It's Uncle Henry.
He was screaming.
Now he...
Come here, dear.
Hush.
Now, hush.
No.
The door is locked.
I'll have to break it down.
Henry.
Father.
Father, is he?
Yes.
He's in there.
He's in there.
He's in there.
He's in there.
He's in there.
He's in there.
He's in there.
He's in there.
He's in there.
He's in there.
He's in there.
He's in there.
Yes.
Yes, Anne.
He's dead.
Here in the island, burying grounds of six generations of drakes, we place the remains
of our beloved brother and uncle, Henry Drake, secure in the knowledge that in thy arms he
shall find everlasting.
Oh, dear.
Life in this house won't be the same without Henry.
Father, Uncle Henry was terribly frightened for weeks before he died.
Anne, whatever are you talking about?
It all began during that Northeaster we had last month.
Uncle Henry and I were playing chess.
But Anne, why didn't Henry tell me about those hallucinations he was having?
He didn't want to worry you.
Father, did Aunt Harriet, Uncle Richard, and your father die insane?
Oh, Anne, Henry should never have told you about them.
Promise me you won't worry about our hereditary trouble.
I'll try not to, Father.
We've lost Henry, but the three of us will go on as before.
The three of us tried to go on as before, but an unspoken fear had crept into our lives.
Then I turned to find Father and Hester watching me anxiously.
Then a month after Uncle Henry's death, another storm lashed the island.
I'll be glad when this storm blows over.
It's getting on my nerves.
Father, why don't we close up Drake Manor for a few weeks and take a vacation on the
mainland?
You mean lead the island?
No, that's impossible, Anne.
We have enough money to get along on the island, but not elsewhere.
I have all that money.
My mother left me.
We could use that.
You won't receive that money until you're 21.
That's six months from now.
Besides...
Anne, what are you staring at?
Look.
Look at the window.
Eh?
It's Uncle Henry.
He's beckoning to me.
Anne, there's no one at the window.
He's there, I tell you.
He's there.
Look.
Now he's gone away.
Oh, you saw him, didn't you?
You must have.
Darling, you only imagined you saw him.
Oh, no, no, I did see him.
He was beckoning to me the way Uncle Richard beckoned to him.
And I'm going to be the next break to die.
Anne, what are you saying?
Oh, you mustn't talk like that.
You just imagined you saw Uncle Henry.
It was just a...
An hallucination.
And I'm going insane, as he did.
Oh, no, no, don't say that.
Anne, you must rid your mind of all these fears, of everything Henry told you.
Promise me you won't think about it anymore.
That was a promise I couldn't keep.
At night, I'd lie in the darkness in my room, thinking of everything that had happened,
listening to the night noises.
And one night, I heard footsteps above me in the tower.
That limp, that unmistakable limp, it was Uncle Henry in the tower.
There was an icy coldness about the house as I climbed the steps to the tower.
I opened the door.
The tower was in complete darkness, but by a window, his face ghost-like in the moonlight.
It was Uncle Henry.
I've come to take you with me, Anne.
Your time has come.
The grave will wait no longer.
No, no.
Do not be afraid.
Your death is not a thing to be feared, but to be welcomed.
No, no, stay away from me.
I'm not afraid.
I'm not afraid.
I'm not afraid.
I'm not afraid.
I'm not afraid.
I'm not afraid.
You have to stay away from me.
I cannot return to the grave without you.
Give me your hand.
No.
No, no.
And now for the rest of the story, Devil Island, as it is written in the sealed book.
Martin Drake, hearing Anne's screams, rushed up to the tower of the old
mansion to find her lying unconscious on the floor. After Martin and Hester had
taken the girl back to her bed, Martin went to the mainland. At dawn, he returned
with a doctor and waited impatiently for him to finish examining Anne.
I've just given her a sedative, Mr. Drake, she's asleep now. Will she be all right, doctor?
I'm afraid she's on the borderline of insanity. Oh no! And I'm afraid in a case of
this type, where there is inherited insanity, there's very little that can be done.
Well, sleepyhead, it's about time you were waking up. Hello father, how long have I been asleep?
A little over ten hours. It's just getting dark outside. Is the doctor still here?
No, Anne, he left hours ago. And darling, he says you're going to get well. Why, of course you are.
Now you'd better get some more rest. Good night, darling.
A moment later they were gone. I was alone again, alone in the dark. And all I could think of was,
I was going insane. Perhaps I was already mad. The hours passed. The very stillness of the house
made my heart pound in my ears. And then stillness was broken. That limp again. It was Uncle Henry
in the tower. Back and forth from one end of the tower to the other, he limped. And silence. I lay
in the darkness waiting, waiting. And then suddenly the door to my room was opened. I wanted to scream,
but I couldn't. Oh, Abel. Oh, Abel, what are you doing in my room? What are you trying to tell me?
I don't understand. Oh, he's walking again. Abel, you hear him, don't you? You do hear it.
I told them that Uncle Henry had come back from the grave, but they said I was just imagining it.
You mean no? He hasn't come back from the grave? But if he hasn't come back from the grave,
and you hear what I hear, you... Abel, you don't mean that he's still alive. But that can't be true.
You buried him yourself. I saw you. You mean you didn't bury him? That he wasn't in the coffin?
Oh, but you must be wrong. When we broke into his room, Father found him. No, no, what?
What do you mean no? Are you trying to tell me something about Father? What do you mean Father no?
Father no? You mean he isn't my father? But you must be wrong. Of course he is. That doesn't make sense.
Why should he say he is my father if he isn't? What does he gain by it? My mother's estate.
Oh, no, no, you must be wrong. Even if I were to die, he wouldn't get it.
His estate would then go to charity. It's in Mother's will. Oh, why does he keep walking in the tower?
He's driving me crazy. Driving me crazy. You mean they want to drive me crazy.
Oh, but why? What reason could they have? Oh, if I were to become insane,
he could have himself appointed my guardian and take over the estate. Is that it? It is.
But, but, Ava, if he isn't my father, where is my father? Is he dead? I mean, he is dead.
Oh, then who are these three who say they're my father and stepmother and uncle? I don't understand,
but no matter who they are, they'll kill me. They'll kill both of us. If they learn we've discovered their secret.
Oh, but we've got to escape. But how? The only boat is locked and he has the key.
Why are you hanging with that flashlight? You mean the window? Signal the mainland for help.
Yes, of course. Ava, you better go. We can't let them find you in here. They'll suspect.
I'll keep signaling as long as the batteries last. I can't keep signaling much longer.
And what are you doing out of bed? And with that flashlight? Nothing, nothing at all.
You weren't signaling someone on the mainland, were you? No, no, I just had the flashlight in case
someone came in the room. Why you're trembling as though you were frightened. You're not afraid of
your own father, are you dear? No, no, of course not. Now, now, no more walking around. I want you to get some sleep.
Good night, dear. It was gone. Taking the flashlight with him. Did he suspect that I knew?
Oh, the hours seemed endless until the first rays of dawn came. Would rescue come with it?
Or had my signals gone unnoticed? After I dressed, I went to the window and then I saw it. The strange
lounge tied up at the dock. Suddenly frightened as the callers leave before I could speak to them,
I rushed out of the room. They ran down the stairs. I could hear voices in the drawing room.
Well, Sheriff, if Dr. Arnold has spoken to you about my daughter's mental condition, I'm
quite sure you'll understand. Don't listen to him. He isn't my father.
What was that, Miss? I tell you, he's not my father. He's an imposter. And so is she.
Oh, Martin, she's having another one of her spells. Now, please, Hester. They're acting,
I tell you. The moment I set foot on the island, they began their plan to drive me insane.
First, they gained my love and trust. Then they had Uncle Henry confide to me his fears.
And when Uncle Henry was found dead, they told me... Hello. Who says I'm dead?
Oh, you... I've never felt better. Oh, Sheriff, allow me to introduce my brother, Henry.
Well, Miss Drake, your Uncle Henry doesn't look very dead. He wasn't. They just pretended he was.
They even buried an empty coffin to make me think I was attending his funeral.
I really think you should take Anne up to her room, Hester. She needs rest.
Oh, Sheriff, they're lying, the three of them. Have you any proof, Miss Drake?
Yes. Yes, Abel will tell you. He knows. I'm afraid that Abel can't tell you anything, dear.
The poor chap fell off Devil's Cliff into the sea early this morning.
Oh, you pushed him off the cliff so that he couldn't talk.
My excitement's too high, she's getting worse.
Sorry to trouble you, Mr. Drake, but it was my duty to investigate those signals.
Sheriff, you can't leave me here. They will drive me insane.
I assure you, Sheriff, she'll be given the very best of care.
We have a specialist coming to see her next day.
Oh, no, Sheriff, wait. Wait, please.
Now, Miss Drake, I think you'd better stop this.
No, no, no, wait. I just want to show you this gold locket.
Look, look, I'll open it. Do you see what's inscribed in it?
Yes, for my daughter in commemoration of her fifth birthday.
What are you driving at, Miss Drake?
If that man's my father, as he claims he is, ask him what my middle name is.
It's inscribed in the locket.
Well, just to humor her, Mr. Drake, what is her middle name?
Her middle name? Well, frankly, Sheriff, I seem to have forgotten.
Oh, he hasn't forgotten it, Sheriff. He never knew what he is and my father.
Kind of strange, you're not knowing your own daughter's middle name.
Well, it's just that, well, I have an awful memory for names.
So have I, but I know my kid's middle name.
There's something peculiar about all this.
I think you three and the girl better come with me to the mainland.
What for?
So I can do a little checking.
If you're Martin Drake, as you say you are,
there must be someone on the mainland who can identify you.
I see here, Sheriff, this is ridiculous.
I said you're going to the mainland with me.
Well, I always said you were the weak link in the chain, Gerald.
Shut up, you fool.
It's no use, Gerald, the game is up.
The trip to the mainland is more than we can stand.
You just have to look at Hester's face to see that she agrees.
Who are you folks?
We're actors.
Things having become difficult a few years ago,
we accepted employment on this island from Mr. Drake.
When he died, I thought of this little scheme.
It really was a perfect plan until this fool slipped up on the girl's middle name.
By the way, what is her middle name?
Why, according to this, she's a little girl.
But according to this locket, she hasn't one.
It's just inscribed to Anne.
And that is the story of Devil Island as it is written in the sealed book.
Because an imposter slipped up on a middle name that didn't exist,
an almost perfect crime was prevented by Sheriff Williams,
and an innocent girl was rescued from imprisonment and probable death.
It was a small slip, but a fatal one.
But the sound of the great gong tells me I must close the sealed book once again.
One moment, keeper of the book.
What story will you tell us next time?
Next time?
Are you sure you want to know?
Perhaps my next story may be about you.
For I have here all the stories that ever happened,
and many that have yet to come to pass.
But I'll find one for you in just a moment.
I'll find one for you in just a moment.
And now, keeper of the book, have you found the story that you'll tell next week?
Yes, yes, I have found one.
It's the story of two helpless old ladies in fear of their lives,
and the desperate measures to which they were driven in order to save themselves.
The title of the tale is Escape by Death.
Yes.
Be sure and be with us again next time when the great gong heralds another strange and exciting story from...
The Sealed Book.
The Sealed Book, written by Bob Arthur and David Cogan, is produced and directed by Jock McGregor.