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About this Episode
https://www.solgoodmedia.com Listen to hundreds of audiobooks, thousands of short stories, and ambient sounds all ad free! 'Golden Age Detectives' showcases the best detective stories from the golden age of radio and literature. Join us on a suspenseful journey through complex plots and charismatic detectives who defined the genre with their intellectual prowess.
Transcript
...
Oh no!
One evil works in our hearts of men.
The shadow knows it.
The shadow who aids the forces of law and order
is in reality Lamont-Clanston,
wealthy young man of our town.
Years ago in the Orient,
Clanston learned a strange and mysterious secret.
The hypnotic power to cloud men's minds
so they cannot see him.
Clanston's friend and companion,
the lovely marble lane,
is the only person who knows to whom
the voice of the invisible shadow belongs.
Today's drama,
the man who was deaf.
In a heavy concrete sub-seller
of a forgotten warehouse,
two men in white lapjacket stand tensily
watching a giant mass of laboratory machinery.
There is the quiet of electric power,
the click of a stopwatch,
nothing more,
an experiment is beginning.
Anyone?
The two?
Three?
Doesn't take a year, Hendrix.
No, sir. Double the power of an incident.
Mr. Lash?
Well, we can't take the chance, sir.
Why not?
If we overload as a chance,
we blow up.
I'll take this, but Mr. Lash.
This is my research, Hendrix.
I know what I'm doing.
You don't gamble without taking risks.
Step it up.
Yes, sir.
One, two, three.
Four, five, six, seven, eight.
Why did you cut the part, you idiot?
I told you ten seconds.
What are you trying to do?
The accident started.
Don't you hear it?
Listen.
The heavens, yes.
Yes, you're right, Hendrix.
It's going to a faster.
It won't stop.
We've got to get out of here, Mr. Lash.
That's going to be a blow-up.
We're starting to...
...
Six o'clock tonight there was an explosion, Francis.
A dozen people phoned in.
The Coleman checked and found the body in this place.
No one ever knew there was a lab down here.
Secret laboratory, a man killed an explosion?
Why call me in Commissioner West?
Well, in the first place there were two men.
This one unidentified, killed in the blast.
Second also, an identified, crawled out.
Left blood stains on the stairs.
Well.
Why in places did he run away?
What will they up to down here?
Well, don't you know?
You're the science expert.
You tell me.
They say an expert can reconstruct an experiment
from a look at the apparatus.
Go ahead.
All right.
And see, high power condenses?
Yes, house terminals go to...
Now that debris might be the remains of it.
Uh-oh.
Turn off the lights, Commissioner.
But more.
I want to see if we can see better in the dark.
Are you crazy?
No, I'm worried. Turn them off.
Right.
Well?
Get your eyes open and look.
And what? Anything.
Holy smoke. I'm seeing things.
Sure.
This whole place is flickering.
Like a luminous star.
Right. Let's get out of here quick.
Hey!
Come on, Weston. Do what I say.
Now I'll tell you what they were doing in there.
Running a wildcat radium experiment.
A radium experiment.
Yes, a sort of super-x-ray mechanism
that can generate enormous quantities of radium energy.
The experiment blew up.
Saturated the lab with radioactivity.
If we stayed in there any longer,
we might have been fatally burned.
No.
Under it was secret.
Commissioner, we've got to locate that man that got away.
He's got to be found at once.
Why, they're right.
Don't you understand? He was caught in the explosion.
He's saturated with radioactivity.
He'll poison everything and everybody he touches.
He's walking dead.
Are you kidding?
I wish I were, Commissioner.
I'm not.
We're in that trouble and we've got to find the medicine quick.
Arger, what's happened?
We're here, George.
Please.
Please.
That's easy.
That's it.
Come in to the spentry.
Easy.
I'm hurt, George.
Pretty bad.
Took me an hour to drag myself to your office.
I don't say anything more.
Sit right here.
Now, drink this.
Thanks.
Oh, it's better.
What happened to you?
George, I'm a dead man.
Unless you can help me.
What?
You know anything, the cure radiation poisoning.
I'm depending on you, George.
I'm saturated with mesonic material.
Mesonic material.
27 grams would blast it into me.
I always had a secret, George.
And I went too fast.
But I'm a burning man.
Dead.
Roger.
What are you backing away for?
I don't want to be poisoned, too, Roger.
Will you go to help me?
I can't.
There isn't any cure?
No.
But, look, George, I ran away from two kids.
I... I...
So, if you don't mind, Mrs. Lash, I think the best thing to do now is wait right here until we hear from your husband.
Of course.
Of course, Mr. Christophe.
Make yourselves comfortable, won't you, please?
Yes, ma'am.
Thank you.
If I only knew how badly Roger was hurt,
Mr. Lash, maybe you'd better sit down.
I can't.
I can't.
I can't rest a second until I hear from him.
Oh, that's a wretched experiment.
Well, I've just been everything on it.
All its time, his money, his energy.
And now, his life.
Please, you know, Mrs. Lash, I'm sure that...
That's Roger.
You must be...
Hello?
Robert.
Oh, I can no.
I hope I'm not raised.
I am certain all who can get in the way of him.
I'm sure that the show...
Oh, I couldn't be by him from your telephone.
Oh, I didn't know what to do.
I was forced to buy him to go to hell.
I said there's no another good man out of his imagination.
Nothing's no one.
There's only a few of them.
Oh, I suppose.
Oh, no.
Nice.
Come on.
Oh, I'm sure.
I suppose I'm certain I'm not.
Oh, stop.
Oh, I've been nice to carry you over.
Oh, here.
You know, I'm the ice in your place.
Oh, I'm sure that I'm not.
Oh, I'm sure that I'm not.
Oh, I'm sure that I'm not.
Oh, I'm sure that I'm not.
Oh, I'm sure that I'm not.
Money, I want you a money.
Now, let's listen, Mrs. Lash.
I can't explain.
I haven't time to get out of the way.
Thank you, sir.
That there's only a couple of hundred dollars in there, mister.
That'll do as a starter.
Please.
Please, Mr. Don't take that money.
I need it.
I need it.
You need it.
You don't know what it is to really want money.
I think it'll help if I make a public announcement of the city commission.
The entire metropolitan area has got to be alerted to the fact that Lash is still at large.
Special broad gas is the quickest way I know to get a warning like that across.
Have you been any more of course on Lash?
You've been very close with me.
Two more in the last hour.
This is just a thing.
Last minute, what did you see?
Philly.
What's wrong?
What has happened to you?
Look at you, Philly.
I hope you're not going to give me any trouble.
There's a hold-up.
Hold up.
Get ready.
The parter will have quick give up.
I'll pull you shut up.
You fool.
Where's the wires?
You two get behind the counter with them.
You're not going to get away with it.
Don't try to use that gunless.
Please don't try.
No, you won't.
You won't do it.
I told you nothing to me.
Any trouble.
I'm broke.
You won't do it.
You wouldn't listen.
You'll meet me.
Margot and Lamont are on the trail of Roger Lash.
A scientist who has been violently burned by a radiation.
After a series of robberies and a brutal murder,
the desperate lash is still at large.
Margot and Lamont are discussing the situation
in the Office of Police Commissioner Western.
The man's on a rampage.
Two more robberies and now this murder at the jewelry store.
Lord knows how many more murders will follow now.
It's almost as though he's getting cruel in Lamont.
More vicious.
Some pretty is.
His final stage is getting savage and primitive.
He's got to relocate a commissioner.
For the love of Mike, I've got the whole department working.
What else can I do?
I've got an idea how we can locate him.
I'll go ahead.
With telephones.
Telephones?
Yes, the city's a network of telephones wires
that ride like a web of invisible lines.
Yes.
Lash is radioactive.
Burning man.
Burning man.
Burning man.
Burning man.
Burning man.
Burning man.
Burning man.
Burning man.
All about him.
Back against the world of the rich.
My city and care as burning man, commit series of sensational robbery, killed three.
Nationwide alarm founded as burning man.
That's fierce.
That's me.
That's all there is.
I don't know about that.
I'm the burning man.
And the entire city is in terror of me.
All countries afraid of me.
Afraid of the burning man.
Afraid of me.
I'm afraid of me.
All right, Commissioner Margaret drop cheers and said,
I've hatched this loud speaker on the open lines when
started.
And we heard we're listening for.
We'll tell the company.
Their technicians will face the interference in half a minute.
All right, here's your humming.
It's the patient.
Mother's house has a thousand people talking, no whispering.
Do you hear that?
Yes, excellent city winding up its talk for the day.
Got to go in soon.
Can't walk anywhere in the sound without passing a phone wire
under the street overhead along buildings.
Maybe.
I don't hear them.
Wait and listen.
Hey, I think not now.
Sir, listen.
I'm afraid I can't see you.
I'm afraid I can't see you.
I'm afraid.
I'm afraid I can't see you.
I'm afraid I can't see you.
I'm afraid I can't see you.
Roger, it's Robert, I've been waiting.
Robert?
Not all darling.
You're so sick, so hurt.
Oh, Roger.
I'm not Roger Lash.
Darling, you've got to stop.
These terrible things that you've been doing.
Robin, chilling.
I'm the burning man.
At first, it was for me, wasn't it?
For your wife and your children.
You were afraid we'd starve.
But now it's because you like the terror
and the fear.
You're not of here, go away.
I've been waiting, you're waiting.
I've become this waste of Roger.
I love you, darling.
I love you too much to let you do this.
Go away for the love of heaven, you get out of here.
Believe me, darling.
I'm not killing Roger Lash.
What do you want?
I want to talk to you, Mr. Lash.
I don't know who you are, but you must be out of your mind coming here.
I've got to talk to you, Mr. Lash.
Talk to me.
What do you got to say to the burning man?
Oh, talk.
The police are outside.
This place is surrounded.
You haven't got a chance.
A chance.
Very funny.
The burning man is lame.
The entire city, the entire...
The entire country is terrified of my flame and fire.
I could walk out of this land through a hole.
Caught in a policeman and burn them down as I go.
Who's there?
Who's there?
Who's there?
Who's there?
Who's there?
Who's there?
Who's there?
Who's laughing?
This is the shadow, Roger Lash.
Shadow?
You couldn't burn down a cordon of men, Roger Lash.
Oh, I could.
I could.
I'm the burning man.
I'm fire and destruction.
Or walking all across.
Your flame is dying, Roger Lash.
Your power is heavy.
No, no.
You can't be.
Put the machinery together again.
I'll charge myself again with fire and flame.
I'll be strong again.
Strong and powerful.
Now, bling with broken pitch, Lash.
The explosion destroys your apparatus.
Oh, no, no. I'll bring back my power.
Useless, Lash.
Check the rear stat, Hendrix.
Plug in the connecting coiled Hendrix.
That's it.
Now bring the current up to 30.105 and set.
Ready, Hendrix?
Over to the power, Hendrix.
Hendrix, the power is gone, Lash.
Gone forever.
Burning man.
Gone.
Met you, Lash.
Now you can be taken to where medical authorities will do everything possible.
To save what's left of your ebbing life.
What's left of your ebbing life?
What's left of your ebbing life?
What's left of your ebbing life?
What's left of your ebbing life?
What's left of your ebbing life?
What's left of your ebbing life?
All right, Markerlites.
All right.
Now let's see.
What if you're then developing?
Just making sure that you don't have radiation poisoning.
No.
You don't.
Now, a spot of light on the film.
You're perfectly saved.
Yes, we got you out of Lash's place just in time.
The body was a terrible experience.
Lash was really out of his mind at the end, wasn't it?
Completely.
What had started out as an honest motive for money to help his family.
Developed into a crazy lust for power.
Burning man.
Must have thought he was a god of some sort, spreading death and terror wherever he went.
Mr. Weston said they'd found Barbara as well.
Yes.
Chantot, a quarter.
Chantot, porchon.
Wha...
Nom...
No, Meal.
Hi, Hi, hey.
Hello.
Yes, this is an investigation of the conference.
Oh!
Don't try not to snag us.
Tell me.
We were expecting a call from the investigation
or we didn't know what you were going to do.
Well, don't worry about it.
We have to defend ourselves.
You see, I've been stood up to you.
Good night.
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Oh!
Fuck!
Hey, last one, I heard something wrong.
Oh!
Are you ok?
Hurry up, what was that code for?
Goodness no, not the board.
What is that?
What happens?
Why'd you lie to me?
Why would you lie?
So far, as far as I've done, you've got to keep going.
Are you happy?
What's the matter, you've got to go?
Yes, you've got to go.
I've seen your face.
Oh, come on, happy.
You want your friends to be over?
I've been feeling this for years.
What do you want about your friends?
I've got a hard thing for you with a friend of yours.
I don't have a lot of questions.
I don't tell me a word about her.
Well, she would come to tell you about the other man.
A magical person of the world to be able to cope with.
Ah, that's not true.
A magical person of all year,
who has got one who's very smart.
A girl can't have a warning of what you want
if you want to rest in your mind.
You always don't look at the field where you're watching.
Now, what's your thing?
Now, what's my...
Several years ago, in the audience,
Constan meant a strange and mysterious secret.
He hit not a car to cloud men's minds so that they cannot see him.
Constan's friend and companion, the lovely Margot Lane,
is very much a person who knows to whom the voice of the invisible shadow belongs.
Today, we feature the shadow in an adventure
out of this world.
Early morning, the scene,
the Montcranston flat.
It's all right. I hear you. I'm coming.
You're all in, Constan. Come in, say.
What are you doing here this hour of morning?
I was investigating a cake from this building.
Just open with some coffee.
All right, come in with kitchen.
What cares, Commissioner?
Well, it's just strange business, Constan.
There's been a way that a fascination has hit this city that's got me confused.
I don't know where I fed.
The room, exactly. You notice the day on Saturday?
Thirty-third last room in the ninth sequence of the six epochs.
Oh, that's the first of me.
It is new.
To the telepathy of our attention last,
I've been known straight to platform.
But yesterday, aided to new life.
Is that a good news?
It can't be missed.
The time's huge, what's the greatest claim our descendants have been speaking of two centuries.
Well, if this isn't the weirdest thing,
I'll have to come across momentarily.
Oh, good morning, my dear Mr. Crenson.
It was a morning.
I don't know my name.
My name?
Yes, Mr. Crenson.
I like to know my name.
My name is Ben.
I am very much afraid you have my morning paper there, Mr. Crenson.
Is this your paper?
Look here, Mr. Ben, what's it all about?
We're trying to make sense out of it.
It's really quite a simple matter.
I haven't belonged to a large.
This is our news for this incident.
We write in such odd fashion nearly to be different.
Oh, okay.
Well, here's a paper, Mr. Ben.
And we don't see how anybody can understand it.
Oh, it makes the great deal of sense for those who know how to read.
Good morning, gentlemen.
Commissioner.
Did you happen to see your side as flat?
Well, I was concentrating on the paper.
It was weird.
I'm not likely to see the furniture and decorations for something
definitely not for the photo.
Yeah, Crenson.
I couldn't record it in the photographs in the walls.
Hey, look at the documents.
I know the photographs could not have been taken anywhere in the past.
I forget about it, Crenson.
And you heard that music didn't you?
But we are an earthly and human music.
Oh, probably all of some of you do these large Crenson.
Yeah, I don't let your imagination run away with you.
There's your photos.
Start, all right.
Cover me with the photos.
They know I'm here.
No, go ahead, Commissioner.
Peter, this is where it's through.
What?
Not again.
All right, I'll be right over there.
You want to exercise your imagination on something real, Crenson?
Mm-hmm.
Don't get your clothes on. Come with me.
There's just been enough of those assassinations.
There's this room, 824.
