THE DESTROYING ANGEL : The Ultimate Weapon : by BASSETT KENDALL

ACT I

(The morning room in Sir George Hilary’s house in Kent. There is a French window leading into the garden. Lady Hilary is discovered sitting at her writing table. She presses a bell. Enter Chung-Hi. He speaks pidgin English.)

Lady H. Chung-Hi, are all the spare rooms ready?

Chung. All ready. M’lady.

Lady H. Lord Castlemore will be in the Front Room, and M. Giraud in the chintz room: they will be here for one night only.

Chung. All raight.

Lady H. The blue room is for Baron von Breitwald: and the South room for Mr. ... Higginson (referring to notes.) I am not sure whether they will be staying over tomorrow night or not.

Chung. Chung-Hi understand.

Lady H. We shall dine at 8 this evening.

Chung. All raight. (Enter Denison. He is a young man about 25 years of age.)

Den. I’m sorry, Lady Hilary. I was looking for Sir George. Do you know where he is?

Lady H. I’ve not seen him since lunch. Do you know where he is, Chung-Hi?

Chung. He gone out in car – to station.

Lady H. He’s probably meeting Lord Castlemore. He said he was coming by train. (Horn off) There’s the car.

Chung. Chung-Hi go to door. (Exit Chung.)

Den. Well, Lady Hilary, my job’s finished. The result is a sort of gritty powder: the curious thing is that I haven’t the smallest idea what I’ve been making. All the processes from day to day were quite normal ones, but they seemed to have no connection with one another.

Lady H. No doubt you will find out in time what you have been doing.

Den. Forgive me for asking, but is the house party today anything to do with this chemical experiment.

Lady H. I am afraid I can tell you nothing about it. A man in my husband’s position is constantly entertaining foreign diplomats. I spend half my life trying to think of meals which will suit the taste of about 5 different nationalities.

Den. I’m sorry. I oughtn’t to have asked the question.

(Enter Hilary and Lord Castlemore. The latter is an elderly, sporting-looking man.)

Hil. You know my wife, I think.

Castle. Yes, of course. How do you do?

Lady H. How do you do?

Castle. I see the “Morning Express” has got a notice of your house party, Lady Hilary. Rather a pity. But these wretched journalists ferret out everything. Here it is. (Hands paper to Lady H.)

Hil. Castlemore, let me introduce Mr. Denison.

Castle.

Den. How do you do?

Hil. Denison is our chemical expert. Is the work finished?

Den. Yes. (Denison looks rather doubtfully at Castlemore.)

Hil. He’s all right. You can talk quite freely before Lord Castlemore.

Den. Thank you. By the way, what is the stuff I’ve been making?

Hil. What does it look like in the final state?

Den. I’ll show you, if you’ll wait a moment. (Exit into lab.)

Hil. It’s a nuisance about that notice. The names look too suggestive in print.

Lady H. The last sentence is rather disquieting. “It is rumoured that important experiments are to be investigated on behalf of the War Office.” Of course it may be only because you are one of the party, Lord Castlemore, just a lucky guess.

Castle. Too accurate for a guess, I’m afraid. There must be a leakage somewhere.

Hil. There always is. But important secrets are still supposed to be secret. (They laugh. Enter Denison with tin.)

Den. There it is, Sir George. It looks more like oatmeal than anything else. What is it? A patent chicken food, or some kind of plate polish? I hope I don’t seem inquisitive but after spending 34 days on the stuff, I feel a little curious.

Castle. We are going to carry out some simple tests with it tomorrow morning. Perhaps you’d like to see them

Den. Thanks very much. Watch a hen and a half lay an egg and a half in an hour and a half – instead of the usual allowance of a day and a half.

Castle. That’s it, Mr. Denison.

Den. A sort of economy campaign to supply the British Army with eggs at ¼ of the present price. (Changing his tone.) At first, Sir George, I thought it was going to be an explosive, but I hope it’s not meant to be. This stuff wouldn’t explode if you threw it into the burning fiery furnace.

Den. You know, now that it’s finished, I have a sort of uncomfortable feeling that it is incomplete. You are sure you have not lost the last page of the instructions or anything?

Hil. Quite sure.

(Sees Chung-Hi.) What do you want, Chung-Hi?

Chung. Chung-Hi have took the Lord’s suitcase to the Lord’s bedroom.

Hil. Did you come here to say that?

Chung. Chung-Hi think the Lord wish to know. (Exit Chung.)

Castle. Is that fellow all right?

Hil. Chung-Hi? Good Heavens, yes.

Den. He always makes me feel uncomfortable. I have the sensation that I am continually being watched.

Hil. That’s because you don’t understand the oriental mind. I felt like that at first – but after being in Peking for some years, I much prefer Chinese servants to any others.

Castle. Isn’t it rather unwise in the present state of things for a man in your position to have a Chinaman about. How do you know he is not a Bolshevist spy?

Hil. How do I know you’re not one? Oh no. Chung-Hi’s all right. He doesn’t gossip, which is an advantage – and if the Bolshevists wanted to employ a spy; I think they would have the intelligence to use one whose knowledge of English was a little wider than Chung-Hi’s.

Castle. One can’t be too careful.

Hil. No, but one can be too suspicious. One thing more, Denison, could you produce more of this powder if required?

Den. From the instructions, certainly, as much as you want.

Hil. I mean from memory.

Den. (Laughing) No Sir George, I have never studied Pelmanism. I don’t think anyone on earth could remember such a long and detailed process, unless he had carried it out a great many times.

Hil. And you have made no notes of any kind? (Chung enters.)

Den. Not one. I have done everything from the papers, which I have returned to you each day. Here is the last one. (He hands Hil. a closely written paper which Hil puts into his pocket.)

Chung. Another visitor. Black beard. Chung-Hi think French.

Hil. Well, show him in. (Exit Chung)

(Hil. looks round and sees Castle. and Den. engaged in conversation. He transfers the paper to the lining of his hat, which he always keeps near him.)

(Enter Chung with Giraud.)

Chung. (To Giraud) Here you are. That my master – that the Lord – that the stink pot man. (Exit Chung.)

Hil. How are you, Giraud?

Giraud. How do you do?

Hil. Have you met Lord Castlemore?

Giraud. No, I have not had the pleasure. How do you do? (Shake hands)

Castle. Glad to meet you.

Hil. Mr. Denison – M. Giraud. (They shake hands with the usual formula.) You came by car?

Giraud. Yes, my friends, the Oakleys, were driving through to Dover, and offered me a lift. Am I the last to arrive?

Hil. Oh no. Breitwald and Higginson are not here yet. You are in very good time. Shall we take a stroll in the garden until they come?

Giraud. With great pleasure. (Castlemore stands aside to let him pass.) After you, Lord Castlemore. (Exit Castlemore and Giraud by window.)

Hil. Are you coming, Denison?

Den. I think not, thanks. I’ll lock up the chicken-food and tidy up the lab. (Exit Hil.)

(Denison picks up tin of powder and is going towards lab. door when Chung enters with Radi.)

Chung. (seeing Den.) You wait here, sir. Chung-Hi tell M’Lady.

Den. Good morning, Count Radivloski.

Radi. (who speaks with a slight accent) Ah, good morning, Mr. Denison. Still carrying on your experiments?

Den. Oh yes.

Radi. It is curious that Sir George: has taken such a sudden interest in chemistry as to fit up a laboratory in his house, Does he work with you?

Den. No, I am doing some research work for him.

Radi. Most interesting. May I ask of what nature?

Den. Some kind of poultry food, I believe.

Radi. I see. A curious hobby for a diplomatist.

Den. It is rather. (Enter Lady H.)

Lady H. I am sorry to have kept you waiting, Count Radivloski. But I see Mr. Denison has been entertaining you.

Radi. Yes, he has been telling me of Sir George’s interest in poultry.

Lady H. Poultry?

Den. Yes, the new food we have been experimenting with.

Lady H. Of course, yes. Any new invention interests my husband.

Radi. No doubt.

Den. I have a little more work to do in the lab. Lady Hilary. Good morning, Count Radivloski (Exit Denison with tin.)

Radi. Ah, good morning.

Lady H. Did you drive over?

Radi. Yes, I was out for a run in my new Clyno, and I thought I would just look in on my way home.

Lady H. That’s very nice of you. I must see the new car sometime.

Radi. Yes, I’m quite proud of it. I have managed to save a little money to buy it. My old Ford was quite on her last legs. We poor Russians are not so well off as we were: before the Revolution I had a Rolls and two Daimlers. Now a Clyno is the height of luxury. But I do not complain for myself: I am better off than some of my poor countrymen.

Lady H. Yes, I suppose thousands of them are completely ruined. What do you think of the Soviet-Chinese alliance?

Radi. Another clever move of that fiend Kanikoff. He has deceived the Chinese and enlisted their vast resources to further his schemes for the campaign against Western Europe. But no doubt you know more of the latest developments than I do: I see in this morning’s paper that you are having an important meeting here today.

Lady H. We have a few friends staying with us: if the reporters choose to interpret that into an important diplomatic meeting, that is their affair.

Radi. (Laughing.) That is all right, Lady Hilary. I will ask no more inconvenient questions. I will assume that the four great anti Bolshevist Powers are meeting at your house to discuss chicken-food.

(Enter Chung-Hi.)

Chung. Big fat man come. German, Chung-Hi think.

Lady H. Well, don’t leave him in the hall.

Chung. Bring him here?

Lady H. Of course. (Exit Chung.) Our visitors must be rather surprised at some of Chung-Hi’s manoeuvres. He has not quite settled down to English life yet.

(Enter Chung with Baron von Breitwald. He is a big man wearing pince-nez, and a close clipped moustache. He speaks English adequately, but not idiomatically. Not nearly so good a linguist as Giraud or Radivloski. Strong German accent.)

Chung. That m’Lady. That Bolshie man.

Lady H. How do you do, Baron,

Breit. Lady Hilary, I presume.

Lady H. That’s right. This is our friend, Count Radivloski – the Baron von Breitwald. (They bow.) Chung-Hi, tell your master the Baron has arrived.

Chung. Chung-Hi go. Him in garden, (Exit into garden.)

Radi. I must be pushing off, Lady Hilary. You will no doubt be busy soon with the chicken food. Good afternoon, Baron. (Exit Radivloski.)

Breit. Ach, you keep hens, Lady Hilary. I also in my few spare moments am a hen fancier. You would hardly believe it, when I say that from 400 hens I have an average number of 312 eggs day in and day out throughout the year. I much doubt if you can equal that.

Lady H. We certainly can’t. You see, we keep no hens.

Breit. Ach, indeed. I thought your friend spoke of chicken-food.

(Enter from the garden, Hilary, Castlemore and Giraud.)

Hil. How are you, Baron? Let me introduce you to Lord Castlemore. I think you know Mr. Giraud.

Breit. Oh yes, we are long-standing acquaintances.

Castle. Well, now we are all here except Higginson.

Breit. He is the American representative, is he not?

Castle. Yes. In spite of the proverbial hustling methods of the U.S.A., he’s behind his time.

Giraud. Do any of you know him?

Hil. I think not. He has not been much in Europe but he is spoken of as a rising man in his own country:- said to be a very shrewd judge of character.

Lady H. He rang up last night to say he would be here not later than 3. It is almost half-past now.

Castle. Is he coming by car?

Lady H. Yes, I believe so.

Castle. Well, it’s not a matter of any importance. If necessary we can talk things over after tea. As a matter of fact there’s not a great deal to discuss today. We have still got to see if the explosive explodes!

Hil. Perhaps you would like to see your rooms. I think Chung-Hi has taken up your things. (Exeunt Castle., Giraud, Breit. and Hil.)

(Lady Hilary picks up a book and sits down to read when Radi. enters quickly from the garden.)

Radi. Lady Hilary.

Lady H. Whatever’s the matter?

Radi. Don’t be alarmed. There’s been an accident just outside your gate.

Lady H. I hope no one’s hurt?

Radi. Not seriously. The lady who was driving the car is pretty badly shaken. I wondered if I might bring her in here.

Lady H. (After a moment’s hesitation.) Of course. How did it happen?

Radi. Just as I turned from your drive into the main road, she swerved to avoid me and put her own car in the ditch. Perhaps your chauffeur would come and help.

Lady H. Certainly. (She rings.) You don’t think she’s badly hurt?

Radi. No, but she ought to lie down for a bit, I should think.

(Enter Chung.)

Lady H. Chung-Hi, tell Headlam to go down to the front gate. There’s been an accident.

Chung. Eh?

Lady H. Headlam go front gate. Accident. Car upset.

Chung. Chung-Hi go too.

Radi. Come along then.

(Exeunt Radi and Chung-Hi.) (Enter Hilary and Breitwald.)

Hil. What on earth’s Radivloski running down the drive for with Chung-Hi?

Lady H. There’s been an accident. A car upset into the ditch.

Breit. Ach! That is unfortunate. Is she turned completely tortoise?

Lady H. No, just a bad sideslip, I think. They are bringing the lady up to the house.

Hil. That’s rather awkward – we don’t much want any strangers about today.

Lady H. No, but there was nothing else to do.

Hil. Of course not. It’s just a piece of bad luck that can’t be helped.

Breit. After all, if the unlucky lady is badly hurt, she will without doubt stay in her bed, and if she is not badly hurt she will, of course, continue her journey by train.

Lady H. That’s quite true. (Enter Radi and Chung. supporting Nancy Wake. She is quite a young girl, about 22, and is almost fainting. Hil. pushes up a chair and Lady H. goes to lab. door.)

Lady H. Mr. Denison.

Den. (Within) Hullo.

Lady H. Would you mind bringing some brandy out of the dining room?

Den. (At door.) No one’s hurt, I hope.

Lady H. Yes, an accident.

Den. Right. (Exit Denison)

Breit. She looks very faint, but the pulse is quite strong. I do not think there is any shock.

Hil. That’s good.

Breit. I have heard that it is good with fainting persons to burn some feathers under their noses. (Enter Denison with glass of brandy.)

Lady H. Let’s try the brandy first, Baron. Drink a little of this – (Lady H. gives brandy to Nancy, who gradually revives.) That’s right – are you feeling better?

Nancy. I’m afraid I’m giving you all a lot of trouble.

Lady H. Don’t try to talk. You’ll be all right in a moment. Chung-Hi, tell Mabel to get ready the tower room. (Exit Chung-Hi.)

Nancy. It was awfully silly of me. I’m not a very experienced driver.

Lady H. It was just bad luck.

Nancy. I swerved to avoid another car and side-slipped. Thank you, I am much better: I had better go on by train. (She tries to get up, but falls back in the chair.)

Lady H. You shall certainly do no such thing. You must go straight to bed and stay there for the night. We’ll take good care of you.

Nancy. How kind of you – but it is putting you to a lot of trouble.

Hil. No trouble at all, Miss ...

Nancy. Wake’s my name. Nancy Wake.

Hil. We’d better ring up your people to say you are all right.

Nancy. Thank you very much. How good of you.

Hil. What’s the number?

Nancy. (Confused.) Oh, did you say ring up? We’re not on the telephone.

Hil. I’ll send a wire, then. What’s the address?

Nancy. (Hesitates a moment) 105a Eaton Square. Shall I dictate it?

Hil. Perhaps that would be best.

Nancy. Wake, 105a Eaton Square London. Have had slight accident. Quite well. Staying night with ... by the way, who am I staying with?

Hil. Lady Hilary. I’d better put the address in case they want to ring up.

Nancy. Sign it Nancy, will you? Thank you so much.

Lady H. Now come along Miss Wake. I’m going to take you straight upstairs.

Nancy. Thank you most awfully. I’m sorry to have made such an idiot of myself. (Exit Nancy supported by Lady H.)

Den. I’ll run over to the post office with the wire.

Hil. Don’t bother. I’ll send it on the telephone.

Den. I should like a breath of air. I’ve been stuffing indoors all day.

Hil. Oh thanks, very much. (Exit Denison by window.)

Breit. I’m going out to tell my chauffeur to go and give what help he can. Would you care to come with me?

Breit. Thank you, yes. I shall be very pleased.

Hil. Then we might run down to the scene of the catastrophe.

Breit. Thank you. I think I will not run. But if you prefer it, I can very well walk after you.

Hil. Are you staying to tea, Radivloski?

Radi. No thank you: I must get along home.

Hil. So long, then.

Radi. Goodbye. Good afternoon, Baron. (Exeunt Hil. and Breit.) (Chung-Hi looks cautiously round door.)

Chung. These English are easily deceived. That was a clever trick of yours to get Miss Wake into the house.

Radi. Yes, she can mix freely with the house party tomorrow. If she is fortunate, she may glean a lot of information.

Chung. That is the inconvenience of being a servant. One has to go away when one is not wanted. But I laugh when I think how little they suspect me. Sir George still believes I can talk nothing but pidgin English: and when they have anything really important to say in my presence they talk French to make absolutely certain I shall not understand. It is all one to me.

Radi. We haven’t much time to spare. Here are your sealed orders from Kanikoff: they are to be opened tomorrow morning if the tests of the explosive are successful. Of course, if the tests are no good, there is nothing to do for the present.

Chung. And if they succeed?

Radi. Then two things are to be done. First you and Miss Wake are to try to find out where Hilary keeps the instructions for making and using the explosive. You do not know this yet?

Chung. Not yet, but I think I shall find out. What else?

Radi. If you do not trace the papers, you and I, with Miss Wake’s help are to kidnap Denison sometime between dinner and bedtime tomorrow and I will take him off to my house in the car. Then I will get the information out of him.

Chung. Can he give it without his notes?

Radi. An inventor ought to know something of his own invention.

Chung. You think he will speak?

Radi. I shall find a way to make him speak.

Chung. It is a dangerous game.

Radi. Why dangerous? No one will think of finding Denison at the house of the courteous Russian count. As you say it is easy for clever people to outwit the English.

Chung. Yes. You would suppose a diplomatist to have some brains. I should know Sir George for an English diplomatist wherever I met him. But he cannot recognise me as a high official of the Chinese Soviet Party. To him I am just a Chink.

Radi. I will look in tomorrow to know if the tests are successful and whether you have found the papers.

(Enter Denison from window.)

Den. Hullo, Count. I thought you’d gone. Stopping to tea?

Radi. No I must be off. I was just asking Chung-Hi to get Lady Hilary to ring me up to say how Miss Wake is this evening. I feel partly responsible for the accident.

Den. I don’t think you need worry. By her own account she is a beginner and anyway she’s not seriously hurt. I hear you have bought a Clyno.

Radi. Yes, would you like to see her?

Den. Love to.

Radi. Come on. (Exeunt Den and Radi thro’ window, watched by Chung.)

(Bell off. Exit Chung. Then enter Chung with Higginson – a tall American about 40 years old – wearing tortoise shell spectacles.)

Chung. You stay here. Chung-Hi tell Master. Here he is – other man German – big, fat, you see.

(Enter Hilary and Breitwald through the window.)

Hil. Mr. Higginson, I believe.

Higg. That’s quite right. Am I addressing Sir George Hilary?

Hil. Yes. This is Baron von Breitwald.

Higg. I’m real glad to know you, Baron.

Breit. The pleasure is mutual.

Hil. Chung-Hi, take Mr. Higginson’s luggage up and tell Lord Castlemore and Mr. Giraud he is here.

Higg. Say, Sir George, I’m afraid I’ve brought a chauffeur along. Can you accommodate him or shall I send him to the local saloon?

Hil. There’s a spare room in my chauffeur’s house. He can have that. Tell Headlam, Chung-Hi.

Chung. Eh?

Hil. Tell Headlam Mr. Higginson’s chauffeur will be staying with him.

Chung. Chung-Hi understand. (Exit Chung.)

Higg. Queer you having a Chink about the place, Sir George. You’re not afraid of Bolshies, I see.

Hil. Everyone seems suspicious of poor Chung-Hi this afternoon. You need have no fear of him.

Higg. I’m real sorry to have turned up so late, gentlemen. It’s not our usual way in the States. Fact is, I brought over my car and engaged a temporary chauffeur yesterday: this morning the silly guy’s grandmother died, and he said he must go to the funeral. So I hustled to find another: wasn’t much difficulty about it, because the first man had a pal who wanted the job. This fellow seems better than the other: but I’m sorry, because it prevented me getting here on the tick.

Hil. It really doesn’t matter in the least.

Breit. I hope you have had a pleasant voyage, Mr. Higginson.

Higg. Oh yes, bully.

Breit. For myself, I suffer always from the seasick, however fair the weather may be.

Higg. Yes, that rather detracts from the pleasure of a trip.

(Enter Castlemore and Giraud)

Hil. Ah, now we’re all here. Mr. Higginson, I must introduce you to Lord Castlemore and Mr. Giraud.

Higg. How do you do, gentlemen?

Hil. Would you like to talk things over now, or wait till after tea.

Castle. There is not a great deal to discuss, today. Let’s get it over. What do you say, gentlemen?

(They all assent in different words. During this scene Simmons – in chauffeur’s livery – looks into the room from garden several times.)

Castle. Very well. We may as well sit down.

Hil. You’ll find cigars and cigarettes on the table.

Castle. I think you all know that Sir George Hilary is offering to the War Office what he believes to be an explosive of enormous power. Tests are to be carried out at a very early hour tomorrow morning, in point of fact at four o’clock, so that there is no likelihood of the general public seeing them. Tubes of this explosive are to be dropped from two separate aeroplanes flying at an altitude of 5000 feet. One will drop it into the sea, as the inventor claims that it will explode under water. The other aeroplane will drop a tube on some waste downland, which has been cleared for the purpose: there is a disused cottage standing in the middle of this land, and the explosive will be dropped about half a mile away from it. We wish to see whether it will be powerful enough to demolish the building from that distance.

Breit. Most interesting. Has it been tested before?

Hil. The inventor carried out an experiment himself with immense success.

Higg. If it is not a very impertinent question, is Sir George Hilary himself the inventor?

Hil. No, no. I claim none of the kudos.

Giraud. If Sir George will allow me, I think I can name the inventor.

Breit. Mr. Denison, I presume.

Hil. No, Denison is only the manufacturer. The inventor has made no request that his name should be kept secret. Giraud will tell the story better than I can.

Giraud. About two months ago, I received this letter from a Curé in Strassburg. I brought it with me, thinking it might interest you. At his house I met Sir George and our Curé offered us to share the rights of his invention between our respective governments. As his conditions seemed to me to be rather absurd, I felt I could not take the matter up. Sir George was more believing than I was, it seems.

Hil. Yes, I felt this man was honest so I took a risk. As a private individual I bought the rights of his invention on the condition that I should not re-sell except to the British Government, and that only for use in case of war against the Bolshevist League.

Castle. It is of course understood, gentlemen, that the War Office will only consider the purchase if tomorrow’s experiments prove successful.

Hil. Naturally.

Castle. At Sir George’s request, the Cabinet sent invitations to your Governments to send representatives to watch the tests – hence this very pleasant little house party.

Hil. I felt that we ought all to know what weapons we have at our joint disposal when war breaks out.

Higg. You seem very certain about war.

Hil. I am certain – unless Kanikoff comes to an untimely end. (Breitwald looks up.)

Breit. You believe the stories about Kanikoff, Sir George? Often I think for my part that Kanikoff is a myth – an invention of the Soviet League.

Higg. Not he. I’ve met him.

Castle. Really, most interesting.

Giraud. What was he like?

Higg. I’ll tell you about Kanikoff another time. Let’s stick to business.

Castle. Quite so, Mr. Higginson.

Breit. If I may ask, Sir George, of what form is the explosive?

Hil. I’ll show you some if you like.

Giraud. You keep it in the house?

Hil. Yes, it’s perfectly harmless in its present state. (Exit Hil. to lab.)

Breit. So. It seems to me a great danger.

Castle. I think Hilary knows what he is about.

Breit. But who has carried out the manufacture of it?

Castle. Denison, I believe. I think you met him, didn’t you: the young fellow.

Higg. I suppose he can be trusted?

Castle. He seems a very decent young fellow. He’s an Oxford don, I believe.

Higg. Well, that’s not an absolute guarantee of respectability.

(Enter Hil. with tin.)

Castle. Hilary, what precautions have you taken about Denison?

Hil. Oh, Denison’s all right. He has made no notes, and I have given him the instructions for one day at a time. It would be quite impossible for him to carry them in his head. Here’s the explosive.

Breit. We should be wiser to stop smoking.

Hil. Oh that does not matter in the least. (Hil. hands tin to Higginson who looks at it and passes it on to Breit: Breit examines it very minutely, pours some into his hand, smells it, etc.)

Breit. (As he receives tin.) It is really at present harmless?

Hil. As harmless as –

Giraud. Oatmeal.

Hil. Why oatmeal? It was the word I was going to use.

Giraud. It was the inventor’s description of it.

Hil. Of course, I remember.

Higg. And how is it prepared for use?

Hil. I don’t think we can reveal that, Mr. Higginson.

Castle. Even I don’t know that at present.

Higg. I apologise. It was a stupid question.

Giraud. Have you finished with the tin, Breitwald?

Breit. I am sorry. Yes, most certainly.

Giraud. Yes it looks just the same as we saw at the Curé’s. (Passes to Castle.)

Higg. What quantity of the stuff are you using tomorrow?

Hil. Ten grains for each test. It would be dangerous to use more.

Breit. And that will be sufficient to explode a house which is distant a half mile?

Hil. We hope so.

Higg. Snakes, it’s some explosive.

Giraud. If it explodes: I admit I am still a little sceptical.

Hil. Well, we shall see tomorrow.

Castle. (Handing tin to Hil.) Thanks. There is one point on which I should be glad of your opinion. These tests cannot be carried out without attracting much public attention; though we hope there will be no spectators, the sound of the explosions must be heard for many miles round. In my opinion it would be wiser to publish an official statementtomorrow, some thing to this effect “It is officially stated that the War Office have carried out some experiments with explosions today in the Kent area. The experiments were entirely successful.”

Giraud. I suppose you will not publish that if they are a failure?

Hil. Do try to be serious, Giraud. I’ll bet you £100 they are successful.

Giraud. Ah, that makes me quite serious. I’ll take you.

Breit. Do I understand that this invention is only to be used against the Bolshevists?

Castle. That is one of Sir George’s stipulations.

Breit. Thank you.

Castle. In the event of such a war we should supply our allies.

Giraud. With the manufactured article?

Castle. Certainly. (Higg. and Breit. confer.)

Breit. Would it not be better if our governments were to manufacture it for themselves? There is a risk of a short supply if one country only makes it.

Higg. I quite agree. With all due respect to Great Britain, Lord Castlemore, your little old country is not given to hustle. We shall want this bang stuff in some hurry if the Russo-Chink forces are on top of us.

Hil. I am afraid I cannot agree to that suggestion, Lord Castlemore.

Castle. We must not dismiss it without consideration, Sir George. Mr. Higginson has put things rather bluntly, but –

Hil. I am sorry, Lord Castlemore; but I pledged my word to the inventor that the British government should have the sole right of making the explosive.

Castle. In that case there’s no more to be said.

Higg. Quite, quite.

Breit. I had not understood that. I withdraw my suggestion.

Castle. Well, gentlemen, I think that concludes our business for today. If the tests tomorrow are successful –

Giraud. I lose £100 (aside to Hil.)

Castle. We can discuss matters further. (All get up.)

Giraud. Have you heard anything more of our friend the Curé, Hilary?

Hil. Yes, I have had three rather curious letters. He seems to have repented of the transaction and wants to buy back the rights.

Giraud. But his one idea was to palm it off on us.

Hil. Of course I wrote back refusing his offer to re-purchase.

Higg. Who is the guy?

Hil. A Curé in Strassburg.

Higg. Name?

Hil. He is called Father Ambrose. I don’t know his surname. He is a fanatical anti-bolshevist: he spoke of his invention as the Destroying Angel. (Enter Chung – with card.)

Chung. Man outside. Wants to see Master.

Hil. What does he want?

Chung. Won’t say – give Chung-Hi card. (Gives it to Hil.)

Hil. What an odd coincidence. Ambrose is an unusual name. (Reads.) Mr. Ambrose Beaujour. I’ll see what he wants. (Ambrose has entered. He is in ordinary civilian’s clothes.)

Amb. Forgive me for intruding, Sir George –

Hil. Good heavens, it’s Father Ambrose. Gentlemen, let me introduce the inventor.

Castle. You have arrived at a most happy moment, sir. I hope you will come with us tomorrow morning to watch the tests.

Hil. You must stay with us, Father Ambrose. We still have one spare room left.

Amb. Thank you, Sir George. I am staying at the Inn.

Breit. It will be of great interest to you, sir, to witness the havoc of your Destroying Angel.

Amb. Gentlemen, I beg you to cancel the tests.

Castle. My dear Sir, all the arrangements are made.

Giraud. Are you nervous that the experiments will fail?

Amb. No. I am terrified because I know they will succeed. Sir George, once more I throw myself upon your mercy. Take back your money and put an end to the whole business. Return my papers and destroy any powder you have manufactured. My invention is a crime against humanity.

Hil. You made me an offer, Father Ambrose, which I accepted; I have now made an offer to the British Government and as a man of honour, I cannot withdraw it, unless it is refused.

Castle. Well sir, there’s no need for further discussion of the matter until the tests have taken place. If they are successful, I have an appointment to see the Prime Minister tomorrow evening. Till then nothing is settled one way or the other.

Amb. I pray God the tests will fail.

Higg. A curious sentiment from an inventor, sir. May we ask why?

Amb. Six weeks ago, I believed my invention to be the Destroying Angel of God, now I know that it is the work of the Devil. If it is accepted by your government you make me a murderer – a traitor to God and to my brother man. (Pause.)

Breit. Well, I am ready for my tea.

CURTAIN