Lot No. 249 (2023) Movie Script

1
Let me in!
Let me in, for pity's sake!
Let me in!
Good heavens!
I'm coming, I'm coming!
All right!
Smith!
Great Scott, what's the matter?
Brandy! Brandy! Get me brandy!
What on earth has happened?
You're as white as cheese.
May I stay? I-I must stay.
I don't think I can face that road
again except by daylight!
Of course, of course. I'll have
Mrs Burney make up the spare room.
There! There! You see it?
Some...fellow?
A fellow?
I can scarcely see a thing
out there.
He's gone now.
What of him?
Ah.
Ah, I am my own man again now.
I was never so unmanned before.
Goodness, you're shaking
like an aspen leaf.
What the devil can
have frightened you so? Ha!
I have been within the hand grip
of the Devil, that is certain.
Sit.
Sit and I will tell you all,
the whole black business.
It is monstrous and incredible.
But it is true.
It is all true.
Whisky? No, thanks.
Are you sure? Er, scotch in the jug,
Irish in the bottle.
Er, I don't partake.
Ah, yes.
Religion and all that, eh?
Yes.
And all that.
Fair enough. I won't either.
I'm in for the, er, for the sculls,
and I don't liquor when I'm
training.
Ah, good for you, Smith.
Soon to be Doctor Smith.
Oh, wish I had your brains, ha!
Oh, no, they're in the jar
by the hat-stand.
It's very good of you,
having me over like this.
Oh, not at all.
It's good to get to know
one's neighbours.
Never know when I may need
to scrounge something off you!
Had no luck with the other fellow,
though.
Oh? Mm. Middle rooms.
Hardly stirs his stumps from
morning till night.
Bit of an enigma.
Bellingham?
What do you know of him?
Oh, that he's a bright spark.
One of the best men in his line
they've ever had here.
Eastern languages is his thing,
I think.
Oh, amongst other things.
Oh, like that, is it?
Well, colour me intrigued.
What is it?
Drink?
Cards?
A cad?
No, no, no. It-it's not that.
I-I mustn't be...
Ned, er, Bellingham has shown me
great kindness, too.
But I worry about him, rather.
So immersed in his strange studies.
And his temper... His temper?
You know Long Norton?
Yes, big fellow? Er, made 70 for
the freshmen against the 11?
He and Bellingham got into
a terrible row last term.
Bellingham's often experimenting
with arcane bits and bobs.
Well, one day, the stench drifted
all the way across the quad.
Long Norton and he had words,
I can tell you.
It was quite frightening.
You should see the way in which
Bellingham looks at Norton
when they meet now.
Ah, gracious! Erm, I must fly.
I have a lecture.
Er, I'll borrow this if I may.
Oh - and the bones of
your inner ear?
Oh, by all means. Thank you.
Erm, well, good afternoon,
then, Smith.
And thank you again.
I hope we shall become friends.
I also.
Ned, wake up!
Can you come down! Can you?
Bellingham's - oh, God.
You must come!
Is-Is he dead?
Er, only a faint, I think.
His heart's going like
a pair of castanets.
And I don't like his colour at all.
Come on.
Come on, old chap.
Undo his collar, will you?
Ah...
..Smith, isn't it? From above?
How nice to make your acquaintance.
And you, Lee!
To what do I owe this pleasure?!
Sorry. Had to be done.
Not at all.
It's the only thing that works.
Happens in all the best...
romantic novels.
Look here, what the devil
have you been up to?
Narcotics, is it? Some heathen pipe?
What have you been brewing here?
Well...
..not tea.
It's a sort of resin.
It's a sacred plant.
The plant of the ancient
Egyptian priests.
Look here, Ned.
I've told you before.
You must drop all this nonsense.
Must I?
This is the second fright
you've given me.
It was the same last winter.
I found him just like this,
with that horrid thing
in front of him.
Good heavens.
I don't know his name.
He's just Lot 249.
That was how he came from
the auction house.
What a beauty he is!
You still haven't said
what you were up to.
Undressing, er, unwrapping him.
It requires a certain atmosphere.
I must have inhaled
a little too much!
How long was I out for, by the way?
I couldn't tell if
it was seconds, or weeks.
Couple of minutes. Huh.
Unconsciousness is a strange beast.
Now, this gentleman was packed up
some 40 centuries ago.
And yet...
..if he could find his tongue,
he'd tell us that
this lapse in time has been but
a brief closing of the eyes...
..and reopening of them.
I think, er, with your
nervous system,
you should find some less...
morbid study, Bellingham.
How strict you are.
Perhaps you're right.
Perhaps.
Ah.
Good morning!
Ah!
Glad to see you looking better.
Yes, indeed.
Nothing like watching others
exert themselves to get
the old claret pumping!
Mm.
I just wanted to thank you again.
Don't mention it. Oh, but I must!
You don't look quite
the ticket though, Smith.
Anything the matter?
Oh, rotten night's sleep. Oh, dear.
In truth, it was rather your fault!
Mine? You, er, you talk
to yourself, old man.
Whether in your sleep,
or your studies.
I do no such thing.
Well, I'm afraid...
I do no such thing.
But you were perfectly splendid,
anyway.
Just the sort of chap to keep
the flags of Empire flying, eh?
Hmm, I can just see you
putting down a native uprising
in the Sudan, or some such.
Rather more your territory,
I gather. Ah!
So you've heard a little about me.
A little.
Morning, gentlemen!
Good morning, Styles.
Mr Norton's certainly showing 'em
how it's done, eh, sir?
That he is, Styles. That he is.
I've, er, got the bloaters on
for you upstairs, sir.
Oh, thanks.
Yes, I have indeed had some success
out East with my researches.
And with the people.
I am told you're able to master them
as though to the manner born!
Well, the mastery of one's subject
is key, is it not?
To be masterful of all disciplines.
And it is a wonderful thing to
feel that one can command.
And, er...
..what of Monkhouse Lee?
Is he under your command?
Oh, Lee is a good fellow,
an honest fellow...
..but he is without strength,
or ambition.
He would not make a fit partner for
a man with a great enterprise.
No? No.
No, he would not make a fit
partner for me.
Yes! Yes!
I told you I'd do it, old boy.
Bravo, old sport.
I told you, didn't I? Ha-ha!
Thank you, thank you.
They say they'll play him
instead of Buddicomb,
for Buddicomb's clean off-colour.
He used to be nasty on
a wet wicket.
Now, then, sir.
That wouldn't be a Woodbine
I smell, would it?
No! No, Styles, not at all.
Whatever made you think that?
I should be getting along now,
gentlemen, if I were you.
Back to your rooms.
Cheerio.
Won't be a moment, Styles. Just...
..savouring my victory.
Right you are, sir.
Congratulations again.
Thank you, Styles.
I prefer Ogden's Guinea Gold meself.
Argh! Ahh!
Mr Norton, sir! Are you all right?
Help!
HELP!
I can't give you long,
I'm on a hard grind at the moment.
Smith, you must change
your rooms, at once!
Eh?
I know this must sound
very extraordinary.
But believe me when I say
that Bellingham is not
a very safe man to live near.
Not safe? How do you mean?
Have you two had some
sort of falling out?
Oh, yes.
What about?
I am not a very, er,
worldly fellow, Smith.
I'm sure you can see that.
My books have been my only true
companion since childhood.
Bellingham...
..dazzled me.
Showed me a world elsewhere.
A world of culture and mystery,
and...
..and pleasure.
I was totally in his thrall.
I'll admit that now.
But he has gone beyond the pale.
There are things he's done.
Things that frighten me.
Well, that's all very fine, Lee.
But you're either saying
a great deal too much,
or a great deal too little.
I can only warn you.
I'm under a solemn oath, you see?
A very solemn oath.
Look here, if I were to see
some rascal about to blow up
the college with dynamite,
no pledge could prevent me
from stopping him.
If the danger's real... It is!
You heard what happened to Long
Norton the other night? Oh, yes.
A garrotter, most likely.
Long Norton says not.
Who, then?
"What" would be more grammatical.
Long Norton swears whatever
attacked him...
..wasn't human.
And indeed, from the scratches
on his throat,
I'd be inclined to agree with him.
Have we come down to spooks?
It was real enough.
And you suspect Bellingham
had something to do with it?
I know it.
Well, look here, my boy.
Surely, what's more to the point is,
if you've had some great breach
with Bellingham,
is it not you that's in danger?
Bellingham?
Is that you, Mr Smith, sir?
Hello? Mr Smith?
Er, what?
Y-Yes, yes, it is I!
Thank God! Come at once!
Mr Lee is drowned, sir! What?!
Well, th-there may be
life in him yet,
but it'll be a close call.
Do you have brandy, sir? I'm afraid
my little stock is...diminished.
Yes, er, yes, I have a hip flask.
Hurry, sir, hurry!
Only a medical man can save him now!
Mr Smith, sir! It's life or death!
Er, y-yes.
Put your watch glass to his lips,
Styles, there's a good fellow.
Yes, sir.
It's dimming!
Let's get to work.
Oh, good evening!
Won't you come in?
No.
No? Busy as ever?
My dear chap,
you look quite done in.
Burning the candle, eh?
Not exactly.
Oh, is it poor Monkhouse Lee?
I heard a rumour.
Yes?
Some...accident?
I'm very sorry to hear it.
Well, you'll be sorrier still
to hear the lad is doing very well
and is out of danger.
How did you fall in?
I didn't fall in.
I was thrown in.
Picked me up like a feather.
I saw nothing...
and I heard nothing.
But I know what it was.
So do I.
Your hellish tricks did not
come off this time.
The devil do you mean?
I know all about it!
All about what?
Do you mean to say that I had
something to do with Lee's accident?
Yes!
You and that bloody bag of bones
in there!
They've given up burning folk
like you, Bellingham,
but we still keep a hangman
in this country.
And, by George, if any man at
this college meets his death
while you are here,
you'll swing for it!
Your filthy Egyptian tricks
won't answer in England!
What do you intend to do?
I have a friend.
He lives a few miles out of town.
I intend to get
his opinion on it all.
He's a no-nonsense sort of fellow.
Very clever in his own...
peculiar way.
I shall lay the facts before him.
See what counsel he can give.
Let me in!
Let me in, for pity's sake!
Let me in!
Well...?
Mm.
To a collector of fairy tales,
no doubt fascinating.
But you cannot seriously
believe that...
What other explanation is there?
Oh, I can think of several.
You've been studying hard...
I am no weakling.
How could such a thing as this
stride through the streets
of Oxford, even at night,
without being seen?
But it has been seen.
There is quite a scare in town
about an escaped ape,
as they imagine the creature to be.
It is the talk of the place.
Reminds me of old Presbury.
Presbury?
Just a case.
Well, my dear fellow, it is
a striking chain of events.
You must allow that each incident
in itself is capable of
a more natural explanation.
What? Even my adventure of tonight?
Certainly.
You come out with your nerves
unstrung,
your head full of this theory
of yours.
Some gaunt, half-famished tramp
steals after you,
and seeing you run,
is emboldened to pursue you.
Your fears and imagination
do the rest.
Now, in the instance of your
finding the mummy case empty and,
a few moments later
with an occupant,
you'll admit that it was lamp light,
the lamp was half down,
and you had no special reason
for looking hard at the case.
You may have simply overlooked
the creature in the first instance.
Hmm.
Norton may have been garrotted.
Lee may have simply fallen
in the river.
Mm...
It won't do.
No, it won't do.
Well, I've given you my opinion.
I stand flat-footed upon the ground,
and there I must remain.
The world is big enough for us.
No ghosts need apply.
There.
That's it.
I've written it all down.
Sign it, please.
Whatever for?
You will kindly retain it
and provide it
in case I am arrested.
Arrested for what?
For murder. Whose murder?
Bellingham's, of course.
I shall give the fellow one chance
and one chance only. And if not...
My dear fellow,
don't do anything rash.
I'll happily look into
the matter myself, but...
..it is going to have
to wait a few days.
You are...still set on
a return to London, then?
I have my eyes on a suite of rooms
in Baker Street.
Just what I'm looking for.
If my purse can stand it.
You wouldn't be interested in...?
Oh, er, no.
I fear I'd make a very poor
fellow lodger.
Nonsense.
A doctor would make a very fine
companion to any man.
Not a doctor yet.
Well, why don't you
make yourself right at home!
What the devil?
Get to work.
Doing what?
Cutting up that mummy.
Is that it?
Yes. That's it.
I have no notion of all
the foul perversions you practise,
Bellingham, nor those you
have gulled others into.
I know the law cannot touch you,
but I have a law that will
set matters straight.
You have five minutes
to destroy that thing,
or I swear to God...
..I'll put a bullet
through your brain.
You would murder me? Yes.
For what?
To stop your...
..mischief.
One minute gone.
What have I done?
You know and I know.
Oh, two minutes. You're mad!
Why would I destroy my own property?
It's very valuable. Cut it up!
Burn it! Three minutes!
I will do no such thing.
All right! All right, all right.
Damn you!
Perhaps that will satisfy you.
No.
The papyrus, too.
I know you keep it tight to you.
No.
No, not that.
It's unique.
It's priceless!
There's wisdom in there. Wisdom!
Out with it!
You can't mean it, Smith.
I'll share the knowledge with you.
I'll teach you all that's in it.
Please!
Let me only copy it
before you burn it.
No.
Well, then.
A very pretty night's work.
Get out!
I'll bid you good evening.
And let this be an end to it.
Congratulations, doctor!
Congratulations, doctor!
No, no, no. No, he's a...
He's an ophthalmic surgeon.
Oh, I see.
Yeah, seeing being
the operative word!
Yeah, I've often thought I might
specialise in that area, too.
But no rush, eh?
Much to do first.
Plenty of pretty girls out there
for a start, eh, my boy?
Hmm. Perhaps.
Seriously, what are you
thinking of going in for?
Treves has some openings
at the Royal London, I heard.
What do you think?
Lee?
Lee?