Children of the Stones (1977) s01e05 Episode Script

Charmed Circle

CHILDREN OF THE STONES - Is Mr.
Hendrick in? - Professor Brake? - I must see him.
- I still see him, sir.
Sir? Come on, man, it's urgent.
Where's the phone? If you will just wait, sir.
Adam! What a pleasant surprise! Oh, not pleasant.
There's some man, some Welsh poacher, he's dead.
Dead? Are you sure? Of course I'm sure, I've just seen his body, down by the earth works.
Oh.
An accident? It's a heart attack, I think.
I couldn't see any sign of injury.
Come on! - Poor old Dai! Still, there's no escaping one's destiny, is there? Destiny? Yes, we have to call the police.
Where's the nearest station? Colliso, my dear fellow.
I don't think we need to involve them.
Not if he's died from natural causes.
We'll leave it to doctor Lyle.
We haven't even got an outside line.
- The police will have to be told.
Tell you what.
Let's go and take a look.
Just to make sure we haven't made any mistake.
- There can be no mistake, he's dead.
- Come along.
As the local J.
P.
I suppose I represent the majesty of the law in Milbury.
Now, let me get this straight.
You saw Dai fall off the earthwork.
And when you got there, he disappeared.
Yes.
There was just this rock, with the serpect on it.
- Well, like the one on the amulet.
- Yes, exactly.
The same as on that clay disc thing, and the same as on the font in the church.
And it's exactly the same one as that.
- Perhaps this isn't the place.
- No, this is the place alright.
Well come, we're a civilized community, we're not body snatchers.
- He was here.
And those stones weren't.
- So what are you suggesting? That somebody removed his body and put these stones in his place? I'm not suggesting anything, I just don't understand.
Well anyway, old man, he's obviously not dead.
- Here it is.
- What? That rock we saw, before we found Dai's body.
It's here in the picture.
Look, I already told you.
It's not marked on the chart.
Look.
Here? But look The stone we saw on the way back.
The sarsen with the serpent carved on it.
It isn't in the picture.
- But it is marked on the chart.
So, we have a stone in the chart that isn't on the picture, and one in the picture that isn't on the chart.
Well, could it be that they're the same one, in a different place? Matt, how many figures in the picture, how many people? - I've no idea.
- Count them.
Nothing untoward, I trust, sir? The gentleman seemed quite agitated.
Well, you know what these scientists are.
Always looking for rational explanations.
Then everything is as it should be? - As always.
- Indeed, sir.
Link I shall be having another dinner party tonight.
Sir? The sooner we're all one big happy family, the better.
There are four to choose from, sir.
Four who haven't yet enjoyed your hospitality.
- Yes.
- You'll invite them all together? No, no the must come in order or precedence.
- So is the lady's first.
- Precisely.
52 53 54 55 Fifty-five people in the picture.
- I thought there might be.
- Why? And now that you and your father have arrived, there are 55 people in the village.
Oh, the artist can't have known that.
Not all those years ago.
- No, but it's It's almost as if - As if what, mom? As if the painting was some sort of prophecy.
- It's gone.
- What? Dai's body.
It's gone.
Disappeared.
- So he isn't dead? - Look, he's dead alright.
And I'm no doctor, but when we saw him, he was dead.
But his body has just disappeared.
Dad, look.
- Those pieces we found by Dai's body.
- Yes? May I? - Well, what do you need? - The fragments.
The amulet found by the barber surgeon's body.
Just be careful with them, will you.
It fits.
Try the other one there.
- That too? - Yes.
Static! Energy it's there.
Energy? What sort? Visitor beginning end.
Visitor Bright shining circle People village priest! Stones power beam always! Get some water.
What's happend touched on July's birth.
Oh don't worry, he'll be alright in a minute.
Come, Matt, have a drink.
Come on, drink! OK old man? Sure? - Can I have a look? - Yeah.
Visitor priest I don't understand.
Visitor Somebody visiting.
Village - Or the priest! A visiting priest, perhaps.
Stones, power, beam, always.
There's always power in the stones.
That makes sense.
Well, could this be the beam? - And the bright shining circle? No! It's not the circle that's bright and shiny.
It's something else.
- The priest? - The visitor perhaps? A bright, shining visitor.
A visitor, bright and shining? Wait a minute.
Visitor Guest! - Guest? A guest star.
That's what it used to be called in the olden days.
- What? - A supernova! Hendrick's supernova - Whiskey and water.
- I'll have one at the pub.
Run these through the computer, will you? Usual program.
I hope I've got those correlations right.
- You've never been wrong yet.
- I can't afford to be wrong.
When did we transmit last night? 20 33 42.
757, sir.
So if those figures make sense, tonight we start at I'll call you to dinner in good time, sir.
I'll run these right away.
Beginning, end, circle, always.
Neverending circle.
- It means nothing to me.
- Nothing? As far as I can make out, that's the beginning and the end.
Well it sounded genuine enough.
Matt certainly seems to have the gift.
That's what worries me.
- But why? I believe he really did see Lyle through those gloves.
I think he saw him get into his car, drive off, and stop at the end of the circle.
Proof, next day Lyle is happydaying us all.
The question is, what happened in between? He says he went to visit his patient, 30 miles away.
And came back a different man? And don't forget his son Kevin has changed too.
So whatever it was happened here, inside the circle.
- I'm sure of it.
- You may be right, I'm afraid.
- Was he in there? - No.
- Where could he be? - Who knows? Where else would he go? - I don't know - Too late to boy you a drink? - Thank you, but no.
There is one thing, though.
The clay disc in the museum, do you know it? The barber surgeon's amulet? Yes, what connection is there between that and your supernova? None that I know of.
Why should they be connected? - Matthew thinks they are.
- Oh does he now? Very perceptive, that son of yours.
Perceptive, and formidable.
- Formidable? He's never going back now.
I know it! He's never going back to the sanctuary.
- Then where is he? - Gone.
- Dead you mean? - Not exactly.
- He's just not here anymore.
- Not here? It is something I felt from the disc.
- In what way? - It's no good, I can't explain it.
How about some lunch, master Matthew? Thanks.
I make myself a sandwich? Fancy one of my specials, Sandra? - Like what? Ham, mint jelly, mayonaise, apple crumble You're not going to spoil her appetite now.
She's going out to dinner tonight.
How does she now? How did she now? Hendrick hadn't even invited us then.
Please, don't go.
Tell him you've changed your mind.
Why? I'm longing to see the house.
Look, doctor Lyle said he was invited to dinner by Hendrick and he had to change his mind because he had an appointment with an old patient 30 miles away.
Now I don't believe he ever kept that appointment.
And if he didn't, then where else did he go? Well he can't have gone to Hendrick's.
Not if he wasn't expected.
- Wasn't he? - What do you mean? If what happened to doctor Lyle, happened in the village, then it must have happened ah Hendrick's.
It could have happened anywhere.
Hendrick's in charge.
People look up to him.
And I am sure he knows exactly what's going on.
Well, I'll be able to ask him, won't I? Oh, come on, Sandra, we must go.
- Look, promise me one thing.
- Anything, of course.
Come back here afterwards.
For a nightcap.
If you want to.
See you later.
- Bye-bye.
- What's that? - What? Come on, Matt.
- Sandra's scarf.
- Did she leave it behind? - I borrowed it.
- Doesn't suit you.
To use as a camera.
- Clever old you.
- Clever young me, old man! They're late.
That's the one thing I didn't allow for.
And you've time in hand, sir? Women delightful creatures, but punctuality is not among their virtues.
Yes sir, there is much to be said for a celibate life.
And yet I have my children.
The best of both worlds.
And here are the new arrivals.
I'll receive them, make sure everything is on schedule.
- What do you think of Matt? - Don't you think he's different What a lovely house! I would like to have asked you before, but there were others who had to come first.
You know what a small village is.
One has to observe the protocol.
It's a digital clock.
Electronic.
But what do you need it for? You've got your old grandfather here.
- He doesn't keep as good time.
- Much more attractive though.
Forgive me, but this one seem so - Out of place? I know.
Just that I need absolute accuracy.
- Why? - For my work.
I still dabble in it.
- Oh really? I like to make sure that everything is still where it should be at any given time.
- Everything? - The stars and planets.
- And supernovas? - Especially supernovas.
Dad I felt something then.
A sort of tremor.
- What was it, fear? - I don't know, it's gone now.
- False alarm? - Could be.
It was like I felt when Bob wasn't run over by that lorry that never appeared.
- Have something to eat.
- Great! - A nice lolly sandwich? - Make it a sherbet putty.
- What an extraordinary room! - Everyone says that.
But it's not so extraordinary when you consider where we are.
Yes, but this table Not many have the fortune to live within a stone circle.
I wanted this room to reflect the uniqueness of this environment of ours.
Fascinating.
Sandra, will you sit here? Your mother opposite you.
And I shall sit between you.
- You have a throne! - Possibly.
I found it in the mason's yard.
Magnificent, isn't it? And these other pieces, the table and the chairs, you had them made? The mason carved them in the same style from the same stone.
Does he do restoration work? I've always been asked in the museum.
I'm afraid not.
He went out of business ages ago.
Bon appetit my children.
Egg and chips suit you, Mr.
Psychometrist? - Fantastic.
- All quiet on the leyline front? Where is the tomato ketchup? Oh, I'm sorry, sir, it's on its way, sir.
- Dad - What? Something is beginning to happen I can feel it.
Can you see where they are? They are high.
At the top of the house.
A dining room at the top of the house? There's a clock, a digital clock.
It's important, it means something.
Who'se there? Mr.
Hendrick Sandra and her mother and and a butler.
- What are they doing? - Eating.
Just eating.
Sandra is getting nervous.
What's that? Oh, the villagers, merely.
Rather unusual, don't you think? A hymn of celebration.
Celebration? What are theyc elebrating? Deliverance from the past, and their entry into the future, now.
Deliverance? Entry into the future? - Clumsy shape for a table, isn't it? - I was thinking that.
Or so it would be if that were its only function.
Did you know that there's another great dish of stone beneath the ground here? - Adam Brake told me that.
- He did? And of course he told us that my house stands in the centre of the circle? No, Matthew worked that out.
He's very clever at working things out.
So I've noticed.
But I still don't understand the connection between the circle and the table.
Perhaps it is not necessary for you to understand.
It is only necessary that you should believe me when I tell you that all works towards good.
Happiness and peace are the reward of the believer.
You make it sound as if the circle were a temple, and the table an altar.
Your temple Your altar! Margaret, my dear Anger the fire, fire of speech, breath of knowledge, render us free from harm.
Return to us the innocence that once we knew.
Complete the circle.
Make us at one with nature and the elements! It is time! Such power! White! Brilliant! Impossible to move! Energy! Force! Saruman! Change! Changing!
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