 Countdown for blast-off x minus five minus four minus three minus two x minus one fire From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribe tales of new dimensions in time and space These are stories of the future Adventures in which you'll live in a million could be years on a thousand maybe worlds The national broadcasting company presents x minus One tonight x minus one presents Perigee is wonderful dolls by George Lefferts The doll shop stood on a quiet Washington side street Not too far from the sprawling Pentagon building a woman and child waited outside the little girl peering eagerly through the window at the dolls inside and The woman glancing impatiently at her wristwatch As if expecting someone who was late for an appointment There was nothing about the doll shop to warn them But they were waiting to keep an appointment with doom What dear in the window of the shop the tiny dolls. Oh mommy. Do you think daddy will borrow me one? We'll ask him when he comes dear should be here soon. He said three o'clock on this corner I see him mommy see oh Henry over here Well, we're all ready to go shopping Cindy's been what I'm afraid we'll have to call off the shopping of them. Oh Henry We promise I'm sorry, but it's just one of those things You've been the wife of an army colonel long enough to know his life isn't his own What is it this time or that flying sphere nonsense the pilot who says he cited it last month crashed and was killed today And the general works a full report. Oh dear. What next I got a staff meeting at the Pentagon at 315 daddy Look in this window. I haven't time dear Alma. I just for a minute daddy I haven't time to stop and watch a bunch of six-inch dolls for any run in the shop window Hey, they are lifelike aren't they? Look at that Alma Dolls are marching around like a regular review. They've even got their own little bed Is he the one the red jacket daddy? He's the leader. He's bowing to us. They don't look human Henry your staff meeting. Oh, yes. Yes. Well, I gotta run. Can we buy one daddy out here and I'll run along I don't go spending a lot of money on that nonsense. No dear bike. Bye Cindy. Bye daddy. He's going to play They're wonderful honey honey. I must have stood on this corner a thousand times I've never noticed the shop before look at the man inside mommy. Who's he? That's the proprietor dear Doesn't he look funny with those those red cheeks and white mustache. It's easy to see who he models his dolls after Look, he's coming to the door. He's coming Good evening children Good evening. How funny he talks. Hi Cindy Would you like to step inside the shop of Santor Pyrrheigin? Yes, we would but this way It's like like fairy land Here in the shop of Santor Pyrrheigin creator of Pyrrheig's universal wonderful dolls The world of adult reality is blended with the world of child's fantasy This is a new shop. Isn't it mr. Pyrrheigin? What is new and what is old? Come this way. Would you like to meet one of my little ones? Oh, yes This one in the red jacket is Toto. He's the leader Handle him ever so gently see I will set him on the table Speak little one. How do you do? How do you do? How do you do amazing absolutely amazing that is nothing for Pyrrheig's wonderful dolls. Listen sing Sing Toto sing for the little girl. My name is Toto Sing Toto Men are big and tall Dolls are very small When men begin to fall the dolls will rule them all Mr. Pyrrheigin. How do they work? That is the secret of the great Pyrrheig greatest of all doll makers To make an ordinary doll is nothing to make a perfect replica. That is something But to make a doll with intelligence That is the work of an artist day. I suppose that they're very expensive to buy Pyrrheig does not sell his dolls madam. You don't sell them When I construct a doll like Toto, I cannot bear to be permanently separated from him So instead of selling I rent my little people. You do you rent dolls precisely Ten dollars for how long for as long as they are cherished My only request is that when you grow tired of my dolls you return them to me in good condition Hey mommy, could we take him home? Take him home. Take him home. Take him home Oh look, he's bowing and dancing. He wants to come. Honey, your father said that we shouldn't spend a lot. Oh, please I'll take such good care of it. Please. Well, honey, we'll have to deal with your father later, but Well, oh mommy. All right wrap him up, Mr. Pyrrheigin But I have a feeling that when your father comes home, we'll be sorry. Be sorry. Be sorry. Be sorry. Be sorry Now Toto, this is my room and you're going to sleep right here next to my pillow I wish you wouldn't laugh like that. I'm going to have to teach you some manners And you'll be quiet because my daddy will be home soon And he's a colonel in the Air Force staff and he'll bust you to pride that if you don't behave Come along now. I'm going to introduce you to my puppy dog, Mr. Blister. So be good Mr. Blister, this is Toto. I don't think Mr. Blister likes you, Toto Come over here and shake hands with Toto, Mr. Blister. Come on now. What happened? Mr. Blister tried to bite my doll How frightened he is. Oh honey, dolls don't get frightened. But he was frightened. Imagine it, dear. It's only a doll. He did. He did. Well, Mr. Blister didn't mean it. Now you know He's the gentlest little pup alive. He is me. Oh see, you've hurt his feelings. I don't care He tried to bite my new doll and I... Oh dear. All right, Mr. Blister. You come downstairs with me I'll kill him. Cindy Where did you learn a thing like that? Toto said it Honey, you've had a very exciting day. Now brush your teeth now and go to bed. Daddy's coming home late, so he'll see you in the morning. Good night, dear Sleep well. I hate him Hate him, hate him, hate him, hate him Breakfast ready? In a minute, dear How was the staff meeting last night? Horrible, Boris, you sure? I don't know what's got into the old man Just because a few farmers corroborated the pilot's report He thinks some strange aircraft has penetrated our radar zone But where's the little one? Up in her room. Now that's funny. She's usually down here before me Well, she's probably up to something. Sit down, dear Say remind me to take some papers back to the water department. Will you? I left them in my strongbox You haven't been bringing your reports home, Abby. Well, that's safe enough Well, you told me it was against regulations to bring secret papers home Well, I had to finish some work for the old man and nobody'll ever know the difference Well, I don't know Oh, would you feed the puppy before we sit down, Henry? His bowl's under the sink Where is he? Say, that's funny. Here's his supper from last night. Only half eaten. He's getting fussy. Doesn't like canned dog food anymore Here, bluster Here, bluster, bluster, bluster I wonder where the tickens is that much. Maybe he's on the back porch Here, bluster Alma What is it, dear? Alma, look Henry, is he... He's dead But how? If only he looks of it, he might have been poisoned But who would do a thing like that to an innocent little puppy? I don't know. Let me see his dish I don't understand this at all. Not at all What, dear? What is it? There are pieces of broken glass in this food. Blue glass, you see How... Henry What? I just remembered something What? It may be coincidence, but in the bathroom this morning... Oh, what about the bathroom? Cindy's blue glass, the one with the Mickey Mouse on it was broken I found pieces in the wastebasket. I meant to ask her about it Alma, for heaven's sake, you aren't suggesting that our little girl... Well, she loved blister more than anyone Not last night, she didn't Why not? He went after Toto Now, who is Toto? That's her new doll Her what? Honey, I was meaning to tell you But you... you bought her one of those dolls I just rented it Rented it? Look here, Alma, you know we haven't got the kind of money to throw away Well, she had her heart set on it, dear. I used my dividend All right But what happened with blister? Well, he went for the doll and Cindy said she hated him Oh, well, a child... She said she'd kill him Where'd she get a thought like that? I don't know Has she been watching those chillers on television? I don't know Well, it's too ridiculous Good heavens, a nine-year-old child putting ground, glass, and dog food She'd have to be a monster Mommy! She's coming Well, don't say anything. I'll talk to her Morning, dear Morning, mommy Morning, daddy What's the matter? Uh, sit down, dear Yes, sir Now, your mother tells me you broke your blue drinking glass Oh, no, I didn't break it Cindy I didn't Well, now somebody broke it It wasn't your mother and it wasn't me And it must have been Toto Cindy Cindy, you know Toto is only a doll Now, a doll couldn't have broken your glass, could he? Well? I guess not So we can't very well blame it on a doll, then, can we? But he must have done it, daddy Cindy, you know how daddy feels about little girls who tell fibs Now, did you break your glass and maybe accidentally get some pieces into Mr. Blister's dish to sort of punish him for biting your doll? No, daddy Well, I'd hate to think you'd done something you knew was wrong and you were blaming it on a doll Is something wrong with Mr. Blister? Is he sick? Worse than that Can we? The child has to face reality all of them What's the matter with Mr. Blister? He's dead, Cindy Oh, no, we can't be dead He is dead, Cindy He'll come back He has to come back No, darling, he won't come back Ever? Not ever Yes Now that we've told you, Cindy, you want to change your mind about the glass? Can we leave her alone, please? You think I killed it? Now look what you've done, the child feels guilty enough for me My dear, this is no time for feelings to interfere You go up to your room, honey Daddy and I'll be up in a minute I don't want to Please, Cindy Now we'll be right up, please That's a good girl Close the kitchen door behind you He isn't coming back She's suffering You scarcely touched your lunch I don't feel like eating Is it Mr. Blister? Now answer your mother She'll work it out her own way, Harry No, I don't know, Elmo When I was a boy, there was such a thing as discipline Now the way this child is being brought up Henry Well, it's true There's no respect, lying enough Oh, there, there, honey Now your father's upset, he doesn't mean it Now what's happened to us? We were a nice, peaceful, happy family Until you bought that cursed doll Now who's blaming things on the doll? Well, it's true I'll get you another cup Never mind, I'm late now, I better be going Oh, you wanted to get some papers from the strongbox Oh, yes Cindy, please, try to eat something Elmo Elmo What is it? Elmo, it's gone What's gone? The box, the strongbox is gone It can't be The door to your study's always locked You and I have the only keys I know all that, and I tell you it isn't there But who would go? I don't know Elmo, those confidential reports If they ever got into the wrong place I warned you about keeping them there Well, what if it ever came out in the open? Can't you see the papers? Call the police, Henry And throw my army career in a wastebasket after 17 years? No, we've got to find it ourselves Well, it was there when I went in to clean this morning What about your key? It's right here, I always keep it with me It's funny Oh, no My other keys are on the ring Oh, you've lost it I don't see how Elmo, Elmo, how could you do it? Oh, Henry, please It will search the house I can't think of anything else to do Well, you'll miss the staff meeting Meeting? My whole career goes up in smoke If we don't find those reports Somebody got hold of your key and opened that room and... I know Cindy You leave the child alone She's been through enough You know she wouldn't do a thing like that I don't know anything anymore I don't even know my own child I don't even know you All I know is that strongbox has gone And contains papers that are dynamite If the wrong person gets them The question being who? What's that? It's coming from upstairs It must be Cindy's doll Oh, I've blasted doll again Something must have set it off I don't know how the mechanism works For heaven's sakes Let's go up and shut it off Henry Ever since you... Henry What? Look Where? What? Around the doll's neck The key The key to your study You see, Elmo It was Cindy I don't believe this Oh, the good heavens Do you have to have it spelled out for you? Here's our doll with the key around its neck She wouldn't, Henry You know she wouldn't Oh, ever since you got this This pulled out She's been acting half insane At first the dog and now this I think she hates herself Henry, Cindy is my child I know her I know she's a good, sensitive person With no malice in her You're simply refusing to face the facts, my dear What are you going to do? I'm going downstairs And have a talk with that young lady You're not telling the truth, Cindy I am, I am Cindy Now, you know that strongbox Is very important to me Now I can understand That you might have been angry at me Because I scolded you And so you took it and hit it Just despite me Now all I ask is for you to tell me the truth Now where is it? I didn't take it, Daddy Honest, I didn't take it Well, I suppose you're going to tell me now That a little six-inch doll Took it and hit it Well, I'm speaking to you, young lady But I didn't take it, Daddy You don't understand Toto did it He's terrible, awful He says things He's going to kill everybody Cindy, you're inventing things It's true At night when I'm sleeping He stands next to my pillow And whispers things to me Awful things He told me he'd kill me too If I scold, if I told you I think this child is sick I think she needs a doctor She's frightened, Henry It's trembling like a leaf Come on, dear We'll go up to your room I don't want to go up there Honey, Mommy will stay with you I'm afraid he's up there Who? Toto Well, he won't be up there for long Mr. Toto is going right back To Pirigi's wonderful doll shop Before I lose my sanity Which means right now Welcome to the home of Pirigi's wonderful doll Are you Pirigi? Santor Pirigi, creator of the universal doll The doll with the mind The doll which... I'm returning one of your masterpieces Oh, if you will step into the rear of my shop Now the complaint No complaint Here's your doll Good riddance My little Toto Rejected You found the world of men too filled with hate Hate, hate, hate, hate We will change all that later on Return to your conrades in the window, little one And now, Colonel Grayson I think we have no further business Ah, but we do, Colonel Let me see Ah, yes, here it is Do you recognize this strong box, Colonel? My strong box? Well, where? My little Toto is very clever, sir Are you trying to tell me your doll stole that from me? Let us not say stole I am merely keeping it in custody What's the game, Pirigi? The game, as you call it, is blackmail You give me what I want and I do not ruin your career What do you want? Information We already know something from the reports Of the War Department Concerning a certain strange looking sphere Reported by one of your pilots What government do you represent? I represent Pirigi's wonderful dolls, none other I am not so naive, sir Perhaps I should explain Each man hides something from the world Each man loves something more than life With the help of my wonderful dolls I obtain personal information Which enables me to control the men who control the world You're a madman A genius You would be surprised that the list of men Who have become the confidants for my dolls Do you think you can blackmail me into betraying my country? The price is right And in this case, sir, the price is your career And the lives of your wife and child Why are you so interested in the flying sphere? Let us say for reasons of my own Well, Colonel? Hand over the strongbox And I warn you, I have a gun Give it to me You are being foolish Put down that walking stick Now No closer Now Hello? Give me the police Hello? This is Colonel Henry Grayson I've just killed a man Yes, Pirigi's doll shop corner of Forth and Lexington The body is in the back room Yes, I'll wait for you Shut up Shut up, you little fiend Colonel Grayson Did I hear it speak? Colonel Henry Grayson I must be going out of my mind a six-inch doll Shut up, your master's dead You are mistaken, Colonel I, Toto, am the master What do you mean? If you will examine the body of Santor Pirigi You will see that he does not bleed And he does not bleed, Colonel Because Santor Pirigi never lived Never lived? Santor Pirigi is a doll A doll, but that's impossible He's a man, he talks, he walks The people of Meritrix are skillful doll builders People of Meritrix, doll, but... But who are you? I am Xanthus Sampiritor Commander of the legions of the third planetoid Meritrix Legions? Planetoid? My people and I, whom you regard as dolls Come from a tiny planet beyond the moon So small that it cannot support our population We landed one of our space fears on Earth three months ago With the intention of colonizing Unfortunately, one of your pilots intercepted us So that's why you wanted our information Precisely Are you, uh, are you, uh, human? Oh, quite human Of course, in order to deal with Earth people without suspicion We were forced to construct Pirigi A man-sized doll Well, I can't believe this, I'm having hallucinations I'm going to get out of here Oh, that would be impossible We have weapons of destruction Quite unknown to Earth people Well, I phone the police and they'll be here soon By the time they arrive My people will have prepared something Quite shocking Okay, Sarge You're the guy who turned in the call Yes Where's the body? Well, it isn't exactly a body What do you mean? It's a doll A what? You've got to let me explain Well, this sounds fantastic But I've stumbled onto an unbelievable plot to control the world Keep talking Now, these little dolls, they aren't really dolls They're tiny people There's a big doll named Santo Pirigin He runs this shop Holy smokes He's off his trolley, Sarge Listen, mister, we've got a call If there was a murder here Now, if there was one, where's the body? Behind those curtains in the back Only it isn't really a body, you see I hear something back there, Sarge All right, cover those curtains You, does anyone back there come on out Come out or we'll come in and get you Something's coming The curtain's opening Welcome, gentlemen Pirigin Well, this is impossible I smashed his skull You know this guy? Yes, that's the one That's the doll What's your name, mister? Pirigin Santo Pirigin, creator of the Universal Doll You ever see this man? Never until just now Well, he's lying I tell you, he's nothing but a life-sized doll The real masters are these little dolls Ryan, are you getting this? He's wack, oh, Sarge Nutty as a fruit cake Look, I'm not crazy, I tell you I can prove it They must have fixed up his head when I smashed it in Touch him, you'll see Mr. Pirigin, you know what the guy's talking about? The man is demented, obviously Look, I tell you, there's a plot to control the earth Listen, you've got to let me call the War Department They'll want to know about the flying sphere Holy mackerel, let's guess the words every minute Ryan Take him to headquarters Save some time, take him down to Psycho Ward Okay, Buck Rogers I'm along nice and quiet Look, you've got to listen to me Don't you see the future of mankind as it stays? Sure, sure I know how it is Look, he's nothing but a man-sized doll Touch him And the little ones are going to take over the earth I know, I had the DTs once Okay, Sarge We'll see you later Please, please Come along Please, listen to me You've got to listen to me Sorry to cause all this trouble, Mr. Pirigin Not at all, sir Not at all Well, I'll be That ain't the cutest little doll Say, my little girl will be nuts for that Perhaps you will accept it as a gift Well, now I... For saving my life That mad man might have killed me No home is really complete without one of Pirigin's wonderful dolls, sergeant Is that right, Toto? But I, I, I... I would like in some way to show my gratitude You will be doing me a favor if you will take the doll home to your little daughter Say, this ought to make her the happiest girl in the world Yes, Toto will come as a great surprise A very great surprise, won't it, Toto? Tonight by transcription X-1 has brought you Pirigin's Wonderful Dolls written by George Lefferts Heard in the cast where Janet Alexander is Cindy And Petoniak is Alma Nelson Almstead is Henry Joe DeSantis as Pirigin Michael O'Day as Toto Ken Lynch as the Sergeant And Frank Milano as Ryan This is Fred Collins speaking X-1 was directed by Fred Way and is an NBC radio network production Tonight's story concludes the present series of stories of the world of the future If you'd like to hear X-1 return to the air at some later date Please drop us a postcard or letter addressed to X-1, care of the national