 Let us remember him who was not for what he was, not for what he did, but because he was, as all of us are, a temple of God. Let us remember that this which is about to return to common clay was molded from common clay. Today we gather here to pay our last tribute to this now still place, lying here before us cold in the coldness of death. Let us always remember him, and let us always remember him. Madam, please. You surely are mistaken. I think it's always him who couldn't have. Carl. Carl. Oh, my God. Where would you be after death? Am I dead? They have your body in a church, Carl. Imagine you in a church. No. No, you're mistaken. This is no church. I'm right here. Apparently you are, yes. But we are most careful when we bring you here. We take every precaution to relieve the shock. Shock? Of finding yourself in the midst of fire and brimstone. Hot. It's so hot. You get used to it. Where am I? Your soul is here with me. Your body is back on earth. At present, resting within a certain lined coffin. Yes. They're soon going to place you within a tomb. Oh, I don't believe you. Don't you? Personally, it makes no difference to me whether you do or not. But for your own satisfaction, suppose you feel for yourself. Well, yes. Reach up with your right hand. Reach up. Feel the casket lining by your head. Go right ahead. There. You see? Yes. But I'm lying in the bottom of a boat. Only your soul is. This is some trick. The boat is set in line. I'll admit, Carl Fisher, I am generally most concerned about my own comfort. But as far as lining one of my boats was set in, no. I fear that would be too much even for Satan. Satan? Yes. Here, let me prove to you the boat is not cloth lined. You see? That's irony. You are a devil. Yes. I am. But not just a devil. The devil. You mean I'm really dead? One never dies, Carl. The common clay perishes, yes. But only the common clay. Let me out of here. I'm sorry. You can't move until I permit you to. But I moved my hand a moment ago. Felt the lining in my head. That's because I wished you to. Nothing is done here unless I order it done. Then, then I am dead. Only your body. It might interest you to know you caused quite a commotion up there a moment ago. When you interrupted your funeral oration by suddenly moving in your casket. Yes, quite a commotion. Only two people saw you. One of them was a woman. You frightened her, Carl. But they've taken her away now. You mean my body actually is being preached over? Oh, yes. Indeed, yes. You were a prominent man on earth, Carl. Naturally, yours is the most elegant funeral. So many flowers after them could be brought into the church. People standing outside on the sidewalk even. His Lord are there. Life? Certainly. Where else would she be? A church, you say? Yes. Amazing you, doesn't it? You haven't been in a church for 35 years. No. You wouldn't even permit your daughter to be buried from a church, Carl. But she went to heaven. Anyway, stop it, stop it. Do you remember Reverend Brooks, Carl? Reverend Brooks? Yes, he married you. Remember, today he's officiating at your funeral. No, no. Who would you like to hear what he's saying, Carl? Listen, if Carl Fisher has brought tragedy into our lives, let us remember that out of tragedy, good can arise. Soon that tragedy will be forgotten. But let us never forget Carl Fisher. Let us remember him always as a Christian. We hear Carl a Christian, he says. Stop, stop that voice. Listen, Carl. Let us pray for him often and ask Almighty God to grant him pardon. Let us be generous towards him that finally the supreme ruler may in turn be generous towards us. No, no, stop him, stop him. I don't want to hear anymore. Did you hear what he said, Carl? He asked your friends, your family, your wife, to forget your evil, to remember only what was good about you. Yes, Carl, but that leaves them nothing to remember. Oh, let me alone. No, Carl, they have nothing to remember because there was nothing about you that was good. I didn't have a chance. Chance? You say you didn't have a chance? Certainly not. Well, I don't waste my breath but pointing out the chances you did have. I was forced into everything that happened. Forced, I say. Where are you? Certainly I was. Haven't you ever heard of free will? Free will. Free will, you say. I haven't had a will of my own in the last 30 years. Haven't you, Carl? No, you know I haven't. I knew I was doing wrong. Sure, I knew it. I'd never have made my millions by being any other way. Your millions? Did you enjoy them, Carl? I was just beginning to when I took charge of you. Is that it? Yes. Your millions aren't worth much here. Oh, where am I? Certainly you haven't lost your imagination. Where would you be with fire on all sides and the smell of brimstone and with me as your pilot on the river Styx? Styx? You remember, it's our largest river. Where are you taking me? I have a special assignment for you, Mr. Fisher. We have a certain reserve space for members like you down here. Inferno, tell me. Am I in Haiti? Does that surprise you? No, no I can't be. I didn't want to die. I wanted to do what was right, but I couldn't. You didn't try. I was going to try. You've done nothing but evil for 30 years. You couldn't change now. I could, I tell you I could. No, Carl. I'll make a bargain with you, Satan. Bargain? No one makes bargains with Satan. Give me a chance, let me go back, let me live my life over. I'll change, I swear I will. You'd never change. I will, I will. Let me go back, let me show you, let me prove I can do what's right. All right, Carl. I'll bargain with you. It would at least relieve the dull monotony. You give me a chance? Yes, for 24 hours. 24 hours? Only 24 hours? Yes. Do nothing but good for 24 hours. And I'll not pretend to claim you. But if you fail... I won't fail. I won't, I won't. It's up to you, Carl. It's entirely up to you. But remember, only 24 hours. Only 24 hours. You really shouldn't have come tonight, Laura. You should rest. I know. But I couldn't rest. Poor Carl. He needed someone so badly those last few days. And I was away. Never dreaming what was happening. You mustn't blame yourself, Laura. No, I can't help it. I feel I deserted my husband. Just when a man needs his wife most. There'll come a time, Dr. West, when I'll be afraid to come out here to the Mosleyam. I wanted to come tonight. To tell him. Goodbye. Yes. I loved my husband, David. Despite everything he did, he was the only one I ever cared for. Here, my dear, I have the key. I say, Laura, it's not locked. But I saw you lock it after the services this afternoon. I did lock it. I'd swear I did. Open the door. Yes. Yes. Pocket flash. Oh, David. Empty. Ask, it's empty. David, for heaven's sakes, what happened here? I don't know. But Carl always said he'd come back. What? Yes. He told me once he had no fear of death. Because he knew he could always make a deal with Satan. Carl told you that? Yes. I... I laughed at him at the time, but... now I wonder. I'd better go now, Laura. Show you're feeling all right. Yes, I... I know I won't sleep tonight. You can relax. I can send you out a nurse if you like. Oh, no. No, I'd rather be alone. Well, if you need me, please don't hesitate to call. Thank you, David. Good night, my dear. Good night, David. Thank you so much for being such a dear. I'll... I'll call you in the morning. Good night. I'm not hearing things. That's an electric razor on it. It can't be. There's no one in the apartment but myself. My dear, did you call me? Carl. Yes, Laura, what is it? Are you really there? What do you mean, am I really here? Of course I'm here. Heaven's, I was right in the middle of my shaving. Oh, no! Laura, what's the matter with you? Why'd you call me? No, Carl, please don't come any closer. Please. The world's gotten into you all of a sudden. Darling, really you. Really me? Now, what are you talking about? Carl, don't you know? Don't I know what? We... We buried you this afternoon. Carl, don't look at me like that. Oh, darling, what's happened? Tell me what's happened. I don't know. Something's wrong. Carl. My... My head. It's whirling. Dizzy. I don't remember what happened. Oh, darling, you're alive. Warm. Breathing. Yes, but I seem to have been away. It was so hot. There was a boat on a river and a satin-lined casket and... Oh, Laura. Darling, darling, you did come back. Dr. West said you would... Dr. West? Yes, David. He said you told him once you'd come back after... after you'd gone on. I have been dead, haven't I? I remember now. I was sitting in my desk, sitting alone at night in my office, and then something happened. You were shocked. The back of the neck. Everything stopped. The next thing I knew, I was riding in the bottom of a boat lined with silk. No. That wasn't the boat that was lined. It was the casket. He told me to move my hand and I'd feel it. Who, Carl? Who told you? It was... the devil. Carl. I died. Went to Haiti. But I bargained with Satan. I bargained with him. He took me up, gave me 24 hours. 24 hours. Darling. Darling, I don't understand. 24 hours to prove I could do good here on Earth. How is it true? Can it be real? Yes, it is true. It's real. I can't believe it. Things like this just don't happen. But Carl, how? I made a bargain, I tell you. A bargain with Satan. And I have a rendezvous to keep with him. In 24 hours. I'm so confused, Carl. If only... Who could that be? I'll go see. I know. If anyone we know, they won't understand. You go back into the bedroom, dear. I'll see who it is. But the world's got to know sometime. People will know soon enough. Please, dear. I'm too upset for a scene to try to explain to anyone tonight. All right, my dear. If you wish. Thank you, darling. Just a moment. David. I had to come back, Laura. I couldn't stay away. David, please. Forgive me, dearest. But I've waited so long. David, please go. No. Not until I've talked to you. Some other time. I can't wait any longer, Laura. It's not fair for you to ask me to. Not fair? You know I love you, Laura. You've known it for months, years. David. You have known, haven't you? Yes, but... I've waited so long to have the right to tell you about my love. Now... Oh, I... I know it's not right to come to you on the night of your husband's funeral and say these things. But I must know, Laura. I must know. I have nothing to say to you, David. Nothing. I know you were always madly in love with that criminal of a husband of yours. But that's over now. You'll have to forget him. Oh, remember, darling. You're a young woman yet. Your life is still ahead of you. You can't go on carrying a torch for someone who can't more about making a million dollars than making you happy. David, don't say that. I have a right to say it. Now... I've kept it in check all of these years, waiting and hoping. And now Carl is dead. You hear me? Dead. Dead! You belong to me now. No, David. Not now or ever. Yes. Yes, I say. You're mine. If anyone has a right to you, I have. Everything I've done to get you. Will you go now, David? Oh, Laura. Laura, I need you. Oh, Laura, please, sir, you'll marry me. No, David. I'll never marry you. But I know you care for me. I could make you learn to love me. No, never. I've had nothing for you, David, but friendship. I'll never have more. I know that's not true. Don't say that. It's not. You do care for me. I could tell by the way you kissed me. That's when I first began building my hopes. Kissed you? When did I kiss you? You haven't forgotten. The party in my penthouse. None more than three months ago. Your birthday party. Yes. All the girls kissed you that night. If you'll remember, we even made a sort of game out of it. Lined up like a bunch of high school girls to compliment our hosts. Yes, but you meant more than just a compliment that night. You imagined. Oh, no. I kissed you just like the other. In full sight of my husband. And I might add to his complete amusement. Well, wasn't in the room. You waited until he'd left before you got into line. Oh, nonsense, David. No. I knew that night you cared for me. That's when I began planning to make you mine. David, will you please go? Not until you've told me you'll marry me. I've told you I won't. There's someone else. Only my husband. Someone else. Someone who's alive. Please go, David. What's that? I want you to go. What was that? In that other room? Nothing. What are you... Nothing at all. What are you doing? I don't want you to ever come back here, David. What are you doing? I'm locking this door. I'm in no mood to have you go ram-suck in my place. There's someone in that room. David. So. So. You couldn't wait until your husband was safely buried. Couldn't wait. David. Well, he won't have you. You hear me? He won't have you. David. Please go now. Very well. I'm telling you this, Laura. He won't have you. Whoever he is. He'll never have you. I promise you that. You're back, aren't you? She deserves to be killed. Doesn't she? Well, go ahead. Kill her. I don't have to tell you, Carl. I've never cared for him. Go ahead. Kill her. She's lying, don't you think? No one but you, darling. Ever. I can still tempt you, Carl. That's my job. That's how I keep my fires burning. I know you believe me, Carl. No. Don't believe that. She's never lied to you before, but there's always a first time. Darling. Please don't stand there looking at me. Say something. She wants you to say something. Say something. Darling. It's all right, dearest. I believe you. People will say when I walk out into the world again. Carl, don't you think it would be best for us to go away quietly? Some place where we'd never be recognized? No, Laura. I have a bargain to fulfill. Only until three this afternoon. You'll spend that time with me then. I'm sorry, I can't. There's more to be done than probably either of us imagine. Where are you going? To the office first. I'll go with you. No, dear. I'll come back to you before I leave you again. To keep my rendezvous with Satan. Good morning, Miss Walling. Good morning, Mr Fisher. You're early this morning, Mr Fisher. I'll spend all morning explaining. And nothing doing. I'll look myself in the office. West. Come in, Carl. I've been waiting for you. Sitting in my chair. At my desk. Yes. This is your gun, I believe. What's the meaning of this? I'm prepared to make a bargain with you. Bargain? Yes. What sort of a bargain? You died without leaving a will. I have one here dated three months before your death. Sign it, the business becomes mine. And I'll permit you to take away half of your seven million dollars and Laura. You permit me? Yes. You couldn't operate your business now? People wouldn't want to do business with a dead man. Do I look dead to you? Don't be facetious. I'm serious. I know all about what happened to you. When I came back to see Laura last night, I heard you talking before I pushed the buzzer. I don't understand it all. But I'm prepared to give Laura up for your business and half your cash. You killed me. What? You killed me. Fisher, keep back. I see it clearly now. I see now that Laura wasn't lying to me last night. She's never cared for you. I warn you, keep back, Fisher. I remember what you said to her. You said, if anyone has a right to you, Laura, I have. After everything I've done to get you. This gun is loaded, Carl. Yes, I see it all clearly now. Stay back. Stay away from me. The night she kissed you at the party. Remember what you said about that last night? That was the night you began planning to make her you. If you come any nearer, I'll shoot. I'm not going to harm you, Dr. West. You'd like to get your hands on this gun. You'd like to kill me, wouldn't you? Kill you? No, I can't kill you. I've made a bargain not to. Then keep back. I could kill you, though. I've been proclaimed legally dead, you know. You can't hang a dead man. Keep back. One step farther, and I'll shoot. I told you I don't intend to harm you. Stop. Stop where you are. I just want you to take a good look at me, Dr. West. Stop. Not one step farther. Not one step farther. Oh, darling, are you hurt? He shot you, Carl. Laura, that gun in your hand. I followed you here. I don't know why I brought the gun. Laura, you killed him. Give it to me. No. Give it to me. Give it to me. Carl, you must get to a doctor. The clock. No time for a doctor. You hurt badly. Oh, it doesn't matter. Give me that gun. Carl. Give it to me. Now they'll think we shot each other. You have won your bargain, Carl Fisher. There's no place here for you now. You have heard rendezvous with Satan, tonight's original tale of dark fantasy by Scott Bishop, originating in the studios of WKY. Ben Morris was Carl Fisher, Blois Wright played Dr. David West, Eleanor Naylor-Corn was Laura Fisher, Fred Wayne took the part of Satan, Muir Hite was heard as Reverend Brooks, and Georgianna Cook Hite played the secretary. Next Friday at this time, listen for Scott Bishop's I Am Your Brother. Tom Paxton speaking, Dark Fantasy comes to you each Friday night from Oklahoma City. This is the National Broadcasting Company.