 Adventures by Morse. Courtney Morse presents the Cobra King Strikes Back, featuring Captain Friday. If you like high adventure, come with me. If you like the stealth of intrigue, come with me. If you like blood and thunder, come with me. Two American girls and five American men, hemmed in on all sides by the great Indochina jungles, their fates in the hands of two young Khmer priests, each of whom is known to have killed. Taquan, one of the priests, is ever present to administer to the Americans. Fen Loh, the other, is an elusive shadow, never quite seen, but his presence always felt. And the end of the journey is a stupendous pile of temple ruins, untold centuries old. Earlier this evening, Captain Friday and Skip Turner held a private conversation on a stone balcony, a thousand feet in the air, where the mountain monastery looked down over the vast wilderness of Cambodia. You know, Captain, we're in a sweet mess if Taquan turns against Dr. Carter. Dr. Carter still swears by him, even since he admitted killing that priest last night? Yes. Doctor says he did it in defense of patrician selium. Well, of course, that lines up with a girl's story. Do you think this is the end of our journey? Looks like it. You mean you think this is a hideout of most Khmer priests who are trying to stir up a revolt in Indochina with their emerald cobra? This is the place. Also, this is where we're going to find Fen Loh, if we ever find him. Looks like the French government give us a tough job all right if we got a comb Fen Loh out of this rat's nest and then get him back through the jungles to civilization. He was our prisoner once. We don't go back without him. Well, I hope Dr. Carter's getting all the scientific stuff he come here for. Funny what scientists will go through to find out about the stuff they're interested in. Ian Perry and Celia have been taking notes and making drawings and copying inscriptions from the walls all day. Yeah. Well, night's closing down. Joe, go back inside. Well, there's Dr. Carter's dinner going. Come along. With the passing of the daylight, interest in the temple gave way to uneasiness and as night settled, to a nameless fear. And now that the evening meal is over, the party is grouped before the great fire in the chamber whose floors are covered with beautiful fur rugs upon which the members are lounging. Oh, you folks don't want to hear any more of this gruesome business. You won't be able to sleep tonight. Oh, go on, Perry. I won't be able to sleep anyway. Sure, don't go startin' somethin' you can't finish. Well, as a matter of fact, I hadn't intended getting in so deep. Oh, don't be so tantalizing, Perry. Let's hear about this loop Garoua, whatever you call them. I think we were very unwise to bring the subject up at all. Well, he's got me scared stiff already with his talk about werewolves, witch doctors, cannibalism and that sort of thing. I might as well finish it. Doesn't make a very pleasant bedtime story, Celia. I think it's all a lot of cock-eyed banana oil, myself. You know such thing as a werewolf. Quite true skip. The werewolf, as far as the civilized world is concerned, is extinct. Oh, there never was such an animal. My word, such finality. When a man takes that attitude, Skip, I always get the impression he's trying to reassure himself. You mean to say that Skip turn is afraid? Oh, look here, Patricia. That's robbing it in a bit. Well, are you gonna tell us some more about the Brutes or ain't you, Perry? Oh, sure, if you want it. I'll tell ya. Look at Dr. Carter and Captain Friday. They stretch out on their rugs in front of the fire. Wonder what they're talkin' about. And you still feel certain that Taquan is to be trusted, Dr. Carter? I don't think, Captain Friday, that I'd place seven precious lives in the hands of a man I didn't trust implicitly. Maybe not intentionally, Dr. But you could misplace your trust. You haven't any reason to distrust Taquan? No. Something warns me that we're in a pretty tight spot. I can vouch for that myself, Captain. We are in a ticklish position. But that isn't the fall of either Fenlo or Taquan. What you vaguely feel is the force loose in the jungle over which they have no control. Maybe. It's true. Evil forces. You know, Captain Friday, I doubt if Taquan would have led this party into the jungle if he'd known at the start what he's since discovered. Meaning what? Fenlo and Taquan were small boys when they left this part of the world and went to Saigon for education. Then without returning here, they were sent to the United States. They left the jungle before they knew all that the jungle held. Now that they've come back with their eyes open, there was astonished and horrified as you and I had some of the practices. Can't they put an end to them? You've said over and over that these two Cambodians are returning as prophets of the Khmer religion. And so they are, but unfortunately, two prophets are not as strong as age-old practice. They'd have to kill every Khmer priest in the region to wipe out the evil that creeps through this jungle at night. You're keeping something back, Dr. Carter. What is it? What is this evil that creeps through the jungle at night? Captain Friday, did you ever hear of the steppin' wolf of Russia, the witch wolf of the American Indians, the werewolf of Germany, also the Luke Garoo of the sample European countries of the 18th century? Oh, for heaven's sakes, Perry, is there no end to the grisly details? Well, you would have them. They demanded them, didn't they, Professor LeBron? Perry, you're wrong in one detail. The werewolf does not always leave behind the tack of a wolf. That is the popular conception, but according to both German and Russian scientists, as often as not, the entire body is not transformed. You mean that sometimes they have the body of a man and the face of a wolf? Or perhaps only the brain is twisted, so that you would not know that the person was of that nature, except for certain physical characteristics. Except, of course, when he was in one of his maniacal tempers. Then the thing that attacked Celia and me last night might have been one of those things? Except that I never before heard of the creatures inhabiting French in China. Professor, what are the physical characteristics? Well, how can you tell a werewolf? Eyebrows meeting across the nose. Oh, honestly, I've known a number of men who's... Oh, but that characteristic alone doesn't indicate anything, Patricia. What else? Long, slender, pointed fingers. Like, like mine? Even more exaggerated than yours, Celia. Oh. Sharp, pointed, elongated front teeth. Here? Wolf's teeth, huh? Usually a mop of black curly hair? Indicative of a wolf's pelt. Tendency towards an airy body? Oh. Feel my hands, Patricia. There's cold as ice. Oh, it's silly to go on talking like this. None of us will be able to sleep tonight. Well, you couldn't hire me to go into that room where we were last night. But, Professor LeBouin... My dear child, haven't you had enough? No, I want to know all about it. What happens when... when they change from a man into a wolf? You know, Celia, they go in packs like wolves. They... they do? Sure. The pack has a leader. He's usually more possessed than the others. The changing of the moon affects him. You mean the moon changes him into a werewolf? According to one theory. Well, sounds to me like it was just plain crazy. There's a very close connection, Skip. But what... what happens? Go ahead, Professor. You tell them. I'll put another log in the fire. Oh, Celia. Oh, please, please. I'd much rather know the truth than... than just think and think about it, imagining all sorts of awful things. Queer. It must be in the air. I haven't spoken on this subject for years. I haven't even wanted to. The last time I took part in an open forum concerning werewolves was the night... I left the university in Budapest. Just before the war. It was wintertime. When the unrecognized son of Emperor Franz Joseph, a classmate, he took half a dozen of us to his winter place back in the forest for the holidays. Our host's name was Joseph. He was a peculiar chap. The same atmosphere that prevails tonight took hold of us. We sat about in midnight or so, eating cheese and a tough kind of rye bread and sloshing it down with mugs of stinging beer. Couldn't talk of anything but these human beasts. Someone would try playing the piano. Joseph led us in body songs. No, it didn't work. The conversation always turned back to the same thing. How the leader of the werewolves races through the village streets, calling to its pack. Races into the night with swift black shadows at his heels. Go on, Professor. Can't you picture it? Dignified, scholarly man seated pouring over his books. Beautiful loam, warmth, comfort. And then suddenly, the savage howl of a wolf. The call of the pack. The man leaps to his feet. Blood rushes to his cheeks. The scholar stands trembling. And the howl comes again. He struggles with his colors, no strangling. He leaps his clothes to shines with his pointed nails. Then, suddenly from his own throat, comes a terrible blood-curdling howl. A nauseating odor of the wolf permeates the room as he leaps through the window and is off into the night. The heels of the leader. Or perhaps it is a young husband. The distant howl. In terror, lest he cannot get out of the house before his madness grasps him, he leaps from the bed beside his horrified wife and plunges head-first from the window into the deep snow to howl and froth away into the night. His poor wife lies shivering, wondering if her poor husband has not been torn to pieces by the wolves. You see, she is not aware that her husband is one of the mad pack. Oh, no! That was the manner in which we passed the hours until one by one we fell into a sort of stupor. Joseph slept right where he sat, and the west of us did the same. I was awakened by the chilled air. It was morning. The fires were dead. The room was wretched. It still was littered with last nights where past and smelling folly of tobacco smoke and stale beer. I got up so stiff I could hardly move and I shook the others awake. And then I noticed that one of the windowpains was broken. Still stupid with sleep, I stumbled to it and I looked out. I took just one terrible look. I don't remember whether I cried out. I just fell to my knees and I gave myself up to the worst kiss of nausea I've ever known. For an hour and a half I was torn and wracked by this terrible sickness. My stomach was in open revolt. The other five guests were no better off. We were put to bed, but the moment we were able to travel, we packed our bags and returned to Budapest. And two months later, I came to the United States. Well, what'd you see? The body of Joseph. Yeah? Murdered? Torn and ripped almost beyond recognition by fangs. Signs of wolf tracks in the snow all about. Professor Lebrun, is this a true story? I was never more truthful in my life, Patricia. And it all happened just like things are happening tonight? As I said before, Celia, I never heard of that type of demon worship in this part of the world. But we smell the animal smell. We saw it was most certainly mad, viciously mad. And it whimpered just like an animal? Listen. Oh, I didn't hear nothing. Be still. Dr. Carter, did you and Captain Friday hear anything? What is it, Professor? Just listen. There it is. Wolf howl. Oh, Perry, not really. What do you think, Doctor? Professor Lebrun? Exactly the same thing you do. I know what that signifies. So do you. I'm afraid so. You mean the thing you were telling me about, Dr. Carter, is about to take place? Exactly, Captain Friday. The thing for us to do is to barricade ourselves in this room. It can be done. Perry, the big entrance door, bars from the inside. Skip, see what you can do with that smaller door. Hey, now, this is something like it. Come on, Perry, let's get a little action into this. I've had the jitter and juju sitting around holding my hands. What about it, Dr. Carter? Captain Friday's in command now, Perry. Do what he tells you. Come along, Dr. Carter. What's the name? Oh, there it is again. It's coming nearer. But what is it that's happening? I don't know. Maybe that's the leader of the pack. Coming here? Oh, you two girls remain right here by the fire. You'll be safe enough. But what are my father and Captain Friday doing out on the balcony? A matter that does not concern you in the least. No, stay here. You're not telling me what to do, Professor Lebrun. I warn you, Patricia, if you step out on that balcony tonight, you'll get it a remainder of your life. You mean? Oh, we'll not go into that. Oh, good. Here comes Captain Friday now. I'll never be able to reach the balcony. It's a good 30 feet from the ground. We'll be safe in watching what happens from there. We must postman inside. I don't think there's a secret entrance to the room, but we mustn't take a chance. I'll never get in through that small door, Captain. Hey, listen. Did you hear that? That came from inside the temple. Somebody's responding to the call. I hope nobody in this room is a werewolf. Look, look at Professor Lebrun. He ran out on the balcony. Did you... did you see the look on his face? Did you see his face? The Carter Party is barricaded in the great chamber of the Temple of Priests. Outside, the ravaging hulls of the wolf men. Camere Priests answering the call of the leader of the pack. With the first of the cries, Professor Lebrun's face became intent and then he rushed from the room to the balcony, looking down on the savage moonlit scene outside. Did you see the look on his face? Did you see his face? You don't suppose he's... skip. Follow me. You bet you... Boss, boss, come back here. Patricia, stay where you are. Dr. Carter. Harry, stay here with the girls. I'm going out on the balcony and see what this is all about. Sure, go ahead, doctor. I'm glad we're armed. Now, there, there, Patricia. Harry, what if... There goes another one out of the temple. This place must be full of them. Come on, you two. Crowd up here to the fireplace with me. Here, what's going on out here in the balcony? Are you all right, Lebrun? Don't be ridiculous, doctor. What made you run out here like you did? You frightened the girls. I wanted to catch a glimpse of the person leaving the temple to join the pack, if I could. Well, did you? Yes, look. Look quick. There goes another one now. See, just a shadow. Here, I've seen him. Here, but it was on his feet. Of course. The breeze that's bringing us the leader's call should bring something else. Any of you smell anything? I got it when I first came out. It's in the air, all right. You mean that funny smell? Order of predatory animals. That's it. I've seen enough. Come on, Skip. Come on, come on. We'd go inside and watch with Barry. Sure, suits me. The least sign of danger. Call us in. OK, Chief. Hey, Barry, how you get that way? Look here, Professor. An arm around each girl. Professor Lebrun. Something wrong? Are you all right? I never felt better in my life. Then, then you're not. No, I'm not a werewolf. But you look so strange when you ran out in the balcony. Well, overworked imagination. I'm glad. I'm sorry. I thought you were... That's terrible. Celia. Celia, stop trembling like that. I can't help it. What do you think of that? There must have been a dozen of them racing down the hall and out to join the pack. I'll recheck the doors off the wall. Hey, suppose they try to gang up on us. That many of them could... One of them's at the door now. Hey, Dr. Carter. Captain Friday, come here quick. What's the matter? What is it, Perry? One of them's trying to break in. What's this? What's this? The door. One of them's at the door. Who is it? Who's out there? Don't open that door, doctor. Answer out there. Who is it? I beg you, Dr. Carter. It's Taquan. Open up to me. It is Taquan. Open to me. Look out. Maybe you're ruse to get the door open. He sounds in terrible pain. Taquan. Taquan. Are you alone? I am alone. Be quick before they come for me. I'm going to open the door. Wait a minute. Skip. Keep your gun handy. I got it, Chief. Stand to the right of the door. Perry, take your gun and stand to the left of the door. Professor, you and I will stand directly in front. Dr. Carter, swing the door open and drop behind it so you'll be out of the line of gunfire. Hurry. I can hear the portfolio panning and groaning. Are you ready? Not a rep, Chief. Then open the door. Yes? Yes, he's alone, Captain. All right. Drag him in, Skip. Yeah. Close the door and bar it. Not any too soon. Oh, look at his face. Everyone stand back, please. Here, Taquan. Lie down on this robe. Perry, go to the fountain on the balcony. Bring me some water. You look at him. All ripped up with claws. Oh, I'd be serious. Get LeBron, Skip. This boy needs a professional. We'll have you fixed up in a minute. I need some bandages. Something clean. Well, I just got out of fresh underskirt, boss. Would that do? Yeah, take it off. Tear it up into strips about two inches wide. All right. Go over behind that screen. Hurry. Come with me, Celia. Yes, but I'm shaking so hard. It won't only be a minute. Yeah, Celia. Undo me in the back. I'll have to take my dress off. Oh, I can hardly make my fingers work. There. All right. Now the underskirt. The straps are pinned to the... Oh, never mind. Break them. Yank them loose. Here. Like this. Oh, I'm jelly inside. I'm not brave at all. Well, I'm not brave either, but this is an emergency. Now, help me get back into my dress. All right. Oh, no, no. All right. Oh, let it alone. I can do it better myself. Here. Take the skirt and start ripping it up. Oh, I don't know what I'm doing. Don't want me to fasten you up again? No, never mind that. No. Come on out in the light so we can see what we're doing. Here. Give me the skirt. Here's your pan of water, Captain. All right, Skip. Hold the pan. I want Perry to help me bathe these scratches. What's keeping the broom? He's checking the whole door, Chief. Sit up here right there. Dr. Carter, start cutting away his clothes wherever you see a claw mark, will you? My poor friend. All those bandages coming along. Does it make any difference how long they are? Longer the better. That's all. Okay. Those doors are secure. Well, what's the trouble here? It's the corn. Hey, you'd better take over, Professor. Yes, these wounds should be washed. We need warm water. Hey, Professor, there's another one of them pots out on the balcony. What about filling it up and setting it on the fire? Go ahead, Skip. He has a set of words. Is he conscious? Do not fear for me. It is not I for whom my heart weeps. Out of his head. Finally marks in his body? A number of deep gashes on his left side. Look. Look here. Something's bitten into the flesh here. Here, let me see. Mmm. That needs immediate attention. Perry, you go on washing the face. They are kept in. Roll him toward you just a bit. There. That's better. Hey, ask the humding of a fire. You'll have hot water in no time. Oh, ring out your handkerchief and hand it to me, Perry. Thanks. The Captain Friday, take the longest blade of your knife and bury it in the coals for two minutes and then bring it to me. Hey, Professor, what's that for? Just stand back out of the light. Will you skip? Ah, all my emergency equipment would be where I can't lay hands on it now that I need it. Oh, one skirt takes an awful lot of bandages. Well, we'll need them. Get a couple of the longest ones handy. Roll them up. Don't handle them any more than you can help. There now. Wash the blood out of that handkerchief and give it back to me, Perry. Here comes Captain Friday with the knife. All right. Never mind the rag, Perry. Give it to me quick, Captain. Hang on tight, Taquan. I'm going to burn out this wound. Oh, no. Oh, no. Don't let the girls watch. Sit on his legs, Doctor. Now, Captain, will you and Perry hold his arms down? Ready? All over. Let hold of yourself, Celia. Now those bandages, Captain Friday. Here you are. Thank you, Captain. Water's hot now, Professor. Good. Skip. Reach in my left upper pocket. Unbutton the flap and get that vial. Got it? Okay, teacher. Drop eight or ten drops in the water. Perry, take a clean piece of cloth and re-wash the wounds on his face while I finish bandaging this. Yes, sir. I'll never see a fellow with more nerve. Not a peep out of him after that one yell. Fainted, that's why. Won't try to bring him to, you know, until we've finished. His heart's all right. Not much we can do, Captain. The professor seems to have things pretty well in hand. Yes, he's got his clothes cut away from all the slashes and cuts on his legs. Celia seems to be in a bad way. I'll see what I can do for her. Pretty rough experience. How are you, Patricia? All right, boss. That smell of burned flesh kind of got me further than this. Well, you're taking it fine. Hang on. Thanks. Gee, did you ever see anyone so marvelous with his hands as Professor LeBron? Yes, he's more than a college professor. He's one of the finest surgeons in the West. There. Now we'll sway these whole facing claws dipped in this medicated water. It's the best we can do for him now. What do you make of these scratches, Professor? They're made by human nails and they were human teeth that bit him. Hey, you don't mean they're cannibals. Hardly. Cannibalism consists of more than tearing human flesh with nails and teeth, not cannibals. Just plain demented fiends. In other words, werewolves. After a fashion, yes. Another strip of bandage, Patricia. Here, Professor. Good girl. Skip, put more water on the fire. Captain Friday, will you put your thumb on this bandage? Handicap without adhesive tape. Hey, look, your teacher. I ain't heard any sounds outside for quite a bit now. Maybe I could sneak out where your medical stuff is and bring it in. He'll do nothing of the kind, Skip. Those doors stay shut and barred. I agree. There, Perry. That will take care of his head and the worst of the body scratches. He looks more like a mummy than a living person. We've left openings for his mouth and eyes. Hey, look at there, Professor. He's moving. Coming around. Hmm, that's good. Will he be in much pain? Oh, the worst is over. I've got to clean up a little myself now. Dr. Carter, what are you supposed Taquan meant when he said that it wasn't himself but for the queer sort of thing? I don't know exactly, Captain. I have a vague sort of idea, but I think we'll have to look to Taquan himself for the true explanation. How's Cedion? Not so good. I made her lie down on a rug in front of the fire. Uh-oh. He's opening his eyes. Feel pretty sick, Taquan? Where is my friend, Professor LeBoun? He'll be right back. Are you in pain, Taquan? No, not pain in my body. His bleeding is in my heart. Well, take it easy now. You're going to be all right. I am not badly hurt then. Nothing that won't be all right in a few days. Dr. Carter, come close. I want to tell you, you have no friends here among my people, but myself. What's that, Taquan? What about Fenlo? You promised us the protection of Fenlo. What's happened, Taquan? Captain Friday, you need not worry longer about my brother priest Fenlo. What's that supposed to mean? Can you tell us, Taquan? Fenlo is no more. I have killed Fenlo, my brother priest, with my own hands. What, Taquan? You've committed another murder? I have killed Fenlo, and there are none but enemies against us in all the jungles of Cambodia. The ancient Khmer priests are out of hand. They have turned against their natural leader, Taquan. He can no longer promise the Carter party protection. His own life is at stake. Listen next week to the ninth episode of The Cobra King Strikes Back, entitled, The Fangs and Teeth of the Enemy. You are listening to Adventures by Morse.