 Good evening. May I present my wife Kathy? Good evening and thank you for the very nice letters and telegrams Commenting on our opening show last week. Tonight the new year being somewhat established. We're going to present a spy story It's called Bay Roots by Sunrise and it was written for us by a very fine new radio writer Richard Chandley My name in the play is Mildred Gideon, and I'm Frank Grady The background of our opening scene the Mediterranean Sea A ship is moving easily through the winter waters sailing away from Beirut, Lebanon aboard our travelers of all types all nationalities The one of particular interest to us at the moment is a young lady American single her name is Mildred Gideon And as we start our play she's in her cabin writing a letter Darling sister as I told you last this Mediterranean cruise just hasn't been What I expected? We've sailed from Beirut, but I'm still shaking after yesterday. Honestly. I was positive I'd never see this good old ship again It's hard to believe my trip to the Near East began as Disappointingly as it did that first stop at Port Said was dreadful Not that I thought there'd be perfume nights, but I was hoping I'd feel a little of the Well the mystery of it all When we left for Beirut the only stimulating thing was the new dinner companion of our table a mr. Haroon At least he looked interesting compared to that awfully dull Frank Grady. I've been forced to sit alone with until now Frank Grady mr. Haroon mr. Grady. This is miss Gideon Mildred Gideon. How do you do miss Gideon child? You are both American. Yeah. Yeah, we're Americans Akron, Ohio Miss Gideon's North Dakota teacher school third grade a charming That names Persian They say Beirut's really something to see one should see it at sunrise for the first time a thrilling sight Well swell we hit there in the night. How about a sunrise date teacher? Well, I really hadn't planned all right All right, okay by me can't say it in offer Well, Beirut here we come They root here we come Honestly, he just made me fence Companions are half the fun, but really you couldn't commune with anything with Frank Grady around I Simply couldn't share Beirut by sunrise with him. It was around five when I woke I felt a little thrill when I realized the engines had stopped and we were there It was still black when I reached the deck Just for a moment. I was afraid I'd have company, but I was alone It was marvellously still like everything holding its breath Then just a crack of sunlight and spires of minarets began to appear then domes Then the whole sweeping outline of the city rising out of the night. It was just pure Omar Cayenne I Floated with it completely carried away by the sight that magic quiet and Then wouldn't you know something had to spoil it down on the dock below some man had come Stumbling out of one of the shadows Honestly just reeling it was still pretty dark, but I could see he was a sailor an American sailor coming toward the ship. He looked up. I saw his face Then he swayed and fell tried to drag himself. I Don't know why I did it, but there just wasn't anyone else around any place and well He was an American and I felt sorry for him What what happened to you? May I help you? Sultan oh dear. I'm afraid you've had too much to drink. Let me help you listen Sultan's turret 15th step tell it to Tell Then I saw it a knife buried in his back He just died I backed away. It was horrible. I couldn't think what to do. I just turned and and I ran I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to run into you. Oh you're an American What are you running from madam down the street back there on the dock? You're wearing the uniform. Are you police? Oh, yeah madam the root police. I presume you are from the passenger ship Yes, that's right on the dock There's a dead man. Oh, yes, it's right here. Thank you Miss Mildred Gideon Baro That seems to be in order. Thank you. May I be of aid to you back there a dead man a sailor? There's a knife in his back. Now. What is it you wish the police to do do? He's lying there dead He's not a little early for dead bodies miss cadion Oh, pardon, you're sure he's not just a drunk drunk. I told you there was a knife in his back Yeah, I shall accompany you to the dead body. Well Do you see there's the ship? I was standing right up there on the deck. Oh, yeah, I see now where exactly Just at the edge of those packing cases. I Don't want to look miss Gideon, please. I couldn't bear to see there is nothing here What this is the exact place? Yeah, sure. I swear They must have moved him. They will someone miss Gideon when a man is drunk He wasn't drunk. Believe me. There was a knife and knife then there should be blood. There is no blood Look, I saw it. It was dark miss Gideon possibly the shadows. I swear to you. I saw it He was dead Without a body there is little we can do you agree. Yes, but I You don't believe I saw anything do you something? Yes, you know Beirut is a modern city But it still has charm sometimes a visitor is overwhelmed. I don't understand it I'm not wearing my glasses, but Well, it was so real Yeah, the report will be fired Now if I may escort you back to the ship All right. I'm terribly sorry to have bothered you. I felt absolutely ridiculous The policeman couldn't help thinking I was only a giddy excited tourist saying anymore. We just make it worse. I Looked back at the place. It was daylight now and everything did look different There wasn't anything to do except try and push it out of my mind if I was going to enjoy Beirut at all When I got to my cabin, I put some cold water on my face and then I went up for breakfast Hey, you late this morning teacher Over slept. No, no No, I was just buying some film for my camera at the ship store Good morning, Mr. Heron. Good morning. Yeah. Well, they rude here See the sunrise teacher or thanks for the suggestion mr. Heron was really something Did you see the sunrise mr. Grady? Why sure it threw my porthole not from the dead Oh, I just got out of bed took a look went back to sleep. Oh Yes, it looks like pretty good town a little on the gaudy side You're signed up for the tour aren't you? I haven't yet. Well, you better hurry Are you going on the tour mr. Heron? I am familiar with Beirut Well, then you must know those little out-of-the-way places that tourists ordinarily don't see some the street of the seven nightingales Mercy I adore seeing something like that well Tours are so commercial you want to see some of that hoochie-coochie stuff white That's not what I mean. Mr. Grady if you were at all sensitive you would You understand don't you mr. Heron? Touchable mark. I am that's it That's it exactly To be a part of it To see and feel antiquity with someone who I could show you miss Gideon you must think I'm rather forward, but I don't Unfortunately, I have business. Oh Oh, I see the tour is really excellent. It won't disappoint you. I've taken it myself Yeah, sure. There's still time to sign up. We'll have a big time just like Port Said I guess I'd better go get my hat a girl. I'll go put your name down See you this evening, mr. Heron. You'll have a nice time. I'm sure yes Goodbye, meet you at the gang plank teacher. Hurry up You can't say I didn't try I Was sure it could have been just like the ruby out with mr. Heron But there wouldn't have been any sense in wandering about by myself If I started seeing things again like this morning. I wanted witnesses And Frank Grady was just the person to keep my feet on the ground The bazaar of the Hussat Elbeen 300 years old You will have a half hour to observe the interesting native handy work and the make purchase some joint Just like a Hollywood set ain't teacher. My name is Mildred. Mr. Gray. Yeah, sure Hey, get a load of those shoes. They're selling wouldn't you get the razz if you clumped around a home of those It's the style here. Well, sure. I realize that but wouldn't you get the razz? I think I'll buy a pair. Hey sahib the marketplace of Russia mere 500 years old a former slave market you will have a half hour to observe the Slave market this dump doesn't look like the ones in the movies really mr. Grady, do you have to compare everything with home use your imagination? Let it come to you the camels coming in carrying new slaves for sale and the slave dealers cracking whips Can't you see it? Hey, that's pretty good. Did you read that somewhere? Forget it. Just forget it. I gave up after that Frank Grady was going to be Frank Grady and that's all there was to it Just when I was ready to go back to the ship and find a good book to read The next point of interest is El Kassir the Sultan's turret the Sultan's turret Seemed familiar. I was certain I'd heard the name before but it didn't seem possible Then I remembered the sailor The dead sailor he'd said Sultan's turret 15th step and I hadn't told the policeman It was a big stone tower broken down in places, but it was solid and real Proof that I hadn't imagined that poor man My heart was simply pounding The upper half has been condemned as unsafe, but there is a museum of interest below It was dark inside just little lights near the showcases. I looked around for the steps In one of the corners, I saw them curving upward. They were roped off. I Edged away from the others praying Frank Grady wouldn't see me Slept under the rope and started up One was pitch black Waited I Had the feeling there was someone else there in the dark Then a tiny white something caught my eye piece of paper I Reached down to pick it up something brushed against me. I Saw a light above and ran up Anything to get out of the dark. I looked at the paper in my hand. There was writing It said ship Six that's all Mr. Haroon I Have been waiting for you. It had all happened so fast. I couldn't make myself think That thing on the stairs and now mr. Haroon Just out of nowhere mr. Haroon. I'm sorry miss Gideon. I really didn't mean to frighten don't Don't come near me all right What are you doing up here? The same reason you are I too like forbidden places. I knew the tour would arrive here about this time Fortunately, I finished my business early. So I came to meet you. Is that so frightened? I guess not I Let me catch my breath. I thought you might like me to show you what I know of the city. You are all right now Yes, I'm all right Mr. Haroon was there anyone else up here just a minute ago. No, you and I are the only curious one Oh, no, no, no, I had to be someone I've got proof Mr. Grady, please let's wait till they go they'll think you're lost let them I've got to talk to you mr. Haroon somebody I've just got to I know a charming place We will talk there We waited for the tour to leave then I took hold of mr. Haroon's arm and we started down those awful stairs Seem like ours to go through the blackness and I shuttered all the way to the bottom And we were out in the sunlight. I felt like breathing again We walked gave me a chance to pull myself together Finally we stopped in front of a little place It didn't look like anything from the outside then mr. Haroon opened the door and we went in what do you think of it? It's just charming all this garden. It's it's the Arabian nights It must be very old. They say oh mark. I am once visited here. You can tell Come fill the cup and in the fire of spring your winter garment of repentance playing The bird of time has bought a little way to flutter and the bird is on the wing You know the Ruby at some of it. I remember I'm dreaming again. It just can't be real. Oh, it is real all right It's Gideon Back at the Sultan's turret. Hmm. What you said you wanted to tell me something Yes It's been so strange all day First I see beauty Then death then it was gone and suddenly terror again and and now this beauty all without warning I Want to remember this place without anything to spoil it Please take me somewhere else. Aren't you carrying this romantic theme a little too far? I beg you pardon What do you mean? I mean All right, I will take you someplace a little less overwhelming It's almost sunset That's funny. I didn't realize it was so late just this place and we will go back to the ship Up these stairs if you please the view oh There's the harbor There's our ship We'll make it back in time won't we in here miss Gideon Nice room, but I I don't oh The view from the window. It's lovely That would we came to see not exactly Mr. Haroon, I don't know whether I'll be sad or glad to leave Beirut But this time with you has miss Gideon. Yes Time is growing short. We must discontinue. I know it's growing short. Mr. Haroon short the time But long my memory for that garden and the moments there I'm not sure whether you are extremely clever or extremely foolish foolish oh Mr. Haroon, please not foolish. I thought you realized what I truly feel this place is not romantic miss Gideon You can stop it now Stop it. You have caused me a great deal of trouble and we are through playing games Mr. Haroon what happened on the stairs of the sultan's turret? What time is the meeting? Meeting up. I don't know what you're talking about death and terror miss Gideon Come here You recognize this I ran Just ran the vision of the dead man on the floor of the room still in my eyes and he was coming after me He was going to kill me. I knew he was going to kill me. I Didn't know where I was or how to get back to the ship It got darker and darker and the streets twisted and turned in front of me shadow after shadow growing bigger and bigger I had to get to the ship Who's there? Who's there in the dark? It was the native quarter and a man and dirty fat ugly man was coming toward me Backed away from him. He slithered after me and then I felt my back against a wall walls all around there wasn't any way out I saw a door just out of reach. I Had stored it Was a big room Dim and evil smelling and there were people but they didn't pay any attention to me They're watching a dancing girl weaving through a greasy yellow light I saw another door stood along the wall toward it Keep away from me Keep away. What happened to you? I've been looking all over He was going to kill me who is going to kill you Horrible terrible. Mr. Haroon. Let's get back to the ship hurry. Please. No, not just a minute I gotta know what time that drop is Drop the message you got at the Sultan's turret. I know you got it or you wouldn't have ditched me What the film documents on film teacher little white slip of paper tells place and time and you've got it You forget your act now forget mine Sailor he said tell it to Frank Grady Sailor was my contact you got in the way No, give me that paper Look teacher Give me the paper or I'll kill you Now I mean it Miss Gideon Well, I don't know No, don't touch me. It's all right Everything is all right. I assure you All right Where am I a pilot's launch miss Gideon? I'm escorting you back to this ship once more The policeman. Hmm. Yeah, so sorry you had to go through as much as you did It was imperative to find out which was the spy mr. Grady or you Dealers in state documents collected and sold to the highest bidder we knew someone would meet the sailor. Oh I see now Then you didn't kill. No. No. No. He was stabbed in a street ball before he could reach the ship Unfortunately, you complicated things too for us as well as for mr. Grady I'm sorry. I had to treat you roughly at the house on the hill because you thought I And I thought you oh Mr. Haroon, I'm so glad I was wrong about you They are closing with the ship Can you walk miss Gideon? Yes. Yes. I think so. I am staying here in Beirut. I wish you a pleasant trip and boy I Proplexed no more with human or divine and tomorrow's tangle to the winds Thank you, mr. Haroon Thank you so much Tonight we would like to thank Edgar barrier who was mr. Haroon Ben writes the police officer and Byron Kane the Lebanese guide. Yes, and again our thanks to Richard Chandley for an exciting story Next week the theater not as it really is but as it seemed to Richard Powell after he had seen his fill of a certain type of Backstage story and so next week a new comedy called a poetic tragedy Written for us by Richard Powell. Thank you for listening. We'll be back again next week. Good night. Good night