 It's now the island starring John Lund, a tale well calculated to keep you in short span. This Corporal Lacey was okay, a good Marine. But the way I looked at it, he'd been hopping too many islands. The battle fatigue can get the best of them. Anyway, here I was somewhere in Okinawa with him. In the middle of the night, and I'd just as least be anywhere else. Okay, Debori, the footprint is deep enough. I guess we're safe for a while. Where are we anyhow? A couple of miles behind the jet line. How safe is that? You worry too much, pal, even for a guy on his first patrol. I was thinking of it as my last. Ah, relax like me in your list forever. What's that? Nothing. I just a scream and me-me. Got some kind of tail adjustment that cuts the wind and sort of screams. The limp fuse it to scare it. They sure succeeded. You scare easy, pal. Sure. I'm a pushover for that shriek like that. Shrekic? What kind of jive is that? It means terror. It's rightfulness. The Germans got a whole arsenal of terror weapons. The Jeffs got a few themselves. You take the first watch. I'm second in. Maybe? Maybe I'll just sit here and dream a while. If you're picking a fine time for it. Did I ever tell you about my island? Yeah, you told me. Well, it's this island. You must have told me fifty-fifty times already. So I'll tell you again. This island is sort of special place. No rain. No jungle rut. No war. That is not the place. On this island a man has never gone hungry. All you got to do is fish a little with the natives. Oh, big man and friendly. Not like the nymphs. All the dames are beautiful. Here are too many comic books. That's where I'm fixing to go. As soon as I find it. Never going back stateside. I'm going to lay down under that little old banyan tree. I let him rage on it. What else could I do? I'll argue with him. There I was a couple of miles behind the enemy lines with a stranger. The guy's narrowed on a thousand yards stairs. Rushed his words like a nervous twitch. He raved on about a place that don't exist. Big men. Beautiful women. This island. Real pretty. Different. Like nothing you ever saw. All surrounded by mist. Then I found myself listening. Sort of hypnotized. I knew I was looking to battle the team. Like I said, the couple has hopped too many islands. They've seen too much death. Too many crack-ups. He was half-cracked and slightly dead himself. So what could I do? Argue with him. Pineapple and fat to breathe with the people. And I'll find me a beautiful girl and we'll... Tabore. Yeah, yeah, I'm listening. Look, Tabore. Out there. Coming toward us. Over there. A bunch of them. Oh, not a bunch. Four. Three men and... a woman. They're heading right for it. Put down that rifle. Is somebody a flip or something? They're not Japs. The men are too big. And a woman. She's beautiful in the moonlight. Japs, I know Japs. I ain't taking no chances. Knock it off, you jerk. You hit the dame. Where are you going? I'm going to see if he's hurt. Come on. Don't go like you know the Japs. There might be a trick. Don't worry about me. Let go of my arm. Don't get yourself killed. Not me, Tabore. I'll lift a spin on your grave. Now let's go. Okay. I hope you know what you're doing. Must be around here somewhere. Listen. Came from over there. Come on. Here she is. Break out your first date, Tabore. Here. Look, ladies. Let me fix your arm, huh? Look, see? Bandages. And he took taste. And a cylinder. You don't get what you're talking about. She gets the idea. Yeah, that's right, lady. Now this won't hurt a bit. You just got nicked a little in the arm. It's just a flesh wound. She trusts you. Yeah, she taught me more than you do. Didn't I tell you she was beautiful? You told me a lot of things. How about the men she was with? The big men. They weren't Japs. Not Japs. In a pig's eye, they weren't Japs. No, they're not Japs. Yeah, you see? And what were they? They were my people. Who are you? What's your name? Man, a duckie. But he's going to leave. I'm going to go home. Now go home. Scram. Lose yourself. Oh, no, you don't. Let her alone, Lacey. You'll keep out of this. Now let her go. Let her go back to her right patty. You still don't catch Tabore. She ain't from Okinawa. She's from that island. That island I was telling you about. I said Yagachi. Yagachi Shima. Shima, see? Shima means island. Yes, island. So what are you doing here? Nothing, no. Japanese bring us in canoe. He's crazier than you are. Whoever. Shut up. Chucky, Chucky. Where is your island? Where is your Gachi Shima? In the sea. In China Sea. Half a day from Okinawa by canoe. Canoe? What's it like, Chucky? What's your island like? Never mind the island. Let's find a canoe. But to see Lacey with the canoe we can get back to our lives by water. Chucky, can you find the canoe? Please, I think I can. Let's go. She led us to the wood toward the beach. The moonlight had delicate faces like ancient ivory. Her hair was long and black and drawn tight over her head. She was straight and slim. She walked with dignity. She was beautiful. Beautiful in her dreams. Lacey's dreams. For a moment she had me dreaming too. But only for a moment. Then we were on the beach and there was a canoe. And leaning against the prow of Jap's entry. You never know what hit him. Pretty up talking in the canoe. Put you off, Shibori. You take the bow. Where to? Right off the sea, two weeks. You know what I think? I think we're gonna make it. Okay, Shibori. We can take it easy now. I'm not taking it easy until we cross up the river. How are you gonna tell at night? Maybe you think they got neon signs? What are you gonna do then? We're gonna stand by it all morning. I don't know. I think it'd be better to... However you think you're outvoted. You're outvoted two strikes at once. You're pulling rank corporal? Why not, knucklehead? This ship has got one skipper and I'm it. There you are. I wanted to make stuff out of you. I'll knock it out of you. I'm warning you. Don't follow up this detail. So what was I gonna do, argue with him? Start a private firefight in the middle of the China Sea? I was getting a little combat weary myself. But lately, he was all charged up as though his crazy dream had come true. Buying on the narrow deck of the canoe I could hear them droning on about the islands. It's not like other islands, is it, Haki? Oh, you're giving me the answer. I wish I could tell you how. It's pretty, huh? It's very pretty, but... Is the fishing good? Oh, very good. I knew it would be like that. I knew it. And that's the last thing I remember. I guess I fell asleep. And then suddenly it was daylight and... Kamori! Look! Kamori! What? Look over there. What do you see? An island. Just an island. Not just an island. My island. How do you know? Look. Surrounded by mist, just like I said. Cut it to the Marines when we get back to Okinawa. Stand by the ram, Tabori. We ain't going back to Okinawa. Now, wait a minute. I don't want no more trouble for you, Tabori. And don't make any of... What? What? You looking for your rifle? Don't bother. Because I got it right here. Now get your rump forward. You're crazy. Move, Tabori. You're flirting with a purple heart. Now lean on that paddle. That's right. We're heading for Yagashi. Our canoe scraped the coral beach of Yagashi about four hours later. The place he was right. It was a lovely island. Now here we are. The Inns believe in, huh, Tabori? It's funny. So close to Okinawa, this place looks like I've never heard a shot fired in anger. Where are your people, Tati? I don't know. We ain't over here. You must not come. You go back now. Oh, no. I'm sticking around. How about you, Tabori? I came this far. I'll sweat it out just for last. You're going to laugh out of the wrong side of your face. It's not too loud. I just have to figure a speech, Taki. Let's go. The trails make couples. Pine trees and casserinas rattle in the sweet, strong winds in the China Sea in the fields of raspberry bushes. There were lilies in the sword grass and scarlet flowers. When I was looking for people, the big men of Lacey's dreams, the girls all as lovely as the girl walking beside it. I was tense with expectancy at each bend in the trail. Lacey's tense of advantage had lost them because he had found Taki. Well, Tabori? Really? No, no, Taki. My name is Lacey. I'll try it again. Lacey. L, I can... Well, this is a lily. You are a lady and you're a local. Tabori, I'm going to co-cock you. You're so funny, Lacey, all you like. The first time, I'm so happy. Yeah, me too. I've been dreaming about you for... for so long. I always knew I'd find you. Oh, you never forget what you see. I'll never let you forget. Oh, Lacey. Oh, Lacey, honey. L, I can love. We walked on together. The tall marine and the slim girl with the ivory skin. Now and then, she'd look up at Lacey in a pained expression clouded her face as though she were afraid to believe it. But I did. Loneliness. The weirdness of war. The rest you can do. Very soon now, that dream would burst like a bubble to become reality. I had to find out. But finally, we reached the summit. Down below it in a little valley was the village of pocket people. Floating up to us was a strange, sad town. Maybe... maybe it's what you call a ceremony or something. Yes, it is. Maybe it's for us. I bet they know we're coming. No. It's a sort of day. What happened, you suppose? The war? It's just... my people died. Well, everybody's people died. It's gonna happen sooner or later. Yes. Soon or later. Like I always say, here today, gone tomorrow. I never heard it so well put. To borrow a drop dead hat, dry up. Let's go, Taki. As we went down the mountainside, the thing stopped. When we got to the village, it was deserted. Taki stopped us at the edge of the clearing. If you want to see us, I'll come back soon with father. This is gonna be good. You gonna stay here on the island with me, Tabori? No, Lacey, I just want one good look at your big men and beautiful women in their native habitats. Then I'm shoving off Oganawa. Little skeptical, huh? Yeah. Something schooly about this place. I'm not sure what it is, but I gotta find out. He's crazy. He's the rest of my life. You mean crazy like me? I didn't say that. Since we left Oganawa, you've been giving me a bad time. It was mutual. And now you're calling me crazy. I know what I said. I know what you think. I know what you'll do once you get back to Oganawa. You'll tell the MPs I went over the hill. You'll tell them where I am. And they'll come after me. You are crazy. I'm just crazy enough to make sure that you keep your trap shut. Remember, Tabori? I said I'd be around to spit on your grave. Stop kidding around with that right. I ain't kidding. I'm gonna kid you, Tabori. But first you're gonna see I was right. I want to see the expression on that smart Alex's face of yours when you admit it. And then I'm gonna kid you. Here they come. Get over there by that tree and keep your motion. He's far to help when you see. You the head man? I suppose you could call me then. Well, you're not a... You're not an Oriental. No, I'll see him. But what can I do for you? I want to stay here. But Taki... I'm afraid you can't. I'll work my ways. That's not the point. I don't want no arguments. You cannot stay. Why not? She's a leper. She's so beautiful. I know my son. But in three years... five years... I... I tried to tell you at first, but... I'm not a know-how. And then I could not even if I want to. I wanted to last... another hour, another minute. Goodbye, you see. I'll never forget you. I won't forget you either. It was like a dream come true. That it was. Goodbye. What did you thought about? It's quite simple. Horrible and simple. Two nights ago the Japanese came to the leper colony. They took more than half my patients to Okinawa and headed them towards the American line. But why? To disrupt your advance? There was no chance of contagion, but... Well, my patients aren't all as... beautiful as tart. I see. Shreklicite. Exactly. A weapon of terror. Tabori? Yeah, Laitis? I guess we'd better move out. You ready, pal? Yeah. Long road back to Okinawa. Yeah, for me... the road back is long and met. In which John Lund starred in William and Rookson's production of The Island by Millard Kaufman. In a moment the names of tonight's supporting Mr. Lund in The Island were Lillian Baez, Joda Santus and Hans Conreed. Listen. Listen again next week when we return with The Crowded Boys by Michael Foster. Another tale well calculated to keep you in. America listens most to the CDS. Radio Network.