 Idiot, I'll fix you. I'll take you back there and raise her. No, don't. I told you not to touch me. Played our last performance together. Midnight, the witching hour when the night is darkest, our fears the strongest, our strength at its lowest ebb. Midnight, when the graves gape open and death strikes. How? You learn the answer in just a minute in The Secret of XR3. Murder at midnight, tales of mystery and terror by radio's masters of the macabre. Our story by Max Ehrlich is The Secret of XR3. The death house. The man sits in a tiny cell, his head bowed, waiting for the moment when he will pass from light to eternal shadow. The clock picks on, but the time is not yet, not quite yet. Then footsteps sound on the corridor. The door opens. It's almost time, my son. Yes, father. I know. Is there anything I can do? No. Still, I'm glad you've come. Father, look at me. Look at me closely. Yes? I frighten you, don't I? I terrify you. No. No, my son. Nothing frightens me except the evil in men's hearts. Am I evil? I... I don't know, my son. Father, I... sit down. Let me tell you my story, and then when I finish, perhaps you can tell me. They call me Gorgos. All my life I've been a little man, only three feet high. Perfectly normal in every way, you see, except for my height. Perhaps you saw me down at the Century Theatre not so long ago, at the Vogueville team of Petrov and Gorgos, Acrobat Supreme. Petrov was a huge, ape-like man who tossed me through the air like a rubber ball. The audience liked the act, the contrast between the big, big Petrov and the little little Gorgos, intrigued and amused them, and on the stage I laughed and smiled and went through my tricks like a happy little fella. But in the dressing room, it was different. I did not like your performance tonight, Gorgos. But... but what... what was wrong with the Petrov? You were slow. You landed too heavily. You did not smile enough. But they liked us, Petrov. You heard them. We got three curtain calls. We should have gotten five. Petrov, I did my best, my very best. Believe me. Your best was not good enough, little one. Perhaps you will do better tomorrow if I lock you in your room tonight without supper. That was Vladimir Petrov, a gorilla of the man and master of my body and soul. How I hated him. How many times I wept in the silence of my room. All my life I had walked in the shadows of bigger people. See, all my life I had looked up instead of straight ahead, endured the stares of the curious and sensed the pity that was in their hearts. And that was why I used to wait in the alley near the stage door between performances because it was dark there. I loved the dark. It protected me and hid me from those who stared and mocked. One night... I beg your pardon, you were Gorgos? Yes. My name is Dr. Meade. I saw your performance earlier tonight. I was just coming in to see you. Yes, what about? I happened to be an expert in glandular work, particularly in the function of the pituitary or growth gland. I think the results of my recent experiments will interest you. I... I don't understand, Dr. Meade. Did you ever hear of XR3? XR3? No. Well, it's an extract, a synthetic I discovered about two years ago. In my experiments to date, whenever I injected it into stunted or dwarfed animals, they grew. They... grew? Yes. You... you mean to normal size? Well, by using control doses, yes. You mean if you could do this with... with animals, then... then you could... I don't know, Gorgos. I think the time has come to try. Except for your size, you were perfectly formed. Just what I've been looking for. I came to ask you if you'd volunteer. Yes, yes. You understand, I can't guarantee a thing. I understand, and that doesn't matter. I... Dr. Meade, you don't know what it means, even the chance... a chance to grow to normal size. Well, I... One thing, though, I must have your written permission. My permission? Yes, yes, Dr. Meade. I'll give it to you gladly. I'll do anything, anything. You speak a little hastily. Do you not, Gorgos? Petrov. Yes, little one. I'm sorry, Dr. Meade. I'm afraid you will have to find someone else for your experiments. Someone else. My little friend cannot act as your guinea pig without my consent. You see, I am Gorgos' legal guardian, and I have the papers to prove it. No, Petrov, no! No, you've got to give me this chance. Silence, little fool. As I said, I am sorry, Dr. Meade. But my tears, sir, if I can make Gorgos grow to normal size... If you did, what would become of our act? It would be worthless. The people come to see Big Petrov and Little Gorgos. Do you mean to say, Mr. Petrov, that you would let your wardrobe act stand in the way? Yes. I spent years building the team of Petrov and Gorgos. Do you think I am going to let you ruin my investment now? Petrov, please, please, please, let him do it. You've got to... Shut up, you little fool, and get inside. Petrov! As for you, doctor, I wouldn't advise you to come around here again. If this was a blow, I could not stand. Dr. Meade had opened a prison door for me, and Petrov had slammed it shut again. I resolved then that come what may, I would have my chance. The very idea of the XR-3, of becoming a man like other men made me drunk and gave me daring. One morning, while Petrov was away, I paid a visit to Dr. Meade at his office, and begged him to try the experiment, without Petrov's permission. I'm sorry, Gorgos, but I cannot. The experiment would be very delicate if anything should happen without your guardian's legal permission. No, I'll run the risk, Dr. Meade. I'll be glad to. I'm sorry, but it can't be done. I see. Dr. Meade. Yes. Just what does this XR-3 look like? Well, I made it up in capsule form. Here, I've pulled a bottle of the capsules in my desk drawer. As you see, they're green in color. So those are the magic capsules. Thank you for letting me see them, doctor. Thank you very much. Late that night, I slipped out of my hotel room and down the fire escape. Keeping in the shadows, I went to Dr. Meade's office and climbed through the grilled bars in the window. It was easy for a man of my size. And when I left, I hit the bottle of XR-3 capsules in my pocket. Well, that was Saturday night. I took one capsule and then another. They made me ill, lightheaded. Then I fell into a deep sleep. And then a knock on the door awakened me. Who is it? Petroff. Why are you sleeping so late? I don't feel well. My little one does not feel well. That's a peak. Please, Petroff. I want to sleep. Very well. Today is Sunday and there is no performance. But tomorrow, my little gorgo, you'd better be in the best of health, understand? Otherwise I'll see that you really become sick. After he left, I fell into the deep sleep again. And then something woke me. My muscles ached as though I had been stretched on a rack. It was daylight again. It was Monday. My pajamas seemed uncomfortably tight and I looked down and the sleeves only reached my elbows. I stared and my heart stopped beating. Then I remembered the XR3. Like a drunken man, I staggered over to the mirror and looked. Yes, I had grown. I had grown. My pajamas were stretched to burst. I was growing. I was at least five feet tall. Five feet tall. It was almost time for the performance now. Petroff would be coming for me any minute. And I didn't want him to see me, not yet. So I piled furniture against the door. I can't go, Petroff. Not tonight. I'm still sick. What? And do you think I made the most point of performance? Because you're sick? Open the door. No. Petroff, no, don't come in. Don't come in. You little fool. I'll break every bone in your body. I heard a turning in the lock. My furniture against the door would only hold for a minute. And I ran to my release, took out a straight razor and then like a frightened animal. I waited. Go to go. In the name of heaven, what? Yes, Petroff. I got it. I stole the XR3 and I took it. Now you see? You idiot. Do you realize what you've done? You've ruined the act. You've ruined it. Do you hear? Yes, but I'm a man now. A man. Not a dwarf. They won't stare at me now. They won't. No. That's what you think. If that doctor could make you grow, he can make you small again. Smaller than ever. No, Petroff, no. Yes, Corgo. You've grown, but not so much that I can't handle you. We're going to see him right now. Petroff, no. Let me alone. Heaven's sake. It's stronger than you. A razor. No. Don't. I told you to leave me alone. I told you. Oh, it's all over. We've played our last performance together, Petroff. A doomed man sitting in the death house pauses in his story, recalling the first time the clock struck 12 for... Murder. Now here is Corgo again, continuing his story to the priest in the death house. I stayed in my hotel room another day and took two more XR3 capsules. And when I looked into the mirror that night, I was over six feet tall. That was enough. That was all I wanted. Now I would leave the hotel. They'd never know who killed Petroff. They'd be looking for Corgo, a three-foot midget. Never suspect me. Yes, I was in the clear. I stripped Petroff, put on his clothes. They were a little tight, but they did well enough. Then I went through the lobby and into the night. The mere experience of walking was exciting, exhilarating, as though I were walking on high fence. And nobody looked at me twice. The staring eyes were gone. I was normal. Normal. First I had to find a place to live. I passed by a boarding house with a sign, room to let. I rang the bell. Hello. My name is Baker, John Baker. I saw your sign about a room. Would you like to see it, big boy? If you don't mind. I don't mind a bit. Come in. Come in. It's a lovely room. We got a nice class of people. I'm sure you'll like it. I'm sure I will. But first, Miss... Devlin. Wrote a Devlin. Yeah. Well, Miss Devlin, I just wanted to say I've been living in hotels all my life and I can't give you any references. Forget it. My mother owns the place. Well, we're not exactly formal. Besides, you look good to me. I do? Yeah. I... Well, I always did go for big men. Big? Yeah. And I... I've always liked pretty girls. This was a dream come true. I was a normal man and a normal girl was attracted to me. She was blond and blue-eyed and her head came up to my shoulder. A week passed. A week that was beyond my wildest dreams. I took Rhoda out and we went everywhere. I fell in love with her. Madly in love. She was so small, so delicate. I wanted to protect her always. She had opened up a new and magic world to me. A world of light and love and laughter. And then one night it happened. I was taking Rhoda home from the movies and we were passing a billiard parlor. And there were several idlers in front of the place. They began saying things. Hey, look at the giant. How's the weather up there, big boy? Hey, girly, what do you got there? You wait here, Rhoda. I'll shut their mouths for them. All right. I cracked the skull of the next man who opens his mouth. Please, please, Johnny, don't bother with it. Yeah, but they're saying... I don't know, but hey, poor boy, please! All right. I wanted to smash their jeering faces, knock them down. But Rhoda and I walked on to her mother's boarding house. And she was strangely silent as we entered the dimly lit foyer. She hadn't said a single word since we had passed that billiard parlor. And I was vaguely disturbed. I took her in my arms, but she pushed me away. No, please, don't. What's the matter, baby? Is it what those men at the billiard parlor said? I... Growing bigger? Yeah. Yeah. I thought at first they were seeing things, but... Now I know it's true. I know it's crazy, it's crazy, but... When we first met, the top of my head reached your shoulders. And now? Not... Yeah? What about now? No, it doesn't reach your shoulders anymore. You've grown bigger. Rhoda, you don't know what you're saying. This is your imagination. No, no, it's true. We better not see each other anymore. I'm afraid of you, John. You're too big now. Good night. No, Rhoda, listen. Don't touch me. No, Rhoda, please. Let go of my arm. No, nothing to you. Here's what I have to say. Rhoda, I love you. Dear, I love you, and I'm not going to let you just toss me aside. Let me go! Get big blood! Let me go! No, stop that! No, stop that screaming! You want to wake the whole street up! Let me go! No! Stop it! Stop it! When I sagged in my arms, I'd forgotten my own strength. And in my fury, I'd strangled her. It was like a man in a dream. I lowered her body gently to the floor and then turned a look at my reflection in the full-length mirror in the foyer. Yes, it was true. The pitiless mirror reflected a giant. I'd grown at least six inches. The XR3 had continued its work, was making me grow even now. Now I was a freak again. They stared at me again and pity me. The beautiful, normal world I had so briefly enjoyed came crashing down over my ears. I ran out of the house like a wild man and into the street. Dr. Mead, I ran to his office, avoiding the well-lit streets and the light was on. And I prayed that he was in. I knocked on the door. You remember me? Can't say that I do. Look up into my face, doctor. The features are the same. You looked down upon that so long ago. Well, the midget. No, Dr. Mead. It's Gogo the giant now. So it was you who stole the bottle of XR3 capsules from my desk? Yes, yes, yes. And this is the result. This and Petrov's murder. He deserved to die. It does not alter the fact that it still was murder. Dr. Mead! I've not yet argued law with you. I want you to save me. You've got to stop this growing process. But how? What can I do? An antidote. You must have an antidote. I'm sorry, but I haven't. There just isn't any. What? No antidote? I assure you, I'm telling the truth, Gogo. I was interested in making things grow, not making them smaller. Yeah. Then I'm lost. There's no way out. I'm sorry. All my life I was a little man. I wanted to know what it was... what it was like to be a big man. Now I am big. Too big. Isn't that amusing, doctor? Too little and then too big. Like the swing of a pendulum. I wish I were little again. I knew what to expect. I was used to that. Now they'll stare at me again. They'll laugh and jeer at me. Gogo the Giant! I think we'd better call the police, Gogo. Well, Father, that's... that's my story. See, that's why I'm here in the death house. Now... tell me, am I evil? No, my son. You have been unfortunate, but not evil. You have sinned, yes, but you have been sinned against too and coming for you, Gogo. I hear. And I'm glad. Glad? Yes, glad. I don't mind dying now. This world, Father, what has it ever meant to me? But there, in the next world, there no man will be strange and all will be equal. And perhaps there, I will find peace. With firm and measured tread, the man who was first too small and then too big walks down the corridor. And the iron doors along the way rattle and clang like the charming of the clock when at first struck twelve for... Murder! Be with us again when death walks through the darkness with giant strides and the clocks strike twelve for... Murder! Carl Swenson. With music by Charles Paul, Murder at Midnight was directed by Anton M. Leder.