 Adventures by Morse. Courtney Morse presents The Land of the Living Dead, featuring Captain Friday. If you like high adventure, come with me. If you like the stealth of entry, come with me. If you like blood and thunder, come with me. When last we were with Judith English, she was in the hands of one of the masters of the Brotherhood of the Living Dead. This priest had taken her to a room beneath the magnificent stairway to the sun and was in the act of stealing her mind, as he explained it, to give to a Chakota Indian girl in a sacred city, the stronghold of Maya Nahid. Then we followed Captain Friday, Skip Turner, and Dr. English to the same room, only to find that Judith was gone and the body of the master on the floor and Indian sacrificial night in his back. Dr. English recognized the knife as one given to Mrs. Santos by him before the party had left San Francisco. The master dead. Another pawn removed from Maya Nahid's side of the board. That Santa's woman is a terror. She's double-crossed us at every turn. Now she's begun to murder her Chakota friends. Yeah, but what about Judith? We got to find Judith. Well, it's a cinch if we can get our hands on Mrs. Santos, Judith will be far off. I hope you're right, Captain Friday. Anything's better than the brothers to the Living Dead. I'm not so sure, Dr. English. That Santa's woman is my idea of a perfect double-cross. Well, there's no use in standing here. Let's go back through the torture chamber and up to the stairway to the sun. Yeah, yeah, they must have taken Judith to a sacred city. Come on, come on. Just a moment. Hold that torch down here, Captain. Dr. English, you ain't going to rob a dead body. Skip, if there's a flashlight on the body, I don't know why we shouldn't have it. Oh, I'm sorry, Dr. I shouldn't have said it. No, it's a guess. We'll think before you see anything like that again. Find anything, Doctor? Yes. Yes, there's a flashlight, a gun too. Great. Which do you want, Captain? Perhaps I'd better take the gun. Good, I'll carry the flashlight. Skip wouldn't care for anything off a dead body anyway, I don't suppose. Hey, I said I was sorry. It's all right, Skip. Good lesson. Skip, put that reed torch back on the wall. We won't need it now. Yeah, sure. You'll have to lead the way, Doctor, if you're going to carry the light. I'll be right at your elbow. Very well. Keep close behind me, Skip. Right with you. I'm in the torture chamber. Keep your voices down. There's a sharp echo in here. Man, listen to that water drip. Gets on my nerves worse every time I hear it. I wonder how many centuries it's been dripping on that stone chair. Yeah, how many heads it has pounded in a madness. Well, we're past that. Wither, Skip. Sure. All right now, up the stairs we go. Don't stumble over any of those skeletons chained to the wall. I've been trying to figure out our position, Captain. If this stairway in the heart of this mountain goes clear to the cone at this same slant, we've got two miles of steps to climb. I'm beginning to feel like a mole. Seems like years since I've seen daylight. Think of the millions and millions of tons of dirt over our heads. Turn the light on the ceiling, will you, Doctor? Yeah. The ceiling's about 15 feet above our heads. Yeah, there's about a mile of dirt between us and the fresh air and sunshine. Oh, Skip. Skip. Doctor, we've lost Skip. He's not behind me. Not behind you? No, he's here just a second. Doctor, shoot your light out of the stairway. There she is. Hold your flash on her arm. Get her. Oh, God, Captain, she'll be armed. Keep your flashlight in her eye so she can't see the shoot. Yeah. I'm going for her. I got her. I'm in a flying leap. Give me a hand, Skip. She's fighting like a wild dog. She's got a knife. Stab me, would you? There, now. Now, you stay put. Hate to sit on a lady. Skip, where the blazers are you? Here I am, boss. Well, take your belt. Tie her feet. Doctor, hold your flash on her face. Yeah, it's too low, all right. What a beautiful girl. Her feet are tied. Look out now. Don't let Lucie have her hands. She's savage all the way through. Me, let Lucie have these pretty hands? I guess not. I've been wanting to hold her members since I first saw her. Yeah, sit up and act like a lady. What a strange pair of eyes. Looks as though she were in a trance. Yeah, looks savage to me. Tula, stand up. Unless you enjoy lying on those bones. What a wrestling match we had among those skeletons. Did you hear the chains rattling? We'll talk, huh? Look here, Skip, how'd you happen to find Tula? Well, I heard a step behind us, and I slipped into a cell and let you fellas go on ahead. But as soon as girl slipped by, she didn't see me. When she was between us, I grabbed it. She slipped out of your hands, huh? Slipped out. Look at my face. Good heavens, Skip. You've been sliced with a knife. No, no, it's just scratches. She's got nails like a cab. Certainly spoiled your complexion to the time being. Waiting till Judah sees you. I wish I knew where to look for Judah. Yeah, there's only one place to search, and that's the Sacred City. Yeah, take this gun. It's the one the doctor gave me. Yeah, but you won't. I've got a neat little weapon Tula was carrying, and a knife besides. But what are we going to do with her now that we have her? Take her along with us. You're not hurt, are you, Tula? No, she's not hurt. I can tell by the way she glares. Man, how she hates us. But what will we do with her? Well, personally, I'm going to cultivate her. She may be able to tell us something about Judah. She's a murderer. She killed Robert. Here, Skip, take my belt off. I can't let loose of her hands. Yeah. Now, strap her arms behind her. Good and tight. Not too tight. You're hurting her. Well washed. You don't have to be as savage just because she is. Yeah, never mind. I'll take charge of her. Doctor, hang on to her for a moment while I undo the strap around her ankles. She's got to walk. Man. Here's your belt back. Skip, are we going on up the steps? Yes, of course. You go ahead, doctor. I'll stay in the middle with Tula. Skip, you bring up the rear. Yes, this clam is making me dizzy. I must be getting old. Oh, it ain't age, Doctor. We've climbed up more than a mile of these steps. And darn hard work if you ain't used to it. I'm winded myself. Matter of fact, I am too. Tula here seems to be the only one holding out. She certainly ain't wasting her breath talking. She ain't said a word since we've taken her. Not a quiver or a sob out of her. Chikota's stores, isn't it, I suppose? I don't believe she is a Chikota Indian. Hiya, Tula. Ain't no youth question in her. She won't answer you. I think she will. Here, let's rest a moment. Here, there's a cell on this lander. Should we go in there? Yeah, good idea. At least we'll be out of sight. Open the door, Skip. Hi, hi. George, it's good to rest a moment. Yeah, how's the girl? I think she's ready for a few questions. You're not a Chikota neophyte, are you? Answer me. Where's your tongue? Who are you? Where do you live? Who's Maya Nahim? What are you doing here? Why did you shoot Robert English? Keep it up, Captain. You're beginning to get under skinned. Are you married? Let me see your hand. No ring. Are you an Indian? Now you've got to start it. Are you really a murderous Tula? Answer me. Are you a killer? Why do you kill? They hang killers. Don't you know that? Do you want to hang, rope around your pretty neck, drop through a trap? You want to die that way? Then why did you kill Robert English? Did he ever hurt you? No, of course not. That's Robert's father there. Look at him. Look at him. There. Think of the sorrow you've brought him. Killed his son, broke his heart, ruined his life, endangered the life of his daughter. Why don't you talk? Why don't you speak? What have you done with Judith? You should die. You deserve to die. I came down here to kill you. I swore an oath. I'd kill you the night you killed Robert English back in San Francisco. Oh, stop it, Captain. I can't stand it anymore. Leave her alone. Very well, Doctor. If you're rested, let's move along. Do you mind, Captain? I need a few minutes more. Say, Doctor, I was just thinking about what you said down in that chamber under the stair gender. About another pawn being taken from my Anaheib's side of the chess board. What do you mean, Skip? Well, I was just thinking of all that's happened since the night Robert was killed. Think of the trail of death we've left in our wake. I don't like to think. First there was Robert, then the priest aboard ship would jump into the ocean. Then Mendoza, our guide in La Jolla, and that priest, Dixlan. And the guide thrown to the flesh-eaten tree. Then all the monks in the monastery. And now the master. It looks like my Anaheib's had the best of it so far, don't it? Yes, I'm afraid he has. That's not all. The worst is still to come. Remember, only two more days now until he's to strike his blow at civilization. Yeah, I'd almost forgotten. Only two more days. Two days more. Do you suppose we're going to be able to do anything? Anything to stop him? We've made a sad mess of everything so far. I was depending on the map of the secret passage to give us quick entrance to the sacred city. I thought we'd strike a quick blow, capture, kill my Anaheib, and stop this terrible destruction. But I failed. Failed misery. Yeah, but we've still got a chance. Why, what do you mean, Skip? Oh, don't you see? If we can make Tula talk, she's an important priestess. If we can make her talk, maybe she'll give us a clue to the entrance to the sacred city. That's right. I say, Captain Friday. There'll be no forcing Tula to talk. But Kappy, it may mean saving Judas' life, our lives, the lives of hundreds of millions of people. You heard me. We're not going to stoop to their methods of torture. You ain't fallen for this, babe, are you, Kappy? That's enough of that, Skip. Come, come, come, boys. I'm ready to go on. That's me on our way. Get the cell door, Skip. Keep your voices down when we get on the stairway. Get up, Tula. Come on. Hey, look, Kappy, you've got to realize that hundreds of millions of lives are worth more than this murderous. Shut up, be quiet, Skip. Well, let me tell you two-something. Judas more important than me. Well, you fight down and give me a chance to think. Skip, come up here with me. Yes, you go ahead with the doctor. I'll bring up the rear. The closer we get to the top, the more chance of running into agents of the brotherhood. I can't argue with you and watch the girl, too. No, I'll just be careful you don't lose her. I'll take care of that. Come, come. There's no need to quarrel him. Come along, Skip. All right. Tula, listen to me. When I loosen this strap on your hands, slip out of your arms and run down the stairway. You hear me? You coming, Ken? Yes, of course. Never mind why I'm doing this. I ought to kill you. Now, your hands free. Then run, run. Doctor, Skip, she got away. Tula got away. Don't go on, you balls. Quick, ran she go. Let's get after her. Let's know you. She went like lightning. Was out of sight before I knew what had happened. Oh, there goes our only chance to. Hey, let me see that strap that was around her hands. What for? You let me see that strap. Now, now, Skip, I'll bet he turned her loose. Oh, go ahead and look at it. Does it tell you anything? No. Our only chance to save Judith, and now it's gone. Captain Friday has committed one of the most surprising acts of his whole career. Just now, he, with Skip and Dr. English, caught the green eyed murderous Tula as they were climbing the stairway to the sun in the heart of the Hollow Mountain. Then, when Skip and Dr. English's backs were turned, he let her escape. Let Tula escape. The girl who might have led them into the sacred city of the enemy. The girl who might have told them where to find Judith. And now the three men are climbing higher and higher inside the cone of the mountain on the broad golden stairway. Here, Dr. Skip, notice anything? Oh, nothing except on my leg, Zeke. Oh, man, I never want to see another stairway as long as I live. Hell, I can't go much further. We're not near the top now. That's what I mean. I think we are near the end of our climb. Smell the air. Here, that's fresh air. Exactly. That musty smells gone. There must be an opening into the sacred city very near. Come on, then. Let's go. Oh, I ain't seen daylight for two days. Make it easy, Skip. We'd want to run into a nest of Maya Nahib's agents. The fact that they haven't had the stairway to the sun guided can mean only one thing. What's that? That the entrance into the sacred city is well protected. Surely by this time, they must know that we're out of the dungeon and wandering somewhere in the underground passage. Oh, of course. They know we can't get out. They've got the monastery in their hands, so we can't go back. All they have to do is wait and grab us when we near the top of the stairway. Exactly. So, undoubtedly, there'll be a big guard at the end of the passage. And we'll go carefully from now on. Don't talk above a whisper. Keep your gun handy, Skip. Here, Doctor, you take this knife I took from Tula. Use it in an emergency. Come on. Hey, what's that? Quiet. Sounds like an airplane. Yeah, that's it. The airplane is still gathering at the sacred city. That shows just how close we are to the entrance. There's no noise now. Voices. On your toes now. Don't make a sound. Is there anything? No. Turn off your flashlight. Come on. Follow me closely. Hello? What is it, Captain? The stairway turns a corner here. It ends. Ends? Yeah, I looked around the corner. There's a passage of about 20 feet. Yeah, let me look. Hey, Cappy, I can see daylight. Yeah, I saw that, too. What did you see, those guards? Guards? How many, Captain? Oh, half a dozen, I should judge. At the end of the passage, there seems to be a big open-air room, sort of a stone balcony. Do you check with that, Skip? It looks like it, all right. Anyway, the passage is clear. Are we going to try it? What do you say, Doctor? Of course. We can't stay here. All right, I'll go ahead. If you like. Then come on. Be ready for a fight, and make it a good one. Here, Doctor, you take the revolver and give me the knife. I mean, just the mood is sticking in one of them fellas. But Skip, go ahead, Doctor. Young fella like me can swing a knife better than you. And you know how to make a gun, too. Quiet back there. Not another sound. Keep next to the wall. We'll get as near the doorway as we can. Then wait for a signal from me. It's clear we'll rush him. Haven't heard us. Keep back into the shadow until I get the lay of the land. There are eight of them. Big huskies, armed to the teeth. It's a huge stone balcony there on. It's hanging on the side of a sheer cliff. Man, look at that. I suppose the losers get thrown over the rail, huh? Be sure you're not a loser, then. Are you going to jump them? What do you say, Doctor? We've got to get into the sacred city. There's no time to lose. All right. Here we go, then. Get your weapons ready. Hey, Captain, Captain, look. Skip, it's too late again. Well, that ought to show you where she stands. Is there any doubt in your mind now that she's an enemy? Say, she must be of a good deal of importance. Look how the guards back away to keep a respectful distance. They're only slaves, Captain. They're under the strict rule of Maya Knives' priests. Hey, look, she's pointing to the entrance. Do you suppose she's spotted us? Drop back quick. Back away from the entrance. We won't have a chance if we don't get him by surprise. Hey, look. One of the guards is coming into the passage. Tula sent him. Tula? Then she knows we're here. Quiet now. If he comes this far, I'll tap him on my head with a bottom-eye revolver. Here he comes. Shall we time him? No, bother. He'll be good for a couple of hours. Look, Tula sent another guard in here. What do you suppose it means? I don't know, except that he's got to go the way of his brother. Get ready to grab him in case I should miss. Whatever you do, don't let him holler. Now, here he comes. He had better tie and gag him. He didn't get a very hard crack. I'll have to wake up. Give me a hand, Doctor. Help me lay him against the wall here. Hey, what's Tula doing now, Captain? She's talking to a third guard and pointing in this direction. She seems to be very angry. This is the dog on this thing I ever saw. They don't seem to be afraid to come into the passageway. They haven't grasped the significance of what's happening yet. But you'd think Tula'd catch on? As a matter of fact, I think she has. Oh, man, look at the size of this one. Hey, give him a good clip, Pausel. We'll have a job on our hands. Quiet. He's taking his sandals off. He's going to sneak up on us. Hit him again, Captain, quick. Finished him. Here, give me a hand, Doctor. We'll file him away for future reference. I'm afraid that noise has queered our little game. Why did they hear him? How could they help it? They're all on their feet staring at the mouth of the passage. Yeah, but Tula don't seem to be the least bit disturbed. Look, she's trying to calm them. I wish I could hear what she's saying. Look, she's sending two men in this time. Oh, fine. They've got the revolvers drawn. And they've got torches. Yeah, now we're in for it. Doctor, when they get so close, their torches will reveal us. Potem, let them have it, and they're shooting on it. There are only three left outside. We'll go for them next. Right, Captain. You give the word. Let them have it. Yep. They're both down. Yeah, tie them up, Doctor. Come on, Skip. We'll get the other three. Right with you. I've got a gun, too, now. Hey, look at them. Look, what are they doing? Stop them. Stop them. They're going to jump. They're going over the railing. But where's Tula? Where's Tula? Disappeared. But Captain, did you ever see such tremendous heights? Look, we're on about any a good half mile above the floor of the valley, on the side of a sheer cliff. Did you see Tula disappear, Skip? Answer me, did you? Did you see her jump? No, of course not, boss. Tula didn't jump. I tell you, she vanished when the trouble started. Hey, look, there's a door over yonder. She must have got a way through that. Yeah, so there is. I didn't see that. Yeah, it's locked on the inside. Oh, got away again, huh? Well, she did us a good turn that time. Captain, Skip, one of the guards escaped. Well, what's wrong, Doctor? What's the matter? One of them escaped. One of the wounded, man. He leaped to his feet and ran for the stairway. Got away, huh? That's bad. Yeah, but he fell on the stairs, and the last I heard, he was still rolling. I don't think he'll bother us anymore. Well, the three out on the balcony leaped over the moment they saw us. They must have fallen a good half mile to the floor of the valley. I believe they'd all jump off the balcony if we'd give them a chance. I've tied up the ones in the passageway. I don't think we'll have any trouble from that quarter. What about Tula? Yeah, Tula may be carrying the news of our arrival to Mayanahiva. Oh, that would be fatal. We've got to keep our presence a secret if we hope to have any success. OK, Doctor. I've got an idea that Tula isn't going to give us away. Why, what do you mean, Captain? Joe, boys, what a wonderful bit of architecture. Look at this balcony hooked on the side of this cliff like a needle's nest. Look. Look, the fog's rising out of the valley. Hey, the sacred city. Look, Doctor, isn't that a temple coming up out of the mist? Beautiful. Beautiful. The sacred city of the brotherhood of the living dead. A golden temple on the edge of a blue lake. Look, on the other side of the lake. There's another temple. It's white as milk in the sun. Yes. That's the temple of the moon goddess. Look, a truly feminine building just as the rugged, virile lines and spires of the golden temple designated as masculine. Oh, it's marvelous. The one is dedicated to the sun god, the other to the moon goddess. Well, there's a big city below us. Look now that the fog's cleared away. Yes. See, the temples divided by the tiny blue lake are in the exact center of the city. Thousands and thousands of Chakotas live in that city. But what do they do out here away from civilization? They're sufficient under themselves. They've but one purpose in life, to protect the secrets of the ancient Chakotas. They're trained from infancy to become small stones in the barrier reared by the Chakota priests against the advancement of civilization. We can't stand here like this. We're wasting time. Looks as though we'd have a difficult time getting down. I don't see any path. Oh, there's a path all right. It begins behind that silly-looking idle over at the other end of the balcony. It'll take a mountain goat to follow it, though. In heaven's name, Captain. Look here, Cappy, you don't mean we've got to travel that path. Well, it's not more than a foot wide and cut right into the face of the cliff. I know it, but that's the path. You reckon Tula escaped our way? Yeah, I think she did. Then we'll probably be met by a young Chakota army as we descend. She's had time enough to warn the whole country. I don't think Tula's going to give us away. I started to tell you before. I, um, I've got a confession to make. A confession? I did turn Tula free back there on the stairway. Just as you and Skip suspected I did. Uh-huh. I see. You deliberately turned her loose. That's right. But look here, Captain. Why? I can't tell you right now. Let's say it was, uh, it was an impulse. Never mind, Captain. I think I understand. Yeah, well, I don't. He turned that girl loose when we might have made her tell us where Judith is. That'll be a long time before I forget this. Just a moment, Skip. Captain, is that the reason you think this Tula girl won't give us away in the sacred city? Just an impulse? Something more than that. I think Tula knew we were on the passageway back there all the while. But she was sending those guards into us one at a time. I think she did it deliberately to clear the balcony for us. That's absurd. And you may be right. But I'd swear she did. But why? Why should she? Because I released her. Oh, this thing's getting beyond me. I'm all mixed up. Who is on which side? Mrs. Santas turns traitor. She says she's not. But everything she does indicates she is. We're the monks at the monastery, friends or enemies. We're the murdered by the brotherhood, or are they laughing up their sleeves at us? Carlos turned traitor and got thrown to the tree that eats flesh for his troubles. Captain Friday goes back on us by turning Tula the murderous free. Well, first thing we know will be on our knees in front of Maya Nahid. Skip, don't call Tula a murderous again. Well, she is. She killed Robert. Don't say that again. Captain Skip, come. We've got to take this dangerous way down. Let's get it over with. OK, but I'm still burning. Come, Captain, this is no time for quarreling. We've got work to do. Very well. I'll lead. You will please do nothing of the kind, Captain Friday. Hey, Mrs. Sandals, where did you come from? From the other side of the door you found locked, Captain. You were there all the while? I was. Mrs. Sandals, put up that revolver. You are going to do what I tell you. Now what? You three men are going into that room out of which I just came. No, we're not. We're going down into the sacred city. You are not. You are my prisoners. Mrs. Sandals, tell me, where's Judith? At least tell me that. Is she all right? Get into that room, all of you. Put your hands in the air, Captain Friday. Now get into that room. Mrs. Sandals, please tell me about Judith. Is she safe? Dr. English, go into that room. Mrs. Sandals, I'll give anything, anything for Judith's return. Save her, and I'll even give you the map you want, the map of the secret passage. You are not carrying it with you, are you? No, but. The map. Dr. English, I do not want your precious map. I know now more than that map could ever tell me. So Mrs. Sandals knows more than even the precious map revealed. What does that promise for Captain Friday skip and Dr. English? And is Judith lost to the outside world forever, swallowed up in the maze of the sacred city? Listen next week at the same hour for chapter eight of The Land of the Living Dead. You are listening to Adventures by Morse.