 tired of the everyday grind ever dream of a life of romantic adventure want to get away from it all we offer you escape escape designed to free you from the four walls of today for a half hour of high adventure you are at the end of a journey you've committed murder to make a barren wasteland of India silent desolate where there is a cave and a carved image of the goddess Kali whose heart is a ruby big as a grenade and which is guarded by a smiling old man from whom there is no escape listen now as escape brings you Ross Murray's story the heart of Kali it's been a long time exactly how long I don't know the years pile up and it's hard to remember but the beginning is easy the beginning was a bar on the San Francisco waterfront early in 1946 Anton Korczak owner of the CNest had put a new bartender on and I waited a week before I made my pitch it got a reaction funny why he kills me I'm telling you it's true kid if I believed every story about an idol with a ruby for a heart they think about my mind I'll listen all I need a few hundred are you listen every water front bum comes in here it's got a dream dog they sell for a beer you want but it's true I tell you this ruby is as big as a hand grenade and it's there for the taking why didn't you take it when you had the chance I had to get out of the cave when I heard my patrol start shooting what good was a ruby in my pocket and a jab bullet my back nobody told you to come back to the stage when you got mustered out either today help it why do you got malaria they shipped me out of India before the war ended I was two years ago I didn't know the ruby still I know it is it's in a temple all I have to do it what's a matter what do you suppose all them swamis around the temple are going to be doing while you grab the ruby clap hands yeah but the only one near the idols and old man he's just sitting there looking at it a whitey it's a sin Janus come on invest 500 get back maybe maybe a hundred thousand beat it kid I got work to do whitey me and the sort off ball bat Danny don't beat it late mister hmm oh sure me you and a B no no why are you standing in front of the old tub here and I figured you were maybe looking to be signed on no I wasn't she's heading out in a half hour stick around maybe somebody won't show yeah where she headed for other side of the world India India yeah Calcutta no John poor where's that hundred miles east you sure they're signed up full yeah you want to go yeah I want to go we'll take a passenger how much a hundred and a half with grub captain's table for 175 folks will grab for a hundred and a half when are you leaving since the first the engineer come aboard when's that when they can't afford any more beer how much is that in time I told you you told a stranger mister now maybe you're telling a passenger half an hour the most captain like to wait they won't have to I'll be back started back for the CNS somebody had a listen to me the Ruby the heart of Kali it beat inside me like it was my own I knew I'd do anything to get my hands on it I'd found the way to get to India and now all I needed was the money to buy it it was only a few minutes before closing when I got there whitey was mopping up the bar and the place was empty hey whitey I don't want to drink come here come here I got something to tell you what's on your mind whitey I can get passage to India all I need a hundred and a half beat it where's mr. Korchak back room checking receipts why can't go back there Danny get your hands off you try to stop me whitey I'll kill you go on in kid can I see you for a minute mr. Korchak look mr. Korchak I'll make it fast you know about me being in Burma that Ruby I saw there but then the toilet well it's the truth whitey knows that I saw it in even now mr. K everything's locked up for the night okay good night whitey night Danny what do you want from me Danny listen mr. Korchak all I needs 150 bucks I can get passage to India for that it's only a hundred and a half now please mr. Korchak don't ask for money Danny a beer maybe but cash no mr. Korchak lost kid but the boat leaves I said get lost kid okay okay let me tell you something Danny listen to me and make you rich for a lousy hundred and a half get out get out of my place you come in here again I throw you to the seagulls a hundred and a half Korchak you're gonna give it to me I guess I got to make you believe me shouldn't have done that Korchak now I got to twist this round in you you try it Danny and you're going to should have given me that doll it's a lot cheaper than dying hey mister you're just in time we're shoving off I told you I'd be back didn't I that's what a lot of them say okay let's go yeah hold on baby it's matter let's see the color of your money money yeah yeah I must be close to how much in that bundle look price just went up to two and a half with folks will grab what are you trying to do that's the price take it or no let me see the captain you're looking at him boy I'm the captain 250 okay 250 let's go climb aboard next stop Chonpur you Mr. Maycon yes captain the Paxton told me to come and see you said you can find me a small boat and a guide I can when do you wish these things so as possible where do you wish to go you know where Tinsuke is may can knows India well oh what's the best way to go your boat will take you north of the Dharmaputa River then you will go over land west to Tinsuke yeah how long that take I should say two weeks okay let's get going all charges are in advance how much five hundred dollars American I don't I don't have that much much have you 300 dollars please do not lie to 300 captain Evans of the Paxton has already notified me that you have at least 400 I don't then how much 350 it take it or I shop around be back here tomorrow morning and I will take you to your boat what about my guy you will be there you better be good I was there the next morning we went to the boat I'd rented wasn't much but I took it subhas my guide got a wound up and we started up river for Tinsuke up till the time we left make on tried to find out why I wanted to go there I told him nothing on the fifth day out of Chonpur subhas who hadn't said a dozen words to me in all that time came back to the stern of the boat sat down beside me Saib yeah why are you making this trip they can't ask you to find out no no Saib I ask for myself why because I do not wish evil to happen to you thanks but it will happen to you how do you know my car wishes itself why he says you know much gold buried near Tinsuke it's crazy is he up then why did he instruct me to kill you when you found it what the truth Saib I'm to kill you when you find the gold subhas let me tell you something I'm not looking for gold oh I'm glad you are not looking for gold I would not like to kill you subhas decide on me how much longer oh we will be on the river two more days and we will go and land to Tinsuke well I don't want to go to Tinsuke where I want to go 10 miles or so northwest oh what is there that was a big army camp there during the war you remember oh yes I was a guy then too you take me there yes it was after my outfit came over the pangsaw pass out of Burma but I found the temple of Kali then we'd moved on to Tinsuke all I wanted was to get to the site of the old army camp I could make it from there on my own but the closer I got to the heart of Kali for the crazier I got nothing mattered anymore what I had to do or who I had to kill to get what I wanted we finished the trip up river and started overland it was rough jungle and rain the old malaria kicking it up five days later we were on the site of the old army camp this is far enough subhas but there is nothing here there's enough this is as far as we're going and then we shall rest before we return I'm not going back then what are we I got to do the rest of this alone subhas you have no need for the gun I know nothing what you do no but you would have you stayed with me any longer but I I do not I left him there I walked on for another half a day and then just as I've remembered it a cave opening almost hidden by scrub on the far side of a small clearing I went in I saw it again at the far end of the cave the idol Kali and in the flickering light of the lamp its heart moved closer to it and then I saw him the same little old old man I'd seen two years before in that same attitude of prayer I moved again and he sat there hardly seeming to breathe and then I was ready I ran toward the idol my hands reaching for the ruby and then the ground opened beneath me and I fell a thousand hands clawed at me held me struck at me and above the heart of Kali shown scarlet I don't know how long I fought them but the time came when I couldn't fight anymore and so I quit and let whatever it was drift over me when I came to he was standing at the foot of the straw palette I was on he was tall gone dressed in a ceremonial robe that reached the floor I am Adram the elder sannyasi of the temple of Karlin your names Daniel Karlin I believe yeah how do you know my your wallet your papers of identification your money they are all there beside you look about that ruby there is no need for you to explain mr. Karlin I am aware of your emotion concerning the rule our emotion on the other hand the emotion of my people has its roots in religious beliefs in the beauty of I get to the point the point yeah stop playing cat and mouse with me if you're gonna kill me do it get it over with if it's torture you got in mind then you shouldn't have let me live because I'm not having any body say la hey listen you kill me if you want but no torture you kill me but kill me fast oh no no my friend we will do you no further harm there will be no more violence done release him are you gonna do to me we wish to honor you you what I said you are to be honored listen there is already music that you are here and tonight we have a butter feast the feast of the reward and you will be the honored guest at that feast but why reward me to prove to you that we have no hatred for him who desires the heart of kali for what is the reward you will know at the moment of the storm reward something I can take with me when I leave the emotion again concerning the rule you just said you don't hate me for it no come come I will show you the place of the feast this is the feasting hall where you will be the honored guest tonight I'd run yes how do I know for sure that I won't end up on that altar that one of your people standing over me ready to start butchering you have my words how do I know that's enough why do you talk about yourself my friend had I wished it you could have been a sacrificial lamb long before this I want to see the old man it sits in front of the idol you will see him tonight hey who is he in this setup you will know tonight now I think you had better go back to your room I down and wait now tonight are you afraid yeah yeah I am believe me when I say your life is precious to us now without that do now I speak the truth that's the trouble I get the feeling I'd be better off if you lied to me go rest for the feast I went back to my straw mat and I laid down but the fear wouldn't go there was a catch in this whole operation I couldn't nail it down Adram was convincing but I'd heard too much about the followers of kali to believe him his attitude of non-violence had a false spot somewhere I couldn't find it I knew that I had to get out of the temple before the feast started but there was only one way in or out and that was through the cave and over the trap door in front of the idol someone had to trip the door physically before it could fall open I decided to make my exit look legitimate by taking somebody with me Pani Adram's assistant was standing guard outside my cubicle I picked him Pani Pani come here come here quick what is it what is wrong come here help me up it's my back the fall perhaps the fall could have twisted you try that once more I'll kill you where they put my gun when they brought me here it is here in this room in the back you or when you're right it is there in the corner okay move what do you know what are you going to do I'm leaving you're going with me for a while for insurance very well and you're going to give me any argument it is the wish of Adram that I do your bidding okay oh no wait a minute have you changed your mind no no I'm just going to check this gun you're too happy about this whole thing clip still full I thought maybe you know nothing's right about this whole setup let's get going but Adram just in case you don't know what this 45 can put a hole in you as big as a fist no move where are we now we are behind the idol wait a minute be your man he will not speak to us nor attempt to stop us how do you know I know okay well let's move remember if that trapdoor opens you get dead so no signals huh no wait a minute what is wrong as long as I'm getting out like this I might as well get what I came for the heart of Cali yeah now back toward it start walking like you're leading me out I'll kill you if you hesitate for a second you understand I understand and get go my friend the butter feast is almost at the end and yet not one morsel of food has passed your lips I'm not hungry are you afraid you will be poisoned yeah I will be your taste that if you wish now Adram why didn't you kill me for trying to escape because your attempt was a normal reaction you haven't no one oh but I tried what you had provocation man always lashes out at the unknown it is to be expected I would have had that trapdoor open as soon as Pani stepped off it who knew that I wasn't supposed to leave the old man who sits near the idol but I looked at him as I passed by just sits there looks at the idol he doesn't seem to know what's going on around him he is aware of only two things in life the heart of Cali and the butter feast he knew of the feast and he knew that if you left there would be none therefore you are the only excuse for living that he has still don't understand he will the music has ended now the ceremony of the reward will begin now adram adram set your mind that is my friend no physical violence will be inflicted upon you adram I have a question what is it my friend has uh anybody else ever tried to steal the ruby that is an intelligent question I will answer it when the time comes why not answer it now I will answer it in a moment remember what I once said to you your life is precious to us advance guardian of the heart of Cali oh man you asked before whether anyone else had tried to steal the heart of Cali the answer my friend is yes almost 45 years ago it was attempted at that time we also had a butter feast the feast of the reward listen listen to me and in keeping with the laws of the temple the thief received the reward which he now entrusts to you the right to possess the heart which he so desired I don't want it for 40 years the old man has been guardian of the heart for 40 years he has waited for one to love the heart as he did now he will surrender it to you no no no no I don't we greet you guardian of the heart from this day to the next feast of the reward may you be close to and love that heart which shall be before you hail the new guardian how long ago was that how many years how many lifetimes I don't even look at the ruby anymore all I know is I've got my hand on the trapdoor switch and somebody has to walk across it someday why not you ruby that red heart it's yours it's as big as a grenade and it's yours come and take it please please somebody come and get me please under the direction of David Friedkin and Morton Fine Escape has brought you the heart of Cali a story by Ross Murray featured in the cast were Paul Richards and Edgar Berrier also heard were Jack Crucian Clayton Post Lou Merrill Herb Butterfield Lou Krugman and Paul Freese your announcer George Walsh the special music for escape is composed and conducted by Leith Stevens next week that's right gun smoke now a word from William Conrad who many of you know as Marshall Matt Dillon of Dodge City thank you George you know today marks the last of the current series of escape programs and I know you will miss it as much as I shall however I would like to think that all of you who have listened to escape these many months will now be able to take your pleasure in listening to gun smoke yes starting next week gun smoke will come to you on a new day at a new time Chester Doc Kitty and I together with all of our strong-minded brawling hard-living citizens of Dodge will come to you next Saturday October the 2nd so goodbye for escape and we hope you'll all tune in to your local CBS radio station next Saturday October 2nd for gun smoke until then thank you and good night thank you Bill stay tuned now for night watch which follows immediately over most of these same stations meet Coraless Archer for Monday night merriment on the CBS radio network