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  • 24/05/2025
First broadcast 17th January 1993.

Poirot and Hastings travel to Egypt to investigate the mystery surrounding a group of archaeologists who have been one after another dropping dead since they opened an allegedly cursed ancient tomb.

David Suchet as Hercule Poirot
Hugh Fraser as Captain Hastings
Pauline Moran as Miss Lemon
Rolf Saxon as Dr Ames
Olivier Pierre as Henry Schneider
Jon Strickland as Dr Fosswell
Bill Bailey as Felix Bleibner
Paul Birchard as Rupert Bleibner
Simon Cowell-Parker as Nigel Harper
Grant Thatcher as Sir Guy Willard
Anna Cropper as Lady Willard
Mozaffar Shafeie as Hassan
Peter Reeves as Sir John Willard
Robert Wisdom as Waiter (as Bob Wisdom)
Richard Bebb as Newsreader (voice)

Category

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TV
Transcript
00:00The Pyramids of Egypt, the last surviving of the Seven Wonders of the World.
00:11The latest expedition by famous archaeologist Sir John Willard may soon reveal more of this
00:17ancient world's mysteries with the discovery of the tomb of Egyptian King Ben-Hara.
00:23No doubt there will be rivalry between Dr. Foswell of the British Museum and Dr. Schneider
00:29of the Metropolitan Museum of New York, but keep it friendly, eh chaps?
00:35The local workers feared of a death curse laid down on the tomb over three thousand
00:39years ago hasn't scared off expedition financier Felix Blybner.
00:45He's been joined for the opening by his nephew, Rupert, and secretary, Nigel Harper, photographing
00:51the occasion.
00:52Smile, Ben-Hara.
00:53It's going to take us some time to get the seal off intact, Sir John.
01:05No, no, no, break the seal.
01:08It'll only take five minutes, John.
01:10For God's sake, Mr. Blybner.
01:12That seal hasn't been broken for over three thousand years.
01:16And it's time it was.
01:22Gentlemen, the burial chamber of King Ben-Hara.
01:45Let's go.
02:16Dr. Wright, quickly, he's ill.
02:22Tragedy strikes in the Valley of the Kings.
02:47Six minutes after breaking into the ancient tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Ben-Hara, eminent
02:52archaeologist Sir John Willard is struck down by a fatal heart attack.
02:58Local rumors of an ancient curse on all those who enter the tomb have been dismissed as
03:03preposterous.
03:18Any messages, Miss Lemon?
03:22No, Mr. Poirot, no.
03:24Oh, yes, one.
03:26Lady Willard telephoned.
03:28She wants to consult you.
03:30Huh?
03:34I know.
03:35Isn't it awful?
03:36It does seem almost as if something were avenging itself for desecrating the tomb.
03:48Bonjour, mademoiselle.
03:54I am expected.
03:56Do come in.
04:07Merci.
04:08My son has always been against my calling on your assistance, Monsieur Poirot.
04:12He thinks I'm listening to all this silly talk about a curse.
04:16But my husband's death came as a very great shock to me.
04:19Yes, of course.
04:21And now my son wishes to go out to Egypt to continue his father's work.
04:27I cannot tell you why, Monsieur Poirot.
04:30This whole enterprise has filled me with foreboding.
04:34It's all those Americans, all those young men from Yale.
04:39It seems they've been trying to take over the dick right from the start.
04:42Mother, really?
04:44Mr. Blydner put up the money for the entire show,
04:47and without him, there wouldn't be any dig.
04:49Well, I never trusted Felix Blydner.
04:51He's just a wealthy dabbler.
04:53I see he's got his nephew out there now, too.
04:55Rupert's only there to visit his uncle.
04:57Excuse me, Lady Willard.
05:00How may I be of service to you?
05:02I imagine that there is no doubt that the death of your husband
05:05was from the causes quite natural.
05:07Well, I...
05:09No doubt at all.
05:10I'm so sorry.
05:11It appears we've wasted your time,
05:14Mr. Poirot.
05:40I gave him a thorough examination before we came out here.
05:43His heart was sound as a bell.
05:47It is, uh, weird, though, isn't it?
05:50I mean, just the very instant the burial chamber was opened?
05:53Oh, I don't care about any rotten curse.
05:55I'm off to New York on Thursday.
05:58When's the happy day?
05:59Fourteenth of next month.
06:01Unless Bob saves my life again.
06:05He really did save my life once, you know.
06:07No kidding?
06:08I can save you from poor seamanship, Rupert,
06:10but I'm no good on impending marriages.
06:15You three were together at Yale, right?
06:18God, does that seem an age ago?
06:22Who's going to take over the excavation, do you think?
06:25Well, that, uh, kind of depends on your uncle.
06:28He is the money.
06:29Do I get the impression that Dr. Foswell would not be averse?
06:34Sure, the British Museum has got to be on the running.
06:38What about the Metropolitan?
06:40Oh, modesty forbids.
06:47Isn't it time you people were in bed?
06:49Won't you join us, Uncle?
06:50No, no, I just can't sleep.
06:53Could you have a look at this thumb in the morning?
06:56I'll have a look at it right now, if you like, Mr. Blodner,
06:58before I go to bed.
07:01It's, um, that cut I got the other day.
07:05Okay.
07:07Good night, gentlemen.
07:19Miss Lemon, if you please,
07:20would you come through for a moment with your notepad and pencil?
07:30I want that you send a telegram to the Assistant Commissioner Bergman
07:35in the Police Department of New York.
07:37Please supply all available biographical material
07:43on Monsieur Rupert Blodner,
07:45nephew to the worthy Monsieur Felix Blodner.
07:50Best wishes, Hercule Poirot.
07:55I could say biog.
07:57Comment?
07:58Instead of biographical, I could say biog.
08:02Is that a word, Miss Lemon?
08:04It sounds efficient.
08:05I heard someone say it in a picture.
08:07Give me the biog on Dutch Schultz, Miss Longfellow.
08:13Biographical material will do very nicely.
08:16Thank you, Miss Lemon.
08:18Oh!
08:19What is it, Miss Lemon?
08:20There's no need for you to cable Assistant Commissioner Bergman.
08:24Why is that, Miss Lemon?
08:26You can cable Captain Hastings instead.
08:29But Captain Hastings, he is in California, Miss Lemon?
08:31No, he's on his way back.
08:33He's staying in New York until Friday.
08:56Oh!
09:23Who is it?
09:24Oh!
09:25It's Arthur Hastings, actually.
09:28Who?
09:29Arthur Hastings.
09:32I'm a friend of your uncle's.
09:34Well, more of an acquaintance, really.
09:36He said I should look you up.
09:39Uncle Felix?
09:40Yes.
09:41You went out to Egypt to visit him recently, I gather.
09:47How do you know him?
09:49How?
09:50Oh!
09:51Well, just as one does, you know.
09:53Just socially.
09:55How did you find it out there?
09:57Egypt, I mean.
09:59Hot.
10:02Look, Mr. Hastings,
10:06I guess I'm not feeling all that sociable today.
10:09No, no, no, no. I quite understand.
10:12Goodbye.
10:14Nice to meet you.
10:16Look in again sometime.
10:53Yes, I'll have tea and porridge and bacon and eggs, please.
10:58Eggs over easy?
11:00Ah, no. The other.
11:03Two eggs, sunny side up.
11:06Canadian bacon?
11:07Oh, yes. Thank you.
11:19Good Lord!
11:24Felix Bleibner is dead?
11:27He died three days ago.
11:30I'm sorry. I thought you already knew.
11:33It was horrible. The most horrible death.
11:36He was blind at the end.
11:38Where's the doctor?
11:39Dr. Ames?
11:41I'll take you to him.
11:46Now, mind the lengths.
11:53Mind the lengths!
11:55Wouldn't it be better to wrap it?
11:56No. No, I don't think so.
11:59It's better that he will see what they're doing.
12:01Oh, Dr. Ames, can I trouble you for a moment?
12:05This is Sir Guy Willard, Sir John's son.
12:08Dr. Ames, how do you do? Hello.
12:10And this is Mr. Harper.
12:11How do you do?
12:12And Dr. Schneider.
12:13Dr. Schneider.
12:14Hi.
12:15Sir Guy has come to take charge of the excavation.
12:18Dr. Ames, I'm devastated by the news of Mr. Bleibner.
12:23It was septicemia.
12:25Yes, but how did it start?
12:28Scratch on his thumb.
12:30Nothing we could do seemed to stop it.
12:32Dr. Ames amputated his left arm last week, but...
12:35Amputated?
12:39Why was I not informed?
12:41Well, I...
12:42We weren't aware you were involved.
12:44Well, I am involved.
12:46The British Museum have agreed that I should take over the excavation.
12:50But surely Mr. Bleibner's death changes the situation.
12:54Well, indeed it does, Dr. Schneider.
12:57I suggest we carry on as we are until the wishes of Mr. Bleibner's estate are known.
13:02In the meantime, perhaps you'd be good enough to show me to my quarters, Dr. Foswell.
13:07Gentlemen.
13:20Mr. Bleibner?
13:36Mr. Bleibner?
13:43Mr. Bleibner?
13:50Mr. Bleibner?
14:10Switchboard.
14:11Give me the police.
14:12Yes, sir.
14:20Any surprise to everyone?
14:21Absolutely.
14:22No one can understand it.
14:24There just seemed no earthly reason why he should have killed himself.
14:27He was only 30.
14:30His health, it was good?
14:31Fit as a flea, it appears.
14:33Something of a sportsman, too, as a matter of fact.
14:35Played football at school, held some sort of local record with 100 yards.
14:38Good golfer.
14:39Played off scratch.
14:40Playing the good golf is no reason not to commit suicide, Hastings.
14:44You just don't understand golf, Poirot.
14:48What was his livelihood?
14:50Well, up until about six months ago, he'd been in Hawaii, learning the hotel business.
14:55Did he have any problems, emotionable?
14:57Oh, girls, you mean. Good Lord, no.
14:59He was all set to marry this absolute corker, Melanie Wise.
15:02Then he goes and shoots himself.
15:04Mind you, the first time I saw him, he did seem very, well, abstracted.
15:09I mean, it was halfway through the afternoon, and he was still in his pajamas.
15:12Looked as if he hadn't washed for a week, too.
15:15Oh, and he was wearing white gloves.
15:18White gloves?
15:19Yes, you know, white cotton gloves.
15:24Did he have any problems over money?
15:26Not at all, as far as I could tell.
15:28Even less when old Blybner died. The Blybner millions came to him.
15:32I say, that's a point.
15:33I want to get the money now.
15:35Oh, he left a note, you know.
15:38No, Hastings, I did not know.
15:40I made a copy of it.
15:41There is no point in going on. I am a leper, an outcast.
15:45It's better that I should end my life now than bring misery to the people I love.
15:49Rupert Blybner.
16:12I didn't think you looked too well at breakfast, Schneider.
16:15Does it hurt here?
16:17A little.
16:23If I move your arm like this, does that hurt?
16:27No, there's a sort of dull ache, though, around my shoulders and neck all the time.
16:34Do you have any trouble swallowing?
16:37Well, as a matter of fact, I do.
16:39It started a few days ago. How did you know that?
16:49Hassan.
16:50Oh, Dr. Ames, yes.
16:52I'm going to drive to Cairo, to the British hospital.
16:55I've got to persuade them to give me some anti-toxic serum.
16:58When will you be back, sir?
16:59By Friday, I hope, if I drive day and night.
17:02Be careful, sir.
17:03Oh, and, Hassan, try and get through to Cairo.
17:06By telephone, let them know I'm on my way.
17:11It goes on, Monsieur Poirot.
17:14First my husband, then Mr. Blybner,
17:18then his nephew.
17:22Try to continue, Lady Willard.
17:25Suppose there is some truth in all this talk about a curse.
17:29Tell me what has happened.
17:31Mr. Schneider, the Metropolitan Museum of New York.
17:38He's very ill with tetanus.
17:43My son just sent me this telegram.
17:47I'm sorry, you must think me very silly and superstitious.
17:51No, no, no, not at all, Lady Willard.
17:54No, no, no, not at all, Lady Willard.
18:00I also believe in the force of superstition.
18:04It is one of the greatest forces that the world has ever known.
18:10And you wish that Poirot should protect your son against these forces?
18:16It's possible.
18:19But first I must allow to do their work with a little grace help.
18:53I'm sorry.
19:02You're not pushing it, are you?
19:03Of course I'm not pushing it.
19:08What's it writing?
19:10I can't see.
19:12I can't make it out.
19:16It seems to have stopped.
19:19Let's see what it's written.
19:23I can't make it out.
19:25Yes, there's a C, that's an L.
19:29It's not very clear.
19:31It's definitely trying to say something, though.
19:34Perhaps it's not writing in English.
19:36It looks like Arabic or something.
19:38I say.
19:39What?
19:40Suppose it's King Menherar trying to get through.
19:45Hastings, what means this with a planchette?
19:47Oh, we're just fooling around.
19:48It's interesting, though.
19:49We think this could be from King Menherar.
19:51Hastings, please pull yourself together.
19:53We have business to which we must attend.
19:55Tomorrow we fly to Cairo.
19:57Cairo?
19:59In Egypt, Hastings.
20:00I know.
20:01And thence to the Valley of the Kings.
20:21His jaw is broken.
20:38Broken?
20:40The muscles contract so violently, it breaks the bones.
20:43God.
20:45Is there anything we can do?
20:47He's not responding to the serum.
20:51He's not responding.
21:21Oh, my God.
21:46It must be Monsieur Poirot.
21:48What he's left of him, yes.
21:49I'm Leonard Foswell, British Museum.
21:51Monsieur Foswell.
21:53We got Lady Willard's cable.
21:55I'm sorry, this isn't a good time.
21:58Let me show you to your tent.
21:59You won't mind sharing, will you?
22:00No, not at all.
22:01I'm Arthur Hastings, by the way.
22:03Yes, Lady Willard said you'd be coming.
22:10Hassan will assign one of the fellaheen to look after you.
22:13Get you hot water and so on.
22:15Oh, this looks fine.
22:22Tell me, Dr. Foswell.
22:27Why is this not a good time?
22:29It's Dr. Schneider.
22:31He has the malady, yes?
22:33He's...
22:45I can't stand much more of this.
22:47He's not responding.
22:48No.
22:49He seems to be getting worse.
22:53Oh, God.
22:54Who is it?
22:55That detective, my mother, Sir Keenan.
22:56Sir Guy?
23:01I...
23:03He's dead.
23:15And you are quite sure are you not?
23:17And you are quite sure are you not, Dr. Ames,
23:20that the death of Monsieur Schneider was caused by tetanus?
23:24Sure.
23:25It could not have been, for instance,
23:26the case of the strychnine poisoning.
23:28Strychnine?
23:29No, Monsieur Poirot.
23:31There's been no suggestion of anything like that.
23:33This was a clear case of tetanus.
23:36Did you inject antiserum?
23:38Of course we did.
23:40Every conceivable thing that could be done was done.
23:42But Monsieur Blybner now,
23:44he died of something completely different.
23:46Monsieur Blybner had a scratch on his thumb.
23:48It became poisoned and septicemia set in.
23:51It sounds pretty much the same to a layman, I imagine,
23:53but the two things are entirely different.
23:55You must ask us any questions you need to, Monsieur Poirot.
23:59We're all dumbfounded by this series of disasters.
24:03But it isn't any...
24:05It's not any...
24:07It's not any...
24:09It's not any...
24:11It's not any...
24:12It's not any...
24:14It's not any...
24:16It's not any...
24:19It's not any...
24:21It's not any...
24:22But it isn't any...
24:24It can't be anything but coincidence.
24:28I see.
24:29And you are determined, Sagai, to continue with this excavation?
24:33With your borrow.
24:35No matter what happens, my father's work is going on.
24:39I see.
24:40Alors, évidemment, we must find out exactly what is the position here.
24:52Alabaster Perfume Box.
25:05Height, seven and a half inches. Depth, five and a quarter inches.
25:10Sniff.
25:15Oh, jasmine.
25:17Three thousand year old jasmine.
25:20How long have you been interested in Egyptology, Monsieur Hopper?
25:24Oh, ever since I started working as Mr. Blydner's secretary.
25:27Ever since college, almost.
25:28You were at Yale with Rupert Blydner?
25:30Yes, I was there on a Hendrickson exchange scholarship.
25:33Ames was with us, too.
25:35All Yalies, you see. Class of 27.
25:38That is most interesting.
25:40There are four people involved in this expedition who have known each other for some considerable time.
25:46Dr. Ames, Rupert Blydner, yourself, all together at the college.
25:50And, of course, the uncle of Rupert Blydner.
25:52That's right.
25:53Two of them are now dead.
25:55Don't you want to give me the creeps?
26:00Tell me about Monsieur Rupert.
26:05I really don't understand him doing what he did.
26:08When he first arrived here, he was in good health?
26:13Yes, I don't think he had a day's real illness in his entire life.
26:17He's a little hypochondriac, though.
26:19Always got a lot of little aches and pains he was always worrying about.
26:22But when last you saw him, he was not suffering?
26:24No, I don't remember anything in particular.
26:27Oh, well, yes, he had a little X mark on his hand he was making a great to-do about.
26:44Good.
27:01Master, I must speak with you.
27:04Oh, right. Good evening.
27:07I served my lord Sir John, and now I serve his son.
27:11Yes, quite.
27:13You are a wise one, they say.
27:15Oh, you know, I learned in dealing with evil spirits.
27:19I beg of you, let the young master depart from here.
27:22There is evil in the air around us.
27:26Well, it's not really up to me. You see...
27:30We have had four deaths, all totally dissimilar.
27:36One heart failure, one poisoning, one tetanus, and one suicide.
27:42Exactly.
27:44Is there nothing which might link together these four?
27:49No.
27:51Well, let's see.
27:52Exactly.
27:54Is there nothing which might link together these four?
28:00Something they have in common? No.
28:03I'm sorry, Mr Poirot, I don't quite understand this.
28:05Then, Monsieur Harper, let me make myself perfectly clear.
28:09Was there any act committed by these men or these victims
28:14which might seem to denote some disrespect to the spirit of Menherar?
28:19Good grief, man, that is all rot as well, you know.
28:23You're talking through your hat.
28:25You do not believe that such a thing is possible?
28:27No, I do not. We're men of science, and I believe what science teaches.
28:31Indeed.
28:34Was there no science then in ancient Egypt?
28:37Oh, no, no, no, please, do not answer.
28:39But tell me this.
28:41The native workmen, what do they think?
28:44Well, if the white folk lose their heads, then the natives aren't going to be far behind.
28:48Yes.
28:50Yes, I'll admit they're getting scared, but they've got no cause to be.
28:56Excuse me, I'm...
28:58Are you all right?
29:00What happened?
29:02Let me get him to his tent.
29:04Would a branch help?
29:05No, I don't think so. We'll get him to bed.
29:15Good Lord, poor fellow.
29:18Good Lord, poor fellow.
29:44Tell me when you want another photograph.
29:46Not yet.
29:48Did you know, Monsieur Poirot,
29:50that a wreath of flowers from the funeral ceremony
29:53was still lying on the antechamber floor when my father opened the tomb?
29:56Oh, it is amazing, is it not, Hastings?
29:58Absolutely.
30:00How is Dr. Ames today?
30:02He's still not well.
30:04He got up today, but to tell the truth, I'm rather worried about him.
30:07I think we're ready.
30:10Lift away, then.
30:12Tie off.
30:17Good God.
30:21He has lain here in perfect silence
30:24since a thousand years before Troy was besieged.
30:29Rome rose and fell.
30:32Wars and catastrophes changed the face of the earth.
30:35And still it is King he waited,
30:39forgotten by all those people a few feet above.
30:49Dr. Fossworth?
30:51Come.
30:58What a morning.
31:00I'm so glad you're here.
31:02I'm so glad you're here.
31:04What a moment, Dr. Fossworth.
31:07What?
31:09To have had the privilege of merely standing by
31:11as the leader of the sarcophagus. It was open.
31:13Oh, yes.
31:15Oh, yes. I'm just writing it up.
31:17You write the reports for the expedition, Hesper?
31:20For the expedition? No, no, no. By no means.
31:23A daily report for the eyes of Sir Andrew Cairns only.
31:28May I?
31:30Please. Thank you.
31:33Now, Sir Andrew Cairns,
31:37he is the keeper of antiquities at the British Museum, n'est-ce pas?
31:41Quite.
31:43The others can do their own reports, though frankly...
31:46Well, no matter.
31:48And Monsieur Snyder, when he was alive,
31:52he would have made the reports for the Metropolitan Museum.
31:56I suppose so, yes.
31:58I mean, I don't want to speak ill of the dead,
32:00but it does just show the quality of their scholarship, doesn't it?
32:03When the Metropolitan have to send out somebody like Snyder.
32:06Poor fellow.
32:08The BM would never have sent anyone but their most senior archaeologist.
32:13And the future keeper of the antiquities, perhaps?
32:16What? Oh, well, I don't know about that.
32:20Of course, Sir Andrew is due for retirement in two years,
32:24and if I make a fair fist at this...
32:27Well...
32:28Well...
32:52Oh, you're in bed.
32:54This is a work most interesting, Hastings. Listen to this.
32:58May your knives not get hold of me, may my hands not touch the poison.
33:03May I not fall into your slaughterhouse, for I know your names,
33:07and my heart is with Osiris.
33:09Look here, Poirot, are you feeling all right?
33:11Perfectly, Hastings.
33:13I mean, you've had a lot of sun these last few days, you're not used to it like I am.
33:16I am perfectly well, thank you, Hastings.
33:19Hastings, what is the matter with Miss Lemon?
33:22Miss Lemon? Nothing, as far as I know.
33:25Come, Hastings, do not do the shilly-shally with me.
33:28You yourself play with her on the plonchette.
33:30Well, I think it's her cat.
33:33You know, the one she used to call Catherine the Great,
33:36because it liked sleeping in the fireplace.
33:38That cat, it died, did it not?
33:40Well, exactly. She's fearfully cut out.
33:43I don't know what to do.
33:44That cat, it died, did it not?
33:46Well, exactly. She's fearfully cut out about it.
33:49I think she's trying to get in touch with it.
33:51I mean, I think it's...
33:53Hastings, look!
33:55Good God!
34:05Deliver me from that God whose face is that of a hound,
34:09but whose skin is that of a man,
34:11who liveth upon the dam,
34:14digesting human hearts and voiding fear.
34:20One seeth him not.
34:42Hastings, what are you doing?
34:45I'm having my siesta.
34:47No, no, no, no, Hastings, get up.
34:49We have work to do. Come.
35:12Whose tent is this, Hastings?
35:14Ah, Dr. Abe's.
35:17You must remain here on guard, my friend, while I make the search.
35:20Search? Oh, no.
35:41Poros.
35:59Poros.
36:06Poros.
36:12Well, well, well.
36:14I beg your pardon?
36:16Feeling a bit better, are you, Dr. Abes?
36:18Are you waiting for me?
36:20No, no, no, no. I was waiting for Poirot, actually.
36:23I haven't seen him at all, have you?
36:33Poirot!
36:35Can I come past?
36:37I want to go to my tent.
36:39Oh, this is your tent, is it?
36:41I didn't realise that.
36:43They're very good, these tents, aren't they?
36:45Please, Captain Hastings.
36:53Poirot, you really are the limit.
36:55My God, Hastings, the sand, it gets everywhere.
36:57Abes must think I'm a complete idiot.
37:01Plenty of sand in Belgium, isn't there?
37:03Not in Brussels, Hastings.
37:12Hello, Miss Lemon, can you hear me?
37:14Yes, I've found Mr. Blyden's solicitor.
37:17I spoke to him.
37:19One moment, if you please, Miss Lemon.
37:32Hello?
37:34Now, you said he read to you the will?
37:36Bon, what did he say?
37:37Yes?
37:39Yes?
37:41Cigarette case, Miss Lemon?
37:43I think it was just a joke, Mr. Poirot.
37:47I see.
37:49Go on, if you please.
37:52Thank you, Miss Lemon.
37:54Au revoir.
38:02What's that?
38:04You want some pocket money?
38:05All right, but only if you're good.
38:13I've half a mind to volunteer to stay, you know, Poirot.
38:16What for, Hastings?
38:18To take up this archaeology.
38:20Can't you feel the fascination?
38:22Desert life, probing into the heart of a vanished civilization.
38:25My mighty son.
38:27Thank you, Hassan.
38:29On the table next to my bed, if you please.
38:40Wish we were getting somewhere with this case, though.
38:43Sometimes I think it's not a case at all,
38:45just three natural deaths and one suicide.
38:47What do you think, Poirot?
38:49You don't seem to have any theories at all.
38:51Do you?
38:56Oh, my God, Poirot!
38:57Poirot!
39:02Dr. Ames!
39:04It's Poirot, quick!
39:09Hastings.
39:11It's Poirot, he's ill, dead, I don't know.
39:13It's the chamomile tea.
39:15Don't let Hassan leave the camp.
39:17There's still a pulse.
39:19What's going on?
39:21It's Poirot, he's collapsed.
39:23Smell anything?
39:25Almonds.
39:27Thank you, Hastings.
39:34When my good friend Captain Hastings
39:36was calling for help,
39:38I took the opportunity of pouring the contents
39:40from that glass
39:44into this little bottle.
39:47And this little bottle
39:49will go to the analytical chemist.
39:58The first death
40:00need not come into our calculations
40:02except for one thing.
40:05The quite natural death of your father, Sagai,
40:08was what gave to our murderer
40:10his idea.
40:13The more deaths that occurred,
40:15the more everyone would talk about
40:17the curse of Menheran.
40:19The curse of Menheran.
40:21The curse of Menheran.
40:23The curse of Menheran.
40:25The curse of Menheran.
40:27But alas,
40:29everyone would ask the proper questions.
40:31I'm afraid we thought
40:33you were just as superstitious as the rest.
40:35But that was my intention.
40:37You see,
40:39I wanted to lull the murderer
40:41into a false sense of security
40:43until I was ready.
40:45And in that,
40:47I was successful.
40:50The murderer thought
40:52that one more little nudge
40:54would send Hastings and myself
40:55hurrying off back to England.
40:57Good God!
40:59He thought that a cheap trick
41:01might do it.
41:03Mais non.
41:05I had to make him act.
41:08And I have now done something
41:10that has so alarmed him
41:12that he feels he must now add me
41:14to his roll of victims.
41:16What is it that I have done
41:18that has so alarmed our murderer,
41:20flushed him out
41:22and made him try to poison me?
41:26Let us go back to the first murder.
41:29That of Monsieur Felix Bleibner.
41:35Isn't it time you people were in bed?
41:37Won't you join us, uncle?
41:39I asked myself,
41:41who would want to murder Monsieur Felix Bleibner?
41:43Alors, he was a man who was very rich.
41:45Therefore, my first assumption would be
41:47his heir and nephew,
41:49Monsieur Rupert Bleibner.
41:52Mais non.
41:53Monsieur Rupert Bleibner committed a suicide
41:55even before he heard of the death of his uncle.
41:57And so my next question was,
41:59why should Monsieur Rupert Bleibner
42:01wish to take his own life?
42:03Alors, he was a man who was young,
42:05happy, successful.
42:07He had no thought of death.
42:09He had not even made a proper will.
42:11I could never understand him doing it.
42:13And yet, Dr. Foswell,
42:15he told to us the reasons
42:17quite plainly and precisely
42:19in a note that he left.
42:21So plainly, indeed,
42:23he wrote, did he not?
42:25I am a leper and an outcast.
42:27It's better that I should end my life now
42:29than bring misery to the people I love.
42:31On the threshold of marriage
42:33and a life that was happy and successful?
42:36Monsieur Rupert Bleibner believed that he was doomed.
42:39He believed he had leprosy.
42:42During his last days,
42:44he even took to wearing the white gloves
42:46to hide the first unsightly signs of the disease.
42:48But why should he think he had leprosy?
42:50Because, Hastings, it was told to him that he had.
42:53And he had every good reason to believe it.
42:56For some time, he had been living in Hawaii,
42:59where the disease, it is endemic.
43:01And while in Hawaii,
43:03he would have come across Chamoogra oil.
43:09Now, he may not have heard of the more modern drugs
43:12that have now superseded it,
43:14but he would definitely have come across Chamoogra oil.
43:17What is this Chamoogra oil?
43:19Chamoogra oil, Hastings,
43:21was once the only treatment for leprosy.
43:24But in this case,
43:26it was used merely as the window dressing
43:29to convince Rupert Bleibner of his condition.
43:32But how do you know that?
43:34I know that, Hastings,
43:36because I have stolen some Chamoogra oil
43:40from the murderer.
43:41Dr. Poirot has discovered his secret.
43:45What secret?
43:47What is all this?
43:51Mr. Rupert Bleibner
43:53went to Dr. Ames
43:55with a mild case of eczema.
43:59And Dr. Ames diagnosed leprosy.
44:03And poor Mr. Poirot,
44:05he had no choice
44:07but to take the medicine.
44:09And poor Mr. Rupert Bleibner
44:12saw no way out but death.
44:15This is nonsense.
44:17I mean, why would I want Rupert to kill himself?
44:20He was my friend.
44:22We were in college together.
44:24In the possession of the lawyers of Mr. Rupert Bleibner
44:27is a sheet of paper.
44:29It is old.
44:31It is crazed.
44:33Probably written on while at college
44:35during some fit of the drunken merriment.
44:36And the writing is that of Mr. Rupert Bleibner.
44:40It reads as follows.
44:43This is the last will and testament of Rupert Bleibner.
44:46I leave my cigarette case, which he admires so much
44:49and all of which I die possessed
44:51to my good friend Robert Ames
44:55who once saved my life
44:57from drowning.
45:00You see, Dr. Ames,
45:03you knew that on the death of Mr. Felix Bleibner
45:06the fortune in entirety
45:08would go to his heir and nephew, Mr. Rupert Bleibner.
45:11But were Mr. Rupert Bleibner to die...
45:17All right.
45:19Now keep back all of you.
45:29Get off!
45:31Let me go!
45:37You have already three deaths on your head, Dr. Ames.
45:41Is that not enough?
45:49But Dr. Ames did not kill my husband.
45:52No, Lady Willow.
45:54The death of your husband, Sir John,
45:56was from the causes quite natural.
45:58You see, the only deaths that interested Dr. Ames
46:02were those of Mr. Felix Bleibner.
46:03Who perished from septicemia
46:05introduced into his cut hand by Dr. Ames himself.
46:08And Mr. Rupert Bleibner.
46:10But Dr. Ames drove to suicide
46:12by convincing him that he suffers from the leprosy.
46:15And Dr. Schneider?
46:17Indeed.
46:19Dr. Ames injected poor Henry Schneider
46:21with tetanus bacillus
46:23merely to lend strength to the curse of Menherhar.
46:26I think you've been wonderfully clever.
46:30Goodbye, Sir John.
46:32Goodbye, Sir.
46:34I return to the Valley of the Kings tomorrow.
46:36This time with my blessing.
46:38Bonne chance, Madame.
46:40Au revoir.
46:50Miss Lemon, would you come through for a moment?
47:02Miss Lemon,
47:04in addition to solving this case
47:06that has been most difficult,
47:08Hastings and I,
47:10we have brought you back a little gift
47:12from the very tomb of King Menherhar.
47:14From the tomb?
47:16Oui.
47:19Voilà.
47:23It is the very likeness
47:25of the favorite cat of King Menherhar.
47:29Buried with him in his tomb
47:31to keep him company
47:33on his long journey.
47:36Oh, he's beautiful.
47:41Go to bed this evening
47:43with him in your hand
47:45and Catherine the Great
47:47will visit you during the night.
47:49Oh, Mr. Poirot,
47:52thank you.
48:02I don't know how you can tell her such guff, Poirot.
48:06No, no, no, no, no, Hastings.
48:08It is not a guff.
48:10It is, as I said at the beginning of this case
48:12to Lady Willard,
48:14the power of superstition.
48:17It is a power that is very great indeed.