[00:00.00]Text
[00:02.61]The Great Idea of Mr.Budd(II)
[00:08.36]Mr.Budd finished drying the man's head and began to comb the hair which nature had never
[00:15.02]never made such a deep red.
[00:18.68]'Be as quick as you can,won't you?"
[00:22.23]said the man pleasantly,but a little impatiently.
[00:26.91]"It's getting late.I'm afraid that I'll keep you late."
[00:31.35]"Not at all,sir,"said Mr.Budd."It doesn't matter in the least."
[00:36.21]No if he tried to rush out of the door,
[00:40.36]this terrible man would jump on him,
[00:43.83]drag him back and break his head open as he had done t his aunt.
[00:48.98]But Mr.Budd was certainly in a position of advantage.
[00:53.73]A determined man would be out in the street
[00:57.57]before the man could get out of the chair.
[01:01.73]Mr.Budd began to move round cautiously towards the door.
[01:06.69]"What's the matter?"said the man.
[01:10.24]"I was just going outside to look at the time,sir,"said Mr.Budd,pausing obediently
[01:16.62]"It's twenty-five minutes past eight,"said the man."
[01:21.35]I'll pay extra for keeping you late."
[01:25.11]"Certainly not,sir,"said Mr.Budd.It was too late now.
[01:30.75]He couldn't make another attempt.
[01:34.22]Was it really too late?He could take a razor,
[01:39.47]go up quietly behind the unsuspecting man and say in a firm,loud voice:
[01:45.72]"William Strickland,put up your hands.
[01:50.08]Your life is in my hands.Stand up until I take your gun away.
[01:55.96]Now walk straight out to the nearest policeman.
[02:00.22]But Mr.Budd couldn't seriously believe that the attempt would succeed.
[02:05.54]If he held the razor to the man's throat and said,"Put up your hands."
[02:11.11]the man would probably seize him by the wrist and take the razor away.
[02:16.46]Mr.Budd told himself that he didn't have to arrest the man."
[02:21.79]Information which results in the arrest"those were the words.
[02:27.54]It was at this moment that Mr.Budd had his Great Idea.
[02:32.40]As he fetched a bottle from the glass fronted case,
[02:36.76]he remembered with great clearness,
[02:40.52]an old wooden paper knife that had belonged to his mother.
[02:45.49]On the handle had been painted the words"Knowledge is Power."
[02:50.81]Mr.Budd experienced a strange feeling of freedom and confidence.
[02:56.09]He made light conversation as he skilfully dyed the man's hair dark brown.
[03:01.97]The streets were less crowded when Mr.Budd let him out.
[03:06.23]He watched the tall figure cross the square and get onto a bus.
[03:11.37]The man at the police headquarters didn't take Mr.Budd seriously at first
[03:16.73]when he demanded to see"somebody very important."
[03:21.69]But when the little barber continued so earnestly to say that he had information about the Manchester murder
[03:28.85]and that there was no time to waste,he allowed him to pass through.
[03:34.02]Mr.Budd told his story to an important looking officer,
[03:38.88]who listened very politely and made him repeat the bits about the tooth
[03:44.63]which was filled with gold,
[03:47.79]the thumbnail and the hair which had been black before it was grey or red
[03:51.89]and which was now dark brown.
[03:55.44]He crushed his soft hat into a ball as he leaned across the table
[04:00.80]and explained the Great Idea that he had had.
[04:04.95]"Tzee--z-z-z--tzee-z-z---tzee---z-z---."
[04:09.00]The message flashed to ships all round the coast of Britain,
[04:13.73]to harbours and police centres in England,France,Holland,Germany,
[04:19.19]Denmark and Norway,
[04:22.24]and the people in them heard,with laughter and excitement,
[04:27.00]the story of Mr.Budd's Great Idea.
[04:31.07]The Miranda reached Ostend at 7 a.m.
[04:35.62]A man burst into the cabin where the radio officer was just finishing his work
[04:41.36]"Here!"he cried,"you're to send this message.
[04:46.22]Something's happening,and the Captain's sent for the police."
[04:49.31]The officer turned to his radio.
[04:52.75]A message started on its way to the English police.
[04:57.61]"Man described by police is on board.
[05:01.37]Has locked himself in cabin and refuses to come out.
[05:05.92]Is demanding that a hairdresser be see to him.
[05:10.07]We have been in touch with Ostend police.Waiting for orders."
[05:15.22]The captain,with five sailors,went to first class cabin number 36.
[05:21.57]The passenger inside could be heard walking up and down the narrow cabin,
[05:26.92]moving things and knocking them over.
[05:30.68]Soon,six Belgian policemen arrived.
[05:35.05]"Are you ready?""Yes."The captain knocked at the door.
[05:40.32]"Who is it?"cried a hard,sharp voice.
[05:44.97]"The hairdresser that you sent for is here,sir."
[05:49.02]"Ah!"The voice was full of relief."
[05:53.59]Send him in alone,please,II have had an accident.""Yes,sir."
[06:00.44]At the sound of the lock being turned,the captain stepped forward.
[06:05.61]The door opened a little and was quickly pushed to again,
[06:10.16]but the captain had stuck his boot between it and the doorpost.
[06:15.33]The policemen rushed forward.
[06:18.57]There was a shout and a shot,which went harmlessly through the window,
[06:23.61]and the passenger was brought out.
[06:27.27]"Good heavens!"shouted the cabin boy."He's gone green in the night."Green!
[06:34.14]Mr.Budd had not wasted the years which he had spent studying the behaviour of dyes
[06:39.99]"Knowledge is Power."
[06:43.15]The knowledge of Mr.Budd had given him the power to put a mark on his man
[06:48.61] which made him different from every other person in the world.
[06:53.26]A murderer could hide himself nowhere
[06:57.23]when every hair on his head was bright green.
[07:01.17]Mr.Budd got his five hundred pounds.
[07:05.33]The Evening Messenger printed the full story of his Great Idea.
[07:10.37]But Mr.Budd was afraid.Surely no one would ever come to him again.
[07:16.22]The next morning a large blue car stopped outside his door.
[07:21.29]A lady,wearing many jewels and an expensive fur coat,
[07:26.15]walked into the little shop.
[07:29.67]"You are the great Mr.Budd?You're wonderful.
[07:34.82]And now,dear Mr.Budd,you must do me a favour.
[07:39.68]You must dye my hair green,at once.
[07:44.12]Now,I want to be able to say that I'm the first to be done by you.
[07:50.00]I'm the Duchess of Winchester and Lady Melcaster is following me down the street
[07:56.24]because she wants to be the first!" |