01x06 - The Monsters of Nethermoor

[bunniefuu]

Daniel: Do you know what I'd love to do now?

You're drunk.

But seriously, Danny, you know what I love most about being out here?

We can forget the rest of the world.

All our problems.

And that's what I love about you... that you can do that.

I'm sorry... for so many things.

You both deserve a better life.

Maybe we should move out of Nethermoor before the baby comes.

Make a fresh start.

This is my home.

This is our home.

Danny, look.

It's a sh**ting star.

We should make a wish.

I'm about to get mine.

Stop it, Daniel.

That's not a sh**ting star.

Stay here!

What is it?

Danny!

(SCREAMS) Danny!

Rosie, run!

Watch out!

Danny! Danny, help!

Rosie, get up!

Ah, Danny!

Rosie! Leave her alone!

Danny!

Rosie! Rosie!

Get off her! Rosie!

(SCREAMS)

Danny!

Rosie!

(SCREAMS) Danny!

Come on. Come on, Lexie.

Lexie. Get up. Go!

(BARKS)

(LEXIE CONTINUES BARKING)

What the devil?

Are you all right?

Rosie...

Where's Rosie?

Rosie!

Rosie! Rosie!

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

Hey, I got a guy looking into Penelope Graves.

Course you have.

Give me that.

You're so intrigued with this stupid Martian sighting you'll take a six-hour train ride to check it out.

You'll make the same journey to prove me wrong.

But you find... you find out that Adelaide is using an alias, lying to us and the rest of the world, and you act like you couldn't care less.

What you imagine to be indifference is actually respect for Constable Stratton's privacy.

She marries a successful businessman, two years later he's dead, she's changed her name, working as a cop. It's some sort of scandal.

I don't know if it's financial, criminal or sexual.

No prizes for guessing which you're hoping for.

Is there a prize for guessing why you're afraid to know?

I'm sure she'll confide in us if and when we've earned her trust.

If she doesn't trust us by now, should we be trusting her?

We should be in Nethermoor shortly.

Have I interrupted something?

We were discussing the cricket.

I didn't know you were a fan. It was a one-sided discussion.

Looking for something?

Yes. The key to my satchel.

I seem to have misplaced it.

Penny?

For the lock. It's a pretty simple lock.

More of a clasp, really.

I need to learn that trick. Happy to share.

No secrets between friends, right?

Why should we be out there searching? He knows where she is.

It's nothing a good hiding won't reveal.

You're searching because I'm the only copper you've got.

I can't cover 1100 acres all by myself.

I can't cover 1100 acres all by.

Rubbish.

Him and his kind, they're all t'same.

If I had my way, he'd have been hung, drawn and quartered the minute he got back here, with all that nonsense about monsters from the sky.

He's k*lled our Rosie!

Constable Booth? Hope we're interrupting.

Who are you?

I'm Harry Houdini. Pleasure to meet you.

These are my friends, Dr Arthur Conan Doyle and Constable Adelaide Stratton.

They've come from London to help us get to the bottom of it.

This is Jim Gorton, the uncle of the missing woman.

They have lady coppers in London now, do they?

(RIPPLES OF LAUGHTER)

Fortunately, yes.

This must be a very difficult time for you, but I assure you we're going to do everything we can to find your niece.

You've brung in outsiders, some woman, doesn't know Rosie, doesn't care -

I assure you I care.

This isn't your problem.

I assure you I care.

Jim, don't make this worse.

Hey, Jim.

I'm guessing you like to drink.

Pint's on me.

Don't need handouts from you, Yank.

Booth, you've got a decision to make. Whose side you're on.

This town... or are you with that black bastard you're hiding, eh?

Welcome to Nethermoor!

When Inspector Merring said he was sending his three leading experts in the supernatural field, I didn't realise he meant either of you.

Is everybody like Jim, or do you have any humans?

He's a hothead, but he's upset about his niece.

And I have to admit, Daniel's tale is pretty far-fetched.

And that's enough to keep him locked up?

Yeah.

If I let him out, he's a dead man.

Daniel?

They were small, spindly things.

Skin you could almost see through.

Black eyes.

Hell of a story.

Indeed.

Would you mind?

He's a doctor.

And the spaceship?

You don't believe me.

All sorts of people saw it.

A few people saw strange lights. No-one saw a spaceship.

Why do you think they take Rosie and left you behind?

I'd like to see you fight them off.

Daniel, is there anything else you can tell us?

The smallest detail that can help corroborate your story?

I've tried, I've tried, but there's holes.

Pieces missing.

Please, you've got to believe me.

You've got get me out of here.

Help me find my Rosie before the baby comes.

One thing's for certain.

He's lying.

What?

Why don't you believe him? Because he's black?

I don't believe him because he's an alcoholic.

He has Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome.

An encephalopathy associated with alcoholism.

He's been in a cell for the last two days with no access to alcohol.

It's a chronic condition. He has all the symptoms: droopy eyelids, elevated pulse, ataxia, nystagmus, rocking back and forth and most significantly of all, he's prone to confabulations.

He lies.

All of those symptoms, except for the last one, are consistent with a man whose wife was att*cked before his eyes.

And the cuts on his arm -

Are perfectly consistent with a man who att*cked his wife while she fought back.

You think he k*lled his pregnant wife?

And then what?

He buried her body?

Or she just ran away.

Why make up a story no-one is going to believe?

It's perfectly possible he doesn't remember anything at all.

His mind fills in the gaps with this farcical story.

I believe him.

You believe in Martians?

There's plenty of good science to back it up.

We know there are canals on Mars. Where there's water, there's life.

Not an hour ago, on the train, you were mocking my credulity.

I was unconvinced. Now, I've seen the eyewitness and he convinced me.

You're being deliberately contrary.

You can see I'm not buying his story, so you're pretending you do.

But a woman is missing.

God knows what's happened to her. This is no joking matter.

Who's joking? We find these creatures, we find Rosie.

How exactly do you plan to do that?

Now what do you see?

The light, glowing, over the hill.

What do you hear?

Just my footfalls.

(SNIFFS)

I smell flowers.

Roses?

Lords and ladies.

(That wasn't in the report.)

When you come over the top of the hill, what do you see?

Something burning, but not on fire.

Glowing, like an ember.

Rosie. Rosie!

You're perfectly safe, Daniel. What's happening to Rosie?

She's fallen. They're all over her.

One of them's grabbing me. There's something around its neck.

A medallion?

A strange shape on it. Can you draw it for me?

People don't lie under hypnosis.

Unless they've already formed a memory, an altered reality within their conscious mind.

This alone was worth the trip.

(CLICKS HIS FINGERS)

Is that it?

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Someone obviously forgot to tell the welcoming committee we were coming.

Daniel and Rosie were here when he claims to have seen the mysterious object in the sky.

But Daniel was found here.

The search party checked everywhere in between but didn't find anything.

Finding nothing doesn't mean there's nothing to be found.

That doesn't mean there's nothing to.

Apparently some sheep were stolen.

Think the Martians abducted them too?

Do they communicate telepathically or do they speak Martianese?

(LAUGHS)

(COUGHS)

I'm sorry. So sorry.

This isn't tea.

It's saloop.

A popular drink round these parts.

Not for t'London palate, though.

They're not necessarily Martians.

There are seven other planets in the universe.

So, what do you propose we call them?I dunno.

Aliens? Isn't that the name you give to anyone who's different?

It is hard to reconcile that you really believe in all this.

Why don't you?

Because I think man is the ultimate expression of God's creation.

And I'm including women in that. I agree with the women part, but that doesn't preclude the possibility of life on other planets.

The only aliens Daniel saw are ones he created in his intoxicated state.

Why are you so determined on giving him a drinking problem?

Daniel Berry likes his drink. No-one knows better than me.

Got a nasty temper on him an' ll. I bet he's shiftless and lazy too.

Now that you mention it - - Saloop.

It's made from the roots of orchids, isn't it?

Made this batch with the last lot of cuckoopint I could find.

Picked the flowers a few days ago.

Cuckoopint, also known as lords and ladies.

Daniel recalled the scent under hypnosis. Can you tell me where?

The flowers should be somewhere near here.

Nice to see you out of uniform.

That colour suits you.

Thank you.

I never believed a woman in mourning had to wear black.

It's been nearly two years.

Was it sudden?

Very. Heart att*ck.

I'm sorry.

It must be very difficult.

Single woman...

Does Scotland Yard pay your expenses while you're up here?

Scotland Yard doesn't pay for much.

Luckily, I didn't become a police officer for the money.

Winning her trust? Au contraire.

She just told me that her husband d*ed of a heart att*ck.

But she was lying.

How on earth can you know that?

Her breathing changed, she tensed slightly.

I used to be a pretty good cold reader.

So, you've ruled out heart att*ck.

I've ruled out a lot more than that.

She's not just going to substitute one mundane cause of death for another.

Which means it wasn't natural causes?

And as to the nature of the scandal, I've ruled out financial, which leaves criminal and hmm-hmm-hmm.

Over here!

(WHISTLES)

Ah!

Lords and ladies.

According to Daniel's statement, the landing site was at the foot of a hill.

Notice the size and shape of the area?

Looks like the landing site of some kind of alien craft to me.

(CHUCKLES)

Here's your 'alien craft'.

It's a meteorite.

That caused this?

And the lights?

It would've been much bigger as it streaked through the atmosphere, burning like a torch.

The circle is the impact site.

Spectacular.

But all perfectly natural.

Look at this.

That's it.

That's what I saw.

Have you found Rosie?

We'll keep looking.

You believe me now though, right?

This medallion's made of lead.

Hardly evidence of an other-worldly origin.

If there's water elsewhere in the universe, isn't it possible there's lead too?

I'm being logical.

You have to let me go!

I can't.

I have to find Rosie!

You're not going anywhere.

Let me out!

The innkeeper told us Daniel has a temper on him.

He's locked up while his wife is missing!

The innkeeper's right.

Daniel has had one or two run-ins, after he's had a snoutful.

I'm guessing everyone in this town has.

You think this one's guilty because of the colour of his skin.

You think he's innocent for the same reason.

When a woman goes missing, it's reasonable to consider the husband.

The bigger issue is, seems we were searching in the wrong place and unfortunately, it's getting a bit late for a search party.

It's probably best to leave it till morning.

If you're right, we're looking for a body.

We don't want to miss any clues.

And if you're right, she may well be several million miles from here.

Martha Stiles.

She reported seeing something on the morning after Rosie's disappearance, a 'strange creature'.

A lovely lady, lives on the edge of town, but there's a reason why everyone calls her Mad Martha.

Martha, we wanted to ask you about -

Where are you from?

(CLEARS THROAT) US of A, ma'am.

We believe you had a sighting the morning after -

You want to ask about the kobolds.

Originally, your people where are they from?

You have a different colouring.

I was born in Budapest, but we moved to America when I was four.

Did you say 'kobolds'?

Goblins, sprites.

Houdini?

What kind of a name is that?

A stage name. I was born Erich Weiss.

A Jew.

You must try my knedle.

You make knedle?

What's knedlay?

Knedle.

Perfect.

My family are Slavs.

My name is actually Marta, not Martha.

The English have a way of diluting your culture.

(CHUCKLES)

Can you describe the 'kobolds' for us?

Your family escaped the pogrom too?

My family came here from Russia.

I was four, just like you.

It's a hell of a place to come.

This was a rich mining town.

A magnet for people from all over Europe looking for jobs and a fresh start.

The kobolds, are they tall? Short? Furry?

But we faced a pogrom here too.

When the mines closed, the villagers drove everyone out.

When the mines closed, There was a lot of v*olence.

People were k*lled - stoned to death.

It was like Russia again.

You survived.

Somehow.

I'm sure you're not a stranger to prejudice.

Mrs Stiles, what exactly do the kobolds look like?

Gentle little creatures with the fairest skin. Pendants round their neck.

They steal things. Clothes from the washing line. Food from the pantry. But they always leave a little gift in return.

My mother used to say it was good luck to see one.

I've got everything written down here.

Just because she's seen them more than once doesn't mean she's crazy.

It could mean that they've been here before.

Ah! So, you believe in goblins now too?

I'm suggesting goblins are her way of interpreting visitors from outer space.

Why would they keep coming back to Nethermoor? For the hospitality?

Here he is reaching leg. Maybe you're right.

Maybe they don't have lead on their planet and they've come here to mine it.

There's nothing like a lead spacecraft.

Aliens have been coming here for thousands of years, according to the Bible.

That would be The Book of Venusians?

Ezekiel. - Mm. Those were angels.

You call them angels. Martha calls them kobolds.

HG Wells called them Martians. What if they're all the same thing?

Oh. We need three rooms.

I've only got two.

Looks like we'll just have to share.

No.

I want to know why you're protecting that bloody darkie.

It's bad enough he's got Booth pandering to him without you lot coming down here, giving us what's what.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER BECOMES HUSHED)

Maybe you should leave.

You telling me to leave?

Go on, Jimmy! Give it to him!

That's it!

You poncing sheeny.

You wanna hit me?

Harry...

Go ahead. Right in the gut.

Houdini!

(CHEERING AND WHISTLING)

Just remember, I get the next punch.

If there is one.

(ENCOURAGING CHATTER)

(CHEERING)

Harry?

Are you all right?

(LAUGHTER)

(SNIFFS)

My turn.

Harry!

Harry!

Houdini! That's enough!

Man: Jimmy?

Bouquet of parsley, September '71.

Rabbit, February '88.

Bracelet, April '96.

Gifts from the kobolds.

Lots of them, all faithfully recorded by Mad Martha.

Oh, look, here's a message from them.

Oh, my mistake.

It's a recipe for knedle in Latvian or something.

Maybe that's why they're occupying Earth, for our plum dumplings!

Clearly, only a brainless bigot can get a rise out of you.

I'm doing my exercises, all right?

Something you might want to think about at some point in your life.

I won Man of the Match at Lords, Saturday last, thank you.

Look, it's pretty clear what's going on.

It must have been tough for you and your family having to deal with other people's blind spots and prejudices.

What people call me is their problem, not mine.

The only person who can put you in the gutter is you.

The point is, I understand how you feel.

I don't think you do, Doctor Doyle.

I've experienced bigotry.

When I was 12, we had a black maid.

Wonderful woman. Ina.

One summer, my cousin came for a fortnight.

He had an amazing pocket watch.

It was handed down from our great-grandfather.

I couldn't resist it.

I stole it.

My father assumed it was Ina and I let him.

He sacked her and I'll never forget the look she gave me when she left.

Not anger, just disappointment.

That's it?

Your experience of bigotry is that you were a bigot?

That I learned a valuable lesson about bigotry.

You learned that it was bad. What a revelation!

Please don't tell me that's silk.

Says the man in the flannel nightshirt.

Don't you have a hat to match? You know, with a little tassel?

Here, take a look at this.

Benjamin Graves, Adelaide's husband.

You stole this from her?I understand photos of her husband.

Why all the pictures of Nigel Pennington?

He was a friend of her husband's.

You remember the telegram we found at Adelaide's house from Pennington?

It said 'You were wrong about me?' I think they were having an affair.

And Pennington k*lled her husband to get him out of the way.

That's George Ives.

Who's George Ives?

He's a founding member of the Order of Chaeronea.

It's a not-so secret society for gentlemen with a certain preference.

Let's just say he invited Oscar Wilde to join.

So maybe it wasn't Adelaide who was having the affair with Pennington.

Maybe Pennington k*lled him over a lover's quarrel.

Or maybe Graves was threatening to expose him.

Or maybe Graves was threatening to Either way, it'd be a scandal.

A sexual one.

That's why she changed her name.

Must have been devastating for her.

Just the thought of two men sleeping together...

Shove over, Man of the Match.

Ah-ah-ah!

You wanna take that outside?

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

I saw your light on. Are you all right?

I couldn't sleep.

How's Houdini?

I think this is turning out to be a very personal case for him.

I'm sure that's true.

But he's been acting odd ever since the train journey.

You wouldn't happen to know why?

I just hope you'd ask me if there was something you wanted to know.

Absolutely.

Good night.

(RUSTLING)

(RUSTLING)

(GASPS)

Hey.

Where's Doyle?

Wasn't he your bedfellow last night?

Not when I woke up.

I'm sure he's just gone for a walk.

How's your eye?

It's fine.

(SIGHS)

I'm sorry about last night.

The whole thing kinda got away from me.

Believe it or not, I understand.

I believe it.

You know, the first time I ever had cuffs put on me, I was nine years old.

My mother sent me out for vegetables with my father.

When we got to the store, the storekeeper refused to serve him.

Didn't serve 'our kind'.

My father just turned and walked away.

So I told the guy our money's good as anybody's and if he couldn't give us what we needed, we'd just take it.

And did you?

I tried.

He called the cops.

My father, he pleaded with this policeman to let me go... that I was a child, that I didn't know wrong from right.

They let me go.

When I got home, my mother said to me, 'Ehrie, don't ever let anyone put you in chains'.

And I never have, except of my own choosing.

That night I went back, I put a brick through the window, and took all the vegetables I could carry.

I'll go find Doyle.

We should start our search for Rosie.

(GRUNTS)

Doyle?

Doyle?

Doyle!

Doyle! Doyle!

Hey! Hey! What happened?

Come on. What are you doing all the way out here in your...?

Come on, get up.

I saw one.

White skin, dark eyes.

OK. OK, let's get you warmed up, or at least dressed.

The same creatures that Daniel saw?

Maybe you have Rimsky-Korsakoff syndrome?

Your eyelids are droopy and all that other stuff.

They must have used some sort of substance.

They must have used some sort of I have a bad taste in my mouth.

You think they drugged you?

That, or I donated my clothes to the Salvation Army in the middle of the night!

Oh, good, your sarcasm's back.

If the aliens are still here, then we have a chance at finding Rosie.

The curious thing is they left me exactly where I was, but they moved Daniel to a different location. Why?

That first location must be the key.

They don't want anyone to know they're here.

They must have moved Daniel because they don't want their hiding place to be discovered.

I'll check on Booth. He should have his search party together by now.

We should get a head start.

If I were an alien, where would I hide?

Maybe they'll show us.

Birds?

Bats.

Where there's bats, there's caves.

Wow.

Nice, huh? They call it a flashlight. Got it in the States.

I've been an idiot.

Deafening silence.

My prejudices blinded me.

When Daniel gave his meandering account of monsters and whatnot, all I could think of was my father and his own drunk, nonsensical ramblings.

'Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.'

Wait, you're quoting... me.

That was you?

(RATTLING)

Somebody's been here.

And you leapt to Daniel's side because of your own prejudices, in favour of the underdog.

It's important, isn't it, that I'm just as wrong as you?

No, that you're just as honest as me.

How about this? I actually enjoyed being the believer.

Accepting everything unquestioningly.

It's like a vacation.

And I enjoyed playing the cynic, gainsaying everything and stooping to ad hominem arguments.

And stooping to ad hominem It was refreshingly unimaginative.

(SHRILL SQUEAKING)

More bats.

(SNARLING)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

What do you think you're doing, Jim?

We heard one of their lot seen the monster what took Rosie.

We need volunteers to search for her, not an angry mob.

We'll search for her all right.

What the hell is he doing out?

He's been telling the truth, which means he can help us find Rosie.

Not now, Jim.

Your pregnant niece is out there. Are we going to look for her?

Or am I going to have to render you unconscious and lock you up first?

(GRUNTS)

Not that I want to throw you off your game, but we're in a bit of a pickle here.

Can you work any faster?

My escapes are the result of extensive preparation.

What kind of aliens use rope anyhow?

The same kind that use oil lamps.

What did they build their spacecraft out of? Bamboo and twine?

By 'extensive preparation' did you mean 'broken oil lamp'?

Ha-ha-ha! Any other jokes you wanna make before you cut me free?

We've got time, right?

(I think I found your trousers.)

(Nightshade, henbane, English mandrake.

(This must be what they used to knock me out.)

(It would explain some of the symptoms Daniel and I experienced.)

(This is Cyrillic script.

(I think that's a date.)

(52)...

(1849.)

(That's when the mines closed and the villagers drove the migrants out.)

(These aren't aliens... they're humans.)

(And they've been down here for over half a century.)

(Looks like there were two families)

(who came to live down here and never left.)

(It defies belief.)

(Not at all. Our ancestors were cave dwellers. It's how they protected themselves from the dangers outside.)

(It's better than being stoned to death.)

(When the meteorite crashed, they must have come up to investigate.)

(That's when they came across Daniel and Rosie.)

(Houdini)...

I apologise for the bonds.

We were preparing to escape when we came across you.

We needed to delay.

We still do.

Watch yourself.

I'm watching you.

What did you do with Rosie?

We helped her.

When they discovered us, so close to our home, we didn't know what to do.

She fell and hurt her head.

She was with child.

We couldn't leave her, so we carried her back here.

She's here?

Resting.

She's fine.

My grandfather was a doctor. He taught me much.

You used a compound to knock me unconscious.

We do what we have to do to survive, just as we have to steal food and clothes from time to time but we never intend to harm.

You must have known when you took Rosie you would be discovered.

People would look for her.

We were waiting till she was well enough but now we must leave immediately.

You need to come to the surface.

We were born down here.

We only go out at night when it's safe.

We wouldn't survive in your world.

It's your world too.

You need sunlight.

You have rickets, and probably lead poisoning.

You're not safe down here.

We're not safe up there. They will k*ll us.

I remember the stories my father told.

These people are monsters.

Cruel.

Murderous.

Our families were tired of running.

You're still running.

Hiding is no different.

You have to fight for your place in this world.

Let us help you.

It will take your eyes a while to adjust to the light.

Welcome home.

There they are!

They're the monsters who took Rosie.

Where is she?

They're not monsters, they're people.

They look like monsters to me.

They att*cked us.

Damn you!

No!

(BABY CRIES)

Rosie!

I thought I'd lost you.

And you...

They saved my life.

This lot?

Then the baby came.

Milov helped me deliver.

Thank you.

I won't let them hurt you. Neither will I.

They're people too, Uncle Jim, just like you and me.

Just like your new nephew.

(GURGLES)

You speak to your buddy at the Home Office?

Milov and his family are being well looked after in the hospital.

Hey! A telegram came for you at the station.

I checked in on Martha.

She wanted to give you these for the journey.

Well, safe home.

Knedle?

Just enough for me.

(TRAIN WHISTLES BLOWS)

You took something from me.

From my satchel.

And then you put it back.

I hope you found what you were looking for.

Not quite.

Why'd you change your name?

I just thought 'Adelaide' had a nice ring to it.

I think... your husband was having an affair with Nigel Pennington.

What? You thought my husband was...

We saw him in a photo with George Ives.

George Ives was my husband's cousin.

Why did your husband k*ll himself?

Houdini, really!

You don't wanna hear, cover your ears.

I had someone dig up the coroner's report.

It was ruled a su1c1de.

Well, you really know nothing about my husband.

Which makes me objective. - Houdini?

He would never take his own life.

Look, I know it must've been -

I believe he was m*rder*d.

Look.

Nigel Pennington is dead.

Adelaide, what's going on?

I-I don't know... but I think my life might be in danger.