Thirty-Nine Steps Introduction

Early in 1914 a coded cable was sent from a European power to a house in West London. Decoded it read: Let the sleepers awake(counting of 39 steps which are not seen again in the movie)(Scudder taking notes about the staircase)[very dark and poor title sequence almost invisible images]Meeting between Scudder a freelance British secret agent) and Two Sea Lords (from the British government)SCUDDERI presume youve read my reportsIf their plans for the fifteenth are successful, the whole of Europe will be plunged into war immediately!SECOND SEA LORDWe still have the Fleet, Scudder. Youre overstating the danger. Karolides can hold the Balkans together.SCUDDERIf you dont act now, before the fifteenth, the Fleet will be endangered; and Karolides will be assassinated!Sir Hugh! Have I ever cried wolf before?SECOND SEA LORDAll right give us the details![Two dangerous men foreign secret agents - with guns approach the area in the mist. The Rolls Royce they arrived in drives off]SCUDDERI admit that I dont know their English names, but every other fact I can verifyLORD HARKNESSYouve been retired too long, Scudder: youre seeing phantoms everywhere!SCUDDER (very rude)And you, Lord Harkness, are spending too much time at your club!SECOND SEA LORD (remonstrating)Thats quite enough, Scudder!SCUDDER (now very rude)I cannot tolerate complacency![The dangerous men appear in the mist close to the Albert Hall in London, near where the meeting seems to have taken place]LORD HARKNESS (to Scudder)Incivility does nothing to strengthen your hand, you know!SCUDDERSo youre all prepared to ignore the obvious warnings.???!!ONE OF THE SEA LORDSScudder, dont you understand: the peace of the world is in danger now! I am in danger! So are you and your colleaguesDISCUSSION BETWEEN THE SEA LORDS:LORD HARKNESSIts always been an obsession of Scudders! He sees Prussians in every wardrobe!SECOND SEA LORDYou cant ignore him hes always been reliableLORD HARKNESSIn the past perhaps!SECOND SEA LORDI believe him!LORD HARKNESSWell! Sleep on it! Ill speak to you in the morning!SECOND SEA LORDGoodnight, my Lord!LORD HARKNESSGood night![minutes later Lord Harkness is murdered in the London fog 0518 One of the foreign secret agent, disguised as one of his friends, runs him through with a sword]My dear! What an unexpected pleasure! What on earth.!!!!??? Aaagh!

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