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Herzog
Every door has a key.
Alexis Chernowsky
There's a key to every situation.
Mr. Brown
Behind every unopened door there is a mystery. And the opening of this door introduces us to another in the series the Key.
Herzog
Elena, look who we have here. Look who has come to visit us.
Elena
Alexis. Alexis Chernowsky.
Alexis Chernowsky
My dear Elena, how good it is to see you again. How very good.
Elena
But Alexis, you did not say you were coming. You did not give us warnings.
Alexis Chernowsky
I couldn't, I had so little time. These things happen suddenly.
Herzog
Trouble.
Alexis Chernowsky
Yes, trouble. Much trouble. I will tell you about it.
Herzog
Here, let me take your coat. Alexis, you have.
Alexis Chernowsky
Oh, thank you, thank you.
Herzog
But you should have told us you were coming. You could have had a bed. You could have stayed with us.
Alexis Chernowsky
You are too kind, Herzog, too kind. But I have arranged to stay elsewhere. I know you do not want to be troubled with another. It is hard enough for us to make our own living in a new country.
Herzog
What nonsense.
Elena
Where have you been, Alexis? We have not seen you since. Oh, for so long. You have been in England always.
Alexis Chernowsky
No, no, Elena, I arrived here but.
Herzog
A few weeks ago. Sit down, sit down, Alexis. Here, here by the car.
Alexis Chernowsky
Most kind, most kind of you. And how have you been, Elena? How have you both been?
Elena
Oh, we are well. We are happy in a way. But you. You have just arrived. How are things there?
Alexis Chernowsky
Not good, not good. We have labor troubles and we have troubles with ourselves. We have trouble with other people too. But you know about that when you left, the country was. Oh, how shall I say it was unhappy, unsettled. You left, my friends. I. I think you were wise to leave.
Herzog
If we had not, we would have never left. My friends. Friends who came out afterwards. They tell me that as we left by the back door, the police were coming in at the front.
Alexis Chernowsky
So I believe for myself, well, I had more time. Time. Here, talk, my friend. At one time I was in the government party, which, may we be forgiven, thought that you were unworthy to live. Now I know better. Now another government party thinks that I am unworthy to live. So here we both are in England.
Mr. Brown
Full.
Herzog
Certainly, Alexis, mistakes in the Past have nothing to do with the future. Political feelings run high in our country, shall we say, in the heat of the moment, you thought I was wrong.
Alexis Chernowsky
Now, in cooler headed times, I think perhaps you were right.
Elena
Right or wrong, it does not matter. We are friends again. But what is this about a new government party? We have not heard of any government changes.
Alexis Chernowsky
Oh, perhaps I do not explain myself well, Elena. The party to which I belong has not changed. It is I who have changed. My views are now different from the party in power. And it is safer to change one's views outside our country than inside. That is why I am here.
Elena
Oh, then you have the same views as my husband now?
Alexis Chernowsky
Precisely. The party to which I belonged made many grave errors. People were killed. There was suppression and confiscation of property, imprisonment. So I think to myself, a government making itself so hated cannot be a good government.
Herzog
Ah, it is over. It is finished. We will discuss it no further. We understand. Politics make no difference when old friends meet. And what are you doing here, Alexis? Have you got a job?
Alexis Chernowsky
A job is not so easy.
Herzog
Oh, but you smile, speak excellent English.
Alexis Chernowsky
I will find work to do later.
Elena
Of course you will, Alexis.
Alexis Chernowsky
It takes time to settle down in a new country. Things are different here. The government in power does not need to suppress the other party in order to exist.
Herzog
It is what they call muddling through.
Alexis Chernowsky
Not like our country. There. Here we plan. If things go wrong, we stick to our plan. No matter how stupid circumstances make it seem. As your party did her son. They were determined. And determination always is its own destruction. For human beings resist another's determination. Ah, well. It is no good crying for what is past. Like that book of yours, Hetzel.
Herzog
Book? My political books are forgotten now.
Alexis Chernowsky
The one I am thinking of is not. When they searched your house after you had left, they found it.
Herzog
I had no hidden books.
Alexis Chernowsky
The one with all the names in it.
Herzog
The names?
Alexis Chernowsky
The names of all your party. At least I. I think it was that. We examined it, but it did not make sense.
Herzog
Oh, that book.
Alexis Chernowsky
That book.
Elena
What book was that? That's a book. When you said they would be coming for us, we destroyed everything. I remember.
Herzog
Oh, it was a book. A book I thought they would not find to be true. I did not bother about it. It was a code.
Mr. Brown
No, not a code.
Herzog
A cipher. It is called.
Alexis Chernowsky
Ah, A cipher. One that cannot be decoded unless the one who would decode it has a key. Usually a sentence in a book or something like that.
Herzog
And that one was impossible to decide code without the key. So it does not matter if they did find it.
Alexis Chernowsky
But are not your children there? Your mother? If they the authorities were to find that out, surely they would use it to make you give them the key. I mean, ladies can have their property confiscated. They can become the charge of the state and be treated accordingly. And children. Children can be sent to state institutions. Those institutions we know about. Heyertock. I should. I should think about it if I were you. I.
Herzog
They have forgotten the key.
Alexis Chernowsky
Have you? Then I should remember it.
Herzog
Alexis. You have not changed your politics, have you?
Alexis Chernowsky
Oh, yes, yes. My party has disowned me. I do fly. That is why here in England they have welcomed me.
Herzog
They sent you here. You have come to get the key to that cipher.
Alexis Chernowsky
You wrong me, Hetzhog. Of course. If I had the key, then I could inform them of it. That would only be a duty. And the children?
Herzog
My mother for them?
Alexis Chernowsky
I cannot say. If the government were able to decode that book, I'm sure they would be grateful. They might even see to it that your mother and the children were given exit permits and allowed to travel to England.
Elena
You bargain. You come to our house as a friend and then you bargain.
Alexis Chernowsky
My dear Elena, there's a bargain about it. I am quite sure the government would take what steps they think necessary. In regard to the children after. Oh, they have been abandoned. They are now children of charity. The government's charity, of course. I do not want to look on the black side or cause you unnecessary alarm, but the government be quite within their rights. If the children were confined to the institution that.
Elena
You won't do it. You can't. My children have no political meaning. They are children.
Alexis Chernowsky
The sins of the father.
Herzog
You will go. You will go before I kill you. Pause.
Alexis Chernowsky
My dear Herzog, consider the position. Although you are in England, we consider you are still subject of our country. In the event of my demise and your absence from home, it might be legal for us to punish the children in place of you. And if it isn't legal? We will pass a law making it so. It is easy for us to pass nothing.
Herzog
Yours.
Alexis Chernowsky
I see you get the point.
Herzog
There's something I can do. There must be. I will explain to the authorities here. I will go to the United Nations.
Alexis Chernowsky
Idea.
Herzog
Yet I will denounce you. They will arrest you. I will tell them you are spy. That you are still of the government in power.
Alexis Chernowsky
Do so by all means. Unfortunately, though, my government has already publicly disowned me in the face of what I think, the authorities here will not believe you.
Herzog
There Are thousands of us here? There are a hundred free men within 50 miles of here. I will call them together. If we cannot think of some way to defeat you, we will try you ourselves and have you put out of the way of the dangerous beast you are.
Alexis Chernowsky
Certainly, certainly. While you're about it, my dear Hedzol, tell them, remind them, impress upon them that they themselves have so many relations with friends at home, their dear ones, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts, mothers as you have, and I doubt they will be so militant as you. And if you do not like to remind them, I will.
Herzog
Somehow, Somehow I will beat you. Somehow I will kill you.
Alexis Chernowsky
Threats. Ah, me. So many empty threats. Well, I really must be running along as an ex military member of the government has many calls to make, many people to see. It is amazing how eager they are to confide in me now that I have fallen from grace.
Herzog
They will not be. Not after they hear what I have to tell them.
Alexis Chernowsky
Oh, yes, I meant to tell you. If you should spread any vicious lies about me to them, I shall have to instruct the Home Government to remove your mother to some safe place for her own protection, of course. Well, goodbye. Goodbye, then. I'll call back about this time tomorrow. Think over what I've said, won't you? Parents and children are such a responsibility, aren't they?
Elena
What do we do? Herzog he can't mean what he says.
Herzog
He does, though. I don't know. I don't know. Everywhere I think, everywhere my mind goes, he's there.
Elena
We shall go back. We will have to go for them.
Herzog
To have us as well as our children.
Elena
We can't leave them alone, not alone.
Alexis Chernowsky
Not now.
Herzog
No, no, I will go to them.
Elena
I too. Unless perhaps you give him what he wants to know.
Herzog
Even if I do, there's no guarantee the children will be safe. I must go alone. I must somehow bring them here to England.
Elena
We will go back together.
Herzog
No, alone. I might be able to do something. If you come, it will mean that they have us all in their hands.
Elena
You could. Alexis. I will give you the whatever it is he wants if you will bring the children here.
Herzog
He would never agree. He would say give me the key to this cipher and then I will send your children to you. I will think about sending them. He has the upper hand, whichever way you think or look at it, he has the upper hand.
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Herzog
Passport, visa. Yes. Some money and clothes. Yes, that's everything. Elena, I leave you now.
Elena
You must come back. You will?
Herzog
Of course I will come back. Darling, what is this sadness? I'm going to my home. I will see my mother again and I will see the children. I will not only see them, I will bring them back here.
Elena
You will? I'm sure.
Herzog
Of course. Now the bright smile, the confidence. We have had troubles, but we have lived. And we will live again, all of us.
Elena
You said Alexis would be here for. Will you go with him? Is it wise to go with him?
Herzog
He wants the key to the cipher. If I give it to him here, we will never see our children again. But if I go home with him and then give him the cipher, I have a much better chance of getting him away.
Elena
But then we'll have you there. They will try you and find you guilty.
Herzog
There is hope. There is life. Now it is all etched. Alexis comes here. We go back together. It is a triumph for him. He has me. He will have the cipher. Perhaps they will be lenient and let me have the children. But those names, the names of my friends would be another blood pile. Elaine, I cannot do it. I say to myself, in this world, one must be tough. One must take advantage of things. So long as we are happy, what matters? The rest. That is the modern creed.
Mr. Brown
No.
Herzog
No, I cannot do it.
Elena
The children.
Herzog
A man cannot sell his own soul. Not even for children. One moment I think yes, and then I think no. I. I'm going crazy.
Elena
I. Alexis.
Herzog
I will tell him. I will tell him.
Alexis Chernowsky
No.
Herzog
No, I cannot do it. The passport, the tickets, they have gone.
Alexis Chernowsky
Gone.
Herzog
I tell him now. I. I cannot do it. I cannot do it.
Mr. Brown
My dear old boy. Do what? Oh, I say. Confusion. What mistakes.
Herzog
Who are you?
Mr. Brown
I thought you were European. How, boy? Nao Scotch, dear. I'm very well.
Herzog
I'm sorry I kept it drift. But I do not understand.
Mr. Brown
My dear boy, isn't that the way with all of us? I'm Brown. Not Sam Brown or Brown Dolph, but Brown of the Home Office. Don't you know the British Home Office? I'm a public servant. You know, like the village pump. Anybody can use me. And they do, old boy, they do.
Herzog
Oh, won't you come in?
Mr. Brown
Oh, thanks, thanks. Drafties down here. Oh, how do you do?
Elena
How do you do?
Herzog
My wife, Mr. Brown. Now, will you please explain? I. I am getting used to the British way of life. But not to the British themselves.
Mr. Brown
Oh, it's perfectly simple. We heard you'd applied for a passport and a visa to visit your old home, so I tottered along to find out what it was all about. Not that you have to tell me. We're curious, that's all.
Herzog
I. I wish to return for private reasons.
Elena
Mr. Brown, you are English, so you would not understand.
Mr. Brown
Well, being English means that I'm pretty dumb. But being dumb doesn't mean you can't understand. I understand a fellow called Alexis Chernobysky called on you.
Elena
He.
Herzog
He has nothing to do with England.
Mr. Brown
Oh, he has, old boy, he has. Matter of fact, we've been sort of chasing after him, using the fox as a hound.
Herzog
Please, I do not understand. We wish to be alone.
Mr. Brown
Look, I know it's a frightful cheek of mine poking my nose into your business, but you've got a couple of children in your own country, haven't you?
Herzog
Yes.
Mr. Brown
Ah. Always travel there. Give them a leave. Out. Well, I mean, after all, if you're here, you're sort of under our protection, aren't you?
Herzog
There's no protection. There's no moment.
Elena
Hetshog. Go on, Mr. Barnes.
Mr. Brown
Well, we happen to know that Chornofsky bird. He's a bit of a rat. Confused in my metaphor, I know, but you get the general trend.
Elena
Yes, yes, go on.
Mr. Brown
He's here under two flags, pretending to be the one, really the other.
Elena
If you know that, why don't you arrest him?
Mr. Brown
Difficult old thing. You know, being more or less a free country means it's free for one type and it must be free for another. After all, this Chornovsky is not actually breaking any of our laws. Visitors aren't prohibited, you know.
Herzog
Please, Please. You talk, you talk, you do nothing.
Mr. Brown
But you would help us if you told us what he's really up to.
Herzog
Elena, you know what he can do if we tell this man, you know what can happen to our children.
Elena
One cannot fight threats by doing nothing.
Herzog
All right, tell him.
Elena
He came here. He wished to find out a.
Herzog
A key to a cipher.
Elena
A key to a cipher. At home they found the book. They could not read it unless they had this key, which only my husband. It contained the names of his friends. Men whose lives are not saved should they be null. Chernowski said if my husband did not give him this key, our children would suffer. My husband thought then he thought he would go to our country with Alexis. Perhaps he would be able to save our children. And then he decided he could not do this to his friends. When you came, he had decided not to go.
Mr. Brown
I see. Reminds me of the war. We had quite a neat gimmick. Quite simple. We had a code, of course, a cipher and a key. But this key was a cut above others. Matter of fact, it had three separate outcomes. Enemy would bash their brains out trying to break it. When they did, there'd be three messages, all saying different things.
Herzog
I do not see what this has got to do with us. Just chatting.
Mr. Brown
War memories, you know, Bit of manipulating. And you can do it with any code, especially if you have one to work on. I'll take your cipher, boy.
Herzog
What's the key? You expect me to tell you?
Mr. Brown
Well, I hope you might. Well, never mind. There's any old key. D, I, P, S, L, P, X, T, L, J. Pronounced dipsoltage.
Herzog
Mr. Brown, we have great troubles. We have everything happening to Please, please go.
Alexis Chernowsky
We.
Herzog
We have no time for English jokes.
Mr. Brown
No joke, old boy. And lady, it just so happens that Dipso what have you is the key to a cipher. I just made it up. It's mathematical. You take one letter less in the Alphabet for each letter. So D becomes C, I becomes H. And if you go right through, you'll find it spells Chornowski.
Herzog
Chornowski. Alexis Chernofsky.
Mr. Brown
Yes. And if you take your key and the first siphonie in your book and rearrange your key a little, you can make that Chernobyski. And that, you know, would embarrass the rat. Oh, well, I'll have to be running along if I see you later when you come back. Tootlepip. Remember, all you need for a bigger rat is a bigger trap.
Herzog
That man is mad.
Elena
Mad, yes. But madness is its own sense.
Alexis Chernowsky
The book. Hetzog. All the names. Now we'll go in next where the public prosecutor and some of my colleagues are waiting.
Herzog
My children, My mother. If I give you the key, are they at liberty to live with me?
Alexis Chernowsky
Of course. Of course.
Herzog
You will do nothing to stop us.
Alexis Chernowsky
Do you mistrust me?
Herzog
Yes.
Alexis Chernowsky
Why should you? Give me the key to the cipher of this book and you are at liberty to walk away.
Herzog
You will get it. Good.
Alexis Chernowsky
You sure?
Herzog
Say, when we leave my children and my mother, you, my dear Herzog, are.
Alexis Chernowsky
Not in a position to bargain. You are in the country or home, to be sure. But you are no longer a citizen of it. Beyond that door are gods. Your children are still here. Unless I have the key now, you will be shot. And your children will never know freedom.
Herzog
I knew I couldn't trust you. The key, written on pieces of paper and enclosed in envelopes, now awaits in a town just across cross the border. I have given instructions. Should I not return by tomorrow, those envelopes are to be posted.
Alexis Chernowsky
But you know the key. You have it in your head. And we have methods to get it out of your head should you feel disinclined to reveal it.
Herzog
The envelopes are addressed to the President and to all members of the Council. So you might be able to stop one or two reaching the destination. But a number of those envelopes would get to the people. I wish to get them.
Alexis Chernowsky
My dear Herzog, I detect a certain amount of threat in your tongue.
Herzog
I am threatening. When my children and my mother and I are across the border, I will give you the key.
Alexis Chernowsky
You will give it to me now?
Herzog
You insist?
Alexis Chernowsky
I do.
Herzog
Very well. Alexis Chernotzky. You make squares on a piece of paper like this, as though it were a crossword puzzle. So. Now here you write these letters at the top. And here you write Figures 1 to 26 diagonally across. You write the Alphabet from corner to corner, very elaborate, so you could not break it. You take the first word in the book, the first name.
Alexis Chernowsky
Excalcimos.
Mr. Brown
Good.
Herzog
E is the fifth letter of the Alphabet. We take five here, e @ the top, and they meet at C. C is the first letter in that length. Perhaps you would like to do the rest.
Alexis Chernowsky
X is the 19th. 19th. Next. They meet at 8.
Herzog
Oh, very clever. You are a pupil. The name starts with Ch.
Elena
Go on.
Alexis Chernowsky
C is the third.
Mr. Brown
Three.
Alexis Chernowsky
And C. Give all. Excellent.
Herzog
Excellent. Ch.
Alexis Chernowsky
Go on. Next one is R. Ch.
Herzog
Go on. Chern, you have got so far. You might as well finish the name off for yourself. Important names. Chernowski, enemies of your state. Names of men you have sworn to liquidate.
Alexis Chernowsky
Chernovit, Chernowsky.
Herzog
Well, Alexis, do we go through and tell the President, the Public Prosecutor?
Alexis Chernowsky
I have never been an enemy of this government.
Herzog
Perhaps not but this book says so. The key to the cipher I gave you says so. Now, about my children. If you give orders for them to be rushed to the border with my mother and then myself, you will be in time to have those envelopes stopped. If not, you have a hard time explaining your name in this book.
Alexis Chernowsky
Her talk. I never had any intention of stopping you or your family.
Herzog
No, no, of course not. Well, either you agree or I take the book and this cipher next door.
Alexis Chernowsky
I agree.
Elena
Oh, here you are back.
Herzog
The children and mother will be here soon. Oh, now, this is not a time for crying, Elena.
Elena
Let me hold you.
Herzog
And L and P, they're all safe. They will be coming soon. But Jonowski, the that man, the crazy, wonderful Englishman Brown, we have him to thank. At first, Chanowski would not let me see the children and mother. So I showed him one key which would decipher our code and it put his name at the head of the list. He then agreed it would be best if I just had my family by me. I promised him then he could have the real key. He came back across the border with us and I gave him another key. Useless, of course. But Chernoffsk, he will still find his name on the list under the heading of underground courier. So the rat is now a runner.
Elena
Oh, you are safe. The children are coming. Nothing else matters now.
Herzog
Oh, Elena. The English do not kiss with the doors open.
Elena
Close the door. Close it quickly.
Herzog
A closing door finishes a story.
Mr. Brown
Next week, another key will open another.
Herzog
Door to another story. Mystery, romance or adventure?
Mr. Brown
All story start when a door is unlocked by.
Herzog
The key.
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Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio – Episode: "The Key 56-xx-xx (x) Alexis"
Release Date: March 1, 2025
Host: Harold's Old Time Radio
Title: The Key 56-xx-xx (x) Alexis
Description: A gripping episode set against the backdrop of political intrigue and personal betrayal, "The Key" delves into the tense reunion of old friends amidst a web of secrets and threats. This episode captures the essence of Golden Age radio drama, blending mystery, suspense, and emotional drama.
The episode opens with a subtle introduction of the primary setting—a household where old friends reunite under strained circumstances. The ambiance is immediately charged with tension as Alexis Chernowsky arrives unexpectedly, bringing with him a sense of urgency and impending trouble.
Key Quote:
Alexis Chernowsky’s Arrival:
Alexis arrives unannounced, invoking nostalgia and concern among his friends, Herzog and Elena. His demeanor signals that he brings troubling news, setting the tone for the episode's unfolding drama.
Key Quote:
Discussion of Past Conflicts:
The conversation quickly turns to past political conflicts, revealing that Alexis was once part of a government party that now views him as a threat. This history of political strife underscores the dangers they face.
Key Quote:
The Mystery of the Book:
Alexis alludes to a mysterious book containing names and a cipher that only Herzog holds the key to. This cipher is crucial, as it appears to unlock significant secrets related to their past and present threats.
Key Quote:
Herzog’s Dilemma:
Herzog is torn between protecting his family and uncovering the truth behind the cipher. The moral and ethical dilemmas he faces are central to the episode’s tension.
Key Quote:
Alexis’s Ultimatum:
Alexis threatens to harm Herzog’s family unless the key to the cipher is handed over. The intensity of this confrontation heightens the stakes, emphasizing the peril the characters are in.
Key Quote:
Herzog’s Resolve:
Faced with the impossible choice, Herzog grapples with his conscience and the dire consequences of his actions, illustrating the profound personal conflict driving the narrative.
Key Quote:
Introduction of Mr. Brown:
Mr. Brown, a representative from the British Home Office, enters the fray, adding a new layer of complexity. His involvement suggests a larger political game at play, potentially tipping the balance of power.
Key Quote:
Decoding the Cipher:
Through a clever sequence of interactions, Mr. Brown helps Herzog decode the cipher, revealing Alexis’s true identity and his clandestine operations. This revelation shifts the power dynamic, providing Herzog with a potential advantage.
Key Quote:
Final Confrontation:
The episode builds to a climax as Herzog confronts Alexis with the decoded cipher. Faced with the exposure of his true identity, Alexis is forced to concede, ensuring the safety of Herzog’s family and thwarting his nefarious plans.
Key Quote:
Alexis’s Defeat:
Alexis agrees to Herzog’s terms, recognizing the futility of his position now that his secrets are unveiled. The resolution promises safety and closure, albeit with lingering tensions hinting at future conflicts.
Key Quote:
Closing Remarks:
The episode concludes with Herzog reflecting on the events, reinforcing the themes of friendship, sacrifice, and resilience. The door-closing metaphor symbolizes the end of this chapter while hinting at future adventures.
Key Quote:
Teaser for Next Episode:
Mr. Brown hints at future challenges, maintaining suspense and encouraging listeners to return for the continuation of the saga.
Key Quote:
Herzog: "Every door has a key." (00:52)
Alexis Chernowsky: "My dear Elena, how good it is to see you again. How very good." (01:21)
Alexis Chernowsky: "Another government party thinks that I am unworthy to live." (03:45)
Herzog: "A man cannot sell his own soul. Not even for children." (16:40)
Alexis Chernowsky: "Unless I have the key now, you will be shot. And your children will never know freedom." (22:53)
Mr. Brown: "Any old key. D, I, P, S, L, P, X, T, L, J. Pronounced dipsoltage." (21:05)
Herzog: "A closing door finishes a story." (27:25)
Mr. Brown: "Next week, another key will open another." (27:29)
Moral Conflict:
Herzog's internal struggle between duty and personal ethics highlights the complex nature of moral decisions in times of crisis.
Betrayal and Trust:
The betrayal by a former ally underscores the fragile nature of trust, especially within political and personal spheres.
Power of Information:
The cipher symbolizes the immense power that information holds, dictating the dynamics of power and control in volatile situations.
Friendship and Sacrifice:
Despite the conflicts, the underlying theme of enduring friendship and the willingness to sacrifice for loved ones remains prominent.
"The Key" in Harold's Old Time Radio's latest episode masterfully weaves a tale of suspense, political intrigue, and personal sacrifice. Through its rich dialogue and complex characters, the episode offers listeners a captivating glimpse into the machinations of power and the enduring strength of human relationships. For aficionados of classic radio dramas, this episode stands as a testament to the genre's timeless appeal and its ability to engage and thrill audiences with every twist and turn.