The Voyage of the Scarlet Queen 1947-09-11 (011) Jewel Thieves and the Straw Filled Dummy

Summary

Podcast Summary: "The Voyage of the Scarlet Queen" (Episode 011: Jewel Thieves and the Straw Filled Dummy)

Podcast Information:

• Title: Harold's Old Time Radio
• Host/Author: Harold's Old Time Radio
• Episode: The Voyage of the Scarlet Queen 1947-09-11 (011) Jewel Thieves and the Straw Filled Dummy
• Release Date: April 10, 2025

---

Introduction

"The Voyage of the Scarlet Queen" transports listeners to the Golden Age of Radio, capturing the suspense and intrigue of a classic maritime thriller. Set against the bustling backdrop of 1940s Hong Kong, the episode unfolds the perilous journey of Captain Philip Carney and his crew aboard the Scarlet Queen. As jewel thieves and deceptive allies emerge, the narrative weaves a tale of trust, betrayal, and survival on the high seas.

---

Plot Overview

[00:27] The story commences with Captain Philip Carney logging the Scarlet Queen's position after a breakdown in Hong Kong harbor. Frustrated by delays and unable to contact his Chinese boss, Cuji Kang, Carney's morale plummets. His crew, led by Chief Mate Gallagher, shows signs of dissent, threatening to abandon ship. Amidst this turmoil, Carney seeks solace in local bars, attempting to forget his mounting worries.

[02:57] At the Emperor Hotel bar, Carney encounters Henrietta Ainley, a distraught woman whose presence shifts the course of his voyage. Initially cold and reserved, Henrietta's vulnerability compels Carney to offer her comfort, leading to their decision to escape the confines of the hotel under the cover of night.

[05:18] As Henrietta reveals fragments of her tragic past—losing her parents during the war and her husband, Lucien Ainley—tensions escalate. Her mention of Neil Gaynor, a menacing figure who threatens her life, introduces the central conflict. Henrietta's desperation and fear indicate a deeper connection to the jewel heist haunting the Scarlet Queen.

[08:02] The duo narrowly evades Neil Gaynor's pursuit, navigating through Hong Kong's labyrinthine streets to seek refuge in a Chinese flat. The facade of safety is short-lived as Henrietta's past catches up with them, culminating in Gaynor's violent intrusion and the revelation of a $200,000 jewel robbery that intertwines their fates.

[16:20] The climax intensifies when Neil Gaynor confronts them at their hideout, demanding information about the stolen jewels. A tense standoff ensues, leading to Carney's desperate attempt to physically overpower Gaynor. The struggle results in a temporary victory for Carney, but the threat remains looming.

[21:09] Chief Mate Gallagher reappears, informing Carney of impending law enforcement actions and the need to abandon their current plans. Faced with mounting pressure, Carney resolves to sail the Scarlet Queen that very night, initiating a hasty departure intended to outmaneuver both Gaynor and the authorities.

[24:41] As the Scarlet Queen sets sail into a dense fog, symbolizing the obscured truth and uncertain future, the crew grapples with their mixed emotions and doubts about Carney's leadership. The episode concludes with lingering threats and unresolved tensions, hinting at further adventures and challenges awaiting the Scarlet Queen.

---

Key Scenes and Notable Quotes

1. Captain Carney's Despair:

   • "[00:27] Philip Carney: ...by the time I graduated through the British Club, the Hong Kong Club, the commercial club, and 4 out of every 5 non club bars I passed, getting from place to place I had almost succeeded in forgetting."

2. Henrietta's Plea:

   • "[02:57] Henrietta Ainley: Oh, darling, there you are. I've been waiting so long I didn't know what to think."

3. Revelation of Threat:

   • "[05:08] Henrietta Ainley: They were going to follow me out of the bar and I don't know why... I don't know what they've done to my husband."

4. Confrontation with Gaynor:

   • "[16:20] Neil Gaynor: Ah, Tristan and Isolde. Do come in."
   • "[18:07] Neil Gaynor: He is dead, my dear. And you and your captain will be also, unless you tell me where the jewels are."

5. Decision to Sail:

   • "[21:47] Philip Carney: All right, Red. All right. Gather the crew. We'll sail at nine tonight."

6. Final Departure:

   • "[27:23] Gallagher: That's a bad night, skipper. But not much shipping down this way. I guess we don't have to worry too much about collision. Do you think so? Oh, come on, Skipper."
   • "[28:13] Philip Carney: Log entry the catch. Scarlet Queen, 11:30pm Miles traveled from San Francisco. ... Signed Philip Carney, Master."

---

Character Analysis

• Philip Carney (Captain): A seasoned mariner burdened by unforeseen delays and mounting pressure. His leadership is tested as he navigates both external threats and internal crew discord. Carney's willingness to help Henrietta reveals his compassionate side, yet his desperation underscores his vulnerability.

• Henrietta Ainley (Hank): A mysterious and distressed woman entwined in the jewel theft narrative. Her vulnerability masks a complex past, and her interactions with Carney highlight themes of trust and survival. Henrietta's connection to Lucien Ainley and Neil Gaynor drives the central conflict.

• Neil Gaynor (Antagonist): A menacing figure determined to reclaim stolen jewels, willing to resort to violence to achieve his goals. Gaynor's persistence and threats intensify the narrative's suspense, positioning him as a formidable adversary to Carney and Henrietta.

• Gallagher (Chief Mate): Loyal to Captain Carney, Gallagher serves as both supporter and voice of reason. His interactions reflect the crew's concerns and the practical challenges of their predicament.

---

Themes and Insights

• Trust and Betrayal: The episode delves into the fragile nature of trust, especially when secrets and hidden motives come to light. Henrietta's reluctance to divulge information and Gaynor's deceptions underscore the dangers of misplaced trust.

• Survival and Desperation: Characters are driven by a need to survive amidst threats, leading to desperate decisions. Carney's attempt to protect Henrietta and his crew reflects the lengths to which one will go to ensure safety.

• Isolation and Paranoia: Set in the bustling yet isolating environment of Hong Kong harbor, the narrative explores the characters' feelings of isolation and the paranoia that comes with being pursued by a relentless antagonist.

• Moral Ambiguity: The Scarlet Queen's voyage symbolizes a journey through moral gray areas, where characters must navigate right and wrong in pursuit of their objectives.

---

Conclusion

"The Voyage of the Scarlet Queen" masterfully blends suspense, drama, and classic radio storytelling to create an engaging episode that captivates listeners from start to finish. Through its well-developed characters and intricate plot, the episode explores timeless themes of trust, betrayal, and survival. As the Scarlet Queen sails into the obscuring fog of the South China Sea, the unresolved tensions and looming threats set the stage for future adventures, leaving listeners eager for what lies beyond the horizon.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Henrietta Ainley: "[05:57] I'm so frightened."
• Philip Carney: "[07:25] Believe me. I don't know what I'm doing."
• Neil Gaynor: "[16:36] The utter effectiveness of him. What has he wrought in me at you?"
• Gallagher: "[27:23] That's a bad night, skipper. But not much shipping down this way."
• Philip Carney: "[28:13] Log entry the catch...."

These quotes encapsulate pivotal moments of fear, determination, menace, concern, and finality, highlighting the episode's emotional and narrative peaks.

---

Final Thoughts

"The Voyage of the Scarlet Queen" serves as a quintessential example of mid-20th-century radio drama, offering a compelling blend of action, emotion, and mystery. For enthusiasts of classic radio storytelling, this episode provides a rich listening experience that honors the traditions of its golden age while delivering a timeless tale of adventure and intrigue.

Transcript

[Philip Carney]

When you start your college career at Heritage University, you're opening the door to something big. To a world of new experiences, to personal growth and academic discovery, to friendships that will last your entire life and.

[Gallagher]

The future you've always dreamed of.

[Philip Carney]

You're opening the door to your best life.

[Gallagher]

And the best part is, it won't stop here. Heritage University Operation Best Life Learn more.

[Philip Carney]

At Heritage.edu BestLife log entry the Catch Scarlet Queen Philip Carney Master position 112 degrees 32 minutes East 21 degrees 6 minutes North Wind Light Sky Fair remarks departed Hong Kong, China 9:00pm after breakdown and schedule Reason for delay the jeweled thieves and the straw filled dummy My main purpose when the Scarlet Queen slipped past Stonecutter's island and into the teeming harbor of Hong Kong was to locate my Chinese boss, Cuji Kang, or at least to get some word of instruction for the charter voyage that had brought me all the way from San Francisco. But three days passed and I had no luck. I combed the city of Victoria from the Peak to Broadway on the waterfront, but the Queen idly scraped her fenders on the dock. My crew poured their money into bar tills. My chief mate, Gallagher, threatened to sign on any ship that was going anyplace, and I grew more disgusted every minute at being stuck not knowing where to go or what to do. By the end of the fourth day, I didn't care. I didn't care about anything but relaxing and forgetting. I started with a small bar on the waterfront, and by the time I graduated through the British Club, the Hong Kong Club, the commercial club, and 4 out of every 5 non club bars I passed, getting from place to place I had almost succeeded in forgetting. I swung into the Emperor Hotel, crossed a lobby peopled by a scattering of stiff back, and made the doorway to the bar to look for a table. I stopped. She was sitting alone with an untouched drink in front of her. She looked up at me, her face set and cold. Her eyes flashed away for a second back then she smiled, stood up, and came to me.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Oh, darling, there you are. I've been waiting so long I didn't know what to think. Oh, you're so late. We'll have to rush to get dressed in time for dinner. Come on, I have the key to our room.

[Philip Carney]

I stopped, thinking it was the new Hong Kong approach when she took my arm to swing me back into the lobby. Her nails dug in and her arm and the body behind it were shaking. The plea in her eyes gave me the rest. She was scared stiff and she Needed me. We turned around and walked out into the lobby. And so mutual. Continues. The Voyage of THE Scarlet Queen Written by Gildo and Bob Tallman and starring Elliot Lewis.

[Gallagher]

The Scarlet Queen Proudest ship.

[Philip Carney]

To plow the seas. Bound for uncharted adventure. Every week a complete entry in the log and every week a league further.

[Gallagher]

In the strange voyage of the Scarlet Queen.

[Philip Carney]

She led me across the lobby without another word, her nails still digging through my coat sleeve, her arms still shaking. When we stopped to buzz for the elevator, I looked back. A very erect, thinly built man was coming out of the bar. His walk was mincing. He stopped by a pillar and looked at us while he put a cigarette in the middle of his mouth with graceful fingers, lit it and flourished the match delicately to the floo. A powerfully built little five by five walked up and joined him. They were still watching us when the elevator took us out of sight. The room was at the front of the building on the third floor here. She handed me the key to unlock the door. But when it closed everything drained out of her. She slumped down on the edge of the bed.

[Henrietta Ainley]

I don't know what I'm gonna do. I'm so frightened.

[Philip Carney]

Now take it easy. You wanna try a drink or something?

[Henrietta Ainley]

A glass of water?

[Philip Carney]

Sure. Ah, here you are.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Thank you. I can't hold it.

[Philip Carney]

Yeah, I'll hold it for you.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Thank you.

[Philip Carney]

Yeah. Better?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Yes, I think so.

[Philip Carney]

Who was your sylph like little friend downstairs.

[Henrietta Ainley]

His name is Neil Gaynor.

[Philip Carney]

The other one, five by five.

[Henrietta Ainley]

I don't know what his name is.

[Philip Carney]

They really knock you to pieces, don't they?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Neil says he's going to kill me.

[Philip Carney]

Why?

[Henrietta Ainley]

They were going to follow me out of the bar and I don't know why. I swear I don't know. They want something from me, but I don't know what it is. I don't know what they've done to my husband.

[Philip Carney]

Where is your husband?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Neil says he's dead. He says he's dead and I'm next.

[Philip Carney]

Please now this is no time to cry. You're all right.

[Henrietta Ainley]

I have no right to ask you, but could you stay with me? Please don't leave me.

[Philip Carney]

It's been my fortune to only occasionally see a woman cry as she did because she had to. It wasn't an act. It wasn't a gain sympathy. It was a cry of complete terror filled desolation. She quit shaking a long time after that. She got up, went into the bathroom to put some cold water on her face.

[Henrietta Ainley]

I'm awfully Sorry for everything that's happened. I'm all right now, really. Please. I didn't have any right to ask you. And I don't want you to feel you have to stay here with me any longer.

[Philip Carney]

I don't.

[Henrietta Ainley]

But you aren't leaving.

[Philip Carney]

No. Look, I was on hand when you needed me.

[Henrietta Ainley]

You're bargaining.

[Philip Carney]

Believe me. I don't know what I'm doing. Maybe I'm taking advantage of you because you're in trouble. But if it is that, it's unconscious because I don't work that way. Maybe my world's kind of falling to pieces right now, too, and I need somebody. I'd hate to think that because I've been self contained for a long time.

[Henrietta Ainley]

You aren't going.

[Philip Carney]

You could make me go, or you could come with me.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Where?

[Philip Carney]

Someplace where you could forget being afraid of Neil. Someplace where he wouldn't find us.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Oh, we couldn't get out of here without being followed.

[Philip Carney]

I've been tailed through cities before. Pack your bags. I'm gonna take you someplace.

[Henrietta Ainley]

You're going to take me someplace? No one has said that to me for such a long time. It won't take me long to pac.

[Philip Carney]

I called a cab and we left the hotel by a rear door. We shouldn't have bothered. There was enough light for me to see Neil Gaynor leaning against the building. When we got into our cab, he got into one parked behind it. We want speed. Driver, turn left at the end of the alley and I'll give you directions from then on. The driver knew what speed meant. But his idea of threading through traps was based on the theory of the straight line. Modified by the belief that the line would open through the snarl traffic ahead of it if he made enough noise with his horns. We crossed and recrossed the level sections of town with Neil and the other cab trailing in our wake. We paralleled the waterfront, dodged through a maze of warehouses, finally lost him. We climbed halfway up Victoria Peak, took one of the terrace roads to the left, dropped to within a block of sea level. I finally shouted the driver to a stop in front of a Chinese flat. Right here, Charl. All right, come on up the stairs. Hello, Kimmy. Will you remember me?

[Neil Gaynor]

The one called Connie. The year have been many Sunshaw. It's down before me.

[Philip Carney]

We need a room for the lady. Kimi. We.

[Neil Gaynor]

It is blunt.

[Philip Carney]

Her baggage is outside by the steps.

[Neil Gaynor]

Mark Stunt will bring it. O Tonga air wallow.

[Philip Carney]

Thanks very much, Kim. She crossed the room to the single window and opened the shutters to look out over the blinking, restless movement of the harbor, the maze of Kowloon's lights across the bay. And for the first time, she was smiling.

[Henrietta Ainley]

They keep playing that same record over and over again, don't they?

[Philip Carney]

Tell me the truth. Could you tell the difference if they weren't?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Certainly. I can tell the difference between one with a singer and one without.

[Philip Carney]

Put you right up in my class. Feeling better?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Of course I am. Your friend downstairs called you Carney.

[Philip Carney]

That's right. Phil.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Phil Carney.

[Philip Carney]

You must have one too, huh?

[Henrietta Ainley]

I don't want to tell you.

[Philip Carney]

Give me a phony, then tell me something.

[Henrietta Ainley]

No, no. It's not that I want to hide anything from you. You just won't like it. My last name is Ainley.

[Philip Carney]

What? Ainley.

[Henrietta Ainley]

You won't like it. It's Henrietta.

[Philip Carney]

Oh, no.

[Henrietta Ainley]

I told you.

[Philip Carney]

Oh, it's all right. It's a fine name. But you becomes you like. Like a diving suit would.

[Henrietta Ainley]

I told you.

[Philip Carney]

Well, it's too late to do anything legal about it. I'll call you Hank.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Oh, do you think that's prettier, Hank?

[Philip Carney]

Not too feminine. But when you look like you do, they could call you Sam and it wouldn't matter. So it's all right, huh?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Sure. Everything is. Just for a little while. Everything is all right.

[Philip Carney]

Don't talk about it if you don't want to.

[Henrietta Ainley]

I think I do want to. It's simple enough, I guess. You see, my parents were killed out here during the war. And after it was over, I was all alone. And I married Lucien Ainley. He was good to me. I don't know what he was mixed up in with Neil. I never asked him about anything.

[Philip Carney]

When is the last time you saw him?

[Henrietta Ainley]

That was over three weeks ago. You see, our home was in Calcutta, and he. He just left one day and didn't come back. And then I got a cable to meet him here. But when I got here, it wasn't Lucian. It was Neil.

[Philip Carney]

And.

[Henrietta Ainley]

And I. I just don't know what it all means. Because the way Neil said it, I. I think he killed Lucian.

[Philip Carney]

If.

[Henrietta Ainley]

If I just only.

[Philip Carney]

Take it easy, Hank.

[Henrietta Ainley]

If I knew what he wants from.

[Philip Carney]

We were out of the Emperor, remember? We came out here so you could forget being scared.

[Henrietta Ainley]

I'm sorry, Phil. Everything is all right. Really, it is. What's the matter, Phil?

[Philip Carney]

Everything's a little frightening.

[Henrietta Ainley]

What, Phil?

[Philip Carney]

You. What happens to me? Come here. Hank.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Yes?

[Philip Carney]

I just want your face like this so I can look at it.

[Henrietta Ainley]

What, Phil?

[Philip Carney]

I wondered what makes you so beautiful. Your Mouth's a little too wide. Your eyes are a little too widely spaced. Your cheekbones a little too high.

[Henrietta Ainley]

They're playing that same record again.

[Philip Carney]

Maybe you don't like comparisons, but this is supposed to be a compliment. There's a woman who's very important in my life.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Oh.

[Gallagher]

You look like her.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Where is she?

[Philip Carney]

She's on my ship. Her name is the scarlet Queen. She's carved from wood, and she spends all her time under the bowsprit. From where she keeps a good watch on what she's leading the rest of us into.

[Gallagher]

You look like her.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Do you mind?

[Philip Carney]

Uh. I think it's wonderful. I think it takes care of everything that wasn't taken care of before.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Phil. Phil, wait.

[Philip Carney]

All right.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Phil, I. I wanted to tell you. I was scared again when you said there was a woman. I was jealous. I. I want to tell you what. What's happening to me.

[Philip Carney]

That puts you right up in my class.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Then it's all right. Oh, Phil. You and your wooden woman.

[Philip Carney]

After I'd got Kim Yu Wei to put me up in a room farther away from the incessant phonograph, I lay awake remembering that I'd started out to forget the senseless frustration that had bogged down the voyage of the scarlet Queen. And that I'd succeeded. Hank and I didn't move out of Kimui's building the next day. We spent most of our time watching the street from the window. To see if our taxi dash of the night before. Had really shaken off her persistent friends. Nobody bothered us. Nothing did. Because there didn't seem to be anything else in the world. Except this dream that had picked us up out of the center of reality. That we couldn't or wouldn't leave. We went out that evening and walked, holding to the darkest streets and holding hands. A light fog had rolled in to blur the lights in the harbor by the time we got back. And the foghorns were calling nervously to one another. The next morning, we hired a taxi. It followed the winding, picturesque road around to Repulse Bay. We swam in the blue water, lay on the sand in the sun, drank in. The hotel bar was just before sunset when we got back to Kim Yu Hui's climb the stairs, opened the door, find the dream invaded. The room had been ripped to pieces, and it was cluttered by the things from her luggage. In the middle of it stood the slight mincing man from the emperor lobby. Neil Gaynor. His graceful fingers holding a small Japanese automatic.

[Neil Gaynor]

Ah, Tristan and Isolde. Do come in.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Neil. Neil. Go away. I'LL come to you.

[Neil Gaynor]

Will you really? The door, Captain. Can and closes if you will. Dear Henrietta, you're actually blowing. What's happened to you? I must know.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Please, Neil, give me just two hours. I promise I'll come to you.

[Neil Gaynor]

The power of man.

[Philip Carney]

Really.

[Neil Gaynor]

The utter effectiveness of him. What has he wrought in me at you?

[Philip Carney]

Look, Nola, straighten up and say something. I'm losing my temper and I'm gonna make you kill me to keep me from getting my fingers around that dimpled throat of yours.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Phil, please. Please, Don.

[Neil Gaynor]

What is old means is that I would put out both your eyes before you took two steps. Bang.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Bang.

[Philip Carney]

I don't see how you stand the noise.

[Neil Gaynor]

My, aren't we brave. All right, my man of action. And knowing your type, I will show you how sweetly my little one speaks. Just the tip of your right ear. Do control yourself, Henrietta. Turn your head, Captain. See? Just a slow welling of good, healthy blood. Just nick. And another one beside the first. Now, my man of action, I hope you feel some respect for my little one. And I will leave my warning unspoken. Sit down, Henrietta. Your man will remain behind you. How much have you told him?

[Henrietta Ainley]

About what? Neil.

[Neil Gaynor]

Oh, you're such a young innocent, aren't you? How much have you told him?

[Henrietta Ainley]

I don't know what you're talking about, Neil. How could I tell him anything?

[Neil Gaynor]

Who are you trying to impress? After all, the captain shouldn't mind if you're only a few hundred thousand pounds sterling outside the law.

[Philip Carney]

Should you, Captain, as long as you're enjoying it.

[Henrietta Ainley]

I don't know what you're talking about, Neil.

[Neil Gaynor]

How interesting. You mean the disposal of jewels valued at £200,000 was too unimportant to be discussed in Neil?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Do you mean my husband?

[Neil Gaynor]

I do indeed, and you know it. Lucien Ainley and the brilliant robbery of the transport company. You believe it, or you wouldn't have flown so rapidly to Hong Kong after my cable tour.

[Henrietta Ainley]

I was worried about Lucian.

[Neil Gaynor]

You were worried about the jewels.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Where is Lucian?

[Neil Gaynor]

He is dead, my dear. And you and your captain will be also, unless you tell me where the jewels are.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Neil, I don't know anything about them. Lucien never told me anything. Believe me, I. I don't know.

[Neil Gaynor]

I really.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Neil. Neil, what are you doing? Sit down.

[Neil Gaynor]

If you tell me the same story for 40 minutes, I'll try to believe you.

[Philip Carney]

I'd moved two inches closer to the chair while he backed halfway across the room. He had a thin leather belt in one hand and he held his automatic in the other. Just as his arm went back, and he was briefly off balance. I dropped to my knees behind the chair, grabbed the legs and threw everything, chair, writhing girl and my £210 on him all at the same time. I stumbled across Hank in the tangle, sprawled forward into Neil's legs to just as his automatic snap. I got my feet on the knee, pulled him partway up by his hair and one shoulder. Gave him my right knee. I heard his breath leave him. When the pain doubled him up, I hit him just above the chin with my right.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Neil.

[Philip Carney]

I got to my feet, looked at Neil by his clothes. I took him out of the room. I stopped at the head of the stairs and I tossed him down. Phil, what's the matter with you?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Oh. Are you all right?

[Philip Carney]

Sure, I'm all right.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Hold me, Phil. Please hold me.

[Philip Carney]

Yeah. Did he hurt you?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Not very much.

[Philip Carney]

The devil he didn't.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Phil, could we go someplace else?

[Philip Carney]

You mean five by five might show up now?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Oh, I think so.

[Philip Carney]

And we aren't going anyplace else. We'll wait for him. Go get some decent clothes on. Do something with your face. You're a mess. We didn't have to wait long for our next visitor. When I heard his footsteps on the stairs leading to our floor, I hustled Hank into a corner where she'd be out of sight. I waited the door with Neil's automatic funny approach. And for a split second, I had the crazy hunch that it wasn't five by five. The hunch was right. It wasn't.

[Gallagher]

Skip. What the devil happened to you?

[Philip Carney]

Gallagher, what are you doing here?

[Gallagher]

I came up to talk. Talk to you?

[Philip Carney]

What do you want, Red?

[Gallagher]

I just wanted to talk to you. Don't you think this vacation has gone on long enough?

[Philip Carney]

What do you mean?

[Gallagher]

I just want to know if you're gonna turn into a Hong Kong playboy or come back to the ship. That's all. I think the least I deserve is the truth, don't you?

[Philip Carney]

Yes.

[Gallagher]

Well, I'm not thinking about myself. I'm thinking about the boys and the crew. After all, they're as much your responsibility as mine, and I'm not. Will you. Can you come out here so I can talk to you?

[Philip Carney]

Yeah, sure. What?

[Gallagher]

Some dough was delivered to the ship for you and sailing orders from Kang.

[Philip Carney]

Did you open them?

[Gallagher]

They were open. The next port's high farm. I was thinking if you want to stick around for a while and come down by land, I could take the Queen down. Well, it's none of my business.

[Philip Carney]

How'd you find me?

[Gallagher]

Through the police. You're mixed up with some nice hot company this time.

[Philip Carney]

I know it, Ren.

[Gallagher]

They got their clamps ready for your. Your girl. And I'd like to see you get out before they shut. They've had their fingers on every move you've made since you met her. You're in deep enough, Skipper.

[Philip Carney]

All right, Red. All right. Gather the crew. We'll sail at nine tonight.

[Gallagher]

Atta boy, skipper. There are plenty more like her where we're going.

[Philip Carney]

Yeah.

[Henrietta Ainley]

What? What is it, Phil?

[Philip Carney]

Come here, Hank. Sit down.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Is this goodbye, Phil? You just tell me if it is.

[Philip Carney]

What if I told you that Red was taking the ship and then I was going to stay here?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Oh, that it'd be bad for you and good for me. And we'd make it somehow.

[Philip Carney]

What about that 200,000 pound bundle of jewels?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Would it make any difference, Phil?

[Philip Carney]

No. Now, what if I told you that the police here in Hong Kong were absolutely sure that you do know where the jewels are?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Phil, that's impossible. Unless Neil made a sworn statement out.

[Philip Carney]

Of his suspicions, it's true, Hank. They're ready to take you. Listen, if I could draw the police away from me and give you a break.

[Henrietta Ainley]

You draw the police away from me? You wouldn't take the break with you drawing the police? What kind of a break would that be with you in danger for no reason at all? Phil, why are you saying all these things?

[Philip Carney]

To get to the real way out and to make it sound as simple as it really is. The Scarlet Queen is sailing tonight at 9. And you're going with her.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Oh, I could go with you.

[Philip Carney]

You see how simple it is?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Oh, it's with you, that's all I can see.

[Philip Carney]

It's a way out, Hank. We'll figure the rest when it comes up, okay?

[Henrietta Ainley]

Oh, okay. How can I answer that? How can I answer a question as big as my whole life?

[Philip Carney]

Just say sure, it's okay, and shut up. Better just shut up and come here. Everything's gonna be all right now, darling, isn't it?

[Henrietta Ainley]

I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of anything.

[Philip Carney]

You have to leave a lot of your stuff.

[Henrietta Ainley]

That's all right.

[Philip Carney]

You can only take one bag. I'll take it down to the ship right now.

[Henrietta Ainley]

You're going to leave now?

[Philip Carney]

I have to, Hank. Got things to take care of.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Oh, yes, yes, I know you do? Yes. And you'll be back when?

[Philip Carney]

I'll pick you up at 8:30.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Phil. Hurry back. I've gotten so used to you.

[Philip Carney]

About three hours, darling. We can Handle that, can't we?

[Henrietta Ainley]

I don't know. Hold me, Phil.

[Philip Carney]

Oh, yeah.

[Henrietta Ainley]

Three hours. I don't know if I can get through them or not.

[Philip Carney]

I took her one small bag with me when I left. I got down to the waterfront without being followed and took her back into a dive. Drank my way through the longest three hours of my life. I had to do it this way. I'd asked her if she'd let me draw the police away and she'd refuse. So I had to leave her. I had to do it my way. A quarter after eight, when she was counting the last 15 minutes to the time when we'd be together, I made an anonymous phone call to the Hong Kong police. And a quarter of nine I staggered drunkenly aboard my ship, carrying in my arms a straw stuffed dress. At the end of the pier, I saw the police I'd call. I walked a little slower. Then I saw him. The squat figure of 5x5 skulking in the lay of a warehouse. I knew that in the mist the object in my arms would pass very well to all of them as Henrietta Hank Ainley on her way to Haiphon. We nosed slowly out of the fog blanketed harbor, crept past the invisible Stonecutters island and turned south into the steady roll of the South China Sea. The wind we picked up outside swirled gray dampness across our decks, rattled the running rigging. Stand by to make sail. A miserable crew moved sullenly to their stations at the halyards. This foggy departure meant nothing to them. They hadn't known Hank Ainley with starboard sheep. I fail. The main sheet moved sluggishly up the mast, and the moisture that clung to it gleamed dully in the faint glow of our running lights and the jet sheets back. Red tried his best, but the men moved like martyrs to a lost cause. And the jibs moved out and the mizzen. The Scarlet Queen groped her way into the fog.

[Gallagher]

That's a bad night, skipper. But not much shipping down this way. I guess we don't have to worry too much about collision. Do you think so? Oh, come on, Skipper.

[Philip Carney]

Pull out of it.

[Gallagher]

What'd you do, fall in love or something?

[Philip Carney]

Shut up. Get out of here, Gallagher. Leave me alone.

[Gallagher]

Hey, Skipper, climb off. What did I do?

[Philip Carney]

Nothing, Red. Nothing.

[Gallagher]

Look at you.

[Philip Carney]

What's the matter with me?

[Gallagher]

You got us two points off course and the mainsail is starting to flutter back. That proves she wasn't good for you. Oh, look, you already got one lady in your life. That scarlet beauty under our power sprit.

[Philip Carney]

Log entry the catch. Scarlet Queen, 11:30pm Miles traveled from San Francisco. 11,047 7. Dense fog, wind light. Sail reduced because of bad visibility. Ship secured for night. Signed Philip Carney, Master.

[Gallagher]

The voyage of the Scarlet Queen has.

[Philip Carney]

Come to you through the worldwide facilities of the United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service.