Countdown for blast off. X minus 5, minus 4, minus 3, minus 2, X minus 1, fire!
From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribed tales of new dimensions in time and space.
These are stories of the future. Adventures in which you'll live in a million could-be years on a thousand maybe worlds.
The National Broadcasting Company presents X minus 1.
Tonight, X minus 1 presents, Feregie's Wonderful Dolls by George Lefferts.
The doll shop stood on a quiet Washington side street, not too far from the sprawling Pentagon Building.
A woman and child waited outside, the little girl peering eagerly through the window at the dolls inside,
and the woman glancing impatiently at her wrist watch, as if expecting someone who was late for an appointment.
There was nothing about the doll shop to warn them, but they were waiting to keep an appointment with doom.
Mommy, look! What, dear? In the window of the shop, the tiny dolls. Oh, Mommy, do you think Daddy will buy me one?
We'll ask him when he comes, dear. Should be here soon. He said three o'clock on this corner. I see him, Mommy. See?
Oh, Henry, over here! Hello, dear. I'm sorry I'm late. Well, we're all ready to go shopping. Cindy's been re-
I'm afraid we'll have to call off the shopping, Alma. Oh, Henry, we promise Cindy. Well, I'm sorry, but it's just one of those things.
You've been the wife of an Army Colonel long enough to know his life isn't his own. What is it this time?
Some more of that flying sphere nonsense. The pilot who says he sighted it last month crashed and was killed today, and the general wants a full report.
Oh, dear. What next? Well, I got a staff meeting at the Pentagon at 315. Daddy, look in this window! Yes, but I haven't time, dear.
Just for a minute, Daddy, please. Now, Cindy, I haven't time to stop and watch a bunch of six-inch dolls parading around in the shop window.
Gee, they are lifelike, aren't they? Look at that, Alma. Dolls are marching around like a regular review. They've even got their own little badge.
See the one in the red jacket, Daddy? He's the leader. He's bowing to us. Well, they don't look human.
Henry, your staff meeting. Oh, yes, yes. Well, I gotta run. Can we buy one, Daddy?
I'll stand out here and I'll run along. Now, don't go spending a lot of money on that nonsense. No, dear. Bye. Bye, Cindy. Bye, Daddy.
Oh, look, Mommy, the band is going to play. Aren't they wonderful, honey? Honey, I must have stood on this corner a thousand times. I've never noticed this shop before.
Look at the man inside, Mommy. Who is he? That's the proprietor, dear. Doesn't he look funny with those red cheeks and white mustache?
It's easy to see who he models his dolls after. Mommy, look, he's coming to the door. He's coming.
Good evening, children. Good evening. How funny he talks.
Hush, Cindy. Would you like to step inside the shop of Santor Pirigi? Yes, we would. This way.
Mommy, it's like fairyland.
Here in the shop of Santor Pirigi, creator of Pirigi's Universal Wonderful Dolls, the world of adult reality is blended with the world of child's fantasy.
This is a new shop, isn't it, Mr. Pirigi? What is new and what is old.
Come, this way. Would you like to meet one of my little ones? Oh, yes.
Now, this one in the red jacket is Toto. He's the leader. Handle him ever so gently. See, I will set him on the table. Speak, little one.
How do you do? How do you do? How do you do? Oh, Mommy, he talks. The doll talks. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.
That is nothing for Pirigi's Wonderful Dolls. Listen. Sing. Sing, Toto. Sing for the little girl. My name is Toto.
Sing, Toto. Men are big and tall. Dolls are very small. When men begin to fall, the dolls will rule them all.
Oh, more, more. How do they work, Mr. Pirigi? How do they work? Ah, that is the secret of the great Pirigi, greatest of all doll makers.
To make an ordinary doll is nothing. To make a perfect replica, that is something. But to make a doll with intelligence, that is the work of an artist, eh?
I suppose that they're very expensive to buy. The Pirigi does not sell his dolls, madam.
You don't sell them? When I construct a doll like Toto, I cannot bear to be permanently separated from him. So instead of selling, I rent my little people.
You do? You rent dolls? Precisely. Ten dollars. For how long? For as long as they are cherished. My only request is that when you grow tired of my dolls, you return them to me in good condition.
Oh, mommy, could we take him home? Take him home, take him home, take him home. Oh, look, he's bowing his head. He wants to come.
Well, honey, your father said that we shouldn't spend a lot of money. Oh, please, I'll take such good care of it. Please.
Well, honey, we'll have to deal with your father later, but... Well... Oh, mommy. All right. Wrap him up, Mr. Pirigi. But I have a feeling that when your father comes home, we'll be sorry.
Be sorry, be sorry, be sorry, be sorry.
Now, Toto, this is my room, and you're going to sleep right here next to my pillow. I wish you wouldn't laugh like that. I'm going to have to teach you some manners.
And you'll be quiet because my daddy will be home soon, and he's a colonel in the Air Force staff, and he'll bust you to private if you don't behave.
Come along now. I'm going to introduce you to my puppy dog, Mr. Blister, so be good.
Here, Mr. Blister. Here, Blister. Come on.
Mr. Blister, this is Toto.
Dear, I don't think Mr. Blister likes you, Toto. Come over here and shake hands with Toto, Mr. Blister. Come on now.
Mr. Blister, let him go. Let him go. Let him go.
Cindy, Mr. Blister, come over here. Come over here. Cindy, what happened?
Mr. Blister tried to bite my doll. Look at how frightened he is. Oh, honey, dolls don't get frightened.
But he was frightened, Mommy. He screamed. You imagined it, dear. It's only a doll. He did. He did.
Well, Mr. Blister didn't mean it. Now you know he's the gentlest little pup alive.
He is, and he's nasty, and I hate him. Oh, now see, you've hurt his feelings.
I don't care. He tried to bite my new doll, and I don't ever want to see him again, ever.
Oh, dear. All right, Mr. Blister, you come downstairs with me. Cindy's angry with me tonight.
I'm going to kill him. Cindy, where did you learn a thing like that?
Toto said it. Honey, you've had a very exciting day. Now brush your teeth now and go to bed.
Daddy's coming home late, so he'll see you in the morning. Good night, dear. Sleep well.
I hate him. Hate him. Hate him. Hate him. Hate him.
Morning, Alma. Breakfast ready?
In a minute, dear. How was the staff meeting last night?
Oh, horrible bar as usual. I don't know what's got into the old man.
Just because a few farmers cooperated, the pilot's report, he thinks some strange aircraft has penetrated our radar zone.
Where's the little one? Up in her room.
Now, that's funny. She's usually down here before me.
Well, she's probably up to something. Sit down, dear.
Say, remind me to take some papers back to the War Department. Well, yeah, I left them in my strongbox.
You haven't been bringing your reports home, have you? Well, it's safe enough.
Well, you told me it was against regulations to bring secret papers home.
Well, I had to finish some work for the old man, and nobody will ever know the difference.
Well, I don't know. Oh, would you feed the puppy before we sit down, Henry?
His bowl's under the sink.
Where is he? Say, that's funny. Here's his supper from last night, only half eaten.
He's getting fussy. Doesn't like canned dog food anymore.
Here, bluster. Here, bluster, bluster, bluster. I wonder where the dickens is that mutt.
Maybe he's on the back porch.
Here, bluster. Alma.
What is it, dear?
Alma, look.
Henry, is he...
He's dead.
But how?
From the looks of it, he might have been poisoned.
But who would do a thing like that to an innocent little puppy?
I don't know. Let me see his dish.
Look at that. I don't understand this at all. Not at all.
What, dear? What is it?
There are pieces of broken glass in this food. Blue glass. You see?
How...
Henry. What?
I just remembered something.
What?
It may be coincidence, but in the bathroom this morning...
What about the bathroom?
Cindy's blue glass, the one with the Mickey Mouse on it, was broken.
I found pieces in the wastebasket. I meant to ask her about it.
Alma, for heaven's sake, you aren't suggesting that our little girl...
Well, she loved bluster more than anyone.
Not last night she didn't.
Why not?
He went after Toto.
Now, who is Toto?
That's her new doll.
Her what?
Honey, I was meaning to tell you.
You bought her one of those dolls?
I just rented it.
Rented it? Look here, Alma, you know we haven't got the kind of money to throw away...
Well, she had her heart set on it, dear. I used my dividend.
All right. But what happened with blister?
Well, he went for the doll and Cindy said she hated him.
Oh, well, a child...
She said she'd kill him.
Where'd she get a thought like that?
I don't know.
Has she been watching those chillers on television?
I don't know.
Well, it's too ridiculous. Good heavens, a nine-year-old child putting ground glass in dog food.
She'd have to be a monster.
Mommy!
She's coming.
Well, don't say anything. I'll talk to her.
Morning, dear.
Morning, Mommy. Morning, Daddy.
What's the matter?
Sit down, dear.
Yes, sir.
Now, your mother tells me you broke your blue drinking glass.
Oh, no, I didn't break it.
Cindy.
I didn't.
Well, now somebody broke it. It wasn't your mother and it wasn't me.
It must have been Toto.
Cindy, I...
Cindy, you know Toto is only a doll.
Now, a doll couldn't have broken your glass, could he?
Well?
I guess not.
So we can't very well blame it on a doll, then, can we?
But he must have done it, Daddy.
Cindy, you know how Daddy feels about little girls who tell fibs.
Now, did you break your glass and maybe accidentally get some pieces into Mr. Blister's dish to sort of punish him for biting your doll?
No, Daddy.
Well, I'd hate to think you'd done something you knew was wrong and you were blaming it on a doll.
Is something wrong with Mr. Blister? Is he sick?
Worse than that.
Henry.
The child has to face reality all of it.
What's the matter with Mr. Blister?
He's dead, Cindy.
Oh, no. We can't be dead. He isn't dead, Daddy. No, he isn't. He isn't. Mommy.
Honey, he is dead, Cindy.
He'll come back. He has to come back.
No, darling. He won't come back.
Ever?
Not ever.
Yes. Now that we've told you, Cindy, you want to change your mind about the glass?
Henry, leave her alone, please.
You think I killed him?
Now look what you've done. The child feels guilty enough, Henry.
My dear, this is no time for feelings to interfere.
You go up to your room, honey. Daddy and I will be up in a minute.
I don't want to.
Please, Cindy. Now we'll be right up. Please.
There. That's a good girl.
Close the kitchen door behind you.
Mr. Blister's dead. He isn't coming back. Ever. Ever.
Daddy thinks it was me, but it was you. It was you.
Eat your supper, dear.
I'm not hungry.
You scarcely touched your lunch.
I don't feel like eating.
Is it Mr. Blister?
Now answer your mother.
She'll work it out her own way, Henry.
Well, I don't know, Elmo. When I was a boy, there was such a thing as discipline.
Now the way this child is being brought up...
Henry!
Well, it's true. There's no respect lying in...
Oh, there, there, honey. Now your father's upset. He doesn't mean it.
Now what's happened to us? We were a nice, peaceful, happy family until you bought that cursor doll.
Now who's blaming things on the doll?
Well, it's true.
Now I've spilled my coffee.
I'll get you another cup.
Never mind. I'm late now. I better be going.
Oh, you wanted to get some papers from the strongbox.
Oh, yes.
Cindy, please try to eat something.
Yes, ma'am.
Elmo! Elmo!
What is it?
Elmo, it's gone.
What's gone?
The box, the strongbox is gone.
It can't be. The door to your study's always locked. You and I have the only keys.
I know all that and I tell you it isn't there.
Well, who would go?
I don't know. Tell them of those confidential reports if they ever got into the wrong house.
I warned you about keeping them there.
What if it ever came out in the open? Can't you see the papers?
Call the police, Henry.
And throw my army career in a wastebasket after 17 years? No. We've got to find it ourselves.
It was there when I went in to clean this morning.
What about your key?
It's right here. I always keep it with me. It's funny.
Oh, no.
My other keys are on the ring.
Oh, you've lost it.
I don't see how.
Alma, Alma, how could you do this?
Oh, Henry, please.
We'll search the house. I can't think of anything else to do.
Well, you'll miss the staff meeting.
Meeting? My whole career goes up in smoke if we don't find those reports.
Somebody got hold of your key and opened that room and...
I know. Cindy.
You leave the child alone. She's been through enough. You know she wouldn't do a thing like that.
I don't know anything anymore. I don't even know my own child. I don't even know you.
All I know is that strongbox is gone and it contains papers that are dynamite if the wrong person gets them.
The question being who?
What's that?
It's coming from upstairs. It must be Cindy's doll.
Oh, that blasted doll again.
Something must have set it off. I don't know how the mechanism works.
For heaven's sakes, let's go up and shut it off.
Toto, Toto, Toto. Kill him, kill him, kill him.
How do you do? How do you do?
Stop it.
Blasted little animal.
Henry.
Ever since you brought this thing...
Henry.
What?
Look.
Where? What?
Around the doll's neck. The key. The key to your study.
You see, Alma, it was Cindy after all.
I don't believe it.
Oh, good heavens. Do you have to have it spelled out for you?
Here's our doll with the key around its neck.
She wouldn't, Henry. You know she wouldn't.
Oh, ever since you got this fool doll, she's been acting half insane.
At first the dog and now this.
I think she hates herself.
Henry, Cindy is my child. I know her.
I know she's a good, sensitive person with no malice in her.
You're simply refusing to face the facts, my dear.
What are you going to do?
I'm going downstairs and have a talk with that young lady.
You're not telling the truth, Cindy.
I am, I am.
Cindy, now you know that strong box is very important to me.
Now I can understand that you might have been angry at me because I scolded you.
And so you took it and hid it, just to spite me.
Now all I ask is for you to tell me the truth.
Now where is it?
I didn't take it, Daddy Honest. I didn't take it.
Well, I suppose you're going to tell me now that a little six inch doll took it and hid it.
Well, I'm speaking to you, young lady.
But I didn't take it, Daddy. You don't understand.
Toto did it. He's terrible, awful. He says things. He's going to kill everybody.
Cindy, you're inventing things.
It's true. At night when I'm sleeping he stands next to my pillow and whispers things to me.
Awful things. He told me he'd kill me too if I scolded, if I told you.
I think this child is sick. I think she needs a doctor.
She's frightened, Henry. She's trembling like a leaf.
Come on, dear. We'll go up to your room.
I don't want to go up there.
Honey, Mommy will stay with you.
I'm afraid he's up there.
Who?
Toto.
Well, he won't be up there for long.
Mr. Toto is going right back to Pirigi's Wonderful Doll Shop before I lose my sanity, which means right now.
Ah, Colonel Grayson. Welcome to the home of Pirigi's Wonderful Dolls.
Are you Pirigi?
Santor Pirigi, creator of the Universal Doll, the doll with a mind, the doll which...
I'm returning one of your masterpieces.
Oh? If you will step into the rear of my shop.
Now the complaint?
No complaint. Here's your doll in good riddance.
My little Toto. Rejected, you found the world of men too filled with hate.
Hate, hate, hate, hate!
We will change all that later on.
Return to your conrads in the window, little one.
And now, Colonel Grayson.
I think we have no further business.
Ah, but we do, Colonel. Let me see. Ah, yes, here it is.
Do you recognize this strong box, Colonel?
My strong box? Well, where...
My little Toto is very clever, sir.
Are you trying to tell me your doll stole that from me?
Let us not say stole. I am merely keeping it in custody.
What's the game, Pirigi?
The game, as you call it, is blackmail. You give me what I want and I do not ruin your career.
What do you want?
Information. We already know something from the reports of the War Department concerning a certain strange-looking sphere reported by one of your pilots.
What government do you represent?
I represent Pirigi's Wonderful Dolls, none other.
I am not so naive, sir.
Perhaps I should explain. Each man hides something from the world. Each man loves something more than life.
With the help of my Wonderful Dolls, I obtain personal information which enables me to control the men who control the world.
You're a madman.
A genius. You would be surprised at the list of men who have become the confidants for my dolls.
Do you think you can blackmail me into betraying my country?
If the price is right. And in this case, sir, the price is your career and the lives of your wife and child.
Why are you so interested in the flying sphere?
Let us say for reasons of my own. Well, Colonel?
Hand over the strong box.
And I warn you, I have a gun.
Give it to me.
You are being foolish. Put down that walking stick.
Now!
No closer.
Now!
Hello? Give me the police.
Hello?
This is Colonel Henry Grayson. I've just killed a man.
Yes, Parigi's Doll Shop, corner of 4th and Lexington. The body is in the back room.
Yes, I'll wait for you.
Shut up!
Shut up, you little fiend!
Colonel Grayson!
Did... did I hear it speak?
Colonel Henry Grayson!
I must be going out of my mind, a six-inch doll.
Shut up! Your master's dead!
You are mistaken, Colonel.
I, Toto, am the master.
What do you mean?
If you will examine the body of Santor Parigi, you will see that he does not bleed.
And he does not bleed, Colonel, because Santor Parigi never lived.
Never lived?
Santor Parigi is a doll.
A doll? But that's impossible. He's a man. He talks, he walks...
The people of Meritrix are skillful doll builders.
People of Meritrix? Doll builders?
But who are you?
I am Xanthus Imperator, commander of the legions of the third planetoid, Meritrix.
Legions? Planetoid?
My people and I, whom you regard as dolls, come from a tiny planet beyond the moon.
So small that it cannot support our population.
We landed one of our space spheres on Earth three months ago, with the intention of colonizing.
Unfortunately, one of your pilots intercepted us.
So that's why you wanted our information.
Precisely.
Are you, are you human?
Oh, quite human.
Of course, in order to deal with Earth people without suspicion, we were forced to construct Parigi.
A man-sized doll.
Well, I can't believe this. I'm having hallucinations. I'm going to get out of here.
Oh, that would be impossible.
We have weapons of destruction quite unknown to Earth people.
Well, I've phoned the police and they'll be here soon.
By the time they arrive, my people will have prepared something quite shocking.
Cover him, Ryan.
Okay, Sarge.
You're the guy who turned in the call?
Yes.
What is it?
A body.
Well, it isn't exactly a body.
What do you mean?
It's a doll.
A what?
Well, you've got to let me explain.
Now, this sounds fantastic, but I've stumbled onto an unbelievable plot to control the world.
Keep talking.
Now, these little dolls, they aren't really dolls. They're tiny people.
There's a big doll named Santo Parigi, and he runs his shop.
Oh, these smokes.
He's off his trolley, Sarge.
Listen, mister, we got a call that there was a murder here.
Now, if there was one, where's the body?
It's not back, only it isn't really a body, you see.
Why?
I hear something back there, Sarge.
All right, come with those curtains.
You, is anyone back there? Come on out.
Come out or we'll come in and get you.
Something's coming.
The curtain's opening.
Welcome, gentlemen.
Parigi.
This is impossible. I smashed his skull.
You know this guy?
Yes, that's the one. That's the doll.
What's your name, mister?
Parigi. Santo Parigi, creator of the Universal Doll.
You ever see this man?
Never until just now.
What? Well, he's lying.
I tell you, he's nothing but a life-sized doll.
The real masters are these little dolls.
Ryan, are you getting this?
He's wacko, Sarge.
Nettie is a fruitcake.
Look, look, I'm not crazy, I tell you. I can prove it.
They must have fixed up his head when I smashed it in.
Touch him, you'll see.
Mr. Parigi, you know what the guy is talking about?
The man is demented, obviously.
Look, I tell you, there's a plot to control the Earth.
Listen, you've got to let me call the ward department.
They'll want to know about the flying sphere.
Holy mackerel, this gets worse every minute.
Ryan.
Take him to headquarters?
Save some time. Take him down to Psycho Ward.
Okay, Buck Rogers.
Come along nice and quiet.
Look, you've got to listen to me.
Don't you see the future of mankind is at stake?
Sure, sure. I know how it is.
Look, he's nothing but a man-sized doll. Touch him.
And the little ones are going to take over the Earth.
I know. I had the DTs once.
Okay, Sarge, we'll see you later.
Please, please.
Come along.
Please, listen to me. You've got to listen to me.
Sorry to cause all this trouble, Mr. Parigi.
Not at all, sir. Not at all.
Well, I'll be.
That ain't the cutest little doll.
Say, my little girl, be nuts for that.
Perhaps you will accept it as a gift.
Well, now I...
For saving my life.
That madman might have killed me.
No home is really complete without one of Parigi's wonderful dolls, Sergeant.
Is that right, Toto?
Yes, but I...
I would like in some way to show my gratitude.
You will be doing me a favor if you will take the doll home to your little daughter.
Say, this ought to make her the happiest girl in the world.
Yes, Toto will come as a great surprise.
A very great surprise.
Won't it, Toto?
Tonight's story concludes the present series of stories of the world of the future.
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