It was back when we were trying to sign Douglas Fairbanks, and this was the bait.'

'I see. But Douglas apparently didn't like it.'

'Sure he did. But then he formed United Artists with Mary and Chaplin, and—'

Rex's eyebrows shot skywards. 'We're talking about Fairbanks Senior?'

'That's right.'

'But UA must have been formed fifteen - twenty years ago.'

'Nineteen nineteen.'

'So - this is a silent movie script.'

'Sure. But a mighty good one. And it'll adapt just fine for sound. Now, my idea is to make the picture on location — in England.'

'Oh, swell. The exteriors will look far more realistic. What about the interiors, though? Going to rent some studios over there, or shoot them here?'

'Neither.'

'Neither?'

'Nope. I mean to shoot the whole picture in genuine British settings: castles, stately homes and the like.'

'Gee whiz. Is that feasible, technically?'

'Oh, I guess the sound guys'll crab a bit, but I gotta hunch this is going to be the normal thing in a few years.'

'I see. Have you got your stately homes and castles fixed up?'

'Not yet. But I got my eye on several joints. Here.' Haggermeir picked up a large and heavy book, which he passed to Rex. Rex opened it and saw that it consisted of photographs of old English country houses and castles, each accompanied by a page of descriptive text.

Haggermeir said, 'We'll need several places, but the most important will be the one that serves as your home. Look at page four.'

Rex turned the leaves until he came to several pictures of a lovely house set in tree-dotted parkland. It was built basically in the form of three sides of a rectangle, was three stories tall, but with two-storey extensions projecting from the east and west wings.

He read aloud: 'Alderley, Westshire, home of the Earls of Burford since the late seventeenth century. Alderley houses valuable collections of stamps and first editions, together with the present Earl's famous collection of firearms. Commenced in 1670—'

Haggermeir interrupted, 'It's got everything — including a ballroom, a big oak panelled hall with a grand staircase that'd be swell for a sword-fight, and a secret passage, which'd be just right for the king's hiding place.'

'But what makes you think this Earl would let us shoot there? These English lords are kind of particular about their stately homes, I should imagine.'

'That, Rexy, is where I'm counting on your help. Get a look at that.' Haggermeir took a small piece of paper from his drawer and pushed it across the desk. It was a newspaper clipping. 'As you probably know, the studio subscribes to press clipping agencies in most countries - which means that whenever our pictures or stars are mentioned in any paper, no matter how small, we get a clipping of it. That one was a real stroke of luck. It arrived just when I was gonna start making enquiries about old English houses, so I at once sent for all the dope on this Alderley dive. It's from a paper called the Westshire Advertiser.'

Again Rex read, 'One of the newest and most avid patrons of the Westchester cinemas is the Earl of Burford. In an exclusive interview at the Bijou cinema, given before he returned to Alderley, his historic seventeenth-century home, his lordship told me that he had only recently "discovered" the talkies, and is now a most enthusiastic "film fan". The pictures he most enjoys are historical adventures, with plenty of swordplay. His favourite stars are Errol Flynn and Rex Ransom. "I should love to meet them," his lordship added. His lordship hopes that Lady Burford, who does not, incidentally, share his enthusiasm, and is at present holidaying in—'

Haggermeir again broke in, 'You needn't bother with the rest.'

Rex looked up and grinned.