The Castafiore Emerald - Part 2
Thundering typhoons!
This is outrageous!
These wretched stairs!
I could have been seriously hurt, just now!
Well... Blistering barnacles... I!
And such language, really, Captain!
Uh... I...!
You would never hear such disgusting language from madame Castafiore...!
Misericordia!
Has anyone seen my little gold scissors?
Ah! Lost your scissors, have you?
Well, I...!
Well, look for them!
They didn't grow wings and fly away, did they?
No, madame...
Signor Wagner!
Where do you think you're going?
I... er... well... I...
This is not a time for a stroll in the country!
As my accompanist, I expect perfect technique.
I want to hear you practicing your skills
all day long! - Yes, Signora.
And I suggest you get that step fixed
before someone gets hurt, Captain Hammock...!
Whew!
Hello! Is this the stone mason?
Ah... Mrs Bolt?
Oh, you're the man up at the Hall.
Said he'd stop by, did he?
No... Mr. Bolt isn't here...
Young people! Always in a hurry!
Oh dear! I can't find
my little gold scissors anywhere!
Uncle Mateo, look!
Aren't they pretty! Oh, God...
Where did you get those, Miarca?
I found them.
Help!
What's the matter?
There was someone in my room! I heard footsteps!
Mercy! My jewels!
Thank goodness! They're safe!
The window was locked tight.
You must've had a bad dream.
Go back to bed. There's nothing to worry about...
We'd better look around, Snowy.
Maybe there is an intruder on the estate...
That might explain the missing scissors.
That must be coming from the Gypsy camp...
What haunting music!
We'd better be getting back, Snowy.
Aaa...! ahahaha! An owl!
Well, everything seems okay, Snowy.
Let's go back in.
Aaa...!
Great snakes!
My emerald!
Someone's tripped on the step again.
Strange! No one here...
And yet the piece of marble came loose alright...
Help!
What's going on?
I don't know... we'd better investigate!
My emerald!
Oh, my emerald!
What happened, Senora?
The emerald that the Maharajah of Gaipal gave me...
is gone, stolen!
My emerald!
Think back carefully, Senora!
Are you sure you didn't misplace it?
No, no!
I put my jewel case on the dressing table over there!
I opened it to admire my treasure.
Then I left the room for about 15 minutes.
When I came back the emerald was gone!
It may have fallen down somewhere.
Impossible, it was inside the case.
Well, in that case, I guess...
Nothing here!
Eh... I guess we better call the police.
Why would Wagner have fresh mud on his shoes
if he was practicing his scales all morning?
And I'd still like to know who just fell on that broken step?
Woww...!
In short... if the theft were committed by someone in the house...
then there are 6 suspects.
Irma, Wagner, Nestor, Calculus, Tintin...
and of course you, Captain...
Are you suggesting...
Wait! Three of you can be ruled out.
You, Captain, because you can't go upstairs in your wheelchair,
Tintin who was with you,
and Wagner who was playing the piano in a marathon.
Yeah! Same scales over and over and over again...
That leaves Irma, Nestor and Professor Calculus.
You must be out of your mind!
If not, then who!?
Perhaps someone we haven't thought of, or someone we don't even know...
Perhaps. Meanwhile... with your permission...
we'll question each of the suspect separately and
and in private. - And furthermore...
If you insist, I'll send Nestor in, but you're wasting your time.
Where were you at the time of the crime?
I was raking the path on the garden near Professor Calculus
when I heard Signora Castafiore scream.
I looked up at the windows and...
Aha...! You admit you could...
see the windows from where you were!
Certainly, Sir.
I dropped my rake and hastened towards the house.
You hastened then...
Ah, hastened!
Uh... yes...
I was busy sewing in my room...
when I heard Madame screamed.
I rushed into her room...
just in time... to catch her in my arms...
as she fainted...
Aahh..., but your mistress spent...
15 minutes outside the room!
You had time
to enter her room...
take the emerald...
and throw it out the window
to an accomplice... say, Nestor, for example!
Right! Admit it!
- Help! Help!
Irma! Stop!
What's going on?
These beasts have accused me
of stealing Madame's emerald!
Do you really accuse her?
Er... there is... Well... Sort of!
It's a police trick that sometimes works.
After all...
police work is a tricky business.
Please send in Calculus!
Very well, but if I were you, I'd try a different approach this time.
Enough said. Is it true that
Nestor was near you when
Signora Castafiore screamed?
I've been told what happened, and
I'm heartbroken for the dear lady.
Just look at my pendulum!
Ehm... well... er... well...
to repeat my question...
Exactly!
It's swinging to the South-East.
In fact, it's pointing in the direction of the Gypsy camp.
Gypsy camp!
The gypsies are our villains
without a shadow of a doubt!
You've no right to suspect them just because they're gypsies, you know!
Furthermore, I expect they've bolted by now.
I don't think so... Huh?
- What's the matter? - They have left!
But they were here yesterday!
I told you so!
They took the emerald and ran.
But they won't run far.
The emerald must be here.
The emerald's not here.
You see? Nothing?
We are not thieves.
Nevertheless...
we're obligated to search every last caravan.
Furthermore...
the last caravan must be searched. - Precisely...
No! You can't come in here!
Aha! Now we've got you!
No! Stop! Wait!
- Hey! Get off my hat! - No, stop!
Miserable beast!
How about these gold scissors?
Where did they come from?
I found them! They're mine!
Haha... likely story!
You stole them.
They belong to Miss Irma.
She reported the theft before we came here.
I found them! Lying under a tall tree by the river.
Officer! This is stolen property.
The emerald is bound to be nearby.
And there's the guilty party!
I'm sure those gypsies are innocent.
Me too. But the scissors they found are not going to help.
My dear friends!
I have extraordinary news!
Really?
No! I've just invented the television set!
You old pioneer!
Precisely! In high definition colour too.
And extraordinary picture,
better than the cinema...
But somebody's already invented television.
Why... certainly! I invite you all to a demonstration in my laboratory...
I call it 'Super Cuthbert Colour'.
Now watch carefully.
This is an historic moment.
Today's news...
Police confirm today that there was a spectacular
jewel theft at historic
Marlinspike Hall over the weekend.
Thundering Typhoons! What a coincidence!
He's talking about me!
The picture isn't too clear.
Is that to be better?
The sound... the sound...!
Good isn't it? But how's this?
No! The sound...!
The diva Bianca Castafiore...
is currently a guest at Marlinspike Hall.
That's not me, is it?
How ghastly!
With her, of course is her famous and exotic collection of jewellery...
the most unusual of which is the emerald, now missing and presumed stolen.
Our on-the-scene reporters
spoke to the detectives in charge of the case,
and send this report:
Yes, it's obvious that the gypsies who are
camping in the grounds are guilty.
We've searched their caravans, and not only
did we find a pair of
stolen scissors,
but also...
a trained monkey...
Now, this robbery
could only have been committed
by a small agile creature, capable of climbing up the wall of the house.
We brought the monkey in for questioning...
but he's not talking.
Stay tuned for further development.
Meanwhile, in other news...
Enough!
Misericordia! Stop!
Of course, it still
needs a little work...
Snowy... I just can't believe those gypsies are guilty.
But if they didn't steal the emerald...
who did...?
Oh, Snowy!
Well, well, Mr. Wagner must have the day off!
That's funny.
Who's playing the piano?
What have you found, Snowy?
Good boy! A ladder!
Great snakes!
A tape recorder!
You're going to have some explaining to do, Mr. Wagner...
So... the ladder falls right back in place.
Go and hide, Snowy! It won't be long now.
Can I give you a hand, Mr. Wagner?
No thanks! I can manage.
I... er... do this for the exercise.
Original, don't you think?
Very!
And how do you explain the tape recorder and the piano?
Look... er... please don't tell Signora Castafiore...
I can explain...
Now explain!
I'm a gambler, you see...
and I go to the village everyday to place my bets.
But you weren't in the village when the emerald was stolen, were you?
It was you falling downstairs that day, wasn't it?
Yes, I was up in the attic
and on my way back down I fell...
What were you doing up in the attic?
I thought I heard someone walking around up there...
so I went to investigate.
Madame Castafiore heard them too, but because she was half asleep,
she thought someone was in her room.
Why didn't you tell us?
I wasn't sure. It could have been a false alarm.
I never did find anything.
One last point. I found your footprints under Signora's window.
Very likely. I wanted to make sure
no one could climb up on the ivy.
Well, that explains everything.
Except the footsteps in the attic.
Shhh, Snowy! Listen!
An owl!
Well Snowy, we've solved the mystery of Bianca's monster.
But we're still no closer to the jewel thief.
Why, Captain! You're up!
Yes... the doctor just left.
He took off the cast!
Captain!... Professor!
Professor!
See you soon, Doctor!
Captain Bangkok! What happened?
It was the wheelchair. It... uh...
I have some bad news for you.
You have bad news?
Yes, I must leave tomorrow.
They're clamoring for me
at La Scala in Milan to do a Rossini opera.
I'm terribly upset.
Shattered!
Are you sure you can't stay?
I know you would like me to stay, Captain, but alas...
I've made my reservations.
Yippee! Oh, happy day!
What was that, Captain?
Oh... happy... day!
My wheelchair's gone away!
Oh, happy...
Goodbye, dear Captain Hatbox!
It grieves me to leave you...
but Rossini calls.
What opera will you be singing?
"La gazza ladra", a magnificent role!
Thank you again, one and all!
I'll be back soon, I promise.
Heh...
And my poor emerald...
let me know at once if you hear anything.
Of course.
Dear lady, I beg you to accept
these humble roses...
the first of a new variety I have created.
and have named 'Bianca'.
What a sweet idea! They're exquisite.
And what perfume!
Dear Professor, let me kiss you!
Arrivederci!
Goodbye!
Come back soon!
Wait a minute!
That opera "La gazza ladra"...
I've got it!
What do you mean?
Be careful!
Steady there!
Two bits of glass... a marble...
and...
the emerald.
I've got it!
Wonderful, Tintin! You're a genius!
There you are, gentlemen!
Now all we have to do is return the gem to Signora Castafiore.
- Lovely, isn't it? - Furthermore, it's really... Ooops!
- That was close! - It could happen to anyone!
- Hang on to it this time! - Trust me!
Tintin.
What made you guess the magpie had it?
The name of the opera "La gazza ladra".
What about it?
La Gazza ladra means "The Thieving Magpie".
Magpies will pick up anything...
that sparkles or shines, like...
a pair of gold scissors or... an emerald.
I knew there was a magpie around here.
Then when Miarka
mentioned the tall tree by the brook
and magpies only nest in the tallest trees,
the rest was simple. The scissors must have fallen out of the nest.
Splendid! You've cleared
the gypsies of any wrong doing.
Some apologizing to do, gentlemen?
Just our luck... The one time we managed to catch the culprits,
they turned out to be innocent.
How true! You'd think they'd done it on purpose.
Haha! Look! That broken step has finally been mended!
But the cement's still wet. We can't walk on it for a few days...
You have to step over it... like this.
Very well, Sir.
Aye, aye, Captain!
Hello, who's that?
- I just pop by to tell you... - Ah, Mr. Bolt!
You did a wonderful job on the stairs...
I just pop by to remind you
to keep off that step for a few days.
Too bad, too!
It was a lovely pair of marbles, it was!
Blue blistering barnacles!
The End...