Chapter 1: What is the significance of the Shadow character in the story?
Evil lurks in the hearts of men. The shadow knows.
The shadow, mysterious character who aids those in distress and helps the forces of law and order, is in reality Lamont Cranston, wealthy young man of our town. Cranston's friend and companion, the lovely Margot Lane... is the only person who knows to whom the unseen voice belongs. The only one who knows the true identity of that master of other people's minds, the shadow.
Today's story, Appointment with Death.
Number 2214, warden. Oh, yes. Come in, Blackie.
All right, Joe, you can go.
Yes, sir.
Well, Blackie, how does your new suit fit? Okay. Better than what I've been wearing. Here's your railroad fare and the money you've earned since you've been here in prison. Not a bad little sum. Ought to help you over the first bump. Blackie, you've been in this institution for five years. That in itself should prove to you that crime doesn't pay. Now, you've paid your debt to society.
The slate's clean. Now it's up to you to go out, get yourself a job, and live within the law. I'm free now, Watson, right? Yes, Blackie, you're no longer a number. Then I can say what I want. Yes, that's right. Well, then can that line of gab you handed me. I saved my five years here. Well, now I'm going out in the world, but I ain't going out to live within the law.
You're a fool if you don't, Blackie. That's what you say. I've seen men with your attitude go out of here before, and I've seen them come back. Some of them to sit in the electric chair. Well, maybe I'll be back to sit in the chair and maybe not. But I'm going to get the guy that put me in here. Nobody put you here but yourself. I can't, that wouldn't.
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Chapter 2: How does Blackie Carmichael plan to take revenge on the Shadow?
You're in. Okay, Blackie, the island's yours. Thanks. You're getting a swell bargain. The Shadow, for a piece of tape. Hey, Arthur. Five gallons, 95 cents. 95 cents? All right. Here you are. Good night, sir. All right. Here, here, little man. You toddle back to the car and sit with mother till I lock up the gas station. Oh, you want daddy to carry you back, huh? Thought you'd tell?
All right, then. Come on, now. Up you go.
Are you about ready to go, John?
Yes, Mary. It won't take me more than a few minutes now. It'll be late to have this little man out.
You're so lonesome down at the house, I thought we'd come out and drive you home.
Oh, that was nice of you, Mary. And I certainly appreciate it. Here you are, son. In the car with you. There you are. Now, what's this? Another customer? Gosh, business is picking up. I'll take care of this one in a hurry, Mary. Be right back. Yes, sir. What can I do for you? Fill her up. Make it snappy. Yes, sir. Would you cut your motor, please? Cut my motor? What for?
Well, it's pretty dangerous putting gasoline in a car with a motor running. All right. Never mind the gas. Let's take a walk under that shanty of yours. Hey, what is this? A stick-up? Your dope's right, buddy. Get going. This gun talks loud. Come on. Life down, lady, if you know what's good for you. Wait a minute, buddy. You've come to the wrong place. I've got exactly $9 in my till.
That's my receipts for the whole day, and it's bread and butter for that woman and child in the car over there. And I'm not giving it away. Never mind the long-winded story. I'm here for business. Now step on it. Yeah?
I'll step on it, all right.
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Chapter 3: What clues lead the characters to the island?
Who's this? Shadow. Oh, you. Well, what do you want? I suppose you're calling on about that gas station murder. That's right, Commissioner. Are you making any progress? Very little. The case is worse than a jigsaw puzzle with nearly all the parts missing. It was a particularly vicious crime, Commissioner.
And I want to assist in any way possible to bring about the capture of the murderer.
Well, the case has got me. I'm willing to accept help from anybody.
Got any dope at all, Shadow? First, let me ask you, do you have any theory?
Simple enough. Robbery was the motive.
Are you sure about that, Commissioner?
Positive. The man resisted and was shot. That's simple enough. I'm afraid it's not as simple as that, Commissioner. Isn't it strange that the killer passed many a prosperous, large gas station?
Yet he picked out this obviously poverty-stricken one.
I haven't got any answer for that except most crooks are dumb. No, Commissioner.
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Chapter 4: What is the role of the police in the unfolding drama?
Boy, that's knocking them off. You think that's something? Why, I'm just starting. I'm going to keep pegging them until I wear calluses on my trigger finger. Drive a little further down the lake, Showmonger. We'll be able to see the island just around this next bend.
What do you expect to find there, Lamont?
I don't know. But I've noticed that nearly every one of these robberies, the hold-up car was seen in this vicinity. Here we are, Margot. Put up right here.
All right.
There. Look. There's the island I've been telling you about. Out there in the middle of the lake.
But I understand that island's deserted. Nobody's lived there for years.
I'm not so sure about that, Margot. That's one of the points I must be satisfied about.
You mean you're going out there to investigate?
Yes, Margot. At least, the shadow is.
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Chapter 5: How does the Shadow outsmart Blackie Carmichael?
Blackie, that's a smart idea. And simple. So simple I was scared some other guy would beat me to it. That ripple is moving this way. What are you going to do now, Blackie? I'm going out to meet him just as soon as he gets far enough in for me to fetch on the water. Then I'm going to grab him and strangle him with these two hands. You ought to be a cinch for a guy as strong as you at any time.
But now after he swam that distance, he's ducks. It's time to go, Blackie. Yes. Grab my dirt, sir. Take it. Okay, Blackie. You better make it snappy. He's almost out of deep water. He's paddling in his own grave right now. Here goes. Keep your eye on the water, Frank. And watch the fun. Okay, Blackie. I doze on you. Don't disappoint me. I can't see you, but I can feel my hands on your throat.
Let go. Let go of me. No, I won't. I waited too many years to get my hands on you. Who are you? I can't see you, but I know you can see me. So take a good look. Do you recognize me? Blackie Carmichael. That's right. Blackie Carmichael. The guy you sent to prison for five years. You just have what you got, Blackie. All right, boy. Now let me go. Sure. Now let's go, yes.
Crackle the life out of you. You're joking. You're finished, Shadow. This is the end of you. Now I'm going to hold your head underwater and drown you.
That's done.
Frank! Frank! I've done it! I killed him! I killed the shadow!
Hmm? Oh, I'm confounded. Who can that be at this hour of the night? Hello?
Is this Commissioner Weston?
Yes, who's this?
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Chapter 6: What twists occur during the confrontation on the island?
Load the two machine guns in the boat. They're in already. All right, then. Come on. I thought we'd never get off this island. These boys have been doing a stretch in jail. What are you going to do when you get back to town, Blackie? I've been getting chicken feed so far. But now I'm going out after the real big dough. I ain't going to be too particular about how I get it. Okay, here we are.
All right, now get a hold of the other end of the boat and we'll slide her into the water. Okay. There we go. Hey, Blackie. Wait. What's the matter?
Look.
boat out there. What? Hey, there's another one. Two more over there. We're surrounded, Blackie. Must be the cops. What are we going to do? Give me a hand with this machine gun. Aren't you going to make a break for it? Yeah, after I knock off enough cops and open up a big enough space for us to get through. Set that gun up here. Leave the other one in the boat. We'll need it going across.
We'd better make a break for it, Blackie. That fire's getting awful hot. Yes, I tell you. Shut up.
All right, all right. Yeah, it's the cops, all right.
I can see them now in the light from the fire. You got the gun loaded? Yeah, she's all set. All right. I've got a bead on one of them two boats right in front. Take the one to your right first. Let's go when I tell you. Then we'll knock off the other one. All right. They're a perfect target now. Let them get closer. Let's go, Blackie. They'll be on top of us in another minute.
You let go when I tell you that before. All right. Get ready. All right. There you're stuck. You knocked the gun over. I didn't knock it over. What are you trying to hand me? Honest, Blackie, I didn't. I tell you, I... Who else could have done it?
I don't know. I could, Blackie. I did. Hey, Blackie, who's that? Who's talking? The Shadow.
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Chapter 7: How does the resolution of the story reflect on crime and justice?
Well, he's a prize package.
Nice piece of work, Shadow. Come on, you. All right, all right. You got me now. But I'll get out again just as I did before. And the next time, Shadow, I'm going to get you. Remember that. I'm going to get you. Say, Joe. Yes, Mr. Ward. Get Blackie Carmichael's record card out of the big file. Yes, sir.
Yes, here we are, Carmichael. Albert Carmichael, alias Blackie. Here you are, Mr. Warden. All right, stamp it and put it in a small file. Yes, sir. There you are, sir. Just a minute, let me look at it.
Chapter 8: What final message does the episode convey about the nature of evil?
That's right, Joe. Albert Blackie Carmichael. Discharged by execution.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! There's bitter fruit. Crime does not pay. The shadow knows.