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X Minus One - "Skulking Permit" (Old Time Radio, 1957) · X Minus One | Old Time Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: On New Delaware, a peaceful Earth colony cut off from
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: its home planet for two centuries, an arriving inspector finds
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: the townspeople preparing for their first contact with Earth. Concerned
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: that their crime-free community may not meet Earth's idea of
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: a civilized settlement, they ask ordinary resident Tom Fisher to
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: serve as their criminal. From NBC, this is X-1, episode 101,
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Skulking Permit, broadcast July 4th, 1957. Ernest Kenoy adapted Robert
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: Sheckley's story, Daniel Sutter directed, William Welch produced, and Bob
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: Hastings appears as Tom Fisher, with Santos Ortega as Mayor Jeremy. Now,
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: back to the golden age of radio.
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: This is Walter O'Keefe inviting you to listen in on
• 0:54
  Speaker 2: the Nightline. Tonight, live the incredible life of ages yet
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: to come in a time that might be a million
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: years from now on X-1. Now an incredible story.
• 1:16
  Speaker 3: Of the world beyond.
• 1:21
  Speaker 4: Countdown for blastoff.
• 1:22
  Speaker 5: X minus 5, 4, 3, 2, X minus 1, fire.
• 1:55
  Speaker 6: From the far horizons of the unknown come tales of
• 1:58
  Speaker 6: new dimensions in time and space.
• 2:02
  Speaker 7: These are stories of the future.
• 2:04
  Speaker 6: Adventures in which you'll live in a million could be
• 2:06
  Speaker 6: years on a thousand maybe worlds. The National Broadcasting Company,
• 2:11
  Speaker 6: in cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine, presents X-Minus-One. Tonight's story,
• 2:31
  Speaker 6: Skulking Permit by Robert Sheckley. But first, hear this. Pick
• 2:37
  Speaker 6: up some Pabst Blue Ribbon. Take it home, chill it,
• 2:40
  Speaker 6: then put it to this test. Have a glass of
• 2:44
  Speaker 6: Pabst with your meals for the next several days. You'll
• 2:47
  Speaker 6: find Pabst Blue Ribbon makes most everything taste better. That
• 2:50
  Speaker 6: it adds zest and sparkle to any meal.
• 2:53
  Speaker 7: Try it.
• 2:54
  Speaker 6: The bright modern taste of Pabst Blue Ribbon is good
• 2:56
  Speaker 6: anytime and wonderful with meals. Pabst is the name. Made
• 3:01
  Speaker 6: by Pabst Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• 3:05
  Speaker 8: Now, X-1 and Skulking Permit by Robert Sheckley.
• 3:23
  Speaker 9: August 16th, year 2204. To Central Colonial Administrative Authority, Alpha
• 3:30
  Speaker 9: Centauri Sector. From Colonial Contact Inspector 37. Subject, lost colony
• 3:37
  Speaker 9: on planet New Delaware. First contact established in 200 years.
• 3:41
  Speaker 9: And proceeding on overdrive for personal investigation.
• 3:53
  Speaker 3: Billy.
• 3:54
  Speaker 10: Billy Painter, I thought I told you to consult me.
• 3:56
  Speaker 7: Oh, take it easy, Mayor.
• 3:57
  Speaker 10: I put the sign up. No aliens allowed within city limits.
• 4:02
  Speaker 7: What's an alien?
• 4:02
  Speaker 3: Never mind. Look at the church. You painted it wrong.
• 4:05
  Speaker 7: Now, look.
• 4:05
  Speaker 10: Here, I painted that church with a nice bright red. Now,
• 4:09
  Speaker 10: what's wrong with that?
• 4:09
  Speaker 3: I looked it up. It's a little red schoolhouse, not
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: church house. Churches are supposed to be white.
• 4:14
  Speaker 10: I got along fine enough in New Delaware for 200
• 4:17
  Speaker 10: years without either of them.
• 4:18
  Speaker 3: Yes, I know. I know, but we need them now,
• 4:20
  Speaker 3: and we haven't got much time.
• 4:21
  Speaker 7: Hey, when do I get a police chief badge? I
• 4:24
  Speaker 7: read that a police chief always gets a badge.
• 4:26
  Speaker 3: Make yourself one.
• 4:27
  Speaker 7: Now, go on.
• 4:28
  Speaker 3: All right, then. Oh, it sure is hot. I don't
• 4:31
  Speaker 3: know why the inspector couldn't have come in the wintertime.
• 4:33
  Speaker 7: Oh, Tom.
• 4:34
  Speaker 3: Tom Fisher. Yeah. Come here, Tom. I've got a job
• 4:36
  Speaker 3: for you.
• 4:37
  Speaker 7: Well, now, look, Mayor. I'm on vacation. The fish won't
• 4:39
  Speaker 7: be back in these waters till I.
• 4:40
  Speaker 3: No vacation. Not now. The inspectors do any day. Tom,
• 4:44
  Speaker 3: how would you like to be a criminal? Well, I
• 4:48
  Speaker 3: don't know.
• 4:49
  Speaker 7: What's a criminal?
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: Well, come over to my house and I'll explain. I've
• 4:52
  Speaker 3: got to appoint a criminal. And it looks to me
• 4:55
  Speaker 3: like you're it.
• 4:57
  Speaker 9: New Delaware.
• 5:05
  Speaker 5: New Delaware.
• 5:07
  Speaker 7: Do you hear me, New Delaware? Come in immediately.
• 5:09
  Speaker 3: Yes, yes. We hear you.
• 5:11
  Speaker 11: This is Colonial Inspector 3-7. You of New Delaware are
• 5:14
  Speaker 11: still a colony of Earth and subject to our laws.
• 5:17
  Speaker 11: You acknowledge that status?
• 5:19
  Speaker 7: Oh, yes.
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: Yes, we called a town meeting last night and we
• 5:22
  Speaker 3: talked it all over. We're still loyal to Earth.
• 5:25
  Speaker 7: Excellent.
• 5:25
  Speaker 11: That saves us the trouble of sending an expeditionary force
• 5:28
  Speaker 11: to reconquer you for Imperial Earth.
• 5:29
  Speaker 7: Imperial? That's funny. All the books talk about Earth as
• 5:32
  Speaker 7: a united democracy.
• 5:33
  Speaker 3: A lot can change in 200 years.
• 5:35
  Speaker 11: You realize, of course, there is room for only one
• 5:37
  Speaker 11: intelligent species in the universe.
• 5:39
  Speaker 12: Man.
• 5:40
  Speaker 11: All others must be suppressed, wiped out. We can tolerate
• 5:43
  Speaker 11: no aliens. I'm sure you understand, General.
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: I'm not a general. I'm a mayor.
• 5:48
  Speaker 4: You're in charge, aren't you?
• 5:49
  Speaker 3: Yes. Then you're a general.
• 5:51
  Speaker 11: Be sure you're running an earth colony, General, with no
• 5:53
  Speaker 11: radical departures from the north, such as free will, free love,
• 5:56
  Speaker 11: free elections, or anything else on the prescribed list. It's
• 6:00
  Speaker 11: a colony in order, General.
• 6:01
  Speaker 3: You see how it is, Tom? Now, about your job, Tom,
• 6:06
  Speaker 3: I'm appointing you town criminal. I don't see why there
• 6:09
  Speaker 3: has to be a criminal. All the books say so.
• 6:12
  Speaker 3: The criminal is as important as the postman or the
• 6:14
  Speaker 3: police chief. He works against society. If you don't have
• 6:17
  Speaker 3: people working against society, how can you have people working
• 6:20
  Speaker 3: for it? I don't want to do it. Oh, now
• 6:22
  Speaker 3: be reasonable, Tom. When this inspector comes, how can I
• 6:25
  Speaker 3: hold my head up and tell him we don't have
• 6:26
  Speaker 3: any crime? Don't you see that? Right there, the whole
• 6:30
  Speaker 3: thing falls through. He'll see that we're not truly Earth-like.
• 6:33
  Speaker 3: We're faking it. We're aliens. And you heard what he
• 6:36
  Speaker 3: said about being rough on aliens.
• 6:38
  Speaker 7: Well, yeah, yeah. But why me? Now, I'm supposed to
• 6:41
  Speaker 7: have vacation now. Now that the fishing season's over.
• 6:43
  Speaker 3: Never mind. You're our criminal. Here.
• 6:46
  Speaker 8: Here.
• 6:46
  Speaker 3: I've got this paper all made out for you just
• 6:48
  Speaker 3: to make it legal.
• 6:50
  Speaker 7: Skulking permit.
• 6:51
  Speaker 3: Know all men with these presents that Tom Fisher is
• 6:53
  Speaker 3: a duly authorized thief and murderer. He is hereby required
• 6:56
  Speaker 3: to skulk in dismal alleys, haunt places of low repute,
• 6:59
  Speaker 3: and break the law.
• 7:01
  Speaker 7: What's law?
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: Well, I'll let you know as fast as I make
• 7:03
  Speaker 3: them up. All earth colonies have law.
• 7:05
  Speaker 7: But what do I do?
• 7:06
  Speaker 3: Well, you steal and kill. Look, I'll give you a
• 7:09
  Speaker 3: couple of books on it, Tom. Steal as much as
• 7:11
  Speaker 3: you like. One murder should be enough. Don't overdo it.
• 7:15
  Speaker 7: Well, that doesn't sound sensible. Well, you can work up
• 7:18
  Speaker 7: to it.
• 7:19
  Speaker 3: Why don't you start off easy like by haunting a
• 7:23
  Speaker 3: place of low repute?
• 7:36
  Speaker 6: You're listening to Skulking Permit, tonight's attraction on X-1. Careful
• 7:43
  Speaker 6: planning and sensible driving add up to an enjoyable vacation trip.
• 7:47
  Speaker 6: Here are a few tips from the National Safety Council
• 7:49
  Speaker 6: that should help make your trip a pleasure instead of
• 7:52
  Speaker 6: a tense, nerve-wracking time. Before you leave, have the car
• 7:56
  Speaker 6: given a thorough checkup to be sure it will always
• 7:58
  Speaker 6: respond properly to your careful control. Check the emergency equipment
• 8:02
  Speaker 6: you'll need, such as a first aid kit, Keys, permits, identification, flashlight,
• 8:07
  Speaker 6: tire-changing equipment, and your unexpired driver's license. Plan your trip
• 8:13
  Speaker 6: for frequent rest stops with a good night's sleep each night.
• 8:16
  Speaker 6: And then on your trip, pay attention to the job
• 8:19
  Speaker 6: at hand and don't daydream. Stop off the road to
• 8:23
  Speaker 6: see the sights or read the map. Be prepared for
• 8:26
  Speaker 6: winding and straight roads, level and hilly roads. and changing
• 8:29
  Speaker 6: traffic patterns between urban and rural areas. Obey all speed limits,
• 8:33
  Speaker 6: traffic signs and signals and keep your distance behind the
• 8:36
  Speaker 6: driver ahead. This vacation is what you've been waiting for
• 8:39
  Speaker 6: all year. Enjoy it with sensible driving.
• 8:41
  Speaker 13: Now back to Skulking Permit on X-1.
• 8:54
  Speaker 3: Nice filling.
• 8:58
  Speaker 5: Hey, how come you ain't out thieving now, Tom?
• 9:01
  Speaker 7: Well, I'm planning. My permit says I have to haunt
• 9:04
  Speaker 7: places of low repute, and that's why I'm here.
• 9:06
  Speaker 5: Well, this ain't no place of low repute.
• 9:08
  Speaker 7: Well, you serve the worst meals in town. I know.
• 9:11
  Speaker 5: My wife can't cook, but there's a friendly atmosphere here.
• 9:13
  Speaker 5: Folks like it.
• 9:14
  Speaker 4: Tom, now just a minute there.
• 9:16
  Speaker 3: Oh, hi, Billy.
• 9:17
  Speaker 5: What do you have?
• 9:17
  Speaker 10: I'm on official police business. Now, Tom, what are you
• 9:21
  Speaker 10: doing with that beer?
• 9:22
  Speaker 5: Drinking it.
• 9:23
  Speaker 10: Tom, I think you were planning on stealing it. You're
• 9:26
  Speaker 10: a suspicious character. I think I'd better lock you up
• 9:29
  Speaker 10: for further questioning.
• 9:30
  Speaker 3: No, no, no, no, Billy. What are you doing?
• 9:32
  Speaker 10: I'm doing my duty, Mayor. Tom here is looking mighty suspicious.
• 9:36
  Speaker 7: The book says.
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: I know what the book says. I gave you the book.
• 9:39
  Speaker 3: You can't go arresting Tom. Not yet. Acting suspiciously isn't
• 9:44
  Speaker 3: a crime. All right.
• 9:46
  Speaker 10: But I was just trying to do my job. I'll
• 9:49
  Speaker 10: still get you, Tom. Remember, crime does not pay.
• 9:53
  Speaker 5: Prime Disney. Hey, that's a real slick way of putting it,
• 9:56
  Speaker 5: isn't it?
• 9:56
  Speaker 7: I thought it was kind of catchy. I read it
• 9:58
  Speaker 7: in the book. Morning, Marv. How's the schoolhouse coming?
• 10:10
  Speaker 4: Oh, hi, Tom.
• 10:11
  Speaker 3: Fair.
• 10:12
  Speaker 7: Would have come along better if I'd had my saw.
• 10:14
  Speaker 3: Your saw?
• 10:15
  Speaker 12: Yes, I left it leaning against my door last night.
• 10:18
  Speaker 4: Wasn't there this.
• 10:19
  Speaker 7: Morning, Tom. Oh, yeah, your saw. Well, you know how
• 10:21
  Speaker 7: it is, Marv. I had to practice some skulking last night. Oh.
• 10:26
  Speaker 3: Oh, yeah, sure.
• 10:28
  Speaker 7: Say, Tom, do you suppose I could use the saw
• 10:29
  Speaker 7: for a while, just for an hour or two? Well,
• 10:32
  Speaker 7: I don't know. It's legally stolen, you know. Well, I'd
• 10:34
  Speaker 7: give it back. I wouldn't keep anything that was legally stolen. Well,
• 10:38
  Speaker 7: it's in the house with the rest of the loot. Okay,
• 10:40
  Speaker 7: I'll go borrow it then.
• 10:41
  Speaker 3: Tom, I've been looking for you.
• 10:43
  Speaker 7: Oh, morning, Mayor.
• 10:44
  Speaker 3: Did you steal my bronze plaque?
• 10:46
  Speaker 7: Oh, I certainly did.
• 10:48
  Speaker 3: Oh, well, I was just wondering. Well, you got your
• 10:50
  Speaker 3: murder planned? Time is running short. Inspector may land any
• 10:53
  Speaker 3: hour now, so let's get that killing over with.
• 10:56
  Speaker 7: Oh, well, then I guess I'll kill George Waterman. Why? Why?
• 11:00
  Speaker 7: Why not?
• 11:01
  Speaker 3: What's your motive?
• 11:02
  Speaker 7: Well, I thought you just wanted a murder. Who said
• 11:04
  Speaker 7: anything about a motive?
• 11:05
  Speaker 3: We can't have a fake murder. On Earth, every murderer
• 11:08
  Speaker 3: has a motive.
• 11:09
  Speaker 7: Oh, well. Well, I don't like the way George walks.
• 11:11
  Speaker 7: Never did, and he's noisy sometimes.
• 11:13
  Speaker 3: No, that might be good enough for a crime of passion,
• 11:15
  Speaker 3: but you're a legal criminal, Tom. You're ruthless and cold-blooded
• 11:19
  Speaker 3: and cunning. You can't kill someone just because you don't
• 11:22
  Speaker 3: like the way he walks. That's silly.
• 11:24
  Speaker 7: But I'm supposed to make somebody cease to exist. I mean, like,
• 11:27
  Speaker 7: take Marv Carpenter. Here he is today working on a schoolhouse.
• 11:30
  Speaker 7: Big fella. Now, if I kill him, well, he wouldn't
• 11:33
  Speaker 7: work anymore. Now, I've been trying to imagine it. Marv
• 11:36
  Speaker 7: Carpenter lying on the ground with his eyes glaring open
• 11:40
  Speaker 7: and his mouth twisted and never going to hold a
• 11:42
  Speaker 7: piece of wood in his hands again or never sing
• 11:44
  Speaker 7: a song or have a beer or anything. It just
• 11:46
  Speaker 7: kind of makes me sick. I mean, I can go
• 11:49
  Speaker 7: on with a thieving, but murder.
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: Yes, yes, I know, but it's your job, Tom. It's
• 11:54
  Speaker 3: for the good of the village.
• 11:55
  Speaker 10: Murder?
• 11:56
  Speaker 7: Oh, I better go have another beer. Hey, what's that?
• 12:00
  Speaker 3: That must be the inspector's ship landing. Come on, let's
• 12:03
  Speaker 3: go see it.
• 12:05
  Speaker 14: Perimeter guard, advance! Sidearms to be warned at all times!
• 12:15
  Speaker 14: Guards at battle stations!
• 12:18
  Speaker 3: Welcome to New Delaware.
• 12:20
  Speaker 9: Vicar General, I'm the Inspector.
• 12:23
  Speaker 3: This is Mr. Grant, my political advisor.
• 12:24
  Speaker 4: Is this the capital of the colony?
• 12:26
  Speaker 3: Well, I'm afraid there's only one village on the whole
• 12:28
  Speaker 3: of New Delaware. Only one?
• 12:30
  Speaker 15: Grant, I told you when we surveyed the planet we
• 12:32
  Speaker 15: were wasting our time.
• 12:33
  Speaker 4: Patience, patience.
• 12:35
  Speaker 3: We're ready, General.
• 12:36
  Speaker 4: Let's inspect your village.
• 12:52
  Speaker 3: You see, we've got it all. Jail, post office, church,
• 12:55
  Speaker 3: little red schoolhouse. Oh, we're very normal. Very earthly. Grant,
• 13:00
  Speaker 3: this place is worthless.
• 13:01
  Speaker 15: No smelting, no heavy industry, no atomics, no taxation, no... Oh,
• 13:05
  Speaker 15: they don't have anything. I'll be downgraded at the next
• 13:07
  Speaker 15: colonial board. Why, this place is a utopia, subversive. We
• 13:12
  Speaker 15: ought to blow it right out.
• 13:13
  Speaker 4: Of the sky. Now, now, don't be despondent, Inspector. Delaware
• 13:17
  Speaker 4: has a very important commodity for us.
• 13:19
  Speaker 7: What? You saw them, hulking peasants, nothing but farmers.
• 13:23
  Speaker 4: Yes, strong, healthy farmers. Good cannon fodder.
• 13:26
  Speaker 7: What? Oh.
• 13:30
  Speaker 13: Oh.
• 13:30
  Speaker 4: Let me take over.
• 13:32
  Speaker 3: General. Yes, sir?
• 13:34
  Speaker 4: How many able young men are there in the village
• 13:35
  Speaker 4: between the ages of 15 and 60?
• 13:37
  Speaker 7: Uh, why?
• 13:39
  Speaker 4: You see, General, Imperial Earth is engaged in a war.
• 13:42
  Speaker 4: The colonies in Ding 4 are revolting against the authority
• 13:45
  Speaker 4: of Mother Earth.
• 13:45
  Speaker 3: Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. We need good, healthy
• 13:48
  Speaker 3: fighting men.
• 13:48
  Speaker 7: Our reserves are depleted.
• 13:49
  Speaker 4: We wish to give all loyal colonists a chance to
• 13:52
  Speaker 4: fight for Mother Earth. We're sure you won't refuse. Most
• 13:55
  Speaker 4: colonies welcome a little conscription.
• 13:57
  Speaker 7: Cleanses the blood. Reduces crime. Crime?
• 14:00
  Speaker 3: Oh, I thought that would come up. We've taken care
• 14:02
  Speaker 3: of that.
• 14:03
  Speaker 7: I appointed... You see, Grant?
• 14:05
  Speaker 15: Sixty, seventy, perhaps a hundred recruits. Not such a waste
• 14:09
  Speaker 15: of time coming here after all.
• 14:16
  Speaker 7: Hey. Hey, wait a minute, Mayor.
• 14:24
  Speaker 3: Oh, hello, Tom. What? What are you doing?
• 14:27
  Speaker 7: You said there had to be a murder, so.
• 14:29
  Speaker 3: Wait just a minute. Look, I didn't mean me. It
• 14:32
  Speaker 3: can't be me. You haven't any motive.
• 14:35
  Speaker 7: Well, I've been pretty sore about you appointing me town criminal.
• 14:39
  Speaker 3: Look, it was the mayor who appointed you, wasn't it? Well, sure. Well,
• 14:42
  Speaker 3: then look, I'm not the mayor anymore. I'm a general. Look,
• 14:45
  Speaker 3: you see, stars, gold braid.
• 14:47
  Speaker 7: Well, what's that got to do with it?
• 14:48
  Speaker 3: Well, you missed the ceremony this afternoon, Tom. The inspector
• 14:51
  Speaker 3: said I had to wear a general's uniform. It was
• 14:54
  Speaker 3: a very friendly ceremony. All the earth men were winking
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: at me and each other.
• 14:58
  Speaker 7: Oh, congratulations. But you were the mayor when you appointed
• 15:02
  Speaker 7: me criminal, so my motive still holds.
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: Yes, but killing a general isn't murder. It's mutiny.
• 15:08
  Speaker 7: Oh.
• 15:09
  Speaker 3: Oh, well, I'm sorry. Oh, that's all right, Tom. It's
• 15:12
  Speaker 3: just that I've read up on it and you haven't. Well,
• 15:15
  Speaker 3: I'd better get back. The inspector wants a lot of
• 15:18
  Speaker 3: the men he can draft.
• 15:19
  Speaker 7: Are you sure this murder is necessary?
• 15:21
  Speaker 3: Oh, yes. Yes, absolutely. Just not me.
• 15:34
  Speaker 5: No luck, huh, Tom?
• 15:35
  Speaker 7: I just can't do it. Ed, I can't kill anybody
• 15:38
  Speaker 7: in the village. I grew up with them. I've worked
• 15:40
  Speaker 7: with them. I've drank root beer with them. I don't
• 15:43
  Speaker 7: have any motive for killing any of them.
• 15:44
  Speaker 5: Well, Tom, you have to commit a murder. You don't
• 15:46
  Speaker 5: want to let the village down.
• 15:48
  Speaker 7: Wait, wait, wait a minute. I got an idea. Ed,
• 15:51
  Speaker 7: suppose I kill the inspector. What's your motive? Oh, it
• 15:54
  Speaker 7: would be a very terrible crime. I'd be killing for glory,
• 15:57
  Speaker 7: for fame, for notoriety, and it'll show Earth how earthy
• 16:01
  Speaker 7: New Delaware really is. Well, they'll say crime is so
• 16:04
  Speaker 7: bad here that a criminal actually killed their inspector on
• 16:07
  Speaker 7: the very first day.
• 16:08
  Speaker 5: Yeah.
• 16:09
  Speaker 3: How are you going to do it? Well, one of those.
• 16:11
  Speaker 7: Soldiers got drunk on a bottle of your Keebler juice,
• 16:13
  Speaker 7: and I stole his gun. Well, I better get going.
• 16:16
  Speaker 7: I'll wait for him on the path between the mayor's
• 16:17
  Speaker 7: house and the ship. Yeah, good luck, Tom. Yeah, thanks.
• 16:22
  Speaker 14: One, two, three, four.
• 16:31
  Speaker 7: One, two, three, four. Keep in line there. What a
• 16:35
  Speaker 7: sloppy crew, all their feet.
• 16:37
  Speaker 4: Still, it's a nice night's work. With those landing parties
• 16:40
  Speaker 4: dying like flies, we can use every new man we
• 16:42
  Speaker 4: can get.
• 16:42
  Speaker 13: Shh.
• 16:43
  Speaker 7: Don't say that. What?
• 16:45
  Speaker 4: Are you afraid the mayor will hear me? Don't be ridiculous.
• 16:48
  Speaker 4: It's a completely passive population, sheep-like, obedient. But wait till
• 16:52
  Speaker 4: those sergeants get hold of them at the base. They'll
• 16:55
  Speaker 4: whip them into first-class fighting men in no time.
• 16:57
  Speaker 7: Halt! Stand and deliver! Hands up, Inspector. I got you covered.
• 17:04
  Speaker 7: Now the rest of you, drop your guns and move
• 17:06
  Speaker 7: out of the way. What? I'll see you here.
• 17:08
  Speaker 10: Now go on and drop those guns.
• 17:11
  Speaker 7: What's the meaning of this?
• 17:12
  Speaker 3: And who are you?
• 17:13
  Speaker 7: Tom Fisher. I'm the town criminal. I'm going to kill
• 17:15
  Speaker 7: the inspector. Now, please move out of the way. Criminal?
• 17:18
  Speaker 7: So that's what the mayor was prattling about. Now, I
• 17:20
  Speaker 7: know we haven't had any murders in 200 years, but
• 17:22
  Speaker 7: I'm changing that now. Move out of the way.
• 17:24
  Speaker 4: Well, I suppose I'd better get out of the line
• 17:25
  Speaker 4: of fire, eh?
• 17:26
  Speaker 3: Now, wait a minute.
• 17:26
  Speaker 7: Wait. Now, don't move. I know just how to do it.
• 17:29
  Speaker 7: I've been thinking about it. I'll push this button and
• 17:31
  Speaker 7: you'll die. You'll fall down on the path and your
• 17:34
  Speaker 7: eyes will be open and your mouth twisted and no
• 17:37
  Speaker 7: air going in and out of your lungs and no
• 17:39
  Speaker 7: beat to your heart. And I.
• 17:42
  Speaker 3: I can't do it.
• 17:44
  Speaker 7: Here, here's your gun. Take it. I don't want it. Quick, quick,
• 17:48
  Speaker 7: after him. Sergeant, have the entire ship's company turned out.
• 17:52
  Speaker 3: General, I want all your people out looking for him.
• 17:54
  Speaker 3: Shoot on sight.
• 17:55
  Speaker 7: Kill him instantly.
• 17:56
  Speaker 3: Oh, we couldn't do that. Although we appreciate the compliment.
• 17:59
  Speaker 7: What, that man's a.
• 18:00
  Speaker 3: He's a criminal, yes. That's what I'm trying to explain.
• 18:03
  Speaker 3: I appointed him. We had to have one.
• 18:07
  Speaker 7: You what?
• 18:09
  Speaker 4: You mean you had no criminal?
• 18:11
  Speaker 7: Well, I.
• 18:12
  Speaker 10: No.
• 18:13
  Speaker 3: No, I'm afraid not. Oh, I'm terribly ashamed. You see,
• 18:17
  Speaker 3: we knew how uncivilized we were, and that's why we
• 18:19
  Speaker 3: did it. I'm dreadfully embarrassed that Tom couldn't handle the job.
• 18:24
  Speaker 4: Why did you give the assignment to that particular man?
• 18:26
  Speaker 3: Well, I figured if anyone could kill, Tom could. He's
• 18:29
  Speaker 3: a fisherman, you know. It's pretty gory work.
• 18:33
  Speaker 4: And he wasn't able to kill the inspector?
• 18:35
  Speaker 3: Well, we just haven't had to kill anything for 200
• 18:38
  Speaker 3: years except fish. The only animals on New Delaware are
• 18:41
  Speaker 3: small grass eaters, and they're not good to eat, so
• 18:44
  Speaker 3: we never kill any of them.
• 18:46
  Speaker 4: And the rest of you would be equally unable to kill?
• 18:49
  Speaker 7: No.
• 18:50
  Speaker 3: We wouldn't even get as far as Tom did.
• 18:52
  Speaker 7: I want that man found and... Forget about it, Inspector.
• 18:55
  Speaker 3: What?
• 18:56
  Speaker 7: We'd better get away from here. You want men in
• 18:58
  Speaker 7: our army who can't kill? Think of it.
• 19:01
  Speaker 4: The morale problem. The possibility of infection.
• 19:04
  Speaker 7: One man in a key position endangering a key ship.
• 19:07
  Speaker 4: Or maybe a whole fleet.
• 19:08
  Speaker 7: Because they can't kill. It isn't worth the risk, Inspector.
• 19:12
  Speaker 3: Yes, sir. I see what you mean.
• 19:16
  Speaker 4: Order your troops to get back to the ship. We'll
• 19:18
  Speaker 4: take off at once.
• 19:30
  Speaker 7: Tom?
• 19:31
  Speaker 3: Tom, you can come out now. Tom, they're gone.
• 19:35
  Speaker 10: He's hiding around here somewhere, Mayor.
• 19:38
  Speaker 3: Tom?
• 19:39
  Speaker 7: Oh, Tom?
• 19:41
  Speaker 10: Here I am.
• 19:42
  Speaker 7: I'm sorry I bungled it. I guess I won't be
• 19:45
  Speaker 7: needing my skulking permit anymore.
• 19:48
  Speaker 3: No, no, I guess not. Well, we did our best.
• 19:54
  Speaker 7: I had the chance, and then I let you all down. Oh, Tom,
• 19:57
  Speaker 7: it's not your fault. Look how long it took Earth
• 20:00
  Speaker 7: to get civilized. Thousands of years, and we were trying
• 20:04
  Speaker 7: to do it in two weeks.
• 20:05
  Speaker 3: Yeah. Well, we better get back to the village. Looks
• 20:10
  Speaker 3: like rain.
• 20:10
  Speaker 7: Yep. Soon I'll start fishing again.
• 20:14
  Speaker 3: Say... What is it, Tom?
• 20:16
  Speaker 7: I think I could have done it if I'd only
• 20:19
  Speaker 7: had the sense to think of the inspector as a fish.
• 20:23
  Speaker 3: Well, it's too late now.
• 20:26
  Speaker 7: I guess I'll let the village down.
• 20:37
  Speaker 3: Fred Collins again.
• 20:38
  Speaker 6: And I'll have a word for you on tonight's X-1
• 20:42
  Speaker 6: in a moment.
• 20:47
  Speaker 16: This is Bob Haines speaking to you from somewhere.
• 20:49
  Speaker 5: In the Caribbean.
• 20:50
  Speaker 16: I am aboard a UDT personnel landing craft. That's the
• 20:54
  Speaker 16: Underwater Demolitions Team. We are right now on our way
• 20:58
  Speaker 16: out to rendezvous with United States submarine Sea Lion.
• 21:02
  Speaker 7: Monitor took you there.
• 21:03
  Speaker 12: Some men go over Niagara Falls... and a barrel. Some
• 21:08
  Speaker 12: people sit on top of flagpoles. But we have a
• 21:12
  Speaker 12: man by the name of Rajah Phillips from India who
• 21:15
  Speaker 12: is buried alive right in the center of a furniture
• 21:17
  Speaker 12: store here in Owensboro, Kentucky.
• 21:19
  Speaker 4: And Monitor took you there.
• 21:21
  Speaker 16: Big events, little events, offbeat events, comedy, music, news, and sports.
• 21:26
  Speaker 16: They're all part of the top variety of entertainment Monitor
• 21:29
  Speaker 16: brings you all weekend long. This is Frank Blair inviting
• 21:33
  Speaker 16: you to join us on Monitor every weekend at and
• 21:36
  Speaker 16: Friday nights, too, on most of these NBC stations.
• 21:42
  Speaker 6: You have just heard X-1 presented by the National Broadcasting
• 21:46
  Speaker 6: Company in cooperation with Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine, which this
• 21:50
  Speaker 6: month features Blaze of Glory by Robert Silverberg. Galaxy Magazine
• 21:55
  Speaker 6: on your newsstand today. Tonight, X-1 has brought you Skulking Permit.
• 22:01
  Speaker 6: A story from the pages of Galaxy written by Robert
• 22:03
  Speaker 6: Sheckley and adapted for radio by Ernest Canoy. Featured in
• 22:07
  Speaker 6: our cast were Richard Hamilton, Wendell Holmes, Dean Almquist, Mandel Kramer,
• 22:12
  Speaker 6: Ted Osborne, Santa Sortega, and Bob Hastings.
• 22:16
  Speaker 7: This is Fred Collins.
• 22:18
  Speaker 6: X-1 was directed by Daniel Sutter and is an NBC
• 22:23
  Speaker 6: Radio Network production.
• 22:34
  Speaker 7: There's excitement in the air at night, and Nightline brings
• 22:37
  Speaker 7: it to you.
• 22:38
  Speaker 16: Hear Nightline with Walter O'Keefe, next on most of these
• 22:42
  Speaker 16: NBC stations.
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: X-1's skulking permit has come to its close. Follow X-1
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: for more classic broadcasts.