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In this thrilling episode of the Mystery Theater, we delve into the enigmatic world of wild talents with the story of Marion Perkins Warbeck, a school teacher on a peculiar treasure hunt. Warbeck is searching for a young boy named Stuart Buchanan, who has mysteriously disappeared along with his family. The boy's school composition hints at extraordinary abilities among his friends, including a disintegration beam, a matter transmuter, and teleportation. As Warbeck and his new allies, including a lawyer named Walter Herrod, attempt to track down Stuart, they encounter a series of baffling disappearances, leading them to question the true nature of Stuart's wild talent.
As the search intensifies, Warbeck and Herrod explore various leads, only to find themselves thwarted at every turn by the boy's uncanny ability to erase all traces of his existence. The episode culminates in a chilling revelation about Stuart's power to make his wishes come true, leaving listeners pondering the implications of such abilities in the hands of a child. With a cast of intriguing characters and a plot filled with suspense and mystery, this episode is a captivating exploration of the unknown.
(00:30) Introduction to the Mystery Theater
(01:03) The Search for a Wild Talent
(02:14) The Boy Wonder Mystery Drama
(08:17) The Inheritance Racket
(19:18) The Composition and Wild Talents
(28:05) The Disappearance of Stuart Buchanan
(36:10) The Search in Old Town
(42:52) The Power of Wishing
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[00:00:00]
Unknown:
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[00:00:31] Unknown:
S radio mystery theater presents. Come in welcome I'm e g marshall major domore of this mansion of the mysterious and the macabre. This is the story of a search for a wild talent. You'll learn all there is to know about wild talents very soon, and you won't like it. In a sense, this is a treasure hunt but the prize isn't money or jewels or pirate gold. No. Nothing like that. And there isn't any ancient treasure map. No. Just a very modern telephone directory which a man carries with him in his car as he drives from address to address throughout the city. Mister Buchanan?
Yes. May I come up, please? Who are you? My name is David. John David. What do you want? I want to offer you a reward, miss Buchanan. Five thousand dollars. What? You heard me. $5,000 If If what? Well, why don't you let me come up and tang you? $5. Okay. Come on up. Our mystery drama, The Boy Wonder, was written especially for the mystery theater by Alfred Bester and stars William Redfield and Robert Dryden. I'll be back shortly with act one. The treasure hunter is named Marion Perkins Warbeck. He is an intense young man afflicted with an education and inspired by a purpose which most people would regard as lunatic.
But then they don't know about wild talent. Marion Warbeck has been telling lies about himself and his search all through the city, and he's lying now to Jason Buchanan.
[00:03:09] Unknown:
Yeah.
[00:03:10] Unknown:
It's me, mister Buchanan. John Davis, without reward. $5. Right. But I said here. May I come in? Sure. This way. Thanks. Now what's all this anyway? Oh, nice apartment, mister Buchanan. Looks like you lived in. You got a family? Yeah. Yeah. Now about that $5, is this some kind of fancy put on? Oh, no. Not at all. I'm from the Science Institute. Never heard of it. Well, that's understandable. We're a very quiet organization devoted to research, but we're big, mister Buchanan. So? How about the $5 reward? Well, we've got a new research program fully funded to, check out the flying saucer mystery. Flying saucers?
Yes. You've heard of them? Who hasn't? But oh, I know. I know. You all take the report seriously, but we do very seriously. You see, we're trying to put together firm reports of flying saucer sightings, and we're offering a $5,000 award to reliable witnesses who will be willing to come forward and give evidence. You guys must be crazy. No. Not at all. Have you ever seen a flying saucer? No. Oh, that's too bad. Anyway, that's a lot of bunks. Flying saucers around your entire opinion. Have your children ever seen them? What? Your children. You do have children, don't you? Yeah. Yeah. But they've been How many? Two.
Them flying saucers never Are either of school age. What? Your children's school. Do they go to school? Yeah. The boy's 28. The girl's 24. They finished school long ago. Oh, I see. Either of them married. Both do they have family? What's this got to do with answer the question, miss Tucannon. Do you have grandchildren? Yeah. Yeah. Fine. Ah, living in this city? No. They didn't like it here, so the family's took off. I see. Too bad. But about them flying saucers, you scientist doctors ought to We are. We are. Thank you very much, mister Buchanan. Sorry about that 5,000. Don't bother, you see meow.
Well, that takes care of mister Jason Buchanan who's next. Here we are. Alfred Buchanan. Seven seven six Post Road. Yes. As listed. Who is this? Is mister Buchanan in, please? No.
[00:05:52] Unknown:
Go away.
[00:05:54] Unknown:
Is this missus Buchanan?
[00:05:56] Unknown:
Yes.
[00:05:57] Unknown:
Go away. My name is Cook, missus Buchanan. David Cook. May I come in, please? I don't mess things with him when my husband's away. I'm here about free prizes, missus Buchanan.
[00:06:11] Unknown:
What? Are you? Prizes? For who? You?
[00:06:19] Unknown:
For who? Well, if you'll take the chain off and let me in, missus Buchanan, I'll explain. Well, you don't look like a crook. I'm not, ma'am. On my honor, I always tell the truth.
[00:06:35] Unknown:
Come in, mister what did you say your name was? Cook. David Cook.
[00:06:40] Unknown:
This this way. Thank you.
[00:06:43] Unknown:
Want some coffee? No. Thank you. Sit there. No. What's all this about prizes? Uh-huh. Free prizes. Well, I'm from worldwide broadcasters.
[00:06:56] Unknown:
Never heard of them. Oh, you will, ma'am. You will. We're preparing a list of names for prize competitions. People who would be willing to appear on shows and win prizes. You know about that, of course. I sure do. Would you be willing? Who wouldn't? Oh, indeed. Yes. Who wouldn't? Have you ever won a prize in a contest? No. I never because I never got a chance. Well, maybe you will now, Mrs. Buchanan. Did your husband?
[00:07:22] Unknown:
Did my husband what? Ever win a prize? Who asked? Never.
[00:07:28] Unknown:
He never got a chance either. Well, maybe he will too. And what about your children? Children? Your children. Have they ever won prizes? Ain't got no children. Oh, nephews named Buchanan?
[00:07:39] Unknown:
Ain't got no nephew. Just me and Alfie, mister
[00:07:44] Unknown:
I forget your name. Wook. D h Wook. Thank you very much, miss Buchanan. You will be hearing from us. Private Brown sounds very elegant. Very posh. This might be the hard lead. Right. Well, that will be. Hi, Claw. Yes? I beg your pardon. Sorry to intrude. Would it be possible to see mister Foster Buchanan, please? Yes. Do you sound Well, I know it's rather unconventional, but I'm from the business safety council, and I, Are you indeed? Oh, yes. I am indeed. And if you'll tell mister Buchanan that I won't take more than five minutes I'm Buchanan. Well, how do you do, sir? My name is Acorn.
Roger Acorn. I'm here from the safety council. I heard you, mister Acorn. Do come in. Thank you, sir. This way, mister Acorn. Tonight is servant's night out, so I'm managing myself. Uh-huh. I, think we'll be comfortable here. Can I offer you a brand new soda? I'm about to begin myself. No. Thank you, mister Buchanan. You said, five minutes. For what? I have great faith in the Business Safety Council. I'll better work against the inroads of Arrogant Chicanery. Well, the purpose of this interview is to inquire whether you have ever been defrauded by, in your words, arrogant ticcanery? The attempt has been made, mister Acorn. Ronald Acorn. To be sure, attempts have been made, mister Acorn.
I have never been victimized. Your wife? Never. Your children? You do have children? My son is hardly old enough to qualify as a victim of confident tricksters. Indeed. Interesting. Well, how old is he, mister Buchanan? He's 10 years of age. Oh, well, is it possible that he's been tricked at school? There are crooks who specialize in victimizing children as we know at the safety camp. No. At my son's school, He's well protected from such riffraff. What school is that, sir? Germantown. One of the best. One of the very best. Did he ever attend a city public school? Good. Never. Never. I see. I see. Any other children, mister Buchanan? A daughter, 17. Mhmm. At present in Paris, studying at the Sorbonne. Well, thank you, mister Buchanan. I think my time's up. Thank you for your cooperation.
I'll I'll see myself out. Enjoy your brandy and soda.
[00:10:43] Unknown:
Hey, mister? Mister? What? Who? Who? Me? Yeah. You, mister. Oh, could you I I need could you mind helping a lady in distress?
[00:10:51] Unknown:
A new lady in distress? Come on. I haven't used that expression since the civil war. Oh, honest, miss Doc. I'm in the craziest setting, ma'am, and I'm scared. Look. I've got exactly $7.50
[00:11:02] Unknown:
on me. You're wasting your time. Oh, this isn't a con, mister Thomas. It's a real jam. Oh, it better be good. I I I was driving home and I had to stop and arrive back around the corner. See? Yeah? Suddenly a guy jumps out of my car. Yeah? Yes. Up in the back door. Yeah? Then he slammed a little beastie. And that's your jam? No. It's the one he left behind.
[00:11:25] Unknown:
Uh-huh. And what did he leave behind?
[00:11:27] Unknown:
A star. A what? I couldn't figure it. So the first thing I did was look in the back to see if he ripped off anything. He didn't. He didn't. Oh, he didn't believe a gun? And I don't believe it. The gun's fear. I saw it. I didn't dare touch it. I didn't even go near it. I got out and ran to the car then you come out of that house so I ran to you. Are you telling the truth? Why would I lie? Someone's trying to hit you for anything. No. Just come and look for yourself. Maybe you could figure out what I should do.
[00:12:03] Unknown:
Two level is the last thing I want. Come on. Now I still don't believe you, miss, Miss Davey Davey, Telford. I still don't believe you, miss Telford, but I'm incredibly curious. My one bite. Would I make up a stone for the sake of $7.50? You didn't know how much I had on me. You look like you have more. That hurts. Frankly,
[00:12:26] Unknown:
no. So trust me a little. Here. This is my car. Go go ahead. Look.
[00:12:33] Unknown:
You said the back of the car? On the floor. Well, I don't see any gun. On the far side behind the driver's seat. Oh, my. On the far side, a gun on the floor. She says drop by a mysterious stranger.
[00:12:50] Unknown:
Oh, Joe.
[00:12:51] Unknown:
You didn't have to hit him so hard. He's such a nice guy. Daisy, baby. When Joe Davenport cools him, he cools him for Keith. Okay. Let's move it out. Mister Harris, wait. Come on. Come on. Rise and shine. Everybody up. Alright. That'll do, Joe. I think he's coming around. You seem to clobbered him so hard. He's such a It's all yours, miss Harris. Mister Warbeck. Oh, mister Warbeck, can you hear me? Can you respond? I won't keep you very long. You'll leave laden with apologies. Just as soon as you tell me what kind of crook you are and who's behind you. What? Crook?
Oh, mister Warbeck, please pull yourself together or Joe will have to resume with his muscles, which can't be very pleasant. I can make it a lot less pleasant, mister Hammons. Mister Warveig, can you tell me why you, ostensibly a harmless school teacher, have suddenly decided to cut yourself in on my Buchanan caper? The trouble with the treasure hunt, even if it's only for a boy wonder with a wild talent, is that you may blunder into something totally unexpected. But you don't know about wild talents and their incredible value yet.
You will find out in the second act, which will begin in just a few moments. You're on a treasure hunt which involves people named Buchanan. You're trapped, slugged, and wake up in what appears to be a respectable legal office. A thief type named Joe is flapping you back to consciousness. A pretty girl named Daisy is trying to protect you. A hearty legal type named ostensibly a ostensibly a harmless school teacher, suddenly taken it upon yourself to cut in on my Buchanan caper? Oh, come come, mister Warbeck. No stalling, please. Oh, oh, my name's Herrod.
Walter Herrod, attorney at law. I've been going through your wallet. Your name is Warbeck. Marion Perkin Warbeck. Right? Yeah. That's right. My name's Warbeck, but I never admit the Marion to strangers. Why this interest in the Buchanan are yours? I'm asking the questions. Joe's been tailing you. You've seen five Buchanan's per night. Thirty so far. What's your angle? You got no right to kidnap me and grill me. Your papers and ID tell me that you're a teacher of our profession, assistant principal of a public school. I thought teachers were supposed to be legitimate.
How did you get mixed up in the inheritance caper? Caper? Racket. The inheritance racket. The heirs of Buchanan caper. What are you using? The personal approach. I I don't know what you're talking about. I honestly don't know. You're stepping on my toes, Warbank, and I don't buy it. It. I'm taking 75,000 a year out of this caper, and I'm not going to let you cut in. Now look, I'm an educated man. Mention Galileo or the lesser cavalier poets, and I'm right up there with you. But there are gaps in my education, and this is one of them. I can't handle the situation. Too many unknowns.
Alright. I'm gonna spell it out for you, Warbeck, so we'll know exactly where we stand. And you won't be able to dummy up. Please do. The inheritance racket is an old long term con. It operates like so. The story is that James Buchanan, fifteenth president of The United States Yes. The same. One. Buchanan was a bachelor. The story is that he died intestate leaving a fortune for heirs unknown. Thrilling news. Today, at Compound Interest, that estate is worth hundreds of millions. Understand? So far. Anybody named Buchanan is a sucker for this setup.
I send them a letter telling there's a chance that they may be one of the heirs. Uh-huh. Do they want me to investigate and protect their possible share in the estate? Uh-huh. It only costs a a small yearly retainer. Most of them buy it. And now you Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Don't delay with the obvious. I can draw a conclusion. You found out I was checking Buchanan families. You think I'm trying to operate the same racket? Caper? You think I'm trying to cut in? Cut in? Yes. Cut in on you? Well, aren't you? Oh, heavenly guardian angel that this should happen to me.
Thank you. Thank you. I'll be forever grateful.
[00:18:35] Unknown:
I think you must have made him a little crazy with that clap or two. Well,
[00:18:39] Unknown:
aren't you trying to cut in? No. I'm not cutting in on you, mister Aaron. Look. You will accompany me to my office in the school, and I will show you why I'm interested in the Buchanan. Not just a minute. Warbeck. I said I'd make it up to you. Well, I don't use your car, miss Selford. Mine's probably been towed away by now. Herod, I'm going into partnership with you three. You've got what I need to locate one particular Buchanan. He's 10 years old, and he's worth millions more than your phony hundreds million dollars. This is my office. Come in.
Aren't they gonna ask about us being here at night? No. No. No, miss Telford. I often work late. All this closet and office, well, we aren't very generous teachers, Joe. Sit down, everybody, if you can find somewhere. And this, miss Telford and gentlemen, is my buried treasure. You got a million stashed in that pile? No, mister Harrow. Just a composition. A composition? Worth a million more than your Buchanan fortune. I think this cloud is putting us on. Quiet. No. We are in his favor. Go ahead, mister Warbeck. Thank you. Now a school assistant principal has supervised classes. He reviews work, estimates progress, irons out student problems, and so on. I do this by random samplings. We have 900 pupils in this school. I can't supervise them individually.
Is he supposed to be saying something? He is, Joe. Just listen. I'm waiting for the money talk. Here it is, Joe. Looking through some fifth grade work last month, I came across this fantastic composition. It was written by Stuart Buchanan of the fifth grade. His age must be 10 or thereabouts. Now the composition is entitled My Vacation. I'll read it to you, and you will understand why Stuart Buchanan must be found. This is the money? Yeah, Joe. This is the money. My Vacation by Stuart Buchanan. This summer, I visited my friends. I have four friends, and they are very nice. First, there is Tommy who lives in the country, and he is an astronomer. Tommy built his own telescope out of glass six inches across which he ground him self. He looks at the stars every night, and he lets me look even when it is raining cats and dogs. Wait a minute. Warbeck, are you putting us on? Patience.
Patience. Let's see. Cats and dogs. We could see the stars because Tommy made a thing for over the end of the telescope, which shoots stuff like a searchlight and makes hole in the sky to see right through the rain and everything through the stars. Well, mister Herod, what do you think of Tommy, the astronomer? I don't understand this at all. Couldn't be simpler. Tommy gets bored waiting for clear night. He invented something that cuts through clouds, a funnel of vacuum so he can use his telescope in all weather. And what it amounts to is a disintegration beam.
How do you say? The hell I don't. Next, friend of Stuart, my quote. Then I went to Anne Merry and stayed one whole week. It was fun because Anne Merry has a spinach changer for spinach and beets and string beans. But the devil is a spinach changer. Spinach. Spinach changer. Spelling isn't one of Stuart's talent. Where was I? Oh, Oh, yes. Here. When her mother made us eat them, Anne Mary pressed the button and they stayed the same outside. On the inside, they became cake, cherry and strawberry. I asked Anne Mary how and she said it was by anheb.
You've lost me. Simple. And Mary doesn't like vegetables, so she's just as smart as Tommy the Astronema. She's invented a matter transmuter. She transmutes spinock into cake, cherry or strawberry. Cake, she eats with pleasure. So does Stewart. You're crazy, Warby. Uh-huh. Not me. The kids. They're geniuses. There's only one label for them. They're wild talent. Wild talent? What's wild talent? Later, let's finish up with lazy Ethel. I continue to read Stuart's composition. My friend George has a sister Ethel who is the laziest girl I ever saw. She is big and fat and hates to walk. So when her mother sends her to the store, Ethel sinks to the store and sinks home with all the packages and has to hang around George's room hiding until it will look like she walked both ways.
George and I make fun of her because she is fat and lazy, but she gets into movies for free. The end. I don't believe it. I don't believe it. Great little girl, I thought. She's too lazy to walk, so she teleports. Then she has to hide with her packages while George and Stuart make fun of her.
[00:23:50] Unknown:
Teleport?
[00:23:51] Unknown:
That's right, miss Telford. She moves from place to place by thinking her way there. Oh. There ain't no such thing. There wasn't until Lazy Ethel came along. There wasn't any disintegration beam until Tommy the astronomer invented one, and Anne Marie invented a matter transmuter because she doesn't like the neck. That, friends, is wild talent. Children accomplishing incredible things for childish reasons. I still don't believe it. That kid's got a wild imagination. That's all. Possibly. You just give me five minutes with this Stuart Buchanan. I'm a lawyer, and I'll find out. I had the same idea myself. I'm a teacher, and I can find out, but I can't. Why not? Because Stuart Buchanan's done the impossible. He's disappeared. Lock, stock, and barrel. Gone without a trace. He can't be found. Well, it's proves he was lying. You caught him in the line. He ran. You still think this was just his imagination, mister Heron?
Well, what else? I'll tell you what else. And that part about Anne Mary, where is it? The one who doesn't like spinach. That's the one, miss Milford. No. Ah, yeah. Now quote. Anne Mary pressed the button and they stayed the same outside, only inside they became cake, cherry, and strawberry. I asked Anne Mary how and she said it was by Enhez, end quote. That's e n h b. So that's a kid's gibberish word. No, Herod. That's how Anne Marie transmuted manner. What? With a kook word like, Enhev? Come on. No. No. Not Envajo. It took time, but I figured it out. That's Planck's quantum equation.
E equals n h v, one of the most abstruse concepts in theoretical physics. Well, Aaron? The kid invented that too. No coincidence. That sound likely. Well, then he read it somewhere. 10 year old reading quantum mechanics. Nonsense. Oh, damn it. You let me at that kid for five minutes. Me too, but he disappeared. That's why I've been checking every Buchanan in the phone book trying to locate him. The day I read this composition and sent down for Stewart to have a talk with him, he disappeared into thin air and hasn't been seen since. Well, what about his family? Trouble disappeared too.
What's more, every record of their location had disappeared. A few people remember them vaguely, but that's all. They split, Oh, the very word, Joe. Thank you. Well, what a situation. Here's a child who makes friends with child geniuses. They're making fantastic discoveries for childish purposes. Who knows? Maybe Stewart's got other friends with wilder talent. Is this Stewart a wild talent too? Probably. He's generally hang out with their peer group that shares the same interests and talents. And then what kind of genius is he? I don't know. A genius for disappearing, maybe.
He blabbed like a child in his composition. When I sent for him, he got scared like a child, ran away, and covered his tracks. How did he get into the school file? I don't know. All I know is he destroyed anything that might lead to it. Stewart has run away, and we have gotten to find him. Just to find out, is he smart?
[00:27:17] Unknown:
No, miss Telford. To find his friend.
[00:27:21] Unknown:
He's the only lead. Surely, I don't have to explain. What would the Pentagon pay for a disintegration fee? How many millions would an element transmuter be worth? If we could teleport, travel by mind alone, how powerful would we be? My goodness. Mister Harris, this professor's almost got me convinced. How about you? Mister Warray, your caper makes us look like pikers. Thanks for letting us cut in on you. We'll pay off. We'll find that kid. It then suggested that children are really alien creatures, thinking their own strange thoughts to themselves and performing incomprehensible alien acts in their own private world, which no grown up is ever permitted to enter.
Is Stewart Buchanan a doorway to this alien world? And if he found, what will his world be like? At three will tell us in just a few moments. Are Stewart Buchanan's friends working miracles with their wild talents, discovering disintegration beams, matter transmuters, teleportation? If not, does he have a wild imagination? And if he merely imagined all this, why and how has he disappeared without a trace? The only answer is to find Stuart Buchanan and question him. Walter Herrod, attorney at law, is explaining to the boy's teacher how this can be done.
It's not possible for anyone to vanish without a trace, Warwick. Even a genius with a wild talent for crime? You've been blundering around chasing after Buchanan's in the phone book. There are other angles. You don't run after a missing person. You look around on his back trail for something he drops. Mm-mm. A genius wouldn't drop anything. Alright. Let's grant the kid's a genius, but a kid's a kid. He must have overlooked something. He forgot about that composition. And we'll find that something. Now where is that school of yours located? Jefferson Park.
Any busing? No. And it's a neighborhood school. The kids' family must have lived around there. Let's go. Over there, professor. The 800 Block stop. What's this address? Jefferson Park Post Office Substation. You move out of a neighborhood, you file a change of address card with your post office. Now wait. Well, no. And what's this? Election board. All voters are registered. If a voter moves from one election district to another, provision is usually made that a record of the transfer be kept. Ah, clever. Stewart could hardly think of that. No I'm hoping Wait for me Well now Now what?
Cash and electric company. All subscribers must transfer their accounts if they move. If they move out of town, they usually ask for their deposit back. They're a record. If Stewart Buchanan can break into consolidated and destroy their records, he's a better man than I am. We'll see. Wait. Don't tell me he's a better man than I am. Yes. Alright. Let's go. Motor bureau.
[00:31:43] Unknown:
No.
[00:31:45] Unknown:
No. Alright. Let's, let's go back to my office. I can't stand any more disappointment. Hi, mister Harris. Hi, professor. Any luck? No. You? Well, maybe yes. Maybe no. Please don't be mysterious, Joe. I'm not. I'm spooky. What about? Well, me and Daisy and Charlie the clown been covering the Jefferson Park made. What? You let Charlie in on this caper? No. No. Just brought him along for window dressing. He gets along great with kids. Yes. And? Idea was to locate one of his Stewart's little pals and find out where the kid went. Oh, did you? But Charlie located the block where the Stewart kid used to live. God.
They took off to find out what real estate company handles the block. Oh, that was smart. And Charlie the clown took a powder. He, what, disappeared. One minute he was with me. The next he was gone. Did you see him go? He was walking behind me. When I turn around to tell him something, he just wasn't there. Holy saints. What have we got ourselves into? You, you think Stuart Buchanan had something to do with his disappearance? What else can I think? There's got to be some rational explanation. We're going up to the Jefferson neighborhood, Joe, and look for Charlie. Warbeck, stay here and mind the store.
Office of Walter Herrod, attorney at law. Oh,
[00:33:44] Unknown:
this isn't mister Herrod.
[00:33:47] Unknown:
Miss Telfer?
[00:33:49] Unknown:
Yes. You must be the professor.
[00:33:52] Unknown:
Uh-huh. In person.
[00:33:54] Unknown:
Could you put mister Herrod on? Not here. And Joe Davenport.
[00:33:58] Unknown:
Same answer. They both left to do some looking.
[00:34:03] Unknown:
I shouldn't say it on the phone, but you know who? Yes. A building where you know who
[00:34:22] Unknown:
used to live. Daisy, you're a marvel. Bring him up to the office right away. I can't. He hasn't got calls. That's alright. That's alright. Then I'll come to him. Where are you now?
[00:34:34] Unknown:
Third booth from the back. You'll recognize me by my black coffee without shelter? Over here, professor.
[00:34:49] Unknown:
Oh, I got here as fast as I could. Where's the manager of Argy's Realty? Couldn't he wait? Oh, he's still here at the bar. What did you get from him so far? Look. He doesn't remember the family much. Kind of big, you know?
[00:35:02] Unknown:
He remembers the family signed a lease for a four room apartment in the Jefferson Hall. Uh-huh. Did he show you the lease? He couldn't.
[00:35:11] Unknown:
Why not? It wasn't in the files. It was gone. Oh, I might have known. Everything about the family was gone. We've been wondering what kind of wild talents Stuart Buchanan has. Maybe the boy is a thief genius. How does he get at every trace every record and destroy it? What's taking Archie really so long in that bar for? Are you sure he didn't take a powder? Run out on you? No.
[00:35:39] Unknown:
You've had a coat of hanging right here. He must be at the bar in a check jacket. Oh, I don't see any check jacket. Do you? No.
[00:35:53] Unknown:
Three men there and nobody checked. Daisy, I'm afraid we've lost another. Oh. I think he's knocking us all one by one. Alright, Warbeck. Cool it. So the kids liquor straight down the line. Wow. I've got a gimmick. They lived in Jefferson Art. Look up the house phone number in the book. I know it. There was a Buchanan listed at that address, and I checked them. Well, moved out. Gone. The janitor told me. Great. That's our solid lead. Call the janitor. Well, he told me everything he knew, and it was nothing. Buchanan lived there, left, period. Hello?
Oh, mister Risdale. I'm that teacher, mister Warbeck, who talked to you before about yes. Yes. That's right. Well, I've got a friend here who wants to ask you something else. There you are, Harold. Hello? Yeah. Well, listen, sir. When anybody moves in or out of a building, the janitor oh, excuse Well, yes. I'm a lawyer. I know this. It's to protect the building in case an action has to be brought. Right? Yeah. That's right. Now who moved the Buchanan's out? Yes. Yes. I'll wait. Yes? Oh, thanks. We've got it made. Made. Made. The Avon Moving Company truck number G4.
Now this is why you're here, Daisy. Warbeck and I couldn't get anything from Avon Movers. They had no record of moving the Buchanan family. You know, the kid was pretty thorough. I'm dying to meet him. But they did have a record of the man who worked Truck G 4 that day. We contacted one of them and he's going to meet us here in this bar after he quit. What for? To tell us everything he can remember about the job including where he moved the Buchanan's to.
[00:38:17] Unknown:
So why me? You want I should ask him something?
[00:38:21] Unknown:
No. No. No, Daisy. I want you should soften him up, you know. Yeah. Ask him you hold it. Hold it. This must be the guy. Oh, good evening, mister Moore. It is mister Moore. Yeah. Patty Moore. Are you the lawyer guy? Yes. Harold. I've been thinking about what you asked me on the phone, and I asked the rest of the crew all we can remember about that Jefferson Park job is that it was an all day proposition. Why all day? Because they took us all the way to hell and gone from Jefferson Park. Where to? Old Town Subway. Old Town?
What street in Old Town, mister Morris? In Maple something. Maybe. Yeah. I'm in Maple Road. What number? This, I I can't. I couldn't remember. That kid, I can't. Well, we know the street, and I think Daisy may be able to coax more into remembering the number. Daisy, love, why don't you and your friend, Patty Moore Daisy? Daisy? Where'd she go? She was right there. She just up and gone. Just like that. Gone. You got that old town street map, John? Right here. There's Maple Road. 12 blocks long. See? Alright. 12 blocks, four a piece. We cover every house and every apartment.
Now we've got to be careful. It looks like anytime anybody threatens to get close to the kid, he wipes them out. Yes? No argument here. Alright. So we drive out to Old Town Park, start the screening operation, but we meet at the car every half hour and check-in. Right? It'll take forever. There's a million kids per square inch in Old Town. There's a million dollars a day in it for us if we find it. Now let's move it. So, Heather, present and accounted for. Thank heaven. Alright. Where's Joe? Coming. Coming. I got mixed up in the stickball game. Did you case the kids playing in the street, professor? I looked them over. Those two would be counted.
And we don't know whether the kids playing on Maple Row live on Maple Row, so we stick to the apartment search. Any leads so far, Joel? Nope. Professor? Negative. Nothing in mine yet. Alright. Let's keep trying. Any luck, professor? Not yet. You? No. Where's Joe? Last time I saw him, he was down the street trying sidestep posse game. Only girls play posse. Only girls. No Stewart Buchanan. The devil is Joe. Is he always on time? Always. Maybe got a hot lead. You believe that? I wanna believe it. What do you really believe? That show got too close.
And the kid got it. But how? Same way you got Charlie the Clown and that manager and Daisy. Now the show got scared and quit. Not on a million dollars. Yeah. But how does the kid do it? I'm scared. Oh my. You wanna quit now? We can't. If the boy's that dangerous, we've got to find him. Oh, we know what to do. We both covered Joe's sector. I'll take the right side of Maple Row. You take the left. We meet here every half hour, and we'll be strictly on time. If you would do count unless us. And if one of us is late, honk the horn as a reminder.
Make it too long, one short. Got that? Let's go. Now where are you, Herod? Come on. No. For Pete's sake, Herod. Boy has a weapon, something he invented with his wild talon, something silly like the others. A special light maybe that murders people, wipes them out like daisies. Oh, what is going to happen when fewer Buchanan grows up? What's gonna happen when the rest of them grow up? He's somewhere in Harrods Sector. Right side of Maple Row. This block destroying us one by one smiling to himself a vicious killing genius.
Stuart? Stuart Buchanan? Can you hear me? I'm here Stuart waiting for you. Stuart, eighty five, ninety, ninety five, hundred. Anybody round my base is it? Bewart, Buchanan, come out, come out Wherever. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You deeply involved in a game of hide and seek, aged 10, wearing sweater, jeans, and sneakers, hiding behind ash can, determined not to be caught.
He looks up at the sunset sky and sees the evening star and whispers, starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight. Wish I may, wish I might. Grant me the wish I wish tonight. I wish that anybody who tries to bother me would go away forever. I'll be back shortly. Stuart Buchanan is unaware that he has disposed of Warbeck, Eric, Joe, Daisy, and scores of others who disappeared forever, that he has forced his parents to move from Jefferson Park, that he has wiped out almost every trace of himself in his innocent desire to be left alone and happy.
He is unaware that he is a genius with a wild talent. The power of this boy wonder is for wishing and making his wishes come true. And I sincerely hope that none of you has a wild talent in your family. Our cast included William Redfield, Robert Dryden, Ken Harvey, Martha Greenhouse, and Dan Arco. The entire production was under the direction of Hyman Brown. This is E. G. Marshall inviting you to return to our mystery theater for another adventure in the macabre. Until next time. Pleasant dream.
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[00:00:31] Unknown:
S radio mystery theater presents. Come in welcome I'm e g marshall major domore of this mansion of the mysterious and the macabre. This is the story of a search for a wild talent. You'll learn all there is to know about wild talents very soon, and you won't like it. In a sense, this is a treasure hunt but the prize isn't money or jewels or pirate gold. No. Nothing like that. And there isn't any ancient treasure map. No. Just a very modern telephone directory which a man carries with him in his car as he drives from address to address throughout the city. Mister Buchanan?
Yes. May I come up, please? Who are you? My name is David. John David. What do you want? I want to offer you a reward, miss Buchanan. Five thousand dollars. What? You heard me. $5,000 If If what? Well, why don't you let me come up and tang you? $5. Okay. Come on up. Our mystery drama, The Boy Wonder, was written especially for the mystery theater by Alfred Bester and stars William Redfield and Robert Dryden. I'll be back shortly with act one. The treasure hunter is named Marion Perkins Warbeck. He is an intense young man afflicted with an education and inspired by a purpose which most people would regard as lunatic.
But then they don't know about wild talent. Marion Warbeck has been telling lies about himself and his search all through the city, and he's lying now to Jason Buchanan.
[00:03:09] Unknown:
Yeah.
[00:03:10] Unknown:
It's me, mister Buchanan. John Davis, without reward. $5. Right. But I said here. May I come in? Sure. This way. Thanks. Now what's all this anyway? Oh, nice apartment, mister Buchanan. Looks like you lived in. You got a family? Yeah. Yeah. Now about that $5, is this some kind of fancy put on? Oh, no. Not at all. I'm from the Science Institute. Never heard of it. Well, that's understandable. We're a very quiet organization devoted to research, but we're big, mister Buchanan. So? How about the $5 reward? Well, we've got a new research program fully funded to, check out the flying saucer mystery. Flying saucers?
Yes. You've heard of them? Who hasn't? But oh, I know. I know. You all take the report seriously, but we do very seriously. You see, we're trying to put together firm reports of flying saucer sightings, and we're offering a $5,000 award to reliable witnesses who will be willing to come forward and give evidence. You guys must be crazy. No. Not at all. Have you ever seen a flying saucer? No. Oh, that's too bad. Anyway, that's a lot of bunks. Flying saucers around your entire opinion. Have your children ever seen them? What? Your children. You do have children, don't you? Yeah. Yeah. But they've been How many? Two.
Them flying saucers never Are either of school age. What? Your children's school. Do they go to school? Yeah. The boy's 28. The girl's 24. They finished school long ago. Oh, I see. Either of them married. Both do they have family? What's this got to do with answer the question, miss Tucannon. Do you have grandchildren? Yeah. Yeah. Fine. Ah, living in this city? No. They didn't like it here, so the family's took off. I see. Too bad. But about them flying saucers, you scientist doctors ought to We are. We are. Thank you very much, mister Buchanan. Sorry about that 5,000. Don't bother, you see meow.
Well, that takes care of mister Jason Buchanan who's next. Here we are. Alfred Buchanan. Seven seven six Post Road. Yes. As listed. Who is this? Is mister Buchanan in, please? No.
[00:05:52] Unknown:
Go away.
[00:05:54] Unknown:
Is this missus Buchanan?
[00:05:56] Unknown:
Yes.
[00:05:57] Unknown:
Go away. My name is Cook, missus Buchanan. David Cook. May I come in, please? I don't mess things with him when my husband's away. I'm here about free prizes, missus Buchanan.
[00:06:11] Unknown:
What? Are you? Prizes? For who? You?
[00:06:19] Unknown:
For who? Well, if you'll take the chain off and let me in, missus Buchanan, I'll explain. Well, you don't look like a crook. I'm not, ma'am. On my honor, I always tell the truth.
[00:06:35] Unknown:
Come in, mister what did you say your name was? Cook. David Cook.
[00:06:40] Unknown:
This this way. Thank you.
[00:06:43] Unknown:
Want some coffee? No. Thank you. Sit there. No. What's all this about prizes? Uh-huh. Free prizes. Well, I'm from worldwide broadcasters.
[00:06:56] Unknown:
Never heard of them. Oh, you will, ma'am. You will. We're preparing a list of names for prize competitions. People who would be willing to appear on shows and win prizes. You know about that, of course. I sure do. Would you be willing? Who wouldn't? Oh, indeed. Yes. Who wouldn't? Have you ever won a prize in a contest? No. I never because I never got a chance. Well, maybe you will now, Mrs. Buchanan. Did your husband?
[00:07:22] Unknown:
Did my husband what? Ever win a prize? Who asked? Never.
[00:07:28] Unknown:
He never got a chance either. Well, maybe he will too. And what about your children? Children? Your children. Have they ever won prizes? Ain't got no children. Oh, nephews named Buchanan?
[00:07:39] Unknown:
Ain't got no nephew. Just me and Alfie, mister
[00:07:44] Unknown:
I forget your name. Wook. D h Wook. Thank you very much, miss Buchanan. You will be hearing from us. Private Brown sounds very elegant. Very posh. This might be the hard lead. Right. Well, that will be. Hi, Claw. Yes? I beg your pardon. Sorry to intrude. Would it be possible to see mister Foster Buchanan, please? Yes. Do you sound Well, I know it's rather unconventional, but I'm from the business safety council, and I, Are you indeed? Oh, yes. I am indeed. And if you'll tell mister Buchanan that I won't take more than five minutes I'm Buchanan. Well, how do you do, sir? My name is Acorn.
Roger Acorn. I'm here from the safety council. I heard you, mister Acorn. Do come in. Thank you, sir. This way, mister Acorn. Tonight is servant's night out, so I'm managing myself. Uh-huh. I, think we'll be comfortable here. Can I offer you a brand new soda? I'm about to begin myself. No. Thank you, mister Buchanan. You said, five minutes. For what? I have great faith in the Business Safety Council. I'll better work against the inroads of Arrogant Chicanery. Well, the purpose of this interview is to inquire whether you have ever been defrauded by, in your words, arrogant ticcanery? The attempt has been made, mister Acorn. Ronald Acorn. To be sure, attempts have been made, mister Acorn.
I have never been victimized. Your wife? Never. Your children? You do have children? My son is hardly old enough to qualify as a victim of confident tricksters. Indeed. Interesting. Well, how old is he, mister Buchanan? He's 10 years of age. Oh, well, is it possible that he's been tricked at school? There are crooks who specialize in victimizing children as we know at the safety camp. No. At my son's school, He's well protected from such riffraff. What school is that, sir? Germantown. One of the best. One of the very best. Did he ever attend a city public school? Good. Never. Never. I see. I see. Any other children, mister Buchanan? A daughter, 17. Mhmm. At present in Paris, studying at the Sorbonne. Well, thank you, mister Buchanan. I think my time's up. Thank you for your cooperation.
I'll I'll see myself out. Enjoy your brandy and soda.
[00:10:43] Unknown:
Hey, mister? Mister? What? Who? Who? Me? Yeah. You, mister. Oh, could you I I need could you mind helping a lady in distress?
[00:10:51] Unknown:
A new lady in distress? Come on. I haven't used that expression since the civil war. Oh, honest, miss Doc. I'm in the craziest setting, ma'am, and I'm scared. Look. I've got exactly $7.50
[00:11:02] Unknown:
on me. You're wasting your time. Oh, this isn't a con, mister Thomas. It's a real jam. Oh, it better be good. I I I was driving home and I had to stop and arrive back around the corner. See? Yeah? Suddenly a guy jumps out of my car. Yeah? Yes. Up in the back door. Yeah? Then he slammed a little beastie. And that's your jam? No. It's the one he left behind.
[00:11:25] Unknown:
Uh-huh. And what did he leave behind?
[00:11:27] Unknown:
A star. A what? I couldn't figure it. So the first thing I did was look in the back to see if he ripped off anything. He didn't. He didn't. Oh, he didn't believe a gun? And I don't believe it. The gun's fear. I saw it. I didn't dare touch it. I didn't even go near it. I got out and ran to the car then you come out of that house so I ran to you. Are you telling the truth? Why would I lie? Someone's trying to hit you for anything. No. Just come and look for yourself. Maybe you could figure out what I should do.
[00:12:03] Unknown:
Two level is the last thing I want. Come on. Now I still don't believe you, miss, Miss Davey Davey, Telford. I still don't believe you, miss Telford, but I'm incredibly curious. My one bite. Would I make up a stone for the sake of $7.50? You didn't know how much I had on me. You look like you have more. That hurts. Frankly,
[00:12:26] Unknown:
no. So trust me a little. Here. This is my car. Go go ahead. Look.
[00:12:33] Unknown:
You said the back of the car? On the floor. Well, I don't see any gun. On the far side behind the driver's seat. Oh, my. On the far side, a gun on the floor. She says drop by a mysterious stranger.
[00:12:50] Unknown:
Oh, Joe.
[00:12:51] Unknown:
You didn't have to hit him so hard. He's such a nice guy. Daisy, baby. When Joe Davenport cools him, he cools him for Keith. Okay. Let's move it out. Mister Harris, wait. Come on. Come on. Rise and shine. Everybody up. Alright. That'll do, Joe. I think he's coming around. You seem to clobbered him so hard. He's such a It's all yours, miss Harris. Mister Warbeck. Oh, mister Warbeck, can you hear me? Can you respond? I won't keep you very long. You'll leave laden with apologies. Just as soon as you tell me what kind of crook you are and who's behind you. What? Crook?
Oh, mister Warbeck, please pull yourself together or Joe will have to resume with his muscles, which can't be very pleasant. I can make it a lot less pleasant, mister Hammons. Mister Warveig, can you tell me why you, ostensibly a harmless school teacher, have suddenly decided to cut yourself in on my Buchanan caper? The trouble with the treasure hunt, even if it's only for a boy wonder with a wild talent, is that you may blunder into something totally unexpected. But you don't know about wild talents and their incredible value yet.
You will find out in the second act, which will begin in just a few moments. You're on a treasure hunt which involves people named Buchanan. You're trapped, slugged, and wake up in what appears to be a respectable legal office. A thief type named Joe is flapping you back to consciousness. A pretty girl named Daisy is trying to protect you. A hearty legal type named ostensibly a ostensibly a harmless school teacher, suddenly taken it upon yourself to cut in on my Buchanan caper? Oh, come come, mister Warbeck. No stalling, please. Oh, oh, my name's Herrod.
Walter Herrod, attorney at law. I've been going through your wallet. Your name is Warbeck. Marion Perkin Warbeck. Right? Yeah. That's right. My name's Warbeck, but I never admit the Marion to strangers. Why this interest in the Buchanan are yours? I'm asking the questions. Joe's been tailing you. You've seen five Buchanan's per night. Thirty so far. What's your angle? You got no right to kidnap me and grill me. Your papers and ID tell me that you're a teacher of our profession, assistant principal of a public school. I thought teachers were supposed to be legitimate.
How did you get mixed up in the inheritance caper? Caper? Racket. The inheritance racket. The heirs of Buchanan caper. What are you using? The personal approach. I I don't know what you're talking about. I honestly don't know. You're stepping on my toes, Warbank, and I don't buy it. It. I'm taking 75,000 a year out of this caper, and I'm not going to let you cut in. Now look, I'm an educated man. Mention Galileo or the lesser cavalier poets, and I'm right up there with you. But there are gaps in my education, and this is one of them. I can't handle the situation. Too many unknowns.
Alright. I'm gonna spell it out for you, Warbeck, so we'll know exactly where we stand. And you won't be able to dummy up. Please do. The inheritance racket is an old long term con. It operates like so. The story is that James Buchanan, fifteenth president of The United States Yes. The same. One. Buchanan was a bachelor. The story is that he died intestate leaving a fortune for heirs unknown. Thrilling news. Today, at Compound Interest, that estate is worth hundreds of millions. Understand? So far. Anybody named Buchanan is a sucker for this setup.
I send them a letter telling there's a chance that they may be one of the heirs. Uh-huh. Do they want me to investigate and protect their possible share in the estate? Uh-huh. It only costs a a small yearly retainer. Most of them buy it. And now you Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Don't delay with the obvious. I can draw a conclusion. You found out I was checking Buchanan families. You think I'm trying to operate the same racket? Caper? You think I'm trying to cut in? Cut in? Yes. Cut in on you? Well, aren't you? Oh, heavenly guardian angel that this should happen to me.
Thank you. Thank you. I'll be forever grateful.
[00:18:35] Unknown:
I think you must have made him a little crazy with that clap or two. Well,
[00:18:39] Unknown:
aren't you trying to cut in? No. I'm not cutting in on you, mister Aaron. Look. You will accompany me to my office in the school, and I will show you why I'm interested in the Buchanan. Not just a minute. Warbeck. I said I'd make it up to you. Well, I don't use your car, miss Selford. Mine's probably been towed away by now. Herod, I'm going into partnership with you three. You've got what I need to locate one particular Buchanan. He's 10 years old, and he's worth millions more than your phony hundreds million dollars. This is my office. Come in.
Aren't they gonna ask about us being here at night? No. No. No, miss Telford. I often work late. All this closet and office, well, we aren't very generous teachers, Joe. Sit down, everybody, if you can find somewhere. And this, miss Telford and gentlemen, is my buried treasure. You got a million stashed in that pile? No, mister Harrow. Just a composition. A composition? Worth a million more than your Buchanan fortune. I think this cloud is putting us on. Quiet. No. We are in his favor. Go ahead, mister Warbeck. Thank you. Now a school assistant principal has supervised classes. He reviews work, estimates progress, irons out student problems, and so on. I do this by random samplings. We have 900 pupils in this school. I can't supervise them individually.
Is he supposed to be saying something? He is, Joe. Just listen. I'm waiting for the money talk. Here it is, Joe. Looking through some fifth grade work last month, I came across this fantastic composition. It was written by Stuart Buchanan of the fifth grade. His age must be 10 or thereabouts. Now the composition is entitled My Vacation. I'll read it to you, and you will understand why Stuart Buchanan must be found. This is the money? Yeah, Joe. This is the money. My Vacation by Stuart Buchanan. This summer, I visited my friends. I have four friends, and they are very nice. First, there is Tommy who lives in the country, and he is an astronomer. Tommy built his own telescope out of glass six inches across which he ground him self. He looks at the stars every night, and he lets me look even when it is raining cats and dogs. Wait a minute. Warbeck, are you putting us on? Patience.
Patience. Let's see. Cats and dogs. We could see the stars because Tommy made a thing for over the end of the telescope, which shoots stuff like a searchlight and makes hole in the sky to see right through the rain and everything through the stars. Well, mister Herod, what do you think of Tommy, the astronomer? I don't understand this at all. Couldn't be simpler. Tommy gets bored waiting for clear night. He invented something that cuts through clouds, a funnel of vacuum so he can use his telescope in all weather. And what it amounts to is a disintegration beam.
How do you say? The hell I don't. Next, friend of Stuart, my quote. Then I went to Anne Merry and stayed one whole week. It was fun because Anne Merry has a spinach changer for spinach and beets and string beans. But the devil is a spinach changer. Spinach. Spinach changer. Spelling isn't one of Stuart's talent. Where was I? Oh, Oh, yes. Here. When her mother made us eat them, Anne Mary pressed the button and they stayed the same outside. On the inside, they became cake, cherry and strawberry. I asked Anne Mary how and she said it was by anheb.
You've lost me. Simple. And Mary doesn't like vegetables, so she's just as smart as Tommy the Astronema. She's invented a matter transmuter. She transmutes spinock into cake, cherry or strawberry. Cake, she eats with pleasure. So does Stewart. You're crazy, Warby. Uh-huh. Not me. The kids. They're geniuses. There's only one label for them. They're wild talent. Wild talent? What's wild talent? Later, let's finish up with lazy Ethel. I continue to read Stuart's composition. My friend George has a sister Ethel who is the laziest girl I ever saw. She is big and fat and hates to walk. So when her mother sends her to the store, Ethel sinks to the store and sinks home with all the packages and has to hang around George's room hiding until it will look like she walked both ways.
George and I make fun of her because she is fat and lazy, but she gets into movies for free. The end. I don't believe it. I don't believe it. Great little girl, I thought. She's too lazy to walk, so she teleports. Then she has to hide with her packages while George and Stuart make fun of her.
[00:23:50] Unknown:
Teleport?
[00:23:51] Unknown:
That's right, miss Telford. She moves from place to place by thinking her way there. Oh. There ain't no such thing. There wasn't until Lazy Ethel came along. There wasn't any disintegration beam until Tommy the astronomer invented one, and Anne Marie invented a matter transmuter because she doesn't like the neck. That, friends, is wild talent. Children accomplishing incredible things for childish reasons. I still don't believe it. That kid's got a wild imagination. That's all. Possibly. You just give me five minutes with this Stuart Buchanan. I'm a lawyer, and I'll find out. I had the same idea myself. I'm a teacher, and I can find out, but I can't. Why not? Because Stuart Buchanan's done the impossible. He's disappeared. Lock, stock, and barrel. Gone without a trace. He can't be found. Well, it's proves he was lying. You caught him in the line. He ran. You still think this was just his imagination, mister Heron?
Well, what else? I'll tell you what else. And that part about Anne Mary, where is it? The one who doesn't like spinach. That's the one, miss Milford. No. Ah, yeah. Now quote. Anne Mary pressed the button and they stayed the same outside, only inside they became cake, cherry, and strawberry. I asked Anne Mary how and she said it was by Enhez, end quote. That's e n h b. So that's a kid's gibberish word. No, Herod. That's how Anne Marie transmuted manner. What? With a kook word like, Enhev? Come on. No. No. Not Envajo. It took time, but I figured it out. That's Planck's quantum equation.
E equals n h v, one of the most abstruse concepts in theoretical physics. Well, Aaron? The kid invented that too. No coincidence. That sound likely. Well, then he read it somewhere. 10 year old reading quantum mechanics. Nonsense. Oh, damn it. You let me at that kid for five minutes. Me too, but he disappeared. That's why I've been checking every Buchanan in the phone book trying to locate him. The day I read this composition and sent down for Stewart to have a talk with him, he disappeared into thin air and hasn't been seen since. Well, what about his family? Trouble disappeared too.
What's more, every record of their location had disappeared. A few people remember them vaguely, but that's all. They split, Oh, the very word, Joe. Thank you. Well, what a situation. Here's a child who makes friends with child geniuses. They're making fantastic discoveries for childish purposes. Who knows? Maybe Stewart's got other friends with wilder talent. Is this Stewart a wild talent too? Probably. He's generally hang out with their peer group that shares the same interests and talents. And then what kind of genius is he? I don't know. A genius for disappearing, maybe.
He blabbed like a child in his composition. When I sent for him, he got scared like a child, ran away, and covered his tracks. How did he get into the school file? I don't know. All I know is he destroyed anything that might lead to it. Stewart has run away, and we have gotten to find him. Just to find out, is he smart?
[00:27:17] Unknown:
No, miss Telford. To find his friend.
[00:27:21] Unknown:
He's the only lead. Surely, I don't have to explain. What would the Pentagon pay for a disintegration fee? How many millions would an element transmuter be worth? If we could teleport, travel by mind alone, how powerful would we be? My goodness. Mister Harris, this professor's almost got me convinced. How about you? Mister Warray, your caper makes us look like pikers. Thanks for letting us cut in on you. We'll pay off. We'll find that kid. It then suggested that children are really alien creatures, thinking their own strange thoughts to themselves and performing incomprehensible alien acts in their own private world, which no grown up is ever permitted to enter.
Is Stewart Buchanan a doorway to this alien world? And if he found, what will his world be like? At three will tell us in just a few moments. Are Stewart Buchanan's friends working miracles with their wild talents, discovering disintegration beams, matter transmuters, teleportation? If not, does he have a wild imagination? And if he merely imagined all this, why and how has he disappeared without a trace? The only answer is to find Stuart Buchanan and question him. Walter Herrod, attorney at law, is explaining to the boy's teacher how this can be done.
It's not possible for anyone to vanish without a trace, Warwick. Even a genius with a wild talent for crime? You've been blundering around chasing after Buchanan's in the phone book. There are other angles. You don't run after a missing person. You look around on his back trail for something he drops. Mm-mm. A genius wouldn't drop anything. Alright. Let's grant the kid's a genius, but a kid's a kid. He must have overlooked something. He forgot about that composition. And we'll find that something. Now where is that school of yours located? Jefferson Park.
Any busing? No. And it's a neighborhood school. The kids' family must have lived around there. Let's go. Over there, professor. The 800 Block stop. What's this address? Jefferson Park Post Office Substation. You move out of a neighborhood, you file a change of address card with your post office. Now wait. Well, no. And what's this? Election board. All voters are registered. If a voter moves from one election district to another, provision is usually made that a record of the transfer be kept. Ah, clever. Stewart could hardly think of that. No I'm hoping Wait for me Well now Now what?
Cash and electric company. All subscribers must transfer their accounts if they move. If they move out of town, they usually ask for their deposit back. They're a record. If Stewart Buchanan can break into consolidated and destroy their records, he's a better man than I am. We'll see. Wait. Don't tell me he's a better man than I am. Yes. Alright. Let's go. Motor bureau.
[00:31:43] Unknown:
No.
[00:31:45] Unknown:
No. Alright. Let's, let's go back to my office. I can't stand any more disappointment. Hi, mister Harris. Hi, professor. Any luck? No. You? Well, maybe yes. Maybe no. Please don't be mysterious, Joe. I'm not. I'm spooky. What about? Well, me and Daisy and Charlie the clown been covering the Jefferson Park made. What? You let Charlie in on this caper? No. No. Just brought him along for window dressing. He gets along great with kids. Yes. And? Idea was to locate one of his Stewart's little pals and find out where the kid went. Oh, did you? But Charlie located the block where the Stewart kid used to live. God.
They took off to find out what real estate company handles the block. Oh, that was smart. And Charlie the clown took a powder. He, what, disappeared. One minute he was with me. The next he was gone. Did you see him go? He was walking behind me. When I turn around to tell him something, he just wasn't there. Holy saints. What have we got ourselves into? You, you think Stuart Buchanan had something to do with his disappearance? What else can I think? There's got to be some rational explanation. We're going up to the Jefferson neighborhood, Joe, and look for Charlie. Warbeck, stay here and mind the store.
Office of Walter Herrod, attorney at law. Oh,
[00:33:44] Unknown:
this isn't mister Herrod.
[00:33:47] Unknown:
Miss Telfer?
[00:33:49] Unknown:
Yes. You must be the professor.
[00:33:52] Unknown:
Uh-huh. In person.
[00:33:54] Unknown:
Could you put mister Herrod on? Not here. And Joe Davenport.
[00:33:58] Unknown:
Same answer. They both left to do some looking.
[00:34:03] Unknown:
I shouldn't say it on the phone, but you know who? Yes. A building where you know who
[00:34:22] Unknown:
used to live. Daisy, you're a marvel. Bring him up to the office right away. I can't. He hasn't got calls. That's alright. That's alright. Then I'll come to him. Where are you now?
[00:34:34] Unknown:
Third booth from the back. You'll recognize me by my black coffee without shelter? Over here, professor.
[00:34:49] Unknown:
Oh, I got here as fast as I could. Where's the manager of Argy's Realty? Couldn't he wait? Oh, he's still here at the bar. What did you get from him so far? Look. He doesn't remember the family much. Kind of big, you know?
[00:35:02] Unknown:
He remembers the family signed a lease for a four room apartment in the Jefferson Hall. Uh-huh. Did he show you the lease? He couldn't.
[00:35:11] Unknown:
Why not? It wasn't in the files. It was gone. Oh, I might have known. Everything about the family was gone. We've been wondering what kind of wild talents Stuart Buchanan has. Maybe the boy is a thief genius. How does he get at every trace every record and destroy it? What's taking Archie really so long in that bar for? Are you sure he didn't take a powder? Run out on you? No.
[00:35:39] Unknown:
You've had a coat of hanging right here. He must be at the bar in a check jacket. Oh, I don't see any check jacket. Do you? No.
[00:35:53] Unknown:
Three men there and nobody checked. Daisy, I'm afraid we've lost another. Oh. I think he's knocking us all one by one. Alright, Warbeck. Cool it. So the kids liquor straight down the line. Wow. I've got a gimmick. They lived in Jefferson Art. Look up the house phone number in the book. I know it. There was a Buchanan listed at that address, and I checked them. Well, moved out. Gone. The janitor told me. Great. That's our solid lead. Call the janitor. Well, he told me everything he knew, and it was nothing. Buchanan lived there, left, period. Hello?
Oh, mister Risdale. I'm that teacher, mister Warbeck, who talked to you before about yes. Yes. That's right. Well, I've got a friend here who wants to ask you something else. There you are, Harold. Hello? Yeah. Well, listen, sir. When anybody moves in or out of a building, the janitor oh, excuse Well, yes. I'm a lawyer. I know this. It's to protect the building in case an action has to be brought. Right? Yeah. That's right. Now who moved the Buchanan's out? Yes. Yes. I'll wait. Yes? Oh, thanks. We've got it made. Made. Made. The Avon Moving Company truck number G4.
Now this is why you're here, Daisy. Warbeck and I couldn't get anything from Avon Movers. They had no record of moving the Buchanan family. You know, the kid was pretty thorough. I'm dying to meet him. But they did have a record of the man who worked Truck G 4 that day. We contacted one of them and he's going to meet us here in this bar after he quit. What for? To tell us everything he can remember about the job including where he moved the Buchanan's to.
[00:38:17] Unknown:
So why me? You want I should ask him something?
[00:38:21] Unknown:
No. No. No, Daisy. I want you should soften him up, you know. Yeah. Ask him you hold it. Hold it. This must be the guy. Oh, good evening, mister Moore. It is mister Moore. Yeah. Patty Moore. Are you the lawyer guy? Yes. Harold. I've been thinking about what you asked me on the phone, and I asked the rest of the crew all we can remember about that Jefferson Park job is that it was an all day proposition. Why all day? Because they took us all the way to hell and gone from Jefferson Park. Where to? Old Town Subway. Old Town?
What street in Old Town, mister Morris? In Maple something. Maybe. Yeah. I'm in Maple Road. What number? This, I I can't. I couldn't remember. That kid, I can't. Well, we know the street, and I think Daisy may be able to coax more into remembering the number. Daisy, love, why don't you and your friend, Patty Moore Daisy? Daisy? Where'd she go? She was right there. She just up and gone. Just like that. Gone. You got that old town street map, John? Right here. There's Maple Road. 12 blocks long. See? Alright. 12 blocks, four a piece. We cover every house and every apartment.
Now we've got to be careful. It looks like anytime anybody threatens to get close to the kid, he wipes them out. Yes? No argument here. Alright. So we drive out to Old Town Park, start the screening operation, but we meet at the car every half hour and check-in. Right? It'll take forever. There's a million kids per square inch in Old Town. There's a million dollars a day in it for us if we find it. Now let's move it. So, Heather, present and accounted for. Thank heaven. Alright. Where's Joe? Coming. Coming. I got mixed up in the stickball game. Did you case the kids playing in the street, professor? I looked them over. Those two would be counted.
And we don't know whether the kids playing on Maple Row live on Maple Row, so we stick to the apartment search. Any leads so far, Joel? Nope. Professor? Negative. Nothing in mine yet. Alright. Let's keep trying. Any luck, professor? Not yet. You? No. Where's Joe? Last time I saw him, he was down the street trying sidestep posse game. Only girls play posse. Only girls. No Stewart Buchanan. The devil is Joe. Is he always on time? Always. Maybe got a hot lead. You believe that? I wanna believe it. What do you really believe? That show got too close.
And the kid got it. But how? Same way you got Charlie the Clown and that manager and Daisy. Now the show got scared and quit. Not on a million dollars. Yeah. But how does the kid do it? I'm scared. Oh my. You wanna quit now? We can't. If the boy's that dangerous, we've got to find him. Oh, we know what to do. We both covered Joe's sector. I'll take the right side of Maple Row. You take the left. We meet here every half hour, and we'll be strictly on time. If you would do count unless us. And if one of us is late, honk the horn as a reminder.
Make it too long, one short. Got that? Let's go. Now where are you, Herod? Come on. No. For Pete's sake, Herod. Boy has a weapon, something he invented with his wild talon, something silly like the others. A special light maybe that murders people, wipes them out like daisies. Oh, what is going to happen when fewer Buchanan grows up? What's gonna happen when the rest of them grow up? He's somewhere in Harrods Sector. Right side of Maple Row. This block destroying us one by one smiling to himself a vicious killing genius.
Stuart? Stuart Buchanan? Can you hear me? I'm here Stuart waiting for you. Stuart, eighty five, ninety, ninety five, hundred. Anybody round my base is it? Bewart, Buchanan, come out, come out Wherever. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You are. You deeply involved in a game of hide and seek, aged 10, wearing sweater, jeans, and sneakers, hiding behind ash can, determined not to be caught.
He looks up at the sunset sky and sees the evening star and whispers, starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight. Wish I may, wish I might. Grant me the wish I wish tonight. I wish that anybody who tries to bother me would go away forever. I'll be back shortly. Stuart Buchanan is unaware that he has disposed of Warbeck, Eric, Joe, Daisy, and scores of others who disappeared forever, that he has forced his parents to move from Jefferson Park, that he has wiped out almost every trace of himself in his innocent desire to be left alone and happy.
He is unaware that he is a genius with a wild talent. The power of this boy wonder is for wishing and making his wishes come true. And I sincerely hope that none of you has a wild talent in your family. Our cast included William Redfield, Robert Dryden, Ken Harvey, Martha Greenhouse, and Dan Arco. The entire production was under the direction of Hyman Brown. This is E. G. Marshall inviting you to return to our mystery theater for another adventure in the macabre. Until next time. Pleasant dream.
Introduction to the Mystery Theater
The Search for a Wild Talent
The Boy Wonder Mystery Drama
The Inheritance Racket
The Composition and Wild Talents
The Disappearance of Stuart Buchanan
The Search in Old Town
The Power of Wishing
