The Skeleton in My Kitchen

            On Sunday morning I memorized the chorus of “Joujou a la casse" (Dolly to the Trash) by Serge Gainsbourg and continued to revise my translation.

            Around midday I removed the rest of my comic books and comic magazines from the credenza in the kitchen and put them in the bedroom. I moved the credenza away from the wall to clean behind it and buried in the dusty cat hair was the skeleton of a newborn kitten . It would have to be at least five years old since I think the last time my late cat Daffodil had kittens was about six years ago. It could have been there even longer since I don't think I've cleaned under there for ten years. The only recognizable part of the skeleton was the skull withy a little hair on it and part of the spine extending from its base. I threw the rest away but washed that and dried it in the sun because it was too interesting to trash.

            I also moved the metal two-drawer filing cabinet to the left of the credenza and shifted the credenza further to the right. I think the room looks much better with the filing cabinet in a less central place.

            For lunch I cut the mould off a focaccia triangle, sliced the bun in half and had it toasted with peanut butter.

            I spent most of the day finishing my Food Bank Adventure and catching up on my journal so I didn’t do any exercises at home or take a bike ride.

            For dinner I had a fried egg and another de-moulded and toasted focaccia bun with a beer while watching two episodes of The Adventures of William Tell.

            In the first story Tell comes to meet a rebel leader named Rudolph, who is late. Rudolph’s men want proof that Tell is whom he says he is and so he immediately satisfies them by hitting a mark on a tree after walking several paces before one of them shouts “Now” and then turns to quickly hit the mark dead on. It seems like a strange criteria of identification, since there must be other good shots around. They did the same thing a few times in the Robin Hood series.

            They go looking for Rudolph and find him dead from a crossbow bolt, with horse tracks nearby. Tell wants to find the killer and so they start their search by asking questions at a nearby castle. Tell knows Gustaf Werner the lord of the castle because he has supplied the resistance with swords for many years. Today just happens to be the night of the betrothal of Gustaf’s daughter Eva to Eric Reichman, the owner of an iron mine. Klein, the old man that reluctantly lets them into the castle warns them of the curse that always results from Werners and Reichmans getting married and says that three men will die. Eva does not want to marry Eric because she loves Klaus but also because she believes in the curse. A betrothal cup that all will drink from is passed first to Tell’s comrade Hans, for him to give the toast, but the wine is poisoned and Hans dies immediately. Eric blames Klaus, who has been seen sneaking around the castle. Tell has his other comrade Anton guard Eva's door but Klaus sneaks in through the window. When he wakes her she is startled and screams and so Anton comes to attack him. But Klaus knocks Anton out and escapes. Tell searches the castle and then returns to find Anton dead with Klaus captured by Eric and his servant Heinz. They want to kill Klaus but Tell says he must get a fair trial and takes him into his custody. Later Eva sneaks from her room and runs to Klaus’s arms. Tell goes to see Gustaf and says he wants to see Eric’s bow and shafts. Gustaf says Eric keeps them in Werner castle. The shafts that Gustaf shows Tell match the one that killed Rudolph. When Eric walks in Tell confronts him but Eric says they are Gustaf’s shafts. They turn to look at Gustaf and he is pointing a crossbow at Tell. Gustaf has been supplying arms to the Austrians and Rudolph was killed because he found out. When Gustaf shoots Tell ducks and the arrow kills Eric. Gustaf runs from the room but Heinz carries him back in and throws him down. Tell informs Gustaf that he will hang to complete the curse of three men dying. Klaus and Eva live happily ever after.

            Eva was played by Caroline Denzil.

            In the second story Mario Rossi, who has been supplying arms for the Swiss resistance has been murdered by a gang of cutthroats known as the Black Brothers. The Blacks have taken the arms for themselves to sell. Since Tell represents the only market for the arms he goes to the Blacks to buy them but he won’t pay until the arms are delivered to Hedda. He asks Hedda to give her to give the courier her ring so that when it is brought to him he will give the Blacks the money. He buries two bags of money in separate places and goes to the Blacks with nothing. The older brother Luigi agrees to the deal but insists that Tell stay as a hostage until it is done. But behind Tell’s back Luigi sends two of his men to Switzerland to notify the Austrians that they are holding William Tell for the reward. The arms are delivered to Hedda and she gives the token, which is returned to Tell. When Tell gives them the money they won’t let him leave, insisting that he must stay and drink with them to complete the bargain. Meanwhile when the men come to Hedda to pick up the arms they explain they are late because they had to go around Austrian soldiers crossing the Italian border. Hedda concludes that her husband is about to be betrayed and heads for Italy with some men. That night Tell escapes but around the same time the youngest brother Guiseppe kills his brother Pietro and steals the money because he wants to run off to Milan with the brothers’ sexy servant girl Anna. The brothers think that Tell killed Pietro and go after him. They catch up to him just after he’s retrieved his own buried gold but they think that it’s theirs. Luigi has a knife fight with Tell and loses. The other men insist that Guiseppe fight with Tell to avenge the death of his brother but he’s afraid. He is forced into it but almost immediately Tell overpowers him and when Tell grabs him the stolen gold falls from Guiseppe’s belt. Guisseppe tries to run but one of the men throws a knife at his back and kills him. Tell tries to leave but Tell is told that the Austrians are coming for him. Tell draws his knife as the men surround him but suddenly arrows start hitting the bandits as Hedda and her men emerge from the bushes with their crossbows. Tell gives the rest of his gold to the widow of Mario Rossi.

            Granny Rossi was played by Eileen Way, who at sixteen was the youngest student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. She played the first character to die in the Doctor Who series. She was married to psychiatrist Felix Warden Brown.

            Anna was played by Gillian Vaughan, who was in “The Moonraker”, “The Horse’s Mouth” and “The White Trap”. She was married for many years to British TV star Des O’Connor.

            Luigi was played by Roger Delgado, who played the first incarnation of The Doctor’s arch enemy “The Master”. In fact the character was created specifically for Delgado to play. He certainly was the best one up until Missy came along.