Friday

And now, a tale well calculated to keep you in... ...so spent. Friday the 13th, unlucky nonsense. Rank superstition, that's all. Listen now to Act 1 of Friday, starring Ivor Francis, and written especially for suspense by Jonathan Bundy.

I look at it down there. Most beautiful little arbor this side of Clovelli and Plymouth Oh, and so peaceful and quiet down there now. You hardly believe that a few years ago we had, that's one of the busiest ports on all the coast of England.

I did a trade, went in and out of this port in those days, sometimes three and four ships a week. There was always them as laid over too, and the Alps had picked up a cargo, unexpected, and fishing boats, a plenty of them.

But mostly it was trade. Ships and sailing men from all the four corners of the earth, and I was part of it. A few years ago did I say? I guess to be more exact was more like 40 years ago.

Long time for a man. Ship in agent I was. Not a single piece of pottery or sack of grain or bale of goods that didn't go through these ends of mine. I, or through our ends that is, you see.

I had me a partner. Fill it morally, Barney. Fine young chap who wants to. My young chap, it was too. Why, in seven or eight years, he knew most as much about that business as I did.

There we are, Beckham. We're all ready for the Laurenta now. I've made all the arrangements and she can start taking on cargo first thing in the morning. Fine, fill him a boy excellent. But I'd say it's about time now, wouldn't you?