The Link by Richard Matheson

day from severe back pains. This information—which proved to be correct—was completely unknown to the sitter.”
    CUT. “Professor William James was told—ostensibly by the spirit of a departed aunt—about the condition of health of two distant family members of which Professor James knew
nothing
at the time. The truth of this information was corroborated
afterward
by letter.”
    CUT. “At another sitting, at which Mrs. James and Professor James’ brother Robertson were present, Mrs. Piper told them that ‘Aunt Kate’ had died that morning between two and half past.”
    Cut to shot of the two of them entering the James’ home to find a telegram waiting for them on the entry table. “When they returned home an hour later, a telegram was waiting for them with this information,” Robert’s voice concludes.
    CUT. Richard Hodgson addressing a group of people. “As Richard Hodgson put it—” says Robert’s voice.
    “After allowing for the widest possible margin for information obtainable under the circumstances by ordinary means—”
    SHOTS of Mrs. Piper in sitting as Hodgson’s address continues. “—for chance coincidence and remarkable guessing, aided by clues given consciously or unconsciously by the sitters, there remains a large residuum of knowledge displayed in Mrs. Piper’s trance states which cannot be accounted for except on the hypothesis that she possesses some supernormal power.”
    CUT TO William James addressing a group. “Professor William James had this to say—” says Robert.
    “If I may be allowed the language of the professional logic shop, a universal proposition can be made untrue by a particular instance.”
    SHOTS of Mrs. Piper in sitting as Professor James’ address continues. “If you wish to upset the law that all crows are black, you must not seek to show that
no
crows are. It is enough if you prove
one single crow
to be white.” CAMERA MOVES IN ON Mrs. Piper’s face. “My own white crow,” says Professor James, the famous American psychologist, “is Mrs. Piper.”
    CUT TO Mrs. Leonard sitting in trance with SIR OLIVER LODGE, Robert’s voice narrating.
    “In the fall of 1915, Sir Oliver Lodge, the well-known British physicist, had lost his son to the war. A friend of his arranged a sitting with Mrs. Leonard to find out whether the deceased young lieutenant could be contacted. It was during this group of sittings that the famous Raymond photograph was mentioned.”
    “Does he remember how he looked in the photograph?” Sir Oliver asks. “Was he standing up?” Mrs. Leonard: “No, he doesn’t think so. He was sitting down. It was a mixed lot. Some were standing, some were sitting.”
    Sir Oliver: “Were they soldiers?”
    Robert’s voice breaks in. “Later, the existence of this photograph was discovered and it was sent to Sir Oliver.”
    E.C.U. of 12” X 9” photograph, CAMERA MOVING OVER IT SLOWLY as we hear the voice of Mrs. Leonard in the sitting. Everything she says is verified by the photograph.
    “It wasn’t taken in a photographer’s place. It was out of doors. There are a considerable number of men in the photograph. The front row is sitting, the back row standing. Raymond is sitting down and you can see his walking stick.
    “There is a black background and lines going down. (There are six, conspicuous vertical lines on the roof of the shed in front of which the group is posed.) One of the men behind him is leaning on Raymond’s shoulder, he remembers that somebody wanted to lean on him.” (The photograph shows Raymond’s annoyance at the weight of the leaning hand.)
    “Raymond never mentioned the photograph in any of his letters,” says Robert’s voice. “It was taken 21 days before his death.”
    We see Sir Oliver Lodge as he says, “To my mind, the whole incident is rather exceptionally good as a piece of evidence. Our complete ignorance even of the existence of the photograph, in the first place, and, secondly, the delayed manner in