The Extraordinary
ADVENTURES OF
BLANC-SEC
tardi
VOL . 1
ADELE
January 1912. PARIS shivers under a blanket of snow, but the City of Light is not yet aware that a few days hence, her shudders will be caused by fear…
Readers will surely remember the affair of the Botanical Gardens, as well as the peculiar tale of the monster on the Eiffel Tower… Both caused scandals that might have implicated highly placed individuals had they not been suppressed… Since then, Adèle BLANCSEC has been lying low, as she had been intimately involved in these events… and when she chances to leave her retreat…
HE'S HERE! HE'S FOLLOWING ME! This time, I'll have it out with him.
Here he comes!
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What? What? What? What?
Mademoiselle BLANCSEC! Whatever has gotten into you?
WELL?
LE LITT FROM E TH MAN l LE tanica T N GE E bo ns! TH arde g ESPÉRANDIEU… Robert ESPÉRANDIEU is my name…
I'm frightfully sorry… A decidedly odd way of displaying my gratitude for your having extricated me from the crocodile enclosure, especially as I never did proffer any proper thanks… But I have been followed in the street for several days now, by persons and for reasons unknown…
I failed to recognize you. I thought you were my stalker and became afraid. I do beg your forgiveness…
Ah, I see! You're being followed… Well, that is to be expected… A lovely lass such as yourself… Ahem! Anyway… I recognized you, and desired to have a word with you…
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…about a most extraordinary matter which is sure to enthrall you.
Enter… Ah, here we are!
Ah, wait till you see this!
My good friend Professor MÉNARD, the conservator at the Museum of Natural History, and a few other friends are waiting for me not far from here. Do accompany me, you won't regret it.
A few minutes later…
…I can't see anything at all!
Not again!
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he ed! nish a v
look!
SILENCE, WOMAN! The tempera-
SSHH!
The first be quiet! materiali-
zation has ended…
I'LL BE…! NOW I'VE SEEN EVERYTHING!
ture is dropping… an ectoplasmic manifestation…
The smell of ozone… The ectoplasm is developing, we are nearing our goal…
Hello, Robert.
BOUTARDIEU, delighted to see you again… How do you feel?
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MÉNARD sends his greetings. DIEUDONNÉ and DIEULEVEULT are here with me. I do apologize for disturbing you, but a most extraordinary event, one which is sure to delight you, is taking place. Listen, here is the nub of it…
Believe it or not, MÉNARD and I have successfully applied your method to a tarbosaurus…
Yes! But contrary to the pterodactyl, which you were able to control almost entirely… We find ourselves incapable of reining in the tarbosaurus. We are so very close to complete success.
Explain your device to us… That is why we disturbed you. Be a good fellow and let us know what we need to do in order to make it work.
Listen to me… We intend to recommence the experiment as soon as you've passed your secret along to us… But brace yourself: This time, we're done with prehistoric animals, we intend to… Philippe, are you listening? he e he e he e he e he e
Philippe!
I don't give a fig…
The medium is exhausted… Someone turn on the light, this séance is over!
Philippe, don't leave!
Why did BOUTARDIEU decline to answer?
Feel Better? Mmh!
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We failed! All because of that girl… She's the one who bollixed it up! Who brought her?
Hey now!
Lady and gentlemen, the medium has been sorely tested by this séance… It will be a while before we can try again… So we need to come to a decision.
I wouldn't go Come now, do not get yourself that far. in a lather! Mademoiselle BLANCSEC is a friend of mine, or more precisely a friend of my former assistant's, who has since gone mad… Allow me to introduce you to Professor DIEULEVEULT.
Charmed.
I propose that we proceed with the execution of our project this very evening… It is regrettable, regrettable indeed, that our late friend did not see fit to reveal his secret to us…
But we can no longer hesitate, for fear that the whole matter be compromised. Let us journey to my laboratory. My chauffeur is waiting.
Very well, let us depart. Allow me a moment to summon my housekeeper. She will care for the medium.
Come now, DIEULEVEULT. Now, now, do calm yourself.
To the car!
The girl stays behind!
And so, as the year 1912 dawns, here in a tranquil, snow-bound PARIS, there are men who summon dead souls and force them to manifest themselves, disturbing their slumber in the kingdom of eternal peace, thus dragging Adèle into a new adventure. But what could their goal possibly be?
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Enough palaver! If you had only heeded me, we would be done. We'd have had no need for BOUTARDIEU's questionable methods.
…scientific!
We have launched a grand project, and our goal is… How should I put it? Our goal is…
Here we are.
I see.
Please enter.
GENTLEMEN, I AM OPENING THE DOOR NOW!
To the laboratory!
Gentlemen, within this armoire stands the vessel of all our hopes.
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