Point Blanc, The Graphic Novel ( PDFDrive )

Mm m … So tired…

Ah, here co m es o ur …Out like a light. sleeping beauty… That sleeping drug in his co ke seem s to have do ne the trick. So let’s begin.



We’re all done. Very good, Mr Baxter. It’s a cinch. Give m e yo ur opinion. He’s go t a go o d bo ne structure. Ve ry fit. Interesting face. Very well. The pierced Rhabillez-le! e ar was done recently. Nothing else to say, really. We’re ready to operate whenever yo u give the word. Goodbye, Doctor. See yo u at the Academy.



POINT BLANC ACADEMY, FRANCE I’ll take yo u do wn to m eet the director. Yo ur luggage will be bro ught fo r you. We do n’t use the ski jum p, it’s forbidden. Com e down, now, o ut o f the cold.

Mind yo ur These are step. cl assro o m s. You’ll see them later. Thro ugh the co urtyard.

Com e along, Alex. Here we are. Ah, Alex. My nam e is Dr Grief. Co m e in, sit do wn. I am very pleased to m eet you and to have yo u here.

Nice place. You think so ? The building was designed by a Frenchman who was certainly the wo rld’s wo rst architect. There are still This was his only quite a fe w people co m m issio n. When the first o wners m o ved in, here with guns. they had him shot. There is no way do wn into to wn. The skiing seaso n is over, and the descent is no w too dangerous. That’s very kind, There is o nly the but I do n’t really helicopter… And that want to be here. So will take yo u fro m here if yo u’ll just tell m e ho w I can get do wn o nly when I say so . into town, I’ll catch the next train ho m e. All the bo ys here Yo u are here, com e from fam ilies Alex, because yo u have disappointed o f great wealth and importance, yo ur parents. like yo urself. You were expelled fro m scho o l, yo u have We co uld very easily beco m e a target had difficulties with the police- fo r terrorists, so the guards are fo r your protection.

That wasn’t Your attitude is my fault! as displeasing as yo ur appearance. It is our jo b to turn yo u into a bo y o f who m yo ur parents can be proud. I’m happy as I am . That is o f no relevance. Do n’t interrupt F o r the first the Do cto r! couple of weeks here, I’ll what? I heard that! you will assim il ate. Assimilate. There are currently To conform … six bo ys here. to adapt… Yo u will m eet and To become like. spend tim e with them , with o ppo rtunities fo r sport, socializing and reading in our excellent library. Yo u will learn our methods. I want to call m y m um and dad. Telepho nes are Yo u will be forbidden. So are polite to the personal computers, assistant directo r! so yo u can’t e-mail Up yo urs. them either. Yo u m ay write a letter, if yo u like.

You should know, Alex, No . that Mrs S tellenbo sch We ightl iftin g. has wo rked with m e no w fo r twenty-six years. When I m et her, she had been Miss South Africa five years in a ro w. A beauty contest? We enfo rce Bedtim e is ten o ’clo ck strict discipline sharp. We do no t to lerate at Po int Blanc. bad language. Yo u will not co ntact the o utside wo rld Finally, yo u are permitted only in witho ut o ur permission. certain p arts of Yo u will not attem pt to leave. the building. Yo u will do as yo u are to ld instantly, witho ut Yo u will rem ain hesitatio n. o n the ground and first floors only, Go no w, and wait We can arrange where the bedro o m s outside. So meone that too. will be alo ng to and classro o m s are lo cated. collect you. We will m ake yo u into what yo ur parents want, Alex. The seco nd and Maybe they third flo o rs, and the don’t want me basem ent, are out of at all. bounds. This is fo r yo ur own safety.

Unpleasant bo y… Ahem. A few days… faster than usual… Gem ini Pro ject… Clo sing do wn… They’ll shoot yo u if they catch yo u listening at do o rs. I’m James Sprintz. They to ld m e to sho w you around. Alex Friend. I go t thro wn Tho ught it was the o ut o f a scho o l in best thing that ever S o what did you happened to m e… do to get sent to D sseldorf. Until m y dad sent this dum p? me here. What do es He’s a banker. yo ur dad do ? Plays the m o ney m arkets. He loves I got expelled from Eton. m o ney and has lots o f it.

Hang o n… Yeah. Co m e o n, Do es this place this way. really o nly have Dieter Sprintz? “The Hundred Millio n six bo ys in it? It co uld ho use Do llar Man”? sixty. And that’s Yeah. Do n’t Tom and Hugo. ask m e why. Anyway, this is the l ibrary. Pro bably do ing extra maths or som ething. Creeps. I do n’t sm o ke. Yo u kno w, when I cam e here they said all the bo ys Typical. had pro blem s. I tho ught it was go ing to be wild. Do yo u have a cigarette?

Dining room. Living room. A co uple o f days Anyway, I get here and it’s like a museum ago I go t into a fight with two o f them , just or monastery o r… fo r the hell o f it. They I do n’t kno w. beat the snot out of m e and went straight back Everyo ne’s quiet, hard-wo rking, boring. to their studies! It’s like Grief sucked Weird. their brain s out Yeah. with a straw. Do n’t try playing snooker, by the way. The ro o m ’s o n a slant and all the balls ro ll to the side. Com e on, the Here you go. bedrooms are They’ve put yo u up here. I’ll sho w next to m e. you yours. Do yo u have the key? No need. The do o rs can’t be locked.

Don’t worry about not Hugo Vries, the boy being able to lock up, in the library, used to though. We’re all stuck nick anything he could here with nowhere to go, get his hands on. so nobody bothers stealing anything. Hugo’s another of Grief’s success But not stories. He’s flying any m ore? hom e next week. Funny, though… his father owns diamond mines. Why bother s hoplifting when you c an afford to buy the whole shop? You can put posters If you up, if you like. They say haven’t brought it’s im portant that you anything with you, “express yourself”. Miss Stomach-bag will take you to Grenoble. Miss Stomach-bag? No. Just m e. Does everyone c all her that?

Alex, this is a They said deeply weird place. they want us to I’ve been to a lot of schools, because I’ve as s im ilate. been thrown out of a lot of schools… but this is the pits. That’s their word for I thought it, sure. But this place… they were here to protect us. they c all it a school, but it’s m ore like being in a prison. You saw the guards ? I’ve been here Then you’re a six weeks, and hardly bigger idiot than even had any lessons. They have music evenings, I thought. and discussion evenings, and they try to get m e There are to read, but otherwis e about thirty of them ! I’ve been left on For seven kids! m y own. That’s not protection, that’s intim idation. S orry, I shouldn’t lose my temper. It’d jus t be Yeah, but for how long? nice to think someone’s finally arrived that I can relate to. M aybe you c an. S ee you later, Alex.

No. Too soon. Hmmm. Dinner already? Tim e flies…

What on earth…?

S tehen bleiben! H alt! Hey, don’t s hoot! Yikes! Yeah, The dining room well… is downstairs. Now run along. I forgot. I heard the bell go and was on m y way to the dining room. Alex! What are you doing here? The director told you the upper floors are forbidden!





They’re all All of them fourteen… have wealthy Most of them have divorced parents… p arents … From all Yeah, over the world, yeah… all successful in different areas… …But so what? What m akes them different from other kids like them ?

Will you be What’s the m atter, joining us for Latin Latin too advanc ed after lunc h, Alex? for you? Perhaps you’d prefer your times Get lost. tables, that s hould be eas y enough! Ha ha ha! I thought you were Com e on, let’s go supposed to be a hard and get som e fresh rebel, Cassian. But look at you, sucking up to a air. I feel sick. pathetic old man! Don’t you talk about the doc tor like that! He’s a genius!

This way. Alex! Are you coming? It’s gone… What’s gone? …I don’t k now. Nothing. My eyes m ust be playing tricks on m e. What the…?

Why did they build Oh, the ski-jum p this thing, anyway, was here before Grief if we c an’t use it? bought the academ y. S om eone planned to turn it into a winter sports training centre, but they ran out of m oney or som ething. It’s never been us ed. Alex, let m e ask Because inside that Yeah, I know you som ething. building, I c an’t help what you m ean. feeling that som eone’s What do you think of this place? listening to every word I s ay. Why do we have to talk out here? I think you were right the first day we m et. This place is creepy. S o how would you You c an fly the feel about getting helic op ter? out of here? It’s freez ing! No. But I’m definitely leaving.

I can trust you, Alex, bec aus e you’ve only just got here. H e has n’t got to you yet. Are you going to run away? But if you stay, Who needs to run? you’ll end up like the I’m going to ski. others. “Model students”… How appropriate. It’s I know Grief says like they’re all m ade it’s too dangerous. out of plasticene! But he would, wouldn’t he? Yeah, it’s all black runs Well, I’m not going all the way down, and to let him do that to m e. there’ll be tons of moguls- Won’t the s now Only further down. have melted? Ski I’ve been right down to the bottom . I did season’s over. it the firs t week I was here. All the slopes run But if I c an get that into a s ingle valley, far, I reckon I can walk La Vall e De Fer. You can’t ski as far the res t of the way. as the town, because there’s a train track that cuts across.

And then what? A train to D s s eldorf. If father tries to s end I don’t have Nor do I. Grief’s any skis. got them all locked me back here, I’ll go to my Mum in England. And up som ewhere. if she doesn’t want m e, I’ve got friends in Paris and Berlin. All I know is , I’ve got to split. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll com e too. M aybe. But I’ll find them . and then I’m out of here. Com e with m e, Alex. On the third Well, that’s floor? your lookout. No… I’m s orry. I’ll s end you You go, and good a postcard. luck to you. But I’ll stick it out a bit longer. I don’t want to break m y neck. Have you No. I suppose There’s a basement ever wondered it’s where the as well. And Dr Grief’s what goes on guards live. room s… I wonder if up there? he sleeps with Miss T wo whole floors , Stom ach-bag? just for them? Im agine that, Darth V ader and King Kong! Ha ha! Gross!

Locked, but…?

Hmmm… …Tim e for som e Beethoven.

…So kalt dass einem alles ABFRIERT… Das Stimmt…

U nlocked. Huh. B rrr! Come along. F reez ing out th- James…?

*Kof! Kof!*

But… Where…? That’s the only door… …Or i s it?

Damn. M etal? That’s weird.

Sind wir bald fertig? ja, nur noch ein z immer. Ich bin froh, wenn feierabend ist.

A lex, what are you doing ? It’s three in the morning… Why are you dressed? I… I thought I heard something. Are you alrig ht? A lex…? ‘ Course I am. What’s the matter? But I thought… …Nothing . I mean, you haven’t…? What? Good night, James. See you in the morning.

Morning, Alex. You tell me! I… So what was all that about last night? …I don’t know. Have you thought I must have had any more about your a bad dream. plan to go skiing? We’re not No, I mean… allowed escaping. to ski, A lex. You know that. Oh, that. What? If I ran away, my dad would I’ve changed only send me back. I might as well g rin and bear it. my mind. Anyway, the snow’s too thin to get all the way down the mountain.

Good morning, M rs Stellenbosch! Good morning, boys. Yes, M rs Stellenbosch. Today’s lessons start with history, in the T ower R oom in ten minutes. Today we’re looking at the life of a very interesting man… A dolf Hitler. You’re actually going to lessons? James, I hope you’re going to join us? Why not? I’m stuck here, and there isn’t much else to do. M aybe I should have gone to lessons before. You shouldn’t be so negative, A lex. You’re wasting your time.

…There might be other fireplaces further up. M mf! A nd if there’s a chimney… A-h a. I thought so.

*Kof! Kof* Hello, third floor. Now let’s get a good- -Look at you. B ut… This is the g round floor! How can I be here if I just left that floor?!

A window where there should be doors! So I a m on the third floor after all… No, wait… This is different. …But it’s an exact replica of the ground floor! So Why keep it secret? It doesn’t make any sense. Now, then… downstairs, this would be the library.

Oh! Even the books are the same… Is it all like this? Wait, this So you can is new. sit in one and watch the other. It can’t be this But why? library, because I ’m What’s the not in the picture… point? It must be the one downstairs.

James’ room… What about exactly mine? the same. Oh, no. No, wait… Why not? The discman, What are they my suitcase… waiting for? They’re not here. There’s nothing personal.

…You have completed the work. I am g rateful to you, M r Baxter. Thank you, Dr Grief. So, I hope you’re E ntirely. pleased with the I saw him as soon as the bandag es last operation. came off. You have done extremely well.

I always was the best. But that’s what yo u paid fo r. Fo r m y wo rk, yes. My silence is ano ther m atter. And while we’re on that subject, m aybe we sho uld talk abo ut m y final payment? Yo u have already Of course, been paid one million Dr Grief. But I tho ught yo u m ight Am erican do llars, like to co nsider a Mr Baxter. little … bonus. We had an I was thinking ag reem ent. ano ther quarter million. Given the size o f yo ur Gemini Project, it’s no t so m uch to ask. Then I’ll retire to Spain and yo u’ll never hear fro m m e again, I promise. I will never hear from you ag ain… Yes. Yes, I think that is a good idea.

This is Grief. I have so m e g arbag e in the o perating theatre that needs to be rem o ved. Info rm the disposal team.

What the…? I know that bed… Oh, m y Go d. Paris! She drugged me!

Hier! Ja, in der w scherei! kannst du dir das nicht denken? Was hat der da Gem acht? Gro und flo o r, Hier ist der m ll. ground floor… o f co urse, it’s “rez-de- chauss e”. “R”!

Co m e o n, The library? hurry up… But where… Well, well. Very clever. This entire building is a bo x o f tricks… I sho uld have g u essed. …But I’ve go t a few o f m y own.