I rate this episode ★★★★★ for EXCELLENT. I have read Rudyard Kipling’s story of “The Mark of the Beast” (1890) and James Agate Jr.’s adaptation of this was spot-on! Same characters, same locations, same plot points, and same ending as the original. And this is not your average New Year’s Eve story. The sound effects of the English billiard balls, patrons murmuring, lighting the pipe, footsteps, horse neighing and galloping, shirt ripping, wild animal sounds, stable side door opening, shaking of the doorknob, and Natives chanting hymns were highly supportive. The music with its suspenseful tunes were fitting, especially at the 22-minute 27-second mark where the transformation has begun. In our Host’s Prologue, E.G. Marshall discusses on Rudyard Kipling’s writing during the turn of the century in India. In ACT-1, as our story takes place during New Year’s Eve, our Host quotes the lines of Hamlet: “Foul deeds will rise, though all the Earth overwhelm them, to men's eyes.” In ACT-2, after discussing Rudyard Kipling’s view of India, there’s also the mentioning of Indian Folklore during the Victorian Era. In ACT-3, after the mystery is over, E.G. Marshall quotes a passage from the book of “From Day To Day With Kipling”: Let us honor, oh, my brothers, Christmas Day! Call a truce, then, to our labors—let us feast with friends and neighbors, and be merry as the custom of our castle, for if faint and forced the laughter, and if sadness follow after, we are richer by one mocking Christmas past.” In his Epilogue, our Host gives his annotations on fiction and superstition. Not only was our Host informative about quotations, but also informative on the Author’s life living in India. An applause to him and an applause to our cast: Norman Rose (as Rudyard Kipling), Earl Hammond (as Fleete and Dr. Dumoise), and Robert Kaliban (as Police Chief Strickland and the Silver Man). Big props go to Earl Hammond for playing the incompetent character that everyone loves to hate and using his talented voice to sound like a wild animal. If Earl Hammond used his leopard sounds and teamed up with Jada Rowland with her cat sounds from Ep. #0736-THE THERAPEUTIC CAT, these 2 would be a purrrrrrrfect duo. If you’re a fan of Rudyard Kipling’s writing, check this episode out. Also, check out his other stories from the CBSRMT series: #0608-THE LIGHT THAT FAILED, #0684-THE BISARA OF POOREE, #1020-AT THE END OF THE PASSAGE, #1032-BY WORD OF MOUTH, and #1056-THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR. Until next time…pleasant dreams. =^D