Action

Originally Aired: October 5, 1953

Suspense #520, "Action," features Herbert Marshall as Bill, a man who awakens one Monday morning to discover a troubling numbness down his right side—the unmistakable sign of a stroke. Refusing to accept the fate of a slow decline into invalidism, Bill confides in his old friend Adrian Tillett over lunch at their club. While others their age succumb to gradual decay, Bill envisions a different path. He tells Tillett about a recurring dream of climbing an increasingly impossible crag, and reveals his radical plan: to test the limits of human capability when the fear of death is removed. He intends to attempt the Zenal, a treacherous ridge of the Vicehorn in the Alps.

Despite Tillett's quiet objections and understanding sympathy, Bill cannot be dissuaded. Ten days later, he arrives at Zanal and reunites with Gaspar, an old guide who has accompanied him on many climbs during happier July expeditions. Now, in the dangerous late season with snow approaching, Bill prepares to undertake the west face—a climb that will push beyond the normal margin of safety that keeps mountaineers alive.