La Proie et l'ombre
Encyclopedia
La Proie et l'ombre is the twelfth book from Yoko Tsuno
comic book
series written by Roger Leloup
and published in 1982. (ISBN 2-8001-0908-4)
, Yoko and Pol literally run into Cecilia, a disturbed young woman who is held like a prisoner by her uncle and also stepfather, Sir William. The man invites Yoko and Pol to his castle. Once there, Yoko discovers a ploy laid by Sir William to kill Cecilia and thus inherit her fortune. With the help of a look-alike
named Margaret and an unscrupulous doctor, Cecilia is meant to lose her sanity, both herself and to the eyes of outsiders. Cecilia's mother, Lady Mary, was a beautiful but mentally unstable woman who died when Cecilia was a baby. A three-dimensional animated hologram, representing Mary, is used to lure the girl into the nearby ruins
of an abbey
, where Sir William plans her to perish in a fall through a collapsed floor section. Cecilia's death would be classified as a mere accident, and he would become the heir of her fortune.
After some days, Yoko and Pol leave again, but they return with Vic to the abbey ruins to foil the attempted murder. McNab, a rejected suitor of Lady Mary who is believed to be mentally unbalanced, works with them to carry out his vows of revenge against Sir William. After two decades, McNab is still in love with the deceased Mary, to the point of having a mannequin
representing her, dressed with the thong
that she wore when she was buried (he had found it in front of his door one day, possibly by the ploy of Sir William to implicate him).
When Yoko confronts Margaret about being both Cecilia's double and the model for the Lady Mary hologram, Margaret says she wants to help save Cecilia, since she's in the plan only because Sir William forced her to. Unfortunately, Yoko nearly falls victim to the machinations as well: she and Margaret are kidnapped, and Yoko is forced to watch how Cecilia falls in the trap. Unbeknownst to Sir William, a large tarp catches her in mid-fall, and the same technique is used to save Yoko after she's chloroform
ed and thrown down the same crevasse. When William shows up to check the outcome of his plans, he finds McNab's mannequin dressed as his daughter instead of Cecilia's corpse. Yoko and Cecilia confront William when McNab appears and grabs his rival. In the struggle that ensues, they both fall into the crevasse. Because Vic and Pol removed the net just moments before, both men die.
Yoko and Vic hurry back to the castle, where the doctor offers Margaret her life in exchange for her complicity in blackmailing Sir William. Yoko and Vic quickly overpower the doctor and free Margaret. After learning about the insidious plot, Cecilia forgives her doppelgänger and helps her travel back to Australia. Vic, Yoko and Pol stay by Cecilia's side as she recovers physically and mentally from her ordeal until a call from the Vineans comes in.
Yoko Tsuno
Yoko Tsuno is a comic book series created by the Belgian writer Roger Leloup published by Dupuis and in Spirou since its debut in 1970. Through twenty-five volumes, the series tell the adventures of Yoko Tsuno, a female electrical engineer of Japanese origin surrounded by her close friends, Vic...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series written by Roger Leloup
Roger Leloup
Roger Leloup is a Belgian comic strip artist, novelist, and a former collaborator of Hergé. He is most famous for the Yoko Tsuno comic series.- Biography :...
and published in 1982. (ISBN 2-8001-0908-4)
Story
While working on a report in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Yoko and Pol literally run into Cecilia, a disturbed young woman who is held like a prisoner by her uncle and also stepfather, Sir William. The man invites Yoko and Pol to his castle. Once there, Yoko discovers a ploy laid by Sir William to kill Cecilia and thus inherit her fortune. With the help of a look-alike
Look-alike
A look-alike is a person who closely resembles another person. In popular Western culture, a look-alike is a person who bears a close physical resemblance to a celebrity, politician or member of royalty. Many look-alikes earn a living by making guest appearances at public events or performing on...
named Margaret and an unscrupulous doctor, Cecilia is meant to lose her sanity, both herself and to the eyes of outsiders. Cecilia's mother, Lady Mary, was a beautiful but mentally unstable woman who died when Cecilia was a baby. A three-dimensional animated hologram, representing Mary, is used to lure the girl into the nearby ruins
Ruins
Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
of an abbey
Abbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
, where Sir William plans her to perish in a fall through a collapsed floor section. Cecilia's death would be classified as a mere accident, and he would become the heir of her fortune.
After some days, Yoko and Pol leave again, but they return with Vic to the abbey ruins to foil the attempted murder. McNab, a rejected suitor of Lady Mary who is believed to be mentally unbalanced, works with them to carry out his vows of revenge against Sir William. After two decades, McNab is still in love with the deceased Mary, to the point of having a mannequin
Mannequin
A mannequin is an often articulated doll used by artists, tailors, dressmakers, and others especially to display or fit clothing...
representing her, dressed with the thong
Thong
Thong may refer to:* Thong , a garment which primarily covers only the pubic area* Thongs, jandals or flip-flops, a type of footwear similar to sandals but which are not secured to the ankles...
that she wore when she was buried (he had found it in front of his door one day, possibly by the ploy of Sir William to implicate him).
When Yoko confronts Margaret about being both Cecilia's double and the model for the Lady Mary hologram, Margaret says she wants to help save Cecilia, since she's in the plan only because Sir William forced her to. Unfortunately, Yoko nearly falls victim to the machinations as well: she and Margaret are kidnapped, and Yoko is forced to watch how Cecilia falls in the trap. Unbeknownst to Sir William, a large tarp catches her in mid-fall, and the same technique is used to save Yoko after she's chloroform
Chloroform
Chloroform is an organic compound with formula CHCl3. It is one of the four chloromethanes. The colorless, sweet-smelling, dense liquid is a trihalomethane, and is considered somewhat hazardous...
ed and thrown down the same crevasse. When William shows up to check the outcome of his plans, he finds McNab's mannequin dressed as his daughter instead of Cecilia's corpse. Yoko and Cecilia confront William when McNab appears and grabs his rival. In the struggle that ensues, they both fall into the crevasse. Because Vic and Pol removed the net just moments before, both men die.
Yoko and Vic hurry back to the castle, where the doctor offers Margaret her life in exchange for her complicity in blackmailing Sir William. Yoko and Vic quickly overpower the doctor and free Margaret. After learning about the insidious plot, Cecilia forgives her doppelgänger and helps her travel back to Australia. Vic, Yoko and Pol stay by Cecilia's side as she recovers physically and mentally from her ordeal until a call from the Vineans comes in.