Episode:  123
 
Episode 123a:  Slideshow
Episode 123b:  Slideshow
 
Holly: "Night at Desmond Hall. A storm rages against its ancient walls as if the Gods themselves were angry. Inside the golden dreams of morning have given away to the black despair of night. The girl Jean Paul was to marry has left to free him of the past that holds him and would destroy him. While the storm cleanses the stones of the walls outside no one stirs in the house except for a mother whose son hasn't returned yet from the village. And whose son has been gone all day."
 
Ada sits in the Drawing Room as Cort enters the mansion. "Cort." Ada calls out as she walks into the foyer.  "Ah behold not the bride but the mother of, the mother of whom dear Mama." He says as he points at her. "Where have you been?"  "Ah all the guests have disappeared." He says as he walks towards the Drawing Room. "Leading the world to darkness and need to..." "There was no wedding," Cort turns and looks at her. "What do you mean?"  "Helena has gone, left."  "Where is he?" "Upstairs."  "Alone the bridegroom sleeps."  "Oh don't make light of other peoples suffering." "Oh my bantering hides my aching heart." He says as he puts his hand to his chest. "Go to bed." Ada tells him. Cort laughs and walks to the Drawing Room doorway. "Not yet." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out Philip's totem. "I have work to do." He says as he looks at the totem then puts it back into his pocket. "I have work to do now."   "What work?" Ada asks him.  "You have your secrets, I have mine." "I have no secrets." Holly runs down the staircase. Cort turns and looks at her. "Well look who's tripping down the stairs in her nightie." "I thought I heard Philip come in." Holly says to him.
"No I'm sorry it's only me. “Holly turns to walk back up the staircase. “Wait a minute. Why are you so eager about seeing Philip?" Cort asks her as he walks up a couple of steps closer to Holly. “I have to get something from him. “And what's that?" "Something personal." Holly tells him.  "Something personal from dear cousin Philip? Well let me see. Is it a lock of his hair, is that it?"  "Why don't you leave me alone?" Holly says to Cort.  "Every time I try to help you, you treat me like a stranger."  "Because I don't trust you."  "Why am I the only Desmond that you don't trust?"  "Because you don't think of anybody but yourself." "Now that isn't true!"  "You didn't even show up at Jean Paul's wedding!"  "Do you think I'm going to a ceremony like that and see people rob me?" Cort says as he walks back down the stairs and away from Holly.  Ada walks out of the Drawing Room. "I think it's time that you children were in bed."  "Well we were just talking about this days events. And how I missed them unavoidably." Cort says to his mother.
"And you’re soaking wet. Go and change your cloths." Ada says to him. Everything is soaking wet. Of course there is another world outside. It's raining, lightening and thunder and I summon them up to prove one point." Cort says as he raises his arms. He turns and looks at Holly as he lowers his arms. "Holly what are you searching for? What is it you're looking for?"  Holly stares at him. "I don't need your help!" she shouts then turns and rushes up the staircase.  Cort looks at his mother. "Oh she's always upset about something." He says as he walks to the staircase. "Cort I want to speak to you."  Cort stops and looks at his mother. "My pleasure I'm sure." he says with a bow.  "Why are you so cruel to that unhappy girl?"  Cort steps up to his mother. "Life is cruel to her not me."
 
Holly runs to her bedroom door crying. Quito walks down the hallway when he sees her and touches her shoulder.  Holly cries out in fear as she turns. She sees Quito. "Oh Quito." She cries as she lays her head against his chest. "Why does every promise of happiness turn to misery?" She sobs. "Oh Quito I wish you had let me die on Maljardin." She looks up at him then lowers her head to his chest again. Pulling back she rushes off.
 
In the Drawing Room Ada talks to her son. "I want you to stop teasing Holly mercilessly."  "We Desmond men are not good with women. Ask Jean Paul." Cort tells her as he stands next to the fireplace with his arms folded.  "You offended him by not being here for his wedding."  "I told you I had things to do."  "Nothing. Nothing is more important than your family or your name."  "My name? Did you expect me to seriously sit around and use my name? Ha! To hand my heritage to his future children. What are you going to do and what am I going to do?"  "I have my happiness." Ada says to him.  Cort puts his arm around her shoulders. "Are you sure?"  "What do you mean?"  "Where's your dear Laslo?"  "I forbid you to speak of him like that."  "Well I feel much better not speaking of him at all." Cort says as he walks away from his mother and leaves the Drawing Room.
 
Holly lies in her bed as thunder and lightening crash outside. She sits up in fright. "It's gone. Philip has it outside and without it I can't... I can't reach you." She starts to lay back. There is a knock at her door.  "Holly." Raxl calls out to her.
"Yes Raxl. Come in."  Raxl enters and closes the door behind her. "You must try to sleep."  "I can't. I'm afraid."  "I'll sit here on the bed and you will sleep." Raxl says as she sits on the edge of the bed.  Holly turns away. "I can't sleep while evil spirits keep me from my loved one."  Raxl touches her shoulder. "I'll protect you from the evil spirits."  Holly sits up and looks at Raxl. "Where's Philip?"  "He's outside searching for something that he has lost."  "The totem! It's gone I knew it!
"It has disappeared." Raxl says to her.  "Well I had it when I was in the secret room. When Jean Paul and Philip found me. Maybe he should look for it there!"
"It is not there. I have searched."  "Oh Raxl we must find it. Who ever has it will work evil against us."  "The totem does not work evil. It wards off evil."  "Well something has stopped Philip from coming into this house. Something..."  "It is not the totem."  "Well what came between Jean Paul and Helena?"  "Her marriage to Jean Paul was never meant to be. It was doomed from the beginning."  "By what? By whom?" Thunder crashes outside. Holly and Raxl glance at the window.  Raxl stands.  "What was it? What were you going to say?" Holly asks her.  Raxl walks across the room. "Do not concern yourself with the totem. The Gods have spoken."  "I need it to reach Philip's spirit."  Raxl shakes her head. "Do not try to enter the spirit world. I warn you."  Holly stands and walks over to Raxl. "Oh Raxl I must go to him."  "Philip Desmond has found peace."  "He will find no peace until I am with him."  "No child listen. He has entered the requiem of peace between life and death. Leave it I implore you." Raxl says as she grasps Holly by the arms.  "Raxl he wants me there with him."
"Do not bring upon yourself the curse of the Desmond family. I speak from experience."  Holly pulls back and sits on her bed. "There must be some way to reach him."  "That way is closed to human beings."  "Love will lead me to him." Holly says to Raxl.  "Love for the Desmonds lead to death. Take warning." Raxl tells her then walks out of the room. Holly stands and walks to the dressing table. "Philip, oh Philip please speak to me. Tell me what to do."
 
Raxl stands outside Holly's door. "Quito. Quito."  Raxl call out quietly. Quito walks up to her. "You will not let Miss Holly out of your sight. Keep her from evil as you did in Maljardin." Quito nods his head. "She's in your care, remain here. Do not let her follow the path that leads to Philip Desmond." Quito looks at Holly's door.
 
Holly sits at her dressing table. "I tried to follow your instructions but something stopped me. What do I do now? Who do I turn to? How do I save you Philip? Tell me please. Speak to me."  Thunder and lightening crash outside and Holly jumps in fright. In the mirror appears the image of Philip's totem. The music of Philip's carousel is heard through the room. "The totem! Where is it? Philip where?" Holly stands as the music leads her from the room. She walks down the hallway to Philip's room and enters. Quito follows her and stands outside the door.   Cort is in the room looking through Philip's bag.  "What are you doing?" Holly asks Cort.
Cort looks up at her. "What are you doing here?"  Holly steps forward. "I heard a sound." "Well now that you know what it is you can leave." Cort says as he turns back to Philip's bag.  "Why are you rummaging through Philip's knapsack?"  "For something."  "For what?" Holly asks.  "Something you were probably trying to seek the other day when you came downstairs." Cort says as he walks to Philip's mirror.  Holly steps up to him. "Cort if you don't stop interfering with me I..."  "You'll what?" Cort says angrily as he looks at her.  "Stop trying to keep me from Philip."  "I'm only trying to help you." Cort says to her. "I don't believe you." "Well who would you believe? The spirit of Philip's ghost."  "Don't mock me!" Holly shouts.  "Or the other Philip that's walking the cliffs in the storm."  "You've seen him?"  "Yes I saw him."  "And you came sneaking in here, rummaging through his things."  "Well what are you doing here dear little Holly?" Cort asks.  "I'm looking for something."  "And so am I." Cort says to her.  "Well what is it you want?"  "Oh no you tell me first." He says as he points at her and smiles.  "No I won't."  "Well then I'll show it to you. Is this what you want?" He takes the totem from his pocket.  Holly makes a grab for it as Cort hold it away from her.
 
Ada paces back and forth between the Drawing Room and the foyer." "Raxl can I speak to you for a moment."  Raxl walks through the foyer to stand next to Ada. "As you wish Mrs. Thaxton."  "I need your help please." Ada says as she touches Raxl's arm.  "I'll help you if I can."  "My son. No don't turn away." Ada says as Raxl starts to look away. "He's a Desmond too."  "He dabbles in black arts. It could destroy him."  "His cousin Philip introduced him to those arts. Now he can't stop himself. It has changed him."  Raxl looks at her. "Men change when they enter into the mystery of the spirit world."  "He's the last of the Desmonds. Help him save himself. Not for me but for the Desmonds."  "He must work for his own salvation." Raxl tell Ada.  "I beg you Raxl, save him. Do it for Jean Paul and the Desmonds. Don't let him follow his cousin."
 
Holly tries taking the totem from Cort. "Give it to me. It's not yours." She says to him.  "It's not yours either." Cort tells her as he pulls away from her and walks away with the totem. "What do you want it for? What is it?"  "It's a totem."  "A what?"  "An Indian totem, a carved animal."  "What does it do?"  "It wards off evil. Philip told me."  "When did he tell you this?"  "Yesterday. He said it could save us all from destruction." Holly says to Cort.  "That's all I wanted to find out." Cort says as he rushes across the room.  "Cort! Cort!" Holly shouts as he walks out of the room.  Cort steps into the hallway as Quito grabs him. "Let me go!" Cort cries out. Quito takes the totem from him and steps back.  "Give it back to me!"  Quito shakes his head.  Cort puts his hands together in the sign of the witch above Quito's head. Quito backs away. "Now give it back to me!" Cort tells him angrily.
Again Quito shakes his head no.  "Al right then we will see how much longer you remain at Desmond Hall. You stood in my way ever since you arrived here from Maljardin. Your time is coming. You will stand in my way and between my plans no longer. Keep the totem, I'll get it back. Then you'll be powerless to save your little Holly from what awaits her." Cort says then he angrily rushes down the hallway.
 
Walking back to Philip's room Quito enters. Holly is standing in front of the mirror looking at Philip's carousel. Quito walks up to her and Holly turns and looks at him. "Quito! Oh you did help me." She says as she hugs him then touches the totem. "Thank you. Oh thank you." She takes the totem from Quito and raises it to her cheek. "Now Quito you must help me once again." She looks at Quito. "You know where Philip Desmond is don't you?" Quito nods. "You know how to reach him. You do don't you?" Quito shakes his head no then nods. "Quito you must lead me to him."  Quito shakes his head then moves away from Holly in fear.  "Yes this totem will come between any evil that keeps him and I apart. We'll make the journey together you and I."  Quito backs away in fear as he tries to leave the room.  "Oh Quito don't leave please! Philip Desmond waits for us Quito. Don't leave!"  Quito rushes out of the room as Holly stands in the doorway. Holly hears the music from the carousel, she turns and walks through the room and looks into the mirror, "Philip." Holly calls his name and smiles. "Philip can you hear me? I have the totem once again." She holds it up to the mirror. "Now please show it the path to you. Show me. Tell me."  The mirror flashes with light then the reflection of Philip's secret room appears in the mirror. "Yes, yes the secret room." The reflection of the bookcase appears. "Which one?" I can't see the title. Please Philip show it to me again. Which one is it?" The reflection fades and Philip's bedroom appears back in the mirror.
 
Cort walks down the staircase as he buttons his coat. He walks towards the door to go outside.  "Master Cort?" Raxl calls to him.  Cort turns and looks at her. "I have no time for fun and games."  "Go back to your room." Raxl tells him.  "I'm old enough to do things I wish." he says as he steps closer to Raxl.  "Do not go out into the night."  "You're not my nanny thank you." he says as he turns back towards the door.  Raxl walks past him and stands in front of the door. "The Desmond men always plunge into the unknown. You are the future of the Desmond family."  "I can look after my future." Cort tells her.  "It is my duty to protect you. “I think you had better protect your Master. He needs it not me." Cort tells her as he tries to step around her. Raxl puts her hand out against his shoulder. "There is a world beyond this world. Locked for most of us. If you enter it you will not return." "Well I think I have the powers to insure a safe return." He walks around Raxl and out the door. Raxl clasps her hands and closes her eyes. "Spirit of the inner world turn him back. Turn him back! Turn him from the fate that pursues his ancestors. Spirit of the inner world bring him back. Bring him back to the safety within these walls." Raxl bows her head as Quito rushes down the staircase. "Quito, you are not to leave Miss Holly!" Raxl says to him as she grips his wrists. "Go back to her!" Quito shakes his head no. "What is it Quito?"
He signs to her. "She has found what she is seeking." Quito nods. "Does she know what she is seeking? Go, return to her Quito." Raxl says as she points towards the staircase. "And do not let Miss Holly out of your sight. If she loses the totem bring it to me. Go!" Quito nods and rushes back up the staircase.
Cort enters the mansion. Raxl turns and looks at him. "You have returned as I knew you would. “You won your final victory Conjure Woman." Cort tells her then walks to the Drawing Room. Walking to the fireplace he lays his head against the mantel.  Ada is sitting on the couch and stands when Cort enters the room. "Oh thank you Cort."  "You set Raxl on me didn't you?" Cort asks as he glances back at her.  "Only to protect you."  "I don't need any protection and you take care of Laslo because he needs all the protection he can get."  "We'll leave Laslo out of this."  "Gladly." Cort tells his mother.  "You will be Master of Desmond Hall one day."  "Oh so that's why you set up all the arrangements for Jean Paul's wedding."  "That's why we weren’t here?" Ada says to him.  "Is that why you were taking good care of my future dear Mama?"  "I want Jean Paul to find happiness."  "If Jean Paul finds happiness it's my defeat and if he gets married and has little Desmonds they rob me of my future and my fortune. Is that what you want?" Cort shouts at her.  "Happiness doesn't rob anyone of anything."  "My future is my concern."  "You've become a heartless boy Cort. Cruel to Holly when she needs all the comfort that we can give her."  "She has all the comfort in some ghost!"  Ada turns away and sits on the couch. "You must believe me. I have your best interest at heart and so does Laslo."  Cort walks towards her. "Well I think Laslo should have more interest in you. Not in me and not in others!" He says as he bends down and looks into his mother's face.  "What do you mean?"
"Ask him when he returns." Cort tells her as he stands straight.  "I will not allow you to create trouble between me and your father."  "He's not my father. He's your husband!"  "He's the only father you have now." Ada says as she looks away from him.  "Then I prefer not to have any at all." Cort tells her then leaves the room.
 
Holly enters Philip's secret room caring the totem and a candle. "Philip? Philip don't leave me here alone." The music of the carousel sounds in the room. It seems to be coming from the bookcase.   "Which book Philip?" Holly asks as she walks over to the bookcase. "Where is it?" She sets the candle down and starts looking along the shelf at the books. The candle glides across the shelf in front of a book. Holly reaches up and pulls the book from the shelf. She glances at the title. The River Caves of Desmondton. Picking up the candle she carries the book to the table and sets it down. She hears someone at the entrance and gasps in fright as she turns towards the door.   Quito enters the room. "Oh Quito you frightened me." He walks up to her. "Will you help me please?" Quito nods. "Okay let’s look." Holly says as she turns back to the book, opening it and looking through the pages. "Quito this is it. This is what I'm looking for." Quito covers the page with his hands. Holly pulls them off the book. On the page is a picture of a key. "What is it?" Holly asks Quito He backs away. Holly picks up the book and places it closer to the candle. "The key is me. It will set me free." She reads the words written in the book. 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Summaries written by Debby Graham .  The slide presentation is the work of Ron Janick.
~Ron/Bella~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Episode 124