STRANGE PARADISE- Episode 127

Episode 127: Slideshow

Irene: "Afternoon at Desmond Hall. Forces of evil align themselves in new alliances in efforts to gain possession of the ancient Egyptian relic called the Key." Brought to the family mansion by Quito at the cost of his life. The key seeks the pure of spirit who will use it for its true purpose. Jean Paul Desmond grieves for the death of his faithful Quito and for the woman who renounced her love to save him from destruction. To him in his desolation comes another. One who has once betrayed him."

Emily steps foreword. "What's the matter? I don't understand." "Emily asked me to bring her back. She has work that is still unfinished. Work that is vital to us all."

Jean Paul steps foreword. "There are certain things that have changed at Desmond Hall since you left Miss Blair." "I'm sorry about Quito. He was a good kind man." "Many good and kind people are misused by others. "Well I shall leave you two alone." Laslo says as he walks towards the doors of the Drawing Room. He turns and looks back at them. "There is no problem that people have that cannot be solved by candid conversation." He says then closes the door as he leaves. Jean Paul looks at Emily then walks away from her. "If I've done anything to offend you I'm sorry." Jean Paul looks at her. "It's a little late to be sorry don't you think." Emily looks at him with uncertainty. "Please don't say that." "Well what did you expect? After the threats the spite and the malice you directed at me." Jean Paul says as he walks to the fireplace with his back towards her. Emily walks across to him and stands behind him. "When did I do that?" "When I came to see you shortly before Helena and I were to be married."

"But I don't remember." Jean Paul turns and looks at her. "You seem to have a very convenient memory." "I've been ill." Emily walks away from him. "Most of the time I spent at Mrs. Hatters I was in bed half alive. I hardly knew what I was saying or who I was. You must believe me." Emily says looking at him. "What do you want?" Emily steps towards him. "I want to come back and finish the work. Do the work that I promised Philip Desmond I would do." Jean Paul steps closer to her. "And nothing more?" he asks. Emily turns away. "To complete my studies of your family history and to set in order all the information that is scattered in books." She walks to the desk. Jean Paul walks towards her. "Very well. I would like you to do that." "Well then can I come back?" "Only with the understanding that I'm not the man I was when you left." Emily looks away. "If you wish. I'm sorry about Miss Raleigh too. She was a charming girl with style." Jean Paul turns away from her. "We will not talk about Miss Raleigh please." He turns back to Emily. "Ever again. She’s gone." "I wish there was something I could do."

Jean Paul looks at her. "I was fond of you once but I have no more interest in anything of that kind." He walks around her. "You will work here that is all?" "If that is what you want." "Good it's settled. Your room is still waiting for you upstairs. Your work is waiting for you on the desk." "Thank you Jean Paul." Emily says as she walks towards the desk. "In return perhaps you could help me." "Yes indeed anything you ask." Emily says with her back towards him.

With her eyes closed Irene stands in front of her altar. She has lit the candles. "Circle of Fire. Power of Darkness keep her within our circle. Keep her within our coven. Do not break our circle. Do not break our coven. Answer me oh Circle of Fire. Answer me oh Power of Darkness." Irene opens her eyes and looks down as the candles blow out. Irene raises her head. "So it is true we have lost her."

Cort stands in Philip's secret room holding a candelabra. "I defy you. Do you hear me? What ever spirit inhabits this room I defy you to challenge me." Cort laughs. "I'm waiting. No response? Have you gone never to return? This room must be free of your rustling shadow and you’re suffocating coils." Cort walks foreword placing the candles on the table. "This is now my room once more." Cort sits on a stool and picks up a book. As he is glancing at it the door opens and Laslo walks in. "Welcome dear stepfather." "You have broken your bargain."

"Have I?" Cort asks looking up at Laslo. "You promised not to tell anyone about the key." "I didn't." "You told Jean Paul." Laslo says to him. "I didn't tell Jean Paul." "He accused me of taking the key from Quito." Cort turns away from Laslo. "Well why don't you ask him." "I did." Laslo says as he walks around the room. "He told me some ludicrous story of Quito appearing to him in a dream."

"Strange things have happened." "He is convinced that Quito gave me the key."

Cort stands. "It seems to me dear stepfather that if you were more honest with Jean Paul his suspicions might not upset you." "You are betraying me to him aren't you? Answer me!" Laslo shouts. "Such accusations are not becoming to you." Cort says as he picks up a book and starts leafing through it. "I expect you to display more finesse. Now leave me to my work." "What are you doing here in the first place?" Laslo asks. "This room was mine in the first place. I have more right here then you have. Long before you or Jean Paul or any of the others. I was here with cousin Philip who taught me..." Cort looks away. "Yes. And what did he teach you?" "The history of my illustrious ancestors. My family legends and heroes and saints and demons." "What are you doing here now?" "I'm doing my homework. You see these books are answers to questions I must know." "So it is you who has the book." Laslo says to Cort. Cort looks at Laslo. "What book is that?" "The book that explains the key." Cort sits down. "Oh is it missing?" Laslo bends down putting his hand on the table. "Don't trifle with me. This is not an inconsequential matter that you could pass off with a joke or a prank. This is my opportunity to hold within my power the strongest force of good that human beings know." "Well I wish you well with it." Cort says with a smile.

"And I need that book. It explains the use of the key." "I suggest you search elsewhere. It's not here I'm sure of that." Laslo straightens up and walks around Cort. "If you have the book it's no use without the key." "It might be a means to make a better bargain with you then." Cort says turning on the stool to look at Laslo. "Our bargain stands as it is. Don't try to trick me." Laslo walks away as Cort laughs at him.

Emily sits at the desk looking through her notes. "Someone has been going through my files. They are all out of order." "I was looking for something before you came. I'm sorry." Jean Paul says as he stands next to her. Emily smiles as she straightens up the files. "It's all right as long as it was you. I was afraid it was somebody..." "Emily?" He steps closer to her. "I need some information about a key." Emily glances up at him. "You too?" "What do you mean?" "Well this morning Laslo came to Mrs. Hatters to ask me about an Egyptian Key." Jean Paul smacks the desk with his hand. "I knew it." "He wanted the title of a book that had information in it." Emily says as she glances up at him. Jean Paul reaches under the desk and holds the book in his hand. "Is this it?" He sets the book on the desk. "The River Caves of Desmondton. Yes that's it." "Does it explain about a key?" "No it just tells what is known about it that's all. It's funny but when Laslo asked me I couldn't remember the title." She says as she glances down at her notes. "But what exactly does the key unlock?" "It opens a door to a chamber between this world to the next. A chamber from which one could only be released by someone pure in heart." "But does this person come back to this world?" "No. According to this he then moves onward to the next world. Or closer to divine peace, tranquility with himself." Emily says as she looks at Jean Paul. Jean Paul sits next to the desk. "Who last had the key?" "Well it's been missing for generations. But there was a Yugoslavian monk who had it in the sixteenth century." Emily hands a sheet of paper to Jean Paul. "Then there was an Indian girl in the eighteenth and a Chinese Mandarin. And there has been no one since." She says as she hands him more notes. "I see." Jean Paul stands. "So this key really transcends all kinds of boundaries of time and places." "It only knows the boundaries of the human heart. Human purity" "Raxl says it holds great danger. Is that true?" "Well it could be harmful it held by the wrong person." Emily says as she reaches for the book. "Yes but who would be the right person?" Jean Paul asks leaning over Emily's shoulder to look at the book.

"The Key of Promise finds the one for who it is searching." Emily reads from the book. "So it seeks out him without any help." "It might not be a man. It could be a woman or a girl." Emily tells him. "Yes but it seeks out this person doesn't it?"

"Yes it always has eventually." Jean Paul stands straight. "I see but how does this person know how to use the key?" "Apparently the last person that had it passes the information to the next." "Then why has it come here?" Jean Paul asks.

There is a knock at the front door. "Excuse me." Jean Paul says to Emily as he sets the papers one the desk. He then turns and walks out of the Drawing Room closing the door behind him. Walking through the foyer he answers the door. "Oh Jean Paul I haven't seen you since that unfortunate day your wedding plans were cancelled so abruptly." Irene says as she walks into the foyer. "Irene I am really rather busy right now. If you don't mind." Irene walks through the foyer then turns and looks back at him. "Well I did want to offer my condolences for the death of your good man Quito. I was distressed when I heard about it from Laslo." "Thank you." Jean Paul says as he stands next to the open outside door.

"And lastly I wanted to find out how Emily was. She was feeling rather poorly and I feel that she's my patient in a manner of speaking." Irene says as she takes her gloves off. Jean Paul walks towards her. "Emily is resting in the Drawing Room."

"Couldn't I just peek in and say hello? I do feel responsible for her. She's like a younger sister to me." Jean Paul steps around her. "I'm afraid I must insist that you don't." "Well then I'll just stop by another day" "Yes why don't you do that. Thank you." Jean Paul turns and walks back to the Drawing Room closing the door behind him.

Irene spots Cort walking down the staircase and rushes back to the open doorway. Turning she waits for Cort. "Hello there." "Is it wise to be here so often Mrs. Hatter? People will gossip." Irene steps into the foyer. "Well everyone knows I'm an old friend of the family. They are used to me going in and out of this house." "And do they know you are especially close to one member of this family?" Cort asks as he walks towards Irene. "What are you hinting at?"

"Well I'm just wondering what would happen if I told my mother that I had seen you and my stepfather in what people would call a compromising situation?"

"Have you wondered what would happen if I told Jean Paul about your little plans for him?" Irene says. "Go ahead tell him." Cort says with a smile. "How long do you think you would be allowed to stay here? And perhaps your mother for that matter." Cort walks to the door and leans against it. "And perhaps even my stepfather." He says with a smile. Irene looks away. "Yes I thought that prospect might make you cooperate." Irene walks up to Cort. "What do you want from me?" "I want you to use your gentle arts of persuasion to convince Laslo that the key he now has would be put to more use in my possession." Irene looks away from him. "I couldn't do that." Cort steps closer to her. "I think you could." "Why should I?" "Secrets like everything else can be purchased. My price is not as high as it might be or as high as it will be if you do not comply with my wishes." Cort says as he steps away from Irene. Laslo is walking down the staircase when he sees Cort and Irene. "Irene what are you doing here?" Cort walks over to Irene's side. "Good day Mrs. Hatter. Remember our little secret will you." He turns and walks away. "Every time I've seen that boy today he's been with you." Laslo says. "I just happen to run into him." "What are you two plotting together?"

"We must speak together privately." Irene tells Laslo. "I can't leave the house." Laslo says as he steps away from Irene. "He threatens to expose us to your wife." Irene says as she steps up behind him.'' "He's always threatening." "He wants the key." Laslo turns and looks at Irene. "Did he say that?" "It's the price he demands for secrecy." "It's a price I refuse to pay." Laslo says as he walks away from Irene. "Don't trust him Laslo." Laslo turns and takes Irene's arm. "Go home. You shouldn't have come here. I'll take care of Cort." He walks her to the door. "Jean Paul wouldn't let me in to see Emily." Irene says to Laslo. "I'll deal with him too. Fate has given me a weapon that I can use to deal with all of them."

Irene turns and walks out the door. Laslo closes the door behind her.

In the Drawing Room Jean Paul stands at the window and looks out. He turns towards Emily. "It's all right. Now she's leaving, finally." Jean Paul says as he walks back to the desk. "Perhaps I should have seen her." Emily says as she looks away. "She was very kind to me. She nursed me back to health." Jean Paul smiles. "Well she'll return. Don’t worry about that." He says as he glances at the window then back at the desk. "Now we haven't much time. Let's get back down to business." He sits back down next to the desk. "Why would Quito give the key to Laslo if he was supposed to give it to someone who is pure at heart?"

"Well it will leave him. It will find the person it was meant for. Perhaps it was meant for you." Jean Paul shakes his head. "No I thought at one time perhaps it was but I'm not pure in heart." Emily looks at him. "I think you are." Jean Paul gives a laugh and stands. "I wish that were true. I was once before Maljardin." He walks away then glances back at Emily. "Before Maljardin, before when I was innocent and carefree." "But if it were not meant for you I shall help you to make sure it gets to the person it is meant for." Jean Paul walks up to Emily. "Emily we've got to make sure that this key does not get into the wrong hands."

Laslo sits on a stool in Philip's secret room. On the table is the candelabra for light. Cort enters and Laslo comes to his feet. "Cort come in. I've been expecting you." "Good then there is no use in wasting preliminaries." Cort says to him. "You will stop threatening Mrs. Hatter." "I wasn’t threatening her. I warned her." Cort says. "You made a bargain with me." "I made a bargain with you not to tell anyone else about the key." "You told Mrs. Hatter." "So did you." Cort tells him.

"Nevertheless you broke the bargain." "But you broke it too." Cort says with a smile. "How did I break it?" Cort walks around Laslo. "You promised me that I could have the key and its powers." Laslo turns around angrily. "That was not part of the bargain!" "That's what I understood. I want the key." "Well you're not going to get it." "You've had it long enough." Cort tells him. "Our bargain has nothing to do with sharing the key! It's mine!" "You'll have to give it to me eventually." "Why? Why would I give it to you?" "Because if you don't I'll take it!" Cort tells him. "The key protected me from the Serpent. What have I got to fear from a boy like you?" Laslo says as he walks out of the room. "We will see what you have to feat dear Stepfather!" Cort shouts. Cort hears the music from Philip's carousel. "Philip? Tell me who should have the key?" Cort lifts the candelabra. "Tell me!" He walks to the bookcase as a piece of paper falls onto the shelf. Picking it up he carries it to the table and sets it down next to the candelabra. He reads the words. THE KEY IS ME. TIS NOT FOR HE. "Philip what does this mean? The key to what? Is it a door? Is it?" He glances up. "It will set who free? You, me? Answer!"

Emily stands at the bookcase glancing through a book. Putting it back she walks to the table. Picking up the book of the River Caves of Desmondton she carries it back to the desk. She sits down and starts looking through it. Laslo walks into the Drawing Room and stands behind Emily. "Am I disturbing you?" "Oh no." She says as she closes the book. Glancing down at it she places a notebook over it. "I waited until Jean Paul had gone to his room before I came to talk to you." "I'm glad you waited." She says as she starts straightening her desk. "I was getting tired." Emily stretches. Laslo reaches for the notebook covering the book underneath. "So you found the book." "Yes I have." she sighs. "You didn't bring it to me." "I didn't know where you were." Laslo walks around carrying the book. "What does it say about the key?" "Oh just a little bit here and there. Nothing of any real help." Laslo sits at the desk holding the book. "Anything will help. What have you found?" Laslo asks as he sets the book back on the desk.

"Well just a minute." Emily looks through her notes. "Here it is. It's been missing for many generations. One time it was sought through the world like the Holy Grail." Emily says looking at Laslo. "How long has it been in possession of the Desmonds?" "It doesn't belong to the Desmonds. It belongs to the person who is pure in heart. Whoever they may be." "Well how do you explain it being in my keeping?" Laslo asks as he stands. "It can be in anyone's keeping. But it works good for only those pure in heart. It leads them to tranquility." "If that's true I hardly qualify." "It wouldn't be here at all if someone weren't qualified to receive it." Laslo takes the key from his pocket. "Someone here at Desmond Hall?"

Emily stands. "The key is trying to reach the next person it is meant for." Emily takes the key from Laslo's hand and holds it. She sits it on the table. "Oh look. The writing in the fireplace." She tells Laslo pointing. They walk towards the fireplace. The key disappears as they look at the writing. THE KEY IS ME. BUT NOT FOR THEE. Laslo glances at Emily's hands then at the table.

Cort looks through the bookcase in Philip's secret room. He tosses books on the table when he hears Philip's music from the carousel. He lifts the candelabra and looks around the room. He turns back to the table and watches as the key appears.

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Summaries written by Debby Graham . The slide presentation is the work of Ron Janick.

~Ron/Bella~
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