STRANGE PARADISE- Episode 128

Episode 128: Slideshow

Cort: "Afternoon at Desmond Hall, an afternoon that is quiet and serene for those outside the Great House. But fear lurks within the walls and along its corridors. For an ancient Egyptian relic has been found. It is the key to the mystery of Desmond Hall. And as the mystery begins to unravel fear will mount. For the living will be contacted by the dead."

Emily looks at the desk. "You saw me put it down." Laslo glances at her then back at the desk. "Yes." "I put it there. Right there." Emily says as she touches the desk. Laslo walks around the room. "No one was around. No one came into the room, but it couldn’t have just disappeared." "It doesn’t seem possible." Emily says as she looks around the desk. "It isn’t possible!" "Maybe?" "Go on."

"Well maybe the key passed from your hand to somebody else." Emily says as she walks to the fireplace then glances back at Laslo. "According to the legend the key can pass from hand to hand until it finds the rightful owner. Well maybe you weren’t suppose to have it. Maybe it passed on to someone else." "It’s made of solid metal. It couldn’t just evaporate." Laslo says as he walks closer to Emily.

"But it’s gone." Laslo turns and looks at the desk. "And you think someone in this house has it?" Emily walks over to the desk. "It is possible." "Who?" "I don’t know."

Cort picks up the key. "Philip! Philip hear me. Hear my voice. I’ve got it now! I’ve got the Egyptian key! What am I supposed to do with it? Tell me! Give me a sign! Philip. Philip?" Cort glances around the secret room as he puts the key in his pocket and leaves the room.

Emily turns towards the fireplace. "Look into the fireplace. The writing is gone." She walks up to Laslo. He turns and looks at the fireplace. "Yes." Emily turns away. "The key is me and not for thee." Laslo walks around her. "The key is me. What does that mean?" "I don’t know. But the last part could only mean one thing. You weren’t suppose to have it." Laslo walks away from Emily. "I must find it. Somehow I must find it." Jean Paul enters the Drawing Room. "Emily?" "Oh Jean Paul." "Excuse me." Laslo says as he walks from the room. Jean Paul watches him go then turns and looks at Emily. "What’s the matter with Laslo?"

"He’s frightened and so am I." "Why?" Emily turns away from Jean Paul. "I saw, I saw the Egyptian key." "Then Laslo does have it. I knew it." Jean Paul says as he glances at the doorway then back to Emily. "No he did have it. It was there on the desk but it disappeared." Jean Paul glances at the desk. "Disappeared?" "And there was writing on the fireplace but that’s gone too."

There is a knock on Irene’s cottage door. Irene walks over and opens it. "Well Cort my dear this is a surprise." Irene says as Cort walks into the cottage. Irene closes the door behind him. "I came to thank you." Cort says to her. "Oh for what?” Irene asks as she walks around Cort and leans on the couch. Reaching into his pocket he takes the Egyptian key. "For this." He walks away from Irene. "They call it the Egyptian Key. I don’t know why. It doesn’t look like a key. Must be a key to something." He holds it up to show to Irene. "Like the answer to a riddle." Irene walks up to him." "How did you get it?" "Don’t you know?" "How could I?" "But you were going to help me." He walks away from Irene. "You said you would use your power to help me get it." Irene walks up to him. "That’s what you told me to do. You threatened me dear boy. I don’t listen to threats. From you or anybody else." Irene tells him with a small smile. "You didn’t help me?" Cort asks worriedly. "I most certainly didn’t." Cort turns away. "Then how did I get the key?" "Let me see it." Cort holds it out to her. "You must help me!"

Irene steps away not touching the key. "Oh how?" "Use your powers. Use your powers to find out how I am suppose to use this." He says holding the key up

. "Why should I do that?" Irene asks with a smile. "I could always tell my mother the truth." "I just told you dear boy I don’t listen to threats." "Aren’t you the slightest bit interested in this? Aren’t you the slightest bit curious?" "Well yes. I have to admit I am." Irene says as she looks at Cort. "Then help me!" Irene turns towards the fireplace. "Light the candles." She tells Cort. Cort walks to the altar and lights them. Irene covers her head with a black scarf. "Arrange them in a circle." Cort does as he is told then looks at Irene. "Now?" "Stand here." She has him stand next to her on her right side. "Now close your eyes and think of the Egyptian Key. Clear your mind of everything else. Just think of the key." Cort stands with his eyes closed. "All right." "Do you see the key? Do you see it in your mind?" "Yes." Cort says as he nods. "Good." Irene glances straight ahead. "Spirits of the night hear my voice. Hear me calling to you. Hear me." A breeze blows over the candles. "There is a key an Egyptian Key. Tell me what it is. Tell me how to use it. Give me the knowledge I must have." Irene closes her eyes. "Tell me, tell me." Wind blows through the room and Irene opens her eyes. "What is it? What’s the matter?" Cort asks. "I can’t go on." Irene says as thunder crashes. "I can’t go on." she says as she backs away from the altar and takes off the scarf. "I can’t help you. I’m sorry." "What is it? What’s the matter with you?"

"I, I’m not sure I know." "You don’t know?" "I felt vibrations in the room, strange vibrations." "You’ve go to go on. You have got to help me." "I can’t." "Afraid? You." She steps towards Cort. "Yes I am and I don’t know why." "What would frighten you?" "I’m afraid I was beginning to have a vision of something." "But what was it?" "It was a place, a place where someone is supposed to go." Cort looks away. "That someone is me. You’ve got to go on!" Irene turns and walks away from Cort. "I don’t think I can!" Cort follows her. Standing in front of her he grasps her by the shoulders. "What’s the matter with you?" "I don’t know." Cort releases her. "I don’t know." Irene says quietly as she turns away from Cort. "Possibly I’m just being foolish." Cort walks in front of her. "Aren’t you curious any longer?" "Of course I am. I’m more curious than ever. That key has some kind of power." Irene walks away from Cort. "I want to know what it is." "Well then go on." Irene looks back at him then nods. "Stand where you were. Close your eyes. Concentrate on the key." Cort stands with his eyes closed. "Do you see the key? Do you see it in your mind?" "Yes." Cort says as he concentrates.

Irene covers her face and head with the black scarf. "Spirits of the night hear my voice. Let me know you hear me. Give me a sign." The candle flames move in the breeze that blows through the room. "The key, the Egyptian Key why does it exist? How must it be used? Show me, show me!" Irene closes her eyes and starts to moan. "I’m beginning to see." "What?" Cort asks. "A flight of stairs. A staircase." "The staircase at Desmond Hall." Cort says. "And under the stairs I see a wall. A wall, a wall that moves." "A secret panel." Cort says. "I walk through the opening. I descend. I descend, I see darkness, darkness. Only darkness. The key I must take the key somewhere. But where? Where? All I can see is darkness. Give me the key. Let me hold it in my hand." Irene says as she holds her hand out. Cort places it in her hand. As Irene grips it thunder crashes and the candles flicker then go out. "No! Take it! Take it back!" Irene thrust the key into Cort’s hand. "And go now!" Irene turns and pulls off the scarf. "I’ve told you all I can." She looks back at Cort. "That key has a power, a great power that I don’t understand. But it can only harm me! Take it await! I never want to see it again!" Irene shouts. Cort holds it up. "It’s all right. You told me all I need to know." Irene turns her face away from it.

Jean Paul and Laslo are in the Drawing Room. "So you have been lying." Jean Paul says to him. "What if I was?" Laslo says as he lifts a glass of wine to his mouth and takes a drink. "Well why did you lie to me? Why didn’t you tell me about the key?" Laslo walks away from Jean Paul. "Does it matter now? I don’t have it any longer." Jean Paul follows him. "You couldn’t have used it anyway. It can only be used by the pure of heart and you Laslo hardly qualify." He says as he stands behind Laslo. "The pure of heart. Who could that be?" "Holly perhaps." Jean Paul says as he walks away from Laslo. "Or Ada." "Or perhaps the young stranger." Laslo says, "Yes it could be Philip." "Or the key might have vanished entirely just as mysteriously as it disappeared." "I don’t believe that. It is still in this house somewhere." Jean Paul says to Laslo. "Well then one of us must find it." "Yes one of us must." Jean Paul says as he turns to leave the Drawing Room.

Laslo follows Jean Paul out of the Drawing Room and walks through the foyer and grabs his coat. He’s putting it on when Cort walks through the front entrance. "Where have you been?" "In town. Why?" Cort asks as he walks away from Laslo "I’ve been looking for you. The Egyptian Key has disappeared." Cort stands with his hands in his pockets. "It has?" Laslo walks up to Cort. "Yes, vanished before my eyes." "How could that be?" Laslo stares at him. "You don’t seem surprised. And you certainly don’t look upset." "Well why should I be upset? It was yours dear Stepfather not mine." "I promised to share it with you."

"Yes but you can’t now can you?" Cort asks with a smile. Laslo walks around him. "Do you know something? Something that I don’t know?" Cort looks at him. "What could I know?" "I don’t understand your attitude." "It’s simply that I’m not interested in your precious Egyptian Key. I decided it bores me." He looks at Laslo’s coat. "Are you going somewhere?" "Yes as a matter of fact I was." "Don’t let me detain you." Laslo turns and walks out of the mansion.

Philip is in his room writing a letter when there is a knock at the door. "Come in." he calls out looking at the door. "The door opens and Jean Paul walks in closing the door behind him. “Am I disturbing you?" "No not at all. I was just writing a letter." He watches Jean Paul as he walks into the room and lean against the back of the bed frame. "How are you cousin?" Philip asks. "I’m fine." Jean Paul says as he smiles at his cousin. "I haven’t seen much of you the past few days."

"Well I’ve been busy." Jean Paul tells him. "So I gathered. Everyone seems preoccupied with something lately. I asked Holly what was on her mind and she wouldn’t tell me." "Yes I was just in Holly’s bedroom and I was just asking her a question and perhaps I could ask you the same question." "What is it?" "Well I lost something. It’s something I was wondering if you might have seen? It’s an Egyptian ornament." "An ornament?" Philip asks as he looks away from Jean Paul. "Yes it’s shaped like a cross but oval at the top. Have you seen it?" "No. No I haven’t seen anything like that." "Oh. Will you promise me that you’ll look for it or let me know if you find it?" Jean Paul asks as he stands straight. "Yes I will. I promise." Philip says as he looks away from Jean Paul. "Fine. Thank you." Jean Paul turns to leave. Philip glances at him. "Well you’re not going so soon are you?" Philip stands. "Why don’t you stay and we will talk for a while." "I’d like to but I’m afraid I must do other things. I’ll see you later." Jean Paul says as he opens the door. . "All right." Philip says. After Jean Paul leaves Philip turns and sits back at the table.

Cort stands in the foyer glances around as he takes the key from his pocket. He walks to the side of the staircase and touches the panel. "I come as a friend.” The panel swings back and the brick wall is behind it. Philip’s face appears on it. "It can’t be." Cort says. . "You cannot pass." Philip tells him. "Philip?" "You cannot pass." Philip fades away then the panel closes. Cort stands holding the key as Jean Paul rushes down the staircase. "Cort what are you doing? What do you have in your hand?" "Never mind." Cort tells him. Jean Paul walks over to him. "Let me see it." Cort holds his hand out. "The Egyptian Key!" "Are you looking for it too?" "Where did you get this?" Jean Paul asks. "Upstairs in the secret room." He says as he holds his hand out with the key in the palm of his hand. "When?" "This morning. It just appeared there. I don’t know how." "What were you going to do with it?" "I was trying to find Philip your brother." Cort says as he steps away from Jean Paul. "Through the secret panel?" Jean Paul asks as he touches the panel. "He appeared to me through the wall. He said three words. You cannot pass." Jean Paul steps closer to him. "Meaning someone can?" "I don’t know! I don’t understand." "There are many things we don’t understand. But one thing is becoming very clear; somehow this key will lead us to my brother." They both look at the key.

Laslo goes to Irene’s cottage. After entering he talks to Irene. "Little liar." Laslo says as he hits his fist against his other hand. "Did you expect him to tell the truth?" Irene asks. "I promised I would share the power of the key with him." Laslo says as he paces in front of Irene. . "Be honest Laslo you were forced to do that." "Why did he come here?" Laslo asks as he walks towards her. "He wanted to know how to use the key." "And?" Irene looks away. "I performed the ritual. I had a vision, a vision of a wall that moved. Cort seemed to know what that meant." "Wall that moved? What could it mean?" Laslo asks. . "You know as much as I do." "Why did you help him?" Laslo asks. "I wish I hadn’t now. But I was curious. I wanted to know more about the key." "You must summon Cort. Force him to come here now." Irene looks at Laslo. "No Laslo." "Why not?" "I don’t want to perform the ritual again." "You don’t want to help me?" "It isn’t that. I do want to help you. It’s just…" Irene turns and walks to the fireplace. "What!"

She glances back at him. "I’m afraid. For some reason I’m afraid." "What are you afraid of?" Laslo asks as he steps closer to her. "I don’t know. That’s the strange part of it." "You’re being ridiculous." "Perhaps I am." Irene says to him. "Summon him Irene! That should be easy for you." "All right." Irene steps to her alter and lights the candles. She stares ahead. "Cort. Cort come to me. I command you to come to me! Cort. Cort!" Thunder crashes as the candles blow out. Irene glances down. "Laslo! I know!" "Know what?" "I know why I was frightened. My powers, the powers that were given to me. They are gone."

"How could that be possible?" She glances up at him. "I touched the key. I touched the key!" she shouts. Laslo stares at her.

Cort enters the Drawing Room. Jean Paul walks up to him. "Let me see the key."

Cort hands it to Jean Paul. As he is looking it over the windows blow open. Jean Paul sets the key on the table and walks over to fasten the window. Cort watches as the key disappears. "The key it’s gone."

In Philip’s room the carousel begins to turn as music sounds in the room. Philip is sitting at the table; he stands and walks over to it. Looking down he sees the Egyptian Key. Philip reaches out his hand and picks it up.

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

~Ron/Bella~
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