STRANGE PARADISE- Episode 153

Episode 153: Slideshow

In the morning daylight Philip covers the mask and places it in Jean Paul’s dresser. He picks up a book and lies back on the bed when there is a knock at the door. Philip stands and answers the door. Emily walks in. “Where’s Jean Paul?” “Outside for a walk. He didn’t get much sleep last night so I thought it might do him some good to get out in the fresh air.” “And how much sleep did you get?” Emily asks. “Oh I’m alright.” “Did you find the totem?” “No but we can prevent anyone else from using it. I can see to that.” “Who else knows about it?” Emily asks. “Raxl knows.” “What would she want with it?” “To prevent us from doing what we want with it.” Philip says to her. Emily walks across the room. “I’m frightened.” “Don’t be.” He steps closer to her. “You slept all right last night didn’t you?” Emily nods her head. “Very well.” “Did you repeat the word I told you?”

“Orendo? I fell asleep repeating it. What does it mean?” Emily asks as she looks at him. “Orendo is my Guardian Spirit. It protects those I love.” Emily turns away. “Jean Paul said that now he can live like other men.” Philip turns away from Emily with his arms crossed. “He’s free isn’t he?” Emily asks as she looks at Philip. “No man is free until that star isn’t shining any longer.” “Well then what good are your totems and your Guardian Spirits if he can’t be free?” Emily says as she walks up to him. “It can protect him from harm.” Philip says to her. “But I want him free!” Emily says to him. Raxl stands outside at the door listening.

“Then we have to trace the curse that haunts him back to its source.” Philip says to Emily. Raxl steps back from the door and rushes down the hallway.

In his room Cort finishes dressing. He turns to his dresser and brushes his hair. There is a knock on the door. The door opens and Raxl enters. “Where were you last night? I tried to find you.” Cort says to her. “Why did you want me?” “Philip had told me you had taken some papers out of Emily’s briefcase. Why?” Cort asks as he walks across the room. “I did it to protect you Master.” “You’re playing us one against the other. You’re telling me they are all against me and you’re telling them God knows what.” Raxl walks up to him. “You must trust me.”

“How can I trust someone that doesn’t tell the truth and goes through other people’s luggage and then denies it?” “Listen to me! That woman is collecting evil and bringing it to Desmond Hall. Knowledge that should be left alone. You do not know the evil of the past.” Raxl says to Cort. “I don’t live in the past; I live for today and tomorrow.” Cort says as he turns away from her. “You will not heed what is best for you.” Cort turns and looks at her. “I’ve been lying here trying to figure out what you’re up to.” “Do not distrust me.” Raxl says to him. “You want me to stay at Desmond Hall.” Cort says to her. “You’ll be safer here.” “Even though I wanted to go I can’t! Why?” “You stay here to protect your mother.” Raxl says to him. “Only because of my mother! But she promised someone to keep me here!” Cort says angrily. “She wants you to stay!” “You want me to stay. You’re the one that made her promise to keep me here.” “Why would I do that?” Raxl asks. “Why indeed?” Cort says as he steps away then glances back at her. “Perhaps you frightened her into it. Why was she locked in that room? How did she get there?” “Ask the one that found her.” Raxl says to Cort. “Jean Paul?” Raxl steps closer to him. “How did he know she was there?” Cort steps around Raxl. “Where are you going?” Raxl asks him. Cort looks back at her. “To find Jean Paul.” “He will not tell you the truth.” “Why not?” Cort asks. “He means to do you harm.” “Well if he means to do me harm why should I stay here? Wouldn’t it be safer for me to leave?” Cort asks as he steps closer to Raxl.

“No Desmond is safe outside his home. I can protect you here.” “You told me the star would protect me.” Cort says to her. “It does so long as you are here. The star will be out tonight again soon. You will be safe as long as I am here.” Cort stares at Raxl.

Philip and Emily are in the Drawing Room looking at the books from the bookcases. “What were looking for is buried deep in these pages somewhere and no one knows where to look for it.” Emily says. “I still can’t help thinking it all lies with him.” Philip says as he stands and points at the portrait of Jacques. Emily stands and walks over to Philip. “Jacques Eloi Des Mondes.” “Yes it’s a very sinister portrait. I’ve felt that ever since the day Ada brought it down from the attic.” Emily walks towards the portrait. “He was a very sinister man from all accounts. Wild, corrupt, treacherous at least in his youth. Not much is known about him after he left France.” Emily says as she looks back at Philip. “Where did the Des Mondes come from?” Philip asks. “Normandy originally. Although there was a Colt Des Mondes in the Court of Louis the IV.” “Perhaps it was him?” “No I don’t think so.” “But you’re not sure?” Philip says. “Well there were so many of them. There was a Marquis Victwai Des Mondes. He was guillotined during the revolution. Although that was almost a century later.” “You said the family was connected with the witchcraft trial.” “Not really, there was no mention of the Des Mondes name in the trial records just the mark.” “Well at least that’s something we didn’t know before.” Philip says to her. “You know there are no mention of men’s names at all in the records only those of a few women. Shop keepers, servants and go betweens. And one young woman who was engaged to a man who was accused of being a witch.” “What was her name?” Philip asks.

“There’s no record, she disappeared after the trial.” Susan walks into the Drawing Room. Philip turns when Emily notices her. “Oh excuse me. Don’t let me interrupt you.” Susan says to them. “No it’s all right we were just discussing that mark you drew.” Philip says to her. Susan walks into the Drawing room. “I think it exists only in my mind.” “No it’s not just in your mind. I’ve seen drawings of it in histories of the old French Court scandals.” Emily says to her. “17th century?” Susan asks. “Yes how did you know?” Emily asks. “Susan sometimes dreams that she is in the 17th century.” Philip says to Emily. Susan’s head jerks and she stares ahead. “What is it?” Emily asks. “Did you hear something?” Susan asks. “No.” Philip says. Susan glances at Jacques portrait.” “What did you her?” Emily asks. “It must have been in my mind.” Susan says. Cort walks into the Drawing Room. “Well what do we have here? The meeting of the conspirators?” “Yes Cort the meeting of the conspirators.” Philip says as he walks closer to Cort. Cort looks at Emily. “I thought you had gone away to continue your work.” “Who told you that?” Philip asks. “Well isn’t that how you explained her sudden disappearance?” “I made no explanation.” Philip says to him. “Oh that must have been Jean Paul.” “I don’t think he did either.” Philip says to him. “What are you implying?” Cort asks. “That you have a source of information that the rest of us don’t have.” Susan looks around the room then back at the portrait. “Oh I just put two and two together with the information I had in hand.” Cort says with a smile and walks from the room. Susan shakes her head. “Can’t you hear it?” “What?” Emily asks. “Someone laughing.” says Susan. “I didn’t hear anything.” Philip says as he steps forward. Susan rushes from the room. “Claude wait.” she calls to Cort. Cort stops and turns towards her. “Claude?” “I meant Cort.” Susan says as she turns away. “I want to talk to you.” Cort walks up to her. “That isn’t what you just called me.” “That is your name isn’t it?” She gasps as the mark again appears on Cort’s face. “You seem to be frightened of me.” Cort says to her. “No, no I’m not.” She says as she walks around Cort. Cort turns and looks at here. “Then why are you so nervous?” “I’m not nervous. I’m only human.” She says as she rushes to the Drawing Room closing the doors behind her. She leans against them. Philip walks up to her. “Are you alright?” “It’s Cort.” “What did he do?” Philip asks.

Susan looks at Philip. “I saw it again. The mark on his face.”

Raxl waits in Cort’s room. Cort enters the room slowly and walks to the mirror. He looks at himself. “Is there something wrong with me? Susan seemed scared of me.” “Beware of that girl.” Cort looks at Raxl. “She was frightened of me. She looked at me as if she had seen a ghost.” “What did she say?” Raxl asks as she steps closer to Cort. “Nothing she just seemed frightened. Some nonsense of being nervous and then she ran into the Drawing Room and closed the doors.”

“Why didn’t you go after her?” Raxl asks as she steps closer to Cort. “Why should I?” “To see what was wrong.” Raxl says to him. “Well she’s always acting peculiar.” There is a knock at Cort’s bedroom door. “Cort I’d like to talk to you.” Philip’s voice says to him from outside the door. “Go away.” Cort calls out.

“Are you all tight?” Philip asks. “Yes I’m all right. Leave me alone.” Raxl looks at Cort. “She sent him to spy on you.” “I have nothing to hide.” Cort says as he turns away from Raxl. “Oh yes you have, the star.” “Susan knows about it. She was with me last night when I saw it.” “Why didn’t you tell me? How can I protect you if you hide things from me?” Cort turns and looks at her. “All right. I have something to tell you.” “Well? What are you going to tell me?” Raxl asks. “Last night when I saw the star I became someone else. I saw the star then I heard a heartbeat.” “It was your own.” Raxl says to him. “No it wasn’t. It was someone else’s.” “You imagined it.” “No I didn’t. Susan was with me.” Raxl rushes up to him. “Did she hear the heartbeat?” “No she didn’t, I did and it became louder and louder.” “When did it stop?” Raxl asks. Just after I saw Jean Paul and my mother.” “It was leading you to her.” “Then it started up again after Jean Paul left. And I became someone else.” “Who?” “I don’t know but who ever that person is he does terrible things that I would never think of doing.” Cort says as he walks across the room. “What did you do? I must know.” Raxl says as she steps closer to him. “I reached out to my mother and I almost strangled her!” Cort cries out. “Oh you were not yourself.” “That’s what I’m trying to tell you! I wasn’t myself, the heartbeat was not my own it was someone else's that was taking over mine!” “But you didn’t kill her.” Cort turns away. “Thanks to Philip.”

“Philip?” “He cane just in time.” “How did he know where you were?” “I don’t know and I don’t care but he stopped the heartbeat.” “You were saved.” Cort turns towards Raxl. “Where were you when I needed you? You told me that you would help me. You deserted me” He asks angrily. “I didn’t desert you. You told me you were going to leave, you turned against me.” “Oh so that was my punishment for that?” Cort says to her. “It was a warning not a punishment.”

“But I could have killed her!” Cort shouts. “But if you were meant to kill nothing would have stopped you!” “But Philip did stop me!” “That was only a coincidence.” Raxl says to him. “Lucky for him and lucky for my mother.” “Do not trust the Desmonds. They are not loyal to anyone. To themselves, to their servants, to their destinies.” “Then who are we to be loyal too?” “To the star, to the star that seeks a Desmond who will embrace it, not challenge it. Forward without question and it will lead you to become head of the Desmond family.”

Susan and Emily are sitting on the couch. “Have you ever seen the mark before?” Emily asks. “Only on Cort. Once before tonight.” “But never anywhere else?” “No only in my dreams.” Susan says to her. “Well tell me about your dreams.” Emily says to her. “I don’t remember them.” Susan stands. “I wake up suddenly terrified usually in the dark and the mark is always before my eyes. Then it fades away. It always fades away.” Susan says as she walks across the room. “Perhaps somewhere in your dreams there is the clue that we need.”

“Emily you know about things like this, like dreams and visions. Sometimes I think I am really mad. I have dreams, dreams about my mother. Trying to get her back trying to find her again.” “That often happens when someone we love dies.” Emily says to her. “I know but my dream never leads me back to her, they always take me back. Back into a time I’ve ever know.” Emily stands and walks closer to Susan. “The 17th century?” “Emily why should I dream about kings and cavaliers?” “Well maybe somebody is trying to reach you.” “I know but who?” Susan asks. “That’s what we have to find out. And when we find out we will know why. Why don’t you lie down on the sofa and rest for a while. I want to go upstairs and get some notes I left in my room. I’ll be right back.” Susan nods as Emily walks from the room. Susan turns and hears music; she looks around the room then at Jacques portrait.

Emily walks up the staircase and meets Philip at the top of the landing. “Oh I was just coming to look for you.” Emily says to Philip. “Why what’s the matter?” “Susan is very upset could you go and look at her.” “Cort wouldn’t let me into his room. He seemed upset too.” “I think it’s the mark. There seems to be something buried very deep in her memory or her unconsciousness. We’ve got to find out what it is. I’m going to get my notes. You go down and make sure she’s all right.”

“Sure.” Philip rushes down the staircase and enters the Drawing Room. Susan turns away from Jacques’ portrait. “You should be resting.” Philip says to her.

“I can’t rest. Not now, not until I...” Susan turns and looks at the portrait. “Until what?” Philip asks. Philip’s vision fades. Susanna approaches Philippe. “I can not rest now. Not until your free Philippe. Not until the King sets you free.” She says to him. “Don’t be distressed Susanna. The King will free me, I’m innocent.” Philippe says as he takes her in his arms. “But what about your brother?”

“Jacques knows I’m innocent, he will help me.” “He has already betrayed you.”

“I don’t believe it.” She shows him a scroll. “What is this?” Philippe asks.

“It’s a copy of the pact they say you made with the devil.” “Who said that?”

“Your brother will swear to it tomorrow.” Susanna says. Philippe looks away. “It’s not true.” Susanna turns from him. “They will torture you until you admit it.” “Why am I accused of this?” “Your brother wishes you dead.” “No not Jacques.”

Susanna turns towards him. “He has already secretly testified that you plotted with Madame Desmondestan to poison the King.” “Lies, lies all lies.” Philippe says as he steps away from her. “And tomorrow his housekeeper Madame Newair will bring the original of the documents and testify she found it among your papers.”

“I will throw myself on the mercy of his Majesty.” “The King has already been convinced by this sign that you are in league with the devil.”

Philip’s vision blurs as he enters back to his own time. “You should be resting.”

“I can’t rest, not now.” Susan says as she walks closer to him. “Not until I...”

“Until what?” Philip asks. “Until I know what my dream means. Why I keep seeing the mark.” Philip reaches out and touches Susan’s arm. “You’re an extraordinary girl.” “Don’t say that.” “Didn’t you feel something happening just now?” Philip asks as he touches her hands. “Then it wasn’t just me.” “No we shared something, but I don’t know what.” Philip tells her. “I feel that we have been close to each other before. In some other place, in some other time.” Susan says to him. “Perhaps that is why you are here.” Philip says to her. Raxl sets Philip’s totem in front of Cort. “Take it away.” Cort says to her. “It is for you.”

“I don’t want it.” Cort tells her as he walks away from Raxl. “It will guard you when I’m not here.” “Has it guarded Holly?” He asks as he turns towards her.

“What do you mean?” “Philip gave that to Holly once to protect her.” “Have you seen it before?” “I stole it from her.” “Then she disappeared.” Raxl say to him.

“No Quito took it away from me and gave it back to her.” “Quito?” “Then he died and Holly left us.” Cort says to Raxl. Raxl turns and looks at the totem. “All because of this?” “And you want me to keep it? To protect me?” Cort asks. “It has the power to work evil for others. I can find a way to make it work good for us.” “You’ll find a way to death through it.” Cort tells her. “My life is charmed Master and so is yours if you follow what I say.” Raxl tells him as she puts her arm around his shoulder and walks with him towards the totem. “Next time you see this it will protect you from the witchcraft of Mr. Philip.”

The clock strikes three as Emily works at her desk writing notes from the books she is studying. Susan stands and stares at Jacques portrait. She covers her ears with her hands and turns away from the portrait walking towards Emily.

Emily hears her cry out and stands, she walks over to Susan. “What is it?”

“The laughter, listen.” “I don’t hear anything.” “You must, you must. Can’t you hear it?” “Who Susan? Who?” Susan turns and looks at Jacques’ portrait.

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

~Ron/Bella~
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