Episode 66:
Slideshow
Laslo: "Maljardin ablaze. The flames rising and consuming the
centuries of evil which have festered here. Destroying a family heritage which
has brought anguish and torture to Jean Paul Desmond. All evil must die
including the murderess Erica and the demon spirit of Jacques Eloi Des Mondes
and perhaps Jean Paul himself."
Jean Paul is laying in a bedroom stirring in his sleep restlessly.
"Maljardin." he calls out in his sleep.
"Where ever you go on earth Jean Paul Desmond your curse awaits you." A
voice calls out to him in his dreams.
"No, no!" Jean Paul cries out.
"You bear from this day onward the Mark of Death. No fire can destroy it
ever." "Fire, fire! Erica! Erica!"
Jean Paul cries out. Jean Paul shows sign of a fever. "Death, death! I want
death." Jean Paul says tossing his head restlessly. A man walks out of the shadows. "You
shall have it Jean Paul Desmond."
Jean Paul awakens. He looks at his hand. "The mark." "Rest." He hears a woman's voice and sits
up. "Where am I?" Looking around he sees a woman standing at the end of his
bed. "Sleep Jean Paul, sleep." "Who are you?" Jean Paul asks. "Ada. You must remember Ada. How we
played together on summer days when the sun was shining on the fields." "Ada?" "You're back in your boyhood room Jean
Paul at Desmond Hall." "Am I alive?
Are you real?" he asks reaching out to her. Ada walks over to him and takes his
hand. "You're alive." "The house.
Burning everywhere. The house, the Island. Flames all around me." Jean Paul says
getting upset. "It's only a dream
now. Sleep dear Jean Paul." Ada says brushing her hand over Jean Paul's
face. Jean Paul lays back and falls
asleep. "Will he live?" The man
from the shadows asks. "Of course
he will live." Ada answers. "Not
here. Not in my house." "But this
is the Desmond House. Jean Paul is a Desmond." "Then he must go. One way or another my
dear Ada. One way or another." Ada
reaches over to hold Jean Paul's hand with both of hers. A voice echoes from outside. "Where ever
you go Jean Paul I am there. The mark, the Mark of Death." Jean Paul stirs in his sleep. "No, no!
Burn, burn! Fire help!." Jacques laughter echoes through the room. Jean Paul
sits up. "Help!" he screams. "Help me ." He whispers. Then he looks around the
room. "Where?" He looks down at himself and pushes the blanket away. He is
dressed in blue pajamas. "Where is this?" He stands. "My room. My room when I
was a boy." He puts on a robe then opens the door.
Downstairs Ada and Laslo are talking. Laslo sits in a chair while
Ada stands next to the fireplace. "There are a few things you should always keep
in mind my dear Ada. I am in full control of Desmond Hall. Am I not in full
control?" he asks her. "Yes." she
replies. "And what I say we must
do, we must do." "Yes Laslo." Ada
says. "As for your cousin." "Jean Paul is a poor lost man." Ada says
to him. "I have no room for poor
lost men." Ada glances up. "Laslo."
she points.
Jean Paul stands at the top of the staircase. "Yes, this place.
When I was young my summers , holidays Philip and I would race up and down these
stairs." Jean Paul say stepping down the staircase. He stops in the middle of
the stairs. "And outside the cliffs, the fields and the rivers where they join,
Desmond Hall." Jean Paul says.
"Jean Paul?" Laslo calls to him.
Jean Paul stands and stares at Laslo and Ada. "Jean Paul, my husband Laslo." Ada says
to him. "Welcome to Desmond Hall."
Laslo tells him. Jean Paul walks
the rest of the way down the staircase. "I've seen you before." "I doubt that. You see we're newlyweds.
Isn't that right Ada my dear." he says putting his arms around her. "Jean Paul you must sit down. You're
ill." Ada says grabbing Jean Paul's arm as he sways on his feet. "No need to behave like a nervous family
servant my dear but like a bride." Laslo says to Ada. "Oh you see we haven't heard from you
for such a long time and I've had no one to tell the news. And Philip is gone."
Ada tells Jean Paul. "No need for
lengthy explanations my dear. You are quite right, your cousin needs rest in his
room." Laslo says as he walks to Jean Paul and grabs his arm. Jean Paul looks at Laslo. "Where is
Philip?" "Philip?" "Yes, Philip my brother. Where is he?"
This is his house. Where is he?"
Ada and Laslo stare at Jean Paul.
"Ada?" Jean Paul asks. "Why
he went to visit you in Maljardin. We haven't heard from him since." Laslo says
to Jean Paul. "I dreaded any thought that he might have been injured in the
great fire. So I ask you the same question Mr. Desmond, where is Philip?" Jean Paul turns away in
confusion.
Jean Paul is in his bedroom standing next to the window. "Jean Paul. Jean Paul." A voice calls to
him from a far off distance.
Jean Paul turns and looks around the darkened room. "Jean Paul." a woman's voice calls from
the doorway. "Yes." Jean Paul
answers and turns towards the door.
Raxl enters carrying a candle.
"Raxl!" "Yes Master." Jean Paul walks across the room. "You're
here." "I'm here." she says
touching his hand. "I didn't know.
I..." He says gripping her by the arms.
"I'm here to see that you are asleep." "I was waiting until the morning came."
Jean Paul says to her. "Daylight is
many hour away." Raxl says as she walks across the room and sets the candle on a
table next to the bed. "You must lie down Master. You have been very ill in
delirium." she says pulling back the blankets on the bed. Jean Paul walks over to the bed. "How
long?" "For many weeks. First on
the Mainland. Then a private place Quito and I carried you to." Raxl tells him
as Jean Paul climbs into bed.
"Quito? Then he escaped the flames." "He escaped and saved us. He is your
servant Master as I am." "Is he
here then at Desmond Hall?" "He's
been waiting outside until you became conscious and well again." "Well bring him in." Raxl walks to the door as Jean
Paul lays back. "Holly?." he thinks to himself quietly. "Quito Master." "Quito!" Jean Paul calls out to him
sitting up. Quito walks over to the
side of the bed. He touches Jean Paul.
"Yes, yes it's all real Quito. I'm alive. And we're safe now here at
Desmond Hall." Jean Paul says happily.
"Not at home. Maljardin is our only home." Raxl says. "Maljardin had to burn, the evil of the
past had to be destroyed." Jean Paul says to Raxl. "Man does not obliterate evil that comes
from the beyond." Raxl says. "I
did. I did Raxl. I must have!" "You
are to rest Master." Raxl says to him touching his hand. "Quito you saw it. You must have seen
it. The past in flames." "He saw
devastation and ruin. Quito found you at the door as the flames were about to
reach you. He carried you to the shore and found a boat. Quito knows what he
saw." "Then there is nothing to be
afraid of now Quito. It's behind us, it's all behind us." says Jean Paul. Quito shakes his head. "You must tell him Raxl, assure
him." "How can I assure anyone of
what I do not know." "Oh Raxl!
Please both of you leave me alone. I can't stand it. I've had enough of fear and
doubt and premonitions of doom. How much can a man stand Raxl! How long can a
man be expected to go on?" Jean Paul says getting upset. "You must go on until all your demons
are destroyed." "They are
destroyed!" Jean Paul says angrily then looks at the palm of his left hand. "Are they Master?" "Yes, yes they must be." Jean Paul says
in confusion looking away. Raxl
touches his arm. "Do not think of these things now. You must sleep." She picks
up the candle then walks to the door. Quito." she calls quietly. "And Quito will
be guarding you." Raxl says to Jean Paul as they turn to leave the room. "Guarding me. From what? I don't need a
guard." Raxl turns and looks back
at Jean Paul. "There is evil in this house Master. And before it touches you we
must return to Maljardin." Jean
Paul closes his eyes then opens them and looks at Raxl. "Raxl?" Raxl turns holding the door. "Holly. How did she...?" Raxl smiles and walks back into the
room. "She is here Master." "Here,
alive?" "Alive." Raxl says to him.
"I want to see her." "She is asleep as you should be. She's
been under sedation from the shock of her mother’s death." "How did we come to Desmond Hall?"
Jean Paul asks. "I called upon the
executive of your family. They insisted that I bring you here to rest. An
ambulance plane carried you here."
"Thank you Raxl. Thank you." he whispers. "You must rest now." Raxl says following
Quito through the doorway. "And Quito will be just outside the door." Raxl says.
Quito nods as Raxl closes the door.
Jean Paul lays down. "Holly, thank God, thank God." he says falling
asleep.
In another bedroom Holly is asleep. "Yes I hear you." Holly talks
out loud. "Do you know where you
are?" a woman’s voice asks her.
"Yes you have told me." Holly answers. "And what you are to do?" "Yes. But, but..." A woman in the shadows walks towards
Holly. "Tell me your doubts." "I
don't know who you are." "I am a
friend, a loving friend."
Holly opens her eyes. "Are you Erica?" "If you wish." the woman says to
her. "No, no! Erica killed my
mother. I don't want Erica!" Holly cries out. "Then forget, forget. Close your eyes
and forget all but what I have told you." the woman says taking her pendant off
and swinging in front of Holly's face. "Forget, forget until I come again.
Forget." Holly's eyes start to
close. The woman lowers a black hood from her head as she blows out a candle
that she picks up. She has short dark hair.
Raxl walks to Holly's bedroom door. She puts her hand on the knob
then puts her ear against the door. "What are you doing?" Laslo asks as he
stands next to Raxl. "Listening to
see if she's sleeping." "Go back to
your quarters." Laslo tells Raxl.
Raxl looks at him then walks away.
Laslo steps up to Holly's door and raps once. The door opens and the
woman walks out. She has once again covered her head. "Hurry, you must leave without anyone
seeing you." Laslo tells her. She
pulls the hood down. "You say she is close to Jean Paul Desmond?" "As close as a daughter." says
Laslo. "Then she will serve us
well. She will suit our purposes well."
Ada sits near the fireplace in the drawing room when Laslo walks
in. "Well, a cozy family evening at home." he says walking over to Ada. "I'm tired. It's almost morning." Ada
says to him. "We must have time for
our private relaxation now that our guests are settled for the night. Get me a
brandy." he orders her as he sits down.
Ada gets up and walks over to the table holding the brandy decanter and
glasses. She pours him a drink and hands it to him. "I'd like to go to
bed." Laslo grabs her hand. "What,
and leave me by the fire which you haven't kept burning very well by the way."
Laslo says kissing her hand. "I'd hate to think you were bored with my company
so soon. Put some more wood on the fire."
Ada bend and picks up a log. "Where have you been? I thought I heard
someone leaving the house." "The
wind plays tricks. I can't understand how you lived in so dreary a place so
long." "It hasn't always been so
dreary." "Oh come on my dear
please. No more memories of sunlit summers with your young and handsome
cousins." "They were happy
summers." "For you the poor
relative who was half guest, half servant. It's a dream my dear. I prefer to
deal in fact." Ada sees a paper
bird on the mantel of the fireplace. She picks it up. "What have you got there?" Laslo
asks. "It's some sort of
bird." "Put that down." A voice
comes from the doorway. "Cort." Ada
calls. "Well the little family
circle is complete." Laslo says.
The young man walks into the room towards Ada. "It's mine." he says
holding out his hand. "It's very
pretty." Ada says as she hands it to him.
"I don't like anyone to touch my things." "I can't blame you Cort. This must have
taken you a lot of work." Ada says to him.
"Where have you been so late at night?" Laslo asks him. He looks at Ada.
"Ask your son where he's been. Down in town with some doxy?" "Cort please no arguments tonight." Ada
says walking over to him and touching his arm. "What ever you ask mother." he says
walking around the room. "I've been reading stepfather." He says carrying a book
to the bookcase. "You don't realize the interesting family you've married into.
The Desmonds have the most intriguing history of ghosts, omens and curses. Some
day I might apply one." Cort says replacing the book on the shelf then turns and
walks towards Ada and Laslo. "Go to
bed." Laslo tells him. Cort looks
at his mother. "With your permission mama." he says then bows. "Cort tell me..." "Yes mother?" "Well what kind of bird is it?" Cort holds the paper bird looking at it.
"I haven't made up my mind yet. Perhaps a vulture." He crushes it in his hand
looking at Laslo. "It doesn't matter, it's dead." he opens his hand and drops
it, then turns and walks out of the room.
Ada looks at Laslo. "What am I going to do?" "Send him away." "Oh don't be cruel please Laslo." Laslo stands. "Oh I'm sorry my darling.
But what happiness can we have you and I with a house full of people." He sets
the brandy glass on the fireplace mantel. "It's too much for you." He says as he
kisses her forehead. "When all I want for you are the riches and comforts you
deserve." Ada glances down. "Laslo
I don't know what I want. Oh if only Philip were here." Ada says getting
upset. "Philip is not here." Ada looks up at Laslo. "Laslo, can Jean
Paul stay? Please say he may stay."
"If it will please you dear Ada, he will stay. For as long as he
lives."
In his bedroom Jean Paul sleeps and grows restless. "Erica, Erica
don't." "Jean Paul." A voice calls
out to him. "Jean Paul I'm trying to reach you." A ghostly shape materializes in
the room. "Jean Paul to reach you."
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Summaries written by Debby
Graham . The slide
presentation is the work of Ron Janick.
~Ron/Bella~
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