Episode 74: Slideshow
Raxl: "A secret
room has been opened at Desmond Hall revealing the hidden life of the missing
Philip Desmond. Jean Paul learns his brother was involved in dangerous
experiments and deadly poisons. For Philip whose spirit is crying out for help
seems to have been involved in witchcraft. Night falls on the Great House as
Jean Paul reads things he does not wish to believe. It is written in the hand of
his brother."
Jean Paul turns and
looks at the skeleton, then turning he walks to the table. 'There must be a way.
I've tried every spot every stone. There must be a secret to the door. There
must be a lever, a lock.' Jean Paul thinks to himself silently. He walks back to
the doorway pushing on it. "Hello! Hello, can anybody hear me!" Jean Paul
shouts, then starts pounding on the door with his fist. Breathing heavily from
his panic he hears a moaning coming from inside the room. Jean Paul turns around
and looks at the skeleton. It starts forming into a ghostly form of a man.
"Philip! Jean Paul shouts. "Is that you?"
It fades away changing back to the skeleton. "Philip?" Jean Paul calls out touching
the skeleton. "Speak to me!" Jean Paul turns away. "Philip where are
you?"
Holly is asleep in
her room when Irene calls her name. "Holly you've been feeling strangely tired."
Irene says dangling the black necklace in front of Holly's face. "But I need you
now Holly. wake up now. Awake." Irene touches the black stone to Holly's
lips. Holly opens her eyes.
"Irene?" "Yes what a slug abed you
are. Here I stopped by to visit you."
"My necklace." Holly says to her.
"Oh yes I was admiring it waiting for you to wake up." Irene hands the
necklace to Holly. "I thought I
went to bed with it on." "I found
it there on your dresser. Most attractive. Now come, you must get up. You're
coming to my house tonight."
"Your house?" "Yes, I think it's time that you met
Desmondton such as it is. And you've been moping around this house much to long.
So I'm giving a party. Some of my most close friends. I'd like you to meet
them." "I don't know." Holly says
turning her head away. "I won't
take no for an answer." Irene says walking over to Holly's dresser. "Tell me
what cloths you'd like to take. What dresses and I shall help you to pack." Holly sits up. "Where's Jean Paul?" "I really don't know. I spent the
afternoon with Laslo. Business affairs, most stimulating. I do detest people who
don't find money stimulating." Irene says picking up Holly's perfume and
smelling it. "Am I coming to live
with you?" "What?" Irene asks
turning to look at Holly. "Jean
Paul said he was going to make arrangements for me to stay at your
cottage." "Well he hasn't mentioned
it to me yet though I'd like nothing better. Come on rise and shine or you'll be
late for your own party." Irene says walking over to Holly's bed pulling the
blanket back. "Oh I don't know.
Jean Paul being so strange lately. He used to be like a father to me and
now..." "Oh I know. I know poor
baby. Now where do you keep your overnight case?" Irene looks around the room
and finds it in the corner, She walks over and picks it
up.
"Now he acts as if
he doesn't want me near him. He's leaving here you know." Holly tells
Irene. "He told me this morning
he's staying at Desmond Hall."
"He is?" Holly
asks. "Oh my dear, this house is
getting you down. You're all confused and upset. But never mind you'll be a
different person after the party." Irene says sitting on the edge of Holly's
bed. "Oh I don't know. I'd like to
go especially with you but I don't know what Jean Paul would want." "I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll go and
find him and make him tell you that you must go." Irene says as she stands and
walks towards the door. "And in the mean time I'll send you a special cup of
broth. Drink it all down now like a good girl." Irene says leaving the
room. In Holly's hand is the black
necklace, she starts swinging it in front of her
face."
In Philip's secret
room Jean Paul lights another candle. Picking it up he walks around the room
looking for anything he could have missed. 'Philip, Philip are you trying to
reach me?' Jean Paul thinks to himself silently. He hears a creaking noise as
the door opens, a light shines in Jean Paul's face. "Still here? I forgot to warn you about
it. Never close the door behind you. Philip and I are the only ones who know how
to open it." Cort says and walks away
Jean Paul rushes the doorway. "Cort!" he shouts. Turning he picks up
Philip's diary and leaves the room closing the door behind him. Jean Paul stands near Philip's bedroom
in the hallway leaning against the wall breathing heavily. Raxl sees him. "Master? Master I've been
searching for you." "Raxl wait.
There are just some things I just can't explain." He says entering Philip's room
and sitting tiredly on the bed.
Raxl follows him,
closing the door. "Listen to me Master. There is evil in this house tonight. I
know it. Cold fingers of evil are working, reaching out." "Raxl listen to me. I've got to find a
way to reach Philip." Raxl walks to
the window pulling back the drapes. "It is night, a full moon. Clouds are
gathering. The star, the star is certain to appear. A warning, Do as I ask
Master." Raxl says as she walks over to Jean Paul. "Go to your room where Quito
can guard you go now."
Jean Paul looks at
Raxl. "Perhaps I'm the evil you fear. Perhaps these are the fingers reaching out
for murder." Jean Paul says raising his hand and looking at it. "Master you are not evil. I will not let
you be. Come with me now Master." Raxl says walking to the door. Jean Paul sits on the bed looking at his
hand. "Now! Before it is to late!"
Raxl tells him. Jean Paul clenches
his fist and lowers his head.
Cort steps into
Holly's room carrying a bowl of broth. "Holly?" "What are you doing in my room?" "I brought you a cup of broth from that
old witch Irene. It looks nauseating." Cort says to Holly. "Don't you call her that." Holly says
angrily. "Well drink it then." Holly looks away from Cort. "Put it on
my bedside table and get out." "If
I were you I'd do the same." Cort says putting the broth down. "Get out I
mean." Holly looks at Cort. "You
don't like anyone do you?"
Cort looks at
Holly. "Not really. I thought you wanted me to go?" "I do." "Then why are you talking to me?" "It was an observation that's all." Cort looks at the flower in his hand he
has made. "I made something I thought you might like to have." He carries it to
Holly's bed. "What is it?" "A flower." "Why?" Holly asks. Cort throws it on her
bed. "Why did you make for me?"
"Well I don't look for reasons for everything I do. Reasons bore me
because they are usually wrong. We don't do things for any reason any of
us." Holly picks up the flower.
"It's very pretty." "Pretty? Is
that the only complimentary word you can think? I have it, the reason." Holly looks up at him. "What is
it?" "That flower, that pretty,
pretty flower is my farewell gift."
"Where are you going?" "No
where, not yet. You are." Cort says kneeling next to Holly. "Go away. Leave
Desmond Hall, you're in the way. You're a very sweet girl." He kisses her cheek.
"But your in the way!" Cort stands and quickly leaves the room. Holly throws the flower down and touches
her cheek. She reaches for the broth and drinks
it.
Jean Paul paces
back and forth in his room.
"Master you must conserve your strength. Sit, rest it will be a long
night." "How! How are we to prevent
the powers of the demons from taking command? How am I to hold off the Mark of
death from appearing on my hand? Jean Paul asks getting upset. "I do not know Master. Here in this
strange house I have no strength against it. But we will try. If the mark does
appear." "It can't appear!" Jean
Paul shouts rushing over to Raxl. "You can't let it Raxl!" "I can not stop it. But we will stop you
Quito and I. We will keep you a prisoner here and no matter what the evil forces
command you to do you will be unable to leave us." Jean Paul hears the heartbeat. "Raxl, do
you hear it." "No Master." "The beating it's pounding, pounding in
my brain!" Jean Paul shouts clutching his head. Raxl rushes to the window. "The clouds
are covering the full moon. The star shines like a beating heart." Jean Paul rushes to the window and
closes the drapes. "Raxl stop it!" Jean Paul shouts. "Stop it!" He turns away
from the window covering his ears. "Louder! And louder! Stop!" he shouts falling
upon his bed clutching the blanket.
Raxl walks over to him. "Master you must stay in this room. Don't let
anyone in. Lock the door! I will bring Quito." She rushes to the door and looks
back at Jean Paul. "Do not let anyone but Quito into the room." Raxl walks out
and closes the door. Jean Paul lays
in misery on the bed, he sits up and standing he stumbles to the door. "Lock the door." Raxl's voice says from
the other side of the door. Jean
Paul leans on the door with his back against it. Reaching down he turns the key.
Cort is in the
Drawing Room when Irene walks in. "Cort."
"Yes." "Did you bring the
broth to Holly?" Cort nods. "Did she drink it?" "Should she?" "Will you be courteous enough to answer
me." Cort looks at Irene. "The
answer is I don't know whether the noxious brew was consumed or not. Courteous
enough?"
"Not by a long
shot. I want to talk to Jean Paul. Do you know where I can find him?" Irene
asks. "Sorry." Cort answers. Irene walks to the fireplace. "Cort why
do you feel I'm a threat to you?" Irene asks walking over to Cort. "A
threat?"
"There must be some
reason why you don't respond to me. I'm accustomed to being friends with the
people in Desmond Hall. Friends with all the
Desmonds."
"Oh I don't follow
local custom." "I know that. But
you're a very eligible young man and I have very many friends in Desmondton.
People you might like to know and you refuse every invitation I offer.
Why?" "Because you don't fool me
like you fool all the rest." Cort says.
"Fool you. About what?" "You
are a gossiping, prying woman." "Is
that all. I admit it." Irene says turning away. Cort stands and walks over to Irene then
leans on the mantel of the fireplace. "And your interest isn't in the Desmond
family. You don't like people Irene. You don't like people at all. I know
because we're both the same you and I. Your interest in the Desmond family is
because of the Desmond money."
Irene looks at Cort. "My dear Cort. I'm a wealthy woman in my own right.
Why would I..." "Excuse me said the
boy with the courteous bow, but to much sugar makes me ill." Cort says walking
out of the room. Irene smiles after
Cort leaves. "Dear boy, such a dear expendable young
man."
In his room Jean
Paul stands at the window as the heartbeat sounds in his head. He watches the
star. Turning away he stumbles across the room until he is facing the mirror.
There is a knock at the door. Jean Paul looks back at the
door.
"Master it is I
with Quito." Jean Paul stumbles
across the room. "Open the door and
let us in." Walking to the door
Jean Paul turns the key and opens the door.
"Master, Quito is
here to guard you. He will stay with you no matter what happens." Jean Paul stares straight ahead. "Master?" Jean Paul turns his hand over. He has
the Mark of Death upon it. "The mark, the Mark of Death. Look, look it is to
late." "We will watch with you
Master. You will harm no one tonight. Do you understand? No one." Jean Paul grips his hand with his
opposite hand and walks away from Raxl and Quito. "No, no I will kill no one. Oh
my God! My God help me!"
Holly is in her
room humming as she packs her suitcase. Irene walks in." "Humming happily?"
Irene asks. "Yes I feel
marvelous." "Auntie Irene’s magic
broth. It always works wonders." Irene says with a smile. "You know I believe you. A while ago I
felt awful, miserable and weak and now... Tell me about the party." Holly
asks. "Well it's going to be like
nothing you've experienced before. A very foolish party." "Promise." Holly says happily. "I promise." Irene says with a smile.
She walks to the window and pulls back the drapes. "Oh dear the clouds are
covering the moon and I did so hope we would have a full moon
tonight."
"For the
party?" "No no dear Holly. Everyone
at the party will know that it will be the night of the full moon." Irene says
then walks back to Holly. "I had hoped for the moon for the ride to the cottage.
It's such a lovely drive along the cliffs over the river in a full moonlit
night. My dear we will have such a time." Irene puts her arm around Holly's
shoulder and hugs her.
Jean Paul has his
suit coat off. He's tossing and turning in the bed. "You must fight Master. You must reject
all thought of evil. Dismiss the demons, drive them away." Raxl says brushing
her hand over Jean Paul's forehead.''
Jean Paul looks up at her then grabs her wrist while reaching out for her
with his other hand. "Quito, hold
him!" Raxl calls out. Quito grabs Jean Paul's wrists pining him to the bed.
"Quito will guard you Master rest."
Jean Paul screams. Quito clamps his hand over Jean Paul's mouth while
holding him down. There is a knock at the door. "Who is it?" Raxl asks. "Mrs. Hatter. I'd like to speak to Jean
Paul."
"He's sleeping."
Raxl tells her. "But it's
important." Raxl slips out through
the door. "What is it you want?"
"Is Jean Paul all right? I thought I heard him cry out." Holly asks. "May
I see him?" "No." "Well my dear we have to go." Irene says
to Holly. "Holly is staying the night at my cottage. I wanted to make certain
that Jean Paul approved." Irene tells Raxl, "I'd like to go." Holly says. "Go, he will approve. Go." "Shall we." Irene leads Holly to the
staircase.
Raxl enters Jean
Paul's room as Quito releases him. Standing up Jean Paul stumbles to the window.
Turning he holds his hands over his ears. He extends his arms into the air then
lowers them. "Raxl what am I t do?" He rushes over to the table and opens the
top drawer pulling out a gun.
"Master!" "Take it. Take it!
If I try to leave this room use it!" he says handing the gun to Raxl. "You will not leave this room, you will
fight this curse. You told me you would find the strength." "I hoped! I hoped I can! But if I can't
you must use it! You mustn't stay in here! Stay outside, stay in the hallway!
And if I try to leave, if I try to get past you! You know what you must do! Now
don't be afraid!" Jean Paul tells Raxl standing in front of her. "I have no fear for myself Master. What
ever happens to me I'll survive. I fear only for you." "I must summon all my strength and fight
this curse! I must!" Jean Paul cries out.
"Yes you must." Raxl tells him.
"Now go, go now! Wait outside!" Jean Paul opens the door for Raxl. "Don't
let anyone come in and do not let me leave! Do you understand?" Jean Paul says
in agony as he closes the door and leans his back against it. He stumbles to the
window. "I must fight this! I must! I must!"
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Summaries written by Debby
Graham . The slide
presentation is the work of Ron Janick.
~Ron/Bella~
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