STRANGE PARADISE- Episode 92

Episode 92: Slideshow

Agatha: "Within the walls of Desmond Hall Jean Paul Desmond is threatened by unknown forces. His faithful manservant Quito, missing and the girl Agatha now adapted for purposes only known to the witches themselves. Emily studying the secret lore of the family surrounded in mystery looks on unable to save her host from spirits that she senses are determined to destroy him."

Emily sits in the Drawing Room with Jean Paul as he paces back and forth in front of her. "Well she's gone, disappeared without a word. Not even a note just gone." Jean Paul tells Emily. "Maybe she thought she was taking advantage of your kindness." "My kindness? No I have done nothing but bring evil to people. First of all poor Quito is missing." "That's not true." Emily says. "Then Agatha is missing. I never intended for her to go out in the middle of the night like this."

"Well perhaps she's gone back to her parents back home." Emily says. "No she'd never do that." "Well then maybe she's gone out to meet some friends. After all she's a local girl." Emily says as she tries to stand but falls back on the couch. "There's no suitcase here, not a trace of her anywhere in this house." He notices that Emily is growing weak and tired. "Oh Emily you shouldn't be here, you should be upstairs and resting." Jean Paul says touching her shoulder.

"No I'm all right and I'm sure that she'll be fine." Emily stands as weakness and dizziness makes her sway as she touches her head. "Emily." Jean Paul says as he grabs her. "Oh I feel strange. I feel weak." She says as she sits back down.

"Emily would you like some brandy?" Jean Paul asks sitting next to her as he still holds onto her. "No I think I better go up to bed." "What is it? What's the matter?" Jean Paul asks. "I've been..." "Well what?" Jean Paul asks. "I've been feeling strange ever since that..." Emily stares straight ahead. "No, no! The snake! No! “Emily screams and collapses. "Emily, Emily! Speak to me!" Jean Paul says as he holds Emily. "Emily? Emily open your eyes. You'll be all right. “He puts his hand on her forehead.”Emily I'd do anything to make you better."

Emily starts opening her eyes and smiles at Jean Paul. "I fainted." She tries to sit up. Jean Paul pulls her back holding her in his arms. "No lie still please."

"I'm sorry." Emily says. "Why should you be sorry? Of anyone you should be the least sorry." "I feel better now. I really don't know what happened to me." "You were frightened. Just before you fainted you screamed, you cried out The Snake." "Did I? I don't remember." "Emily something terrible is happening to you. Ever since you were trapped in Philip's secret room with that Serpent. Ever since that happened it seems as if...well it seemed as if you were dead. And nothing seems the same ever since." "I'm all right. It's nothing Jean Paul."

"We've got to do something. What ever is wrong we have to find the reason that it has such an effect on you." Emily sits up and turns to Jean Paul. "Jean Paul please there's nothing to be concerned about. I'm all right really." He grasps her shoulders. "Listen to me. I can't stand by and allow this to happen to you. Now what ever this is it is obviously prolonged and dangerous. You've got to help me fight it Emily. Help me." "All right. I seem to remember a book on Philip's shelves. It was about serpents." "Yes, tell me what did it say? Did you read it?" Jean Paul asks. "Oh no I didn't want to. I don't like crawly things." "Tell me where I can find this book." "It's on the shelf behind the table. It's called Serpentalia in Myth and Medicine." "Myth and it concerns medicine." Jean Paul says. He releases Emily and stands. "I must get a hold of this book now." "I'll go with you." Emily tells him. "No I don't want you to. I don't want to see you in that secret room ever again." "Jean Paul why won't you believe me." She says as she stands up. "Really there's nothing wrong with me. I'm just a little upset. There's really no reason to be concerned about me." Jean Paul touches the side of Emily's face. "There's every reason to be concerned about you. Now wait for me please." Jean Paul walks out of the room Emily hears a hissing sound. "Who? Who speaks to me? Are you calling me? I can't hear you clearly. All I hear is sliding soft, soft sound. As if you were trying to comfort me. But who are you? And what do you want me to do? Who are you?"

In her cottage Irene talks to Quito.”Who am I? Who?" Quito touches his fingers.

"I am your friend, that's who I am Quito. And I will keep you safe and free as long as you are loyal to me. Promise." Quito stands and walks around Irene. "Promise. Make the mark that you promise to serve me, only me. Promise."

There is a knock at the door. "Quiet Quito." Irene tells him. He sits on the couch.

Irene picks up the black candle candelabra. "Come in." she says. Laslo opens the door leading Agatha inside. "Good evening." Laslo says. "Good evening." Irene replies. "See who I found wandering about outside Desmond Hall, somewhat lost." "I was not." Agatha tells him. "Desmond Hall is much to dark and dismal for someone as vital as you are my dear." Laslo says. "He's right you know Miss Pruett. Mr. Thaxton is absolutely right Agatha. Strange things do take place in Desmond Hall and strange people come and go." "I'm quite used to strange people." Agatha says. "We mustn't upset her my dear, she's troubled. She's just lost a very close friend." Laslo says. "Oh I'm sorry to hear that."

Agatha looks at Laslo. "Take me back please." "But you only just arrived my dear." Irene says caring the candelabra. "I want to go back to Desmond Hall."

"But we haven't discussed our plans about your future." Laslo leads her across the room. "My future has nothing to do with you Mr. Thaxton.' "Oh come now my dear, we've known each other long enough. We don't have to be that formal." He says taking her coat and sitting her in a chair. "I don't want to know you." Agatha says. "I don't want to know either of you." "Forgive me my dear but it seems to me that a girl of your station in life would choose much worse friends than us."

"I know people like you. I recognize the order of secret herbs and scented candles on ancient candelabras. I grew up with people like you and I left them all behind me." "Have you really?" Laslo asks. "Yes I have." "Come my dear we all think we leave our past behind us but we don't. We can't. The past becomes the present and the present becomes the future." Irene tells her. "I won't listen to you." Agatha says. "Oh I think you will." Irene tells her. Agatha stands. "You're witches, both of you." "Oh come now my dear. We may be somewhat different from other people, somewhat superior even. But we're not witches." Laslo says.

"You are. I can always identify witches. I know all about them." "And I know all about your little friend. What did you call him, Peter?" "And who is Peter?" Irene asks. "Miss Pruett appears to be; well I suppose you might call her a Priestess of sorts. For the ancient Serpent God. It seemed a pity that such a talent should be wasted at Desmond Hall when she has much more scope here with you." Laslo says. "No!" Agatha stands and turns as she rushes towards the door. "Agatha!" Laslo says to her. She stops and Laslo walks up to her. "Do you love Peter very much?" Agatha turns and looks at Laslo. "Do you want him to live or die? Do you want to be deprived of his power?" Agatha walks back across the room. "That's better you see if you don't join us I will kill him. And your power dies with him. Do you understand?" Laslo says. Irene walks over to Agatha. "After all we all want the same thing Mr. Thaxton, you and I." "I don't want anything.' Agatha tells them. "You want Jean Paul Desmond to die. So do we." Laslo says to her.

"That's not true!" "Oh you don't have to pretend with us my dear." Laslo says.

"We're your friends." Irene tells her. "And since you want what we want why don't we join forces." Laslo tells her. Quito walks in from another room. "Like true friends." Laslo says.

In Philip's secret room Jean Paul looks for the book Emily had told him about. "Serpentalia in Myth and Medicine." He places the books back on the shelf. "No that's not it. It's on the shelf behind the table. Why can't I find it?" The door opens and Jean Paul turns around. "Emily?" "I was alone and I was frightened. And you were gone so long I thought you had forgotten about me." Emily says walking up to Jean Paul. "Of course I haven't forgotten you." He takes her in his arms and hugs her. "Listen you mustn't be afraid anymore." "I'm not. Not with you. The book, did you find it?" Emily asks looking up at Jean Paul. "No." He pulls away from Emily and looks at the bookcase. "Well I put it here myself." Emily walks to the bookcase. "Here it is." Emily says as she pulls the book from the shelf. "Please let me see it." Jean Paul says taking it from her. "But I'm the researcher you know." "Yes but I'd rather read it myself." "Well is there a reason I shouldn't read it?" "Well no. No not really. It's just that I remember this dark creature and." He looks at the book. "Wait a moment. Here it is. 'The serpent often coils about its victim but does not poison the body." He looks at Emily "Thank God for that." He looks back at the book. "However..." He stops reading.

"What is it?" "Nothing." "Jean Paul!" She pulls the book from his hands and reads. "However the Snake God poisons the spirit possessing people for his service." "Emily please don't read this." "I must.’ His victims are weakened momentarily sometimes fainting. Sometimes going into trances as they pass from their world into..." She hands the book back to Jean Paul. "I sensed the words even before I read them." Jean Paul reads. "From their world into the dark cavern of the spirit. Once a servant of the God there is no release." Emily grabs the book and closes it. "No I won't believe it. It's not true. I will not believe it!" she shouts looking at Jean Paul. Jean Paul reaches for her and holds her.

Irene looks at Agatha. "So you will help us. You will trust us and you will do as we ask." "I don't use Peter for wicked purposes." "We want him to take evil from the world. Not to add more to it." Laslo says to Agatha. "You are witches." Agatha says. "Jean Paul Desmond is evil. We will remove this monster from the world." Laslo says. "You mustn't suspect us of such things Agatha. Witchcraft is not evil. Witchcraft is an art. And art is never evil, you know that.' Irene tells Agatha. "I don't know anything about witches!" "Don't deny the facts of your life." "What fact?" Agatha asks Irene. "We know all about you. And we know all about your father and mother." Agatha turns her face away. "Oh don't be afraid." Laslo tells her. "And we know all about their parents, and their parents." Irene says. "And you're frightening me as they used to frighten me. As their friends used to frighten me. But I always escaped." Agatha says as she looks at Irene and sits down. "Where did you escape to?" Laslo asks. "To the woods and in the caves. I used to run away and hide in them." "We can't run away from our fate Agatha." Irene says to her. "Yes we can. If we're strong enough and we fight hard enough. If we find friends." "But we are your friends." Irene says to her. Agatha glances at Irene. "Peter is my only friend." "A snake for a friend? Come, come Agatha, that's a story children might believe. But Laslo and I aren't children."

"It's true! It's true I tell you!" Agatha stands and faces Irene. "Peter is my only friend. The only friend I ever had since the day he came to me in the cave." She says walking away from Irene. "What caves? Where?" Irene asks. "When I was a little girl my mother told me the Serpent God lived in a cave by the river. And I found that cave one day." "And what did you do down in that cave by the river Agatha? Pretty little Agatha." Irene asks brushing Agatha's hair back with her hand. "I prayed on the Serpent God's altar to make my mother and my father good like other people. I prayed to the Serpent God to take away their evil powers,” Irene drops her hand from Agatha's head. "You were too young to understand." "The evil power they used against everyone I loved." Agatha says angrily turning towards Irene. "And did the Serpent God answer your prayers?" Laslo asks. "He sent me Peter. Who kept me safe ever since. He's my friend."

Laslo walks up to her. "You have lost your only friend. He's disappeared at Desmond Hall." Agatha walks away from him. "Peter protected me from my parents and he'll protect me from you." "Agatha we have all lost friends. It's very sad but we must make new ones to replace the old ones." Laslo says walking over to Agatha. "He'll come back." "I don't think he will." Laslo says as he walks away from Agatha. Agatha turns and faces Laslo and Irene. "Peter won't desert me." "He has deserted you already." "Peter. Peter." Agatha starts to sob. "Don't cry Agatha, Peter sent you to me." Irene says walking over to her and puts her arm around Agatha's shoulder. "Laslo and I will protect you." "I want to go back to Desmond Hall." Agatha sobs and walks towards the door. Laslo grabs her. "You will never see Jean Paul Desmond again and if you don't cooperate you will force us to remove you from this life." "Let go!" Agatha pulls away from Laslo and runs towards the door. "Come back here!" Laslo says as he grabs her again. "No! Let me go!" Agatha cries out struggling. Quito sees Laslo and grabs him backing him away from Agatha. "Stay Quito stay!" Irene commands swaying a pendant in front of Quito's face. Quito releases Laslo. "Turn Quito." He does as he is commanded. "You are mine, Quito mine. You are my servant now! Mine Quito." Quito backs away from Irene. "You have lost the only protector you might have had." Laslo tells Agatha as he walks over to Irene. "You will never return to Desmond Hall again." Irene says to Quito. "You will never serve Jean Paul Desmond again. You will never guard the Desmonds from their enemies or from evil." "You will kill whenever Irene tells you to. Without question, without hesitation. Whenever she tells you and when ever she tells you." Laslo says to Quito. Quito clasps his hands and bows. "Quito kill Agatha." Irene says. "Kill Agatha now!" Quito walks towards Agatha as she backs away. "Kill Agatha now, now!" He grasps her neck. "Quito remember your Master Mr. Desmond." Agatha cries out to him. Quito pushes her into a corner with his hands around her neck. "Put that pretty neck between your strong hands until the evil is gone out of her forever. Kill the Snake Princess." Agatha starts choking trying to breath. "That's enough Quito. Stop." Irene tells him. Quito releases Agatha and faces Irene with his hands still raised. Irene walks over to Agatha carrying a candelabra. "So now we know who has the power and who doesn't don't we Miss Pruett?" Agatha looks at her, as she tries to breath with a bruised throat. "Yes."

"And if you obey us your future is safe. But if you disobey us your future will be taken away from you by Quito's hands. Is that quite clear now Agatha." "Yes Mrs. Hatter." "Oh my friends call me Irene. Say it." "Yes Irene."

Jean Paul and Emily are in the Drawing Room. Jean Paul closes the book. "Myths, superstitions. I can't accept them as fact. I can't." He tells Emily. "Well then you must stop worrying about me. I'm fine now Jean Paul. "I'm here with you." "I'm glad you're here with me. But really you shouldn't be. Everyone that is around me, everyone that I love is tainted and cursed." "Everyone you love?"

"Yes that is what I said. Everyone that I love." Emily looks away. "I don't know how to respond to that." Jean Paul turns away. "Emily you mustn't. Ever since you've been here at Desmond Hall I found myself wanting to forget the past. Forget all the terrible and unavoidable things that have happened to me. I want to some how begin afresh. To begin anew because of you Emily. I can't express these feelings to you because I don't feel I have the right." "But you do have the right to Jean Paul. I admire you more than any man I've ever met." "You mustn't say that." "But it's the truth." Emily says standing behind him. Jean Paul turns to Emily. "Emily when I saw you laying there without a breath no sign of life whatever. I knew then that you were the most important thing in my life. But I can't allow myself to feel that." Jean Paul says walking away from Emily. He stops in the middle of the room and turns towards her. "I have secrets, secrets which I can never tell to anyone. I must not love anyone. That's why you should never have come here. That's why you should have left long ago." Emily looks at him. "But I wouldn't have left." "I know and I want you here." He says walking towards her and holding her by the shoulders. "I wanted to look at you." He holds her in his arms. "So I plunged you into ghosts and snakes and witches and Serpent Gods!" Jean Paul says getting upset. "Jean Paul you take everything so seriously. It's only a snake." Emily says then stares straight ahead and walks away from Jean Paul. "But they are such beautiful, graceful, luxurious creatures. With colors that must glimmer in the darkest passages underneath the earth. Such beauty is worthy of admiration." Jean Paul watches Emily worriedly. "Emily?" "Look, see him in your mind's eye. See this tremendous serpent, his writhing body gleaming in the darkness. His eyes burning like diamonds. He moves to me. He winds himself around me.' Jean Paul grabs Emily and shakes her. "Emily, Emily stop it!" "I can feel his eyes looking into mine. Calling me and I feel more alive than I've ever felt in my entire existence. It's as if I've entered another realm. With the potential beyond that of a human being. And I'm consumed with a dedication stronger than life itself. Stronger than fear, stronger than love. I'm being enfolded in his consciousness and nothing matters to me but his presence. I will serve him no matter what the danger, what the hazards. No matter what happens to me or what he demands from me. I am his completely, forever. He is my God! My Serpent God!" Jean Paul looks at her in horror. "Emily what have I done." He lowers his head. "And I am his slave.' Emily says.

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

~Ron/Bella~
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