STRANGE PARADISE- Episode 129

Episode 129a: Slideshow

Episode 129b: Slideshow

Emily: "Afternoon at Desmond Hall, the people within the mansion go about their daily lives. A relic from the Egypt of long ago brought here from a secret door from a room between this and the next seeks the person pure in heart who will serve its foreordained purpose. Moving mysteriously from person to person as if guided by an invisible hand. The key creates confusion and apprehension to those who learn of it and hold it briefly in their possession."

When Philip picks up the key the carousel becomes silent. "Shaped like a cross but oval at the top." Philip says as he looks at it. "That’s it. It’s the key Jean Paul lost. But why did it come to me?" He closes his hand over the key and walks out of his room. In the hallway Raxl comes out of Jean Paul’s room. "Where are you going?" She asks Philip. "To find Jean Paul." "He’s resting." "Well I have to return something to him that he lost." "What is it?" "This." He shows Raxl the key. Looking at it Raxl backs away from him. Philip walks towards her. "What’s the matter?" "Do not give that key to my Master!" "But I promised him I would."

"You must not. Quick go to your room before someone sees you with it. I beg of you." She says as she touches his hand then turns and rushes to Philip’s room.

Philip follows her then enters his room as Raxl follows closing the door behind her. "I don’t understand." Philip says to Raxl. "It is necessary only that you obey." "Well Jean Paul insisted that I give him the key if I find it." Philip says as he turns away from Raxl. Raxl walks up to him. "I will explain it to him." "He told me he lost it." "He did not tell the truth." Raxl says as she looks at Philip. "That key has never been in the possession of my Master. And it must never be." Raxl says as she looks away. "I can’t refuse to give it to him if he needs it." Raxl looks at Philip. "That key brings evil to all who touch it." Philip smiles as he walks across the room. "Well I’ve touched it." "Yes but you have the protection of your totem. My Master has no guard against such evil." "Well perhaps the key will be his protection." "It protects only the pure in heart," "And cousin Jean Paul is not pure in heart?" "I did not say that." Raxl says as she looks at Philip. "There is a curse on the Desmond family isn’t there Raxl?" "I do not know." Raxl says as she turns away. "I only know the key is dangerous for my Master." Raxl says as she walks to the door. "How did it come to Desmond Hall?" Raxl turns and looks back at him. "Quito brought it back from his journey." "Quito, he’s dead." Raxl steps towards him. "The key brings death. It brought death to Quito. It brought death to your cousin Philip. It is a messenger from another world. A world which human beings would do well to let alone." Raxl says as she looks away from Philip. "Well then you give it to him for me." He holds the key out to Raxl. "If I touch it I will die." "I’ve touched it and I still live." "Do not compare yourself with me. You are young in the ways of the world. And you are much younger in the ways of the spirit world." Philip looks at her. "Then what am I to do with it?" He asks as he walks towards Raxl. "It must be taken from Desmond Hall and never returned!" "No I must give it to Jean Paul." Philip says as he holds it up to Raxl

. "Do as I say. Destroy the key! Before it destroys you." Raxl tells him then walks out of the room. Philip walks around the room and sets the key next to the carousel.

Cort is in the Drawing Room. "Give it back! Give it back to me! It’s mine!" he shouts. Emily is walking into the Drawing room when she hears Cort shouting. She closes the doors behind her as she enters the Drawing Room "What is going on here? Jean Paul just rushed past me and slammed himself into his room and now here you are shouting into empty space." "Oh it’s gone just like that!" He says angrily as he snaps his fingers and swings his arm. "What has gone?" Emily asks as she walks behind him. "The key has disappeared." Cort says as he turns towards her. "I know." Emily says as she looks away. "How do you know?" Cort asks. "It disappeared earlier today. I put it down on the table right there." She says as she points at the table. "From the same table." Cort says.

"Then we looked here." She points at the fireplace. "Then we looked back again and it was gone. We didn’t know how or where it went." Cort looks away. "It came to me." "Did you show it to anyone?" "To Mrs. Hatter and Jean Paul."

"Then it hasn’t gone to either of them." she says in relief. Cort looks at her. "Why not?" "Because it only appears to someone who has not seen it before. It’s searching for the pure in heart." "Well it appeared to me and it’s appeared to Laslo. So I don’t agree with your explanation." "It can appear to anyone. But it doesn’t stay. It can’t stay." "I’ll find it. It’s here somewhere! If it appeared to me it’s going to appear to someone else and when it does I’m going to get it back again!" Cort shouts and storms out of the room.

Walking to the foyer he sees Holly sitting on the stairs of the staircase. He walks around the staircase and looks up at her. "Holly tell me something." "What?" "Are you pure in heart?" "Don’t tease me." Holly says angrily. "I’m serious I assure you." "That’s a silly question!" "It is not! You see I’m trying to find those that are pure in heart among us." "Why?" "Because they can lead me in the way I want to live my life." Holly looks away. "No one gets what they want from life."

"Are you pure in heart?" "I don’t know! Leave me alone!" Holly cries out as she stands then runs off to the Drawing Room. Cort turns and rushes up the staircase."

Running to the couch Holly lays her head on her arm turning her face into the couch. Emily rushes over to her. "Holly? What is it?" Holly raises her head. "Why doesn’t life live up to its promises? Why does every happiness turn to sorrow and death?" "Don’t be despondent dear. We must be patient with life. Everyone here felt the way you do." Emily says as she kneels next to Holly. "But the sorrow passes, wait and see." Holly sits up. "I won’t wait any longer." She stands and steps forward. "Ever since I came from Maljardin my life has just been miserable. Except for Philip. He brings me happiness." Emily stands. "Philip is dead Holly. You must forget him." She says as she walks up behind Holly. Holly looks back at her. "He spoke to me. Can the dead speak to us?"

"I don’t believe they can." Holly turns away. "Philip speaks to me. He waits for me somewhere. He calls me to save him. But I don’t know where to find him. But I will find him and I will save him no matter what price I must pay."

Philip picks up the key and holds his totem with his other hand. He calls out. "Orendo, Orendo guardian spirit shield me from the evil Uthco bring me good fortune." He raises the totem and key placing the key on top of the totem and touches his forehead with them as he closes his eyes. "Guardian spirit Orendo."

There is a knock at his door. He opens his eyes and sets the totem and key on the dresser. He walks over to his chair and sits down. "Yes." "It is Raxl." "Come in." he says as he picks up the pen from the table. Raxl enters closing the door behind her. "Have you destroyed the key as I instructed?" "I do not take my instructions from you." he says as he looks away from her. Raxl walks up to him. "Do not defy me." "I can not break my promise to Jean Paul." "Your cousin does not know what he is asking." Philip stands. "I think he did and I will go to him." He walks over to the dresser where he has laid the totem and key. He picks up the key. "I have made certain you will not see Jean Paul Desmond until that key is out of your possession." Philip turns to Raxl. "If it comes to me without my asking for it why do you think it won’t appear to him?" Raxl looks away. "If it had been meant for him it would be with him now. He has already seen it once and it disappeared from his sight." Philip stares away angrily.

Holly looks at Emily. "Emily will you help me?" "I’ll do anything I can." Emily says as she steps closer to Holly. . "Oh thank you." Emily walks across the room to the table and starts looking through her notes. Holly follows her and looks down. "There it is." Emily glances up at Holly. "What?" "The River caves of Desmondton. I’ve been looking for it." Emily picks up the book. "I’m sorry I’ve been using it in my work." She hands the book to Holly. Holly starts looking through it. Stopping she stares at a page. . "What is it?" Emily asks. "Look." They look at the page with a picture of the key. Underneath are the words. The Key Is Me! Find It Holly! Holly looks up at Emily. "How can I find it? Quito went to find it. I know because he saw the picture with me then he disappeared."

Raxl enters the room. She walks up to Holly and Emily, "It led to Philip." Holly says as she closes the book then turns to walk out of the room. "Quito gave his life Miss Holly." Raxl says. "Quito gave his life to bring the key to me." "And you will give your life if you take that key." "I would rather give my life to be with Philip then live it here without him." Raxl looks away. "Then you would give Jean Paul’s life too?" "What do you mean?" Raxl turns back towards Holly. "You would bring destruction to him. It is not enough that Quito died for you. Must you take my Master too?" "I will not let you keep me from Philip!" Holly cries out then rushes from the room. Raxl shakes her head and walks through the Drawing Room. She stands next to Emily. "That key must be destroyed before she uses it." "It’s indestructible." "Then it must be buried or thrown in the river!" "No it cannot be kept from the next person who uses it." Raxl turns and looks at Emily. "In your books Miss Blair there must be some such formula for ridding us of the key." "I’ve never seen anything of the sort." "But it has been missing for centuries." Emily walks away from Raxl. "No it was not missing. It was waiting."

"Waiting for what?" "The person it seeks here." Emily tells her. Raxl walks over to the couch and sits down. "It lured Philip Desmond to his death." Turning Emily joins Raxl on the couch. "How do you know that?" "That I know is sufficient. I know it is luring my Master. It pursues the Desmonds." "We don’t know if it seeks a Desmond as someone else." Raxl turns and looks at Emily. "I cannot wait. Miss Blair search your books, find the formula. Help me save the life of Jean Paul Desmond." Emily shakes her head. "No formula known to man can divert the key from the person it seeks." Raxl stands. "Then you will not help me to save my Master." Emily also stands touching Raxl’s hand. "I will try. But don’t hope for much. The key is older than we are, older than our knowledge and we must not intercept its journey."

Philip walks into the Drawing Room. "Where’s Jean Paul? I have to talk to him."

Emily and Raxl turn to look at him. "He’s in his room." Raxl tells him. "I knocked on his door and no one answered. The door is locked." "He is safe from you."

Philip smiles. "You are keeping him from his destiny." Raxl walks towards him. "His destiny is in my hands as it has always been. And he will not see you until you do as I suggested." She turns and leaves the room. Philip watches Raxl leave with his arms crossed. Then turns and looks at Emily as she walks to the fireplace. Emily turns and looks at him. "So it’s you who has the key." "Raxl tell you?" Emily shakes her head. "No I guessed." She holds her hand out. "Would you give it to me?" "I don’t have it with me." "Then where is it?" "Oh it’s well protected." "You’re not going to use it." "I can’t use it if I don’t know what to do with it now can I?" "But it’s not meant for you." Philip walks away from Emily. "Jean Paul wants it. He asked me to give it to him." "It’s not for Jean Paul either." Emily says as she looks at him. He has his back towards her. Philip turns around. "Well why don’t we let him decide that!" Philip says angrily as he walks towards Emily. "The key does harm to those that misuse it." Philip smiles. "I’m not using it." He says as he looks away from her. "I’m keeping it for Jean Paul."

Emily walks up behind him. "If it’s meant for Jean Paul it will reach him without your help." "I intend to give it to him." "Do not be the instrument of evil." Philip looks at her. "So it is evil as Raxl says." "No the key is nothing more or less than what it is used for. It can be used for good or it can be used for evil." Emily says as she walks away from Philip. Philip walks up behind her. "Raxl asked me to destroy it." "Then take care that you do not destroy good rather than evil."

"I have means of finding out what is good and what is bad." Philip says then turns and walks out of the Drawing Room. He starts walking up the staircase when Cort stops him. "Cousin Philip?" Philip turns and looks at him. "I want to talk to you." "Later. I have other things to do." He turns and starts up the stairs. Cort steps forward. "Things involving a key?" Philip smiles and turns back towards Cort. "Now why do you say that?" "Beware of it cousin. It has its own will." Philip nods and walks up the rest of the stairs.

Cort turns away from the staircase and into the Drawing Room. "Philip has the key hasn’t he?" "The key is not for you." Emily says to him as she sits at her desk. "It protects whoever has it. Now why can’t it be mine?" Cort says as he walks to the bookcase. Angrily he pushes books off the bookcase onto the floor.

Emily jumps up. "What are you looking for?" she cries out. "I’m looking for the River Caves of Desmondton!" Cort says angrily as he pulls more and more books shoving them to the floor. "Well it won’t help you!" she cries out as she starts picking up books. "It will help me to use the key!" "No it will not! But it will tell you men have been murdered for the key!" Emily shouts at him. Cort turns towards her. "Where is the book?" Emily walks away from him. "I haven’t the slightest idea." she says with her back turned towards him. Cort walks up to her. "If men can die for the key it also means that men can murder for it too." He turns and leaves the room angrily.

Philip holds the key in one hand and the totem in the other. "Orendo, Orendo guardian spirit speak to me. Give me a sign." He touches the key to the totem. "Is this key an evil Uthco?" He raises the key and totem and touches his forehead with it as he closes his eyes. "Is this key to be destroyed? Answer me guardian spirit. Speak to me Orendo." Philip’s carousel begins to turn and the music begins to play. Philip lowers his hands and looks at the carousel. "Speak to me."

"Cousin Philip do not destroy the key." Jean Paul’s brother tells him. Philip raises his head. "Do not destroy the key." "You do not speak for Orendo." "I speak for me. Do not destroy the key. It saves me from pain and agony forever. Set me free." "Tell me how." "Keep the key until you hear my sound again."

"But it will disappear from me as it has from others." "It disappears only when more than one looks at it." "But who do I give it to?" "Keep the key. Keep the key." Philip’s voice fades away.

Holly looks at the book in her room as she sits on her bed. The River Caves of Desmondton. "I will find you. I will set Philip free. I will free us both." She closes the book and puts it under her pillow as the door opens. Cort stands in the doorway. "What do you want?" Holly asks him. "Only to cheer you up." Holly looks away. "I prefer to be alone." "But you’re always alone. That’s why you’re unhappy. Misery feeds on loneliness." Holly looks at him. "Cort why don’t you knock before you enter my room." "Would you like me to go out and start all over again? You take things to seriously." Holly stands and steps away from Cort. "If you’ve come to mock me you might as well leave right now." She says as she hugs her arms against herself. "I came to neither mock nor praise dear Holly. I came to borrow something from you." He says as he walks closer to her. "What?" Holly asks with her back towards him. "A book." Holly turns and looks at him. "What book?" "The River Caves of Desmondton." Holly turns away. "I don’t have it." "What were you reading when I came in?" "Something personal."

Cort walks to the bed and pulls the pillow away and picks up the book. "Here it is. You lied to me didn’t you?" "Well maybe I didn’t know it was there." "Oh I suppose it just appeared from nowhere like the key." Holly looks at Cort. "You’ve got the key?" "No. No I had it but no more." he says as he walks away from Holly. "Then where is it then?" He turns and looks at her. "Where ever it is it won’t be there for long." He opens the book. "There’s a picture of the key in this book isn’t there?" He starts flipping pages. "I don’t remember." Holly says to him.

"Here it is." Cort glances down. The page is blank. "You took it! Give it to me!"

"It was there just a minute ago!" Holly says to him. Cort looks at the page in horror. A skull dripping with blood from its eyes has appeared on the page. Under it is the words. THE KEY IS FREE IT WILL KILL THEE. Cort slams the book shut and tosses it on Holly’s bed. "Keep the Book! Keep the key I didn’t want it anyway!" He turns and rushes from the room. Holly watched him leave and turns and sits on the bed. She opens the book; the key is back on the page. And under the key are the words. THE KEY WILL FREE BOTH THEE AND ME. "The key well free both thee and me?" she reads out loud. Music from the carousel sound in the room. Holly stands and follows the music from the room into the hallway.

Philips stands next to the moving carousel holding the key. He turns and walks across the room holding the key. Philip’s voice comes to him. "Keep the key." Keep the key." The door opens and Holly enters. "Did you call me?" Holly asked? Philip turns "No." Holly walks up to Philip. “Someone called me. Something led me to your room. " Philip holds the key out to Holly." Is this what you were looking for?’ Holly takes the key and touches it to her lips then smiles at him.

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

~Ron/Bella~
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