Episode 1427

Aired: Tuesday December 14, 1971

Alexandra Moltke's voiceover: "After a long night of terror at the great house of Collinwood comes a new day. But on this day in the strange and dangerous world of parallel time in the year 1897, the fighting over who will possess the great estate will take a horrible new turn...."

Alice hangs up the phone at the old house and tells Stanford that she can't find the Sheriff. "No one has seen him in the past few hours. I wonder if that means he's found something?" Stanford says he doesn't know what it means, only that the idea of a sword wielding killer smashing through an upstairs window is "a little too horrible to imagine." Alice says she didn't have to imagine it. There is a knock at the door, and Alice sees that it's Trask when she answers. He says hello to Stanford, and then improvs "Oh, er... Alice, I came to escort you to Collinwood like you asked. I know how you've been fearful of walking alone through these woods." Alice sees that he wants to speak secretly, and she plays along. The two of them start to leave, but Stanford says "Let me go with you. I need to speak to Roderick about some things." Trask then hummada-hummadas (thank you, Ralph Kramden) and says he also wanted to borrow a book from the old house and that he and Alice will catch up with Stanford. "Unless you are afraid of walking alone as well," Trask adds. Stanford says "Mr. Trask, I fought alongside Roderick in the great civil war of many years ago, and I've seen things that would scare you to pieces. I'll see you at Collinwood." He leaves, and Trask closes the door. He looks at Alice and says "We have a problem with more than merely Valery." She wonders what.

After the titles, Stanford enters Collinwood and finds Stokes waiting in the drawing room. Stokes asks Stanford if he had seen the black masked killer, and Stanford says that "luckily, Judith and I were in town when that happened. It must have been a frightful experience for Alice." Stokes agrees, and says that it was certainly frightening when he had seen the same thing. Stanford asks "You saw him?" Stokes answers "I was nearly killed by him the other night. Out in the woods." Stanford asks him what he was doing out in the woods, and Stokes answers "I'm not sure. I believe I was placed under some sort of trance by powers beyond either of our comprehension." Stanford laughs and says "With answers like that, I wonder who would think I was the novelist in this conversation." Stokes says it's very serious, and that "dark forces are at work on this estate. I intend to discover who is responsible." Meanwhile back at the old house, Alice has been told by Trask of recent events. "What will Quentin do?" she says. Trask answers that he doesn't know. "I don't know if there actually is a more valid will, or if he's bluffing. But if there is a new will and Quentin has seen it, he must know who is to inherit the bulk of the estate." Alice asks "From the way he acted, do you think it could be him?" Trask thinks about it, and says "That's a very interesting question. Perhaps by watching Quentin very carefully, we could learn the answer. He seemed to be most protective of Valery..." Alice says "Then she really did inherit the money?" Trask answers "I don't know. He also seemed to indicate that Valery may not own the estate after all." Alice asks "Then who?" Trask nods and says "The sooner we find that will, the better."

Quentin finds Valery in the PT room sewing. He enters, though looking around curiously. Valery asks him why he's acting strange, and Quentin says "Let's just say I'm not always so sure about this room anymore." Valery asks if he's been "seeing ghosts again" and Quentin answers "No, only empty rooms." Valery is confused, and Quentin says not to worry about it, but that there may be something else she needs to worry about. Valery immediately starts to defend her marriage to Trask, but Quentin tells her "It's not only me. Carl overheard Alice and Trask plotting something." Valery can't believe it. "Carl? He wasn't drinking was he?" Quentin says "No, he's been rather sober lately. He followed Alice after she was threatened by that killer Gladstone and he are searching for. And he saw her meet with Trask up on Widow's Hill." Quentin spins Valery around and confronts her. "They talked about taking this estate away from you and possibly even...." Valery pulls away and says she refuses to believe it. "You've got to believe it!" Quentin says. "And you know as well as I do that I'm someone you can trust! I don't care about the estate! I don't care about inheriting the money, all I want is a roof over my head and enough to travel the world on!" Valery smiles and says "And that's all you want?" Quentin says he'd rather not get into "all of that" now. Valery says "I see the way you are with Jamison." Quentin gets nervous and says "Jamison?" Valery adds "You want a family of your own. A son. What man doesn't?" Quentin says "Trask doesn't. He'd have to share the money with him. Valery, he tricked you into signing away your powers. Did you look closely at those papers?" Valery gets confused and says she didn't think she needed to, and Quentin calms her down. "Listen," he says. "Stay strong. I will see to it that nothing belonging to you will be taken from you." Valery says "I thought he belonged to me. I've been such a fool!" She cries in Quentin's arms.

Downstairs, Stokes has told Stanford about his theories and the possibilities of a Succubus at Collinwood. "We saw some strange things in our days in Louisiana at the end of the war. Voodoo, and all that. But this sounds far too fantastic," Stanford says. Stokes says he's convinced "that's what we are dealing with. And if the books I read were right, there may be only one way to destroy it. We must find its sacred altar, where its fire burns. Once destroyed, the monster will also be destroyed." Stanford says that they'd certainly notice an altar in the woods. Stokes says "You follow my thoughts exactly. I believe that's why I was in the woods the other night. I was lured to the altar. And since I remember where I was when I came to, I can assume that the altar is nearby." Stanford asks him how he will find that altar, and Stokes says "There is a ceremony. But I will need your help." Stanford looks intrigued. Upstairs, Valery asks Quentin what she can do, and Quentin tells her that he'll protect her as best as he can. Valery remarks that "My father should know of this. My father can protect me as well." Quentin asks her if she would consider going away with her father "for a while." Valery asks why, and Quentin tells her "It's time you knew. There is another will." Valery gasps "Another will?" Quentin tells her "Yes, grandmother told me where to find it while she was taunting me. Somehow I think she wanted me to be the one who knew her true intentions because she knew I didn't care about the money." Valery says she never cared about it either, and Quentin answers "I also think she wanted someone who would fight off anyone who would argue with it." Valery says that "though I am a woman, that does not mean that I will not fight. You've seen this will?" Quentin says yes, and before Valery can ask him, all he says is "I'd rather not tell you what's in it, in order to protect everyone involved. I'll only say that you won't be angry about it." Valery smiles and says she'll talk to her father about taking a trip.

Valery comes downstairs just as Stokes and Stanford are leaving. She tells Stokes that she'd like to speak to him immediately, and he stops to ask why. She says she wants him to accompany her on a trip to Boston for a few days, and he asks why the "sudden need for travel." She says she'll explain that later, but only for him to "pack enough for a week." Stokes says he'll see to it "once I get back from something else I must do that's equally important, my dear." He and Stanford leave. In the woods, Stokes and Stanford come to the spot where Stokes came to the other night. "Here...or somewhere around here," Stokes says. Stanford says he sees "nothing but woods." Stokes smiles and says "That's why we must see beyond these woods, Stanford." He opens the bag he has been carrying and takes out a bottle. "Is that....blood?" Stanford asks. Stokes answers "Yes. I visited a butcher in town recently... it's all part of the necessary ritual..." He starts to pour the blood into a circle. He takes out the Ankh he had found and places it within the circle. "And now to summon the life essence of that which we seek..." Stokes says as he lights a match. "Hidden spirit of the succubi demon!" he shouts. "I command you to show yourself to me!" He throws the match down, and as a startled Stanford watches, the entire circle of blood lights in flame! Meanwhile, back at Collinwood, Kitty is sitting in the drawing room with Benjamin, and suddenly clutches her chest and starts gasping. "Kitty! My God! What is it?" Benjamin yells. Back in the woods, Stokes searches through the flames and then suddenly points. "There! Stanford! There!" Stanford and Stokes watch as the altar comes into view beyond the flames. Back at Collinwood, Kitty gasps "The altar....the power is being drained from me...we must stop it! We must!" Benjamin says "What can we do? I should run to the woods and kill whoever is behind this!" Kitty stops him, and weakly says "No, no... take me to the fire.... put me near the fire, Benjamin....." He does so, and she stares into the flames until she sees Stokes and Stanford in the woods looking over the altar as their own flames burn. "Guardian of my spirit..." she begins. "Do not let the infidels sully the eternal flame of my power.... as flame is to flame....I command you to rise! I command you to rise and destroy them!" Kitty seems to faint as Benjamin yells "Kitty!" Back in the woods, Stokes and Stanford examine the altar while behind them and unseen by them, a figure rises up out of the flames! It steps towards them with arms outstretched, and we recognize it as the risen corpse of Evan Handley....