Episode 1450

Aired: Friday January 14, 1972

Roger Davis' voiceover: "The strange world of parallel time in the year 1897 has grown ever more dangerous for Harrison Collins and the Collins family. A stranger with seemingly unlimited powers of evil who has discovered the secrets of parallel time, secrets he must protect in order to prevent his enemies from ever finding him. Hanging in the balance is the fate of Valery Stokes, whose mind has been destroyed in a failed plot to steal her inheritance. But on this night, events will take a new and mysterious turn...."

After a replay of Petofi's entrance from Thursday's close and the titles, Harrison tells Petofi they have "nothing to discuss," and Petofi tells him "Perhaps you believe you can save Miss Stokes' mind in this time? Or in your own?" Quentin snaps "What do you want, Petofi? Since you know the truth, it's also no secret that Harrison saved your life by bringing you here. Why not appreciate that and quit while you're ahead?" Petofi answers "I may be grateful, but only to a point. You seem I've already saved Mr. Harrison once, which has evened the score. Now I am much more concerned about the possibility of others discovering my escape and pursuing me through the doorway in the East Wing. I only want that doorway to be sealed. I know you will return to your own world, Mr. Harrison. But I cannot be sure you will abide by any bargain with me to seal the doorway behind you. Therefore, I would want it closed on this end." Harrison says "That's impossible, I don't know how to close it!" Petofi says "If that's true, that's most unfortunate. Most unfortunate indeed. Because the only other way I can think of to destroy that doorway is to destroy the room that contains it." Benjamin shouts "You're not going to destroy any part of this house!" Petofi says "I'll destroy the entire house if I think it necessary to protect my safety. There's another one on this estate that could accommodate the family. But perhaps it need not come to that, if Mr. Harrison becomes more cooperative. I'll leave you to consider my offer." Petofi leaves and Benjamin says "Would he really destroy Collinwood?" Harrison says "Yes. You can count on that."

Gladstone has reached the entrance for the cave in the woods. He's brought a can of gasoline with him, and goes down into the cave. He starts to pour the gas all over the bones lining the shelves on the walls, on the table, and on the cape and mask hanging on the wall. "You will burn, Peter Bradford! Your sanctified ground will be burned and purged of your evil!" Gladstone says maniacally as he pours the gas. He climbs out of the cave and tosses the can aside as he lights a match. "Isn't this how they destroyed witches and Satanists, Bradford? With fire?" He throws the match into the cave, which bursts into flame. Gladstone smiles as he watches the fire burning, but then Bradford's spirit appears. "You will pay for what you have done," Bradford says. Gladstone yells "I'm destroying your sanctified ground! You will be destroyed as well!" Bradford, angry, says "The sword lives on, Gladstone! You have not destroyed the avenging blade! And it will be used to create new sanctified ground...." Gladstone defiantly yells "No! You won't be able to start again!" Suddenly the sword appears in the hands of Bradford. He says "Take it" to Gladstone. Gladstone seems to be losing control and reaches for it, but then pulls back. "No! I won't do your killing anymore! You are going to be destroyed!" Gladstone runs away as Bradford holds the scimitar and says "You will not escape my power...." Meanwhile, Harrison watches Valery as she sleeps. Benjamin comes in and tells Harrison that if he was indeed "sent here" to save Valery from this fate, "perhaps you'd better find some way of dealing with Petofi." Harrison says that he can't give Petofi what he wants, and even if he does, it's no guarantee that Petofi wouldn't destroy Collinwood anyway. "It's all my fault for bringing him here in the first place....if I had only been more careful..." Benjamin says "He cannot be invincible. There must be a way to defeat him if he has enemies he is frightened of." Harrison nods and says he wishes he knew a way to outsmart him.

Gladstone gets back to the jail and locks the door when Bradford appears again, holding the scimitar. Gladstone yells "No!" but Bradford says "Thou must sanctify new ground...." Gladstone says he won't, and that "Without that sanctified ground, you cannot kill anymore!" Bradford says that his power still resides in the "avenging blade" that Gladstone hasn't destroyed, and that it will be used to "sanctify new ground." Gladstone tries to get back out of the jail, but Bradford touches him with the flat of the blade, and Gladstone turns around slowly, entranced. Bradford smiles and says "Yes, Gladstone...you are now under the power of the sword." Gladstone says "Yes," weakly. "And now," Bradford says "Thou must sanctify new ground with the blood of a living victim." Gladstone says "A living victim," passively. Bradford says "The blood must be fresh...fresh from the mutilation of someone who must not die before the true targets of death are chosen once again..." He hands Gladstone the sword, who says "I will sanctify new ground." Bradford smiles and vanishes as Gladstone leaves the jail with the scimitar in hand.

Harrison waits in the drawing room as the clock strikes. Petofi enters the house and says "I understand you wish to see me, Mr. Harrison." Harrison nods, and asks Petofi exactly what he can do to save Valery. Petofi says "I can restore her mind to what it was before Mr. Trask's chemicals destroyed portions of it as easily as you sip that brandy. But first, I must demand my price." Harrison says he cannot seal the room "from this timeband" and Petofi says "Come, come, we both know that my price is much more than that. You see, I need to know what knowledge you have of that room. How it operates. How one such as yourself is able to direct yourself through time." Harrison insists that his "voyages through time" have been out of his control, but Petofi says "I don't believe in coincidences. Somehow you knew how to bring me back here with you, just as you knew how to come into my world...for reasons I'm not sure of as yet. I must know these things if I am to do anything for your Miss Valery." Harrison turns away from Petofi and looks at his ring, and we hear him think "He cannot know the secret of this crystal...at least he didn't notice I had replaced it back into my ring where it belongs...there must be some way out of this." Petofi says "I would hate to destroy such a beautiful house such as this. And saving it would be so easy on your part." Petofi takes off his glasses to clean them, and as he does, he bumps into a table as he talks. Harrison notices this and is interested when there is a thumping at the window. Harrison turns to look, and tells Petofi "Do you see anyone out there?" Petofi puts his glasses back on and says "I heard something. Do you think someone curious is eavesdropping on us?" Petofi walks to the window and opens it. "Perhaps they should stay out of my business, lest they face the hand of Petofi..." He raises the hand and laughs, and then suddenly Gladstone jumps through the open window waving the scimitar. "Gladstone!" Harrison shouts. "What are you doing?" Passively, Gladstone says "I must sanctify new ground with the blood of a living victim...." He looks at Petofi and says "You will be the chosen one..." He raises the scimitar with his bloodthirsty eye on Petofi's raised hand...Petofi yells "No! No!"