Episode 1389

Aired: Thursday October 21, 1971

After a repeat of Wednesday's end and the titles, Angelique tells Barnabas that Isaac Collins had originally contracted with "my master" as he set up the village of Collinsport in 1651. We flash back to several men dressed in colonial garb building the docks at Collinsport. Supervising the construction is the young Isaac Collins (David Selby). He tells one of the dockworkers to "keep adding space. I intend for my ships to have plenty of room to unload their goods." He looks at some plans and then at the workmen, but then notices someone wrapped in a blanket sleeping off to the side. Isaac goes over to them and tries to kick them awake. "I'm not paying you to sleep, sir," he says. The man rolls over, and we see that he is not wrapped in a blanket, but is wearing a robe that covers his head in a hood. Isaac looks at him, confused, and then we see that instead of a face, there is only a skull with bloodshot eyeballs inside. Isaac is startled and steps back, but suddenly finds himself in the fiery underworld. Now the hooded figure is sitting on a throne before him. "Isaac Collins...." the hooded figure says, "I have brought you before me to discuss a matter of business." Isaac looks around and then at the hooded figure, and then answers "I have no business with you, if you are who I think you are." "Call me Diablos," he says. "I have forseen a prosperous future for the Collins family. You will start a dynasty of sorts in your world." Isaac says "And that interests you?" Diablos answers "Many things interest me. And there can be many futures. I have also forseen a different future.... where you die penniless, leaving no family at all." Diablos laughs as Isaac wonders what to do.

Angelique tells Barnabas that "her master" forced Isaac into a bargain. Barnabas says "In order to maintain prosperity in the future of the Collins family?" Angelique nods. Back in the underworld, Isaac argues that he has no desire to "sell my soul to you" in order to achieve wealth. "I don't care what you say, demon," Isaac continues. "I know my hard work and perseverance will provide a future for my family." Diablos scoffs "How can you be sure which vision is the true one? You must bargain with me to find out." Isaac thinks a moment and says "You sought me out, demon. What have you got to offer?" Diablos walks around Isaac and answers "I can protect your family throughout the generations.... provided they serve only me." Isaac answers "Is that it? You only require they serve you?" Diablos says yes. Isaac laughs, and Diablos angrily says "How dare ye laugh in my presence!" Isaac answers "You are a poor bargainer, demon. You have given yourself away too easily." Diablos says "Explain yourself." Isaac answers "If you require my heirs to serve you, then my family must endure through generations. Why should I bargain with you at all? You have just told me your vision of my dying penniless is a lie. I know in my heart that I can build my own fortune, and I will. I don't need you. Now get thee back, demon. I will have nothing to do with you, nor will any of my progeny." Diablos answers "I will have much to do with your progeny, Isaac Collins, if thee shall not serve me. I could destroy you now, but that would be too easy. For your insolence, I will vex thy family throughout the generations. They will know the prosperity your 'hard world and perseverance' shall bequeath them, but they will know not happiness." Isaac angrily answers "My family can stand up to whatever you assault them with, demon! They will be Collinses as I am, and will resist your temptations!" Diablos answers "If that is so, and you are indeed right, then we have a bargain." Isaac, confused, says "What?" Diablos answers "Your son, Amadeus....he will be the first to be tested... many years from now. Can you prepare him to resist me?" Isaac answers "You will leave my son out of this." Diablos answers "Do we have a bargain or do I destroy you now? Or do you doubt your own son's strength?" Diablos laughs as Isaac thinks, and then Isaac answers "My son will defeat you, as will his son, and every generation after that." Diablos answers "I will send forth my minions to deal with them. They shall deal with them thrice, and if so defeated by the supposed virtue and strength of the Collins name on the third attempt, then they shall be destroyed forever." Isaac looks at Diablos and answers "No one with my name will ever serve you. You will not win." Diablos answers "It is done!" Suddenly, Isaac finds himself back at the docks. One of the workmen passes him and says "They're coming along quite nicely, sir." Isaac, shaken up, asks him what he said. He repeats himself, and adds "Surely you must be proud to be giving your name to this new port." Isaac nods, and answers "Now I must make sure my family lives up to that name...."

Barnabas mulls this story over and then asks Angelique "And you were one of his lesser demons?" Angelique answers "in a way." Barnabas says "Then if what you say is true, the spirit we are after may come directly from the underworld." Angelique answers "Yes." Barnabas thinks a moment and says "But you said the lesser demons deal with the Collinses thrice.... that means they will appear on Earth three times. The spirit we are after may have been here before.... unless...." Angelique asks what, and Barnabas says "Nicholas Blair! This is the third time we've had to deal with him. If what you say is true, it's his last chance to defeat the Collins family or he will be permanently destroyed!" Angelique says that's true. Barnabas asks "Does that mean the spirit he brings upon us has also been here twice before?" Angelique thinks a moment and says she doesn't know. Barnabas says "This may be the clue we've needed..." Meanwhile, Quentin walks in on Harrison in the drawing room. Quentin asks him if he's discovered anything about what they're looking for. "Only a hunch," Harrison says. "You still suspect Julia Hoffman?" Quentin asks. Harrison answers yes, and adds "I've planted the seeds of some false fears in her. A test of sorts, I guess you could call it. I think her reaction may tell us what we need to know, one way or the other." Quentin takes a drink and says "I for one hope you're wrong about her. I owe her my life." Harrison answers "You may owe Julia Hoffman your life, Quentin. But if the spirit we are after has possessed her, she is no longer Julia Hoffman." Quentin faces this.

Barnabas tells Angelique that he will need to tell Stokes about the long standing curse on the Collinses so that "he can help me research any common enemies from the past." Angelique tells him that she may be able to locate the spirit they are after by using her powers, but Barnabas answers that they should only risk that as a last resort. He leaves, and Sarah comes downstairs to find Angelique. She asks Angelique what's wrong, and Angelique says "Nothing. Your Uncle Barnabas and I have a lot on our minds, that's all." Sarah asks "Are you having a problem finding someone? That's what I thought I heard you say." Angelique answers "Barnabas went out to look for him. We were talking about Professor Stokes, that's all." Sarah says "Oh. He should be easy to find. Otherwise, I thought you might find them by looking into the fire again." Angelique is surprised to hear this, and says "Look into the fire?" innocently to Sarah. Sarah nods and says "You know how to look into the fire and see where people are, don't you?" Angelique sits Sarah down and says "Sarah, it's very dangerous to talk like that. Knowing how to do such things can make very bad things happen." Sarah asks "Why?" Angelique says "Because sometimes there are bad people who can do such things. We shouldn't do the things bad people do, should we?" Sarah asks "But what if someone good does it? Why can't you do it if you know you're doing something good?" Angelique answers "I don't know." Sarah says "I think you should do good things with what you know. Maggie told me that's why we learn things, so we can help people." Angelique smiles and says "She's right, Sarah. And I think you're right too.... why don't you go up to bed. I'll be up to read to you in a little while." Sarah starts up the stairs and says "Okay! Are you going to help Uncle Barnabas now?" Angelique answers "Yes.... yes, Sarah. I think I am."