Horror is to be relived on the great estate of Collinwood, for a journey back through time to prevent Judah Zachary from inflicting centuries of evil on all those who live, and have lived there, has failed. Just as it occurred in the original timeline, Judah has met his mentor in the Black Arts, and has been drawn into an endless web of evil. On this night, as his initiation into the dark world of the damned has been accomplished. Jedediah Thorne, an innocent who trusted in Judah has been betrayed and lies dead. The price of Judah's loyalty to the one who is to become his dark master...
Scene opens in a cell in the Collinsport Gaol. Silas McGruder sits on a wooden bench behind iron bars. His head is down as he gazes absently at the floor. He sighs and looks up with a look of hopelessness and then rises. He paces about the cell with the same look of exasperation. The outer door opens and the Constable enters with a plate of food and says, "Stand thou back, Silas McGruder." Silas turned and walked to the back of the cell as the Constable unlocked his cell and placed the plate on his bunk. He then carefully backed out of the cell and locked it again. "Foolish thou wert, Silas! Tis no wonder thou art poor as the dirt. All thy wages go to pay for the damages thou dost cause, and with what little remains, thou dost make thyself blind with spirits and bring upon thyself even more debt!" The Constable said shaking his head in disbelief. "Aye, and now thou shalt say I should speak unto thy sister's brother, the minister!" The Constable simply looked at him for a moment and said, "No, I hath abjured thee continually, and thou remainest on the same path to destruction as always. Eat thy supper while it is yet hot. I wilt not ask my wife to reheat it for thee." Silas sighed and walked toward the bench as the Constable turned and left closing the door behind him. Silas picks up a piece of bread off the plate and begins to devour it hungrily.
Scene switches to the outer office as the Constable goes to his desk and puts the keys in the top drawer. As he closes it the outside door opens and numerous townspeople enter the building. Their faces are filled with a mixture of anger and fear. The spokesperson marched determinedly to the Constable's desk and said, "We demand to have Silas McGruder!" The Constable looked at the man and with a curious look replied, "And just why dost thou demand to have the prisoner? He can do no more harm. He will remain here until I take him to Collins House in the morning to collect what he oweth!" The man looked across the desk at the Constable and said, "If thou art so lucky as to live unto morning!" The Constable took a deep breath and enquired, "And just why wouldst I not live unto morning?" The man's face twisted into a snarl as he said, "Jedediah Thorne lieth dead! He hath burns all about his body, yet no fire hath touched him. Zeke lieth dead in his house as well! His neck hath been broken, yet the physician findeth no marks upon. Silas swore to kill them both and now they be dead! We demand that Silas McGruder be hanged! Silas McGruder is a witch!" The Constable's mouth dropped open as three dramatic notes sound.
(Place Commercials Here)
The constable stood with a dubious expression as he looked back at the man who had made this incredible charge. "Now Phineas, thou knowest that there be no such things as witches! They are the creation of those who are meddlers and busybodies!" Phineas looked back at him with narrow eyes and declared, "And thou art such as art deceived by them! The work their wicked wiles, and such as thee stand amazed and ask why such things do happen. Then when the man of God doth tell thee, thou art in unbelief!" Phineas eyes fall upon a small pouch on the Constable's desk and he looks up at him and asks, "These are the belongings of Silas McGruder?" The constable narrowed his eyes and replied, "They are indeed, but what concern is that to you?" Phineas quickly seized the pouch and poured it contents on the desk. (Two dramatic notes sound) On the desk lies a charred clay doll, another clay doll with a man's kerchief tied about its neck, and a broken clay horse. Phineas looked up wide eyed and declared, "The implements of Satan! Thou seest it thine own self!" He picks up the horse body with one hand and the head with the other and said, "Galen Myers mare dieth this afternoon of strange causes! A mystery it is no more! Silas McGruder hath played the sorcerer! Thou hast the evidence before thee! He polluteth this New World with the evils that were known in times of old! We must destroy him before he doth corrupt our friends and neighbors! Evil of this sort is a disease that doth spread!" The Constable gave Phineas a hard stare and declared, "Hear this, Phineas Jones, and all who wouldst take the law into thine own hands! It will take more than dolls of clay and the ravings of superstition to lay hands upon my prisoner. Silas McGruder had not these implements when these two men wert found dead. He hath been confined to the cell since I brought him from the pub! Now I say unto you all, depart from this place and bring me no more ranting of witches and sorcerers!" He picked up his rifle from the corner and cocked it. Phineas looked at the Constable with narrowed eyes and said, "Then their blood be upon thee! The day shalt come that thou shalt repent of thy unbelief! I pray no more deaths be added upon thy head!" Phineas then turned and stormed out of the Constable's office. The crowd also then slowly began to break up and mill out the door mumbling to each other. The Constable closes the door behind the last one and shakes his head as if he could hardly believe the events of the past few minutes.
Samuel Dawson gathers his belongings and packs them in a valise. A knock comes at the door. He goes to the door to answer it. He opens the door and Judah immediately rushes inside and turns to him saying, "The whole town is in uproar! There are cries of witchcraft and they hath named the drunk as the witch!" Dawson smiled slightly and continued packing his things. Judah sees what he is doing and looks back and forth between the valise and Dawson and said incredously, "Thou art departing?" Dawson looked at him and said, "But of course! My work here is finished." Judah looked totally stunned and said, "But my training? Hath I displeased the master?" Dawson continued packing as he says, "Oh quite the contrary! Thou shalt begin thy training soon! Very soon!" Judah still looked confused and said, "But if thou art departing..." Dawson stopped and looked at Judah and said, "Judah, thou art worried about much, and for no reason. Thy training is not to be done in this village. I goeth to Bedford to prepare for thy apprenticeship." Judah walked closer and said, "So I must go to Bedford with thee!" Dawson nodded in the negative and said, "I have much preparation before thy arrival. Thou shalt tarry here until a few days hence. Some of my followers are due through Collinsport in a few days. They hath a wagon. Thou shalt gather whatever possessions thou considereth valuable to thee and journey forth from here unto Bedford. Thou shalt tell no one where thou art bound." He packed the last item into his valise and then picked it up and walked to the door. He then turned and with a serious look on his face and said, "Thou must perform no more acts until thou hast joined me in Bedford! That is of the utmost importance! I hath given thee the perfect scapegoat. Thou must do nothing to sway the town's suspicion off Silas McGruder!" He then pats Judah on the arm and says, "Until we meet at our appointed place, mine charge!" He then places his hat on his head and opens the door and departs. Judah stands watching the empty doorway as dramatic music rolls out.
(Place Commercials Here)
Morning comes to Collinsport. Phineas stands in an alley talking to another man in hushed tones. "I say unto thee, Caleb, that the Constable hath been blinded! The warlock hath clouded his mind with deceit!" Caleb looked back at Phineas and said, "But art thou certain about this, Phineas? The Constable could be right. Silas may not be guilty of these acts!" Phineas then looked at him in utter shock and declared, "Thou didst see the devil's tools thyself! He did say they belonged to Silas! No, what we do is for the good of the entire town!"
The Constable sits at his desk peeling an apple with a large bladed knife. The door burst open and a man rushed in and said, "Constable! A fight hath begun at the pub!" The Constable rose to his feet and grabbed his rifle and said, "Yet again? Thou shalt stay and guard the prisoner!" He then rushed out the door. The man then stood in front of the desk watching the front door when it opened. Phineas and Caleb enter and Phineas nods to the door leading to Silas' cell. Caleb then entered the door and disappeared from sight. Phineas then turned to the other man and said, "I am sorry I must do this, but it be for thy own protection. He took out his gun and struck the man with the butt of it. The man fell unconscious to the floor. Caleb emerged holding Silas at gunpoint. Phineas then said, "Thou shalt not be suspect, but I shall. Therefore I must be seen elsewhere. Thou knowest what must be done!" Caleb nodded and herded Silas outside. Phineas followed him. Once on the sidewalk outside Phineas looked at Silas and said, "Thou shalt pay for thine iniquities this day, Silas McGruder! Pray thou that God may shew mercy unto thee!" He then said to Caleb, "Away with the witch!" Caleb then forced Silas away at gunpoint. Phineas then started to depart when he saw a young man watching from around a corner. He walked over to the young man and said, "If thou fearest God, thou shalt say nothing of what thou hast seen! We do the work of our Lord this day!" The boy remained silent and Phineas rushed off to establish his alibi. The young man still stood quietly. Suddenly a woman's voice cries out. "Simeon! Simeon, where art thou?" The boy still stood looking deep in thought not hearing the woman. She comes into sight and says, "Simeon Trask! I hath been calling thee! Come, we must return home!" He stood looking in the direction that Silas had been taken for a moment, and then turned to follow his mother. (Sad music plays out.)
Professor Stokes and Desmond Collins sit having morning tea at Collins House. "Well, I guess we should be getting into town. Brutus and Amadeus will be wondering where we are." Desmond said quietly. Stokes lowered his cup from his lips and revealed a quite disturbed look. "I'm not quite so certain." Stokes said with a look of deep thought. Desmond looked at him and said, "I don't understand. You're the one who said we have to blend in here. It will seem quite strange if we don't report for our duties at the shipping yards." Stokes nodded and said, "Indeed! But I fear our presence here is now a hopeless waste of time. We failed to prevent Judah's interest into the Black Arts. I'm now convinced our best course of action will be to find a way to return to 1841 and procure the journal as we originally intended." Desmond looked at him quite puzzled and said, "Just how do you propose we do that?" Stokes then rose and walked about the room and said, "According to Silas McGruder, the stairway through time has been randomly appearing and disappearing in the woods where Collinwood will be in the future. I propose we should go there and wait for its next appearance!" Desmond then rose also and looked at Stokes as if he could hardly believe what he is saying. "You also heard him say it takes us back to your time, not 1841." Stokes thought for a moment and then replied, "That's true. I say we wait for the stairway and take it to whatever time it leads to. If indeed we find ourselves in 1971, then we can attempt to find a way to direct it to the time we seek! We have can do nothing more here." Desmond then asked, "OK, so we go to the woods, and the staircase isn't there. If we wait all day and it still doesn't appear, how do we explain to Brutus why we weren't at the shipping yards?" Stokes then replied, "We must pass the spot where it appears on the way to town. If the staircase is there, we return to our own time. If it is not, we shall proceed into town and try again tonight. I am firmly convinced we won't be able to accomplish anything further here." "Desmond nodded approval at this idea and then said, "Well, we'd best be on our way." The two men then exit the house. Camera focuses on the closed door as music fades out.
(Place Commercials Here)
The Constable enters the gaol and as soon as he opens the door he sees the man lying on the floor. He then looks up and sees the door to the cells standing open. He rises and rushes to the door and looks in and a look of disgust crosses his face. He returns to the man on the floor and begins trying to rouse him. "Timothy! Wake up Timothy!" The man on the floor moans and stirs. He raises up on one elbow and moans, "Oooooh, what happened?" The Constable then said, "It was my hope that thou couldst tell me!" Timothy nodded his head and said, "No. I was about to look in on the prisoner when I did feel a pain. The next thing I dost remember wast thou waking me." Suddenly Phineas rushed into the office and said, "Constable, I must ask that thou reconsider and bring charges against Silas for the crimes of witchcraft! Thou has all the proof thou needest to hold him. I pray thee that thou dost not return him to Collin House! Many others may die if thou dost not secure him well!" The Constable looked at Phineas suspiciously and said, "What I shalt do is hold thee!" He pulled a pistol on Phineas and said, "The prisoner is no longer here and thou knowest it well!" Phineas feigned shock and walked to the door to the cells and then returned with an equally feigned look of horror. "He hath escaped! Now the town lies at the mercy of his wicked acts!" The Constable continued to look at him with suspicion and said, "Where wast thou in the past half hour?" Phineas then looked at the Constable with a hurt expression and said, "It troubleth me that thou wouldst think me capable of aiding the sorcerer! It was I who alerted thee to his wiles!" The Constable remained staunch and said, "I did ask where thou hast been! Declare it now!" Phineas then defensively said, "I wast at the church telling the good Reverend what hat befallen this fair town!" The Constable then grabbed Phineas by the arm and said, "Thy story canst be confirmed. Come! We shall go see the good Reverend." He begins leading Phineas to the door when it suddenly opens. Stokes and Desmond enter the office. "Constable, we hath come to report a murder! Silas McGruder is dead! (Two dramatic notes sound.) The Constable looks at them and then replies, "Dead?" Stokes then said, "We findeth him lynched in the North wood leading to Collins House. This black hood did cover his head." The Constable released Phineas and walked around behind his desk and fell into the chair. Phineas turns away so no one can see the look of glee on his face. (Dramatic music rolls out.)
Desmond Collins.
JOHN KARLEN
Professor Stokes.
THAYER DAVID
Samuel Dawson.
HUMBERT ALLEN ASTREDO
Silas McGruder.
MICHAEL STROKA
Judah Zachary.
CHRISTOPHER PENNOCK
Phineas.
JAMES STORM
Constable.
JOHN BEAL
Timothy.
STEPHEN CALDER
Caleb.
KENNETH McMILLAN
Mrs. Trask.
GAYE EDMOND
Simeon Trask.
TOM HAPPER
Written and Directed by RUSS WILLIAMS
Story Developed and Created by ART WALLACE
Produced By PETER MINER
Associate Producer GEORGE DiCENZO
Fashions courtesy of ORBACH'S
Music composed by ROBERT COBERT
Scenic Design SY TOMASHOFF
Music Supervisor SYBIL WEINBERGER
Costume Design MOSTOLLER
Make up VINCENT LOSCALZO
Associate Producer KEN McEWEN
Assistant to the producer HARRIET ROHR
Unit Manager PATRICK PLEVEN
Technical Director J.J. LUPATKIN
Lighting Director MEL HANDELSMAN
Audio FRANK BAILEY HENRY PLIMACK
Sound Effects ED BLAINEY
Video RUDY PICCIRILLO ROSS SKIPPER
Series created by DAN CURTIS Executive Producer
Had this been an actual episode, the air date would have been July 7, 1971