841 - September 14, 1969

[bunniefuu]

[ eerie music ]

NARRATOR:The turn of the century at Collinwood,

where on this night Julia Hoffman has been abducted

by the notorious Count Petofi,

and taken to an abandoned mill not far away.

There, she has been forced to tell how through the mystery

of the I Ching, she was able to come back

to the year .

Now, Count Petofi himself has gone into the I Ching trance

in an effort to transport himself into the future.

Count Petofi, what's happening?

Can you hear me?

I can hear you.

[ dark music ]

I see the hexagram.

And the door,

and beyond it lies the future.

[ door squeaking ]

[ door squeaking ]

[ dramatic music ]

[ eerie music ]

Whatever you are, you are not in power to destroy me.

If you were, you would know where to strike.

Not the throat, the hand.

Now begone and take that wretched thing with you.

Natutsi swine, scum of the Earth.

Must find the way.

Dark...

...everything dark.

[ gasps ]

Is everyone in your time so foolish, Doctor?

You knew I was outside.

Now, how did you expect to get past that door?

I don't know, I only know that I don't want to be here.

Of course you don't,

but neither does the Count, nor do I.

But we have no choice until we've mastered your secret,

do we, Doctor?

Do we, Doctor?

I've told you, there is no secret.

His Excellency and I, don't believe you.

- What have you done to him? - JULIA: Nothing.

He's barely breathing.

He's in the deepest part of the trance.

How do we know you're a doctor anyway?

You could be trying to k*ll him, is that what you're doing?

Why are you so frightened, Aristede?

Is it because your great Petofi isn't as immortal

as you believed?

Answer my questions, who or what are you?

I told you. I told you the truth.

How long will he stay this way?

He's in the, out beyond the door.

No one knows what's happening there.

He knew that when he started.

If something tragic should occur, Doctor,

you might as well expect to be as good as dead.

[ dark music ]

[ door squeaking ]

[ chanting ]

The Gypsy Tribunal.

It's me they're coming for.

[ menacing music ]

[ chanting ]

[ Petofi grunting ]

What's happening to him, Doctor?

I don't know.

He seems to be having a stroke.

Do something, Doctor.

There's nothing that I know I can do.

Excellency? Excellency, can you hear me?

- It's Aristede. - [ Petofi grunting ]

[ suspenseful music ]

[ tense music ]

Look at him, Doctor, tell me if he's still alive.

Yes, yes he's alive.

You are to revive at him at once, Doctor. Now hurry!

Maybe he'd be better off staying this way for a while.

Revive him, Doctor.

I want to know what happened and who's responsible.

[ eerie music ]

Beth?

[ gasps ]

What do you want?

I was on my way to the Old House

to look for you.

BETH: What for?

Beth, I need your help.

Busy, I'm sorry I must go to the village

to see Mrs. Fillmore.

I have some things here to bring to the child.

Beth, it's extremely important.

Someone's life is involved.

I am very tired of being involved

in other people's lives.

I know what's happened to you.

To you and Quentin, Beth, and I'm sorry.

It's over now.

I prefer not talking about it.

Beth, will you help me this one time?

Why are you asking me, Barnabas?

You could easily force me to do it.

You've imposed your will on me before.

I never meant to hurt you, Beth.

No, neither did Quentin.

All right, you may go if you wish.

I shan't try to stop you.

Can't you get Magda to help you? Or Quentin?

I cannot find Magda.

And I have reason to believe that I may not be able

to trust Quentin at the moment.

What do you want me to do?

I'm almost certain that a friend of mine,

a woman named Julia Hoffman, has been abducted

by Count Petofi.

Petofi?

I want you to go to Petofi's place,

you've been there before.

I want you to find out if Julia's all right,

and where she's being kept.

Then, I want you to come back and tell me.

I'm terrified of that man.

Beth, this friend of mine, it's very important to me.

Now, I cannot go there because,

because Petofi has me marked for death.

All I want you to do is to confirm my suspicions.

Now, you'll be able to do that without being seen.

Will you, Beth?

All right, I'll try.

Excellency, are you all right?

So, you are a player of games, Dr. Hoffman?

I-- I don't know what you mean.

Trying to trick me, that's what I mean.

I didn't.

You've been lying from the beginning.

Perhaps this curious form of mysticism

is not the way you transcended time after all.

It is the way.

And you can hardly use it without

a thorough knowledge of it, could you?

No.

I want you to tell Aristede what happened to me

after I went into the trance and opened the door.

I'm sure he'll be quite fascinated.

I haven't any way of knowing that.

- What was it, Excellency? - Be quiet.

You don't know what I encountered beyond the door.

Is that it, Doctor?

It was your experience, not mine.

I did it under your supervision, you were in control.

No, you were in control, you threw the wands.

Why did I not go to the future?

I don't know.

Why did I find myself in the midst of a Natutsi Tribunal?

You saw the Natutsi?

I don't even know what that is.

Natutsi are the most ferocious band of gypsies,

the world had ever known.

Their name means "men of the woods",

but wild beasts would be more to the point.

No, Doctor, you can stop pretending.

We can play games too,

and you'll find them most unpleasant.

Count Petofi, I am aware of your power,

and how dangerous you can be.

But why would I want to trick you?

I don't know, but my patience is waning, Dr. Hoffman.

I'll give you one last chance to tell me everything

you know about the I Ching and how it can take me

to the future.

But before you answer, look at Aristede here.

Why do you think I employ him?

What does that to do with me?

Fair question.

In point of fact, I don't need a servant.

The dear boy is no intellectual giant,

he detests all forms of culture.

Why then, do I keep him on?

Because I am a man, who by nature,

shuns all forms of violence.

I loathe the sight of blood.

Aristede, on the other hand, has no such scruples.

He revels in every form of t*rture and bloodshed

known to the mind of man.

I think he even invented a few himself.

He kills without the slightest feeling

for his victim.

He will k*ll you, Dr. Hoffman,

if you do not tell me what I want to know.

I've told you everything I know.

You may dispose of her as you like, Aristede.

Goodbye, Doctor.

There, I think that's quite secure.

I thought your kind had gone out with the Middle Ages.

You didn't think his Excellency was bluffing now, did you?

I can assure you if I had knowledge that he wanted

I would've given it to him.

What are you gonna do to me?

Well, I gave that quite a bit of thought

while I was securing the ropes.

I'm sure you haven't run out of creative ideas.

No, no I have several in mind, but I haven't quite decided

which one I'm going to use as yet.

[ tense music ]

JULIA:You're a very foolish young man, Aristede.

You're so devoted to pleasing Petofi.

You're too blind to realize how much he despises you.

ARISTEDE: Well that's a very old

and tired trick, Doctor.

Trying to turn a man against his friend,

I owe everything I have to him.

JULIA:And, what are you? Not a man, certainly.

ARISTEDE:Oh, I'm going to enjoy

k*lling you, Dr. Hoffman.

The pleasure may be unbearable.

JULIA:But, where are you going?

Don't sound so worried,

I'm not going to leave you alone.

I've settled on the method I'm going to use.

I have to go out and get some of the materials.

I'll leave the door open in case you get lonely.

[ laughing ]

Why, Doctor,

you may die of curiosity before I even get to you.

What did you find out?

He's going to k*ll her.

Julia's there?

Yes, you must go back as quickly as you can.

What about Petofi?

He wasn't there.

Beth, thank you.

I'm very grateful to you.

Would you like me to explain how the device works

to you now, Doctor?

I can see how anxious you are.

Well, the device is quite simple.

One end of the string is attached to the trigger.

The other end is attached to the door.

When the door is opened, it pulls the string,

which fires the p*stol and you die.

I thought Petofi said that your imagination was great

with this sort of thing?

Oh, but the creative part comes along later

after I'm gone.

What do you mean?

Look, his Excellency and I have always suspected

that someone would try to rescue you.

I'm hoping that someone will be Barnabas Collins.

You know, it'd only be fitting

if he should be your executioner.

No, no! [ gagging ]

[ Aristede laughing ]

Goodbye, Dr. Hoffman.

[ dark music ]

BARNABAS: Where is she?

ARISTEDE: Oh, my dear, Mr. Collins.

Tell me where she is or I'll k*ll you.

I don't know who you're talking about.

BARNABAS:Julia Hoffman, you have her here.

ARISTEDE:There must be some mistake, I'm here alone.

What about that room?

Oh, what about it? There's no one in there.

Then you won't mind if I look into it?

There's no reason to look.

[ g*nsh*t ]

[ dramatic music ]

[ eerie music ]