The Link (6 page)

“I use Inderal and bio-feedback,” Robert says.

“You’re too young, to have hypertension,” Peter says. “No, I take that back. I had it in my thirties. We intellectual types have hidden angst.”

He smiles as Fritz looks around, apparently at nothing. “What do you see, sir, a phantom?”

Cathy groans again. “She doesn’t believe that cats see ghosts,” says Peter. “For that matter, she doesn’t believe in ghosts.”

“Neither do you, don’t mislead the poor man,” Cathy responds.

“I don’t know about that,” Peter says, the twinkle in his eyes belying his words. “My dream of dreams is to investigate a real live, purebred haunted house. Who needs the Soviet Union?”

“You know you’re dying to go there as much as I am,” Cathy says, smiling; clearly, she adores her rotund mentor.

“I suppose,” says Peter.
“So.”
He looks at Robert. “Tell us about your outline.”

Robert briefly tells him that, to date, he’s covered early psi, the Fox sisters, the beginning years of Spiritualism, D.D. Home and Nettie Colburn.

“Good
,” says Peter. “Sounds as though you’re right on track. What’s next?”

Robert says he thinks he might spend some time on the first serious enquiries into Spiritualism by the London Dialectical Society in 1869, the founding of the Phantasmological Society at Oxford and the Ghost Society at Cambridge in the 1870’s and, of course, the establishment of The Society of Psychical Research in 1882.

“Might make an interesting sidelight,” Peter suggests, “to mention that Spiritualism was the first religion to endow dignity on the North American Indian because so many of their so-called spiritual guides
were
Indians.”

“Good point,” says Robert, nodding. Of course, he adds, he obviously can’t go into too much detail on the “documentary stuff.” If he’s not mistaken, Alan Bremer will be looking for some razzle-dazzle. He’ll attempt to get to Mrs. Piper and Mrs. Leonard as soon as possible.

“Oh, but first you
must
do the immortal Palladino,” Peter says.

Cathy groans again. “You and your immortal Palladino.”

“And rightfully so,” Peter declares, putting down the cat to stand. He removes a book from its shelf and opens it, reads aloud.

“Near the turn of the century, D.D. Home was dead
—” (“they mean, of course, passed on,” he amends straight-faced.) “—
and the field of psychic phenomena required a new physical medium. Said medium duly appeared in the person of a stout Italian peasant woman named Eusapia Palladino.”

He sets the book on Robert’s lap, pointing at a photograph.

“American Séance Number Ten,” he says. “A cornucopia of miracles.”

CAMERA MOVES IN ON the photograph which comes to life. We see a group of people moving down the hallway of an office building.

“December 9, 1909,” Peter’s voice narrates. “Eusapia Palladino arrived at Room 328 in the Lincoln Square Arcade in New York. With her were Mr. Forbes, Mr. Evarts, Dr. and Mrs. Humphrey, an interpreter and a stenographer. Waiting in the office were Mr. Hereward Carrington and his wife.”

As the group removes their coats and prepare for the sitting, Peter’s voice speaks on.

“Carrington had taken most elaborate precautions to forestall a chance of fraud. He had obtained, from the owner of the building, a sworn statement that the room was an ordinary office, free from trap doors and other unusual features.”

We see the following as Peter’s voice describes them.

“The windows were sealed and connected to burglar alarms.

“There were special bolts on the insides of the windows and a special bolt and lock on the inside of the door.

“The cabinet—a square box seven feet high and three feet on each side, was built into a special partition away from the back wall, open on one side where a curtain hung, made of black crepe and very light.

“Inside the cabinet was a table, on its top a flute, a mandolin, a music box, a small bell and a tambourine.

“A three foot by two foot table with nine chairs around it stands nearby.

“As the two women step behind the cabinet curtain to inspect the Italian psychic and her costume, Carrington describes the lights above the table; a cluster of five globes, their illumination varying from full light to that in which hands and faces could be seen but nothing more.

“Under full light, then, the group sits to form a circle.

“Palladino’s chair has its back to the cabinet, about two feet away from the curtain. She grumbles at the number of sitters—she has been used to five or six customarily—but does not make an issue of it.

“Mr. Forbes sits at her left, his leg pressed to the medium’s. Palladino’s right ‘control’ is Mrs. Humphrey. Mrs. Carrington sits opposite her. All rest their hands on the table, fingers touching.

“It is 9:30 p.m.”

9:37. The table moves. Both controllers have their legs pressed tight against Palladino’s and her hands are raised
above
the table. Mr. Evarts asks for raps and three faint raps are heard in answer.

9:41. Light 2 is switched off; it is slightly dimmer in the room now. The table begins to rock, then raises two feet in the air, remaining suspended for several seconds.

9:42. Light 3 turned off now, slightly less illumination. The left hand curtain of the cabinet blows outward, flutters back, blows out again.

9:44. Light 4. Both medium’s hands are visible. “I’ve been touched on the right arm,” Dr. Humphrey says.

9:45. Three sharp raps heard on the table.

9:48. The curtain of the cabinet blows out. Mr. Forbes swallows, speaks. “I have Eusapia’s hand firmly but there is a hand behind the curtain touching my arm.” Mrs. Humphrey verifies that she has good control of Palladino’s right hand and foot.

9:50. The curtains blow out over Mr. Forbes’ head. “A distinct human hand is coming out of the curtain and touching me on the shoulder. I am holding the medium’s left hand tightly.”

9:55. The interpreter: “My coat was grabbed and I was pulled toward the curtain by a hand.” The stenographer: “Yes, I saw him pulled.”

9:56. Something that looks like a handkerchief flutters near the cabinet. Controllers report complete charge of Palladino’s hands and feet.

9:57. A hand is seen coming out of the cabinet. Mr. Forbes cries out as a cigar is placed in between his teeth and, suddenly, his cigar case is lying on the table. He spits out the cigar. “The case was in my inside coat pocket,” he says. “A hand took it out.”

The cigar case opens by itself:
there is one cigar inside. “There were three,” says Mr. Forbes.

Palladino’s hands are in plain sight, two feet away from the case.

10:01. Something moves inside the cabinet.

10:02. The mandolin floats from the cabinet and rests on Palladino’s head. The small bell in the cabinet is heard falling to the floor.

10:04. The flute sails slowly from the cabinet and touches Mr. Forbes on the shoulder. The stenographer gasps and says, “I feel a finger touching my right ear.”

10:06. Something moves under the curtain. The tambourine floats out, rises in the air, waves back and forth and drops into Mrs. Humphrey’s lap. Both controls still good.

10:08. Three raps are heard in the cabinet. Then three heavy knocks.

10:12. The music box begins to play in the cabinet. The tambourine rises from Mrs. Humphrey’s lap and floats through the air, shaking itself.

10:13. The tambourine goes back into the cabinet, then comes out again, is placed above the medium’s head and struck several times.

10:16. The table rises, the tambourine is shaken in the cabinet, the music box plays.

10:19. A strong breeze comes out of the cabinet, felt by all. “A hand is pinching my fingers,” says the interpreter. “I feel the flesh.” Palladino’s hands and legs and feet are all controlled.

10:24. Light 5 is turned off. There is no light in the room except for the stenographer’s lamp.

10:25. Mrs. Humphrey’s chair is dragged from the table, returned.

10:26. A white arm and hand comes slowly from the cabinet, holding the tambourine. Controllers holding Palladino’s legs and hands.

10:30. Four raps are heard. The curtains blow out violently. “Something black just came out of the cabinet,” says Dr. Humphrey.
“There is a white face,”
says the interpreter. “We see it,” Carrington says.

10:34. The curtain blowing out in force. Various hands and faces appear to everybody at the table.

10:37. The music box, playing, floats from the cabinet and settles on Palladino’s head. She bends her head forward and it falls to the table noisily.

10:41. The small table comes out of the cabinet and climbs onto the large table; a hand is seen grasping the small table. The small table works its way over to the side of the séance table and goes down between Mrs. Humphrey and Mr. Forbes. It ends up upside down on the floor as they continue holding tightly to the medium.

10:44. A strong wind sweeps around the room, chilling everyone. The curtains of the cabinet bulge out. A gasp of dismay falls from Mrs. Carrington as she looks at the top of the curtains near the ceiling. The others look, the stenographer crying out.

A ghastly looking hand is hovering there, part of an arm attached to it. It floats down, settling on Dr. Humphrey’s shoulder, then vanishes. The stenographer cries out again.

Floating near the top of the curtains is a hideous black masklike thing. The stenographer almost faints. Dr. Humphrey catching her.

10:57. A white hand comes out of the cabinet and raps seven times on the table. “That means end of the séance,” Carrington says. Seven more loud raps are heard. The chain of hands is broken and the light turned up. Palladino is helped to a chair near the window which is opened to give her air.

Mr. Forbes opens the cigar case still on the table. There are three cigars inside it. The one he spit out is gone. He sees something missing from the outside of the case.

“A small silver monogram had been violently torn from the outside of the case,” says Peter’s voice. “It was not found in the room nor ever seen again.”

SHOCK CUT TO E.C.U. of a knife blade cutting into rare beef, dark blood oozing. Peter’s voice is heard, saying, “This may be rather rare for you.”

They are having dinner; it is dark outside.

“Of course the woman cheated if she could,” says Peter, starting on his meal. “In January, 1910 six sittings at Columbia University were disastrous and the headline of the Boston Herald read ‘
Palladino Exposed By Noted Scientists as Expert Trickster’.”

He frowns. “It is
unthinkable
, however, that intelligent men like Carrington, well posted in the tricks of mediums, making sure that someone on each side of her was veritably clinging to the arms and legs of this elderly Italian lady, would be fooled by such obvious ploys as foot and hand substitution for which they were constantly on the lookout. No, the woman was a genuine; no doubt of it. What it meant, of course, we’ve no idea. But she was genuine.”

Carol brings in a vegetable plate. “How’s your toothache?” Robert asks. She smiles. “A little better, thank you.” She does not say if she took his suggestion.

Peter drinks some wine. “No,” he continues. “From New York to Naples, Warsaw to London, the poor woman was investigated, probed, picked over and poked at by more committees than any other medium who ever lived. And many more of them wound up believing in her than disbelieving. Even my old teacher Bellenger thinks she was authentic.”

“Arthur
Bellenger?” asks Robert, surprised.

“The same.”

Robert is very impressed. Bellenger could be the Einstein of England.

“I was in his study once,” Peter tells him. “Saw his desk, the papers on it. Never in my life have I been witness to such massive feats of mathematical calculation; naturally, I didn’t understand a bit of it. The man is living in another universe.

“Still, if you met him, you might mistake him for a farmer or a laborer, he speaks so simply, so directly. Never ‘speaks down’ to anyone, never presses on one that incredible superiority of mind. I hope you get to meet him some day.”

“I would love it,” Robert says solemnly.

“So.” Peter looks at Cathy, smile repressed. “Palladino?”

Robert laughs aloud as Peter says, in perfect unison with her, “Prime example of telekinesis.”

“Well, it was!” she cries, laughing.

“What do you think, Robert?” Peter asks.

It is Cathy’s turn now as she says, “No opinion.”

They exchange a laughing glance.

Cathy drives Robert and Bart home. En route, he asks about Carol; she seems a “bit” unhappy to him.

“More than a bit,” says Cathy. Carol is a lost soul in Connecticut.

Robert nods. “I see.” He says no more but senses there is more involved.

When they arrive at his house, he invites her in for coffee but she says it’s rather late, she has to get up early in the morning. Her hesitation is apparent. Clearly, she is drawn toward Robert as he is toward her.

They make arrangements for him to visit ESPA the following afternoon, then she leaves.

Later, lying in bed, Robert finds himself thinking about Palladino and we see brief SHOTS of the dramatized sitting. At one point, startlingly, the face of the Italian medium is different, that of a beautiful English woman.