Season Two, Story One

Cast and Credits		Ep.1	Ep.2	Ep.3
Mr. Stabs	Russell Hunter
Luko	Ian Trigger
Polandi	Harriet Harper
Charlie Postle	Jack Woolgar
Mr. Christopher	Llewellyn Rees
Mr. Thwaites	Jonathan Cecil
Writer	Trevor Preston
Designer	Tony Borer
Director	Pamela Lonsdale

Full Story Synopsis

In Tarot’s flat, he and Sam are practising a new set, one to be enhanced by clouds of coloured gas, which at the moment are engulfing tarot as her emerges from a magic cabinet. The cans producing the gas are far more powerful than expected and tarot, coughing in the fumes, tells Sam to cut down the amount on the next test to a quarter of a can. Together they select a different colour: Satan Scarlet!

A nervous man hurriedly makes his may through the streets of Bloomsbury, clutching something close to him beneath his coat. It is clear that he is worried about being followed.

Lulli is minding the store for Mr. Sweet at his bookshop when the nervous man in the suit enters, asking hurriedly for the owner. Mr. Sweet is out delivering books until noon, but has left a telephone number, and the man asks to call him, now, pleading with Lulli to help him. When he says that it is a private matter, Lulli indicates that he can use the telephone in the rear office. The man enters, insisting she close the door. First he secretes a parchment in one of the books then goes to the phone. When the phone is answered, he says his name is Mr. Christopher, and he must talk to Mr. Sweet. However, before Mr. Sweet can be brought to the phone, a gust of wind invades the office and a cadaverous figure with white gloves appears. He demands the paper from Mr. Christopher for his master, and when Christopher screams down the phone for Mr. Sweet, the figure points his gloved hand at the man and the harsh wind spits again. As Christopher gasps "Seven Serpents …" he falls, and the receiver is left hanging with Mr. Sweet’s voice asking if the man is still there. The strange man hides as Lulli walks back into the office and finds Mr. Christopher’s body. There is a livid red mark of a snake across his face.

Sam clowns around with Tarot’s magicians cape at the flat when Tarot goes into a trance and senses that Lulli is in danger. By now, Sam knows the signs of telepathic danger and the two go to get Sam’s BMW motorbike. Minutes later they pull up outside Mr. Sweet’s bookshop.

Lulli explains to Tarot what has happened, saying that she heard a roaring wind in the back room, only for an instant. At this moment Mr. Sweet arrives, concerned about the phone call. He explains that the man was an acquaintance, John Christopher, whom Tarot knows as the author of "The Inviolability of Magical Sciences", "The Causes of Visions" and "Profane and Mystical Schools". Mr. Sweet agrees that he was one of the most eminent authorities in Europe and had met him in Cornwall last year. From the look of the body, and with Mr. Sweet confirming the wind sound, Tarot knows they could be face to face with the supernatural. "If you’re saying what I think you’re saying …" says Sam, "Thank you very much. Goodnight ladies and gentlemen. Exits right with skates on." Of course, Lulli help win him over, and Tarot finds a cane dropped by the dead man. The engraving on it is "Corpus Spiritus Alibar etum Arcanum" and when Mr. Sweet reads this, the cane starts to move by itself. Although its power is dying with its master, it manages to point to some books before falling still. They start searching the books and Lulli finds the sliver of parchment bearing the design of a serpent. When Mr. Sweet recalls that Mr. Christopher said "Seven Serpents …", Tarot estimates the piece is a seventh section of a circle, forming a map. Mr. Sweet believes the piece if fourteen century Flemish, and as Sam and Tarot realise, whoever killed Christopher will be back to get it. Lulli is given the segment to photograph and keep safe, and Mr. Sweet must find out all he can about the map. Meanwhile Sam and Tarot will stay behind at the shop.

The sightless eyes of glass inserted in to many stuffed animals gaze down around the musty taxidermist’s as a small and scruffy being, Luko, listens to the angry tale of failure from the avuncular and sinister Mr. Stabs. He should not have eliminated Christopher without finding the location of the serpent – and without it they are lost. Mr. Stabs does not need to use the Power to search for the map as it must be in the office, amongst a sea of paper, even though Luko searched after Lulli entered. Mr. Stabs says they will return to the bookshop that night. "And remember Luko, in our world, the natural sequel to failure is oblivion."

At Tarot’s flat, Mr. Sweet watches as the eighth photograph Lulli takes of the segment also fails to come out. The plates, developer and camera are all fine, so it seems the parchment does not want to be photographed. The only solution, Mr. Sweet says, is for Lulli to draw it exactly. Now he must leave and start his enquiries.

Mr. Sweet rings the bell of a house, from which come the strains of a man singing hymns very loudly. The doomful bell brings the figure of Mr. Postle shambling to the door. He is, if anything, scruffier than Luko, and is delighted to see Mr. Sweet, who shows him Lulli’s drawing. Postle is amazed: "Where in heaven’s name did you come by this?"

That night, Luko and Stabs enter the office at the rear of the bookshop and find the body of Christopher gone, speculating that the fight might have caused amnesia. Stabs chants one of his rhymes, his glove held out: "Hand of Stabs, search and find, the sacred serpent. Lift my mind. Power to power. One to seven. The sacred serpent lies dark hidden." Suddenly Luko is attacked by Sam as he and Tarot enter the room. Stabs rounds on Tarot: "Hand of Stabs, turn this fool, into a fish without a pool!" Tarot falls to the floor, gasping for air like a fish out of water. Stabs turns on Sam and again the wind howls: "Hand of Stabs, another job. Turn this ape into a dog!" Sam crouches on the floor barking and both Luko and Stabs quickly depart with the empty book. Tarot comes out of his hypnotic state first, amazed at Stabs’ power. He tells Sam that they have just encountered Mr. Stabs, and the hissing runt was his familiar Luko.

Back at the flat, Tarot describes the strange attack and Sam says he is hungry. Lulli says she it out of dog biscuits! Sam has checked and finds that Mr. Sweet’s book has gone, so Tarot suggests sending Stabs the bill when they find him.

At the taxidermist’s, Stabs is furious to find the book empty and swears vengeance on Tarot, whose name Luko recalls hearing spoken in awe by Polandi. Stabs decides to summon her: "Hand of Stabs, your power extend, the wild Polandi to retend. Seek her out, no matter where, bid her haste to find me here!" The beautiful female figure of Polandi appears in the wind and Stabs asks her about Tarot. She explains he is a being of rare accomplishment, and maybe more than mortal. "Either he is, or he is not!" snaps Stabs, who which Polandi replies "Tarot defies black and white. He is a rainbow of greys." In her worldly occupation as a journalist, Polandi has interviewed Tarot, and felt that although a conjuror, he may have the Power. She leaves to find out where Tarot lives for Stabs.

Sam is talking to Ozzie the owl when he sees Mr. Sweet arrive with someone who looks like they’re from the local doss house. On the intercom, Mr. Sweet says they are on their way up to the flat, and on arriving introduces them to his old friend Charles Treadmoss Postle, an authority on the history of Magic. Postle insists that all who have touched the paper must be present and be exorcised by invocation. He asks Sam to draw four circles on the floor of the rehearsal area, and tells them each to stand in one of them. The map is places in the centre of the circles, with Postle being careful not to touch it. Her warns them not to leave the circles, and starts tootling a little tune on his pipe. Then he starts to call on the spirits, finally chanting "Seven Serpents, Sulphur and Salt" over and over again, calling for the nameless slaves of illusion to deliver the mortals from the age of dark mystery. At the peak of power, Lulli suddenly lets out a scream and steps out of her protective circle.

Lulli suddenly runs out of the circle and out of the flat. Tarot and Sam dash after her as Postle remarks that he warned of the dangers.

Sam, Tarot and Mr. Sweet arrive on the flat roof of the tower block to find Lulli near the edge. Tarot calls to her, but Lulli fails to recognise her own name saying she is Puldar, a bird spirit, and that the Sea of Infinite Light calls. Tarot uses his knowledge of the spirits to say that they must wait for the Black Horses of Night to hide her flight, and then states firmly and rigidly that his name is Tarot. Lulli recognises the name and comes out of her trance, almost falling. Sam, Tarot and Mr. Sweet manage to grasp her in time and drag her to safety.

Back in the flat later on, Postle explains that when Lulli broke her circle, the ancient spirits entered her mind, to destroy her earthly body and invade her spirit. The parchment itself vanished the moment Tarot broke its hold on Lulli. Postle says that it was the seventh segment of a Seven Serpent Circle, and has caused many deaths. The complete parchment came from an alchemist called Flameld who drew a map on the back of the Circle, the strongest of all protective signs.

The map shows where Flameld buried his formula for transmuting base metal into gold, a mystery of the dark Earth he used to die rich and powerful in gaol. Flameld though he had discovered the elixir of life, but in fact the potion drove him mad. He drew the map, cut the circle into seven segments and gave each to a man of magic, none knowing who had the other six. Tarot and Postle feel the other six have been collection by Mr. Stabs, whom Postle knows as an Aristocrat of the Brotherhood, since only they have familiars. He also fears his hand power. It is explained the Brothers are disciples of the Power, and since Tarot summons such power, he may be one of them too, as a mortal is unlikely to have survived Stabs’ attack. Postle warns them to be careful.

At the taxidermist’s, Stabs summons up Polandi again. He is impatient, having pursued this dream for three centuries. Polandi appears and shows Mr. Stabs the new flat to which Tarot moved from his converted warehouse. It is only now that Polandi sees the other six segments of the map. As she has met Tarot before, Stabs decides to borrow her earthly appearance: "Hand of Stabs, the transformation. Twist about regenerations. Polandi – Stabs, Stabs – Polandi." Taking his bag, Stabs departs, leaving Luko in charge,.

Thinks back to the smell in the backroom of the bookshop, Tarot realises that they are chemicals used by a taxidermist or a "stuffing and stitching merchant" as Sam puts it. Knowing there cannot be many around, the two men leave to check them out while Lulli mans the phone.

Postle and Mr. Sweet are deep in study amongst many occult and magic books. Mr. Sweet reads that the affair did not end with Bazvier, but a disciple of his, Estabis, though small in stature, possesses great power. The document bearing the inscription is dated late Seventeen century.

Lulli fails to see the sudden appearance of ‘Polandi’ in the flat, but is alerted by Ozzie’s squawk. ‘Polandi’ says she is from "Facts" magazine, found the door open, and has come to interview Tarot. Lulli points out that this is impossible, since the magnetic lock on the main door can only be opened from the control panel and demands to know who ‘Polandi’ is. "hand of Stabs, return my form. Be gone strange body that I’ve worn," says the woman, and in a gust of wind Stabs appears, demanding to know the location of the4 segment. When Lulli fails to give in, Stabs uses his hand to try to locate it, but as this too fails, he places Lulli in a trance to answer his questions. She reveals the existence of a copy and gives the drawing to him. Then Stabs gives her a pill, murmuring "Hand of Stabs, a thought unkind, placed into this mortal’s mind. Black bat blood and powdered eye, pour into Tarot’s coffee and let him die!"

Out in the streets, near a taxidermist’s, Sam spots Luko and Tarot, thinking of a suitable guise in which to enter the shop, produces a dog collar.

The bell of the taxidermist’s rings as Tarot enters, dressed as a vicar, and Luko shows grudging courtesy to his customer. The "Reverend Goodtime’ says that he has come about Moses, his African Grey parrot. "And you want him stuffed?" asks Luko. "Preserved, please" says the ‘vicar’. "Has he turned in with you, or is it a collect job?" growls the familiar. Tarot works his way round to the door at the rear of the shop, and it is then that Sam sneaks in and overpowers the smelly runt. Wrapping Luko up in a carpet, hey bung him in the kitchen and start to search. Sam knows from his criminal instinct that there isn’t a safe in the place, so they search the stuffed animals.

Mr. Sweet arrives at the flat, rather parched, and asks Lulli for some coffee. The girl refuses, saying it is not ready yet.

After much searching, Sam and Tarot finally discover the other six segments and photograph them, this time placing a filter over the camera lens. They then leave rapidly.

Mr. Sweet wonders if Lulli is ill, pointing out that the coffee will be cold. Lulli says she will make some more.

Stabs arrives back triumphant with the seventh segment only to find Luko overpowered by Tarot. Luko is spared the fate of being turned into a blind lizard and fed toe the lizards when Stabs finds the other six segments safe. He assures the smelly familiar that Tarot will soon die.

Sam and Tarot return home and explain about the infra-red device they have used in the camera. Sam goes off to develop the film whilst Lulli finally gets the coffee. She gets two mugs, dropping the pill into one of them. The undoctored one she gives to Mr. Sweet , and then turns to Tarot. "Tarot, your coffee."

With a cry of "Don’t drink it, Ace!", Sam kicks the cup out of Tarot’s hands, saying that he saw Lulli put something in his coffee. Tarot puts Lulli in a trance and talks to her saying they are one and indivisible, but a third person has invaded their oneness. Lulli talks of Mr. Stabs in a girl’s body, and finally recites Stabs’ rhyme to break free and become herself again.

With the way clear, Luko and Stabs look forward to going down in history as the greatest of the Brothers. All they have to do is find the formula.

By using the photos of the segments held by Stabs, and the one of Lulli’s drawing, the map is finally assembled at the flat. The jigsaw forms the head of a pig in a circle. Tarot realises this means Swineshead, a village in Suffolk which Mr. Sweet passed through en route for Bury St. Edmonds. Also, Flameld is known to have settled in that area. Tarot reckons it would only take two hours to get there, leaving them an afternoon to search.

Luko and Stabs have also found Swineshead on the map, and Luko rings for the car since the Hand Power cannot transport them all the way.

Tarot, Lulli and Mr. Sweet drive through the Suffolk country side in Lulli’s beach buggy. They arrive at the local library and enter to meet the eccentric Mr. Thwaite, the librarian.

THWAITE: Oh I am sorry. It’s closed.

TAROT: Closed?

THWAITE: You have come to the Bible exhibition?

TAROT: No, I’m afraid not.

THWAITE: Oh well, just a thought. It finished last Friday.

Tarot introduces himself as Henry Palmer, along with his sister Miss Palmer, Mr. Maxted and Mr. Sweet. He says that he should like to see an old map of the area and Thwaite bustles off to find one. Since the map is not readily to hand, Tarot guesses that they are ahead of Stabs. Thwaite returns with the map, and to distract his attention, Mr. Sweet enquires about local lepidoptera. When Thwaite realises he is talking to the eminent entymologist and lepidopterist, he asks the visitor to come to his back room and examine an unusual specimen with dark green capillaries. This leaves the other three to puzzle over the maps. They identify the triangle on Flameld’s map as a well, and the circle as the graveyard. Thwaite and Sweet return and Thwaite explains that the well is dangerous and his been boarded up for years. The churches on the village outskirts now stand where the graves were. It is decided that Lulli and Sam will check the well, whilst Mr. Sweet and Tarot check the graveyard.

Out in the graveyard, Tarot and Mr. Sweet check the gravestones, only to find 1671 as the earliest date.

Lulli and Sam arrive at the deep well to find a rope still on the spindle. Sam decides to use this to climb down. "Monkey Maxted they used to call me at school!"

The Swineshead library receives two rather more sinister visitors and Mr. Thwaite is confronted by Mr Stabs and Luko. He tells Thwaite to bring the map – "Less of the insolence" – and then Thwaite innocently mentions the Mr. Palmer from London who examined the map half-an-hour ago. Realising this is Tarot from the description of his companions, Luko fears that he must be in the Brotherhood. Stabs starts to leave with the valuable map, and when Thwaite tries to stop him, Stabs uses his hand. "Hand of Stabs, eye to eye. Turn this fool into a fly" Thwaite is left flapping his arms and buzzing as the duo depart.

Tarot discovers a stone with a triangle scratched into it in the graveyard, a sign left by Flameld.

Sam continues down the crumbling well, calling back his progress to Lulli. Suddenly, Lulli sees the rope on the windlass break with age.

By the church, Tarot senses Lulli’s fear, but tells Mr. Sweet there is nothing they can do.

At the well, Sam calls up that he’s okay and even the torch still works. He has not fallen far to the dried-out bottom and asks Lulli to throw down the new rope they brought with them.

Tarot and Mr. Sweet set to work on the hidden stone sealed for 600 years. They are watched by Mr. Stabs and Luko, quite content to let the two mortals do their work. However, on pulling open the stone, Tarot and Mr. Stabs come face to face with a snake the latter identifies as a Black Orcum. Tarot is amazed, think they only existed in ancient Egypt, but, as Mr. Sweet says, the point is academic. Death follows within seconds of its bite.

Lulli has thrown down the new rope to Sam, who is on his way up when he calls that he has found something in the wall.

By some clever fishing, Tarot is able to avoid the snake and gain the ring which the serpent is guarding. Sam says that he has found a golden ring and the skeleton of a snake. "It’s probably been tired of waiting here." Consulting the map again, Tarot and Mr. Sweet realise that the six-sided star must refer to the church on Thwaite’s map, and that they passed the ruins of a church on the way. Tarot says he must contact Lulli…

As Sam is considering the money he can get for his piece of gold down the Portobello, Lulli gets Tarot’s telepathic message. They are to go to the church ruins.

Mr. Sweet and Tarot arrive at the ruins., There is no sign of Luko or Mr. Stabs, but still Tarot feels that they are being watched. Scratched into the rock of the building they find a six-pointed star, the circle and the triangle. Soon Lulli and Sam arrive to help with the removal of the marked stone. With the stone clear, a crypt is revealed and Stabs and Luko appear in a whirl of wind, saying they have enjoyed the group’s hard labour. Luko is fearful when he sees Tarot has a sacred symbol, but Stabs wants toe mortals to witness his triumph before they vanish forever through the doors of oblivion.

MR. STABS: You must appreciate the value of an audience, Tarot.

TAROT: My audiences are willing.

MR. STABS: And mine captive! Hand of Stabs, move two thirds of the Earth to the air and let my minion put them all prisonsed against the wall!

Sam, Mr. Sweet and Lulli find themselves suddenly manacled to the wall of the crypt.

Back at the library, Mr. Thwaite has returned to his old self again, and is telling a policemen over the phone about his unlikely experiences as a fly.

Tarot’s demonstration of magic is accompanied from outside the crypt by a crash of thunder, and Luko quakes, realising that the magician has real Hand Power. "I have always suspected that you were not merely mortal, " says Stabs. "Then why did you pit your hand against mine? You know the laws of the Brotherhood, " says Tarot, who then adds they must see who has the more powerful hand. "Hand of Tarot.." but Stabs interrupts him, saying it is foolish for them to possibly destroy each other, and that they should join to be the most powerful beings on Earth. Tarot agrees, saying his companions have served their purpose and it will be amusing to see them die. Sam is furious, but Tarot tells him to be silent. As Stabs has pursued the dream of Flameld’s formula, Tarot allows him to stage the final ceremony. Stabs calls out ancient litanies and claims Flameld’s secret as his. There is another clap of thunder and an unearthly voice tells Stabs that the Brotherhood resent his failure and that he, Flameld, has woken to end his quest for power. Flameld tells Luko and Mr. Stabs to be gone before his anger turns them to stone. After another clap of thunder, Stabs gives in: "Hand of Stabs, Flameld obey. Move my creature and myself today!" In a gust of wind and a clap of thunder, the duo vanish leaving behind only Stabs’ white gloves. Mr. Sweet thanks Tarot for leaving them conscious, as he will write a paper about it one day. Tarot apologies to Sam, saying it was the only way to convince them he was one of the Brotherhood. The voice of Flameld was Tarot, using his art of voice projection as Lulli had guessed. "And the thunder and lightning bang on cue, Ace?" asks Sam. "Luck Sam, just incredible luck, "replies Tarot as the group depart before the storm lets rip.

Back at the flat, Tarot gives Sam, Mr. Stabs’ gloves as a memento of the occasion, explaining to Mr. Sweet that Flameld’s formula vanished like the serpent segment in the flat. Sam is still quite taken with the idea of real magic and tries a spell of his own. "Hand of Maxted, searched and found. Wheat’s this ‘ere that lurks around? Hand of Maxted, turn this owl into a more domestic fowl!" He is most amazed when Ozzie lets out a ‘cock-a-doodle-doo’ – courtesy of Tarot’s voice projection.

With thanks to Phil Kendrick, Dave Jones, Paul Duncan and especially Pamela Lonsdale

Episode synopsis written by Andrew Pixley

This synopsis originally appeared in issue 10 of Time Screen – reproduced by kind permission of the editor and the author.