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Theme party the podcast, Episode two, The Collection of Moira
Graves by Elisa Petrie.
Speaker 2: Call me.
Speaker 3: Welcome to the Collection of Moira Graves. Please come in
right this way.
Speaker 4: Oh.
Speaker 3: I was so delighted you found my ad. I wasn't
sure anyone would ever come, But oh do you like
my theheromin? I fell in love with this beauty the
moment I learned you could create music without touching a thing.
As I mentioned in the ad, I come from a
long line of people that have special gifts. I can
glean stories from objects by merely touching them, And sometimes, friend,
I just want to play hot Cross Buns without absorbing
someone else's baggage. You know, speaking of someone else's baggage,
this is Kiki, my magpie. I like to think of
her as a pet, but in reality, she's more like
a squatter. You may not help yourself to the collection. Kiki,
you have your own treasures. She's got an entire room
to herself. But when the weather is nice and my
windows are open, she always finds a way in here.
But if I try to go in her space, she
flips out. It's true, She'll be back. Anyways, Where were we? Oh, yes,
you're here for the collection. I came across most of
these trinkets after I started working as an appraiser. I
can easily tell a fake from a fortune. Oh, I
see you making a fake set my shelf of Victorian
ceramic dolls. I promise you, the ones that aren't haunted
were some of the most loved and well cared for
toys in all the world. The other ones, though, hm, anyways,
we aren't focusing on them today. Today I have for
you a clock. But first, this is my tuning fork.
Literally and figuratively. It helps me to channel my gift.
Someday it might share my story with someone else special
like me. And it is with the ringing of this
fork that I present to you the story of the
Mantle Clock. Elizabeth grew up in poverty. She was the
oldest of six rowdy children in a very small house
by the sea. Her parents tried to make a living
on the docks, her mother gutting and selling the few
fish her father could manage to bring in, but unfortunately
it was never enough. Not enough food, not enough money,
not enough peace and quiet, and not enough love between them.
One evening, her parents both disappeared after going out on
the family's old, dilapidated fishing boat, and she was left
to raise her siblings by her son. Besides a long
list of responsibilities and a pile of bills, Elizabeth's only
inheritance that was of any value was a mantle clock.
It had been in the family for a few generations
and would have been lost if young Elizabeth hadn't seen
the writing on the wall and squirreled away before it
could be pawned off. Her struggles gave her a new
kind of hunger. Elizabeth vowed that when she grew up,
she would always have more than enough for the rest
of her life. However, it's harder to rise to the
top than some people would have you believe, and her
choices left her estranged from nearly everyone she knew, but
more wealthy and powerful than she could have ever imagined.
Speaker 5: Not tonight, Michael, have.
Speaker 2: You seen the reports to day mother? Hmm, Another entire
species on the brink of extinction from your company's fishing practices.
Speaker 5: It's always my company until it's time to cut you
a check. But I mean it, not tonight.
Speaker 2: It's different. You've gone too far this time. Even your
government friends are saying they can't save you if you
keep blatantly flouting the law. And while we're at it,
your lawyers have been trying to contact you all day
about the evictions you demanded. The issue long term, consistent
paying good people are gonna be on the streets because
you suddenly want to charge twice as much.
Speaker 5: Those properties are worth more than twice as much now
that the area has been rehabilitated, and I'm losing money
with taxes going up. I'm not a charity Michael.
Speaker 2: You are not losing money, You're just making less effrace.
Speaker 5: I'll let them come and live with you. If you're
feeling so generous.
Speaker 4: Just.
Speaker 2: Stop the evictions and let them live in their homes
you can afford to. Just give them away.
Speaker 5: You're awfully high and mighty when you're reaching your hand
into mommy's purse, go ahead and drain your own account.
Speaker 2: I just wish you gave as much back to the
world as it has given to you.
Speaker 5: What exactly has the world given to me?
Speaker 4: Hmm?
Speaker 5: Every morsel of food, every brick in this house, every
stitch of clothing hanging in my closets, every dollar in
the accounts, all from my sweat and blood. Do you
even remember when you were little and we had nothing
to you?
Speaker 2: You act like anyone can start out with nothing and
build what you have. Now you're hurting people. If someone
with your resources had shown us even a little bit
of kindness or helped us with our bills for even
a month or two, that would have meant the world
to us. You could save people, lots of.
Speaker 5: People save themselves. I did, though there are very few
people who have the stomach to do what I've done.
Get out No, something has got to train. Michael.
Speaker 2: Don't have time for you right now.
Speaker 5: You need to leave.
Speaker 2: I am not leaving. What the hell?
Speaker 5: I guess it's too late.
Speaker 4: Now, Elizabeth, your time is up.
Speaker 5: No, I don't think it is.
Speaker 4: Mom is Gord?
Speaker 5: Be quiet and let me handle this demon you make.
Collect what you came for, but be quick about it.
I have business that needs my attention.
Speaker 4: Once I've collected what you owe, the only business you'll
attend to is with the rest of the filth in
my lord's domain?
Speaker 2: Is that so?
Speaker 5: I guess we'll have to see that. Somebody, anybody will
the door of it. Oh, sit down, you're embarrassing yourself.
This isn't about you, you spineless baby.
Speaker 4: Yeah, Michael, it isn't a good look to flee from
trouble and leave your poor mother to face her fate alone.
And who knows, perhaps in the future you might want
to follow in her footsteps.
Speaker 2: Stop it.
Speaker 5: He wouldn't have the stones. Michael, sit down right now.
Speaker 2: This isn't real. This isn't real. I must have been something.
Speaker 4: How did you manage to raise such a weakling?
Speaker 5: It's one of the downsides of growing up in comfort.
Let's get this over with as.
Speaker 4: You wish, Elizabeth, your contract has ended, your wealth has grown.
You live in luxury and want for nothing. Do you agree?
Speaker 6: Ah?
Speaker 5: But I will always want more.
Speaker 4: Demon, certainly, but you live lavishly, do you not?
Speaker 5: I suppose some might say so?
Speaker 4: Then it is time for you to pay your debt. Elizabeth,
summoner of the Ancient Pact. It is time for you
to surrender your soul as payment for all that you
have gained.
Speaker 5: Here, take it what I had it specially prepared for you.
Dover soul with a lemon bur blanc. My price is
my soul, and here it is. There was a risotto
and some asparagus, but uh I got hungry waiting for you.
Speaker 4: You think this is some kind of joke, mortal, don't
toy with me. I will tear your essence from your
very bones and feed it to my hounds, piece by piece.
Speaker 5: No, you won't. The contract is for one soul, s
O l E. Go ahead and check, Caramus, sloppy work
doesn't really instill the fear you'd hoped for. You know,
I don't know what kind of illiterate morons you have
working in your contract apartment, but if I were you,
heads would roll.
Speaker 4: This is unacceptable.
Speaker 5: You don't want this. How about my shoes, You can
take both of them. Hell, you can have all of
my shoes.
Speaker 4: Your riches, you fool. You deal in fish, do you not?
I will take all your soul and leave you with nothing.
Every scale another coin from your coffers, each gill, a
last gasp from your empire.
Speaker 5: Really, please, I sell cod Try harder, Ah.
Speaker 4: How about instead I peel the very soles of your
feet from your body and leave you an agony for
the rest of your days.
Speaker 5: Then do it and be gone monster. I will use
my riches to my new feet. I will celebrate my
victory by buying men to carry me wherever I go,
and never walk another day on this earth except to dance.
When I remember how I slipped through your lord's fingers.
Speaker 4: You have lost.
Speaker 5: It's gone, yes, Michael, the big scary demon is gone.
No thanks to you.
Speaker 2: Was that real?
Speaker 5: Yes? Very much so? How life was hard when you
were little, I decided I would have to be harder.
I had struggled for so long, A tried so many things.
I won't bore you with all the details, but I
was terrified to sign that contract, even though I knew
it was my best chance at a good life, and
then I found that mistake. I wasn't afraid of anything ever.
Speaker 7: Again, you should be afraid of judgment.
Speaker 2: The contract is over contract or not. The things you've done,
the things you've made possible.
Speaker 5: Oh, maybe I should start carrying a rosary, get down
on my knees and beg to start over. No, I've
done all of this for us. We're fed, we're warm
and dry, We're safe. That's what matters.
Speaker 2: After what I've seen tonight, you have a very short
sighted view of what safe means. I'm going to tell
the lawyers to cancel the evictions. You can take the
difference out of.
Speaker 7: My trust if that's what you want, and I'm going
to give my vote on the board to someone else.
I don't know who yet, but it will be someone
high profile in the climate activism sphere who won't roll
over for you.
Speaker 5: If you're just giving money away and not doing any work,
why should I keep supporting you.
Speaker 2: Oh, I'll be working, just not for you, not anymore.
Cut me off if you want, I don't care. I'm done.
I've known your poison for a while. I just haven't
had the guts to do anything about it.
Speaker 5: You're making a big mistake. We'll see again. Really, hello,
John Michael is on his high horse again. Freeze him?
Speaker 4: What?
Speaker 5: Just get it done? All right?
Speaker 4: Who's there, Elizabeth? You're alone?
Speaker 5: And now he goes on these crusades. Every few years,
he'll be back.
Speaker 4: Didn't you grow up surrounded by family. I would hate
for you to be lonely. Now let me do you
a favor.
Speaker 5: Keep your favors and leave me alone. I like my
peace and quiet, and my contract is finished.
Speaker 4: Your contract isn't finished until your debt is paid. I
will collect your soul.
Speaker 2: What is this?
Speaker 6: You will never have a soul, single solitary thought in.
Speaker 4: Your mind again.
Speaker 5: No that's not you will.
Speaker 6: Drown in the thought. You'll never have the peace quiet again.
Speaker 4: Now you may buy those men to carry you so
you may.
Speaker 8: Like an institution, Absolutely sinister, nothing like biblical consequences, Am
I right?
Speaker 3: Sometimes people make sacrifices to get what they want. Sometimes
they sacrifice what should be most important to them. And
any sacrifice you make for a deal with the devil will.
Speaker 8: Take you to dark places.
Speaker 3: As for Michael, I wish I could tell you whether
he stuck to his word. Unfortunately, I haven't found anything
that has given me a clue. This clock was auctioned off,
along with everything else in the mansion once Elizabeth was
permanently lost in thought. So let's hope his wealth and
anonymity means he picked the right path, shall we yes.
One thing I've been I'm grateful for regarding my gift
is that I've never been tempted to go down the
path that Elizabeth did. I'm perfectly content with my life
and here, my friend, a tantalizing tale is worth much
more than any treasure. Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed today's story.
Speaker 2: I know I have.
Speaker 3: Be sure to tune in next time.
Speaker 1: The Collection of Moira Graves was written by Alisa Petrie
and Maretta Mose starring Alisa Petrie as Moira Graves, Lindsey
Vonn as Elizabeth, Molly Michaelson as Michael, and Jonathan Harden
as the Demon. This episode of Theme Party the podcast
was directed by Alisa Petrie, Assistant director Aaron Grassy, casting
by Alisa Petrie, Sound design and engineering by Alisa Petrie.
Additional sound designed by Jonathan Harden. Production coordination by Alisa Petrie.
Story development by Alissa Esteban. The theme song for Theme
Party the Podcast was composed by Bad Machine. Episode art
by Alyssa Esteban. This episode was produced by Alisa Petrie,
the executive producer and host of Theme Party the Podcast
is Moretta Mose. If you've enjoyed this episode, please consider
supporting us on Patreon by visiting Patreon dot com slash
Lengthy Tangent. Learn more about this episode and all of
our shows at lengthy tangent dot com, and follow us
on social media. Our theme for this season has been
family traditions. I've been Moretta mos and this has been
Theme Party the podcast. We'll just edit that part out
likely Dangent