The Manitou Page #4

Yes. Yes, of course. Well, now.

just assume for a moment, sir,

that this woman - is it a young woman?

- Yeah, a young woman.

Just assume that she has a problem.

Now assume also this problem has to do

with Indian magic.

Well, my God, son, you do have one hell

of a problem.

Well, Professor, I'll tell you what...

You assume what you like, okay?

Yes?

- But these are the facts:

Karen Tandy has something

growing on her back

that's killing her.

Well, well...

let's go up in the attic.

The attic?

- Yes.

Now, I don't go up there very often

because I'm too busy.

It's very dusty. I want you to watch your

step, if you don't mind.

Watch your step.

- Professor, excuse me.

Have you ever heard the expression

or the phrase,

"panawitchy salitoo"?

Where'd you hear that?

Karen said that in her sleep,

and a client of mine said it

before she threw herself

down a flight of stairs.

You, uh... happen to know what it means?

Well, I can't...

I'll have this place cleaned...

I can't give you an exact translation.

What was the title?

"Panawitchy salatoo."

Well, I don't know,

but it sounds to me like the language

of the Piscatkawa tribe, you know?

They lived in northern California.

They died out

some, I think, 400 years ago.

I've got a book about them somewhere,

if I could just find the damn thing.

It doesn't tell much, of course, because,

as I stated, you see,

they died out before the white man

got this far west.

Now, the only information we have,

do you know?

comes from stories handed down

from other tribes.

Well, what's that... "Pana"...?

"Witchy salatoo."

- Wait, wait, wait.

Panawitchy...

Salatoo.

- Salatoo.

Sala...

Oh, ho-ho-ho-ho.

That could mean

something like, oh,

"My death foretells my return."

"My death foret..."

Dr. Snow, is there any way

to stop this-this medicine man

or whatever it is, before it kills her?

Well, you know, what you have to

understand is

that the magic of ancient Indian tribes

was very, very powerful.

They were, in fact, one of the great

magical societies of modern times.

Pure ethnic occult art.

And they were, uh...

Ugh, this is a mess. They were undiluted

with European conceptions

and preconceptions.

The whole concept-- with the Indians--

the whole concept of life

and death and inner space

was rolled up in the Indians' demon,

the equivalent demon.

That demon would be possessed

of monstrous, monstrous power.

Then what you're saying, Doc, is,

we're out of luck?

Ah, I've got it! Yes, yes, you're right.

Here it is.

You're right, you're right, you're right.

And if this medicine man of yours is really

400 years old, he comes from a time

when the magic of the Indians was

amazingly, amazingly strong.

What the hell does he want? I mean,

why would he want to be reborn in Karen?

I assume he didn't choose her deliberately.

I think she just probably

happened to be at the right place

at the wrong time.

Professor, if this guy was so powerful,

how are we gonna fight him?

You know, why do you want to fight him?

Why do you want to fight him,

for heaven's sakes?

Within 2 or 3 days, we could actually

meet and Indian medicine man

from a time far back in America's past.

It seems to me criminal, sir,

to even think of destroying him.

What about Karen?

- Yeah, she didn't exactly invite him to move in.

I know.

Well, then, there is only one way that

you could conceivably save her.

How?

Well, you've heard of "fighting fire with fire"?

You mean, another medicine man?

Yes... there's 1 or 2 still living

on the reservations in South Dakota.

How are we gonna pay him?

- Oh, my dear children!

My dear children... Indians have their

own values of...

of time and honor and friendship.

They'd fight to the death, some of

them, just on a casual promise,

and then, you see, then they

would refuse to cross the street

for all the tea in China.

I think, of course, that your biggest

problem here

is in persuading one of these people

into risking his life, you see?

That's what I think.

So best of luck, and forgive me.

Just try to make yourself at home,

will you?

Just... help yourself to anything.

I've got to go.

"Best of luck."

"Help yourself to anything."

[Dr. Hughes]

Mr. Erskine, you can't be serious.

No medicine man is coming into this

hospital, whether her aunt pays for it or not.

Doctor, what am I asking you to do?

I'm just asking you to give it a try.

You and I have something in common--

Karen Tandy--

and the least you could do

is try to save her life.

Well, we'll see whether the operation

works out or not.

What operation?

- The one that's in progress right now.

We're trying to remove the growth

with optical laser.

Are you out of your mind?

Didn't you tell me...

that if you tried to operate on her again,

you'd kill her?

Like you said, we've got to try everything.

This was the decision of a team of

experts, including myself, to try the laser.

Without it, she'd die anyway.

- Oh, I'm relieved! You know,

for a minute there, I was gonna get angry.

Listen to me, Hughes!

I'm gonna take you and your staff,

and I'm gonna take it out in the alley!

Now, you listen to me, Mr. Erskine...

- And I'm telling you... I'm holding you

I'm doing everything's that possible

personally... for her condition!

- Hughes!

What???

Let us through! Please! What's going on?

We were going to make the incision, and

the damn thing just whipped out of Tom's hand

started spinning back and forth

across the room.

Where's Karen?

Don't go near that laser beam,

whatever you do.

She's there. Now, go on in.

[man] Wolf! Turn off the power!

Wolf!

[Harry] We've got to stop her

or she'll kill herself.

I mean it.

Come on, Karen. You know me.

He says... you must...

not... touch him!

Karen... we want to help you... please!

You must not touch him!

If we don't care for you,

he won't survive either.

He does not believe you!!

We only want to help him!

He is in pain.

In pain?

- Please!

- Why is he in pain?

It hurts him. He is hurt.

What hurts? What hurt him?

It was... the light.

The light? What light?

He will...

kill...

you...

all...

Help me get her on the table!

- Nooo! Nooo!

Quickly!

- Over here!

- Nooo! Nooo!

Easy, easy. That's it.

Karen's medicine man is in pain.

He didn't know why. Said it was the light.

When a human being is X-rayed, cells die.

Every time.

In a tiny fetus, one cell destroyed

may mean a toe, finger,

even and arm or a leg may never develop.

That's why he wouldn't let us near

him with that laser.

He was terrified of it.

Why would a laser

terrify him?

We pumped him with enough X-ray

to see through Fort Knox.

We've created a monster.

Hi. Um, I'm Harry Erskine,

and I'm looking for John Singing Rock.

He's out back.

- Thank you.

John Singing Rock?

John Singing Rock?

You the fella looking to find

himself a medicine man?

That's right. I'm Harry Erskine, uh

Word sure gets around, doesn't it?

Hard not to.

You've been to 5 different

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