The Fate of Pryde — Mary Martin

A fabulous tale of art, creativity and -- betrayal. Alexander Wainwright, Britain's finest landscape artist, enchants us with visions of the beyond -- lying behind the everyday world. Jonathan Pryde, patron of the arts, offers him a commission to create stained glass windows at his home in Vence in the south of France. Alex hesitates. He's a painter, not a glass cutter. Jonathan flatters and entices with promises of creative freedom and fame. Against his better instincts, Alex is lured into Pryde's world and visits his home where the project is to be constructed. His patron's home is a luxurious, medieval castle. To Alex's surprise, many elderly, once famous, writers and scientists live there in great comfort under Pryde's care. They insist they are free to leave but never do. Visions of the beyond have ravaged their minds. Impressed by Pryde's intelligence and taste, Alex believes he has found a true kindred spirit. Yet, underneath, he glimpses a sinister aspect to the man. As he wrestles with this foreboding, his fear of betrayal deepens. A bunker at the foot of the garden protects Pryde's secrets. Struggling with his own creative visions, Alex is faced with the question -- How can the very best and worst of mankind thrive in one man's breast?