going-clear-scientology-hollywood-and-the-prison-of-belief-by-lawrence-wright-2

the event of his death, Alexis will inherit a fortune, but if Sara gains custody, the child
will get nothing.
Hubbard did return to the United States and hunkered down in Wichita, Kansas,
where a wealthy supporter, Don Purcell, provided him sanctuary. Hubbard’s old friend
Russell Hays was there, consulting for the Cessna Aircraft Corporation. Hubbard arrived
with “a Cadillac so damn long he couldn’t hardly park it anywhere, and two
concubines,” Hays marveled. When Sara discovered where her husband was, she sought
to enjoin his assets. Hubbard retaliated by writing a letter to the US attorney general,
explaining the peril he was in. “I am, basically, a scientist in the eld of atomic and
molecular phenomena,” he said by way of introduction. He said that his own
investigation showed that Sara was tied to Communists who had infiltrated the Dianetics
Foundation. This was at the height of McCarthyism and the Red Scare. “I did not realize
my wife was one until this spring,” Hubbard wrote. He named several of his disaected
followers, including Gregory Hemingway, son of the famous novelist. “When, when,
when will we have a round-up?” he implored.
Meantime, Sara came to Wichita to pursue the divorce and to get Alexis back. Ron
blithely suggested that they should take a trip together. “He told me that I was under the
influence of this communist cell” run by her husband, Sara recalled. “And that they were
dictating to me what to do, and that I was in a state of complete madness. I told him,
‘Yep, I think you’re right. The only thing I can do is to work through it and do whatever
they say.’ ” Ron replied that the Communists had hypnotized her. Sara played along, but
insisted she would have to go through the divorce; only then would she be able to break
free of their power.
“You know, I’m a public gure and you’re nobody,” Ron said, “so if you have to go
through the divorce, I’ll accuse you of desertion so it won’t look so bad on my public
record.” As long as she was going to get Alexis back as part of the bargain, Sara agreed.