but to the talamasca , stories of mary beth putting a curse on a farmer who would n't sell her a horse sound perfectly absurd when we know that mary beth was buying up railroads in south america and investing in indian tea and purchasing enormous amounts of land surrounding the city of los angeles , california some day perhaps someone will write a book about mary beth mayfair it is all there in the records but as it stands now , it seems that the talamasca alone is the only group of persons outside the family who knows that maty beth mayfair expanded her financial influence and power globally that she built a financial empire so immense , so strong , and so diversified that its gradual dismantling is still going on to this day .