1492: Conquest of Paradise Page #13

In silence the SOLDIERS pick their way through the

devastation.

The ground is littered with coconuts. Kicking one over

with his shoe, a SOLDIER discovers that his coconut is

actually a human skull. The gaping mouth has been filled

to the brim with gold.

But of the living, there is no sign.

MOXICA:

Is this your new world, Don Colon?

COLUMBUS looks around in dismay. A YOUNG NOBLEMAN,

HERNANDO DE GUEVARA, takes out his sword.

GUEVARA:

These animals should be shown what

savagery can be!

Other SPANIARDS join in, repeating this last word.

NOBLEMAN:

Three heads for every life taken.

No mercy before God!

GUEVARA:

No mercy! Let's find them.

COLUMBUS:

No Guevara. There will be no

revenge.

Silence. Everyone looks at COLUMBUS.

MOXICA:

We lost cousins, friends. We will

wash this in blood.

COLUMBUS:

If you want to keep your head on

your shoulders, you'll do as I say.

They are all listening.

COLUMBUS:

Moxica, I lost friends too... Thirty

nine brave men who trusted me.

He walks among them.

COLUMBUS:

You want a war? Fine. We are a

thousand. They outnumber us by ten!

Who will you kill? Which tribe?

MOXICA:

We don't need to know.

COLUMBUS:

We came here to stay! To build!

Not to start a crusade. In this

forest, there is enough danger to

sweep us away in days! So we will

be brave and swallow our grief. And

in the name of those who died, we

will accomplish what we came for.

EXT. INDIAN VILLAGE - DAY

MOXICA mounted on his magnificent BLACK STALLION canters

to the edge of the deserted village and enters the

village. UTAPAN is terrorized by the absence of anything

living.

All we can hear is the breathing of the horse. The

animal, an impressive mass of muscle, prances nervously.

UTAPAN calls out in dialect.

UTAPAN:

They here.

Slowly, they begin to appear, one after the other --

materializing from the jungle. Shy and scared.

They stare at this "Centaur" (the HORSE and the HORSEMAN

seem to be one -- a God).

To impress them even more, MOXICA makes the beast move

sideways and backwards, rearing, its front hoofs pawing

the air. THE INDIANS retreat in terror, except for one,

who stands his ground, brandishing his lance.

UTAPAN encourages the YOUNG WARRIOR to approach the

centaur. He places his hand onto the shoulder of the

animal. The muscles shudder. THE INDIAN jumps back

comically, accompanied by the rest of the tribe.

Without warning, MOXICA climbs down from the saddle. More

INDIANS step back in fear and absolute astonishment. Now

more have ventured from the jungle. The bravest of them

approach MOXICA, daring to touch him, and the horse,

retreating then touching until they fill the compound.

At this moment, COLUMBUS and his SOLDIERS appear all

around them, pointing their muskets, and their crossbows.

A moment of tension.

COLUMBUS walks forward, towards the CHIEF (GUARIONEX) we

meet before.

COLUMBUS:

Ask the Chief what happened to my

men?

The CHIEF answers.

UTAPAN:

Another tribe made war on them...

came by sea... took them away...

BROTHER BUYL:

God have mercy on their souls...

MOXICA:

The monkey is lying.

A pause. The SPANIARDS shifting, eager for blood.

MOXICA:

We should kill them, Don Colon.

UTAPAN looks anxiously at COLUMBUS.

COLUMBUS:

No...! you'll do it my way.

(to Utapan)

Tell the Chief we will not harm his

people, even though we have the

power to do it.

UTAPAN translates. The CHIEF listens in silence.

COLUMBUS:

We will work with his people. We

want peace. Ask the Chief if he

understands?

UTAPAN:

He understands.

COLUMBUS:

Ask him if he will help.

CUT TO:

EXT. WATERMILL AND DAM UNDER CONSTRUCTION - DAY

It is raining hard. COLUMBUS is floundering in the mud,

supervising a mixed work-force of SPANISH and INDIANS.

They are attempting to raise the huge wheel of a

watermill.

Despite COLUMBUS' shouts of encouragement, it's clear the

wheel is far too heavy and the mud too deep.

Close by, on horseback, MOXICA watches the scene.

COLUMBUS, plastered with wet mud, clambers out of the pit

and approaches him.

COLUMBUS:

Don Moxica -- we need your horse.

MOXICA looks down at the sodden, dirty figure.

COLUMBUS:

We can't raise the wheel without it.

MOXICA:

My horse doesn't work.

A beat. COLUMBUS wipes some mud from his eyes.

COLUMBUS:

Don Moxica -- we all have to work.

MOXICA:

You did not hear me, Don Colon. Not

my horse.

He starts to turn away; COLUMBUS grabs hold of the reins.

COLUMBUS:

Forgive me, Don Moxica. But it was

your horse I was talking about.

A beat. MOXICA stares down at an equally determined

COLUMBUS. Then, in front of everyone, MOXICA has to

dismount, and suffer the disgrace of it.

COLUMBUS:

Thank you, Don Moxica.

COLUMBUS leads the horse away.

CUT TO:

EXT. WATERMILL AND DAM UNDER CONSTRUCTION - DAY

Harnessed, the horse pulls, with COLUMBUS and the MEN.

The wheel is raised into position.

CUT TO:

EXT. WATERMILL AND DAM - DAY

Water thundering into the new canal. The huge wheel

begins to turn. The MEN cheer and congratulate each

other. MOXICA looks at his mud-splattered and foaming

horse, his eyes full of hatred.

EXT. CITY OF ISABEL - TWILIGHT

A wide, high shot of the new "City", dominated by a huge

wooden cross -- no more than a muddy main street bordered

by a hundred bamboo and stone shanties, with candles

burning in the doorways. A main square with the

Governor's Mansion, and the foundations of a church.

In the twilight, COLUMBUS and the other WORKERS returning,

dirty and tired.

EXT. VERANDA OF MOXICA'S HOUSE - TWILIGHT

MOXICA and GUEVARA sit out on the "veranda", watching the

MEN return. MOXICA raises his glass in an ironic salute.

MOXICA:

To the Governor of the Mosquitoes!

They laugh. We see the smoke and flames from a fire.

Four or five INDIANS are squatting on the earth nearby,

cooking for them, talking quietly in their own language.

MOXICA calls out something in their language, and a naked

YOUNG INDIAN GIRL comes out of the house, bringing more

wine. GUEVARA stares at her lasciviously. MOXICA,

letting his hand casually brush against her flank, smiles

at him.

MOXICA:

Do you want her?

He turns the GIRL round so that GUEVARA can admire her

properly. GUEVARA nods. MOXICA lets the GIRL go with a

peremptory order, and she disappears back inside.

GUEVARA suddenly stands up -- unsteadily -- and sweeping

his arm round in a broad gesture, says ironically:

GUEVARA:

To the new world, my friend! To the

new world!

INT. DINING ROOM - GOVERNOR'S MANSION - NIGHT

In an already Spanish-colonel dining room, COLUMBUS is

having dinner with his brothers, BARTOLOME and GIACOMO,

served by an INDIAN WOMAN -- NIMA. GIACOMO eats with

gusto.

GIACOMO:

(as Nima pours the

wine)

Nima's a good cook!

BARTOLOME:

She's more than that!

Seeing GIACOMO'S sudden blush and discomfort, as NIMA

smiles at him, the other BROTHERS laugh.

To cover his embarrassment, GIACOMO returns to the topic

of the food.

GIACOMO:

What is it?

COLUMBUS:

Eat! I'll tell you later.

As he sees BARTOLOME stifling a laugh, GIACOMO pauses.

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