1492: Conquest of Paradise Page #14

GIACOMO:

I'd like to know what I'm eating.

COLUMBUS eats a mouthful, glances at BARTOLOME.

COLUMBUS:

Iguana.

A look of horror crosses GIACOMO'S face; he wretches

slightly, puts down his fork, and gulps down some wine.

The BROTHERS laugh again.

COLUMBUS:

What wrong with it? The Indians eat

it!

GIACOMO:

I'm not an Indian.

BARTOLOME:

He wishes he were back in the

seminary. Priests always eat well.

(tasting his wine,

grimacing)

And they have very good cellars.

GIACOMO:

Nothing grows here! Everything rots

in the ground. The wheat and vines

wither before we can harvest them.

COLUMBUS:

We've got to learn to live like the

Indians.

(pause)

Eat your Iguana!

Reluctantly this time, GIACOMO goes back to his dinner.

EXT. BALCONY - GOVERNOR'S MANSION - NIGHT

They are drinking and smoking cigars. From the balcony

they can see the dark mass of the jungle stretching away.

GIACOMO is already dozing in his chair. BARTOLOME sees

it, and elbows COLUMBUS. They both smile at their younger

brother's exhaustion. Then COLUMBUS gets up and leans on

the balustrade, looking down at the city, the jungle

beyond.

COLUMBUS:

How much gold have we found?

BARTOLOME:

Not enough to justify a single

shipment.

COLUMBUS:

Perhaps it doesn't exist anywhere

but in my imagination.

BARTOLOME:

Then let's hope not...

(pause)

What will happen if we can't find

enough gold?

They begin to hear the sound of a flute -- a melancholy

sound. COLUMBUS looks out over the jungle, and kills a

mosquito by slapping his arm.

COLUMBUS:

(jokingly)

Then I'm Governor of the Mosquitoes.

CUT TO:

INT. INFIRMARY - CITY OF ISABEL - NIGHT

An INDIAN is playing the flute.

In the gloomy interior of the long hut, in the most

primitive conditions, DOZENS OF SPANIARDS lie sick. On a

segregated part of the room are the INDIANS, several

coughing.

They are attended by a doctor, DOCTOR CHANCA, BROTHER

BUYL, and other NOVICES.

A NOVICE attends to an INDIAN, gently lifting his head,

helping him to drink -- there is so little they can do.

BROTHER BUYL looks down at the body of a SPANIARD, covered

in open sores. The NOVICE joins him.

BROTHER BUYL:

What kind of disease is this?

DOCTOR CHANCA:

I don't know. It seems almost as if

we have exchanged diseases with the

Indians. They die of our most

common cold, and we of their plague.

BROTHER BUYL:

God forgive us!

CUT TO:

EXT. ROYAL HOSPITAL - COURTYARD - SPAIN - DAY

A MAN covered with sores is screaming, thrashing in his

agony. He is held down, his voice muffled. ISABEL turns

away, shocked.

She is in a ward full of patients, attended by a DOCTOR,

SANCHEZ and other members of her court.

The patients are emaciated, their faces and bodies covered

with virulent sores. NUNS move between the beds.

DOCTOR:

It seems to be caused by intimacy

with the native women, Your Majesty.

ISABEL:

Will he survive?

DOCTOR:

No, Your Majesty. They go mad --

then they die. There is nothing we

can do.

ISABEL looks around at SANCHEZ, appalled.

SANCHEZ:

Every ship returns with a cargo of

sick and dying. But with no gold!

The new world proves expensive, Your

Majesty.

ISABEL:

We weren't expecting immediate

profits, were we? We must have

faith. We must give time for time.

SANCHEZ bows in acknowledgement. But ISABEL, despite her

words, looks distressed.

EXT. MINE - NEW WORLD - DAY

Excavations carved into a hillside.

It is a blisteringly hot day. At the foot of the hill,

GIACOMO sits at a table beneath an awning, with MOXICA and

several CLERKS. ONE HUNDRED FIFTY INDIANS standing in

line at the table.

In turn, they hand over a small quantity of gold. The

CLERK weighs it on a scale, and notes down each

contribution.

MOXICA impatiently gestures the INDIANS to move faster

with a thonged crop. An INDIAN approaches the table. He

is nervous. He doesn't produce anything. The INDIAN

shakes his head, gesticulates, starts to speak rapidly.

TRANSLATOR:

He says he has not found any!

MOXICA:

He's lying!

Again the INDIAN pleads and gesticulates. MOXICA hits him

across the face with the thonged crop. The INDIAN tries

to run away -- but is held by a SPANISH SOLDIER.

MOXICA:

Bring him here!

The frightened INDIAN is brought back to the table. One

of the CLERKS slips away.

MOXICA:

Tell him to put his hands on the

table. Like this!

CUT TO:

EXT. OTHER SIDE OF THE SITE - DAY

At the other end of the site, the CLERK sprinting to

GIACOMO, who was talking to a FOREMASTER.

CLERK:

Don Giacomo, you'd better come at

once!

EXT. MINE - DAY

MOXICA turns, looks back at the long line of INDIANS,

still passively waiting.

MOXICA:

Tell them I want them to watch this!

The terrified TRANSLATOR speaks to the INDIANS.

CLERK:

Don't Moxica! You can't...

CUT TO:

GIACOMO and the CLERK running to the scene.

CUT TO:

MOXICA:

(to the clerk)

I can't? I can't?

With a single swift action, MOXICA draws his sword and

cuts off the INDIAN'S hands.

ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. The INDIANS flee, disappearing

into the jungle. GIACOMO arrives at this moment. He

stares at the dismembered hands in horror.

INT. GOVERNOR'S MANSION - EVENING

A tribunal. Sitting behind a table with his brothers, and

flanked by his council, COLUMBUS presides. MOXICA stands

before them.

COLUMBUS:

In one act of brutality, you have

created chaos. Tribes who were

fighting each other are now joining

forces against us! All that because

of your criminal savagery!

MOXICA:

(casually)

Savagery is what monkeys understand.

COLUMBUS:

You'll be held in detention,

deprived of your privileges and

possessions. Until you are returned

to Spain where you will be judged.

Have you anything to say?

MOXICA:

(with exquisite

insolence)

You will regret this.

He strolls to the GUARDS at the back of the room.

EXT. BARRACKS - NIGHT

Everything is quiet on the mine site.

On the terrace, TWO SOLDIERS are drinking in turn, and

cracking jokes. One of them leans against the wooden

wall. He laughs as he hears repeated banging behind him.

CUT TO:

INT. BARRACKS - NIGHT

A THIRD SOLDIER is f***ing an INDIAN WOMAN against the

wall.

CUT TO:

EXT. BARRACKS - NIGHT

On the terrace, his two COMPANIONS laugh and encourage

his efforts.

A whooshing sound. An arrow embeds itself in the chest of

the SOLDIER who was leaning against the wall. He is

nailed to the wood behind him.

THE OTHER SOLDIER stares at him, transfixed, until an

arrow pierces his throat. He collapses, unable to cry

out for help.

INT. BARRACKS - NIGHT

FOUR INDIANS in full warrior outfit, their faces painted,

burst into the room. Still busy with the WOMAN, his eyes

facing the wall, the SOLDIER believes the intruders to be

his friends.

SOLDIER:

(without stopping)

You animals! Can't you wait!

Discovering the FOUR TERRIFYING FIGURES staring at her,

the INDIAN WOMAN starts screaming and pushes back the

SOLDIER. He turns around, jumps off the WOMAN, and starts

to scramble to the front door, trying to put on his

trousers.

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