1492: Conquest of Paradise Page #15

THE FOUR INDIANS catch him, and force him to lay on the

ground. THE MAN struggles, his eyes rolling in terror.

TWO INDIANS force his mouth open. A THIRD ONE kneels and

starts stuffing it with gold dust. THE SOLDIER chokes and

suffocates.

THE WOMAN still stands half naked against the wall,

terrified. AN INDIAN takes his knife from his leggings,

slowly. She starts sobbing and imploring in her language.

THE INDIAN slowly walks to her, and plants the knife in

the lower part of her belly.

EXT. MINE - DAY

PAIRS of bloody red legs hanging still, high in the air.

Pulling back, we discover:

A DOZEN SPANIARDS have been crucified on the scaffolding

of the excavations. Some hands and noses have been

removed.

UTAPAN is standing, uncomfortable among the SPANIARDS.

A SOLDIER removes a huge iron nail from a wrist. One of

the CRUCIFIED BODIES is gently laid on the ground. He is

still alive -- not for long.

COLUMBUS and BARTOLOME are silent with rage.

BARTOLOME:

(aggressively)

Moxica is right. Our ways don't

work!

BARTOLOME turns to UTAPAN.

BARTOLOME:

(aggressively)

Can you find them?

UTAPAN looks distraught -- this is the first time he is

being asked to do something against his own people. He

looks up at COLUMBUS for help in confusion.

COLUMBUS:

You have to find them, Utapan. Look

what they did!

UTAPAN:

You did the same to your God!

COLUMBUS is caught short.

COLUMBUS:

We have to stop this war.

UTAPAN nods. He walks and takes an arrow. He examines

it.

COLUMBUS:

Do you know them?

UTAPAN nods, uncomfortable.

CUT TO:

EXT. HILL AND VALLEY - DAY

Around a campfire, two dozen INDIANS are squatting. They

are arguing over a musket and some woolen hats they stole

from the mine. CLICK! CLICK! The INDIANS raise their

heads. All around them, crossbows and muskets are pointed

at them. Two INDIANS try to run away. They are shot.

This sound triggers the SPANIARDS' response. They start

shooting at random. UTAPAN is horrified. COLUMBUS stands

up shouting.

COLUMBUS:

Stop! Stop this!

CUT TO:

EXT. GOVERNOR'S MANSION - NIGHT

MOXICA and a group of rebels (GUEVARA among them),

silently approach the entrance of the mansion.

A GUARD is stabbed and falls on his knees with a cry.

INT. COLUMBUS' STUDY - GOVERNOR'S MANSION - NIGHT

MOXICA tears COLUMBUS' plans of the city from the wall.

On the table, the model of the future city.

Watched by the other ARISTOCRATS, MOXICA sets fire to the

parchment he has rolled up. He blows the flames from the

torch onto the model. Fire races up and down the streets

of the miniature, as if burning the city of Isabel.

A mad gleam in MOXICA'S eyes...

EXT. SQUARE OF ISABEL - NIGHT

The half-burnt remains of the Mansion. COLUMBUS stands in

the square, looking up at it. Behind him, his SOLDIERS,

his BROTHERS and about thirty captured INDIANS.

GIACOMO walks slowly across the square. COLUMBUS looks at

him in disbelief.

GIACOMO:

(through cracked

lips)

Moxica...

EXT. RIVER BANK - JUNGLE - DAWN

COLUMBUS leads his party of SOLDIERS through the jungle,

looking for the MUTINEERS.

They reach the river -- scan the far bank. Nothing.

COLUMBUS nods. His MEN start to enter the river, led by a

HALBERDIER.

Others follow, wading across, their weapons held above

their heads.

A crossbow arrow pierces the HALBERDIER. Without a cry he

falls forward into the water, and is carried away by the

current.

Two more MEN are hit. One cries out, thrashes around in

the water, an arrow protruding from his side. The river

stained with blood.

Still no sign of the enemy. COLUMBUS' MEN nevertheless

start to return fire from the bank, creating a shield...

others continue to wade across the river. A MUTINEER is

shot down from the branches of a tree...

The first MEN come ashore. Musket fire. An exchange of

arrows. COLUMBUS is now wading across. The MAN next to

him is killed, and carried away by the current.

Now, on the far shore, the enemy have shown themselves.

There is hand to hand fighting, with swords and other

weapons. MOXICA kills one of COLUMBUS' men -- but his own

are outnumbered and outmatched. Already, some are

beginning to surrender.

In the midst of the fighting, COLUMBUS, sword drawn, pulls

himself out of the river: A MUTINEER lunges at him.

COLUMBUS kills him with a thrust of his sword -- and walks

forward into the jungle. He spots MOXICA at the foot of a

cliff.

EXT. JUNGLE CLIMB TO CLIFF TOP - DAY

MOXICA starts scrambling up the rocks behind him, with

COLUMBUS following. The climb through the dense

undergrowth is so exhausting, they are now almost climbing

in slow motion.

EXT. TOP OF CLIFF - DAY

MOXICA bursts out of the undergrowth. He is at the edge

of emptiness, swept by a violent offshore wind. He turns

frantically, to see COLUMBUS coming up behind him.

Knowing he is lost, MOXICA regains his natural arrogance.

He steps backwards towards the edge.

MOXICA:

You know what they will say in Spain

about my death -- don't you?

He takes another step backwards, as COLUMBUS moves towards

him.

MOXICA:

You are nothing! You bastards will

never inherit your titles. We are

everything. We are immortal!

He smiles, and steps back into space.

EXT. ROCKS BELOW CLIFF TOP - DAY

His body falls, bounces off the rocks below, crashes into

the water.

EXT. TOP OF CLIFF - DAY

COLUMBUS stares down as his body is swept away.

CUT TO:

EXT. SQUARE OF ISABEL - DAY

CLOSE ON COLUMBUS' expressionless face.

CUT TO:

A MUTINEER -- his face is white, he is crying and

trembling. His arms are tied behind his back. He is held

fast, a rope is put around his neck.

COLUMBUS, sitting not far away beside his BROTHERS, gives

a signal.

Drums begin to beat. BROTHER BUYL looks on impassive.

A grimace suddenly transform THE YOUNG MAN'S face. He is

being garroted -- his throat crushed with a rope. The

YOUNG MAN'S feet dance frenziedly. We hear the choking.

The drums cease. BROTHER BUYL crosses himself and murmurs

a prayer, deeply distraught. GIACOMO has covered his

eyes.

A wider view shows the bodies of three other ARISTOCRATS

from the rebellion, attached to chairs affixed to a pole,

their heads straight, the rope still tight around their

necks.

Justice has been done. The members of the COUNCIL rise in

silence, COLUMBUS stands up.

CUT TO:

EXT. ISABEL - QUAYSIDE - DAY

CLOSE ON several large wooden cages. Inside we see the

INDIANS that COLUMBUS captured. They are packed together.

They stare out with vacant eyes. SOLDIERS guard them. A

ship against the pier. BUYL at his side, COLUMBUS stares

at the INDIANS.

BROTHER BUYL:

I wish to go back with them, Don

Colon. I have no desire to remain

in this godless place.

COLUMBUS:

You may do as you please, Brother

Buyl -- though your departure will

not help me to make it more Godly.

BROTHER BUYL looks at him, almost with astonishment.

BROTHER BUYL:

You treat Christians equally with

heathen savages. You execute

members of the nobility. And what

do you offer in return?

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