1492: Conquest of Paradise Page #6

COLUMBUS:

No...

SANCHEZ:

No?

COLUMBUS:

NO...! I have waited too long,

fought too hard. Now you expect me

to take all the risks while you take

the profit! No... I will not be

your servant!

The eyes behind the screen -- the mouth, forming a little

smile.

SANCHEZ:

I remind you, Senor Colon, that you

are in no position to bargain with

me.

COLUMBUS:

I'm not bargaining!

SANCHEZ:

(steely)

Then you are too ambitious.

COLUMBUS leans over the table, faces him.

COLUMBUS:

And were you never ambitious,

Excellency? Or is ambition only a

virtue among the nobles, a fault for

the rest of us?

SANCHEZ:

(abrupt)

If you won't accept our proposal,

we'll simply find someone who will.

COLUMBUS smiles.

COLUMBUS:

If you can do that, Excellency --

I'll become a monk!

He turns, strides towards the door. We hear a WOMAN'S

muffled laughter.

As COLUMBUS goes out, ISABEL appears through a secret

door. SANCHEZ bows.

ISABEL goes over to the window and looks out.

ISABEL:

You were right, Don Sanchez... His

demands could never be granted.

SANCHEZ:

Never, Your Majesty. Although...

She turns, questioningly, towards him.

SANCHEZ:

... Although one may always

renegotiate a contract. Especially

signed by Royal Hands.

EXT. ALHAMBRA PALACE GARDENS - POV - DAY

SANCHEZ joins ISABEL at the window. They see COLUMBUS

striding out and away.

INT. ALHAMBRA PALACE - A RECEPTION ROOM - DAY

BACK TO SANCHEZ:

SANCHEZ:

(quietly)

... Into a monk...

ISABEL:

(with a smile)

Yes. It would be a pity, wouldn't

it?

(turning to Sanchez)

Call him back!

EXT. STREET - EVENING

Teeming life. COLUMBUS pushing his way through crowds.

He is expressionless and distracted.

He looks around him, stops walking. And then,

unexpectedly, shouts.

COLUMBUS:

YEEEEEEES!

All heads turn as if he were totally insane. He walks on

as if nothing happened.

INT. BEATRIX'S HOUSE - NIGHT

COLUMBUS is sitting at the kitchen table, by himself, with

a glass of wine. There is a movement behind him. BEATRIX

is standing at the foot of the stairs, in a night-shirt.

COLUMBUS turns and looks at her, almost sad.

COLUMBUS:

She said yes.

BEATRIX:

(moved)

Thank God...

She smiles. But he seems to be unable to share her

happiness.

COLUMBUS:

If I ever come back, I swear I

will...

She crosses to him quickly, placing her hand gently on his

mouth.

BEATRIX:

(softly)

I'm not asking you to swear to

anything.

COLUMBUS:

I don't want you to wait for me.

BEATRIX:

(smiling)

That's something you can't decide.

COLUMBUS kisses her.

INT. CORRIDOR - BEATRIX'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Strange, unearthly music... A flickering light in a dark

tunnel. FERNANDO, holding a candle in front of him, walks

slowly down the dark corridor.

Quietly opening a door, he walks into COLUMBUS' study.

INT. COLUMBUS' STUDY - NIGHT

CLOSE ON:
A huge illustrated map of western Europe and

Asia. FERNANDO'S candle moves slowly across the Atlantic

Ocean, to the edge of the map. There, the illustrator's

imagination has created monsters: terrifying demons;

creatures half-human, half-animal.

Sitting at his desk, COLUMBUS is looking at the map.

FERNANDO (O.S.)

You can't go there!

Turning, COLUMBUS finds his son beside him.

COLUMBUS:

Why not?

FERNANDO points at the monsters. He pulls the boy to him.

COLUMBUS:

There aren't any monsters, Fernando.

The only monsters are in here...

(he taps his own

forehead)

Watch!

He takes a pen, and draws a smile on one of the terrible

monsters, transforming it at once. FERNANDO laughs

immediately.

FERNANDO:

I want to go with you!

COLUMBUS:

There'll be a time.

FERNANDO:

You promise?

(Columbus nods his

head)

Do you swear on St. Christopher...?

FERNANDO pulls the chain with the St. Christopher medal

from under COLUMBUS' shirt.

FERNANDO:

Do you swear on all the Holy Saints

in heaven?

COLUMBUS:

(laughing)

Yes... Yes, I do... On all of them!

And he hugs his SON tightly.

EXT. HILLSIDE AND GATE - PRE-DAWN

A luminous procession passes through a Moorish stone gate,

down to the harbor. We see the faces of the SAILORS and

their FAMILIES -- COLUMBUS, PINZON AMONGST THEM -- We

sense the fervor and apprehension of the departure. The

procession is lead by MARCHENA and four young NOVICES

carrying the Madonna. All hold long, burning tapers,

saying the rosary. A SAILOR pushes through the crowd, and

kisses the Madonna's feet.

EXT. PALOS HARBOR - DAWN

Hundreds of candles flicker in the pre-dawn light, held by

the FAMILIES and FRIENDS of the SAILORS.

The SANTA MARIA the PINTA and the NINA nestle against the

quayside. Dwarfed by the hulls, a flotilla of smaller

fishing craft, returning from night fishing, accidentally

witness this event.

EXT. MAKESHIFT CONFESSIONAL - DOCKSIDE - DAWN

MARCHENA sits on a barrel and crosses himself. Behind a

curtain sits COLUMBUS.

MARCHENA:

In Nomine Patris et Filius, et

Spiritus Sancti.

COLUMBUS:

Forgive me, Father. For I have

sinned.

MARCHENA recognizes COLUMBUS' voice.

MARCHENA:

I am listening, my son.

COLUMBUS:

Father, I have betrayed my family.

I betrayed my men. And I betrayed

you.

MARCHENA:

What are you saying?

COLUMBUS:

I lied. The journey will be longer

than I said.

MARCHENA:

How long?

COLUMBUS:

I am not sure... It could be twice

the distance.

A pause.

MARCHENA:

May God forgive you...! You must

tell them! You must tell your men!

COLUMBUS:

If I tell them, they won't follow

me. You know that I am right,

Father. You trust me...

MARCHENA:

My son, my son...

(he shakes his head)

Your certitudes are sometimes

frightening...

(pause)

Christopher, you must speak to them.

And if you don't I will.

COLUMBUS:

You are bound by an oath, Father.

A long silence.

MARCHENA:

I believed in you...

COLUMBUS:

Give me absolution.

No response.

COLUMBUS:

Give me absolution, Father!

Devastated, MARCHENA reluctantly makes the sign of the

cross.

EXT. HARBOR AND SHIPS - PALOS - DAWN

COLUMBUS walks over to where BEATRIX and FERNANDO are

waiting. He kisses and hugs FERNANDO.

MARCHENA (O.S.)

Ispo Te Absoluto. May God forgive

you and have mercy on your soul,

Christopher Columbus. Go in peace.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. HARBOR AND SHIPS - DAWN - LATER

The CROWDED QUAYSIDE. COLUMBUS stands in front of

FERNANDO.

COLUMBUS:

Be good to your mother, Fernando.

Do you promise?

FERNANDO nods, tears in his eyes. Then COLUMBUS embraces

BEATRIX tightly. She whispers into his ear.

BEATRIX:

Speak to Diego.

But COLUMBUS and DIEGO are unable to find words, and

instead they clumsily hug. Someone taps COLUMBUS'

shoulder. He turns around to see SANTANGEL. Wordlessly,

they hug.

CUT TO:

Activity on the ships, orders are being shouted, ropes

fore and aft are cast off, splashing into the water... Now

the SHIPS are slowly moving parallel to the quayside. The

CROWD starts walking abreast to the VESSELS. WOMEN

holding up babies, blowing kisses, old PARENTS crying...

BEATRIX, HER SONS, AND SANTANGEL are among them.

COLUMBUS suddenly unties the chain around his neck, and

throws it at DIEGO.

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