A Man for All Seasons Page #8

Sir, when latt”I asked you for your daughter’s hand you objected to my (he struggles for the

right word)

... unorthodox, opinions.

MORE I did.

e**

49

ROPER:

Since then my views my views have,

er, somewhat modified.

MARGARET and MORE exchange glance.of delightful amusement. MORE

Well that’s good hearing, Will.

ROPER has seen their interchange. Hotly:

ROPER:

I modify nothing concerning various corruptions in the Church—MORE Quite right.

ROPER:

But an attack on the Church Herself. No, I see behind that an attack on God—MORE, alarmed, with a forkful of jelly poised.

MORE Er, Roper—

ROPER The Devil’s work!

MORE Roper—!

ROPER:

To be done by the Devil’s Ministers!.

MORE:

For Heaven’s sake Will, remember my office!

ROPER:

Oh, if you stand on your office—!

MORE:

I don’t stand on it, but there are certain things I may not hear! ON SOUND: STEWARD coughs, discreet and disapproving.

50

All look up, alarmed. RICH is entering, past STEWARD. He halts and looks at them, smiling, awkward, distraught. He is still muddy. MORE glances at ALICE, rises. MORE Richard?

RICH:

I fell ... Lady Alice ...

ALICE nods, non-committal, Lady Margaret.

MARGARET Good evening, Master Rich.

MORE:

Oh. Do you know—William Roper the younger?

RICH comes forward, ingratiating.

RICH By reputation of course.

ROPER Good evening, Master ... ?

RICH Rich.

ROPER:

Oh.

(recollecting something) Oh.

RICH:

(defensively) You have heard of me?

ROPER Yes.

RICH:

In what connection? I don’t know what you can have heard—He looks at them, hostile. Suddenly blurts, shrill.

51

RICH:

I sense that I’m not welcome there.

MORE:

Why Richard, have you done something to make you not welcome? RICH

(emotional, impulsive)

Cromwell is asking questions. About you He is continually asking questions about you and your opinions! MORE looks thoughtful. ò

MORE Of whom?

STEWARD commences discreet Exit. The movement attracts their attention. RICH points, excitedly: RICH

Of him for one! That’s one of his sources!

ALICE, MARGARET, ROPER in turn, staring at STEWARD, angry, disgusted, hostile, each according to his nature. STEWARD, cautiously “innocent”.

But MORE, still looking at RICH, says quietly:

MORE:

Of course; that’s one of my servants. All right, Matthew.

STEWARD makes his exit, just a little too hastily. MORE goes on looking gravely and searchingly. at RICH who .can’t stand it: RICH

You look at me as though I were an enemy!

MORE puts out a hand.

MORE:

Why, Rich, you’re shaking.

52

RICH:

MORE:

RICH:

MORE:

RICH:

Help me.

How?

Employ me.

No.

Employ me.

No.

RICH goes, turns back.

MORE:

RICH I would be faithful!

MORE:

Richard, you couldn’t answer for yourself even so far as tonight. RICH goes.

ALICE on her feet, excited. SHORT CLOSE UPS: ALICE

Arrest him! MORE

For what? ALICE

He’s dangerous!

ROPER For libel—he’s a spy!

TWO SHOT MORE and MARGARET

MARGARET Father that man’s bad.

53

MORE There’s no law against that.

ROPER There is! God’s law!

MORE Then God can arrest him.

ALICE While you talk, he’s gone!

MORE:

And go he should if he were the Devil himself, until he broke the law. ROPER

(amazed)

So—Now we’d give the Devil benefit of law!

MORE:

Yes what would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil? ROPER

I’d cut down every law in England to do that !

MORE really stung at this-,

MORE:

Oh. And when the last law was down and the Devil turned round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat?—This country’s planted thick with laws from coast to coast—Man’s laws, not God’s, and if you cut them down—and you’re just the man to do it—Do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? DISSOLVE commences, and ON SOUND wind rises, as he continues to himself: Yes, Pd give the Devil benefit of law. For my own safety’s sake. 54

65 EXT. DOCKSIDE PUB NIGHT

Wind blowing over black water, wet cobbles. A figure flits, its thin garments clapped about it by the wind. RICH. He turns a corner, another, hesitates, dives into a doorway over which a bushel of hops thrashes in the gusts. 66 INT. DOCKSIDE PUB

Passes through room where two or three poor looking watermen sit silently drinking. Into a short corridor. Hesitates, uncertain. CROMWELL comes to a doorway, a tankard in his hand. CROMWELL Here, Rich:

He goes back in. We follow. A dark little room made cheerful by firelight, a black oak table with jug and bread. A picture of simple comfort., and CROMWELL smiling: CROMWELL

It’s taken you long enough to get here.

RICH Have I kept you waiting?

CROMWELL Months. Here.

He takes a mug of warmed wine from the fireside, gives it to RICH. CROMWELL Do you know the news?

RICH What news?

CROMWELL Sir Thomas Paget is retiring.

His voice thickens with almost physical pleasure. And I succeed him. RICH

Secretary to the Council: You?

CROMWELL T’is surprising, isn’t it?

66 Continued

RICH:

Oh no—I mean one sees—it’s logical.

CROMWELL:

No ceremony, no courtship. As His Majesty might say.

RICH laughs, but glances into the shadows. Yes, see how I trust you. RICH

Oh I would never repeat or report a thing like, that.

CROMWELL:

What kind of thing would you repeat or report?

RICH:

Well nothing said in friendship.

CROMWELL Do you believe that?

RICH Why yes.

CROMWELL No but seriously.

RICH Yes!

CROMWELL Rich, seriously.

RICH hesitates, mumbles:

RICH:

It would depend what I was offered.

CROMWELL Don’t say it just to please me.

55

56

RICH:

(bitterly)

It’s true; it would depend what I was offered.

CROMWELL appraises him; RICH looks back.

CROMWELL:

We-ell ... There is another post vacant. Collector of. Revenues for York. RICH Is it in your gift?

CROMWELL Effectively.

RICH What must I do for it?

CROMWELL sits by him and, as telling a story to a child, while RICH watches him hawklike: CROMWELL

Rich, I know a man who wants to change his woman. Normally a matter of small importance, but in this case it’s our liege lord Henry the eighth of that name—which is a quaint way of saying that if he wants to change his woman he will. And our job as administrators is to minimize the ... Searches delicately for the word.

...inconvenience, which this is going to cause. That’s our only job, Rich, to minimize the—inconvenience—of things. A harmless occupation you would say, but no, we administrators are not liked, Rich, we’re not popular—I say “we” on the assumption you accept this post at York I’ve offered you. 57

RICH’s smile fades; he looks down, almost whispers:

RICH Yes ... Yes.

CROMWELL:

(with distaste)

It’s a bad sign when people-are depressed by their own good fortunes. RICH I’m not depressed.

CROMWELL You look depressed.

RICH:

I’m lamenting. I’ve lost my innocence.

CROMWELL:

Some time ago. Have you only just

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