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Neytiri stands her ground, answering in a respectful but not

submissive tone.

46.

NEYTIRI:

(SUBTITLED)

Father, many atokirina came to this

alien.

JAKE:

What's going on?

NEYTIRI:

My father is deciding whether to kill

you.

JAKE:

Your father!?

(to Eytukan)

Uh, good to meet you, sir.

Jake steps forward, offering his hand, and the hunters JUMP

to restrain him, shouting. But they all FREEZE as --

A commanding FEMALE VOICE echoes through the chamber.

MO'AT

(NA'VI)

Step back!

Everybody looks up.

MO'AT (MOH-aht) stands on the second level, looking down.

She is a severe woman in her 50's. Her bearing is haughty,

her expression friendly as a hanging-judge. Her outfit is

elaborate, denoting her rank as CLAN MATRIARCH.

MO'AT

(SUBTITLED)

I will look at this alien.

There is an expectant hush as Mo'at descends the helical core

of Hometree, a kind of natural spiral staircase.

NEYTIRI:

That is Mother. She is Tsahik -- the one

who interprets the will of Eywa.

JAKE:

Who's Eywa?

Neytiri kneels before her like an acolyte as Mo'at passes.

The villagers stare silently as the Matriarch circles slowly

around Jake, examining his tail and the end of his queue.

47.

MO'AT

(thick accent)

What are you called?

JAKE:

Jake Sully.

She produces a long THORN between her fingertips. With a

flourish she strikes his chest.

Jake flinches. RED BLOOD wells up and Mo'at rubs some

between her fingertips. She tastes it.

MO'AT

Why did you come to us?

JAKE:

I came to learn.

MO'AT

We have tried to teach other Sky People.

It is hard to fill a cup which is already

full.

JAKE:

My cup is empty, trust me. Just ask

Doctor Augustine. I'm no scientist.

MO'AT

What are you?

JAKE:

I don't know. I was a Marine -- uh, a

warrior. Of the Jarhead clan.

TSU'TEY

(SUBTITLED)

A warrior! I could kill him easily!

EYTUKAN:

(SUBTITLED)

No! This is the first warrior

dreamwalker we have seen. We need to

learn more about him.

JAKE:

What's going on? What are they saying?

MO'AT

(to Neytiri, subtitled)

Daughter. You will teach him our way, to

speak and walk as we do.

48.

NEYTIRI looks shocked, then angry.

NEYTIRI:

(SUBTITLED)

Why me? That's not fair! I only--

MO'AT

(SUBTITLED)

It is decided!

Neytiri subsides, turning to glare at Jake.

MO'AT

(to Jake)

My daughter will teach you our ways.

Learn well, Jakesully. We will see if

your insanity can be cured.

She turns to Neytiri, her expression stern --

MO'AT

(SUBTITLED)

He is your responsibility.

Neytiri nods, accepting, but she's not a happy camper. She

grabs Jake's arm and pulls him roughly away.

JAKE:

So it's all good, right? You and me --

NEYTIRI:

Do not speak.

CUT TO:

INT. SECOND LEVEL/HOMETREE

LATER, Neytiri leads Jake up the spiral to the SECOND LEVEL.

He now wears only a ratty LOINCLOTH. His wounds are bound

with plant-fiber bandages.

THE ENTIRE CLAN is squatting at dinner in a huge circle. They

stop talking and turn to gaze at Jake as he enters the

circle.

JAKE:

Don't get up.

Neytiri crosses the circle to the cook pit and returns with

several large leaves heaped with food. She kneels next to

Jake, placing the food in front of him almost DEFIANTLY.

JAKE:

You never told me your name.

49.

NEYTIRI:

Neytiri te Ckaha Mo'at'ite.

JAKE:

Okay, again, a whole lot slower.

NEYTIRI:

(exaggerated slowness)

Neytiri. Nay-TEE-ree.

Jake knows she's baiting him. He smiles in response.

JAKE:

Nay-TEE-ree. That's nice. Nay-TEE-ree.

ACROSS THE CIRCLE, Tsu'tey, Mo'at and Eytukan sit together,

glancing up occasionally from their food to the stranger.

TSU'TEY

(SUBTITLED)

These aliens try to look like people, but

they can't.

MO'AT

(SUBTITLED)

He seems dim to me. And his eyes are too

small.

NEYTIRI motions for Jake to take portions from the serving

leaves onto his own leaf.

JAKE:

Your mom likes me. I can tell.

MO'AT, watching Jake and Neytiri, leans over to Eytukan.

MO'AT

(SUBTITLED)

Neytiri will test this "warrior." Hey may

learn nothing -- but we will learn much.

EYTUKAN:

You speak truth. We must understand

these Sky People if we are to drive them

out.

Jake munches on a white shrimp-like thing.

JAKE:

These rock. What are they?

NEYTIRI:

Teylu. You call beetle larvae.

50.

Jake blanches. She heaps some more onto his leaf -- a

CHALLENGE -- and Jake meets her eyes, takes a handful, and

starts munching enthusiastically.

JAKE:

That's some damn fine teylu. That's like

grandma's teylu.

CU TSU'TEY, warily eyeing Jake --

TSU'TEY

(SUBTITLED)

I say she will kill him.

CUT TO:

INT. THIRD LEVEL - NIGHT

The sleeping level -- families nesting in groups on woven

hammocks the size of trampolines. The hunters sleep along

SPOKES joining the inner trunk to the tree's outer shell.

Jake lies awake in a hammock, people rustling in the darkness

around him. Neytiri is nearby, curled up like a little girl.

She stares at him for a moment, then closes her eyes.

Jake watches the glowing bugs fluttering inside a night-

light, a pulse of life energy. A strange peace spreads

through him. He closes his eyes and --

CUT TO:

INT. LINK ROOM - NIGHT

GRACE is over JAKE in the Link, SLAPPING him, as Max and NORM

hover.

GRACE:

Come on back, kid, that's it.

JAKE:

Wha --? Oh.

He looks around, blinking. Reality crashing in.

GRACE:

Damn, you were dug in like a tick.

(she helps him sit up)

Is the avatar safe?

JAKE:

(huge grin)

Yeah, Doc -- and you are not going to

believe where I am.

CUT TO:

51.

INT. COMMISSARY - MORNING

BREAKFAST the next day. The other drivers lean forward,

hanging on Grace's re-telling of the tale.

GRACE:

-- so the kid's out there one night and

he's got the Queen B*tch herself offering

him the spare room and the car keys.

Unbelievable.

JAKE:

It's not something you can teach.

Some of the other scientists clap Jake on the shoulders in

congratulation.

MAX:

That's awesome, Jake.

NORM chomps his bacon, fuming.

GRACE:

(to Jake, getting serious)

For reasons I cannot fathom, the

Omaticaya have chosen you. God help us

all.

CUT TO:

INT. OPS CENTER - MORNING

JAKE has reported to SELFRIDGE and QUARITCH. Quaritch turns

from gazing out at the wall of forest, displaying a feral

grin.

QUARITCH:

Jarhead clan?

(he laughs)

And that worked?

JAKE:

(GRINNING)

Yeah. They want to study me. See if I

can learn to be one of them.

QUARITCH:

That's how you seize the initiative. I

wish I had ten more like you.

SELFRIDGE:

Look, Sully -- find out what these blue

monkeys want.

(MORE)

52.

SELFRIDGE (cont'd)

We try to give them medicine and

education. Roads! But no -- they like

mud. I wouldn't care except --

Selfridge turns to a large 3D GRAPHIC DISPLAY, pointing. A

road runs from Hell's Gate to a proposed new mine miles away.

SELFRIDGE:

Their damn village is sitting right over

the richest unobtanium deposit for a

hundred klicks in any direction. Which

sucks -- for them -- because they need to

relocate.

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