Babel Page #10

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86 INT. CHIEKO'S ROOM -- DAY

Chieko sits in front of a mute T.V., channel surfing. She

stops at a fashion show, then some cartoons.

Suddenly, on a news program, we see the photographs of Ahmed

and Yussef. Chieko looks at them for a moment and then

changes the channel. She is watching T.V. when a red bulb,

set between a yellow bulb and a blue one, starts to light up

insistently as the doorbell rings.

Chieko notices and shuts off the T.V.

87 INT. LIVING ROOM, CHIEKO'S APARTMENT -- DAY

Chieko opens the door and Mitsu walks in. They greet each

other with a handshake where they end up touching their index

fingers to each other's hearts.

51.

MITSU:

Are you ready?

CHIEKO:

Yeah, I'm just going to get my bag.

Chieko goes to get her bag. Mitsu sees the policeman's card

on the entrance table and looks at it. Chieko comes back

and Mitsu asks her about it in sign language.

MITSU:

The cops came again?

CHIEKO:

Yeah. They hadn't come in nine

months. But these were different

cops.

MITSU:

Did they come to ask about your

mothers' death?

CHIEKO:

No, but they're probably going to

ask my dad about the same things.

MITSU:

They're just not convinced, are they?

Chieko shakes her head, remains pensive and then smiles.

CHIEKO:

Believe it or not, I liked one of

the cops.

Chieko puts Kenji's card in her purse.

MITSU:

Did you put on some panties?

Chieko smiles, lifts up her skirt and exposes her naked pubis.

Mitsu lifts hers up as well and is also without panties.

They laugh and leave the apartment.

88 EXT. YUSSEF AND AHMED'S HOUSE -- MOMENTS LATER

Dawn. The desert is a rose plain softly lit by the sun's

first rays. Yussef and Ahmed are digging a hole with their

bare hands. Once they're finished, they clean up around the

hole and mark it with three stones.

89 EXT. HIGHWAY, DESERT -- MORNING

Alarid (40), a federal cop, tall, in an impeccable uniform

with numerous rank badges, stands on the highway examining

the site of the shot with the old man who was driving.

52.

In the distance we can see a police checkpoint stopping some

cars and, after checking them, letting them go.

ALARID:

(To the old man, the

entire dialogue in

Arabic)

Are you sure it was here?

OLD MAN:

Sure. I drive down this road every

day. The American tried to stop me

right here.

He stands more or less where Richard tried to stop him.

OLD MAN (CONT'D)

I was scared. He was covered in

blood and I was coming from picking

up my grandson from his work.

ALARID:

Where was the bus?

The old man points some twenty yards behind him.

OLD MAN:

Over there.

Alarid walks toward where the old man said and looks out at

the mountains. Some of his men are visible at the tops.

Alarid talks to them by radio.

ALARID:

Look further to the right.

We can see some men exploring the terrain.

ALARID (CONT'D)

(To the old man)

Why did you wait so long to contact

the police?

OLD MAN:

I had to drive my grandson home.

The radio crackles.

POLICEMAN VOICE:

Captain Alarid, Captain Alarid... We

found the cartridges.

90 EXT. MOUNTAIN RANGE -- MORNING

Alarid squats, scrutinizing the four empty cartridges lying

on the earth. One of his men approaches and Alarid signals

with his hand for him to stop immediately.

53.

ALARID:

Stop right there...

The man remains motionless. Alarid follows the prints that

lead away from the cartridges. He reaches the mess of goat

hoof-prints. He picks up a ball of sh*t and feels it.

ALARID (CONT'D)

They're from around here. Find out

who has a .270 caliber rifle.

91 EXT. DESERT -- MORNING

Yussef and Ahmed walk back home, lost in their own thoughts.

Suddenly a jackal trots out and stares at them. Yussef picks

up a rock and throws it. The jackal runs off.

92 EXT. HASSAN'S HOUSE -- MORNING

Hassan and his wife are listening to the radio and playing

cards at a table placed outside the house. As they play,

Hassan whittles a stake with a small knife.

Hassan's wife lowers her hand and Hassan follows.

HASSAN:

I won...

His wife pushes two chips from her pile toward him. In the

distance, several trucks approach, kicking up a dust cloud.

Hassan's wife gets up to better see them.

WIFE:

Are you expecting anyone?

Hassan stands up and watches the vehicles come closer.

HASSAN:

No.

Five trucks pull up in a semicircle around the house. A

dozen police officers get out armed and aim at Hassan and

his wife.

Alarid gets out and stands next to his car door.

ALARID:

Hassan Ibrahim?

Hassan paralyzed by fear, answers in a broken voice.

HASSAN:

Yes.

One of the police officers approaches him aiming directly at

his head, while another one aims at his wife.

54.

POLICE OFFICER:

Drop your weapon.

Hassan lifts up his knife and shows it to them.

HASSAN:

It's not a weapon, it's my knife.

POLICE OFFICER:

Drop it, now...

Hassan drops the knife in the dust.

POLICE OFFICER (CONT'D)

Get down on the floor... face down...

Hassan and his wife look at each other before they obey.

HASSAN:

What did we do?

The cop readies himself to fire, and Hassan drops to the

ground. His wife follows and also lies on her stomach.

93

EXT. YUSSEF AND AHMED'S HOUSE -- DAY

Abdullah takes two goats out of the corral, ties a rope to

their neck and drags them over to a rock. The goats bleat

desperately trying to break free.

Abdullah turns to look at his children.

ABDULLAH:

Hold them.

Yussef and Ahmed hold their legs. Abdullah pulls out a knife

and slits the goat's throat.

94 EXT. HASSAN'S HOUSE -- DAY

Hassan lies on the floor, cuffed, with a broken mouth,

surrounded by cops. Alarid is carrying out the interrogation,

squatting next to Hassan's face.

ALARID:

Why did you shoot at the bus?

HASSAN:

I didn't shoot at anyone.

ALARID:

Then who, you idiot?

Hassan remains silent and turns to look at his wife who is

sitting on a chair, cuffed, a few yards away.

55.

HASSAN:

It wasn't me.

Alarid punches him in the face.

ALARID:

That was your rifle.

HASSAN:

No, not anymore, I sold it today.

ALARID:

Oh yeah? To who?

95 EXT. YUSSEF AND AHMED'S HOUSE -- LATER

Abdullah gives Yussef and Ahmed some goat skins.

ABDULLAH:

Take these goat skins to Naguib and

see if he wants to buy them.

The two brothers bundle up the skins, tie them up with some

cord and they leave down the path away from the house.

96 EXT. DESERT -- DAY

As they climb a hill, they encounter a convoy of Moroccan

police trucks. They are terrified. The vehicles screech to

a dramatic halt before them, lifting up much dust.

Alarid opens the passenger window.

ALARID:

Hey, do you know where Abdullah Adboum

lives?

Ahmed and Yussef exchange a glance. Yussef nods.

YUSSEF:

Yes.

Ahmed gets very nervous. Yussef points the wrong way with

an air of certainty.

YUSSEF (CONT'D)

Over there, you have to cross those

mountains.

ALARID:

They told us he lived around here.

YUSSEF:

No, we just live here with our mother.

Abdullah lives over there.

Alarid scrutinizes the brothers' faces.

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