Brazil Page #23

SAM gets his breath back and approaches the fallen

WARRIOR. Reaching down he removed the GIANT's mask. Fire

rushes forth from all the facial orifices. But the thing

that makes him catch his breath is the face itself. It's

his ... SAM's! While he stares in amazement the fire

begins to melt the face. In a moment it is unrecognizable.

SAM stands there stunned. Somewhere in the distance a bell

tolls.

118 EXT. JUST AROUND THE CORNER NIGHT118

SAM's face is reflected in the puddle of oil. He is

staring wide-eyed. A church bell tolls in the distance.

SAM is definitely spooked. He scrambles to his feet. He's

got to get out of here. He heads off down the passageway

but is brought quickly to a halt. There, in the shadows,

is SOMEONE smoking a cigarette. He hesitates and reverses

direction but, before he manages 2 paces a familiar voice

comes from behind him.

JILL:

You're late.

SAM spins around. Stepping out from the shadows is JILL -

cigarette in her mouth.

SAM:

(stunned)

Jill! What are you do ... I mean ...

how did you ... Are you alright?

JILL:

Yes.

SAM:

What happened to you after ...

JILL:

Your face ... are you hurt?

SAM:

No. No. I'm fine. I was worried sick

about you ... I thought ...

A patrol car approaches. Quickly SAM grabs JILL and goes

into a kiss to explain their presence. The car hesitates

for a moment and drives on.

JILL:

(through kiss)

They're gone.

SAM:

(through kiss)

Are you sure?

JILL:

(through kiss)

Yes.

They resume passionate kiss. After a moment

SAM:

(urgently)

C'mon, we've got to get you off the

streets.

They head off clutching one another.

119 INT. SAM'S CORRIDORNIGHT119

The Elysian Fields train arrives clattering. SAM and JILL

are the only passengers to emerge. They can't keep their

hands off one another. This is young love at its freshest

and most exciting. SAM looks up and down the platform

cautiously but there is no-one in sight as the train

clatters off again into the darkness. SAM and JILL

approach SAM's front door. He puts a key in the door and

tries to open the door but has some difficulty. Something

creaks. He gives the door a heavy shove and the door opens

and a shower of white powdery ice falls on his head..

120 INT. SAM'S FLATNIGHT120

SAM enters, followed by JILL. His breath immediately

starts come out of his mouth like clouds of steam. The

flat looks as though it has been disembowelled and then

deep frozen. Icicles are hanging down from everywhere. The

flat looks like a scrap dump. Every wall has spilled out

its disgusting steel and rubber entrails, filling most of

the available space and making progress through the flat

difficult. Half a dozen MEN are at work. They are

impossible to identify because they wear arctic clothing

and look more like spacemen. Their voices however belong

to SPOOR and DOWSER.

SAM:

For God's sake, what's happened?

SPOOR:

Thermostat's gone. And then some.

DOWSER:

... And then some.

SAM:

What have you done to my flat?

SPOOR:

Sign here, please.

DOWSER:

... ere please.

SPOOR offers a clipboard and pencil. He bangs the

clipboard against the furniture to knock the ice off it.

SAM:

What is it?

SPOOR:

It's a 27B/6 of course.

DOWSER:

...B/6 of course.

JILL:

(to Dowser)

Do you repeat everying?

DOWSER:

(nods)

... Everything.

SPOOR:

(indicating the mess)

This is what you get when you have

cowboys round yer ducts.

DOWSER:

... yer ducts.

SPOOR:

I think you've got your T41 crystal

inductor wired up to a reverse bobbin-

threaded-solenoid-control. It's

either that or a new washer.

DOWSER:

... new washer.

SPOOR:

Sign the form so we can get to it.

DOWSER:

... get to it.

SAM grabs the clipboard and smashes it over SPOOR's head.

The board is so cold that it snaps in two. The paper on it

also snaps in two.

121 INT. SAM'S CORRIDORNIGHT121

SAM pulls JILL out into the corridor.

JILL:

Don't you like parties?

SAM:

C'mon. We've got to get out of here.

As SAM and JILL begin to move down the corridor they see a

cigarette glow brightly in a dark recess.

JILL:

(seeing cigarette light)

TOO LATE!

They ere about to run when TUTTLE steps out of the

shadows.

TUTTLE:

I'll fix the damage when they've

gone. I'll be ready for you tomorrow.

122 INT. MOTHER'S CORRIDOR NIGHT122

A venerable PORTER carrying a single key on a large ring

is preceding SAM and JILL along the corridor which we have

seen before. The PORTER's name is MATTHEWS.

SAM:

My mother said it would be all right.

MATTHEWS:

She didn't say anything about it to

me.

SAM:

Well, she's my mother, not yours.

MATTHEWS:

I won't be held responsible.

SAM:

How long will she he away?

MATTHEWS:

(darkly)

There are some who go to Dr. Jaffe's

clinic who never come back at all.

MATTHEWS unlocks MOTHER's door.

MATTHEWS:

(to Jill)

You're not a professional, are you?

JILL:

No, amateur.

SAM:

(firmly)

Thank you, Matthews.

With which he ushers JILL through the door and closes the

door in MATTHEWS' face.

123 INT. MOTHER'S FLAT NIGHT123

SAM:

Make yourself at home. Don't answer

the phone or open he door to anyone.

I won't be long.

JILL:

Where are you going?

SAM:

I'm going to pull some strings. It's

our only hope.

JILL:

Don't do anything silly.

SAM:

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

JILL:

Take care.

SAM goes.

124 INT. INFORMATION RETRIEVAL FOYER NIGHT124

SAM arrives at the Ministry of Information Retrieval

reception It's late. GROUPS OF CLEANERS are operating

cleaning machinery. SAM approaches the DESK PORTER who is

playing with the executive toy SAM gave him.

SAM:

Excuse me, Dawson, can you put me

through to Mr Helpmann's office?

PORTER:

I'm afraid I can't, sir. You have to

go through the proper channels.

SAM:

And you can't tell me what the proper

channels are, because that's

classified information?

PORTER:

I'm glad to see the Ministry's

continuing its tradition of

recruiting the brightest and best,

sir.

SAM:

Thank you, Dawson.

SAM crosses the foyer, checks to see that Dawson is no

longer watching him engrossed as he is with the executive

toy, and slips past the lift which, at that moment,

disgorges a leg-bandaged, be-crutched LIME who hobbles

across the lobby without seeing SAM, who slips down the

stairs which he knows lead to Helpmann's private lift.

125 INT. BASEMENT NIGHT125

SAM creeps along the corridor to the lift door - avoiding

a GROUP OF SECURITY MEN who are singing carols in close

harmony. ONE GUARD is conducting and giving instruction.

They are all incredibly big and brutal looking.

CHOIR MASTER:

(stopping them)

No, no, no, Arthur, you're going flat

on that G. It's your breathing. Take

a breath on the end. of the previous

line, after Noel. Right, one, two,

three.

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