Byzantium

1

My story can never be told.

I write it over and over

wherever we find shelter.

I write of what

I cannot speak...

...the truth.

I write all I know of it

and then I throw the

pages to the wind.

Maybe the birds

can read it.

This yours?

I often find them here,

these scraps.

Must float down from

someone's window.

"She had meant to smother the

baby as soon as it was born,"

but something made

her look at it.

She heard the thundering heartbeat,

she smelled the

"baby's bloodied head

and love confounded her. "

It's just a scrap,

like you say.

But there's a story there.

You can feel it.

Shall we walk a little?

My story starts

with Clara.

One day,

it will end with her.

Clara... full of secrets.

My savior.

My burden.

My muse.

Won't you come and be with me

and see what I've got?

'cause what I've got

is what you need

what I got is what

you need...

Hey!

F***ing hell... Wendy!

I'll call you back.

You!

You bastard!

Did you see that?

He f***ing attacked me!

What's she done?

Really f***ed his nose.

Yeah, well,

he deserved it.

- Come on.

- Oi...

Ernie, get him out of here, will you?

My nose!

My nose...

Would you care for tea?

Please come in.

I have been working here

for 14 nights...

I want my pay!

You're not on the books.

What pay?

Don't you wanna, wanna,

don't you

don't you wanna see

me flaunt what I got?

Don't you, don't you

wanna, wanna...

Excuse me.

Have you seen this girl?

No... sorry, mate.

Sorry.

Flaunt

what I got...

No.

Oi, what are you doing?

Sorry, babe, but they owe me.

No! Stop, you can't take

money out of the till!

Hello, Clara.

We get a lot of b*tches in here,

but she took the f***ing prize.

Shame.

She was morbidly sexy.

Move!

Aah!

No...

Clara...!

Sh*t! F***!

The tedium I've experienced

in this pursuit!

My time you have wasted!

You would sell nations

with your whoredoms.

Come on.

You know who I'm looking for.

Where is she? Huh?

Where is she?!

I was him once.

And that girl...

Love confounded me for her.

I loved her my

whole life through.

Your wife?

She was married to

my brother John...

Most happily.

She never knew the way I felt.

Nor did he.

There come a time in life

when secrets should be told.

You've got secrets,

haven't you?

There was a story told

when I was a boy

about the neamh-mhairbh,

the revenants.

Neither dead nor alive.

The priests used to tell it

to frighten us.

My name is Eleanor Webb.

Eleanor Webb.

I am ready.

Are you sure?

I've spent quite enough time here.

Believe me.

I feel at great peace.

As if order is about to be restored.

She is an aberration.

I don't know what that means, sir.

Where do you think you're going?

I was going to clean the wound, sir.

You've been cut, it's conspicuous.

All the time you've had

and you've learned nothing.

Truly you're base.

Close your eyes.

Clara?

Get out.

- How could you bring someone here?

- He was stronger than I thought.

This is our home.

Eleanor...

We have to leave.

- I'm not moving on again...

- I had to do it!

- One day you'll understand.

- What, when I'm older?

You have no idea, no f***ing idea

of what I do for you!

- You did that for me? - Pack!

- I liked it here.

I said pack!

- Who was he?

- No one.

Mother was bathing

her baby one night

youngest of 10

and a poor little mite

Mother was fat

and the baby was thin

it was nought but a

skellington

wrapped up in skin

Mother turned 'round

for the soap from the rack...

- Thank you!

- All right, see you, girls.

You'll have a look at

the greenhouse, eh?

Aye.

We've been here before.

Oh, don't be silly.

Come on.

But don't you remember?

It's going to be good for us here,

I can feel it.

You said that about

the last place.

What, that dump

that we just left?

I've forgotten it already.

What's the matter?

You can't throw the past

away as if it didn't happen.

My concern is now, O.K.?

Silly sod.

Why don't you go and play

on the amusements, yeah?

Gonna make us some money.

Go on.

Clara is never alone.

She finds money and

company every day.

It comes easily to her,

like lying.

Who's that?

- You know her?

- No.

- You seen her?

- No.

But I like solitude.

I walk and the past

walks with me.

It lives.

- Hi. - It's 50 for a blow,

100 for a full whack.

Did they hire you?

You're busking.

You could pass the hat around.

I don't mind.

That... was great.

Can you speak?

I haven't got a hat.

How do you remember

all those notes?

I remember everything.

It's a burden.

So...

You know anything else?

Try and liven them up.

It's the valley of

the stiffs in here.

I have to go.

I finish at 10!

Come in. Come in.

50. Lovely.

- So, are you on

holiday then? - No.

Oh, you live around here?

Yeah.

Fancied a bit of company.

She...

Who?

Mum.

She, she died.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

There was a funeral.

I couldn't.

I ran away from it.

I've not been out.

I've not been out since.

But your grief, that shows

how much you loved her.

And love is a very good thing.

I bet she'd be proud of you.

A lovely son like you?

No, I never made her proud.

I just...

I don't even answer the phone.

You know?

I messed up the business,

I can't pay her debts.

Found 50 quid in one of her old books

and what do I spend it on?

Human contact.

- Are you O.K.?

- Yeah.

Yeah?

I'm sorry, love.

I'm Camilla.

Noel.

So what sort of a business did

your mum have then, Noel?

It was a guesthouse.

I trashed it.

Was it a big place?

Yeah, it was fairly big.

Well... do you... should we

go back to your place then?

- Yeah?

- Yeah.

Be nice.

- Yeah, you could come

back to mine. - Yeah.

- Glad you waited for me.

- I didn't.

How did you learn

to play like that?

I practiced.

For how long?

200 years.

That's how it feels anyways,

doesn't it?

Passed around a teacup.

Raised some cash for you.

It's not much.

Thank you.

That piece of paper.

That's my phone number.

I don't have a phone.

So... ni... nice to meet you.

Good-bye.

Ella! Look who I found!

We're damsels in distress.

Oh.

Do you know what Noel is, Ella?

He's a knight in shining armor

come to deliver us from evil,

aren't you?

This is my little baby sister.

- Hi.

- Hello.

There we go. Ah...

Been looking for you everywhere.

- Can't find my keys.

- Oh...

Oh... I'll just open up.

Come in.

Look, I'm trusting you, Camilla.

- Don't.

- I won't.

Look, I'm not saying it's tidy.

It was a hotel once.

And a boarding house.

My mum had the top three floors.

Used to do B-and-Bs, you know?

Families and that.

Then it was more,

you know, the welfare lot.

It's a bit run down now,

but she wouldn't let it go.

Loved the views,

you should see.

Fantastic view of the

pier from up here.

Lovely.

This is the dining area.

Well... it's nice.

Yeah... it's lovely.

It's a bit of a state, like I said,

but I wasn't expecting company.

Tell my sister where

her room is, love.

Yeah.

Ella?

I'll show you to your room.

I went 'round the house and...

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