Calvary Page #4

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LAVELLE:

Oh the Missions, right-

ASAMOAH:

Are you going to chop off my hand

if I disobey you?

LAVELLE:

You know your history, that’s grand.

ASAMOAH:

I like to read. You probably do not

think that black people-

LAVELLE:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, black people,

white people, blah, blah, blah.

ASAMOAH looks at him. Flicks his cigarette at him. LAVELLE

flinches, taken aback.

ASAMOAH:

Run along now, Father, your sermon

is finished.

(CONTINUED)

20.

CONTINUED:

27 27

He slides back under the car. LAVELLE exits.

28

INT. CHURCH - DAY 28

LEARY is preparing the altar. LAVELLE glancing through the

large Bible set for Mass.

*

LEARY:

You’d better watch your step there.

*

LAVELLE:

Why is that?

LEARY:

If it was him who was laying into

her. You’ll have to tread very

carefully there. It’s a very

sensitive area.

*

LAVELLE:

You’ll have to explain this one

to me, now, Father, I’m afraid

you’ve lost me completely.

LEARY:

Well the Church can’t be seen to

be getting involved in matters of

diversity and the like, d’you know.

*

LAVELLE:

You mean, like, what if beating her

up is one of those ethnic rituals

or something? Like when they do

that thing when they shake hands?

LEARY:

(after a pause)

You’re mocking me, now, I can tell.

*

LAVELLE looks blankly at LEARY. *

LEARY:

We have to be very circumspect

in those areas, is all I’m saying.

*

*

LAVELLE:

I’ll be very circumspect, Father.

Don’t you worry about that.

29

INT. COTTAGE - DAY 29

An older man -- GERALD RYAN -- is leaning back in a chair,

deep in thought, a shillelagh between his legs.

An American, slightly bohemian, he wears an old brown

corduroy suit, blue shirt, black boots. Music playing on

an old record player.

*

(CONTINUED)

21.

29 CONTINUED:
29

He leans forwards over an old manual typewriter. A stack

of manuscript pages next to it. Examines the paragraph he

has just written. Pauses. The sound of an outboard motor

can be heard.

He gets up, using the shillelagh, and goes to a pair of

large wooden shutters. Opens them to reveal -

LAVELLE upon a stretch of water in an old white wooden

speedboat propelled by an outboard motor.

30

EXT. SPEEDBOAT - DAY 30

LAVELLE is at the stern, a box of provisions beside him -

LAVELLE’s POV -- the prow of the boat, the island. RYAN

framed in the window of the monastic cottage.

LAVELLE waves.

31

EXT. COTTAGE - DAY 31

RYAN does not return the wave. Disappears from the window.

32

EXT. INISHMURRAY ISLAND - DAY 32

LAVELLE navigates the speedboat to the shoreline of the

island, situated four miles off the coast of Sligo.

He drags the boat onto the shore, next to an old currach.

Hefts the box and tramps up the path to the stone cottage.

33

INT. COTTAGE - DAY 33

RYAN has returned to his seat at the typewriter. LAVELLE

appears at the door.

LAVELLE:

How is all?

RYAN:

At death’s door. You?

LAVELLE:

The same. Still using the old type-

writer, I see. Bit of an affectation.

RYAN:

My whole life has been an affectation.

LAVELLE:

That’s one of those lines that sounds

witty but doesn’t actually make much

sense.

RYAN:

Caught out again!

(CONTINUED)

22.

33 CONTINUED:
33

LAVELLE crosses to the kitchen table and deposits the box.

LAVELLE:

How’s the latest masterpiece coming?

RYAN gets up, struggling with the shillelagh.

RYAN:

Better than Cecelia Ahern, but not

as good as Banville.

LAVELLE:

Sure you could say that about everybody.

RYAN:

What you got for me?

LAVELLE unloads the provisions -- sushi, Maker’s Mark

bourbon, Green & Black’s organic chocolate -

RYAN:

Ah, the staff of life.

-- and two books: a paperback, Jernigan, by David Gates,

and a hardcover, HHhH, by Laurent Binet.

RYAN smells the hardcover and handles it reverently.

LAVELLE:

Need anything else?

RYAN:

A gun.

LAVELLE:

Hah?

RYAN:

A Walther PPK oughtta do it.

James Bond’s weapon of choice.

Old Adolf killed himself with one

in the bunker.

LAVELLE:

That’s the plan is it?

RYAN:

I’ve no intention of writhing around

in agony for hours on end when the

time comes. Or not knowing who I am

or where I am. I ain’t going out

like that, as the young folks would

have it.

LAVELLE:

Romantic nonsense.

(CONTINUED)

23.

CONTINUED:

33 33

RYAN:

Pragmatism.

LAVELLE:

Where would I get a gun from?

RYAN:

Aww come on, now, gimme a break.

You’ve never been short of guns

in this country, have you?

LAVELLE:

God, you’re awful maudlin today,

I must say.

RYAN laughs, pops a piece of the chocolate into his mouth.

INT. LAVELLE’S ROOM - DAY 34

LAVELLE is at his desk, reading Moby Dick. Bruno asleep on

the bed. There is a knock at the door.

FIONA pops her head in, then enters, closing the door

behind her and leaning against it. She glances around.

FIONA:

You don’t have any photos.

LAVELLE:

No. I’m in agreement with the Apaches

on that score.

FIONA:

The Apaches?

LAVELLE:

The Apaches. The Arapaho.

FIONA:

The Hunkpapa Sioux!

She laughs. LAVELLE smiles.

FIONA:

Not even one of Mum? *

LAVELLE:

I don’t need a photograph to remember

your mother.

FIONA:

Memories fade, though. That’s what’s

so terrible about them.

LAVELLE:

No they don’t. Not really.

24.

35

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY 35

LAVELLE and FIONA are walking briskly up the incline of

the road, Bruno running on in front of them.

FIONA:

I should buy a cane.

LAVELLE:

It’d suit you. You’re old beyond

your years.

FIONA:

Yeah. It’d give me a feeling of...

imperiousness.

She looks at him. They laugh.

LAVELLE:

And you could lean on it.

FIONA:

I could lean on it. Reflectively.

LAVELLE:

Point things out.

FIONA:

Club someone to death with it.

LAVELLE:

A blunt instrument, yeah.

Who, though?

FIONA:

A certain young man from Rathmines.

He glances at her. She is looking at the ground as she

walks.

FIONA:

Aren’t all instruments blunt?

LAVELLE:

Flugelhorns?

He looks blankly at her. She laughs.

On the road ahead, MICHAEL FITZGERALD appears on a fine

black thoroughbred. Handsome, suave, Forties. He turns the

horse in front of LAVELLE and FIONA.

FITZGERALD:

Who’s this now?

LAVELLE:

This is my daughter, Fiona.

(CONTINUED)

25.

35 CONTINUED:
35

FITZGERALD:

Oh right. Like a French novel or

something. What’s the fella’s name?

Bernanos.

(to FIONA)

Michael Fitzgerald. I bought the

Big House, up the road a-ways there,

beyond.

Fiona nods, unimpressed.

LAVELLE:

I haven’t seen you at Mass lately.

I was wondering-

FITZGERALD:

Haven’t had the time. I’m actually

thinking of building a chapel on the

grounds, y’know like in Brideshead

Revisited? You could pop round then,

freelance, like, save me the trouble.

They look blankly at one another. FIONA pats the horse.

FIONA:

Lovely creature.

FITZGERALD:

Really expensive, too. Prime horse

flesh.

FIONA looks up at him. He smiles a bright flashing smile.

FITZGERALD:

He’s an interesting man, your father.

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