Constantine Page #7

JOHN:

Not this time, Ellie.

John lifts her off of him, sets her aside.

ELLIE:

Oh wow, you're serious... Nowonder the Boss is in such a goodmood.

JOHN:

Yeah, I thought maybe you couldtalk to him for me. You know...?

(CONTINUED)

35.

CONTINUED:

Ellie jumps off the bench, creates an odd SOUND as shedoes.

ELLIE:

What?! Dammit, John, I know I oweyou but to even ASK that? All

those saints and martyrs slippingthrough his grasp --his own foot

soldiers sent back to him in

chunks. He's going to take allthat out on you, John, and he'sgoing to enjoy ripping your soulto shreds until the end of time.

JOHN:

So I take that as a 'no?'

ELLIE:

You're the one soul the man

himself would actually come uphere to collect. And you know howmuch he despises this place.

JOHN:

I'm starting to see his point.

Ellie sits back down, strokes his arm.

ELLIE:

Have you gone to see the Snob?

Like scratching fingers across a blackboard. No way.

ELLIE:

Look, don't let your ego get inthe way on this. I'd miss havingsomeone up here I can... relateto.

She gives him a kiss. And for a second John's leg isbrushed by a tail. John doesn't react. Just turns and

walks away.

INT./EXT. CHAZ'S TAXI -DAY

Seen through a mild rain is the Theological Societybuilding, a foreboding structure that looks out of placefor this city. John stares out the back seat window,

takes a swig from a bottle of hard liquor. He turns to

Chaz -

(CONTINUED)

36.

CONTINUED:

JOHN:

I'm sure I can get you in here.

Chaz gives the building another glance, shoves the meterflag back down. Tick... tick... tick...

CHAZ:

Pass.

INT. THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY -LATER

A few bishops talk quietly. A cardinal studies

Scriptures. Definitely not the place for atheists.

John walks through the vaulted chamber room to the --

LIBRARY:

John stops, fixes on the two gentlemen standing in frontof a fireplace. One is a young man of pure class wrappedin Armani's best. The other is Father Garret.

John stands to the side and waits for their conversation

to end. An ATTENDANT makes the rounds.

ATTENDANT:

Can I take your coat, Mr.

Constantine?

JOHN:

No thanks, I'm not staying long.

ATTENDANT:

How about you, ma'am?

Attendant turns to Angela standing just a few feet away,

her gaze fixed on the same two men.

ANGELA:

I'm not staying long either.

John glances over and for the second time they makecontact. Something about her eyes. John stares a bit

too long. Angela looks back toward the fireplace.

ANGELA:

My business with him is urgent.

JOHN:

First come, first served.

(CONTINUED)

37. 7.

CONTINUED:

ANGELA:

So you're rude no matter where you

are.

John gives her a look. The two men shake hands and start

to part. John and Angela make their move toward the men.

Both are surprised when Angela goes for Father Garret andJohn goes for -

--the SNOB, officially known as GABRIEL. Yes, that one.

FATHER GARRET:

and Angela have retreated to another area for privacy.

ANGELA:

Why is he stalling on this? Mysister needs a Catholic funeral.

FATHER GARRET:

Angela, it's still considered amortal sin --

ANGELA:

She didn't commit suicide.

FATHER GARRET:

The Bishop has read otherwise.

ANGELA:

Father... David --this is Isabel.

(meeting his eyes)

Please...

Father Garret stares at her, tries to be compassionate.

FATHER GARRET:

I'll talk to him again.

But Angela has just lost a load of faith.

BY THE FIREPLACE

Gabriel sits in his chair, watches the fire withunblinking eyes. John approaches from behind and againstthe backdrop of flame, sees the nebulous shape of wings.

The ghostly image is visible for only a heartbeat.

GABRIEL:

(without looking back)

I know what you want, son.

(CONTINUED)

38.

CONTINUED:

John sits across from him.

JOHN:

Been keeping your all-seeing eyeon me, have you?

GABRIEL:

I could offer how a shepherd leadseven the most wayward of his flockbut it might sound disingenuous.

JOHN:

So you're going to make me beg?

Angela pauses on her way out, looks over.

GABRIEL:

It wouldn't help. You've already

wasted your chance at redemption.

JOHN:

What about the minions I've sent

back, the souls that I've saved -that

should guarantee my passage

across --

GABRIEL:

(keeping it private)

--No --passage requires faithand faith by definition is beliefwithout proof. You have proof.

And that means you're not playingby the same rules as everyoneelse. Your work has mostly beenfor selfish reasons. I'm sorry.

JOHN:

This is bullshit --bullshit!

Now he's really got Angela's attention.

JOHN:

It's like you've got some cosmic

scale weighing everything we do -help

an old lady across thestreet --put in a nickel, kick adog, take out a dime --you'refucking nickel and diming us todeath down here!

GABRIEL:

Keep your voice down.

(CONTINUED)

39.

CONTINUED:

John jumps up, leans into his face.

JOHN:

And you know what, you're the oneswith the problem, not us --You make

these impossible rules to decide whogoes up, who goes down and you don'teven understand us --

This more than anything gets under Gabriel's skin.

GABRIEL:

Each of you is born with thepromise of salvation preordained.

The cost of your redemption issimple belief. And yet you whineabout impossible rules. Sometimes

I imagine you hardly deserve thegift you have been given.

JOHN:

Gift?! More like a curse the wayyou manage things.

Gabriel stands and towers over John.

GABRIEL:

I am taking your situation intoaccount, John, but don't push me.

JOHN:

Why me, Gabriel? It's personal,

isn't it? I didn't go to churchenough? I didn't pray enough? I

was five bucks short in the

collection plate? Why?

Gabriel moves right up to him, makes this very personal.

GABRIEL:

You're going to die because yousmoked 30 cigarettes a day sinceyou were 15. And you're going toHell because of the life you took.

Or to put it in a way that your kindwould understand. You're f***ed.

EXT. THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY -MINUTES LATER

Angela stands on the porch at the edge of a downpour.

She hears a cough, looks over to see John standing on theother side, looking equally frayed. They share anotherglance.

(CONTINUED)

40.

CONTINUED:

John fishes a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Empty.

JOHN:

He has a rotten sense of humor.

(steps past)

And his punch lines are killers.

John tosses the cigarette pack, walks right into the

RAIN, away from Chaz's taxi pulling up.

CHAZ:

(shouting out)

John? It's raining! Hey!

Angela watches John disappear in the rain, looks down atthe empty cigarette pack.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. HENNESSEY'S APARTMENT -A CIGARETTE PACK

lies on the floor next to food wrappers, Coke bottles andstacks of newspapers. Hennessey sits amongst thegarbage, slumped over. But he's not sleeping.

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