Dune Page #13

PAUL (CONT'D)

It's further than I thought... a worm is

sure to come.... I'll plant a thumper,

that should divert it.

--

Paul moves off into the shadows. Suddenly, Jessica

SEES a burst of LIGHTNING illuminate the mountain of

rock in the distant and the vast dunes before them.

JESSICA (CONT'D)

(inner voice)(as Paul leaves to light

the thumper)

...the night is a tunnel... a hole into

tomorrow... if we're to have a tomorrow...

149. through 151. (Deleted)

151A. EXT. DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

Paul plants the thumper which begins a powerful

rhythmic noise. He turns to Jessica.

PAUL:

(returning)

Remember... walk without rhythm and we

won't attract a worm... it'll go to the

thumper.

JESSICA:

(puts in her noseplug)

I'm ready.

Paul and Jessica move into camera and exit right.

151B. EXT. DEEP DESERT AND ROCKS - NIGHT

Another burst of LIGHTNING. The distant rock seems

to have grown no larger. Their muscles begin to

ache. Suddenly they HEAR the thumper start behind

them.

PAUL:

Keep going...

152. EXT. DEEP DESERT AND ROCKS - NIGHT (LATER)

Their breathing becomes very labored. The sand

moves like slow water, forever rolling down and up.

Then they hear the worm, the low thundering HISS

shaking the tonnage of sand. The thumper stops.

Paul turns.

PAUL:

Faster!!

--

JESSICA:

(screaming)

It's deafening!

Their bodies ache and they feel like dropping, yet

the cliff is still a good distance away. The worm

SOUND grows louder and Paul turns to look.

153. EXT. WORM - DESERT - NIGHT

A flash of LIGHTNING. The worm is now coming toward

them. The mound of sand over the worm is enormous

and is approaching at a terrifyingly fast speed.

The power of this worm is awesome.

153A. EXT. DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

PAUL:

(screaming)

Run!

JESSICA:

I can't... I can't.

She turns to see. Then she runs.

153B. EXT. DRUM SAND - DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

All at once their feet tromp down on firmer sand.

The SOUND is very loud.

PAUL:

Drum sand!

The DRUMMING sound ECHOES deep within the ground.

Jessica falls. Paul stops and drags her up. They

run again. The worm SOUND becomes unbearably loud.

Static electricity SPARKS giant bolts of pure white

LIGHTNING and the air turns to ozone. Finally they

find rock. Behind them the SOUND of the worm

changes. They turn.

154. EXT. WORM - DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

The gigantic head of the worm is just breaking

through the sand. The mouth begins to open in an

eighty-foot circle of teeth and darkness. The mouth

arches forward searching for them.

155. EXT. BASE OF THE CLIFF - DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

Paul and Jessica climb up and up inside a narrow

slit of rock.

--

155A. INT. ROCK CLIFF - DESERT - NIGHT

The worm's mouth climbs higher also but it cannot

penetrate the narrow opening in the rock.

156. EXT. ROCK CLIFF - NIGHT

Paul and Jessica have scrambled upwards a couple of

hundred feet.

156A. EXT. WORM AND ROCK - NIGHT

Still the worm stretches up to them. Suddenly the

worm begins BANGING on the rock. Huge SHUDDERS

drive through the black stone. Over and over again

the worm mindlessly hits at the rock.

156B. EXT. ROCK CLIFF - NIGHT

Paul and Jessica crouch further back in the tiny

passageway of safety, but a solid back wall of rock

prevents them from moving back any more.

156C. INT. ROCK CLIFF - NIGHT

The breath from the worm is like a hurricane of

WIND.

PAUL:

(inner voice)

Cinnamon... the spice!

(out loud)

Do you smell it?

JESSICA:

Yes...

PAUL:

(inner voice)

I know the secret. The worm is the

spice... the spice is the worm.

157. (Deleted)

157A. EXT. ROCK CLIFF - DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

Suddenly a colossal section of the rock wall cracks

and topples off into the worm's mouth. Instantly

the worm pulls back. A huge FIRE roars deep within

the worm consuming the rock.

--

158. INT. ROCK CLIFF - DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

The worm now can get even closer to Paul and

Jessica. It looms up again and crushes its mouth up

against the rock.

158A. EXT. ROCK CLIFF - DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

Another fissure opens, and suddenly half the rock

wall protecting them splits off entirely and

falls... taking Paul with it.

158B. EXT. WORM AND ROCK - NIGHT

...against the worm.

159. EXT. ROCK CLIFF - DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

Paul is knocked off the cliff and falls straight

down two hundred feet. His feet skid along the face

of rock. He bounces and brakes. He hits and jumps.

He careens from one boulder, flies upside down,

rights himself then tumbles and skids into the sand.

Unhurt, he jumps up and scrambles up another part of

the rock to safety.

160. EXT. ROCK CLIFF - DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

JESSICA:

Paul!

She presses against the narrow ledge that is left

after the worm assault.

161. EXT. BASE OF THE CLIFF - DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

The worm is just coming up again when distant

THUMPING is heard. The worm, as if charmed by the

sound, turns and moves off towards it.

PAUL:

(inner voice)

A thumper.

161A. (Deleted)

162. EXT. ROCK CLIFF - DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

Jessica climbs further up and manages to get over to

a place where she can meet up with Paul, who is now

climbing back.

--

JESSICA:

(crying)

What's happened?... Why did it leave?

PAUL:

(breathing heavily)

Someone started another thumper.... We're

not alone.

They climb upwards until the ledge ends at the mouth

of a dark crevice. Paul and Jessica try to see into

the inky black hole.

163. EXT. CREVICE - DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

Slowly Paul and Jessica enter, inching forward. A

low moan of WIND comes up. Paul can see nothing,

then suddenly he SEES stars above and SEES the hint

of stairs cut into the rock.

JESSICA:

(whispering)

Man-carved steps.

PAUL:

(whispering)

Yes...

They climb the steps and enter an extremely narrow

dark channel of stone. As they make their way

through the rock, suddenly there is a burst of

lightning which illuminates a whole troop of Fremen

standing silently in front of them.

164. EXT. FREMEN PLACE - DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

STILGAR:

Perhaps these are the ones Mapes told us

of.

STILGAR:

(to Jessica)

Are you trained in the ways of the desert?

JESSICA:

No, but many consider my training

valuable.

STILGAR:

I will take the boy-man... he shall have

sanctuary in my tribe...

--

A LOW NOTE on a dip stick is blown by one of the

Fremen tribe. Jessica shifts, Paul sees it, and

just as Stilgar begins a reach for his weapon,

Jessica turns, slashes out, utters a SOUND, whirls

again and with rock behind her holds Stilgar

helpless in front of her -- her hand at his throat.

Paul moves on her first move. He races up a rocky

incline.

165. EXT. CLIFF - FREMEN PLACE - DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

He then jumps higher up and presses himself between

two rocks on a low cliff overlooking the rest of the

Fremen troop.

166. EXT. FREMEN PLACE - DEEP DESERT - NIGHT

The troop starts shooting projectile weapons in

Paul's direction.

STILGAR:

Stop! Get back!! She has the weirding

way. Why didn't you tell us! Great

gods... if you can do this to the

strongest of us you're worth ten times

your weight of water. As a leader of my

people I give you my bond: teach us this

weirding way and you both shall have

sanctuary. Your water shall mingle with

our water.

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