Helen of Troy Page #4

---

[Murmuring,|Shouting Continue]

- [Grunting]|- Wait! Wait! Wait!|We come in peace!

I'll be fine.

He seeks peace,|my brother.

There is no peace|with Troy.

He bears a letter|from their king.

To whom|is it addressed?

[Crowd Murmuring]

Do not shame me,|brother.

Troy seeks to align|with Sparta...

and Sparta alone.

They have sent him|to drive a wedge|between us.

We can let nothing|divide the blood|of the house of Atreus.

But not now. Not here.

Let him remain,|freely speaking...

until we know enough ofTroy|to find a way|inside its golden walls.

The weight of a crown|has made my little brother|wise beyond my expectations.

[Laughing,|Chattering Resume]

[Sniffling]

[Winds Whistling]

Catch me, Theseus.

Catch me, Pollux.

[Gasps]

You.

I've seen you.

In the pool.

You saw too.

I've come for you.

It's too late.

The gods decree it.

Aphrodite herself.|[Helen]|Then the gods torment me.

How can you say that?

When I'm there with them,|I feel nothing.

Naked in front of|a hundred kings... nothing.

But then tonight,

when I saw you,

something began to|tear away my shield,

to expose the one thing|that I cannot endure.

Hope.

[Sighs]

Have it now.

I love you.|[Gasps, Sobs]

Loving me|kills people.

It destroys families,|causes such grief|you cannot imagine.

I've imagined you|all these years.

And now I've found you,|I cannot let you go.

I will never leave you.

The day I do|is the day I die.

Go away.

Leave me.

You must never see me again.

[Groans]

You consort with a Trojan,|an enemy of Sparta.

Do you want|to be put to death?|Yes, I do!

[Trembling]

What's happened to you?|I've become visible.

You're not making sense|about anything.

You meet some envoy,|and before you...|No!

I didn't|just meet him.

I've loved him for years,|before you even|married Agamemnon.

That can't be possible.

It's not true,|is it?

What's going to happen?

I heard|Agamemnon and Menelaus|talk ofTroy.

And?

Tomorrow they will ask|the envoy about his city.

When Agamemnon has learned|all he needs to know,

we will return to Mycenae|and Menelaus...

Will kill him.

You did well tonight.

The kings were pleased.

Until the envoy|arrived.

Yes.

Why is he here?

That makes|no matter.

Did he come|bearing tribute?

There is no tribute|that compares with you.

You are a generous man.

No, I'm a lucky man.

[Giggling]

[Paris]|You mean stealing's|not a crime in Sparta?

[Menelaus]|Being caught is the crime,|always.

There was a boy...|young, no more than 10.

He stole a fox|and hid it|under his cloak.

He died|while being questioned,

and when they removed|his cloak...

they found he'd let the fox|gnaw through his body|rather than reveal his theft.

Such boys|make good soldiers.

Yes, they do.

We train them|from the age of seven.

Ours learn to tame horses|from a young age.

You must visit our stables|whilst you are here.

They're not as grand|as your own, I'm sure.

I have heard people say...

that the walls of Troy|are made of gold.

Is this really true?

No.

But they are beautiful.

[Clytemnestra]|Iphigenia, where are you?

Perhaps one day I will|see the walls ofTroy|for myself.

[Gasps]

Ah.! I found you.!|[Giggling]

No man can possess|all he desires.

Calchas!

My lord?

My wife tells me...

that no man|can claim the world.

What say the gods?

Olympus favors|the high king...

who one day will rule|the entire Aegean.

You may bear|my children,

but never again|will you interfere|with my affairs.

Is that understood?

- [Grunting]|- Come with me!

You! And you!|Let's go!|[Woman Screaming]

Quiet!|Let's go!

I thought we were here|to make peace.

We like|making peace.|Yes. A lot.

The Greeks|have other ideas.

What sort|of ideas?

Like cut off our heads,|put them on pikes,|let birds eat our eyes.

That sort of thing.

Prince Paris ofTroy,

my king bids you|a fond good night.

[Grunting]

Aah!|[Groaning]

Man those oars!|Get to the turret!

Go now.|You're free.

Without you?

You have my love.

Without you|I have nothing.

My lord.!|My lord.!

The tide|begins to turn.!

Menelaus is shamed,

but he fears to harm me.

Now go.

I beg you!|Please go!

My lord!|The wind is up!

Please.

Please.

Make way, men!

[Crewmen Shouting,|Chattering]

[Crewman]|Ready oars.!

Ready? Pull.!

Ready? Pull.!

Ready? Pull!

No.

[Crewman]|Hold oars.!

Make way!

What have we done?

[Crowd Shouting,|Cheering]

[Crowd]|Ohh!

[Crowd Cheering,|Whistling]|Well fought, Croesus.

[Crowd Chanting]|Achilles.! Achilles.!

[Chanting Continues]|Your news precedes you.

As the gods are my witness,|I will kill that man.|You can be sure of it.

You brought dishonor|on yourself and shame|to the house of Atreus.

I'll have the Trojan's head|on a spike!

Not without my help.|Ah, yes.

Well, as always,|I must bear the weight|of your shadow.

You're a smudge|on history's ledger,|Menelaus,

but you are my brother.

What's more,|the kings of the Aegean|have sworn an oath.

To unite,|as I recall.

The oath did not place you|in command of me,|of my army, or any other...

Do not incur my wrath,|little brother. Do not.

These are my terms.

You may have the Trojan...

and your whore.

I will take Troy.

You will share|no spoils...

not a scrap|of broken clay,

not an ingot|of their basest metal.

Agreed?

I am your brother...|Do you agree?

[Crowd Quiets]

What makes you think|the kings will unite|behind you?

The gods have written it.

And you know for certain|they favor you in this?|For certain!

[Crewmen Shouting]

Save him!

Swim, Clemyetus!

Throw me the line!

Reach for me!

Aah!

[Screaming]

[Sighs]

Two months.

The wind|remains against us.

The men|grow impatient!

I grow impatient,|Achilles.

Calchas.

My lord.

When will the winds|blow with us?

What say the gods?

Speak, seer.

What must I do?

A terrible thing.

Tell me.

I command you.

The goddess Artemis|asks for your daughter.

In trade for fair wind,

Artemis demands|your daughter's life...

here, on this altar.

And this...|will satisfy the goddess?

But you must hold|the knife.

The gods demand it.

Of course they do.

The winds|will soon be with us.

Pitch!

Oh!

[Giggles]

Okay, ready?

Ready?

[Laughing]

[Continues Giggling,|Laughing]

[Laughing Continues]

[Blade Slicing]|[Laughing Stops]

[All Shouting]

To Troy!|To Troy!

[Shouting Continues]

Must we leave now that the ship's repaired?

The men have asked--|I understand. I know.

They have wives, families.

You know, we could stay here,|just the two of us.

I promise you I'll make|a far better shepherd than I do a prince.

My lord! Many ships!

We have to warn Troy.

You must go now.

We must go now.

You can't give Agamemnon an excuse for war.

Agamemnon wants Troy.

He's always wanted Troy.

That's why my father sent me to Sparta.

And now, wherever this path may lead,

we're on it together.

[People Chattering]

This way.

Hector.|The elders demand to see you.

Alone.

- Do not harm her.|- I'll be all right.

It is you who brings harm to Troy.

Men, thank you.|Go home.

You steal the king of Sparta's wife?

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote