Interview with the Vampire Page #11

nonsense.

LOUIS (V.O.)

But had they all believed it?

Every one?

LESTAT (V.O.)

No. Their leader, Armand. The

Botticelli angel with the dark

red hair. Oh, how deceptive was

that innocent face! He had been

taught it.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

56.

CONTINUED:

LESTAT (V.O.) (CONT'D)

And he had believed in it, which

was far worse than believing it.

That's why he had always orderedthe destruction of any hereticor rogue outside the coven.

Armand steps forward, obviously issuing judgment.

Gabrielle draws close to Lestat as the torches ring them.

Lestat in desperation looks at ELENI, a ragged, half-

naked vampire woman who comes at him with a torch.

LESTAT:

And you, ma cherie, what has thedevil done for you of late, thatyou should serve him sodevotedly? Ah, but you'd look sopretty if only you'd let me fityou in a proper dress.

Eleni is startled, lowers the torch. Others cry

"Burn them."

Lestat turns to a tall boy of twenty or so -- Laurent.

LESTAT:

And you? How many years have youendured the smell of death in

your nostrils? Wouldn't you liketo walk with me for an hour alongthe boulevard? Perhaps sit fora while among mortals in a warmcafe?

Lestat turns this way and that. The vampires are losingtheir nerve. They turn to Armand.

LESTAT:

Why, some of you are cold! We

need never be cold. Why have youno hearth here?

Armand does nothing. He appears brokenhearted, sad. As

we CLOSE ON him, he turns his back slowly on the proceedings.

Eleni throws aside the torch.

ELENI:

You can take me into the

cathedral?

(CONTINUED)

57.

CONTINUED:

LESTAT:

Yes, once you're bathed andpropertly attired. I could take

you to Versailles.

Whispers, murmurs from the confused vampires.

GABRIELLE:

Come with us, all of you. We'll

show you. The lights of the nighthave no power. By day, we mustsleep in the dark of course, butonce the sun sets, we are free to

hunt and do as we please.

The vampires degenerate into loud quarreling.

Suddenly Lestat seizes the torch from Laurent andGabrielle snatches up the torch that Eleni has let dropto the dirt floor.

Lestat and Gabrielle flee, brandishing the torches. Theyrush up -

INT. WINDING STAIRS

strewn with skulls and bones, with bodies in niches alongthe walls, until they reach -

CEMETERY - HUGE CRYPT

out of which they run, throwing aside the torches, jumpingto the top of the wall, and dashing away.

RETURN TO:

INT. INN (NEW ORLEANS) - LESTAT

He looks dejected.

LESTAT:

They soon scattered. The coven

was destroyed. Armand, the devil

with the angel's face, hedestroyed most of them becausethey could not survive withouthim, and he could no longer lead.

58.

INT. LIBRARY (PARIS) - CLOSE ON ARMAND

dressed now as a French gentleman, standing in a lavishlibrary in Paris. He is addressing Lestat who stands bythe fireplace, equally well-dressed.

ARMAND:

(gently)

You were our ruin. You drove us

out of Eden with your burningsword.

LESTAT:

You were in purgatory. What do

you want of me! All I did was

tell you the truth!

ARMAND:

And what was that? That there is

no truth to be known? Our beliefs

were our strength, our survival.

They were our citadel againsttime.

LESTAT:

Lies? Lies can't be the strengthof anyone. We are monsters. So

are mortals. If we cannot face

the truth we are lost.

ARMAND:

Stop speaking of the truth asthough it were something. It is

nothing.

LESTAT:

Oh no, you're wrong. The truth isin the flesh, in the beauty we see,

in the blood we drink. It's in

the mystery of the rainfall, andthe clouded sky, the flight of alone bird over the sea.

He pauses, entranced for a moment with the beauty ofArmand himself. He reaches out, touches Armand's cheek.

LESTAT:

How many centuries lie behind thisradiant face?

He pulls Armand to the window and points down into thecrowded Paris street. A mob is surging by.

(CONTINUED)

59.

CONTINUED:

LESTAT:

Do you hear them, they'rescreaming for the death of KingLouis and his Queen, Marie

Antoinette.

ARMAND:

What do I care what they want?

LESTAT:

The old order has fallen for them.

It's fallen for you as well. Make

a new order as they must make it.

ARMAND:

Ah, but you know so little,

fledgling. With your jewels, andyour velvet, and your shiningsword. You think it will be easyto see everything you lovedisintegrate and crumble away?

LESTAT:

The blood, the warmth, the love...

that is what will keep meimmortal.

ARMAND:

Gabrielle. Your companion. She

gives you what you require. That

is why you say all these things.

But will she remain with youalways? You cannot read her

thoughts, can you? Though youcan read mine?

Lestat looks afraid.

ARMAND:

But you could before you took herin that lovely bedroom on the IleSt. Louis, is that not so? You

could know her soul as I know

yours now.

Lestat refuses to answer Armand, but we hear:

LESTAT (V.O.)

He was right. Gabrielle's mind

had been closed to me from the

moment my blood had filled herveins. As closed as your mind is

to me now.

(CONTINUED)

60.

CONTINUED:

ARMAND:

It's always so with master andfledgling. You can hear other

children of darkness, you cancommune with mortals. But we

master and fledgling are divided.

We must speak to and reach outfor each other. And with no vows

to bind her, she will tire of you,

your mother. She tires of youalready. She has never needed

anyone, your mother. She is

harder than you!

LESTAT:

Stop!

ARMAND:

Oh, you'll make others. You'll

seek for better, more genialcompanions. But it will alwaysbe the same. They'll turn on you.

They'll leave you. They may evenhate you for making them. Our

service to Satan has held us

together. You have nothing, andyou will go into the fire somenight as the old ones have alwaysdone.

LESTAT:

Never.

ECHO. Never. Never...

Armand looks sadly after Lestat and then sadly at all thebooks on the shelves. He stands back and with the powerof his mind makes the books suddenly fall in heaps all

over. They cascade to the floor from all the surroundingwalls.

Lestat is afraid of this show of telepathic power, butangry that he is afraid.

Armand smiles sadly.

ARMAND:

Patience. All these little skills

come... if you last long enough!

LESTAT:

Get out of here. Get away from me.

With your dark prophecies andmaledictions.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

61.

CONTINUED:

LESTAT (CONT'D)

To keep those fools in slavery asyou did. It was unspeakable.

Armand gives one last wan smile. A vision of beauty. He

seems to vanish. Lestat searches the empty spaceanxiously.

Gabrielle becomes visible, in fancy male dress, hairbraided down her back. She is merely watching. She and

Lestat exchange glances.

LESTAT:

He's right, isn't he? You dream

of being free of me already.

You've had no need of me since

our enemies were destroyed.

Grabrielle opens her arms to him.

GABRIELLE:

(kissing his cheek)

To love and to need -- these are

different things. And what does

it matter if some night we decideto part for a little while?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes