Interview with the Vampire Page #2

LOUIS (V.O.)

Perhaps if I'd had time, I wouldhave come to my senses. Who can

say? I might have married again.

As it was, I courted death, takingevery risk that I could.

As the men play cards two tavern waitresses approach -TERESA

and SUZANNE. Suzanne throws her arms around

Louis, and exchanging glances with the Fancy-DressedGambler, puts a powder into a drink of whiskey which shepushes toward Louis, eyeing him stealthily. Teresa

watches all and looks down at Louis' hand of cards.

PAN OVER tavern scene -- Indians, men of color, black

African freedmen, sailors and wenches.

LESTAT, a hooded figure in the corner, smiles frombeneath the shadow of his hood. Gleaming blue eyes.

CLOSE ON - LESTAT

He approaches the table as:

Louis lifts the glass of drugged whiskey. The hooded and

cloaked figure of Lestat knocks it out of his hand,

bumping into Suzanne and knocking Teresa roughly to oneside.

Louis rises, drunk, outraged.

LOUIS:

How dare you, monsieur.

Louis pulls out a pearl-handled pistol. Teresa clingsto him. Others gasp and give way, though eager to seewhat will happen.

Lestat, face half-covered by the hood but eyes gleaming,

backs away through the crowd, eyes riveted on Louis,

smiling. The crowd closes indifferently.

Louis is slightly dazed by Lestat's eyes. Then shudders,

loses interest, sits down and picks up his cards.

8.

EXT. NEW ORLEANS STREET - COTTAGE - NIGHT

Louis and QUADROON PROSTITUTE emerge from the cottage,

kissing fervently.

QUADROON PROSTITUTE

Don't leave me, Michie Louis.

Fancy-Dressed Gambler appears from shadows.

FANCY-DRESSED GAMBLER

First you call me a cheat, thenyou try to steal my woman.

The Gambler spins Louis around and goes to hit him.

Louis blocks punch, knocks Gambler into the dirt.

Quadroon Prostitute shouts warning to Louis as theGambler draws his pistol.

LOUIS:

Go ahead. Do it. I'm alreadydead. Finish the task, so theycan sing the Requiem.

Louis shrugs.

Gambler rises slowly and warily holding the gun on Louis.

GAMBLER:

The Oaks; tomorrow morning atsix.

Louis laughs and shakes his head, no. He turns his back.

CLOSE ON - LOUIS'S FACE

thoughtful distant, and behind him -

GAMBLER:

Coward!

Louis staggers down the wood sidewalk. Quadroon

Prostitute comes after him, embracing him, and he kissesher firmly and gently pushes her away. She pleads withhim in French.

LOUIS (V.O.)

My invitation was open to anyone.

But it was a vampire thataccepted. I had never conceived

of such a thing.

Louis moves on into darkness among small colonial Frenchbuildings.

(CONTINUED)

9.

CONTINUED:

Rain falls. He looks up in it and lets it drench him.

Over his shoulder, we see Lestat approach, hood stillshadowing his face.

ANGLE ON LESTAT'S BLUE EYES

Lestat's hands clamp on Louis's shoulder and then Louisstiffens, cries out and freezes, as Lestat's teeth gointo his neck.

Louis slips from Lestat's grasp, unconscious in the mudand rain.

INT. ROOM (SAN FRANCISCO)

Malloy and Louis facing each other.

MALLOY:

That's how it happened?

LOUIS:

No. That is how vampires drinkblood. The Dark Gift of

transformation requires a gooddeal more as you'll see.

Besides, this vampire wantedsomething from me. He came back

for it the following night.

INT. LAVISH FRENCH-FURNISHED BEDROOM AT POINT DU LAC

(NEW ORLEANS)

Louis is delirious in four-poster bed, shrouded withmosquito netting. Female slave Yvette bathes his face

with a rag. She is crying. Other slave women hover in

shadows. Overseer, a Quadroon male, stands weeping indoor.

Yvette puts out all candles save one by the bed.

LOUIS:

My poor Yvette. What will become

of you -- all of you -- if I die?

YVETTE:

You won't die, Michie. We need

you. You won't leave us here.

10.

SAME SCENE - LATER

Louis alone.

Candlelight flickers on face of bisque virgin.

Louis tosses and turns, dreaming, murmuring incoherently.

Then he opens his eyes.

Lestat, exquisitely dressed in French clothing, standsbeside the bed smiling. In the light of the candle, wesee that he is not human; skin too white; eyes toobright. It is more subtle than earlier electric lightshot of Louis. Lestat looks amiable, even mischievous,

but impossible -- an angel or a monster.

Louis rises, grabs for his pistol from the table andcocks it.

LOUIS:

Who the hell are you? What are

you doing in my house?

LESTAT:

(looking around the

lavish bedroom)

And such a beautiful house. Yours

is a beautiful life.

Louis takes aim and FIRES.

The BULLET passes through Lestat's slightly raised hand.

It leaves a bloody wound. Lestat winces, studies the

wound. It begins to heal as we watch.

Louis reaches for his sword, hanging over the end of thebed. He struggles to get up.

LESTAT:

You're not afraid of anything, areyou?

LOUIS:

Why the hell should I be? I warn

you again. Get out!

LESTAT:

Are you going to put that swordthrough me, too? Ruin my beautifulclothes?

Louis rises up, jabs the rapier at Lestat who effortlessly

knocks it from his hand. It "appears" across theroom on the floor.

(CONTINUED)

11.

CONTINUED:

Louis slumps against the headboard, staring keenly atLestat. He is in a rage.

LOUIS:

(quietly and coldly)

If some voodoo priest sent youhere, say so. If you're thedevil, I'm all yours.

LESTAT:

I don't believe in voodoo priestsor the devil. Neither do you.

Lestat sits on the side of the bed, facing Louis.

LESTAT:

But I do believe in eternal life.

Lestat holds up his bullet-wounded palm, and we see thevery last healing as it smooths out and is whole again.

LOUIS:

(coldly)

How was this done?

LESTAT:

I love your courage. I even love

your grief. You're no simplesoul, are you, my friend?

Louis is bewildered. Feels pain. Is becoming spellbound.

Sound of SEA RISING.

LESTAT:

What if I told you I could giveyou back your old passion forliving, and that for those withcourage, living can be for alltime?

Sound of HEARTBEAT, DRUM IN TIME WITH IT...

DISSOLVE TO:

DARK SEA:

An 18th century ship sailing with black ragged sails.

Only two figures on the top deck, Lestat at the wheel andLouis, in his soiled night shirt watching him. In this

sea are the ruins of buildings, temples, churches, seendimly in the midst.

(CONTINUED)

12.

CONTINUED:

LESTAT (V.O.)

Vampires, that's what we are.

Creatures of darkness, only we seemore clearly in that darkness thanany mortal has ever seen!

Dead men and women float in the water. Louis is amazed.

Dead woman and dead infant float by. A giant dead oakfloats by. Lestat holds the wheel steady. Lestat pointsto the horizon of white clouds stacked high under the

moon. The two speak together but we do not hear theirwords.

EXT. PARISH GRAVEYARD (LOUISIANA) - NIGHT

Louis and Lestat stand before the tall crypt of Louis'swife and baby. Sounds of WIND. Lestat leads Louis from

the graveyard into a dreamlike swampland.

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