Interview with the Vampire Page #6

LESTAT (V.O.)

Jewels, that's what he gave me,

and a coffin such as you'll neversee in this damned wilderness.

And a tower, yes, and clothes.

He left me such fine clothes. We

are the secret, Louis. Maybe thisis all a secret. Maybe Godhimself has forgotten we're allhere.

29.

INT. POINT DU LAC - DINING ROOM - ANOTHER NIGHT

Louis XVI chairs, table, sideboard. Crystal glassesgleam on sideboard.

Louis sits at the table watching Lestat as Lestat paces.

LOUIS:

What if we are wounded, a stake

driven through the heart, a bullet...

Lestat is vaguely amused.

LESTAT:

We heal. You saw this for yourself

the night you aimed your pistol at

me. It may take time but we heal.

Only the destruction of our bodies

brings us to the finish. Crosses,

garlic, all that rubbish has no

power over us, naturally. We can

not turn to mist and pass through

keyholes. We are not magical

creatures, really, merely lucky

little devils, so to speak.

LOUIS:

Preternatural.

LESTAT:

(kindly)

Good word. Come with me. It's

been weeks since we've hunted

together. Let's go...

LOUIS:

How long can I go without feeding?

One night? Two?

LESTAT:

(impatient but kind)

You'll have to find that out for

yourself. Never let yourself

become so weak that you can't

feed. That's an endless living

death in itself.

Louis ponders.

LESTAT:

Are you trying to tell me you

don't like it? Are you trying to

say that every time the blood

touches your tongue you don't

feel that pleasure.

(CONTINUED)

30.

CONTINUED:

LOUIS:

You know I do. But I didn't see

things clearly before. I didn't

see them for what they are.

LESTAT:

And now you know what life is andyou have eternity to enjoy it.

LOUIS:

I have eternity to destroy it.

LESTAT:

Louis, there's nothing beyond yourreach now. Stop grieving foryourself. And for your victims!

Louis does not respond.

LESTAT:

Look, you need a littlerefreshment. Here, let me show

you another little trick. Your

trouble is you don't experimentenough on your own.

He picks up one of the crystal glasses, holds it to thelight of the candelabra and then sets it before Louis.

He turns, one eyebrow raised, listening, and then hedarts too fast for us to see through the French door,

curtains closing behind him.

Louis gasps as Lestat appears before the table, holding along-tailed gray rat. The rat appears paralyzed, asLestat tears open its throat with his own teeth, and letsthe rat's blood gush into the crystal glass. Lestat

begins a low, helpless laugh. Absently he lays the ratto the side on the lace tablecloth.

Louis is impressed in spite of himself. Smiles, shakes

his head. Lestat hands the glass to Louis. Louis drinks

the blood, and stares at it in surprise.

LESTAT:

I know. It gets cold so fast.

LOUIS:

We can live from this, the blood

of animals?

Lestat shrugs.

(CONTINUED)

31.

CONTINUED:

LESTAT:

I wouldn't call it living. I'd

call it surviving. And you mayhave to do, now and then. You'd

better know the trick if ever youfind yourself for a month on aship at sea, unless you mean toslay all the passengers and the

crew.

Louis downs all the blood in the glass. His eyes aresuddenly bloodshot. He wipes his mouth.

He stares at the body of the rat.

Rat is soft and beautiful to behold. Very delicate littlehands and feet; lovely eyes.

LESTAT:

It doesn't disgust you, does it?

Lestat strokes the belly of the dead rat, studying it,

smiling.

LESTAT:

There's nothing in the world nowthat doesn't hold some...

LOUIS:

... fascination.

LESTAT:

Yes. And I'm restless. I don't

want to spend another eveninghere. There's an opera in NewOrleans tonight. A real true

French opera.

LOUIS:

But we can live on animals. We

can live without taking humanlife.

LESTAT:

Yes, I suppose we can. But how

long do you think you can resistmortals? Give it a try.

LOUIS:

I can't take blood from mortals

without killing. You know that.

(CONTINUED)

32.

CONTINUED:

LESTAT:

(imploring)

But don't you see, it's the deathyou want, as surely as the blood.

It's the life that flows with it

when you drink.

LOUIS:

My God. I know. I do see. I

know. I know.

LESTAT:

(patient but

frightened)

I won't stay here engaging in thissophomoric prattle. You have all

of them out waiting for you. Take

the evildoers if you must. Mon

dieu, are there not hundreds in

this miserable little place? And

what a paradise they make for us,

Louis, with their dancing anddrinking till dawn?

LOUIS:

Wasn't it that way in Paris? Whydid you come here?

Lestat laughs beguilingly as he rises.

LESTAT:

In Paris, a vampire has to beclever for many reasons. Here,

all one needs is a pair of fangs.

He becomes frustrated at Louis, snatches his cloak and tricorne

hat from the chair and turns to go. Louis saysnothing.

Lestat, stubborn and conflicted, leaves.

Sound of LESTAT'S SINGING an Aria in Italian as he leaves.

Then sound of the HORSE RIDING AWAY.

Yvette, the slave woman enters.

YVETTE:

Michi Louis? You don't want anysupper?

Louis stares at the glass with its thin residue of blood.

He laughs soundlessly.

(CONTINUED)

33.

CONTINUED:

LOUIS:

No, ma cher. I need nothing now.

Is all well at Pointe du Lac

tonight?

Yvette draws closer. Light reveals her beauty.

YVETTE:

We worry about you, master. When

do you ride the fields? How longis it since you've been to theslave quarters? Have you seen thenew baby born to Charlotte? Whydo you let the overseer whip somany so often? Always before youlooked after us.

Louis listens, but in spite of himself he is gettinghungry. Yvette looks more and more succulent. Throat

long and slender. Skin gorgeous.

LOUIS:

(dazed monotone)

Leave me alone now, Yvette. Go

out.

YVETTE:

I will not go unless you listen to

me. Send away this new friend of

yours. This Monsieur de Lioncourt.

The slaves are frightened of him.

They are frightened of you.

LOUIS' POV

She approaches the table, skin gleaming, but her voice isno longer audible, only her beating heart. As she placesher hands on the table to lean forward, she sees the dead

rat lying on the tablecloth.

BACK TO SCENE:

Louis' hunger crests.

Yvette, staring at the rat and then at Louis, starts to

scream. He upsets the wine glass as he rises and clampshis hand over her mouth.

The GLASS rolls to the floor and BREAKS.

In horror, he realizes he has accidentally broken herneck. He stares at her dead eyes, and he isgriefstricken.

(CONTINUED)

34.

CONTINUED:

For one moment he is tempted to drink her blood, thenhorrified by the incestuous and monstrous idea. He

cradles her as he would a precious friend, overcome withgrief.

LOUIS:

Yvette, my poor faithful Yvette.

EXT. SWAMP - NIGHT

Louis watches the body of Yvette sink deep into the muck.

He is utterly dejected. He hears SOUNDS, turns, sees

slaves at a distance spying on him.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes