Isle of the Dead Page #13

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INT. ST. AUBYN'S ROOM - NIGHT

Miss Wollsten stands looking down at St. Aubyn, then suddenly

she takes from her bodice a long embroidery needle Still

gazing intently into his face, she jabs the needle deep into

the dead man's arm. There is no reaction in the marble set of

the corpse's face.

Miss Wollsten pulls the blanket over the dead man's face and

suddenly bursts out weeping, burying her face in her hands.

DISSOLVE:

INT. MAIN ROOM - DAY

Morning sunlight pours in through the windows. Cathy sits

near the door, crying delicately into a lace handkerchief.

Thea stands beside her. Thea's expression betrays grief, but

it is the controlled and dignified grief of the peasant who

knows death as intimately as life and is equally at peace

with both. Near them is Miss Wollsten, stony-faced and

composed. Oliver is seated on the table, swinging his feet.

The General stands in the open doorway looking toward the

sea. Dr. Drossos and Albrecht stand together in the center of

the group.

DR. DROSSOS

We are faced with a very serious

form of plague. Its first symptoms

are dizziness, nausea, weakness,

inability to focus the eyes or

control the limbs. This is followed

by acute spasms, sometimes

blindness, and finally, in moat

cases, death.

CATHY:

(frantically)

I don't want to hear any more.

You can't keep me here. This

horrible island —— it has cost me

my father —— it will kill all of

us.

The General turns his head and looks at Cathy without

emotion.

GENERAL:

(implacably)

I will not have the plague carried

to my troops. No one leaves here

—not you, not I, not anyone.

Oliver goes over to the distraught and weeping Cathy, putting

his hand on her shoulder sympathetically.

OLIVER:

The doctor only wants us to know

the worst, for our own good.

Besides, he holds out some hope --

Oliver turns to Dr. Drossos, who nods slowly.

DR. DROSSOS

If the wind shifts, if the sirocco

blows -- the hot wind from the

South -- all danger will be over in

twenty-four hours.

ALBRECHT:

(to Drossos gentle

mockery)

Good winds and bad winds!

Albrecht goes to the table.

DR. DROSSOS

(patiently)

The disease is transmitted by fleas

and their bodies are eighty percent

moisture. The hot wind literally

burns them away.

Albrecht takes the bronze trident from the figure of Poseidon

and fingers it thoughtfully as he speaks?

ALBRECHT:

The ancient Greeks had just as good

an explanation -- that the gods

sent the plague to punish mortals

for harboring Vrykolaka --

DR. DROSSOS

(impatiently)

They used to believe that sort of

thing in the mountain villages.

Some still do --

He glances at the General and then at Thea.

GENERAL:

(with serious

determination)

I do not.

Albrecht, still holding the trident, walks over to the open

doorway where the General stands. Miss Wollsten gets to her

feet suddenly and faces the men with a look of scorn, almost

of hatred.

MISS WOLLSTEN:

(to Drossos)

If you have nothing more to tell

us, will you excuse me —-

Dr. Drossos bows and Miss Wollsten crosses the room to the

staircase.

CLOSE SHOT. At the foot of the staircase Miss Wollsten turns

with one of her curious, inimicable glances, then begins to

climb the stairs.

MED. SHOT - on remaining group.

DR. DROSSOS

She's right. This is hardly the

time to bandy old tales.

ALBRECHT:

I have lived long enough to doubt

everything -- which is to say, I

believe everything, a little.

Albrecht goes to the table and replaces the trident.

DR. DROSSOS

You're just talking nonsense.

ALBRECHT:

Let us put it to the test. Protect

yourself with every scientific

precaution you can think of. I'll

go out on the cliff and build a

votive fire to Hermes -- not that I

believe in him any more than I do

in Science.

Dr. Drossos gives a little snort of disdain.

ALBRECHT:

(smiles)

We will see who is the first to

die.

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