Isle of the Dead Page #15

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EXT. THE CYPRESS GROVE - NIGHT

Only trickles of moonlight come through the pendulous

branches and thick boles of these dark trees. The CAMERA

TRACKS TO a space between two of the largest trees, a space

which seems filled only with shadow and moonlight, but as IT

MOVES IN CLOSER, Oliver and Thea are disclosed, embracing.

They break apart. She starts to turn from him but he takes

her hand and turns her so that she faces him.

OLIVER:

Thea.

She allows him to draw her back.

CLOSE SHOT — over Oliver's shoulder at Thea's face. He cups

his hand around her chin so that she looks up at him. Her

eyes are wet with tears.

OLIVER:

You're crying. Why?

THEA:

(simply)

I don't know. Everything's so mixed

up --

OLIVER:

(smiling)

Everything's so simple. I like you.

Thea smiles at him affectionately, but then her face clouds

again and she looks away from him.

OLIVER:

What's bothering you, Thea? Is it

the General?

THEA:

Sometimes when he looks at me in

that strange way, I'm afraid of

him.

OLIVER:

Don't let it trouble you. He's an

old man and these last few days

have been a terrible strain on him.

He won't harm you.

She makes a pathetic attempt at a smile. He puts his arms

around her protectively and they kiss. Slowly they break from

their embrace and together they start up the path.

ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE GROVE - NIGHT

This is at a point where a narrow flight of marble stairs

come clown from above The CAMERA is on the stairs, FOCUSED ON

the path.Oliver and Thea walk in silence, their hands

clasped.They come slowly up the path.

ANOTHER ANGLE - MED. CLOSE SHOT - Thea and Oliver suddenly

look up.

EXT. STAIRS - NIGHT

General Pherides stands there, erect and silent, looking up

with an expression which is hard to fathom.

THREE SHOT. Nervous and embarrassed, Thea disengages her hand

from Oliver's.

OLIVER:

You gave us quite a start --

standing there.

The General is silent. Thea moves rapidly toward the stairs,

carefully avoiding physical contact with the General as she

goes past him. He does not turn to look at her, but as Oliver

moves to follow her, the General puts a restraining hand on

his arm. Then, without a word, he steps down onto the path

and starts along it toward the shore. Oliver looks at him in

puzzlement, shrugs and then follows him.

EXT. GROVE - NIGHT

The two men walk silently through the grove. At the edge of

the grove on the shoreward side of the island the General and

Oliver come out from beneath the trees and emerge onto the

beach below the figure of Cerberus. The General seats himself

on a block of stone, looking out toward the sea. Oliver

stands near him. The General points out across the water.

LONG SHOT - MATTE. The General in the f.g. points to the camp

fires burning on the hills of the opposite shore.,

GENERAL:

Tomorrow they move on to engage the

enemy —— to beat him back across

the Bosphorus.

CLOSE SHOT - the General has his sabre between his knees and

is resting his two hands upon it; a melancholy and mournful

figure. His eyes are fixed on the distant camp fires.

(Note:
See famous World-Wide photograph of King Ferdinand of

Bulgaria, taken after the defeat of the Bulgarian armies in

1917.)

OLIVER:

It's hard going, General. You

wanted to lead them. Here you are

quarantined just because you wanted

to pray at your wife's side —— and

even her body is gone.

The General looks over.

GENERAL:

(musing)

Thea is so like her —— in every

feature ——

OLIVER:

(rather pleased)

If she looked like Thea, she must

have been beautiful.

The General takes a deep breath and sighs, remembering other

days.

GENERAL:

She was beautiful. There was blood

between her family and my kin. But

that did not stop me from taking

her when I saw her beauty, nor did

it stop her from loving me.

OLIVER:

How did she die?

GENERAL:

I don' t know. When I was gone the

people from her village came to my

home seeking vengeance. They bore

her away with them. Months later

she came back ——pale -- sick -- she

died --

There is a long silence. Oliver stirs restlessly.

OLIVER:

Is this what you wanted to speak to

me about?

GENERAL:

In a way -- this girl, Thea.

You must stay away from her.

OLIVER:

I had a notion you had become

self—appointed chaperone lately —

why?

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