Isle of the Dead Page #16

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GENERAL:

You are my friend.

OLIVER:

And I'm your friend —— but that

doesn't explain why you are always

trying to come between Thea and me?

GENERAL:

If I told you —— you wouldn't

believe me -- but this much I can

tell you —— the girl is dangerous

to you. Take a friend's advice --

an old man' s advice -- leave her

alone -—

OLIVER:

(turning away; indignant)

That's ridiculous -- Thea's lovely,

gentle —-

GENERAL:

(earnestly)

Listen to what I say --

OLIVER:

When you make sense I'll listen.

He starts off, up the path through the grove, the General

follows him.

EXT THE GROVE - NIGHT

Oliver, followed by the General, passes through the grove.

EXT. THE RUINS - NIGHT

Cathy still sits in the moonlight. Oliver and the General

come into the ruins.

OLIVER:

Where's Thea?

CATHY:

I think she went to bed —— I saw

her going toward the house

Oliver makes a vague gesture of disappointment and sits down

beside Cathy.

While Cathy was speaking, the General had turned to lookdown

into the grove. He still stands looking down among the trees.

EXT THE GROVE - NIGHT

LONG SHOT — of Thea passing between the trees, looking for

Oliver.

EXT THE RUINS - NIGHT

MED. CLOSE SHOT - The General. Oliver and Cathy can be seen

behind him.

GENERAL:

(in a low voice)

Let the doctor guard us against the

plague —- I shall stand guard

against the other things -- the

things we cannot understand.

MED. FULL SHOT, favoring Oliver and. Cathy. They both look up

in surprise at the General. He looks at them and then stalks

off into the darkness toward the house. Cathy watches him.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

MONTAGE OF TIDES - tide running in and out -- day and night,

over the sound of Grecian reed pipes, and a voice singing

"The Lament of Konos,' the lament that describes how life

comes in and goes out with the tides of the sea.

EXT. RUINS - DAY

A Greek brazier on a tripod stands before the portal facing

the sea. A fire burns in the brazier and Albrecht stands

beside it with a handful of twigs which he is about to put on

the fire. Dr. Drosssos stands watching him.

ALBRECHT:

(turning to him)

I suppose you want to hear my

prayer to Hermes.

DR. DROSSOS

I just came to see if your prayer

would entertain me as much as my

medicine seems to amuse you.

Albrecht turns his hand and lets the remaining twigs fall

onto the fire. It burns up with a bright flame, then a thin

column of black smoke ascends. He lifts his hands upward in

the Grecian attitude of prayer.

ALBRECHT:

(teasingly)

You're too late, my friend. I have

already made my prayers. And how

about your scientific efforts?

Dr. Drossos steps forward, bends to pick up some twigs which

are beside the brazier and puts them on the fire.

DR. DROSSOS

(dryly)

Also too late. I owe you a dinner.

AS the meaning of this sinks in, Albrecht's bantering manner

disappears.

ALBRECHT:

(concerned) )

You feel the symptoms?

ALBRECHT:

My friend -- what can one say --

DR. DROSSOS

You can have your servants prepare

a dinner. That is the way I'll meet

my old- familiar enemy -- Death --I

have fought him before. I've won

often. Now he wins. Let him come

for me at my own banquet.

DISSOLVE:

INT. THE MAIN ROOM - NIGHT

FULL SHOT. The little rays of oil lamps which illuminated the

room during the dinner have been replaced by a great central

lamp, also oil-burning. The long table is in a pool of

brilliance; tongues of light from the manifold wicks of the

lamp flicker into the outer dimness of the room. As the

dinner is almost over, there remain on the table only bowls

of fruit and dates, wine glasses and the many wine jugs and

bottles, some of them empty. At one end of the table sit Dr.

Drossos, as host, Miss Wollsten, Albrecht and the General. At

the opposite end, as if drawn apart by their mutual youth,

are Cathy, Thea and Oliver. On the stairs sits the man

servant of Albrecht and his bagpipe under his arm.

Out of this hairy apparatus he is coaxing folk melodies of

his native hills. The woman servant, dressed in gay national

costume, waits on the table.

MED. SHOT of Dr. Drossos and group at one end of the table.

Dr. Drossos refills Miss Wollsten's glass and carries the

bottle to his own glass with an unsteady hand.

DR. DROSSOS

(thickly)

When I was a young man, I

prescribed moderation in all

things. Especially wine.

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