Isle of the Dead Page #17

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Dr. Drossos fills his glass to the brim and then continues

pouring, so that the bright liquid spills over onto the

table. Miss Wollsten laughs softly and a little drunkenly and

Albrecht takes the bottle out of the doctor's hand, setting

it upright again. The General smiles and picks up his wine

glass.

GENERAL:

When I was young a man was measured

by the skins of wine he could

empty.

Albrecht looks toward the other end of the table and lifts

his glass.

NED. CLOSE SHOT of Cathy, Thea and Oliver. They are sitting

with their heads close together, in intimate conversation.

Cathy and Oliver are smiling gaily. Thea smiles, too, but

rather puzzledly as if the conversation eluded her. Oliver is

speaking in a very low tone, almost whispering. Plainly, the

wine has had an effect

OLIVER:

(mockly melodramatic)

And then - - the Vrykolaka will get

you, if you don't watch out...

Cathy, more animated than we have ever seen her between the

wine and her growing interest in Oliver, starts to laugh.

CATHY:

Oh, no -— it's too delicious!

You're making it up!

OLIVER:

On my word! That's what they

believe.

THEA:

(smiling but distressed)

Please.. You shouldn't laugh --

OLIVER:

(teasing her)

You see? Thea believes it, too!

Cathy turns to Thea. Where Oliver's teasing is good-tempered,

her mocking laughter has an edge of malice to it.

CATHY:

Tell me about them, Thea. They have

great wings end long teeth --

OLIVER:

(embellishing)

Sharp, shiny teeth -- and they

creep up to your bed --

CATHY:

Closer and closer —- until they

bite into your throat!

As she says it, Cathy's fingers dart out and touch Thea's

throat. Thea gives a little muffled cry and throws herself

back from Cathy. Cathy and Oliver both burst out laughing,

leaning close together, sharing their childish joke.

CATHY:

Oh, my poor simple Thea!

(to Oliver)

Did you ever see anything so

ludicrous?

Thea, frightened by the conversation and unhappy because

Oliver and Cathy have been making fun of her, starts to get

up from the table.

MED. SHOT of table, including both groups, with Oliver, Cathy

and Thea in the background. As Thea stands up, Dr. Drossos

leans forward, peering down the table towards her.

DR. DROSSOS

Thea! Come here!

The others turn to look at the girl as she obeys the summons.

DR. DROSSOS

Look at her. Warm, beautiful -

alive. Drink with me, Thea -—

Drink to my old enemy, who wins at

last --

As Thea comes to stand beside him, Dr. Drossos picks up

Albrecht's wine glass and hands it to her. Thea obediently

drinks. In silence they watch her drain the glass, her head

going back slowly. It is a beautiful, a pagan gesture.

GENERAL:

(almost to himself)

There is only one place where the

women bewitch one with their

beauty.

CLOSE SHOT of Thea as she starts singing. It's a primitive,

sensuous song and Thea's whole body seems to respond..

MED. CLOSE SHOT of Oliver and Cathy, watching Thea. It is

obvious that Oliver is bewitched; his eyes follow every move

the girl makes. Cathy steals a glance at him.

ANOTHER ANGLE as Thea sings; she moves toward Oliver in a

series of slow steps. As she comes closer to him, she starts

to smile, a slow dreamlike smile that seems to well up from

some deep inner joy. Oliver leans forward, drawn by the girl,

until as she comes within reach he puts out his hand to take

her arm. Her smile quivers into a little laugh, at once

childish and enticing. She eludes him. At this moment, her

song ends. While theothers applaud, she crosses to the

door. There, she stops abruptly.

CLOSEUP of Thea, looking across the room at Oliver. Her face,

flushed and alive, is a frank invitation, almost innocent in

its candid admission of desire. Then she slowly turns her

head away.

CLOSE SHOT of Oliver as Thea slips out the door in the b.g.

He gets to his feet. Cathy puts out her hand to hold him back

but he doesn't even see it. As Oliver walks past the table

unsteadily, the General gets to his feet and blocks his way.

Oliver pushes him aside impatiently.

OLIVER:

Everything's dead in here, dead and

empty.

(gesturing toward the

door)

Out there; the night is alive.

He continues across and goes out through the door.

CATHY:

(starting for the door;

harshly)

Someone should go with him. He's

has had too much to drink.

Suddenly Miss Wollsten laughs. Cathy whirls around to stare

at her angrily. Miss Wollsten returns the stare.

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