Isle of the Dead Page #19

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The General looks at her with heightened attention.

GENERAL:

You look so pale this morning, as

if all your blood were drained

away.

Cathy looks at him, her ego gratefully absorbing this

attention and sympathy. The General takes a few steps back

and forth, then stops before her.

GENERAL:

Has that girl -- has Thea ever told

you where she comes from?

CATHY:

(not liking the change of

subject)

Some village in the mountains --

Alethera, I think.

The General stands very still.

GENERAL:

Has she spoken to you of her father

and her mother?

CATHY:

(indifferently)

She has never mentioned her family.

GENERAL:

How old is she?

The General waits tensely for the answer, which means so much

to him. Cathy, now definitely bored by the trend of the

conversation, replies cattily:

CATHY:

(indifferently)

I don't know --- fairly young.

The General stands silent. Cathy gets up languidly and starts

for the tunnel.

CATHY:

The sun is so strong here.

The General watches her depart, then walks to the edge of the

landing and starts down towards the beach.

DISSOLVE:

EXT. CYPRESS GROVE - DAY -

LONG SHOT - HIGH CAMERA SETUP. The sunlight drifts in long

beams between the trees. At the end of one of these rays of

light, Thea is seated on a block of marble. In her lap are

some myrtle leaves and she is happily occupied in weaving

them into a crown.

MED. CLOSE SHOT - Thea. Suddenly a tall shadow falls over

her. She looks up.

ANOTHER ANGLE. The General stands before Thea. She looks up

without a smile of greeting.

GENERAL:

You have deceived me long enough.

Now I have found out. You are from

Alethera -- from where I took you

and from where you came to die - -

to die without dying - -

Thea rises and faces him.

THEA:

Why are you making up these things -

- why are you wishing evil on me?

(as if answering her own

question)

You know who I am, don't you?

GENERAL:

(slowly)

I wish I didn't know.I wish I had

never found you again.

THEA:

I knew you hated me and my people --

but I didn't know your hatred was

so bitter --

The General's expression softens. He shakes his head sadly.

GENERAL:

It isn't hatred. I couldn't hate

you.

Thea looks at him wonderingly, struck by the change in his

tone.

GENERAL:

(somberly)

I failed you twenty years ago. Now,

I've come to do what must be done.

Thea's face lights up. She says, almost hopefully:

THEA:

To take me with you?

The General draws back from her in horror, believing as he

does that she is a Vrykolaka. With his left hand he begins to

reach inside his tunic.

GENERAL:

(in a hoarse whisper)

No - - no -- to do what I should

have done.

At this moment, a call comes from above.

OLIVER'S VOICE

Thea --

The General looks off towards the voice.

OLIVER'S VOICE (CONT'D)

Thea --

THEA:

(calling)

I'm here..

The General lets go her arm.

GENERAL:

(in a low voice)

I watched you -- you've bewitched

him. But he is my friend.

You'll not do to him what you have

done to the young English girl.

Thea turns and runs. The General stands looking after her.

EXT. THE LOWER END OF THE PATH LEADING FROM THE HOUSE - DAY

Oliver comes leisurely down the path to the three or four

steps which brings it to the floor of the grove. He stops

suddenly as Thea runs in very agitated. She runs up to him

and he takes her in his arms.

OLIVER:

Thea, what's wrong?

THEA:

The General threatened me.

OLIVER:

(grinning)

Oh, that Vrykolaka business. You

mustn't be too angry with him,

Thea. He's an old man and now with

all this trouble —— the

disappointment in not being able to

lead his own army to victory --

cooped up here waiting for death -

naturally his mind goes back to the

things he believed when he was an

ignorant lad in some mountain

village.

THEA:

He keeps asking for the name of

my father and mother.

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