Isle of the Dead Page #8

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GENERAL:

(slowly)

Maybe you have no memory for the

past ——

(in a whisper)

Vrykolaka!

With the word, terror takes her. She makes a quick movement

to flee. Just as quickly he seizes her, dragging her to him.

He has to hold both her hands; then pulls her up against his

chest. He repeats the word without any special meaning. His

face, across which a narrow beam of light falls obliquely, is

grotesque and horrible. The girl struggles and her struggles

free one hand. She pushes herself away from him and quickly

makes the sign of the cross between herself and the General

at the same time whispering hurriedly.

THEA:

Christ be with me ——

For a bare second, there is silence between them and then,

quite suddenly, he releases her other hand and begins to roar

with laughter. She stands amazed, too wonder-struck even to

flee, almost gaping at him.

GENERAL:

(through his laughter)

You thought me a Vrykolaka -—a

vampire - -

He pinches his arm.

GENERAL:

Look -- I am alive.

He begins to laugh again.

GENERAL:

And I thought the same of you!

(sobering)

I am ashamed. A grown man --

The General smiles in ridicule of his own foolishness,

GENERAL:

We of the mountain villages

are strange people. There are

too many old dreams in our

blood, eh?

Thea smiles in agreement.

GENERAL:

Then you can understand --

you can forgive me.

Again she smiles. He starts to move away from her. He has

gone through the black patch of darkness nearest them and has

emerged into the moonlight on the other side. She lifts her

head and calls to him.

THEA:

General ——

He turns.

THEA:

What do they call you? What

is your name?

GENERAL:

Nikolas Pherides.

He turns and continues down the corridor.

CLOSEUP of Thea. A strange look comes over her face. From her

stare, it is evident that the name strikes some sharp chord

in her mind.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

EXT. A RUIN OVERLOOKING THE SEA - MORNING - EFFECT SHOT

It is a bright morning and between the two portals of a

ruined temple can be seen the sunlit sea. (See page 98

"Hellas")

In the space between the two portals, three people are

grouped, Cathy, Thea and Albrecht. Cathy is seated on one of

the white stones, leaning back against the wall, a rug

wrapped about her knees. Albrecht stands behind and a little

in back of her, while Thea stands leaning gracefully against

the opposite portal, half silhouetted against the brightness

of the sea.

For a moment they remain quiet, then suddenly Thea throws up

her arms in a gesture of ecstasy and speaks almost as if to

herself.

THEA:

The sea! The sea!

Albrecht stares at her, arrested by the words.

ALBRECHT:

What made you say that, Thea?

The moment is broken. Thea looks at him self-consciously, and

then shakes her head.

THEA:

I don't know.

ALBRECHT:

"The sea —- the sea." Those were

the very words of Xenophon and the

ten thousand - - do you know about

them, Thea?

Smiling, Thea shakes her head.

ALBRECHT:

You don't have to. It's inside of

you -- all the glory that was

Greece -— the dancing, the singing

and the white marble --

CATHY:

How clover you are, Mr. Albrecht,

to see all that in our simple

Thea... She is quite pretty, isn't

she?

ALBRECHT:

(disregarding her;

pointing to a column)

This was the temple of Hades --the

God of the Dead. It contained no

images -- just empty space and

walls of perfect symmetry.

CATHY:

(looking about her)

How disappointing! I expected it

was something more romantic. A

temple to the Goddess of Love,

perhaps.

ALBRECHT:

(looking off)

The Greeks thought death was

beautiful -- an adventure --a

journey to another world.

(after a little pause)

But I have my other guests to think

of -- The General will be wanting

to go back to his army. If you'll

excuse me --

He starts off. The two girls watch him go into the grove.

Thea seats herself beside, Cathy.

CLOSE TWO SHOT - Thea and Cathy.

THEA:

Cathy —- how does it feel to

have a father?

CATHY:

What an odd question!

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