Klondike Page #22

THE COUNT:

Hell it is. It’s a goddam Dry Goods

store.

Father Judge exits the church too. Father Judge and Bill

stand together facing the gang of thugs.

The Count lifts his rifle, aiming it right at Bill.

COUNT:

I urge you to drop your fire-arm.

Gives just the faintest gesture. The man standing beside him

lifts his rifle to aim at Bill as well. Suddenly...

... we hear the COCK of another rifle... and another... and

another...

ALL AROUND THEM:

MEN come out of the shadows, all with guns.

The Count continues to aim at Bill, but his eyes are wild.

What the f*** is going on?

FROM THE DARKNESS

comes Belinda, dressed in a long leather rain cloak. The most

gorgeous female bad-ass the world has ever seen.

BELINDA:

Not tonight, Count.

51.

THE COUNT’S MEN

are still pointing their rifles at Bill and Father Judge. But

Bill has eyes only for Belinda.

BILL:

Strange to see a woman flourish in

such an environment.

BELINDA:

Every day I’m alive is a stroke of

luck.

She pulls out her own rifle, aims it at The Count.

F*** this. The Count C*CKS his rifle... pointing it right at

Bill.

COUNT:

No matter how this goes down... you

die.

BILL:

I’d say the same goes for you.

The Count’s eyes are black with anger. He’s got this intruder

(Bill) in his sights. He likes him in his sights.

COUNT:

Depends on the lady’s aim. I have

several paces on her.

It’s true. Belinda is quite a bit farther away from The Count

than The Count is from Bill.

BELINDA:

Just to show you what a good sport

I am...

She lowers her rifle just a little.

BELINDA (CONT’D)

... I will aim at the smallest

target on your person.

She’s aiming at his crotch.

THE COUNT:

still stares at Bill. Eyes black fires. He wants so much to

kill him.

Finally, he turns to Belinda.

52.

COUNT:

(eyes black coals)

It will be a long winter. You and I

will meet again.

BELINDA:

I look forward to it.

The Count lowers his weapon.

COUNT:

(to his men)

Lower your weapons. We won’t kill a

female.

The Count’s men lower their weapons.

THE COUNT AND HIS MEN LEAVING IN THE BACKGROUND

Father Judge has a moment with Belinda.

FATHER JUDGE:

I owe you thanks. You are a woman

of virtue.

BELINDA:

Virtue’s got nothing to do with it.

She heads off with her people.

BELINDA (CONT’D)

This is about real estate. Your

church is temporary, father.

Turns to give him a last smiling look.

BELINDA (CONT’D)

Don’t do too much praying in it. It

ain’t gonna be for praying.

Father Judge stares after her. A half smile in his eyes. Like

he knows who she is better than she does.

CUT TO:

EXT. FOREST - NIGHT

The yellow eyes of a gigantic beast comes toward us through

the darkly swaying trees.

The image resolves into TWO MOUNTIES holding lanterns. TWO

MINERS walk alongside them. One is the miner we saw earlier

wearing Epstein’s boots. The miners freeze.

MINER #1

(quick whisper)

There they are.

53.

BEFORE THEM:

is a campground. A butchered deer hangs from a tree. A spent

fire next to a leather tent.

MOUNTIE #1

How do you know it’s them?

MINER #1

They were in the hills across the

river the night that man was shot.

MOUNTIE #1

You saw them?

MINER #1

He did.

Referring to his friend. The friend nods. The Mounties don’t

seem sure what to do. They are very young.

INSIDE THE TENT:

sleep TWO TLINGIT hunters. We hear THE COCK of a rifle. And

both Tlingits are immediately awake.

THE TWO MOUNTIES

stand before them, rifles aimed right at their heads. They

look scared.

CUT TO:

EXT. TINGLIT CAMP - NIGHT

The same camp where Bill and Jack were brought by the

Tlingit. A TLINGIT WARRIOR rides in... SHOUTING in Tlingit.

CHEYEHO:

emerges from his shelter. He moves toward us, taking in what his

fellow tribesman is telling him, growing angrier and angrier.

CLOSE-UP - CHEYEHO

He nods, understanding what’s happened. There’s a storm in

his eyes.

OUR VIEW rises to the sky. Here the storm is clearing.

BLACK CLOUDS:

part (like curtains) to reveal the full moon in all its

luminous glory... lighting up...

54.

THE MINERS’ CAMP

lying under the same sky. Under the same moon.

AN EXHAUSTED BILL

arrives to find Meekor outside his tent, gazing down the slope.

A sweaty Soapy is here too. Moves obsequiously toward Bill.

SOAPY:

I came here to yap with you.

But Bill has turned to follow Meeker’s gaze down the slope.

OTHER MINERS:

are awake too. Everyone staring down the slope.

BILL’S POV - DOWN THE SLOPE

THE TWO TLINGIT HUNTERS are being led in chains by Steele and

a posse of his men. Clearly a statement to the miners.

They’ve caught Epstein’s killers. The law is here.

SOAPY (CONT’D)

Your sitch-ation’s changed. Justice

has been rightfully served. God

bless us all.

Bill stares and stares. Something about this is just too simple.

CLOSE ON TLINGIT CAPTIVES

One of them turns, sensing eyes on him. He seems to be

staring right back at Bill. It can’t be true, but it’s like a

personal moment is taking place between Bill and this

captured Tlingit.

The Tlingit’s eyes are filled with the rage of injustice.

THE OTHER MINERS

are eying Bill to see what he’ll do. Gorna amongst them.

SOAPY (CONT’D)

A man changes when his sitch-ations

changes. I expect, as discussed

earlier, you will return to the

green pastures of Maine and the

embrace of your loved ones.

BILL:

Vermont.

55.

SOAPY:

An equally bucolic locale.

Soapy drags a pail toward Bill.

SOAPY (CONT’D)

It is my honor to act as

facilitator to your return to the

bosoms of your loved ones.

Soapy’s eyes have a special light now. The love of the deal.

THE PAIL:

is filled with nuggets of gold. It’s beautiful. A glowing

treasure yanked from the earth at terrible cost.

SOAPY (CONT’D)

Pure gold. In exchange for your claim.

There’s a fire in Soapy’s eyes.

SOAPY (CONT’D)

Four hunnerd dollars worth. More

than most of these here miners will

make in two years.

Bill picks up the pail. It’s heavy.

The young miner who talked worshipfully to Bill earlier,

stares from the background... hoping his hero does not have

feet of clay.

Bill turns to look at the Tlingit being led away into the

distance. Just dots on the landscape now.

A clear reminder that justice has not been done.

A deep emotion passes over Bill’s his features. He stares at

Soapy with burning eyes.

BILL:

It’s not enough.

ANGLE ON GORNA:

staring... a hint of a smile in her shrewd blue eyes as...

Bill puts down the pail. Moves to his claim and...

... DIGS.

Doing what all of them have done. Picking up the mantle of

adventure and challenge at the root of manhood... of

humanhood.

56.

We begin to hear the distant BOOM of Tlingit war drums. The

Tlingit reaction to what we’ve just seen.

CLOSE-UP - BILL

plunging in his spade over and over... bending out of frame

and then rising back in.

Every time he bends out of frame, we see the full moon (the

moon that played such a role in his and Epstein’s dreams). We

hold on the moon...

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