Krull Page #10

COLWYN:

Why?

YNYR:

(evasive)

I'm not sure.

COLWYN:

But you suspect.

YNYR:

You will know, in good time.

At the cooking fire, Kegan arrives with a string of small

game.

ERGO:

(disgusted)

Rabbits and squirrels. Where is my

deer!

KEEGAN:

We saw nothing but does and fawns,

and we shoot only stags.

Kegan lays down the string of game and moves off.

ERGO:

(grumbling)

Nothing worse than lower-class boors

with upper-class morals.

CYCLOPS (O.S.)

Would you settle for a boar?

ERGO:

(to Titch)

A boar? Those incompetent louts

couldn't catch a piglet, much less a

boar.

He realizes that the voice has come from behind him and

turns to see the Cyclops with a huge boar slung across his

shoulders.

ERGO:

You!

CYCLOPS:

Me.

(lays down the boar)

May I eat with you tonight?

ERGO:

Tonight and every night, my friend,

for this is the second time you've

saved my life.

(draws himself up)

I am Ergo the Magnificent, short in

stature, tall in power, etcetera,

etcetera.

CYCLOPS:

I am Quell.

TITCH:

I'm hungry.

ERGO:

Smart lad.

(theatrical)

Bring me my spices!

Titch hands him a leather belt of spices.

TITCH:

I must fetch my master.

(smiles at Cyclops as he

passes)

I'm Titch.

EXT. STREAM NEAR STONEHENGE - NIGHT

The Seer kneels at water's edge, washing his hands with

ritual motions. He hears footsteps behind him.

SEER:

Is that you, Brother?

We see a CHANGELING/SEER standing behind him: an exact twin,

except that his eyes are open and red. Changeling reaches

down and places his hand on the Seer's neck.

CHANGELING:

(hiss)

It is me, Brother.

His hand turns into a taloned claw, which tightens around

the Seer's neck, throttling him. He lowers the body into the

stream, then reaches into the Seer's robe and extracts the

emerald, which he crushes in his claw. The green fragments

drop into the water, floating downstream behind the Seer's

body.

His bloody claw now reverts to human form, but the fingers

remain bloody. He kneels and washes off the blood. When he

hears Titch approaching, he closes his eyes.

CHANGELING:

(in Seer's voice)

Is that you, Brother?

TITCH:

It is me, Brother.

He stands and places his hand on the boy's shoulder to be

led back to camp. The Cyclops appears, having followed Titch

to guard him.

The Cyclops glances at the Changeling, but notices nothing

unusual. He takes a few steps farther down the path, to

check it out - and stops just short of a point that would

show him the Seer's body fetched up against a rock in the

stream. He turns and follows Titch back to the campsite.

EXT. STONEHENGE - NIGHT

The band is seated around the fire, finishing a huge dinner

of roast boar. The Changeling/Seer sits slightly apart, his

eye-lids lifting occasionally to afford a thin slit, through

which he surveys the group with red eyes.

TORQUIL:

(raising a joint)

Passable, pimple, very passable.

ERGO:

The greatest boon of your otherwise

worthless life, blockhead, is the

privilege of dining on boar roasted

by the hand of Ergo the Magnificent.

TORQUIL:

Your boast is a bigger mouthful than

your roast, Magnificence.

He glances over his shoulder at Colwyn, who is leaning

against a dolmen, staring gloomily into the darkness.

Torquil gets up and goes to him, carrying the joint.

TORQUIL:

You've eaten nothing.

COLWYN:

(shrug, pause)

We must try to get horses.

TORQUIL:

Yes. It will double our range.

(grins)

I know at least a dozen ways to get

horses. All cheap.

COLWYN:

(little smile)

These we'll pay for.

TORQUIL:

(sigh)

Lad, you have an unnatural desire to

pay for things. It stunts the mind

and shrivels the imagination.

COLWYN:

(thumb in his ribs)

Hand over your dinner.

TORQUIL:

(hands it over)

A flicker of talent.

Colwyn's hunger comes alive as he starts to work on the

joint.

TORQUIL:

But I can't tell yet whether it's a

talent for theft or gluttony.

Ergo, Titch, and the Cyclops, full to bursting, are

stretched out together beside the fire.

ERGO:

If I could wish ...

(belch)

... for anything, I'd wish for a

venison pie the size of a ...

(belch)

... mountain. No, that's too greedy.

I'd settle for one the size of a

house.

TITCH:

I'd wish for a puppy.

ERGO:

One puppy? Why not wish for a

hundred?

TITCH:

I only want one.

ERGO:

A foolish wish. And you, Quell?

CYCLOPS:

(after a pause)

Ignorance.

EXT. STONEHENGE - NIGHT

Bardolph and Oswin stand guard over the sleeping band,

stationed at the perimeter of the Circle, looking outward.

The Cyclops broods by the fire, his expression troubled. He

frowns and looks around, then gets up and moves out of the

Circle into the darkness.

As soon as the Cyclops is gone, the Changeling/Seer opens

his eyes and looks around. He stands and moves toward

Bardolph.

BARDOLPH:

(turns)

Who's there?

CHANGELING:

(holding out a hand)

It's me, Brother. I am thirsty.

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