Krull Page #9

ERGO:

(scowling)

I liked you better gloomy, old man.

Colwyn resumes his place beside Torquil, who gives him a

sideways glance.

TORQUIL:

So. You're something more than a

seeker of fame.

Colwyn shrugs sheepishly.

TORQUIL:

Well, I'm not impressed.

COLWYN:

(smiles)

I knew you would not be. That's why

I chose you.

They reach the end of the lake, which is bordered by a small

scarp. Torquil hikes himself onto the scarp and reaches down

to help Colwyn up.

TORQUIL:

(grin)

I'm a little impressed.

EXT. EMERALD STONEHENGE - LATE AFTERNOON

A circle of stone dolmens, emerald green, in the center of

which sits an old man, blind, wearing a green robe: an

EMERALD SEER. Sitting across from him is TITCH, his ten-

year-old assistant, similarly robed.

A green-hued holographic image appears above the emerald,

showing Colwyn and his band approaching. The Seer weaves his

fingers through the image, reading it by touch.

SEER:

Eight come here, Brother. They have

traveled far. Fetch bread and wine.

TITCH:

Yes, Brother.

The boy fetches a jug of wine and a round loaf of bread, and

approaches Colwyn's band as they enter the stone circle.

Colwyn waves Titch toward his men and moves with Ynyr and

Torquil to the Seer.

YNYR:

We seek the Fortress of Krull.

SEER:

Such a vision will be opposed. Who

seeks it?

YNYR:

The new King.

SEER:

(little smile)

With an old voice?

YNYR:

(answering smile)

You know the voice.

SEER:

Yes. You have left your place in the

Needle. It is the time, then.

YNYR:

It is the time.

SEER:

I will seek the Fortress for you.

The Seer presses his fingertips against the rotating sphere,

increasing the pressure and friction until small tongues of

flame spurt from beneath his fingertips.

A holograph begins to form above the sphere: the Fortress in

mid-ocean.

SEER:

Can you see?

YNYR:

Yes. It is the Western Ocean.

COLWYN:

There is a prisoner there.

SEER:

Yes.

The holograph dissolves, replaced by a new one which shows a

curving Arm of the Vortex, the deep, central parts of the

Fortress. Lyssa and the white leopard move down the Arm,

pressed by an unseen pursuer.

COLWYN:

(leaning forward)

Lyssa.

As the twin suns dip below the horizon, the flames spurting

from the Seer's fingertips begin to leap and lengthen, until

the sphere is surrounded by fire, its color changing from

emerald-green to crimson. We hear faint, hollow screams of

rage.

The holograph above the sphere begins to waver and blur,

then is shattered by a holographic black claw shooting

upward from the sphere. The talons of the claw are blood

red, its appearance accompanied by a hollow scream.

The Seer is knocked backward; the claw disappears; the

emerald drops to the ground.

COLWYN:

(kneeling by the Seer)

Are you hurt?

SEER:

(sitting up)

No.

(grim smile)

The Dark Ones do not like curious

Seers poking into their affairs.

COLWYN:

Can you tell us where the Fortress

will rise tomorrow?

SEER:

I cannot see the future, only the

present. But at dawn tomorrow, I can

see where the fortress has risen

that day - and every day thereafter,

until Fate brings it near us.

YNYR:

The Dark Ones will appose you with

all their power.

SEER:

They will fail for, during the day,

the power of the Circle is greater

than theirs. Only at night can they

pierce the Circle.

Titch approaches Ergo with bread and wine.

ERGO:

(wrinkling his nose)

Bread is for peasants, and wine

makes me sneeze. Got any gumdrops?

TITCH:

No.

ERGO:

Sugarballs?

TITCH:

No.

ERGO:

(annoyed)

What kind of a boy are you? Boys

always have candy.

TITCH:

I have a cinnamon bar.

ERGO:

You do?

TITCH:

(producing the bar)

You can have half.

Ergo takes the bar and breaks it into unequal parts. He is

about to take the bigger piece for himself when conscience

gets the better of him; reluctantly, he offers the bigger

piece to Titch. But the boy takes the small piece, leaving

the delighted Ergo with the lion's share.

ERGO:

(mouth full)

I am Ergo the Magnificent ...

(flattens hand)

... short in stature ...

(points to sky)

... tall in power ...

(opposes thumb and forefinger)

... narrow of purpose ...

(shades eyes)

... wide of vision.

TITCH:

(mouth full, points to his

chest)

I ...

(bows from waist)

... am Titch.

EXT. EMERALD STONEHENGE - NIGHT

While Ergo and Titch tend the cooking fire, robbers leave to

hunt and others return with small game.

Sitting against one of the stone dolmens, Colwyn tries to

contact Lyssa, the glaive spinning in midair in front of

him. Ynyr and Torquil look on.

COLWYN:

I cannot reach her.

YNYR:

She is too deep. The curved tunnel

we saw is part of the Vortex, the

place of The Beast.

TORQUIL:

The leader of the Dark Ones?

YNYR:

Yes.

(to Colwyn)

Like you, a King. A King of many

worlds. All enslaved.

COLWYN:

The first time, when they attacked

long ago, was The Beast here?

YNYR:

No. Then they were led by his

underlings. But I knew he had come

this time, from the ferocity of

their onslaught, from their use of

The Fortress. They use up much of

their strength to do these things.

They are taking great risks.

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