Lord of Illusions Page #16

Hearing Dorothea's CRY, Harry looks back towards the

passageway. Butterfield pulls the instrument out of the

ground and stabs at Harry a second time. But Swann catches

hold of his arm.

SWANN:

(to Harry)

Whatever he's doing to her, stop

him!

And Harry's up and away --

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY - NIGHT

-- he dashes over the glass --

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - MEDITATION ROOM - NIGHT

On Nix, Dorothea clasped close to him. He REVOLVES as he

floats over the chasm below then.

NIX:

(to unseen Cultists)

You see, I escaped the grave. So I

have to give something to the grave

in return.

On the Cultists, listening to their lord with love in their

eyes.

A SLIT OPENS in the middle of Nix's forehead, above the

bridge of his nose (this is an image we saw in the prints in

the library), and from it comes a WAVE OF DARKNESS. As Nix

REVOLVES, the darkness STRIKES the GROUND around the

Cultists.

At first they don't realize what's going on. They think this

is some kind of bizarre blessing.

Then the ground starts to LIQUIFY beneath them.

NORMAN:

What's happening?

NIX:

I have to give something back. So

I'm giving you.

They're starting to SCREAM now as they sink into the ground.

They struggle, of course, but the earth seems to be hungry

for them. They are dragged down, THRASHING as they SINK.

BARBARA:

(sobbing)

Why? Why?

NIX:

You're not worthy. None of you.

Only Swann was worthy. You just

waited like lambs.

Harry appears in the doorway. Nix, still swinging round, has

his back to Harry.

NIX:

Well I'm not your shepherd.

Harry surveys the horrific scene in front of him. The ground

is now re-solidifying around the Cultists, some of whom have

disappeared from view completely, some of whom still reach up

out of the dirt. The scene has a surreal beauty to it

despite its horror. SCREAMING FACES locked in the solid

ground. TWITCHING HANDS the same. Harry starts towards Nix

and Dorothea, GUN levelled. So far, he has avoided Nix's

gaze.

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - SANCTUM - NIGHT

Butterfield and Swann are locked in a life-or-death struggle.

They tumble back against the table upon which Nix was

resurrected. It collapses under them, and for a moment Swann

is stunned. Butterfield snatches up one of the instruments

and STABS at Swann, who rolls out of the way in the nick of

time.

The BLADE catches him in the arm, however.

SWANN:

Aah!

BUTTERFIELD:

Go on, bleed.

(he slashes at Swann

again)

Go on! Go on!

Butterfield comes after him, and Swann backs off against a

wall. He SPITS out a serpentine FLAME, which races across

the floor and leaps at Butterfield's face!

BUTTERFIELD:

(screaming)

No!

He falls backwards, his face ON FIRE. Swann doesn't wait to

watch him die, but races out into the passageway, BLOOD

running from his wound.

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - MEDITATION ROOM - NIGHT

Harry is staring up at Dorothea as he very gingerly crosses

the still-sticky ground. He's a yard from the edge of the

pit now.

Nix swings round.

NIX:

You're not Swann. Who are you?

(a beat) )

Oh... I know what you want. He lets

Dorothea slip from his arms.

Harry flings himself towards the hole and CATCHES HOLD of

Dorothea's arm before she falls away into the abyss. His GUN

goes spinning across the ground, back towards the door

leading to the passageway.

DOROTHEA:

Oh God!

HARRY:

Hang on!

Nix reaches down to torment Harry. But before he can make

contact

SWANN (V.O.)

Nix!

Nix looks up.

NIX:

There you are.

Suddenly, Nix isn't interested in Harry and Dorothea. He

steps onto solid ground, and walks towards Swann, his tone

suddenly conversational.

NIX:

I've had a lot of time to think

about you. Where I went wrong...

With Nix's back turned, Harry pulls Dorothea back out of the

chasm.

SWANN:

And?

NIX:

I should have been honest with you,

right from the start. I wasn't

born to show people the error of

their ways. I was born to murder

the world.

ON HARRY, as he leads Dorothea to the door. Harry glances

back into the room.

NIX:

You could still help me do that.

SWANN:

Why would I want to?

NIX:

Because you've got nothing else to

live for.

SWANN:

Not true.

NIX:

The woman has a new love in her

life. Your friends are dead.

Nobody's left to save you, but me

He lays his hands on Swann. Draws him into an embrace.

ON HARRY and Dorothea.

HARRY:

(to Dorothea)

I've got to help him.

DOROTHEA:

You can't.

HARRY:

Nix has got to have a weak spot.

Everybody's got a f***ing weak

spot.

A NOISE. He turns, and suddenly --

Butterfield is there! His face is horribly burned, but he's

still very much alive.

BUTTERFIELD:

Bastard!

He launches himself at Harry, driving them both back into the

BROKEN GLASS. A FIGHT ensues, carrying them out into the

Passageway.

Nix has Swann in a bear-hug.

NIX:

Will you help me?

A beat. Then Swann nods.

SWANN:

Yes.

Nix lets him go.

NIX:

You know I'll kill you when we're

done. I have to.

SWANN:

Yes.

NIX:

But until then... it's you and

me... the way it always was.

SWANN:

Yes.

Dorothea, at the doorway, watches this bizarre exchange.

Swann's eyes flicker towards her. Nix turns.

NIX:

Wait... you still feel something

for that b*tch?

SWANN:

No!

NIX:

Liar!

Nix makes a gesture, and Swann is flung against the wall,

pinned there like a fly, legs off the ground.

NIX:

Will! You! Never! Learn!?

With each word, Nix almost casually throws a gesture in

Swann's direction, and though there is six feet between them,

they have the force of terrible blows. One to the ribs.

They CRACK. One to the face. It BLEEDS. One to the legs,

one to the arms. They all BREAK. Then Nix turns towards

Dorothea.

NIX:

She's just flesh, Swannnie-boy.

I'll show you!

He moves towards Dorothea. Swann falls to the ground,

broken.

SWANN:

Harry!

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY - NIGHT

The fight between Butterfield and Harry continues.

SWANN (V.O.)

Harry! Stop him!

Harry looks up. Sees Dorothea retreating from the door, and

running off into the darkness.

Butterfield comes at Harry again. Harry's got no more time

for this creep. He delivers Butterfield a backhand swipe,

and Butterfield lands face down in the glass. We don't see

the impact. HEARING it's enough.

Harry looks down at the body. Then --

NIX (V.O.)

Where is she?

Harry turns.

Nix is on him like a luoaernaut. treading on Butterfield's

body as he comes at Harry!

NIX:

Where did she go?

Nix GRABS hold of Harry's head with one hand and PRESSES the

fingers of -the other hand against Harry's TEMPLES. He

struggles to get free, but Nix is simply too powerful.

Nix's fingers slowly SLIDE BENEATH the skin of Harry's

temples. As before, there's no blood.

NIX:

You've got Swann's disease. You

think a little courage, a little

love, and it'll all be all right.

Wrong!

His fingers slide all the way in!

HARRY:

Oh God!

Harry wrests himself free of Nix, and stumbles away. His eyes

are BLOOD-RED. Nix is a few yards behind him.

NIX:

Tell me where she is... and I'll

make it go away...

Harry is reeling around in the grip of a nightmare.

HARRY'S P.O.V.

The apocalyptic images on the walls seem to move! A face

SCREAMS! FIRE blossoms!

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