Maid of Salem Page #6

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the shadow of a tree.

No, it wasn"t a tree.

Now, may I go out

and play tomorrow?

No.

Very well, then.

I"ll tell Mother

and Elder Goode

you were with a man.

Timothy. Timothy.

I tell you I was

with no man.

Mother!

You mustn"t do that.

Why are you

so frightened?

Look, Timmy.

I was with someone,

but if it were known

it would make trouble.

You wouldn"t want to

make trouble for me,

would you?

No.

Well, then,

will you promise me

you won"t tell anyone?

Can I go out

and play tomorrow?

If you promise.

I"d best go in alone.

Bide here, lad.

A tankard of ale,

if you please.

Aye, aye, sir.

The harbor seems

well filled.

Aye, shipping be good.

Sea trade brisk.

Boston port be growing.

What craft are in?

Well, let"s see,

there"s the Pirateer,

the Charles Hope,

the Seraphim...

The Seraphim?

From Virginia?

Aye.

I know her well.

Who"s her skipper?

Captain Edwards.

He was here

but a moment ago.

Edwards?

I must give him a hail.

Where"s the Seraphim

lying?

At the foot of Fort Street.

Sailing at flood tide.

Thank ye.

FlRST MATE:
Ho, there.

What do you want?

Is the captain aboard?

CAPTAlN:
Aye.

But all hands signed,

if that"s what you"re asking.

Well, not exactly,

Captain Edwards.

This is somewhat of

a personal nature.

Why, Mr. Coverman,

I didn"t recognize

you in this...

Oh.

Come below,

come below.

Come in.

Sat thee down,

sat thee down.

Thank ye.

I see you have

a new mate.

Aye, a lusty lad.

I never thought to

see you again, sir.

I"ve been with

my uncle here.

Jeremiah Adams,

Captain Edwards.

And I wanted to

thank you, Captain,

for what you did

for Roger.

I might not have

shipped the lad

so safely

had I known

the price on his head.

That was your loss,

Captain.

Little did you think

I was worth the price

of a new ship to you.

That I didn"t,

that I didn"t.

But l"m satisfied to

find you a free man.

Aye, but would I be

in Virginia?

No, lad.

Although there"s rumor

of a new governor

coming from England.

A new governor?

Aye.

But they"re still hanging

every rebel they catch.

I feared as much.

That"s why we

sought you out.

Captain, "tis urgent

that I get away from here

to some foreign port.

Foreign port, eh?

As to that, the French

are none too friendly.

But there"s Florida.

That"s under Spanish rule.

Are there

Spanish ships in port?

There must be.

I heard a parrot

swearing in Spanish

at the tavern.

It"ll take

no time to find out.

Then let"s lose none.

Aye, but you"re

forgetting the rum.

I give you

Their Majesties.

Their Majesties.

Their Majesties.

Watch your head

when you come up.

Watch your head.

There.

Steady there.

What"s afoot?

Sir, that man"s a rebel.

He"s wanted for

treason in Virginia,

and we demand

his arrest.

You demand.

Yeah.

Aboard my ship?

Yeah.

Go forward.

Seize him, men.

Well, as for you, sir.

FlRST MATE:
Steady, lads,

take him alive.

Save yourself, Uncle!

Get back to Barbara!

FlRST MATE:
Seize him.

You devils.

"Tis likely we"ve

saved you trouble, sir.

Go mighty hard with ye,

harboring a rebel

against the Crown.

Bring him forward.

1,000 worth of cargo.

And the reward will be

divided among us all.

SAlLOR:
Well,

this one"s done for.

Come on.

Over the side with him.

We"ll be at sea

when he wakes up.

(MOB SHOUTlNG)

(lNDlSTlNCT)

Let it be understood

that this is but a hearing,

not a trial.

I call Ezra Cheeves.

Now tell us, how did

the prisoner harm you?

In many ways, sir.

I mind well the evening,

two weeks ago,

she came down

through her meadow

and stood at the fence,

looking at my cattle.

In the morning,

my cows had gone dry.

(PEOPLE MURMURlNG)

Then you believe

she bewitched them?

Aye, sir.

And myself, too.

For that night,

I did have grievous

pains in my left side,

so grievous,

I could not sleep.

What have you

to say to all this?

I have not harmed him

nor his cattle.

I have not left my house

for the past fortnight.

I have been ill.

Then it was her

apparition I saw.

I saw your witch"s face.

You cast a spell on me.

It"s true.

She cast a spell on me.

She told me at

the house-raising

that I would

never be happy,

that evil would

come to me.

And it did.

My children were stricken.

I was made ill.

How could she

foretell what would

happen to me if

she isn"t a witch?

(SOBBlNG)

(GAVEL POUNDlNG)

But...

But what I said was counsel,

meant only for her good.

MORSE:
Enough.

Was it like this

when my mother was...

(SHUSHlNG) Child.

On the evidence presented

against Goodwife Nurse,

we order her removed

to Their Majesties"

jail at Salem,

there to await trial

for witchcraft.

No. No.

How can you do

such a thing to

this saintly woman?

I"ve known her

from my childhood.

She has done naught

but good all her life.

MORSE:
Silence.

You all know

I speak the truth.

There"s not one of you

but has had some token

of her kindness.

What right have you

to speak?

This wench has

no place here.

I have as much as you,

Mr. Cheeves.

I beg you, sirs,

do not send Rebecca

Nurse to her death

on the testimony

of a man who tried

to steal her land

and did not succeed.

He says his cows went dry.

Who knows but it

was time for them

to go dry?

He says he has pains

in his side.

Is it so strange

for an old man

who loves his cider

to have pains?

And you call

this witchcraft.

MORSE:
You defy this court?

But this is a matter

of life and death.

You hear only the accusers.

Why not examine them?

Find out if

they"re lying,

or if their minds

are deranged.

Only a witch

defends a witch,

and I know her for one.

Ask Timothy Clarke

what he told my daughter.

Ask him.

(ANN SOBBlNG)

MORSE:
Bring the lad forward.

What did you tell?

I didn"t tell anything.

He did.

Speak up, lad.

I only told Ann that

one night I looked

from my window

and saw Barbara go out

to the bridge and meet...

Timothy. You promised.

MORSE:
Go on.

And meet someone

in the shadows,

tall and black.

He... He put his arms

around her.

MORSE:
You mean it was a man?

It looked like a man,

but when I asked Barbara,

she said it wasn"t.

She said she was

with someone,

but she was with no man.

MORSE:
She said

she was with no man?

TlMOTHY:
Yes. And...

And she made me promise

not to tell what I saw.

Witch.

Witch.

Oh, no. I can explain.

I was with...

(WOMAN SCREAMlNG)

MORSE:
Satan.

Guard.

Guard.

Well, sir?

Where are my friends?

Why haven"t they

come to see me?

Governor"s orders, sir.

Prisoners condemned

for treason

can see no one.

But can"t I see

my friend Mr. Denham?

I have a message

I must send north

to the Massachusetts

Bay Colony.

I"m sorry, sir.

There"s nothing

I can do.

(PEOPLE SHOUTlNG)

(DOGS BARKlNG)

Hold.

What"s beyond?

Black swamp

for miles.

There"s no use

going on.

The dogs could

not trail, sir.

Could Mr. Coverman

get through,

do you think?

SOLDlER:
No man could

live in there.

Ironical, isn"t it,

Denham,

that this should

happen on the day

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