Manhunter Page #18

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

Are you cold? Would you like a

blanket?

81.

LOUNDS:

Was I in an accident?

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

No, Mr. Lounds. You'll be just fine.

LOUNDS:

My back hurts, my skin. Did I get

burned? I hope to God I'm not burned.

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

Burned? Burned. No. You just

rest there. I'll be right back.

LOUNDS:

Let me lie down. Listen, I want

to call my office. My God, I'm in

a Stryker frame. My back's broken.

Tell me the truth.

Footsteps are going away.

LOUNDS:

What am I doing here?

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

Atoning, Mr. Lounds.

Lounds reacts.

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

Do you know who I am, Mr. Lounds?

LOUNDS:

I don't want to know.

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

According to you I'm a sexual

failure. An animal, you said.

(beat)

You know now, don't you?

LOUNDS:

Yes .

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

Do you feel privileged?

LOUNDS:

I'm very scared.

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

Do you pray to God, Mr. Lounds?

LOUNDS:

Yes .

82.

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

Do you believe God is in attendance

here, Mr. Lounds?

LOUNDS:

I don't know...

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

In a little while I'll help you

understand.

A kettle WHISTLES.

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

I'll be right back.

(singsong)

Don't... go away...

As if he had any choice. Lounds' face moves; He strains.

His arms are glued to the chair. Dollarhyde's hand comes

back with a cup of tea and a straw. Lounds sips.

LOUNDS:

I'd do a big story. Anything you

want to say. Describe you any way

you want or no description!

The hand rips off the sanitary napkins covering Lounds' eyes.

Lounds jams his eyes shut. The lights brighten. A single

finger taps the top of his head.

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

Open your eyes, Mr. Lounds.

LOUNDS:

No. I don't want to see you.

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

Mr. Lounds, you're a reporter.

You're here to titillate your

readers. If you don't open your

eyes, I'll staple your eyelids to

your forehead.

A finger taps Lounds on his chest. A touch on his eyelids.

Lounds slowly opens his eyes. His face goes white.

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

(singsong)

Well:
here...I...am...

LOUNDS' POV:
THE RED DRAGON

Dollarhyde opens and drops the black silk kimono.

83.

His muscular frame bears the full body tattoo of William

Blake's Red Dragon -- the head on Dollarhyde's chest, the

tail snaking down and wrapping around one of Dollarhyde's

legs. His back is to us in a weight-lifter's pose. A

rolled-up stocking covers Dollarhyde's head to just below

his nose. Dollarhyde's teeth are jagged and brown-stained.

And he smiles at Lounds in front of the white screen.

LOUNDS (O.S.)

Oh my dear God Jesus.

LOUNDS:

turns away. The shape of Dollarhyde passes behind his head.

The kimono is on again.

PAST LOUNDS' HEAD: SCREEN

A slide appears. It is Blake's painting.

DOLLARHYDE:

Look at the screen. That is William

Blake's 'The Great Red Dragon and

The Woman Clothed with the Sun.

Do you see?

LOUNDS:

Yes ...

Next picture:
Mrs. Jacobi, eyes wide.

DOLLARHME:

Do you see?

LOUNDS:

Yes .

CLICK. Next slide. Mrs. Leeds alive, locked into a silent

scream in her bedroom.

DOLLARHYDE:

Do you see?

LOUNDS:

Yes.

CLICK.

LOUNDS:

staring in horror. We will not see the rest of the slider.

DOLLARHYDE:

Mrs. Leeds harlequined with blood,

her husband beside her. Do you see?

84.

LOUNDS:

Yes .

DOLLARHYDE:

Mrs. Jacobi after her changing.

(as Lounds nods)

The Dragon rampant. Do you see?

LOUNDS:

Yes .

DOLLARHYDE:

Freddie Lounds. Your photograph.

Do you see?

LOUNDS:

Oh, God.

DOLLARHYDE:

Do you see?

LOUNDS:

Please, no.

DOLLARHYDE:

'No' what?

LOUNDS:

Not me.

DOLLARHYDE:

Are you a man?

LOUNDS:

Yes.

DOLLARHYDE:

Do you imply that I'm a queer?

LOUNDS:

God, no.

DOLLARHYI)E

Are you queer, Mr. Lounds?

LOUNDS:

No.

REAR OF DOLLARHYDE'S HEAD

Beyond him is the screen and the image of Freddie Lounds with

Graham's arm over his shoulder.

85.

DOLLARHYDE:

Before me you are a slug in the sun.

You are privy to a great becoming

and you recognize nothing. You are

an ant in the afterbirth.

(beat)

It is your nature to do only one

thing correctly:
tremble. Bur fear

is not what you owe me. Lounds:

you and the others, YOU OWE ME AWE!

(long pause)

We have one more piece of work to do.

Dollarhyde leaves. Lounds closes his eyes.

LOUNDS:

(to himself)

Didn't take off the mask. Please,

God, let him not take off the mask.

If he comes back with it off, I'm dead...

DOLLARHME'S HAND

carries a tape recorder. We PAN it across the room to Lounds'

face .

DOLLARHYDE (O.S.)

Open your eyes, Mr. Lounds.

Lounds obeys.

CLOSE:
DOLLARHYDE

The stocking mask and teeth -- stained and jagged -- are in

place.

DOLLARHYDE:

Now you will read this into the

tape recorder.

ON LOUNDS:

LOUNDS:

'I have had a great privilege. I have

seen with wonder the strength of the

Red Dragon. All I wrote about him

before was lies from Will Graham. He

made me write them. Now I understand.

(beat)

'Will Graham:
you will learn from my

own lips how much you have to dread.

Because I was forced to lie, he will

be more merciful to me than to you.

(beat)

'I will be a testament to the truth, now.

About his work. About his becoming.'

86.

DOLLARHYDE'S HAND

turns off the tape recorder.

DOLLARHYDE:

You did very well. I apologize for

the crude images. Next time I'll

have film stock that doesn't need

lights .

LOUNDS:

You'll let me go now?

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