Notorious Page #13

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. THE ENTRY HALL - DAY

Sebastian slowly walks through the darkened ENTRY HALL and climbs thestaircase, not long after. He reaches the top and pauses, his face grim.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. MME. SEBASTIAN'S BEDROOM - DAY

Sebastian sits in his mother's BEDROOM, minutes later. Madame Sebastian is

asleep in bed.

SEBASTIAN:

Mother. Mother.

She awakens and looks at the clock on her night stand.

MME. SEBASTIAN

Why are you up so early?

SEBASTIAN:

I need your help.

MME. SEBASTIAN

Something is wrong?

SEBASTIAN:

A great deal. Alicia.

Madame Sebastian breaks into a smile.

MME. SEBASTIAN

I have expected it. I knew. I knew. What is

it? Mr. Devlin?

SEBASTIAN:

No. I am married to an American agent.

A deadly pause. Madame Sebastian lights a cigarette.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SEBASTIAN'S BEDROOM - DAY

Alicia, still asleep in her bed. Sebastian's bed is empty.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. MME. SEBASTIAN'S BEDROOM - DAY

Sebastian and his mother assess the situation, that same morning.

MME. SEBASTIAN

Yes, it is easy to see now. I knew but Ididn't see. They picked her because of herfather.

SEBASTIAN:

I must have been insane, mad. Behaved likean idiot, to believe in her with her clingingkisses.

MME. SEBASTIAN

Stop wallowing in your foul memories.

SEBASTIAN:

Then what do I do? There's nothing to do.

I'm done, finished. They'll find out.

MME. SEBASTIAN

They won't find out.

SEBASTIAN:

They'll find out what I'm married to. Lookwhat they did to Emil Hupka. Emil, who didnothing. And I've betrayed them, I've bungledand there's no excuse. I'd do the same myself-- kill the fool that betrayed them.

MME. SEBASTIAN

There's no need for them to find out.

SEBASTIAN:

Mathis is very sharp.

MME. SEBASTIAN

Yes. He dislikes you. But his criticism ofyour talents wouldn't go that far to imaginethat you are married to an American agent.

You are protected by the enormity of yourstupidity. For a time.

SEBASTIAN:

Alicia, I'll take care of her myself.

MME. SEBASTIAN

No, not that way.

SEBASTIAN:

I stood looking at her when she was asleep.

I could have--

MME. SEBASTIAN

Quiet. Alex. You're almost as impetuousas before your wedding. You barred me

from that episode. Let me arrange thisone. Listen to me. No one must know what

she is. There must be no suspicion of her,

of you, or me. She must be allowed to moveabout freely. But she will be on a leash.

She will learn nothing further to inform.

She must go, but it must happen slowly.

If she could become ill and remain ill

for a time, until...

Sebastian listens to his mother.

FADE OUT:

EXT. THE TERRACE - DAY

FADE IN on Alicia and Sebastian seated at a breakfast table on the TERRACE

that morning. Madame Sebastian sits nearby.

SEBASTIAN:

(to Alicia, with concern)

Drink your coffee, darling. It's getting

cold.

ALICIA:

Are you going out this afternoon, Alex?

SEBASTIAN:

No, my dear, I have some letters to write.

What are you going to do?

ALICIA:

Oh, I just have a little shopping.

Alicia's COFFEE CUP rests on a saucer.

ALICIA:

I'd like to go to the Imperiale.

Alicia picks up the COFFEE CUP.

ALICIA:

And maybe I'll go to [Cosmo's?] and see if

they have any new books in from New York.

Alicia drinks from the COFFEE CUP.

SEBASTIAN:

Oh, if you're going down there, would you go

into [Sir Crooz?] for me and see if my

cigars have arrived. Should be about a

thousand of them. If they have, ask them

to keep them in the humidor for me, will you?

Madame Sebastian works her needlepoint, without a word.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. PRESCOTT'S APARTMENT - DAY

Alicia sits in PRESCOTT'S APARTMENT, rubbing her brow, sometime later.

Prescott and Alicia sit on a sofa, next to a window, bright sunlightstreaming in.

PRESCOTT:

Anything wrong?

ALICIA:

No. No, the light bothers me. I have a bit

of a headache. Would you mind?

PRESCOTT:

Oh, yes, I think we can fix that.

He closes the blinds.

ALICIA:

Thank you.

PRESCOTT:

You know some people get too much sun downhere, you must be careful. I think you canbe very proud of yourself, Mrs., er, Sebastian.

That sand that Devlin brought in shows uraniumore. So, now we know what we're driving at.

And your job from now on will be to try to helpus find out where that sand comes from. The

location of the uranium deposit is of vastimportance and we're putting quite a fewpeople on it. But I think you'll be ofgreat help.

ALICIA:

All right.

PRESCOTT:

But that isn't the main reason why I askedyou to come up here this afternoon.

ALICIA:

No?

PRESCOTT:

No, I wanted to tell you that I'm going tochange your contact in about a week. Mister

Devlin's been transferred to Spain.

ALICIA:

To Spain? Does Mister Devlin know that?

PRESCOTT:

Oh, yes. He asked for the transfer.

ALICIA:

Why?

PRESCOTT:

Well, I guess he thought he was goingstale here.

ALICIA:

He wants to leave Rio?

PRESCOTT:

Yes, I guess he thought he'd find Spainmore interesting.

ALICIA:

Yes, I imagine it would be. There reallyisn't very much for a brainy fellow likeMister Devlin to do in Rio anymore.

PRESCOTT:

Well, of course, it is more or less routine

now.

ALICIA:

In the meantime, I am to report to Mister

Devlin as usual?

PRESCOTT:

Oh, yes. He'll be here until the new man

arrives.

They rise and cross to the door.

ALICIA:

Thank you, Captain Prescott. I'll keep my

ears wide open. Goodbye.

PRESCOTT:

Goodbye.

Prescott shows her out.

PRESCOTT:

Oh, and, uh, go easy on that sun, hey?

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. THE TERRACE - DAY

An empty COFFEE CUP sits on a table on the TERRACE. In the distance,

Sebastian and Alicia walk side by side across the lawn, near Doctor Anderson.

Alicia suddenly stops and puts her hand to her forehead.

SEBASTIAN:

Darling, what is it?

ALICIA:

I don't know.

SEBASTIAN:

Are you in pain?

ALICIA:

Yes, I-I'm so dizzy. I...

Doctor Anderson crosses to Sebastian and Alicia.

DR. ANDERSON

(to Sebastian)

Wh-what happened to her?

SEBASTIAN:

We were walking and she was stricken

suddenly.

Alicia takes Sebastian's arm for support.

ALICIA:

I'll be all right. Let's go inside.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. RIO - DAY

A busy area of Rio de Janeiro.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. THE BENCH - DAY

Alicia walks rather slowly to the BENCH where Devlin sits, reading anewspaper. She joins him.

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