Planet of the Apes Page #16

He dismounts as Zira and Lucius jump down from the wagon

and hurry toward him. Cornelius and his fiancee embrace and kiss

lightly, ape-fashion.

CORNELIUS:

How did it go?

ZIRA:

There was one bad moment -- some hunters

stopped us.

LUCIUS:

(calmly)

I pursuaded them our beasts had rabies.

311CLOSE TWO SHOT - TAYLOR AND NOVA - IN CAGED WAGON

The apes discussing the abduction are out of earshot. Exasperated to be

thus ignored and caged, Taylor kicks the tailgate, shouting:

TAYLOR:

Let me out of here!

312WIDER ANGLE - TO INCLUDE THE GROUP

Lucius hurries back to unlock the tailgate. Taylor gets out of the

wagon, stretching his stiffened joints. Nova follows suit. During the

ensuing exchange the girl seems strangely agitated, pacing to and fro,

her eyes scanning the grove and fields in search of someone or

something.

CORNELIUS:

(approaching)

Well, Taylor -- we're all fugitives now.

TAYLOR:

Do you have any weapons?

CORNELIUS:

The best. But we won't need them.

TAYLOR:

Just the same, I want one.

He moves toward one of the horses. Cornelius starts after him.

CORNELIUS:

Look here, Taylor. I'm in charge of this

expedition --

Taylor takes a rifle from one of the packs, examines it.

TAYLOR:

Fair enough. But you're no longer in

charge of me. And I don't mean to be

captured again.

Zira and Lucius have come up.

CORNELIUS:

(peeved)

As you wish.

TAYLOR:

Zaius seems to think there might be

another jungle beyond the Forbidden Zone.

That's what we'll try for. What about you?

ZIRA:

Cornelius and I have been indicted for

heresy. Unless we can prove our theories,

we don't stand a chance of acquittal.

TAYLOR:

You're going back to the Forbidden Zone?

CORNELIUS:

To the diggings I worked at a year ago.

It's a three day ride across the eastern

desert, near where you claim you landed

from that planet of yours.

TAYLOR:

You still don't believe me, do you?

CORNELIUS:

(shrugs)

It's a long detour to Dead Lake. What

would we find?

Taylor makes a helpless gesture, realizing that he cannot present sure

proof.

TAYLOR:

Nothing much. The remnants of a life raft.

Maybe a small flag. The emblem of my

countrymen.

CORNELIUS:

Sorry, Taylor. The terrain around that lake

is poisonous. There is no fresh water, no

vegetation. Nothing.

TAYLOR:

I know ... Nevertheless, I thank you

for saving us. You'll be in trouble for

going there.

ZIRA:

(a smile)

We've been in trouble since the moment we

met you.

Nova seizes Taylor's arm to get his attention. Trying to communicate,

she makes whimpering sounds and points at:

313-

314OMIT

315THE DISTANT JUNGLE - AS SEEN FROM THE GROVE

This is the same view of the jungle that Taylor saw when the gorilla

hunters emerged from the trees. (Page 25)

ZIRA'S VOICE

(o.s.)

What's she pointing at?

316BACK TO TAYLOR AND THE OTHERS

Taylor smiles at Nova, gives her a reassuring shrug.

TAYLOR:

That's the way home. And she knows it.

Nova turns away, still holding Taylor's arm, tries to lead him toward

the jungle.

TAYLOR:

(sharply)

Nova!

(she turns; he shakes

his head, says gently)

We can't stay there. It's not safe.

She looks at him sadly.

ZIRA:

We'd better get started. If the mounted

police pick up our trail, they'll come

this far at least.

CORNELIUS:

Right.

(to Lucius)

Let's put the water and provisions in

the wagon.

He and Lucius move off toward the horses.

ZIRA:

(indicating Nova)

Are you going to take her with you?

TAYLOR:

Yes.

ZIRA:

Actually, you're a different breed.

This creature will never evolve.

TAYLOR:

Maybe not.

ZIRA:

(smiling)

You want her that much?

TAYLOR:

(testily)

You threw us together, remember? And you

guessed right. Men, like apes, get

despondent without a mate.

He walks off to help Lucius and Cornelius. Nova tags along behind him

as we:

DISSOLVE TO:

A-316THE GROUP MOVES ACROSS A PLATEAU

DISSOLVE TO:

317EXT. DRY WASH AND TAMARISKS - FEATURING SCARECROWS - DAY

The caravan is crossing, in a reverse direction, the route taken by the

astronauts on page 17. The three apes are on horseback. Taylor and Nova

follow in the wagon. They are nearing the row of sinister scarecrows on

the bluff above the dry wash.

318MED. SHOT - THE THREE MOUNTED APES

They halt briefly and look up at the crosses. Lucius is impressed.

LUCIUS:

Who put them up?

ZIRA:

The Hunt Club.

LUCIUS:

To scare off humans?

CORNELIUS:

To scare us, too. We're entering

the Forbidden Zone.

They move off again, riding across the dry wash.

319TWO SHOT - TAYLOR AND NOVA - SEATED ON THE WAGON

They, too, have stopped and are looking up at the scarecrows. Nova is

plainly terrified. She grabs Taylor's arm, whimpers.

TAYLOR:

Don't worry. You'll be safe with me.

(sudden smile)

Here. It's time you learned to earn

your keep.

He hands the reins to Nova. She just sits there. He demonstrates.

TAYLOR:

You can do it. Like this ...

Nova flicks the reins, reacting in wide-eyed, open-mouthed disbelief as

the horse obeys her.

DISSOLVE TO:

320EXT. DESERT PLATEAU - LONG HIGH ANGLE SHOT - DAY FOR NIGHT

The party is traversing a red desert to the east of Dead Lake. Great

sandstone monoliths rise from the desert floor. From this vantage point

the horses look no bigger than ants.

DISSOLVE TO:

321EXT. RIM OF A DEEP GORGE - HELICOPTER SHOT - DAY

This is terrain never before seen in this picture. (Lake Powell

location, a few miles northeast of Wahweap). The party can be seen on

the rim of a flat desert tableland that falls away abruptly to a vast,

irregular river of deep blue water. Taylor, Cornelius and Lucius are

unloading the wagon and repacking their provisions and equipment on the

backs of horses. Zira watches them.

A-321CLOSER ANGLE - THE GROUP

Zira wanders off, falls to her knees.

LUCIUS:

Something's wrong with your mate.

Taylor looks off. He and the others move quickly to Nova, CAMERA

PANNING with them.

B-321CLOSE GROUP SHOT - AROUND NOVA

She has been retching. Taylor lifts her up. She is faint with nausea.

Zira squats down beside them.

ZIRA:

Let me handle this.

(ruefully, to Taylor)

You may be smarter than I am, but I'm

the veterinary on this planet.

Assisting Nova to her feet, Zira leads her off toward the wagon.

C-321MED. SHOT - CORNELIUS, TAYLOR AND LUCIUS.

Taylor watches the departing females, then looks down at the river.

TAYLOR:

Where does the river lead?

CORNELIUS:

It empties into a sea some miles from

here. That's where the cave is.

D-321LONG SHOT - THE RIVER - FROM THEIR P.O.V..

The river winds o.s. between the sheer sandstone Cliffs rising from

either bank.

TAYLOR'S VOICE

(o.s.)

And beyond that?

E-321THREE SHOT - TAYLOR, LUCIUS AND CORNELIUS

CORNELIUS:

Don't know. At high tide you can't ride

along the shore, and we had no boats on

the last expedition.

TAYLOR:

You've never told me why this region's

called the Forbidden Zone.

CORNELIUS:

No one really knows. It's an ancient

taboo. Set forth in the Sacred Scrolls.

The Lawgiver pronounced the area deadly.

LUCIUS:

Shouldn't we be moving on?

TAYLOR:

I'm for that.

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