Queen of the Damned Page #4

CUT TO:

CLOSE ON LESTAT:

smiling, revealing his fangs.

REVEAL we are...

40 INT. LIBRARY - TALAMASCA INNER COUNCIL CHAMBER - NIGHT 40

Lestat's face appears on a video screen in front of a roomlined from floor to ceiling with leather-bound books, ancientscrolls. Subjects are marked, Werewolves, Poltergeists,

Possession...

SUPERIMPOSE:

SECRET ORDER OF THE TALAMASCA: CENTER FOR

PARANORMAL STUDIES: LONDON HEADQUARTERS

Jesse, making a presentation, stands before an impressiveand imposing group of 10 TALAMASCANS, wearing demuresuits.

Jesse is excited, a bit nervous, hoping to impress. She

holds a remote which controls images appearing on thelarge video screen. Clips from Lestat's press conferencecontinue. Jesse gazes out at the Talamascans.

JESSE:

I have reason to believe Lestat's

the real thing. A vampire. And

an ancient one.

TALAMASCAN #1

I don't know, Jesse. It looks to

me like the guy's got a good P.R.

man with a flair for the

theatrical.

JESSE:

(leans forward,

eagerly)

It would appear that way. But

have you listened to his songs?

Read his lyrics?

The Talamascans glance at each other, surprised. Shake

their heads. A few laugh. They're not Lestat's usualaudience.

(CONTINUED)

17.

40 CONTINUED:
40

JESSE:

Well,i have. In one of his songshe refers to a pub called theSailor's Arms. I think it's a

clue...

She pushes a button, the lyrics appear on screen.

JESSE:

(reading screen)

'Where are you now? Back in the

sailor's arms, somewhere in the

back streets of Soho?' I tracked

down the old leases in London. It

turns out, in the late 1700's,

there was a pub right in thebackstreets of Soho called the

Sailor's Arms.

The lyrics on screen are replaced now by an old engravingof a pub with the sign reading "SAILOR'S ARMS."

JESSE:

And it had a reputation fordealing with black magic.

Witches' covens, seances, that

sort of thing.

Quick flashes of gruesome drawings appear -- animalsacrifices. A corpses floating above a table...

Jesse talks faster and faster with her enthusiasm.

JESSE:

And most importantly, reports ofpeople being lured there andsubsequently attacked bybloodsucking fiends.

Quick flashes of gruesome period newspaper drawings,

blood pouring from the neck of a screaming woman. A

white-faced ghoul with fangs.

Jesse is smiling wider, excited by her discovery.

On screen, an old map of London appears.

JESSE:

Here's where you could find theSailor's Arms in old London.

A modern map appears, overlaying the old map.

(CONTINUED)

18.

40 CONTINUED:
(2) 40

JESSE:

And here is where it would be

today. Of course the Sailor's

Arms is not there anymore. That

part of London is mostly oldwarehouses, meat-packing plants.

TALAMASCAN #2

In a few years it will be artists'lofts and pretentious Frenchcafes...

Jesse leans forward now as she talks.

JESSE:

Yes, but right now there's onlyone place to get a drink -- of

sorts. A private club -- inexactly the same place. The

Waverly Arms.

On screen, a photo of the Waverly Arms.

JESSE:

Well, what happens at the WaverlyArms now makes the Sailor's Arms

look like a Happy Meal atMcDonald's.

She pauses for emphasis, gazing at the faces of theTalamascans, gauging their reactions.

JESSE:

It's a vampire coven. And

Lestat's leading us to it.

Murmurs. Many of definite interest. Some of definite

skepticism. Jesse's face shines bright with herenthusiasm.

TALAMASCAN #1

(skeptical)

And what makes you think so?

Jesse smiles. Pushes a button. Ready to receive theTalamascans' approval.

On screen, a new picture appears of several figures,

white faces, dark clothes -- but they're very blurry.

TALAMASCAN #2

Jesse, can you, uh, focus that anybetter?

(CONTINUED)

19.

40 CONTINUED:
(3) 40

JESSE:

(excitement dampened

by embarrassment)

Well... it was taken... while...

(clears throat)

... in motion.

Talamascan #2 smiles at her sympathetically. Jesse gazesout at the other Talamascans, sees she's losing theirinterest.

JESSE:

(quickly, trying to

cover)

But listen, if you look closely,

you can see they're vampires. I'm

sure of it. And Lestat's leadingus to them and -

TALAMASCAN #3

(interrupting)

Interesting. Perhaps we shouldassign someone to observe -

TALAMASCAN #1

Oh please, based on this so-called'data'? That's a waste of time.

JESSE:

But... uh...

TALAMASCAN #2

(looking up for a

moment, interrupting)

Wait a second. Who took this

picture?

JESSE:

(a beat, softly)

I did.

Murmurs bubble through the entire group now. They stareat Jesse, dismayed.

TALAMASCAN #2

You went there?

JESSE:

Yes. Last night.

TALAMASCAN #1

And who gave you this directive?

(CONTINUED)

20.

40 CONTINUED:
(4) 40

JESSE:

No one. I... just... went.

(quickly)

Look, I know it was breakingprotocol and I'm really sorry,

it's just I think -

TALAMASCAN #1

Jesse! You're just an apprenticehere! You must follow our

rules... Or perhaps we need toreconsider your position.

She stares at him.

TALAMASCAN #3

For 12 centuries our mission as

Talamascans has been to observe

and record paranormal behavior.

But never get involved. You're

getting far too close.

JESSE:

(gesturing to photo,

defending herself)

Hey, does it look like I gotinvolved? That is not called

involvement. That is called

running.

TALAMASCAN #2

(leaning forward,

trying to help)

But, Jesse, tell us, what did yousee?

Jesse turns to her.

JESSE:

Vampires. Gathering. I'm sure of

it.

Jesse steps from the podium, moving through theTalamascans as she pleads her case. She talks a mile a

minute, her passion rising...

JESSE:

You have to listen to Lestat's

lyrics. They're amazing.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

21.

40 CONTINUED:
(5) 40

JESSE (CONT'D)

Many of the references could only

be derived from years of research

in the Bibliotech de Paris, which

seems unlikely for a young rock

star in his early twenties. Plus

there are historical details

dating back hundreds of years

Lestat describes that don't exist

anywhere... except in our library.

He refers to Marius, the great

white lord, who ruled over a group

of islands off the Bay of Naples

in the late 18th Century. What

I'm trying to say here, and maybe

I'm not doing the best job of it,

is that Lestat may be the oldest

and most powerful vampire ever

documented!

Jesse sees some of the Talamascans are again listening.

But Talamascan #1 shakes his head...

TALAMASCAN #1

It doesn't make any sense. Why

would he be forecasting this to

the world? He's all but drawn a

map and marked an X. What

vampires hold sacred is keeping

their kind a secret. You never

name other immortals, tell where

their lairs are. They'd be hunted

down.

JESSE:

Right. That's the best part.

Lestat's not afraid to piss them

off. He wants mortals and

immortals to know he's there, to

know he exists. I don't know

why...

(glancing at skeptical

Talamascan #1)

But this has never happened

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