Raiders of the Lost Ark Page #24

Finally, we settle on a full shot of the island. We can

recognize that the small opening high on the slope from which

a cloud of smoke and dust is billowing is the end of the mine

tunnel. And there below it, quite small from this distance is

the dock. And the boat that looks like a Greek fishing boat.

There can be no mistake even from this far away -- the boat

is chugging out to sea.

158 INT. THE PENTAGON - DAY 158

Indy, Brody and Marion, looking very stylish, are seated in

Colonel Musgrove’s huge office. Sun pours in a window,

through which Washington can be seen sparkling across the

Potomac. Everything is neat and clean and regular. Including

the three men who are arrayed around the office. Two we know

-Col. Musgrove and Maj. Eaton. The third is an unnamed

Bureaucrat. He hangs back, smiling and genial, his features

obscured by the glare of the window. He doesn’t say anything,

yet you have a sense that the others defer to him in the

matter at hand. He is the essence of all that is Byzantine

and inscrutable in our scrubbed government machine.

.

Indy and Brody are dissatisfied with the way the meeting has

gone. Marion, on the other hand, is very happy and eager to

get out of there. Eaton’s manner is irritatingly cheery.

MUSGROVE:

You’ve done your country a great

service.

EATON:

--And we trust you found the

settlement satisfactory?

MARION:

Quite.

102.

EATON:

Good, good.

(glances around at the

others)

Then I guess that about does it.

BRODY:

When can we have the Ark?

Eaton’s glance flicks over to the mysterious Bureaucrat, then

back to Brody.

EATON:

I thought we answered that. It’s

someplace very safe-

INDY:

(heated)

That’s a powerful force. Research

should be done-

EATON:

Oh, it will be, Dr. Jones, I assure

you. We have top men working on it

right now.

INDY:

Who?

EATON:

Top men.

Indy exchanges a look with Brody.

INDY:

We may be able to help.

EATON:

We appreciate that. And we won’t

hesitate to call on you.

MUSGROVE:

(dismissing them)

Thank you all. Thank you again.

Indy looks them over coldly. He gets up, sullen.

159 EXT. PENTAGON STEPS - DAY 159

Indy, Brody and Marion emerge from the building. Brody bids

them farewell and moves off in another direction.

103.

Marion clings to Indy’s arm in an energetic, very feminine

way, scolding him.

MARION:

--Well they aren’t going to tell

you, so why don’t you just forget

it. I’d think you’d had enough of

that damn Ark. Just put your mind

on something else.

Indy stops, looking across the river, his mind occupied.

INDY:

Yeah, like what?

Marion makes a face, then puts her arms around his neck and

plants a humdinger of a a kiss on his mouth. It goes on a

while. Finally they break.

INDY:

It’s not the Ark...but it’ll have

to do.

They move down the steps, smiling.

160 INT. GOVERMENT WAREHOUSE 160

The Ark of the Covenant sits in a wooden crate. A wooden lid

comes down and hides it from view. The lid is solidly nailed

to the crate as we read the stenciled message on top-

TOP SECRET:

ARMY INTEL. #9906753

DO NOT OPEN!

The hammering is completed and hands shift the heavy crate

onto a dolly.

THE END CREDITS ROLL AS WE SEE-

A Little Old Government Warehouseman begins pushing the

crated Ark down an aisle. Soon we see that the aisle is

formed by huge stacks of crates. They come in many shapes and

sizes, but when it comes right down to it, they all look like

the one that holds the Ark. All have markings like the

message we’ve just seen. Pretty soon we’re far enough and

high enough away from the Little Old Government Warehouseman

to see that this is one of the biggest rooms in the world.

And it is full. Crates and crates. All looking alike. All

gathering dust.

104.

And then we notice that the Little Old Government

Warehouseman, pushing his new crate ahead of him, has turned

into another aisle and disappeared from view.

FADE OUT.

THE END:

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