Sherlock Holmes Page #2

Holmes drags the battered man into the shadows, lifts his

lantern and proceeds down the spiral staircase.

POV - BOTTOM OF THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE

Another bowler-hatted THUG approaches the bottom of the

staircase. He has seen the lantern light. He draws his

gun and approaches. Holmes places the lantern on the

post at the bottom of the bannister, ducks down into the

shadows.

THUG:

What's goin' on, John?

When he gets no answer, the THUG points his gun to where

we saw Holmes hide.

But Holmes appears from the shadows behind the THUG,

reaches around him, grabs his gun hand and pistol-whips

him twice with his own gun, dropping him.

Holmes extracts a cigar from the Thug's top pocket and

sniffs it appreciatively.

HOLMES:

Hhhmm, good cigar. Who do you

work for?

He jams the cigar in his own top pocket, picks up the

man's bowler and proceeds on, further down into the

crypts.

6 6

OMITTED:

7 INT. CATHEDRAL CRYPTS - BALCONY - NIGHT 7

TWO HARD MEN in bowler hats stand guard.

CUT TO:

(CONTINUED)

5.

7 CONTINUED:
7

ANOTHER ANGLE:

Holmes surveys the scene AT A DISTANCE, out of sight.

Eyes alive with intelligence, processing angles when --

A HEAVY HAND falls on his shoulder. PULL BACK to

reveal --

(The following exchange in whispers.)

HOLMES:

Watson. Perfect timing.

WATSON:

Nice hat.

HOLMES:

Just got it. Where's Lestrade?

WATSON:

Getting his troops in formation.

Is that your blood or theirs?

HOLMES:

I don't know. It's an old shirt.

WATSON:

You left this behind.

Watson hands him his pistol. Holmes looks at it with

distaste, doesn't take it.

HOLMES:

Knew I'd forgotten something.

Thought I'd left the stove on.

WATSON:

You did.

HOLMES:

Right. Shall we?

This is what they do. This is what they like.

CUT TO:

ANOTHER ANGLE:

The two HARD MEN on guard turn fast and gather together

as they hear footsteps approaching.

MAN #1

Des?

(CONTINUED)

5A.

7 CONTINUED:
(2) 7

He can see the hat, but not the man underneath.

WATSON:

Yeah, s'me.

(CONTINUED)

6.

7 CONTINUED:
(3) 7

Watson takes out the two men. He is more of a brawler,

using headbutts, knees, and elbows. Less artful, but no

less effective.

8 OMITTED 8

9 INT. CATHEDRAL CRYPTS - BALCONY - NIGHT 9

Thugs dispatched, Holmes and Watson look down and see a

chilling sight.

A WOMAN IN WHITE LIES INSIDE A CRUDELY-PAINTED PENTACLE

(five-sided figure), lit with candles at each corner.

Her eyes roll back in her head, trance-like. A sword has

been placed at her feet.

A HOODED FIGURE KNEELS INSIDE A DOUBLE CIRCLE next to the

pentacle. This is LORD BLACKWOOD. We do not yet see his

face.

ANOTHER HOODED FIGURE stands on the edge of the ceremony,

shrouded in shadow. We do not see his face.

Suddenly, the woman rises up like a broken puppet, as if

pulled to her feet by invisible hands.

Some kind of ritual is about to climax.

Holmes and Watson head down, fast, not caring if they

make a noise or not. Their footsteps echo.

9A 9A

INT. CATHEDRAL CRYPTS

The second hooded figure moves back and melts into the

shadows.

Still kneeling, still hooded, Blackwood chants softly,

Latin incantation repeating and repeating.

ON THE WOMAN as her lips start to move in time with the

incantation. This is spooky, real, powerful stuff.

Holmes and Watson leap from the stairs to Blackwood's

level.

Blackwood simply ignores them. The Latin incantation

never stops.

Holmes is closer to the girl, Watson closer to Blackwood.

WATSON:

The girl.

(CONTINUED)

7.

9A CONTINUED:
9A

The girl bends with alarming and mechanical suddenness,

picks up the sword and turns it on herself, ready to

plunge the point into her heart.

Holmes lunges, grabs the woman's arm, disarms her and

pulls her out of the pentacle. She collapses.

Simultaneously and eerily the candles extinguish and a

rush of air departs the tunnel.

Blackwood throws back his hood. We finally see his face.

His eyes are intense, he is tapped into something dark

and cruel.

Holmes and Watson are shocked at his identity.

WATSON:

Lord Blackwood?!

Blackwood applauds softly, strangely.

BLACKWOOD:

Well done, Holmes. And Watson as

well.

Watson raises his gun, trains it on Blackwood.

WATSON:

Stay right there.

Blackwood raises his hands in front of him, almost

mockingly.

BLACKWOOD:

Tell me, doctor, as a medical man,

how did you like my work?

(beat)

The fifth one was so scrawny, it

was over before I'd finished the

first incision.

That's more than Watson can take. He moves in to pistol-

whip Blackwood --

-- is stopped suddenly by Holmes' hand grabbing his

collar.

HOLMES:

No.

Watson struggles forward against Holmes' grip.

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