Sherlock Holmes Page #22

Stunned, the men consult silently, come to some sort of

conclusion. They turn back to Holmes. Sir Thomas seems

especially shaken.

SIR THOMAS:

Very few people are privy to that

information, and we want to keep

it that way.

Sir Thomas opens a bureau, digs for something.

SIR THOMAS:

He was conceived during one of our

rituals. His mother wasn't my

wife, but she shared our beliefs.

She was a powerful practitioner.

Though not enough to survive

giving birth to him.

Holmes is appalled and shows it.

SIR THOMAS:

We were young. It was before we

fully understood the powers we

were dealing with.

HOLMES:

Evidently.

SIR THOMAS:

Death followed him wherever he

went, from his birth to arms he

made and sold. What family he had

tended to... not survive. No one

could prove anything of course,

but we all knew --

Sir Thomas hands Holmes a TINTYPE. A photograph from the

1860s. It's chilling: a death scene, a BODY covered by

a sheet. A man who's just fallen out a window. A TEN-

YEAR-OLD BOY -- young Lord Blackwood -- looks on.

SIR THOMAS:

The boy was a curse. I didn't

have the courage either to take

him in or to --

(CONTINUED)

59.

72 CONTINUED:
(4) 72

STANDISH:

All this is history. The present

and future are worse.

SIR THOMAS:

We've done our best to stop him

ourselves, but it's not enough.

LORD COWARD:

His power grows daily and

exponentially. His resurrection

is evidence of that. What he does

next will be far more dangerous --

SIR THOMAS:

-- he's going to raise a force

that will alter the very course of

our world. We need you to find

him and stop him before he does.

LORD COWARD:

We'll give you any assistance we

can. As Home Secretary, I have

considerable influence over the

police.

(beat)

Name your price.

Holmes looks at Coward with scathing disdain.

HOLMES:

One of the great benefits of my

work is that I can pick and choose

my clients. I'll get him, but not

for you.

Holmes stalks out -- stops at the door, turns, fixes Sir

Thomas with a very bleak gaze.

HOLMES:

I have one last question, Sir

Thomas.

SIR THOMAS:

What is it?

Holmes holds up the tintype.

HOLMES:

If the rest of his family's dead,

why are you still alive?

Holmes tosses the tintype onto a table, leaves.

73 73

OMITTED:

60.

74 EXT. THE GRAND HOTEL 74

Holmes comes out of a carriage, and scoots up the steps

of the massive hotel that's bustling with people.

75 INT. IRENE'S HOTEL ROOM - DAY 75

Irene enters wearing a stunning evening dress. She

pauses glancing briefly around the room before sitting at

a mirrored dressing table. There's a decanter on the

table next to her from which she pours herself a glass of

wine.

Then she begins removing an impressive assortment of

WEAPONS hidden on her person: she pulls a stiletto from

her garter, a Derringer from her waistband (which she

puts down next to the wine glass). She pulls long thin

needles from her hair, lets her hair down. As she

continues...

PULL BACK TO REVEAL Holmes watching her from a shadowy

corner. He looks on silently until:

IRENE:

If you're going to watch me take

my clothes off, Sherlock, the

least you can do is help me with

the buttons.

OR ALT:

IRENE:

To watch a lady undress without

her permission is a criminal

offense, Sherlock, and could get

you into a lot of trouble...

They both eye the Derringer on the table.

IRENE:

So why don't you come over here

and help me instead.

Holmes approaches her somewhat tentatively and reaches

for the top button on the back of her dress.

IRENE:

That's better.

HOLMES:

You can stop looking for Reardon.

IRENE:

I knew I could count on you.

(CONTINUED)

61.

75 CONTINUED:
75

HOLMES:

He was buried in Blackwood's tomb.

Irene is momentarily taken aback then recovers.

IRENE:

Wonderful. Case closed then.

Your services are no longer

required.

Unbuttoning done, Holmes steps out to confront Irene.

HOLMES:

I can't help wondering if your

employer will be as content with

these results? You were

uncharacteristically ill at ease

in his presence. Your hand was

trembling, your gaze was averted.

I couldn't see his face, but I

spotted chalk on his lapel. A

professor perhaps?

Irene gets up, walks behind a DRESSING SCREEN.

IRENE:

(behind screen)

The eye patch was a nice touch.

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