The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midas Box Page #4

- A drink perhaps.

- Oh, I'm quite exhausted.

Good night, gentlemen.

Good night, sir.

I would greatly appreciate if you could

return tomorrow to set up before the show.

- Of course.

- What is it, Mariah?

I see a search in those eyes.

Did you lose something?

Someone dear to you?

You could say that.

Then I suggest you stop at

nothing until you find him.

Can I talk to you?

- I have work to do.

- Please.

I have no one else.

My mother gave me this before

my parents went missing.

My brother was wearing its twin.

Yesterday I saw Luger

wearing it around his neck.

Felix is here. I know it.

Please.

You have to help me.

How?

SACHA:
The lift was installed at

the same time as the steam engine.

Luger gets in and he never gets out.

He simply just disappears.

- MARIAH:
Stay here.

- Where are you going?

I have a theory.

(ELEVATOR DINGS)

(ELEVATOR DINGS)

Hmm.

(GRUNTING)

(LAUGHING)

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Hello, girlie.

Come to admire me flex my muscles?

Not exactly.

Um, I was wanting to

borrow your uniform.

My uniform?

(GRUNTS)

- (SIGHS)

- Don't look so shocked. He's a pig.

(LAUGHS) It's not that.

It's just I've never knocked

anyone unconscious before.

(ELEVATOR DINGS)

Any idea what you're doing?

No. Only what I've seen.

There's no secret floor.

(SIGHS) There has to be.

Look for some kind of trigger.

I can't see anything.

(KEYS JANGLING)

(GEARS TURNING)

SACHA:
I'd say we found Mr.

Luger's office.

MARIAH:
This is Egyptian.

I've seen this before.

Looks like solid gold.

Charlemagne's armor.

Look at this.

(LAUGHS) I can see

your footprints.

I think I found what

killed Charles Pinworth.

Kills the body, mind and soul.

You might want to see this.

MARIAH:
Wherever the healing

stream flows is the box

and Luger is digging for

it around the hotel.

Listen to this.

"Faithfulness will be your shield"

"as a thousand may fall and hide"

"but no evil shall ever come near

you with gold at your side."

That's the last thing my

mother said to Felix and I.

"I now realize as I dig deeper

into the secrets of the box"

"her purpose has been mistaken."

LUGER:
This is the true

tale of King Midas.

From the time of the Sumerians

legend tells of a man that walked with

the power of the Gods at his side.

For he could heal the sick and dying.

When some tried to steal his

power he turned it against them.

Discovering the power made so strong

that no one would dare challenge him.

And so his gift became a curse.

(PEOPLE SCREAMING)

So drunk did he become

with his own power

that he destroyed all

who stood in his path,

making himself king.

His name was Midas.

It is my belief that this

box does not only heal

but does something far more powerful.

It extinguishes life.

No wonder everyone's

looking for the box.

The box is a weapon.

- (DOOR OPENING)

- (GASPS)

Someone's coming. What do we do?

We hide.

Over there.

A coffin?

Dead outside the coffin, alive inside.

You choose.

It's a passage.

What are you waiting for?

Play your future.

(GASPING)

You are to use this bill of exchange

for the purchase of

the new equipment.

Someone has been in here.

Find them quickly.

(MURMURING STOPS)

Coming through.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER

FROM SECRET PASSAGE)

GRENDEL:
Now where did they go?

- Argh!

- (ALL GASPING)

(COUGHING)

- GRIMM:
You blooming...

- Imbecile!

- I'm so sorry, sir.

- Get off.

(LAUGHING)

CHEF:
Any sign of Gormenberg?

Oh, he's here. He'll show himself

when Luger finds the box.

And then we steal it back.

For all of us.

From what I know Gormenberg

believes he's close to securing it.

And the Mundis?

The Mundis are dead.

CHEF:
Then we must hurry.

Position our men.

Tell them to be ready at my call.

What are you doing skulking about?

- (DOOR OPENING)

- There have been complaints

that you take too long to take the

guests' bags up to their rooms

and that you disappear for

long stretches of time.

Really, miss?

Don't, "Really, miss" me.

Empty your pockets.

- But I don't...

- Empty them.

I knew it.

You will suffer greatly for this.

- You don't scare me.

- Well, I should.

Where is my brother Felix?

(GASPS)

You're Mariah Mundi.

All the time we've

been looking for you

and you simply came to us.

Bringing us what we need.

The boss will be very delighted,

and perhaps you can finally join

your dearly departed parents.

Shame, they were such lovely people.

(CLANGING)

Mariah, where have you been?

Did we not have an appointment?

What do you want from me?

Who are you, really?

(IN NORMAL VOICE) Have you

forgotten your partner?

(GRUNTING)

- Will.

- Sorry I was late.

The real Bizmillah was a

little difficult to, uh...

Detain. Quite a disguise, eh?

- Why didn't you tell me?

- Sorry, old boy.

Had to stay incognito, couldn't

jeopardize the mission here.

Help me. We'll hide

her in the closet.

- But you've been here...

- I've been watching out for you all along.

What happened to my parents?

We suspect...

Your father's engraved wallet was

found on the banks of the Thames

with your mother's handbag.

Their bodies were never found.

No.

I don't care what you

say, it's not true.

You have to stay focused, Mariah.

You have to be brave.

Luger is close to finding the box.

And what about my brother?

You find the box...

You find your brother.

MARIAH:
I know what it is.

It's a weapon.

I see you've been

doing your homework.

A very powerful and

very lethal weapon.

- You knew this all along?

- Suspected.

And why didn't you tell me?

If you would've known it

could have jeopardized...

The mission. Yes, I heard

you the first time.

I thought we were

supposed to be partners.

Then why didn't you show me this?

I gave this to your mother.

- Where's the other half?

- On Felix.

Not anymore. It's

around Luger's neck.

- (SCOFFS)

- What is it?

It's a key. A switch that

turns on the weapon.

If he finds the box,

the key is all that

stands in his way.

I'll steal back the other

half tonight at my show.

For safety, it's best we always

keep the amulet divided.

I'll make sure Luger's busy

while you find your brother.

But I've been searching

everywhere for Felix

and this hotel is a maze.

Then you're going to

have to use these.

MARIAH:
These aren't

just ordinary cards.

They hold the soul

of a fortune teller.

A gypsy woman before she died

took all the power she could muster

and transferred her

essence into the cards.

We can ask them only one question.

Once we do this,

there's no going back.

I think we crossed that

bridge a long time ago.

Show me, Panjandrum.

Where's my brother?

CHARITY:
In 1789,

Dr. Joseph Guillotin,

hired Tobias Schmidt

to create the first

prototype of a machine

to swiftly cleave the

treacherous heads

from the forsaken flesh

and bones of criminals.

It remains to find a volunteer

brave enough to aid me in

my next, and I might add,

potentially lethal demonstration.

Mr. Luger, perhaps.

Would you do me the honor?

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