The Body Snatcher Page #24

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CLOSE SHOT - the vat, SHOOTING DOWNWARD. Something is

floating just beneath the liquid which comes nearly to the

top of the vet. Light from the candle o.s, comes over the

scene, and the thing below the surface is revealed as the

dead face of Joseph.

TWO SHOT - MacFarlane, as he takes the candle from Fettes'

hand.

MACFARLANE (CONT'D)

(muttering)

-- a member of his household --

MacFarlane turns to Fettes.

MACFARLANE (CONT'D)

Fettes, the more things are wrong,

the more we must act as if

everything were right. You must do

with Joseph as you did with, the

street singer -- complete

dissection -- a proper entry in the

book --

FETTES:

No.

MACFARLANE:

What do you mean, Fettes?

FETTES:

I'll have no more to do with it.

I'll not put my neck into the

noose, not even for your sake, Dr.

MacFarlane.

MACFARLANE:

Don't be a fool. One can't begin

and then stop -- and because that

entry of the girl's body is in your

hand, you'll do as I say. As for

me, I'll tend to Gray.

MacFarlane turns and starts for the main portion of the

anatomy room. At the curtain he stops, Meg is standing

there, her eyes wide as she looks at the body of Joseph.

MEG:

You're not going to Gray.

MACFARLANE:

He must leave me alone.

He starts past her. She seizes hold of his arm, crying out.

MEG:

No! No!

With a swoop of his arm he frees himself. Meg almost falls.

She strikes against the wall, but recovers herself and starts

after MacFarlane, but it is already too late. He is in the

entryway, and a moment later there is the slam of the door.

Meg stands trembling. Fettes comes up to her and takes her

elbow to support her.

MEG (CONT'D)

Come, Mistress Cameron -- this is

no place for you. I'll help you

upstairs.

She lets him lead her to the stairway. CLOSE TWO SHOT -- on

the stairway as Meg and Fettes start to ascend. Fettes is

helping Meg. Suddenly she stops dead and stares into his

face.

MEG (CONT'D)

You must leave this house.

FETTES:

I can't do that -- you heard

MacFarlane.

MEG:

Save yourself. Master Fettes look

at MacFarlane and be warned.

FETTES:

He's a great doctor -- a great man --

MEG:

Is it a great man whom Gray can

order to his bidding? Is it a great

man who for very shame dare not

acknowledge his own wife so that I

must play maidservant for the

world's sake and his success?

She makes a contemptuous gesture and goes on.

MEG (CONT'D)

He could have been a great man -- a

good man and a fine doctor, but

there was always the shame of the

old life and the old ways to hold

him back -- and always Gray -- Gray

to hound him to his death.

FETTES:

You're over-excited, Mistress

Cameron.

MEG:

I'm cold as ice.

FETTES:

But Gray's only a cab driver -- a

Resurrection Man who robs graves to

make a bit of money now and again.

MEG:

If he were only that. The man's

evil himself. Some day you'll know

him as MacFarlane knows him -- for

MacFarlane he was to Knox as you

are to him. That brought him close

to Gray, he roistered with him and

drank with him. Aye, and Gray even

brought him to my door and my love.

There is all that between them and

more -- Burke and Hare and Knox --

FETTES:

But that's long since. Gray can't

threaten him with that.

MEG:

Gray has no need to threaten. You

remember the trial?

FETTES:

I heard my parents speak of it in

Thrums. It was a famous case.

MEG:

And did you hear them speak of the

porter who testified against Burke?

FETTES:

Aye.

MEG:

They did not tell you how that

porter cried out in the witness box

when the Kings Counselor pressed

him hard -- how he cried out that

he was shielding a gentleman of

consequence.

Fettes shakes his head.

MEG (CONT'D)

That porter was Gray and the

gentleman of consequence who

couldn't swallow the shame of

it -- who took my last paltry

savings to hire Gray --

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