The Body Snatcher Page #6

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MACFARLANE (cont'd)

What are you doing, sneaking about

here like a Redskin? Make a little

noise, man. Let people know you're

about --

JOSEPH:

(meekly)

Yes, Doctor -- yes.

MACFARLANE:

-- otherwise I might get the idea

you are trying to spy on me.

He takes Fettes' arm again and leads him off toward the other

end of the anatomy room. The two medicals go out of earshot,

with Joseph in the f.g.

INT. THE ALCOVE -- LATE AFTERNOON

This is the small out-cropping of the main room set a few

feet lower in level. At one end is a heavy curtain of green

baize.

MED. FULL SHOT. MacFarlane and Fettes descend the steps

leading to the alcove. MacFarlane, with his hand on the

elbow of the younger man, guides him to the curtain.

MACFARLANE:

You know how we get the specimens

we use for dissection?

FETTES:

From the Municipal Council --

they're the bodies of paupers --

The CAMERA BEGINS TO DOLLY SLOWLY TOWARD them.

MACFARLANE:

That's what the law stipulates but

there are not enough of them,

Fettes -- there are not enough of

them --

MacFarlane pulls aside the curtain. He and Fettes pass

through and the curtain falls into place behind them. The

CAMERA CONTINUES TO TRUCK SLOWLY TOWARD the curtain.

SLOW DISSOLVE:

EXT. GREYFRIAR'S KIRKYARD -- NIGHT

CLOSE SHOT. The little dog, Robbie, is lying on his master's

grave. He lies with his muzzle on his forepaws but his eyes

are open and alert. Out of the scene comes the plodding beat

of a horse's hoofs and the rumbling of iron-shod wheels. The

dog lifts his head.

The horse comes to a stop. There is the creak of springs as

someone alights. The dog's hackles rise. He growls.

ANOTHER ANGLE. The great black shadow of a man in a caped

overcoat and top hat with a spade over his shoulder is thrown

onto the wall of Greyfriar's Kirk by the street lamp. The

huge shadow looms high over the tiny dog. Robbie rises

valiantly to his feet, snarling. As he does so, the actual

figure of the man, as black and indistinct as his own shadow,

comes past the camera, blacking out the little dog. There is

a deeper growl from Robbie. The man swings his spade down.

As the spade drives home there is a little weak sound from

the dog.

ANOTHER ANGLE. With his foot, Gray pushes the dead body of

the little dog to one side, strikes the spade into the ground

and starts to dig.

INT. FETTES' ROOM -- NIGHT

In a little attic room, Fettes is sleeping fitfully. The

room is flooded with moonlight which comes in through a

skylight window.

MED. CLOSE SHOT -- Fettes sleeping. Far away can be heard

the plodding hoofbeats and creaking wheels of Gray's cab.

There is a loud squeak as the cab takes the turn into the

alleyway. Fettes wakens. He listens. There is a sound of

the hoofbeats, the wheels and then silence when the horse

comes to a stop. He sits up. From downstairs comes a

stealthy knocking at the door. He gets up sleepily and

starts to put on his worn bathrobe, crosses to the window and

looks out.

EXT. ALLEYWAY -- NIGHT

HIGH ANGLE SHOT from Fettes' window. Gray, his cab and the

white horse present a weird and funereal spectacle. Gray is

fumbling with something inside the cab.

INT. FETTES' ROOM -- NIGHT

Fettes has turned from the window and starts toward the door.

He opens it and goes out.

EXT. ALLEYWAY -- NIGHT

Gray is pulling a long, canvas-colored object of considerable

weight from the cab. With a grunt he gets it up into his

arms and starts across the sidewalk toward the postern door.

INT. ANATOMY ROOM -- NIGHT

It is dark except for a small oil lamp left burning as a

nightlight. This casts its dim rays over a small portion of

the room near the entrance door. Fettes comes through the

door on the landing. He peers over the bannisters and then

somewhat slowly, as if not too easy at the prospect before

him, he begins to descend the stairs.

ANOTHER ANGLE. Fettes crosses the anatomy room looking

apprehensively into the darkness at either end. At the door

he pauses a moment, then passes through into the darkness of

the entry and is lost to view.

INT. ENTRYWAY -- NIGHT

It is so dark that Fettes can barely be seen. The clank of

the chain as he throws it off and the snap of the bolt are

loud and frightening in this small enclosed space. He pulls

the door open. Before him silhouetted against the dim

radiance of the cab lamps is Gray. In his arms is a long,

cloth-covered object.

CLOSE SHOT -- Fettes as he opens the door wider to give Gray

entrance. Without a word, Gray carries the body past him

into the anatomy room. Fettes closes the door and follows

him.

INT. ANATOMY ROOM -- NIGHT

Gray comes in and stands waiting for Fettes to come up to

him. Fettes comes out of the entry and takes a few steps

toward Gray.

GRAY:

Here -- give me a hand -- this is

heavy.

Fettes helps him. Gingerly he takes hold of the corpse and

together they lay it down on a long marble-topped table in

the center of the room, almost directly under the nightlight.

Gray heaves a sigh of relief to be relieved of the weight.

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