The English Patient Page #10

ALM�SY

(compassionate)

I don't know, my friend. I don't know.

Bermann holds out another segment of the orange, and watches the slim

brown hand collect it. A MOMENTARY DISTRACTION IS ALL IT TAKES FOR HIM

TO MISJUDGE THE LINE AND SUDDENLY THE DUNE COLLAPSES UNDER THE TIRE AND

THE CAR LURCHES SIDEWAYS AND TOPPLES OVER THE EDGE. D'Ag - following,

Fouad beside him - brakes sharply, but can't stop his own car from

being caught in the avalanche of sand, and IT PLUNGES DOWN THE DUNE AND

INTO BERMANN'S UPTURNED CAR WITH AN OMINOUS CRUNCH, the radiator

exploding. Only Madox, Katharine beside him, and a little way behind,

manages to stay clear of the trouble. He jumps out of the vehicle and

slides down the dune to find pandemonium as the passengers stumble out

of the cars, sand flying, smoke pouring from the upright vehicle, the

wheels of the overturned car spinning wildly in the air, a puddle of

oil spreading ominously.

77*.EXT. THE DESERT. DAY.

LATER and the group have cleaned up as best as possible. D'Ag,

Bermann, and Fouad are a little worse for wear. Fouad's arm is in a

sling, and D'Ag is sporting a bloody head-bandage. Bermann has broken

a finger and is being attended to by Madox. The luggage, water and

petrol have been stacked up and the men are loading up the remaining

car. Alm�sy is working at the crumpled end of the vehicle. He's

having no success.

78*.EXT. THE DESERT. DAY.

Alm�sy, Kamal and two of the other young Bedouin stand around the mess

of the two broken vehicles. The ONE WORKING CAR is loaded with men and

provisions. Katharine sits inside, next to Madox, Alm�sy comes over to

her window, to speak past her to Madox.

MADOX:

I'll be back as quick as I can.

Thirty-six hours at the outside.

ALM�SY

Try to get a second radiator, we'll bury

it between here and the Pottery Hill.

And a better jack. We planned badly.

MADOX:

(nods at Alm�sy, then shouts over

to the wrecked vehicles)

Bermann!

This is Bermann's cue to take leave of Kamal who is staying behind.

Kamal makes a little bow.

KAMAL:

May God make safety your companion.

Bermann nods and hurries away, squeezing into the car which jolts off,

bouncing over the track.

THE VEHICLE GETS ABOUT TWENTY YARDS, ALMASY WATCHING, BEFORE IT SINKS

FORLORNLY INTO THE SOFT SAND. IT'S HOPELESSLY OVERLOADED WITH PEOPLE.

THEY ALL GET OUT.

KATHARINE:

I shall stay behind, of course

MADOX:

Certainly not.

KATHARINE:

I insist. There clearly isn't room for

us all, I'm the least able to dig, and

I'm not one of the walking wounded.

Those are facts. Besides, if I remain

it's the most effective method of

persuading my husband to abandon

whatever he's doing and rescue us.

It's hard to argue with this logic. Alm�sy shrugs.

LATER - THE MADOX CAR makes a more effective departure. And Almasy and

Katharine are left alone. THEY LOOK AT EACH OTHER as if realizing this

for the first time. Almasy immediately returns to the two damaged

vehicles and helps the men stretch the cut canvas which was once a tent

TO FASHION A MAKESHIFT SHELTER BETWEEN THE TWO CARS. Katharine goes to

join them. There is no obstacle to the remorseless horizon, just miles

of undulating dunes.

79INT. SHELTER. DAY.

Alm�sy sits alone, writing into HIS HERODOTUS, a map folded in front of

him, from which he makes notes. Katherine comes across with a clutch

of her SKETCHES from the Cave wall. Hands them to him. They're

beautiful.

ALM�SY

What's this?

KATHARINE:

I thought you might paste them

into your book.

ALM�SY

We took several photographs,

there's no need.

KATHARINE:

I'd like you to have them.

ALM�SY

(handing them back)

There's really no need. This is

just a scrapbook. I should feel

obliged. Thank you.

KATHARINE:

(exasperated)

And that would be unconscionable,

I suppose, to feel any obligation?

Yes. Of course it would.

She's already turning, walking as far from him as the cramped shelter

permits. He continues with his maps.

80EXT. THE DESERT. NIGHT.

Katharine sits alone on top of the Dune, smoking, surveying the

landscape. Below her the makeshift camp - a fresh wind flicking at the

tarpaulin, THE DEEP TRACKS OF MADOX'S CAR STRETCHING OFF TOWARDS

CIVILIZATION. Alm�sy emerges from the tent and, locating Katharine,

heads towards her.

ALM�SY

You should come into the shelter.

KATHARINE:

I'm quite all right, thank you.

ALM�SY

Look over there.

Katharine turns, scans the horizon.

KATHARINE:

What am I looking at?

ALM�SY

See what's happening to them -

the stars.

KATHARINE:

They're so untidy. I'm just trying

to rearrange them.

ALM�SY

In an hour there will be no stars.

The air is filling with sand.

He offers a hand. A little reluctantly she takes it.

81EXT. SHELTER. NIGHT.

The team hurries around the improvised tent, weighing it down with

packing cases, gasoline drums, water cans, bringing anything loose or

light inside the tarpaulin. THE WIND is whipping up, the air busy with

sand. Alm�sy pushes everyone under cover.

82INT. SHELTER. NIGHT.

THE SAND SEEMS TO BE SCOURING THE TARPAULIN. Kamal and Alm�sy try to

secure one vulnerable area, but suddenly there are leaks everywhere and

the sand swarms inside.

It's noisy, too, and Alm�sy has to shout to make himself understood,

indicating to the Bedouin to grab water and blankets and food, all the

valuables, and get out. He himself finds blankets and water and shouts

at Katharine to do the same. One side of the canvas suddenly RIPS

apart like paper. Chaos as figures struggle in ever-worsening

conditions, sand blizzarding the air.

83EXT. SHELTER. NIGHT.

THE SHELTER FLIES INTO THE AIR, stranding the figures, their heads

wrapped in blankets, flashlights useless. They seek safety in two

groups, the tribesmen to the cabin of the overturned car, Katharine and

Alm�sy to the upright one.

84INT. CAR. NIGHT.

Inside the cabin, the sand swirling around them, Katharine and Alm�sy

sit without speaking. Dawn is trying to break through. He pours a

little water into a mug so that they can wash out their eyes and noses

and mouths. She takes her silk scarf and first dries her eyes with it,

then dries his.

KATHARINE:

This is not very good, is it?

ALM�SY

No.

KATHARINE:

Shall we be all right?

ALM�SY

Yes. Absolutely.

KATHARINE:

Yes is a comfort. Absolutely is not.

85EXT. THE DESERT. DAWN.

The sand is piling up against the two cars, the tent is swept from its

moorings, the water cans are hurled up too, and then plunge ominously

into sand drifts as if going under an ocean.

ALM�SY (O/S)

...let me tell you about winds. There

is a whirlwind in Southern Morocco, the

Aajej, against which the fellahin defend

themselves with knives. The Ghibli from

Tunis rolls and rolls and produces a

rather strange nervous condition...

And we hear Katharine's laugh.

86INT. CAR. DAWN.

Almasy sits alongside Katharine, whose head is against his shoulder.

He continues his story of winds.

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