The English Patient Page #15

Katharine had thought for a few seconds he was serious, then she

catches on and starts to beat him.

ALM�SY

(laughing)

Ouch! See - you're always beating me..!

KATHARINE:

You bastard, I was believing you!

They embrace, he lies over her, considering her naked back.

ALM�SY

I claim this shoulder blade - oh no,

wait - I want this!

He turns her over, kisses her throat, then traces the hollow

indentation.

ALM�SY

This - what's it called? - this place,

I love it - this is mine!

(Katharine doesn't know)

I'm asking the King permission to

call it the Almasy Bosphorous.

KATHARINE:

(teasing)

I thought we were against ownership?

(kissing him)

I can stay tonight.

The luxury of this makes them both sad. The duplicity. Alm�sy rolls

away on to his back.

ALM�SY

Madox knows, I think. He's tried to

warn me. He keeps talking about

Anna Karenina. I think it's his idea

of a man-to-man chat. Its my idea

of a man-to-man chat.

KATHARINE:

This is a different world - is what

I tell myself. A different life.

And here I am a different wife.

ALM�SY

Yes. A different wife.

115INT. CAB. CAIRO STREET. O/S SHEPHEARD'S HOTEL. NIGHT.

The CAB DRIVER is asleep. A loud POP! jerks him awake. In the back of

the car Geoffrey has opened the champagne. He lets it overflow, then

takes a swig. He notices the startled driver and puts up an apologetic

arm.

CLIFTON:

Sorry.

Two or three CHILDREN knock on the window, begging. Geoffrey knocks

back, violently. They disappear.

CABBIE:

Hotel now, sir?

GEOFFREY:

No.

And he throws a silencing wad of money onto the seat by the Cabbie.

116EXT. ALMASY'S HOUSE. OLD CAIRO. DAWN.

Alm�sy and Katharine wander out of his building and into the early

morning streets, hand in hand.

117EXT. SPICE MARKET. CAIRO. DAWN.

The MORNING PRAYERS rise out from the city's three Minarets. Alm�sy

stops at a stall, which is just preparing to open for the day. He

picks up a SILVER THIMBLE, points at it to the merchant who gives him a

price. Without comment, Alm�sy produces the money and, beaming, hands

the thimble to Katharine.

ALM�SY

I don't care to bargain.

(she smiles)

It's full of saffron, just in case

you think I'm giving it to you to

encourage your sewing.

KATHARINE:

That day, had you followed me

to the market?

ALM�SY

Of course. You didn't need to slap

my face to make me feel as if you'd

slapped my face.

KATHARINE:

(loving him, but frightened)

Shall we be all right?

ALM�SY

Yes. Yes.

(shrugs)

Absolutely.

118EXT. CAIRO STREET. DAWN.

Katharine takes leave of Alm�sy on the street corner away from the

hotel entrance. They don't kiss, there's no demonstration of feeling.

He turns immediately away and disappears.

119INT. CAB. CAIRO STREET. O/S SHEPHEARD'S HOTEL. DAY.

Geoffrey, unshaven, watches as Katharine crosses the street and heads

towards the hotel. His expression is terrible, trying to smile, his

face collapsed.

120INT. THE PATIENT'S ROOM. MORNING.

Cheek to Cheek leaks into the room from a GRAMOPHONE that Caravaggio

stands over proudly. The Patient opens his eyes - is confused,

dislocated - stares blankly at Caravaggio.

CARAVAGGIO:

(grinning)

Thought you'd never wake up!

THE PATIENT:

What?

Hana comes in, sleepily, frowns at the gramophone.

HANA:

Where did you find that?

CARAVAGGIO:

I liberated it.

HANA:

I think that's called looting.

CARAVAGGIO:

(relaxed)

No-one should own music. The real

question is who wrote the song?

THE PATIENT:

Irving Berlin.

CARAVAGGIO:

For?

THE PATIENT:

Top Hat.

CARAVAGGIO:

Is there a song you don't know?

HANA:

(speaking for him)

No. He sings all the time.

She goes over to the Patient and kisses him gently.

HANA:

Good morning.

(of his singing)

Did you know that? You're always singing?

THE PATIENT:

I've been told that before.

HANA:

Kip's another one.

She goes to the window, looks over to where the tents are pitched, sees

Hardy shaving, Kip IN THE PROCESS OF WASHING HIS HAIR, his turban

HANGING LIKE A RIBBON between two trees to dry. He's perched a bowl on

the sundial and is dipping his long coal-black hair into it. As Hana

watches Kip, Caravaggio changes the record. The Patient identifies it

immediately.

121*.EXT. MONASTERY GARDEN. MORNING.

Hana walks past the tent, and passes Hardy. She's carrying a small

cup, which she's a little furtive about. He's carrying a whole armada

of OIL LIGHTS. He nods upstairs.

HANA:

Hello.

HARDY:

Hello miss.

HANA:

I was going to say - if you want to

eat with us, ever... you and Lieutenant

Singh...

HARDY:

Very kind of you, we can always eat in

the town with the others -

HANA:

Since Caravaggio turned up - food

seems to appear, so please.

HARDY:

I'll ask the Lieutenant. But thank you.

HANA:

You saved my life. I haven't forgotten.

(Hardy waves that away)

I thought you were very very tall. You

seemed to big - a Giant - and I felt

like a child who can't keep her balance.

HARDY:

(does a little mime)

A toddler

She goes on, and tentatively approaches Kip, who's still working at his

hair. Kip hears her and puts out an inquiring arm, moving towards her

like a blink man through the curtain of hair. He touches her.

HANA:

Sorry, is it all right I'm seeing this?

Kip shrugs.

HANA:

My hair was long. At some point.

I've forgotten what a nuisance it is

to wash. You know - if you were ever

around - we get water from the pump

at noon.

He continues to wash. She holds up the cup of oil.

HANA:

Try this. I found a great jar of it.

Olive oil. In Naples this was so

precious it would have bought you a wife.

KIP:

Thank you.

She stands for a second, then walks away. Kip examines the oil, calls

after her.

KIP:

For my hair?

HANA:

(turning, smiling)

Yes, for your hair.

122EXT. THE MONASTERY. HANA'S GARDEN. DAY.

HANA IS GARDENING, close to the crucifix, which is now a full-fledged

Scarecrow. Broken bottles, fragments of stained glass and shards from

a mirror are hung from the crossbar, syringes too, all jangling and

tinkling and catching the sunlight.

Kip and Hardy drive off to work on their motorcycles. She watches

them, catching Kip's careless wave to her. She looks briefly at

herself in A PIECE OF MIRROR dangling from the Scarecrow.

123INT. THE MONASTERY. UPSTAIRS LANDING. DAY.

Hana walks along the landing with a tray. There's a message on several

doors in the corridor from Kip: SAFE, then a couple with the warning:

DANGER. She hears noise from the Patient's room. Listens for a second

before going in.

THE PATIENT (O/S)

Because you're reading it too fast!

THE PATIENT (O/S)

Not at all.

THE PATIENT (O/S)

You have to read Kipling slowly!

Your eye is too impatient - think

about the speed of his pen.

(quoting Kipling to demonstrate)

What is it - He sat comma in defiance

of municipal orders comma astride the

gun Zamzammah on her brick... What is it?

124INT. THE PATIENT'S ROOM. DAY.

During this, Hana comes through with the tray, finds Kip perched on the

window, relishing his skirmish with the Patient, who has condensed milk

dribbling down his neck.

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