The Ghost and the Darkness Page #13

PATTERSON:

...don't know...

SAMUEL:

It's Hawthorne's.

CUT TO:

REDBEARD. Trying for control.

REDBEARD:

You exchanged weapons?

(Patterson nods)

You went into battle with an

untried gun?

(Patterson nods)

CUT TO:

REDBEARD. CLOSE UP. For a moment it's impossible to tell what he's

going to do. It seems that a Homeric burst of fury is about to

happen.

CUT TO:

PATTERSON. Drained, he epects it. It's very quiet.

CUT TO:

REEDBEARD, studying the younger man. And when he finally speaks,

his voice is surprisingly quiet.

REDBEARD:

They have an expression in

prizefighting:
"everyone has a plan

until they're hit."

(beat)

You've just been hit...

(beat)

...the getting up is up to you...

(And he turns, moves

off and)

CUT TO:

THE NEW HOSPITAL.

Nearly finished. The fence is eight feet high and Hawthorne is

supervising men and material that are being transferred.

CUT TO:

REDBEARD, checking security in the New Hospital which is close to

the center of camp. (The Old Hospital was situated on the

outskirts, because they wanted to keep the workers away from the

sick and the wounded.) Late afternoon, now.

Patterson, Samuel and Hawthorne are moving with him. As are TWO

EXPERIENCED ORDERLIES, both armed with powerful rifles. Patterson

is silent here, the effects of the misfire still evident on his

face.

REDBEARD:

(to the Orderlies)

Gentlemen, there's no sickness smell

at all here, and little blood. When

we leave, close the gate securely,

don't open it til morning and keep

your fires high. Any questions, ask

them now.

(They understand- now

to Samuel and Hawthorne)

You two will sleep beautifully in

your tents.

(beat)

And stay there.

SAMUEL:

And where will you sleep beautifully?

REDBEARD:

(smile)

Patterson and I will be in the old

hospital- where the enticing smell

of sickness still lingers-

(beat)

-and by the time we're done, I

promise you, the odor of blood will

be irresistible.

(And on that-)

CUT TO:

THE OLD HOSPITAL. STARTING TO GET DARK.

Redbeard and Patterson have buckets which they empty around the

inside perimeter-

-buckets of blood.

CUT TO:

PATTERSON AND REDBEARD. Darker. They empty still more full buckets

of blood. Redbeard seems pleased.

CUT TO:

SAMUEL AND HAWTHORNE, hurrying toward their camp.

CUT TO:

PATTERSON AND REDBEARD, leading Masai cattle into the grounds of

the Old Hospital.

CUT TO:

THE ORDERLIES IN THE NEW HOSPITAL, firmly closing and locking the

gate.

CUT TO:

PATTERSON AND REDBEARD, just outside the fence of the Old

Hospital- they carry many large chunks of raw meat, drop them as

they move.

CUT TO:

THE SUN. Dying... dying...

CUT TO:

PATTERSON AND REDBEARD. They slip inside the deserted Old

Hospital, pull the gate securely shut.

CUT TO:

THE CATTLE. They stand in the center of the Old Hospital, calling

to each other.

CUT TO:

THE NEW HOSPITAL. Full. Clean. The men are exhausted. Most are

already asleep. The Orderlies sit by a fire, alert for anything.

CUT TO:

THE OLD HOSPITAL. Patterson and Redbeard stand across from their

fire, waiting. The cows are quiet.

CUT TO:

HAWTHORNE by his fire near his tent with Samuel. Nervously, they

drink tea.

CUT TO:

THE MOON. Higher. An hour has passed. Perhaps more.

CUT TO:

REDBEARD. Walking the fence perimeter.

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PATTERSON. The cows are edgy. He calms the cows.

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OUTSIDE THE OLD HOSPITAL. The large chunks of meat are visible in

the moonlight.

CUT TO:

THE NEW HOSPITAL. The orderlies are calm.

CUT TO:

REDBEARD, still walking the perimeter.

CUT TO:

PATTERSON sitting by the fire, staring at the night. Redbeard

moves to him, speaks in a whisper.

REDBEARD:

Think about something else.

PATTERSON:

Have you ever failed?

REDBEARD:

(sad smile)

Only in life...

(He walks away.

Patterson watches.)

CUT TO:

THE NEW HOSPITAL. The Orderlies tend the sick. Quietly.

CUT TO:

THE NIGHT AND THE MOON. Lovely.

CUT TO:

REDBEARD. Stalking the perimeter. No sound. The night is deadly

quiet.

CUT TO:

PATTERSON. He stalks the perimeter now too, on the far side from

Redbeard- and suddenly a different and frightening sound- the

ripping of flesh-

CAMERA MOVES UP:

Now we can see both Patterson inside and also outside where, in

shadow, The Ghost and The Darkness are devouring a hunk of meat.

Redbeard moves quickly across the perimeter, gestures for

Patterson to switch positions with him.

As he reaches where Patterson was, the eating sound stops.

Silence again.

Patterson reaches the far side of the fence.

Now the eating sound comes again, and again, BOTH LIONS are

outside, directly across from Patterson.

CUT TO:

REDBEARD looks across the perimeter at Patterson. Whatever's going

on, it's sure as hell odd.

CUT TO:

THE CATTLE- they are very upset suddenly- one of them kicks out

violently against the night- the same gesture the cattle did just

before The Ghost walked through their pen and killed one-

-now a different sound is heard: scratching-

CUT TO:

PATTERSON AND REDBEARD tracking the sound-

-the main gate is starting to be pushed in. Inside the gate the

ground is covered with blood stains from where they emptied their

buckets.

CUT TO:

THE GATE. More pressure against it- it could give way any moment.

CUT TO:

REDBEARD AND PATTERSON and from the look on Redbeard's face, this

is it! Patterson seees this, readies his rifle and we-

CUT TO:

THE CATTLE, going nuts and then-

CUT TO:

THE GATE. All pressure gone.

CUT TO:

PATTERSON AND REDBEARD. Patterson is furious.

PATTERSON:

Goddammit!

REDBEARD:

It's all right. Stay ready.

(indicates the blood)

They know it's there.

Patterson takes a few steps away, stares at the moon.

CUT TO:

REDBEARD; he studies Patterson who so clearly craves redemption.

REDBEARD:

(going to him)

Meant to ask you- the railroad car

trap. Your idea?

(Patterson nods)

Excellent notion- I used the same

device myself once.

PATTERSON:

But of course yours worked.

REDBEARD:

In point of fact it didn't- but I'm

convinced the idea is sound.

He goes back to walking the perimeter. Patterson watches him- and

for the first time since the misfire, Patterson's mood begins to

lift.

CUT TO:

THE NEW HOSPITAL

and an ORDERLY, blood pouring from his throat as he lies by the

fire and

CUT TO:

THE SECOND ORDERLY rounding a corner, seeing the violence; before

he can scream-

CUT TO:

THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS suddenly beside him, and their giant

paws slap out so fast we can't follow and

CUT TO:

THE SECOND ORDERLY, dropping to the ground, and now we're starting

to spin into madness and these next cuts go like lightning.

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A TENT FULL OF SICK MEN with malaria and

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A PAW flashing and

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THE DARKNESS, lips pulling back and

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A SICK MAN, falling from his bed, blood pouring from his slashed

face and

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TWO MORE SICK MEN, trying to rise and

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THE GHOST, leaping on them and

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THE DARKNESS, eyes narrow and brilliant and

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A SICK COOLIE, and he's terrified and he tries to scream-

-the sound barely escapes him, but even so, it's the first cry

we've heard and

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