The Ghost and the Darkness Page #6

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TWO HUGE YELLOW EYES. That's all we see, just the eyes and they

are near Patterson's tree and they are staring up at him and-

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PATTERSON, startled, grabbing his rifle more tightly, staring down

and-

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THE HUGE YELLOW EYES- only they're gone.

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PATTERSON, blowing on his hands, looking toward the sky.

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THE SUN, RISING, THE NIGHT DONE.

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PATTERSON, wrinkled and weary, frustrated and sore, walking back

toward his tent area. Now he stops.

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ABDULLAH and a large group of workers- only they're not working.

They smoke, play cards, sit around.

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PATTERSON, steaming, going up to Abdullah.

PATTERSON:

You were contracted to work-

ABDULLAH:

(gesturing around)

-malaria epidemic; very sudden.

PATTERSON:

Let me see the sick.

ABDULLAH:

(not backing off)

Oh, you're a doctor now, too?

PATTERSON:

There is no reason for fear.

ABDULLAH:

On that I choose to remain dubious.

(beat)

Two are dead now in two nights.

(And on that news-)

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PATTERSON. Rocked. He didn't know. Behind him now, Starling

hurries up, Samuel alongside.

PATTERSON:

(to Starling)

Second death? Where?-

STARLING:

(gesturing)

-far end of camp- man wandering alone

at night. Hawthorne's examining the

body now.

(beat)

There's even less of him than of Singh.

PATTERSON:

(just shakes his head)

But it's crazy- the lion shouldn't be

that hungry this soon.

(getting control- he

looks to Samuel)

Samuel?

SAMUEL:

We should construct thorn fences

around every tent area. Fires burning

at night.

PATTERSON:

Fine. Get started. And a strict curfew-

no one allowed out at night.

(to Abdullah)

Send half your men to the bridge, the

rest with these two.

(Abdullah nods)

And I'm sorry for my tone earlier. But

I repeat- there is no reason for fear.

I will kill the lion and I will build

the bridge.

ABDULLAH:

Of course you will, you are white, you

can do anything...

(They look at each

other. They are not

friends. Now-)

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THE THORN BUSHES WE SAW ON OUR ARRIVAL TO TSAVO

ENDLESS NUMBERS OF THEM. There is a machete-like sound as we

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A BUNCH OF WORKMEN, led by Samuel, chopping down branches. They do

it with care- these are claws-

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-STARLING, in charge of another area, and he's not hanging back,

he's taking less care than the others, hacking away with his

machete, moving in between bushes and

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ONE OF THE BUSHES, SNAPPING BACK into Starling, and Starling

taking the blow with his arms- the claws cut his clothing-

-his arms are starting to bleed-

-he is unmindful, continues to wade into the bushes, chopping at

them, cutting them down. He is a good man doing a good thing and

right now, he is possessed.

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PATTERSON, leaving his tent area, lost in thought, going toward

the bridge. Up ahead is a grassy area.

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THE GRASSY AREA:

For a moment, nothing. Then there is the same kind of movement we

saw with Singh. Something is making the grass move-

-only now there is no wind... HOLD.

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PATTERSON. Did he see it? We'll never know.

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STARLING, in charge of a thorn fence that is halfway finished. His

clothes are shredded. A WORKER has finished with a section and

satisfied, moves on-

-but Starling is far from finished. He grabs the thorns with his

bare hands and squeezes them together.

STARLING:

Not good enough- look, it's got to

be tighter. Tighter.

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THE AREA IN WHICH HE'S BEEN WORKING. FENCES ARE WELL ALONG TOWARD

COMPLETION. IT'S LATE AFTERNOON.

PULL UP:

We see more fences around more camp areas.

KEEP PULLING UP:

The entire place is filled with fences now, all the individual

areas protected.

The skies are starting to darken- dusk is coming fast.

Fires start up. Dozens of them.

Still darker.

Now workers come racing home to their camps, anxious for safety

before darkness takes over. They zig-zag this way, that way,

dodging past each other sometimes they slam into each other, fall,

get up, run on-

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THE SUN. Falling out of the sky.

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THE CAMP. The fires rise higher. No one moves... HOLD.

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STARLING in the main tent area. He is bathing his bloody hands.

Samuel is with him. Both are exhausted.

Patterson brings them each drinks. They nod thanks, drain them.

They stand there together, lit by the flames of their fire. You

get the sense these three will be friends forever.

STARLING:

What a good week.

PATTERSON:

You mean nobody died?

STARLING:

(shakes his head)

We all worked together. Worthy deeds

were accomplished. I liked the labor.

(beat)

My mother insisted on piano lessons-

broke the dear woman's heart when I

turned out to be tone deaf- but she

still was always at me about being

careful with my hands.

(looks at them)

I like the blood, is that strange?

SAMUEL:

Oh yes, I think so.

(Starling smiles, starts

to speak)

PATTERSON:

Look out, Samuel, here it comes.

STARLING:

Even you two must admit that it is a

glorious thing, what Man can

accomplish. When there is a common

splendid goal, there are no limits.

Think what we will accomplish when we

all have God's warmth in our hearts.

(Samuel's eyes have

closed; he begins to snore.

Patterson can't help

laughing)

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STARLING. As good natured as ever.

STARLING:

I am immune to your disdain.

(He looks at them now)

When I came here, I had but one small

goal:
to convert the entire continent

of Africa.

(shakes his head)

Now I've decided to move on to

something really difficult: I will not

rest until both of you are safely in

the fold.

SAMUEL:

I've had four wives, good luck.

STARLING:

The struggle is the glory...

(HOLD ON the three friends)

CUT TO:

PATTERSON, the next morning, working with Abdullah and some others

at the bridge.

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STARLING completing work on the fence from the day before. It's

high and taut and he's done a terrific job.

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TSAVO STATION:

A BUNCH OF OTHER MEN are working near a large grassy field. One of

the men starts a chant. The others pick it up. It's really pretty.

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PATTERSON wading into the river- he stops as the sound of the

chant comes distantly to him on the wind.

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THE WORKMEN CHANTING LOUDER. It's turning into a stunner of a day-

glorious blue sky broken up by pale clouds.

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STARLING. Pauses briefly, listening to the sound of the men.

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THE MEN WORKING AND SINGING. As before.

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THE GRASSY FIELD. As before-

-except it isn't. Because if you looked carefully, something

flicked in a 180 degree arc. No telling what it was, it was gone

too quickly.

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THE MEN WORKING, SINGING ON.

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PATTERSON waist deep in the river, listening to the sound of the

men, of the birds. The sun is higher in the sky.

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THE GRASSY FIELD-

-and here it comes again, only the other way this time, flicking

back in another 180 degree arc-

-still hard to tell for sure what it was but maybe it was this: a

tail. Now quickly-

CUT TO:

PATTERSON wading out of the river as Samuel comes into view. He

holds an envelope.

SAMUEL:

For you.

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