The Kingdom of Heaven Page #16

IMAD. The commander of Saladin’s cavalry. In beautiful

Damascus armor, smiling at him. MUSLIMS stare. Do they kill

these men? Do they not?

Imad helps Balian to his feet.

(CONTINUED)

78.

CONTINUED:

BALIAN:

You were not that man’s servant.

IMAD:

No.

A MUSLIM hands BALIAN a waterskin. ALMARIC can’t believe this

is happening. The MUSLIMS draw back, murmuring. BALIAN nods,

and drinks, then, with Imad’s nodded permission, takes the

water to a wounded man.

EXT. THE BATTLEMENTS OF KERKA. CONTINUOUS

The PRIEST is watching.

PRIEST:

They are letting them live.

REYNALD:

(indifferent, swigs wine)

Sometimes they are chivalrous. They

learned it from us.

EXT. THE PLAIN BEFORE KERAK. CONTINUOUS

IMAD and BALIAN.

IMAD:

You may go into Kerak, but you will

die there. My master is here.

BALIAN looks past IMAD to higher ground (to one side of the

valley of Kerak) and sees...the arrival of SALADIN’S ARMY. An

enormous line of men, mounted and unmounted, in perfect

order, each section with its banner.

ALMARIC:

And ours, my lord.

IMAD looks in the other direction. Far, far off he sees the

glint of steel in dust. IMAD walks apart, staring and gets

onto hi horse to see better.

IMAD:

Tell my lord Saladin that Jerusalem

is come.

THE ARMY OF THE KINGDOM OF JERUSALEM.

The KING rides in his litter alongside THE HOLY CROSS,

covered with gold and jewels, passes through the streaming

dust. 500 knights are marching towards the relief of Kerak.

(CONTINUED)

79.

CONTINUED:

They are flanked by and protected by 5,000 SPEARMEN and

CROSSBOWMEN. Essentially the army is a moving square,

tremendously disciplined. GUY is with the army.

IMAD stares through the dust. A man breaks away from the

Muslim line and rides up beside him. A small, slight, figure,

unarmored, in simple clothing. He scrutinizes Balian, his

bloody men, then Imad.

SALADIN:

Pull back your cavalry.

As HORNS blow and the Muslims retire, leaving Balian and his

wounded, winded, men in the valley with a perfect view of

events...

THE ARMY OF JERUSALEM does an "evolution" and in one movement

it is transformed into a fighting line, facing the Muslim

Army, about a quarter mile away. Out of the dust rides...in

BALIAN’S POV:

THE KING.

THE KING, a brilliant horseman, is using every ounce of

strength he still possesses to not only stay in the saddle

but look as if he is still a living man, when in fact he is,

essentially, already a dead one. He rides in front of his

army, and raises his palm as he arrives before Saladin.

SALADIN rides forward himself, so that they are very close.

THE KING:

I pray you retire unharmed to

Damascus.

SALADIN moves forward, looking closely at the dying king. He

knows how much effort this has cost the man.

THE KING (CONT’D)

Reynald of Chatillon will be

punished. I swear it. Withdraw, or

we all die here.

SALADIN looks at the Army of Jerusalem. Then at the king.

SALADIN:

I will send you my physicians.

The KING lowers his head but only for a moment.

THE KING:

Do we have terms?

(CONTINUED)

80.

CONTINUED:
(2)

SALADIN:

We have terms.

The masked KING rides back to his army.

EXT. KERAK. LATER

THE ARAB FORCE PARTS. BALIAN and his surviving men, released

to cheers from the battlements, ride out towards the gates of

the castle, which are opened.

INT. THE COURTYARD AT KERAK. MOMENTS LATER

BALIAN and his men stagger in, acclaimed by the peasants they

have saved. Through the crowd comes Reynald.

REYNALD:

You would have given me more mouths

the feed and more sh*t to throw

over the wall. You have a great

deal to learn about sieges.

REYNALD claps him on the arm.

REYNALD (CONT’D)

(whispering)

But that was magnificent.

BALIAN, looking up, sees SIBYLLA. She stands in an archway.

Smiling down.

BALIAN starts for Sibylla. At that moment...THE KING and his

party, including TIBERIAS and GUY, gallops through the gates

of KERAK.

Unable to go to Sibylla through the crowd, BALIAN pulls her

ring on its chain from the throat of his armor, and kisses

it. SIBYLLA nods.

REYNALD knows he’s in for it. He drinks the last of the wine.

THE KING gets painfully from the saddle. The ride has killed

him:
has taken near the last of his strength. The King,

walking to Reynald, dragging one leg, removes his turban. He

drops it on the ground. He walks towards Reynald, and takes

off his mask. We do not see The King’s destroyed face. But

Reynald does.

THE KING:

I am Jerusalem.

(walks forward, unwrapping

one of his hands)

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

81.

CONTINUED:

THE KING (CONT'D)

Will you give me the kiss of peace,

Reynald?

The King holds out a ruined hand, with a ring on what remains

of a finger. REYNALD kisses the hand. The King beats him with

a stick.

Again, again, again, as GUY watches--terrified that Reynald

might squeal. Guy looks up and sees:

SIBYLLA. He follows her eyeline to:

BALIAN.

And he knows. He unties a glove with his teeth.

PHYSICIANS grab the king, who almost faints. The KING is

helped to his litter. The KING reaches out a hand to

SIBYLLA...who recoils from him

The KING, a tear falling, closes his eyes.

REYNALD:

(to TIBERIAS)

What are you looking at?

TIBERIAS:

A dead man. Reynald of Chatillon,

you are arrested and condemned.

The KING is laid into his litter. A draught of medicine is

poured into the mouthhole of the mask. The king gestures to

BALIAN.

THE KING:

(gently, almost dreamy)

If you continue as you are I shall

make you Marshal of Jerusalem. What

do you think of that?

Before Balian can respond, the KING’S LITTER is carried off.

TIBERIAS is beside BALIAN.

TIBERIAS:

When a man says something on the

edge of sleep one may discard it.

When a king says it, it will

happen. Mark you.

BALIAN and TIBERIAS lock eyes.

(CONTINUED)

82.

CONTINUED:
(2)

TIBERIAS (CONT’D)

Do not return to Ibelin. I need you

in Jerusalem.

SIBYLLA cannot join Balian in public; but she looks at him.

GUY observes this. SIBYLLA, noticing her husband, looks at

GUY expressionlessly, and retires into an archway and

disappears.

A KNIGHT:

(still mounted, moving

through the crowd)

Godfrey’s son charged ten thousand

with a hundred men.

GUY:

Did he...

BALIAN is mobbed...by GUY’S MEN as much as anybody. TIBERIAS

watches shrewdly as the shy BALIAN’s popularity with the

troops becomes more than obvious.

INT. SALADIN’S TENT ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS. NIGHT

SALADIN saturnine, watchful, delicate with his food, is

dining with IMAD and a still-astonished MULLAH.

MULLAH:

The battle must come. You have

promised to drive the Christians

into the sea. You have not done so.

SALADIN makes no response. He sips tea, staring into flame.

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