The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Page #4

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INT. EDORAS, SLEEPING QUARTERS - EARLY DAWN,

CLOSE ON:
PIPPIN . . . he is AWAKE! He sits up . . . ANXIOUS,

FIDGETY . . .

Suddenly he hops out of bed and creeps towards the SLEEPING FORM

of GANDALF.

MERRY:

(whispers)

What you doing?

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 16,

CONTINUED:

PIPPIN gasps with FRIGHT! MERRY is sitting up, wiping sleep

from his eyes. He moves on . . .

ANGLE ON:
A sleeping GANDALF lies with eyes wide open! But

PIPPIN is undeterred . . .

MERRY sits up, a worried look on his face.

MERRY (cont'd)

Pippin? Pippin? Pippin! What are you doing?

With quick stealth, PIPPIN lifts the WRAPPED PALANTIR from

GANDALF'S grasp ...

MERRY (cont'd)

Pippin, are you mad?

PIPPIN:

I just want to look at it. Just one more

time.

MERRY:

Put it back! Put - it - back!

PIPPIN unwraps the PALANTIR and as MERRY looks on HORRIFIED,

he gazes INTENTLY into it.

MERRY (cont'd)

Pippin!

As PIPPIN lays his hands on the CRYSTAL, a SICKLY PALE light

slowly spreads from the GLASS BALL onto PIPPIN'S FACE ... his

EYES WIDEN.

MERRY (cont'd)

Pippin!

EXT. EDORAS GOLDEN HALL - EARLY DAWN

On the STEPS of the GOLDEN HALL, LEGOLAS turns to ARAGORN

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 17.

CONTINUED:

LEGOLAS:

(urgent)

He is here.

INT. EDORAS, SLEEPING QUARTERS - NIGHT

PIPPIN suddenly starts to HYPERVENTILATE . . . He STAGGERS

BACKWARDS, PALANTIR held rigidly before him . . .

THE GREAT EYE OF SAURON seems to LEAP from the FIRE . . . PIPPIN

is bathed in the FIERY RED LIGHT.

PIPPIN sinks to his KNEES, his mouth open in a soundless SCREAM

. . . He FALLS BACKWARDS, powerless to release the FIERY GLOBE.

MERRY:

Help! Someone help him!

GANDALF wakes with a start! Just as ARAGORN enters, and

wrenches the PALANTIR from PIPPIN'S HANDS . . . PIPPIN FALLS to

the FLOOR! . . . ARAGORN spins away, reeling backwards, the

PALANTIR falling from his HANDS . . .

The PALANTIR rolls across the FLOOR, causing EVERYONE in the

room to COWER BACK. ;

ANGLE ON:
GANDALF throws a BLANKET over it, ANGRY DISBELIEF

on his face! He rounds on PIPPIN. ,

GANDALF:

Fool of a Took!

GANDALF lifts the HOBBIT'S SLUMPED HEAD.

MERRY:

Pippin!

PIPPIN is trembling ... GANDALF calms him . . .

PIPPIN:

Gandalf! Forgive me.

GANDALF .

Look at me! What did you see?

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 18.

CONTINUED:

PIPPIN:

(disjointed)

A tree ... There was a white tree . . . in a

courtyard of stone . . . It was dead!

FLASH INSERT:
A lone white tree silhouetted by flames.

PIPPIN (cont'd)

The city was burning ...

GANDALF:

Minas Tirith???

(to PIPPIN)

Is that what you saw?

PIPPIN:

(terrified)

I saw . . . I saw him . . . I could hear his

voice in my head.

GANDALF:

And what did you tell him? Speak!

PIPPIN:

He asked me my name, I didn't answer . . . he

hurt me . . .

CLOSE ON:
GANDALF stares at PIPPIN with a FRIGHTENING

INTENSITY . . .

GANDALF:

What did you tell him about Frodo and the

Ring?

INT. EDORAS, GOLDEN HALL - DAY

THEODEN stands in the GOLDEN HALL, gravely listening to

GANDALF ... ARAGORN, LEGOLAS, and GIMLI look on . . .

GANDALF:

There was no lie in Pippin's eyes; a fool,

but an honest fool he remains. He told

Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring.

ANGLE ON:
GIMLI lets out a sigh of relief.

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 19.

CONTINUED:

GANDALF turns to look at THEODEN.

GANDALF (cont'd)

We've been strangely fortunate. What Pippin

saw in the Palantir was a glimpse of our

enemy's plan.

GANDALF looks from on to the other of the, gathered company.

GANDALF (cont'd)

Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas

Tirith. His defeat at Helm's Deep showed

our enemy one thing.

The WIZARD turns towards ARAGORN . . .

GANDALF (cont'd)

The heir of Elendil has come forth. Men are

not as weak as he supposed. There is

courage still - strength enough left to

challenge him.

THEODEN listens intently, saying nothing.

GANDALF (cont'd)

(wa rningly)

Sauro n fea rs this. He will no t risk t he

p e o p l es of M i d d l e -e a r t h u n i t i ng u n d e r one

b a n n e r. He w i l l r ai s e M i n a s T ir i t h t o the

groun d bef ore he sees the ret urn of t he

King.

CLOSE ON:
ARAGORN . . . he knows GANDALF SPEAKS THE TRUTH.

ANGLE ON:
GANDALF rounds on THEODEN . . .

GANDALF (cont'd)

If the beacons of Condor are lit, Rohan

must be ready for war!

THEODEN holds GANDALF'S gaze.

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 20

CONTINUED:
(2)

THEODEN:

(quietly)

Tell me. Why should we ride to the aid of

those who did not come to ours?

ANGLE ON:
ARAGORN turns to look at THEODEN.

THEODEN (cont'd)

What do we owe Gondor?

ARAGORN:

(low and urgent)

I will go.

GANDALF:

(hurried)

No!

ARAGORN:

They must be warned.

GANDALF:

They will be.

(low voice, to Aragorn)

You must come to Minas Tirith by another

ra ...

od

(cryptic)

Follow the river, look to the black ships.

(louder, to all)

Understand this . . . things are now in

motion that cannot be undone.

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