The Man in the Iron Mask Page #2

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WE CAN COME AND GO

UNOBSERVED BY THE QUEEN.

AND MY MOTHER.

TOO SOON,

MY ONE AND ONLY LOVE.

AH, FOUQUET.

WHAT A DELIGHT SHE IS.

SUCH....

TRANSPARENT INNOCENCE,

SUCH INCANDESCEN BEAUTY.

SHE SEEMS DEMURE.

YES.

TOO DEMURE, WE MUST ADMIT.

WE ARE AT OUR WIT'S END.

PERHAPS, UH,........

I COULD HELP PERSUADE THE GIRL.

YOU HAVE HER CONFIDENCE?

TO SOME SMALL DEGREE.

IF YOU COULD BUT CONVINCE

HER TO TRUST HERSELF TO US.

WE WOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL

IN TURN, MONSIEUR FOUQUET.

YOUR MAJESTY.

YES.

AND NOW YOUR:

PRESSING BUSINESS.

HOW COULD YOU BE

SO COLD HEARTED?

OH, HENRIETTA,

THE FACE I SEE BEFORE ME

I COULD EASILY LOVE.

THE MAN BEHIND THE FACE.

OH, LOUISE!

[GASP]

I LEFT MY FAN.

THE QUEEN WILL SURELY

FIND IT THERE.

[KING'S VOICE WITHIN]

- YOU MUST BE MAD, FOUQUET.

- ARTUNE NEVER DIED

AT BIRTH.

HE LIVES, SIRE,

I ASSURE YOU.

THAT DEATH WAS THE

INVENTION OF YOUR FATHER'S

FIRST MINISTER.

MAZARIN.

A LIE THAT HE TOLD

TO THE KING:

WHICH HE ACCEPTED

IN GOOD FAITH.

THE INFAN WAS STILL-BORN.

IN FACT, HE LIVED,

AND WAS TAKEN AWAY,

AND BROUGHT UP:

IN A SECRET PLACE.

ON THE PRETEXT OF

SPARING YOU MOTHER

OF FURTHER GRIEF,

A SECRET, QUICK FUNERAL

WAS PREPARED AND A

COFFIN WAS BURIED.

LORD KNOWS WHO WAS

REALLY IN THAT COFFIN.

THE ONE THING THAT IS

NOW CERTAIN, SIRE,

IT WAS NOT YOUR:

BROTHER, PHILIPPE.

BUT WHAT COULD IT BE

MATTER AND MOTIVE

IN ALL THIS?

SIRE, THE FIRST BORN

IS RIGHTFUL HEIR TO THE THRONE.

YOU ARE THE SECOND SON.

NOW, HE HAVING IN HIS

CONTROL THE LEGITIMATE HEIR

HAD THE POWER:

TO MANIPULATE YOU.

HORROR, MOTHER, WHO WOULD

LET HER LOVE A MANNER A USURPER

LOUIS, A PUPPET KING.

PRECISELY.

THE GROUND WE STAND UPON

TURNS TO QUICKSAND.

FORTUNATELY MAZARIN

DIED BEFORE HE WAS ABLE

TO REPLACE YOU ON THE THRONE

WITH YOUR BROTHER PHILIPPE.

AND THE SECRET DIED

WITH HIM.

THAT IS, WE THOUGHT SO

UNTIL NOW.

ARE YOU CERTAIN:

BEYOND A DOUB:

THAT THIS IS OUR

BROTHER PHILIPPE?

I HAVE MYSELF SEEN

THE BIRTHMARK.

FORGIVE ME.

IDENTICAL WITH THE ONE

YOUR MAJESTY BEARS.

WHAT A FOOL:

LOUIS HAS BEEN:

TO THINK HIS:

CROWN SECURE.

SIRE, FEAR NOT.

I HAVE THE PRETENDER

IN SAFE CUSTODY.

WHAT HAVE YOU:

DONE WITH PHILIPPE?

IS HE SAFE AND SOUND?

WHAT COULD BE SAFER

AND MORE SOUND THAN THE BASTILLE.

THE BASTILLE?

WHERE BETTER TO HIDE HIM

FROM FOUQUET'S SPIES.

DOES HE SUSPECT ANYTHING?

NO, NOTHING.

HE'S HAUNTED BY

THE MYSTERY.

IT WOULD BE AN ACT OF MERCY

TO LET HIM KNOW.

WE MUST SAY:

NOTHING YET.

WE SHOULD TELL HIM

HIS TRUE IDENTITY.

YOU AND I ARE FLIRTING

WITH HIGH TREASON, MY FRIEND.

LET PHILIPPE REMAIN IGNORANT,

FOR HIS OWN SAKE AS WELL AS OUR OWN.

THE RACK CAN LOOSEN

ANY MAN'S TONGUE.

EVEN THAT OF A PRINCE.

WHO HAS REVIVED THIS

CONSPIRACY AGAINST US?

NAMES?

I CANNOT POINT THE FINGER

UNTIL I HAVE MORE PROOF.

GET IT, AND WHEN YOU HAVE IT,

WE WILL EXTRACT OUR RETRIBUTION.

HAS OUR BROTHER:

ANY PROPERTY?

WHY, UH, JUST A SMALL

ESTATE IN BURGUNDY, I AM TOLD.

CONFISCATE IT.

EH.

AND, UH, THE FATE

OF THE PRETENDER?

NOT A SINGLE DROP OF

ROYAL BLOOD IS TO BE SHED

IN THIS, FOUQUET.

WHO WOULD NOT WANT TO

TEMP PROVIDENCE BY

CONDONING REGICIDE?

WISE.

VERY WISE, SIR.

ALSO WE CANNOT FORGE THIS PRETENDER IS MORE

THAN OUR BROTHER,

HE IS OUR TWIN.

UMM.

OUR MIRROR IMAGE.

OUR OTHER SELF.

WOUND PHILIPPE AND

MIGHT NOT LOUIS BLEED?

KILL PHILIPPE AND

MIGHT LOUIS DIE?

NO, WE MUST FIND

SOME OTHER WAY.

SIRE, I KNOW THERE'S A

FORTRESS REMOTE AND INACCESSIBLE.

WE LEAVE THE PLACE

TO YOUR DISCRETION.

BUT KNOW THIS, FOUQUET.

WE WISH NEVER TO

HEAR HIS NAME AGAIN.

AND NO ONE, NO ONE,

IS EVER TO LOOK UPON HIS FACE.

THAT IS WHY MERE

CONFINEMENT WILL NOT SUFFICE.

WE MUST DEVISE....

SOMETHING.....SPECIAL?

[OPENS JAIL DOOR]

WE WANT YOU.

COME:

WHERE ARE YOU:

TAKING ME?

ISLE SAINT MARGUERITE.

[HORSE WHINNIES]

- ISLE SAINT MARGUERITE.

ISLE ST. MARGUERITE.

WHAT IS IT?

A PLACE OF REPOSE.

AS RESTFUL AS THE

ONE I HAVE JUST LEFT?

OR MORESO. YOU'LL HAVE

TOTAL SECLUSION:

AND CONSTAN PERSONAL CARE.

I SEE THE BEGINNINGS OF IT.

THANK YOU, MONSIEUR.

THOSE SHACKLES ARE

MERELY A TEMPORARY

MEASURE FOR:

YOUR PROTECTION,

IN CASE YOU MIGH ATTEMPT SOMETHING FOOLISH.

I PROMISE YOU THEY'LL

BE REMOVED AS SOON

AS WE ARRIVE.

YOU PROMISE?

FAITHFULLY.

[SCOFFS]

WHAT ARE YOU?

HMM?

WHAT ARE YOU?

A MINISTER.

NOT OF THE CHURCH,

I'LL BE BOUND.

PERHAPS I MISSED

MY VOCATION.

CHURCH OF THANK GOD.

VERY GOOD.

PERHAPS YOU MISSED

YOUR VOCATION.

I ADMIRE YOUR:

SPIRIT, YOUNG MAN.

YOU COME FROM:

GOOD STOCK.

WHAT DO YOU:

WANT OF ME?

IT WOULD BE UNFAIR

TO BURDEN YOU MIND

WITH THOUGHTS THAT MIGH TORMENT YOU IN YOUR SECLUDED NIGHT.

WHAT DO YOU WANT OF ME!

VERY WELL.

YOU SHOULD BE:

FEEL COMPLIMENTED.

YOU ARE A PRINCIPAL

PLAYER IN A GAME.

A GAME OF HISTORY.

THAT GIVE YOU:

FOOD FOR THOUGHT?

I CAN SMELL THE SEA AIR.

SOON WE SHALL ENJOY

A BRIEF VOYAGE TOGETHER.

HO, THERE.

GET HIM, YOU FOOL.

NOPE.

NOT THE FACE.

NOT THE FACE.

HERE, GET IN.

[HAMMER POUNDING IRON]

NO, I BEG YOU NO.

I HAVE DONE NOTHING.

PLEASE, I BEG YOU, NO!

NO!

NO....NO!

- LISTEN TO ME.

- NO ONE MUST BE ALLOWED TO

SEE THAT PRISONER WITHOU

- MY EXPRESS PERMISSION,

OR ON ORDERS OF THE KING.

AS FOR HIM, HE MUS NEVER LEAVE THIS ISLAND.

UNDERSTOOD?

YES SIR.

[PRISONER WHIMPERING]

[POUNDS MASK AGAINST STONE]

WHY....................!

WHY...............!

UGH!

IN THE NAME OF GOD.

WILL NO ONE TELL

ME WHO I AM?

I'LL LEAVE YOU HERE,

FOR BUSINESS WITH THE KING'S TAILOR.

FOR THE ROYAL NAME-DAY

CELEBRATIONS AT VAUX.

IT PROMISES TO BE

THE EVENT OF THE SEASON.

AND YOU WILL ATTEND

THIS EXTRAVAGANZA?

I WOULDN'T MISS

IT FOR THE WORLD,

AND NEITHER MUST YOU.

WHAT ARE YOU UP TO?

WE MAKE OUR MOVE

AT VAUX.

THE KING AND ALL HIS COUR WILL BE ASSEMBLED UNDER ONE ROOF.

PREPARE PHILIPPE.

THIS ORDER WILL RELEASE HIM

FROM THE BASTILLE,

THEN BRING HIM TO MY

ESTATE AT BERSAI, AS PLANNED.

- DRIVE ON.

LET YOU SEE THE KING'S COSTUME.

YOU MUST BE MAD.

NO ONE SEES THE KING'S

COSTUMES BEFORE HE WEARS THEM.

THAT WOULD RUIN:

THE SURPRISE.

AH...BUT THAT IS THE POINT.

YOU SEE, MONSIEUR FOUQUE WISHES TO SURPRISE THE KING

UPON HIS ENTRY INTO VAUX.

HOW SO?

THE PORTRAIT OF HIS MAJESTY

WEARING THE COSTUME

YOU HAVE DESIGNED

FOR THE MASKED BALL.

YOU SEE, MS. FOUQUET

HAS ALREADY ENGAGED

ONE OF FRANCES FINES YOUNG PAINTERS.

PERHAPS YOU HAVE

HEARD OF HIM:
LE BANDT.

AH, LE BANDT.

THE MASTER OF DETAIL.

ESPECIALLY WITH COSTUMES.

THE IDEA IS TO HAVE A MODEL

POSE IN THE COSTUME AND THEN

PAINT IN THE FEATURES

OF THE KING.

ADMIRABLE.

A DELICIOUS SURPRISE.

THE TREASURE HIS MAJESTY

WILL DOUBTLESS PRIZE FOREVER.

MY FINEST CREATIONS

PRESERVED FOR POSTERITY.

OF COURSE, IF YOU'RE

STILL OPPOSED?

OPPOSED?

I, A PERSON UNOPPOSED

TO THE KING'S PLEASURE.

POUR SOME WINE:

FOR MONSIEUR.

ONE MOMENT.

I BEG OF YOU MONSIEUR.

HE WILL SURELY SUSPECT.

THEN, IT WILL BE

BOTH OUR NECKS.

AND STOP SHAKING.

YES SIR.

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