The Man in the Iron Mask Page #4

---

FOR AN AGING SWORDSMAN,

UH, THANK YOU, FRANCOIS,

IT'LL BE ALL FOR TODAY.

COME, WE'LL ADJOURN TO

THE SALON FOR A GLASS OF WINE.

[BIRDS TWITTERING]

YOU!

THE BASTILLE.

I.

HOW IS IT THA YOU'RE HERE?

BY SUCH MEANS THA NEITHER YOU NOR I

COULD EVER COMPREHEND.

MY FATHER.

WELL, WHEN I LAST SAW HIM.

THANK GOD!

[VOICES IN THE DISTANCE]

YOU ARE IN DANGER HERE.

COME.

LOUISE.

HOW DO YOU:

KNOW MY NAME?

EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU.

YOU MUST HAVE MOVED,

HARDLY LONGER.

YET YOU REMEMBER ME.

HOW COULD I FORGET.

I MADE YOUR FATHER

TELL ME ALL ABOUT YOU.

WE SPOKE OF:

NOTHING ELSE.

I EVEN KNOW WHERE

YOU CUT YOUR KNEE

WHEN YOU FELL OFF

A PONY AS A GIRL.

IT'S AS IF I'D KNOWN

YOU ALL MY LIFE.

I'M THE LUMP OF A CHILD

MY FATHER SPOKE OF.

WHAT COULD YOU:

SEE IN ME NOW?

NOW CAN THAT EXPLAIN?

YOU'VE BEEN CUT.

I'VE DREAMT OF A

MOMENT SUCH AS THIS.

I DID TOO.

BUT I DARED NOT HOPE.

I NEEDED YOU TO DREAM

MY TROUBLED SLEEP.

THE TWO OF YOU:

ARE WORLDS APART.

I AM REVOLTED:

BY YOU BROTHER.

WHAT IS IT?

BROTHER?

THE KING.

MY BROTHER?

SURELY YOU KNEW.

THEY SAY THE RESEMBLANCE

IS PURELY CHANCE.

THEY DECEIVE YOU THEN.

I HIS TWIN?

YOU HAVE A BIRTHMARK

DO YOU NOT?

GOD, IT'S THE TRUE, THEN.

IS THERE NO ONE:

I CAN TRUST?

NO, YOU ARE A KING.

[FOUQUET CALLS LOUISE]

FOUQUET.

MY HEART, MY LIFE

ARE IN THESE HANDS.

AND BOTH ARE:

SAFE AND SOUND.

[FOUQUET CALLS LOUDER]

HE MUST NOT FIND YOU.

OUR BALLET HAS:

BORED YOU, MY DEAR?

YOUR MAJESTY MISCONSTRUES.

GIVE US YOUR:

OPINION, THEN.

VERY NICE.

NICE.

WE ARE OVERWHELMED

BY YOUR PRAISE.

YET STILL WE FEEL YOU

PREFER YOUR SILLY ROSE

TO OUR LAVISH BALLET.

NOT AT ALL, SIRE.

I MERELY ENJOYED ITS FRAGRANCE.

YOU FIND A SIMPLE FLOWER

MORE BEAUTIFUL THAT OUR CREATION?

ONLY AS ITS BEAUTY

IS NATURAL,

NOT PAINTED ON:

OR CONTRIVED.

[MURMUR]

THERE.

YOU SEE HOW TRANSITORY

YOUR NATURAL BEAUTY IS.

SUCH BEAUTY AS YOUR

MAJESTY HAS JUST DESTROYED,

WILL ENDURE IN MY

HEART FOREVER.

[CROWD MURMURS]

HOW IS IT, FOUQUET?

SHE STANDS US? SHE SCORNS US.

I THINK NOW WE ARE MORE A

PRISONER OF HER CHARMS THAN EVER.

YOU CANNOT ALLOW THIS

TO CONTINUE, MADAME.

EACH DAY THIS GIRL

HUMILIATES YOU MORE.

NOT THE GIRL, MADAME,

BUT HER SUITOR, YOUR SON,

WHO BRINGS DISGRACE

UPON OUR HOUSE.

THE ONLY DISGRACE IN THIS

HOUSEHOLD, MADAME, IS OUR MARRIAGE.

IN GOD'S NAME, LOUIS,

I AM YOUR WIFE.

WIFE?

NAY, SAY RATHER BURDEN.

FOR THE SAKE OF FRANCE,

AND OUR BELOVED MOTHER,

WE AGREED TO A PEACE

WITH SPAIN, AND GO

THIS BAGGAGE IN:

THE BARGAIN.

- LOUIS, YOU ARE SPEAKING

TO THE MOTHER OF YOU CHILDREN.

MY, AND THERE'S A

MIRACLE, MADAME.

FAR EASIER TO SPAN

RHODE'S HARBOR THAN

TO HUSBAND THIS:

MOUNTAIN OF SALLOW FLESH.

OH, COME, MY SWEET,

BEFORE YOU LEAVE

LET THE WORLD BEHOLD

THE SPECIAL VISION OF

ECSTASY THAT GREETS

THESE ROYAL EYES EACH NIGHT.

WHEN WE RETIRE.

OW!

[QUEEN GASPS]

MAY GOD FORGIVE ME,

IF I COULD GO BACK AND SEE

MY CHILDREN FATHERLESS,

I WOULD WISH HIM DEAD.

[QUEEN SOBS AND CRIES]

YOU KNEW.

ALL THIS TIME YOU KNEW

AND YOU DID:

NOT TELL ME.

IS YOU'RE FAITH SO SHAKEN

THAT YOU CANNOT TRUST US ANY FURTHER?

IF SO, ALL IS LOST.

YOU SAVED MY LIFE

AND RESCUED ME FROM HELL,

WHOM ELSE AM I:

TO TRUST?

WELL, LET ME HEAR

THE PLAN.

SIMPLY THIS, YOU'LL GO

THROUGH OF THE KING DURING

FOUQUET'S CELEBRATION AT VAUX.

THERE IS, HOWEVER, FOR YOU

ONE CONDITION.

WHAT PRICE A CROWN?

THE TRANSITION OF POWER

MUST BE SWIFT AND SMOOTH.

THE WORLD MUST NEVER

BE AWARE THAN ANY

CHANGE HAS TAKEN PLACE.

YOU MUST, THEREFORE, AGREE

TO RULE AS LOUIS THE FOURTEENTH.

FOR HOW LONG?

FOR THE REST OF:

YOUR NATURAL LIFE.

AS FIRST BORN AM I NO THE RIGHTFUL HEIR?

RIGHT OR WRONG HAS

LITTLE TO DO WITH THIS.

IT'S A MATTER OF

POLITICAL NECESSITY.

- FRANCE IS TOO UNSTABLE NOW

TO RISK A COUP.

[SIGH]

BUT WHAT OF ME?

I AM NOT LOUIS,

I AM PHILIPPE.

AM I NEVER TO BE MYSELF?

WHAT OF ME?

NO.

I REFUSE TO TAKE ANY PAR IN SUCH A TRAVESTY.

WHAT OF ME!

POOR PHILIPPE.

IT SICKENS ME TO

LISTEN TO SUCH STUFF.

THESE OLD EYES HAVE SEEN

TO MUCH SUFFERING.

WHILE YOU LAY ABED,

IN BURGUNDY.

SNUG AN SAFE FAR FROM

LOUIS' REACH, WELL

MY PAMPERED YOUNG PRINCE,

THERE WERE OTHERS LESS FORTUNATE.

CONSIDER, FOR EXAMPLE,

MY TRUSTED SERVANT, ANDRE.

HAVE YOU NEVER WONDERED

AT HIS CONSTANT SILENCE?

HE HAS NO TONGUE.

THEY CUT IT OUT.

HIS CRIME?

THIS MAN, THE ONLY LIVING

WITNESS OF YOUR BIRTH

REFUSED TO DIVULGE THE

SECRET OF YOUR WHEREABOUTS.

BUT, BEFORE YOU SEVER A TONGUE

ALWAYS TRY PERSUASION.

THERE IS A PLACE

IN THE DISTANT ALPS.

AN ESTATE, WHERE THE SUN IS SOFT,

SOIL RICH, AND THE GAME PLENTIFUL.

YOU'RE FREE TO RETIRE THERE

AND LIVE OUT THE REST OF YOUR LIFE,

IN PEACE AND TRANQUILITY.

YOU ROYAL IDENTITY

FOREVER A SECRET.

YOUR NEEDS AMPLY

PROVIDED FOR.

NO ONE WILL BLAME YOU

IF YOU CHOSE THE SAFER ROAD.

MYSELF....OR MY INHERITANCE.

YOUR BIRTHRIGHT IS

THE CROWN OF FRANCE.

DID YOU KNOW MY:

FATHER WELL, D'ARTAGNAN?

ENOUGH TO LOVE HIM EVER.

HE WAS A BRAVE MAN?

THERE WAS NO BRAVER,

GENTLER MAN IN ALL CHRISTENDOM.

IT'S A PITY

YOU NEVER KNEW HIM.

I.........AM HIS FIRST BORN.

I AM THE RIGHTFUL

HEIR TO HIS THRONE.

CLEARLY THEN, FOR A WHILE YOU

WILL HAVE TO PRACTICE PATIENCE.

TRUE, BUT IN TIME YOU OWN

PERSONALITY MAY EMERGE.

- EVENTUALLY BLOT OU ALL TRACE OF LOUIS.

- BUT NOT AT FIRST.

- FRANCE COULD BE

THE ENVY OF THE WORLD.

MY FRIENDS...

I ACCEPT.

GOD SAVE THE KING.

GOD SAVE THE KING.

PERHAPS YOU ACCESS

THE CHATEAU A SERVANT,

BUT YOU WILL LEAVE IT

A KING.

AGH!.....IF I LIVE TO BE ONE.

WHAT YOU DOING?

A THOUSAND PARDONS.

ONE MORE SUIT, I BEG YOU.

THANK YOU.

THERE!

NOW, WHAT DO YOU

THINK OF THAT?

I STILL SEE PHILIPPE.

ONE MOMENT, PLEASE.

ONE MOMENT.

THE MAIN FEATURE.

NOW, WHAT DO YOU SEE?

AN ASS.

MAGNIFICENT.

HIS MAJESTY WILL BE

ETERNALLY IN YOUR DEBT.

MONSIEUR COLBERT, I MUS CONGRATULATE YOU

AND ALSO THE ARTIST.

AH, IT WAS NEVER MY

INTENTION TO OUTSHINE MY HOST.

THE PORTRAIT IS YOURS

TO PRESENT TO THE KING.

MOST GENEROUS, MONSIEUR.

IN APPRECIATION OF YOUR

KIND HOSTILITY.

I WILL PRESENT IT TO

THE KING THIS EVENING,

AT THE BALL.

MONSIEUR FOUQUET.

HMM?

CONCEAL IT TILL LATER.

LEST THE KING SHOULD

HAPPEN UPON I:

THE SURPRISE:

SHOULD BE SPOILED.

HANG IT IN THE:

APARTMENTS OF:

MADEMOISELLE DE LA VALLIERE.

SHE DEFENDS HER PRIVACY AS

JEALOUSLY AS SHE DOES HER VIRTUE.

BE MILD, I WILL TAKE MY LEAVE.

ONCE AGAIN, M. TOUSAND,

THANKS FOR YOUR GENEROSITY.

WHAT POET OF ANTIQUITY

FIRST WARNED US TO BEWARE

OF GREEKS BEARING GIFTS.

WATCH HIM.

A LITTLE ALMOND PASTE

TO WHITEN THE SKIN.

A TOUCH OF ROUGE.

YOUR CHEEKS AND LIPS

A BOTTLE OR TWO:

OF SWEET PERFUMES,

AND THE TRANSFORMATION

WILL BE COMPLETE.

[KNOCK ON THE DOOR]

PHILIPPE.

SO THIS IS THE:

FAMOUS COSTUME?

AN EXACT REPLICA OF THE ONE

HIS MAJESTY WILL BE WEARING.

HOW WILL YOU:

TELL US APART?

I'VE TAKEN THE LIBERTY

OF HAVING A SUBTLE

DISTINCTION INCORPORATED

INTO THE DESIGN.

ONLY WE FOUR WILL BE

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes