The Man in the Iron Mask Page #4

The keeper looks for what he tripped on -- a worn Bible. He

snatches it up and grabs a hunk of pages from its middle.

MAN IN THE IRON MASK

No, Keeper, it's my only book!

Hearing the pleading in the prisoner's voice, the keeper

looks squarely at him -- and rips out the pages.

MAN IN THE IRON MASK

What number did you tear out?

KEEPER:

Eh?

MAN IN THE IRON MASK

What number, on the first page?

KEEPER:

... Two-thirty-seven.

MAN IN THE IRON MASK

Two-thirty-seven: "... And the

descendants of Japeth are these:

Obediah, Zebulon, Hezekiah..."

As the prisoner rattles off the names of Biblical genealogy,

the jailer gawks at the pages in his hand.

KEEPER:

You've... memorized...?

MAN IN THE IRON MASK

What was the end page?

As the keeper is speechless, the prisoner looks for himself.

MAN IN THE IRON MASK

Six-two-one:
"... Though I speak

with the tongues of men and angels,

and have not love, I am but a

clanging cymbal or --"

The Keeper staggers in shock; the prisoner bubbles with joy.

MAN IN THE IRON MASK

We're playing, Keeper! A game!

Take another page, any page! Keeper

and I are playing a game!

And the prisoner takes the keeper's fat hands in his own and

begins to dance and sing.

MAN IN THE IRON MASK

A game, a game, we're playing a --

The keeper's left arm goes rigid, and he clutches his chest

with his right hand; he drops upon the stone floor.

MAN IN THE IRON MASK

Keeper...?

The prisoner approaches the jailer; the man is stoned dead.

MAN IN THE IRON MASK

No... No! Keeper, please, you

cannot die! You're my only friend!

The prisoner tries to wipe his eyes, but he can't get at

them, inside the mask. He edges to the open door.

MAN IN THE IRON MASK

Help! Someone! Keeper is dead!

He slumps down beside the open door, and weeps.

INT. PALACE - D'ARTAGNAN'S ROOM - EVENING

D'Artagnan's room is spartan: a cot, and weapons laid on a

plain table. It has a single small window, and d'Artagnan

stands at it now, looking out into the Palace garden below.

The guests have all gone home; the party pavilions have been

cleared away. And now in the blue dusk, a solitary lady

walks. She is Anne of Austria, the Queen Mother, the lady we

saw in the opening.

Now, twenty years later, she is a slim frail figure. Her

clothes are drab and simple, like the dress of mourning; she

walks in silence, watched at a distance by nun attendants.

She glances up, and sees d'Artagnan's form in the window.

When he sees her looking, he pulls away from the window.

INT. PALACE CORRIDOR - EVENING

D'Artagnan's room is along the same corridor as the Royal

Apartments. D'Artagnan sits at the small table, going over

paperwork. Through his open door he sees that Anne and her

attendants are filing along in the corridor, and he rivets

his eyes back to his work.

IN THE CORRIDOR:

Anne reaches the door to her apartment, and looks back to

where d'Artagnan's door is open.

INT. D'ARTAGNAN'S ROOM

The Queen Mother's ATTENDANT appears at d'Artagnan's door.

ATTENDANT:

She wishes a word with you.

INT. THE CORRIDOR

D'Artagnan approaches the Queen Mother, and bows.

D'ARTAGNAN

M'lady...?

ANNE:

I understand you saved my son's life

today.

D'ARTAGNAN

God smiled upon us.

ANNE:

And you were not hurt?

D'ARTAGNAN

No, M'lady.

ANNE:

That is good.

Without a change of expression on her still beautiful but sad

face, she enters her room.

INT. D'ARTAGNAN'S ROOM - EVENING

D'Artagnan returns to his room, just as a young LIEUTENANT of

Musketeers (Andre) arrives with two of the Royal Guards.

LIEUTENANT:

Duty lists of the day, Captain!

D'ARTAGNAN

Thank you, Andre.

They hand him the list and salute again, to leave.

D'ARTAGNAN

Wait. There is an entry here --

"Messenger sent by King to residence

of Mademoiselle Michelle Beaufort."

Why was that?

The young Musketeers try not to smirk.

LIEUTENANT:

Well, Captain...

INT. ATHOS' APARTMENT - NIGHT

Athos sits alone, playing a haunting melody on a violin. It

is a sad tune, played with feeling; he stops as he hears a

KNOCK at his door, and opens it to --

ATHOS:

D'Artagnan!

D'ARTAGNAN

Athos, my friend!

They embrace with deep affection -- friends who have shared

each other's darkest times.

D'ARTAGNAN

It's been too long.

ATHOS:

Life is too long. Except when we

have our friends. Look at you!

You're still a boy! Sit, sit! I'll

open a bottle of wine.

D'Artagnan takes one of the wooden chairs, by the meager

fire. The whole place is modest at best.

D'ARTAGNAN

Thanks, but not for me.

ATHOS:

You can't drink with a friend you

haven't seen in months?

D'ARTAGNAN

I have ordered a drill of the Royal

Guard for midnight, and must be

clear-headed for it.

ATHOS:

Midnight! Mon dieu! Driving the

youngsters hard, eh?

D'ARTAGNAN

They must stay sharp. There was an

attempt on the King's life today.

ATHOS:

Another? How many times have you

saved his life in this year alone?

Three? Four?

D'ARTAGNAN

I heard your playing.

ATHOS:

I was feeling sorry for myself.

Raoul is getting married, he

proposed today! I love that boy

beyond all measure, I've spent

everything I own to give him

education and opportunity. Now he

has complete happiness, and I mope.

A cloud passes d'Artagnan's face; he has something to tell

Athos.

D'ARTAGNAN

Athos...

But whatever it is that d'Artagnan wants to say is

interrupted by the sound of someone climbing the stairs. As

Athos' face brightened with the arrival of d'Artagnan, now it

glows as he jumps up to welcome his son.

ATHOS:

That must be Raoul! Raoul! Look,

d'Artagnan's come to visit...!

What's wrong? You look awful!

RAOUL:

Michelle, she -- The king has

invited her to come live in the

palace.

Athos is stunned; d'Artagnan witnesses this with agony.

ATHOS:

But -- are you sure?

RAOUL:

We were at her door. I was just

taking the ring from my pocket, for

the third time today, when a young

Musketeer brought the invitation for

her to become a lady-in-waiting for

the Queen Mother.

ATHOS:

Michelle cannot possibly accept!

RAOUL:

She cannot possibly refuse. Her

family is poor, they have even less

money than we do. And along with

the invitation, the King sent the

diamond pendant, from the piglet.

ATHOS:

Piglet -- ? What are you -- ?

RAOUL:

Never mind, Papa, it doesn't matter

now. She loved me once. I want to

die remembering that.

ATHOS:

Die? What...?

RAOUL:

I have rejoined the army, and asked

to resume my commission at the head

of the troops of General Fromberge.

ATHOS:

Fromberge...?! At the front?! No.

RAOUL:

It is already done. I have just

stopped at Mother's grave, to say

goodbye, before coming to tell you.

ATHOS:

Raoul, no... You cannot do this. No

matter how your heart is broken --

But Raoul stops him, with an embrace.

RAOUL:

Goodbye, father. I am sorry.

ATHOS:

Raoul --

Raoul breaks away, and runs from the room. Athos, so joyful

moments before, holds his head as if his brain might erupt.

ATHOS:

This cannot be. Everyone knows the

Queen Mother is a recluse, and the

ladies-in-waiting are but

mistresses for the king!

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