The Man in the Iron Mask Page #8

INT. ATHOS' ROOM - NIGHT

The message slams onto the table as Athos staggers upon it,

his legs buckling beneath him in shock and grief.

INT. D'ARTAGNAN'S ROOM - DAY

D'Artagnan is working at his desk, as the Lieutenant enters.

LIEUTENANT:

Sir... a casualty report came...

D'Artagnan looks at the paper the Lieutenant hands him.

D'ARTAGNAN

No, no, no...

He sags for a moment, then grabs his cloak and sword.

INT./ EXT. MUSKETEER'S GATE OF THE PALACE - DAY

The Musketeer's Gate is close to the stables where the

Musketeers train and keep their horses. D'Artagnan hurries

from the Palace and snaps an order.

D'ARTAGNAN

Saddle my horse!

The grooms jump to work; several young Musketeers nearby stop

their training, noticing their Captain's agitation.

D'ARTAGNAN

Hurry --

But then d'Artagnan sees Athos coming, riding furiously

through the Musketeers' gate. D'Artagnan steps out to meet

him as Athos reins in his horse and jumps from the saddle.

D'ARTAGNAN

Athos, my friend --

Athos marches to the palace door; d'Artagnan cuts him off.

D'ARTAGNAN

Athos, please...!

ATHOS:

Get out of my way.

D'ARTAGNAN

(grabbing him)

Athos, I beg you --

Athos punches d'Artagnan with furious strength, knocking him

aside. The young Musketeers reach for their weapons, but

d'Artagnan is up quickly, throwing himself in front of Athos

again, blocking the doorway into the palace.

D'ARTAGNAN

Where are you going?

ATHOS:

To kill the king.

At this, the swords of the young Musketeers sing from their

scabbards. Athos wears a sword, but he has not drawn it.

D'ARTAGNAN

Athos! I know life means nothing to

you at this moment, but I will not

let you kill yourself.

ATHOS:

The King killed my son!

D'ARTAGNAN

The cannons killed Raoul! The

cannons, and love. But not the King.

A YOUNG MUSKETEER steps up.

YOUNG MUSKETEER:

I'll kill the old man for you,

Captain, if you don't wish to --

Athos spins, striking like a rattlesnake, his sword whipping

from its scabbard and slicing off the arrogant young

Musketeer's ear. He flicks another's sword from his grasp,

then brings the the point of his own blade up beneath the

chin of a third, shoving him back.

ATHOS:

Come on! All of you!

D'Artagnan tackles Athos from behind and pins him face down

to the hay. For a moment Athos bellows in rage --

ATHOS:

Coward! Fight me! Fight me...!

Emotion spills up into Athos' throat, and he begins to sob.

ATHOS:

He killed my son, d'Artagnan! He

killed my son...!

D'Artagnan, dying inside, still grips Athos. Athos grows

quiet, and the young Musketeers drift closer.

D'ARTAGNAN

Get back, all of you!

D'Artagnan stands, and Athos rises, still holding his sword.

He looks at d'Artagnan a long beat, then sheathes his sword

and turns to his horse. The young soldiers move to him.

D'ARTAGNAN

Let him go!

Athos mounts his horse, and with a last glance back at

d'Artagnan, he gallops away.

INT. KING'S BEDCHAMBER - DAY

The King has just climaxed in his lovemaking, and lies spent

upon Michelle. His rest is interrupted by a KNOCK at his

door. The King scowls.

LOUIS:

What?!

VOICE:

Your Majesty... it is Andre.

Louis groans, and pulls on a robe. Michelle whispers --

MICHELLE:

Shall I leave?

LOUIS:

No, you may wait behind the screen.

Michelle rises and slips behind a painted dressing screen as

Louis goes to the door and admits the young Lieutenant.

BEHIND THE SCREEN, Michelle lifts a jeweled hand mirror and

appraises her face; she begins brushing her long hair. She

can hear the conversation...

LIEUTENANT:

I would not have disturbed you,

Majesty, but you ordered me to keep

you informed --

LOUIS:

Yes, yes, go on.

LIEUTENANT:

Athos, the former Musketeer, has

just fought with several of your

guard, at the Musketeers' Gate.

Behind the screen, Michelle pauses at the mention of Athos.

LOUIS:

Did they kill him?

LIEUTENANT:

No. He cut an ear from one of the

men, no one else was hurt. Captain

d'Artagnan allowed him to leave.

Athos was upset about the death of

his son, at the front.

CRASH! From behind the screen comes the sound of the mirror,

shattering as it drops to the floor. It startles the

Lieutenant, but the King goes on...

LOUIS:

Who was Athos seeking? Tell me!

Did he try to enter the palace?

LIEUTENANT:

... He did -- but Captain d'Artagnan

blocked his way.

LOUIS:

You may go, Lieutenant.

The Lieutenant moves back to the door.

LIEUTENANT:

Do you want Athos arrested, your

Majesty?

LOUIS:

Not by you. I will order d'Artagnan

to do it.

The Lieutenant leaves, and Louis moves behind the screen to

see Michelle stagger and grip the dressing table; her bare

feet step onto the broken glass of the mirror, yet she is

oblivious to the cuts. Louis sees this and grabs her.

LOUIS:

My dear! The glass -- !

He pulls her to the couch and draws a blanket about her,

cuddling her as she begins to shake.

MICHELLE:

Did you know... about Raoul?

LOUIS:

I did not want to upset you. It was

tragic. I did everything I could

for him. I ordered him positioned

in a spot of complete safety, far

from the fighting. But he

disregarded my wishes and charged

into danger.

He cuddles her as she weeps.

LOUIS:

I will order a Mass for his soul.

It will guarantee his place in

Heaven.

MICHELLE:

Oh Louis, Louis...

She clings to him in her grief.

EXT. NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL - DAY

The great cathedral rises next to the monastery where Aramis

resides. We PAN DOWN and PUSH IN on the cobblestones between

the two structures, as if penetrating to --

SUBTERRANEAN PASSAGES

Aramis leads Porthos through tunnels, twisting, descending.

PORTHOS:

Aramis... is this the way to hell?

ARAMIS:

Hell may be our destination, dear

Porthos, but not this trip.

They reach an iron door and move through it, into

A GORGEOUS, SECRET CHAPEL

Candles illuminate masterpiece frescoes. The place is

breathtaking.

PORTHOS:

Where are we?

ARAMIS:

Jesus of Nazareth found the holy

among the profane. If we are to

have a place of private prayer,

where better than here, beside the

channels where the sh*t and the

garbage run to the river?

Porthos notices niches in the walls; he looks closely and

sees the face of a corpse, enclosed behind glass.

PORTHOS:

Mother of God!

ARAMIS:

It is also a place of burial.

PORTHOS:

A tomb? We're in a tomb?

ARAMIS:

Catacombs. Very holy.

Porthos looks as if the bodies could resurrect at any moment

-- then jumps out of his skin as the door opens.

PORTHOS:

Yaaaahhh!

A hooded figure, looking like the Grim Reaper, enters.

ARAMIS:

Relax, you big fool, it's

d'Artagnan.

And sure enough the hooded figure, whom we now see has been

led in by a little monk, is d'Artagnan. Aramis nods to the

monk, who leaves quickly. Before d'Artagnan can ask

anything, Porthos jumps again; the back door has opened, and

monks usher in Athos, who freezes as he sees d'Artagnan.

ARAMIS:

It's all right. D'Artagnan was the

one who warned us that he'd been

given an order for your arrest.

Here you have sanctuary -- does he

not, d'Artagnan?

The escort monks disappear, closing the chapel door so that

the four Musketeers are left to sit at a small table the

monks have set up, Athos and D'Artagnan opposite each other.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote