The Masque of the Red Death Page #3

I thought...

Yes?

I don't know.

What's that?

Satan's mark.

Prospero did that to you?

No.

I did it to myself.

It marks me as one

of Satan's handmaidens.

Are you ill?

No.

It was a difficult ceremony.

Veils of ignorance

were lifted from my eyes.

And now there's only

1 more rite to perform...

and I will be

wed to Satan.

You've given away your soul.

Yes. Gladly.

Soon all the innocence

will be gone...

and then I will

have immortality...

and I shall have Prospero.

But I must be certain.

And if you were gone...

Gladly!

If there were a way.

Would you dare to leave

the safety of this castle?

There is no safety

for me here.

This key will unlock the cell.

The guard on the north wall

has been bribed.

Take your Gino

and your father and go.

But the guards...

The way through

to the dungeons?

You've been to the armory

and to the dungeons.

You must make your own way.

Now go. Quickly.

Gino?

Gino?

Gino.

Francesca.

How did you...

Juliana.

Quick, we must hurry

to the battlements.

The guard there

will help us.

I think I heard something.

Oh, sit down and play.

Guard.

Juliana betrayed us.

She betrayed me.

What can you want

of two men...

who've done you no harm?

They killed 3 of my guards.

Three human beings.

According to your faith,

they have sinned greatly.

And tomorrow at the feast

before the masque...

at least 1 of them must pay

for those sins.

Hear me.

Hear me!

Soon you will be

costuming yourselves...

for the masque.

A celebration,

my friends.

A celebration

of victory over death...

of evil over good.

Senor Scarlatti and his wife

will not be joining us.

He failed to obey my orders.

But because of me...

through my mediation

with my master...

the lord of flies...

you, all of you...

unworthy though

you may be...

will be safe

from the Red Death.

We promise you.

Unless, of course,

you incur our displeasure.

For some of you are guilty

of acts against us.

Acts of faith, perhaps.

And all of you,

I suspect...

still harbor some...

sacred thoughts.

But no more.

The fallen angel

will protect you.

And now for

a small entertainment.

Guards!

These 2 men are

true believers.

They believe in a god...

who preached

"love thy neighbor."

Therefore they refuse

to fight each other...

in order to save

one of their lives.

However, I have

devised a plan...

whereby each may have

the honor and glory...

of saving

the other's life.

There are 5 daggers here.

One of them is impregnated

with a poison...

that kills in 5 seconds.

Each man, in turn,

will cut his forearm.

Begin.

Would you not

lay down your life...

for your brother?

Next.

Five seconds.

Five seconds.

Five seconds.

Father!

The game was not

played properly...

so both will die.

- No.

- You're a madman.

And yet I will live

and you will die.

Where is your god now

in the hour of your need?

I will see Him...

in Paradise.

In the role of a martyr.

No. I will not

have you killed.

I will set you free instead.

Free to go back

to your village...

and the Red Death.

I beg you.

I am only giving him

a further glorious chance...

to test his faith, my dear.

Out.

I'll come back for you,

Francesca.

Somehow, I'll come back.

Prince Prospero,

let me go with him.

- You?

- Please.

You?

Oh, no, my dear.

I could not bear

to think of...

No.

You will go

to your rooms now...

and prepare

for the masque.

You will not appear

in your costumes until midnight.

Why do you follow me?

Bring Gino back, and...

I will do

whatever you wish.

You would destroy yourself

for him?

Yes.

You almost

cause me to doubt.

Prospero.

My prince.

I'm ready.

My son.

Tell me of it.

My god.

My god.

Who is your god?

The true one.

Yes.

Tell me.

I have sinned.

I have killed.

- For yourself?

- No.

Now I'm afraid.

- For yourself?

- For Francesca.

And for me.

I must go back for her,

but I don't know how.

What weapon can I use

against Prospero?

Love.

In the air,

through the trees...

I found myself

loving only myself.

I'm afraid of the town

where the Red Death walks.

I'm afraid of Prospero

in his castle.

I'm afraid.

I'm afraid.

I give you a sign.

What does it mean?

Mankind.

Won't this thing become

uncomfortably hot?

It will become

a little warm.

But it won't be for long.

After the unmasking...

you can take it off...

because the game

will be over.

True enough.

Get on with it.

Perfect.

Perfect.

See yourself.

Now crouch low.

And swing your arms.

Back, mighty animal.

I am your keeper...

brought from

deepest Africa...

to control

your great strength.

Back!

Back!

Where do you go?

The burial ground's

beyond the hill.

We go to the castle.

Why?

To beg forgiveness

of the prince.

Forgiveness?

For what?

For however

we have sinned.

You'll beg forgiveness

at the house of Satan himself?

Better than

the Red Death.

Stop. Stop!

My master...

Satan.

Prospero?

Prospero?

I am betrothed...

of the devil.

And I have seen the terrors.

Not all of them.

I have survived

my own sacrifice.

There is more.

And I am stronger

in the devil's favor...

than you are.

Together, on Earth,

we shall live as man and wife.

And when he calls us...

you will be Satan...

and I still your wife.

I have tasted

the beauties of terror.

Hush.

Listen.

The passing of time...

the beating of a heart...

the footstep of

an assassin.

Destiny.

I beg you,

do not mourn for Juliana.

We should celebrate.

She has just married

a friend of mine.

Let the masque begin!

Officer of the night watch.

Who are you?

All that is left of

the village of Catania.

Then go back to it.

We beg mercy of the lord

Prince Prospero.

Inform the prince.

It might amuse him.

Don't grovel to him.

Don't let him delight

in the destruction...

of your souls.

I wish to save our bodies.

The few left to us.

Do you expect any plea

to move his heart?

If we must die,

let's die like human beings.

You have not seen

the Red Death.

You've not seen

the dungeons of Prospero.

Don't be frightened.

Come with me.

This is Gino.

This is my child.

I must give her every chance.

Where does the rabbit run?

That one fears Prospero

more than the Red Death.

What do you want?

Mercy, great prince.

This is all that

is left of us...

and the winter...

it comes on

the freezing wind.

- There is no shelter.

- Dig a burrow...

as the fox

and rabbits do.

But the wells

and the streams...

they'll be frozen over.

There's no food.

Then store up nuts,

like the squirrels.

Mercy.

Give us the sanctuary

of the castle walls.

Give me an end

to your pleading.

Go back from

whence you came.

We will die.

If you refuse to go,

then... die here.

Archers.

But not the child.

It will perish anyway.

Not the child.

Fire.

Fire.

Gifts!

Gifts for everyone!

Diamonds, rubies, emeralds,

pearls for my friends!

For my guests!

Look at them.

Look at them

all scrambling...

like starving men

for a crust of bread.

All wealthy,

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