The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc Page #9

JEANNE:

Ah, so that's it. To you I'm just a

girl.

DUNOIS:

Jeanne, put yourself in my shoes for

a moment -- how would you feel, if

you were me?

JEANNE:

Knowing what I know? Enormous

gratitude.

Jeanne turns and heads for the door. La Hire nudges

Gilles as she approaches --

LA HIRE:

One hell of a girl, huh?

As she passes, Jeanne slaps La Hire right across the

face --

JEANNE:

I warned you!

-- and walk out, slamming the door behind her. The others

stare after her, while La Hire nurses his cheek.

GILLES:

(to La Hire)

I do love her when her fire gets

well and truly stoked!

LA HIRE:

Me too...

A pause, then the door at the other end of the room bursts

open and in walks the expansive Duke of Alencon.

ALENCON:

Hello my friends! What a journey,

but we made it! Back together

again... let's have some fun!

He rubs his hands in anticipation, then notes his

comrades' expressions, still recovering from Jeanne's

outburst.

ALENCON:

Did I miss something?

INT. JEANNE'S BEDROOM - ORLEANS HOUSE - NIGHT

Jeanne draws her sword with a terrifying scrape as though

about to kill someone, slices something in f.g. -- and a

chunk of black hair falls to the ground.

JEANNE:

So what if I'm a girl...?

(cuts another chunk)

You need to look like a man to drive

out the English?

(and another)

Fine... let's look like a man!

Aulon grabs her by the wrist to take the sword from her --

AULON:

Jeanne, stop it!

JEANNE:

How dare you stop me doing God's

will!

Aulon wrestles to get the sword from her --

AULON:

He didn't tell you to cut all your

hair off...!

JEANNE:

How dare you tell me what God tells

me to do!

AULON:

Alright, whatever -- but since He's

not going to come down and cut it

himself, at least let someone cut it

properly!

He finally manages to grab the sword from her...

AULON:

Raymond -- bring me scissors!

Louis -- fetch that mirror!

The two page boys hop to it, but when Louis brings the

mirror, Jeanne slaps it from his hand...

AULON:

Jeanne, stop getting so angry about

everything...! Calm down!

Jeanne stares at him.

JEANNE:

I am calm. It's God who's angry. I

need to send a letter. Now.

Aulon looks at her.

INT. HQ - ORLEANS HOUSE - NIGHT

Dunois reads the parchment that Aulon hands to him...

JEANNE (V.O.)

To you, Henry King of England, and

to you, Duke of Bedford who call

yourself Regent of France, obey the

King of Heaven and abandon your

siege...

Dunois can scarcely believe it. He hands it to Alencon...

JEANNE (V.O.)

... give back the keys to the other

towns you have taken, and go back

home to your island...

Equally bemused, Alencon hands it to La Hire...

JEANNE (V.O.)

To you Lord Talbot, I beg you as

humbly as I can beg you, for the

sake of the lives of your soldiers,

do not bring about your own

destruction...

La Hire whistles with admiration and hands it to Gilles.

JEANNE (V.O.)

Surrender to me, Jeanne the Maiden,

who is sent here by God, and she

will make peace with you...

Gilles grins, and hands back to Aulon, who looks to Dunois

for an answer. Dunois gives a vague nod of the head...

EXT. BROKEN BRIDGE - ORLEANS - NIGHT

As Jeanne's letter continues, Aulon walks across the

broken stone bridge that once connected the city to the

south bank of the Loire. Two-thirds the way across, the

bridge ends abruptly, leaving a yawning gap between us and

the fortress of the Tourelles.

JEANNE (V.O.)

... but if you do not heed my

warning, then we shall raise such a

battle-cry as there has not been

heard in France for a thousand

years!

Aulon takes the arrow to which Jeanne's letter is already

tied, places it in the bow -- takes aim and fires...

EXT. TOURELLES - ROOF/COURTYARD - NIGHT

The arrow lands in wooden planking. An English soldier

with a flaming red beard yanks it out, gives it a cursory

glance, grins, then clambers down to the courtyard below

where soldiers are busily trimming the branches from

freshly-felled trees. Redbeard hands the letter to an

English captain, Glasdale...

JEANNE (V.O.)

This is the third and last time I

will write to you...

Glasdale reads it, and gives his response.

EXT. BROKEN BRIDGE - ORLEANS - NIGHT

Aulon is still waiting at the end of the broken bridge.

JEANNE (V.O.)

If you are still here at noon, I

warn you that you will hear from me

to your very great destruction.

Please give me your answer speedily.

Redbeard yells out from the top of the Tourelles...

REDBEARD:

Go f*** yourself!

INT. JEANNE'S BEDROOM - ORLEANS HOUSE - NIGHT

Aulon hesitates, then softly opens the door. He tiptoes

into the room, looks at Jeanne, then at Louis, who has

fallen asleep with the scissors still clasped somewhat

dangerously to his chest. Aulon gently removes them. As

he places them on the table, Jeanne murmurs in her sleep,

but without opening her eyes.

JEANNE:

What did they say?

AULON:

Uh... they said... they will think

about it.

JEANNE:

Good.

AULON:

But... to be honest... I don't think

they'll leave tomorrow.

Jeanne is almost asleep again...

JEANNE:

I can't wait... for tomorrow...

Aulon sits in a chair nearby, gazing at Jeanne, who now

looks even younger, with her hair shorn short like a boy.

EXT. BATTLEFIELD - ST. LOUP - DAWN

SMASH CUT into the fury of battle -- swords hacking

through armor, whirling maces smashing visors, blood

spurting from severed limbs... Among the combatants:

Dunois, Alencon, La Hire and Gilles...

INT. JEANNE'S BEDROOM - ORLEANS HOUSE - DAWN

Jeanne suddenly sits bolt upright, eyes wide. Aulon is

still asleep in his chair where we last saw him.

JEANNE:

French blood is spilling!

Aulon awakes as she leaps to her feet, strapping on her

breast plate and gauntlets...

AULON:

What's going on?!

JEANNE:

They've started the battle without

me!

She tips the two page boys onto the floor...

JEANNE:

Oh, my boys -- why didn't you wake

me up?! Come on, hurry up --

Raymond, saddle my horse -- there's

a battle to fight and a war to be

won!

Raymond runs off and Aulon takes his place, helping Louis

to buckle on Jeanne's armor. She rushes off, leaving

Louis to assist Aulon with his own armor...

EXT. HOUSE & STREET - ORLEANS - DAWN

Jeanne runs out of the house to where Raymond is standing

with her horse. She mounts it and canters off...

INT. JEANNE'S BEDROOM - ORLEANS - DAWN

Still buckling on his own armor, Aulon spots Jeanne's

furled white banner leaning against the wall...

EXT. HOUSE & STREET - ORLEANS - DAWN

Jeanne suddenly remembers she's forgotten her banner. She

turns her horse about and canters back, screaming out --

JEANNE:

My banner! I forgot my banner!

Aulon appears at the window, holding her banner --

AULON:

Jeanne... here!

Jeanne circles about and canters forward...

JEANNE:

Throw it!

Aulon throws it down to her. She catches it with one

hand, turns and gallops off down the street, the white

banner streaming out behind her.

EXT. EAST GATE - ORLEANS - DAWN

The Guard above the main gate sees the French army

approaching in full retreat. He calls down...

GUARD:

Open the gates!

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