The Possession Page #13

INT. ASH FACTORY - BASEMENT - DAY

Inside his office, Blackadder is hard at work on a footnote

of an Ash poem (Mummy Possesst). He looks up to see:

Fergus. Instinctively, Blackadder puts a hand over his

writing.

FERGUS:

I was looking for Roland Michell.

BLACKADDER:

He's on holiday. He asked for a few

days off... Never had a holiday

before, now that I think of it -

FERGUS:

Maybe this was personal. I was

pretty sure Roland was onto

something about Christabel La

Motte...

(as Blackadder

raises an eyebrow)

But it may have come to nothing. Or

he'd have told you.

BLACKADDER:

He probably would.

FERGUS:

Exactly.

INT. ROLAND AND VAL'S APARTMENT - DAY

Val is eating cornflakes. CATS MEOWING. The DOORBELL

RINGS. She goes to answer it. It's Fergus Wolf.

FERGUS:

Hello, my dearest. Is Roland in?

(CONTINUED)

72.

CONTINUED:

VAL:

No. He's gone away for a few days.

FERGUS:

What a pity. I need to get in touch

with him rather urgently.

VAL:

He hasn't phoned. I don't know when

he's back. I haven't been all that

nice to him.

FERGUS:

I see...

VAL:

I don't know what you see, Fergus.

You always see a bit more than there

is to see. What's up?

FERGUS:

There's something going on I don't

understand. Yet. You don't happen

to know Maud Bailey?

A silence. Now Val is intrigued.

VAL:

I see... He didn't tell me what he

was up to. He knows I'm not

interested. But I did have a phone

number. For emergencies.

FERGUS:

This could be an emergency.

EXT. SOHO STREETS (OUTSIDE L'ESCARGOT) - DAY

Outside a restaurant, Mortimer Cropper walks with Hildebrand

Ash down the street. When he hears a voice behind him.

FERGUS:

Professor Cropper -

(as Cropper and

Hildebrand turn

'round)

Sorry to interrupt. I was curious

if you'd seen Roland Michell

recently...

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

73.

CONTINUED:

FERGUS (CONT'D)

(beat; catches his

breath)

... I think he may have discovered

something. A connection between Ash

and the poet Christabel La Motte...

Hildebrand and Cropper exchange glances.

CROPPER:

How extraordinary. We were just

discussing an enquiry about some

letters up in Lincoln -

(giving his full

attention)

You interest me, Dr. Wolf.

Like a cat with the cream, Fergus purrs quietly.

INT. SEAL COURT - DAY

THROUGH the kitchen window, Sir George peers out from behind

the curtain to see a swanky Mercedes arrive outside the

house. He goes into the hallway, picks up his shotgun,

and!-

EXT. SEAL COURT - DAY

Sir George aims his shotgun down its sights at Mortimer

Cropper, standing by his Mercedes looking up at the house.

SIR GEORGE:

Who the hell are you?

Cropper walks forward, holding out his card.

CROPPER:

Professor Mortimer Cropper of the

Cropper Foundation, Harmony City,

New Mexico. I've come a long way!-

Sir George doesn't take the card. Still aims the gun.

SIR GEORGE:

Go away. What do you want!-- ?

(CONTINUED)

74.

CONTINUED:

CROPPER:

Don't shoot. I never trouble the

truly reluctant. I believe you may

be in possession of letters by

Randolph Henry Ash. Have you any

idea of how much they would be

worth?

SIR GEORGE:

Worth?

CROPPER:

In money. In money, Sir George.

Sir George's brow creases with thought. The gun lowers.

SIR GEORGE:

English things should stay in

England in my view!-

CROPPER:

Understandable. An admirable

sentiment. But these days, how

relevant is sentiment?

Cropper sees the gap, leaps in. He proffers Sir George his

card.

EXT. WHITBY SEASHORE - NEAR CAVERN - DAY

Roland and Maud at a rocky cavern they glimpsed from the

hotel. Maud with scarf covering her hair, suddenly seeing

Roland in a new light, as she examines the distinctive,

jet-black stones.

MAUD:

Look at these. All shiny and black.

No wonder Ash wrote about them.

ROLAND:

I wonder if they ever met again...

MAUD:

No one knows where Christabel went

when Blanche died. She seems to

have vanished -

ROLAND:

Then it's hopeless. We still need

to find real proof Ash and

Christabel were here together.

(CONTINUED)

75.

CONTINUED:

MAUD:

That could take weeks...

(beat)

Will you be sorry to go back now?

ROLAND:

Will you?

MAUD:

I have the impression both of us

will be sorry.

Maud looks up at Roland. And as the sunlight reflects on

the stones in her hand -

DISSOLVE TO:

FLASHBACK - EXT. WHITBY SEASHORE (ROCKY CAVERN) - DAY

(1859)

Stones in the hand of Christabel, glinting. Ash and

Christabel are in a cavern aglow with light. Outside, WAVES

CRASH against rocks, as Christabel fills her basket with

jet-black stones. In a playful, light-hearted mood, Ash

nuzzles close to her.

CHRISTABEL:

I shall take these home, use them to

prop doors, weigh down the sheets of

my poem!-

Affectionately, hands intertwined, she teases him.

ASH:

Let me carry them back for you.

CHRISTABEL:

(laughingly)

I can carry my own burdens.

ASH:

Not while I am here!-

Ash takes the basket. She relents, then suddenly her mood

shifts. She looks away saddened, as they head out onto the

rocks.

CHRISTABEL:

You know that after these few days

together!-

ASH:

Let us not think of time!-

(CONTINUED)

76.

CONTINUED:

CHRISTABEL:

We must part, never look back. It

is inevitable, we both know it!-

ASH:

I cannot, will not. I love you!-

CHRISTABEL:

You speak to me of love? You have a

wife, sir. Speak to me of her.

In sudden fury, the SEA CRASHES against rocks below. Wind

buffets them. In anguish, words stick in his throat, tears

in his eyes.

ASH:

I have a wife... and I love her.

Not as I love you...

(he stops; unable

to go on)

There are good reasons why my love

for you need not hurt her. I know

this must sound bald and lame. It

must be what many men, philandering

men, have said before me. I never

thought to find myself saying such

things. Yet I believe what I have

said to be true. I can never tire

of you!-- of this!-

CHRISTABEL:

It is in our nature to tire.

Fortunately. Let us collude with

necessity. Let us play with it...

(beat)

'... And if we cannot make our sun

stand still, yet we will make him

run.'

ASH:

... A poet after my own heart.

CHRISTABEL:

And mine. Though not more beloved

than Randolph Henry Ash...

She moves towards him. They embrace passionately. From her

pocket, Christabel throws a paper out on the wind, flying

away!-

ASH:

What is that?

(CONTINUED)

77.

CONTINUED:

CHRISTABEL:

A poem. I was writing it here.

ASH:

Why!-- ? You... are not happy with

it?

CHRISTABEL:

These feelings!-- I want them to

live forever. To survive the few

days we have here.

She trembles, close to tears. Ash takes her in his arms.

And as the wild sea buffets the shore, WAVES CRASHING

against rocks!-

HOLD ON the scraps of paper, as they fly on the wind, PAST

the tide pools, ACROSS the beach, TOWARDS the seashore,

where!-

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