The Possession Page #15

CHRISTABEL:

I am sad we went walking, sir.

(beat)

Yet sad too, that we are not walking

still.

She does not withdraw her hand. Ash lets it go. The

coachman shuts the door. They stare into each other's eyes,

as the driver cracks his whip and her carriage sets off -

Ash stares at the carriage. His eyes moist with tears. As

Christabel vanishes into the distance.

END OF FLASHBACK.

84.

INT. ROLAND'S FLAT - DAY

Weary and exhausted, finally home, Roland passes his

bicycle, makes his way down his flat. In the corridor,

Roland finds Val. With her coat on. A suitcase. And vase,

in hand.

VAL:

Hello, Roland. Did you have a good

time with Maud Bailey?

ROLAND:

I rang and rang you ...

VAL:

I thought if you could vanish, I

could. So I did.

ROLAND:

You don't look very angry, Val.

Actually, you look happy.

Roland looks 'round the flat. Furniture seems to be

missing.

VAL:

I decided I could be...

(beat)

I'm going to live with Euan.

The shock, when it comes, is a double whammy: he has no

idea.

ROLAND:

... Who?

VAL:

A lawyer. In my office. Anything

to say?

ROLAND:

Er... I'm glad.

VAL:

I hope not altogether glad. Are you

all right?

ROLAND:

In some ways. In others, I'm in a

mess.

VAL:

You'll survive, I suppose. The

rent's paid until the first of the

month. This week, that is.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

85.

CONTINUED:

VAL (CONT'D)

I'll leave you the cats... Dry food.

And sardines. No tins. And change

the tray. Daily... if you can

possibly manage.

Roland stands in the hallway, Val picks up her suitcase,

exits. The door slams. Welcome home.

INT. TV STUDIO - NIGHT

Inside a studio, a TV panel gets ready to debate the hot

literary news. LEONORA STERN, a loud, energetic US feminist

sits next to Blackadder, in the makeup chair, while Cropper

and Hildebrand Ash sit under lights getting ready.

MAKEUP:

Ready, Professor Stern -- ?

LEONORA:

More blush, deary, I can take

it -

As an interviewer announces a lead-in, Leonora leans over,

whispering to Blackadder, hand poised on his thigh.

LEONORA:

You've got to make your Mr. Ash to

be the hottest property in town,

Professor. Get them by the balls.

Give them one sexy thing, you'll do

fine!-

BLACKADDER:

One sexy thing. Mmnnn...

LEONORA:

I love the way you talk. By the

way...

(hand on his thigh)

I take it neither of us want Cropper

to win this. You may be interested,

Professor. I got a letter from a

research student in Brittany...

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. ROLAND'S/LEONORA'S APARTMENTS - DUSK

On TV screen!-- a beautiful interviewer, Patel, introduces

the panel. As we PULL BACK to see!-

(CONTINUED)

86.

CONTINUED:

ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

(on TV)

'... The literary world has been

rocked by an extraordinary

discovery. A panel of experts is

here to discuss...'

Alone in his apartment!-- Roland glowering at the TV screen.

A low moan. The cats keep out of his way.

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. LEONORA'S APARTMENT - DUSK

Watching the same TV program, like two lonely hearts, Maud

sits on the sofa in Leonora's. She uncovers a letter on a

table. A French address catches her eye. She reads it

avidly.

MAUD:

(reading aloud)

`... I am currently working on an

unpublished writer, Sabine de

Kercoz, and have discovered material

I believe will be of interest to

you. Yours... Dr. Ariane Le

Minier...'

Maud flicks through Leonora's files. Finds an address. She

hesitates.

INTERCUT between -

INT. ROLAND'S FLAT - BATHROOM/KITCHEN - DUSK

Taps full on, Roland runs a bath. The noise drowns out TV

and phone. His answer machine plays Maud's voice to an

empty room.

MAUD (V.O.)

(on answer machine)

... Roland...? Are you there...?

Roland, I need to speak to you... I

know you don't want to speak to

me... But I think I've found another

clue...

CLICK -- the message breaks off.

87.

BACK TO TV:

as each of the panel competes for 15 seconds of fame.

LEONORA (V.O.)

... Of course, from a radical

feminist perspective, it was a

surprise to learn Christabel might

have loved a man!-

BLACKADDER (V.O.)

A complete shock. It's as if we'd

discovered Shakespeare's Dark Lady!-

CROPPER (V.O.)

I don't think we have to rush to

conclusions. Nothing happened. To

my eyes, this correspondence was a

purely literary love affair. Ash

was always a complex man. This only

proves his moral stance as

exemplary. Until Dr. Fergus Wolf

and I examine the evidence!-

BLACKADDER (V.O.)

That's why the letters must stay in

our country as part of our

heritage!-

PATEL (V.O.)

(to Hildebrand Ash)

With your father now ill, doesn't

that question come to you?

HILDEBRAND (V.O.)

... After a hundred years, some of

us feel the time is right to let Ash

enter the modern world!-

CROPPER (V.O.)

... Now is the time to bring other

valuable parts of Ash's legacy into

the public eye...

ON Cropper's smile -

CUT TO:

INT. ROLAND'S FLAT - DAY

Next morning. Darkness. Roland lies in bed, asleep.

Curtains drawn. The PHONE RINGS, wakes him. Roland gets up

to answer it. A friendly voice.

(CONTINUED)

88.

CONTINUED:

BEATRICE (V.O.)

Roland... are you there...?

ROLAND:

Beatrice...? I'm glad it's you. I

suppose you saw those vultures on

TV...?

INTERCUT WITH:

INT. ASH HOUSE MUSEUM - LIBRARY - DAY

Up in the old Ash house, now a museum, shelves are filled

with books, papers, portraits. Glass cases of specimens.

Amid a huge box-file, Beatrice takes shelter. On the phone

BEATRICE:

... Yes. Are you alright? I'm over

at the Ash Museum -- Blackadder's

been in a fearful rage. Says you've

been doing things behind his back -

ROLAND:

Right now I hate Blackadder -- I

hate Ash -- I hate the whole Ash

factory -

BEATRICE:

He's screaming for a copy of Mrs.

Lees's book, with a description of

the Ash seance -

ROLAND:

The seance? Why?

BEATRICE:

Cropper's onto something. He's

checking up on Ash's whereabouts in

1860. He's desperate. My filing

system is his last hope. I can't

find a copy anywhere. Maybe you

could help -

ROLAND:

Hmm... I don't know... It's called

The Shadowy Portal, isn't it?

Roland looks distractedly at his piles of books. Around the

apartment, books on shelves. On window ledges. In boxes...

(CONTINUED)

89.

CONTINUED:

BEATRICE:

Yes. Call me if you have a

brainwave. My life will be

miserable otherwise.

ROLAND:

I'll have a think. I'm sure I've

seen it recently... 'Bye.

CLICK. Roland puts down the phone. But he's already

gripped by an idea. He runs his fingers along the shelves.

Scanning for a title. He moves to another pile, rapid

search -

ROLAND:

(from memory)

... The Shadowy Portal... An

autobiographical reminiscence... by

Mrs. Hella Lees...

Roland darts from shelf to box, repeating his mantra -

ROLAND:

... the London Library copy...

Until like a divining rod, his hands guide him to a pile of

books behind a box. Roland dives in, brings out -

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