The Power of One Page #24

He says someone was up there.

Blasted it out on PK from the

other side?

MINER #4

Who's the driller?

MINER #3

Botha.

144.

MINER #4

No one drills Botha's stope but

Botha, and he only works days.

The miners look at each other knowingly and return to

work.

CUT TO:

208

INT. SHAFT 208

Rasputin, bloodied, his hands ripped apart by the stones,

his chest torn by the rough timbers, labors on,

Herculean.

CUT TO:

209 PK 209

buried. He hears movement above, faint but perceptible.

PK:

(strangled)

Help. Help.

CUT TO:

210 INT. SHAFT 210

Rasputin sends another bucket up. He stands, his chest

heaving. He hears something. He drops his ear to the

floor. He hears the FAINTEST SOUND.

PK (V.O.)

Help.

RASPUTIN:

PK!

He starts tearing away at the rock, doubling his effort.

RASPUTIN:

PK! PK!

CUT TO:

211 PK 211

almost unconscious, hearing Rasputin's voice. He breaks

into the smallest of smiles and passes out.

FADE TO:

212 INT. HOSPITAL BED 212

145.

Pk sits in the hospital bed, battered but otherwise in

good shape. Rasputin sits in a wheelchair by his bedside,

his hands and chest bandaged, pondering the chessboard

between them.

Jocko enters.

JOCKO:

Well, look at ya now, boyo.

Up and at 'em in no time.

And rich as a f***in' lord.

He tosses a fat wad of cash on PK's bed.

PK:

What's this?

JOCKO:

Your ticket to ride. Two

hundred quid at fourteen to

one.

PK:

But I didn't make it. I'm a

month short.

JOCKO:

Not according to managment. They

cashed you out at twelve months

for eleven worked. Last thirty

days was bonus. And until someone

shows me a calendar reads different,

twelve months and a year are one

and the same kind of thing. And

the bet was for a year. So get

yourself mended and get your ass

out of here.

PK:

There's someone I have to see first.

Jocko grows uncomfortable.

JOCKO:

What do you want to go pressin'

it for? You're rich, lad.

You're whole. Why do you want

to go pressin' it?

PK:

Because I want to know.

JOCKO:

Know what? That the man has

146.

blasted so much gelignite he's

permanently deranged in the attic?

That even the other drillers

leave the bar when the man drinks,

so crazed does he get. All right.

He tried to kill you. But he

didn't. You're alive is all that

matters. Do us all a favor, boyo.

Get out of here. Get on a train

and don't come back. We've no

liking to be burying someone we're

all so fond of.

PK:

No worries. The luckier you are,

the longer you last. The longer

you last, the luckier you are.

Rasputin moves a chesspiece and bellows.

RASPUTIN:

Checkmate! Checkmate!

He is ecstatic, bubbling with his joy. Laughter

springs from him.

Jocko and PK trade a look.

JOCKO:

There's an end to everything,

boyo. Even luck.

Jocko exits.

CUT TO:

213 EXT. HOSPITAL - DAY 213

PK walks to the seamy metal gate dressed, healed.

Rasputin, his hands still bandaged, walks alongside of

him. Rasputin is concerned.

PK:

Well I guess this is goodbye, my

friend. I'll never forget you.

Rasputin speaks urgently in Russian.

RASPUTIN:

PK. Botha. Nyet, nyet. Nyet,

Botha.

PK does not respond.

PK:

147.

Take care, my friend.

He grasps Rasputin's bandaged hand to shake it.

Rasputin takes him around in a huge bear hug, smotheringhim. Pk survives, a bit rumpled. He smiles at Rasputinand exits. As he walks away,

PK. Botha.

RASPUTIN:

Nyet. Nyet. PK.

PK turns the corner and is gone.

CUT TO:

214 EXT. MINING TOWN 214

PK walks through the huts of the drillers, massive to

a man. Most of them are coming off shift. Some of

them rub their temples, trying to soothe the pain ofthe powder.

PK comes to one hut.

again.

He knocks. No answer. He knocks

A DRILLER comes by.

DRILLER:

Who you lookin' for?

PK:

Botha. The driller from stopenumber five.

DRILLER:

He's at the bar.

Thanks.

PK:

DRILLER:

I wouldn't disturb him. There's

a reason he's there and we're

here.

The Driller enters his hut. PK absorbs the warning.

CUT TO:

215 EXT. MINER'S BAR 215

The three BARTENDERS stand outside along with a dozenother customers.

PK.

BARTENDER #1

You're not going to go in,

148.

ja?

PK:

Is Botha the driller in there?

BARTENDER #2

Ja. Always we give him one hour

alone before we open. You don't

know this because you work at

night, but it is the rule.

FRITZ:

Ja. In one hour it is pffft.

He motions a man falling on his face.

PK regards them for a moment and then enters the bar.

CUT TO:

216 INT. BAR 216

In the murky light one hulking figure sits at the bar,

drinking shot after shot of whiskey.

PK enters and walks across the room to the massive

man.

PK:

Are you Botha?

Botha does not turn around.

BOTHA:

Ja.

PK:

I'm PK. I worked your grizzly.

BOTHA:

Ja.

PK:

Why'd you try to kill me?

Botha turns slowly to reveal his face, swollen with

anger and drink. He tears the short sleeve off his

left arm, revealing a crudely tattooed swastika.

BOTHA:

Because I missed the first time,

rooinek.

PK:

Jaapie Botha.

149.

Botha rises drunkenly. PK backs up.

BOTHA:

You remember, rooinek.

PK:

Botha. It was thirteen years ago.

BOTHA:

Because of you they expelled me.

Because of you my father beat me.

Threw me out from the farm.

Because of you.

He throws back another drink and rushes PK with a roar.

PK sidesteps and heads for the door.

Botha gets there first and bolts it.

PK:

Botha. We've made a lot of money

working together. Let the past be

the past.

BOTHA:

You ruined the country, all you

rooineks. You come and ruin the

country.

He rushes PK again. Again PK sidesteps.

PK:

No, Jaapie Botha. It's hate

ruining the country.

BOTHA:

Jaah.

He swings at PK. PK ducks.

PK:

Boer hate.

BOTHA:

Our country.

At that moment the powder headache strikes. Botha

bellows, grabbing his head staggering backward.

PK runs for the door. As he reaches it a table slams

against it, thrown halfway across the room by a

powder-mad Botha.

150.

PK jumps out of the way at the last minute.

Men's faces begin to appear at the iron-meshed windows.

People start to bang at the door.

PK, realizing there is no talking to Botha now, does

his best to stay out of the charging giant's way.

Botha charges him. PK sidesteps and hits him with a

left hook. The punch has no effect. Botha swings out

wildly. PK easily dances away. Botha picks up

another table and heaves it at PK. PK jumps to avoid

it, but trips on an overturned stool. He goes down.

The miners outside, crowding three deep, yell and shout.

People start to make bets.

Botha charges PK as PK scrambles up. Botha swings. The

blow glances off PK's shoulder and sends him flying,

spinning over a table. Botha leaps at PK, driving him

into the wall. PK grimaces, sagging. Botha picks him

up and starts to squeeze him to death in his massive

arms. PK, his hands free, starts to pound on Botha's

ears with his palms. Botha screams as the powder headache

accelerates through the top of his skull. He

drops PK. PK rolls away and swings a stool at Botha's

midsection. Botha is driven back. PK goes to swing

the stool again. Botha catches it as if it were made

of balsa. He rips it out of PK's hand and flings it

back at him, charging behind it.

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