The Relic Page #15

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PENDERGAST:

How many storage areas are there?

FROCK:

They fill seven floors. We have the

largest collection of mammals and

dinosaurs in the world. Just to give

you an idea, there are more than

three million insects specimens. Not

to mention amphibians, reptiles,

birds, anthropological artifacts,

meteorites, minerals and gems. Only

about five percent of the museum

collection is actually on display.

D'AGOSTA

This place is a maze.

FROCK:

I'm one of the few who know every

inch it, now that John is gone.

PENDERGAST:

(looks over)

Do you mean Dr. Whittlesley?

FROCK:

Yes. John made quite a study of the

whole museum. He had a copy of my

original plans.

Frock heads through a double door that leads to a FREIGHT ELEVATOR

that's as big as a small room. The operator, KARL has it decorated

with a table, chair, and PICTURES.

MARGO:

Osteo prep, Karl.

The doors creak closed. They are now inside...

INT. FREIGHT ELEVATOR - DAY

Headed down. D'Agosta chews on a toothpick, stares at Karl's home-made

picture show. The photos have all been cut from nature magazines. They

are of ANIMALS MATING in extreme positions and undreamed of ways.

D'Agosta turns to Pendergast, dead pan.

D'AGOSTA

My kind of art.

Karl, who is sixty and wears a red toupee, leers.

KARL:

They keep me company. Gets kinda

lonely sometimes.

D'AGOSTA

My favorite is the two camels.

KARL:

Really? I'm partial to the skunks.

Finally the doors open and they exit to a hail, enter another set of

doors. Now they are in

INT. OSTEOLOGICAL PREPARATION AREA - DAY

It looks more like a bizarre industrial kitchen than anything else.

Deep stainless steel tanks line one wall. On the ceiling near the

tanks hang massive pulleys and grappling hooks for the larger

carcasses. In a far corner of the workshop is a stainless-steel gurney

bearing a DEAD GORILLA. A pink faced eighty year old man is working on

the carcass with sharp tools. This is DON OSTERBAAN.

FROCK:

Did you ever wonder where we get all

our skeletons? This is the

laboratory where animal carcasses

are reduced to bones.

(to Osterbaan)

What's cooking today, Don?

DON:

Zebra.

Frock looks into a large maceration tank with Pendergast and D'Agosta.

A zebra carcass can be seen under the muddy surface, its flesh and

soft tissues falling off.

D'AGOSTA

Man, that's ripe.

Frock now opens the door on a humid closet adjacent to the main room.

Inside on a stainless steel table lies the corpse of a fox. It's

crawling with BLACK BEETLES which are devouring it. D'Agosta and

Pendergast watch the grizzly scene, properly impressed.

FROCK:

Dermestid beetles. The second method

of preparing a skeleton, used in

Natural History Museums world wide.

Bugs are clean and highly efficient.

They'll polish that fox off in no

time.

As Don casually peels back the gorilla's whole face exposing the

skull...

OSTERBAAN:

Want to have a look at a gorilla

brain? Got one right here.

FROCK:

Thanks Don. We're in a hurry. Some

other time.

INT. HALLWAY - DAY

More rows of stainless steel doors under hissing steam pipes. The

light is dim here, and several bulbs are burned out. But the numbers

on the storage rooms are much higher now. The three men come out of

the darkness. Frock rounds a last corner and wheels to a stop.

FROCK:

This should be it. Can you read the

number?

Pendergast reaches up above them and TAPS THE LIGHT BULB. It comes on

and they all see the heavy steel door of the storage area. D'Agosta's

jaw drops and his toothpick falls out. The door has been scored from

top to bottom by long, vicious, CLAWS!

D'AGOSTA

Holy sh*t.

Frock stares in amazement, shaken. He runs a finger down the deep

ruts.

FROCK:

Something tried to get into this

room!

PENDERGAST:

And failed. These doors are solid

steel.

FROCK:

This means there must be an animal

loose in the museum!

PENDERGAST:

I wouldn't be so sure.

Pendergast takes Frock's keys and opens the door. It swings wide on

oiled hinges. D'Agosta turns on a light.

INT. STORAGE ROOM - NIGHT

They all enter. Nothing has been disturbed. The crates sit in the

middle of the small room, untouched. Pendergast kneels by the only one

that's been opened.

PENDERGAST:

This must be the one that held the

statue. Let's see what else is

inside.

Pendergast removes the lid and hands it to D'Agosta, pulls out a BLOW

DART GUN, SEED PODS, a CARVED STONE. D'Agosta takes the lid and turns

it.

D'AGOSTA

The lid of this crate is scratched

with claw marks, just like the door.

As D'Agosta studies the lid, a brittle, water damaged envelope slips

out. D'Agosta picks it up. The envelope bears an imprint of TWO

ARROWS, one silver overlaid with another of GOLD.

D'AGOSTA

Look. It's some kind of letter.

FROCK:

(excited)

May I see that?

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