The Relic Page #16

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D'Agosta hands the letter to Frock.

FROCK:

It's from John. Those two arrows

were his insignia. It's addressed to

Louis Moriarty, a patron who

financed his expeditions.

PENDERGAST:

Read it out loud.

FROCK:

"Dear Louis,

Tomorrow we go to the south

end of the tepui where we'll be in

the greatest danger, so I'm sending

Carlos back with the crates. You

always believed in me, Louis, even

in the darkest days. So it gives me

great pleasure to tell you your

faith has been rewarded. We've made

an incredible find. I enclose a

representation of Mbwun. Note the

exaggerated claws, the reptilian

attributes, the hints of bipedalia.

It's beyond belief, but this statue

is accurate. I know because I've

seen the beast."

Frock stops, looks up at D'Agosta and Pendergast. His face flushes

with the thrill.

FROCK:

Did you hear that? My God. He says

that Mbwun is real!

D'AGOSTA

(snorts)

Pardon my French, but bull sh*t.

FROCK:

This on top of the scratches... isn't

it proof!

PENDERGAST:

I think the scratches were put there

to scare us. Perhaps even lead us to

this note.

Pendergast looks out to the dark corridors.

PENDERGAST:

You said John Whittlesley made a

study of your blueprints of the

museum.

FROCK:

Yes.

PENDERGAST:

Are there any hidden rooms or

staircases? Places where someone

could hide?

FROCK:

Not really. Just the sub-basement.

D'Agosta and Pendergast exchange a look.

PENDERGAST:

Where is that?

FROCK:

I don't know. It was walled over. No

one's been down there in years.

PENDERGAST:

You said you had plans of the

museum. Could we see them, please?

EXT. MUSEUM SIDE DOOR - DAY

A series of boxes labeled "PROFESSOR FROCK" sit on the loading dock. A

small moving van, partially loaded with the contents of Frock's

office, sits waiting. Frock delves through one of the boxes while

Pendergast and D'Agosta look on.

FROCK:

I know they're here somewhere. It's

a good thing we caught the movers in

time. They're nineteen century

blueprints from when the museum was

built. I remember the sub-basement

was below the regular basement,

linked to the city sewer. I only

know about it because it flooded all

the way up to the museum during the

hurricane of '49. I lost so many

precious books.

Frock continues to unload boxes, scattering things right and left.

It's the most amazing assortment of paraphernalia. A collection of

wildflowers, soil samples, a stuffed owl. Finally he pulls out some

very old blueprints and flashes a triumphant smile.

FROCK:

Eureka. Who says it doesn't pay to

be a pack rat? Now please be careful

with these. When you're done, I'd

like them back.

INT. HALL OF THE AFRICAN MAMMALS - DAY

Visitors scatter as Pendergast enters with D'Agosta, TWO DEPUTIES, a

dog handler, JONATHAN HAMM and Jonathan's pair of HUGE BLOODHOUNDS.

The deputies are armed with large shotguns. Pendergast scans the

blueprints as they walk.

D'AGOSTA

How big is the sub-basement?

PENDERGAST:

Apparently it's huge.

D'AGOSTA

I think I should come with you.

PENDERGAST:

We haven't got time. You have to

meet with museum security so we can

make a decision about tonight.

INT. MUSEUM - STAIRCASE - DAY

Pendergast, Jonathan, his dogs and the deputies make their way down an

industrial set of stairs into the basement.

INT. BASEMENT CORRIDOR - DAY

In a moment they arrive at the site of Beauregard's murder. The area

at the bottom of the spiral stairway is still littered with chalk,

crime tape, spray paint and the remains of scores of people tramping

in and out.

PENDERGAST:

These plans indicate there's a

walled over entrance to the sub-

basement right around here.

They move carefully down the dark corridor which we remember from the

time we last saw it with Henry and Larry. Unknown to Jonathan or

Pendergast, the dogs are walking directly towards the spot where the

boys faced the monster.

JONATHAN:

The dogs are picking up something,

Mr. Pendergast.

The dogs start barking in animation, sniffing the wall. Pendergast

studies the blueprints with a flashlight, moves to the spot. There's

nothing to be seen. He shines his flashlight over the water-stained,

uneven stucco between two steel beams. The dogs sniff furiously at the

point where the wall meets the floor. Pendergast moves his fingers to

the joint between the stucco and the beam, shoves hard. The wall

pushes back. It's a door!

INT. STAIRWELL - SUB-BASEMENT - DAY

They enter a dank stairwell with brick stairs. Water drips on the

walls.

DEPUTY ONE:

What is this? A dungeon?

Jonathan looks uneasy, double wraps the dogs' leashes around his

black-gloved hands. The two deputies remove their 12 gauges from their

shoulders. Then they all follow the animals, descend down the inky

stairwell.

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