The Relic Page #2

---

SMALL TOWN COP:

One of the locals found it at dawn.

Didn't believe him 'till I saw it

myself. Even then I didn't believe

it. Scared my men shitless. Me too.

I mean... hell... You could smell it a

half mile away, Mr. Pendergast.

PENDERGAST:

(unperturbed)

Any of your men go on board?

SMALL TOWN COP:

No sir. No way. None of us wanted

to, I'm the first to admit it. I

said, "Don't get within a mile of

this thing. It's way to big for us.

I'm calling the FBI."

Pendergast nods his approval, resumes humming along with a

particularly intricate harpsichord riff. As always, the man is

unflappable and totally calm as he drives.

EXT. LOUISIANA BEACH - DAY

The ocean is still, the air stifling and close. A hot sun beats down

on the deck of the SANTA LUCIA. The boat lists at a crazy angle where

it has been washed up on the shore. At first glance, it appears to be

deserted. A barrel rolls back and forth as the boat is rocked by each

successive wave. We hear sirens approaching and the phalanx of squad

cars pulls up. Joining them now are TWO AMBULANCES.

PENDERGAST gets out along with the others. All of the cops immediately

cover their faces, gagging violently at the smell. Pendergast sniffs

once and frowns. Apart from this, he doesn't react.

SMALL TOWN COP:

(choking)

Goin' up-wind if you don't mind.

Pendergast nods. The cops all fall back in revulsion. They watch from

a safe distance as Pendergast approaches the ghost ship. His shiny

laced wing-tips sink in the sand. He leans down, pulls them off one at

a time. He balls both socks, puts them carefully into his shoes and

proceeds barefoot towards the boat.

Using a piece of driftwood as a plank, Pendergast leans it against the

Santa Lucia. With surprising agility, he leaps up the plank to the

deck. At the top he touches a rail. It's covered in a DARK STICKY

LIQUID.

BLOOD. Flies buzz loudly. A LARGE MACHETE lies abandoned in the stern.

Chairs are overturned. A DEAD GOAT, eviscerated, lies in the bow. A

lifeboat hangs half off the stern. Pendergast moves aft. The COPS

watch from the sand below, unwilling to get any closer. Pendergast

hears A DOOR slamming open and closed. He follows the noise and

sees...

THE DOOR TO THE HOLD. He approaches, pushes it open and looks down the

stairwell. Below deck are

BODIES... stacks of them. They've been TORN TO SHREDS.

THE CAMERA MOVES down to one particular man who is nearest the top of

the stairs. It's CAPTAIN FRANCO. His face is frozen in a howl of

terror. Flies congregate in the eye sockets. With his foot, Pendergast

nudges the body over. The skull has been torn open.

THERE IS NO BACK TO FRANCO'S HEAD.

FADE TO BLACK:

Silence then we begin hearing sounds of the city... horns, traffic,

construction work.

SUPER TITLE... NEW YORK CITY, FOUR MONTHS LATER as we...

FADE IN:

ON A NECKLACE of TWO ARROWS, one of gold, the other silver. The twin

to the one seen on Whittlesley. Widen to...

EXT. ROOFTOP GARDEN - MARGO'S NEW YORK APARTMENT - MORNING

And the woman wearing the necklace... MARGO GREEN. She sips her morning

coffee as she makes notes on several large FOSSILIZED TEETH. Her hair

is neatly combed. No make-up. She doesn't need it. She has a natural,

unselfconscious beauty and a mind like a steel trap.

At Margo's elbow is a small T.V. A CNN world news report plays.

Margo's New York Times is open to the crossword puzzle, which she's

been doing rapidly, in ink. Clearly this is a woman who likes order,

with a mind that can handle more than one thing at a time.

An alarm on her watch beeps and she fills in the last two lines of the

crossword puzzle, makes one final note on the fossil specimens, and

shuts off the T.V. She reaches for her back pack and looks out at

CENTRAL PARK with remarkably clear eyes.

EXT. CENTRAL PARK - MORNING

HELICOPTER SHOT... Swooping over the fall foliage of the Park, a riot

of color and botanical life... The camera picks out MARGO'S BICYCLE

making its way along the winding roads, dodging taxi cabs. Margo wears

jeans, a work shirt, a fine blue gabardine jacket with a rhinestone

DOUBLE HELIX PIN. On her back is a LEATHER BACK PACK which holds her

lap top computer. She emerges from the park, catches the green light

and rolls up to...

EXT. MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY - DAY

As Margo arrives, the camera moves up and over the building, comes to

rest on the imposing turrets, intersecting roof lines, and Gothic

arches of the MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. This is not an ordinary

building; it's a 19th century monument to science and mankind. The

structure fills an entire city block.

Happy visitors pour into the museum as Margo takes the imposing wide

stone steps two at a time. We hear SCREAMS of pleasure and release,

the normal raucous noises of a large group of THIRD GRADE CHILDREN.

Margo is amused to find herself surrounded by kids. Their teacher,

MRS. BEASLEY, a stern woman in glasses with a thick New York accent,

calls after them as they all head inside.

MRS. BEASLEY

Don't run, children! Stay with your

partner and do not run! If anyone

runs they will be sent back to the

bus!

Ignoring Mrs. Beasley, TWO BOYS charge past Margo. HENRY and LARRY.

Henry has a buzz cut; Larry has rasta dread knots. Both are 8 years

old, wear high top sneakers and shorts so big they graze their ankles.

MRS. BEASLEY

Henry! Larry! What did I just say!

You walk right this minute! Did you

hear me?!

Reluctantly, Henry and Larry slow to a rapid race-walk as they reach

the huge doorway flanked by two Northwest Coast Indian totem poles.

Above the doorway WORKMEN are hanging a LARGE BANNER. It reads:

"SUPERSTITION EXHIBIT... OPENING OCT. 29"

INT. MUSEUM ROTUNDA/STAIRWELL - DAY

The school children burst into a three story space dominated by a

life-sized statue of a HERD OF ELEPHANTS. The kids chatter with

excitement, look up in awe. Margo nods to a GUARD who smiles as she

pins on a plastic I.D.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes