The Relic Page #20

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Kawakita pulls a heavy book from the shelf. The Encyclopedia of

Biochemistry, thumbs to a page and reads.

KAWAKITA:

4-monoxytocin is... "A hormone

secreted by the human hypothalamus

gland."

MARGO:

Try Weinstein's tropic hormone.

The tension is rising in the room. Frock takes the book, looks this

one up, reads silently and removes his glasses.

FROCK:

A hormone secreted by the human

thalamus gland.

Kawakita and Frock look puzzled. Margo rises in agitation.

MARGO:

This is it. This is what he, or

it... is after! The plant has high

concentrations of the same hormones

found in minute quantities in the

human brain!

KAWAKITA:

So what?

MARGO:

Pendergast told me the killer

extracts and eats the hypothalamus

and thalamus of the victim's brains!

KAWAKITA:

(pales)

Eats them?

MARGO:

Yes. Whatever killed Beauregard may

have lived on this plant. When the

crates were put in secure storage,

they were out of reach. The killer

couldn't get them, so it got the

next best thing.

FROCK:

Beauregard's head.

There's a moment of stunned silence. Then a LOUD BUZZER makes them all

jump.

MARGO:

It's all right. That means the

G.S.E. has finished analyzing the

claw DNA. Greg, you go find

Pendergast and Lieutenant D'Agosta

now.

INT. MUSEUM HALLWAYS - NIGHT

Kawakita tears up the dark stairs. He turns a corner and something

JUMPS OUT at him. He almost screams. It's a DRUNK.

DRUNK:

Hey, where 'za little boys room?

KAWAKITA:

Down that hallway. But don't stay

long. You don't want to be here

alone.

INT. MARGO'S LAB - NIGHT

Margo and Frock enter and huddle over a sheaf of papers that the

printer has spit out.

MARGO:

All right, assuming the program is

accurate, this is a description of

the animal with that claw.

(she reads)

"Species unidentified. Genus:

unidentified. Phylum unknown. Male,

weight in excess of 240 kg. Brain

capacity, 900 centimeters." That

means it's highly intelligent.

"Quadrupedal."

FROCK:

Quadrupedal! The other name for

Mbwun. "He Who Walks on All Fours."

Margo and Frock exchange a look. Holy sh*t. Margo swallows and keeps

reading.

MARGO:

"Nocturnal. External hair and bony

plates. Locomotor speed 60-70

kilometers. Reduced optic chiasm"...

poor eyesight. "External mucoid

nasal glands,"... very keen scent...

"Morphological characteristics:

Highly robust. Aggressiveness:

extreme."

FROCK:

So the claw came from a huge

creature with a preternatural sense

of smell and poor eyesight that

hunts at night.

MARGO:

With the intelligence of a human

being, the speed of a greyhound, and

the strength of a grizzly bear.

FROCK:

(a long moment)

Margo, what you've just described is

a killing machine.

MARGO:

And it's hungry. It's been two days

since it's eaten. There are five

hundred people arriving right now.

The animal hunts at night and it has

a keen sense of smell! All those

people in one enclosed space...

FROCK:

It's like ringing the dinner bell.

INT. ENTRANCE TO SUPERSTITION EXHIBIT - ROTUNDA - NIGHT

The crowd is now packed into the rotunda as the MAYOR cuts a red

ribbon across the entrance to the exhibit and everyone applauds.

Cuthbert is by the mayor's side. He steps forward and raises his hand

for quiet. The crowd falls silent.

CUTHBERT:

Thank you everyone and welcome.

We're glad all of you were willing

to brave the inclement weather to be

with us tonight. Our special thanks

to his honor, the mayor and his

lovely wife.

The Mayor takes a bow. More applause.

CUTHBERT (CON'T)

Some people have questioned whether

a superstition exhibit belongs in a

Museum of Science. Spells,

incantations, demons, magic... these

are forces that defy the natural

laws. Superstition provides answers

to the great questions based on

fear. Science provides answers to

the great questions based on truth.

Science and superstition, then, are

polar opposites. Mortal enemies, if

you will. And that is why we are

here tonight. We have come to learn

more about the enemy, and thus to

bring about its defeat. For every

good, there is an evil, for every

dark, a light. And so tonight... my

friends, I give you ignorance,

terror, unreasoning fear, pure evil.

(smiles, gestures to the exhibit)

Have a great time.

Everyone laughs, applauds again as Cuthbert and the Mayor lead the way

inside. Kawakita is making his way over to D'Agosta. The crush at the

entrance is incredible.

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