The Relic Page #3

---

GUARD:

Morning, Dr. Green.

MARGO:

Morning Joe. Beautiful day.

Henry watches Margo pass through the turnstiles without paying. He

swaggers over.

HENRY:

You work here?

MARGO:

Yes, I do.

HENRY:

What do you do?

MARGO:

(leans down, amused)

I'm an Evolutionary Biologist. What

do you do?

HENRY:

Nothing. I'm in third grade. What's

a revolutionary what ch'a ma'

callit?

MARGO:

Evolutionary Biologist. I study how

life on earth evolved over millions

of years.

HENRY:

(brightens)

Way cool. Then you know where the

dinosaurs are.

MARGO:

Fourth floor, West wing, but stay

with your class.

Mrs. Beasley heads into the museum and Larry and Henry merge with the

rest of the kids. Margo turns towards the stairwell, passing...

IAN CUTHBERT... Museum Director... a pudgy man in wire rim glasses who

dresses and thinks like a banker. Hired for his amazing ability to

raise money, Cuthbert is one of a new generation of Museum Directors

whose focus must always be on the bottom line.

MARGO:

Hello, Ian. Everything ready for the

opening of the Superstition Exhibit?

CUTHBERT:

I'm on my way to get the last piece

out of storage right now.

MARGO:

I'd wish you luck but I'm not

superstitious.

CUTHBERT:

You will be after tomorrow night.

Cuthbert waves merrily. A workman uses a LADDER in the stairwell.

Cuthbert is about to walk under the ladder, stops and carefully walks

around it instead. Margo smiles, goes on upstairs.

INT. MUSEUM BASEMENT - DAY

Cuthbert enters from the lower stairwell. He is now in one of the

hundreds of areas of the museum that are closed to the the general

public. He follows a labyrinthine route down a dim passageway lined

with rumbling steam pipes. There are storage areas on both sides

labeled ORNITHOLOGY, HERPITOLOGY, CENTRAL ASIA EXPEDITIONS, AKELEY

EXPEDITIONS, WHALE BONE FOSSILS and so on. Finally Cuthbert comes to a

door marked

"WHITTLESLEY EXPEDITIONS 1978-95". Cuthbert pauses and gets out a key,

but to his surprise the door pushes open. The lock and doorknob

mechanism are both broken off! Cuthbert frowns.

CUTHBERT:

What the... ?

He goes inside.

INT. WHITTLESLEY COLLECTION BASEMENT - DAY

Cuthbert flips on a light to see a tall, narrow space. Stacks of metal

shelves reach up into the gloom. Everywhere we see spears, shields,

masks, various artifacts. Ancient tribal costumes lie shrouded in

plastic like corpses against the walls. And in the middle of the

gloom, sitting ominously in the light of a sole hanging bulb are...

THE WHITTLESLEY CRATES. The same ones last seen in the hold of the

ill-fated Santa Lucia. They are scattered about in disarray. One in

particular has been broken open, its contents spread on the floor.

Cuthbert mutters in surprise and dismay, kneels by the crate.

CUTHBERT:

No, it can't be.

Cuthbert feels gently through the packing material, lets out a sigh of

relief as he pulls out a figurine. It is a small, beautifully carved

statue of A MONSTER crouched on all fours.

The room falls totally silent as Cuthbert studies THE RELIC. It's a

truly frightening piece... massive, razor sharp claws, large round

nostrils, enormous teeth and red rimmed eyes. Suddenly Cuthbert sees a

DROP OF BLOOD on his hand! He's been CUT!

CUTHBERT:

Damn.

Cuthbert rises, shakes his finger in pain. Blood drips on the floor.

He pulls out his pocket handkerchief and wraps the wound. The

handkerchief rapidly soaks through. Suddenly a HAND CLAMPS on

Cuthbert's shoulder! He's not alone! He lets out a YELP, almost

dropping the Relic and spins to see...

A MUSEUM GUARD standing behind him. His nameplate reads... BEAUREGARD.

He's a gentle young fellow with white blond hair and a rolling

southern accent.

CUTHBERT:

Beauregard! You scared me half to

death.

BEAUREGARD:

I'm sorry, sir. You okay?

CUTHBERT:

Someone broke into this room.

BEAUREGARD:

Anything missin'?

CUTHBERT:

Doesn't look like it. We're damned

lucky. This statue is priceless.

Cuthbert holds up the RELIC of THE MONSTER. Beauregard stares.

CUTHBERT:

Mbwun. A South American warrior

deity. He carries a powerful curse.

Every member of the expedition that

found this statue, died.

Beauregard sees Cuthbert's cut finger.

BEAUREGARD:

Looks like the curse is still at

work.

CUTHBERT:

The claws are sharp... I must have

cut myself.

(uneasy laugh)

Better move these crates to the

secure storage area where they'll be

safe.

Beauregard studies the door as Cuthbert heads out with the figurine.

BEAUREGARD:

Don't know if it'll do any good, Mr.

Cuthbert.

CUTHBERT:

Why not?

BEAUREGARD:

No one broke into this room, sir.

Someone broke out. That lock was

torn off from the inside.

Cuthbert glances at the evil face of Mbwun, pales. As he exits, HOLD

ON BEAUREGARD, left alone with the crates.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes