The Relic Page #5

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MARGO:

(stubbornly loyal)

Your work is highly relevant. What

about your display on Primitive

Pharmacology? Cuthbert told me

himself he was going to feature it

prominently in the Superstition

Exhibit.

FROCK:

Healing plant use among the Ki tribe

of Bechuanaland has been cancelled

to make room for Tibetan Erotic Art.

Frock reaches out and squeezes her hand gently with a look that says

the discussion is over.

FROCK:

Come on. I'll walk you back to the

elevator.

MARGO:

I'm not giving up.

FROCK:

You must.

INT. MUSEUM HALLWAYS - DAY

Frock rolls back down the hall the way Margo just came. Margo is

beside him, downcast. She's not used to defeat.

FROCK:

This isn't a death sentence. Greg

has promised to teach me fly

fishing. I'll garden. I'll write.

MARGO:

You are this museum. It won't be the

same without you.

FROCK:

Everyone needs a change of scenery.

I've been rolling down these halls

for forty-odd years. That's quite

enough.

Margo gets in the elevator reluctantly. He smiles and meets her eye.

FROCK:

I'll see you at lunch.

He waves her off merrily. But once the doors close and Margo's out of

sight, Frock's smile fades and his shoulders sag. He ducks his

wheelchair quickly into the Hall of African Mammals.

INT. HALL OF AFRICAN MAMMALS - AFTERNOON

Two stories high, dark and dramatic. A very special display. Dioramas

of lions, hippos, wart hogs etc. In the middle is a large statue of a

GORILLA beating its chest. Frock takes refuge in the darkness of the

exhibit. His wheelchair sits in a quiet corner and we see him quickly

wipe the back of his hands across his eyes.

INT. MOLLUSKS EXHIBIT - DAY

Shells and sea life line the walls. A sign announces the exhibit

"Mollusks and Our World." The THIRD GRADE CLASS sweeps in. Larry and

Henry start to sing "Mollusks and Our World" to the tune of "Welcome

to Our World", the F.A.O. Schwartz theme song. Mrs. Beasley shoots

them the evil eye and Henry whines...

HENRY:

Mrs. Beasley, it's almost time to go

and we still haven't seen the

dinosaurs!

BEASLEY:

If you ask me about the dinosaurs

once more, I'II strangle you both!

She starts to lecture about horseshoe crabs in a droning monotone.

Henry and Larry hang back.

LARRY:

(whispers)

This room sucks.

HENRY:

She's never going to take us to see

the dinosaurs. That lady said they

were on the fourth floor.

LARRY:

Let's ditch and find them ourselves.

They dart off down a side corridor and up a wide stairs.

INT. REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS ROOM - DAY

Larry and Henry emerge and walk wide-eyed among the cases of lizards,

chameleons, tortoises. High windows light the room. Outside the sun is

going down. A woman pushing a child in a stroller exits and the boys

have the hall to themselves.

LARRY:

Look at this. A Komodo dragon.

As Larry checks out, the huge, dragon-like reptile, which has just

sunk its Jaws into a stuffed boar. Henry points to a stuffed Gecko

climbing vertically up the side of its case.

HENRY:

Check out this one. It can walk up

walls.

Larry already has his eyes on the far end of the hall where temporary

barricades have been put up to prevent access to the next room.

Painting is in progress. Scaffolding just begs to be climbed. Henry

runs over and starts up the scaffolding. Larry hesitates.

LARRY:

We're not supposed to go back there.

HENRY:

Chicken. This is a great short cut.

Henry drops on the other side of the scaffolding and Larry follows. In

a moment both disappear from sight.

INT. MUSEUM HALL OF BIRDS - DAY

Windowless and dark. A closed display under maintenance. Thousands of

little stuffed birds line the walls from floor to ceiling, white

cotton poking out of sightless eyes. Henry and Larry enter and slow

down. Larry's getting scared.

LARRY:

I don't want to go this way.

HENRY:

Don't be a wuss. Come on.

The boys continue onward more slowly, their footfalls echoing in the

silence.

INT. BACK HALLWAYS - DAY

The children are now far from the other tourists and their class.

Larry is frightened. The hall takes a sharp dog-leg, ending in a

darkened cul-de-sac full of display cases filled with hideous carved

masks. Against the side of the chamber is a barricade of wood which

looks much like a wall. Henry tugs at it and the barricade moves. He

looks behind.

HENRY:

Hey, there's a secret staircase back

here. Cool.

Henry disappears behind the barricade leaving Larry completely alone

in the dark room with the Shaman masks.

LARRY:

Henry, come back!

Henry doesn't respond. The lights in the cases throw strange shadows.

Larry starts to sniffle, falls to hiccuping, sits down. He pulls on a

little flap of rubber that's coming off the toe of his sneaker, all

bravado gone.

LARRY:

Henry! Henry!

No answer. Larry rises and peeks behind the barricade. He sees the

circular stair. It descends into total darkness. From below comes a

strange smell that makes Larry's nose wrinkle.

LARRY:

Henry?

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