The Time Machine Page #17

The CAMERA WITHDRAWS TO TWO SHOT as the Time

Traveller, embarrassed, helps her sit up.

WEENA:

I heard you pounding...I came to

tell you...

TIME TRAVELLER:

How do you open that panel?

WEENA:

No one opens it. Only the Morlocks.

TIME TRAVELLER:

Morlocks? - Who are the Morlocks?

A look of fear comes into her eyes. She drifts

her gaze away from his, too frightened to answer.

Gently he takes her by the shoulders and turns

her to face him.

TIME TRAVELLER:

Why are you afraid of the Morlocks?

Again Weena drops her eyes from him, but he cups

his hand beneath her chin and tenderly turns her

head back so that her eyes meet his.

TIME TRAVELLER:

Tell me.

WEENA:

When they call, we must go below.

TIME TRAVELLER:

Do the Morlocks live beneath the

earth?

(Weena nods)

Why must you obey their command?

WEENA:

They give us the food we eat, the

clothes we wear. We must do as

they command.

TIME TRAVELLER:

What happens to your people when

they go below?

WEENA (repressing an in-

voluntary shudder)

No one knows. No one has ever

returned.

TIME TRAVELLER (smiling

at her warmly, reassuringly)

It won't happen to you.

Weena looks up at him, her fears dwindling, find-

ing comfort in this strange being whom she cannot

understand. Then she glances high into the dark sky

and the old fear returns.

WEENA:

It is night.

TIME TRAVELLER:

Only children are frightened by

the dark. - But then you are a

child, aren't you?

(Weena glances around

warily into the shadows,

her anxiety mounting)

I'll build a fire.

WEENA (taking his

hand, rises)

Let us go from here.

TIME TRAVELLER (getting

up)

I can't, child.

(walking toward the sphinx)

My Machine is inside there, I

intend to wait here 'til morning,

then find some way of getting

inside.

WEENA (catching up)

No, you must not.

TIME TRAVELLER (stops,

then)

Help me gather some wood.

THE LAWN AND THE BASE - LONG SHOT 217

Reluctantly she helps him collect a few twigs which

she hands over to him.

WEENA:

Where are you from?

TIME TRAVELLER (picks

up dry branches)

As a matter of fact, I'm from

right here.

(gesturing)

There's where my house stood many

thousands of years ago. Here - to

that monument, was my laboratory.

About there was my library where I

once sat talking with friends about

my Time Machine.

Meanwhile, Weena has seated herself near the

bushes in the f.g.

CLOSE ON WEENA 218

She watches every move he makes.

TIME TRAVELLER'S VOICE

(continuing)

I hoped to learn a great deal. I

hoped to take back the knowledge,

the advancement, mankind made...

instead what do I find? Vegetables!

Meanwhile a pair of pale, hairy hands rise slowly

from behind her.

TIME TRAVELLER - MED. SHOT 219

With his back turned, he is piling up the sticks.

TIME TRAVELLER (continuing)

The human race reduced to living

vegetables!

BACK TO WEENA 220

The hairy hands grab her shoulders. The fear

paralyzes her. She is unable to scream.

BACK TO TIME TRAVELLER 221

He is about to light a match, but finds he needs

more wood. Without turning he calls back to Weena.

TIME TRAVELLER:

Get me a few more twigs.

When there is no answer he turns and looks.

AT THE BUSHES 222

Weena is gone. The CAMERA ZIPS TO LEFT, then to

RIGHT and finally STOPS on the limp legs of Weena

slowly disappearing under the brush.

TIME TRAVELLER - MOVING SHOT 223

We hear the RUSTLING OF BRANCHES and quick DIMINISHING

FOOTSTEPS as the CAMERA RUSHES with the Time Traveller

toward the bush. He helps Weena to her feet and draws

her to the pile of dry branches.

TIME TRAVELLER:

(after calming her)

What was it?

WEENA (low)

Morlocks.

TIME TRAVELLER (strikes

match and holds it to twigs)

This seems to keep them away.

CLOSE ON WEENA 224

She gazes into the fire, with fascination. Slowly

she raises her hand and reaches out to grasps the

flame.

TWO SHOT 225

The Time Traveller grabs her hand. It is almost

too late. She looks at her burned hand with more

amazement than pain.

TIME TRAVELLER (while

examining her hand)

What ever made you put your hand in

the fire?

WEENA:

I never saw it before.

Apparently no harm done, the Time Traveller releases

her hand. He shakes his head in amazement and sits

down beside her.

TIME TRAVELLER:

(after a long silence)

Do you know that the first thing

which separated man from the rest

of the mammals was his knowledge of

fire?

(he looks at her)

No, I suppose you don't.

(pokes at fire)

The next great stride came with

the discovery of the wheel.

(turns to her)

Do you know what that is?

(she shakes her head)

I'm sorry I was angry with your

people. I had no right to be.

No more than if I had visited the

Island of Bali in my own time.

You were safe inside your great

house, yet you came out into the

night to warn me. The one

characteristic which distinguished

man from the animal kingdom was the

spirit of self sacrifice. You have

that quality, Girl. I'm sure all

of your people have it. All it

requires is someone to reawaken it.

I shall try if you'll let me. Will

you?

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