Troy Page #3

Menelaus grabs Hector in a bear hug. Hector gamely

accepts the embrace. When the king releases him, both men

spill a few drops of wine from their cups onto the floor.

They drink the rest of their wine. Menelaus grips

Hector's upper arm. SERVANTS refill the cups.

MENELAUS:

A strong arm. Thank the gods we

made peace -- I've seen too many of

my men struck down with this arm.

HECTOR:

Never again, I hope.

MENELAUS:

Only one man works a sword better

than you. The son of Peleus the

Argonaut.

HECTOR:

Achilles.

MENELAUS:

That madman would throw a spear at

Zeus himself if the god insulted

him.

(CONTINUED)

12.

8 CONTINUED:
(3) 8

Menelaus indicates Polydora, who stares at Hector openly.

MENELAUS:

You see that one over there? I

picked her just for you. She's a

little lioness.

Menelaus grins at the girl, who lowers her eyes and

smiles. Helen notices this silent exchange but ignores

it, conversing instead with another HANDMAIDEN who sits

beside her.

HECTOR:

Thank you. My wife waits for me in

Troy.

MENELAUS:

My wife waits for me right there.

He leans forward to whisper conspiratorially in Hector's

ear.

MENELAUS:

Wives are for breeding. You

understand? For making little

princes. Come, enjoy yourself

tonight.

Helen stands and walks out of the reception hall.

Menelaus does not notice. Hector does. He raises his cup

to Menelaus.

HECTOR:

You make excellent wine in Sparta.

Menelaus laughs and drinks with Hector.

Paris excuses himself from the Spartan generals he's been

speaking with and heads outside -- in the same direction

as Helen. Hector watches with mounting agitation.

9 INT. HELEN'S CHAMBER - NIGHT 9

The room is lit by a dozen tall candles. Helen removes

the flowers from her hair and drops them into a bowl of

water. She hears a sound and looks up. Paris stands in

the doorway.

For several breaths they are silent, staring at each

other.

(CONTINUED)

13.

9 CONTINUED:
9

HELEN:

You shouldn't be here.

Paris closes the door behind him.

PARIS:

That's what you said last night.

HELEN:

Last night was a mistake.

PARIS:

And the night before?

Helen continues removing the flowers from her hair but she

cannot hide a half-smile.

HELEN:

I've made many mistakes this week.

He approaches her.

PARIS:

Do you want me to go?

His hands are on her now, sliding down her bare neck, down

her back, resting on her hips. His mouth is very close to

her ear. Helen closes her eyes.

HELEN:

(whispering)

Yes.

Paris kisses her neck, her ears, her closed eyes. The

tightness we saw in her face when she sat by her husband's

side is gone, replaced by ecstasy.

PARIS:

(whispering)

Where should I go?

She kisses him back now and there's a hunger in her

kisses, something close to violence in her desire. She

lifts off his tunic and pulls him nearer.

HELEN:

(whispering)

Away. Far away.

In a moment the white gown slips to her feet. He stares

at her naked body in wonder. He opens his mouth to speak

but she kisses him full on the lips. They sink onto the

bed.

14.

10 INT. PALACE - RECEPTION HALL - NIGHT 10

As more and more wine gourds are emptied, the scene grows

rowdier. An impromptu choir of Spartan and Trojan

soldiers drunkenly sing battle songs.

Polydora sits on Menelaus's lap. She whispers in his ear

while he laughs and drains another cup of wine. Bits of

roasted boar fleck his thick red beard.

Hector sits nearby, half engaged in conversation with

several Spartan generals. He's clearly not happy that his

brother's still missing.

11 INT. HELEN'S CHAMBER - NIGHT (LATER) 11

Helen lies naked on her bed. In the candlelight her

flanks are mapped with copper trails of sweat. She

watches Paris, who stands bedside pulling on his clothes.

PARIS:

I have something for you.

From his tunic he pulls a necklace of baby pearls threaded

with silver. He sits beside her in bed.

PARIS:

Pearls from the sea of Propontis.

Paris strings the pearls around her neck.

HELEN:

They're beautiful.

(beat)

But I can't wear them. Menelaus

would kill us both.

PARIS:

Don't be afraid of him.

HELEN:

I'm not afraid of dying. I'm

afraid of tomorrow, watching you

sail away and knowing you'll never

come back.

She runs her fingers across his jaw line.

HELEN:

Before you came to Sparta I was a

ghost. I walked and I ate and I

swam in the sea, but I was a ghost.

(CONTINUED)

15.

11 CONTINUED:
11

PARIS:

You don't have to fear tomorrow.

Helen watches him, unsure what he means.

PARIS:

Come with me.

For a long moment they stare into each other's eyes.

HELEN:

Don't play with me, prince of Troy.

Don't play.

The sounds of footsteps and laughter outside the door

startle them. Paris halfway unsheathes a KNIFE hanging

from his belt.

Whoever's walking by the door passes without stopping.

Paris sheathes his knife, kneels beside the bed and takes

her hand.

PARIS:

If you come we'll never be safe.

Men will hunt us and the gods will

curse us. But I'll love you.

Until the day they burn my body I

will love you.

Helen stares into Paris' eyes, contemplating the

impossible.

12 INT. PALACE - COURTYARD - LATER 12

A group of TROJAN SOLDIERS lies on goatskins and furs

around a bonfire built in the middle of the courtyard.

Some sleep; some continue to drink and sing old Trojan

songs.

Hector stands by the fire, conferring with TECTON (30), a

bull-necked captain of the elite Apollonian Guard.

HECTOR:

Make the proper offerings to

Poseidon before we sail. We don't

need any more widows in Troy.

TECTON:

Goat or pig?

HECTOR:

Which does the Sea God prefer?

(CONTINUED)

16.

12 CONTINUED:
12

TECTON:

(smiling)

I'll wake the priest and ask him.

Tecton bows and exits the courtyard. Hector sees Paris

slinking past the bonfire, sneaking toward his quarters.

HECTOR:

Paris!

Paris turns, smiles and waves, acting as if he hadn't seen

Hector before. He ambles over to join his brother.

HECTOR:

You should get to bed. We won't

sleep on land again for weeks.

PARIS:

I have no trouble sleeping on the

seas. The sea nymphs sing

lullabies to me.

HECTOR:

And who sang lullabies to you

tonight?

Paris freezes for a moment but quickly regains his poise.

PARIS:

Tonight? Tonight was the

fisherman's wife. A lovely

creature.

HECTOR:

I hope you didn't let the fisherman

catch you.

PARIS:

He's more concerned with the fish.

Paris smiles and starts to walk away but Hector holds him.

HECTOR:

You do understand why we're in

Sparta?

PARIS:

For peace.

(CONTINUED)

17.

12 CONTINUED:
(2) 12

HECTOR:

And you do understand that

Menelaus, King of Sparta, is a

powerful man? And that his

brother, Agamemnon, King of

Mycenae, commands all the Greek

forces?

PARIS:

What does this have to do with the

fisherman's wife?

Hector seizes Paris's face between the palms of his hand.

Not a violent gesture, exactly, but not gentle, either.

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