Upload 100 files

unformated_scripts/Script_Seventh Seal, The.txt

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+The Seventh Seal The night had brought little relief from the heat, and at dawn a hot gust ofwind blows across the colorless sea. The KNIGHT, Antonius Block, liesprostrate on some spruce branches spread over the fine sand. His eyes are wide-open and bloodshot from lack of sleep. Nearby his squire JONS is snoring loudly. He has fallen asleep where he collapsed, at the edge of the forest among the wind-gnarled fir trees. His open mouth gapes towards the dawn, and unearthly sounds come from his throat.At the sudden gust of wind, the horses stir, stretching their parched muzzles towards the sea. They are as thin and worn as their masters.The KNIGHT has risen and waded into the shallow water, where he rinses his sunburned face and blistered lips. JONS rolls over to face the forest and the darkness. He moans in his sleep and vigorously scratches the stubbled hair on his head. A scar stretches diagonally across his scalp, as white as lightning against the grime. The KNIGHT returns to the beach and falls on his knees. With his eyes closed and brow furrowed, he says his morning prayers. His hands are clenched together and his lips form the words silently. His face is sad and bitter. He opens his eyes and stares directly into the morning sun which wallows up from the misty sea like some bloated, dying fish. The sky is gray and immobile, a dome of lead. A cloud hangs mute and dark over the western horizon. High up, barely visible, a seagull floats on motionless wings. Its cry is weird and restless. The KNIGHT'S large gray horse lifts its head and whinnies. Antonius Block turns around.Behind him stands a man in black. His face is very pale and he keeps his hands hidden in the wide folds of his cloak. 				KNIGHT 		Who are you? 				DEATH 		I am Death.				KNIGHT 		Have you come for me?				DEATH 		I have been walking by your side for a long 		time. 				KNIGHT 		That I know. 				DEATH 		Are you prepared?				KNIGHT		My body is frightened, but I am not. 				DEATH 		Well, there is no shame in that.The KNIGHT has risen to his feet. He shivers. DEATH opens his cloak to place it around the KNIGHT'S shoulders. 				KNIGHT 		Wait a moment.				DEATH 		That's what they all say. I grant no reprieves. 				KNIGHT 		You play chess, don't you?A gleam of interest kindles in DEATH'S eyes. 				DEATH 		How did you know that?				KNIGHT 		I have seen it in paintings and heard it sung 		in ballads.				DEATH 		Yes, in fact I'm quite a good chess player. 				KNIGHT 		But you can't be better than I am.The KNIGHT rummages in the big black bag which he keeps beside him and takes out a small chessboard. He places it carefully on the ground and begins setting up the pieces.				DEATH 		Why do you want to play chess with me? 				KNIGHT 		I have my reasons. 				DEATH 		That is your privilege.				KNIGHT 		The condition is that I may live as long as I 		hold out against you. If I win, you will 		release me. Is it agreed? The KNIGHT holds out his two fists to DEATH, who smiles at him suddenly. DEATH points to one of the KNIGHT'S hands; it contains a black pawn. 				KNIGHT 		You drew black!				DEATH 		Very appropriate. Don't you think so?The KNIGHT and DEATH bend over the chessboard. After a moment of hesitation, Antonius Block opens with his king's pawn. DEATH moves, also using his king's pawn. The morning breeze has died down. The restless movement of the sea has ceased, the water is silent. The sun rises from the haze and its glow whitens. The sea gull floats under the dark cloud, frozen in space. The day is already scorchingly hot.The squire JONS is awakened by a kick in the rear. Opening his eyes, he grunts like a pig and yawns broadly. He scrambles to his feet, saddles his horse and picks up the heavy pack.The KNIGHT slowly rides away from the sea, into the forest near the beach and up towards the road. He pretends not to hear the morning prayers of his squire. JONS soon overtakes him.				JONS 			(sings)	 	Between a strumpet's legs to lie 		Is the life for which I sigh.He stops and looks at his master, but the KNIGHT hasn't heard JON'S song, or he pretends that he hasn't. To give further vent to his irritation, JONS sings even louder. 				JONS 			(sings)		Up above is God Almighty 		So very far away, 		But your brother the Devil 		You will meet on every level.JONS finally gets the KNIGHT'S attention. He stops singing. The KNIGHT, his horse, JONS'S own horse and JONS himself know all the songs by heart. The long, dusty journey from the Holy Land hasn't made them any cleaner. They ride across a mossy heath which stretches towards the horizon. Beyond it, the sea lies shimmering in the white glitter of the sun.				JONS 		In Fârjestad everyone was talking about evil 		omens and other horrible things. Two horses had 		eaten each other in the night, and, in the 		churchyard, graves had been opened and the 		remains of corpses scattered all over the 		place. Yesterday afternoon there were as many 		as four suns in the heavens. The KNIGHT doesn't answer. Close by, a scrawny dog is whining, crawling towards its master, who is sleeping in a sitting position in the blazing hot sun. A black cloud of flies clusters around his head and shoulders. The miserable-looking dog whines incessantly as it lies flat on its stomach, wagging its tail.JONS dismounts and approaches the sleeping man. JONS addresses him politely. When he doesn't receive an answer, he walks up to the man in order to shake him awake. He bends over the sleeping man's shoulder, but quickly pulls back his hand. The man falls backward on the heath, his face turned towards JONS. It is a corpse, staring at JONS with empty eye sockets and white teeth. JONS remounts and overtakes his master. He takes a drink from his waterskin and hands the bag to the knight. 				KNIGHT 		Well, did he show you the way? 				JONS 		Not exactly.				KNIGHT 		What did he say? 				JONS 		Nothing.				KNIGHT 		Was he a mute?				JONS 		No, sir, I wouldn't say that. As a matter of 		fact, he was quite eloquent. 				KNIGHT 		Oh?				JONS 		He was eloquent, all right. The trouble is that 		what he had to say was most depressing.			(sings)		One moment you're bright and lively, 		The next you're crawling with worms. 		Fate is a terrible villain 		And you, my friend, its poor victim. 				KNIGHT 		Must you sing? 				JONS 		No.The KNIGHT hands his squire a piece of bread, which keeps him quiet for a while. The sun burns down on them cruelly, and beads of perspiration trickle down their faces. There is a cloud of dust around the horses' hooves. They ride past an inlet and along verdant groves. In the shade of some large trees stands a bulging wagon covered with a mottled canvas. A horse whinnies nearby and is answered by the KNIGHT'S horse. The two travelers do not stop to rest under the shade of the trees but continue riding until they disappear at the bend of the road. In his sleep, JOF the juggler hears the neighing of his horse and the answer from a distance. He tries to go on sleeping, but it is stifling inside the wagon. The rays of the sun filtering through the canvas cast streaks of light across the face of JOF'S wife, MIA, and their one-year-old son, MIKAEL, who are sleeping deeply and peacefully. Near them, JONAS SKAT, an older man, snores loudly. JOF crawls out of the wagon. There is still a spot of shade under the big trees. He takes a drink of water, gargles, stretches and talks to his scrawny old horse. 				JOF 		Good morning. Have you had breakfast? I can't 		eat grass, worse luck. Can't you teach me how? 		We're a little hard up. People aren't very 		interested in juggling in this part of the 		country.He has picked up the juggling balls and slowly begins to toss them. Then he stands on his head and cackles like a hen. Suddenly he stops and sits down with a look of utter astonishment on his face. The wind causes the trees to sway slightly. The leaves stir and there is a soft murmur. The flowers and the grass bend gracefully, and somewhere a bird raises its voice in a long warble.JOF'S face breaks into a smile and his eyes fill with tears. With a dazed expression he sits flat on his behind while the grass rustles softly, and bees and butterflies hum around his head. The unseen bird continues to sing.Suddenly the breeze stops blowing, the bird stops singing, JOF'S smile fades, the flowers and grass wilt in the heat. The old horse is still walking around grazing and swishing its tail to ward off the flies. JOF comes to life. He rushes into the wagon and shakes MIA awake.				JOF 		Mia, wake up. Wake up! Mia, I've just seen 		something. I've got to tell you about it!				MIA 			(sits up, terrified)		What is it? What's happened? 				JOF 		Listen, I've had a vision. No, it wasn't a 		vision. It was real, absolutely real.				MIA 		Oh, so you've had a vision again!MIA's voice is filled with gentle irony. JOF shakes his head and grabs her by the shoulders. 				JOF 		But I did see her! 				MIA 		Whom did you see? 				JOF 		The Virgin Mary.MIA can't help being impressed by her husband's fervor. She lowers her voice.				MIA 		Did you really see her?				JOF 		She was so close to me that I could have 		touched her. She had a golden crown on her head 		and wore a blue gown with flowers of gold. She 		was barefoot and had small brown hands with 		which she was holding the Child and teaching 		Him to walk. And then she saw me watching her 		and she smiled at me. My eyes filled with tears 		and when I wiped them away, she had disappeared. 		And everything became so still in the sky and 		on the earth. Can you understand ... 				MIA 		What an imagination you have.				JOF 		You don't believe me! But it was real, I tell 		you, not the kind of reality you see every day, 		but a different kind. 				MIA		Perhaps it was the kind of reality you told us 		about when you saw the Devil painting our wagon 		wheels red, using his tail as a brush.				JOF 			(embarrassed)		Why must you keep bringing that up? 				MIA		And then you discovered that you had red paint 		under your nails.				JOF 		Well, perhaps that time I made it up. 			(eagerly)  		I did it just so that you would believe in my 		other visions. The real ones. The ones that I 		didn't make up. 				MIA 			(severely)		You have to keep your visions under control.		Otherwise people will think that you're a 		half-wit, which you're not. At least not yet -- 		as far as I know. But, come to think of it, I'm 		not so sure about that.				JOF 			(angry)		I didn't ask to have visions. I can't help it 		if voices speak to me, if the Holy Virgin 		appears before me and angels and devils like my 		company.				SKAT 			(sits up)		Haven't I told you once and for all that I need 		my morning's sleep! I have asked you politely, 		pleaded with you, but nothing works. So now I'm 		telling you to shut up!His eyes are popping with rage. He turns over and continues snoring where he left off. MIA and JOF decide that it would be wisest to leave the wagon. They sit down on a crate. MIA has MIKAEL on her knees. He is naked and squirms vigorously. JOF sits close to his wife. Slumped over, he still looks dazed and astonished. A dry, hot wind blows from the sea.				MIA 		If we would only get some rain. Everything is 		burned to cinders. We won't have anything to 		eat this winter. 				JOF 			(yawning)		We'll get by.He says this smilingly, with a casual air. He stretches and laughs contentedly.				MIA 		I want Mikael to have a better life than ours. 				JOF 		Mikael will grow up to be a great acrobat -- or 		a juggler who can do the one impossible trick. 				MIA 		What's that?				JOF 		To make one of the balls stand absolutely still		in the air. 				MIA 		But that's impossible.				JOF 		Impossible for us -- but not for him. 				MIA 		You're dreaming again.She yawns. The sun, has made her a bit drowsy and she lies down on the grass.JOF does likewise and puts one arm around his wife's shoulders.				JOF 		I've composed a song. I made it up during the 		night when I couldn't sleep. Do you want to 		hear it? 				MIA 		Sing it. I'm very curious. 				JOF 		I have to sit up first.He sits with his legs crossed, makes a dramatic gesture with his arms and sings in a loud voice. 				JOF 			(sings)		On a lily branch a dove is perched 		Against the summer sky, 		She sings a wondrous song of Christ 		And there's great joy on high.He interrupts his singing in order to be complimented by his wife.				JOF 		Mia! Are you asleep? 				MIA 		It's a lovely song. 				JOF 		I haven't finished yet. 				MIA 		I heard it, but I think I'll sleep a little 		longer. You can sing the rest to me afterwards. 				JOF 		All you do is sleep.JOF is a bit offended and glances over at his son, MIKAEL, but he is also sleeping soundly in the high grass. JONAS SKAT comes out from the wagon. He yawns; he is very tired and in a bad humor. In his hands he holds a crudely made death mask.				SKAT 		Is this supposed to be a mask for an actor? If 		the priests didn't pay us so well, I'd say no 		thank you. 				JOF 		Are you going to play Death? 				SKAT 		Just think, scaring decent folk out of their 		wits with this kind of nonsense.				JOF 		When are we supposed to do this play?				SKAT 		At the saints' feast in Elsinore. We're going 		to perform right on the church steps, believe 		it or not. 				JOF 		Wouldn't it be better to play something bawdy? 		People like it better, and, besides, it's more 		fun.				SKAT 		Idiot. There's a rumor going around that 		there's a terrible pestilence in the land, and 		now the priests are prophesying sudden death 		and all sorts of spiritual agonies. MIA is awake now and lies contentedly on her back, sucking on a blade of grass and looking smilingly at her husband. 				JOF 		And what part am I to play?				SKAT 		You're such a damn fool, so you're going to be 		the Soul of Man.				JOF 		That's a bad part, of course.				SKAT 		Who makes the decisions around here? Who is the		director of this company anyhow?SKAT, grinning, holds the mask in front of his face and recites dramatically.				SKAT 		Bear this in mind, you fool. Your life hangs by 		a thread. Your time is short. 			(in his usual voice) 		Are the women going to like me in this getup? 		Will I make a hit? No! I feel as if I were dead 		already.He stumbles into the wagon muttering furiously. JOF sits, leaning forward. MIA lies beside him on the grass. 				MIA 		Jof! 				JOF 		What is it? 				MIA 		Sit still. Don't move. 				JOF 		What do you mean? 				MIA 		Don't say anything. 				JOF 		I'm as silent as a grave. 				MIA 		Shh! I love you. Waves of heat envelop the gray stone church in a strange white mist. The KNIGHT dismounts and enters. After tying up the horses, JONS slowly follows him in. When he comes onto the church porch he stops in surprise. To the right of the entrance there is a large fresco on the wall, not quite finished. Perched on a crude scaffolding is a PAINTER wearing a red cap and paint-stained clothes. He has one brush in his mouth, while with another in his hand he outlines a small, terrified human face amidst a sea of other faces.				JONS 		What is this supposed to represent? 				PAINTER 		The Dance of Death. 				JONS 		And that one is Death? 				PAINTER 		Yes, he dances off with all of them. 				JONS 		Why do you paint such nonsense?				PAINTER 		I thought it would serve to remind people that 		they must die. 				JONS 		Well, it's not going to make them feel any 		happier. 				PAINTER 		Why should one always make people happy? It 		might not be a bad idea to scare them a little 		once in a while.				JONS 		Then they'll close their eyes and refuse to 		look at your painting. 				PAINTER 		Oh, they'll look. A skull is almost more 		interesting than a naked woman. 				JONS 		If you do scare them ... 				PAINTER 		They'll think. 				JONS 		And if they think ... 				PAINTER 		They'll become still more scared. 				JONS 		And then they'll run right into the arms of the 		priests. 				PAINTER 		That's not my business. 				JONS 		You're only painting your Dance of Death. 				PAINTER 		I'm only painting things as they are. Everyone 		else can do as he likes.				JONS 		Just think how some people will curse you. 				PAINTER 		Maybe. But then I'll paint something amusing 		for them to look at. I have to make a living 		-- at least until the plague takes me. 				JONS 		The plague. That sounds horrible.				PAINTER 		You should see the boils on a diseased man's 		throat. You should see how his body shrivels up 		so that his legs look like knotted strings -- 		like the man I've painted over there.The PAINTER points with his brush. JONS sees a small human form writhing in the grass, its eyes turned upwards in a frenzied look of horror and pain. 				JONS 		That looks terrible.				PAINTER 		It certainly does. He tries to rip out the 		boil, he bites his hands, tears his veins open 		with his fingernails and his screams can be 		heard everywhere. Does that scare you? 				JONS 		Scare? Me? You don't know me. What are the 		horrors you've painted over there?				PAINTER 		The remarkable thing is that the poor creatures		think the pestilence is the Lord's punishment. 		Mobs of people who call themselves Slaves of 		Sin are swarming over the country, flagellating 		themselves and others, all for the glory of God.				JONS 		Do they really whip themselves?				PAINTER 		Yes, it's a terrible sight. I crawl into a 		ditch and hide when they pass by.				JONS 		Do you have any brandy? I've been drinking 		water all day and it's made me as thirsty as a 		camel in the desert. 				PAINTER 		I think I frightened you after all.JONS sits down with the PAINTER, who produces a jug of brandy.The KNIGHT is kneeling before a small altar. It is dark and quiet around him.The air is cool and musty. Pictures of saints look down on him with stony eyes. Christ's face is turned upwards, His mouth open as if in a cry of anguish. On the ceiling beam there is a representation of a hideous devil spying on a miserable human being. The KNIGHT hears a sound from the confession booth and approaches it. The face of DEATH appears behind the grille for an instant, but the KNIGHT doesn't see him. 				KNIGHT 		I want to talk to you as openly as I can, but 		my heart is empty.DEATH doesn't answer. 				KNIGHT 		The emptiness is a mirror turned towards my 		own face. I see myself in it, and I am filled 		with fear and disgust. DEATH doesn't answer. 				KNIGHT 		Through my indifference to my fellow men, I 		have isolated myself from their company. Now I 		live in a world of phantoms. I am imprisoned in 		my dreams and fantasies. 				DEATH 		And yet you don't want to die. 				KNIGHT 		Yes, I do. 				DEATH 		What are you waiting for? 				KNIGHT 		I want knowledge. 				DEATH 		You want guarantees?				KNIGHT 		Call it whatever you like. Is it so cruelly 		inconceivable to grasp God with the senses? Why 		should He hide himself in a mist of half-spoken 		promises and unseen miracles? DEATH doesn't answer. 				KNIGHT 		How can we have faith in those who believe when 		we can't have faith in ourselves? What is going 		to happen to those of us who want to believe 		but aren't able to? And what is to become of 		those who neither want to nor are capable of 		believing?The KNIGHT stops and waits for a reply, but no one speaks or answers him. There is complete silence. 				KNIGHT 		Why can't I kill God within me? Why does He 		live on in this painful and humiliating way 		even though I curse Him and want to tear Him 		out of my heart? Why, in spite of everything, 		is He a baffling reality that I can't shake 		off? Do you hear me? 				DEATH 		Yes, I hear you.				KNIGHT 		I want knowledge, not faith, not suppositions, 		but knowledge. I want God to stretch out His 		hand towards me, reveal Himself and speak to 		me. 				DEATH 		But He remains silent. 				KNIGHT		I call out to Him in the dark but no one seems 		to be there. 				DEATH 		Perhaps no one is there. 				KNIGHT 		Then life is an outrageous horror. No one can 		live in the face of death, knowing that all is 		nothingness. 				DEATH 		Most people never reflect about either death or 		the futility of life.				KNIGHT 		But one day they will have to stand at that 		last moment of life and look towards the 		darkness. 				DEATH 		When that day comes ... 				KNIGHT 		In our fear, we make an image, and that image 		we call God. 				DEATH 		You are worrying ...				KNIGHT 		Death visited me this morning. We are playing 		chess together. This reprieve gives me the 		chance to arrange an urgent matter.				DEATH 		What matter is that? 				KNIGHT 		My life has been a futile pursuit, a wandering, 		a great deal of talk without meaning. I feel no 		bitterness or self-reproach because the lives 		of most people are very much like this. But I 		will use my reprieve for one meaningful deed. 				DEATH 		Is that why you are playing chess with Death? 				KNIGHT 		He is a clever opponent, but up to now I 		haven't lost a single man.				DEATH 		How will you outwit Death in your game? 				KNIGHT 		I use a combination of the bishop and the 		knight which he hasn't yet discovered. In the 		next move I'll shatter one of his flanks.				DEATH 		I'll remember that.DEATH shows his face at the grill of the confession booth for a moment but disappears instantly.				KNIGHT 		You've tricked and cheated me! But we'll meet 		again, and I'll find a way.				DEATH 			(invisible)		We'll meet at the inn, and there we'll continue 		playing.The KNIGHT raises his hand and looks at it in the sunlight which comes through the tiny window. 				KNIGHT 		This is my hand. I can move it, feel the blood 		pulsing through it. The sun is still high in 		the sky and I, Antonius Block, am playing 		chess with Death. He makes a fist of his hand and lifts it to his temple.Meanwhile, JONS and the PAINTER have got drunk and are talking animatedly together.				JONS 		Me and my master have been abroad and have just 		come home. Do you understand, you little 		pictor? 				PAINTER 		The Crusade.				JONS 			(drunk)		Precisely. For ten years we sat in the Holy 		Land and let snakes bite us, flies sting us, 		wild animals eat us, heathens butcher us, the 		wine poison us, the women give us lice, the 		lice devour us, the fevers rot us, all for the 		Glory of God. Our crusade was such madness that 		only a real idealist could have thought it up. 		But what you said about the plague was 		horrible. 				PAINTER 		It's worse than that.				JONS 		Ah, me. No matter which way you turn, you have 		your rump behind you. That's the truth.				PAINTER 		The rump behind you, the rump behind you 		there's a profound truth.JONS paints a small figure which is supposed to represent himself.				JONS 		This is squire Jàns. He grins at Death, mocks 		the Lord, laughs at himself and leers at the 		girls. His world is a Jànsworld, believable 		only to himself, ridiculous to all including 		himself, meaningless to Heaven and of no 		interest to Hell. The KNIGHT walks by, calls to his squire and goes out into the bright sunshine. JONS manages to set himself down from the scaffolding.Outside the church, four soldiers and a monk are in the process of putting a woman in the stocks. Her face is pale and child-like, her head has been shaved, and her knuckles are bloody and broken. Her eyes are wide open, yet she doesn't appear to be fully conscious. JONS and the KNIGHT stop and watch in silence. The soldiers are working quickly and skillfully, but they seem frightened and dejected. The monk mumbles from a small book. One of the soldiers picks up a wooden bucket and with his hand begins to smear a bloody paste on the wall of the church and around the woman. JONS holds his nose.				JONS 		That soup of yours has a hell of a stink. What 		is it good for?				SOLDIER 		She has had carnal intercourse with the Evil 		One. He whispers this with a horrified face and continues to splash the sticky mess on the wall. 				JONS 		And now she's in the stocks.				SOLDIER 		She will be burned tomorrow morning at the 		parish boundary. But we have to keep the Devil 		away from the rest of us.				JONS 			(holding his nose)		And you do that with this stinking mess?				SOLDIER 		It's the best remedy: blood mixed with the bile 		of a big black dog. The Devil can't stand the 		smell. 				JONS 		Neither can I. JONS walks over towards the horses. The KNIGHT stands for a few, moments looking at the young girl. She is almost a child. Slowly she turns her eyes towards him. 				KNIGHT 		Have you seen the Devil?The MONK stops reading and raises his head. 				MONK 		You must not talk to her. 				KNIGHT 		Can that be so dangerous?				MONK 		I don't know, but she is believed to have 		caused the pestilence with which we are 		affected. 				KNIGHT 		I understand.He nods resignedly and walks away. The young woman starts to moan as though she were having a horrible nightmare. The sound of her cries follows the two riders for a considerable distance down the road. The sun stands high in the sky, like a red ball of fire. The waterskin is empty and JONS looks for a well where he can fill it.They approach a group of peasant cottages at the edge of the forest. JONS ties up the horses, slings the skin over his shoulder and walks along the path towards the nearest cottage. As always, his movements are light and almost soundless. The door to the cottage is open. He stops outside, but when no one appears he enters. It is very dark inside and his foot touches a soft object. He looks down. Beside the whitewashed fireplace, a woman is lying with her face to the ground.At the sound of approaching steps, JONS quickly hides behind the door. A man comes down a ladder from the loft. He is broad and thick-set. His eyes are black and his face is pale and puffy. His clothes are well cut but dirty and in rags. He carries a cloth sack. Looking around, he goes into the inner room, bends over the bed, tucks something into the bag, slinks along the walls, looking on the shelves, finds something else which he tucks in his bag.Slowly he re-enters the outer room, bends over the dead woman and carefully slips a ring from her finger. At that moment a young woman comes through the door. She stops and stares at the stranger.				RAVEL 		Why do you look so surprised? I steal from the 		dead. These days it's quite a lucrative 		enterprise. The GIRL makes a movement as if to run away. 				RAVEL 		You're thinking of running to the village and 		telling. That wouldn't serve any purpose. Each 		of us has to save his own skin. It's as simple 		as that. 				GIRL 		Don't touch me.				RAVAL 		Don't try to scream. There's no one around to 		hear you, neither God nor man.Slowly he closes the door behind the GIRL. The stuffy room is now in almost total darkness. But JONS becomes clearly visible.				JONS 		I recognize you, although it's a long time 		since we met. Your name is Raval, from the 		theological college at Roskilde. You are Dr. 		Mirabilis, Coelestis et Diabilis. RAVAL smiles uneasily and looks around. 				JONS 		Am I not right?The GIRL stands immobile.				JONS 		You were the one who, ten years ago, convinced 		my master of the necessity to join a better-		class crusade to the Holy Land.RAVAL looks around. 				JONS 		You look uncomfortable. Do you have a stomach-		ache? RAVAL smiles anxiously.				JONS 		When I see you, I suddenly understand the 		meaning of these ten years, which previously 		seemed to me such a waste. Our life was too 		good and we were too satisfied with ourselves. 		The Lord wanted to punish us for our 		complacency. That is why He sent you to spew 		out your holy venom and poison the knight.				RAVEL 		I acted in good faith.				JONS 		But now you know better, don't you? Because 		now you have turned into a thief. A more 		fitting and rewarding occupation for 		scoundrels. Isn't that so?With a quick movement he knocks the knife out of RAVAL'S hand, gives him a kick so that he falls on the floor and is about to finish him off. Suddenly the GIRL screams. JONS stops and makes a gesture of generosity with his hand. 				JONS 		By all means. I'm not bloodthirsty. He bends over RAVAL. 				RAVEL 		Don't beat me.				JONS 		I don't have the heart to touch you, Doctor. 		But remember this: the next time we meet, I'll 		brand your face the way one does with thieves. 			(he rises)		What I really came for is to get my waterskin 		filled.				GIRL 		We have a deep well with cool, fresh water. 		Come, I'll show you.They walk out of the house. RAVAL lies still for a few moments, then he rises slowly and looks around. When no one is in sight, he takes his bag and steals away. JONS quenches his thirst and fills his bag with water. The GIRL helps him.				JONS 		Jàns is my name. I am a pleasant and talkative 		young man who has never had anything but kind 		thoughts and has only done beautiful and noble 		deeds. I'm kindest of all to young women. With 		them, there is no limit to my kindness. He embraces her and tries to kiss her, but she holds herself back. Almost immediately he loses interest, hoists the waterbag on his shoulder and pats the GIRL on the cheek.				JONS 		Goodbye, my girl. I could very well have raped 		you, but between you and me, I'm tired of that 		kind of love. It runs a little dry in the end.He laughs kindly and walks away from her. When he has walked a short distance he turns; the GIRL is still there.				JONS 		Now that I think of it, I will need a 		housekeeper. Can you prepare good food? 			(the GIRL nods)		As far as I know, I'm still a married man, but		I have high hopes that my wife is dead by now.		That's why I need a housekeeper. 			(the GIRL doesn't 			answer but gets up)		The devil with it! Come along and don't stand 		there staring. I've saved your life, so you owe 		me a great deal.She begins walking towards him, her head bent. He doesn't wait for her but walks towards the KNIGHT, who patiently awaits his squire. The Embarrassment Inn lies in the eastern section of the province. The plague has not yet reached this area on its way along the coast.The actors have placed their wagon under a tree in the yard of the inn. Dressed in colorful costumes, they perform a farce.The spectators watch the performance, commenting on it noisily. There aremerchants with fat, beer-sweaty faces, apprentices and journeymen, farmhands and milkmaids. A whole flock of children perch in the trees around the wagon. The KNIGHT and his squire have sat down in the shadow of a wall. They drink beer and doze in the midday heat. The GIRL from the deserted village sleeps at JONS'S side. SKAT beats the drums, JOF blows the flute, MIA performs a gay and lively dance. They perspire under the hot white sun. When they have finished SKAT comes forward and bows.				SKAT 		Noble ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for 		your interest. Please remain standing for a		little longer, or sit on the ground, because 		we are now going to perform a tragedia about 		an unfaithful wife, her jealous husband, and 		the handsome lover -- that's me.MIA and JOF have quickly changed costumes and again step out on the stage. They bow, to the public. 				SKAT 		Here is the husband. Here is the wife. If 		you'll shut up over there, you'll see something 		splendid. As I said, I play the lover and I 		haven't entered yet. That's why I'm going to 		hide behind the curtain for the time being. 			(he wipes the sweat 			from his forehead)		It's damned hot. I think we'll have a 		thunderstorm.He places his leg in front of JOF as if to trip him, raises MIA's skirt, makes a face as if he could see all the wonders of the world underneath it, and disappears behind the gaudily patched curtains.SKAT is very handsome, now that he can see himself in the reflection of a tin washbowl. His hair is tightly curled, his eyebrows are beautifully bushy, glittering earrings vie for equal attention with his teeth, and his cheeks are flushed rose red. He sits out in back on the tailboard of the wagon, dangling his legs and whistling to himself. In the meantime JOF and MIA play their tragedy; it is not, however, received with great acclaim. SKAT suddenly discovers that someone is watching him as he gazes contentedly into the tin bowl. A woman stands there, stately in both height and volume. SKAT frowns, toys with his small dagger and occasionally throws a roguish but fiery glance at the beautiful visitor. She suddenly discovers that one of her shoes doesn't quite fit. She leans down to fix it and in doing so allows her generous bosom to burst out of its prison -- no more than honor and chastity allow, but still enough so that the actor with his experienced eye immediately sees that there are ample rewards to be had here.Now she comes a little closer, kneels down and opens a bundle containing several dainty morsels and a skin filled with red wine. JONAS SKAT manages not to fall off the wagon in his excitement. Standing on the steps of the wagon, he supports himself against a nearby tree, crosses his legs and bows. The woman quietly bites into a chicken leg dripping with fat. At this moment the actor is stricken by a radiant glance full of lustful appetites.When he sees this look, SKAT makes an instantaneous decision, jumps down from the wagon and kneels in front of the blushing damsel.She becomes weak and faint from his nearness, looks at him with a glassy glance and breathes heavily. SKAT doesn't neglect to press kisses on her small, chubby hands. The sun shines brightly and small birds make noises in the bushes.Now she is forced to sit back; her legs seem unwilling to support her any longer. Bewildered, she singles out another chicken leg from the large sack of food and holds it up in front of SKAT with an appealing and triumphant expression, as if it were her maidenhood being offered as a prize.SKAT hesitates momentarily, but he is still the strategist. He lets the chicken leg fall to the grass, and murmurs in the woman's rosy ear.His words seem to please her. She puts her arms around the actor's neck and pulls him to her with such fierceness that both of them lose their balance and tumble down on the soft grass. The small birds take to their wings with frightened shrieks.JOF stands in the hot sun with a flickering lantern in his hand. MIA pretends to be asleep on a bench which has been pulled forward on the stage. 				JOF 		Night and moonlight now prevail 		Here sleeps my wife so frail ... 				VOICE FROM THE PUBLIC		Does she snore?				JOF 		May I point out that this is a tragedy, and in 		tragedies one doesn't snore.				VOICE FROM THE PUBLIC		I think she should snore anyhow. This opinion causes mirth in the audience. JOF becomes slightly confused and goes out of character, but MIA keeps her head and begins snoring. 				JOF 		Night and moonlight now prevail.		There snores -- I mean sleeps -- my wife so frail. 		Jealous I am, as never before, 		I hide myself behind this door. 		Faithful is she 		To her lover -- not me. 		He soon comes a-stealing 		To awaken her lusty feeling. 		I shall now kill him dead 		For cuckolding me in my bed. 		There he comes in the moonlight, 		His white legs shining bright. 		Quiet as a mouse, here I'll lie, 		Tell him not that he's about to die.JOF hides himself. MIA immediately ends her snoring and sits up, looking to the left. 				MIA 		Look, there he comes in the night 		My lover, my heart's delight.She becomes silent and looks wide-eyed in front of her. The mood in the yard in front of the inn has, up to now, been rather lighthearted despite the heat. Now a rapid change occurs. People who had been laughing and chattering fall silent. Their faces seem to pale under their sunbrowned skins, the children stop their games and stand with gaping mouths and frightened eyes. JOF steps out in front of the curtain. His painted face bears an expression of horror. MIA has risen with MIKAEL in her arms. Some of the women in the yard have fallen on their knees, others hide their faces, many begin to mutter half-forgotten prayers.All have turned their faces towards the white road. Now a shrill song is heard. It is frenzied, almost a scream. A crucified Christ sways above the hilltop.The cross-bearers soon come into sight. They are Dominican monks, their hoods pulled down over their faces. More and more of them follow, carrying litters with heavy coffins or clutching holy relics, their hands stretched out spasmodically. The dust wells up around their black hoods; the censers sway and emit a thick, ashen smoke which smells of rancid herbs.After the line of monks comes another procession. It is a column of men, boys, old men, women, girls, children. All of them have steel-edged scourges in their hands with which they whip themselves and each other, howling ecstatically. They twist in pain; their eyes bulge wildly; their lips are gnawed to shreds and dripping with foam. They have been seized by madness. They bite their own hands and arms, whip each other in violent, almost rhythmic outbursts. Throughout it all the shrill song howls from their bursting throats. Many sway and fall, lift themselves up again, support eachother and help each other to intensify the scourging.Now the procession pauses at the crossroads in front of the inn. The monks fall on their knees, hiding their faces with clenched hands, arms pressed tightly together. Their song never stops. The Christ figure on its timbered cross is raised above the heads of the crowd. It is not Christ triumphant, but the suffering Jesus with the sores, the blood, the hammered nails and the face in convulsive pain. The Son of God, nailed on the wood of the cross, suffering scorn and shame. The penitents have now sunk down in the dirt of the road. They collapse where they stood like slaughtered cattle. Their screams rise with the song of the monks, through misty clouds of incense, towards the white fire of the sun. A large square monk rises from his knees and reveals his face, which is red-brown from the sun. His eyes glitter; his voice is thick with impotent scorn.				MONK		God has sentenced us to punishment. We shall 		all perish in the black death. You, standing 		there like gaping cattle, you who sit there in 		your glutted complacency, do you know that this 		may be your last hour? Death stands right 		behind you. I can see how his crown gleams in 		the sun. His scythe flashes as he raises it 		above your heads. Which one of you shall he 		strike first? You there, who stand staring like 		a goat, will your mouth be twisted into the 		last unfinished gasp before nightfall? And you, 		woman, who bloom with life and self-		satisfaction, will you pale and become 		extinguished before the morning dawns? You back		there, with your swollen nose and stupid grin, 		do you have another year left to dirty the 		earth with your refuse? Do you know, you 		insensible fools, that you shall die today or 		tomorrow, or the next day, because all of you 		have been sentenced? Do you hear what I say? Do 		you hear the word? You have been sentenced, 		sentenced! The MONK falls silent, looking around with a bitter face and a cold, scornfulglance. Now, he clenches his hands, straddles the ground and turns his faceupwards. 				MONK		Lord have mercy on us in our humiliation! Don't 		turn your face from us in loathing and 		contempt, but be merciful to us for the sake of 		your son, Jesus Christ. He makes the sign of the cross over the crowd and then begins a new song in astrong voice. The monks rise and join in the song. As if driven by some superhuman force, the penitents begin to whip themselves again, still wailing and moaning.The procession continues. New members have joined the rear of the column; others who were unable to go on lie weeping in the dust of the road. JONS the squire drinks his beer.				JONS 		This damned ranting about doom. Is that food 		for the minds of modern people? Do they really 		expect us to take them seriously?The KNIGHT grins tiredly.				JONS 		Yes, now you grin at me, my lord. But allow me 		to point out that I've either read, heard or 		experienced most of the tales which we people 		tell each other. 				KNIGHT 			(yawns) 		Yes, yes. 				JONS 		Even the ghost stories about God the Father, 		the angels, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost --		all these I've accepted without too much 		emotion.He leans down over the GIRL as she crouches at his feet and pats her on the head. The KNIGHT drinks his beer silently.				JONS 			(contentedly)		My little stomach is my world, my head is my 		eternity, and my hands, two wonderful suns. My 		legs are time's damned pendulums, and my dirty 		feet are two splendid starting points for my 		philosophy. Everything is worth precisely as 		much as a belch, the only difference being that 		a belch is more satisfying.The beer mug is empty. Sighing, JONS gets to his feet. The GIRL follows him like a shadow.In the yard he meets a large man with a sooty face and a dark expression. He stops JONS with a roar. 				JONS 		What are you screaming about?				PLOG 		I am Plog, the smith, and you are the squire 		Jàns. 				JONS 		That's possible.				PLOG 		Have you seen my wife? 				JONS 		No, I haven't. But if I had seen her and she 		looked like you, I'd quickly forget that I'd 		seen her. 				PLOG		Well, in that case you haven't seen her. 				JONS 		Maybe she's run off. 				PLOG 		Do you know anything? 				JONS 		I know quite a lot, but not about your wife. Go 		to the inn. Maybe they can help you.The smith sighs sadly and goes inside.The inn is very small and full of people eating and drinking to forget their newly aroused fears of eternity. In the open fireplace a roasting pig turnson an iron spit. The sun shines outside the casement window, its sharp rayspiercing the darkness of the room, which is thick with fumes andperspiration. 				MERCHANT		Yes, it's true! The plague is spreading along 		the west coast. People are dying like flies. 		Usually business would be good at this time of 		year, but, damn it, I've still got my whole 		stock unsold.				WOMAN 		They speak of the judgment day. And all these 		omens are terrible. Worms, chopped-off hands 		and other monstrosities began pouring out of 		an old woman, and down in the village another 		woman gave birth to a calf's head. 				OLD MAN 		The day of judgment. Imagine.				FARMER		It hasn't rained here for a month. We'll surely 		lose our crops.				MERCHANT		And people are acting crazy, I'd say. They flee 		the country and carry the plague with them 		wherever they go. 				OLD MAN 		The day of judgment. Just think, just think! 				FARMER 		If it's as they say, I suppose a person should 		look after his house and try to enjoy life as 		long as he can. 				WOMAN 		But there have been other things too, such 		things that can't even be spoken of. 			(whispers)		Things that mustn't be named -- but the priests 		say that the woman carries it between her legs 		and that's why she must cleanse herself. 				OLD MAN 		Judgment day. And the Riders of the Apocalypse 		stand at the bend in the village road. I 		imagine they'll come on judgment night, at 		sundown.				WOMAN 		There are many who have purged themselves with	 	fire and died from it, but the priests say that 		it's better to die pure than to live for hell. 				MERCHANT 		This is the end, yes, it is. No one says it out		loud, but all of us know that it's the end. And 		people are going mad from fear.				FARMER		So you're afraid too. 				MERCHANT		Of course I'm afraid.				OLD MAN 		The judgment day becomes night, and the angels 		descend and the graves open. It will be 		terrible to see. They whisper in low tones and sit close to each other.PLOG, the smith, shoves his way into a place next to JOF, who is still dressed in his costume. Opposite him sits RAVAL, leaning slightly forward, his face perspiring heavily. RAVAL rolls an armlet out on the table. 				RAVAL 		Do you want this armlet? You can have it 		cheap. 				JOF 		I can't afford it. 				RAVAL 		It's real silver.				JOF 		It's nice. But it's surely too expensive for 		me. 				PLOG 		Excuse me, but has anyone here seen my wife? 				JOF 		Has she disappeared? 				PLOG 		They say she's run away. 				JOF 		Has she deserted you? 				PLOG 		With an actor.				JOF 		An actor! If she's got such bad taste, then I 		think you should let her go.				PLOG 		You're right. My first thought, of course, was 		to kill her.				JOF 		Oh. But to murder her, that's a terrible thing 		to do. 				PLOG 		I'm also going to kill the actor. 				JOF 		The actor?				PLOG 		Of course, the one she eloped with. 				JOF 		What has he done to deserve that? 				PLOG 		Are you stupid? 				JOF 		The actor! Now I understand. There are too many 		of them, so even if he hasn't done anything in 		particular you ought to kill him merely because 		he's an actor. 				PLOG 		You see, my wife has always been interested in 		the tricks of the theatre.				JOF 		And that turned out to be her misfortune. 				PLOG 		Her misfortune, but not mine, because a person 		who's born unfortunate can hardly suffer from 		any further misfortune. Isn't that true?Now RAVAL enters the discussion. He is slightly drunk and his voice is shrill and evil. 				RAVAL 		Listen, you! You sit there and lie to the 		smith. 				JOF 		I! A liar! 				RAVAL 		You're an actor too and it's probably your 		partner who's run off with Plog's old lady. 				PLOG 		Are you an actor too?				JOF 		An actor! Me! I wouldn't quite call myself that! 				RAVAL 		We ought to kill you; it's only logical. 				JOF 			(laughs)		You're really funny.				RAVAL 		How strange -- you've turned pale. Have you 		anything on your conscience?				JOF 		You're funny. Don't you think he's funny? 			(to Plog)		Oh, you don't.				RAVAL 		Maybe we should mark you up a little with a 		knife, like they do petty scoundrels of your 		kind.PLOG bangs his hands down on the table so that the dishes jump. He gets up. 				PLOG 			(shouting)		What have you done with my wife? The room becomes silent. JOF looks around, but there is no exit, no way to escape. He puts his hands on the table. Suddenly a knife flashes through the air and sinks into the table top between his fingers.JOF snatches away his hands and raises his head. He looks half surprised, as if the truth had just become apparent to him. 				JOF 		Do you want to hurt me? Why? Have I provoked 		someone, or got in the way? I'll leave right 		now and never come back.JOF looks from one face to another, but no one seems ready to help him or come to his defense.  				RAVAL 		Get up so everyone can hear you. Talk louder. Trembling, JOF rises. He opens his mouth as if to say something, but not a word comes out. 				RAVAL 		Stand on your head so that we can see how good 		an actor you are.JOF gets up on the table and stands on his head. A hand pushes him forward sothat he collapses on the floor. PLOG rises, pulls him to his feet with one hand. 				PLOG 			(shouts) 		What have you done with my wife? PLOG beats him so furiously that JOF flies across the table. RAVAL leans overhim. 				RAVAL 		Don't lie there moaning. Get up and dance. 				JOF 		I don't want to. I can't.				RAVEL 		Show us how you imitate a bear. 				JOF 		I can't play a bear.				RAVAL 		Let's see if you can't after all.RAVAL prods JOF lightly with the knife point. JOF gets up with cold sweat on his cheeks and forehead, frightened half to death. He begins to jump and hop on top of the tables, swinging his arms and legs and making grotesque faces.Some laugh, but most of the people sit silently. JOF gasps as if his lungs were about to burst. He sinks to his knees, and someone pours beer over him. 				RAVEL 		Up again! Be a good bear.				JOF 		I haven't done any harm. I haven't got the 		strength to play a bear any more.At that moment the door opens and JONS enters. JOF sees his chance and stealsout. RAVAL intends to follow him, but suddenly stops. JONS and RAVAL look at each other. 				JONS 		Do you remember what I was going to do to you 		if we met again?RAVAL steps back without speaking. 				JONS 		I'm a man who keeps his word.JONS raises his knife and cuts RAVAL from forehead to cheek. RAVAL staggers towards the wall. The hot day has become night. Singing and howling can be heard from the inn. In a hollow near the forest, the light still lingers. Hidden in the grass andthe shrubbery, nightingales sing and their voices echo through the stillness. The players' wagon stands in a small ravine, and not far away the horse grazes on the dry grass. MIA has sat down in front of the wagon with her son in her arms. They play together and laugh happily.Now, a soft gleam of light strokes the hilltops, a last reflection from the red clouds over the sea.Not far from the wagon, the KNIGHT sits crouched over his chess game. He lifts his head.The evening light moves across the heavy wagon wheels, across the woman and the child. The KNIGHT gets up.MIA sees him and smiles. She holds up her struggling son, as if to amuse the KNIGHT. 				KNIGHT 		What's his name? 				MIA 		Mikael.				KNIGHT 		How old is he? 				MIA 		Oh, he'll soon be two. 				KNIGHT 		He's big for his age.				MIA 		Do you think so? Yes, I guess he's rather big. She puts the child down on the ground and half rises to shake out her red skirt. When she sits down again, the KNIGHT steps closer.				KNIGHT 		You played some kind of show this afternoon. 				MIA 		Did you think it was bad?				KNIGHT 		You are more beautiful now without your face 		painted, and this gown is more becoming.				MIA 		You see, Jonas Skat has run off and left us, 		so we're in real trouble now.				KNIGHT 		Is that your husband?				MIA 			(laughs)		Jonas! The other man is my husband. His name is 		Jof. 				KNIGHT 		Oh, that one.				MIA 		And now there's only him and me. We'll have to 		start doing tricks again and that's more 		trouble than it's worth. 				KNIGHT 		Do you do tricks also?				MIA 		We certainly do. And Jof is a very skillful 		juggler.				KNIGHT 		Is Mikael going to be an acrobat? 				MIA 		Jof wants him to be. 				KNIGHT 		But you don't.				MIA 		I don't know.			(smiling)		Perhaps he'll become a knight. 				KNIGHT 		Let me assure you, that's no pleasure either. 				MIA 		No, you don't look so happy. 				KNIGHT 		No.				MIA 		Are you tired? 				KNIGHT 		Yes. 				MIA 		Why? 				KNIGHT 		I have dull company. 				MIA 		Do you mean your squire? 				KNIGHT 		No, not him.				MIA 		Who do you mean, then? 				KNIGHT 		Myself. 				MIA 		I understand. 				KNIGHT 		Do you, really? 				MIA 		Yes, I understand rather well. I have often 		wondered why people torture themselves as often 		as they can. Isn't that so?She nods energetically and the KNIGHT smiles seriously. Now the shrieks and the noise from the inn become louder. Black figures flicker across the grass mound. Someone collapses, gets up and runs. It is JOF. MIA stretches out her arms and receives him. He holds his hands in front of his face, moaning like a child, and his body sways. He kneels. MIA holds him close to her and sprinkles him with small, anxious questions: What have you done? How are you?What is it? Does it hurt? What can I do? Have they been cruel to you? She runs for a rag, which she dips in water, and carefully bathes her husband'sdirty, bloody face. Eventually a rather sorrowful visage emerges. Blood runs from a bruise on his forehead and his nose, and a tooth has been loosened, but otherwise JOF seems unhurt. 				JOF 		Ouch, it hurts.				MIA		Why did you have to go there? And of course you 		drank.MIA's anxiety has been replaced by a mild anger. She pats him a little harder than necessary. 				JOF 		Ouch! I didn't drink anything.				MIA		Then I suppose you were boasting about the 		angels and devils you consort with. People 		don't like someone who has too many ideas and 		fantasies.				JOF 		I swear to you that I didn't say a word about 		angels. 				MIA		You were, of course, busy singing and dancing. 		You can never stop being an actor. People also 		become angry at that, and you know it.JOF doesn't answer but searches for the armlet. He holds it up in front of MIA with an injured expression. 				JOF 		Look what I bought for you. 				MIA 		You couldn't afford it. 				JOF 			(angry)		But I got it anyhow.The armlet glitters faintly in the twilight. MIA now pulls it across her wrist. They look at it in silence, and their faces soften. They look at each other, touch each other's hands. JOF puts his head against MIA'S shoulder and sighs.				JOF 		Oh, how they beat me.				MIA 		Why didn't you beat them back?				JOF 		I only become frightened and angry. I never get 		a chance to hit back. I can get angry, you know 		that. I roared like a lion.				MIA		Were they frightened? 				JOF 		No, they just laughed.Their son MIKAEL crawls over to them. JOF lies down on the ground and pulls his son on top of him. MIA gets down on her hands and knees and playfully sniffs at MIKAEL.				MIA 		Do you notice how good he smells?				JOF 		And he is so compact to hold. You're a sturdy 		one. A real acrobat's body.He lifts MIKAEL up and holds him by the legs. MIA looks up suddenly, remembering the knight's presence. 				MIA 		Yes, this is my husband, Jof. 				JOF 		Good evening. 				KNIGHT 		Good evening. JOF becomes a little embarrassed and rises. All three of them look at one another silently. 				KNIGHT 		I have just told your wife that you have a 		splendid son. He'll bring great joy to you. 				JOF 		Yes, he's fine.     They become silent again. 				JOF 		Have we nothing to offer the knight, Mia? 				KNIGHT 		Thank you, I don't want anything.				MIA 			(housewifely)		I picked a basket of wild strawberries this 		afternoon. And we have a drop of milk fresh 		from a cow ... 				JOF 		... that we were allowed to milk. So, if you 		would like to partake of this humble fare, it 		would be a great honor. 				MIA 		Please be seated and I'll bring the food. They sit down. MIA disappears with MIKAEL. 				KNIGHT 		Where are you going next? 				JOF 		Up to the saints' feast at Elsinore. 				KNIGHT 		I wouldn't advise you to go there. 				JOF 		Why not, if I may ask?				KNIGHT 		The plague has spread in that direction, 		following the coast line south. It's said that 		people are dying by the tens of thousands.				JOF 		Really! Well, sometimes life is a little hard. 				KNIGHT 		May I suggest ... 			(JOF looks at him, surprised) 		... that you follow me through the forest 		tonight and stay at my home if you like. Or go 		along the east coast. You'll probably be safer 		there.MIA has returned with a bowl of wild strawberries and the milk, places it between them and gives each of them a spoon.				JOF 		I wish you good appetite. 				KNIGHT 		I humbly thank you.				MIA 		These are wild strawberries from the forest. I 		have never seen such large ones. They grow up 		there on the hillside. Notice how they smell!She points with a spoon and smiles. The KNIGHT nods, as if he were pondering some profound thought. JOF eats heartily.				JOF 		Your suggestion is good, but I must think it 		over. 				MIA 		It might be wise to have company going through 		the forest. It's said to be full of trolls and 		ghosts and bandits. That's what I've heard.				JOF 			(staunchly)		Yes, I'd say that it's not a bad idea, but I 		have to think about it. Now that Skat has left, 		I am responsible for the troupe. After all, I 		have become director of the whole company.				MIA 			(mimics) 		After all, I have become director of the whole 		company.JONS comes walking slowly down the hill, closely followed by the GIRL. MIA points with her spoon. 				MIA 		Do you want some strawberries?				JOF 		This man saved my life. Sit down, my friend, 		and let us be together.				MIA 			(stretches herself) 		Oh, how nice this is. 				KNIGHT 		For a short while. 				MIA 		Nearly always. One day is like another. There 		is nothing strange about that. The summer, of 		course, is better than the winter, because in 		summer you don't have to be cold. But spring is 		best of all.				JOF 		I have written a poem about the spring. Perhaps 		you'd like to hear it. I'll run and get my lyre. He sprints towards the wagon.  				MIA 		Not now, Jof. Our guests may not be amused by 		your songs.				JONS 			(politely) 		By all means. I write little songs myself. For 		example, I know a very funny song about a 		wanton fish which I doubt that you've heard yet. The KNIGHT looks at him.				JONS 		You'll not get to hear it either. There are 		persons here who don't appreciate my art and I 		don't want to upset anyone. I'm a sensitive 		soul.JOF has come out with his lyre, sits on a small, gaudy box and plucks at the instrument, humming quietly, searching for his melody. JONS yawns and lies down. 				KNIGHT 		People are troubled by so much.				MIA 		It's always better when one is two. Have you no 		one of your own?				KNIGHT 		Yes, I think I had someone. 				MIA 		And what is she doing now? 				KNIGHT 		I don't know.				MIA 		You look so solemn. Was she your beloved? 				KNIGHT 		We were newly married and we played together. 		We laughed a great deal. I wrote songs to her 		eyes, to her nose, to her beautiful little 		ears. We went hunting together and at night we 		danced. The house was full of life ... 				MIA 		Do you want some more strawberries?				KNIGHT 			(shakes his head)		Faith is a torment, did you know that? It is 		like loving someone who is out there in the 		darkness but never appears, no matter how 		loudly you call. 				MIA 		I don't understand what you mean.				KNIGHT 		Everything I've said seems meaningless and 		unreal while I sit here with you and your 		husband. How unimportant it all becomes 		suddenly.He takes the bowl of milk in his hand and drinks deeply from it several times. Then he carefully puts it down and looks up, smiling.				MIA 		Now you don't look so solemn.				KNIGHT 		I shall remember this moment. The silence, the 		twilight, the bowls of strawberries and milk,		your faces in the evening light. Mikael 		sleeping, Jof with his lyre. I'll try to 		remember what we have talked about. I'll carry 		this memory between my hands as carefully as 		if it were a bowl filled to the brim with fresh 		milk. He turns his face away and looks out towards the sea and the colorless gray sky. 				KNIGHT 		And it will be an adequate sign -- it will be 		enough for me.He rises, nods to the others and walks down towards the forest. JOF continues to play on his lyre. MIA stretches out on the grass.The KNIGHT picks up his chess game and carries it towards the beach. It is quiet and deserted; the sea is still. 				DEATH 		I have been waiting for you.				KNIGHT 		Pardon me. I was detained for a few moments. 		Because I revealed my tactics to you, I'm in 		retreat. It's your move.				DEATH 		Why do you look so satisfied? 				KNIGHT 		That's my secret. 				DEATH 		Of course. Now I take your knight. 				KNIGHT 		You did the right thing. 				DEATH 		Have you tricked me? 				KNIGHT 		Of course. You fell right in the trap. Check! 				DEATH 		What are you laughing at?				KNIGHT 		Don't worry about my laughter; save your king 		instead.				DEATH 		You're rather arrogant. 				KNIGHT 		Our game amuses me.				DEATH 		It's your move. Hurry up. I'm a little pressed 		for time.				KNIGHT 		I understand that you've a lot to do, but you 		can't get out of our game. It takes time.DEATH is about to answer him but stops and leans over the board. The KNIGHT smiles.				DEATH 		Are you going to escort the juggler and his 		wife through the forest? Those whose names are 		Jof and Mia and who have a small son? 				KNIGHT 		Why do you ask? 				DEATH 		Oh, no reason at all. The KNIGHT suddenly stops smiling. DEATH looks at him scornfully. Immediately after sundown, the little company gathers in the yard of the inn.There is the KNIGHT, JONS and the GIRL, JOF and MIA in their wagon. Their son, MIKAEL, is already asleep. JONAS SKAT is still missing. JONS goes into the inn to get provisions for the night journey and to have a last mug of beer. The inn is now empty and quiet except for a few farmhands and maidens who are eating their evening meal in a corner. At one of the small windows sits a lonely, hunched-over fellow, with a jug of brandy in his hands. His expression is very sad. Once in a while he is shaken by a gigantic sob. It is PLOG, the smith, who sits there and whimpers. 				JONS 		God in heaven, isn't this Plog, the smith? 				PLOG 		Good evening.				JONS 		Are you sitting here sniveling in loneliness? 				PLOG 		Yes, yes, look at the smith. He moans like a 		rabbit. 				JONS 		If I were in your boots, I'd be happy to get 		rid of a wife in such an easy way.JONS pats the smith on the back, quenches his thirst with beer, and sits down by his side. 				PLOG 		Are you married? 				JONS 		I! A hundred times and more. I can't keep count 		of all my wives any longer. But it's often that 		way when you're a traveling man.				PLOG 		I can assure you that one wife is worse than a 		hundred, or else I've had worse luck than any 		poor wretch in this miserable world, which 		isn't impossible.				JONS 		Yes, it's hell with women and hell without 		them. So, however you look at it, it's still 		best to kill them off while it's most amusing. 				PLOG 		Women's nagging, the shrieking of children and 		wet diapers, sharp nails and sharp words, blows 		and pokes, and the devil's aunt for a 		mother-in-law. And then, when one wants to 		sleep after a long day, there's a new song -- 		tears, whining and moans loud enough to wake 		the dead. JONS nods delightedly. He has drunk deeply and talks with an old woman's voice. 				JONS 		Why don't you kiss me good night?				PLOG 			(in the same way)		Why don't you sing a song for me? 				JONS 		Why don't you love me the way you did when we 		first met?				PLOG 		Why don't you look at my new slip? 				JONS 		You only turn your back and snore. 				PLOG 		Oh hell! 				JONS 		Oh hell. And now she's gone. Rejoice! 				PLOG 			(furious) 		I'll snip their noses with pliers, I'll bash in 		their chests with a small hammer, I'll tap 		their heads ever so lightly with a sledge.PLOG begins to cry loudly and his whole body sways in an enormous attack of sorrow. JONS looks at him with interest.				JONS		Look how he howls again. 				PLOG 		Maybe I love her.				JONS 		So, maybe you love her! Then, you poor 		misguided ham shank, I'll tell you that love is 		another word for lust, plus lust, plus lust 		and a damn lot of cheating, falseness, lies and 		all kinds of other fooling around. 				PLOG		Yes, but it hurts anyway.				JONS 		Of course. Love is the blackest of all plagues, 		and if one could die of it, there would be 		some pleasure in love. But you almost always 		get over it. 				PLOG		No, no, not me.				JONS 		Yes, you too. There are only a couple of poor 		wretches who die of love once in a while. Love 		is as contagious as a cold in the nose. It eats 		away at your strength, your independence, your 		morale, if you have any. If everything is 		imperfect in this imperfect world, love is most 		perfect in its perfect imperfection.				PLOG 		You're happy, you with your oily words, and, 		besides, you believe your own drivel.				JONS 		Believe! Who said that I believed it? But I 		love to give good advice. If you ask me for 		advice you'll get two pieces for the price of 		one, because after all I really am an educated 		man.JONS gets up from the table and strokes his face with his hands. PLOG becomes very unhappy and grabs his belt. 				PLOG 		Listen, Jàns. May I go with you through the 		forest? I'm so lonely and don't want to go home 		because everyone will laugh at me.				JONS 		Only if you don't whimper all the time, because 		in that case we'll all have to avoid you.PLOG gets up and embraces JONS. Slightly drunk, the two new friends walk towards the door. When they come out in the yard, JOF immediately catches sight of them, becomes angry and yells a warning to JONS. 				JOF 		Jàns! Watch out. That one wants to fight all 		the time. He's not quite sane.				JONS 		Yes, but now he's just sniveling.PLOG steps up to JOF, who blanches with fear. PLOG offers his hand.				PLOG 		I'm really sorry if I hurt you. But I have 		such a hell of a temper, you know. Shake hands.JOF gingerly proffers a frightened hand and gets it thoroughly shaken and squeezed. While JOF tries to straighten out his fingers, PLOG is seized by great good will and opens his arms.				PLOG 		Come in my arms, little brother.				JOF 		Thank you, thank you, perhaps later. But now 		we're really in a hurry.JOF climbs up on the wagon seat quickly and clucks at the horse. The small company is on its way towards the forest and the night.It is dark in the forest. First comes the KNIGHT on his large horse. Then JOF and MIA follow, sitting close to each other in the juggler's wagon. MIA holds her son in her arms. JONS follows them with his heavily laden horse. He has the smith in tow. The GIRL sits on top of the load on the horse's back, hunched over as if asleep.The footsteps, the horses' heavy tramp on the soft path, the human breathing -- yet it is quiet. Then the moon sails out of the clouds. The forest suddenly becomes alive with the night's unreality. The dazzling light pours through the thick foliage of the beech trees, a moving, quivering world of light and shadow.The wanderers stop. Their eyes are dark with anxiety and foreboding. Their faces are pale and unreal in the floating light. It is very quiet.				PLOG		Now the moon has come out of the clouds. 				JONS 		That's good. Now we can see the road better. 				MIA 		I don't like the moon tonight. 				JOF 		The trees stand so still. 				JONS 		That's because there's no wind. 				PLOG 		I guess he means that they stand very still. 				JOF 		It's completely quiet.				JONS 		If one could hear a fox at least. 				JOF 		Or an owl.				JONS 		Or a human voice besides one's own.				GIRL		They say it's dangerous to remain standing in 		moonlight.Suddenly, out of the silence and the dim light falling across the forest road, a ghostlike cart emerges. It is the WITCH being taken to the place where she will be burned. Next to her eight soldiers shuffle along tiredly, carrying their lances on their backs. The girl sits in the cart, bound with iron chains around her throat and arms. She stares fixedly into the moonlight. A black figure sits next to her, a monk with his hood pulled down over his head. 				JONS 		Where are you going? 				SOLDIER		To the place of execution.				JONS 		Yes, now I can see. It's the girl who has done 		it with the Black One. The witch?The SOLDIER nods sourly. Hesitantly, the travelers follow. The KNIGHT guides his horse over to the side of the cart. The WITCH seems to be half-conscious, but her eyes are wide open.				KNIGHT 		I see that they have hurt your hands.The WITCH'S pale, childish face turns towards the KNIGHT and she shakes her head. 				KNIGHT 		I have a potion that will stop your pain.She shakes her head again. 				JONS 		Why do you burn her at this time of night? 		People have so few diversions these days. 				SOLDIER 		Saints preserve us, be quiet! It's said that 		she brings the Devil with her wherever she 		goes. 				JONS 		You are eight brave men, then.				SOLDIER 		Well, we've been paid. And this is a volunteer 		job. The SOLDIER speaks in whispers while glancing anxiously at the WITCH.				KNIGHT 			(to the WITCH)		What's your name? 				TYAN		My name is Tyan, my lord. 				KNIGHT 		How old are you? 				TYAN		Fourteen, my lord.				KNIGHT 		And is it true that you have been in league 		with the Devil?TYAN nods quietly and looks away. Now they arrive at the parish border. At the foot of the nearby hills lies a crossroads. The pyre has already been stacked in the center of the forest clearing. The travelers remain there, hesitant and curious. The soldiers have tied up the cart horse and bring out two long wooden beams.They nail rungs across the beams so that it looks like a ladder. TYAN will be bound to this like an eelskin stretched out to dry.The sound of the hammering echoes through the forest. The KNIGHT has dismounted and walks closer to the cart. Again he tries to catch TYAN'S eyes, touches her very lightly as if to waken her. Slowly she turns her face towards him. 				KNIGHT 		They say that you have been in league with the 		Devil.				TYAN		Why do you ask?				KNIGHT 		Not out of curiosity, but for very personal 		reasons. I too want to meet him. 				TYAN 		Why?				KNIGHT 		I want to ask him about God. He, if anyone, 		must know.				TYAN 		You can see him anytime. 				KNIGHT 		How?				TYAN 		You must do as I tell you.The KNIGHT grips the wooden rail of the cart so tightly that his knuckles whiten. TYAN leans forward and joins her gaze with his. 				TYAN 		Look into my eyes.The KNIGHT meets her gaze. They stare at each other for a long time.				TYAN 		What do you see? Do you see him?				KNIGHT 		I see fear in your eyes, an empty, numb fear. 		But nothing else.He falls silent. The soldiers work at the stakes; their hammering echoes in the forest. 				TYAN 		No one, nothing, no one? 				KNIGHT 			(shakes his head)		No.				TYAN		Can't you see him behind your back? 				KNIGHT 			(looks around) 		No, there is no one there. 				TYAN 		But he is with me everywhere. I only have to 		stretch out my hand and I can feel his hand. He 		is with me now too. The fire won't hurt me. He 		will protect me from everything evil.				KNIGHT 		Has he told you this? 				TYAN 		I know it.				KNIGHT 		Has he said it?				TYAN 		I know it, I know it. You must see him 		somewhere, you must. The priests had no 		difficulty seeing him, nor did the soldiers. 		They are so afraid of him that they don't even 		dare touch me.The sounds of the hammers stops. The soldiers stand like black shadows rooted in the moss. They fumble with the chains and pull at the neck iron. TYAN moans weakly, as if she were far away.				KNIGHT 		Why have you crushed her hands? 				SOLDIER			(surly) 		We didn't do it. 				KNIGHT 		Who did? 				SOLDIER		Ask the monk.The soldiers pull the iron and the chains. TYAN'S shaven head sways, gleaming in the moonlight. Her blackened mouth opens as if to scream, but no sound emerges. They take her down from the cart and lead her towards the ladder and the stake. The KNIGHT turns to the MONK, who remains seated in the cart. 				KNIGHT 		What have you done with the child? DEATH turns around and looks at him. 				DEATH 		Don't you ever stop asking questions? 				KNIGHT 		No, I'll never stop.The soldiers chain TYAN to the rungs of the ladder. She submits resignedly, moans weakly like an animal and tries to ease her body into position. When they have fastened her, they walk over to light the pyre. The KNIGHT steps up and leans over her. 				JONS 		For a moment I thought of killing the soldiers, 		but it would do no good. She's nearly dead 		already. One of the soldiers approaches. Thick smoke wells down from the pyre and sweeps over the quiet shadows near the crossroads and the hill.				SOLDIER		I've told you to be careful. Don't go too close 		to her.The KNIGHT doesn't heed this warning. He cups his hand, fills it with water from the skin and gives it to TYAN. Then he gives her a potion.				KNIGHT 		Take this and it will stop the pain.Smoke billows down over them and they begin to cough. The soldiers step forward and raise the ladder against a nearby fir tree. TYAN hangs there motionlessly, her eyes wide open.The KNIGHT straightens up and stands immobile. JONS is behind him, his voice nearly choked with rage. 				JONS 		What does she see? Can you tell me? 				KNIGHT 			(shakes his head) 		She feels no more pain. 				JONS 		You don't answer my question. Who watches over 		that child? Is it the angels, or God, or the 		Devil, or only the emptiness? Emptiness, my 		lord!				KNIGHT 		This cannot be.				JONS 		Look at her eyes, my lord. Her poor brain has 		just made a discovery. Emptiness under the 		moon. 				KNIGHT 		No.				JONS 		We stand powerless, our arms hanging at our 		sides, because we see what she sees, and our 		terror and hers are the same. 			(an outburst) 		That poor little child. I can't stand it, I 		can't stand it ...His voice sticks in his throat and he suddenly walks away. The KNIGHT mountshis horse. The travelers depart from the crossroads. TYAN finally closes her eyes. The forest is now very dark. The road winds between the trees. The wagon squeaks and rattles over stones and roots. A bird suddenly shrieks. JOF lifts his head and wakes up. He has been asleep with his arms around MIA's shoulders. The KNIGHT is sharply silhouetted against the tree trunks.His silence makes him seem almost unreal. JONS and PLOG are slightly drunk and support each other. Suddenly PLOG has to sit down. He puts his hands over his face and howls piteously. 				PLOG 		Oh, now it came over me again! 				JONS 		Don't scream. What came over you?				PLOG 		My wife, damn it. She is so beautiful. She is 		so beautiful that she can't be described 		without the accompaniment of a lyre.				JONS 		Now it starts again.				PLOG 		Her smile is like brandy. Her eyes like 		blackberries ...PLOG searches for beautiful words. He gestures gropingly with his large hands.				JONS 			(sighs) 		Get up, you tear-drenched pig. We'll lose the 		others.				PLOG 		Yes, of course, of course. Her nose is like a 		little pink potato; her behind is like a juicy 		pear -- yes, the whole woman is like a 		strawberry patch. I can see her in front of me, 		with arms like wonderful cucumbers.				JONS 		Saints almighty, stop! You're a very bad poet, 		despite the fact that you're drunk. And your 		vegetable garden bores me.They walk across an open meadow. Here it is a little brighter and the moon shimmers behind a thin sky. Suddenly PLOG points a large finger towards the edge of the forest. 				PLOG 		Look there.				JONS 		Do you see something? 				PLOG 		There, over there! 				JONS 		I don't see anything.				PLOG 		Hang on to something, my friends. The hour is 		near! Who is that at the edge of the forest if 		not my own dearly beloved, with actor attached?The two lovers discover PLOG and it's too late. They cannot retreat. SKAT immediately takes to his heels. PLOG chases him, swinging his sledge and bellowing like a wild boar.For a few confusing moments the two rivals stumble among the stones and bushes in the gray gloom of the forest. The duel begins to look senseless, because both of them are equally frightened.The travelers silently observe this confused performance. LISA screams once in a while, more out of duty than out of impulse.				SKAT 			(panting) 		You miserable stubbleheaded bastard of seven 		scurvy bitches, if I were in your lousy rags I 		would be stricken with such eternal shame about 		my breath, my voice, my arms and legs -- in 		short, about my whole body -- that I would 		immediately rid nature of my own embarrassing 		self. 				PLOG 			(angry) 		Watch out, you perfumed slob, that I don't fart 		on you and immediately blow you down to the 		actor's own red-hot hell, where you can sit and 		recite monologues to each other until the dust 		comes out of the Devil's ears. Then LISA throws herself around her husband's neck. 				LISA 		Forgive me, dear little husband, I'll never do 		it again. I am so sorry and you can't imagine 		how terribly that man over there betrayed me. 				PLOG 		I'll kill him anyway.				LISA 		Yes, do that, just kill him. He isn't even a 		human being.				JONS 		Hell, he's an actor.				LISA 		He is only a false beard, false teeth, false 		smiles, rehearsed lines, and he's as empty as a 		jug. Just kill him. LISA sobs with excitement and sorrow. PLOG looks around, a little confused. SKAT uses this opportunity. He pulls out a dagger and places the point against his breast.				SKAT 		She's right. Just kill me. If you thought that 		I was going to apologize for being what I am, 		you are mistaken. 				LISA 		Look how sickening he is. How he makes a fool 		of himself, how he puts on an act. Dear Plog, 		kill him. 				SKAT 		My friends, you have only to push, and my 		unreality will soon be transformed into a new, 		solid reality. An absolutely tangible corpse.				LISA 		Do something then. Kill him.				PLOG 			(embarrassed) 		He has to fight me, otherwise I can't kill him.				SKAT 		Your life's thread now hangs by a very ragged 		shred. Idiot, your day is short.				PLOG 		You'll have to irritate me a little more to get 		me as angry as before.SKAT looks at the travelers with a pained expression and then lifts his eyes towards the night sky. 				SKAT 		I forgive all of you. Pray for me sometimes. SKAT sinks the dagger into his breast and slowly falls to the ground. The travelers stand confused. PLOG rushes forward and begins to pull at SKAT'S hands. 				PLOG 		Oh dear, dear, I didn't mean it that way! Look, 		there's no life left in him. I was beginning to 		like him, and in my opinion Lisa was much too 		spiteful. JOF leans over his colleague.				JOF 		He's dead, totally, enormously dead. In fact, 		I've never seen such a dead actor.				LISA 		Come on, let's go. This is nothing to mourn 		over. He has only himself to blame.				PLOG 		And I have to be married to her. 				JONS 		We must go on.SKAT lies in the grass and keeps the dagger pressed tightly to his breast. The travelers depart and soon they have disappeared into the dark forest on the other side of the meadow. When SKAT is sure that no one can see him, he sits up and lifts the dagger from his breast. It is a stage dagger with a blade that pushes into the handle. SKAT laughs to himself.				SKAT 		Now that was a good scene. I'm really a good 		actor. After all, why shouldn't I be a little 		pleased with myself? But where shall I go? I'll 		wait until it becomes light and then I'll find 		the easiest way out of the forest. I'll climb 		up a tree for the time being so that no bears, 		wolves or ghosts can get at me.He soon finds a likely tree and climbs up into its thick foliage. He sits down as comfortably as possible and reaches for his food pouch.				SKAT 			(yawns) 		Tomorrow I'll find Jof and Mia and then we'll 		go to the saints' feast in Elsinore. We'll make 		lots of money there. 			(yawns)		Now, I'll sing a little song to myself: 			(sings) 		I am a little bird 		Who sings whate'er he will, 		And when I am in danger 		I fling out a pissing trill 		As in the carnal thrill.			(speaks)		It's boring to be alone in the forest tonight. 			(sings) 		The terrible night doesn't frighten me ... He interrupts himself and listens. The sound of industrious sawing is heard through the silence.				SKAT 		Workmen in the forest. Oh, well! 			(sings)		The terrible night doesn't frighten me ... 			(speaks)		Hey, what the devil ... it's my tree they're 		cutting down.He peers through the foliage. Below him stands a dark figure diligently sawing away at the base of the tree. SKAT becomes frightened and angry. 				SKAT 		Hey, you! Do you hear me, you tricky bastard? 		What are you doing with my tree?The sawing continues without a pause. SKAT becomes more frightened.				SKAT 		Can't you at least answer me? Politeness costs 		so little. Who are you?DEATH straightens his back and squints up at him. SKAT cries out in terror.				DEATH 		I'm sawing down your tree because your time is		up.  				SKAT		It won't do. I haven't got time.				DEATH 		So you haven't got time. 				SKAT 		No, I have my performance. 				DEATH 		Then it's canceled because of death. 				SKAT 		My contract. 				DEATH 		Your contract is terminated. 				SKAT 		My children, my family. 				DEATH 		Shame on you, Skat! 				SKAT 		Yes, I'm ashamed.DEATH begins to saw again. The tree creaks. 				SKAT 		Isn't there any way to get off? Aren't there 		any special rules for actors?				DEATH 		No, not in this case. 				SKAT 		No loopholes, no exceptions? DEATH saws.				SKAT		Perhaps you'll take a bribe. DEATH saws. 				SKAT		Help!DEATH saws.				SKAT 		Help! Help!The tree falls. The forest becomes silent again. Night and then dawn.The travelers have come to a sort of clearing and have collapsed on the moss.They lie quietly and listen to their own breathing, their heartbeats, and the wind in the tree tops. Here the forest is wild and impenetrable. Huge boulders stick up out of the ground like the heads of black giants. A fallen tree lies like a mighty barrier between light and shadow.MIA, JOF and their child have sat down apart from the others. They look at the light of the moon, which is no longer full and dead but mysterious and unstable. The KNIGHT sits bent over his chess game. LISA cries quietly behind PLOG'S back. JONS lies on the ground and looks up at the heavens.				JONS 		Soon dawn will come, but the heat continues to 		hang over us like a smothering blanket.				LISA 		I'm so frightened.				PLOG 		We feel that something is going to happen to 		us, but we don't know what.				JONS 		Maybe it's the day of judgment. 				PLOG 		The day of judgment ...Now, something moves behind the fallen tree. There is a rustling sound and a moaning cry that seems to come from a wounded animal. Everyone listensintently, all faces turned towards the sound. A voice comes out of thedarkness. 				RAVAL 		Do you have some water?RAVAL'S perspiring face soon becomes visible. He disappears in the darkness, but his voice is heard again. 				RAVAL 		Can't you give me a little water? 			(pause) 		I have the plague.				JONS 		Don't come here. If you do I'll slit your 		throat. Keep to the other side of the tree. 				RAVEL 		I'm afraid of death.No one answers. There is complete silence. RAVAL gasps heavily for air. The dry leaves rustle with his movements. 				RAVEL 		I don't want to die! I don't want to! No one answers. RAVAL'S face appears suddenly at the base of the tree. His eyes bulge wildly and his mouth is ringed with foam.				RAVAL 		Can't you have pity on me? Help me! At least 		talk to me.No one answers. The trees sigh. RAVAL begins to cry. 				RAVAL 		I am going to die. I. I. I! What will happen to 		me! Can no one console me? Haven't you any 		compassion? Can't you see that I ...His words are choked off by a gurgling sound. He disappears in the darkness behind the fallen tree. It becomes quiet for a few moments.				RAVAL 			(whispers) 		Can't anyone ... only a little water. Suddenly the GIRL gets up with a quick movement, snatches JONS'S water bag and runs a few steps. JONS grabs her and holds her fast.				JONS 		It's no use. It's no use. I know that it's no 		use. It's meaningless. It's totally 		meaningless. I tell you that it's meaningless. 		Can't you hear that I'm consoling you? 				RAVEL 		Help me, help me!No one answers, no one moves. RAVAL'S sobs are dry and convulsive, like a frightened child's. His sudden scream is cut off in the middle. Then it becomes quiet. The GIRL sinks down and hides her face in her hands. JONS places his hand on her shoulder. 16The KNIGHT is no longer alone. DEATH has come to him and he raises his hand.				DEATH 		Shall we play our game to the end? 				KNIGHT 		Your move!DEATH raises his hand and strikes the KNIGHT'S queen. Antonius Block looks at DEATH. 				DEATH 		Now I take your queen. 				KNIGHT 		I didn't notice that.The KNIGHT leans over the game. The moonlight moves over the chess pieces, which seem to have a life of their own.JOF has dozed off for a few moments, but suddenly he wakens. Then he sees the KNIGHT and DEATH together. He becomes very frightened and awakens MIA. 				JOF 		Mia! 				MIA 		Yes, what is it? 				JOF 		I see something terrible. Something I almost 		can't talk about.				MIA 		What do you see?				JOF 		The knight is sitting over there playing chess. 				MIA 		Yes, I can see that too and I don't think it's 		so terrible. 				JOF 		But do you see who he's playing with? 				MIA 		He is alone. You mustn't frighten me this way. 				JOF 		No, no, he isn't alone. 				MIA 		Who is it, then? 				JOF 		Death. He is sitting there playing chess with 		Death himself.				MIA 		You mustn't say that. 				JOF 		We must try to escape. 				MIA 		One can't do that.				JOF 		We must try. They are so occupied with their 		game that if we move very quietly, they won't 		notice us. JOF gets up carefully and disappears into the darkness behind the trees. MIA remains standing, as if paralyzed by fear. She stares fixedly at the KNIGHT and the chess game. She holds her son in her arms. Now JOF returns.				JOF 		I have harnessed the horse. The wagon is 		standing near the big tree. You go first and 		I'll follow you with the packs. See that Mikael 		doesn't wake up.MIA does what JOF has told her. At the same moment, the KNIGHT looks up fromhis game. 				DEATH 		It is your move, Antonius Block.The KNIGHT remains silent. He sees MIA go through the moonlight towards thewagon. JOF bends down to pick up the pack and follows at a distance. 				DEATH 		Have you lost interest in our game? The KNIGHT'S eyes become alarmed. DEATH looks at him intently.				KNIGHT		Lost interest? On the contrary.				DEATH 		You seem anxious. Are you hiding anything? 				KNIGHT 		Nothing escapes you -- or does it? 				DEATH 		Nothing escapes me. No one escapes from me. 				KNIGHT 		It's true that I'm worried.He pretends to be clumsy and knocks the chess pieces over with the hem of his coat. He looks up at DEATH. 				KNIGHT		I've forgotten how the pieces stood.				DEATH 			(laughs contentedly) 		But I have not forgotten. You can't get away 		that easily. DEATH leans over the board and rearranges the pieces. The KNIGHT looks past him towards the road. MIA has just climbed up on the wagon. JOF takes the horse by the bridle and leads it down the road. DEATH notices nothing; he is completely occupied with reconstructing the game.				DEATH 		Now I see something interesting. 				KNIGHT 		What do you see?				DEATH 		You are mated on the next move, Antonius Block. 				KNIGHT 		That's true.				DEATH 		Did you enjoy your reprieve? 				KNIGHT 		Yes, I did.				DEATH 		I'm happy to hear that. Now I'll be leaving you. 		When we meet again, you and your companions' 		time will be up.				KNIGHT 		And you will divulge your secrets. 				DEATH 		I have no secrets. 				KNIGHT 		So you know nothing. 				DEATH 		I have nothing to tell.The KNIGHT wants to answer, but DEATH is already gone.A murmur is heard in the tree tops. Dawn comes, a flickering light without life, making the forest seem threatening and evil. JOF drives over the twisting road. MIA sits beside him. 				MIA		What a strange light.				JOF 		I guess it's the thunderstorm which comes with 		dawn. 				MIA 		No, it's something else. Something terrible. Do 		you hear the roar in the forest? 				JOF 		It's probably rain.				MIA 		No, it isn't rain. He has seen us and he's 		following us. He has overtaken us; he's coming 		towards us. 				JOF 		Not yet, Mia. In any case, not yet. 				MIA 		I'm so afraid. I'm so afraid.The wagon rattles over roots and stones; it sways and creaks. Now the horse stops with his ears flat against his head. The forest sighs and stirs ponderously. 				JOF 		Get into the wagon, Mia. Crawl in quickly. 		We'll lie down, Mia, with Mikael between us.They crawl into the wagon and crouch around the sleeping child.				JOF 		It is the Angel of Death that's passing over 		us, Mia. It's the Angel of Death. The Angel of 		Death, and he's very big.				MIA 		Do you feel how cold it is? I'm freezing. I'm 		terribly cold.She shivers as if she had a fever. They pull the blankets over them and lie closely together. The wagon canvas flutters and beats in the wind. The roar outside is like a giant bellowing. The castle is silhouetted like a black boulder against the heavy dawn. Nowthe storm moves there, throwing itself powerfully against walls andabutments.  The sky darkens; it is almost like night.Antonius Block has brought his companions with him to the castle. But itseems deserted. They walk from room to room. There is only emptiness andquiet echoes. Outside, the rain is heard roaring noisily.Suddenly the KNIGHT stands face to face with his wife. They look at eachother quietly.				KARIN		I heard from people who came from the crusade 		that you were on your way home. I've been 		waiting for you here. All the others have fled 		from the plague. The KNIGHT is silent. He looks at her. 				KARIN 		Don't you recognize me any more? The KNIGHT nods, silent. 				KARIN 		You also have changed.She walks closer and looks searchingly into his face. The smile lingers in her eyes and she touches his hand lightly.				KARIN 		Now I can see that it's you. Somewhere in your 		eyes, somewhere in your face, but hidden and 		frightened, is that boy who went away so many 		years ago. 				KNIGHT 		It's over now and I'm a little tired. 				KARIN 		I see that you're tired. 				KNIGHT 		Over there stand my friends.				KARIN 		Ask them in. They will break the fast with us. They all sit down at the table in the room, which is lit by torches on the walls. Silently they eat the hard bread and the salt-darkened meat. KARIN sits at the head of the table and reads aloud from a thick book. 				KARIN 		"And when the Lamb broke the seventh seal, 		there was silence in heaven for about the space 		of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels 		which stood before God; and to them were given 		seven trumpets. And another ..." Three mighty knocks sound on the large portal. KARIN interrupts her reading and looks up from the book. JONS rises quickly and goes to open the door. 				KARIN 		"The first angel sounded, and there followed 		hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were 		cast upon the earth; and the third part of the 		trees was burnt up and all the green grass was 		burnt up."Now the rain becomes quiet. There is suddenly an immense, frightening silence in the large, murky room where the burning torches throw uneasy shadows over the ceiling and the walls. Everyone listens tensely to the stillness. 				KARIN 		"And the second angel sounded, and as it were a 		great mountain burning with fire was cast into 		the sea; and a third part of the sea became 		blood ..."Steps are heard on the stairs. JONS returns and sits down silently at his place but does not continue to eat. 				KNIGHT 		Was someone there? 				JONS 		No, my lord. I saw no one.KARIN lifts her head for a moment but once again leans over the large book.				KARIN 		"And the third angel sounded, and there fell a 		great star from heaven, burning as it were a 		torch, and it fell upon the third part of the 		rivers and upon the fountains of waters; and 		the name of the star is called Wormwood ..." They all lift their heads, and when they see who is coming towards themthrough the twilight of the large room, they rise from the table and stand close together. 				KNIGHT 		Good morning, noble lord.				KARIN 		I am Karin, the knight's wife, and welcome you 		courteously to my house.				PLOG 		I am a smith by profession and rather good at 		my trade, if I say so myself. My wife Lisa -- 		curtsy for the great lord, Lisa. She's a little 		difficult to handle once in a while and we had		a little spat, so to speak, but no worse than 		most people.The KNIGHT hides his face in his hands.				KNIGHT		From our darkness, we call out to Thee, Lord. 		Have mercy on us because we are small and 		frightened and ignorant. 				JONS 			(bitterly) 		In the darkness where You are supposed to be, 		where all of us probably are.... In the 		darkness You will find no one to listen to Your 		cries or be touched by Your sufferings. Wash 		Your tears and mirror Yourself in Your 		indifference.				KNIGHT 		God, You who are somewhere, who must be 		somewhere, have mercy upon us.				JONS 		I could have given you an herb to purge you of 		your worries about eternity. Now it seems to be 		too late. But in any case, feel the immense 		triumph of this last minute when you can still 		roll your eyes and move your toes. 				KARIN 		Quiet, quiet.				JONS 		I shall be silent, but under protest. 				GIRL 			(on her knees)		It is the end. JOF and MIA sit close together and listen to the rain tapping lightly on the wagon canvas, a sound which diminishes until finally there are only single drops. They crawl out of their hiding place. The wagon stands on a height above a slope, protected by an enormous tree. They look across ridges, forests, the wide plains, and the sea, which glistens in the sunlight breaking through the clouds. JOF stretches his arms and legs. MIA dries the wagon seat and sits down nextto her husband. MIKAEL crawls between JOF'S knees.A lone bird tests its voice after the storm. The trees and bushes drip. From the sea comes a strong and fragrant wind.JOF points to the dark, retreating sky where summer lightning glitters like silver needles over the horizon. 				JOF 		I see them, Mia! I see them! Over there against 		the dark, stormy sky. They are all there. The 		smith and Lisa and the knight and Raval and 		Jàns and Skat. And Death, the severe master, 		invites them to dance. He tells them to hold 		each other's hands and then they must tread the 		dance in a long row. And first goes the master 		with his scythe and hourglass, but Skat dangles 		at the end with his lyre. They dance away from 		the dawn and it's a solemn dance towards the 		dark lands, while the rain washes their faces 		and cleans the salt of the tears from their 		cheeks. He is silent. He lowers his hand. His son, MIKAEL, has listened to his words.Now, he crawls up to MIA and sits down in her lap. 				MIA 			(smiling) 		You with your visions and dreams. Screenplay by Ingmar Bergman  

unformated_scripts/Script_Sex, Lies and Videotape.txt

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+" s e x , l i e s , a n d v i d e o t a p e " 1 EXT. HIGHWAY -- DAY GRAHAM DALTON, twenty-nine, drives his '69 Cutlass while smoking a cigarette. One could describe his appearance as punk/arty, but neither would do him justice. He is a man of obvious intelligence, and his face is amiable. There is only one key on his keyring, and it is in the ignition. ANN (voice over) Garbage. I started thinking about what happens to all the garbage. I mean, where do we put all of it, we have to run out of places to put it eventually, don't we? This happened to me before when that barge with all the garbage was stranded and nobody would take it? Remember that? 2 INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE -- DAY ANN BISHOP MILLANEY, twenty-six, sits opposite her therapist. She is an extremely attractive woman, dressed in a mature preppy style. There is a wedding ring on her left hand. DOCTOR Yes, I remember. What do you do when these moods overtake you? ANN Nothing. I mean, nothing. I try not to do anything that will produce garbage, so obviously we're talking about eating and basic stuff like that. Did you know that the average person produces three pounds of garbage a day? DOCTOR No, I didn't. ANN Don't you think that's a lot of garbage? I'd really like to know where it's all going to go. DOCTOR Do you have any idea what triggered this concern? ANN Well, this weekend John was taking out the garbage, and he kept spilling things out of the container, and I started imagining a container that grew garbage, like it just kept filling up and overflowing all by itself, and how could you stop that if it started happening? DOCTOR Ann, do you see a pattern here? ANN What do you mean? DOCTOR Well, last week we talked about your obsession with the families of airline fatalities, and now we're talking about your concern over the garbage problem. ANN Yeah, so? DOCTOR If you think about it, I think you'll see that the object of your obsession is invariably something negative that you couldn't possibly have any control over. ANN Well, do you think many people run around thinking about how happy they feel and how great things are? I mean, maybe they do, but I doubt those people are in therapy. Besides, being happy isn't all that great. My figure is always at its best when I'm depressed. The last time I was really happy I put on twenty-five pounds. I thought John was going to have a stroke. JOHN (voice over) It's true, I'm telling you. 3 INT. LAW OFFICE -- DAY JOHN MILLANEY, twenty-nine, sits at his desk talking on the telephone. He is dressed very well, sporting real suspenders with his striped pinpoint oxford shirt and cotton suit. He fingers the wedding ring on his left hand. JOHN As soon as you've got a ring on your finger, you start getting serious attention from the opposite gender. Seriously, I wish I had Super Bowl seats for every time I had some filly just come up and start talking to me without the slightest provocation. That never happened before I got married. Shit, if I'd known that, I'd have gone out and bought me a ring when I was eighteen and saved myself a lot of time and money. John looks at his watch. JOHN Shit, I gotta be someplace. (quickly) Look, racquetball Thursday? You're the coolest. John presses the intercom button while putting on his jacket. JOHN Uh, Janet, re-schedule Kirkland. Tell him to come in Friday at 1:30. DOCTOR (voice over, to Ann) Are you still keeping these thoughts from John? ANN (voice over) Yes. 4 INT. LAW OFFICE BATHROOM -- DAY John brushes his teeth and combs his hair very carefully. DOCTOR (voice over, to Ann) Are you afraid of his reaction? Of his finding you silly for thinking of such things? ANN (voice over) No. I don't know. I haven't told him about the garbage thing because I'm pissed off at him right now. He's letting some old college buddy stay at our house for a couple of days, and he didn't even ask me about it. I mean, I would've said yes, I just wish he would've asked. 5 INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE-DAY DOCTOR What upsets you about that? ANN I guess I'm upset because I can't really justify being upset, I mean, it's his house, really, he pays the mortgage. DOCTOR But he asked you to quit your job, and you do have housework. ANN Yeah, I know. DOCTOR This unexpected visit notwithstanding, how are things with John? ANN (shrugs) Fine, I guess. Except right now I m going through this where I don't want him to touch me. 6 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY CYNTHIA BISHOP, Ann's SISTER, opens her door to reveal the freshly coifed John Millaney. They kiss passionately and begin to disrobe. Cynthia bears a slight resemblance to Ann, but is not as overtly attractive. She does, however, have a definite carnal appeal and air of confidence that Ann lacks. DOCTOR (voice over) When did you begin having this feeling? ANN (voice over) About a week ago. I don't know what brought it on, I just started feeling like I didn't want him to touch me. DOCTOR (voice over, to Ann) Prior to this feeling, were you comfortable having physical contact with him? ANN (voice over) Oh, yeah. (pause) But see, I've never really been into sex that much, I mean, I like it and everything, it just does't freak me out, I wouldn't miss it, you know? But anyway, lately we haven't been doing anything at all. Like I said, it's not that I miss it, but I m curious the way things kind of slacked off all of a sudden. John and Cynthia are now having sex. DOCTOR (voice over) Perhaps he senses your hesitance at being touched. ANN (voice over) But see, he stopped before I got that feeling, that's why it seems weird to me. I mean, I'm sure he wishes I would initiate things once in awhile, and I would except it never occurs to me, I'm always thinking about something else and then the few times that I have felt like starting something I was by myself. DOCTOR (voice over) Did you do anything? A pause. ANN (voice over) What do you mean? DOCTOR (voice over) Did you masturbate? 7 INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE -- DAY ANN (taken aback) God, no. DOCTOR I take it you've never masturbated? ANN (slightly uncomfortable) Well, I kind of tried once. It just seemed stupid, I kept seeing myself lying there and it seemed stupid, and kind of, uh, I don't know, and then I was wondering if my dead grandfather could see me doing this, and it just seemed like a dumb thing to be doing when we don't know what to do with all that garbage, you know? DOCTOR So it was recently that you tried this. ANN (exhales, head down) Well, kind of recently, I guess. But not too recently. There is a pause. ANN I'm really not up to having a guest in the house. 8 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY John and Cynthia are lying in bed, bathed in sweat. JOHN I've got to get back to the office. CYNTHIA I only get one today? Gee, how exciting. John rolls over and begins to put his clothes on. JOHN I can't let my lunch hour go on too long. I've already skipped one meeting. CYNTHIA Don't give me this passive/aggressive bullshit. If you want to leave, leave. My life doesn't stop when you walk out the door, you know what I'm saying? John shakes his head. JOHN Why don't you just tell me how you really feel? John stands and begins putting on his clothes. JOHN I have a friend coming in from out of town, I'll probably be spending some time with him the next couple of days. CYNTHIA Meaning we'll have to cool it for awhile, right? JOHN Right. A silent shrug from Cynthia. John is almost completely dressed. JOHN I wish you'd quit that bartending job. CYNTHIA Why? JOHN I hate the thought of guys hitting on you all the time. CYNTHIA I can handle it. Besides, the money is good and some of the guys are cute. And you are in no position to be jealous. JOHN Who said I was jealous? CYNTHIA I did. John says nothing. CYNTHIA You know, I'd like to try your house sometime. The idea of doing it in my sister's bed gives me a perverse thrill. John thinks about that. CYNTHIA I wish I could tell everybody that Ann's a lousy lay. Beautiful, popular, Ann Bishop Millaney. JOHN Could be risky. CYNTHIA Well, maybe I could just start a rumor, then. JOHN No, I mean doing it at my house. CYNTHIA Afraid of getting caught? JOHN Maybe. CYNTHIA You should be. Can I meet this friend of yours? JOHN Cynthia, I don't think you want to, I mean, you should see the way he dresses. I really think he's in a bad way. CYNTHIA I'm intrigued. JOHN You're intrigued? CYNTHIA Sure. Maybe he's the man I'm looking for. Then I won't have to fuck worried husbands all the time. John looks at her for a moment before heading for the door. JOHN Bye. 9 EXT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Graham has parked in the Millaney's driveway. He opens the trunk, revealing a Sony 8mm Video rig and a single black duffle bag. He grabs the duffle bag and shuts the trunk. Graham knocks at the door. He is stubbing out a cigarette with his beaten tennis shoe when Ann answers the door. She is unable to hide her suprise at his appearance. GRAHAM Ann? ANN Yes? GRAHAM (extends his hand) Graham Dalton. Ann shakes his hand. GRAHAM Can I use your bathroom? Ann withdraws her hand. ANN Yes. Yes, come in, please. Graham moves inside. 10 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Ann closes the door and motions Graham to the rear of the house. ANN Straight back, first door on the left. Graham heads for the bathroom. Ann heads for the phone. She dials John's office. VOICE ON PHONE Forman, Brent, and Millaney. ANN John Millaney, please. This is his wife. Graham exits the bathroom. Ann quickly hangs up the phone. ANN That was quick. GRAHAM False alarm. ANN Oh. Well, please sit down. Graham sits, his manner pleasantly animated. He gets his Gitanes from inside his scuffed black leather jacket and looks around for an ashtray. Ann swallows uncomfortably. ANN We...don't usually let people smoke in the house. We have a patio if you -- GRAHAM Oh, no problem. It can wait. A moment of silence. Graham looks at Ann directly. It is not a challenging stare, he's just trying to ascertain what kind of person she is. Ann, to her credit, somehow meets his gaze. Something subtle passes between them. ANN (looks at duffle bag) Do you have other things? GRAHAM Yes. (pause) Oh, you mean to bring in! No. Yes, I have some other things, no, I don't need to bring them in. This is all I need to stay here. ANN Oh. Graham smiles. He has an unusual face, a face that fluctuates between remarkably handsome and just plain strange. GRAHAM Have you ever been on television? ANN Televison? GRAHAM Yes. ANN No. Why? GRAHAM (shrugs) Curious. The central air-conditioning switches on. Ann smiles. ANN Graham is an unusual name. GRAHAM Yeah, I guess it is. My mother is a complete Anglophile, anything British makes her drool like a baby. She probably heard the name in some movie. She's a prisoner of public television now. ANN Oh, uh-huh. GRAHAM Are you uncomfortable with my appearance? ANN (downplaying) No, I think you look...fine. GRAHAM (smiles) Oh. Well, maybe I'm uncomfortable with my appearance. I feel a little out of place in these surroundings. ANN Well... GRAHAM I used to take great pleasure in that, being purposefully different, rubbing people's noses in it. Didn't you do that when you were younger? ANN (thinks) No, not really. GRAHAM Oh. Well, I did. I was in a band once, and the music was always secondary to just flat out offending as many people as possible. ANN You play an instrument? GRAHAM No, I was in charge of kind of standing at the microphone and reciting these really depressing lyrics in a monotone. The whole thing was really .... irrelevant. How do you like being married? ANN (caught slightly off guard) Oh, I like it. I like it very much. GRAHAM What about it do you like? I'm not being critical, I'd really like to know. ANN Well.....well, the cliché about the security of it, that's really true. We own a house, and I really like that, you know? And I like that John was just made junior partner, so he has a steady job and he's not some... Ann looks at Graham and stops. He smiles again. ANN ...free-lance. You know. GRAHAM Yes. So you feel security, stability. Like things are going to last awhile. ANN Oh, definitely. I mean, just this past year has gone by like phew! I hardly even knew it passed. GRAHAM Did you know that if you shut someone up in a room, and the only clock he has reference to runs two hours slow for every twenty-four, that his body will eventually adjust to that schedule? Simply because the mind honestly perceives that twenty-six hours are twenty-four, the body follows. And then there are sections of time. Your life can be broken down into the sections of time that formed your personality (if you have one). For instance, when I was twelve, I had an eleven minute conversation with my father that to this day defines our relationship. Now, I'm not saying that everything happened in that specific section of time, but the events of my childhood involving my father led up to, and then were crystallized in, that eleven minutes. Ann is fascinated, if a bit overwhelmed. ANN Oh, uh-huh. GRAHAM (smiles) Anyway, I think the mind is very flexible as far as time is concerned. ANN You mean like "time flies"? GRAHAM Exactly. I would say the fact that you feel the first year of your marriage has gone by quickly means lots of things. Or could mean lots of things. ANN How long has it been since you've seen John? GRAHAM Nine years. ANN Nine years? GRAHAM Yes. I was surprised that he accepted when I asked if I could stay here until I found a place. ANN Why? Didn't you know him well? GRAHAM I knew him very well. We were extremely close until I dropped out. A pause. ANN Why'd you drop out? GRAHAM Oh, lots of reasons, most of them boring. But, up until I dropped out, John and I were...very much alike. ANN That's hard to believe. The two of you seem so different. GRAHAM I would imagine that we are, now. I think I'm ready to use the bathroom, finally. Graham gets up and heads for the toilet. Ann watches him go, a bemused smile on her face. After she hears the door close, she can't resist the impulse to take a closer look at Graham's bag. IN THE BATHROOM, Graham pokes around, looking through the medicine cabinet and sniffing towels. JOHN (voice over) Call the cops. 11 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- NIGHT John, Ann and Graham are eating dinner. JOHN (to Graham) That's the first thing that ran through my mind when I saw you. I thought this is not the same man that rode the unicycle naked through the homecoming parade. ANN (to Graham) You did that? GRAHAM Everybody has a past. JOHN (smiles at Graham) What do you think the Greeks would make of that outfit you're wearing? GRAHAM A bonfire, probably. John takes a sip of Chivas. GRAHAM (to Ann) This food is excellent. ANN Thank you. JOHN Yeah, it's not bad. Usually Ann has some serious salt action going. I keep telling her, you can always add more if you want, but you can't take it out. GRAHAM (to Ann) You have family here also? ANN (nods, chewing) Mother, father, sister. GRAHAM Sister older or younger? ANN Younger. John takes a large swig of Chivas. GRAHAM Are you close? Graham sees Ann and John exchange looks. GRAHAM I'm sorry. Am I prying again? JOHN You were prying before? GRAHAM Yes, this afternoon. I was grilling Ann about your marriage this afternoon. JOHN (smiles) Really. How'd it go? GRAHAM She held up very well. Ann laughs. GRAHAM (to Ann) So I was asking about your sister. Ann's smile fades. John resumes eating. ANN Oh, we get along okay. She's just very...she's an extrovert. I think she's loud. She probably wouldn't agree. Definitely wouldn't agree. JOHN (to Graham) Are you going to see Elizabeth while you re here? An almost imperceptible reaction by Graham. GRAHAM I don't know. ANN (interested) Who's Elizabeth? JOHN Girl Graham dated. Still lives here, far as I know. Graham eats in silence. ANN Graham and I were talking about apartments and I told him to check the Garden District, there are some nice little places there, garage apartments and stuff. JOHN (to Graham) Stay away from the Garden District. Serious crime. I don't know what kind of place you're looking for, but there are a lot of studio-type apartments available elsewhere. GRAHAM I wish I didn't have to live someplace. JOHN (laughs) What do you mean? Graham thinks a moment, then puts his keyring with its single key onto the table. GRAHAM Well, see, right now I have this one key, and I really like that. Everything I own is in my car. If I get an apartment, that's two keys. If I get a job, maybe I have to open and close once in awhile, that's more keys. Or I buy some stuff and I m worried about getting ripped off, so I get some locks, and that's more keys. I just really like having the one key. It's clean, you know? Graham looks at the keyring before returning it to his pocket. JOHN Get rid of the car when you get your apartment, then you'll still have one key. GRAHAM I like having the car, the car is important. JOHN Especially if you want to leave someplace in a hurry. GRAHAM Or go someplace in a hurry. Ann takes her plate into the kitchen. JOHN (smiles at Graham) Do you pay taxes? Graham also stands, empty plate in hand. GRAHAM Do I pay taxes? Of course I pay taxes, only a liar doesn't pay taxes, I'm not a liar. A liar is the second lowest form of human being. ANN (from the kitchen) What's the first? GRAHAM Lawyers. John smiles, thinking. Graham follows Ann into the kitchen. John shouts after them. JOHN Hey, Ann, why don't you go with Graham to hunt for apartments? Show him how the city has changed. Ann looks at Graham. ANN Would you mind? GRAHAM No. ANN (shouts back to John) Okay, I will!! John, sitting at the table and now toying with his keyring, nods. 12 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- NIGHT Everyone but Ann is asleep. She gets up from her bed and sneaks quietly into the guest bedroom where Graham is staying. She walks cautiously up to his bed to watch him as he sleeps. Moonlight caresses his face as he breathes peacefully. Exhaling, he turns over slowly, his back to Ann. She picks up his jacket from beside the bed and feels the surface. She brings the jacket to her nose, inhaling his presence. She then sets the jacket down. 13 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY The phone rings. Cynthia answers. CYNTHIA Hello. JOHN Cynthia. John. Meet me at my house in exactly one hour. CYNTHIA You are scum. I'll be there. 14 INT. VACANT APARTMENT-DAY Graham and Ann walk around the room, their footfalls heavy on the hardwood floors. MR. MILLER, the landlord, stands nearby. He looks fairly interested in Ann. MR. MILLER Plenty of room for two people. GRAHAM It'll just be me. MR. MILLER Student? GRAHAM No. (pause) You said three-fifty? MR. MILLER Plus first and last month deposit. GRAHAM Will you lease month-to-month? MR. MILLER Not for three-fifty. GRAHAM How about for five hundred? Mr. Miller looks at Ann, then back at Graham. MR. MILLER That I can do. 15 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Cynthia lets herself in. She looks around. CYNTHIA John? JOHN (offscreen) In here!! Cynthia walks to the bedroom, where John lies naked on the bed. She smiles, kicking off her shoes. CYNTHIA Ain't you a picture. Cynthia begins taking her clothes off. She places her diamond stud earring in her jacket pocket, and then drops the jacket on the floor. She moves onto the bed with John. ANN (voice over) Maybe you'll understand this, because you know John, but he confuses me sometimes. GRAHAM (voice over) How do you mean? 16 INT. CAFÉ - DAY Graham and Ann are having lunch. Ann looks to have had a lot of wine. Graham drinks club soda with a twist. ANN It's hard to explain. It's like... John treats everybody the same, you know? I mean, he acts just as excited about seeing somebody he hardly knows as he does when he sees me. And so I feel like, what's different about me, if I'm treated exactly the same as some acquaintance? If I don't like somebody, I don't act like I do. I guess that's why a lot of people think I'm a bitch. She takes a sip of wine. GRAHAM Yeah, I know. I mean, I'm not saying I know people think you're a bitch, I'm saying I know what you mean. And I don't even know that people think you're a bitch. Do they? ANN I feel like they do. GRAHAM Hmm. Well, maybe you are. Really, I wouldn't pay much attention. Ann smiles. GRAHAM I know that I just don't feel a connection with very many people, so I don't waste time with people I don't feel one with. ANN Right, right. I don't feel connected to many people, either. Other than John. Graham nods. ANN Can I tell you something personal? I feel like I can. It's something I couldn't tell John. Or wouldn't, anyway. GRAHAM It's up to you. But I warn you, if you tell me something personal, I might do the same. ANN Okay. I think...I think sex is overrated. I think people place way too much importance on it. And I think that stuff about women wanting it just as bad is crap. I m not saying women don't want it, I just don't think they want it for the reason men think they do. (smiles) I'm getting confused. Graham smiles. ANN Do you understand what I'm trying to say? GRAHAM I think so. I remember reading somewhere that men learn to love what they're attracted to, whereas women become more and more attracted to the person they love. ANN Yes! Yes! I think that's very true. Very. Graham watches Ann take a sip of wine. GRAHAM So what about kids? ANN Kids? What about them? GRAHAM Do you want them? ANN Yeah, actually, I do. But John doesn't. At least not right now. GRAHAM Why is that? ANN I don't know, he just said he wants to wait. I quit asking. Graham nods. ANN So what's your personal thing? Are you really going to tell me something personal? GRAHAM Do you want me to? ANN As long as it's not...gross, you know? Like some scar or something. It has to be like mine, like something about you. GRAHAM Agreed. Graham takes a sip of club soda. GRAHAM I'm impotent. Ann looks at him closely. ANN You're what? GRAHAM Impotent. ANN You are? GRAHAM Well, let me put it this way: I cannot achieve an erection while in the presence of another person. So, for all practical purposes, I am impotent. Ann takes a large sip of wine. Graham lights a cigarette. ANN Does it bother you? GRAHAM (exhales) Not usually. I mean, honestly, I haven't known many guys that could think straight with an erection, so I feel I'm way ahead of the game as far as being clear-headed goes. ANN Well...are you self-conscious about it? GRAHAM I am self-conscious, but not in the same way that you are. You have got to be the most attractive self-conscious person I've ever seen. ANN Why do you say I'm self-conscious? GRAHAM Well, I've been watching you. I've watched you eat, I've watched you speak, I've watched the way you move, and I see somebody who is extremely conscious of being looked at. I think you really believe that people are looking at you all the time. And you know what? ANN What? GRAHAM They are looking at you. Ann, you are truly breathtaking. I don't know if you understand how your appearance can affect people. Men want to possess you, women wish they looked like you. And those that don't or can't resent you. And the fact that you're a nice person just makes it worse. ANN (thinks) My therapist said that-- GRAHAM You're in therapy? ANN Aren't you? GRAHAM Hah! No, I'm not. Actually, I used to be, but the therapist I had was really ineffectual in helping me deal with my problems. Of course, I lied to him constantly, so I guess I can't hold him totally responsible... ANN So you don't believe in therapy? GRAHAM I believe in it for some people. I mean, for me it was silly, I was confused going in. So I just formed my own personal theory that you should never take advice from someone of the opposite sex that doesn't know you intimately. ANN Well, my therapist knows me intimately. GRAHAM (surprised) You had sex with you therapist? ANN Of course not. GRAHAM Oh, see, I meant someone you've had sex with. That's part of the theory. ANN Excuse me for asking, but how would you know? GRAHAM (smiles) Well, I wasn't always impotent. Ann takes another sip of wine and thinks for a moment. ANN Now, you said never take advice from someone that you don't know intimately, right? GRAHAM Basically, yes. 17 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Cynthia is leaving the house. She gives John a big kiss. ANN (voice over) So since I've never had sex with you, by your own advice I shouldn't accept your advice. GRAHAM (voice over) That's correct. (pause) Bit of a dilemma, isn't it? Cynthia is not wearing her diamond stud earring. 18 INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE -- DAY ANN Well, I don't know. The week started off okay, but then I was outside watering the plants, and I started feeling dizzy from the heat and that got me thinking about the Greenhouse Effect, so I went inside and turned on the air-conditioner full blast, and that made me feel a little better until I started thinking about radon leakage coming up through the floor, and-- DOCTOR Radon leakage? ANN Yes, it's this radioactive gas in the ground, and houses kind of act like magnets to pull it up, and--you've never heard of this? DOCTOR No, I haven't. ANN Well, the cumulative effect is not good, let me tell you. (pause) I knew I shouldn't have watered those plants. DOCTOR Did you confront John about the visitor? ANN What visitor? DOCTOR The friend of John's that was staying at your house. ANN Oh, Graham. No, I didn't talk to him about that. Actually, that turned out to be pretty interesting. I expected Graham to be this...well, like John, you know? I mean, he said they had gone to school together, so I was expecting lots of stories about getting drunk and secret handshakes and stuff. But he turned out to be this...this kind of character, I mean, he's kind of arty but okay, you know? DOCTOR Is he still at your house? ANN No, he left last week. DOCTOR Did you find him attractive? ANN What do you mean, like physically? DOCTOR Let me rephrase. Were you attracted to him? ANN (thinks) I guess, but not because of the way he looked or anything. He's just so different, somebody new to have a conversation with. I'm just tired of talking to other couples about whether or not they're going to buy the station wagon, you know? It's just boring. I don't know, he was just different. And he's really on about truth a lot, being honest, and I like that, I felt comfortable around him. (pause) After he left I had a dream that he signed a lease to rent our guest room. CYNTHIA (voice over) So where's he from? 19 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY Ann stands watching Cynthia get dressed for work. ANN I don't know. He went to school here, then he was in New York for awhile, then Philadelphia, and then just kind of travelling around. CYNTHIA Must be nice. So, what's he like, is he like John? ANN No, not at all. Actually, I don't think John likes him much anymore. He said he thought Graham had gotten strange. A pause. CYNTHIA Is he? Strange, I mean? ANN Not really. Maybe if I just saw him on the street I'd have said that, but after talking to him...he's just kind of...I don't know, unusual. CYNTHIA Uh-huh. So what's he look like? ANN Why? CYNTHIA I just want to know what he looks like, is all. ANN Why, so you can go after him? CYNTHIA Jesus, Ann, get a life. I just asked what he looked like. Ann says nothing. CYNTHIA Besides, even if I decided to fuck his brains out, what business is that of yours? ANN Do you have to say that? CYNTHIA What? ANN You know what. You say it just to irritate me. CYNTHIA I say it because it's descriptive. ANN Well, he doesn't strike me as the kind of person that would go in for that sort of thing, anyway. CYNTHIA Ann, you always underestimate me. ANN Well, I wonder why. CYNTHIA I think you're afraid to put the two of us in the same room together. I think you're afraid he'll be undeniably drawn to me. ANN Oh, for God's sake. Really, Cynthia, really, I don't think he's your type. CYNTHIA "My type"? What is this bullshit? How would you know what "my type" is? ANN I have a pretty good idea. CYNTHIA Ann, you don't have a clue. Look, I don't even know why we're discussing this, I'll just call him myself. ANN He doesn't have a phone. CYNTHIA Well, I'll call him when he does. ANN But he won't. CYNTHIA What are you talking about? ANN He's not getting a phone, he doesn't like talking on the phone. CYNTHIA Oh, please. Okay,' so give me the Zen master's address, I'll think of a reason to stop by. ANN Let me talk to him first. CYNTHIA Why? Just give me the address, you won't even have to be involved. ANN I don't feel right just giving you the address so that you can go over there and... CYNTHIA And what? ANN And...do whatever it is you do. Cynthia laughs loudly. Ann, not happy, watches her dig through the jewelry box. ANN Lose something? CYNTHIA That goddam diamond stud earring that cost me a fucking fortune. ANN Are you getting Mom something for her birthday? CYNTHIA I don't know, I'll get her a card or something. ANN A card? For her fiftieth birthday? CYNTHIA What's wrong with that? ANN Don't you think she deserves a little more than a card? I mean, the woman gave birth to you. It s her fiftieth birthday-- CYNTHIA Will you stop? Jesus. ANN I just thought it might-- CYNTHIA Okay, Ann, okay. How about this: you buy her something nice, and I'll pay for half. All right? ANN Fine. CYNTHIA Good. Now, if you'll pardon me, I have to go to work. 20 INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE -- DAY ANN I was thinking maybe I shouldn't be in therapy anymore. DOCTOR What brought this on? ANN I've been thinking about it for awhile, and then I was talking to somebody who kind of put things in perspective for me. DOCTOR (smiles) I thought that's what I did. Who was it that you talked to? ANN That guy Graham I told you about. He said taking advice from someone you don't know intimately was...well, he said a lot of stuff. The Doctor exhales, thinking for a moment. DOCTOR Ann, in life one has to be aware of hidden agendas. (pause) Did it occur to you that Graham may have his own reasons for not wanting you to be in therapy? ANN What do you mean? I don't understand. DOCTOR It's possible that Graham has hidden motives for disliking therapy and/or therapists. Perhaps he has problems of his own that he is unwilling to deal with, and he would like to see other people, you for instance, wallow in their situation just as he does. Do you think that's possible? ANN I guess. DOCTOR You understand that you are free to leave therapy at any time? ANN Yes. DOCTOR That you are under no obligation to me? ANN Yes. DOCTOR Do you want to leave therapy? ANN Not really. DOCTOR Do you feel there is more progress to be made? ANN Yes. DOCTOR I'm glad you feel that way, because I feel that way, too. ANN But you don't have hidden motives for feeling that way, right? The Doctor laughs. Ann does not laugh with him. 21 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY On a television monitor we see images originating from an 8mm Video deck. Graham sits naked in a sheet-covered chair facing the screen. He watches the tape, which is footage of himself interviewing a girl about her sexual preferences. The photography on the tape is handheld, relentless. As the questions get more detailed, Graham becomes more aroused. There is a knock on Graham's door. He calmly shuts off the videotape player and stands, wrapping the sheet around himself. GRAHAM It's open. Graham walks into the bedroom to put on some clothes. Ann opens the door and walks into the apartment. ANN Hi! GRAHAM (off) Ann. Hello. ANN Are you in the middle of something? GRAHAM (off) Nothing I can't finish later. ANN (looks) I just wanted to see how the place looked furnished. GRAHAM (Off) Not much to see, I'm afraid. I'm sort of cultivating a minimalist vibe. ANN Somehow I imagined books. I thought you would have like a whole lot of books and be reading all the time. Graham enters. GRAHAM I do read a lot. But I check everything out of the library. Graham picks up an Anais Nin diary and opens it to show Ann the library sleeve inside. GRAHAM Cheaper that way. And cuts down on the clutter. Ann walks to the table where the video gear is set up. Graham watches her closely. She looks into a large box of 8mm videotapes. On the side of each tape is a label. The labels look like this: DONNA / 11 DEC 86 / 1:07:36 And so on. There are thirty or forty tapes, total. ANN What are these? GRAHAM Videotapes. ANN (smiles) I can see that. What are they? Graham exhales. GRAHAM It's a personal project I'm working on. ANN What kind of personal project? GRAHAM Oh, just a personal project like anyone else's personal project. Mine's just a little more personal. ANN Who's Donna? GRAHAM Donna? ANN Donna. On this tape it says "Donna". GRAHAM (thinking) Donna was a girl I knew in Florida. ANN You went out with her? GRAHAM Not really. Ann looks in the box again. ANN How come all these are girl's names? Graham thinks for a moment. GRAHAM Because I enjoy interviewing women more than men. ANN All of these are interviews? GRAHAM Yes. ANN Can we look at one? GRAHAM No. ANN Why not? GRAHAM Because I promised each subject that no one would look at the tape except me. Ann looks at Graham for a long moment, then back at the tapes. ANN What...what are these interviews about? GRAHAM The...interviews are about sex, Ann. ANN About sex? GRAHAM Yes. ANN What about sex? GRAHAM Everything about sex. ANN Like what? GRAHAM Like what they've done, what they do, what they don't do, what they want to do but are afraid to ask for, what they won't do even if asked. Anything I can think of. ANN You just ask them questions? GRAHAM Yes. ANN And they just answer them? GRAHAM Mostly. Sometimes they do things. ANN To you? GRAHAM No, not to me, for me, for the camera. ANN (stunned) I don't ...why...why do you do this? GRAHAM I'm sorry this came up. ANN This is just...so... GRAHAM Maybe you want to go. ANN Yes, I do. Ann nods and absently heads for the door. She gives Graham a puzzled look before leaving. 22 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Ann is talking to Cynthia on the telephone. ANN (still shaken) I don't...he doesn't want you to come over. CYNTHIA What do you mean he doesn't want me to come over? Did you tell him about me? ANN No, I didn't. CYNTHIA Why not? ANN Because I never got around to it. CYNTHIA Well, why? ANN Because. Cynthia, look, John was right. Graham is strange. Very strange. You don't want to get involved with him. CYNTHIA What the hell happened over there? Did he make a pass at you? ANN No! CYNTHIA Then what's the story, what's this "strange" bullshit all of a sudden? Is he drowning puppies, or what? ANN No, it's nothing like that. CYNTHIA Well, what? Is he dangerous? ANN No, he's not dangerous. Not physically. CYNTHIA Well, what, then? ANN I don't want to talk about it. CYNTHIA Then why'd you call me? ANN I don't know. Ann hangs up. 23 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY Cynthia gets out of the shower. The phone rings. She wraps herself in a towel and lifts the receiver. CYNTHIA Hello. JOHN Cynthia. John. CYNTHIA Not today. I've got other plans. JOHN Oh. (pause) Well, when, then? CYNTHIA How about inviting me over to dinner? JOHN You know what I mean. CYNTHIA Yeah, I know what you mean. Cynthia hangs up the phone. 24 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY Graham sits smoking a cigarette. There is a knock at his door. GRAHAM It's open. Cynthia enters. Graham looks up at her. GRAHAM Who are you? CYNTHIA I'm Cynthia Bishop. GRAHAM Do I know you? CYNTHIA I'm Ann Millaney's sister. GRAHAM The extrovert. CYNTHIA (smiles) She must have been in a good mood when she said that. She usually calls me loud. GRAHAM She called you that, too. May I ask why you re here? CYNTHIA You want me to leave? GRAHAM I just want to know why you're here. CYNTHIA Well, like I said, Ann is my sister. Sisters talk. You can imagine the rest. GRAHAM No, I really can't. I find it healthy never to characterize people I don't know or conversations I haven't heard. I don't know what you and your sister discussed about me or anything else. Last time I saw Ann she left here very...confused, I would say. And upset. CYNTHIA She still is. GRAHAM And are you here to berate me for making her that way? CYNTHIA Nope. GRAHAM She didn't tell you why she was upset? CYNTHIA Nope. GRAHAM She didn't give you my address? CYNTHIA Nope. GRAHAM How did you find me? CYNTHIA I, uh, know a guy at the power company. GRAHAM I don't understand. Why did you want to come here? I mean, I can't imagine Ann painted a very flattering portrait of me. CYNTHIA Well, I don't really listen to her when it comes to men. I mean, look at John, for crissake. Oh, you went to school with him didn't you? You're probably friends or something. GRAHAM Nope. I think the man is a liar. CYNTHIA (smiles) I think you're right. So come on, I came all the way over here to find out what got Ann so spooked, tell me what happened. GRAHAM (smiles) Spooked. He motions to the box of videotapes. GRAHAM That box of tapes is what got Ann so "spooked". Cynthia goes over to the box and looks inside for a long moment, studying the labels. CYNTHIA Oh, okay. I think I get it. GRAHAM What do you get? CYNTHIA Well, they must be something sexual, because Ann gets freaked out by that shit. Are these tapes of you having sex with these girls or something? GRAHAM Not exactly. CYNTHIA Well, either you are or you aren't. Which is it? GRAHAM Why don't you let me tape you? CYNTHIA Doing what? GRAHAM Talking. CYNTHIA About what? GRAHAM Sex. Your sexual history, your sexual preferences. CYNTHIA What makes you think I'd discuss that with you? GRAHAM Nothing. CYNTHIA You just want to ask me questions? GRAHAM I just want to ask you questions. CYNTHIA And that's all? GRAHAM That's all. CYNTHIA (a crooked smile) Is this how you get off or something? Taping women talking about their sexual experiences? GRAHAM Yes. CYNTHIA Would anybody else see the tape? GRAHAM Absolutely not. They are for my private use only. CYNTHIA How do we start? GRAHAM I turn on the camera. You start talking. CYNTHIA And you ask questions, right? GRAHAM Yes. CYNTHIA How long will it take? GRAHAM That depends on you. One woman only used three minutes. Another filled up three two hour tapes. CYNTHIA Can I see some of the other tapes to get an idea of what-- GRAHAM No. CYNTHIA (thinks) Do I sit or stand? GRAHAM Whichever you prefer. CYNTHIA I'd rather sit. Are you ready? GRAHAM Just a moment. Graham grabs his 8mm Video camera, puts in a new tape, and turns it on. GRAHAM I am now recording. Tell me your name. CYNTHIA Cynthia Patrice Bishop. GRAHAM Describe for me your first sexual experience. CYNTHIA My first sexual experience or the first time I had intercourse? GRAHAM Your first sexual experience. CYNTHIA (thinks) I was...eight years old. Michael Green, who was also eight, asked if he could watch me take a pee. I said he could if I could watch him take one, too. He said okay, and then we went into the woods behind our house. I got this feeling he was chickening out because he kept saying, "Ladies first!" So I pulled down my underpants and urinated, and he ran away before I even finished. GRAHAM Was it ever a topic of conversation between the two of you afterward? CYNTHIA No. He kind of avoided me for the rest of the summer, and then his family moved away. To Cleveland, actually. GRAHAM How unfortunate. So when did you finally get to see a penis? CYNTHIA When I was fourteen. GRAHAM Live, or in a photograph or film of some sort? CYNTHIA Very much live. GRAHAM What did you think? Did it look like you expected? CYNTHIA Not really. I didn't picture it with veins or ridges or anything, I thought it would be smooth, like a test tube. GRAHAM Were you disappointed? CYNTHIA No. If anything, after I looked at it awhile, it got more interesting. It had character, you know? GRAHAM What about when you touched it? What did you expect it to feel like, and then what did it really feel like? CYNTHIA It was warmer than I thought it would be, and the skin was softer than it looked. It's weird. Thinking about it now, the organ itself seemed like a separate thing, a separate entity to me. I mean, after he pulled it out and I could look at it and touch it, I completely forgot that there was a guy attached to it. I remember literally being startled when the guy spoke to me. GRAHAM What did he say? CYNTHIA He said that my hand felt good. GRAHAM Then what happened? CYNTHIA Then I started moving my hand, and then he stopped talking. 25 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY Cynthia, adjusting her clothes, opens the door to leave. She looks very aroused. She and Graham do not speak or touch. 26 INT. LAW OFFICES -- DAY John Millaney picks up a telephone and presses a blinking button. JOHN John Millaney. CYNTHIA I want to see you. JOHN When? CYNTHIA Right now. JOHN Jesus, I don't know if I can get away. I've got a client waiting. I'd have to do some heavy duty juggling. CYNTHIA Then get those balls in the air and get your butt over here. She hangs up. John thinks a moment, then hits his intercom button. JOHN Janet, re-schedule Kirkland, see if he can come in Friday. Smooth things out, tell him an emergency came up. I'll slip out the back. 27 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY Graham watches Cynthia's tape, becoming excited. CYNTHIA (voice on tape) Would you like me to take my pants off? GRAHAM (voice on tape) If you wish. (pause) You're not wearing any underwear. CYNTHIA (voice on tape) Do you like the way I look? GRAHAM (voice on tape) Yes. CYNTHIA (voice On tape) Do you think I'm pretty? GRAHAM (voice on tape) Yes. CYNTHIA (voice on tape) Prettier than Ann? GRAHAM (voice on tape) Different. 28 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY Cynthia and John are having sex. CYNTHIA (to Graham, voice on tape) John doesn't have sex with Ann anymore. GRAHAM (voice On tape) Is that what he tells you? CYNTHIA (voice on tape) He doesn't have to tell me. Cynthia has an intense orgasm. She rolls off of John, sweating. JOHN Jesus Christ. You are on fire today. Cynthia smiles. CYNTHIA Yes. You can go now. DOCTOR (voice over) If you won't talk to me, I can't help you. A moment of silence. John is starting to put his clothes on. Cynthia lies in bed, her eyes closed, her face serene. ANN (voice over) I hate my sister. 29 INT. DOCTOR'S OFFICE -- DAY DOCTOR Why? ANN (rambling) Because all she thinks about are these guys she's after and I just hate her she's such a little slut I thought that in high school and I think that now. Why do people have to be so obsessed with sex all what's the big damn deal? I mean, it's okay and everything, but I don't understand when people let it control them, control their lives, why do they do that? 30 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- NIGHT Ann lies awake in bed beside John, who is sound asleep. DOCTOR (voice over) There are many things that can exert control over one's life, good and bad. Religion, greed, philanthropy, drugs. ANN (voice over) I know, but this...I just feel like everybody I know right now is obsessed with sex. Ann looks over at John. She slowly reaches under the covers and grasps his penis. Without waking, he rolls over and turns his back to her. She returns to looking at the ceiling. ANN (voice over) Except John, I guess. 31 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Ann is talking to Cynthia on the phone. Ann looks very morose. CYNTHIA He just asked me questions. ANN What kinds of questions? CYNTHIA Questions about sex. ANN Well, like what did he ask, exactly? A pause. CYNTHIA Well, like, I don't want to tell you, exactly. ANN Oh, so you'll let a total stranger record your sexual life on tape, but you won't tell your own sister? CYNTHIA Apparently. ANN Did he ask you to take your clothes off? CYTNHIA Did he ask me to take my clothes off? No, he didn't. ANN Did you take your clothes off? CYNTHIA Yes, I did. ANN (floored) Cynthia! CYNTHIA What!? ANN Why did you do that? CYNTHIA Because I wanted to. ANN But why did you want to? CYNTHIA I wanted him to see me. ANN Cynthia, who knows where that tape may end up? He could be...bouncing it off some satellite or something. Some horny old men in South America or something could be watching it. CYNTHIA He wouldn't do that. ANN You don't know that for sure. CYNTHIA Well, it's too late now, isn't it? ANN Did he touch you? CYNTHIA No, but I did. ANN You touched him? CYTNHIA No, I touched me. ANN Wait a minute. Do you mean...don't tell me you...in front of him. CYNTHIA In front of him, Ann, yes. ANN (serious) You are in trouble. CYNTHIA (laughs) Listen to you!! You sound like Mom. What are you talking about? ANN (outraged) I can t believe you did that!! CYNTHIA Why? ANN I mean, I couldn't do that in front of John, even. CYNTHIA You couldn't do it, period. ANN You know what I mean, you don't even know him! CYNTHIA I feel like I do. ANN That doesn't mean you do. You can't possibly trust him, he's...perverted. CYNTHIA He's harmless. He just sits around and looks at these tapes. What's the big deal? ANN So he's got this catalogue of women touching themselves? That doesn't make you feel weird? CYNTHIA No. I don't think they all did what I did. ANN You are in serious trouble. CYNTHIA Ann, I don't understand why this freaks you out so much. You didn't do it, I did, and if it doesn't bother me, why should it bother you? ANN I don't want to discuss it. CYNTHIA Then why do you keep asking about it? 32 INT. LOUNGE -- DAY A sparse daytime crowd. Cynthia serves a beer to some DUDE. He puts the money down on the bar and looks at her. DUDE (as Marlon Brando) Are you an assassin? CYTNHIA Excuse me? DUDE (still Brando) You're an errand boy...sent by grocery clerks...to collect a bill. Ann enters the lounge, carrying a package. DUDE (to Cynthia) Brando, it's Brando, come on. CYNTHIA It's great. Pardon me. Cynthia moves down the bar to meet Ann. ANN I wish you'd get an answering machine. CYTNHIA There's a phone here. ANN It was busy. Ann opens the package, revealing a lovely sun dress. ANN Here it is. CYNTHIA What is it? ANN It's a sun dress. CYNTHIA It looks like a tablecloth. ANN It does not. CYTNHIA Well, why would she want a sun dress? She's got spots on her shoulders and varicose veins. ANN So will you, someday. CYNTHIA Yeah, and when I do, I won't be wearing sun dresses. The lounge phone rings. ANN I was just trying to-- CYNTHIA Hold on. Cynthia walks to the other end of the bar to answer the phone. The Dude watches her pass. Then he turns to Ann and gives her the once-over. He spots the present. DUDE Nice dress. Ann says nothing. DUDE Wanna hear my Walter Matthau? You'll love this. (as Matthau) "Feeelix, what are you, craaazee?" (back to normal) Pretty good, huh? Cynthia picks up the phone. CYNTHIA Hello. JOHN Cynthia. John. CYNTHIA Well, this is timely. Your wife is here, would you like to speak to her? JOHN She's there? What's she doing there? CYTNHIA She came by to show me a present that she and I are buying for your mother-in-law. JOHN Oh. When can I see you? CYNTHIA I don't know. I'm not sure I can duplicate the level of intensity I had the other day. JOHN Nothing wrong with trying. CYNTHIA I don't think my sister would agree. A pause. JOHN Do you want me to stop calling? CYNTHIA Look, I'll call you, okay? Cynthia hangs up and walks back to Ann. CYNTHIA So what's my share of the dress? ANN Thirty-two dollars. Cynthia pulls thirty-five bucks out of her jeans. She watches Ann put the money away. CYNTHIA Look, don't worry about the dress, I'm sure she'll love it. DUDE (to Ann and Cynthia) Hey!! How about Tom Brokaw? Nobody does Brokaw. (as Tom Brokaw) "In Iran today..." 33 SCENE DELETED 34 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY Graham sits reading a book. There is a knock at his door. GRAHAM It s open. Cynthia enters the room, looking very intent on something. GRAHAM Hello. CYNTHIA Hi. Graham sets his book down. He looks at her for a moment, then drags on his cigarette. CYNTHIA Look, I'm just going to come right out and tell you why I'm here, okay? GRAHAM Okay. CYNTHIA I'd like to make another tape. Graham thinks for a moment. GRAHAM No. CYNTHIA No? Not even one more? GRAHAM I never do more than one. I'm sorry. CYNTHIA I can't talk you into it? GRAHAM No. You'll have to get somebody else. CYNTHIA Now who the hell is going to do that for me? GRAHAM I'm sure a substantial number of men in this town would volunteer. CYNTHIA But I want you to do it, I want somebody who will ask the right questions and everything, somebody I can play to and feel safe because you can't do anything. GRAHAM Ouch. Okay, I deserved that. Cynthia, don't you understand? After the first time it's just not spontaneous. There's no edge anymore. Look at the tapes, there is only one date on each label. I have never taped anyone twice. CYNTHIA So make an exception. GRAHAM No. CYNTHIA How about if you record over the one we already made? You could have the same date and not use another tape. Who would know? GRAHAM I would. CYNTHIA Well, what the hell am I supposed to do? GRAHAM Cynthia, I don't know. CYNTHIA I can't believe you're doing this after I let you tape me. GRAHAM I'm sorry. I can't do it. CYNTHIA Goddamit, give me my tape, then. GRAHAM No. Cynthia heads for the tape box. Graham leaps up to stop her. CYNTHIA (digging through the box) It's my fucking tape, you asshole-- Graham grabs her wrists momentarily. GRAHAM (heated) No!! I told you what the parameters were and you agreed. It's my tape. I look at it, I touch it, nobody else. Cynthia and Graham look at each other for a long moment. GRAHAM Please go, I'd like you to go now. Cynthia looks at him. CYNTHIA Sure, okay. She leaves. 35 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- NIGHT John and Ann lie in bed. The lights are out. Ann is wide awake, while John is on the verge of sleep. He rolls over and puts his arm around her. She gets up and sits in a chair opposite the bed. ANN John? JOHN Mmmmm... ANN I called you Tuesday at 3:30 and they said you weren't in. Do you remember where you were? CUT TO: 36 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY John and Cynthia are in Cynthia's bed, kissing. On the floor, John's watch reads 3:11 pm. CUT BACK TO: 37 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- NIGHT JOHN Tuesday. I had a late lunch. ANN Did you see a message to call me when you got back in? CUT TO: 38 EXT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY John leaves Cynthia's house and drives straight home, greeting Ann as he steps through the front door. CUT BACK TO: 39 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- NIGHT JOHN Yes. I just got busy. ANN That's interesting, because I didn't leave a message. John is waking up a little. JOHN Then maybe I saw an old message. There are a lot of them on my desk, you know. ANN Who'd you have lunch with? JOHN I ate by myself. A pause. JOHN Something wrong? ANN Are you having an affair? JOHN Jesus Christ, where'd that come from? I have a late lunch by myself and now I'm fucking somebody? ANN Well, are you? JOHN No, I'm not. Frankly, I'm offended at the accusation. ANN If I'm right, I want to know. I don't want you to lie. I'd be very upset, but not as upset as if I'd found out you'd been lying. JOHN There's nothing to know, Ann. ANN I can't tell you how upset I would be if you were lying. JOHN Ann, you are completely paranoid. Not ten minutes ago I wanted to make love for the first time in weeks, and you act like I'm dipped in shit. You know, I think there are a lot of women that would be glad to have a young, straight male making a pretty good living beside them in bed with a hard on. ANN My sister, for one. Is that who it is? JOHN For God's sake, Ann, I am not fucking your sister. I don't find her that attractive, for one. ANN Is that supposed to comfort me? JOHN I was just saying, you know? I didn't get paranoid when you didn't want to make love. I could have easily assumed that you didn't want to because you were having an affair. ANN But I'm not. JOHN I'm not either!! ANN Why don't I believe you? JOHN Look, this conversation is utterly ridiculous. Maybe when you have some evidence, we should talk, but don't give me conjecture and intuition. ANN Always the lawyer. JOHN Goddam right. I mean, can you imagine: "Your honor, I'm positive this man is guilty. I can't place him at the scene or establish a motive, but I have this really strong feeling." ANN You've made your point. JOHN I'm sorry. It's just...I'm under a lot of pressure with this Kirkland thing, it's my first big case as junior partner, and I work all day, I come home, I look forward to seeing you, and...it hurts that you accuse me like that. A pause. Ann exhales. ANN I'm sorry, too. I...I get these ideas in my head, you know, and I have nothing to do all day but sit around and concoct these intricate scenarios. And then I want to believe it so I don't think I've wasted the whole day. Last week I was convinced you were having an affair with Cynthia, I don't know why. JOHN I don't, either. I mean, Cynthia, of all people. She's so... ANN Loud. JOHN Yeah. Jeez, give me some credit. ANN I didn't say it was rational, I just said I was convinced. JOHN Isn't therapy helping at all? ANN I don't know. Sometimes I feel stupid babbling about my little problems while children are starving in the world. JOHN Quitting your therapy won't feed the children of Ethiopia. ANN I know. A pause. ANN You never used to say "fucking". 40 SCENE DELETED 41 INT. CYNTHIA BISHOP'S APARTMENT -- DAY John sits on the edge of Cynthia's bed, slowly undressing. JOHN It's just so blatantly stupid, I have a hard time believing you did it. CYNTHIA What's so stupid about it? JOHN That you...you don't even know the guy. CYNTHIA Well, you know him, he's a friend of yours, do you think he can be trusted? JOHN Shit, after what you've told me, I don't know. I should've known, when he showed up dressed like some arty brat. CYNTHIA I like the way he dresses. JOHN What if this tape gets into the wrong hands? CYNTHIA "The wrong hands"? We're not talking about military secrets, John. They're just tapes that he makes so he can sit around and get off. JOHN Jesus Christ. And he doesn't have sex with any of them? They just talk? CYNTHIA Right. JOHN Jesus. I could almost understand it if he was screwing these people, almost. Why doesn't he just buy some magazines or porno movies or something? CYNTHIA Doesn't work. He has to know the people, he has to be able to interact with them. JOHN Interact, fine, but did you have to masturbate in front of him, for God's sake? I mean... A pause. CYNTHIA I felt like it, so what? Goddam, you and Ann make such a big deal out of it. JOHN You told Ann about this? CYNTHIA Of course. She is my sister. I tell her almost everything. JOHN I wish you hadn't done that. CYNTHIA Why not? JOHN It's just something I'd prefer she didn't know about. CYNTHIA She's a grown-up, she can handle it. JOHN I just...Ann is very... CYNTHIA Hung up. JOHN It just wasn't a smart thing to do. Did you sign any sort of paper, or did he have any contract with you saying he wouldn't broadcast these tapes? CYNTHIA No. JOHN You realize you have no recourse legally? This stuff could show up anywhere. CYNTHIA It won't. I trust him. JOHN (disbelieving) You trust him. CYNTHIA Yeah, I do. A helluva lot more than I trust you. JOHN What do you mean? CYNTHIA Exactly what I said. I'd trust him before I'd trust you. How much clearer can I be? JOHN It hurts that you would say that to me. CYNTHIA (laughs) Oh, please. Come on, John. You're fucking your wife's sister and you hardly been married a year. You're a liar. But at least I know you're a liar. It's the people that don't know, like Ann, that have to watch out. JOHN By definition you're lying to Ann, too. CYNTHIA That's right. But I never took a vow in front of God and everybody to be "faithful" to my sister. JOHN Look, are we going to do it or not? CYNTHIA Actually, no, I've changed my mind. I shouldn't have called. JOHN (ingratiating) Well, I'm here now. I'd like to do something... CYNTHIA How about straightening up the living room? John doesn't smile. CYNTHIA Come on, John. You should be happy, we've gone this far without Ann finding out, I'm making it real easy on you. Just walk out of here and I'll see you at your house for a family dinner sometime. JOHN Did he put you up to this? CYNTHIA Who? JOHN Graham. CYNTHIA No, he didn't put me up to this. Jesus, I don't need people to tell me what I should do. I've just been thinking about things, that's all. JOHN I can't believe I let him stay in my house. Right under my nose. That deviant fucker was right under my nose and I didn't see him. CYNTHIA If he had been under your prick you'd have spotted him for sure. JOHN (looks at her) God, you...you're mean. CYNTHIA I know. Will you please leave now? JOHN Maybe I don't want to leave. Maybe I want to talk. CYNTHIA John, we have nothing to talk about. JOHN I knew it, I knew it. Things are getting complicated. CYNTHIA No, John, things are getting real simple. 42 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Ann, dressed in some of John's work clothes (old cotton shirt, khaki pants) is cleaning the house. Not cleaning like a normal person, but like an obsessive/compulsive person. Scrubbing spots that are already clean, vacuuming the same area of rug over and over, etc. Suddenly, an object lodges itself in the snout of the vacuum cleaner, making a loud noise. Shutting the machine off, Ann turns it over and sees that Cynthia's diamond stud earring has gotten hooked in the take-up roller. Ann stares at Cynthia's earring for a long moment. CUT TO: Cynthia picking up her jacket from beside the bed after having sex with John. The earring slips out of the pocket and bounces under the edge of the bed. CUT BACK TO: Ann as she sets the earring onto the floor and begins to pound it with the bottom of a water glass, trying to smash it to pieces. She soon realizes the futility of trying to break a diamond. Ann looks down at herself. Suddenly realizing that she is dressed in John's clothing, she frantically rips the shirt and pants from her body as though the material were burning her skin. Popped buttons skid across the floor. Clothed only in her bra and underwear, Ann sits in the middle of the bedroom floor, arms around herself. 43 EXT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- DAY Ann, now in jeans and t-shirt, stumbles to her car. Once inside, she jams the key into the ignition and rests her head against the steering wheel. 44 EXT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY Ann lifts her head from the steering wheel and looks up. She looks almost surprised to find that she has driven to Graham's. Slowly, she gets out of the car. 45 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY Graham sits reading. There is a weak knock at the door. Graham listens, not sure he heard anything. There is a second weak knock. GRAHAM It's open! Nothing happens. Graham gets up and opens the door himself. Ann stands against the wall of the hallway, her head down, her breathing deliberate. Concerned, Graham slowly begins to lead her inside. Impulsively, she hugs him tightly. Unaccustomed to physical contact, Graham's hands hang awkwardly at his side. Ann slowly pulls back from the embrace and sits down. Graham goes to the kitchen area and gets her a glass of water. He gives it to her and sits in the chair opposite. Ann holds the glass in her hand, staring at it. GRAHAM It's bottled, not tap. A weak smile from Ann. She drinks, swallowing with difficulty. ANN I'm not sure why I came here. I had kind of decided not to talk to you after...you know. GRAHAM I know. A pause. ANN That son of a bitch. Ann looks at Graham. ANN (sarcastic) John and Cynthia have been... "fucking". GRAHAM I know. ANN (stunned) You know? GRAHAM Yes. ANN How did you know? GRAHAM She said it on her tape. ANN (angry) Why didn't you tell me? GRAHAM Ann, when would I have told you? We were not speaking, if you recall. Ann says nothing. GRAHAM But even if we had been speaking, I wouldn't have told you. ANN Why not? GRAHAM It's not my place to tell you these things, Ann. You have to find out by yourself or from John directly. You have to trust me on this. Ann shakes her head. ANN My life is...shit. It's all shit. It's like somebody saying, "Okay, chairs are not chairs, they're actually swimming pools" I mean, nothing is what I thought it was. What happened to me? Have I been asleep? I vaguely remember the wedding, but a lot of it is just a blur...like I was watching from a distance. I can't believe him. Why didn't I trust my intuition? Graham says nothing. ANN And I'm vacuuming his goddam rug. His rug, that he paid to have put in his house. Nothing in that place belongs to me. I wanted to put some of my grandmother's furniture in it, but he wouldn't let me. So I m vacuuming his rug. That bastard. Ann looks at Graham. ANN I want to make a tape. A pause. GRAHAM Do you think that's such a good idea? ANN Don't you want to make one? GRAHAM Yes. But I sense the element of revenge here. ANN What difference does it make why I do it? GRAHAM I want you to be aware of what you're doing and why, because I know that this is not the sort of thing you would do in a normal frame of mind. ANN What would you know about a normal frame of mind? GRAHAM (impressed) That's a good question. ANN What do you have to do to get ready? GRAHAM Load a new tape, turn the camera on. ANN Then do it. Graham opens a new box of videotapes. ANN How do you pay for all this? I mean, rent, and tapes and this equipment. GRAHAM I have money. ANN What will you do when the money runs out? GRAHAM It won't. Are you ready? ANN Yes. Graham turns the camera on. GRAHAM Tell me your name. ANN Ann Bishop Millaney. CUT TO BLACK: THEN CUT TO: 46 EXT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DUSK Street lights are illuminated. Night is imminent. 47 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DUSK Graham stops the video recorder. The record meter is stopped at 46:02. Ann sits beside Graham on the couch. She looks into his eyes, stroking his hair. After a moment, she gets up to leave. 48 INT. JOHN AND ANN MILLANEY'S HOUSE -- NIGHT John is talking on the phone as Ann walks through the door. He mumbles an apology into the receiver and hangs up as Ann moves to the couch, her expression calm. JOHN (worried) Jesus Christ! What the hell happened? I came home and your car was gone, the door was open, I thought for sure you'd been abducted by some mad fucker, I was literally just calling the cops when you walked in. What happened? ANN I want out of this marriage. JOHN (genuinely shocked) What? ANN (looks at him) I want out of this marriage. JOHN Why? ANN We'll call it uncontested or whatever. I just want out. John moves to sit beside her on the couch. Ann does not look at him. JOHN (conciliatory) Ann, honey, please, tell me what's wrong. Don't just say you want out and leave me wondering. You can't just go without telling me why. Ann turns to look at him for a moment, then turns away. ANN Fuck you. I can do what I want. John's mouth literally hangs open in shock. He is dumbstruck. ANN I'll stay at my mother's. John gets up from the couch and begins pacing. JOHN Where did you go when you left here? ANN I drove around. Then I went to talk with Graham. John smacks his hand on his leg. JOHN Goddammit, goddammit!! That son of a bitch!! (thinking) Well, at least I know you didn't fuck him. ANN No, but I wanted to. I really wanted to, partially just to piss you off. John is seething. JOHN You're leaving me for him, aren't you? Well, that makes a sad sort of sense. He can't, and you won't. ANN I'm not going to discuss this with you anymore. You're making no sense. John walks over to Ann. JOHN Did you make one of those goddam tapes? Ann says nothing. JOHN Answer me, godammit!! Did you make one of those tapes? ANN Yes! John explodes, hitting the wall all around Ann. She cowers beneath the storm. John bolts from the house. ANN DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM!!! 49 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Graham stands in the middle of the room with a cigarette in his mouth, trying to teach himself to moonwalk. 50 EXT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT John screeches to a halt, parking haphazardly. He gets out of the car and runs to Graham's apartment. 51 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- NIGHT John bursts through the door without bothering to knock. Graham looks up, startled. Before he can even react, John has him by the lapels. GRAHAM Hi, John. JOHN Where are the tapes, Graham? GRAHAM What tapes? JOHN You know which tapes! Where are they? GRAHAM John, as a lawyer, you should know that those tapes are private property. JOHN So is my wife, asshole!! GRAHAM She's not property, John, she's a person. Were you just going to keep right on lying to her? JOHN What the hell do you think? I love Ann. You think I'm going to tell her about Cynthia and hurt her feelings like that? GRAHAM God, you need help. JOHN I need help? Whose sitting by himself in a room choking his chauncey to a bunch of videotapes, Graham? Not me, buddy. You're the fucking nut. Now show me those tapes. GRAHAM No. JOHN I'm not kidding, Graham, you'd better do what I say. Give me those tapes. GRAHAM No. John punches Graham in the jaw, knocking him to the floor. Graham feels his mouth for blood as John picks him up by the shirt. JOHN Graham, I swear to Christ I'll kill your scrawny ass. Now give me those tapes. GRAHAM No. John roughly pushes Graham into one of the director's chairs, which topples over and throws Graham to the floor once again. John looks around. He sees the boxes of tapes and begins to go through the contents. Graham gets up and runs over to stop him. GRAHAM Get away from those!! They belong to me!! Graham and John struggle. John hits Graham in the stomach and pushes him to the floor. JOHN Give me your keys. GRAHAM My keys? John bends over and starts going through Graham's pockets. JOHN Your keys, asshole!! Your two fucking keys!! Give them to me!! GRAHAM I'm not going to give you my keys. John beats Graham until Graham can offer no resistance. He then drags Graham into the hallway and leaves him there. John then locks himself inside Graham's apartment. John walks over to the boxes of videotapes and begins to search through them spastically. He finds both Cynthia and Ann's tapes. After a brief deliberation, he decides to watch Ann's. He turns on the player and the monitor. After pulling a chair up to the screen, John presses the button marked "play". In the hallway, Graham drags himself to the door of his apartment. Putting his ear to the inlet, he strains to hear what is going on inside. John watches the monitor come to life. The image is Ann, sitting in a chair. GRAHAM (on tape) Tell me your name. ANN (on tape) Ann Bishop Millaney. GRAHAM (on tape) You are married, correct? JOHN Goddam right. ANN (on tape) Yes. GRAHAM (on tape) Who usually initiates sex? John's jaw tightens. JOHN Bastard... ANN (on tape) He does. GRAHAM (on tape) Do you talk to him? ANN (on tape) When we're making love? GRAHAM (on tape) Yes. ANN (on tape) Sometimes. Afterward. GRAHAM (on tape) Does he go down on you? JOHN (shouting at Graham) You son of a bitch!! ANN (on tape) Not very often. GRAHAM (on tape) I would. John is literally so mad he can't speak. He watches the screen in mute anger, his hands wrapped tightly around the arms of the chair. Graham still listens from the hallway. GRAHAM (on tape) Have you ever wanted to make love to someone other than your husband? JOHN Goddamit... Ann hesitates. JOHN (to Ann's image) Answer him, goddammit!! GRAHAM (on tape) You're hesitating. I think that means you have. JOHN (to Graham on tape) Shut up!!! ANN (on tape) You don't know what I'm thinking. GRAHAM (on tape) It's a simple question. Have you ever thought of having--making love with someone other than your husband? John leans forward. ANN (on tape) Is he going to see this? GRAHAM (on tape) Absolutely not. A sarcastic chuckle from John. In the hallway, Graham furrows his brow. ANN (on tape) I have thought about it, yes. JOHN (to Ann's image) You bitch. I knew it. GRAHAM (on tape) Did you have sex before you were married? ANN (on tape) Yes. GRAHAM (on tape) Did the person you made love with satisfy you more than your husband? JOHN (to Graham) God damn you!! ANN (on tape) Yes. John stands and throws his chair against the door. Graham, still listening at the door, is startled. GRAHAM (on tape) And you have thought about...making love to that person again since you ve been married? John watches the monitor, his eyes beginning to water. ANN (on tape) I don't see what difference it makes, I mean, I can think what I want. (pause) I don't know if I want to do this anymore, I'm afraid...I don't mind answering the questions so much, but if somebody were to see this... GRAHAM (on tape) At some level, I don't understand your nervousness. Have you decided to leave John? Ann thinks. John watches. ANN (on tape) Yes, I have. I will. GRAHAM (on tape) Then as far as this taping goes, you have nothing to worry about. ANN (on tape) I guess not. GRAHAM (on tape) Do you want me to stop? John, absorbed in the image, absently shakes his head. ANN (on tape) No. GRAHAM (on tape) Are there people other than your previous lover that you have fantasized about? A pause. ANN (on tape) Yes. Whenever...all right, look. Whenever I see a man that I think is attractive, I wonder what it would be like with him, I mean, I'm just curious, I don't act on it, but I hate that I think that!! I wish I could just forget about that stuff!! GRAHAM (on tape) Why? ANN (on tape) Because that's how Cynthia thinks!! All she does is think about that stuff, and I hate that, I don't want to be like her, I don't want to be like her!! GRAHAM (on tape) You're not like your sister. You couldn't be like her if you wanted to. ANN (on tape) I know. Deep down, I know that. It just bothers me, when I have feelings or impulses that she has. John picks up the chair he threw and sets it upright. He sits down and watches the screen impassively. Graham still listens from outside. GRAHAM (on tape) So you do fantasize? ANN (on tape) Yes. GRAHAM (on tape) About who? ANN (on tape) I fantasized about you. GRAHAM (on tape) About me? ANN (on tape) Yes. A pause. ANN (on tape) Have you fantasized about me? GRAHAM (on tape) I thought I made that clear before, when I said I would go down on you. ANN (on tape) I remember. You could do that, couldn't you? Go down on me? GRAHAM (on tape) Yes. ANN (on tape) If I asked you to, would you? Not on tape, I mean? GRAHAM (on tape) No. ANN (on tape) On tape? GRAHAM (on tape) No. ANN (on tape) Why not? GRAHAM (on tape) If I can't do it all, I don't want to do anything. And I can't do it all. ANN (on tape) Can't or won't? A pause. John is still watching the tape, his face betraying no emotion. Graham still listens from outside. CUT TO: The previous afternoon. We are no longer looking at Ann on the monitor, but watching her and Graham AS THEY MADE THE TAPE. For instance, we can now see Graham from Ann's point of view, or the two of them at the same time, etc. GRAHAM Can't. ANN You said you weren't always impotent. GRAHAM That's correct. ANN So you have had sex. GRAHAM Yes. ANN Who was the last person you had sex with? GRAHAM Her name was Elizabeth. ANN So what happened? Was it so bad that it turned you off? GRAHAM No, it was wonderful. That wasn't the problem. ANN What was the problem? GRAHAM The problem was me. I was...I was a pathological liar. Or am, I should say. Lying is like alcoholism, one is always "recovering". ANN So you lied to her? GRAHAM Yes. I did. Willfully and repeatedly. ANN How come? GRAHAM I loved her for how good she made me feel, and I hated her for how good she made me feel. And at that time, I tended to express my feelings non-verbally. I couldn't handle anyone having that much control over my emotions. ANN And now you can? GRAHAM Now I make sure that no one has the opportunity to test me. ANN Don't you get lonely? GRAHAM How could I, with all these nice people stopping by? The fact is that I've lived by myself for so long, I can't imagine living with another person. It's amazing what you can get used to if enough time goes by. And anyway, I'm asking the questions. Are you happy? ANN I don't know anymore. I thought I was, but obviously I was wrong. GRAHAM Did you confront John with the fact that you knew about him? ANN Not yet. I'm not sure I will. I just want out. GRAHAM If you do get out of your marriage, will you continue to be inhibited? ANN I don't know. It all gets back to that Cynthia thing. I don't like her...eagerness. There's nothing left to imagine, there's no... GRAHAM Subtlety? ANN Subtlety, yes. No subtlety. Plus, I've never really felt able to open up with anyone. I mean, that other person I told you about, I enjoyed making love with him a lot, but I still wasn't able to really let go. I always feel like I'm being watched and I shouldn't embarrass myself. GRAHAM And you feel the same way with John? ANN Kind of. I mean, John's like this kind of...craftsman. Like he's a carpenter, and he makes really good tables. But that's all he can make, and I don't need anymore tables. GRAHAM Interesting analogy. ANN I'm babbling. GRAHAM No, you're not. ANN (thinking) God, I m so mad at him!! GRAHAM You should be. He lied to you. So did Cynthia. ANN Yeah, I know, but somehow I expect that from her, I mean, she'll do it with almost anybody, I don't know, I shouldn't stick up for her I guess, but him. He lied so...deeply!! Ooo, I want to watch him die!! Ann sits quietly for a moment. Graham watches her silently. The camera continues to roll. ANN (looks up at Graham) You're really never going to make love again? GRAHAM I'm not planning on it. A pause. ANN If you were in love with me, would you? GRAHAM I'm not in love with you. ANN But if you were? GRAHAM I...I can't answer that precisely. ANN But I feel like maybe I could be really comfortable with you. GRAHAM That's very flattering. ANN So why won't you make love with me? Why wouldn't you, I mean? GRAHAM Ann. Are you asking me hypothetically, or are you asking me for real, right now? ANN I'm asking for real. I want you to turn that camera off and make love with me. Will you? A pause. GRAHAM I can't. ANN Why not? GRAHAM I've told you. ANN But I don't understand-- GRAHAM Ann, it could happen to me all over again, don't you see? I could start to-- ANN But how do you know for sure, you have to try to find a way to fig-- GRAHAM I couldn't face her if I had slept with somebody else. A pause. ANN Who? Elizabeth? GRAHAM (uncomfortable) Yes. ANN You mean you're still in contact with her? GRAHAM No. ANN But you're planning to be? GRAHAM I don't know. Possibly. ANN Wait a minute, wait a minute. What's going on here? Did you come back here just to see her again? GRAHAM Not entirely. ANN But that was part of it? GRAHAM Yes. ANN Like maybe a big part? GRAHAM Possibly. ANN Graham, I mean, what do you think her reaction is going to be if you contact her? GRAHAM I don't know. ANN Look at you, look at what's happened to you, look how you've changed! Don't you think she will have changed? GRAHAM I don't know. I really would rather not talk about it. ANN (has to laugh) Whoa!! I'm so glad we got that on tape!! You won't answer a question about Elizabeth, but I have to answer all these intimate questions about my sex life!! Graham, what do you think she's going to make of all these videotapes? Are you going to tell her about them? I can't imagine her being too understanding about that. But since you don't lie anymore, you'll have to say something. GRAHAM As I said, I haven't decided what to do, exactly. Perhaps I won't do anything. ANN Oh, you just moved here to think about it, right? Graham says nothing. Ann looks at him. ANN Oh, God, Graham, this is so...pathetic. You're not even what you pretend to be, you're a lie, you're a bigger lie than you ever were. Graham sets the camera down, though it continues to record. He is visibly upset. GRAHAM All right, you want to talk about lies, let's talk about lies, Ann. Let's talk about lying to yourself. You haven't been able to sleep with your husband because you're no longer in love with him, and maybe you never were. You haven't been honest with yourself in longer than you can remember. ANN (heated) Yeah, you're right. But I never claimed to know everything like you, and have all these little theories. I'm still learning, I know that. But I don't feel like I've wasted time. If I had to go through my marriage to get to where I am right now, fine. Ann moves in closer, burrowing, her eyes on fire. ANN But you. You have wasted nine years. I mean, that has to be some sort of weird record or something, nine years. How does that feel? Graham says nothing. Ann picks up the camera and points it at him. GRAHAM Don't do that. ANN Why not? GRAHAM Because. ANN "Because"? That's not good enough. I asked you a question, Graham. I asked you "how does it feel"? How does it feel, Mr. I Want To Go Down On You But I Can't? Do you know how many people you've sucked into your weird little world? Including me? Come on, how does it feel? GRAHAM I can't tell you like this. ANN I'm just going to keep asking until you answer. I'm sure there's plenty of tape. GRAHAM I don't find this "turning the tables" thing very interesting-- ANN I don't care. Graham reaches up for the camera. Ann knocks his hand away. ANN Not until I get some answers. Tell what you feel. Not what you think, I've heard plenty of that. What you feel. Graham is on the verge of completely falling apart. ANN Come on!! GRAHAM All right!! All right!! You want to know? You want to know how I feel? I feel ashamed. Is that what you wanted to hear? A pause. Graham regains his composure somewhat. ANN Why are you ashamed? GRAHAM Jesus Christ, Ann. Why is anybody anything? I think you have this idea that people are either all good or all bad, and you don't allow for any gray areas, and that's what most of us consist of. ANN You're not answering me. GRAHAM (heated) Well, what kind of answer are you looking for, Ann? What is it exactly that you want to know? ANN I want to know why you are the way you are! GRAHAM And I'm telling you it's not any one thing that I can point to and say "That's why!" It doesn't work that way with people who have problems, Ann, it's not that neat, it's not that tidy! It's not a series of little boxes that you can line up and count. Things just don't happen that way. ANN But why can't you just put it all behind you? Can't you just forget it? All that stuff you did? GRAHAM No, Ann, I can't. I can't forget it. It's not something I can fix. It's difficult. There s something in my mind...the way my brain works... [frustrated) God, Ann, when you're with another person, and you re...inside them, you're so vulnerable, you're revealing so much...there's no protection. And...somebody could say, or do something to you while you re in this...state of...nakedness. And they could hurt you without even knowing it. In a way that you couldn't even see. (looks at Ann) And you would withdraw. To make sure it didn't happen again. Ann looks at him for a long moment and then sets the camera down. She moves in front of Graham and kneels. ANN I want to touch you. Graham shakes his head. ANN I want to touch you. GRAHAM No. Ann reaches out, and Graham instinctively begins to move away. ANN Graham. Something in her voice makes him stop. Their eyes lock. Graham slowly moves back toward her. Ann's hand eases out to him, her eyes still burning into his. Graham closes his eyes, accepting Ann's touch. She caresses him. Slowly. Delicately. She touches his arms, his face, his hair. Closing her eyes, she takes his hand and puts it against her face. She begins to lie him back on the couch. When he offers light resistance, she gently persists. ANN Keep your eyes closed. Graham lies back, silently obeying. Ann touches his face. Gradually, her hand slips to his neck and she begins to unbutton his shirt. She watches his face, hoping that he will remain calm. He does. She rubs her hand on his chest. Once again she brings Graham's hand to her face. She moves his hand to her neck and throat, painting her skin with his fingers. Soon each hand is exploring the other. Fingers search for and find hidden areas. Ann stands. Their hands remain together, and Graham's eyes remain closed. Ann moves onto the couch with Graham. She gently lowers herself into a sitting position on his waist. She slowly moves both of her hands onto Graham's chest. They move forward and back, like a lazy tide. She looks at Graham. His face is tranquil. Ann quietly begins to move her face toward his. Soon she is hovering inches above him, her long hair touching his features. She lowers her lips to his forehead and kisses him. She waits for a negative reaction. Getting none, she moves lower and kisses his eyes. Still receiving no discouragement, she moves to his nose. A subtle movement from Graham. Ann waits for a moment. She then moves to his lips, her luxuriant tresses enveloping his face. She kisses him lightly. She kisses him again. Graham tilts his head back and she softly kisses his neck. Graham's hands make their way up Ann's back until they have reached her neck. He slowly pulls his face to hers. He kisses her. Graham is flooded with warmth and excitement. He caresses her, intoxicating himself with physical contact. The kisses become more meaningful, and the touching becomes more passionate. For a moment, Graham seems about to evaporate in a state of ecstasy, his eyes filled with relief and happiness. But his gaze happens to fall on the video camera, which continues to record. Graham seizes up and abruptly backs away from Ann's embrace. Reality slowly envelopes him. ANN Graham... GRAHAM I'm okay. It's okay. Ann reaches for his hand. He allows her to take it. GRAHAM (almost dazed) It's okay. Graham looks at Ann for a long moment. She sees the acceptance and gratitude in his eyes. She smiles lightly. Graham moves forward and shuts off the camera. CUT BACK TO: John watching the tape. There is video snow on the monitor now. The tape timer reads 46:02. John gets up slowly, ejects the tape from the player, and heads for the door. Graham, hearing the footsteps approach, backs away from the inlet. His eye is swollen, and he holds one of his hands in a curious position. John opens the door. He looks at Graham for a moment before reaching into his pocket for Graham's keys. He dangles them in his hand as he stands over Graham. JOHN I never told you this, because I thought it would crush you, but now I could give a shit. (pause) I fucked Elizabeth. Before you broke up. Before you were having trouble, even. So you can stop making her into a saint. She was good in bed and she could keep a secret. And that's about all I can say about her. John drops Graham's keys to the floor and leaves. Graham stands, fighting back tears, and walks into his apartment. He pulls Ann's tape from the videotape player. He reaches inside the cassette cartridge and pulls the videotape itself out, ruining it forever. He does the same to every other tape in both the boxes. Calmly. Deliberately. Methodically. He walks over to the camera/recorder, trailing a mound of videotape behind him. He breaks the lens off the camera body, and smashes the inner workings against the edge of the table. He then drops the damaged unit into the pile of destroyed tape, where it disappears. CUT TO BLACK: THEN CUT TO: 52 INT. LAW OFFICES -- DAY John Millaney talks to his colleague. JOHN Man, not having to answer to anybody... I feel like this huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I mean, come on, if I decide that I'd rather live alone, what's so bad about that? It's not like I've decided to live a life of crime, right? It's just how I feel, you can't help the way you feel, you just have to be honest about it. John dials a number on his telephone. VOICE ON PHONE IBM. JOHN (to phone) Brian Kirkland, please. VOICE ON PHONE May I ask who's calling? JOHN John Millaney. VOICE ON PHONE One moment. JOHN (to his colleague) Anyway, I've always said, the work is the thing. I can be happy without a marriage, but take away my work, that's different. And if Ann can't handle that, that's her problem, like we re all alone in this world, you know what I'm saying? I mean, fuck. (looks at phone) Jesus, what's takin' this guy? The intercom clicks to life. SECRETARY (on speaker) Mr. Millaney? JOHN Yeah. SECRETARY (on speaker) Mr. Forman would like to see you in his office. JOHN Okay, in a minute, I'm on with a client. SECRETARY (on speaker) He said immediately. JOHN All right, jesus. The intercom clicks off. VOICE ON PHONE Mr. Millaney? JOHN Yes? VOICE ON PHONE Mr. Kirkland has asked me to inform you that he has obtained legal representation elsewhere, and that if you have a message for him to leave it with me. John swallows. JOHN Thank you. I...there is no message. Thank you. John hangs up. He thinks for a moment, rubbing his forehead. The intercom clicks to life. SECRETARY (on speaker) Mr. Millaney, Mr. Forman is waiting. DUDE (voice over) Come on, I'm not asking too much, am I? Just one little question. 53 INT. LOUNGE -- DAY Cynthia is tending bar. The Dude from earlier is still there, puffing On a big cigar. DUDE Just tell me what time you get off. Work, I mean. What's the harm in that? Whaddaya say? Ann enters the lounge. Cynthia watches with apprehensive surprise as Ann approaches with a potted plant. CYNTHIA (to Dude) Excuse me. Cynthia moves to meet Ann at the end of the bar. Ann sets the plant down on the counter. Her manner is diffident, but not hostile. ANN I know it's your birthday, and I know you like plants. So I got you this. Cynthia is very moved, though she struggles valiantly to conceal her emotions. CYNTHIA Thank you. ANN Well. I can't stay. Ann begins to leave. CYNTHIA Can I call you? Ann turns back to face her. They look at each other for a moment. ANN Do you have my work number? CYNTHIA No. Ann writes the number down on a napkin. ANN I get real busy between two and four. CYNTHIA Okay. Ann looks at Cynthia again before leaving. ANN Bye. CYNTHIA Bye. Ann leaves. Cynthia continues to look at the door long after Ann has left. DUDE Nice plant. Cynthia turns to him. CYNTHIA Do me a favor. Don't come in here anymore. 54 SCENE DELETED 55 INT. GRAHAM'S APARTMENT -- DAY Graham sits reading. There is now some furniture in the apartment. Bookshelves, plants, etc. There are periodicals on the table where the video gear used to be. There are no cigarettes. There is a knock at Graham's door, which now has a deadbolt lock. GRAHAM Who is it? A knock again. Graham sets his book down and goes to the door. He unlocks the deadbolt and opens it. Ann stands in the hallway. Graham is obviously flushed with feeling at seeing her. She wordlessly moves into the room, her movements like a slow breeze, her expression calm. Graham watches her go by. She stops in the middle of the room, her back to him. Graham moves toward her slowly. Sensing him behind her, her breathing becomes deep. Graham slowly enfolds her in his arms, his face against her hair. She closes her eyes as their fingers entwine. CUT TO BLACK THE END