LORD OF ILLUSION

CHAPTER 21

INT. BUTTERFIELD'S SEDAN - NIGHT

Valentin drives. Butterfield and Dorothea are in the back.

Dorothea is handcuffed.

He has a bag open at his feet. One by one he takes out a

series of extraordinary instruments. Dorothea looks on,

confounded.

BUTTERFIELD

Like the look of these? I made

them myself, to set him free.

DOROTHEA

Why did you wait so long?

BUTTERFIELD

I didn't have the skill to

resurrect him. I had to teach

myself. And that took time.

DOROTHEA

And you think he'll be in a fit

state to resurrect, after thirteen

years?

BUTTERFIELD

If he was just a man like me, then

no. But he's not.

DOROTHEA

What is he?

BUTTERFIELD

Maybe he'll show you.

ON DOROTHEA, terror in her eyes.

EXT. NIX'S HOUSE - NIGHT

Now there are a dozen vehicles parked around the house.

Through the windows, the flickering of oil-lamp FLAMES.

There is a low, ominous CHANT floating from the house.

It has no words, but it is steadily BUILDING in intensity.

We DRIFT towards the front door.

INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY - MEDITATION ROOM - NIGHT

Now we move down the passageway to the Meditation Room.

Inside, SEVENTEEN CULTISTS kneel in a circle. They are all

CUTTING OFF THEIR HAIR, and throwing it into the FIRE that

blazes in the centre of the circle. They hack

indiscriminately, with KNIVES, SCISSORS and RAZORS, their

eyes wild. BLOOD runs down their faces and necks from nicked

ears and scalps.

And still the CHANT BUILDS, and BUILDS...

NORMAN

He will come! He will come! He

will come!

EXT. DESERT - NIX'S GRAVE - NIGHT

Wide. A few rocks, and emptiness.

The headlamps of Butterfield's sedan burn in the darkness,

illuminating the dig. Valentin is in the grave, digging.

ON Butterfield, as he stands at the edge of the hole,

watching the work. Dorothea stands a yard or two behind him.

BUTTERFIELD

Anything?

VALENTIN (V.0.)

Not yet.

Butterfield squats at the edge of the hole and suddenly

reaches out for Valentin, hauling him close.

BUTTERFIELD

If you've lied to me to me --

VALENTIN

I swear... this is the place Swann

told me about. The rocks...

On Dorothea, who uses Butterfield's distraction to take a few

steps back towards the open car door.

Dorothea's P.O.V. of Butterfield, back to her, interrogating

Valentin.

BUTTERFIELD

Five more minutes. Hear me? And

you'd better not --

A SOUND behind him. Butterfield wheels round. On the ground

beside the open car door, the instruments.

BUTTERFIELD

What the fuck are you playing at?

He goes to pick them up. Dorothea steps from behind the

door, with the sharpest in her hand. She slashes at him.

Opens a WOUND across his arm.

BUTTERFIELD

Aah!

He comes at her suddenly, striking the instrument from her

hand, and slamming her against the car. He hits her. Once.

Twice. Then --

VALENTIN (V.O.)

Butterfield!

Butterfield goes to the edge of the grave, picks up the

flashlight and trains the beam on Valentin.

VALENTIN

(blinded)

In the corner...

The beam goes to the corner of the grave.

A mummified HAND is sticking out of one of the walls.

BUTTERFIELD

(to Valentin)

Keep away from it.

Butterfield jumps down into the grave, and goes to the hand.

The TRACK is silent, but for Butterfield's shallow breath.

He reaches out to touch Nix^s fingers...

Closer...

Closer...

He touches the hand - and the wall of sand comes down with a

ROAR!

He jumps back as Nix's corpse, his head still sealed by the

mask rolls into view.

VALENTIN

Oh Christ! Oh Christ!

BUTTERFIELD

(reverentially)

It's him... it's him.

On Dorothea, sliding down the car in despair.

CUT TO:

INT. HARRY'S CAR - NIGHT

The car is static; the engine still running.

HARRY

They got here before us.

SWANN

Looks that way.

EXT. NIX'S GRAVE - NIGHT

Harry gets out of the car and starts towards the open grave.

HARRY'S MOVING P.O.V. OF THE GRAVE

Harry reaches the grave's-edge. It's totally dark. He peers

in. On his heel, as the ground CRUMBLES beneath his weight.

Harry slides into the grave.

HARRY

Shit!

He's in darkness now. He gets to his feet, and starts to try

and scramble out.

HARRY

Swann? Swann!

Silence.

Suddenly, a hand is laid on his shoulder! Harry swings

round. It's Valentin. He has been badly cut up.

VALENTIN

D'Amour --

HARRY

Shit...

VALENTIN

Help me.

He collapses into Harry's arms.

HARRY

Swann!