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ECLIPSE

by Neil Stratton

INT  UNIVERSITY LIBRARY  NIGHT

A warm summer evening.  Romula, 22, sweeps past the rows
of bookshelves in the Ancient History section.  A black
polished stone amulet swings from her neck.  She bursts into
the tiny office at the far end.

INT  DANIEL'S OFFICE - UNIVERSITY LIBRARY  NIGHT

Daniel, 30, continues tapping on his laptop, unfazed by this
female whirlwind.  He's surrounded by precarious piles of
books and dressed as though moonlighting as a gravedigger,
ready to jump into action at a moment's notice.

DANIEL
I'm not here till I've finished this
sentence.

He continues several more moments, then hits the save key
with an emphatic flourish.

DANIEL
Hi.

ROMULA
That's a neat trick, materialising
like that.  If you took your
clothes off, would you disappear
again?

DANIEL
I was trying not to lose my train of
thought.

ROMULA
You know what they say about
trains.  If you miss one, there's
always another one coming along.

DANIEL
You wanted something?

ROMULA
Coffee.

He grabs his diary and flicks through the pages.

DANIEL
Date.

ROMULA
Friday the thirteenth.  Eight pm.
That's AD not BC.

He makes a note then snaps the book shut.

DANIEL
Anything else?

ROMULA
Check your watch.

He glances at his watch.

DANIEL
Cute.  Very cute

ROMULA
So let's go.

DANIEL
I'm in the middle of something.

ROMULA
Think of it as intermission.  Like at
the movies.

DANIEL
They don't have intermission
anymore.

ROMULA
You're an archaeologist.
Reconstruct.

DANIEL
Philologist.

ROMULA
You dig with my father.

DANIEL
I translate.

ROMULA
With a spade?

DANIEL
It beats standing around waiting
for something to decipher.

ROMULA
See what happens?  I ask you to
coffee and we end up arguing
semantics.

DANIEL
Archaeology.

She leans over his desk.  He notices the dangling amulet.

ROMULA
Archaeology and semantics - the
two dustiest subjects I know.  Now
I really do need that drink.

DANIEL
What's that?

ROMULA
You like?

Without waiting for a reply, she swishes out.

INT  UNIVERSITY LIBRARY  NIGHT

Daniel scrambles after Romula, who maintains her brisk pace.

DANIEL
Where did you get it?

ROMULA
Like you're into shopping.

DANIEL
It looks like an artefact.

She halts abruptly.

ROMULA
At the last dig.

DANIEL
You took it from site?

ROMULA
Only when no-one was looking.

DANIEL
My God, Romy, it's not even
catalogued.

ROMULA
Three and a half thousand years
and no-one even noticed it
missing.  I borrow it for a few days
and you throw a tizz.

DANIEL
Days?

ROMULA
Weeks.

DANIEL
Weeks?

ROMULA
Months and that's my final offer.

DANIEL
At least let me examine it.

She arches her neck.

DANIEL
I mean you'll have to take it off.

ROMULA
Was I born yesterday?

DANIEL
Archaeologically speaking, yes.

DANIEL
You steal a valuable artefact and
we're discussing my
untrustworthiness?

ROMULA
Isn't life full of little ironies?

He examines the amulet, still around her neck.

ROMULA
Can I undo some buttons?

DANIEL
That isn't necessary.

ROMULA
Yes it is.  Your hot breath is
making me perspire.

He flips over the amulet and peers at the cuneiform
inscription.

DANIEL
Oh my God.

ROMULA
What?

A passing student gives them a look.

STUDENT
Get a room.

ROMULA
Ignore him.  He's jealous.

DANIEL
Neritu.  Goddess of...

He hesitates.

ROMULA
Yes?

DANIEL
The point is, she means trouble.
Ordinarily I'm not superstitious.

ROMULA
But Neritu makes you lose all
reason.  I like that in a goddess.

She moves off.

EXT  STREET  NIGHT

Romula marches ahead of Daniel.

ROMULA
I know what you're doing.  You're
trying to scare me into handing
over the amulet.

She steps out to cross the road.  He sees a car speeding
towards her.

DANIEL
Look out.

He leaps out and grabs her then pulls her back.  The car
zooms past.  She's indignant.

ROMULA
The next time you hurl me about,
make sure it's to music.

DANIEL
That car was coming right at you.

ROMULA
I would've stopped.

DANIEL
A nanosecond isn't a safety
margin.

ROMULA
Anyway, I thought an amulet was
supposed to bring good luck.

DANIEL
There have been deaths.

ROMULA
Coincidence.

DANIEL
Agreed.  But no less fatal.

INT  TURKISH CAFE  NIGHT

The café is buzzing with the conversation of couples seated
round small tables.  A vaguely eastern music plays in the
background, slow and quiet at first then growing louder and
more frenzied.

DANIEL
How's Alan?

ROMULA
Nigel.

DANIEL
Nigel.

ROMULA
Ancient history.

DANIEL
And what was wrong with him?

ROMULA
Too charming and considerate.

DANIEL
That's a crime?

ROMULA
Nobody can be charming and
considerate all the time.  Not
unless they're lunatic or psychotic,
or possibly even both.

DANIEL
I see.  So that's why you're taking
refuge in my company.

ROMULA
Precisely.  Now tell me about
Neritu.

DANIEL
She was a night goddess.  We're
not even sure what her powers
were, but men feared her.

ROMULA
Perhaps she was a love goddess.

DANIEL
The ancients understood eroticism
and companionship, but they had
no concept of romantic love.

ROMULA
Some men still don't.

DANIEL
That was an invention of the
Middle Ages, used to refine and
divert the sensibilities of
warrior-knights.

ROMULA
And is that how you see love?  As
a social construct?

Daniel sips his coffee thoughtfully.

EXT  PARK  NIGHT

Romula and Daniel walk through the park.

ROMULA
Look.  A full moon.

But he's distracted by a fluttering sound.  He turns and sees
an owl land momentarily on a statue, then fly off.

ROMULA
Do you know what that means?

He continues staring at the statue.

ROMULA
Don't be taken in by her looks.
She has a heart of stone.

DANIEL
Did you see the owl?

ROMULA
No.  I was looking at the full moon.

DANIEL
A full moon means beware of
lunatics and lovers.

ROMULA
Kiss me.

He doesn't move so she kisses him instead.  He responds at
first then breaks off.

ROMULA
What's wrong?

DANIEL
We could be destroying a perfectly
good friendship.

ROMULA
If it's any consolation, it wasn't that
perfect.

DANIEL
Come on, what's your record in a
relationship?  Three weeks?  A
month?

She storms off.  He hurries after her.

DANIEL
I'm not being judgemental.

ROMULA
So what do you want?  Applause
for a brilliant imitation?

DANIEL
It wouldn't work.

ROMULA
Why not?

DANIEL
Because look at us.  One kiss and
we're arguing already.

ROMULA
Who's arguing?  I'm walking,
you're jabbering.

EXT  STREET  NIGHT  

Romula gets into her car and revs the engine.  Daniel taps on
the window.  She lowers it impatiently.

DANIEL
Drive safely.

ROMULA
I'll have as many accidents as I
please.

DANIEL
And how many would please you?

ROMULA
Anything else?  Are you going to
remind me to brush my teeth?

DANIEL
I hope you're not going to let our
little disagreement come between
us.

ROMULA
It's not like it was about anything
serious.  After all, what could be
less important than love?  Which
as we know was invented to keep
jousting knights in hankies.

She roars off.

INT  DANIEL'S OFFICE - UNIVERSITY LIBRARY  NIGHT

Daniel's trying to work but is having difficulty concentrating.
He decides to call Romula.  He gets her answerphone.

ROMULA (off)
Hi, it's Romula.  Please leave a
message, unless your name's
Daniel.

DANIEL
Romy, you're being childish.  Call
me.

He ends the call but still can't concentrate.  He presses redial.

DANIEL
On second thoughts, don't bother.

He resumes work with forced zeal.

INT  LIVING ROOM - WILKINS HOUSE  NIGHT

Professor Wilkins opens the door to Daniel, who enters
carrying a wad of papers and a bottle of wine.

WILKINS
What's all this?  I invited you to
dinner.

DANIEL
And I thought it would be a good
chance to go through some results
without the interruption of work.

WILKINS
My dear fellow, that is work.

Daniel stumbles and papers go everywhere.  The professor
manages to save the wine.  He settles into his armchair while
Daniel gathers up the papers.

DANIEL
No, work is what we do for a living.
Exploring the past is what we do
for a life.

WILKINS
The endless paperwork and
committees I could do without.
But teaching is a tonic.

DANIEL
Gin and tonic and recycled notes.

WILKINS
What's your aversion honestly,
cynicism aside?

DANIEL
None whatsoever, honesty aside.

WILKINS
That's an obtuse answer for
someone whose job is deciphering.

DANIEL
Where's all this leading?

WILKINS
Nothing to be alarmed at.  I'm not
about to offer you another position.

DANIEL
I hope that doesn't go for your
next trip.  I'm your number one
starter.

WILKINS
I can't seem to wear you out.
We've only just got back from the
last one.

DANIEL
Forgive me if I find them more
invigorating than the academia
whirl.

WILKINS
Nothing to forgive.  I was the same
at your age.  Unfortunately I
happen to be my age.

DANIEL
Expeditions are what keep you
young.

WILKINS
No, immortality keeps you young,
and only the gods possess that.

DANIEL
Even gods pass away.

WILKINS
Such gloom.  You're a fine fellow
to invite for a meal.

DANIEL
Momentary lapse.  Is it too soon to
open the wine?

WILKINS
Relax, my boy, all taken care of.
All we have to do is wait for
Romula to summon us.

Daniel looks shaken.

DANIEL
Romula?  She's here?  

WILKINS
Preparing dinner.  I didn't dragoon
her, she offered.

DANIEL
And she knew I was coming?

WILKINS
Yes but don't worry, she can cook.

DANIEL
Of course.  It's just I associate her
more with cafés than kitchens.

WILKINS
I believe she wanted to surprise
you.

DANIEL
Something she's very good at.

INT  DINING ROOM - WILKINS HOUSE  NIGHT

The three have just sat down to dinner.  Daniel takes a
mouthful and nods enthusiastically.

DANIEL
Very good.  Delicious in fact.

ROMULA
Just something I threw together.
It wasn't supposed to be the main
topic of conversation.

DANIEL
I was just saying.

ROMULA
And now you've said.

WILKINS
Daniel's keen to go on another
expedition.

ROMULA
Always in a mad dash to get away,
that's Daniel.

DANIEL
Though not always successfully.

ROMULA
Did you know, daddy, he has this
theory of love as a social
construct?

WILKINS
Just don't go writing that sort of
thing in a Valentine card.

DANIEL
We were discussing the ancients'
view of love.  I didn't raise the
subject.

ROMULA
However there was something a
little too clinical in his analysis.  I
think it's because he's never had
his heart broken.  Isn't that simply
awful?

WILKINS
Only you would think so, my dear.
For my part, my first broken heart
gave me pneumonia verging on
pleurisy.

DANIEL
How was that?

WILKINS
I camped outside her window for
three days.  In the rain.  You
couldn't do that nowadays, you'd
be arrested.

ROMULA
But then you met momsie.

WILKINS
Not quite.

ROMULA
But eventually, and that's my point.

WILKINS
Point?

ROMULA
Daniel needs his heart broken so
he can meet the right woman.

DANIEL
And did you have anyone
particular in mind?

ROMULA
If there was a shortage of
volunteers, I could be persuaded
to the task.

WILKINS
Not a good idea, my sweet.  I fear
you've broken too many hearts
already.

ROMULA
It's a social service.

DANIEL
I appreciate your kind offer, but I
value our friendship too much.

ROMULA
Oh I wouldn't let it interfere with
our valued friendship.  What's love
in comparison?

WILKINS
Darling, he has a point.  I want to
be able to have you both in the
same room.  Do nothing to upset
the equilibrium.

ROMULA
Then I promise on my mother's
grave not to harbour any bitter
feelings.  Daniel, do the same.

DANIEL
She's still alive.

ROMULA
You must have lost someone
precious to you.

WILKINS
We all have, and I don't think they
should be roped into this glib
discussion.

ROMULA
I keep forgetting death is such a
taboo topic.  I talk to momsie every
day.  Excuse me while I check on
dessert.

She goes into the kitchen.

WILKINS
I hope you don't think I was a
party to this.

DANIEL
To what?

WILKINS
My daughter appears to have you
in her sights.  Not that I don't
approve her choice but she's
young.  A little wild.  Not ready for
a stable relationship, you
understand.

DANIEL
Perfectly.  And I'm in agreement.

WILKINS
Good.  Now Marlene, our sparkling
new Egyptologist.  What do you
reckon, eh?

EXT  GARDEN - WILKINS HOUSE  NIGHT

Daniel and Romula stroll in the grounds.

ROMULA
You've been avoiding me.

DANIEL
I've been working.

ROMULA
And since I'm not an antiquities
scholar, that's the best way of
avoiding me.

DANIEL
Anyway, isn't it more the other way
round?  You didn't return my calls.

ROMULA
You should allow a woman a few
day's grace after trampling her
feelings.

They walk a few moments in silence.

DANIEL
I'm sorry about your mother.

ROMULA
Why are you apologising?  Did you
murder her?

DANIEL
How old were you at the time?

ROMULA
Eleven.  I don't believe that was a
factor either.  

DANIEL
Have you told your father about
the amulet?

ROMULA
No.

DANIEL
You should.

ROMULA
I'll do what I like.

She brushes past him.  He catches her by the wrist.

ROMULA
Do you intend to ravish me?

He lets go.  She flounces off towards the house.

INT  TURKISH CAFE  NIGHT

Daniel and Romula sit in the packed café.  The same music
plays as before.

ROMULA
Do you believe in love?  Or is it
merely a social construct?

The lights begin to flicker and the table shakes.  He jumps up.

DANIEL
Earthquake.  Let's get out of here.

ROMULA
Daniel, sit down.

DANIEL
It's not safe.

ROMULA
Look around.

He sees the other people continuing their conversations,
oblivious.

DANIEL
You can't feel it either?

ROMULA
You've been working too hard.  Sit
down and relax.

He reluctantly sits.  Flames erupt on the far wall.  They turn
into a cuneiform inscription.

DANIEL
What about that?

She glances around.

ROMULA
Exposed brickwork.  Infinitely more
fascinating than my conversation.

DANIEL
You can't see the burning
inscription?

ROMULA
No.  What does it say?

DANIEL
Those who deny my power will be
consumed by it.

The flames disperse, leaving the wall unscathed.

EXT  PARK  NIGHT

Romula and Daniel walk through the park.  As they pass a
statue, he notices the head turn.

DANIEL
Did you see that?

ROMULA
What?

DANIEL
The statue.  It moved.

ROMULA
A trick of the light. 

A heavy mist rolls in.  Soon he's lost.

DANIEL
I don't recognise this path.

He turns and discovers he's alone.

DANIEL
Romy?  Romula.  Romula.

INT  DANIEL'S OFFICE - UNIVERSITY LIBRARY  NIGHT

Daniel wakes up at his desk.  He checks his watch.  It's 3 am.

INT  UNIVERSITY LIBRARY  NIGHT

Daniel emerges from his office, locks the door and makes his
way to the lift.  He hears a faint babbling sound and spins
around.  Nothing.  He resumes walking.  The sound returns,
growing louder but no more intelligible.  Again he stops and
glances around.  Silence.  He walks faster.

He reaches the lift almost running.  He punches the button
repeatedly then decides to take the stairs.

He races down the stairs as the babble becomes a chaotic
reverberation of echoes.

EXT  CLOCK TOWER  NIGHT

Daniel stops and catches his breath.  He pulls out his
cellphone.

INT  BEDROOM - ROMULA'S TOWNHOUSE  NIGHT

The phone wakes Romula from a deep sleep.  She fumbles
for the receiver.

ROMULA
What???

EXT  CLOCK TOWER/ INT BEDROOM  NIGHT

DANIEL
Hi, it's me.  Are you all right?

ROMULA
You woke me up in the dead of
 night to ask me that?

DANIEL
Sorry, I guess I panicked.

ROMULA
What's going on?

DANIEL
Hold on, am I still dreaming?

ROMULA
I wish you were.  Then I'd still be
asleep myself.

DANIEL
I can't explain exactly, but I felt
something pursuing me.
Something terrifying.

ROMULA
Your conscience.

He glances around nervously.

ROMULA
Daniel, you've been working too
hard.

DANIEL
That's what you said in the dream.

ROMULA
Then I'm unanimous.

DANIEL
Are you wearing the amulet?

ROMULA
No it's on the table beside me.
What's the connection?

DANIEL
I wish I knew.

She hangs up and buries herself under the covers.

INT  PUBLIC SWIMMING POOL  NIGHT

Daniel enters the pool area, has a quick scan then sits down
on a bench.

Romula emerges from the pool and comes over.

ROMULA
Fancy a swim?

DANIEL
You said it was important.

ROMULA
Who has important meetings at a
pool?  You just wanted to see me
in my swimsuit.

He doesn't respond.  She sits down beside him.

ROMULA
I guess to you I'll always be that
annoying kid in braces that used
to hang around while you talked
shop with my father.

DANIEL
You never wore braces.

ROMULA
You were supposed to say I
wasn't annoying.

DANIEL
Sorry about waking you the other
night.

ROMULAIt's okay.  Everyone has bad
dreams.  Perhaps you should
sleep with the light on.

DANIEL
Cute.

ROMULA
Have you noticed what I'm not
wearing?

DANIEL
Clothes.

ROMULA
Try my neck.

DANIEL
The amulet.

ROMULA
I sold it.

DANIEL
You what?

ROMULA
The amulet isn't what you think.

DANIEL
It's a fake?

ROMULA
An imitation.  I got it at a bazaar.

DANIEL
It looked real.

ROMULA
Looks aren't everything.

DANIEL
But you wanted me to believe it
was an original?

ROMULA
How else was I to get your
attention?

He considers a moment.

DANIEL
You sold it.  You didn't think to
offer it to me first?

ROMULA
Of course I did.  But as we both
know, thinking and doing aren't
the same thing.

DANIEL
So who bought it?

ROMULA
A client of mine.

DANIEL
Isn't it a little déclassé for the
social circuit?

ROMULA
Maybe it's for her private pleasure.

INT  CLAUDIA'S APARTMENT  NIGHT

The décor is chic minimalism, making the amulet around
Claudia's neck somewhat incongruous.  She hands Daniel a
glass of wine and settles on the sofa beside him.

CLAUDIA
So Romula put you on to me?

DANIEL
Yes.

CLAUDIA
And what is she to you?

DANIEL
A friend.

CLAUDIA
And your interest in the amulet?

DANIEL
I study ancient languages.

CLAUDIA
How terribly fascinating.  But do
only dead tongues amuse you?

DANIEL
They're not dead - or rather I try to
make them live again.

CLAUDIA
Tell me about the curse.

DANIEL
What?

CLAUDIA
Please don't say there isn't one.
Sans maléfice, ce n'est plus chic.

DANIEL
I came here to make an offer.

CLAUDIA
And I'm ready and waiting.

DANIEL
I'll double what you paid Romula.

CLAUDIA
Money isn't one of my needs.

He takes a long gulp of wine.  She goes to refill his glass.  He
covers it with his hand.

DANIEL
I'm driving.

She pours anyway, forcing him to remove his hand.

CLAUDIA
Why do you want the amulet so
much?

DANIEL
It relates to my work.

CLAUDIA
Or is it because you want to feel
the power of a goddess?

She leans towards him, spilling his wine on her dress.

CLAUDIA
Oops.

She stand up and unzips her dress.

CLAUDIA
Be a darling and throw this in
some cold water.  I'll be in the
shower.

She hands him her dress and goes into her bedroom.

LATER

Daniel returns from his task and waits on the sofa.  Time
passes.  He goes to the bedroom door and taps.  Hearing no
response, he opens it slightly.

DANIEL
Claudia?  Are you all right?

He listens. Still nothing.  He goes inside.

INT  BEDROOM - CLAUDIA'S APARTMENT  NIGHT

Daniel hears the shower running in the ensuite.

DANIEL
Claudia?

He moves slowly towards the shower then opens the door.
There's no sign of her.  He turns off the water.

INT  CLAUDIA'S APARTMENT  NIGHT

Daniel emerges from the bedroom just as the buzzer sounds.
He opens the front door to Melissa, 19, in tracksuit and
hooked up to an MP3 player.  She's somewhat sweaty.

MELISSA
Hi, I'm Melissa.  Who are you?  

DANIEL
Daniel

She notes his disturbed expression.

MELISSA
Where's my sister?

He stares at her dumbly.

EXT  CAFE  DAY

Daniel sits outside drinking coffee.  Bulman, a shortish stocky
man in a shapeless suit, ambles up.

BULMAN
Mind if I join you?

Without waiting for a reply, he takes a seat and calls to a
passing waiter.

BULMAN
Hey, some service.

He flicks open his I.D. at Daniel.

The waiter arrives, eyeing Bulman coolly and glancing at
Daniel, who shrugs apologetically.

BULMAN
Coffee and a hamburger.

WAITER
And how would you like your
coffee?

BULMAN
Dry roasted in a saucer so I can
snort it.

The waiter doesn't blink.

WAITER
Would you care to refer to our
coffee menu?

DANIEL
Surprise him.

The waiter nods, does a crisp about-turn and marches off.

BULMAN
Now where were we?

DANIEL
Nowhere.  You just flashed your
credentials.

BULMAN
Daniel Strawbridge, right?

DANIEL
How did you know I was here?

BULMAN
I followed you.

DANIEL
I didn't notice.

BULMAN
The trick is not to be surreptitious.
Do I strike you as surreptitious?

DANIEL
Only when it comes to explaining
the purpose of your visit.

BULMAN
Claudia Riddell.

DANIEL
You're looking for her?

BULMAN
She hired me.

DANIEL
Why?

BULMAN
What's this thing with the amulet?

DANIEL
I was trying to negotiate a deal.

BULMAN
You got some sorta fetish?

DANIEL
I study ancient cultures.

BULMAN
I visited a pyramid once.  Some
pharoah guy screws his sister and
they build him this great frickin'
monument.  Go figure.

The waiter arrives with Bulman's order.  The hamburger is laid
out in two halves in a jungle of foliage.

BULMAN
Forget about Miss Riddell.

He looks at his plate in dismay.

BULMAN
I order hamburger and they give
me this.  It looks like roadkill.

INT  ROMULA'S TOWNHOUSE  NIGHT

Romula lets Daniel in.  She's in her dressing gown.

DANIEL
I need your help.

ROMULA
And I need yours.  I've lost my jade
earrings.

DANIEL
Claudia won't sell the amulet.

ROMULA
So what do you expect me to do
about it?

DANIEL
Use your powers of persuasion.

ROMULA
I have none.  Look how I went with
you.

An awkward silence.

DANIEL
The jade earrings - what's the
story?

ROMULA
I can't find them.

DANIEL
What do they look like?

ROMULA
Jade earrings.

DANIEL
Right.  And where did you see
them last?

ROMULA
On my ears.

DANIEL
You can see your own ears?

ROMULA
In the mirror.  I was trying to
decide what ones to wear.

DANIEL
And then you took them off.

ROMULA
Well obviously.

DAMIEL
Okay, let's recreate what
happened.

ROMULA
You want me to strip?

DANIEL
What?

ROMULA
I'd just come out of the shower.

DANIEL
No, we'll imagine that.  I mean skip
that part.

ROMULA
And then my cellphone rings,
which I'd left on the coffee table.

DANIEL
Ah - that was me.

ROMULA
Yes.

DANIEL
You weren't answering your other
phone.

ROMULA
I was in the shower, if you can
imagine that without imagining
that.

DANIEL
So then what?

ROMULA
I tried on some others then
decided on the jade.

DANIEL
Which you couldn't find.

ROMULA
We've established that point.

DANIEL
Right.  And where have you
looked?

ROMULA
Everywhere. 
 Any ideas?

He gestures vaguely.

DANIEL
I could rummage.

She's dubious.

ROMULA
I might choose another pair.  I've
got to leave soon.  Dinner
engagement.

She goes into her bedroom.  He follows her.

INT  BEDROOM - ROMULA'S TOWNHOUSE  NIGHT

Romula goes to the wardrobe to choose a dress.  Daniel
stops by the door.

DANIEL
With a guy?

ROMULA
No, an orangutang.  Do you mind
turning round?

He complies.

DANIEL
And what do you talk about?

ROMULA
Bananas.

DANIEL
Really?

ROMULA
Yes, it's his favourite Woody Allen
movie.

Short silence.

DANIEL
So, will you help me with Claudia?

ROMULA
You can turn around now.

He turns around and sees she's in her underwear holding out
two dresses.

ROMULA
Which one?

He quickly turns his back again.

DANIEL
Romy.

She moves in closer.

ROMULA
Yes?

DANIEL
I thought you understood.

ROMULA
But I do.  You're in love with a four
thousand year old goddess.
Chronologically, I can't compete.

She pushes him outside and closes the door.

EXT  STREET/ROMULA'S TOWNHOUSE  NIGHT

Later that night.  Daniel's waiting in his car as Romula drives
up, garages her car and walks back to him.  He lowers his
window.

ROMULA
Daniel, this is not a good look.

DANIEL
Let's go for a drive.

ROMULA
I'd prefer fresh air.

He gets out and they walk.

DANIEL
So how was dinner?

ROMULA
How thoughtless of me.  I forgot
to bring you a copy of the menu.

DANIEL
And after?

ROMULA
What do you mean?

DANIEL
Well for instance, did you kiss?

ROMULA
If I did, I wouldn't tell.

DANIEL
You used to dissect your sex life.
Now a kiss is a top military secret.
What's changed?

ROMULA
Sometimes, Daniel, when nothing
changes, nothing stays the same.

She stops.

ROMULA
It's cold.  I'm going home.

He watches her go.

INT  LECTURE ROOM - UNIVERSITY  DAY

Daniel's giving a lecture as Romula enters.

DANIEL
Another feature of Indo-European
languages is implosion.  Words
fuse, and turn into grammar.

She sits down and gives a little wave.  He's momentarily
thrown but quickly recovers.

DANIEL
To take a contemporary example,
can we talk of 'courtside' as being
the locative case of 'court'?
Romula?

ROMULA
I never talk about locative cases.
That goes for double at parties.

DANIEL
And for some of us, life is one long
party.  Let's move on to
conjugations.  Consider 'I am' in
Latin.

He writes 'sum' on the board.

DANIEL
I suggest it's a contraction of 'es',
a verb for 'be' and an 'm' element
meaning 'I'.  Interestingly we also
find this in 'egom', an older variant
of 'ego'.  Am I going too fast?
Romula?

ROMULA
The faster the better.

DANIEL
Think of philology as a detective
story.

ROMULA
Like a whodunnit?

DANIEL
Right.

ROMULA
So where's the dead body?

DANIEL
There isn't one.

ROMULA
That would make it a 'who'dbuyit?'

He ignores this and pauses for dramatic effect.

DANIEL
Now, what does this have to do
with Hittite?

EXT  UNIVERSITY CAMPUS  DAY

Romula and Daniel walk among the throng of students.

DANIEL
I presume there's a reason for
sabotaging my lecture.

ROMULA
I was just sitting there.  You
picked on me.

DANIEL
Because I knew you'd find it
boring.

ROMULA
Yes, how do you manage that?

DANIEL
It's a gift.

ROMULA
I'm sure it was funnier in the
original Hittite.

An awkward silence.

DANIEL
How have you been anyway?

ROMULA
Oh you know me.  I go through
men like women go through
tissues over a z-grade soap.

DANIEL
Yes, why is that?

ROMULA
We cry at the tragic acting.

Another silence.

ROMULA
We've been invited away for the
long weekend.

DANIEL
We?

ROMULA
First person plural.  I'm not sure of
the Latin.

DANIEL
Who by?

ROMULA
Eleanor.  Another client of mine.
She lives by herself in the country.

DANIEL
Why?

ROMULA
Her husband died.

DANIEL
I mean why the invitation?

ROMULA
She now has the amulet.  I'm
helping you get it back.

DANIEL
She's willing to sell?

ROMULA
I believe we can talk her round.

A student appproaches Daniel.

STUDENT
Can I have an extension on my
essay?

DANIEL
Why?

STUDENT
My aunt died.

DANIEL
How noble of her to make the
ultimate sacrifice so you could fit in
more partying before the deadline.

STUDENT
Is that a yes?

Daniel turns back to Romula, but she's disappeared into the
crowd.

EXT  GOTHIC MANSION  TWILIGHT

Daniel and Romula pull up outside an extravagant Gothic
mansion, complete with turrets and gargoyles.

INT/EXT  CAR  TWILIGHT

DANIEL
This is not the sort of house you
live alone in.

ROMULA
I expect she has help, if you're
worried about the dusting.

DANIEL
I mean it's creepy.

ROMULA
If you're scared, we'll turn back
now.

DANIEL
Cute.

They unload their bags.  Daniel is first to the front door.  He
notices a large bell and rings it enthusiastically, causing him to
go deaf in one ear.  Romula brushes past and rings the
buzzer.

INT  GOTHIC MANSION  TWILIGHT

Eleanor ushers Romula and Daniel inside.  She's around 50,
her features a mixture of the solemn and frivolous, with neither
quite having the upper hand.  Suits of armour stand guard in
the gloomy interior.  Various weaponry and heraldic emblems
line the walls.

ROMULA
I so love your place.

ELEANOR
My late husband's taste, not mine.
I've grown used to it.

DANIEL
And a great setting.  Apart from
the isolation.  You don't get lonely?

ELEANOR
No.  I invite people.

She starts up the stairway.

ELEANOR
I'll show you to your rooms.

Romula whispers to Daniel

ROMULA
Could you stop being so tactful?

He gives an apologetic shrug.

INT  DINING ROOM - GOTHIC MANSION  NIGHT

The three have begun dinner.  Daniel notices Eleanor is now
wearing the amulet.  She catches his eye and smiles.

ELEANOR
Suits me, don't you think?

DANIEL
You don't find it a little heavy?

ELEANOR
I would if it didn't fill me with such
lightness.

Daniel shoots Romula a questioning look, which she ignores.

ELEANOR
As for it being some tourist
knick-knack, that I simply can't
believe.

ROMULA
Really?

ELEANOR
I sense a definite power in it.  I
flatter myself on having a touch of
the psychic.

ROMULA
Well the man at the bazaar was
fooled too, or he wouldn't have
sold it so cheaply.

DANIEL
You realise if it is genuine, it'll have
to be returned.

ELEANOR
Then let's make it our little secret.

He's about to respond but Romula quickly cuts in.

ROMULA
Daniel, tell us about Neritu.

DANIEL
Well, she was associated with the
night.

ROMULA
You mean she liked to party?

DANIEL
Darkness for the ancients was full
of nameless terrors.

ELEANOR
Why nameless?

DANIEL
Because it represented the
unknown.  A man could be
fearless in battle, yet be afraid of
his own moonshadow.

ELEANOR
I confess I shudder when I break a
mirror.

DANIEL
Our superstitions today are mere
vestiges of what was for the
ancients a fullblown mythomania.

ELEANOR
And what do you fear?

ROMULA
Love.  Isn't that right, Daniel?

DANIEL
Perhaps that's because I lack your
natural immunity.

Eleanor claps her hands together in glee.

ELEANOR
A lovers' tiff.  How delightful.

DANIEL
Oh we're not together.

ROMULA
We're practically mortal enemies.

ELEANOR
I don't believe that for a second.  I
sense a real bond.

She clasps the amulet and concentrates with her eyes closed.
Daniel and Romula exchange looks.

ELEANOR
I'm willing to offer a deal.

DANIEL
I'll double what you paid Claudia.

She regards the offer with some disdain.

ELEANOR
Did I mention money?

DANIEL
You said you were willing to deal.

ELEANOR
If you two get together, I mean
intimately, I'll return the amulet.

ROMULA
We accept.

DANIEL
We do?

ROMULA
And it's unanimous.

ELEANOR
Then it's settled.

DANIEL
Hold on.  How will you know?  We
could fake it.

ELEANOR
I'll let Neritu be the judge.

She strokes the amulet.

INT  ROMULA'S BEDROOM - GOTHIC MANSION  NIGHT

Romula loosens her hair and begins brushing while Daniel
paces.

DANIEL
She's crazy.

ROMULA
You mean a trifle eccentric.

DANIEL
Okay, she's eccentric and you're
crazy.  I can't believe you agreed
to it.

ROMULA
What other way was there?  She
doesn't want your money.

DANIEL
Your clients have too much of the
stuff.  Why can't you make
jewellery for the starving poor?

ROMULA
Because I'd rather they spent their
money on food.

DANIEL
The house is creepy and not to her
taste.  Why hasn't she sold up and
moved out?

ROMULA
Maybe it's a shrine to his memory.

DANIEL
Except I don't get that impression.

ROMULA
Does it matter?

DANIEL
I'm just trying to figure her out.

ROMULA
Why?

DANIEL
Because we need to convince her
about us so we can get the amulet.

ROMULA
Of course.  It's always about the
amulet.

DANIEL
Isn't that why we're here?

ROMULA
It's also a break from work.  What
other people would call a holiday.

DANIEL
You're right.  Pleasure before
business.

He fingers her hair.  She draws away.

DANIEL
What's wrong?

ROMULA
Nothing.

DANIEL
But you don't want to sleep with
me?

ROMULA
No.

DANIEL
Well that's very constructive, I
must say.

ROMULA
I never knew you could be so
crass.

They face each other a moment.

DANIEL
Goodnight.

She returns to brushing her hair.

ROMULA
'Night.

He goes out.

INT  DANIEL'S BEDROOM - GOTHIC MANSION  NIGHT

Daniel's woken by a gentle but insistent tapping on the door.

DANIEL
You've left it kinda late.

The tapping stops.  He sighs.

DANIEL
Okay, I'm sorry, let's not argue.

He gets up and opens the door.  A man with a sword point
protruding through his stomach staggers towards him.  Daniel
slams the door shut, composes himself and opens the door
again.  There's no sign of the man.

INT  ROMULA'S BEDROOM - GOTHIC MANSION  NIGHT

Romula is woken by a rapid knocking on her door.

ROMULA
What?

DANIEL (off)
It's me.  Open up.

ROMULA
No, Daniel.  Goodnight, Daniel.

DANIEL (off)
I just want to know you're all right.

ROMULA
Surprising as it may seem, I can
survive sleeping alone.

DANIEL (off)
Let me in and I'll explain.

She stumbles wearily to the door and unlocks it.  Daniel slips
inside, immediately closing the door behind him.

ROMULA
Well?

DANIEL
There was a man with a sword.

ROMULA
A man with a sword, of course.
Now it all makes perfect nonsense.

DANIEL
It's not safe here.

ROMULA
Really?  I have an idea.  Why don't
you stay and protect me?  Who
knows what I might do while
overcome by gratitude?

DANIEL
This is not a ploy.  I saw him.

ROMULA
The ghost?

He hesitates.

ROMULA
Or more likely, another of your bad
dreams.

DANIEL
We should leave this place.

ROMULA
Not me.  Unlike you, I'm not afraid
of the dark.

She pushes him outside and locks the door.

EXT  POOL - GOTHIC MANSION  NIGHT

Daniel joins Eleanor, who's seated at a table overlooking the
pool.  Romula is doing laps.  The pool is lined with
skull-shaped torches, the sockets burning red.

DANIEL
I can't believe I slept the entire day.

ELEANOR
Did you have a bad night?

DANIEL
You could say that.

ELEANOR
She moves well, don't you think?

DANIEL
Like a mermaid.  Why the torches?

ELEANOR
To ward off evil spirits.

He looks at her.  She laughs.

ELEANOR
No, I simply find them amusing.

DANIEL
Isn't the macabre late medieval?

ELEANOR
That's right, brought on by the
Black Death.

DANIEL
Your husband was into that
period?

ELEANOR
No, he was more for the High
Middle Ages.  That was when the
West went from a backwater to
overtake the dominant Byzantine
and Islamic civilisations.  Funny
how we regard it as a time of
stagnation.

Romula climbs out of the pool, picks up a skull torch and
appproaches.  Eleanor calls out to her.

ELEANOR
Wonderful strokes, my dear. (to
Daniel) Excuse me while I see to
dinner.

She goes inside.  Romula brandishes the torch.

ROMULA
Cute, isn't it?

She puts the torch into a holder and starts drying herself.

DANIEL
What did I miss?

ROMULA
Champagne, raspberries and
cream.  We went on a picnic.

DANIEL
Why?

ROMULA
Because strawberries aren't in
season.

DANIEL
I mean why didn't you wake me?

ROMULA
That would've been like waking a
bear in hibernation.  Not the done
thing.

DANIEL
We've wasted a day.

ROMULA
No, you have.  I had a great time.
Such balmy weather.  Hard to
believe there's a storm coming.

DANIEL
I think you're in danger.

ROMULA
I know you love that line, but I have
a life.  And why only me?

DANIEL
Because you trust her.  I don't.

ROMULA
No, I'm gaining her trust.  It's the
reason we're here.

DANIEL
Listen, I don't care about the
amulet.

ROMULA
Well now I do.  I'm working on her.
Just give me some more time.

She puts on a towelling robe, takes a sip from her drink and
stretches out on a chair.

INT  HALLWAY - GOTHIC MANSION  NIGHT

Romula finds Daniel staring at a painting.

DANIEL
That's him.

ROMULA
Who?

DANIEL
The guy I saw last night.

She examines the portrait.

ROMULA
That's her husband.

INT  LIVING ROOM - GOTHIC MANSION  NIGHT

Romula enters, followed by Daniel.  Flashes of lightning fill the
room through the open curtains.

DANIEL
So what do you know about him?

ROMULA
Not much.  Eleanor pointed him
out on our guided tour.

He tries to remember.

DANIEL
How did he die?

ROMULA
A sword accidentally dislodged
from a wall-mounting and impaled
him.

DANIEL
Very impressive.  He must have
been some acrobat.

Eleanor enters to a loud thunderclap.

ELEANOR
Oh how I love the feel of electricity
in the air.  The perfect atmosphere
for communion.

She sits down and motions for the other two to do likewise.
She clasps the amulet and they sit in silence.

ELEANOR
I think it would help if we had the
lights off.

Daniel reluctantly gets up and flicks the light switch.
Intermittent flashes of lightning show Eleanor's face void of
expression.  The thunder grows louder.

ELEANOR
Neritu is angry.

Daniel whispers to Romula.

DANIEL
Three and a half thousand years
of neglect will do that to a
goddess.

ROMULA
Shhh!

Eleanor's amulet hand begins to shake and her face contorts.
She screams.  Daniel rushes to turn on the lights, while
Romula attends to her.

ROMULA
What's wrong?  What can I do?

ELEANOR
Nothing.  Nothing.  It's gone.

Daniel notices Eleanor has torn off the amulet, which is now
lying on the floor.  He picks it up.  She holds out her hand.

ELEANOR
Please.  I'm fine.

Romula nods to Daniel.  He returns the amulet.

DANIEL
So what happened?

ELEANOR
Normally the impressions I get are
very faint.  I wasn't prepared for
something so intense.

DANIEL
And?

She hesitates and Romula quickly intervenes.

ROMULA
We can talk about it tomorrow.
After a good night's sleep.

ELEANOR
Yes.  Yes I think you're right.
 Goodnight.

ROMULA
'Night.

Eleanor goes out.

DANIEL
That was smart.  After a good
night's sleep, she'll be back to her
normal weird self, and we'll be
back to square one.

ROMULA
No, she was too deeply affected.
Just leave the negotiations to me.

EXT  FIELD  DAY

Daniel stretches out under an almost cloudless sky and takes
a sip of champagne.

DANIEL
You know what I think?

Romula pops a raspberry into his mouth.

ROMULA
Only you would spoil such an idyllic
day by thinking.

He notices a small black cloud on the horizon.  Suddenly it
jumps overhead.

DANIEL
Did you see that?

ROMULA
What?

DANIEL
That cloud.  It jumped.

ROMULA
I should have the rest of the
champagne.

The sky darkens and the wind comes up.

DANIEL
I don't like the way it's hovering
over us.

ROMULAMaybe we should have it arrested
for loitering with intent.

He holds out his hand for rainspots and quickly withdraws it in
pain.

ROMULA
What's wrong?

He stares at the spots of blood on his palm.

DANIEL
Some kind of weird hail - razor
sharp.

He glances upward then around the field in desperation.

DANIEL
My God, it's going to burst any
moment and there's no shelter.

She begins packing up their things.

DANIEL
Leave them.  That cloud's getting
angrier and angrier.

He takes her by the hand and they dash across the field.  The
cloud breaks, pelting them with hail.

INT  GOTHIC MANSION  DAY

Daniel and Romula tumble inside.

DANIEL
We made it.

ROMULA
Yes.  The amulet must have
protected me.

DANIEL
What do you mean?

ROMULA
Nothing.  But don't look in the
mirror.

He turns anyway and sees his reflection.  His face is bloodied
and his shirt shredded.

INT  DANIEL'S BEDROOM - GOTHIC MANSION  TWILIGHT

Daniel wakes up with a gasp.

EXT  POOL - GOTHIC MANSION  TWILIGHT

Daniel arrives at the pool, which is unlit.  Romula is doing
underwater laps.  She surfaces.

DANIEL
Another day gone.  I feel I'm
trapped in an endless cycle.

ROMULA
Maybe you should see a doctor.

DANIEL
Any luck with Eleanor?

ROMULA
She's disappeared.

DANIEL
Oh great.

ROMULA
She left a note.

INT  LIVING ROOM - GOTHIC MANSION  NIGHT

Daniel sits waiting on the sofa.  Romula enters in a bathrobe,
towelling her hair.

ROMULA
What do you make of it?

He picks up the note.

DANIEL
Sounds like she spooked herself
and wants a break from this
creepy place.

ROMULA
What about the amulet?

DANIEL
The note doesn't mention it.

ROMULA
Would she have taken the amulet
if she really is spooked?

DANIEL
Maybe she left it behind.  So?

ROMULA
So?

DANEIEL
You're not suggesting we steal it?

ROMULA
Read the note again.

DANIEL
'Have been called away
unexpectedly.  Will be back
tomorrow.  Please help yourself to
whatever food and drink you fancy.
Wishing you well, Nerit.'

ROMULA
And nothing strikes you as odd?

DANIEL
Everything about her is odd.

ROMULA
Specifically?

DANIEL
Okay, the sign off bit.  You think
it's a hidden message?

ROMULA
If it was, what would it be?

He reconsiders the note.

ROMULA
What does 'Nerit' mean?

DANIEL
Nothing, it's a stem.  Neritu without
the 'u'.

They ponder.

DANIEL
Wishing you well.  Wishing well.  Is
there a wishing well near here?

ROMULA
No.

EXT  POOL - GOTHIC MANSION  NIGHT

Romula and Daniel stare into the pool.  The underwater lights
have been switched on.

DANIEL
Can't see anything.

ROMULA
One of us will have to go in.

DANIEL
I deciphered.

ROMULA
Turn your back.

He turns around.  She takes off her bathrobe, hands it to him,
and dives into the pool.  He watches as she glides along the
bottom, finally emerging clutching the amulet.  He turns his
back again as she climbs out.  She takes the bathrobe and
wraps herself, then touches him on the shoulder.  He sees
she's wearing the amulet.  They kiss.  She breaks off.

ROMULA
Look.

He looks up and sees the moon begin to turn blood-red.

DANIEL
You knew about this?

No response.  He looks around.

DANIEL
Romula?

But she's gone.

INT  ROOM - PRIVATE CLINIC  DAY

Daniel's sitting up in bed as Professor Wilkins enters.

WILKINS
How are you feeling, my boy?

DANIEL
A little washed out.

WILKINS
So what's the diagnosis?
Overwork?  A virus?

DANIEL
They're still running tests.

WILKINS
Well I'm sure rest is the best cure.
Not so convinced about this
private clinic.  A luxury hotel
would've been cheaper and with
better room service.

He moves over to the window.

WILKINS
I must say this view of trees and
dappled lawn is a little foolhardy.
Where's the incentive to
recuperate?

DANIEL
The bill.

WILKINS
Romula sends her love.

DANIEL
I'm sure.

WILKINS
Do I detect a smidgeon of
sarcasm mixed with a tinge of
bitterness?

DANIEL
Sorry.  I'm sure she's really busy -
having a good time.

The professor sighs.

WILKINS
You've fallen for her, haven't you?

Daniel looks away.

WILKINS
I did try and warn you.

DANIEL
Yes.  Yes you did.

WILKINS
Far be it for me to disparage my
own progeny and light of my life.
However I do urge you to
remember Odysseus and the
ear-plugs.

DANIEL
I believe he had himself strapped
to the mast.

WILKINS
That's right.  He preferred to
torture himself.  The ear-plugs
were for his crew.  We rarely advise
ourselves as well as we advise
others.

DANIEL
Perhaps that's because we learn
better from our own mistakes.

A brief silence.

WILKINS
So what did happen on this
weekend away?

DANIEL
Nothing.

WILKINS
That's what Romula said.
Identical statements always make
me suspect collusion.

DANIEL
There was an eclipse.

The professor regards him curiously a moment then resumes
looking out the window.

INT  NIGHTCLUB  NIGHT

Romula's at a table in the corner with Gimlet.  She appears
oblivious to her surroundings.  They're joined by Axel and
Walsh.

WALSH
What's up with Rom?

GIMLET
Nothing, we're just chilling.

AXEL
It's your conversation, man.
Would turn anyone to stone.

GIMLET
Who's stoned?

WALSH
Take a look in the mirror.

AXEL
He's just out of therapy from the
last time he tried that.

WALSH
The mirror's still in therapy.

GIMLET
You're cracked.

AXEL
That's what the psychiatrist said to
the mirror.

GIMLET
Why was he talking to the mirror?

WALSH
He was in a reflective mood.

AXEL
Hey, Rom, wanna shake some?

ROMULA
You mean dance?

WALSH
I'm the mean dancer.  Let's show
him how.

ROMULA
Why don't you both?

She stands and takes each by the hand.

GIMLET
I'll watch the table.

AXEL
Yeah, and if it misbehaves, thump
it with your forehead.

Romula pulls Axel and Walsh onto the dance floor.  They
dance.  She slips away, leaving them dancing together until
they realise.

EXT  STREET  NIGHT

Romula leaves the nightclub and wanders listlessly along the
street.  She stops at a poster advertising a jewellery exhibition.

INT  GALLERY  DAY

Romula drifts through the gloomy interior, most of the light
coming from the illuminated glass cases.  She barely glances
at the exhibits.  She bumps into an elegantly dressed man.

ROMULA
Oops, my fault.

DRAKE
But my pleasure.  I was staring at
your neck.

Her hand instinctively goes to her throat, then she realises
she's wearing the amulet.

ROMULA
Oh you mean this?

DRAKE
I was trying to decide.
Neo-primitive?

ROMULA
Proto-neo.

DRAKE
Genuine?
 
ROMULA
Genuine replica.  The goddess
Neritu.

DRAKE
Then may I say its authenticity
derives from its wearer.

ROMULA
You may.  As long as you realise
I'm immune to flattery.

DRAKE
But are you immune to the truth?

ROMULA
There's nothing more deadly.

DRAKE
My name is Dracu.  People call me
Drake.

ROMULA
Romula

DRAKE
And since we're on first names,
you must allow me to buy you a
drink.

ROMULA
Only if you mean coffee.

INT  COFFEE GARDEN  DAY

Romula and Drake sit among the ferns sipping coffee.

ROMULA
Your English is very good.

DRAKE
Likewise.

ROMULA
But I can't place your accent.

DRAKE
Understandably.  I have lived in
many places.

ROMULA
Such as?

DRAKE
Oh I wouldn't want to bore you
with a long list.

ROMULA
Then amuse me with a short one.

DRAKE
Name a capital.

ROMULA
Paris.

DRAKE
And another.

ROMULA
Rome.

DRAKE
And another.

ROMULA
New York

DRAKE
I believe it's Albany.

ROMULA
You're right, I'm bored already.
Instead tell me why you're on the
run.  If you don't mind my asking.

DRAKE
Not at all.  It's part of your New
World charm.

ROMULA
Are you a fugitive from justice?

DRAKE
Worse.  I'm an emissary for an
international financial institution.
We have the power to bankrupt
governments and cause
revolutions.  But enough of the
small talk.  Let's discuss the really
burning issue of the day.

ROMULA
Which is?

DRAKE
Dinner tonight.  Can I tempt you?

He takes her hand and kisses it.

INT  BATHROOM - ROMULA'S TOWNHOUSE  NIGHT

Romula's lying in the bath, her cellphone beside her.  It rings,
making her jump.

ROMULA
Daniel?

DRAKE (off)
It's Drake.

ROMULA
How did you get my number?

DRAKE (off)
You gave it to me.

She struggles to remember.

DRAKE (off)
We only met today.  Surely I'm not
that forgettable.

ROMULA
No, I just thought I dreamt it.

DRAKE (off)
What are dreams but edited
reality?

ROMULA
With special effects.

DRAKE (off)
You rushed off without answering
my question.

ROMULA
About?

DRAKE (off)
Dinner.

ROMULA
I'm rather tired.

DRAKE (off)
I promise I'll have you in bed
before midnight.

ROMULA
No honestly, I'm having a hot bath
then crashing.

DRAKE (off)
Well if you change your mind, I'm
at the Pendragon.  Room 313.

The line goes dead.  She continues holding the phone to
her ear for some moments.

INT  BEDROOM - ROMULA'S TOWNHOUSE  NIGHT

Romula tosses restlessly in bed.  She opens her eyes and
finds the room flooded with the light of an enormous full moon.
For an instant the moon disappears, like a giant eye blinking.

EXT  HOTEL BALCONY  NIGHT

Romula stands on the balcony gazing at the full moon.  She's
in a black evening dress, and with her hair swept up.  Drake
comes out and hands her a glass of champagne.

DRAKE
What are you doing out here?  It's
chilly.

ROMULA
Admiring the moon.

DRAKE
Tonight it has strong competition.

ROMULA
I shouldn't have come.  I don't
know why I did.

DRAKE
Then let me propose a toast to
feminine capriccio.  No wait, what
do they say in English?

ROMULA
Caprice.

He drinks from his glass.  She takes a small sip then shivers.

DRAKE
You are cold.  Now I must insist.

They go inside.

INT  HOTEL ROOM  NIGHT

Drake finishes his drink and puts down his glass.  Romula
fiddles awkwardly with hers.

DRAKE
You're not in the mood for talking?

ROMULA
Sorry.

DRAKE
No no, there's no need.

His hand lightly brushes her cheek.

DRAKE
Not when your eyes reveal so
much.

ROMULA
Really?  And what do they say?
  
DRAKE
'Kiss me'.  And who am I to spurn
such an invitation?

He kisses her and she responds despite herself, but her eyes
remain open.  They suddenly widen.

DRAKE
What's wrong?

She looks past him, unable to speak.  A woman in white who
looks like Romula is holding out a long knife.  He glances
around then shrugs inquisitively at Romula.  The woman in
white advances and plunges the knife into Drake's back.  A
dark-red blotch wells up on his shirt front.  Romula staggers
back in horror.

DRAKE
No don't go.  Tell me what's wrong.

EXT  PARK  NIGHT

Romula runs through the park, stopping at the fountain.  She
looks down at the watery reflection of the moon.

She becomes aware the watery moon is the real moon and
she's lying motionless underwater.  She breaks through the
surface in panic.

INT  BATHROOM - ROMULA'S TOWNHOUSE  NIGHT

Romula jack-knifes up in the bath, gasping for air.

INT  DINING ROOM - WILKINS HOUSE  NIGHT

They're playing cards.  The professor fervently shuffles,
watched on with some bemusement by Daniel and Marlene,
29.  She's dressed in a style that combines a certain
provocativeness with casual indifference.

Romula enters with her drink and takes her seat opposite
Daniel.

DANIEL
What's that?

ROMULA
Mint julep.  You want?

DANIEL
Too sweet.

She pulls a lemon-sucking face.

WILKINS
To complete the introductions, I'm
on the rocks, Marlene is neat, and
Daniel's flaky.

Marlene looks at Daniel.

DANIEL
It's called 'Sno-drift'.

WILKINS
I did offer him my vintage eau du
robinet.

MARLENE
I thought you were over that thingy.

DANIEL
I'm just playing safe.

WILKINS
Why is it women, even those with
doctorates, find nouns so elusive?

MARLENE
We know the names, sweetie, we
just like to flout them.

WILKINS
Right, let's play.

ROMULA
Deal.
The professor places the deck in front of her.

WILKINS
First cut.

DANIEL
Is the deepest.

ROMULA
Can't we just get on with it?

DANIEL
And risk offending the card gods?

Romula sighs and takes a card.  The others follow.  The
professor draws the ace of spades and proceeds to deal for
five hundred.

ROMULA
Well that was a waste of time.

WILKINS
The sole object of the evening, my
little sugar-puff.

ROMULA
Daddy, don't be revolting.

WILKINS
Annoying one's child is but small
recompense for enduring the
teenage years.

They study their hands.

ROMULA
Can I plead poverty?

The others all groan.

DANIEL
The trouble with misère is that it
shuts out your partner.

ROMULA
Only for one round.  And it'll give
you more time to gulp your water
for extra clarity of mind.

MARLENE
It also goes against the aim of the
game, which is to win tricks.

ROMULA
Yes, and the lesson of misère is
that you can still win when dealt a
rum hand.

WILKINS
Cards for moral edification.
Personally I put my ability down to
a misspent youth.

ROMULA
That's pool, father.

WILKINS
In my younger days, I regarded five
hundred as the thinking person's
pool.

ROMULA
How perfectly snobbish.

WILKINS
Whereas nowadays I look down
on snobs.

MARLENE
Call please.

ROMULA
Misère.

MARLENE
Pass.

DANIEL
Ten no trumps.

ROMULA
Well we know who's got the joker.

MARLENE
Table talk.

WILKINS
No, idle speculation.  Only a
madman drunk on water would
make his opening call the highest
bid without it.

Daniel picks up the kitty (widow), selects and discards.  He
leads, and proceeds to win trick after trick.

WILKINS
Time for Romula is of the essence,
but what is the essence of time?

MARLENE
Space.  Aren't they joined?

WILKINS
Yes, and a continuum by any other
name would be just as absurd.
You can go backwards in space
but not in time.  Of course for
quantum physicists and their ilk,
absurdity is the realm they dwell in.
Only the rest of us are constrained
by something as mundane as
logic.

MARLENE
You doubt their power?

WILKINS
Not at all.  But the ancient priests
could accurately predict eclipses.
That didn't prevent them
surrounding them with a lot of
mumbo-jumbo.

Daniel plays his last card, which the professor tops.  Romula
takes the trick with the joker.

MARLENE (to Daniel)
I should've been your partner.

ROMULA
Daniel's only lucky at cards.

WILKINS
Which is why your partner in cards
should never be your partner in life.

MARLENE
One person's discard may be
another's trump.

ROMULA
Oh Daniel's a boomerang.  I can't
give him away.

DANIEL
Do I get a say in any of this?

ROMULA
No.  Drink your water and leave the
talking to the grownups.

MARLENE (to Daniel)
How did you know she had the
joker?

WILKINS
He took a gamble.  The water was
merely to lull us into a false sense
of security.

ROMULA
Love's also a gamble, don't you
think, Daniel?

DANIEL
Yes, and as you pointed out, I'm
only lucky in cards.

WILKINS
Well that was a short game.  How
about the best of three, or until the
bourbon runs out?

ROMULA
Break first.

Before anyone can protest, she takes Daniel's hand and
hauls him away.  The professor sighs.

WILKINS
She always was a problem child.

MARLENE
Are they back together?

He shrugs.

WILKINS
I know my daughter, and she
doesn't know what she wants.

MARLENE
And why is that?

WILKINS
I said I knew my daughter.  I didn't
say I knew women.

EXT  GARDEN - WILKINS HOUSE  NIGHT

Romula confronts Daniel, whose gaze is upward.

ROMULA
What are you doing?

DANIEL
Admiring the night sky.  Could the
stars be any more beautiful?

ROMULA
Yes, in the Sahara Desert.  I didn't
drag you out here to gawk out
giant hydrogen bombs.

DANIEL
What's up?

ROMULA
Kiss me.

DANIEL
What would that prove?

ROMULA
Nothing, since I'm not a theorem.

DANIEL
Is this about me and Marlene?

ROMULA
Is there a Marlene?

DANIEL
Not yet.  But who knows?
ROMULA
Well in my opinion, she's utterly
wrong for you.

DANIEL
Why?  She's charming, witty,
attractive...

R0OMULA
My point entirely.  Utterly wrong.

DANIEL
Well if you encounter any
charmless women, you'll be sure
to let me know.

ROMULA
With pleasure.

She goes back inside.  He shakes his head and follows.

INT  NIGHTCLUB  NIGHT

Romula dances in a crowd of clubbers.  She has no obvious
partner, but various men catch her eye and smile.  She closes
her lids a moment.  When she opens them again, the crowd
has vanished and she's utterly alone.

The music becomes distant and echoing.  She looks down
and sees water around her ankles and rising fast.

The level is now around her waist.  Something bumps into her
back.  She turns and discovers a floating body.  She covers
her mouth and moves away, but strikes another body.

The water is now up to her neck.  She ducks down and swims
around frantically, looking for an exit.

INT  PUBLIC POOL  NIGHT

Romula bursts out of the water, gasping for air.  A pool
attendant reaches down and pulls her out.

ATTENDANT
That was a long time under.  I was
beginning to get worried.

ROMULA
I'm okay.

ATTENDANT
Sure, but next time don't try for
world records on my watch.

She nods and he goes off.  She stares into the pool.

INT  BATHROOM - ROMULA'S TOWNHOUSE  NIGHT

Romula's in the bath.  She rings Daniel on her cellphone.

DANIEL (off)
Daniel.

ROMULA
Hi, where are you?

DANIEL (off)
At the library.

ROMULA
Nothing planned then?

DANIEL (off)
I was planning on working.

ROMULA
Oh I thought you did that
spontaneously.  Like breathing.

DANIEL (off)
What about you?

ROMULA
I've got nothing on.

DANIEL
Coffee?

ROMULA
Have you ever considered there's
more to life than coffee?

She ends the call then immediately regrets it.

ROMULA
Damn.  Damn damn damn.

EXT  CLOCK TOWER  NIGHT

Romula calls Daniel again on her cellphone.

ROMULA
Me again.  I'm at the Clock Tower.

Without waiting for a reply, she switches off and waits.
There's a flapping sound above,  but when she looks up, she
sees nothing.  She hears footsteps behind her and spins
around.

Drake steps forward from the shadows.  He's in an
unbuttoned ankle-length black leather coat.

ROMULA
What are you doing here?

DRAKE
I was in the neighbourhood and I
thought I'd drop by.

ROMULA
Have you been following me?

DRAKE
No need.  It's a full moon.  That's
when my powers are strongest.

ROMULA
Stay back.

DRAKE
What are you afraid of?

ROMULA
Nothing.  I'm not scared of
anything.

She moves back and feels a hand on her shoulder.  She
screams.

DANIEL
Hey, it's me.

ROMULA
Oh God, of course.  I knew that.

DANIEL
Who were you talking to?

She glances around but there's no Drake.

ROMULA
Myself.  Thinking out loud.

DANIEL
Split personality types swear by it.

ROMULA
I came for coffee, not
psycho-analysis.

EXT  PARK  NIGHT

Romula and Daniel walk through the park.

ROMULA
I'm sorry for what I said before
about the stars.  I love the night
sky.

DANIEL
Naturally.  It reminds you of
diamonds.

A heavy mist swirls in, engulfing them.  She finds herself alone.

ROMULA
Daniel?

She sees an obscure figure up ahead and rushes towards it.
She suddenly stops, realising it's Drake.

DRAKE
He's abandoned you again.

ROMULA (calling louder)
Daniel.

DRAKE
Forget him.

He moves closer.

ROMULA
What do you want?

DRAKE
You.

He entwines his fingers in her hair and draws her head back
to kiss her neck.  She finds herself starting to succumb then
pulls away. The woman in white has returned, this time
wielding a large sword.

Drake turns around and waves a dismissive hand at the
woman.  She falls to the ground then disappears, leaving only
a crumpled heap of dress.  The swords melts into water.  He
turns back to Romula and smiles.

DRAKE
Now, where were we?

EXT  GRAVEYARD  TWILIGHT

Romula opens her eyes.  She's lying on grass among the
tombstones.  She stands up, momentarily disoriented then
her attention focuses on one particular headstone.  She
approaches it then sinks to her knees and covers her face
with her hands.

EXT  STREET/GALLERY  DAY  

A figure dashes across the road through pouring rain.  A flash
of lightning reveals it's Daniel.  He goes into a boutique gallery
selling figurines.

Another figure comes to the window and looks in.  It's a
bedraggled Romula.  Inside Daniel is talking to Selina, the
stylish owner.  They laugh at something.  Romula turns away.

INT  RESTAURANT  NIGHT

Daniel's enjoying a candle-lit dinner with Selina.

SELINA
Tell me, do I have something in my
teeth?

DANIEL
No.

SELINA
Then it must be you.

DANIEL
What?

SELINA
The woman at the table behind,
she's staring.

He glances around and sees Romula.

DANIEL
It's okay, just don't make any
sudden movements.

SELINA
You know her?

DANIEL
She's the daughter of a colleague.

Selina gives Romula a little wave.

DANIEL
Not a master stroke.

Romula comes over.

ROMULA
Hi, I hope I'm not interrupting.

DANIEL
No no, we were just having a quiet
romantic dinner, so the more the
merrier.

SELINA
Please do join us.  I know it's no
fun being stood up.

ROMULA
Yes, I'm sure you would know that
better than anyone.

She sits down.  Daniel swipes a glass from an empty table
and pours her some wine.

SELINA
Selina.  I understand you're the
daughter of a colleague.

ROMULA
Daniel was my father's prize
student.  I've known him since I
was a gawky teenager.

SELINA
I see gawking is a talent you
continue to develop.

DANIEL
So who are you waiting for?

ROMULA
Oh you wouldn't know him.

DANIEL
Does anybody?

ROMULA
Probably not.  He's a sort of
Scarlet Pimpernel of international
high finance.

SELINA
What a fascinating character to
have been stood up by.  I guess
opposites do attract, however
temporarily.

DANIEL
Actually Romy's never lacked for
admirers.

SELINA
It's the admirers she's found
lacking.  Well they do say less is
more.

ROMULA
So did you meet Daniel when he
was down in the dumps?

SELINA
There was thunder and lightning.
Was there thunder and lightning
when you two met?

ROMULA (to Daniel)
And did it eclipse everything else?

She gets up and rushes out.

DANIEL
Romula.

EXT  PARK  NIGHT

Daniel stumbles through heavy mist, searching.

DANIEL
Romula.  Romula.

He sees the hazy outline of a figure by a park lamp.  He
approaches and discovers Romula standing motionless.

DANIEL
Come on, let's get out of here.

She doesn't react.  He touches her cheek.  It's as cold as ice.

DANIEL
Rom?  Can you speak?

Still no response.

He brings his lips to hers.  As they touch the mist rushes at
him in a blast of wind.  He's thrown backward into darkness.

EXT  PARK  TWILIGHT

Daniel wakes up on the ground by a stone statue.  He gets up
and stares at it a moment then hears footsteps behind him.
He spins around.  A couple walk past, oblivious to him and the
world.

EXT  COUNTRY HOUSE  NIGHT

A taxi pulls up near the gates, where two knights in armour
stand guard.  Daniel gets out of the taxi, which then speeds
off.  He approaches the gates.

DANIEL
Evening.

The knights cross halberds, blocking his way.  He takes out his
invitation and waves it.  They stand aside.

He walks down the long drive to where people are milling on
the lawn around long tables of food and drink.  There's no
moon, and burning torches provide the only light.  Medieval
music is playing but he can't see the musicians.  Professor
Wilkins comes forward to greet him.

WILKINS
I was beginning to think you
weren't coming.

DANIEL
I was trying to get hold of Romula.
She seems to have disappeared.

WILKINS
She's alive and well I assure you.
Marlene's here, by the way, so you
must catch up.  She's been asking
after you.

DANIEL
I will.  Now who is this mysterious
benefactor?

WILKINS
If we knew, he or she wouldn't be
mysterious.

DANIEL
You can use 'they'.  Jane Austen
did, so you can't be pegged as a
dangerous radical.

WILKINS
Daniel, my boy, this is not the sort
of party for barbed remarks.  Relax
and enjoy.

DANIEL
Afraid I might say something to
jeopardise our sponsorship?

WILKINS
Not at all.  But we're not here to
pitch, so forget about buttonholing.

DANIEL
You do it so much better anyway.
Though I'd still like to know our
host's identity.

WILKINS
I believe all will be revealed in the
course of the evening.  Now for
God's sake get yourself a wine.

Daniel collects a wine and wanders through the crowd.  He
spots Marlene in conversation with someone, who she
dismisses before Daniel reaches them.

MARLENE
Hello, stranger.

DANIEL
Hi.  I didn't realise you were
coming on our dig.

MARLENE
Bite my dust.  I've got my own.  Pity
you don't do hieroglyphics.

DANIEL
Is that why we're here?
Competing for favours?

MARLENE
It's a revel, darling.  Forget the
hard sell.

DANIEL
That's what Wilkie said.  So who
are these people?  I don't
recognise any of them.

MARLENE
Maybe they're from Rent-a-Crowd.
Have you tried the caviar?  It's
exquisite, not that I would know it
from bad.

DANIEL
I'll take your word for it.

MARLENE
Silly boy, you can't eat by proxy.

DANIEL
I guess I'm finding things here a
little hard to swallow.

MARLENE
Then you should loosen your tie.
Metaphorically speaking, since I
see you haven't bothered.

DANIEL
It's an anachronism.

MARLENE
The idea of the evening.

DANIEL
My green tunic is at the
drycleaners.  Any leads on who's
behind all this?

MARLENE
All leads take you up the garden
path.

He's momentarily distracted by a passing man, whose face
seems uncomfortably familiar.  When he turns back, Marlene
has melted into the crowd.

He continues wandering and encounters Claudia.

CLAUDIA
We meet again, Mr Strawbridge.

DANIEL
That was a good vanishing trick.
How did you manage it?

CLAUDIA
As with most magic, the key lies in
distraction.

DANIEL
And Bulman?  Was he really
necessary?

CLAUDIA
He's a lamb in sloppy clothing.

DANIEL
So tonight's all your doing?

She smiles and shakes her head.

CLAUDIA
You're missing the point.  As
always.

DANIEL
Could you enlighten me?

CLAUDIA
Apparently not.

She moves off.  He heads in another direction and is suddenly
accosted by a hooded figure in a skull-mask.  He realises it's a
waiter with a tray of hors d'oevres.  He takes one.

He passes Eleanor talking in a group.  She turns to him.

ELEANOR
Did it work?

DANIEL
I'm sorry, what?

ELEANOR
The amulet.  How are things
between you and Romula?

DANIEL
As a matter of fact, I haven't seen
or heard from her in a while.  Not
since a certain scene in a
restaurant.

ELEANOR
A lovers' tiff.  How delightful.  You
must tell me all about it some time.
But go go go.  Enjoy the party.

DANIEL
Was this thing your idea?

ELEANOR
What thing?

DANIEL
This evening - are you
responsible?

ELEANOR
I've never been responsible no
matter what day of the week.

The group all laugh.  Daniel has a memory flash of a man's
face.  He spins around, scanning.  He ducks and weaves
through the crowd.  Finally he discovers the man at a table
filling his plate.  Daniel confronts him.

DANIEL
Remember me?

MYSTERY MAN
Can't say I do.

DANIEL
The last time we met, you were
dead.

MYSTERY MAN
That would explain it.

DANIEL
You're Eleanor's husband, right?

MYSTERY MAN
Very definitely not.  I did however
attend his funeral.

Daniel becomes aware of an insistent throb of drums.  He
finds himself drawn towards the sound.  A large crowd has
gathered in a circle.  He edges his way through and sees a
woman in a white robe, apparently unconscious, lying on a
slab.  Torches of burning skulls surround the slab.  He turns to
an onlooker.

DANIEL
What's going on?

ONLOOKER
A sacrifice to the goddess Neritu.

Daniel approaches the slab.  He recognises the woman in
white as Romula.  He speaks in her ear.

DANIEL
Cute.  Very cute.

He strides off.

ROMULA
Daniel.

He stops but doesn't look round.  She catches him up.

ROMULA
Where are you going?

DANIEL
Oh I don't know, anywhere.  All
roads lead away from Romula.

ROMULA
Are you mad?

DANIEL
No.

ROMULA
You are mad.

DANIEL
And you can tell because of the
psychic powers you derive from the
amulet.

ROMULA
You should be flattered.

DANIEL
Really?

ROMULA
Yes.  Anyone else would be
flattered.

DANIEL
What a cruel irony to have picked
the only one who isn't.

The sky is suddenly filled with exploding fireworks.

ROMULA
Look, they're playing our song.

DANIEL
It never ends, does it?

She closes her eyes and tilts her head back in readiness to be
kissed.  Instead he grabs hold of the amulet.

DANIEL
And what about this?  Is that for
real?

ROMULA
Yes, so you'd better be careful.

DANIEL
Or what?  I'll be cursed?

ROMULA
Damn right.  My father knows
words that even I hardly use.

DANIEL
Your father?

ROMULA
He was the one who arranged the
loan.

DANIEL
So is there no-one I can trust?

ROMULA
You could start by trusting yourself.

They regard each without speaking then Daniel starts to move
off.  Romula touches his shoulder.  He grabs her and pulls her
to him in a forceful kiss.

They break for air.

ROMULA
Does this mean we're engaged?

DANIEL
I guess it would be the civic thing
to do.  After all, someone has to
stop your rampage.

He notices they're now surrounded by people holding burning
torches.

DANIEL
This is getting really freaky.

He eyes her suspiciously.

DANIEL
Have you ever seen a film called
'The Wicker Man'?

ROMULA
Loved it.

DANIEL
Not reassuring.

ROMULA
Don't worry, you're safe until the
drums stop.

END

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