"THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS" by William Goldman FADE IN ON: A TINY FIGURE OF A MAN hurrying toward camera. The figure gets larger as he approaches. But as yet we cannot tell who he is or where we are. MALE VOICE (V.O.) This is the most famous true story of Africa. It happened a hundred years ago, but even now, when children ask about it, you do not tell them at night. (The FIGURE continues to grow) It began with the race to build a railroad across Africa. (beat) But this is not about building a railroad--it is about Patterson. And now we can tell that the FIGURE is a YOUNG MAN, A LIEUTENANT COLONEL. This is PATTERSON. He is gifted and bright and serious, serious about his life, serious about his career. He has been successful in everything he's attempted, in part because of his talents, in part because he is willing to outwork anybody. And this is where we are: ENGLAND. More specifically, in a high-ceilinged corridor of an elegant building--lovely woodwork all around. Everything is neat, everything is clean and in order. MALE VOICE Patterson was thirty. A brilliant engineer. A fine man, but do not become attached to him--there are many fine men in this story but do not become attached to any of them. (beat) So many of them die. Patterson stops at a large ornate door, knocks. Waits. MALE VOICE And remember this: only the impossible parts of what follows really happened... (Now the door opens and we--) CUT TO: Just a wonderfully handsome man standing in the doorway. This is ROBERT BEAUMONT--40, with an irresistible smile. We're in his office and the place reflects the man--clean, cold. There are maps and charts on the walls. He ushers Patterson inside. BEAUMONT (The great smile flashes) John Henry Patterson, come in. I'm Robert Beaumont. (They shake hands) Firm--I like that, tells me a lot about you-- (beat) now why don't you tell me about me? To get you started, many people find me handsome, with a wonderful smile. I'm sure you agree. (Surprised, uncomfortable, Patterson nods) Winning personality, heaps of charm? PATTERSON My wife is the game player in the family, sir. BEAUMONT Games? (staring dead at Patterson) Look at me closely, Patterson: I am a monster. My only pleasure is tormenting people who work for me, such as yourself. (again the smile-- only now it's chilling) One mistake and I promise you this: I'll make you hate me. CUT TO: PATTERSON, as he realizes Beaumont is serious. Beaumont turns sharply and moves to a large map. CUT TO: THE MAP. It covers a great deal of East Africa with a very clear line that ends at Lake Victoria, a distance of some 600 miles. BEAUMONT (pointing along the line) We are building this railroad across Africa for the glorious purpose of saving Africa from the Africans. And, of course, to end slavery. The Germans and French are our competition. We are ahead, and we will stay ahead providing you do what I hired you to do-- CUT TO: A MORE DETAILED MAP. This one ends at "Tsavo," 130 miles in. BEAUMONT --build the bridge over the Tsavo river. And be finished in four months time. Can you do that? PATTERSON I'm sure you've examined my record. So you know I've never yet been late on a bridge. BEAUMONT You've never built in Africa. PATTERSON But I have in India--every country presents problems. BEAUMONT You'll need your confidence, I promise you. PATTERSON I've got a reason far beyond confidence: my wife is having our firstborn in five months and I promised I'd be with her when the baby comes. BEAUMONT Very moving, Patterson; I'm touched you confided in me. (beat) But I don't really give a shit about your upcoming litter. I've made you with this assignment-- (the smile) --don't make me break you. PATTERSON (smiling right back) You won't have the chance. (glancing at his watch) Any further words of encouragement? (silence) Then I've a train to catch. They look at each other a moment in silence--and it's very clear they do not like each other. Patterson turns, leaves and we CUT TO: A RAILWAY STATION, IMMEDIATELY AFTER A train is loading up. A lot of activity, a lot of noise. Patterson stands in the midst of it, anxiously looking around. CUT TO: HELENA PATTERSON, hurrying through the crowd. Early 20s, with the kind of serene beauty of Jean Simmons. She is still slim, has not begun to show. She spots him, puts a smile on, goes straight into his arms. HELENA I tried to be late, John--it would have been easier if you'd gone. PATTERSON (They are nutty about each other--he nods) We're not much good at goodbyes, Helena. HELENA (brightly) Tell me about Beaumont--does he understand how brilliant you are, how lucky he is to have you? PATTERSON It was embarrassing--the man showered me with compliments. They start to walk hand in hand along the platform toward a quieter place. Patterson is suddenly very serious-- HELENA Oh dear-- (beat) --you're geting that downtrodden look again-- PATTERSON --well, it's just... (beat) ...other men don't abandon their wives at such a time-- HELENA (not unkindly) --oh please--if I'd been against your taking this, you would have abandoned me. You've been desperate to see Africa your whole life. PATTERSON What if there are complications?-- HELENA --not "what if"--there will be, there always are. Which only means that our "son" and I--note my confidence-- will have an excuse to come visit. THE TRAIN WHISTLE sounds. HELENA Go, now. (He kisses her hand) Such a gentleman. (Now he holds her) PATTERSON I am desperate to see Africa--but I hate the leaving. CUT TO: HELENA. She hates it, too. HELENA You build bridges, John-- (beat) --you've got to go where the rivers are. They hold each other a moment more, then break, then back into each other's arms a final time, then-- CUT TO: THE TRAIN, and thick clouds of steam-- --Patterson runs into the clouds and disappears. HOLD FOR A MOMENT. KEEP HOLDING. Patterson runs out of the steam and we PULL BACK TO REVEAL A DIFFERENT TRAIN, A DIFFERENT COUNTRY, A DIFFERENT WORLD. This is the train to TSAVO and Patterson is alone on the engine seat--a wooden bench in front of the engine used by railroad inspectors and visiting VIPs. Behind it is a white circular piece of wood used to keep the engine heat from the passengers. CUT TO: NIGEL STARLING, running as best as he can alongside the train, trying to pull himself up onto the engine seat. STARLING is a terribly appealing young man. Clothes do not fit him well, and he is constantly tugging at this sleeve or that shirttail, trying to get things right. He wears glasses, tends nonetheless to squint at the world. He is, above all, a good man, morally impeccable and very much a product of these Victorian times. STARLING (as Patterson helps him aboard) Many thanks. (squints) You're Patterson, yes? (Patterson nods) Nigel Starling--I'll be assisting you at Tsavo--but surely Beaumont must have told you that. PATTERSON He just gave me his "monster" speech. STARLING That. I know Robert seems dreadful, but when you truly get to know the man, well, he's much worse. (beat) And I'm one of his defenders. (Patterson smiles) Forget him for now--it's your first ride to Tsavo--I think you'll find it breathtaking. (And on that word--) CUT TO: STARLING coughing like crazy, hands over his face which is caked with dust--he and Patterson stare out at an absolutely dreary desert. PATTERSON (shouting toward Starling) "Breathtaking" doesn't begin to do it justice. (As Starling starts to laugh, his mouth opens and sand flies in, and his coughing fit returns and) CUT TO: THE DESERT. ENDLESS. LATER IN THE DAY. CUT TO: THE TWO OF THEM, bent over, arms covering their faces as the dust gets worse--a wind has kicked up. CUT TO: THE TRAIN, TRYING TO MAKE IT UP A STEEP GRADE. STILL LATER. Patterson and Starling are walking beside the train now, helping to push it, trudging through the dust. All the other passengers spread out behind them, also pushing--the train obviously needs all the assistance it can get. CUT TO: INSIDE A RAILROAD CAR, EARLY EVENING. Patterson and Starling, filthy, sit together. Starling has nodded off. Patterson has a book open in his lap-- --we can tell there are drawings of African animals--not all that accurate. Now Patterson's eyes close and he sleeps. CUT TO: THE TRAIN POUNDING THROUGH THE NIGHT. Stokers shovel coal. They are exhausted but they keep at it. CUT TO: PATTERSON. WAKING IN THE CAR, RUBBING HIS EYES. IT'S DAWN. He stares out--and from his face it's clear something special has happened. And now, at last-- CUT TO: SOMETHING SPECIAL--and what it is, of course, is Patterson's first view of the Africa of his imagination. Because the desert has ended, and now there are grasses and trees and one more thing-- --bursts of animals. On both sides of the train. A flock of birds materializes here, a cluster of gazelles doing there amazing leap there. Patterson is like a kid in a candy store. CUT TO: PATTERSON AND STARLING, back outside in the engine seat again. Starling points-- STARLING Aren't they amazing? CUT TO: WHAT HE'S POINTING AT: Some giraffes running along, their absurd shape suddenly graceful as they eat up the ground in incredibly long strides. CUT TO: PATTERSON AND STARLING, staring out. PATTERSON You know the most amazing thing about them?--they only sleep five minutes a day. (Starling glances at him--clearly, he didn't know that) CUT TO: A FAMILY OF HYENAS. Close by, loping in their scary way. STARLING Don't much like them. PATTERSON (nods) The females are bigger--only animal here like that--have to be or they wouldn't survive because the males eat the young. CUT TO: STARLING studying Patterson. Clearly, he didn't know that, either. CUT TO: SOME HIPPOS moving along. Starling turns to Patterson. STARLING Anything special about them? PATTERSON Just that they fart through their mouths. (beat) Must make kissing something of a gamble. STARLING (laughs) I've lived in Africa a year and I don't know what you know. How long have you been here? PATTERSON (looks at his watch) Almost three hours. (beat) But I've been getting ready all my life. (Now, from them--) CUT TO: A BUNCH OF IMPOVERISHED-LOOKING NATIVE WOMEN. They hold children who wave at the passing train. The children are more impoverished looking than their mothers. STARLING (suddenly touched) Every time I see something like that, I know we're right to be here--to bring Christianity into their lives, enrich their souls. PATTERSON Beaumont says it's to end slavery. STARLING (shrugs) We all have our reasons. Mine is simply to make them understand happiness, accept salvation, know the serenity that comes-- (interrupts himself) --best I stop. One of the by-products of my belief is that I can become amazingly boring. But I know God smiles on me. PATTERSON (They really like each other) Have you got that in writing? (Starling, amazingly good natured, laughs. And now--) CUT TO: A WHITE CLAW PULL BACK TO REVEAL Hundreds of white claws. KEEP PULLING BACK TO REVEAL They aren't claws at all, they're thorns as sharp as claws and they're on a twenty-foot high thorn tree. And there are dozens of those trees, packed together. All mixed in with other trees, low and stunted, and thick underbrush and baked red rocks-- --now the train begins to slow. Smoke drifts across. A bunch of wildebeest scatter off the tracks. STARLING (V.O.) Welcome to Tsavo. (on the word) CUT TO: TSAVO We have arrived at the train station area and what we see is a place that is still being built. There are tin shacks; a water tower is under construction-- --men are working everywhere, for that's what Tsavo is: a place for work. THE TRAIN goes slower still. No one stands idly around here. But no one looks happy either. ONE MAN is apart from the rest: this is SAMUEL. An ageless Masai, tall and slender, he has a smile that can light the world. CUT TO: PATTERSON AND STARLING as they step off the train. STARLING (indicating Samuel, who is approaching) Samuel is camp liaison--absolutely indispensable--the only man here everyone trusts. PATTERSON (softly) Does he speak English? SAMUEL (not softly enough) And very poor French. STARLING (introducing) Samuel--John Patterson. SAMUEL (as they shake) The bridge builder-- (gesturing to the working men) --we have been getting ready for you. PATTERSON Excellent. Could I see the bridge site? (Samuel nods) STARLING I've got medical supplies to deliver. Come along to the hospital when you're done. (starting off) SAMUEL I will bring him, Nigel. We should realize by now that Samuel's was the voice we heard at the very beginning of the picture. CUT TO: PATTERSON AND SAMUEL, starting to walk. They pass the water tower. Standing on top of it in a precarious position is an extremely powerful INDIAN. He waves to Samuel who waves back. This is SINGH. WORKERS study Patterson as he moves by. Not smiling. Up ahead, some SIKHS are erecting tents. Not smiling. PATTERSON Why do the workers look unhappy? SAMUEL Because they are here. (beat) Because Tsavo is the worst place in the world. (He points ahead) Come, John--to the bridge. (And on that--) CUT TO: THE RAILROAD TRACKS as the camera pans along. CUT TO: THE RIVER in the distance as they walk toward it. And here is as good a place as any to explain just what the spot where the movie takes place was like. There were five hundred men working for Patterson. And they lived in a spread out area. A bunch of Indian coolies who might have come from the same town back in their country might choose to live in one cluster of tents. A group of natives might be in another cluster. What we have then, as far as living places are concerned, are dozens of clusters of tents. (Eventually, as the terror began, these areas all got surrounded, each with its own thorn fence.) The places we'll come to know best are, among others, Patterson's living area, the hospital tent area, the area by the river where the bridge is to be built, etc., etc. As they move, Samuel points out various camps. A SECT OF INDIANS is getting ready for prayer. ANOTHER SECT OF INDIANS is eating. A GROUP OF AFRICANS are cleaning their tent area. Anyway, you get the idea. Just remember that the place covered a wide expanse, maybe a mile square, maybe more. Okay, back to the story. PATTERSON (as they pass the INDIAN tent area where prayer is starting) It's all wonderfully under control, Samuel--you've done a splendid job. SAMUEL Thank you. The truth is this: you have to work at it constantly. PATTERSON The workers don't get on? SAMUEL Get on? They detest each other. Obviously the Africans hate the Indians. But the Indians also hate the other Indians. Some of them worship cows, while others eat them. (As they move on) CUT TO: RAILROAD TRACK PAN ALONG TO MORE RAILROAD TRACK KEEP PANNING And suddenly the track just stops in mid-air as we PULL BACK TO REVEAL PATTERSON AND SAMUEL standing high above the Tsavo River. The track has come to the edge of the area above the riverbank- where it just stops-- --and picks up on the far side. All that's missing, in other words, is the hundred-yard-long bridge that will connect the pieces of track. SAMUEL (to the far side) Railhead is across there. CUT TO: THE DISTANCE. Nothing can be made out clearly but there are great clouds of dust. SAMUEL Three thousand men laying track- when the bridge is done, it all joins up. Patterson nods, says nothing, but goes to his haunches, staring at the space where the bridge is to be. SAMUEL Did it look like this in your mind? PATTERSON (shakes his head) This is more difficult-- CUT TO: PATTERSON. CLOSE UP. Excited. PATTERSON (eyes bright) --but how wonderful that it's difficult, it should be difficult-- what better job in all the world than build a bridge?--make things connect--bring worlds together--and get it right! (Now from Patterson--) CUT TO: THE HOSPITAL TENT as Patterson and Samuel walk in. Patterson glances around-- --it's not bad at all. Of course there are some patients, injured or with fever. But like the rest of the camp we've just seen, everything is working well, everything is under control. Starling approaches. STARLING Finish your tour? PATTERSON (nods) And anxious to get started. (indicating the hospital) What is this, mostly malaria? STARLING Yes--but their suffering is only transitory--once they except God into their hearts, He will vanquish all pain. MAN'S VOICE (V.O.) That's just vomitous talk, Nigel-- the poor bastards will relapse if you keep on that way. (As they turn--) CUT TO: DOCTOR DAVID HAWTHORNE. A tough, middle-aged cockney. And a heavy drinker. A man who hasn't been tactful in twenty years. HAWTHORNE (to Patterson) I'm David Hawthorne, this is my hospital. And my advice to you is, "don't get sick in front of it." (beat) That was meant to be charming, sorry. I seem to have lost the knack. STARLING You never had it. HAWTHORNE Nigel and I don't like each other much. SAMUEL (breaking the tension) I am also liaison between these two. PATTERSON (to Hawthorne) Clearly you don't agree about building the railroad? HAWTHORNE This sham? Ridiculous. Who needs it? It's only being built to control the ivory trade, make men richer. PATTERSON Then why do you stay? HAWTHORNE Who else would hire me? (to Starling) Beat you to it, didn't I? (beat) Oh yes, almost forgot--brought you a little welcoming gift. (Now he gestures and we--) CUT TO: A NERVOUS ORDERLY who approaches them. He has been freshly bandaged across one shoulder. HAWTHORNE This is Karim, one of my orderlies-- attacked by a man-eater earlier today-- first incident of that kind here. Patterson says not a word, just studies the wounded man. STARLING (incredulous) A man-eater attacks and you're such a buffoon you almost forget to mention it? HAWTHORNE Well, he got away, didn't he? (to Patterson) Riding a donkey not far from here when the lion sprang on them--donkey took the brunt of it--then suddenly the lion ran off. CUT TO: PATTERSON. Listening. No emotion on his face. CUT TO: HAWTHORNE. He's kind of enjoying this. Bearing down. HAWTHORNE I know it's your first day and of course you must be tired from the journey-- (beat) --but what are you going to do about it? PATTERSON (a long pause, then evenly--) Karim will have to show me where it happened. And of course, I'll need the donkey. (beat) With any luck, I'll sort it out tonight. (And he walks out, leaving an astonished Starling staring after him) CUT TO: PATTERSON'S TENT AREA Starling has a tent there, too, as do Samuel and Hawthorne. And there are half a dozen ORDERLIES. Right now, Patterson is unpacking, moving in and out of his tent. Starling, sipping tea, sits and watches. STARLING I couldn't believe it when you said "sort it out." As if it were the most normal thing in the world. "Ho- hum, what lovely tea, I think I'll bag a killer beast this evening, nothing much else going on anyway." PATTERSON Well, he put me in a spot, didn't he? But that's all right--after all, I'm responsible for everything that happens here. And it certainly won't do much for morale if a man-eater's on the prowl. He goes into his tent with some books now and we go with him. There is a photo of Helena on a small table. A photo of an ELDERLY COUPLE, clearly his parents. His clothes are stacked with precision. He arranges his books precisely too. Clearly, John Patterson is a man who believes in order. STARLING (calling out) You said "of course" you'd need the donkey. Why "of course"? PATTERSON (taking a rifle, moving outside) We know three things about man-eaters. First, they always return to where they've attacked before. Second, they're always old--they can't catch other animals so they turn to us. And third, they're always alone-- they've been cast out by their pride because they can't keep up. CUT TO: STARLING, sipping his tea and there's no hiding it, he's excited. But also a bit reluctant. STARLING I don't suppose I could watch. PATTERSON (delighted) Might be exciting for you. STARLING I've never been all that adventurous. I wouldn't be in the way? PATTERSON I'd love the company. And I've hunted all my life. STARLING (gathering courage) Well, why not? You seem so calm and experienced. (standing, teacup in hand) Why not, indeed! (Now from that--) CUT TO: SLIGHTLY WOUNDED DONKEY It's roped loosely to a tree, bells around its neck. When it moves, they make a sound. Middle of the night. A night wind. PULL BACK TO REVEAL We're in a clearing with thick trees all around. KEEP PULLING BACK TO REVEAL PATTERSON AND STARLING, seated uncomfortably in a tree on the edge of the clearing, twelve feet up in the air. Patterson has his rifle ready. This next is all whispered. STARLING (embarrassed) I hate to be a bother, John, but the cramp's getting worse. (Pulls up his trousers-- his leg is knotted) The pain is actually quite unbearable now. PATTERSON Shhh. STARLING I'm sure you mean that to be comforting, but-- PATTERSON (interrupting) --you'll have to deal with it, Nigel. STARLING That is precisely my plan--but back in my tent. (And he begins to climb down) CUT TO: PATTERSON, grabbing him. PATTERSON They own the night--nobody moves when there's a man-eater out there. Starling glumly obeys. Then-- STARLING John? I know this isn't the time to ask, but-- PATTERSON What? STARLING Since you'd only been here three hours when we met, are you sure this is how you hunt lions? PATTERSON Not to terrify you, Nigel, but it's worse than you think--I've never even seen one. CUT TO: STARLING, not pleased with this news. He massages his calf, tries to get comfortable, which is impossible. Patterson just stares at the night. CUT TO: JUST BEFORE DAWN The donkey dozes. So does Starling. Patterson has not so much as moved. Now the bushes behind the donkey shake just a little. And the donkey is suddenly awake and scared-- and then it all goes crazy--the donkey screams and a lion appears from the bushes and Patterson fires one shot and the sound EXPLODES-- and Starling topples from the tree to the ground, landing shocked but unhurt-- --he has landed close to the dead lion--he stares at it. STARLING (amazed) ...one shot... PATTERSON (even more amazed) So that's what a lion looks like. (Now from the tree--) CUT TO: THE HOSPITAL TENT AREA - JUST AFTER DAWN HOLD for a moment. SAMUEL (V.O.) One shot--one-- KEEP HOLDING Now Samuel comes walking into the shot, really excited-- --it's the first time we've seen his wonderful smile. SAMUEL Patterson has made the nights safe again. KEEP HOLDING FOR JUST A MOMENT MORE. As he walks on, behind him come THREE COOLIES carrying the body of the lion. As dozens of men come running in from all over to see the dead man-eater-- SAMUEL (mimes shooting) BOOM! (Now as the crowd continues to grow--) CUT TO: A ROUGH ENGINEER'S DRAWING OF WHAT WILL BE THE BRIDGE It has two embankments on either side of the river. These embankments are big-forty feet wide, fifty feet high. CUT TO: PATTERSON AND STARLING standing on the high ground where the embankment will start. From here, there is a slope down to the river itself. Also present is UNGAN SIGNH, who we saw earlier standing precariously atop the water tower. Singh, enormously powerful, is another assistant. Bright, a great worker, another main character in what is to follow. Now Patterson starts to walk down the slope towards the river-- it's not that easy to do without falling, but that doesn't bother him. He talks and gestures as he explains to the other two who move down with him. Singh, for all his massive size, moves like a cat. Starling does not, slipping and sliding. PATTERSON (gesturing) All right, I'd like to start the embankments today-- (to Singh) --sufficient supplies on hand? SINGH (nods) More than. STARLING With much more on the way-- (loses balance, falls) --John--we could have had this chat on flatter ground-- PATTERSON --true enough--but without the comedy relief. (Starling, amazingly good natured, smiles, gets back up) CUT TO: THE RIVER as they scramble down to it. CUT TO: THE SLOPE they've come down--it's a long way back to the top. CUT TO: THE THREE MEN. It's a glorious morning. PATTERSON How lucky we are. STARLING Aren't we full of ourselves today? (beat) I think it's because of the lion. PATTERSON Possibly. SINGH (soft) You know, I too have killed a lion. STARLING How many shots did you need? CUT TO: SINGH. Almost embarrassed. SINGH I used my hands. He holds his big hands up, palms out. Starling looks at Singh to see if he means it-- he means it all right. Now, from Starling's perpetually surprised face-- CUT TO: SURVEYING EQUIPMENT PULL BACK TO REVEAL PATTERSON sighting through it--we are on the far side of the river now. Singh is there, Starling, too. Behind them: a field of tall grass. PATTERSON All right--the second embankment will go there. (He gestures toward the river) STARLING You do plan to mark it a bit more precisely than just-- (imitating Patterson) --"there." PATTERSON (smiling) In your honor, Nigel. And you and Singh will be in charge of building them--and you'll also build the roadbeds and the three foundation pillars--and you'll be finished in eight thrilling weeks. STARLING (very dubious) John, it will not be easy. PATTERSON Nigel, you'll just have to use your hands-- (And he smiles, repeating Singh's gesture, both palms out) CUT TO: SINGH. He smiles back, starts to reply. But his words stop, his smile dies. He just stares and we-- CUT TO: WHAT HE'S STARING AT--the surrounding field of tall grass. Nothing unusual about it. CUT TO: PATTERSON. He stares, too. CUT TO: THE FIELD OF TALL GRASS--suddenly it begins to bend and sway in a fresh wind. CUT TO: PATTERSON. Silent. As before. Starling follows his glance. CUT TO: SINGH. Frozen. CUT TO: THE FIELD. And now the field is making odd patterns--as if something unseen were moving through. CUT TO: PATTERSON. Quiet. Just the wind. CUT TO: THE FIELD. Nothing visible. But the odd pattern seems to be making its way across the field. CUT TO: SINGH AND STARLING. Quiet. Just the wind. CUT TO: THE FIELD. The odd pattern seems to stop. Around it, the wind makes different shapes of the grass. CUT TO: PATTERSON, as the wind continues to blow. He continues to stare at the spot where the pattern stopped. CUT TO: SINGH. As before. Except for one thing: suddenly, he begins to shiver, as if from cold. CUT TO: THE BUILDING SEQUENCE And what we see are a lot of cuts of a lot of activity. Huge wooden logs are carried in and hammered to each other and driven deep into the ground--the framework for the embankments. And Singh carries the heaviest loads and leads the workers-- and as the structure rises, he is the one darting along the top, high in the air, pulling more logs up, helping here, helping there. And alongside him is his assistant, ABDULLAH, a little man with glasses and very bright eyes. Meanwhile, Starling is leading construction on the embankment that is on the far side of the river. And he does his best, tries to help on the top part as it rises--but alas, he is a bit on the clumsy side and balance is a problem for him. But he stays with it, does well. And Patterson, in tremendous spirits, helps when needed, but mostly he is dealing with other aspects of the bridge--such as the placements of the three stone foundation pillars-- he wades into the water, climbs the structures, takes it all in--and at the start he is still in the uniform he has worn since the start of the story--but it's clumsy for labor-- so he changes halfway through to civilian clothes-- --which is all he wears from now on. And the workers tire in the heat--but Singh keeps them going, working with the power of three-- and there are accidents and explosions, injuries and falls-- and Hawthorne appears when needed to help with the wounded-- it's hard, brutal work-- but gradually, the wooden structure part is finished--two huge skeletons facing each other across the Tsavo River--and now work on the roadbed is going full blast and in the river, the three foundation pillars are taking shape-- CUT TO: TONS OF RED ROCK--being shoved into the wooden skeleton to complete the embankments. As this goes on-- CUT TO: PATTERSON AND SAMUEL in the river--the foundation pillar work is going very quickly. Patterson stops working, looks across the river-- --movement in the grassy area on the far side. CUT TO: SEVERAL NANDI TRIBESMEN as they rise out of the grass, gesture to Samuel who gestures back. The Nandi are a tribe of powerful little men, primitive, with teeth that have been sharpened to points. CUT TO: PATTERSON AND SAMUEL watching them. PATTERSON What are they looking at? SAMUEL You--they cannot believe you're still here. PATTERSON Nonsense. SAMUEL You don't know what Tsavo means, do you? (Patterson doesn't) It means "slaughter"... CUT TO: THE NANDI TRIBESMEN, staring at Patterson, shaking their heads. CUT TO: THE TWO EMBANKMENTS, as more and more red rock is shoved and pushed into shape. CUT TO: THE THREE FOUNDATION PILLARS--almost finished. CUT TO: THE ROADBED. The same. CUT TO: THE NEAR EMBANKMENT as still more rock is forced in and CUT TO: THE FAR EMBANKMENT done at last-- CUT TO: --and Singh stands on the top of the near one while across the river, Patterson pulls Starling to the top of the other. And they all look at each other--the embankments are both finished--HE THREE OF THEM are flying-- --and what they do is this: hold their hands out toward each other, in Singh's gesture. It's kind of become their password. HOLD. A big moment for them all! CUT TO: SINGH'S TENT AREA He sits around a fire and the man is exhausted. His dinner plate is beside him, untouched. He's too tired to eat. CUT TO: PATTERSON'S TENT AREA Starling is there, getting ready for bed. He's wiped out, too. CUT TO: SINGH, going into his tent, lying down, breathing deep. CUT TO: STARLING is in his tent, turning out his lamp, half asleep already. CUT TO: PATTERSON in his tent, closing his eyes. CUT TO: SINGH, deep asleep in his tent-- --he shares it with a dozen others and they're all deep asleep. They lie on the floor of the tent, heads together toward the center pole, feet toward the edges of the tent. HOLD ON SINGH. It's very dark. HE AND HIS MEN just lie motionless, breathing deeply. KEEP HOLDING. Now the CAMERA moves up, high into the center of the tent, looking down at the circle of men. KEEP HOLDING. They don't move, not even an inch. The steady breathing is the only sound. YES, KEEP HOLDING. KEEP HOLDING. Nothing is going on down there. Nothing at all. KEEP HOLDING. Not a goddamn thing. KEEP ON HOLDING. KEEP ON HOLDING. And now two things happen at the same time--Singh's eyes go wide-- and he starts to slide out of the tent, as if being pulled by some giant invisible wire-- CUT TO: SINGH. CLOSE UP. Screaming. CUT TO: THE OTHER MEN IN THE TENT, waking, staring around and CUT TO: SINGH as he slides out of the tent into the night and his screams grow even louder as we CUT TO: THE OTHER MEN IN THE TENT and it's like a bomb just went off, they rise, spin, cry out, stare-- CUT TO: THE NIGHT OUTSIDE AND SINGH'S BODY sliding along the ground. It's pitch black, and he's going head first now, face upwards and he's going at tremendous speed and whatever the hell it is that's making this happen is something we can't make out-- because it's so dark and because it's on the far side of the man, and his body is in our way and CUT TO: UP AHEAD, some bushes and CUT TO: SINGH, his body going faster than before and his cries are weakening-- CUT TO: THE NIGHT and his body and there is no sound at all coming from him now and there is no sound from whatever it is that is making this happen--all we see, barely, is the limp body of the big man as it skims along and-- CUT TO: UP AHEAD NOW, a low clump of bushes. CUT TO: SINGH'S BODY, coming closer and CUT TO: THE BUSHES and as we get in on them we can tell they are thorn bushes and now-- CUT TO: SINGH, suddenly rising magically in the night, his body flying over the bushes and gone! CUT TO: PATTERSON AND STARLING, early morning, their rifles held in front of them, racing along, suddenly stopping, staring down and CUT TO: THE GROUND. At first we can't make out much. Then we can--a spot of red. CUT TO: PATTERSON AND STARLING, hurrying on again. CUT TO: THORN TREES, and as they force their way through them-- CUT TO: LARGE VULTURE, wings spread wide as it floats slowly to earth-- HOLD-- as it lands we can see A DOZEN OTHER VULTURES are already there, surrounding something-- but we can't make it out. We are in an area of grass and shadow-- --and specks of blood. CUT TO: PATTERSON, cries out in shock and fury, fires his rifle, races forward. CUT TO: THE VULTURES screeching and screaming, taking off, and as we watch them soar into the morning sky-- HAWTHORNE'S VOICE (V.O.) What the lion must have done, once he'd killed Singh, was lick his skin off so he could drink his blood-- CUT TO: THE HOSPITAL Hawthorne is examining Singh's body, trying to be professional, but he's clearly upset--it's awful. HAWTHORNE --then he feasted on him, starting with his feet-- STARLING (even more upset) please--you needn't be so graphic-- HAWTHORNE You intend "sorting this out" tonight? PATTERSON I'll try--but this feels so different-- that old lion I killed could never carry off a man Singh's size. STARLING (maybe a little alarmed) But you said they were always old. PATTERSON That's what the books say... (Now from that--) CUT TO: FLAMES RISING IN THE DARKENING SKY. NOW-- CUT TO: ABDULLAH in tears. Where are we? PULL BACK TO REVEAL This is Singh's funeral pyre. Singh's body is being burned. A LOT OF INDIANS are there. We've caught sight of some of them before--they worked with Singh on the embankment or lived with him in his tent. There is a terrible sense of shock. Patterson stands at the rear. He is terribly moved. Now, unseen by the others, he holds his hands out in Singh's gesture one final time. CUT TO: THE FLAMES; they continue to rise... CUT TO: SINGH'S TENT Night. The flaps that were open when Singh was alive are now shut and tied. CUT TO: PATTERSON, the middle of the night. He is alone, fifteen feet up in a tree near Singh's tent. He holds his rifle, ready for anything. He cannot get comfortable. CUT TO: THE AREA--nothing, no movement. CUT TO: SINGH'S TENT. As before. CUT TO: THE AREA. No sign of movement of any kind. Dead. CUT TO: THE MOON. Lower in the sky. The night is growing to a lose but there is still darkness. CUT TO: PATTERSON. Battling fatigue--but now, for a moment, losing-- his eyes, against his will, start to close, and as they do-- CUT TO: TWO HUGE YELLOW EYES. That's all we see, just the eyes and they are near Patterson's tree and they are staring up at him and-- CUT TO: PATTERSON, startled, grabbing his rifle more tightly, staring down and-- CUT TO: THE HUGE YELLOW EYES--only they're gone. CUT TO: PATTERSON, blowing on his hands, looking toward the sky. CUT TO: THE SUN, RISING, THE NIGHT DONE. CUT TO: PATTERSON, wrinkled and weary, frustrated and sore, walking back toward his tent area. Now he stops. CUT TO: ABDULLAH and a large group of workers--only they're not working. They smoke, play cards, sit around. CUT TO: PATTERSON, steaming, going up to Abdullah. PATTERSON You were contracted to work-- ABDULLAH (gesturing around) --malaria epidemic; very sudden. PATTERSON Let me see the sick. ABDULLAH (not backing off) Oh, you're a doctor now, too? PATTERSON There is no reason for fear. ABDULLAH On that I choose to remain dubious. (beat) Two are dead now in two nights. (And on that news--) CUT TO: PATTERSON. Rocked. He didn't know. Behind him now, Starling hurries up, Samuel alongside. PATTERSON (to Starling) Second death? Where?-- STARLING (gesturing) --far end of camp--man wandering alone at night. Hawthorne's examining the body now. (beat) There's even less of him than of Singh. PATTERSON (just shakes his head) But it's crazy--the lion shouldn't be that hungry this soon. (getting control--he looks to Samuel) Samuel? SAMUEL We should construct thorn fences around every tent area. Fires burning at night. PATTERSON Fine. Get started. And a strict curfew-- no one allowed out at night. (to Abdullah) Send half your men to the bridge, the rest with these two. (Abdullah nods) And I'm sorry for my tone earlier. But I repeat--there is no reason for fear. I will kill the lion and I will build the bridge. ABDULLAH Of course you will, you are white, you can do anything... (They look at each other. They are not friends. Now--) CUT TO: THE THORN BUSHES WE SAW ON OUR ARRIVAL TO TSAVO ENDLESS NUMBERS OF THEM. There is a machete-like sound as we CUT TO: BUNCH OF WORKMEN, led by Samuel, chopping down branches. They do it with care--these are claws-- CUT TO: --STARLING, in charge of another area, and he's not hanging back, he's taking less care than the others, hacking away with his machete, moving in between bushes and CUT TO: ONE OF THE BUSHES, SNAPPING BACK into Starling, and Starling taking the blow with his arms--the claws cut his clothing-- his arms are starting to bleed-- --he is unmindful, continues to wade into the bushes, chopping at them, cutting them down. He is a good man doing a good thing and right now, he is possessed. CUT TO: PATTERSON, leaving his tent area, lost in thought, going toward the bridge. Up ahead is a grassy area. CUT TO: THE GRASSY AREA For a moment, nothing. Then there is the same kind of movement we saw with Singh. Something is making the grass move-- --only now there is no wind... HOLD. CUT TO: PATTERSON. Did he see it? We'll never know. CUT TO: STARLING, in charge of a thorn fence that is halfway finished. His clothes are shredded. A WORKER has finished with a section and satisfied, moves on-- --but Starling is far from finished. He grabs the thorns with his bare hands and squeezes them together. STARLING Not good enough--look, it's got to be tighter. Tighter. CUT TO: THE AREA IN WHICH HE'S BEEN WORKING. FENCES ARE WELL ALONG TOWARD COMPLETION. IT'S LATE AFTERNOON. PULL UP We see more fences around more camp areas. KEEP PULLING UP The entire place is filled with fences now, all the individual areas protected. The skies are starting to darken--dusk is coming fast. Fires start up. Dozens of them. Still darker. Now workers come racing home to their camps, anxious for safety before darkness takes over. They zig-zag this way, that way, dodging past each other sometimes they slam into each other, fall, get up, run on-- CUT TO: THE SUN. Falling out of the sky. CUT TO: THE CAMP. The fires rise higher. No one moves... HOLD. CUT TO: STARLING in the main tent area. He is bathing his bloody hands. Samuel is with him. Both are exhausted. Patterson brings them each drinks. They nod thanks, drain them. They stand there together, lit by the flames of their fire. You get the sense these three will be friends forever. STARLING What a good week. PATTERSON You mean nobody died? STARLING (shakes his head) We all worked together. Worthy deeds were accomplished. I liked the labor. (beat) My mother insisted on piano lessons-- broke the dear woman's heart when I turned out to be tone deaf--but she still was always at me about being careful with my hands. (looks at them) I like the blood, is that strange? SAMUEL Oh yes, I think so. (Starling smiles, starts to speak) PATTERSON Look out, Samuel, here it comes. STARLING Even you two must admit that it is a glorious thing, what Man can accomplish. When there is a common splendid goal, there are no limits. Think what we will accomplish when we all have God's warmth in our hearts. (Samuel's eyes have closed; he begins to snore. Patterson can't help laughing) CUT TO: STARLING. As good natured as ever. STARLING I am immune to your disdain. (He looks at them now) When I came here, I had but one small goal: to convert the entire continent of Africa. (shakes his head) Now I've decided to move on to something really difficult: I will not rest until both of you are safely in the fold. SAMUEL I've had four wives, good luck. STARLING The struggle is the glory... (HOLD ON the three friends) CUT TO: PATTERSON, the next morning, working with Abdullah and some others at the bridge. CUT TO: STARLING completing work on the fence from the day before. It's high and taut and he's done a terrific job. CUT TO: TSAVO STATION A BUNCH OF OTHER MEN are working near a large grassy field. One of the men starts a chant. The others pick it up. It's really pretty. CUT TO: PATTERSON wading into the river--he stops as the sound of the chant comes distantly to him on the wind. CUT TO: THE WORKMEN CHANTING LOUDER. It's turning into a stunner of a day--glorious blue sky broken up by pale clouds. CUT TO: STARLING. Pauses briefly, listening to the sound of the men. CUT TO: THE MEN WORKING AND SINGING. As before. CUT TO: THE GRASSY FIELD. As before-- --except it isn't. Because if you looked carefully, something flicked in a 180 degree arc. No telling what it was, it was gone too quickly. CUT TO: THE MEN WORKING, SINGING ON. CUT TO: PATTERSON waist deep in the river, listening to the sound of the men, of the birds. The sun is higher in the sky. CUT TO: THE GRASSY FIELD-- and here it comes again, only the other way this time, flicking back in another 180 degree arc-- still hard to tell for sure what it was but maybe it was this: a tail. Now quickly-- CUT TO: PATTERSON wading out of the river as Samuel comes into view. He holds an envelope. SAMUEL For you. PATTERSON (taking it) Thank you, Samuel. SAMUEL (watching as Patterson opens it) Good news? PATTERSON (glancing at the letter) I expect so--it's from my wife. SAMUEL Do you love her? PATTERSON I do, actually; very much. SAMUEL (his wonderful smile) You give me hope, John. (As he walks away--) CUT TO: STARLING, probing at the thorn fence, searching out any last weaknesses. Behind him now, in the tall grass, something moves. Starling, intent on his work, notices nothing. CUT TO: THE SINGING MEN, getting more and more into it. CUT TO: PATTERSON, by the river, reading the letter. There is a large tree up the riverbank. It casts a large shadow. In the shadow now, something moves. Patterson, intent on his reading, notices nothing. HELENA (V.O.) Darling one--the big excitement yesterday was when some school-- children spotted a whale-- (pause) they were looking at me, John-- CUT TO: HELENA, in their bedroom, moving across to the window, staring out. She now has a considerable stomach. HELENA That was an attempt at humor but I don't feel very funny these days. I miss you terribly and after our son-- I still have total confidence--well, after he's born I think travel might be broadening. As he kicks me at night I'm quite sure he's telling me he definitely wants to come to Africa. (pause) Thought you might need reminding. CUT TO: PATTERSON by the river. He smiles, folds the letter. Now-- CUT TO: THE SINGING WORKMEN at Tsavo station--and they sense how good they sound, and they really concentrate on it, on making that sound even better-- there must be twenty of them, working and singing-- --and screaming! CUT TO: PATTERSON, turning his head sharply and CUT TO: STARLING, doing the same and CUT TO: THE SCREAMING WORKMEN and they're running now, running and shrieking and that's all we see, the workmen-- some of them run left-- some run right-- --and now a few of them are starting to cry. CUT TO: A FAT COOLIE running and running, glancing back, screaming louder, running on and on and CUT TO: --a shadow in the grass--no telling what--but it's big and it's moving and CUT TO: THE FAT COOLIE and this next goes so fast it could be a dream-- or, more accurately, a nightmare-- SHOCK CUT TO: A GIGANTIC WHITE MANED LION as it leaps onto the Fat Coolie, brings him to earth, bites his neck in two, kills him, just- like-that. CUT TO: PATTERSON AND SAMUEL, as they race away from the river and CUT TO: STARLING, running from the fenced area--he holds a rifle in his hands. CUT TO: ANOTHER PART OF THE CAMP AND A DIFFERENT BUNCH OF WORKMEN-- they freeze as the screams reach them and CUT TO: PATTERSON, on the way to his tent area and CUT TO: DIFFERENT WORKMEN listening in fear and CUT TO: PATTERSON, racing to his tent, grabbing his rifle and cartridges and CUT TO: STARLING, running toward the screaming and CUT TO: PATTERSON, as he charges ahead, loading his rifle on the fly and CUT TO: SAMUEL, carrying more ammunition, running behind Patterson, keeping up and CUT TO: TSAVO STATION and nothing is visible now--the men are gone and from this angle, it looks deserted and CUT TO: PATTERSON, catching Starling, leading him into the TSAVO STATION area, Samuel just behind them. CUT TO: RECTANGULAR SHED, ahead of them. They move to it, slow-- then they stop-- --a sound is heard- from around the corner--the sound continues--Patterson glances at Starling--the sound could be this: the crunching of bones. CUT TO: PATTERSON, checking his rifle. CUT TO: STARLING, doing the same. Samuel, holding the extra ammunition, moves close to Patterson. Now-- CUT TO: PATTERSON as he suddenly steps away from the shed, rounding the corner and as he does-- CUT TO: THE WHITE LION, with the Fat Coolie--the lion is crunching at his feet-- --then the lion stares toward the shed as we CUT TO: PATTERSON, moving out into clearer view, Starling and Samuel right with him. THE LION is a good distance away. CUT TO: THE WHITE LION, a low growl coming from him as he takes the coolie's body by the shoulder, begins backing away with it. CUT TO: PATTERSON, dropping to his knees for the shot and CUT TO: STARLING, doing the same and CUT TO: THE WHITE LION, growling louder and CUT TO: PATTERSON, taking aim and CUT TO: SAMUEL, crying out and pointing and suddenly we're into super slow motion-- Samuel has pointed back toward the roof of the shed and-- and this thing is suddenly there-- --this huge dark thing and it seems to suddenly appear from the flat roof of the shed and CUT TO: THE SUN, blocked out as this dark thing moves across it, fully stretched, it seems to go on forever and CUT TO: PATTERSON, turning around to see and CUT TO: STARLING, turning too, and we're coming back into regular motion now as we CUT TO: This enormous BLACK-MANED LION diving into the three, sending them all sprawling and CUT TO: THE WHITE MANED LION roaring and CUT TO: THE BLACK MANED LION roaring, running to the other and CUT TO: THE TWO LIONS IN CLOSE UP THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS, for that is how they will be referred to-- and The Ghost has blood and bits of flesh on its mouth-- The Darkness has eyes that are crazed-- they are destruction bringers, these two, they can kill the old and the young and the fat and the strong-- CUT TO: PATTERSON, lying in pain, dazed, shoulder bleeding, trying to reach for his rifle and CUT TO: THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS, the white and the black, as they move toward the field of tall grass, roaring and CUT TO: SAMUEL, lying in pain, his leg is bleeding and CUT TO: PATTERSON'S RIFLE AND CUT TO: PATTERSON, as he reaches it, manages to lift it and the roaring sounds are deafening now and CUT TO: THE TWO GIGANTIC MALES, backing into the tall grass-- they roar one final time-- CUT TO: PATTERSON, gun ready to fire but it's futile and he knows it as we CUT TO: THE TALL GRASS and they're gone, the grass is full of moving patterns from the wind- that's all we see--just the grass blowing this way, that way-- CUT TO: PATTERSON, staggering to his feet, staring at the grassy field. PATTERSON (dazed) Jesus, two of them... CUT TO: SAMUEL. Dazed too. He points. Patterson registers, turns and CUT TO: STARLING, LYING DEAD, his throat ripped open. HOLD briefly on the young man, then-- CUT TO: THE STATION AREA train from Mombassa is slowly pulling in. And things are fairly chaotic--there is the usual activity of what is ordinarily one of the busier parts in camp-- --but now, something new has been added: Abdullah is there with several dozen coolies who work under his command. They are waiting for the train. Patterson and Samuel are there too--and at the moment, Abdullah and Patterson are in the middle of a screamer--first one of them walking away, then coming back, then the other doing the same. PATTERSON (shouting over the noise of the approaching train) Oh, sing a different song, Abdullah-- (gesturing toward the men who stand by the train tracks) --there's nothing wrong with your men so stop telling me there is-- ABDULLAH (advancing on Patterson now) --you do not call me a liar--you know nothing of their health--consider yourself fortunate I persuaded so many to stay--consider yourself fortunate I have decided to stay-- PATTERSON (losing it) You think you matter? (gesturing toward the train which is close to stopping now) --Beaumont is on that train--he matters-- CUT TO: PATTERSON, moving in on Abdullah now-- PATTERSON He sees this chaos, he'll replace you all. ABDULLAH He'll replace you, too--that's all you really care about. PATTERSON You think so? Fine. (finished arguing) It's best you get out. Go. Tell all your people to go, run home where they'll be safe under the covers and when the bridge is built and the railroad is done, they can tell their women that out of all the thousands who worked here, they were the only ones to flee-- (And he wheels around, starts to walk away as we--) CUT TO: ABDULLAH. Quiet, staring after Patterson. CUT TO: SAMUEL. Patterson has won. As the two of them exchange a quick glance-- CUT TO: BEAUMONT standing in the door of a passenger car, handsome as ever. Somehow his clothes are still pressed. Patterson moves up. In a splendid mood. Samuel is happy too. PATTERSON Pleasant journey? BEAUMONT (stepping off the train) How could it be? I hate Africa. Now there is the sudden sound of men singing--Patterson looks around and we CUT TO: ABDULLAH and his workmen, moving away from the train- they are singing the same song that the workmen sang just before The Ghost and The Darkness attacked--it's pretty--but it's also a little unnerving. CUT TO: BEAUMONT. Listening a moment. BEAUMONT Lovely sound--they seem happy. PATTERSON Don't they, though? BEAUMONT So work must be going well? CUT TO: PATTERSON. He and Samuel share another glance. PATTERSON (delicately) Truthfully? (beat) There has been the occasional odd hiccup--but then, as you so wisely told me, I'd never built in Africa. BEAUMONT But overall, you're pleased? SAMUEL (moving in) I have never experienced anything like it. CUT TO: BEAUMONT; almost longingly looks back at the train. BEAUMONT I almost feel like getting right back on. (glances at his watch) CUT TO: PATTERSON AND SAMUEL. They do not breathe. CUT TO: BEAUMONT. He really wants to leave and for a moment it looks like he just might. BEAUMONT (a sigh) I suppose it would be a dereliction of duty not to at least look around. Now Abdullah wanders happily by. PATTERSON (waving) Morning, friend, glorious day. ABDULLAH As are they all. CUT TO: BEAUMONT. He takes a step inside the passenger car. CUT TO: PATTERSON AND SAMUEL. Hoping. CUT TO: BEAUMONT. Reluctantly returning. He has a large box. BEAUMONT I do need to see Starling. PATTERSON (dully) Starling? BEAUMONT Awhile back he ordered some bibles-- (INDICATING THE BOX) --I've brought them. (looking around) Is he here? PATTERSON (beat) Yes he is. BEAUMONT Well, I need to speak to him. SAMUEL (helpfully) Let me deliver the bibles. CUT TO: BEAUMONT. His eyes flick from one man to the other. It's over. BEAUMONT Excellent show. (voice low) Where is Starling? CUT TO: PATTERSON. The jig is up. He gestures-- PATTERSON Here he comes now. (And on that--) CUT TO: HALF A DOZEN NATIVES CARRYING STARLING'S COFFIN. They start to put it on the train and as they do-- CUT TO: BEAUMONT. Stunned. And furious! He storms off the train and we-- CUT TO: THE BRIDGE as Beaumont sees it. Patterson and Samuel are with him. Little more work has been done than the last time we saw it. A few men are working slowly. And now there are guards with rifles patrolling it. CUT TO: BEAUMONT. A deadly look at them. He storms off. CUT TO: THE HOSPITAL as Beaumont sees it--Patterson, Samuel, and Hawthorne stand quietly. It's much more crowded than the last time. Still under control, but barely. Beaumont is icy now. He gestures sharply toward Hawthrone to join them. CUT TO: OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL THE FOUR MEN speak low and fast-- BEAUMONT What in hell is going on? SAMUEL The Ghost and The Darkness have come. BEAUMONT (snapping) In English. PATTERSON It's what the natives are calling the lions-- (beat) two lions have been causing trouble-- BEAUMONT --what's the surprise in that, this is Africa? PATTERSON It hasn't been that simple so far. BEAUMONT What have they done besides kill Starling? (beat) How many have they killed? (Patterson nods for Hawthorne to answer) CUT TO: HAWTHORNE. Doing his best. HAWTHORNE Well, of course, I can't supply a totally accurate answer because there are those that are actually authenticated and there are those that we once thought were workers killing each other or deserting from camp so any number I give is subject to error-- BEAUMONT (cutting through) How many? HAWTHORNE Thirty, I should think. BEAUMONT (stunned) Christ! (whirling on Patterson) What are you doing about it? (Now from there--) CUT TO: SOMETHING VERY ODD: We are looking at a small railroad car in a deserted area. This is not near the track but off by itself, in an area surrounded by thorn trees. Several workers are erecting a cloth tent to cover it, trying to disguise the fact that the small railroad car is, indeed, nothing but a small railroad car. It is difficult work and they are perspiring heavily. PULL BACK TO REVEAL PATTERSON AND BEAUMONT looking at it. BEAUMONT This is supposed to be salvation? (staring at Patterson) What kind of idiocy are we dealing with here? PATTERSON (keeping control) I'm calling it my "contraption"-- we're going to surround it with a boma--a fence, to you--and we're going to leave a small opening opposite that door. CUT TO: THE RAILROAD CAR. There is, in fact, an open front door. Patterson gestures for Beaumont to follow him inside. CUT TO: INSIDE THE CAR AS THEY ENTER. It has been divided in half by thick metal bars from floor to ceiling. The bars are close together, only a few inches between them. PATTERSON In that half will be bait--human bait--I'll start things off-- (points to the open doorway) --a sliding door will fit above that and a trip wire will run across the floor. BEAUMONT (The smile is back) Genius--the beast will enter, tripping the wire, the door will slide down, trapping him, you, safe behind the bars, will have him at your mercy and will shoot him. Patterson nods. Beaumont explodes. BEAUMONT Are you running a high fever, man? How could you expect something as lunatic as this to succeed? How could you even conceive of it? PATTERSON I didn't conceive of it for the lions-- I built one in India when there was trouble with a tiger. BEAUMONT (incredulous) And it worked? PATTERSON (He hates to say this) In point of fact, it didn't. (hurrying on) But I'm convinced the theory is sound. CUT TO: THE TWO OF THEM. They move outside. The tension between them is considerable. Beaumont looks at Patterson for too long a moment. PATTERSON What? BEAUMONT I made a mistake hiring you--you're simply not up to the job. (Silence. Then--) CUT TO: PATTERSON. CLOSE UP. PATTERSON You genuinely enjoy trying to terrify people, don't you? Well, fine-- (lashing back) --except there isn't a higher rated engineer and we both know that. And since time is so important to you, how long do you think it would take to find someone else qualified and bring him here? CUT TO: BEAUMONT. Blazing. BEAUMONT Let me explain about time--you've been here three months and already two months behind. And the Germans and the French are gearing up. And I don't care about you and I don't care about the thirty dead--I care about my knighthood and if this railroad finishes on schedule, I'll get my knighthood and I want it. (glancing around as Samuel appears, goes to the workers) Professional hunters may be the answer. PATTERSON All they'll bring is more chaos and we've plenty of that already--and if they come in, word will get out--and what happens to your knighthood then? BEAUMONT I'm going to try and locate Redbeard-- I assume you've heard of him. PATTERSON Every man who's ever fired a rifle has heard of him--by the time you find him, the lions will be dead. BEAUMONT (long pause) Very well, the job's still yours, I'll go. But if I have to return, you're finished. And I will then do everything I can to destroy your reputation. Am I not fair? (The great smile flashes) Told you you'd hate me. (And he turns, walks off) CUT TO: SAMUEL. Moving up to Patterson. Samuel has a bag. PATTERSON (staring after Beaumont) I do hate him. (takes the bag from Samuel, pulls out flares) I want you to distribute one bag of flares to every tent area-- (takes out a flare) tell the men to light them if there's trouble-- (beat) --make it two bags. (HOLD briefly, then--) CUT TO: PATTERSON. ALONE. THAT NIGHT. IN HIS CONTRAPTION. A lamp burns alongside him. Across the bars, the door of the railroad car is open. Flickering shadows. Above the doorway is a thick wooden slab the size of the door. On the ground, barely visible, the trip wire. CUT TO: THE DOORWAY. Outside, something is moving. CUT TO: PATTERSON, rifle ready, holding his breath. CUT TO: THE DOORWAY. SIlence. Nothing moves now. CUT TO: PATTERSON. He rubs his eyes with his hands... CUT TO: FLICKERING SHADOWS on the wall. It's later that night. CUT TO: PATTERSON. The man is bleary with fatigue. He sits in a corner of the car, writing a letter. PATTERSON'S VOICE (V.O.) "Dearest... ...peace and tranquility continue to abound here--the workers report each day with a smile--except for your absence, this whole adventunre is providing me nothing but pleasure..." CUT TO: THE FLICKERING WALLS OF THE RAILWAY CAR. It's later still. Patterson, finished writing, stares out at the night. CUT TO: A FLARE, rising brightly toward the sky. CUT TO: PATTERSON, seeing the flare. The man is miserable. CUT TO: A TREE BRANCH. MANY FLOWERS AS WELL AS THE CLAW THORNS. PATTERSON'S VOICE Fire. The branch is destroyed, the flowers blown away. CUT TO: PATTERSON AND THREE INDIAN COOLIES. NOT FAR FROM HIS CONTRAPTION. THE COOLIES hold rifles. They look like brothers, which they are. They also look tough. And they are that, too. THREE STREETFIGHTERS. PATTERSON (impressed) Very good indeed. MIDDLE COOLIE (he wears glasses) We have hunted since childhood. PATTERSON All right--you'll spend your nights inside. (He indicates the railroad car. The Coolies nod) You'll have plenty of ammunition. You're totally protected, you have really nothing to fear. MIDDLE COOLIE That is correct. (beat) Nothing. Patterson looks at the three men. Obviously, he could not have chosen better. From them-- CUT TO: THE BRIDGE. DAY. A lot of men working under Patterson. Progress is slow. CUT TO: THE BRIDGE. NIGHT. Some men sit on the part that's been built. Spending the night there for protection. Now, they all turn and we CUT TO: ANOTHER FLARE going off in another part of camp. CUT TO: PATTERSON, in a tree alone, in despair. CUT TO: THE THREE COOLIES IN THE RAILROAD CAR Tough as ever. Ready for anything. But nothing is happening. Silence. CUT TO: THE BRIDGE AGAIN AS NIGHT FALLS--MORE CROWDED THAN BEFORE. STILL MORE MEN are moving into the river. They wade til the water is up to their necks. Then they reach out, hold hands, start to sing. CUT TO: PATTERSON moving high into a tree. He listens to the sound. Lovely. CUT TO: MOONLIGHT ON THE WATER. The men stand as before, singing softly. The river here is calm, no current to speak of. The men are safe-- -or rather they should be. CUT TO: THE DARKNESS swimming softly, his great jaws silently encircling the neck of the last man in line, pulling him silently away and as the others start to scream-- CUT TO: PATTERSON, watching another flare rise, helplessly listening. CUT TO: CATTLE PEN. The cattle are nervous-- --one of them kicks wildly at the wind. They should be nervous-- --The Ghost walks among them, chooses which one to kill, leaps on it, brings it to earth as the dust rises. CUT TO: ANOTHER FLARE IN THE NIGHT CUT TO: THE HOSPITAL. DAY. PACKED. HAWTHORNE seems overwhelmed. CUT TO: SOMETHING And for a moment we don't know what it is. There is a faint light and now we see what it is we're looking at: a wire. HOLD ON THE WIRE And now a paw walks across it-- and the instant that happens-- CUT TO: THE DOOR OF THE RAILROAD CAR slamming loudly down and PULL BACK TO REVEAL THE DARKNESS, standing alone in one half of the railroad car-- it's incredible, just incredible but Patterson's idea actually worked and KEEP PULLING BACK TO REVEAL The entire of the car--the thick bars separating the two halves. In one half, the huge lion. In the other, the three armed, tough coolies. For a moment, it could be a frozen tableau--both sides are too startled and surprised to do anything but stare-- --and then all hell just explodes as we CUT TO: THE DARKNESS, and this incredible roar comes from his throat, the kind of roar that can be heard five miles away in the night but this one in the enclosed room sounds even louder and more terrifying and CUT TO: THE DARKNESS, throwing his huge body at the bars and CUT TO: THE BARS and both his front claws are slashing through and CUT TO: THE THREE TOUGH COOLIES and they retreat against the rear wall of the car. CUT TO: THE DARKNESS, rage building, throwing its body at the bars again and CUT TO: THE COOLIES, pressed in fear against the far wall, unable to do anything but stare and CUT TO: THE CLAWS, ripping at the air and CUT TO: THE DARKNESS, leaping forward, smashing into the bars and CUT TO: THE CEILING WHERE THE BARS are connected and the sheer power of his leap has made them jiggle just the least bit and CUT TO: THE COOLIES, staring up at the ceiling and CUT TO: THE DARKNESS, AND HERE HE COMES AGAIN, roaring and his body hits the bars and CUT TO: THE CEILING--and the bars shake-- --but they're not giving way. CUT TO: THE TOUGH COOLIES, as they begin to realize this and CUT TO: THE DARKNESS, clawing for them and CUT TO: THE DARKNESS, raging and roaring on his side of the bars and CUT TO: THE FIRST COOLIE, raising his gun and CUT TO: THE SECOND COOLIE, his gun raised too and CUT TO: THE THIRD COOLIE and he's ready and CUT TO: All three as they fire-- and reload-- and fire again, and reload, and-- CUT TO: THE RAILROAD CAR--and suddenly the lamp is knocked over-- and a fire starts, flames grow and it's starting to look like hell in there-- only it gets worse as we-- CUT TO: THE DARKNESS at the bars-- and suddenly it stands up--it seems to fill the car, towering over everything, it's like a nightmare come to kill you-- CUT TO: THE COOLIES staring up at this giant thing, and of course they're more terrified now than they've ever been in their lives--but these are tough men and they ignore the flames, ignore the deafening roars of the beast and CUT TO: THE DARKNESS, standing there, going crazy on his side of the bars, trying to knock them down but they're holding and CUT TO: THE TOUGH COOLIES, reloading and CUT TO: THE DARKNESS, racing around the enclosed area now and he's trapped and the flames make him seem like something unalive and his eyes have never been so bright, his roars as deafening and CUT TO: THE THREE COOLIES, firing again and CUT TO: THE DARKNESS, leaping at the bars again, and they shake, sure they shake, but they keep on holding and CUT TO: THE COOLIES, firing, reloading, firing, reloading and as they do, something's starting to come clear-- --amazing as it may seem, impossible as it may be to conceive, they're missing. CUT TO: THE DARKNESS, whirling on his side, roaring and leaping and CUT TO: THE COOLIES and sure they fire, but they're still so goddamn scared and CUT TO: THE DOOR THAT SLID DOWN--it's held in place by some thick wooden bars-- --and now the Coolies start to hit something--the wooden bars because they begin to splinter and CUT TO: THE DARKNESS, whirling, leaping at the bars and CUT TO: THE COOLIES firing and then-- CUT TO: THE DOOR as it flops open and just like that-- CUT TO: THE DARKNESS. Out the door and gone. HOLD. CUT TO: PATTERSON JUST AFTER DAWN IN THE DAMAGED RAILROAD CAR. Patterson stands where The Darkness was. The three Coolies are where they spent the night, on the other side of the bars. This was the lowest point yet for Patterson. Not only had his notion come so close to working, he could never fully comprehend how the coolies missed. It never seemed possible-- but of course, it really happened. PATTERSON Not once?--you didn't hit it once?-- MIDDLE COOLIE --I would never make excuses--but a