HANNIBAL Screenplay by David Mamet From the novel by Thomas Harris September 8, 1999 INT. MIDWIVES OFFICE - DAY. Fairly rundown office. Old and dirty health notices tacked to a bulletin board. "Common Sense For Nursing Mothers," et cetera. A lower-class woman, pregnant, with a small child in tow, opens the door, and enters. She is sweltering, and mops her brow as she walks to the registration desk. MOTHER It's hotter inside than it is outside... With the air conditioning. REGISTRAR Would you sign in here, please..? You know, we're closing in half an... MOTHER I just came to drop off my payment... She drops an envelope on the desk. As she leaves we see the door open, and the dreary suburban sprawl parking lot behind. Camera pans her past Clarice Starling, who is sitting, very hot and pregnant, on a bench. The Mother exits, and Evelda Drumgo, a very beautiful african american woman, holding a newborn, enters. She looks around, goes to the Registrar, and signs in. REGISTRAR ...That'll just be a minute. Drumgo sits, she and Starling exchange a look. Beat. STARLING S'hotter inside than it is outside... Even with the air conditioning. (she looks at her watch, then up at the wallclock.) DRUMGO You nervous...? STARLING Evone tells me: I shoulda been in, fi, six, months ago... Thizz my first checkup. DRUMGO Gonna be fine. You ask your momma. Starling mutters. DRUMGO ...What...? STARLING ...I didn't realize I said it out loud. DRUMGO Said what? STARLING I'm an orphan. DRUMGO Well, then, you're a lucky girl, cause that baby's gone to be your family. (to the receptionist) ...I've got an appointment... The receptionist is gone, Drumgo goes to peer over the reception desk. ANGLE ON STARLING STARLING That is a lovely thing to say. DRUMGO Waal... STARLING It gets, um... It gets so lonely sometime. DRUMGO (sits. Comforts the Child) What'd you say, hon...? STARLING I said sometime it gets so... DRUMGO Well, don't you worry, cause that baby's gone take care of that. She brushes back the hair from the side of her face. ANGLE INSERT. On a barrette in her hair. Which we see bears a small microphone. ANGLE ON STARLING, AS SHE HITCHES HERSELF UP IN HER SEAT, AS IF TO FIND A COMFORTABLE POSITION. ANGLE INSERT. On the back of her dress. Where we see the print of a square box, as Starling's hand manipulate a small knot through the dress. Next to it we see the print of a pistol under the dress. ANGLE ON STARLING AND DRUMGO. Starling, as she fiddles with the barrette once again. STARLING I wonder if you could just, sit down, talk with me a moment... ANGLE XCU ON STARLING, HOLDING THE BARRETTE, AS SHE SPEAKS TO DRUMGO. STARLING Cause, you know, I'm sitting here all alone. Do you know what I mean? (pause) Cause I feel it's getting late for me... Do you know...? That I've waited too long... ANGLE ON DRUMGO, AS SHE STANDS IN THE EMPTY RECEPTION AREA, AND LOOKS AT IT AND THEN BACK TO STARLING. DRUMGO (pause) Waited too long, hon...? (pause) (she looks at Starling) STARLING How's your Child? Starling stands, and moves to look out of the window. ANGLE XCU ON DRUMGO, AS SHE LOOKS AT STARLING. ANGLE, HER POV The dress, stuck by sweat, to Starling's back, reveals the pistol and transmitter. ANGLE ON STARLING, AS SHE SITS DOWN AGAIN. DRUMGO ...What? STARLING I said how's your baby...? DRUMGO You want to hold him...? STARLING Waal... DRUMGO 'bout time you learned... She hands the baby to Starling. She goes into the Child's diaperbag and takes out a pistol, and levels it at Starling, as she moves to look out the window. DRUMGO ...Where's your friends...? She moves to Starling, and frisks her, and removes her pistol, and the transmitter from the belt at her back... DRUMGO ...You're here all by yourself, honey... STARLING Give it up, Evelda. DRUMGO Well, you know my name, honey, but I don't know yours... STARLING Give it up. DRUMGO Hey, you know, I never thought of that... She starts getting into the Nurses garb. DRUMGO Ain't this a picture, though, cause you know you ain't the first girl, ever got lef, in a position, waiting at the doctor's. You can't trust men, Child, don't you know that... Old as you are...? She walks back toward Starling, scoops up her Child, peeks out the window, and starts for the door. DRUMGO Cause, see, they'll always let you down. Terrible thing, to do to an orphan... She leans back toward Starling, grabs her hair, and pulls her back and kisses her on the lips, and retires and exits. ANGLE ON STARLING, AS SHE LOOKS OUT OF THE WINDOW. AT A CAR, WHICH - Is in the far end of the parking lot, it accelerates, and screeches up to the door, and Evelda, carrying her Child, gets in to the still moving car, which starts to take off. ANGLE EXT THE MIDWIVES CENTER. Starling, crouching at the door, retrieves a backup weapon from her ankle holster. She emerges from the doorway. ANGLE In the parking lot, Drumgo and Child, getting hauled into the car. A figure in the backseat of the car, shooting over the roof, apache style, fires at Starling, as the car peals out of the parking lot. Starling takes cover. Beat. Starling, alone, walks into the now empty parkinglot. She sits on a low concrete divider. Hold. A van pulls in. Followed by another car, and ten swat clad Cops pile out, and approach Starling. Starling slowly looks up. STARLING ...Where were you...? (she looks at her watch.) SWAT OFFICER (as several other Officers move into the midwives center.) ...We, we didn't hear the go-ahead. STARLING (as she hands him the small radio transmitter) Yeah, well, you didn't get it cause your radio went dead. The backup plan was, 17.45, You guys are the cavalry... She gets up and walks away from the doorstep, to a sedan, which is pulling up. As she goes, she takes off the fake belly she has been wearing. Another swat Agent takes the radio and looks at it. SECOND SWAT OFFICER ...What'd you do, sweat it out, short out the leads...? Got a little hot in there...? She flings the fake stomach at him. SECOND SWAT OFFICER ...What happened to right to life...? (he laughs) Starling rounds on him, hits him several times, and throws him to the ground. STARLING What happened to right to life? What happened to right to my life...? I'm in there, carrying the mail for all you drugstore cowboys, sit'in in a van playin with each other's velcro... (the Officer starts to get up) You wanna get up, you wanna get up? Here I am... Two Fbi types get out of the newly arrived sedan. FBI TYPE What happened to the girl...? STARLING (as she gets into the sedan) Get me out of here... INT. CONFERENCE ROOM FBI HEADQUARTERS - DAY. Starling is now dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. She has cleaned herself up. Krendler, a clean-cut student council type around forty is holding forth. Around the conference table are the fatherly jack Crawford, and various other politicos. Krendler gestures at the table, which holds the burnt out receiver, the fake "pregnant" stomach worn by Starling, and a photo, he holds the photo. We see it is Drumgo, a surveillance photo. KRENDLER And you let her get away. STARLING Sir, with all due respect... CRAWFORD Just a moment. Starling didn't... KRENDLER Well, well, well, well, well, she went in there, to apprehend a dangerous felon. Went in there with her gun, came out, without the felon, without the gun... Starling starts to speak, and Crawford stills her. CRAWFORD I had... One moment, I had an Agent in there, waiting for backup from... KRENDLER ...She couldn't act on her own..? Where is the fbi's vaunted initiative, where..? STARLING Sir: CRAWFORD Shut up, Starling... STARLING I could have acted on my own. I was told... CRAWFORD Starling, I've ordered you to shut... STARLING ..I was instructed that this was a joint task force, the FBI, BATF, and the Mayor's special... KRENDLER You find something objectionable to working in partnership with... STARLING Sir, I'm in law enforcement, I was out there, dealing with an armed and dangerous... KRENDLER You were given backup... STARLING Then where was it? I'm sent out there... I'm told that the arrest must be a joint... KRENDLER I'm saying: ...And what's wrong with that. STARLING And I'm telling you: you wanna throw a birthday party: every kid gets a chance to play, that's fine, but... KRENDLER No, I don't get you... STARLING Due respect, you don't, sir, your precious joint operation. FBI, AFT, DC SWAT, it's alphabet soup, we don't have the same radio freqs, we don't... KRENDLER Oh, is this your political position, you're opposed to joint... STARLING I'm opposed to being part, your rainbow coalition. Evelda Drumgo? I could of took her down in a snap of the fingers-- but-- I'm out there, and my rules of engagement... MAYOR'S REP The rainbow coalition, what is that, excuse me... KRENDLER And what are you, our token woman? STARLING I don't mind being the token woman, what I'm suggesting, send me out there with a token man... Who are these warriors, your cobbled together strike force? I'm in the room with a fugitive felon... CRAWFORD Starling...? STARLING One moment, and they're at the seven- eleven. They botched the fallback plan, they... KRENDLER And, fine, alright, and fine... What are you doing, this whole time? STARLING Sir, I was, as instructed, waiting for the arrival of the strike force. (pause) CRAWFORD I think that's... (he starts to rise, and the meeting begins to break up) Starling, I'm sure these gentlemen... KRENDLER And how did she get close enough to disarm you? ANGLE TIGHT ON STARLING, AS SHE BEGINS TO EXIT, MUTTERING. STARLING ...Spend some time on the streets. Ask me then... KRENDLER Thank you, that's not responsive. How did our miss Drumgo get... ANGLE EXT THE CONFERENCE ROOM. A CORRIDOR AT FBI HQ. Various memorabilia in glass cases, glass cases holding firearms. Starling and Crawford exit. As they do, a group of twenty men and women wearing nametags walks by, escorted by a Guide. One good-looking mediterranean type (pazzi) tries to look at Starling as the group goes past. ANGLE CU ON PAZZI. We see him, and read the nametag. (C. Pazzi. International police academy. Italy). GUIDE (V.O.) ...A compendium of the bureau's most celebrated cases. Which you have in your course study Guide. Now; this afternoon... ANGLE, ON THE GROUP AS THEY OPEN THEIR BLUE COURSE STUDY GUIDE. Starling and Crawford turn a corner. Pazzi looking after them, he then, reluctantly, turns away, back to the group he is part of. ANGLE ON STARLING AND CRAWFORD, AS THEY DRAW AWAY FROM THE CONFERENCE ROOM GROUP. CRAWFORD (sotto) ...How'd you let her get that close to you...? In the b.G. We see an Aide come up to Krendler, and hand him a file. Starling waves off Crawford's question. CRAWFORD (CONT' D) ...How'd she get next to you? STARLING (as if tearing off the bandaid) ...She gave me her baby. Krendler, and the aid walk toward Crawford. The Aide whispers something to Krendler. KRENDLER (to Crawford) She threw a punch at a man on the team. CRAWFORD Well, you know, that happens, on the street. KRENDLER What is that supposed to mean...? CRAWFORD I think its meaning is clear. KRENDLER What, you're saying she was overwrought. CRAWFORD That could be. KRENDLER Because that's understandable, because. She blew the raid. CRAWFORD She was there, alone, sir, she was in a burning building, waiting for your folks to come through the wall. And... Starling starts away, in disgust. KRENDLER One moment, I'm not done with you... (to Crawford, as Krendler motions his Aide to hand him a file) Give him the file... AIDE I thought it was going to go down the line, to... KRENDLER No, no, no, I want the girl to do it... They go into a huddle, and Starling moves away, waiting. She looks around, and she and we discover she is standing in front of the "lechteriana" section of the FBI display. The Guide is addressing the visiting foreign Cops. GUIDE Of the apprehension of Hannibal Lechter. Here we have a wanted poster... As the Guide speaks we cut between Starling, hoping to hear her fate, and the men talking about her. GUIDE (V.O.) Offered by an unnamed source, three million dollars for information leading to the apprehension of Hannibal Lechter. It is, of course, a bounty poster, the only one of its kind, it was never distributed, the contact number was disconnected, and the trail of the person offering the reward was covered so skillfully, that... PAZZI (V.O.) (in a cultured attractive italian accent) ...Would you be so kind...? Starling turns to Pazzi, holding a camera. She hesitates, then realizes he wants her to take his photo in front of the poster. STARLING Yeah, sure. Pazzi moves in front of the poster. We see the reflection in the glass fronting the poster, and Starling moves to eliminate it . GUIDE (V.O.) ...Of the Hannibal Lechter case. Lechter is, as you know, still at large. Here we see the implements used in his escape from prison. If you will turn to your course syllabus, page... ANGLE ON STARLING, AND THE GUIDE, BEYOND HER, AS THE STUDENTS Again take up their blue books, and turn to the page indicated by the Guide. Pazzi comes back to Starling. She hands him the camera. PAZZI ...A lovely perfume... STARLING Glad you like it. GUIDE (he takes us to a display of a photograph of Lechter's hand, which shows six fingers, and an x-ray, which, similarly shows six fingers.) ...Of dr. Lechter's left hand. His left hand, which had a sixth, vestigial, fully formed sixth finger. You would think that a man with a mark so easily identifiable, would... The Guide spots Starling. GUIDE ...And, speaking of the Lechter case. The Guide moves, as if to include Starling in the tour. ANGLE ON STARLING WHO GIVES THE GUIDE THE WAVE OFF. Starling retreats as the Guide changes gears. GUIDE And, speaking of the Lechter case, I would like to complete our tour of the gallery with three other instances of criminals still at large. To complete our tour, and... (he checks his notes) Oh, and to complete your course of... Study, by... We see the group of Krendler, Crawford, et all, break up, and begin to move toward Starling. She approaches them, to hear their news. KRENDLER (to Crawford) Your girl's a menace. Here, givver this... Getter off the street and teach her some humility. (of the file) CRAWFORD (looking at the file) I don't think so... KRENDLER Well, then, you have insufficient information. I'm grateful for this opportunity to set you straight. He leaves Crawford looking at the file, and walks off, toward Starling, who looks him in the eye, as he passes. Hold. KRENDLER (to Starling, in passing) Yeah, get on to your sea-daddy, Starling. Old as you are... Ain't you ashamed, still lookin' for your pappy...? Starling walks up to Crawford, who is looking at the file. CRAWFORD ...What has he got against you? STARLING Why would you say that? Because he sent me in there to be killed...? (of file) What is this...? CRAWFORD ...What's he got against you? STARLING (as she takes the file) (absently) He once made me an improper suggestion. INT. GYMNASIUM - DAY John Brigham, a buff and rough and tough marine type, is lecturing to a group of recruits. BRIGHAM Big man, little man... Fair fight, the good big man's gonna win. But we don't mean to send you out there to fight fair... BRIGHAM LOOKS UP. ANGLE HIS POV. A DOOR IN THE BACK OF Small raised bleacher section opens, and Starling comes in, holding the file, she looks down toward Brigham. ANGLE ON BRIGHAM, AS HE NODS AT STARLING, AND THEN RETURNS TO Address his group of students. BRIGHAM And, in a gunfight, what just happened to the big man? He's at a disadvantage. Inney? He moves to the group of students, and approaches a rather large young man. BRIGHAM Stand up. (the man does so, and takes his place on the mat, in front of Brigham) Big man, now, he's just a bigger target. Let's turn it around. Pull your sidearm. (the young recruit takes out a bright yellow, obviously rubber pistol from his holster) ANGLE ON STARLING, AS SHE PERUSES THE FILE. SHE SHAKES HER Head in disgust. She looks down at Brigham and mouths, "I need to see you..." ANGLE, ON BRIGHAM, ON THE MAT, ADDRESSING THE PUPIL, HE NODS BACK, AT STARLING, AND TOUCHES HIS WATCH, AND MIMES, "LATER, FOR DRINKS." BRIGHAM (to the student) Now, an arrest? You aim to shoot me, or you just playing show and tell. You don't want to shoot me, you just deprived yourself of one of your hands. You fool, I got two hands, you got one. So: what's the gun good for? Force? No. It's good for control. You can control through force, but you can also control through... ANGLE, ON STARLING, AS SHE EXITS, THROUGH THE BACK OF THE GYM. ANGLE. HOLD ON BRIGHAM, ADDRESSING THE STUDENT, WHO LOOKS OVER HIS SHOULDER TOWARD THE DIRECTION OF BRIGHAM'S GAZE. BRIGHAM Misdirection... (he moves to the student and throws him to the ground) Misdirection, my friend. You're pointing a gun at me, looking in the other direction, who the hell do you think you are...? ANGLE, ON STARLING, BACK IN THE CORRIDOR, AS SHE OPENS THE FILE, AND LOOKS AT IT AGAIN, AND SHAKES HER HEAD. INT. PSYCHIATRIST'S OFFICE - DAY. Starling is talking to a middle aged woman. WOMAN (psychiatrist) ..That you went into police work to control your rage.... Starling starts to laugh. STARLING Well, that would be a poor choice, wouldn't it... PSYCHIATRIST Tell me why...? STARLING (shakes her head, still laughing) I'm sorry, I don't mean to be impolite. Because, you know, you can't understand. PSYCHIATRIST Then tell me. STARLING Well, you know, you know, you know, the point is: I can't tell you. Cause you haven't been there. You haven't done it. And that's all there is. PSYCHIATRIST (pause. She checks her notes) ...And to have done it, means, can mean to accept, not only danger, but betrayal...? STARLING ...That's right. PSYCHIATRIST ..And humiliation? What is this new job they've...? STARLING No. That's right. That's all part of it. PSYCHIATRIST Then, that being so, why is today special? Why have you come back to see me? Is it that new file they gave you? STARLING I don't think so. PSYCHIATRIST Then what brings you back? STARLING I don't know. Do you know...? PSYCHIATRIST Yes. I think I do. (pause. Starling looks at her, as if to say, then, please, reveal it) I think it is a phrase you used with that woman. You told her you were an orphan. (starling starts shaking her head) You used, to your mind, your most private fears. STARLING ...No... PSYCHIATRIST ...You called up memories of your father to... STARLING ...No... PSYCHIATRIST ...Barter with her. To appeal to her, and you feel that... STARLING No, I don't think so... PSYCHIATRIST It is you who have betrayed... STARLING ...No. PSYCHIATRIST Your father. It is not they, who... STARLING Well, no... (she looks at her watch) That's... I appreciate your help, but... (she rises) INT. COPBAR - NIGHT. Starling is drinking with Ardelia Mapp, a contemporary, and Ardelia's boyfriend, Jim. There are various empty bottles in front of them. Starling is looking down at the file we saw earlier, and scowling. Mapp and Jim look on. A waitress comes by. MAPP You want another drink, honey...? STARLING I want the same drink. Cause it did me good... But I already drunk it, so, barring that, yes, I would like another. The waitress exits. STARLING B'cause it's one of the few things, in the world, which are effective an' predictable. MAPP What's that, baby? STARLING Alcohol. Where both its life- enhancing and its life destroying qualities... (sound of cheering, they look to the side) ...Not unlike some hindu god... Mapp picks up the file, and looks at it. MAPP I guess the only thing is suck it up... STARLING Well. Excellent... I'm... There is a sound of renewed cheering, and heads turn. ANGLE THEIR POV. A table of the "international police school" students, Drinking, and wearing "gimme caps," which are passed out by an arriving john Brigham. ANGLE. Brigham, being congratulated and thanked by the various foreign Cops. Brigham passes out caps which are blazoned "FBI Academy, Quantico, Virginia." We see Brigham notice Starling, et al, and excuse himself. One of the foreign Cops calls after him. FOREIGN COP Semper fi. BRIGHAM ...Truer words were never spoken... Camera takes him to the Starling table, where Starling, drunk, is looking through the file. STARLING Our mister frendler to, to, to humiliate me, though... MAPP What else's he goin' to do with his day, he can't work, and he won't steal... Brigham sits, and kisses Starling. STARLING Oh baby, oh baby... BRIGHAM Bad beat today. STARLING Hey, I'm fine. Whaddizit, you, how's your day, our gallant international neighbors...? MAPP Look what they put her on... She takes the file from Starling and hands it to Brigham. STARLING No, that is code-word material, that's what that is... ANGLE ON BRIGHAM AS HE PICKS UP THE FILE. IT CONTAINS Catalogue from an auction house, and we read: from a collector: drawings and sketches by Hannibal Lechter: These never-before offered items were originally in the high- Security cell of the mass killer... (Etc.) And, below, we see various architectural sketches. ANGLE ON STARLING, BRIGHAM, AND SO FORTH. MAPP They got her cleaning out the privvies. BRIGHAM (of the auction catalogue) What does this mean? MAPP Slap her wrist, they got her, chasing down the auction houses, drawings of Mr. Lechter, come up for sale. BRIGHAM Why's she chasing'em down...? MAPP Find out: is he selling'em, he needs the money, o'r'izzey buying them, f'old times sake... BRIGHAM That's weak. The man's long gone, he's not coming back, buy up a drawing... STARLING No, but that is the will of the institution. To instill a proper probity, humility, deference, in the prideful individual... Could I, does anyone think, have another beer...? JIM This jackal Krendler, trine a shame her, cause they botched the raid. BRIGHAM Evelda Drumgo. STARLING Could I get a drink, (to Brigham) N'I don't care, you see, what all they got me doin, for I'd rather be doin' makework, than be doin' pub'l'relations with the dirty dozen, one hispanic, one librarian, one jew, and one from column a, and one from column... (a drink is set before her, she reaches for it. She looks up.) Thank you. Pazzi is bringing her a beer. PAZZI An honor. Carlo Pazzi... STARLING No, y'know, I never doubted it... PAZZI You were kind enough, today, to take my photograph. STARLING Well, that's you see, what I am, kind and feeling. MAPP You should get married. STARLING That's what I should do. Tell me why? MAPP Because, baby, you're looking to find love in an institution, that's your only chance... STARLING Yeah, but who would marry friendless me... (to Pazzi) Howabout you, romeo...? PAZZI (shows his wedding ring) ...Sadly... STARLING Hey, lost again. PAZZI But perhaps, there is some, some less radical solution. STARLING I'm sure there is, but my young friend here, would kill you. (she gestures at Brigham) PAZZI His feelings do him honor. And I have come, simply, to pay my respects to the great Clarice Starling... (he bends over to kiss her hand.) STARLING The great and beautiful... PAZZI Is it necessary to say of the sea that it is salt, that the stars are far, that... STARLING No, I get it, this is my cavalier. This gents my italian knight. Take this... (she removes a scarf from her neck and hands it to him) For this shall be my gage, and you can take it into battle. PAZZI Thank you. STARLING Or clear your windshield with it. PAZZI (smells the neckerchief) ...What a lovely perfume. STARLING Waal, you c'n only get it in one shop in Alexandria Virginia, n'that's where I'm going, cause I'm goin home, f'i can get n'y'one, of that nature, to take her there... BRIGHAM C'mon, pal. STARLING All y'got to do is ask... (she reaches for her purse, and knocks the file off of the table) ANGLE INS. It falls to the floor, we see various auction catalogues, and an x-ray of a human hand. Pazzi stoops and gathers the file up. Brigham takes the file, and Starling takes it from him. ANGLE IN. We see a drawing of what appears to be a statuary. A lion's head, the lion holding a bird in its mouth. ANGLE ON STARLING AS SHE HOLDS THE DRAWING. STARLING ...This one is my favorite. It has not title. They should call it "Fetch," whaddaya think...? PAZZI I know it well. STARLING Do you. What does that mean? PAZZI It is a gravestone in the cemetery of in my native Florence. Mapp looks at the pictures in the catalogue. MAPP Yeah, we got all sort of "Funeray sculpture," here, I guess they mean statues in graveyards. Brazil, the tomb of Karl Marx, London, here's one in Scandinavia... PAZZI Florence, as you may not know, is famed for... STARLING Yeah, I'm sure it's famed for lotsa things, and you're one'a'them... PAZZI ...But: this particular statue... Starling downs a beer, as Brigham bears her away. STARLING Waal, you hold fast to that thought, as I'm sure, that's a "clue"... PAZZI ..This is perhaps an inappropriate time... But, I would like to say, it is an honor to meet the woman who solved the celebrated Hannibal Lechter... STARLING I din't solve it, I didn't 'solve it'. I just sat a dance out with him. Facts, facts, facts. Facts, close the case, cavalier. PAZZI ...A case, so, so fascinating, so... Starling surreptitiously signals Brigham that he may remove Pazzi. BRIGHAM It was all of that, son... PAZZI ..What makes a man ... What makes him... Eat human flesh...? STARLING Yeah, well, they solved that: turns out, he'uz a cannibal... MAPP Show'm the FBI handshake... STARLING I am no going to show you the secret handshake! (she starts to stand) BRIGHAM (as he leads Pazzi off) C'mon, pal, I'm gone to buy you a drink... He walks Pazzi off, stuffing some money in Pazzi's jacket pocket. He leaves Pazzi among his foreign cohorts. ANGLE ON MAPP, STARLING, AND JIM, AT THEIR TABLE. MAPP Yeah, well, it's a raw wound, innit, you're gonna bump it, every time you turn around... But you know what the trick is...? STARLING ...Not to turn around. Brigham returns, and starts to lead Starling, through the knot of drunken Cops. In the bg we see Pazzi, at his table, pointing out Starling, they turn to look at her, we see one of the foreign cops, lean over to ask more information of Pazzi, and, then, turn back, to do a double take at the retreating Starling. ANGLE ON BRIGHAM, HELPING STARLING. BRIGHAM You want to get married...? STARLING You tol me you wuunt ask me again til I'm ready... BRIGHAM You're ready now. STARLING I'm not. BRIGHAM That's what you think... EXT. STARLING'S APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT. Brigham and Starling walking up, Starling swaying a little, he holds out his hand for the key, and she gives it to him. STARLING ...Mos kind... We hear a car coming up the street behind them. Brigham opens the door. There is a flash of light from inside the house. As Starling is about to enter. She pushes Brigham off to the side of the door, and unholsters her pistol. Beat. Starling looks at Brigham who look uncomprehending. Another car is heard coming up the road, and we see its headlight shine on and reflect from a mirror inside Starling's door. Brigham leads Starling into the house. He closes the door, and takes her to the sofa. She sits, and picks up a photograph in an easel frame from the coffee table. STARLING Hey, now, what was I afraid of... I'm shooting at shadows... BRIGHAM Is that what you're afraid of...? ANGLE INS. ON THE PHOTOGRAPH, SHOWS A TALL HANDSOME MAN IN WESTERN HAT, WEARING A BADGE, HIS HAND ON THE SHOULDER OF A YOUNG BLONDE GIRL. ANGLE ON STARLING, AS SHE PUTS THE PHOTO DOWN. STARLING Then you tell me, then. BRIGHAM You want me to solve all your problems tonight...? STARLING I feel... (she starts to laugh) I feel they're out to get me... BRIGHAM And who is "they?" STARLING ...They're sending me. Out to get shot. Hounding me... They're... (pause) BRIGHAM ...The whole world's out to get you... STARLING How crazy is that. BRIGHAM Well, you wanna shoot back, it give you a big target... STARLING (sleepily) How crazy is that... ANGLE, INS. ON THE LECHTER FILE, AND THE PHOTO OF HANNIBAL LECHTER. We see Brigham put it down on the table next to the photo. Hold, lights go off. Beat. Starling's hand comes into the frame, sweeps the Lechter photo and file onto the floor, and replaces it with the photo of the western garbed man and the little blonde girl. Beat. The light goes on again. We see Starling swing to a sitting position on the couch. - She sighs. She shakes her head to clear it, and she pulls the Hannibal file to her. She picks up a pencil, and a pair of reading glasses from the table, and begins making notes on the file. ANGLE INS. The auction catalogue, an FBI file, reading, "Sale of stolen Hannibal Lechter material." EXT. VIRGINIA HIGHWAY - DAY. Starling's FBI sedan speeding past, on an empty country road. The car pulls over onto the shoulder. ANGLE INT THE CAR. Starling, taking out a map. She looks at the map. Looks around. She throws the car into reverse, and reverses several hundred yards quickly. ANGLE INT THE CAR. Starling looks from the map across the road. ANGLE HER POV. A barely discernible break in the foliage, beat, then Starling's car pulls across the road, and into the pov and enters the break. ANGLE EXT THE CAR. Emerging from a thick woods, the car is hinged by the camera onto the park of a country estate, the car disappears into a small dip in the landscape. ANGLE EXT THE CAR, AT A GATEHOUSE, PREVIOUSLY HIDDEN BY THE CONTOUR OF THE LAND. We see a small decrepit gatehouse in stone, and, beyond it, a flimsy and ancient barricade, an old gamekeeper type in tweeds comes out of the guardhouse. He is carrying a mug of coffee and has a napkin tucked into his collar. He removes the napkin and approaches the car. Starling flashes her credentials to the old man, who holds a clipboard. STARLING Special Agent Clarice Starling, to see Mason Verger. The man ambles back into the gatehouse. ANGLE INT THE GATEHOUSE, THE OLD MAN ENTERS, AND CAMERA PULLS BACK TO SHOW, IN A ROOM OFF THE MAIN ROOM, THE FIT BODYGUARD TYPES, WATCHING STARLING ON A TV MONITOR. There is a raft of electronic equipment in the room, and a rack with several assault rifles on it. One of the guards is typing onto a computer terminal. He looks at the result, and glances up at Starling, on the screen, and nods "okay" to the old man. The old man ambles out to the barrier, having picked up an old clipboard at which he squints. Then, satisfied, he raises the barrier, and Starling's car goes through. EXT. A MAGNIFICENT COUNTRY ESTATE HOUSE A potato chip van is parked to one side in the wide drive. An old retainer holds open the door for Starling, as she exits from her sedan, and he shows her into a large open morning room, in which we find twenty young Children of various races, romping on a selection of new toys. Camera takes Starling through a modern kitchen, where several white uniformed cooks are working happily, one is opening a vast tin of potatochips. One of them is removing a tray of cookies from the oven, several tykes wait happily nearby. The cook with the tray of cookies gives Starling a wide grin. The retainer takes Starling past the kitchen, to a double door, which he opens to reveal a corridor beyond, and a large fit man in his thirties, wearing an orderly's whites, coming toward the camera. CORDELL Agent Starling, would you come with me...? Cordell bows to the old retainer, who retires. Cordell and Starling walk down the corridor. STARLING The Children...? CORDELL ...They're from Baltimore.... STARLING I've never heard that he... CORDELL It's not something he wants to publicize, ma'am. It's just something he does. Beat. STARLING I won't take much of his time. CORDELL He's glad to help. ...It's just a question of his physical condition. You understand... Camera takes Starling down a corridor lined with hunting prints. At the end of the corridor an old woman sits in a wooden chair, knitting. They have stopped. Waiting for the woman to look up. Starling's gaze is drawn by an old, crewel-work "sampler" Framed on the wall by the old woman's chair. And obvious antique. It reads: "Do not give into adversity. Do not trust to prosperity." ANGLE ON CORDELL AND STARLING, AS STARLING LOOKS AT THE SAMPLER, AND THE OLD WOMAN LOOKS UP FROM HER KNITTING. She sits in front of a half-opened door, which we see is the door to a linen closet. CORDELL ...Y'get enough breakfast, Rosie...? Beat. XCU ON THE OLD WOMAN, AS SHE LOOKS AT STARLING, AND THEN NODS TO CORDELL, AS IF TO SAY, "THAT IS THE CORRECT CODE." ANGLE INS. Her hand drops to the back of the wooden chair, and presses a button concealed in the leg. ANGLE THE GROUP IN THE CORRIDOR, THE "LINEN CLOSET," OPENS, TO REVEAL, BEYOND IT, WHAT APPEARS TO BE A SURGICAL FACILITY, OR HIGH-TECH HOSPITAL ROOM. INT. THE HIGHTECH ROOM. There is a Nurse, sitting at a station, monitoring various lifesign displays. She looks up briefly, as Cordell and Starling enter. NURSE (to Cordell) Five minutes... Cordell nods, and takes Starling deeper into the room. We begin to hear the susurrus of a mechanical breathing apparatus. Camera goes with Starling into the room, where we see a hospital bed, with a screen in front of it, and various television displays above it, Angled to be seen from the bed. Starling approaches the bed, and looks down at the figure in it. We see her face, but the figure is screened. The figure, Verger, speaks breath by breath, with an obvious electronic enhancement. VERGER Aren't they beautiful, miss Starling... Starling looks up at the Children playing. ANGLE HER POV. One of the Children falls off a small plastic slide, and cries, a Nurse runs to him. VERGER Well, now, you see, one of them's hurt. And what will make it better? Love. Isn't that odd. (pause) He think's he's hurt his knee--but the assurance, the assurance, the assurance that someone cares (wheeze wheeze) Suggests the hurt was elsewhere. STARLING Mr. Verger, thank you for your time. VERGER For the worst hurt, of course, that which will not heal, is the conviction no one cares. STARLING I've come to see you, sir, about an auction... She holds up the catalogue to him. ANGLE INS "DRAWINGS AND MEMORABILIA RELATING TO THE SERIAL KILLER, HANNIBAL LECHTER." ANGLE ON CORDELL, AS HE COMES CLOSE, DONNING SURGICAL GLOVES, AND TAKES THE CATALOGUE, AND HOLDS IT TOWARD VERGER. VERGER Ah, yes, ah yes. Our doctor Lechter... And have they sent you, once again to capture him? How terrible for you... STARLING No, sir, it's not my job to capt... Why do you say how terrible? VERGER Because we must leave the past in the past. (Wheeze wheeze) (cordell turns a page) Ah. And here we have artifacts of, yes, my own encounter with him... Cordell turns the page quickly. VERGER No, no. That's alright. Yes. Lechter's drawings of me. Before... And, of course, after... Now: you are not sent to pursue him. Then your visit baffles me. STARLING Sir, various drawings, done by Dr. Lechter, while in prison, stolen from the prison after his escape, have surfaced and are being sold at auction. Several large reserve bids have been placed on them. I have to ask if you've placed those bids. VERGER Because? STARLING Because if it was not you, then, perhaps it was Dr. Lechter, trying to reclaim his own property. VERGER And why would you suspect me, of this ghoulishness? STARLING Because, sir, you are the only one of his victims who lived. And because you have large resources. VERGER Large resources, Starling, which I prefer to devote elsewhere... Starling looks up, as we see the image on the television change to the Children eating the cookies, and the image changes again to show a small dispensary, and the knee of the child who fell being bandaided by a Nurse. STARLING Due respect, sir... She produces a Copy of the wanted: Hannibal Lechter poster we saw at the FBI. STARLING Due respect, after your, after your... VERGER My encounter. STARLING Someone offered three million dollars bounty on Dr. Lechter's head. (pause) CORDELL The identity of the person offering the bounty was never established. VERGER Yes, but we know who it was, and I will tell you, Agent Starling, what you know to be true. I offered the bounty. It was illegal, and, worse, it was wrong. And I thank god every day that I did not compound my sinful life by the stain of a murder. Do you... (wheeze) Agent Starling: do you know god? (pause) STARLING ...Sir...? VERGER Isn't it funny? You can look on my face... (wheeze wheeze) Which you would grant me, is the most hideous sight you will see in what I hope is a long life. You can look at me. Which shows... (wheeze) A strength which must come from strong (wheeze) strong convictions. (wheeze) But you shy when I say the name of god. The Nurse comes up, holding the tape of a lifesigns machine, she nods to Cordell and indicates the monitors. NURSE (to Starling) ...I'm sorry.. (meaning, you must go.) STARLING Yes, then, you're saying that you haven't bid upon these drawings. VERGER I have not, I would not. For life (wheeze) Life goes on Starling. And, wait, wait, I wish to talk to you... I'm... (wheeze) (to the Nurse, who is taking Starling's arm) One moment. I was afflicted, do you see, but my affliction was not in my meeting with your dr. Lechter. I was afflicted before. Before. Do you see? In my arrogance. Do not (wheeze) Do not curse god when you are humiliated. Listen to me: embrace it, and you embrace life... Listen, and you hear the word of god... Do not curse god when you are humiliated. Listen to me: embrace it, and you embrace life... Listen, and you hear the word of god... Starling is led away by the concerned Nurse. Cordell lingers behind, at an unseen behest of Verger. The Nurse starts preparing a hypo at her station. STARLING ...Will he be alright...? The Nurse, distracted, nods, and retreats toward Verger with the hypo. Cordell comes out to Starling. INT. CORRIDOR, COUNTRY HOUSE, - DAY. Starling and Cordell are walking, beyond them, we see various Children playing under adult supervision. A caretaker type is holding a small goat, which the Children are playing with. Cordell opens the glass door, and he walks Starling through the scene of the Children and the goat. CORDELL Mr. Verger wanted me to give you this... (he hands her a small printed card) Angle on Starling, as she glances at the card. ANGLE INS THE CARD READS: "Do not give into adversity..." She glances at it, and, dismissively, puts it in a pocket. CORDELL And he has asked me to ask you something. STARLING What would that be? CORDELL (pause) He... Would consider it a favor if he could make a donation. To a charitable institution of your choice. (pause) STARLING Now, why in the world would he do that? CORDELL I... Think... He was.... He was touched, by your reaction. To his appearance. STARLING What reaction? CORDELL Exactly. STARLING (as she hands him a card) Please, I do not... I don't want to trouble him. But if you or he have any notion, who would be buying Dr. Lechter's... CORDELL Do you know the seller? STARLING We've subpoenaed the auction house's records. CORDELL Try Barney Clark. STARLING (taking out a notebook) He is...? CORDELL He was the orderly, during Dr. Lechter's stay in prison. STARLING And how would you know that? CORDELL Before "the change," Mr. Verger was... He made quite a study. (pause. Starling makes a note. She looks around.) STARLING You should get the kids a dog... CORDELL ...I hardly think so... After "the incident"... STARLING No, no, of course not. She starts to get into her car. CORDELL ...Mr. Verger would be pleased to make a contribution, to the charitable... STARLING Tell him to give it to an orphanage. Starling closes the car door. Hold. On Starling, watching the Children for a moment. Then she takes the card from her pocket and glances at it. IT READS: "Do not give into adversity, do not trust to prosperity. Be aware of fortune's habit--she will do just as she pleases. None of this is in your control. Be happy. Be kind. ANGLE ON STARLING, as she starts to put the car in gear, putting down the note. Then she hesitates, and begins to cry. Lowering her head, beyond her we see the potatochip van, parked in the driveway, and the Children romping with the goat. INT. PSYCHIATRIST'S OFFICE - DAY. Starling is talking to a kindly older woman Psychiatrist. PSYCHIATRIST ...That you could go beyond the institution." STARLING Yes. PSYCHIATRIST What does that mean? STARLING (pause) I saw a man today, a man so hideously deformed who'll spend his life in a hospital bed... PSYCHIATRIST Yes, so you said. But what does that mean: to go beyond the institution. STARLING (takes a tissue from a box on the desk) If he could overcome... His need for... For self-ratification... PSYCHIATRIST ...Would you use a small word? STARLING For approval. PSYCHIATRIST What's wrong with approval? (pause) You admired that man. STARLING Yes. PSYCHIATRIST How do you think that made him feel? (after a pause. She checks her notes) What does that mean, "to go beyond the institution...?" (pause) STARLING I told that woman I'm an orphan. PSYCHIATRIST ...You are an orphan. STARLING But... But... But... You're right. I used it. To bargain. For her sympathy... I used it--to "whore myself out"-- (pause) PSYCHIATRIST Welcome to the human race. (starling shakes her head in negation. Pause) Do you know, there are people who admire you? Reasonable people. (pause) Why don't you find them...? Pause. Starling looks up, at the new concept. INT. FBI HEADQUARTERS - DAY. Starling, walking down a corridor. Camera hinges her to "Behavioral Science." She sticks her head in, and asks, of an Aide: STARLING Y'see john Brigham...? AIDE ...I... Crawford sticks his head out of his office, he puts his pipe aside, and calls to Starling... She comes in, and he holds up an x-ray. CRAWFORD Look at this: STARLING You seen john Brigham...? CRAWFORD This just came in, over the transom. Fella, works for a plastic surgeon, Argentina. Look here: STARLING ...What'm I looking at...? CRAWFORD A Fellow with five fingers. STARLING ...Standard issue... CRAWFORD Not for our doctor Lechter. This... (he glances at notes) Purports to be an x-ray of the hand of a ...White male... Mmmm... Mmmm..., After the removal of a vestigial sixth digit. Left hand. It purports to be the x-ray of Dr. L... STARLING Am I on that case, sir...? (pause) CRAWFORD No. (pause) STARLING Well, then--i wouldn't want to be taken for a hobbyist... The Aide comes in, holding a phone. AIDE Agent Brigham is in the library. STARLING (to Crawford) Excuse me... (the Aide and Crawford exchange a surprised look) She exits INT. LIBRARY - DAY Brigham, in the library, bent over a lawbook. A note is slipped over the book. It reads, "Yes, I will marry you." ANGLE ON BRIGHAM, AS HE READS THE NOTE. BRIGHAM This isn't signed. STARLING (V.O.) Hard up as you are, at your age? Whadda you care? Surrender. BRIGHAM Don't shoot, g-men..." Starling sits down next to him. Beaming. BRIGHAM Why? Starling smiles and starts to make a pert answer. She gets a bit teary, and Brigham leads her out of the library. ANGLE, A BALCONY OFF THE LIBRARY. Starling hands Brigham the card she got from Verger. STARLING (as Brigham reads} You know what, he's right. Fella: had his life taken from him, by a maniac. Fella. He's laying there, he'll never get off that bed. He can't move, a monster... (She shakes her head, and leans into Brigham. Tight two shot) ...A monster fed his face to the dogs. (beat) N'he said that it saved his life. (she starts to laugh) He's spend'n his life helping children. How corny is that...? But, you know what: I give up. Let's get married and spoil a buncha kids... (they embrace.) ANGLE INT THE LIBRARY BRIGHAM AND STARLING ENTER, AS HE GOES TO GATHER UP HIS MATERIALS. An Agent hurries through. AGENT Starling: they got a x-ray. They think, they might have a lead on Lechter. STARLING Wherever he is, that's fine with me... AGENT They... STARLING Yeah, I know. The Agent looks at her wonderingly, and, then, as if she has not understood. AGENT (as he produces a xerox of an x-ray) They got a radiologist assistant, Buenos Aires, guy, amputation of a sixth finger...And it seems to've left a scar, uh oh... STARLING That ain't my case. They assigned me, go do some legwork, theft of government property. Tha's what I'm gonna do, and then go home and burn the roast. How the hell about that-- i'm gonna swim with the current, and I don't care where he is. As Brigham is gathering his stuff, he drops the card Starling gave him, on the file which was Starling's. We read: "None of this is in your control. Be happy. Be kind." And, as Brigham's hands come into the frame to gather the material up, we see the auction house catalogue, and the photo of the drawing, and Starling's notes: lion and bird, marble sculpture cemetery, Florence, Italy. INT. ALITALIA AIRLINER - DAY. ANGLE INS. An italian passport, a debarkation card, several snapshots, shuffled into the group, by a man's hands. We see the snapshot of Pazzi in front of the mason Verger wanted poster. Snaps of Pazzi, in SWAT gear, on the range at Quantico, wearing a FBI "gimme" hat, a postcard of the Lincoln Monument, V.O. An italian voice urging all passengers to remain seated until et cetera. ANGLE INT THE CABIN OF THE AIRLINER. The italian Stewardess is ushering folks off the plane. We see Pazzi putting all his papers together, and he reaches down a flightbag from the overhead, and joins the line of exiting passengers. ANGLE IN THE JETWAY, AN ARMED SOLDIER, HIS SMG SLUNG IN FRONT OF HIM, IS READING AN ITALIAN NEWSPAPER. As the jetway pulls up to snuggle with the jet, the soldier drops the paper onto the stool before him, and comes to attention. Angle in the plane, the Stewardess opens the door, the passengers exit, she and Pazzi exchange a brief, whispered flirtation as he passes. As he moves past her, she gives a small whoop in response to some clandestine caress of his. A whispered conference between the two. STEWARDESS ...Is that the way for a public official to act? PAZZI (shrugs) You represent italy. Call it an inspection... STEWARDESS Shouldn't that be carried out in depth? PAZZI ...I have to get back to my wife... He shrugs sadly, and moves past her. Camera takes Pazzi into the jetway, where we now see two plainclothes Cop types, waiting, as Pazzi comes through they nod to him, and the group starts to exit out of the side walkway of the jetway. PAZZI ...What's up...? One of the men reaches for the paper, which the soldier has dropped, and takes it with him. ANGLE EXT THE JETWAY. The group of three descends onto the tarmac under the jetway, where there is a car with a bluelight on it, waiting. They get into the car, and one of the Cops hands the paper to Pazzi. ANGLE INT THE CAR, AS IT PROCEEDS THROUGH THE AIRPORT. Pazzi turns to the page indicated. COP ONE How was america? PAZZI (looking at the paper) Bad coffee, and women with excessive ankles. COP ONE ...Nightmare. PAZZI What's up...? COP ONE (pointing to paper) Doctore carlo fanelli, curator of the pallazo capponi, 2 months missing. PAZZI Yeah, so where is he? COP ONE Somewhere where his family are offering a thirty grand reward for information, so on. PAZZI They got that kind of money? COP ONE Their family owns... He speaks, but the noise of a jet running up washes out his info. Pazzi's eyes, however, grow wide. PAZZI Well, let's find him... COP ONE ...Buya lot of pasta for your wife. COP TWO She don't eat pasta, that's how come she's so slim. COP ONE Heresa file onnaguy, you got a meeting, the palazzo capponi, at four thirty. PAZZI I can't even go home and change...? COP TWO What'd you bring me...? The car is stopped at a barrier. A guard comes out, and the Cop driving flashes official looking info at him. INT THE CAR. Pazzi distributes two FBI academy hats, to the two Cops. The car passes through the barrier. Camera tracks with it through the "arrivals" roundabout. And we see two billboards, the first announces, the Florence ballet, with appropriate dates and inducements. The second, shows a guillotine, and announces: instruments of atrocious torture. Now through October, et cetera. INT THE CAR. PAZZI What else did I miss...? One of the men gestures at the "torture" poster. COP ONE Atrocious torture. Hit of the season, you want, I know a guy can get you a ticket. PAZZI ...Are they hard to get? COP ONE Impossible. PAZZI (shaking his head sadly) ...What a world. INT. PAZZI'S APARTMENT - DAY. A nice modern small apartment. Anna Pazzi, a very beautiful woman of around thirty is standing in the hall, as Pazzi enters. He begins kissing her, and camera moves them into the bedroom. ANNA What's the rush? What's the rush...? PAZZI Aren't you glad to see me? ANNA Tell me about your trip... What did you bring me...? He stops, and rummages in his case, and brings out a bottle of perfume. He gives it to her. She looks disappointed. ANNA ...And? PAZZI I brought you my passion and my wish that this afternoon will be for you an experience of ecstasy... She fends him off. PAZZI ...What? ANNA I can't think. PAZZI ...You don't have to think. ANNA We have to talk about money... PAZZI I'm on the track of a reward, which... ANNA A reward... PAZZI I'm going to tell you later.... ANNA A reward for what? PAZZI Some museum director disappeared. ANNA And? PAZZI They're offering... (as he moves her toward the bed) ANNA ...You haven't found him yet. PAZZI What is this, a whorehouse, or are you my wife? ANNA You've gone off to America, on your vacation... PAZZI ...I was working... ANNA ...Please... PAZZI I swear to you... ANNA ...And I want to talk to you about your promotion.. PAZZI Yes? My promotion...? ANNA I want to talk to you about your salary. Because I can't... He takes off his jacket, he takes the perfume box from her, and throws it into the opened suitcase. He moves her toward the bed. ANGLE ON THE SUITCASE, where we see the perfume has landed in the very scarf which Starling gave to Pazzi earlier, also in the still-life is Pazzi's passport case, out of the top of which we see peeking a bit of the photograph showing the wanted poster "three million dollars reward for the whereabouts of the monster, Hannibal Lechter." They continue to talk, as the audience reads the information in the insert. PAZZI (V.O.) (concluding) I need you, y'understand, I need you... ANNA (V.O.) ...Everybody needs something... We see the light go out in the room (i.e. On the insert shot) Putting the room into semi-darkness. EXT. PALLAZZO VECCHIO - DAY. The sedan with Pazzi and Cop one comes to a halt. Cop one throws a police pass on the dashboard, and they get out, Cop one hurrying. PAZZI (following, as he ties his tie) Hold up a minute... COP ONE You spend the afternoon in bed? PAZZI First things first. COP ONE You take this much time over everything? PAZZI That's why my wife adores me. INT. PALAZZO VECCHIO, VARIOUS RECONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION GOING ON. Pazzi and Cop one mount the stairs. COP ONE Carlo Fanelli, Dottore, missing two months. He was the director of the museum. Which, since his absence... They have arrived on a landing. Various restoration crews are at work. Professor Ricci, a contemporary of Pazzis, comes up to him. RICCI Ah, Pazzi. How was america...? They turn their heads. At the sound of shouting. ANGLE THEIR POV. A large salon, its double door open, and ten chair arranged around a table, all full of seated older men, of whom several are expostulating with another figure, unseen. ANGLE ON RICCI, PAZZI, ET AL. RICCI We may need you to stop bloodshed. PAZZI What're they on about? RICCI They're grilling the applicant for the vacant post. PAZZI Speaking of the vacant post. RICCI Dottore Fanelli... COP He hasn't, by any chance, wandered back in? As Cop one talks with Ricci, camera goes over the shoulder of Pazzi, who, gingerly enters the salon, to the sight and sound of the old men arguing with each other. ANGLE, HIS POV. THE OLD MEN AT THE TABLE. Sogliato, a Fellow in his seventies, is holding the floor. SOGLIATO Now: our applicant holds in his hand, in his non-italian-hand, a note, from Dante Aligheri himself. Would he recognize it, I think not... ANOTHER OLD MAN You want the job for your nephew. SOGLIATO Indeed I do. Because he is my nephew? No. Because he... THIRD OLD MAN Let him read the note... SOGLIATO Yes, fine, of course he can read the note. His italian is admirable, for a straniero. But is he familiar with... ANGLE ON THE MAN, PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN OF WHOM THEY ARE TALKING. The movement of the pov reveals him, standing alone, back to camera, before a half cloth-covered tapestry, dressed in a magnificent suit, using half-glasses to look down at a note in his hand. SOGLIATO (V.O.) The personalities of pre-renaissance Florence? I think not. The man (Hannibal Lechter/Dr. Fell) still seen from the rear-- still looking at the note--nods to indicate he has heard. ANGLE HIS POV The table of old men, and beyond them, Pazzi. Ricci appears at Pazzi's side, and speaks in whispers. RICCI (sotto) ...A Dr. Fell. A brazilian, I think. Applying for Fanelli's post. PAZZI (vacantly) Brazilian. (Ricci hands some forms to Pazzi) RICCI It would seem. SOGLIATO (V.O.) What if he came upon a note in, the Capponi library, this great Italian institution, which he now graces us with his bid to direct, a note from Guido de Cavalcanti. Would he recognize it, I think not. ANGLE ON DR. FELL, STILL SEEN FROM THE REAR, As he takes silk square from his breast pocket, and cleans his half-glasses, then folds them and puts them and the square back in his pocket. SOGLIATO (V.O.) Would you care to address that, Dr. Fell...? Beat. Dr. Fell turns to camera, still holding the note. He takes several paces, to look at the note in a shaft of sunlight. He is standing beside the statue of Judith and Holofernes. He nods at the note, as if confirming something. Then he looks up. DR. FELL Cavalcanti replied publicly to Dante's first sonnet. Do you know it, professor Sogliato? I believe it's worth your time: listen to the way he makes an instrument of the italian vernacular, which he called the vulgari eloquentia-- the eloquent voice of the people: allegro me sembrava amor tenedo/meo core in mano, e ne la braccia avea/madonna involta in un drappa dormedo/poi la svegliava a d'esto ardeno/lei paventosa umilmente pascea/appreso gir lo ne vedea paingendo. If Dante had written to a Cavalcanti, it would, of course, have been to Andrea, the most literary of his brothers... SOGLIATO ...Why do you want this job? DR. FELL In the hope, that someday, I should come across such a note. I thank you Gentleman for your kind attention, and hope you will consider... The meeting is about to break up, the old men are rising, Fell hands back the note, which is encased in a protector, Ricci comes forward with Pazzi, and begins introducing him to the committee. RICCI ...Investigating the disappearance of Dottore Fanelli... PAZZI Who, can you think, who would want to harm Dr. Fanelli, did he have any enemies, that... COMMITTEE MEMBER ...I have never met a man who was so well beloved. PAZZI ...He was wealthy... COMMITTEE MEMBER He had nothing. He lived in a garret. His work was his life, he... PAZZI ...His family has offered a large reward. ANGLE ON FELL, WHO GOES TO THE PEDIMENT OF THE STATUE OF Judith and Holofernes, and picks up a small sketch book, which is opened at a sketch of the statue, he puts the book under his arm. Angle on Pazzi and the Committee member. COMMITTEE MEMBER His older brother offers the reward, Ffanelli had nothing, he.... ANGLE. Pazzi half turns his head, to see several Committee members congratulating dr. Fell, who is putting on his coat. COMMITTEE MEMBER ...Will have, of course to be examined by the studiolo, to confirm the appointment, but I think I can assure you, that the committee... DR. FELL ...You are most kind... ANGLE, ON PAZZI, WHO IS STILL BEING TALKED AT BY THE COMMITTEE MEMBER. COMMITTEE MEMBER ..Who would benefit from his disappearance? No one. No one has but lost by it... Angle Pazzi starts toward dr. Fell. PAZZI (to the Committee member) ...Would you excuse me...? ANGLE EXT THE SALON, ON THE LANDING, FELL IS BEING ADDRESSED BY RICCI. RICCI ...Will have to face the studiolo, in their meeting next week. And I, for one, wish you the best. Fell shakes his hand, and starts down the staircase. CAMERA GOES WITH HIM, WE HEAR PAZZI VO. PAZZI (V.O.) Dottore... Fell turns, and Pazzi comes to catch up with him. PAZZI Pazzi, rinaldo, commendatore, prefatura... FELL Of course, commendatore... Camera takes them down the stairs, as they talk. PAZZI Could you tell me: did you ever meet your predecessor, Dottore Fanelli...? FELL I never met him. I knew him only from his writings. PAZZI I know that the Officers who first investigated his disappearance Searched for a note, a farewell note, a suicide note... FELL ...Yes. PAZZI You have taken over his offices, is that not so? FELL It is only temporary, until my confirmation by... PAZZI Of course, in his offices, if you come across anything, any personal papers of his, anything, however trivial, would you contact me, please... Are his personal effects still at the palazzo? FELL Yes. Packed and with an inventory. (he hesitates, and looks at Pazzi) Pazzi and Fell walk out of the museum. ANGLE EXT THE MUSEUM. PAZZI I'll have them picked up. Pazzi gestures to his Colleague. PAZZI May we drop you? FELL Thank you, I am most happy to walk in this most magnificent of cities. Fell starts pulling on his gloves, he hands his sketchbook to Pazzi for a moment. Pazzi looks down. ANGLE PAZZI'S POV Fell's left hand, has a scar on the back in the shape of a PAZZI May I ask you a personal question, Dr. Fell? FELL If your duty requires it. PAZZI You have a recent scar on the back of your hand. FELL And you have a new wedding ring on yours? La vita nuova?-- (he smiles.) PAZZI You looked oddly at me, back on the landing. FELL Yes, it must be hard to be a policeman. Is it hard? Must one, then, be constantly suspicious? PAZZI Why did you look at me that way? FELL (smiles) I saw a man in disheveled clothing, but clean. Just dressed--in the middle of the... Fell shakes his head, asking to have the question withdrawn. PAZZI ...Please... FELL (shrugs, smiles) I saw a man, somewhat fatigued. Quickly dressed, a bit dishevelled. In the middle of the day. (smiles) An old story. And then I saw the clothing was fresh--therefore: a man who dressed at home. And then I remarked the new wedding ring. And so: the story gave me pause. A lovely story. A new, and a beloved wife. I wish you joy. (fell starts to exit) Pazzi walks with him. PAZZI You assemble this, on the instant, from these few observations? FELL (shrugs) I'm a historian. It is our task to assemble the seemingly unconnected into the obvious. PAZZI ...Your scar..? FELL My scar is a war-wound. PAZZI How so? FELL Carpal-tunnel syndrome. From a life of typing. Commendatore. History, a hazardous profession. Fell and then Pazzi stop. FELL You are a Pazzi of the Pazzim are you not? PAZZI Yes. How did you know? FELL You resemble a figure from the Della Robia rondels, in your family's chapel at Santa Croce. PAZZI It was adresa de Pazzi, depicted as John the Baptist. You have seen the chapel? FELL I have had the honor. (he bows and starts off. Pazzi goes after him.) Fell turns to him. FELL I wondered that an Officer of your exalted rank should come, so late, into the case. PAZZI And? Then? FELL I wonder no longer. You were out of the country. PAZZI How could you know? FELL I sense... (he touches his nose) The faintest whiff of a perfume, whose base, whose base, whose base is "hamamelis"... It is witch-hazel-- such a clean scent. No, not a european scent. I would say it is a scent of the new world. I would say, you have been in America. Have I struck home? PAZZI You know America? FELL ...You have brought this perfume... Brought this perfume. Back. Back from America. To your new wife... (he picks up his hand, and glances down at Pazzi's wedding ring.) You have given it to her, and some of... (he smiles) Some of 'her perfume' has found its way back onto you. Lucky man. Lucky man, indeed. He bows, and starts to take his leave, from the startled Pazzi. Pazzi comes to his senses, and hands a card to Fell. PAZZI Should you come across anything which... FELL You will be the first I call. Fell turns to leave, turns back, and takes his hand and, gently rubs it on the lapel of Pazzi's suitjacket, he then, delicately, holds the hand under his nose, and nods, as if in agreement with himself. He nods, and walks off into a park. ANGLE ON PAZZI, WHO LOOKS AFTER FELL. HE WALKS BACK TOWARD The car. He turns, to look after Fell, and we see he is standing by a line of people, a queue, under a banner which proclaims, "Atrocious instruments of torture." Pazzi shakes his head, as if to clear it, and starts toward his car, where Cop one opens the door for him. ANGLE ON FELL, AS CAMERA TAKES HIM INTO THE PARK, WHICH, WE SEE, Is a cemetery. He sits on a bench, and takes out his sketchbook, and begins to draw. ANGLE HIS POV. A piece of funerary statuary, the lion, holding the bird in his mouth. ANGLE ON DR. FELL, SKETCHING. TIGHT. He sketches, he raises his hand to his nose and inhales, and nods again. ANGLE, FROM THE SIDE, WE NOW SEE THE STATUE AND FELL'S DRAWING. HE IS DRAWING, NOT THE STATUE, BUT A SKETCH OF CLARICE STARLING. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. MARYLAND MISERICORDIA HOSPITAL - DAY. Various unfortunate people, entering the hospital; leaving the hospital, a vast giant of a man, shrugging himself into an army fatigue jacket over orderly's whites. (Barney) ANGLE STARLING, STANDING AT A BUSSTOP, READING A PAPER. ANGLE INS. In the paper is secreted a photo of Barney, on FBI xerox form, with his name, and description. ANGLE STARLING WAITS AT THE BUSSTOP. BARNEY PASSES IN FRONT OF HER, AND CONTINUES WALKING. STARLING FOLDS THE PAPER AND GOES AFTER HIM. ANGLE RUNDOWN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, DAY. Barney, now holding a small bag of groceries, crosses the street. We see Starling in the bg. Barney stops, in the middle of the road. We see he is looking up overhead. ANGLE INS HIS POV. A dove, circling in the sky. ANGLE XCU. Barney looking up, puzzled, and then he looks down. ANGLE HIS POV. In the road ahead, a dead dove. BARNEY WALKS INTO THE POV, PICKS UP THE DOVE, AND WALKS TO Small ratty verge of park. He puts the dove down, lovingly in the grass, and we watch, as the other dove lands on a fence, nearby. Barney starts to walk toward the live bird. ANGLE OVER THE BIRD, ONTO BARNEY, WITH STARLING WALKING UP BEHIND HIM. Barney hesitates, his back still to Starling. BARNEY Are you attracted by death? (pause) It is the one great mystery, is it not? Anyone who would say otherwise must be a hypocrite. Don't you think...? He turns for the first time and looks at her. BARNEY ...Or are you only attracted by power... (he changes his tack and tone.) How are you, Agent Starling? STARLING Ah, Barney: you've got a good memory. BARNEY You know why that is? Because there are so few things I need to forget. Would you agree, for the record, that I have not been read my rights? STARLING I have not read you your rights. BARNEY Would you mind saying that into your bag...? Starling starts to open her bag, and speaks into it. STARLING I hereby acknowledge that... BARNEY And now I have "dociled" you, have I not? By forcing your obedience. STARLING (smiling) Then why did you chose to inform me of it...? BARNEY To show... (pause) In my ability to squander. What one might deem an advantage... That my strength is greater than yours... STARLING Oh yeah? Wanna arm wrestle...? BARNEY If you'll come down the street I will make you a cup of coffee. INT. BARNEY'S APARTMENT - DAY. As they enter, the apartment with many deadbolts. Starling enters warily and takes a seat with her back to the wall, in the small studio. As Barney begins making coffee. BARNEY You almost took down Evelda Drumgo. STARLING Well. Word gets around. BARNEY ...What hindered you...? STARLING It wasn't my day. BARNEY Perhaps you did not have the support you required. STARLING It's a poor workman who blames his tools. BARNEY Or, perhaps... STARLING ...How are things at the hospital? BARNEY It's a growth business. STARLING What have they got you doing? BARNEY Orderly. STARLING I would have figured you an R.N. by now, or, maybe med school. BARNEY I prefer to stay in the less frivolous professions. STARLING (takes out a notebook) You lasted eight years, as orderly, in Dr. Lechter's prison ward. BARNEY Yes, I presumed it was about him. STARLING ...You... BARNEY I'm struck by your phraseology. I did not last with him. I was privileged to enjoy his company during that time. STARLING (getting down to business, as she takes out a pencil.) I'm looking for... BARNEY He said, and these were his words, he valued our time together, because I was civil. STARLING Did you ever think, did you think, after he escaped, he would come after you? BARNEY He told me, he preferred to eat the rude. Or: "natural composting." Do you think he'd come after you...? Starling looks out the window. ANGLE HER POV Out the window, se see the dove circling the dead dove on the ratty piece of grass. STARLING (turning back) What...? BARNEY I asked you how you like your coffee...? We have black and bitter. As the soul of man. Or light and sweet, as the world-view of the self- delusive. STARLING We got a bunch of materials, coming up at auction. Materials which disappeared from Dr. Lechter's cell, drawings he made, his books. BARNEY Yes? STARLING And I'd like your help, determining who's bidding for their purchase. BARNEY Why me? STARLING Waal, because your selling'em... Two years ago, his annotated dictionary of cuisine, by Alexander Dumas, went for sixteen thousand dollars. Seller's affidavit of ownership, signed Cary Panz. P.A.N.Z. Sounds to me like an orderly. Whadja clear on the book? Ten, twelve grand? BARNEY ...Very good. STARLING Here's what they want you to do: we want the rest of the stuff you stole from his cell. BARNEY ...Why? STARLING Let's just say they got a passion for collectibles... BARNEY You said "here's what they want you to do..." Why? STARLING Now, whyn't you help us? BARNEY That would adversely impact my income. STARLING Not as much as being jailed for theft of government property, or for failure to pay income tax, on undisclosed income.