COUNT FREDERICK
(to the servants)
Who was the last man to hold the key?
PETRO
You have lost it, airheads.
MICHAEL
(to the count)
Perhaps it was stolen, My Lord?
COUNTESS MARIA
God forbid, please order a thorough search.
The count and the countess walk out through the open door of the crypt into the garden. American servant follows them
AMERICAN SERVANT
May I beg your permission to live in the old guardhouse near the chapel?
COUNT FREDERICK
But the old guardhouse is hardly fit to live in.
AMERICAN SERVANT
The only desire I have left in this world is to guard my master’s grave.
COUNT FREDERICK
As you wish.
The count, the countess and the American servant go out through the open western doors of the crypt to the garden.
EXT – GARDEN NEAR THE WESTERN DOORS OF THE CRYPT-SAME DAY
Count Frederick, Countess Maria and American Servant stand in the garden.
The old man bows deeply to the count, handing the countess a long dark velvet box
AMERICAN SERVANT
(bowing)
As per my master’s spoken command, in the memory of him.
Countess Maria opens the box, revealing a beautiful pearl necklace resting on the blue velvet. The necklace’s clasp is shaped like a serpent’s head with two large emeralds for eyes. The emeralds glint mysteriously in the light.
Countess Maria looks up at her husband questioning and he nods in approval. The Countess’ fingers touch the necklace
END OF THE MEMORIES
EXT – CLEARING IN THE WOODS – SAME SUMMER DAY
Karl Ivanovich puts sheets on his knees
HARRY
(eats olives from a saucer with fingers)
The great idol of Huitzilopochtli was once adorned with a pearl necklace fashioned into a snake with emerald eyes. It was supposed to possess some sort of a supernatural power. It vanished when the Spaniards looted Huitzilopochtli’s temple.
GEORGES
Who was she, Huitzilopochtli?
CAPTAIN WRIGHT
A he. An ancient god of war.
JAMES
So this is all?
KARL IVANOVICH
I cannot find the rest of this letter.
He shuffles through the pile of old letters
HARRY
(puts an olive into his mouth)
Well, please read the next one that you can find.
INT – CARDIE’S CASTLE, LONG CORRIDOR – NIGHT
BEGINNING OF YOUNG CARLO’S MEMORIES
TITLE: 1832
The empty corridor of the castle is dimly lit. The silence of the night is broken my Countess Maria’s scream.
INT – CARDIE’S CASTLE, CHILDREN’S BEDROOM – NIGHT
Young Carlo sits up in his bed, listening in the darkness. He can hear the doors slamming, the sounds of running feet and the voices of the excited servants (sound behind the scenes)
YOUNG CARLO
(frightened)
Catherine, Catherine, where are you?
He leaps out of his bed, barefoot and clad in a nightshirt and rushes out of his bedroom
INT-CARDIE’S CASTLE, COUNTESS MARIA’S BEDROOM-SAME NIGHT
Countess Maria’s bedroom is filled with frightened servants.
The countess lies unconscious on propped up pillows, her face as white as her sheets and nightdress. There are red spots of blood on her chest, on the white fabric.
The count sits next to her, lifting her head, and the FAMILY DOCTOR (40 years old) pours medicine in her mouth.
A few moments later she regains consciousness and looks around the room, terrified
COUNTESS MARIA
Freddie, did you chase him away?
COUNT FREDERICK
(lowers his wife’s head back onto the pillow)
Whom, my dear?
COUNTESS MARIA
(grabs Count’s hand)
The old grandfather, don’t let him in!
COUNT FREDERICK
(takes her hand)
Calm down, my dear, grandfather is dead and you must have had a nightmare.
COUNTESS MARIA
(squeezes his hand)
No, it was not a dream.
(touches her lips)
I did fall asleep, but then I sensed somebody come into the room. I recognized him, the grandfather. It was him, and yet, not him at all.
COUNT FREDERICK
(strokes her hand)
My dear, you just had a bad dream.
COUNTESS MARIA
(shakes her head in denial and clutches his hand even tighter)
No, listen…
INT-CARDIE’S CASTLE, COUNTESS MARIA’S BEDROOM-NIGHT
COUNTESS MARIA RECALLING HER DREAM
Countess Maria is awoken by a cold wind, blowing onto her face from the open window.
American GRANDFATHER (aka American Servant, 80 years old) is in her bedroom. He moves towards the Countess’ bed and leans over her. Eyes wide open with fear, she stares at him in the darkness
GRANDFATHER
Why are you not wearing my gift?
He holds the pearl necklace with the serpent’s head. He places it around the Countess’ neck and kissed her on the lips
END OF COUNTESS MARIA’S DREAM
INT-CARDIE’S CASTLE, COUNTESS MARIA’S BEDROOM-SAME NIGHT
Countess Maria lies on propped up pillows and wipes her lips with the back of her hand nervously. The bloodstains on her nightgown are clearly visible.
Count Frederick sits beside her, the family doctor and the servants crowd around her bed. Countess Maria continues
COUNTESS MARIA
Instead of the necklace there was a real snake around my neck and it bit me…
YOUNG