5 SCREENPLAYS

familiarity in her voice, dialogue as well as action. sophia I am sure the printer has another copy. May I keep this? nicholas It was meant for... They cross the path and go into the yard. ext. nicholas' cottage - night The yard and the cottage are illuminated by the bonfire and by the light of the kerosene lamps in the living room and kitchen. When on the steps of the porch, Nicholas puts his hand on her arm and stops. Nicholas is still dazed by the events. nicholas I am trying to lock things together... I am not all there... You are too real to be a vision and yet, I am not sure. (moves a bit closer) You are what you are at present. I am what I am at present. This is all I can declare. What is happening? Sophia's eyes drift out in sadness. For an instant and then her face lights up again. Nicholas lets her arm go and she starts for the door. Suddenly, a GUST OF NORTH WIND sprays the fire, scoops up topsoil and forces the storm windows to swing and then bounce back against the wall. Sophia lifts a small pot with basil from the ledge. sophia This is too delicate to be outside tonight. She enters the cottage and turns to Nicholas. There is mist in her eyes. int. nicholas' living room - night Sophia smells the basil and puts it on the table next to his typewriter. The WIND GETS STRONGER and Nicholas secures the windowpane. sophia The mighty north wind. Her eyes linger on the basil, then she turns to Nicholas. sophia Why are you leaving? Taken aback and, after a pause: nicholas To follow my instinct and not to reason. sophia Freedom? nicholas Escape from the bondage. sophia Your own? nicholas The one I created for myself and from society's prescription of proper bearing... You see... it took me ten years to achieve a few things as an author, but it only takes a flash to travel back to the day when I started and I am scared because I know that I don't know. She ponders his answer and walks slowly to and opens a window. The WIND MOANS, the sea rolls over the boulders, spraying the hillside and path. sophia Must you go? He focuses on the conversations with Stavros. nicholas Yes. Because I am scared of the moment when I'll step on the edge of dusk and turn around to look back. At that moment, instead of telling myself that this was a short trip, I want to say, mister, the trail you left behind is your own happiness, and the green in your footsteps are the sprouts of the tree of joy left for those who would someday stop to rest on their shadow... and, I fear that this is something I will not be able to declare. She looks at him, smiles and points outside. sophia No fire on earth can erase the mark you have made, Nicholas Rambis. Nicholas shakes his head in disagreement. nicholas It is not done. Nicholas takes the book from her hand and shows it to her. nicholas ...questions. Not one single answer. There is no reply. She goes slowly to the mirror, looks at her face, touches her cheeks and smoothes back her hair. ext. path - night ----------------------------- Nicholas' intellectual self rejects the Old Woman’s absolute belief at the similarity, but the veil of his emotional self is pierced by the thrust of probability. His eyes go out to the Woman again, forces a knowing smile on his face and he shakes his head. nicholas A painting. A picture. She lowers her arm and smiles back at Nicholas. It is a smile of kindness and understanding. old woman I answered your question, my son. Please go. He wants to prove her wrong without insulting her and fights his every word. nicHolas It is not possible. I cannot accept it because one must rely on facts. There's a span of more than six hundred years here. He stands up and starts to walk around, fighting his mind, the dents on his rationale, trying to reason things out. He stops and stares hard at the Woman. nicHolas Alexander. Who is he? She stands up easily this time. old woman The man she loved. He is completely staggered. He wants to expose the Old Woman's false faith, and clear up his own mind. nicholas Perhaps... her lover? She knows what he's trying to do. old woman Yes. Her dead lover. Nicholas turns and looks at the icon. nicholas She. A saint? old woman Yes! He wants to attack but reconsiders. He now wants to drive some sense into the Old Woman's head, but not embarrass her. In reality, he wants to talk some sense to himself. nicholas You are the salt of the earth — pure, noble, charitable, and a person I can call a living Saint without the slightest of hesitation... Madam, I am not a prude, but if you accept what you just revealed to me, in full, then I have no choice but to believe that you are a victim of warped values and completely out of context with Christianity. She heads for the door. The limp has disappeared. Before she goes outside, she turns around and smiles kindly. old woman We both have values. We both have answers, my son. But there is a difference. With my values and answers I live in peace. You do not. She opens the door and walks outside. Nicholas takes a few steps toward the Old Woman but stops. ext. a clearing in the forest - day CLOSE ON a woman's fingers pulling the last daisy petal and freeze. CAMERA PULLS BACK to reveal Sophia and the white stallion grazing just behind her. Sophia smiles as a slight disappointment registers on her face. Then her smile grows as she thinks of the past.