|
Bathory by MARK THE SHARK Revised by CASSY HAVENS Fourth
Draft 2003-10-01 NORTHWESTERN
PRODUCTIONS (myoldaddywasntworking@hotmail.com) ------------------------------- "BATHORY" FADE
IN: BLACKNESS. TEXT,
WHITE ON BLACK. (IN ANCIENT FONT) "ELIZABETH BATHORY (1560-1613) of
Hungary, known as the Blood Countess was real. She lived most
of her life in the latter half of the sixteenth
century. She is said to have tortured and killed over 650 virgin
girls in order to bathe in their blood. Investigated
for her alleged crimes at the beginning of the seventeenth
century, she was never convicted. Her infamy has become
legendary." Another
SUPER appears below the written text. "This is a retelling of this
legend..." The WHITE
TEXT turns blood red, then drips down the black screen. The CAMERA PULLS back
as it reveals a full-sized rendering of the BATHORY COAT OF ARMS: the torso
of a woman with outspread wings and wearing Athena's helmet above a dragon
swallowing its own tail. In the middle of the circle formed by the dragon,
are three wolves' teeth. The
OPENING TITLES are superimposed over the coat of arms. STUDIO 11.14.67 presents a NORTHWESTERN production of a RIDLEY SCOTT film CHRISTINA RICCI is B A T H O R Y MICHAEL IRONSIDE MAURY CHAYKIN CAMERYN MANHEIM ROMOLA GARAI VIVIEN CARDONE BENNO FURMANN CILLIAN MURPHY PETER STORMARE EMBETH DAVIDTZ and F. MURRAY ABRAHAM as "Pastor Ponikenuz" casting by CASSY HAVENS and MARK THE SHARK a.c.e. edited by THELMA SCHOONMAKER music by HANS ZIMMERMAN special make-up effects by RICK BAKER director of photography FREDDIE FRANCIS production designer HENRY BUMSTEAD screenplay by MARK THE SHARK executive producers EDWARD HAVENS CASSY HAVENS produced by MARK THE SHARK directed by RIDLEY SCOTT Following
CREDITS... DISSOLVE TO: EXT.
CASTLE ECSED - OUTER COURT - NIGHT A
SUPER in the bottom-right hand corner of the screen: "CASTLE ECSED, 1569
A.D." A hot
summer night. It's the middle of the sixteenth century, 1569 to be exact.
ARMED SOLDIERS casually stroll about the perimeter, where the stables and
garrison are. Soon,
the outer court is SIEGED upon by angry PEASANT REBELS, with primitive
weapons, axes, pitchforks, shovels, etc. They effectively take the castle by
surprise. AN
ERUPTION OF VIOLENCE, the peasants set fire to the granary with torches. They
proceed to set fire to anything they can, and it spreads quickly through the
court. The
madness SPREADS throughout the courtyard. Soldiers are hacked to pieces with
axes, servant girls are dragged out of the castle and raped right on the
spot, and skulls are SMASHED IN with spiked clubs. The brutal acts of
VIOLENCE are backlit by the ROARING FIRE of the burning castle. Their
leader, DOZSA, leads his men through the flanks. INT.
CASTLE ECSED - BEDROOM - NIGHT Four
NURSES hurriedly bundle up three young girls: ANICHKA (12), SHANDRA (13), and
a YOUNG ELIZABETH BATHORY (VIVIEN CARDONE), three beautiful young girls with
milky skin and reddish chestnut hair. Elizabeth
is the hardest to rouse; she sits up groggily in her bed. The amber glow of
the roaring fire illuminates through the windows, casting sinister shadows. NURSE (Panicky whisper) Elizabeth...we must hurry. She
scoops up the child. INT.
CASTLE ECSED - SECRET PASSAGEWAY - NIGHT The
FOUR NURSES carry the girls through a SECRET PASSAGEWAY in the castle,
leading to a small wooded area. EXT.
CASTEL ECSED - HIDING SPOT - NIGHT The Four
Nurses stuff the girls behind a brush, and they observe the chaos from their
wooded hiding place, trembling with fear. They are illuminated by the fiery
glow of the burning castle. Elizabeth
observes the chaos with a child's fascination. INT.
CASTLE ECSED - ENTRANCE - NIGHT The
Peasant Rebels STORM into the castle. They drag SERVANTS out of rooms and
place them before their leader DOZSA. He unsheathes a scythe and slices open
one of their throats. Ruby specks of blood SPURT onto Dozsa, and scarlet tissue
seeps out of the young girl's throat. The
Rebels proceed to torch the innards of the castle. INT.
CASTLE ECSED - DINING CHAMBER - NIGHT A
large, elegant DINING CHAMBER with a large table, clothe with the Bathory
coat of arms woven into them. A PEASANT WITH A TORCH sets fire to the table. INT.
CASTLE ECSED - SERVANT QUARTERS - NIGHT Two
SERVANT GIRLS, no older than sixteen or seventeen, are pulled out from under
two beds. They are forced onto the bed and wrapped with linen. Trapped in the
bed sheets, they kick and scream trying to get out. Another PEASANT WITH A
TORCH tosses the torch right onto the bed. It immediately is set ABLAZE with
the two girls wrapped in linen being BURNED ALIVE. EXT.
CASTLE ECSED - HIDING SPOT - NIGHT The NURSES
and the GIRLS are huddled together. Young Elizabeth is prone, watching the
madness unfold before her young eyes. She
crawls a little further from her nurses and sisters, for a better look at
what's going on: EXT.
CASTLE ECSED - ELIZABETH'S POV - NIGHT Everything
is surreal, an exaggerated take on the carnage with the Peasant Rebels larger
than life. They are backlit by the roaring fires that burn the granaries and
the inside of the castle, appearing has mere shadows. The
Peasant Rebels rape the women and kill the men with vindictive and sadistic
glee. DOZSA
and FOUR OF HIS MEN appear out of the castle. They step right in front
the hiding area, laughing and talking amongst them. EXT.
CASTLE ECSED - HIDING SPOT - NIGHT The
NURSES hold the two older girls tighter. Anichka is holding back the urge to
scream. NURSE #2 (Panicky whisper) Elizabeth...get back here... DOZSA
LOOKS in the direction of the two girls and their four nurses. Elizabeth
crawls near a tree. Shandra
lets out a cry. DOZSA Over there! The
MEN advance on the hiding spot. They trample through the brush. Elizabeth
quickly SCURRIES up a tree, an excellent climber for her age, and perches on a
high branch, as the Peasant Rebels discover the two girls and their nurses. Elizabeth
WATCHES from the tree as the Peasant Rebels DRAG her sisters from out of
their hiding spot. Dozsa's
Men force the women and children into a kneeling position before their
leader. They laugh gleefully at their new find. Elizabeth
WATCHES in horror. Dozsa's
tears off the front of Nurse #2's dress. She SOBS as her breasts roam free
through her ripped dress. All the girls SOB with fear. The NURSES plead for
their lives in high-pitched voices (overlapping): NURSE #1 Please! Please! Spare us! We
will do anything for you! We are at
your service! NURSE #2 Please don't harm the
children! Please don't harm us! We will do
whatever you want! Please let us go! NURSE #3 My body is yours to do as
you wish to it! Just please don't harm
us or the children! NURSE #4 We haven't done anything to
you! Please, just let us go! The SWISHING
of DOZSA’S SCYTHE cuts off their PLEAS. He SLITS their throats, letting the
blood run down their bodies. They drop to the ground like butchered pigs. ANICHKA Do you know who we are?! SHANDRA We are Bathorys! You will
pay for this! Dozsa's
Men LAUGH and mock them. DOZSA'S MAN (mock cry) We are Bathorys! We are Bathorys! Dozsa
stops laughing. He becomes dead serious and looks straight into the two girls.
With a voice deeper than they've ever heard before, DOZSA SPEAKS: DOZSA Do you know who I am? I am
Dozsa, the death of nobles! I have come
to avenge the blood of my father and
brother! Elizabeth
WATCHES as the shades of men SWARM OVER her sisters' bodies. The sound of
silk being ripped is heard, and Shandra gives a WEAK CRY like a hurt kitten. Elizabeth
continues to hide in the tree and look on with a mixture of horror and
fascination. DISSOLVE TO: EXT.
ECSED CASTLE - DAY The castle
has collapsed, now a smoldering pile of rock; still burning. The castle has
been devastated, leaving corpses and burnt castle behind. Black smoke climbs
up into the air. EXT.
ECSED CASTLE - ELIZABETH'S TREE - DAY Elizabeth
comes to. She shivers with fright. She looks down a few branches below her to
see ANICHKA'S BLUE EYES gazing up at her, but her eyes are glossed over,
lifeless. She's dead. Her naked bruised body is hanging upside down, swaying
slightly in the breeze. Hanging
from another tree is SHANDRA. On
the ground below lay the grotesquely sprawled corpses of their nurses, their
throats slashed. The blood has drained at the foot of the mossy oak, turning
it a rusty red. Elizabeth
loses consciousness. FADE TO BLACK: The
sound of SOFT FOOTSTEPS are audible. FADE
IN: EXT.
ECSED CASTLE - ELIZABETH'S TREE - DAY Elizabeth
comes to with a start. She LISTENS for the footsteps. Someone or something
else is definitely here. She quivers with fear, clenching to her branch. EXT.
ECSED CASTLE - BURNING RUBBLE - DAY To
Elizabeth's relief, it is a beautiful white horse. Her HOOVES thump gently
against the grass, appearing around from the burning mass of castle. This
horse will be later known as LUNA. Luna
casually ambles along the grass, grunting, making the usual horse noises. EXT.
ECSED CASTLE - ELIZABETH'S TREE - DAY Elizabeth,
taken by the horse, calls to it in soft coos: ELIZABETH Here, girl. Here, Luna. It's
okay. EXT.
ECSED CASTLE - BURNING RUBBLE - DAY Luna,
the horse, looks at her with the kindest, most beautiful eyes ever. She steps
a little closer to the tree. Elizabeth,
from the tree, keeps cooing the horse. ELIZABETH Come here, Luna. Come here,
it's okay, girl. Luna
steps over to the tree, coming to a stop right beside it. Elizabeth SLIDES
DOWN from the tree, landing carefully on the horse's back. Luna doesn't seem
to mind Elizabeth mounting her this way. DISSOLVE TO: EXT.
LUNA - SUNDOWN (MOVING SHOT) Elizabeth
has her arms wrapped around Luna's neck. She rides her through the woods,
keeping out of the open country. Elizabeth and the horse let the darkness
blanket them, as they take the lonely trek through the woods. DISSOLVE TO: EXT.
WOODS - NIGHT An open
clearing in the woods, with a tranquil pond, a waterfall streaming into it.
Elizabeth rides slowly into this clearing. She carefully slides of Luna. She
walks to the pond and looks into it. The moonlight bouncing back up to her
milky-skinned face. INT.
POND - NIGHT We
look up at Elizabeth, her pale, frightened, and tortured face as the waters
ripple. EXT.
WOODS - NIGHT Elizabeth
looks behind her. Luna's still there. Elizabeth lifts her dress up, stripping
to her bare flesh, out of her elegant nightgown. Now, without a stitch of
clothing, she DIVES into the pond. INT.
POND - NIGHT She
swims naked, bathed in snowy moonlight, through the black pond. She swims
right down to the bottom, touching the soft muddy floor with her fingers, and
walking across it with her hands. She swims to the surface. EXT.
POND - NIGHT Elizabeth
RESURFACES inside the waterfall, beating down on her face. She runs her
fingers through her hair, letting the water touch every part of her soul. She floats
around in the pond, lying on her back. EXT.
WOODS - NIGHT Elizabeth
steps out of the pond, dripping wet. The horse is no longer there and her
clothes are not where she left them.
Self-consciously, she wraps her arms around herself to conceal her nudity.
Who else is here? Suddenly,
she SEES an animal prone in the grass. IT'S A LION! And under its paws are
her clothes. A
lion in Hungary? Elizabeth has only seen lions in storybooks. She reacts
surprisingly calmly; she gets down on all fours to better understand what
she's seeing. The
lion LOOKS UP at her, staring at her curiously. A
PAW clamps down on her shoulder. She turns around and FAINTS. Connected to
the paw is a four-foot creature, dressed in bark with leaves still protruding
from it, look down on her through a knotted mass of curly white hair. DISSOLVE TO: EXT.
WOODS - MORNING Elizabeth
comes to. She's lying naked between two STRANGE FURRY ANIMALS. She is
semi-conscious, unsure of her surroundings. She passes out again. DISSOLVE TO: EXT.
WOODS - A LITTLE LATER Elizabeth
comes to again. She groggily tries to discern what's going on, exhausted by
the events leading up to this, she seems content now, maybe this was all a
dream. She passes out again. FADE TO BLACK: A
ROARING FIRE is audible. FADE
IN: EXT.
WOODS - DAY An
elderly woman, made up in furs to look like an animal, HIMLAT, tends a fire. Elizabeth
comes to, she's under a shelter, made of soldiers' armor, in between two
furry sleeping bodies. Elizabeth tries to wedge herself free of the
"strange creatures." Himlat
extends her hand, Elizabeth clasps it. Himlat helps the girl up. Elizabeth
groggily examines her surroundings. She's in a camp of some sort, occupied by
about FOURTEEN of these BEAST PEOPLE. The ones that are awake sit around the
fire. They wear beast furs to disguise themselves. Himlat
smiles at the girl. HIMLAT Perchance you are the fairy
sent to feed us. ELIZABETH (threatening) Perchance you can tell me
what you did to my clothes! (a
beat, softer) And perchance you can tell
me what you are. Himlat
laughs. HIMLAT Your clothes have been
washed and left out to dry. It should be a
good hour before they'll be dry enough
to wear again. In the meantime, we could
have breakfast and could get
acquainted. Elizabeth
nods and parks her naked bottom on a rock, a little uncomfortably. HIMLAT (CONT'D) My name is Himlat. My family
is only part natural, we mostly come
from other towns and villages
where we have been abused because of
our ugliness. (a beat) I myself have seen such
wicked things and have been employed to
such foul ends that I would never
return to the people's world. Himlat
pokes at the fire with her stick. Elizabeth looks at her curiously. Himlat's
features are coarse (the features she hides under the furs, that is) and
maybe a little deformed. ELIZABETH What have you seen? HIMLAT Since childhood, I had been
employed in some way or another to help
with rude peasant sports. I had to
nail cats to posts for a village game
where players with their hands tied behind
their backs batter the poor creature to
death. Elizabeth
frowns at this. Himlat continues: HIMLAT (CONT'D) The cats scratched and
clawed, occasionally gouging out one
of their eyes... (a beat) An occurrence that would
give me grim satisfaction. Later I had to
clean the village green, where men
with clubs had beat a pig lifeless while
their wives and children cheered. Himlat
shakes her head bitterly. HIMLAT (CONT'D) As a young woman I had been
charged with taking corpses off the
gibbet and removing heads stuck on posts by the village
gate when they began to rot.
At the time of my first blood, a kindly
woman had taken me into her employ,
paying me two copper coins for the hands
and penises of corpses. I had learned many
things from this woman, but in the end
this life disgusting to me, and now I
live here, where I have met many others
with stories similar to mine. A
nearby Creature, (he will be known as CASTRATED) speaks. He never keeps his
eyes from the ground, and never looks at Elizabeth herself. CASTRATED (sadly) All of us have been
mistreated in some form. I had been castrated
for looking too keenly at a countess. The
other CREATURES creep to the fire and stretch their limbs out. Elizabeth
NOTICES just how ugly they are, and being around so much deformity, she
forgets for the moment that she is naked. They run into the woods to urinate.
They return a beat later, carrying about the fire. They
look in awe at the young naked girl with the milky skin. The
BIGGEST of the Creatures pipes up, putting a HOOVE FOR AN ARM on her cheek. BIGGEST CREATURE This one was bathed in milk. Elizabeth
cringes, looking helplessly at Himlat. Himlat withdraws a stick from the fire
and strikes the Biggest Creature about the hoof with it. BIGGEST CREATURE
(CONT'D) (offended) I was just seeing what she
was made of. He
spits on his sizzling fur. The Biggest Creature sits back down in the circle.
Himlat takes a few skinned rabbits, which are hanging from a tree branch, and
cooks it over the fire. Elizabeth studies the creatures a little more
carefully. She
SEES that most of them had been tortured: the deep seated grooves of
lead-weighted whips, the craters left by the hooks, bones broken on racks,
legs that had atrophied from being chained, faces that had grown paralyzed
from wearing shame masks, the still-oozing seals of red-hot iron brands, the
round scars where breasts had been cut off. ELIZABETH Where is the lion? Great
LAUGHTER from all around. One
of the CREATURES circles around a tree and pulls out a lion skin. He crawls
inside, showing the girl the illusion. He lies across Elizabeth’s skinny lap.
The lion's skin was not even skin, but some sort of straw. HIMLAT We have many such tricks to
scare away trespassers. Elizabeth
looks at her new friends, her naked milky skin compared to their coarse and tortured
skin, it gives her a sense of noble pride. She sees the camps made up of
knight's armor, visors, etc. It puzzles her. ELIZABETH Why are your houses made of
knight's armor? HIMLAT We ought not to tell you
this, but you will now live with us, I
will tell you. At
the words, "live with us" we can see Elizabeth frown. She suddenly
remembers that she's far from home. HIMLAT (CONT'D) When we first started living
together, we had wandered around much
more than in the present time. One
day, we had come to a battlefield where
Hungarian knights had fought a Turkish
army. Everyone had been killed or
wounded. At nightfall we sneaked into
the field of blood and stripped the
fallen warriors of their armor. EXT.
WOODS - LATER (SHORT MONTAGE) Elizabeth,
still naked, stays close to Himlat, as the old woman shows the girl how to
collect herbs and make poisons and medicines from them. As they work, Himlat
TELLS HER how to bandage wounds, cut cysts, set broken bones, and suck out
snake poison. DISSOLVE TO: EXT.
WOODS - LATER Elizabeth
dresses as Himlat sets down a basket of herbs. Himlat gives Elizabeth a
mandrake root that looks like a little man. On the neck of the mandrake men are
embedded two small datura flowers. HIMLAT Here, little one. You must
keep this safe until the time your first
woman's blood comes. Then you should soak
the root in the blood until it is sated
with it. After that, you should let
it dry under the full moon. The power of
that doll would be so awesome that a
few simple words would cause the doll
to bring you whatever you wished. Elizabeth
accepts the doll graciously. ELIZABETH Thank you, Himlat. Elizabeth
thinks about her first woman's blood. ELIZABETH
(CONT'D) My first woman's blood. (a beat) I have heard the women at
Kereshtur speak about their woman's
blood many times and how it causes them
to have mood changes. I had once seen
my Aunt Klara tie a kerchief around
her waist and saw the white cotton
bloom two dark red roses. I had
thought that she were dying. But my Aunt
Klara then had told me that women bleed
this way in sympathy with our Lord on
the cross. This was a singular honor
accorded to women by Christ for love of
his mother, Mary. Men, who could not
bleed monthly, were obliged instead to shed
their blood in war. Himlat,
who is obviously a witch, nods in acknowledgement. DISSOLVE TO: EXT.
WOODS - LATER Elizabeth
sits on a rock. Himlat is asleep. She decides it's time to find her way home. DISSOLVE TO: EXT.
FIELDS - DAY Elizabeth
treks through the fields and trees all alone. She journeys on foot until she sees
a village, and in the far distance, the walls of a castle. It's
not Ecsed. There
is the sound of a HORN and the BAYING OF HOUNDS. EXT.
CHURCH SQUARE - DAY The
square in front of the church is MOBBED with people. They are on their knees
praying and crying. Tied to high stakes all around the square are NAKED
REBELS, the highest stake reserved for their leader, DOZSA. PASTOR
PONIKENUZ (F. MURRAY ABRAHAM) stands at the highest step of the church like a
lean crow cawing to the crowd. Elizabeth
nears the square, curiously watching the mob of people hanging on to the
pastor's every word. She's surprised to HEAR her name: PONIKENUZ God, who makes and unmakes
all things in this world, is going to
bring Elizabeth Bathory back to
us, unworthy sinners. We beseech God in
his wisdom to bring back Countess
Bathory to us. If she comes back sound and
safe, we promise to give God a great
feast of thanks and to thank every
one of the saints in his church. CROWD Amen! ONE OF THE CROWD I promise to crawl on my
knees to the cross on the hill behind the
church and remain fasting there for
three days and two nights. SILK MERCHANT I promise five bolts of
celestial blue silk to make all the saints
in the church new dresses. ANOTHER OF THE
CROWD I shall give alms to the
poor every day for a full year. Elizabeth
steps slowly, and deliberately, through the crowd. The crowd SEES her and
they part like the Red Sea. Many of them FAINT, thinking they are seeing a
ghost. The crowd parts in awe of her presence. Even the stern face of the
PASTOR is filled with shock. PONIKENUZ Countess... The
crowd FALLS to their hands and knees. PONIKENUZ
(CONT'D) You are home. Elizabeth
looks at the naked rebels on the stakes. ELIZABETH Are these the dogs that
killed my sisters? Ponikenuz
proudly shows her the prisoners. PONIKENUZ Yes. These are the filthy
wretches that has murdered your
beloved sisters, Anichka and
Shandra, and burned down Castle Ecsed.
They await the arrival of your uncle,
the palatine Thurzo. THURZO
(MICHAEL IRONSIDE) arrives on horseback with a mighty entourage. Elizabeth happily
watches her uncle ride into the village. The MOB remains on their hands and
knees. THURZO Elizabeth...you live. Thurzo
dismounts as a servant ties his horse to a post. He scoops up his niece and
carries her up the steps of the church. He holds her up for the people, who
CRY and CHEER. He shows Elizabeth the rebels. THURZO (CONT'D) (without affection) They will be punished, my
niece. He
sets her down beside him and addresses the prisoners. He unrolls an official looking
document, a proclamation of their crimes. THURZO (CONT'D) You are on trial for the
destruction of Castle Ecsed, including the
rapes and murders of the servants
employed there. And also the brutal murder
and buggering of Anichka and Shandra
Bathory, daughters of the Baron George and the
Baroness Anna! (a beat) May you pray that God is
more merciful than I. DOZSA’S
LIEUTENANTS are taken from their stakes and sat down on a long table, as if
they are guests to a great feast. THURZO (CONT'D) Sit that filthy shit down on
the Iron Chair. Dozsa
is taken down from his stake. He is moved from the stake and sat down in the
Iron Chair, with a crown placed on his head. The Iron Chair itself is upon a
mound of sticks to be set on fire. PONIKENUZ (low, to Thurzo) Do you think it wise that
the young countess be audience to
this? THURZO She has watched her sisters
die, now may her watch the
retribution. Dozsa
spits out his last words. DOZSA Death to the nobles! Death
to the aristocracy! Burn me so I
may be immortal, you stupid
cowards! THURZO Burn that wretch. They
light a fire underneath DOZSA’S chair. He sits there as the flames heat up
the iron. DOZSA I do not fear
death...uhh...I piss on your damned
nobles...(getting harder to speak) The
chair gets hotter and harder, soon, DOZSA’S flesh burns. He SCREAMS in pain,
heat coursing mercilessly throughout his body. Elizabeth
holds back the urge to vomit, the sickeningly sweet smell of DOZSA’S flesh,
fresh in her nostrils. Dozsa
BLEEDS from his nose and eyes, bubbling out his mouth, his flesh dripping
down. Elizabeth
LOOKS ON with morbid satisfaction as her sisters' slayer is righteously
punished. She forces herself to watch even as curled up morsels of DOZSA’S
brains come flying out his skull.
Thurzo’s
men extinguish the fire, and they wait as the body cools. Elizabeth
waits in anticipation. The
Undertaker SCOOPS up pieces of Dozsa's flesh and SLAMS it onto the table. The
Lieutenants cringe in horror as the Undertaker scoops up all the meat from
Dozsa’s body and slam it down in front of them. Thurzo's men force them to
eat the burned flesh. Some
refuse. DOZSA'S
LIEUTENANT No! No! No! They
pull the ones that refuse and drag them kicking in screaming before Thurzo.
Thurzo nods. Thurzo's Men unsheathe their swords and DISMEMBER them, hacking
them to pieces right on the spot. Elizabeth
feels so much joy at the rebels' suffering that SHE WETS HERSELF, and the
ground where she stands. The
rest of Dozsa's Lieutenants are forced to eat Dozsa's remains, some of them
do it voraciously, as if they were hungry, until all that's left of Dozsa is
a charred skeleton on the Iron Chair. Thurzo
turns to Elizabeth. THURZO My humble regrets for what
happened to you and your sisters. Elizabeth
nods sadly, who shows peculiar strength after all she has witnessed. THURZO (CONT'D) (to his Men) Put them all to death, save
for one, I will bring him to Budapest
with me where I will try on him one
of my mechanical inventions. He
shakes hands with Ponikenuz. THURZO (CONT'D) Thank you, Pastor Ponikenuz. PONIKENUZ It has been a great honor,
palatine Thurzo. Elizabeth
stands in-between her uncle and the pastor, standing before the crowd. They
CHEER for her. Elizabeth looks upon them with inner-satisfaction. FADE TO BLACK: TEXT,
WHITE ON BLACK. (ANCIENT FONT) "TWO YEARS LATER, The
coronation of Stephen Bathory as ruling
prince of Transylvania." EXT.
CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS - DAY Gallant
carriages, with the BATHORY COAT OF ARMS painted on their sides climb up the
Carpathian Mountains. Behind them following, are LADY SERVANTS carrying trunks
upon trunks of the Bathorys' luggage. DRAGOONS
guard the carriages. INT.
ELIZABETH'S CARRIAGE - DAY (MOVING SHOT) The
carriage ROCKS about. Its occupants: young Countess Elizabeth Bathory (11),
the portly figured and dear wet nurse of Elizabeth's DARVULIA (CAMRYN
MANHEIM), and her pretty aunt, LADY KLARA (ROMOLA GARAI). Elizabeth
wiggles with excitement. DARVULIA Be still. Klara hugs her niece and Elizabeth is dizzy with
happiness. INT.
ANNA'S CARRIAGE - DAY (MOVING SHOT) The
Baroness ANNA BATHORY (EMBETH DAVIDTZ) sits alone in her own carriage. She is
an icy beauty with detached expressions. DISSOLVE TO: EXT./INT.
STEPHEN BATHORY'S CASTLE - DAY A
massive castle in the Carpathian Mountains. A moving ESTABLISHING SHOT, capturing
the size and grandness of the castle. Activity, concerning the coronation is
brimming on the inside. KING
MATTHIAS II (MAURY CHAYKIN) enters with a retinue of two hundred courtiers in
a long carriage train. The King wears KNIGHTLY ARMOR with the cross of St.
Stephen flashing proudly from his chest. His visor is down so we don't see
his face. GUESTS
depart into the woods and return later, drunk and bloodstained, slinging wild
boar over their shoulders. In
the BANQUET HALL, guests enjoy wine and talk amongst themselves, a sea of
people. STEPHEN
BATHORY, a drunken teenager, looks on from the throne, at the festivities
before him. Many
NOBLE GUESTS watch the performances of ACROBATS, ACTORS, MIMES, and
MUSICIANS. Before
SUNSET, the TRUMPETS herald the arrival of EMPEROR MAXIMILLIAN, who rides in
on a white mare at the head of 120 HORSEMEN. DISSOLVE TO: INT.
BATHING AREA (WOMEN'S) - NIGHT An
intricate bathing area for the FEMALE GUESTS of Stephen's coronation. It's
situated inside of a mountain. An underground river was made to flow around a
hot mineral spring to flood a limestone quarry big enough for a thousand
bathers. Steps were cut into the flesh of the mountain to allow the GUESTS to
descend into the small lake, which is illuminated by torches affixed to stone
boulders. Additional
lighting comes from TORCHES carried by SERVANTS. MUSICIANS
and ACROBATS perform at the sides of the pool while steam swirls about them.
The cold mountain air mixed with the hot springs makes clouds of steam. Elizabeth
is helped into the water by her faithful maid TERESA (SAMANTHA MORTON).
Elizabeth wears a cotton nightgown. Elizabeth
FROLICS in the warm water, floating on her back, like a lily pad. The water
is deep and mysterious, blackened by the darkness below. Underneath, are the
FANTASTICAL FIGURES of unknown bodies, swimming around inside it. Elizabeth
lets herself drift on the surface of the water and BUMPS into a couple of
bodies. Elizabeth is startles and quickly SEES that she has bumped into TWO
BATHING GIRLS. She admires their womanly bodies, with their meaty breasts and
dark nipples. Their arms are intertwined with each other’s and their mouths
are sealed in a kiss. They don't seem to have even noticed the light bump
that Elizabeth had given them. With
her curiosity aroused, Elizabeth looks on. She DIVES under the water. INT.
UNDERWATER Elizabeth
encircles them with her arms, feeling the curves of their buttocks with her
forearms. She's trying to form a circle, but her skinny arms can't reach all
the way around. INT.
BATHING AREA (WOMEN'S) - NIGHT The
TWO BATHING GIRLS, startled, pull violently apart. INT.
UNDERWATER Elizabeth
finds herself FLOUNDERING, thrashing about in the water, drowning. INT.
BATHING AREA (WOMEN'S) - NIGHT Elizabeth
FLAPS HER ARMS in the water, SCREAMING FOR HELP. A
WOMAN grabs Elizabeth. TERESA comes running to the pool. The Woman delivers
Elizabeth to Teresa. Teresa carries the still SCREAMING CHILD away from the
bathing area. INT.
ANNA'S CHAMBER (SBC) - NIGHT The
great door of Anna's chamber opens, revealing Teresa holding a quivering
Elizabeth. Elizabeth
PEERS INSIDE and screams louder. ELIZABETH (screaming) THEY KILLED HER!! THEY
KILLED HER!! There's
a sound of rustling silk, the jingle of spurs, and the breaking of glass.
SERVANTS come rushing in from the hall. One of them lights a torch. Anna
emerges from her canopy, her long red hair undone, her gown lowered exposing
her breasts. She SCOWLS through the darkness. A
NAKED MAN moves closely behind her, holding up one of his boots. Elizabeth
looks on and BURSTS INTO LAUGHTER, annoying her mother even further. She
tries to curtsy, but instead, falls over on her face. Anna stands very still,
quivering with ANGER, in front of the ASSEMBLED SERVANTS. She
SHOUTS at her daughter. ANNA Your time has come, little
monster! Elizabeth
reacts in SURPRISE at the shouting of her mother. Her blood ices over on the
spot. EXT.
OUTDOOR THEATER - DAY A small
outdoor theater, arranged with an AUDIENCE sitting on STONE BENCHES that
encircle the stage. Elizabeth
sits down not far from a FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD BOY who watches the performance
eagerly. Below
is a puppet-play. The puppets are ten-feet tall, representing ANIMALS and
CLERGYMEN. The CROW flapped his motley rags around, shaming a drunken nun who
has done something to a nun. The
BOY laughs UPROARIOUSLY. He is JOHANNES. Elizabeth obviously is not seeing
the humor in the scene. ELIZABETH Where is the humor this
scene? The
BOY blushes. JOHANNES I have seen monks like this
one. We have monasteries full of
such monks! ELIZABETH What is your name, boy? JOHANNES My name is Johannes. I am a
member of Prince Rudolf's choir. He
is the son of Emperor Maximillian. ELIZABETH I am Elizabeth Bathory. JOHANNES (stunned) You are a countess. ELIZABETH That is right. The
boy blushes. JOHANNES I am pleased to make your acquaintance, young Countess. ELIZABETH You speak German. JOHANNES Yes. I speak Latin, German,
and Greek. ELIZABETH No Hungarian? JOHANNES I am afraid that I do not. ELIZABETH I speak all those languages except
for Greek. I have an interest in
words that goes beyond the urgings
of the monk, Silvestri. JOHANNES I too, have a thirst for
knowledge. I study geometry and astrology
at Hraschin Castle. (a beat) My own gift for acquiring
languages had come entirely naturally
without any help from a teacher. At Hraschin
Castle, I had listened to the
conversations of so many scholars from
everywhere in the Christian world, that I had
found myself conversing in many tongues
without difficulty. Elizabeth
is impressed with her new friend. ELIZABETH Is it true that Rudolf
buggers the boys' choir? Her
ulterior motive, trying to figure out what that damned word means. Just
then, in the puppet show, an EAGLE JUDGE as appeared and he is demanding the
DRUNKEN MONK to demonstrate what exactly he did to the nun. LAUGHTER
surrounds the two children, just as JOHANNES answers her question. The answer
is inaudible. Elizabeth looks disappointed. INT.
GREAT CHAPEL - DAY The
coronation. Elizabeth sits with her new friend Johannes during the
coronation. She's dressed in an elegant formal dress. BISHOPS
in resplendent PURPLE ROBES followed by a retinue of MONKS advance towards
the bejeweled throne in which a slightly drunk STEPHEN BATHORY sits looking
dazed. The ARCHBISHOP carries a GOLD CROWN on a BLACK VELVET PILLOW. ELIZABETH (softly to Johannes) Is it true that Rudolf
buggers the boys' choir? He
blushes. JOHANNES (softly) Yes. The
great PIPES of the cathedral let out their music. VOICES singing HYMNS OF
PRAISE fill the vaults. Stephen Bathory has become Prince of Transylvania. INT.
STONE HALL - DAY Elizabeth
walks with Johannes down a stone hall leading to an ancient donjon in the
oldest part of the castle. ELIZABETH Would you allow me to watch
you be buggered? Johannes
looks at her with surprise. ELIZABETH
(CONT'D) I understand very well that
I wouldn't be able to watch you be
buggered by Rudolf himself, given his
objection to the presence of women in his
vicinity. JOHANNES Forgive me, young Countess,
but might I inquire this curiosity
with buggering? ELIZABETH I have told you that I have
a fondness for knowing the meanings
behind words that go even beyond the
urgings of my tutor, the monk
Silvestri. (a beat) I want witness a live
buggering to satisfy my curiosity. Johannes
thinks for a beat. Then he blushes. JOHANNES I pledge myself to your
service, young Countess. And I will service
you in any way that you wish. (a beat) But how do you think we
should go about carrying out your wish? ELIZABETH Maybe we could approach one
of the archbishop's monks to
perform the deed. Elizabeth
Bathory is from one of the most powerful families in all of Hungary. Johannes
is slightly amused by her innocence; she clearly has no idea what she is
talking about. JOHANNES How shall we approach a
monk? This is a very sensitive thing to
approach the monk for. A
beat. ELIZABETH Then, what do you suggest? A
GYPSY SLAVE walks up to him with his palm outstretched, he falls to his knees
in front of the two children. GYPSY (begging) Please, young beauty. Can
you spare a copper coin? Your beauty
is a gift from heaven and I kneel
before thee. I commend your
discriminating taste in choosing this fearless
knight by your
side to walk with thee. Johannes
blushes, hardly a "brave knight," with his velvet tights, and
non-possession of a sword. GYPSY (CONT'D) I am a slave attached to one
of the lesser nobles who owns a
puppet troupe. A copper coin is all
that I ask of you, young beauty. ELIZABETH I bid you rise and walk with
us. The
Gypsy follows and Elizabeth guides them through a less-traveled passage. INT.
STONE LEDGE - DAY Elizabeth,
The Gypsy, and Johannes climb up onto a stone ledge just below a window
looking out from the castle. ELIZABETH (to the Gypsy) I want you to bugger
Johannes. The
Gypsy looks confused. Fearing her wish may be too daring, she changes tone. ELIZABETH (CONT'D) I am Countess Bathory. I
have the power of life and death over
you. You must do what I tell you! The
Gypsy looks up at her quickly and gives a short laugh. GYPSY It never occurred to me to
doubt the legitimacy of my mistress's
command. I was merely pausing in
order to ponder how much I should be
paid. And I confess that I am most
reluctant to bugger a
baronet, since the position demands rather
that the baronet should bugger me.
If word had gotten out that I had
done such a thing to a baronet, my
head wouldn't last long on my shoulders. (a beat) But knowing it would be
dreadfully foolish to refuse, I stand
completely at your service. Feeling
generous, Elizabeth takes a gold chain, which hangs a small garnet from
around her neck, and tosses it to the Gypsy. He catches it and falls to his
knees, nearly FALLING OFF THE LEDGE, to kiss the hem of her dress. Johannes
watches the proceedings with a mixture of excitement and dread. He decides to
make his presence felt. JOHANNES Not here. At nightfall, the
three of us shall meet by the
fountain in the smallest courtyard, which is
near Iskender Bey's harem. ELIZABETH Agreed. We shall meet then. DISSOLVE TO: INT.
ELIZABETH'S CHAMBER (SBC) - NIGHT Teresa
tucks Elizabeth under the covers of her large canopy bed. Elizabeth FEIGNS
SLEEP as her maid looks on. When Teresa is satisfied that Elizabeth is
asleep, she quietly tiptoes out of the room. And the
sound of the DOOR closing, Elizabeth hops out of bed and throws on a dark
dress over purple leggings, an outfit that makes her look like a boy. INT.
GREAT HALLS - NIGHT Elizabeth,
in her boyish disguise, slips past several doors, hugging close to the walls,
and steps over sleeping SOLDIERS. INT.
INNER COURTYARD - NIGHT A
sickle-thin Turkish moon appears in the night sky. Elizabeth
crosses over to the small fountain, feeling the walls, and finding her way
through the dark. JOHANNES (O.S.) Countess? ELIZABETH (softly) Yes. Elizabeth
feels for his hand in the dark. A beat. ELIZABETH
(CONT'D) Where is the Gypsy? JOHANNES He has not come yet. They
wait for a beat, Johannes holding Elizabeth's hand. INT.
ELIZABETH'S CHAMBER (SBC) - NIGHT Elizabeth
TOSSES and TURNS in her bed. The events of the night fresh in her mind, she
HUMS wistfully in her sleep, legs twitching under her covers. We
HEAR the sounds of the previous scene over this: GYPSY (V.O.) Your devoted slave is here,
Countess. We
HEAR Johannes try to suppress his MOANS. JOHANNES (V.O.) (strenuous) This for you, my mistress.
All for you. Ohh-ooh. Elizabeth
is almost feverish in delight, she rolls around in her bed as the soundtrack
plays in her mind. ELIZABETH (V.O.) (ghostly) Women, (pause) make dolls
out of those they know... GYPSY (V.O.) I am at your command, my
mistress. EXT.
KERESHTUR CASTLE - NIGHT (1568) It is
now the year 1568. One year before the siege of Dozsa. One year before the
death of Elizabeth's sisters. It's
a fierce winter with the wind blowing snow, kicking it up into misty white
clouds. The castle walls are covered with this powdery cold. It looks like
hell has frozen over. The moonlight bounces off the snow blankets,
illuminating everything as if it were a scene from a gothic painting. A
SUPER appears in the bottom-right corner of the screen: "CASTLE KERESHTUR, The
Winter Of 1568 A.D." Another
SUPER appears below the first one: "One year before the
peasant siege against Castle Ecsed." INT.
CASTLE KERESHTUR - NIGHT The
fierce winter of 1568 drives everyone indoors and gave notice that outside
life must cease. Games, entertainments,
and contests have been carefully planned. The cellars and larders are stuffed
with wines, viands, and fruit. Hunting parties bring back pheasants, bear,
moose, and deer, whose salted carcasses hang from hooks in limestone rooms.
Barrels full of lard and salted fish along with rows of dried meat line the
pantry walls. TRAVELERS
pay for their room and board with tales of strange places, songs, poems, and
lies of every sort. There is also a troupe of ACROBATS from Russia, in
addition to Siamese-twin musicians, one of whom pays the harp with his feet
while the other sings mournful ballads in a language no one has heard before.
Together they look like a two-headed musical fountain. INT.
SMALL HALL (K) - NIGHT Elizabeth
sits with her young friend, ANDREI DE KERESHTUR (8), before a ROARING
FIRE. The great walls of the castle
gallantly keep out the fierce Hungarian cold. Andrei
de Kereshtur has a noticeable hump on his back that he neglects to hide under
a specially tailored cloak. ELIZABETH ...Peasants, priests, and
nobles are made of exactly the same
materials and are therefore, equally perishable. (a beat) No one has been able to
locate where nobility is located in the
human body. Therefore, nobility,
unlike the soul--which has been
seen studied, and located in the
liver-- offered one no guaranteed
durability. Andrei,
used to the wild opinions of his mistress, is shocked by her comment. ANDREI How could you think this, my
lady? Nobility is in the blood.
The blood is immortal. You are making
the mistake of Greek atomists! ELIZABETH Is it? Elizabeth
unfastens her collar, taking out the gold pin that held it together. With pursed
lips and a look of glee on her face, she sticks the pin on the pillow of
flesh on top of her fist. A
drop of blood appears. ELIZABETH
(CONT'D) Noble blood? (a beat) Then drink it, friend, and
you can be noble too! Andrei
looks at her, not taking her seriously at first, reads the seriousness on her
face. He gently licks the blood from her fist. INT.
CASTLE ARCHIVE (K) - DAY Andrei
helps his father, NOTARY DE KERESHTUR, with the castles documents. While the
two talk about the business of being a scribe Elizabeth amuses herself by
reading random scrolls and ledgers. She also studies an ancient MAP OF
KERESHTUR CASTLE. She
notes the intricate secret passageways. INT.
BARN - DAY It's
a bitterly cold day. A HORSE GROOMER tends to the horses. He crosses over to
a PILE OF STRAW and grabs a clump to feed the horses with. He's surprised to
find that underneath, are TWO BROADSWORDS. INT.
GARRISON - DAY A
feeble man, BRUNOS, a horse-groomer, is stood up before the GARRISON COMMANDER,
whom looks at him sternly. His
LIEUTENANTS and a number of SOLDIERS who are milling about polishing boots
and weapons attend the Commander. GARRISON
COMMANDER Explain yourself, Brunos. BRUNOS I wanted the broad swords,
because they were so shiny. So shiny and
I wanted to see my face in them. There's
a ROAR OF LAUGHTER from everyone in the room. Some have TEARS in their eyes.
Bruno hangs his head in shame, not laughing. When the laughter DIES DOWN, the
Garrison Commander continues his line of questioning. GARRISON
COMMANDER Why did you...want to see
your face in the swords? BRUNOS Because I have never seen my
face, my lord...save for its
reflection in moving water. GARRISON
COMMANDER Why did you not ask one of
the maids of the court ladies to let you
see yourself in one of their looking
glasses? BRUNOS (shamefully) I do not know any maids, my
lord. But I did plan on meeting one if I
were suitable enough in my appearance
to do so. GARRISON
COMMANDER (amazed) And if you were not suitable
enough, what then would you have
done? BRUNOS I would have used the swords
to cut my body and died. Elizabeth
APPEARS from the shadows of the room. She STARTLES everyone when she makes
her presence known. ELIZABETH Shouldn't the thief be
tortured? GARRISON
COMMANDER Of course, my lady, but you
must not watch his punishment. The Garrison
Commander motions to one of the SOLDIERS. The Soldier escorts the young girl
out of the visible door. INT.
KLARA'S CHAMBER (K) - DAY Lady
Klara tarts herself up in front of the mirror. Elizabeth talks to her aunt,
while her aunt is distracted with her own appearance. KLARA Why were you so keen on
watching a thief get tortured? ELIZABETH I wanted to know what
torture actually was. KLARA Oh? You had no idea what the
word actually meant? ELIZABETH I have heard Preacher Heber
talk of "ennobling effects of
torture, which, by imitating the fleshly
torments of our Lord Jesus Christ,
purifies the victim for judgment." Klara
makes FACES at herself in the mirror. KLARA I would not listen too
studiously to the ramblings of Preacher
Hebler. The man is an old fool. ELIZABETH Then, why does mother make
me take theology classes from him? KLARA Because your mother wants
you to go to heaven when you die.
She believes in the teachings of
Martinus Luther and wants
you to grow up with the same
wisdom. ELIZABETH When I had sheared Preacher
Hebler's fox-hat, he made me memorize
all of Doctor Luther's book, Chronicles. Doctor Luther does not like
women at all. He believes that we
are the devil's conduit. I trust
that he is more fond of roasts and
gravy, since he is proportioned like an
oak barrel full of pig lard. Klara
laughs at this. KLARA Martinus indeed a glutton,
he was. ELIZABETH I also heard the word
"torture" used by Darvulia. She had told
Teresa to stop "torturing
her." Klara
laughs again. EXT.
BALCONY OVERLOOKING GARRISON (K) - DAY Elizabeth
sneaks onto the balcony, overlooking just above the garrison. She HEARS the
cries of BRUNOS as he is being tortured from inside. The
SOLDIERS (three of them) come dragging Brunos's broken body out the door.
They tie his wrists and feet to a wooden post. Brunos's
MOUTH is a swollen purple rose, articulating something that didn't escape his
throat. His eyes are wide open, two iridescent blue stones. Two
of the Soldiers cross in front of Brunos, while the other looks on, the two
broadswords he had stolen. Brunos
shoots a melancholy gaze at his reflection. His
face disappears soon after, as the two Soldiers DRIVE the swords right
THROUGH his head. Blood and pulpy meat smatter the post, ruby specks of blood
SPLATTER on the faces of the two Soldiers. Elizabeth
looks on with a mixture of horror and excitement. Brunos's
face is SPLIT down to the neck, into two halves. They PLOP down to the
ground, like the petals of a flower from its stem. The Soldiers LAUGH
maliciously and saunter off. Elizabeth
keeps watching, as if expecting something else to happen. Brunos, head
severed into two halves, remains hitched to the post. We LINGER on this for a
beat. Then,
TWO CRONES dressed in BLACK CLOAKS, emerge and see the body. They glance
furtively about. Quick as lighting, one of them produces a knife from her
cloak and proceeds to cut off Brunos's hands at the wrist. The
other, with one quick and smooth action, cuts off Brunos's PENIS, which has
hardened at the moment of death. In broad daylight, in the middle of the
street, Elizabeth watches. She can't believe what she is seeing. She
WATCHES as the Cronies casually depart with their morbid new collectibles. A
beat later, a COUPLE OF CART-PULLING PEASANTS come by. They untie the corpse
and unceremoniously dump him into the cart and wheel him away. INT.
KLARA'S CHAMBER - DAY (K) Elizabeth
comes BURSTING into her aunt's chamber, surprising Klara. She tells her aunt,
excitedly, what she had seen: ELIZABETH Aunt Klara! I had watched
the soldiers torture the thief, and then
they drove a sword through her face!
And then later, these two cronies
came out and they cut off the thief's
hands and one even cut off his...(doesn't
know the words) "thing!" Klara
laughs, so uproariously that Elizabeth can't help but join in, although at
the moment she failed to see the humor. Klara
removed a HARLEQUIN DOLL from the table under the mirror and sticks it in
front of her dress. KLARA She cut off his thing, this thing? She
makes exaggerated gestures with her hips, pushing the doll forward like a
penis. Elizabeth doesn't seem to understand. KLARA (CONT'D) Sit on the bench next to me. Elizabeth
joins her aunt on her bench. Klara lifts up her voluminous skirt and reveals
her petticoat. She turns to Elizabeth and straddles the bench. Holding her
skirt with one hand, she pushes her undergarment aside. KLARA (CONT'D) Position the Harlequin
between my legs. Elizabeth
does, nestling the doll between her legs, trapping him there. Klara lowers
her dress like a curtain over the doll. KLARA (CONT'D) Sit upon my lap. Elizabeth
does, wiggling uncomfortably, as the doll pokes between her skinny buttocks. KLARA (CONT'D) Do you understand now? Elizabeth
still does not. INT.
CASTLE WINDOW - DAY (K) Elizabeth
and Andrei stare out the big castle window with their villages and church
spread out like a tapestry. ELIZABETH Why do you have a hump,
Andrei? ANDREI I just do. I was just born
with one. ELIZABETH May I see your hump? ANDREI (self-conscious) Why do you want to see my
hump, my lady? ELIZABETH I want to see if it is
hollow. ANDREI I assure you that it is not. ELIZABETH I want to see for myself. If
you do have a hollow hump, I
don't want you hiding things form
me. ANDREI I would never hide things
from you, my lady. ELIZABETH Show me your hump, Andrei de
Kereshtur. Andrei
lets Elizabeth squeeze it, prod it, and poke it. She takes the PIN from her
brooch and STICKS IT. Andrei SCREAMS in pain, not liking this one bit. ANDREI (painfully) I ASSURE YOU THAT IT IS
FULL! Elizabeth
leaves him, satisfied. She smiles at him. ELIZABETH It is full. There is nothing
you can hide from me because it
is impossible. ANDREI I will be plain as daylight
with you at all times, my lady. EXT.
CITY STREETS (CITY OF PEST) - DAY A SUPER
appears at the bottom-right corner of the screen: "CITY OF PEST" PEST
is a noisy and exciting city with big houses and carriages stuck in the mud.
Andrei and Elizabeth accompany Andrei's father; Notary de Kereshtur, through
the snow covered streets of the city. Notary
de Kereshtur seems to be lost in his own thoughts as he escorts the children. Elizabeth
has her mouth and eyes wide open, taking in the sights and sounds of Pest. All
the HOUSES seem built on top of one another and leaning on perilous angles.
The streets are full of donkeys laden with all kinds of merchandise, and
prostitutes in every doorway, breasts exposed, striped cloth around their
waists, the emblem of their profession. Andrei
keeps his eyes to the ground in mortified dismay. Elizabeth is quite
thrilled. They
reach a Jewish Bookstore. INT.
JEWISH BOOKSTORE - DAY Notary,
Andrei, and Elizabeth are greeted by the Jew BEN LEBUS. Notary and ben Lebus
shake hands and he sits them all down to a cup of hot wine. The Notary and ben
Lebus begin to have a long conversation about man's fate, history, and God's
hidden design. The
gist of it is pretty much this: |