Scene 5.07 - Temple Ruins
EST: Temple Of The Virgin - Day.
(MARY is dumbfounded. The men are skeptical. A vast expanse of wasteland covers the vista.)
MARY
I don’t understand. How can this be?
DUC
You sure we’re at the right temple?
MARY
I cannot be mistaken, across this draw, there should be the palace. (Goes to dias.) What does this mean?
BUD
(Joins her.) What is it?
MARY
The palace. It is gone. (Collapses to pavement, deflated, sits.) I don’t understand. I’ve been gone but a day, how could they have destroyed the palace? Things do not make sense. (Looks off, tears welling up.) I have failed my Empress and have failed my Goddess!
BUD
Hold on, perhaps things aren’t as they seem. I have a few theories...
MARY
(Without hope:) All is lost. All our struggle, for nothing.
(Her eyes well up, ready to burst.)
DUC
Hey guys, there’s a pool here!
HUNG
Yeah, but no water in it.
MARY
(She distractedly gestures.) To fill the pool, fill the foot basin of that statue of the Goddess with water. If you want to drink from the fountains, pour water into the Goddess’ chalice of purity. (Quickly wipes half-tear from eye, resolved, to BUD:) I must see for myself what happened to my home. (Brushes dust off of her chaps.) We must hurry, there is no time to waste.
BUD
Now you’re telling me that where that big green patch of forest over there yonder is where your palace is?
MARY
No, I cannot see the Spires of Chastity. It looks like the place of my home, but see? There should be a road there, and there. (Pointing as they both view down her arm, nearly cheek to cheek.) And the fields, see the overgrowth there? That was a field before. There is strange magic here. We must go and investigate.
(BUD sees the guys have not only fully unpacked their gear, but are stripped down to a marginal semblance of swim wear/boxers and are excitedly watching the pool slowly fill with crystal-clear, steamy water. A few are dangling their legs over the edge, anxiously awaiting the hot touch of the water to their tired, aching feet.)
BUD
Hey guys, don’t get too-comfy, we still got another two-hour hike down the mountain.
LONG
No we don’t. You heard her yourself, her palace isn’t there. Why waste the time?
DING
And two hours down the mountain is also another six hours back up. If I’m going to descend this mountain, it’s gonna be on the side that leads me back to the ranch.
CHIN
I must agree. (Steps aside with BUD.) Listen, we know her story was a little loony to begin with, and maybe our loneliness got the best of us -- all of us, Bud. We're not upset, I mean, a loony girl hanging-around is better than no girl hanging around, but we’d be crazy to go all the way down there for nothing.
BUD
We can leave the gear here. We can just check it out.
HUNG
(Joins in the circle:) And when the palace isn’t there? What she gonna do? Have us hike to the next mountain, then the next? This is got to stop sometime, Bud, and it might as well be here.
CHIN
We can soak in the hot tub for an hour, relax, call it a day hike and be back to the ranch before nightfall. We can laugh about it around the poker table tonight.
BUD
What about her?
(He gestures to MARY, she sees this and moves toward the group.)
LONG
There’s nothing out there, Bud, and we’re not going to indulge in fantasies any longer. (Pause.) Hey, no harm, no foul. She’s just a little confused, that’s all. She can come back and stay with us until we can get her to the city where someone can get a look at her. Another rack of Yak and she’ll forget all about this wild goose chase.
HUNG
Believe me, Bud, I’m as sorry as everyone else that there wasn’t a city full of women waiting for us in that valley, but the guys are right. It would be foolish to hike out there just to find out what we already know standing right here. Look, the pool’s almost filled up, doesn’t it look inviting?
DING
(Sees that MARY has been listening in.) Perhaps we should put it to a vote.
CHIN
All in favor of staying here and kicking back in the hot tub, say aye.
(All but BUD, MARY and DING respond.)
DING
(MARY glares at him as he hesitates.) Aye.
HUNG
The ayes have it.
MARY
I was foolish to count on men. (Straightens up, puts her hand on her hilt.) I will go alone.
(Does a right-face and steps away, determined.)
BUD
Mary, wait! (He stops her.) I’ll go with you. We’ll find out what happened together.
MARY
I don’t need you to patronize me. If you want to stay with your friends, then stay.
BUD
I’m not patronizing you, I believe you. (To the guys:) Okay, stay here and rest up. I’m going with her. Stay here for another couple of hours and keep an eye on this valley. If I light one fire, it means we didn’t find anything and I’ll meet you all at the ranch tomorrow morning. If I light two fires, it means you all need to grab the gear and hi-tail it down this rock and meet us down-below.
CHIN
And if we don’t see any fire?
BUD
Then we’re on our own.
DING
Yeah, I think we can go with that. Mary, how do you get the fountains to work again?
MARY
Pour water into the Goddess’ cup. (She is disgusted, yet fakes pleasantries:) Have fun, boys. Even if you feel you have to, don’t urinate in the pool, it’s sacrilege. The Goddess’ punishment is swift. Don’t mess with her, she’s having a bad year.
(She tightens her chin strap to her modified football helmet.)
BUD
Don’t be upset, Mary. You can hardly expect them to believe-
MARY
Then why do you believe me? Or are you lying to me?
BUD
No. I don't think I could ever lie to you, Mary. I do believe you. I don’t know why, I just do. (He smiles.) Now are we going to keep yammering on, or are you going to teach me one of your cool marching songs?
MARY
(Slowly smiles, steps twice, claps, bringing a familiar beat. She baby-step marches away while looking back at BUD, smiling:) We will, we will, slay you, slay you. We will, we will, slay you, slay you.
CUT TO: Guys in pool
(All but DING are floating in the pool, content. DING has managed to get the fountain, which has four spigots, to sputter out various-colored fluids. Eventually, it creates four steady streams.)
LONG
Ahhhhh, this is perfect.
HUNG
Oh, my bones, aww, this is good! This is good!
DING
Hey guys, I got the fountain working. Zam-Zam's sister cistern is sloshin' sludge...
CHIN
(Floats on his back and makes a fountain of his own with pool water shooting up from his mouth.) That’s great, Ding. (He does it once again, more casually.) Cool.
DING
I think the pipes got rusty. The water on this side is murky.
LONG
It’s a stone fountain, Ding. It can’t be rusty pipes.
DING
Then how- (Puts a finger into the stream, touches it to his lips.) Hmm. Brandy. (He sips.) Yes. Hey guys, this isn’t water, it’s brandy!
HUNG
That can’t be. Must be some algae or something in the water. (Louder, to DING:) I’d watch how much of that stuff you drink!
DING
(Plainly, to HUNG:) It can’t be algae, I’m a botanist, I would know. Hey, this one's wine! Tasty red wine! (Sips it, smiling, smacking lips.) It’s good!
DUC
(Floating belly-up, with head resting on folded hands at edge of pool.) I don’t care if it’s a blue-footed boobie, I'm in heaven and I ain’t moving.
DING
And this one’s got white wine! I thought it was water, but it’s white wine! Where's the fish?
LONG
Hey, Ding, be careful. You don’t know who or what might have stepped on those grapes. (To CHIN:) Dude’s lost his head. He’s drinking rancid water and thinks he’s in a vineyard.
CHIN
We should get him back to the ranch.
LONG
In another hour or so... (He sinks lower into water.) Ahhh.
DING
Hey guys ... this one’s spittin’ out beer!
(All react and quickly leave the pool as if mutant cyborg sharks with razor-blade teeth were suddenly present.)
DUC
What?!
HUNG
Rice or wheat?
CHIN
I’ll get my canteen.
LONG
I got a cup. And a quarter! (Pushes DING out of the way, who was drinking from the fountain.) College rules: Rims, Make-it-take-it, Chance, Challenge, Catch the quarter in the glass with your teeth, No names, No profanity, No drink, drank or drunk! (Downs the glass, pushes past others and refills.) Oh, yeah baby! No pointing, no nose-shots and catch the quarter off the alter for turn. Oh yeah, no drink, drank or drunk! (Downs second glass.) More!
PEDESTAL UP
TILT DOWN
ZOOM OUT
(We see from above the small trail down the mountain where BUD and MARY have made some progress away from the men, who are huddled around the fountain.)
FTB