Continued from Page 3
ACT
FOUR
INT.
SEWERS - DAY
Tight on our little band pressed against the wall of a sewer inlet as the guardsmen race past in the main tunnel. Jules is halfway up the tunnel wall, scraping away the algae from a metal manhole cover - and revealing the symbol embossed in it.
JULES
Isn't this the fleur du lis?
D'ARTAGNAN
Of course: we're right underneath the palace.
They look at each other.
REBECCA
I wonder if it IS too late?
D'ARTAGNAN
Let's find out, shall we? Help me up.
INT. LOUIS XIII'S STUDY - DAY
Tight on Louis XIII, writing steadily.
D'ARTAGNAN
( OC )
But Your Majesty - look at it. If you go ahead with the celebration, the Cardinal will triumph.
Finally Louis looks up, past the woodcut, to D'Artagnan and our heroes, still bedraggled from their flight through the sewers.
LOUIS
And if I do not - he will also triumph. This is my speech, my plan for France. I will not be scared out of delivering it by - a scrap of paper and a fairy-tale.
JULES
Your Majesty - this is scientific fact.
PASSEPARTOUT
Believe me, Your Majesty, when I went back with the Cardinal, everything was different. His picture was everywhere: you were forgotten.
REBECCA
But it needn't happen if you cancel this ceremony - give us time to think of another solution.
LOUIS
Cancel it? Are you mad? Come - look.
He takes them to the window and points out into the elaborately decorated courtyard, in the middle of which is a gleaming new fountain.
LOUIS
(CONT'D)
In twenty minutes all the greatest nobles in France and the ambassadors of every nation in Europe will fill that courtyard. At the climax of my speech -one hundred doves will be released from special cages and the fountain will be switched on for the first time. And you ask me to cancel it?
D'ARTAGNAN
Your Majesty - I've seen the weapons the Cardinal has stolen from the future. You cannot risk it.
REBECCA
Sire: you have everything to lose if you go out there this afternoon. Please don't.
Louis looks at her, undecided.
D'ARTAGNAN
Your Musketeers would die to defend you, Sire - but we cannot protect you from this.
A voice calls out at the far end of the room.
SERVANT
Her Majesty the Queen and the Duke of Buckingham!
They turn to see the beautiful young ANNE OF AUSTRIA and the handsome, haughty, resplendently-dressed DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM walk in. The two are secret lovers, and everyone except the King knows it. He merely suspects it - and it makes him extremely nervous.
LOUIS
Ah! My dear wife! What a pleasure to see you! And Buckingham, Buckingham of England, so glad, so glad. To. To ...
ANNE
The Duke wanted to be the first to give you birthday greetings, my lord. Well, not the first. Mine, of course, you can take as read.
BUCKINGHAM
(With an elaborate bow)
Your Majesty, on behalf of King Charles of England, I wish you every birthday
joy.
LOUIS
You're coming to hear my speech?
BUCKINGHAM
I wouldn't miss it for the world, Your Majesty. Has the Cardinal approved the text?
LOUIS
I don't need the Cardinal's approval for what I say to my people.
BUCKINGHAM
Really? How fascinating. People are so ill-informed, aren't they? I had heard whispers you were about to speak out in favour of peace.
LOUIS
Buckingham - Europe is being torn apart by war and religious hatred. Ordinary people everywhere are suffering. Someone has to try and stop it.
Anne is quite impressed by this, but Buckingham simply smiles cynically.
BUCKINGHAM
What a charming notion! But the Cardinal loves war.
LOUIS
It doesn't matter what the Cardinal wants. I'm the King.
BUCKINGHAM
Of course, of course.
LOUIS
I will not be dictated to by that man! I will assert myself!
ANNE
Of course you will, my dear. Au revoir!
And kissing her fingertips airily, and with Buckingham bowing deeply, they leave the room. Louis watches them go, hot with embarrassment.
LOUIS
The ceremony goes ahead. I will make my speech, and nothing will stop me. Nothing!
He throws himself back down in his chair and starts scribbling again.
LOUIS (CONT'D)
Now get out, all of you.
INT. PALACE CORRIDOR - DAY
Our heroes are walking away from Louis' study through crowds of gorgeously dressed noblemen and women heading towards the courtyard.
D'ARTAGNAN
I'll round up all the musketeers who got out of the dungeons alive. We'll mingle with the crowd, be ready to spirit the King away at the first sign of trouble.
PHILEAS
That may be just what the Cardinal wants. He doesn't need to kill Louis to make his point: just humiliate him, terrify the nobles and overawe the ambassadors.
JULES
We HAVE to stop it.
PASSEPARTOUT
But how? Look at the woodcut - we KNOW it happened.
They all stare at the sinister engraving of the scene in the courtyard.
JULES
You know, there's one thing they've left out of that picture.
REBECCA
What?
JULES
The new fountain. The one the King's so proud of.
DUMAS
Artist's licence. My illustrators were always very careless too.
Jules, Rebecca and Phileas look at each other.
PHILEAS
But it could be that the reason you can't see the fountain is that the time machine is going to be ...
REBECCA
Directly over it.
EXT. COURTYARD - DAY
The courtyard is steadily filling up with nobles and their | entourages as musicians play hautboys, serpents and sackbutts. Buckingham escorts the Queen to her place, and as he sits down the Spanish Ambassador whispers loudly to him.
SPANISH AMBASSADOR
Milord Buckingham: is it true what they say - that the King is about to defy his master the Cardinal?
There are several titters from those who hear this remark. Anne, who is not supposed to hear it, does not join in.
BUCKINGHAM
He intends to make a call for a general peace! Have you ever heard anything so absurd? But it doesn't mean anything: he's weak: scarcely a man at all. Ask the Queen.
Several glances turn to Anne - but she doesn't return them. A trumpet sounds.
ITALIAN AMBASSADOR
Ah! Now the fun will begin!
And Louis, elaborately dressed and looking very young and nervous, processes out of the palace and takes his place on the dais at the end of the courtyard.
CHAMBERLAIN
All rise for His Majesty the King!
And as the crowd rises, the trumpets sound
again.
INT.
SEWERS - DAY
Our heroes descend once again into the sewers, this time carrying a large sack.
PHILEAS
One is beginning to feel quite at home here.
JULES
(To
D'Artagnan)
But are you sure we can get from here to -
D'ARTAGNAN
(Impatiently)
I saw them building it!
EXT. COURTYARD - DAY
The King's birthday celebration is now in full swing.
SPANISH AMBASSADOR
And I would like to convey the warmest greetings of his Majesty King Phillip of Spain - and our hopes for your long and happy reign!
Cheers from the assembled nobles. We note, secreting themselves among them, the musketeers.
PORTHOS
So far so good.
ATHOS
No sign of the Cardinal at all.
ARAMIS
That's what's worrying me.
CHAMBERLAIN
And now - his Majesty will make his official reply to his well-wishers.
Amid applause, Louis rises to his feet, clutching his speech and looking extremely nervous.
LOUIS
Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming
to my
(His voice cracks slightly with nervousness)
birthday!
INT. A TUNNEL - DAY
Passepartout, pulling the sack behind him, is crawling along a narrow circular tunnel, followed by Jules and the others. It's stifling, sweat is pouring off them all, and they look just as nervous as Louis.
INT. COURTYARD - DAY
Tight on Louis.
LOUIS
And now I would like to ask you a question about the state of our continent today. We are in the middle of a war which has gone on for nearly one hundred years! A war in which Protestant Christians and Catholic Christians slaughter each other over the best way to worship the Prince of Peace! Ask yourselves: does this make sense?
During the speech the camera ranges among the crowd - on Buckingham, amused and contemptuous, the Spanish Ambassador, shocked, the Italian Ambassador, alarmed; the musketeers -astonished - and the Queen - quietly impressed.
BUCKINGHAM
(Under his breath)
Have you ever heard such confounded nonsense in your life?
LOUIS
Why not sit down and discuss our differences, and agree that people can worship the Lord in their own way, without having to impose their will on others? Then we can concentrate on making Europe a safe, prosperous place, where the poor have a chance of reaching old age and children will be educated and healthy.
He stops and look around the courtyard: there is dead silence.
LOUIS (CONT'D)
Here now, in this courtyard, are the most powerful nobles in France and the ambassadors and ministers of the most powerful nations in Europe. Why should we not here, today, begin the process that will bring peace to millions? I ask each and everyone one of you - why not?
And as he says these words - the time machine materialises in the middle of the courtyard. Louis' mouth falls open: it is as if everyone had been turned to stone.
With leisurely slowness the door of the cabin opens and Cardinal Richelieu steps out. He looks around the courtyard and then and walks past the machine guns which have been installed along the rail to a massive object in the prow, shrouded by a tarpaulin. Ignoring it for the time being, he address the king, who is directly in front of him on the dais
RICHELIEU
Your Majesty - permit me to wish you a very happy birthday.
LOUIS
Cardinal Richelieu - what - what IS this?
RICHELIEU
(Gesturing at the time machine)
This, Your Majesty, is the future.
Six guardsmen follow Richelieu out of the cabin and take up their positions beside the machine guns.
RICHELIEU (CONT'D)
(To the assembled crowd)
Take good note of it, lords, ladies, gentlemen. It symbolises the power of
France. Let our enemies beware: we will destroy them.
LOUIS
Cardinal: you have missed my speech. I have just been proposing a general peace.
RICHELIEU
I may decide peace is appropriate - I may decide war must continue -I'll consider the matter.
There are some angry murmurings among the ambassadors.