THE BOOK OF REVENGE

Written by

David Keith Miller

2075 Meridian Ave., Apt. CSouth Pasadena, CA(323) 683-2517 Copyright © 2015David.keith.miller@gmail.com

EXT. WHEAT FIELD - DAY

A dazzling sun blesses a ripe wheat field.

SUPER: FRANCE, 1300 A.D.

CHILDREN’S LAUGHTER is heard.

RACHEL (V.O.)(whispering)

Years later I would meet him again.

In a stubbled clearing, YOUNG RACHEL, 11, and her brother JACOB, 12, hold stalks of wheat and fence heroically. Beyond, white smoke rises peacefully from a cottage.

RACHEL (V.O.)The man with one eye and no heart -- or so it seemed.

INT. COTTAGE - DAY

DIEGO ALCANTE, a Spaniard with an eye patch, a massive ruby ring and black livery, still whipcord strong at 50, oversees SOLDIERS carrying small heavy caskets from the cottage.

RACHEL (V.O.)The man who destroyed my life that day. And saved it. All at once. And again, later. Destroyed and saved.

DIEGO(to the soldiers)

Hurry up. Get this dog’s business over with.

A rivulet of blood slithers across the floorboards at his feet. His lip curls in disgust at it.

A soldier enters with a burning brand in his hand. Diego snatches it away.

DIEGOThere’s no need.

SOLDIERHis orders, sir.

The soldier holds out his hand. Reluctantly, Diego returns the torch to him.

EXT. CLEARING - DAY

Young Rachel and Jacob laugh as they fence with their stalks of wheat.

RACHEL (V.O.)I did not know then that he lived for the sword, seeking always the perfect kiss of steel that could never be blocked or parried or avoided, the way others sought gold or love.

Jacob looks up and his face goes slack in dismay. Young Rachel follows his gaze:

The smoke coming up from their cottage is now thick and black.

Jacob runs to the cottage.

EXT. COTTAGE - DAY

Diego steps out of the burning cottage as soldiers load the last caskets into a gilded black carriage with a coat of arms emblazoned across the back.

RACHEL (V.O.)But that day I learned what he never did.

Jacob runs up and straight for the cottage, ignoring the men.

JACOBMama! Papa!

Jacob tries to enter the conflagration but Diego picks him up and restrains him. Jacob flails and kicks in Diego’s arms, then a SOLDIER steps in and Jacob’s face goes slack.

The Soldier steps back to reveal his dagger sticking out of Jacob’s back. The soldier yanks a thin gold necklace off the boy’s neck and admires it in his rough hand.

White with fury, Diego raises his fist and clubs the Soldier to the ground. The Soldier drops the necklace as he falls.

Diego gently sets the boy down, closes his eyes and eases out the bloody blade -- just as Young Rachel walks up.

RACHEL (V.O.)The only blow that can never be stopped -- is the one that has already happened.

2.

Diego drops the blade. Everyone is silent as Young Rachel moves like a sleepwalker to the corpse of her brother and kneels before him. In a daze, she finds the gold necklace lying in the dirt, picks it up and cradles it in her hand.

The carriage door opens and GERARD DE VILLIERS, 35, looks out, an arrogant nobleman in his prime. He flicks a hand at Young Rachel.

DE VILLIERSTake the girl.

Diego gently gathers in the unresisting Young Rachel and twists her behind him, shielding her from the Duke’s gaze with his body.

She GASPS as he presses his ruby ring across her cheek, leaving a red gash in its wake.

DIEGOMy lord, you don’t want her. She is damaged. You see?

He turns around to reveal her bleeding face to de Villiers and smiles ingratiatingly.

DIEGOAnd you deserve perfection.

De Villiers waves a dismissal and closes the carriage door. The coachman flicks the reins and the carriage starts off at a walk, followed by the soldiers.

Diego stands, looks long at Young Rachel. He reaches into his sash and removes a large gold coin (a masse d’or). He drops it on the ground in front of her before striding off.

Young Rachel picks up the coin and uses it to score a line in the dirt.

RACHEL (V.O.)But there is another unstoppable blow, the one that comes to us all. And a third. The one my story is about.

Young Rachel has drawn in the dirt the coat of arms on the carriage.

EXT. WAGON (1307 A.D.) - DAY - TRAVELING

A sketch of the coat of arms on a deeply creased parchment, ragged and torn from years of use.

3.