Occulus, Part 5
- LISETTE:
Time to wake up, Your Honor. Dinner will be served soon, and I am here to offer you...an appetizer.
- BARON
- (sitting up with
difficulty):
The wine....how long have I been asleep?
- LISETTE:
Hours. Mulled wine can certainly sneak up on you, plus you were very tired from your hunt.
- BARON:
Come closer, girl....let me see you.
- LISETTE
- (giggles):
First course is served.
- BARON
- (slurring):
I do hunger, my pretty tavern girl....
- LISETTE
- (coldly still
laughing):
I am sorry...but it’s just too absurd....
- BARON
- (still groggy, growing
angry):
Get back here, girl....
- LISETTE
- (She has stepped back into the
shadows) :
But just look at you.......such a pathetic little man.....nothing like Horst. Now, there was a real man....a real man who deserved this body. Not a sniveling, ugly, short dunce like you!
- BARON:
I SAID COME BACK HERE, WENCH, OR I’LL HAVE YOU WHIPPED! (he tries to stand.)
- LISETTE:
You’ll have to catch me to do that, Baron Dunce. (She runs out of the room.)
- BARON
- (unsteadily standing):
I’LL KILL YOU MYSELF! (he staggers to the door.)
- BARON:
WHERE ARE YOU WENCH? YOU’LL WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN WHEN I’M DONE WITH YOU!
- BARON:
WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE....IN MY HOUSE...GET OUT...ALL OF YOU.
- LISETTE
- (off screen):
Look, girls...it’s Baron Dunce! (She laughs. The hypnotized women look up at him and join in her mocking laugh. The Baron unsteadily makes his way down the stairs.
- BARON:
I’LL MAKE ALL OF YOU PAY.......YOUR FAMILIES AS WELL...GET OUT....GET OUT...
- WOMEN:
WORM.
IDIOT.
UGLY.
STUPID.
- BARON:
VRAKOR, GET IN HERE....
- LISETTE:
Stop your yelling, Herr Dunce...Vrakor is in here with the rest of your men waiting for you so we can start dinner.
- BARON:
VRAKOR....
- BARON
- (whispering):
Peter.....Johann?
- OCCULUS:
I’m so sorry, Your Honor....your friends are not too talkative at the moment.
- BARON:
That voice....those clothes...but it cant be....YOU’RE DEAD!
- OCCULUS:
Apparently not...you know Baron...for a man who talks so much about killing...you’re not very good at it. (Lisette and the women laugh at the jape. The girls next to the Baron force him down into the chair and pin his arms with hypnotically enhanced strength.
- BARON:
Look.......it was all just an accident.......Peter misunderstood me....I never wanted you dead. Now...let me and my man go and I’ll make you rich beyond your dreams....
- OCCULUS:
Perhaps...let me consider it. You know, we may have a deal....with one additional term. Tanya...cut off the Baron’s right hand. (Tanya smiles and takes out a long, bloody dagger and saunters over to the Baron.
- BARRON:
NO!
- OCCULUS:
Now Now, Your Honor. It’s a fair trade. You give me your right hand, and I accept your deal.
- LISETTE:
Master...isn’t Vrakor his right hand as well? (Vrakor struggles harder to free himself.)
- OCCULUS:
Excellent point, my dear. What do you think, Baron? Should I have Tanya use her dagger to cut off your hand, or stab your faithful servant in the heart?
- BARON
- (false bravado):
You wouldn’t dare........
- OCCULUS:
Tanya, take his hand. (She raises the dagger, as other slaves hold his and on the table.)
- BARON:
- (crying, panicking):
NO.....DON’T.
- OCCULUS:
Beg me...Baron...Beg me to kill Vrakor instead.
- BARON:
Please...Please kill him instead....please...please.
- OCCULUS:
Well done, my dear. Now Baron....I’m a man of my word... You’re free. I don’t even want your money. I just want to have one last thing.....an apology. (Occulus walks over to the Baron, Lisette at his side)
- BARON
- (weeping hysterically):
I’m sorry....please...please, I’m sorry.
- OCCULUS:
Touching...to be sure. But Baron......no apology rings true unless a you look the man you wronged in the eye.
- INSPECTOR
- (whispering):
Why is the Baron still alive?
- DOCTOR:
Remember what Magda said, once Occulus has his revenge, his contract with the Dark Ones is fulfilled. Magda will need to immediately begin the Rite of Sacrifice otherwise he loses his powers. We must get in position.....
- INSPECTOR
- (whispering, while gently
shaking her):
Helga......look at me...wake up, Darling. (Helga seems to react, and become aware)
- DOCTOR
- (whispering) :
You fool.....you’ll get us caught!
- HELGA:
Ernst? What are you doing here?
- INSPECTOR:
it’s all right, see, doctor, I’ve woken her. I must get her away from here. (standing, pulling her up. He turns his back to her and faces the Doctor.) I’ll just get her away and be back...
- DOCTOR:
Inspector....we cannot trust her...she might still be under Occulus’ control!
- DOCTOR:
Inspector....WATCH OUT! (The Inspector turns around, shocked at what he sees.)
- INSPECTOR:
Darling....you don’t know what you are doing..(He steps towards her.)
- HELGA:
I’m sorry, Ernst.....but I must obey my master. (She fires. He is hit in the shoulder, spins and tumbles over the stump and falls into the ravine. Helga points the revolver at the stunned Doctor and prepares to fire again.)
- OCCULUS
- (at the cavern
entrance):
STOP!!! I need him alive for now. Bring him.
- OCCULUS:
My compliments, Doctor. Magda is back fully under my control and has told me that that you’ve mesmerized her. You’ll have to tell me how you did that. Perhaps you have latent mesmeric talent. Now tell me....what hidden orders have you buried in my slave’s mind?
- DOCTOR:
You’re her master, why don’t you ask her yourself.
- OCCULUS:
I....I have not had sufficient time...you’ve done a good job creating a mental wall. She will eventually succumb, Doctor. Your skill, while impressive, does not begin to match my hypnotic power.
- DOCTOR:
So if you don’t need me for Magda, why don’t you just kill me, like the Inspector?
- OCCULUS:
I have need of your more mundane talents. (He points at the Baron). I need him to live until the midnight hour.
- DOCTOR:
The poor wretch is in near heart failure. Too much shock. Not much I can do, even if I wanted to help him...or you.
- OCCULUS:
I see....well if your medical oath is not enough of a motivation.....Darling Lisette...please step forward.
- LISETTE
- (stepping forward, a slight,
blissful smile on her face):
Yes, Master.
- OCCULUS:
Remember our conversation...where you told me how you feel about the young doctor? Time for you to let him know. Hold nothing back...let him know your heart.
- Lisette
- getting closer and closer to
him:
Doctor...I never met anyone like you....Handsome, yes...but more. You’re so smart...but you don’t look down on us...so brave.....I know you have feelings for me...and that you know how I feel about you. A woman knows when a man loves her. Ever since you came to the village, I’ve dreamed you and I....
- DOCTOR:
Lisette, darling...stop...you don’t know what you’re saying...what he’s making you say..
- LISETTE:
But I do know...he commanded that I show my true heart...and I obey........I do love you darling.
- OCCULUS:
Let me be clear, Doctor...The Baron lives till midnight, or you nurse performs throat surgery on the beautiful Lisette.
- TANYA:
All is in readiness, Master.
- OCCULUS:
You have done well as my First Slave...far more reliable then the treacherous Magda. A pity you do not have yet all of her magical skills. She says you have gypsy blood, and are a fast learner. Once we are away, I shall have her complete your training...and we won’t need her anymore.
- TANYA:
Has Magda revealed the Doctor’s plot yet, Master?
- OCCULUS:
Not quite. I know it’s some sort of verbal command...but she still resists telling me what. I’ve nearly injured her mind trying to force the answer so I have stopped for now. She needs to be able to complete the Rite. (They are joined by Lisette and the Doctor, who is being guarded by Helga with the revolver. The Doctor’s hands are bound, and his mouth is gagged.)
We will sacrifice him as well, and he won’t be able to affect Magda again.
Forgive me, Doctor...I regret treating a colleague in this manner....it just won’t do for you to confuse poor Magda when she has such important work tonight.
Magda, let us begin. BRING THE BARON!
- OCCULUS
- (walking over to the Baron...his
eye beginning to glow fierce red again)
This is he who wronged me.....this is he who must pay....
- BARON
- (wildly struggling, spittle
flying):
No.....NOOOOOOOOOOO....STAY AWAY DEMON.....STAY AWAY.......(As Occulus faces him, the Baron’s face contorts..he grabs his chest...and dies. There is a flash of lightning then thunder, and the wind begins to howl. In the lightning, Occulus face seems to be shifting, as if it is trying to change back to his normal visage.)
- OCCULUS
- (in great pain):
Magda.. I command you.....Perform the Rite of Sacrifice..do it quickly!
- OCCULUS
- (desperate, pulling Lisette
closer to Magda)
DO IT....DO IT NOW!
- INSPECTOR
- (mustering his last
strength):
Magda.......(She looks down at him.) WAKE UP...FOR THOMAS! (Magda begins to blink and shake her head.)
- OCCULUS
- (grabbing her shoulders and
making her face him..his eye trying to glow yellow):
YOU MUST OBEY....
- MAGDA
- (her eyes are clear and full of
life):
I love you Thomas (she suddenly plunges the dagger into his eye. There is an explosion of golden light, and both Occulus and Magda are engulfed in golden flame. The camera follows as they plummet into the ravine, missing the ledge that had earlier saved both the Inspector and Occulus.
- WOMEN:
Where am I?
Why am I dressed like this?
What is this place?
How did I get here?
- Lisette
- (recovering faster):
Time for that later, girls....untie the doctor....and help me with the Inspector before he falls.
- LISETTE:
I’m sorry....I don’t know why I did that.....you a proper gentleman and all...it just seemed the right thing to do...
- HELGA:
Rest easy, Darling. Doctor...please help him.....I think someone has shot my Ernst with a gun!
- INSPECTOR
- ( a wry look on his
face):
“Someone” has indeed.
- INSPECTOR:
I have no idea how to report these events, Doctor.
- DOCTOR:
Look, your men are coming up now.
- INSPECTOR:
Well?
- CONSRABLE 1:
We found em, all right, what’s left anyway. We brought up the burnt bones.
- INSPECTOR:
Satisfied, Doctor?
- DOCTOR:
Yes...we can rest easier now we know the fiend is dead. And we can give Magda...and her Thomas, a decent burial now. She earned that...for both of them.
- CONSTABLE 2
- (quietly, to Constable
1):
Why didn’t you tell them about his head?
- CONSTABLE 1:
Shut your gob. You want to be climbing back down there and breaking your back searching for a stupid skull?
- LISETTE
- (to Doctor):
Has anyone seen Tanya?
- DOCTOR:
No....she must have started down already.
- DOCTOR
- (to the Inspector):
Just a lingering trace of their hypnosis...it should wear off in time...
- LISETTE
- (now fully awake, She picks up
the Doctor’s coat.):
I don’t know, Inspector...I feel a sudden compulsion to get married.
- INSPECTOR:
Perhaps the Doctor can put Helga back under.....she could use a better attitude around the house....perhaps bake more strudel.
- HELGA:
- (She pulls on his his injured
arm in mock anger):
Enough of that old fool...there’s only one person in charge of my house....and my kitchen.
- INSPECTOR:
Ouch! Yes, my queen!
- SERVANT:
As I was saying...this is the oldest...the most established nursing school in the district. Young women come from all over the Empire to be trained. You’ll be under Marlena, our cook. You can sleep in the kitchen....its warm enough.
( He turns and looks at the new kitchen wench. It is Tanya, dressed as a barefoot peasant, with a cloth sack slung over her shoulder.)We’ll have to get you out of those rags. We have a spare smock or two...the shoes might be a problem...
- TANYA:
No problem that, master.........like you said the kitchen’s nice and toasty...and truth be told.... I’d rather be barefoot anyway. Is there anything else....master?
- SERVANT
- (pleased by her looks and
submissiveness):
Work hard, keep a good attitude, and I am sure you will find great opportunity here, girl.
- TANYA
- (close up of her smiling face.
There is a subtle gold glint to her eye.):
I’m sure of that, Master. ( Her face grows blank, and her voice quiet. It’s as if she is talking to someone other than the servant.) I am sure of that.