Babel Page #2

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5.

YUSSEF:

There's a jackal over there.

Ahmed raises his head but cannot see it. Yussef points at

it, but Ahmed still cannot locate it. Yussef despairs.

YUSSEF (CONT'D)

Over there.

Ahmed finally spots it. He loads the rifle, but when he is

about to aim, the rifle fires. The shot hits amidst the

goats, lifting up a small cloud of dust.

YUSSEF (CONT'D)

What are you doing, you idiot?

The jackal flees, terrified, while the goats scamper in

different directions.

11 EXT. DESERT -- LATER

Both brothers are sitting under a tree, eating bread and

drinking water from a goatskin canteen.

YUSSEF:

Zora doesn't mind.

Ahmed keeps eating without turning to look at his brother.

AHMED:

She doesn't, but I do.

YUSSEF:

This is between her and me.

AHMED:

You're both pigs. Next time I'm

going to tell my dad.

YUSSEF:

Stay out of this.

AHMED:

If you want me to stay out of it,

don't do it.

Yussef gets annoyed, stand up and leaves.

12 EXT. DESERT -- DAY

The brothers are sitting apart from each other. Ahmed guards

the goats with the rifle on his lap.

After a while, Yussef goes to sit behind a large rock. He

makes sure his brother isn't watching and he pulls his pants

down to start masturbating.

6.

When he is at his most concentrated, a shot rings out and

startles him. He quickly pulls his pants up and another

shot rings out. Yussef gets up to see what his brother is

doing.

Ahmed is aiming the rifle at a rock some two hundred yards

away. He fires a third time.

Yussef runs up to him.

YUSSEF:

What are you doing?

Ahmed doesn't pay attention, and focuses on the rock in the

distance.

AHMED:

Hassan said that it could hit things

three kilometers away, but it can't

even reach that rock over there.

YUSSEF:

That's because you don't know how to

shoot. Give me the rifle.

Ahmed looks at his brother defiantly, then hands the rifle

over. Yussef aims and fires. The shot echoes through the

vast desert; the frightened goats scamper a few yards away.

AHMED:

See, it can't reach it.

YUSSEF:

Give me another bullet.

Yussef aims and fires. The bullet hits the rock and kicks

up a lot of whitish dust.

YUSSEF (CONT'D)

See.

AHMED:

Yeah, but that's not three kilometers.

Ahmed remains pensive and suddenly starts climbing to the

top of the hill. Once at the top, he looks around for a

moment and then calls his brother.

AHMED (CONT'D)

Yussef, come here.

Yussef climbs the slope. Ahmed signals a road that in the

distance cuts across the great desert plain, and points out

a traffic sign that indicates a curve ahead.

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