Excalibur Page #5

UTHER:

I swear it. By Excalibur and the

holy--

MERLIN:

--What issues from your lust will be

mine. Swear it again.

UTHER:

I swear it.

Merlin looks down sorrowfully at the kneeling King.

EXT. BATTLEMENTS, TINTAGEL CASTLE - EVENING

The Duke of Cornwall watches a force of armored knights riding

forth from Uther's war camp, with banners flying. It passes

beneath the castle and on toward a distant cliff.

DUKE OF CORNWALL

(to a lieutenant)

It's Uther and all his best knights.

He leaves behind little more than

fledglings to guard his camp.

His eyes are as cold and as pale as ice.

EXT. CLIFF ABOVE THE SEA - TWILIGHT

Uther and his knights, and Merlin on a mule, ride to the

high promontory and dismount. Here, overlooking the sea, is

a circle of ancient stones, carved with strange runes and

hieroglyphics, and as the wind moves through them it moans

and sighs.

The knights watch as Merlin and Uther, leading his horse,

walk toward the stones. Merlin strides into the circle,

turning to look at Uther, who hesitates.

MERLIN:

Come.

Uther starts to make the sign of the cross, but Merlin halts

him with a gesture. Uther's hand drops, and he enters the

circle with his horse.

Merlin and Uther look out across the sea, to Tintagel Castle

high upon the cliff.

Merlin solemnly raises his arms toward that distant castle,

and chants in an ancient language, the sounds of which he

marries to the roaring and whining of the wind. The wind

becomes stronger, and Merlin's incantations become more

intense, and the wind in turn becomes wilder still. Until

Merlin is charged with a fierce, nonhuman power, as the wind

buffets his slight frame.

And then, for all to understand:

MERLIN:

I hold the balance of all things in

my summoning. Arise mists. Come fog.

Rate this script:5.0 / 2 votes