The Big Blue Page #5

Their boat on the water. The chug of its ENGINE ECHOES

off the cliffs. A few gulls -- drawn by the sound -- skim

the waves of its wake.

EXT. BOAT - DAY

On board. JACQUES' Father checks the antique air pump.

JACQUES polishes the enormous copper diver's helmet and

lays out the rest of an old fashioned deep sea diver's

suit.

At the foot of an old monastery another boat passes.

The Priest is in it.

JACQUES' Father and LOUIS take off their caps. JACQUES

takes the gold coin out of his pocket.

The pope nods to JACQUES. His father looks over at him

without understanding. The child quickly puts the coin

back in his pocket.

EXT. BOAT - DAY

LOUIS casts anchor. A few feet away, siting on a rock,

the kid with little round glasses is fishing. He turns

around to the boat. JACQUES smiles and waves at him.

ENZO waves back, obviously disturbed in his fishing session.

FATHER:

Jacques, come help me.

JACQUES helps his father into the diver's suit. The burly

man struggles into a pair of weighted lead shoes. He seems

sluggish and tired. JACQUES watches worriedly. He has a

weird feeling.

JACQUES:

You shouldn't dive everyday, Papa.

UNCLE LOUIS:

Then you shouldn't eat everyday,

Jacques.

His father catches him fondly by the scruff of the neck.

FATHER:

(winks at him)

Don't worry. When I'm tired down

there, the mermaids help me out.

Father and son smile at each other. Then his father puts

the helmet on. JACQUES joins LOUIS at the pump.

The heavy diver's suit disappears slowly underwater. The

gleaming copper helmet is the last thing to slide out of

sight.

JACQUES and LOUIS work the pump. Regular, steady motions

to maintain the flow of air.

UNCLE LOUIS:

(to Jacques)

Hey! Have you ever seen a mermaid?

JACQUES:

No.

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