1492: Conquest of Paradise Page #4

COLUMBUS:

I've been contradicted all my

life... Eternity!

MARCHENA:

(amused)

Only God knows the meaning of such

words, my son.

EXT. COURTYARD - LA RABIDA - EVENING

DIEGO and FERNANDO wait in the courtyard. COLUMBUS

appears and lifts FERNANDO onto the mule. DIEGO turns to

go.

COLUMBUS:

Diego.

COLUMBUS walks over to him, squats down so their eyes

meet. He looks at his SON for a moment.

COLUMBUS:

Would you like to come and stay with

us?

Uncomfortable with the proposition, DIEGO cannot find an

answer.

COLUMBUS:

I'll do whatever makes you happy.

DIEGO:

I am happy, Father.

COLUMBUS reaches out -- and touches his shoulder.

He climbs up behind FERNANDO, who waves back to his

BROTHER as they ride off.

EXT. CADIZ - STREETS AND CATHEDRAL SQUARE - NIGHT

COLUMBUS leads the mule, carrying the sleeping FERNANDO,

through narrow streets. There's a clamorous noise in the

air. Suddenly a large group of YOUNG MEN, shouting with

excitement, run up the street and brush past them. Then

more people. FERNANDO sits up straight. The noise grows,

rowdy, rumbling, sharp with excitement and violence.

Huge CROWDS have thronged the massive old square outside

the cathedral. Holding the mule by its reins, COLUMBUS

tries to push his way through... Suddenly, as a gap opens

in the crowd, we see the cause of the excitement: in the

center of the square stand three pyres, already alit.

HOODED EXECUTIONERS are busy around the fires.

FERNANDO:

Look, Father!

Before COLUMBUS can stop him, FERNANDO has slipped off the

mule and into the crowd.

COLUMBUS:

Fernando!

But the BOY has been swallowed into the mass of people.

COLUMBUS tries to follow him. Flames leap into the night

sky with a terrible crackling, lighting up the square with

a lurid glow. Prayers are being chanted somewhere.

FERNANDO has elbowed his way to the front of the crowd.

A PRIEST brandishes a crucifix in front of the face of a

MAN bound to a post. The heretic wears the "sambenito", a

robe made of coarse fabric on which his sins have been

crudely illustrated -- we see cabalistic signs,

indicating that the man is Jewish.

THE MAN'S eyes are mad with fear. But he refuses to kiss

the crucifix, as a sign of his repentance.

FERNANDO is transfixed by the scene, but still doesn't

realize what is happening. He is too close to the

platform to see what is in the flames of the other pyres.

COLUMBUS:

Fernando!

He motions to his son, takes the BOY'S hand, and drags him

away from the scene. But FERNANDO looks back. The

distance now allows him to see inside the flames.

A HALF-CHARRED FIGURE -- THE MAN'S face is distorted in a

silent scream... The neck snaps like burning wood, and the

head falls on one shoulder. Then the whole body collapses

into the fire.

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote