Silence Page #2

to reach us. It was hidden, smuggled,

ransomed and finally put into my hand

by a Dutch trader. Who had other news

as well.

RODRIGUES:

That he is alive?

VALIGNANO:

That he apostatized.

The young priests are stunned.

VALIGNANO:

That he denounced God in public and

surrendered the faith and is now

living as a Japanese.

5

GARUPE:

That’s not possible. (Father Ferreira

risked his life to spread our faith

all over Japan. We are here today

because of him.)

RODRIGUES:

He was the strongest of us.

VALIGNANO:

He wrote those words during the most

sweeping persecution of all. Now

things are even worse. Thousands are

dead for what we brought them.

Thousands more have given up the

faith.

GARUPE:

You said this trader brought news. But

it’s not proven, is it? It could be a

slander created to further discredit

our faith.

VALIGNANO:

Given the extent of the persecution in

that country...

GARUPE:

Yes, Father, respectfully. There must

be multitudes there who need us too.

VALIGNANO:

(more emphatically now)

...and the fact there has been no

other word of him, and the news

brought by the Dutchman...

GARUPE:

Rumor, Father, only...

Rodrigues gestures to Garupe to moderate his tone as Valignano

fixes him with a look of stern impatience. Garupe lowers his

head in apology.

VALIGNANO:

...I must conclude it is true.

RODRIGUES:

If it is true, Father, what would it

mean for the Society? For our faith?

For all of Catholic Europe?

(MORE)

6

RODRIGUES (cont'd)

Father, it seems our mission here is

more urgent than ever. We must find

Father Ferreira.

VALIGNANO:

I cannot allow that.

GARUPE:

But you can’t allow us to abandon our

mission.

VALIGNANO:

Your mission was to find word of

Ferreira. You have found it. Take this

letter with you and return to

Portugal.

RODRIGUES:

Excuse me, Father, but the letter

relates a terrible history. It says

nothing about Ferreira himself.

Whatever happened to him is still

unknown. All we know of his fate is a

slander. Permit me, Father Valignano,

but I believe our mission still

stands.

CUT TO:

8 EXT. STEPS OF A GREAT CATHEDRAL DAY 8

Valignano walks with the young priests down the steps of the

cathedral. The great cathedral looms behind them. Fog hangs in

the air like clumps of cotton. Outlines of ships in the harbor

can be seen in the distance; occasionally a MAST breaks through

the fog, swaying with the roll of the tide, then disappearing

again.

VALIGNANO:

If I permit you to go on to Japan,

I’d be condemning you. This

Inquisitor... this Inoue...he is

terror itself. He may not be the

devil, but he is just as cunning.

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