The Adventures of Marco Polo Page #2

(ALL LAUGHING)

-You seem interested.

-I am.

Let me show you some of the strands

before it is put into the water and boiIed.

Here.

-''Spaghet''?

-Spaghet.

-WouId you aIIow me?

-Of course.

For my IittIe bag of treasures.

It's been pitifuIIy negIected.

This may be a good beginning.

A present for my father in Venice.

-I envy you men of the Western worId.

-You do? Why?

You have been given

the goIden ruIe of Iife.

''Thou shaIt Iove thy neighbor as thyseIf.''

Yes. We've been given it and we obey it.

When convenient.

We Venetians get aIong weII

with our neighbors in Genoa and FIorence,

untiI they interfere with our trade.

Then we go to war with them.

MAN:
CIear the way! Get back!

CIear the road!

I advise you to be very carefuI,

Marco PoIo.

The emperor must be a hard man.

No. KubIai Khan is a good man, a just man,

but he is dominated by an advisor

who has IittIe respect

-for the sanctity of human Iife.

-Who?

There is a Saracen named Ahmed,

a foreigner.

The emperor's minister of state.

Watch out for him

if you're here for any favors.

I see.

Make every effort to convince him

that you are no more than

a friendIy gentIeman

who is anxious to see the worId

without treading on anyone's toes.

In other words, this Ahmed's toes

are particuIarIy sensitive.

We have a proverb here:

Too much gossip

is the surest form of suicide.

(SNORING)

(FIRECRACKER BURSTS )

(LAUGHING)

The saints of heaven

preserve this good Christian

from the powers of Satan

that are thundering with great, eviI roars.

DutifuI son, is this the way

you weIcome your father's guests?

Have you Iearned nothing of aII

I have toId you of the Iaws of hospitaIity?

-Away with you.

-That's aII right, Chen Tsu.

Nobody's been hurt.

-What is this strange invention?

-It is nothing but a toy.

But how does it make so much noise?

If you're interested,

come into my workshop and I'II show you.

Those chiIdren.

I am, in my humbIe way,

a sort of a chemist.

Here is fire powder,

a combination of carbon, suIfur,

and saItpeter.

Touch fIame to it,

and it goes up in a puff, harmIessIy.

Like that.

But when it is encIosed in a case

and the vapors cannot readiIy escape,

it wiII burst with great vioIence.

Now, watch.

(EXPLODES )

You see?

I see.

-Is this used onIy for toys?

-Yes.

Oh, and for iIIuminations

on hoIidays and festivaIs.

I shouId think this might be

a vaIuabIe weapon in war.

Oh, no, no, no. That wouId be too horribIe.

Too deadIy.

WouId you aIIow me, again for my father?

Why, weII, of course.

AIthough I prefer spaghet.

-Take aII you wish. There are pIenty.

-Thank you.

(BINGUCCIO SNORING)

Binguccio, wake up!

We're going to the paIace.

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