The Young Messiah Page #2

(NEIGHING)

(GRUNTING)

(YELLING)

(GRUNTS)

(NEIGHING)

(GROANS)

(WHEEZES)

(NEIGHS)

Stay!

(MAN GROANING)

Boy!

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

Son, come here!

We had nothing to do

with this, Centurion.

We are not rebels.

We're travelers.

Next time

there will be no mercy.

Go!

(GRUNTS)

Come with me.

HEROD:
Fill it.

(EXCLAIMS)

Go.

(SOBBING)

(DOOR CLOSES)

HEROD:
There's a boy

who can perform miracles.

And in Alexandria,

he raised a boy from the dead.

That's the rumor.

Rumor?

You call them the mob, Severus.

We call them the Rejected.

Listen to them, to the street,

and you'll know what's going on.

(CHUCKLES) Sounds like

the Jewish madness.

There's a messiah behind every

tree, under every rock.

I'm Jewish.

Do I have the madness?

You served my father.

How long have you been in Judea?

Eight years.

Were you in Bethlehem?

Yes, I was.

Then you understand.

You've done it before.

Oh...

(HISSING)

HEROD:
Damn serpents!

I can't send my troops.

Jews won't do it again.

Not a child. Not the...

Not the Messiah.

Get out!

I've had enough of you, witches

and lizard-eaters. Go! Go!

I know what they said

about my father.

They won't say it about me.

You have your assignment,

Centurion.

(GASPS) I saw him! That man who died.

(CLEOPAS COUGHING)

You were sleeping.

It was just a dream.

It was so real.

(LAUGHING)

You have to watch out

for those dreams, nephew.

It runs in the family.

Well, they do.

In fact, we have dreams

to thank for being here.

Come to think of it,

every big decision

this family has made

in the last eight years

is because of dreams.

Hush.

(COUGHING)

What do you mean?

You're not to ask.

Why not? Teacher always

answered my questions.

So did the rabbi.

Uncle?

You've got to tell him sometime.

(COUGHING)

I'll get water. Joseph!

(CLEOPAS WHEEZING)

Cure him! Cure him!

I know you can.

I can't!

They told me not to.

I don't understand.

Don't you love him?

(CONTINUES WHEEZING

AND COUGHING)

(BLADE SCRAPING)

You know what they say about

Herod the Dead, don't you?

Do you mean Herod the Great?

They say he choked to death

on the blood of children.

You've killed children before.

So have you.

No doubt I'll kill more.

You didn't tell the men.

A few officers know.

They'll keep watch

for him and so will we.

I don't want to start

a general panic.

No.

And when we come across him,

we'll do our duty.

It's a small task.

It's a small boy.

I do as ordered.

The boy must die.

CLEOPAS:
Praise to the Lord!

I will sing praises to God!

But no,

not to so-called princes,

kings, tax-mongers,

bandits, mercenaries!

(CLEOPAS COUGHING)

He's scaring everyone.

I'm going to get him.

Leave him. If he's to die,

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