EXT PIAZZA NAVONA NIGHT

-- Bernini's spectacular Fountain of the Four Rivers in the

Piazza Navona.

There is a black van parked beside the fountain, and we drift over

toward it. Passing through the passenger window, we go inside

to find --

-- Mr. Gray, facing the rear of the van, his jacket off and his

shirt open, engaged in battlefield surgery on his injured right

shoulder. Using a long-handled tweezers, he digs into his own

flesh, gets a hold of the bullet that pierced him, and tosses it

onto the metal floor of the van with a TING.

It lands beside a lumpy tarp, and as metal hits metal, the tarp

jumps.

There's a human being in there. Mr. Gray speaks to the lump.

MR. GRAY

Were it up to me, it would not be this

way. It is a sin to kill with pain.

(SIGHS)

But I am a sinner.

We pan off him quickly and look out the driver's window, up at a

clock tower on the far side of the plaza.

It's sixteen minutes to eleven.

CUT TO:

EXT BURNING CHURCH NIGHT

Langdon hurries down the steps of the still-smoldering church,

followed closely by the Roman Cop and TWO OTHER COPS.

ROMAN COP

Professor! The Vatican insists that-

91.

LANGDON

(turning on him)

The Vatican is about to see its fourth

Cardinal murdered tonight.

He realizes he spoke too loudly, and there is quite a crowd

assembled outside the smoking church. Langdon lowers his voice

and presses in.

LANGDON (cont'd)

Now you can either do what they tell

you and force me to go to the Vatican,

where we can all mourn his death

together, or you can show them how

real cops act and take me to the

Piazza Navona, where we might be able

to stop it.

The Cop looks at him, thinking, confers with another Cop in rapid

Italian. Langdon checks his watch.

LANGDON (cont'd)

By all means, talk it over. But in

fourteen minutes he'll be dead.

CUT TO:

EXT ST. PETER'S SQUARE NIGHT

St. Peter's Square is even more crowded than before. Another

move down the row of international television reporters, but this

one's about twice as fast as the last one. (Anybody not

speaking English is subtitled.)

SOUTH AFRICAN REPORTER

-- possibility of terrorism, as the

church has now confirmed arson at one

of its oldest and holiest churches

Moving on, to an Asian Reporter:

ASIAN REPORTER

-- resulting in at least six confirmed

deaths --

To a Brazilian:

BRAZILIAN REPORTER

-- initial rumors that one of the

dead was Cardinal Ebner of Frankfurt --

To an American:

92.

AMERICAN REPORTER

-- been refuted by the Vatican, which

has asked international media not to

engage in, quote, "wild speculation"--

And to a French Woman:

FRENCH REPORTER

-- as conclave goes on, with no sign

of agreement on a new pope yet.

CUT TO:

INT OFFICE OF THE POPE NIGHT

In the papal office, the Camerlengo sits, alone, in front of the

fireplace, staring into the flames, thinking.

Behind him, a small knot of Swiss Guard debate their next move in

Italian. He speaks softly to them, in Italian, subtitled.

CAMERLENGO

At 11:15, if the church is still in

peril, give the order to evacuate the

cardinals. But with dignity, let

them exit into St. Peter's Square,

with their heads held high. I don't

want the last image of this church to

be frightened old men sneaking out a

back door. If Cardinal Mortati

protests, escort him bodily. Do you

understand?

The Guardsmen are uncomfortable with that idea.

SWISS GUARDSMAN

If you think it is the right thing,

Signore.

CAMERLENGO

I'm certain it's the wrong thing,

and I will be removed from my post

for it. But I also know we have

no choice.

They just look at him. You're the boss.

CAMERLENGO (cont'd)

Please clear the room so that I may

pray on the matter.

93.

They get out. He stares into the flames.

CUT TO:

Date: 2015-12-18; view: 616