"The Beautiful People"

Screenplay by

A. A. Roberts

(860) 429-7862
9 Lakeside Dr.
Ashford, CT 06278

EXT. BACK ROADS - NIGHT

DOLPH NEWHAUSE is behind the wheel of a beat up Dodge four by four.
Dolph is a very large, athletic individual of Nordic descent. His normally
piercing blue eyes are dulled by the effects of a long day and a long drive.

The engine dies. Dolph pulls off to the side of the road next to a grassy field.

Dolph exits the truck like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. He
opens the hood. He pokes about the engine.

The light under the hood flickers and goes out. He pulls his head out from
under the hood and bangs his head. He slams the side of the truck.

DOLPH
Piece of shit!

There is a silent flash behind Dolph. He spins to find the source of light.

In the middle of a grassy field behind him there is a bright light that
dances in place. Tendrils of energy seem to stream off of this ball of force.

Intrigued like the proverbial moth, Dolph sets out across the field.

EXT. AT THE LIGHT - SAME

Dolph stops a few yards away from the light. He stares in amazement
at this display of ethereal forces.

The light bridges the distance to Dolph instantaneously. He is in the light.
He totters, balanced on the edge of a precipice contained within this
Will-o'-the-wisp.

He falls with a scream.

INT. WITHIN THE LIGHT - SAME

Dolph screams as he falls head over heels into the light. Eternity
stretches before him.

EXT. GRASSY PLAIN - SAME

Still screaming, Dolph materializes six feet above the ground. He slams
into the ground with a sickening thud and bounces on to his back.

He GROANS and then passes out.

EXT. THROUGH DOLPH'S BLURRED VISION - LATER

Three men tower over Dolph. We can just make out their outlines, but
their speech is clear to us.

VOICE 1
It is as Adomass said... He is huge.

VOICE 2
We'll break our backs getting him to
the castle.

VOICE 1
We should have brought some
damned peasants to carry him.

VOICE 3
Never mind a little work. Hoist
him up and get him to the pack horse.

Two of the voices GROAN with effort. The world swims around Dolph. He is
hoisted to a pack horse. He is almost dropped.

VOICE 3
Careful, you fools! Crack his
head open and we're lost.

Dolph is secured on the blurred image of a horse. The horse begins to move.
The world bobbles up and down as Dolph passes out again.

EXT. THROUGH DOLPH'S BLURRED VISION - LATER

Dolph is on his back staring into a gray ceiling. The rough voices of the men
have been replaced with the refined voices of a woman and two older men.
Their blurred images hover over him.

MAN 1
It is as you said, Adomass, he
is a big one.

MAN
It is not his size that is important.
It is his invulnerability.

WOMAN
I wonder if he is as big all over.

MAN
Lucinda! Such thoughts are unseemly
for a daughter of the King.

LUCINDA
(demure)
I was only referring to his feet, Father.
(sweet)
May I lift the covers and see?

FATHER
No, you may not! Maybe I should
have one of the chambermaids look
after this one.

LUCINDA
Oh, Father! Don't be so crotchety!
I was only having fun.

FATHER
Well,
(sighs)
These are dire times, Lucy. Forgive
my lack of humor.

The two men leave in a blurred collage.

FATHER
Tend to him well, Lucy. Our
future depends on him.

INT. LARGE BEDROOM - MORNING

Dolph's eyes flutter open.

He is greeted with the sight of a diaphanous silk canopy. He finds himself in large
four poster bed in a cavernous bedroom. The walls are lined with tapestries
illustrating various mythic battles.

Directly across from the bed a window with open shutters reveals a beautiful spring day.
LUCINDA MALVALLE fills a basin at a nearby table with warm water from a silver pitcher.
She doesn't see Dolph appraising her.

She's a beautiful strawberry blond in her early twenties. Her ample figure is accented by
a white, floor length silk gown.

DOLPH
Excuse me?

Lucy screams and drops the pitcher. With a flash that would gut a warrior, she produces a
slim dagger.

The vicious glare of an animal crosses her face. A sheepish grin replaces the ugly mask.
She bounces her weapon up down as though it were a spoon.

LUCINDA
You startled me, Fair Knight.

She tosses the blade next to the basin.

DOLPH
Where am I?

LUCINDA
(sweet as an angel)
You are at the castle Malvalle in Varchone.
I am Lucinda Malvalle, daughter of
Brian Malvalle the king of these fair lands.

DOLPH
How did I get here?

LUCINDA
The wizard Adomass summoned you.

DOLPH
(groans)
I must've really banged my head.

Lucinda snatches up a silk cloth. She tends to Dolph's forehead.

LUCINDA
Oh you did good sir. Adomass is
very adept at summoning, but not
so good at providing for a tender arrival.

DOLPH
I must be dreaming.

Lucy pulls close to Dolph. She becomes a sensuous animal.

LUCINDA
Do dreams smell so sweet, Warrior?

DOLPH
(nervous)
Huh?

Lucinda parts the silk shirt Dolph is wearing. She runs her hands over his ample
muscles.

LUCINDA
Do dreams have such a delicate
touch to them, Warrior?

She begins to run her hands down his chest to his nether regions. Dolph's
eyes go wide.

LUCINDA
Do dreams offer such pleasant
promise, Dear Knight?

Lucy starts to seduce Dolph with the most desirous kisses.

The door to the bedroom bangs open.

KING MALVALLE
Lucy!

Lucy snatches her hands back and pulls away from Dolph.

LUCINDA
I was merely greeting our fair guest
with a morning kiss, Father.

The King strides to the bed with the crush of anger in his boots.

The King is of medium build and in his late forties. He sports a gray beard and
mustache. He is dressed in leather garb of the type worn during the 1100s. A
short sword dangles at the kings side.

ADOMASS, the kings wizard, strolls behind his lord. He appears to be the same
age as his king. He is dressed much the same.

ADOMASS
It would seem the princess is
attempting to lay a spell of
enslavement on our guest.

LUCINDA
(sweet as light)
Nay Adomass. I only wish to make
him feel welcome.

KING MALVALLE
You are randy as a mare in heat, Lucy.

LUCINDA
Father!

The king grins, turns to Dolph.

KING MALVALLE
So how say you, Warrior? Are you fit?

DOLPH
Engineer.

KING MALVALLE
Engineer?

DOLPH
I'm an engineer, not a warrior...
Well actually a graduate student
of electrical engineering.

The King turns questioningly to Adomass.

KING MALVALLE
You were to bring me a warrior, Wizard?
What is an ELECTRICAL engineer?

ADOMASS
I assure you he is, My Lord. From
whence he came the standards by
which a warrior are made are different.

KING MALVALLE
Ah, I see. You are an engineer warrior!
A maker of catapults, perchance?

DOLPH
What's happening to me? Where am I?
Why can't I wake up?

Adomass pulls a long slender needle from his sleeve. He jabs Dolph in the shoulder.

Dolph screams, jumps up and clutches his shoulder. He glares at the wizard.

ADOMASS
As you can see, Warrior, this is no
dream. Pain is real, the ladies are
real and death is real. This world is
very different from the one you have
come from. Danger feeds on the unwary.
You must come to terms quickly with
your situation. Quickly, if you are to
survive.

Dolph starts to look like a caged animal

DOLPH
It's not possible!

ADOMASS
Some of my better magics.

DOLPH
Magic!?

ADOMASS
(frowns)
Do not mock what you do not
understand, Engineer.

KING MALVALLE
This will all be explained to you shortly,
Warrior. The Lady Lucinda will tend to
your hurts. At midday we will explain
your situation. How shall we call you?

DOLPH
What?

ADOMASS
Your name, Dullard.

DOLPH
Dolph Newhause.

KING MALVALLE
Very good then, Dolph. As the wizard
says, it is important that you gather your
wits quickly. These are dread times.
Lucy, summon the servants and a healer.
Tend to his hurts not his-

LUCINDA
Father!

The King chuckles. He leaves with Adomass.

INT. THE KING'S HALL - NOON

Lucinda and two of her servants escort Dolph into the King's hall. The windowless
room is immense. The only illumination is supplied by firelight.

An ornate carpet leads to the dais where the king sits on his throne. Adomass
stands at the King's side. Warrior knights line either side of the carpet.

Behind the warriors stand the ladies and gentlemen of the court. They are
resplendent in finery. They are the definition of the beautiful people.

Dolph makes his way through the ranks. He ignores the cold suspicious stares
of the warriors.

Lucy and her servants curtsy when they reach the foot of the stairs.

DOLPH
Why am I here?

The King shifts in his throne, perturbed.

KING MALVALLE
It is common to kneel to the king
when you are presented to him.

DOLPH
I come from a land where there are
no kings and no bowing. Every man
is equal.

The closest warrior whips out his sword. He puts it to Dolph's throat.

Dolph turns and stares down at the man impassively. AUGUSTUS is of medium build
with red hair and a braided beard.

AUGUSTUS
The king said kneel, Cur!

The King waves off Augustus.

KING MALVALLE
It's all right Augustus. Put away your
sword. This is no way to treat our new
friend. He is strange to our ways.

Augustus obliges grudgingly. Malvalle appraises Dolph for a second.

KING MALVALLE
You have come to terms with your
surroundings? You realize this is
no dream?

DOLPH
Since I can't seem to wake from it,
I might as well go along with it.

KING MALVALLE
Good! If that is how you wish to view
the matter then so be it. Just understand
to die here is to die the real death. Do
you understand this?

Dolph shrugs his shoulders.

KING MALVALLE
Very well, then.

Malvalle motions to Adomass.

KING MALVALLE
Adomass?

Adomass steps forward to address Dolph and the room.

ADOMASS
Why are you here?... I must admit
with the greatest humility that it is
because of my error.

There are a couple of derisive snorts among the warriors. Adomass shoots them
cold stares.

ADOMASS
There was a sorcerer named Magnus
a hated enemy of this realm. Time and
again he visited his vile creations upon
us. These monstrosities cursed us for
twenty years and brought down many a
fine warrior.

Several warrior make noises of agreement.

ADOMASS
The King, having the deepest sympathy
for the plight of his people, directed me
to find a cure for Magnus' vile sorcery.
I decided to find one invulnerable to Magnus'
magics, but one who could be invested with
magics of his own. A warrior magician
outside of this realm. And so I summoned
one called Corwin.

The warriors shift about and curse at the mention of this name.

ADOMASS
I sent him to destroy Magnus, which
he did. But this traitor rose up to take
his place and has become much worse
then Magnus ever was.

DOLPH
What's all this got to do with me?

KING MALVALLE
We want you to destroy Corwin and
free us from this vile curse.

DOLPH
Me? What makes you think I can
handle him?

ADOMASS
The world you came from imbues
you with the same invulnerability
to our magic. Corwin can fight you
only on the physical realm.

KING MALVALLE
You are large, he is small. You should
have no problem with him.

DOLPH
And if I refuse?

Several warriors grumble menancingly and the King shifts uncomfortably. Adomass
smiles.

ADOMASS
Your efforts will not go unrewarded.
you may choose to stay here and be
treated as second only to my lord.
With riches beyond imagining.

Adomass nods at Lucy who blushes. She curtsies to the Wizard's compliment.

ADOMASS
If this is not enough for you, then
we will send you home with as much
wealth as you can carry.

KING MALVALLE
(nervous)
Which looks like a fair amount.

DOLPH
I'm an engineer not a mercenary.

Augustus draws his sword again. He places the point on Dolph's throat. Dolph turns and
stares at him.

AUGUSTUS
Enough! I tire of this disrespect to
the king, Wizard!

DOLPH
Remove it.

AUGUSTUS
It is your vile magic that got us here
in the first place, Magician. Let me
quest for Corwin, My Lord. I can defeat
him.

DOLPH
Remove it.

The King slams his throne.

KING MALVALLE
Time and again you have led my men
to destruction, Augustus! Magic must
fight magic! I will not lose any more men
to your pride.

AUGUSTUS
I would have succeeded if the Wizards
spells of protection had worked as he
claimed!

DOLPH
I said, remove it.

AUGUSTUS
Silence, Dog!

Dolph bats the sword away and slams Augustus in the chest with a palm heel. The
warrior sails backwards through the air onto the floor.

In one fluid motion the knight who was standing next to Augustus draws his sword.
He takes a swipe at Dolph's head.

Dolph steps back, lets the sword sail by. He steps in grabbing his assailant's sword
and delivers an elbow to the warrior's temple. He is knocked out.

Four other knights draw their weapons. Dolph picks up the unconscious knight by the torso.
He swings him about using him as a weapon. Several of the knights are clubbed down.

KING MALVALLE
Stop! Stop this now! I command it!

The warriors back off. Dolph drops the unconscious Knight like a sack of beans. Augustus
can be heard retching in a corner.

Dolph turns to face the king. The King regains his composure.

KING MALVALLE
If you are an engineer, Sir Dolph, I would
hate to see what destruction the warriors of
your world are capable of.

ADOMASS
You are a certain choice for this task...
Will you help us?

DOLPH
There is the one thing you haven't said
which I know to be the truth.

The entire roomful of people seems to suck in its breath. They fear what Dolph is about to accuse them of.

ADOMASS
And that is?

DOLPH
If I don't help you, then you won't
return me to my home.

Everyone relaxes. They obviously expected him to say something else.

ADOMASS
An unpleasant thought. I would rather
offer you sugar than poison.

Lucy takes Dolph's hand. She smiles demurely at Dolph. Dolph returns a sheepish smile.

LUCINDA
Please, Sir Dolph.

DOLPH
I'll have to think about it.
I need more information.

A look of scorn passes Lucy's face, unnoticed by Dolph. It is immediately replaced by
her previous fawning smile.

KING MALVALLE
Very well! One can not expect you to
ride into the unknown unprepared. Lucy
will show you about the kingdom. This
evening we will go over the particulars.
You can give us your decision then.

Click here for PART II of "The Beautiful People"