DARK.
MIKE comes in, removes the pine-cone-and-candle centerpiece from the table, then removes the white linen tablecloth.
180 INTERIOR: THE HALL, WITH MIKE.
He comes out of the dining room and approaches the shape of MARTHA'S body. As he does, he notices something on the wall by the door. He trains the beam of his flashlight on it. It is a key rack, in the shape of a key. MIKE runs the light along it, and finds the set of keys he's looking for. He takes them off their peg.
181 INTERIOR: THE KEYS ON MIKE'S PALM, INSERT.
103
The tag on one reads 'FRONT DOOR' in MARTHA'S spidery old-lady's writing.
182 INTERIOR: RESUME HALL, WITH MIKE.
He pockets the keys and sets his case and camera aside on the stairs for the moment.
MIKE I'm so sorry, old girl.
He billows the tablecloth over MARTHA, then takes up his gear again. He opens the door to the porch just enough to slip through and goes out into the SHRIEKING STORM. Night has fallen.
183 EXTERIOR: ON THE PORCH, WITH MIKE NIGHT
He uses MARTHA'S key to lock the door. Tries it to make sure it's locked. Then he goes down the steps and begins floundering back down the walk to the Island Services vehicle.
184 EXTERIOR: A HOUSE ON UPPER MAIN STREET NIGHT.
We can barely see it through the sheeting snow.
185 INTERIOR: THE CARVER KITCHEN, WITH JACK, ANGELA, AND BUSTER.
No generator here. The kitchen is lit with two Coleman gas lanterns, and there are big shadows in all the corners. The little family is eating
cold cuts and drinking soda. Each time the wind GUSTS and the house CREAKS, ANGELA looks around nervously. JACK is a lobsterman and less worried about weather (what's to worry about when you're on dry-back land, for gorry's sake?). He's playing airplane with BUSTER. The plane is a bologna sandwich; BUSTER'S open mouth is the hangar. JACK keeps approaching (making the appropriate airplane noises as he does), then pulling away. BUSTER is laughing heartily. Daddy is such a comedian.
There's a RENDING, SPLINTERING CRASH from outside. ANGELA grabs JACK'S arm.
ANGELA
What was that?
104
JACK CARVER
Tree. Robichaux's backyard, from the sound. Hope it didn't hit their porch.
He starts playing airplane again, this time landing the sandwich in BUSTER'S mouth. BUSTER
chomps off a bite and chews with gusto.
ANGELA
Jack, do you have to go back to the store?
JACK Ayuh.
BUSTER
Daddy's gonna guard the bad guy! Make sure he doesn't get away. In a PLAYYNE!
JACK That's right, big guy.
JACK dive-bombs another bite into BUSTER'S mouth and ruffles his hair, then looks seriously at ANGELA.
JACK
This is a bad situation, honey. Everybody's got to do his part. Besides, I'll be with Kirk. It's the buddy system.
BUSTER Don Beals is my buddy! He knows how to be a monkey!
JACK Ayuh. Trick he learned from his dad, most likely.
ANGIE laughs and covers her mouth. JACK smiles at her. BUSTER starts making monkey sounds and scratching at his pits. Typical five-year-old dinner behavior. The parents treat him with absentminded love.
JACK
If you hear the whistle, take Buster and go. Hell, go before then, if you get nervous bundle up and take the snowmobile.
ANGELA
105
Are you sure?
JACK
Ayuh. Fact is, the earlier you go, the better bed you and Buster are apt to have. People headed that way already. I seen the lights.
(lifts his chin toward the window)
You be here or there when my watch is over don't matter. I'll find you.
He smiles at her. She smiles back, reassured. The WIND SCREAMS. They listen, smiles fading.
FAINT, we hear the SOUND OF POUNDING WAVES.
JACK
Town hall basement's probably gonna be the safest place on the island for the next forty-eight hours. There's going to be one helluva storm surge tonight, tell you that.
ANGELA
Why did that man have to come today, of all days?
BUSTER What did the bad man do, Mommy?
Here we are again little pitchers and their big ears. ANGELA leans over and kisses him.
ANGELA
Stole the moon and brought the wind. How about another sandwich, big boy?
BUSTER Yeah! And Daddy can fly it!
186 EXTERIOR: GODSOE FISH & LOBSTER DARK.
The waves are crashing higher than ever.
187 EXTERIOR: THE LIGHTHOUSE DARK.
Now just a vague shape in the storm, illuminating a WILDERNESS OF SNOW each time the light comes around.
106
188 EXTERIOR: MAIN AND ATLANTIC INTERSECTION DARK.
The WIND tears the darkened blinker loose, and it goes flying to the end of its cord, like a yo-yo to the end of its string, before finally thumping down into the snowy street.
189 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE JAIL CELL, WITH LINOGE DARK.
LINOGE is sitting as before, with his feet up and his hungry face framed by his slightly spread knees. He's intent, focused, still wearing the shadow of a smile.
190 INTERIOR: ANGLE ON THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, WITH HATCH AND PETER.
HATCH has got a PowerBook open; its glow shines on his rapt face. He's running a crossword puzzle program and is deep into it. He doesn't notice PETER, who is sitting below the bulletin board and staring back at LINOGE, slack-faced and wide-eyed. PETER is hypnotized.
191 INTERIOR: LINOGE, CLOSE-UP.
His smile widens. His EYES DARKEN TO BLACK, and that red starts to roll into them again.
192 INTERIOR: RESUME HATCH AND PETER.
Without removing his gaze from LINOGE'S, PETER reaches behind him and pulls an old Department of Fisheries red-tide notice from the board. He turns it over. He has a ballpoint in his flap pocket. He now clicks the tip and puts pen to paper. He never looks down at what he's doing, though; his gaze never leaves LINOGE.
HATCH
(not looking up)
Say, Pete what do you s'pose this one is? 'Yodeler's perch.' Three letters.
193 INTERIOR: LINOGE, CLOSE-UP.
Smiling, he mouths a word that looks like a gulp.
194 INTERIOR: RESUME HATCH AND PETER.
107
PETER
Alp.
HATCH Coss it is.
(types it into the grid) This is a great program. I'll let you try later, if you want.
PETER Sure.
He sounds okay, but never takes his eyes from LINOGE. His pen never stops moving, either.
Never even slows.
195 INTERIOR: THE BACK OF THE FISHERIES
