understanding.
MOLLY
To lose one in life is better than to lose them all in death. I vote yes.
344 STEPHEN KING
She raises her hand. Soon other hands go up. THE CAMERA RANGES AMONG all the folks we have come to know, watching as every hand goes up ... save one.
ROBBIE draws the moment out, looking at the forest of raised arms and solemn faces. To give these people the credit they're due, they have made a terrible decision . . . and know it.
ROBBIE
(soft) Those opposed?
The raised hands go down. MIKE, still looking at the floor, hoists his hand high in the air.
ROBBIE I count all in favor save one. The motion is carried.
120 INTERIOR: THE REGULATOR CLOCK, CLOSE-UP.
The minute hand reaches 9:30, and the CLOCK CHIMES ONCE.
121 INTERIOR: RESUME TOWN MEETING HALL NIGHT.
The doors open. LINOGE steps in, his cane in one hand, the small chamois bag in the other.
LINOGE
Folks, have you reached your decision?
ROBBIE -j Yes . . . we've voted in favor.
LINOGE
Excellent.
He walks along the back row, then pauses when he reaches the center aisle. He looks at the parents.
LINOGE
You've made the right choice.
STORM OF THE CENTURY 345
MOLLY turns away, sickened by this smiling monster's approval. LINOGE sees her revulsion, and his smile broadens. He makes his way slowly down the center aisle, holding the bag of marbles out before him.
252
He mounts the steps, and ROBBIE moves away from him rapidly, his face full of terror. LINOGE
stands by the podium, looking at his hostages with a kindly smile.
LINOGE
You've done a hard thing, my friends, but despite what the constable may have told you, it's also a good thing. The right thing. The only thing, really, that loving, responsible people could have done, under the circumstances.
He holds out the bag by the drawstring, so it hangs down from his hand.
LINOGE
These are weirding stones. They were old when the world was young, and used to decide great issues long before Atlantis sank into the African Ocean. There are seven white stones in here . . .
and one black one.
LINOGE pauses . . . smiles ... a smile that shows the tips of his fangs.
LINOGE
You're eager for me to be gone, and I don't blame you. Will one parent of each child come forward, please? Let's finish this up.
122 INTERIOR: THE ISLANDERS.
Realizing for the first time on a gut level what they have done. Realizing also that it's too late to turn back.
123 INTERIOR: LINOGE, CLOSE-UP.
Smiling. Showing the tips of his fangs. And holding out the bag. It's time to choose.
FADE TO BLACK. THIS ENDS ACT 5.
Act 6
124 EXTERIOR: THE REACH NIGHT.
The snow has stopped, and now MOONLIGHT beats a gilded track across the reach toward the mainland.
125 EXTERIOR: MAIN STREET NIGHT. Snow-clogged and silent.
126 EXTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL NIGHT.
Dark on the right, BRIGHTLY CANDLELIT on the left, where the meeting hall is.
127 INTERIOR: THE MEETING HALL NIGHT.
Slowly, slowly, the parents come down the center aisle: JILL, URSULA, JACK, LINDA, SANDRA, HENRY, and MELINDA. At the rear of the group is MOLLY ANDERSON. She looks pleadingly at MIKE.
MOLLY
Mike, please try to understand
MIKE
Do you want me to understand? Go back and sit with him, then. Refuse to take part in this obscenity.
MOLLY I can't. If you could only see . . .
253
MIKE is looking down between his legs at the floor. He doesn't want to look at her, doesn't want to look at any of it. She sees this and goes on, sorrowfully, up the steps.
The PARENTS range themselves in a line on the stage. LINOGE looks at them with the benign smile of a dentist assuring a child that this won't hurt, this won't hurt at all.
346
STORM OF THE CENTURY 347
LINOGE
It's perfectly simple. You each draw a stone from the bag. The child whose parent draws the black stone comes with me. To live long . . . see far . . . and know much. Mrs. Robi-chaux? Jill?
Would you start us, please?
He offers her the bag. At first it seems she won't reach into it ... or can't.
ANDY
Go on, honey do it.
She gives him a haunted look, then reaches into the bag, feels around, and comes out with her hand tightly clasped around a stone. She looks as though she might faint.
LINOGE Mrs. Hatcher?
MELINDA takes a stone. SANDRA is next. She reaches toward the bag . . . then draws away.
SANDRA
Robbie, I can't! You!
But ROBBIE doesn't want to be that near LINOGE.
ROBBIE Go on! Draw!
She does, and stands back, little mouth quivering, her hand clasped so tightly around the stone that the fingers are white. Next is HENRY BRIGHT, feeling around a long time, rejecting one (or two) in favor of another. Then JACK. He chooses fast, then steps back and gives ANGIE a desperate, hopeful smile. LINDA ST. PIERRE draws one. That leaves URSULA and MOLLY.
LINOGE
Ladies?
URSULA You go first, Molly.
