The Ninth Gate

76. KESSLER BUILDING: OFFICE iNT/DAY

A black and white photo fills the screen: it shows a young and beautiful BARONESS KESSLER flanked by two men in SS uniform. One of them is Heinrich Himmler.

BARONESS KESSLER is scowling down at a wartime number of ‘Signal’, the Nazi propaganda magazine. It’s lying open on her desk with Balkan’s envelope beside it.

The SECRETARY shows CORSO in. The BARONESS addresses her crisply.

BARONESS KESSLER: Merci, Simone.

The SECRETARY nods and exits. Fixing CORSO with a cold, challenging stare, BARONESS KESSLER feeds the magazine into a shredder beside her desk. She no longer looks such a dear little old lady.

77. KESSLER BUILDING: LIBRARY, OFFICE iNT/DAY

CORSO is seated at a library table on which reposes the Kessler copy of ‘The Nine Gates’. Beside it lies his notebook and the photocopies of Balkan’s engravings. His shoulder bag is hanging on the chairback, his overcoat draped over it. He reaches into his pocket and produces a Lucky, takes out his lighter.

BARONESS KESSLER: Blackmail doesn’t entitle you to smoke in my library, Mr. Corso.

CORSO stops short and looks back through the double doors into her office: she’s seated behind her desk like a graven image, watching him intently. He reinserts the Lucky in its pack and pockets his lighter. Getting down to work, he opens ‘The Nine Gates’ and extracts one of the Baroness’s handwritten slips, reads it to himself in a low voice.

CORSO: ‘I will recognize your servants, my brethren, by the sign that adorns some part of their body, a scar or mark of your making- ‘

He replaces the slip. BARONESS KESSLER cranes her body largely obscures her view of the table.

CORSO turns some pages and comes to the engraving of THE KNIGHT WITH A FINGER TO HIS LIPS. He compares it with the photocopy: the castle has three towers instead of four. He examines the margin of the engraving through his magnifying glass to ascertain the presence of something he already knows will be there: an ‘L.F.’

He turns to the chart in his notebook, which has already acquired a third row of nine boxes. He writes ‘Kessler’ beside it and enters an ‘L.F’ in the first box.

The second engraving – THE HERMIT WITH THE KEYS – appears to be identical and the signature is ‘A.T.’ An ‘A.T.’ goes down in the second box.

The third engraving is different: THE ANGELIC ARCHER has an arrow in his quiver, whereas the photocopy of Balkan’ s counterpart does not. This one, too, is signed ‘L.F.’ CORSO enters an ‘L.F.’ in the third box.

We MOVE IN until the chart FILLS THE SCREEN.

78. KESSLER BUILDING: LIBRARY, OFFICE

LONG SHOT of CORSO from behind. He leans back and stretches, glances in the direction of the office: Baroness Kessler is no longer at her desk. Absolute silence reigns.

He resumes work, turns to the ninth engraving: THE NAKED WOMAN RIDING THE DRAGON WITH A CASTLE ABLAZE IN THE BACKGROUND.

There’s a loud thud, and the engraving sways and blurs. THE SCREEN GOES BLACK.

79. KESSLER BUILDING: LIBRARY, OFFICE

FADE IN. An electrical hum, punctuated by a strange, rhythmical

series of clicks and thuds: click-thud, click-thud, click-thud-

CORSO, sitting slumped over the table, comes to. He groans and laboriously straightens up, feels his head and winces. The strange sound impinges on his consciousness: he looks around vaguely for its source and discovers it:

BARONESS KESSLER’s wheelchair has been left in forward gear. Complete with occupant, it’s colliding again and again with the wall beneath a window on the other side of the room. CORSO, who can just glimpse the top of the old lady’s head from behind, sees it jerk forward at each impact. He struggles to his feet.

CORSO: Baroness?

No answer. Unsteadily, he makes his way over to the wheelchair and swivels it around, starts back with a muffled exclamation.

BARONESS KESSLER has been strangled with her Hermes scarf: her cheeks are blue, her eyes and tongue are protruding.

Unobstructed, the laden wheelchair takes off across the library and heads for the double doors, which are now closed. it runs into them full tilt, bursts them open, and continues on its way.

Instantly, smoke comes billowing into the library, accompanied by a crackle of flames. The wheelchair disappears into the murk.

CORSO wildly scans the table for Baroness Kessler’s ‘Nine Gates’, but it’s gone. Snatching up his notebook and abandoning his shoulder bag and overcoat, he makes for the office at a run.

The office is thick with smoke and illumined by a fiery glow. CORSO pauses in the doorway, shielding his face from the heat with one hand, and surveys the scene.

BARONESS KESSLER and her wheelchair have come to rest in the midst of a bonfire of books and papers. CORSO can just make out her copy of ‘The Nine Gates’ on top. The flames are already engulfing it.

CORSO takes a last look, then dashes through the smoke to the door and exits.

80. KESSLER BUILDING: CORRIDOR, LOBBY, LANDING INT/DAY

With smoke billowing after him, CORSO dashes along the corridor, through the lobby, which is deserted, and out onto the landing.

81. KESSLER BUILDING: LANDING, STAIRS, HALLWAY INT/DAY

On the landing CORSO bumps into the SECRETARY, who has just emerged from the elevator. She gives a little shriek and drops a paper bag. Half a dozen oranges go bouncing ahead of CORSO as he races down the stairs.

In the hallway he almost upends the CONCIERGE, who’s wielding a broom in her curlers. Leaping aside with a startled yell, she speeds him on his way with some choice imprecations, then peers up the stairwell: the upper stories are already wreathed in smoke, and sundry TENANTS have debauched onto the landings. The SECRETARY comes pelting down the stairs, screaming at the top of her lungs.

82. SMALL PARIS SQUARE EXT/DAY

CORSO douses his head in the basin of a fountain, shakes off the drips and massages his face. Then he leans against the basin and looks around. He’s all alone in the little square.

He takes out a crumpled cigarette and inserts it between his lips with dripping fingers, gropes for his lighter, and vainly tries to light it. Wearily, he removes the cigarette from his lips and tosses it away. All at once, he spots a huge Great Dane watching him from the mouth of an alleyway. CORSO and the Great Dane stare at each other.

Then the silence is broken by a fire engine’s siren, faint at first but growing louder.

83. RIVERSIDE STREET CORNER EXT/DAY

CORSO reaches an intersection and looks around the corner.

The Kessler building is ablaze. Tongues of flame and clouds of smoke are issuing from the windows of the upper stories. Fire engines and squad cars are drawn up outside, FIREMEN are directing their hoses onto the flames, GENDARMES cordoning off the street and keeping curious SPECTATORS at bay.

84. PARIS STREET, HOTEL LOBBY EXT/INTIDAY

CORSO, looking wrung out, crosses the street and makes for the hotel entrance.

He’s just going through the revolving doors into the lobby when THE GIRL appears on the inside. Hooking her arm through his, she steers him around and back outside again in one continuous movement. As she does so:

THE GIRL (mutters): Just keep going.

Still firmly gripping his arm, she Propels him out onto the sidewalk.

CORSO (baffled): What are you playing at?

THE GIRL See those men talking with your friend Gruber?

CORSO turns to look. inside the lobby, TWO MEN IN TRENCHCOATS are standing at the reception desk in conversation with GRUBER.

THE GIRL (cont.): Police.

At that moment, GRUBER looks past them at CORSO. He briefly locks eyes with him but shows no sign of recognition.

CORSO: Shit.

He turns and walks off with THE GIRL at his side.

85. PHONE BOOTH EXT/INT/DAY

CORSO is in the act of entering a glass phone booth.

THE GIRL You look better without that old bag and coat of yours. They didn’t do anything for you.

CORSO shuts the door in her face. He picks up the receiver, inserts a coin, punches out a number. THE GIRL pulls a funny face at him through the glass. CORSO’s only response is to turn away and cup his hand around the receiver.

CORSO (into phone): Gruber? it’s me, Corso. Can you talk?

GRUBER (V.0): No, sir.

CORSO: But you can listen?

GRUBER (V.O.): Certainly, sir.

CORSO: I’d like you to do something for me.

From outside we see. THE GIRL, arms folded, casually watching him.

86. PARIS BRASSERIE INT/DAY

GRUBER enters a brasserie crowded with lunchtime CUSTOMERS. He’s looking distinctly Prussian in spite of the civilian overcoat over his uniform. He spots CORSO at the far end of the bar with THE GIRL beside him. She’s sucking up some colorful beverage through a straw. GRUBER acknowledges her presence with a formal nod.

CORSO: You don’t have it?

GRUBER: There was nothing in the place you described, sir. I’m sorry.

CORSO: Goddamit!

He turns to THE GIRL.

CORSO (cont.): I suppose you didn’t take it?

THE GIRL You still don’t trust me, do you?

GRUBER clears his throat.

GRUBER: I think I may have the answer, sir. Someone visited your room earlier on, while my young colleague was on duty: your wife.

CORSO: My wife? I.don’t have any wife.

GRUBER: That’s what I told him .

CORSO: Could he describe her?

GRUBER (nods): Thirtyish, blond, dishy.