The Ninth Gate
CORSO: No, you. You know everything.
THE GIRL If you say so.
She turns off right.
106. LAMBORGHINI/COUNTRY ROAR) EXT/NIGHT
It’s dark now, and the Lamborghini is speeding along an avenue of poplars. No sign of the Mercedes.
THE GIRL We lost them.
CORSO: Not at this speed. They must have gone the other way.
THE GIRL You mean I don’t know everything after all?
CORSO: Turn around.
They pass a small intersection on the right. THE GIRL backs into it but doesn’t complete the manoeuvre: something catches her eye.
THE GIRL Thirtyish, blond, dishy – what was her name again?
CORSO: Telfer. Liana Telfer.
THE GIRL No, her maiden name.
CORSO: Saint-Damien.
THE GIRL Look.
CORSO’s POV the Lamborghini’s headlights have illuminated a signpost. One of the signs reads: ‘ST.-DAMIEN 2 Km.’ It points the way they were going.
THE GIRL turns out into the road and drives on in the original direction.
107. LAMBORGHINI/VILLAGE EXT/NIGHT
THE GIRL slows as they pass the ‘ST.-DAMIEN’ sign at the entrance to the village itself.
THE GIRL Should we drive straight in?
CORSO: In this thing? We might as well hang a bell around our necks. Park here.
108. ST.-DAMIEN VILLAGE EXT/NIGHT
CORSO and THE GIRL walk gingerly down the old village street. A faint glow emanates from a few windows in the time-worn houses, but the street itself is utterly deserted.
109. VILLAGE SQUARE EXT/NIGHT
They pause at the mouth of a small, equally deserted square: church at one end, mairie across the way, village stores shuttered and in darkness, two or three parked cars, none of them the Mercedes.
THE GIRL So?
CORSO looks around irresolutely, sees light coming from the basement window of a baker’s shop.
110. VILLAGE BAKERY EXT/INT/NIGHT
Side by side, CORSO and THE GIRL look down through the open transom of the basement window. inside, a flour-smeared BAKER is deftly preparing a tray of croissants for the oven.
CORSO: Monsieur?
The BAKER looks up, wipes his hands on his smock, and walks over to the window.
BAKER M’sieur?
CORSO: Nous cherchons la maison de Madame de Saint-Damien.
BAKER: Le chateau, vous voulez dire.
CORSO (to THE GIRL): Chateau! That’s it – got to be. (to the BAKER): Ou il est, le chateau?
BAKER (gestures): La route apres ”egllse, m’sieur.
111. LAMBORGHINI/MINOR ROAD EXT/NIGHT
THE GIRL is driving slowly along a country road flanked on one side by woods. A pair of ornate wrought-iron gates and a gatehouse loom up on the left.
CORSO: Keep going.
There’s a light on in the gatehouse. They glimpse the gatekeeper leaning against his door, smoking, as they cruise past.
112. LAMBORGHINI/MINOR ROAD EXT/NIGHT
The Lamborghini backs into the mouth of a farm track. THE GIRL and CORSO get out, cross the road, and strike off into the woods.
113. CHATEAU DRIVEWAY EXT/NIGHT
Hugging the trees that border it on one side, CORSO and THE GIRL are making their way up a long, straight, graveled driveway. The lighted gatehouse is to their rear, the lights of the ch&teau can be seen ahead.
Hearing the sound of a car behind them, they turn to see its headlights swing in through the gates. They quickly take cover in the trees and watch the car – a big limo – glide past, then emerge and walk on.
114. CHATEAU ST.-DAMIEN EXT/NIGHT
CORSO and THE GIRL observe the chateau, a substantial 17th century mansion, from the edge of the trees.
The forecourt, in which come 20 expensive-looking cars are parked, one of them the Mercedes, is illuminated by the flambeaux on either side of the portico and the lights inside the building. The limo has pulled up at the foot of the steps, and the occupants, a smartly dressed ELDERLY COUPLE, are being greeted by a tuxedoed BUTLER while their suitcases are removed from the trunk and carried in after them by a MANSERVANT.
115. CHATEAU/GREAT HALL EXT/INT/NIGH’r
CORSO and THE GIRL have worked their way around to the side of the chateau. One of the lighted windows gives them a view of the upper reaches of the chateau’s great hall, with its balustraded minstrel gallery and lofty, vaulted ceiling. They climb on a stone bench for a better look.
Inside, overlooked by an array of ancestral portraits, some 50 GUESTS are inaudibly conversing in groups. Men and women alike are attired in long black robes resembling monks’ habits, and all have silver pentacles suspended from their necks on silver chains. Their cowls are thrown back to reveal the heads and faces beneath. A motley assortment of people, most of them middle- or late middle-aged, one or two of oriental origin. No sign of Liana or the Mustache.
THE GIRL See them anywhere?
CORSO: No.
THE GIRL They aren’t there.
116. CHATEAU/KITCHEN EXT/INTINIGHT
CORSO and THE GIRL continue to make their cautious way around the house. Peering through a semi-basement window, they see TWO CHEFS chopping vegetables at a big kitchen table.
They pause, at a loss, and look up at the house. Several of the second-floor windows are illuminated, and one of them has some creeper-covered trelliswork running up to its balcony.
117. CHATEAU: BALCONY/LIANA’S BOUDOIR EXT/INT/NIGHT
THE GIRL, with CORSO close behind her, has just reached the top of the trelliswork. She clambers over onto the balcony. CORSO scales the last few fact, reaches for the balustrade, straddles it and joins her. Together, they peer through the French windows.
With them, we see a bedroom decorated in a very feminine style all frills, flounces, and elegant Louis Quinze furniture. Two of Liana’s Vuitton suitcases are on the floor near the dainty fourposter. A third, with her discarded clothes beside it, is lying open on the bed itself.
LIANA has stripped to her panties. CORSO and THE GIRL watch as she slips them off, goes to a wardrobe, and takes out a black robe and silver pentacle like the ones we saw downstairs . Pulling the robe over her head, she smooths it down, dons the pentacle, and inspects herself in a cheval mirror in the corner of the room.
COP.SO takes advantage of her preoccupation to try the French windows. They won’t budge. He turns to THE GIRL and shrugs, then raises his foot and kicks the glass in.
LIANA spins around with a terrified cry and stands there transfixed. CORSO reaches inside, turns the knob, opens the French windows and steps into the room. THE GIRL follows.
LIANA: You!
CORSO: Where is it?
LIANA: How dare you!
CORSO: That book isn’t yours, Madame. 1 need it.
LIANA: Get out of here, both of you!
CORSO goes over to the bed and empties the suitcase onto the floor. Among . its contents is ‘The Nine Gates’. LIANA instinctively lunges for it, but THE GIRL blocks her.
CORSO (to THE GIRL): Careful, she bites!
He’s stooping to retrieve the book when the door opens and the MUSTACHE, robed and barefooted, stands framed in the doorway. CORSO turns quickly with the book in his hand, THE GIRL stiffens.
LIANA makes a dive for the bedside table and produces a chrome- plated automatic from the drawer, flips the safety catch.
LIANA (to CORSO and THE GIRL): Don’t move, either of you. (to the MUSTACHE): Get the book, Bruno.
CORSO takes a tentative step backward as the MUSTACHE approaches him with his left hand extended. He reluctantly surrenders the book.
The MUSTACHE rewards him for his co-operation with a vicious right hook to the jaw. CORSO goes down, losing his glasses yet again. Groggily, he crawls around in search of them.
The MUSTACHE joins LIANA, steering well clear of THE GIRL. He hands her ‘The Nine Gates’ and carefully transfers the automatic from her hand to his.
LIANA (cont.): Take them downstairs and lock them up. We’ll deal with them later, there’s no time now.
MUSTACHE (to CORSO, Italian accent): Turn around.
CORSO, who has scrambled to his feet, complies. The MUSTACHE applies the muzzle of the automatic to the nape of his neck.
MUSTACHE (cont.): (to THE GIRL): You. Go first. Any trouble, I blow his brains.
THE GIRL makes for the door. The MUSTACHE prods CORSO into motion. They exit.
LIANA stares after them for a moment, clasping ‘The Nine Gates’ to her bosom.
118. CHATEAU: PASSAGE INT/NIGHT
A long passage lined with more ancestral portraits. The ancient floorboards creek as THE GIRL obediently walks ahead of CORSO and the MUSTACHE, whose automatic is levelled at CORSO’s back. They reach the end of the passage.
MUSTACHE: Go left. Down the stairs.
119. CHATEAU: STAIRCASE, PASSAGE INT/NIGHT
They descend a staircase to ground level. Another long passage confronts them, much like the first but floored with marble.
MUSTACHE Avanti, avanti!
A door at the end leads into a stone-flagged passage with whitewashed walls. They make their way along it until they reach a heavy oak door.
MUSTACHE (cont.): (to THE GIRL): Open it!
