HAVE GUN-- WILL TRAVEL
The Masquerade
1.
ACT I
FADE IN:
EXT. - HOTEL CARLTON - DAY - ESTABLISHING
INT. - HOTEL LOBBY
PALADIN is sitting on a SETTEE, absorbed in his NEWSPAPER. A glass of BRANDY rests nearby on an END TABLE. Various PEOPLE MOVE briskly along, in front of and behind him.
ANGLE ON PALADIN
HE STOPS reading without looking up, seems PUZZLED, lowers his paper and SNIFFS
the air.
POV SHOT - WHAT HE SEES
SOFIA, a tall, well-built, WOMAN of significant BEARING, about THIRTY YEARS
OLD, is GLOWERING down AT HIM with obvious IRRITATION.
ANOTHER ANGLE - PALADIN AND SOFIA
As SHE STANDS above him. PALADIN is paralyzed for an instant, then HE JUMPS
to his feet.
PALADIN
(a
little nervous)
Now,
Sofia...
PALADIN
That
was five years ago-- and I've
apologized
a dozen times!
2.
SOFIA
Your
letters don't mean anything to
me!
Did you think you could avoid
this forever?
ANGLE ON PALADIN
HE MAKES a FACE as if to say "Well, maybe..."
ANOTHER ANGLE - TWO-SHOT
SOFIA
Well,
the answer is no!
SOFIA pulls a DERRINGER out of her HANDBAG and aims it at PALADIN, whose DEMEANOR now grows much SOFTER and more SERIOUS.
PALADIN
(a
bit melodramatic)
Sofia,
I swear I have been pining
over
you ever since that fateful night.
SOFIA
I
don't believe you.
ANGLE ON PALADIN
PALADIN
(soft
and sincere)
Don't
you?
(points
to his eyes)
Look
here.
SOFIA AND PALADIN
As HE STARES into HER EYES, and SHE STARTS TO MELT. PALADIN inches CLOSER.
PALADIN
Sofia...
mi amore...
SOFIA
(weakening)
Stay
back....
THEY ARE very CLOSE now. HE TAKES the DERRINGER away with ONE HAND and CARESSES her CHEEK with the OTHER. SHE STARES hopelessly into HIS EYES and they KISS deeply.
3.
ANOTHER ANGLE
As THEY continue the KISS. HEY BOY is BIG in the BACKGROUND at the front DESK.
HE grabs a TELEGRAM and comes RUNNING OVER.
HEY
BOY
Mr.
Paladin! Mr. Paladin!
PALADIN and SOFIA are still LOCKED in amorous EMBRACE. PALADIN MOTIONS HIM AWAY with one hand, but HEY BOY is OBLIVIOUS.
HEY
BOY
(taps
him on shoulder)
Mr.
Paladin?
PALADIN
(irritated)
Hey
Boy, at the moment I am somewhat
involv--
HEY
BOY
(interrupting)
Important telegram, Mr. Paladin--
you
needed immediately!
PALADIN sighs, TAKES THE TELEGRAM with ONE HAND, READS it briefly, LOOKS helplessly at SOFIA, TAKES HER HAND.
SOFIA
Oh,
no... not again!... I'm
warning you...
HE KISSES her HAND, STEPS BACK from the embrace and STARTS to LEAVE.
SOFIA
Don't
you dare...!
HE LEAVES and quickly BOUNDS UP the STAIRS.
SOFIA
(calling
after him)
Come
back here, Paladin! Come back
here
this instant!...
(furious,
stamps foot)
Ooooo!
4.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. - PALADIN IN THE OPEN RANGE
HE'S RIDING at a nice TROT, TOWARD US, then STOPS his HORSE at the significant
INTERSECTION of FIVE dirt TRAILS, and LOOKS AROUND trying to get his BEARINGS.
POV SHOT - WHAT HE SEES
In the distance, WE SEE the small BUILDINGS of a TOWN just a SHORT RIDE away.
PALADIN SWINGS his HORSE around a few times, as if trying to DECIDE which
WAY to go, then HEADS for the TOWN.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. - THE TOWN
As PALADIN RIDES IN. It's a NONDESCRIPT TOWN, like so many others of the old
west, with NO DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS. PALADIN PULLS UP outside a SALOON,
climbs OFF his HORSE and LOOKS around.
INT. - THE SALOON
PALADIN LOOKS AROUND a bit, HEADS FOR the BAR and its BARTENDER.
BARTENDER
What'll
it be?
PALADIN
Whiskey.
Your best... and directions.
PALADIN FLIPS a COIN on the BAR. The BARTENDER GRABS a GLASS and BOTTLE and POURS.
BARTENDER
Try
this... smooth as silk.
PALADIN GRUNTS skeptically and DOWNS the SHOT. Then HE GRIMACES, EXHALES and SHAKES his HEAD as if he's just SWALLOWED ROTGUT.
PALADIN
(bemused sarcasm, raspy)
Right...
silk....
BARTENDER
(misinterprets, beams)
So,
where is it you're headed?
PALADIN
(recovering)
Clines
Corners.
5.
BARTENDER
You're
on the right track. You come
in
through five-points, from the west?
PALADIN NODS.
BARTENDER
Just
go back out that way, 'bout two
miles
past the points, turn north 'til
you
reach a patch of tall trees, go
straight
for 'em and you'll pick up the
trail.
It's around twenty-five miles
from
there.
PALADIN
Thank
you.
HE TURNS to leave. As HE REACHES the swinging DOORS HE PAUSES, and MAKES A FACE.
ANOTHER ANGLE
AS PALADIN TURNS and RETRACES his STEPS. HE STOPS next to a TABLE with THREE
MEN, one of whom is WILSON, DRESSED AS A MINISTER. THE OTHER two are somewhat
DANGEROUS-LOOKING MEN.
PALADIN
You
preaching temperance today, minister?
WILSON
That
I am, stranger. Perhaps I can
show you the light as well.
PALADIN
(laughs)
Perhaps,
but I'm afraid this day is
a
lost cause.
WILSON
Another
time, then, friend.
PALADIN SMILES, TURNS to LEAVE and TAKES a STEP, then HE STOPS and RETURNS to the TABLE.
PALADIN
Say,
friend... your name wouldn't be Elias
Wickler, would it?
6.
ANGLE ON WILSON
HE DOES NOT CHANGE EXPRESSION, but HIS HANDS go UNDER the TABLE. The two DANGEROUS-LOOKING
MEN exchange SURPRISED LOOKS. After a beat...
MAN
#1
Well,
how 'bout that, reverend!? He got
your first name, at least-- dead on!
Plucked it clean out o' thin air!
MAN
#2
Ain't
that amazin'!
MAN #1 and MAN #2 LAUGH and CAJOLE, but WILSON SMILES WEAKLY.
WILSON
Elias
is my first name-- and not an uncommon
one at that. But my last
name's Wilson.
PALADIN
(more serious)
Quite
the coincidence, minister, wouldn't
you
agree? I look at the face of a man, a complete
stranger, and I can divine his first
name and both initials.
WILSON
Stranger
things have happened.
ANGLE ON PALADIN
HE CROUCHES, HIS RIGHT-HAND MOVES QUICKLY, and HE DRAWS his GUN.
PALADIN
(deadly
serious)
Get
'em on the table, Wickler! Get 'em up
there before I put a hole in you!
ANOTHER ANGLE
MAN #1 and MAN #2 immediately STAND UP and BACK AWAY from the TABLE. The SALOON
turns QUIET. WILSON PUTS his HANDS on the TABLE.
WILSON
I
don't understand.... my name's
Wilson...
just ask anyone....
PALADIN
Stand
up! Now!
7.
WILSON RISES, but his HANDS are LOW.
PALADIN
Get
'em up there!
WILSON RAISES his HANDS.
WILSON
You
must have me confused... I'm tellin'
you-- I'm Elias Wilson.
PALADIN
(scowling, loud)
Elias
Wickler... One of Quantrill's
raiders...
Confederate arsonist at
Lawrence,
Kansas! How many people
did
you murder, Wickler?
ANGLE ON WILSON
WILSON
(shakes
head no)
None.
You're wrong.
BACK TO SHOT
PALADIN
I
saw your carnage and I've seen your wanted-poster.
This how you've stayed free
all these years? This hypocritical
masquerade?
WILSON
You've
got the wrong man, friend-- I
swear it. I was up in Canada those years.
I never even saw the war.
PALADIN
Tell
it to The Law.
PALADIN MOTIONS with his GUN for WILSON to go OUTSIDE. Suddenly WE HEAR OFFSCREEN a MAN'S VOICE...
MAN'S
VOICE O.S.
Hold
it, mister!
8.
PALADIN SWINGS HIS HEAD around to LOOK at the SOURCE of the VOICE.
PALADIN'S POV - WHAT HE SEES
The MAN'S VOICE belongs to LUCAS MCCAIN, a.k.a. THE RIFLEMAN, and MCCAIN
is AIMING his RIFLE DIRECTLY at PALADIN from a DISTANCE of about TWENTY FEET.
MCCAIN
(continuing)
You
want something with Reverend Wilson?
(to
an Onlooker)
Get
the marshal.
The ONLOOKER RUSHES OUT of the saloon.
PALADIN
That's
right. I want to bring him to
justice.
MCCAIN
Your
justice? Gunfighter justice?
PALADIN
This
criminal burned an entire town.
He
killed innocent women and children!
MCCAIN
That's
your story. To us, the reverend's been
an upright citizen.
PALADIN
For
how long? And I'd appreciate it
if you'd lower that rifle.
ANGLE ON MCCAIN
HE LOOKS DOWN toward PALADIN's GUN, still AIMED at WILSON.
ANGLE ON PALADIN
HE LOOKS at WILSON with skepticism, then HOLSTERS his GUN after a FEW BEATS.
ANOTHER ANGLE
MCCAIN LOWERS HIS RIFLE. North Fork Marshal MICAH TORRANCE ENTERS the
bar, and SPOTS MCCAIN.
MICAH
What's
going on, Luke?
9.
MCCAIN
Man
in black over there was holding
Reverend
Wilson at gunpoint, claims he's
a war criminal.
(indicates Paladin)
Looks
like a gunfighter.
MICAH WALKS up to PALADIN.
MICAH
(to
Paladin)
You'll
have to turn over your gun and come
with me.
PALADIN
What!?
MICAH
That's
right-- I'm placing you under
arrest.
PALADIN
On
what possible charge?
MICAH
Firearms
violation. Drawing on an
unarmed
man.
PALADIN SCOWLS in disbelief. MICAH HOLDS out his HAND. PALADIN GLANCES over at MCCAIN, who looks READY to use his RIFLE.
PALADIN SIGHS, LIFTS his ARMS and LETS MICAH TAKE his GUN. MICAH then AIMS IT at PALADIN.
MICAH
(to
Paladin)
Let's
go.
PALADIN WALKS OUT of the SALOON with MICAH right BEHIND HIM. PALADIN takes a HARD LOOK at MCCAIN on the way out.
ANOTHER ANGLE
Now MCCAIN and WILSON EXCHANGE hard LOOKS, then MCCAIN LEAVES the saloon.
ANGLE ON WILSON
Again, practically EXPRESSIONLESS.
FADE OUT.
END ACT I
