….following on…
35 INT. ROADSIDE
CAFE. DAY
NICK, MUNNY, CHAKRA and NANDA sit at a grimy Formica
table in a low-rent roadside cafe. NICK films with his small camera.
MUNNY (subtitled)
I became unconsciousness for a short time and when I came
to I saw that Vibrol was bleeding; crying. The captain lifted him from the
deck...
NICK looks to CHAKRA, waiting for his translation. CHAKRA
holds his hand up: Wait. MUNNY pauses for a long moment.
MUNNY (subtitled)
...and threw my son into the sea. Vibrol could not swim.
He cried out, ‘Papa’. Just ‘Papa’.
Tears well in CHAKRA’s eyes. MUNNY’S next sentence, in
Khmer, is mixed with ANGELA’s voice.
ANGELA (voice over)
“Then he was gone. Swallowed by the sea.”
36 INT. NICK’S
BEDROOM. NIGHT
ANGELA, sits cross-legged on the bed, reads a print-out
of Nick’s article. Her eyes glisten with moisture.
ANGELA
“I wanted to die.
37 INT. CAR. DAWN
Music over. MUNNY sits in the back of Nick’s 4WD, staring
out the window at the procession of rice paddies slipping by.
38 EXT. NICK’S 4WD.
DAY
Music continues over. CHAKRA drives the yellow 4WD into a
village in which can be seen signs of extreme poverty.
39 INT. NICK’S 4WD.
DAY
Music continues over. MUNNY signals to CHAKRA to stop. He
does so. MUNNY and NICK get out of the car.
MUNNY raises his hands in a prayer gesture of thanks
first to NICK and then to CHAKRA.
MUNNY’S WIFE and children appear in the background.
NICK takes out his wallet, removes a couple of $100
bills, hands them to MUNNY. MUNNY bows and again raises his hands in a prayer
gesture of thanks.
MUNNY’S wife moves towards him. MUNNY turns.
NICK gets back into the 4WD, looks out the window:
MUNNY greets his wife in the background. She looks behind
him for her son. MUNNY talks to her. She screams, falls to the ground. MUNNY
kneels to comfort her. VILLAGERS gather around.
ANGELA (voice over)
“Without slaves like Munny and Vibrol producing low cost
fishmeal from the ‘trash fish’...”
40 INT. LIVING ROOM. NICK’S
APARTMENT. DAY
ANGELA,
sitting in front of the camera, finishes reading from a manuscript:
ANGELA
“...Thailand's
multibillion-dollar farmed prawn industry could not survive.”
KATIE
and TODD look at her in silence. ANGELA is very subdued.
ANGELA
Made my
blood boil.
KATIE
and TODD both nod but are at a loss for words.
TODD
You
didn’t sleep with Nick that night?
ANGELA
If I had
shared a bed with Nick that morning...it was almost dawn by the time he’d told
me the whole story...I can promise you there would have been no sleep.
KATIE
OK, so
the next time...
She
looks at TODD. He looks at his note-pad, flips pages.
TODD
At the
hotel. The launch of Wing Chou’s....latest Venture.
41 EXT. HOTEL. CORRIDOR/SWIMMING
POOL
Upmarket
hotel. Colonial style. ANGELA walks along a tiled corridor; carrying a camera
and with a laminated Press pass hanging around her neck. Several well-dressed
men and women walk with her - on their way to the same function.
She
stops at the top of stairs leading down to the concourse surrounding a swimming
pool.
A
cocktail party is in progress. A banner (W C I) announces the conveners of this
social function: Wing Chou Industries
The
Chinese host WING CHOU, mid-60s, impeccably dressed in a white suit, stands on
a stage, microphone in hand, addressing the crowd. We have seen him before in
the online ‘Eco Casino’ clip Angela viewed earlier on her computer.
WING CHOU
We at
the International Development Commission of East Asia...
Alongside
WING CHOU on a large table, is what appears, from the outline, to be a scale
architect’s model - covered in a white ‘tent’.
WING CHOU
...are
proud of our achievements...
Cambodia’s
business elite, Khmer and expatriate, DIPLOMATS, SENIOR POLICE, MILITARY
OFFICERS and POLITICIANS mingle.
BALIN
MEAS, out of uniform, wearing a suit (and looking quite dashing), nods his
‘hello’ to ANGELA. She reciprocates.
WING CHOU
...proud
to be given the opportunity to play a significant role in the development of
Cambodia...
WAITERS
circulate with silver trays laden with flutes of champagne and hors d’oeuvres.
WING CHOU
...a
from tragic victim of the savage Khmer Rouge regime ...into a vibrant 21st
century democracy whose citizens..
ANGELA
begins to walk down the stairs; camera at the ready.
WING CHOU
...share
in the country’s newfound agricultural, mineral and...
WING
CHOU gestures to the white tented table beside him.
WING CHOU
...tourism
driven wealth. This is a Kingdom of Wonder indeed.
As she
walks through the crowd ANGELA (and we) recognize a few of the people glimpsed
briefly on the ‘Nest of Vipers’ photo montage on Nick’s wall. She takes a flute of champagne from a WAITER
with a tray; sips on it.
One of
these is TERRY SWINTON, holding a flute of champagne.
WING CHOU
A toast
to Cambodia.
WING
CHOU raises his glass. The ASSEMBLED GUESTS do likewise.
ASSEMBLED GUESTS
Cambodia.
ANGELA
spots NICK in the crowd. He raises his glass to her. She smiles, raises her
glass, sips on it. He makes his way towards her. In a moment he is standing
there, hand outstretched; smiling mischievously.
NICK
Miss
Angela Partridge, I believe.
She
smiles; shakes his hand.
ANGELA
And
you’d be Nicholas Morecombe, right.
NICK
smiles, leans forward to kiss her. She backs away; frowns.
ANGELA
We don’t
know each other, OK?
NICK
smiles; nods.
ANGELA
At least
not well.
NICK
We
haven’t kissed!?
ANGELA
We
definitely haven’t kissed
SENY, a
Khmer man in his mid 40s, makes his way towards NICK; an air of urgency in his
manner.
WING CHOU
And a
toast to our partners, many of whom are with us this evening for the launch of
our latest and our most exciting venture to date.
WING
CHOU bows to the white ‘tent’ alongside him.
WING CHOU
About
which I will have more to say in due course. In the meantime eat, drink and be
merry for tomorrow we will all be but dust and memories in the minds of those
we love.
Amidst a
little applause, WING CHOU walks down from the stage; mingles with guests as:
NICK
introduces SENY to ANGELA:
NICK
Seny,
this is Angela. (TO ANGELA) Seny. Seny is my Mr Fixit.
ANGELA
Pleased
to meet you Mr Fixit.
NICK
If you
ever have a problem, Seny is your man.
SENY (laughs)
No, no,
no, I am merely a humble translator, Miss Angela.
TERRY
keeps his eyes on NICK, ANGELA and SENY as he drains his glass of champagne.
SENY
Mr
Nicholas speaks a lot of ...how can I say?...bullshit.
TERRY
turns, says something to his TWO DRINKING COMPANIONS. They nod; look back
towards NICK.
SENY
If you
will forgive me, Miss Angela. I must take Mr Nicholas away from you for a short
time?
ANGELA
smiles, holds up her hands: “Not a problem.” She walks away from NICK and SENY,
scans the concourse; moves into the crowd taking photos.
TERRY
takes another flute of champagne from a passing WAITER; glares at NICK, hatred
in his eyes. ‘Click’.
ANGELA
has taken a photo of TERRY SWINTON and his TWO DRINKING COMPANIONS without them
being aware of it.
ANGELA
looks back through the crowd to see:
NICK
nodding his head earnestly as he listens to SENY.
ANGELA
readies herself to take a photo of NICK and SENY.
NICK,
focused on what SENY is saying, looks at ANGELA.
She
smiles at him but NICK does not acknowledge her smile. His mind is elsewhere.
‘Click’.
ANGELA
looks on her camera’s LCD screen at the photo she has taken of Nick and Seny.
From
within the crowd, through a sea of people, BALIN MEAS observes ANGELA checking
her photos. With the eyes of a hawk he takes notice of everything, recording it
in his memory.
ANGELA’S
attention is diverted by another face in the crowd:
GERARD
MOREAU, late 30s, blonde, handsome; recognizably the same person Angela saw in
a photo on Nick’s Nest of Vipers montage - receiving a gold medallion
Humanitarian Award.
GERARD’S
smile, body language, exudes charm, charisma, as he holds court for a small
group of ADMIRERS. One WOMAN, in particular, seem to be particularly impressed
by whatever pearls of wisdom flow from his lips.
ANGELA
makes eye contact with GERARD.
He nods
his greeting to her; smiles broadly. A charmer!
ANGELA
nods, smiles in response; glances quickly to NICK to see if he has noticed this
interchange.
NICK,
listening to SENY, follows ANGELA’S eyeline to see who she is smiling at. His
view of Gerard is obscured by the crowd. NICK’S eyes are hawk-like also.
SENY
takes out his smart phone. NICK turns his attention back to SENY’S phone as he
flicks through photos. We catch only a glimpse: pre-pubescent girls wearing
white dresses.
TERRY
SWINTON looks through the crowd to see ANGELA walking in the direction of
GERARD, as SENY gestures to his watch, saying something to NICK.
NICK
nods, makes an ‘I’ll call you’ gesture (hand to ear), bids farewell to SENY,
who heads for the stairs leading from the concourse.
NICK looks
back to where ANGELA was standing. She is not there. He scans the crowd looking
for her.
In
amongst the assembled guests, GERARD focuses his attention on the WOMAN
(40’ish), who is clearly enamoured of him.
ENAMOURED WOMAN
The
world needs more people like you.
GERARD (charming)
Thank
you. You are very kind, but I think one is more than enough.
The
ENAMOURED WOMAN laughs. ANGELA walks up. GERARD beams a smile at her.
GERARD
Angie!
He
kisses her on the cheek affectionately.
NICK has
spotted TERRY, who holds up his flute of champagne - index finger extended in
an unambiguous ‘fuck you’ gesture.
NICK
nods to TERRY, takes a couple of steps in his direction before CAMPBELL, steps
into his field of vision.
CAMPBELL,
impeccably groomed, in a designer suit, wears a badge: “Campbell Newton US
Embassy. Acting Vice Consul”
NICK
Campbell.
CAMPBELL
Mr
Morecombe.
NICK
looks at CAMPBELL’S badge.
NICK
Acting
Vice Consul!
CAMPBELL
What
would I know about vice?
NICK
No
comment.
CAMPBELL
laughs, touches NICK on the arm.
CAMPBELL (sotto voce)
Only
temporary, unfortunately, darling. The operative word is ‘acting’.
As he
talks with CAMPBELL, NICK scans the crowd looking for Angela; sees her talking
with GERARD; his back turned.
CAMPBELL
When
Daniel returns from Geneva...
GERARD
places his hand on ANGELA’S back for a moment - a gesture suggestive of greater
intimacies between them.
CAMPBELL
...I’ll
be but a humble Third Secretary again.
NICK
Humble!
Humility is not something I’d accuse you of...Vice Consul!
CAMPBELL
Bitch.
CAMPBELL’S voice is heard over as GERARD turns, greets
someone in the crowd he knows.
CAMPBELL (voice over)
We
haven’t received even one of your...interrogatory letters for at least a month,
Nicholas!
NICK and
GERARD’S eyes meet. They both acknowledge each other politely. GERARD turns his
head away quickly to avoid eye contact. NICK processes what he has just seen.
CAMPBELL
Not
losing our touch are we?
CAMPBELL
laughs, touches NICK affectionately.
NICK
I do
have one question for you?
CAMPBELL
Are we
talking business or pleasure?
CAMPBELL
raises his eyebrows suggestively. NICK smiles.
TERRY,
his eyes on NICK and CAMPBELL talking, drains his champagne, turns to talk with
his TWO DRINKING COMPANIONS.
The
ENAMOURED WOMAN hands the gold medallion back to GERARD.
ANGELA
He
carries it with him everywhere. He is such a showoff.
GERARD (laughs)
Not
true! Tonight is a special occasion.
ANGELA
glances at NICK, in the crowd, talking to CAMPBELL. She excuses herself with a
gesture, walks off. GERARD nods his acknowledgment, hands the ENAMOURED WOMAN
his card.
GERARD
If I can
ever be of assistance.
ANGELA
walks up to NICK and CAMPBELL; kisses CAMPBELL on the cheek.
CAMPBELL
Darling!
(A BEAT) Do you know Nicholas Morecombe?
ANGELA
Not in
the biblical sense, Campbell. (A BEAT) But we have met.
ANGELA
takes CAMPBELL’S flute of champagne from him; drinks.
ANGELA
Nice to
see you again, Mr Morecombe.
NICK
Nice to
see you also, Miss Partridge. (A BEAT) I hope to see more of you.
ANGELA
laughs; finishes CAMPBELL’S champagne.
CAMPBELL
You two
are not fucking are you?
ANGELA
plays the coquette.
ANGELA
I have
eyes for you only, Campbell.
CAMPBELL (whispers)
If
circumstances were different, darling, I would have eyes for you only, believe
me!
ANGELA
Circumstances!?
NICK
He’s
terrified of vaginas, aren’t you, Campbell!
CAMPBELL
Unlike
you, Nickle Arse! Or so the girls tell me!
CAMPBELL
slaps his own wrist.
CAMPBELL
Ooh!
Hold your tongue bitch!
ANGELA
laughs, looks at NICK, who smiles, raises his hands: “No comment.”
NICK
makes eye contact with a man in the crowd: BRAD, early 30s, a muscular man
sporting a crew cut and with a military air about him. BRAD signals to NICK:
“Lets talk.”
NICK
Excuse
me.
CAMPBELL
Don’t be
a stranger.
NICK
walks up to BRAD, who smiles broadly, puts his hand on NICK’S shoulder; speaks
in a Southern United States accent.
BRAD
Hey,
buddy, how ya doin?
Close on
ANGELA:
ANGELA
How well
do you know Nick?
CAMPBELL
In lust,
darling. Unrequited lust. Alas and alack. I always fall for passionfruit...
CAMPBELL
sees KHMER POLITICIAN approaching.
CAMPBELL
Duty
calls...
ANGELA
Passionfruit?
CAMPBELL
Google
it, darling.
CAMPBELL
turns on a professional diplomats smile for the approaching KHMER POLITICIAN.
CAMPBELL
My
favourite part of being a diplomat!
CAMPBELL
raises his eyebrows, rolls his eyes. ANGELA walks off - her camera at the
ready; looking for shots.
CAMPBELL
Mr Under
Secretary...
As she
moves through the crowd looking for photo ops, ANGELA keeps her eyes on NICK,
engaged in an animated conversation with BRAD. He sees ANGELA looking at him,
beams a smile.
ANGELA
smiles back in response.
In a
subtle gesture NICK blows a kiss to her. ANGELA, with equal subtlety, ‘blows’
one back to him; glances to where GERARD is schmoozing the ENAMOURED WOMAN and
others.
ANGELA
sees WING CHOU, smiling warmly, talking with TWO CHINESE MEN.
ANGELA
positions herself to take a photo. WING CHOU smiles for the camera but the TWO
CHINESE MEN remain unsmilingly po-faced - as do the FOUR SECURITY GUARDS who
hover closeby.
ANGELA
takes a few photos, nods her thanks; walks off.
NICK
nods as he listens to what BRAD is saying; makes eye contact with ANGELA. She
beams a smile at him, takes a photo.
WING
CHOU appears alongside her.
WING CHOU
I don’t believe
I have had the pleasure. I am Wing Chou.
ANGELA
I am
Angela Partridge, Mr Wing Chou.
WING CHOU
As in ‘A
partridge in a pear tree’?
ANGELA (playful)
That’s
me, a partridge in a pear tree.
WING CHOU
You have
not been long in Cambodia, I think?
ANGELA
Just a
few weeks.
WING CHOU
And what
brings you here?
ANGELA
laughs, is unsure how to answer the question.
WING CHOU
Love?
Adventure? Excitement?
ANGELA (laughs)
All of
the above....Something...
WING CHOU
We are
all looking for something, Miss Partridge. For that elusive, ineffable
something that we think we lack and that will transform... bring magic into our
lives.
ANGELA
Have you
found it?
WING CHOU (laughs)
Ah, the
64 million dollar question. Another time, my dear.
WING
CHOU gestures to ANGELA’S camera.
WING CHOU
I trust
you will choose the photo in which I look most dashingly handsome.
ANGELA (laughs)
I’ll
try.
WING CHOU
Some
colleagues of yours who do not like me have a tendency to choose photos that
make me look like...a frog.
ANGELA
In that
suit, it would be very difficult to make you look like a frog.
ANGELA
touches WING CHOU’S white linen jacket.
WING CHOU
An
illusion, my dear. A disguise.
ANGELA
May I
ask what kind of disguise this (the white suit) is?
WING CHOU
Are you familiar
with the different colours that make up the light spectrum?
ANGELA
Maybe
not as familiar as I should be.
TERRY
starts on a new glass of champagne. He is quite drunk now. His attention is
focused on NICK talking with BRAD. Behind them, a little deeper in the crowd,
WING CHOU and ANGELA can be seen.
WING
CHOU opens his arms to embrace the crowd assembled
Closer
now to WING CHOU and ANGELA.
WING CHOU
What do
you see?
ANGELA
focuses her attention on a MAN WITH A BEARD talking with a WOMAN wearing a lot
of jewelry
ANGELA
A
diplomat with a beard smiling too much at a woman who is not his wife, wearing
too much make-up ...and bling and wearing clothes that she has borrowed for her
twenty-something daughter.
ANGELA
looks past NICK and BRAD to TERRY. NICK takes out his journalist’s note-pad;
writes in it.
ANGELA
A
red-haired man with the florid face of a heavy drinker...
WING CHOU
Terry
Swinton. Yes, the veins in his face bear witness to his penchant for alcoholic
beverages. But that is not my point. Where...
ANGELA
looks directly into WING CHOU’S eyes; enchanted. In the background Nick can be
seen shaking BRAD’S hand.
WING CHOU
...you
see an assemblage of individuals, with their idiosyncrasies, I see a community
of like-minded spirits...my family...my sometimes dysfunctional
family...gathered together to celebrate, to share...our very good fortune.
ANGELA
Family?
WING CHOU
For you
Westerners, the individual is everything. For us...we inscrutable Orientals,
family is everything.
NICK
walks up.
NICK
Mr Wing
Chou.
WING
CHOU bows to NICK, extends his hand.
WING CHOU
Mr
Morecombe.
NICK
shakes WING CHOU’S hand.
ANGELA
Mr Wing
Chou has been explaining to me how inscrutable men in the East see the world in
a quite a different way from we individualistic Westerners.
WING CHOU
Mr
Morecombe sees the world as being made up of ‘goodies’ and ‘baddies’, don’t
you, Nicholas?
NICK
smiles.
WING CHOU
Like an
old-fashioned Western. The forces of darkness fighting an eternal battle with
the forces of light.
NICK
And
which side are you on, Mr Wing Chou?
WING CHOU
Both!
Neither!? Your question, Nicholas, presumes an either/or answer and does not
allow for ‘both’. Darkness and light are not polar opposites.
NICK
Except,
when the law of the land says...
WING CHOU (laughs)
The law
of the land! In Cambodia! As you know, Mr Morecombe, it is the law of the
jungle that prevails here.
NICK
Because
those are the rules you play by. And most of those here.
NICK
gestures to the assembled crowd.
WING CHOU
And if I
play by a different set of rules...
NICK
The law
of the land.
WING CHOU
The law
of the land! And if my competitors play
by the laws of the jungle...?
NICK
Evil
prevails, but your conscience is clear.
WING CHOU (laughs)
I am not
troubled by my conscience, Nicholas.
NICK
That is
obvious, Mr Wing Chou.
WING CHOU
Do you
believe in the existence of evil, Nicholas?
NICK
You
don’t think that evil exists in the world?
WING CHOU
Is the
lion that kills a zebra evil?
NICK
If the
lion kills one zebra because he is hungry, no. If he kills two zebras because
he is greedy, yes.
WING CHOU
And if
the lion has a family to feed? Is the killing of two zebras still evil?
NICK
Now it
is you who are making the world seem simple.
WING CHOU
You are
right. This is not a topic for cocktail conversation. For another time. (A
BEAT) You know how to make contact.
NICK (smiles)
Another
time.
WING CHOU
And
perhaps your charming friend can join us.
ANGELA
I’d like
that.
WING CHOU
Enchante.
WING CHOU
Now, if
you will excuse me, Miss Partridge, Mr Morecombe. I have some duties I must
perform.
WING
CHOU bows in a gentlemanly manner to ANGELA, nods politely to NICK; walks off.
ANGELA
A
charming man.
NICK
raises his eyebrows, says nothing.
ANGELA
No?
NICK
Charming
but...
ANGELA
A viper?
NICK
A
charming viper.
ANGELA
Is there
anyone here who isn’t a viper? Apart from me, of course.
NICK
Of
course. (A BEAT) Do you have any plans for this evening?
ANGELA
What do
you have in mind? Does it involve tearing my clothes off?
NICK
I had
‘gentle removal’ in mind but if you prefer ‘tearing’...
ANGELA’S
laugh is cut short when she sees GERARD walking up behind NICK. Before he has a
chance to turn, GERARD has wrapped his arms around NICK in a tight bear hug.
GERARD
Nicholas!
What a pleasure it is to... to squeeze you.
NICK
‘Pleasure’
is not the word I would use, Gerard.
GERARD (laughs)
You have
met Angie, I see.
NICK
Yes. (A
BEAT) You do not return my calls, Gerard.
GERARD
I have
no comment to make.
NICK
But you
make such a song and dance about being ‘transparent’, Gerard! ‘Accountable’!
GERARD
Print
what you like, Nicholas. But be careful.
NICK
Should I
take that as a threat?
GERARD
I do not
give a fuck how you take it. I have come here to celebrate, not answer your
stupid questions.
NICK
nods. ANGELA is shocked by this outburst of GERARD’S. He smiles at her.
GERARD
Sometimes
a spade must be called a spade.
ANGELA
Sounded
like a threat to me!
GERARD
Not at
all. (A BEAT) Do not take it personally, Nicholas. We are old friends, no?
NICK
looks at GERARD, his face giving nothing away. GERARD holds his stare for a
moment, before looking away.
GERARD
If you
will excuse me.
GERARD’S
glances at ANGELA: “Are you coming with me?”
ANGELA
looks away, pretends not to notice. NICK observes this interaction, picks up on
its subtext.
GERARD
glances at NICK for a fraction of a second, registers NICK’S recognition. His
eyes flare for a moment before his face lights up with a huge smile as he waves
to someone in the crowd he knows.
With a
quick glance at ANGELA, GERARD plunges back into the crowd - all smiles and
charm.
…to be continued…
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