LORD OF ILLUSION

CHAPTER 16

INT. MAGIC CASTLE - REPOSITORY - NIGHT :

On THE PHOTOGRAPH of the shadowy figure. HARRY At a guess? The Puritan. Nix. Billy picks up an ETCHING, water-stained and dirty. It shows a horror we recognize: a man's HAND pressed into the FLESH of another man's HEAD. BILLY Take a look at this. HARRY (looking at it) A Nix specialty? Billy is getting subtly spooked now. He puts the etching down and starts to go through others in the series. We glimpse them as he does so. In one, a MAN regurgitates a serpentine form made of FLAME.

In another, a MAN stares at his own HAND which is STRIPPED OF FLESH. There is no bone beneath. Only a form of solid blackness. In a third, we see a HEAD with a slit in the middle of the brow, emanating DARKNESS. BILLY I don't know any of these tricks... Harry studies the etchings. HARRY (a slow burn) Maybe they're not tricks. BILLY (mystified) I mean, there's no instructions-- (realizes what Harry said) What do you mean, they're not tricks? HARRY What did Vinovich say? Something about walking a path between -- BILLY Trickery and divinity. Yeah, he says that all the time. HARRY That's because he knew. He'd seen these files and knew.

BILLY Knew what? Out of the corner of his eye. Harry sees a motion between the book-stacks. Billy frowns. Harry puts his fingers to his lips. Gestures for Billy to take cover. Billy backs away. Harry slowly turns in the direction of the motion. Something eerily sepulchral is gliding between the stacks. A figure in a straight-jacket with his head bowed. Harry takes out his gun. Billy disappears around the back of one of the stacks. Harry goes after the apparition.

The TRACK is completely silent. Suddenly, the creature appears behind Billy! It looks up, its face that of a psychotic: burning eyes, manic smile. It tears open its straight-jacket and reaches for Billy, who backs away. BILLY Harry! Books tumble on top of Billy as he stumbles against the shelves. BILLY Where the fuck are you? Harry appears, and puts his gun to the PSYCHO'S head.

HARRY Okay. Hold it right there. The gun goes through the Psycho's skull, as though it's made of smoke. Harry waves his hands through it. It's completely ethereal. But it's still terrorizing Billy. BILLY (in mortal terror) Get it off me! Harry glances around. Sees a LIGHT flickering between some books.

FIRES at it. The light goes out. The "Psycho" vanishes. Billy is left hyper-ventilating on the ground. HARRY Hokey enough for you? BILLY I'm out of here, man! Are you coming? Harry picks up a handful of papers from the Nix file.

HARRY I'm coming. Billy is already out of the room. For a moment. Harry pauses to look back at the other files, sealed behind the spiked gates. As he does so -- -- the proiector sparks into life one last time, and the "Psycho" appears --ROARING - at Harry's shoulder.

HARRY Ah, shaddup! He FIRES at the projector a second time. On the GUN SHOT -- CUT TO:

EXT. MAGIC CASTLE - NIGHT :

Billy and Harry are parting. HARRY Thanks, Billy. BILLY Hey, anytime. (a beat) Actually, no. This was enough. They shake, and part.

EXT. SWANN'S MANSION - FRONT DOOR - NIGHT :

Harry waits on the doorstep. Valentin opens the door. VALENTIN (quietly) I can't let you in. HARRY (stepping in) Yeah, I know. VALENTIN You want more money, is that it? Harry pushes him aside.

INT. SWANN'S MANSION - VARIOUS - NIGHT :

Harry starts to go through the house, opening doors. HARRY Dorothea? He sees candle-light through a partially open door. Starts towards it. VALENTIN Leave her alone -- HARRY Shut up! He pushes open the door.

INT. SWANN'S MANSION - CASKET ROOM - NIGHT :

The room is a museum of Swarm's career. Posters, and memorabilia everywhere. And in the middle of the room, Swann's sealed CASKET, surrounded by flowers and candles. Dorothea is standing beside it, head bowed. DOROTHEA This is the way he wanted it... no autopsy, no embalming. Nobody meddling with his body... Harry approaches, slowly. DOROTHEA Flesh is a trap. That's what he used to say. Flesh is a trap and magic sets us free. (a beat) Why did you come back? HARRY I didn't leave. I was just digging around. Dorothea looks up at him.

DOROTHEA (uneasy) What did you find? HARRY Jennifer Desiderio, for one. (he watches her for a response) She threw herself in front of a car this afternoon. Dorothea can't disguise her distress. DOROTHEA Oh Christ. HARRY (a beat) Why don't you tell me the truth?