LORD OF ILLUSION

CHAPTER 11

WILTERN THEATRE - BELOW STAGE - NIGHT :

It's an eerie, shadowy space, filled with the PROPS that are used in the show, including the DRAGON we saw at the beginning. From above we hear FOOTSTEPS and VOICES, muted and echoing. The cable ends in bare wires. Whatever was here has been taken. A NOISE, behind Harry. He swings round. Sees a shadowy FIGURE ducking away. HARRY Hey! He gives chase. Loses the man in the shadows. Stops and listens for movement.

Suddenly, Miller steps out of the shadows with a plank of wood and smashes it into Harry's face! Harry reels back. Falls to his knees, BLOOD running from his nose. Miller pulls Harry's GUN out of his jacket. MILLER Got you, fucker! Harry is facing the dragon's head, dazed. And now, out of the dragon's mouth, comes Butterfield. BUTTERFIELD Who did this, D'Amour? Who killed Swann? Harry is barely holding on to consciousness.

HARRY You did. (a beat) Didn't you? BUTTERFIELD Why would I do that? HARRY Beats me. Butterfield is a foot from Harry now. BUTTERFIELD You don't have a clue what you're into, do you? HARRY Deep shit? Butterfield hits him. BUTTERFIELD Who did this? HARRY I told you -- Butterfield hits him again. BUTTERFIELD Who did this? HARRY (raises his hand) All right. It was... Butterfield comes a little closer. HARRY (feigning a near collapse) ... it was... Butterfield leans in.

And Harry grabs him by the balls -- literally -- rising as he does so. BUTTERFIELD Aah! Harry THROWS Butterfield aside. Butterfield hits the ground in agony, and Harry swings round to protect himself from Miller, who's leveling Harry's gun. He FIRES once, missing Harry by inches. Harry catches hold of a ROPE underfoot and pulls it, tripping Miller, who TOPPLES backwards into the mouth of the dragon.

The GUN GOES OFF again, the bullet BLOWING APART the dragon's JAW MECHANISM. Miller starts to sit up, his body splayed between the dragon's steel teeth. He has Harry in his sights. -- something CREAKS. He looks up. The dragon's jaw is closing, FAST. He starts to scramble to his feet. Too late! The teeth SLAM CLOSED on his body. Sudden death. Harry looks round to see Butterfield retreating into the shadows. Then he's gone. Harry looks down at Miller's BLOOD, which is pooling around his feet.

HARRY Deep shit...

FADE OUT

FADE IN

INT. POLICE STATION - EDDISON'S OFFICE - NIGHT :

V Harry sits at Eddison's desk, looking exhausted and bruised. Eddison has just finished taking his statement. EDDISON And this Butterfield guy-- HARRY --vanished. EDDISON (frustrated sigh) Another fucking magician. Jesus. Harry looks past Eddison and sees an ashen, tearful Dorothea being taken into another office. HARRY Are you finished with me? EDDISON For now. Are you planning to go back to New York? HARRY (watching Dorothea) No. Not yet...

INT. POLICE STATION - OTHER OFFICE - NIGHT :

Dorothea sits alone, staring at the wall. Harry enters. HARRY Are they treating you okay? DOROTHEA (nods) I heard what happened. It looks like somebody murdered him. HARRY I'm sorry I got into this too late. But if you want me to stick around, maybe dig where the cops don't look... DOROTHEA I don't know where you'd start. HARRY Well... how about some of the other illusionists? DOROTHEA They won't tell you anything. HARRY I can be very persuasive. DOROTHEA (a beat) Yes. I think you probably can. (another beat) We'd need to talk about your fee.

HARRY Forget the fee. If I find Butterfield, maybe we'll talk about money. If I don't... (he shrugs) ...my gamble. Either way... I get to spend some time... here.

The way he says this, it's plain "here" doesn't mean L.A., it means near -Dorothea. And by the tiny smile on her face, it's also plain she knows it.