Timon of Athens Part VIII

In this segment of TIMON OF ATHENS, Timon, now a hermit, has a chance meeting with corporate lawyer Alcibiades, and ends up helping him with his hostile takeover of Athens OS.

EXT. COUNTRY ROADS -- DAY
CG: ONE MONTH LATER
We see a big, sleek sedan humming down the road.

INT. ALCIBIADES' CAR -- MOMENTS LATER
Alcibiades is listening on his cell phone with it cupped between his jaw and shoulder, while scrolling down on a laptop with one hand and holding Timandra's hand with the other. She is bored, looking out the window. PHRYNIA, a sharp, all-business woman with slicked-back hair and a square-cut suit, is behind the wheel.
Suddenly there is a BUMP and the SLAP of rubber. Phrynia keeps control of the vehicle and carefully steers it to the side of the road as Alcibiades and Timandra look on with surprise and some disappointment.

EXT. WOODS -- MOMENTS LATER
We see Alcibiades and Timandra, in varying stages of impatience, watching Phrynia change a tire.
There is a flash of movement in the trees that catches Alcibiades' eye. More movement, a swatch of color; all three note it.
Something scratches at the back of Alcibiades' mind; something familiar. He moves forward, with Timandra and Phrynia falling in behind.
They thread their way through the trees, Alcibiades determined, the others more hesitant.
We see Timon ahead, looking dirty and ragged. He is pulling a large trash bag, has a rusty ax knotted in a rope around his waist, has slung a broken-handled shovel over one stooped shoulder. His t-shirt and boxers are grime-encrusted. He drops to his knees.

TIMON
O blessed breeding sun, draw from the earth rotten humidity; below thy sister's orb infect the air! Destruction fang mankind! Earth, yield me roots.

We see Timon rooting around in the earth with shovel and blade.

TIMON (CONT'D)
Come, damned earth, thou common whore of mankind, that put'st odds among the route of nations, I will make thee do thy right nature.

Alcibiades tentatively comes into the clearing where Timon crouches.

ALCIBIADES
What art thou there? Speak.

Timon turns away.

TIMON
A beast, as thou art. The canker gnaw thy heart, for showing me again the eyes of man!

ALCIBIADES
What is thy name? Is man so hateful to thee, that art thyself a man?

TIMON
I am Misanthropos, and hate mankind. For thy part, I do wish thou art a dog, that I might love thee something.

Alcibiades looks more closely. Phrynia tries to shield Alcibiades a bit.

ALCIBIADES
I know thee well; but in thy fortunes am unlearned and strange.

TIMON
I know thee too; and more than that I know thee, I not desire to know. Follow thy drum; with man's blood paint the ground.
(points to Phrynia)
This fell whore of thine hath in her more destruction than thy sword, for all her cherubim look.

Phrynia looks on coldly.

PHRYNIA
Thy lips rot off!

TIMON
I will not kiss thee; then the rot returns to thine own lips again.

Alcibiades counsels Phrynia to calm down with a gesture, then turns on Timon, fascinated.

ALCIBIADES
How come the noble Timon to this change?

TIMON
As the moon does, by wanting light to give; but then renew I could not, like the moon. There were no suns to borrow of.

Alcibiades is stunned.

ALCIBIADES
Noble Timon, what friendship may I do thee?

Timon pretends to think.

TIMON
Promise me friendship, but perform none. If thou wilt promise, the gods plague thee, for thou art a man! If thou dots perform, confound thee, for thou art a man!

ALCIBIADES
I have heard in some sort of thy miseries.

TIMON
Thou saw'st them, when I had prosperity.

ALCIBIADES
I see them now; then was a blessed time.

TIMON
As thine is now, held with a brace of harlots.

Timandra looks Timon up and down, then looks at Alcibiades, a light dawning.

TIMANDRA
Is this the Athenian minion, whom the world voiced so regardfully?

TIMON
Art thou Timandra?

TIMANDRA
Yes.

TIMON
Be a whore still; they love thee not that use thee; give them diseases, leaving them with thee their lust.

Timandra looks repulsed.

TIMANDRA
Hang thee, monster!

Alcibiades touches his girlfriend's shoulder.
ALCIBIADES

Pardon him, sweet Timandra; for his wits are drowned and lost in his calamities.
(to Timon)
I have but little gold of late, brave Timon, the want whereof doth daily make revolt in my penurious band. I have heard, and grieved, how cursed Athens, mindless of thy worth, forgetting thy great deeds, when neighbor states, but for thy sword and fortune, trod upon them--

TIMON
I prithee, beat thy drum, and get thee gone.

ALCIBIADES
I am thy friend, and pity thee, dear Timon.

TIMON
How dost thou pity him whom thou ­dost trouble? I had rather be alone.
Alcibiades looks him over again, then SIGHS. He fishes in an inner pocket and produces a fat wallet.

ALCIBIADES
Why, fare thee well. Here is some gold for thee.

Timon dismisses him.

TIMON
Keep it, I cannot eat it.

Alcibiades shakes his head, looking grim, and puts his wallet away.

ALCIBIADES
When I have laid proud Athens on a heap--

Timon perks up.

TIMON
Warr'st thou against Athens?

ALCIBIADES
(nodding at Timon's state)
Ay, Timon, and have cause.

TIMON
The gods confound them all in thy conquest; and thee after, when thou ­hast conquered!

ALCIBIADES
Why me, Timon?

TIMON
That, by killing of villains, thou was born to conquer my country.

Timon starts to root around in his dirty trash bag, and surprisingly comes out with two fistfuls of cash.
He starts pushing wads of money at a shocked Alcibiades.

TIMON (CONT'D)
Put up thy gold. Go on--here's gold--go on. Be as a planetary plague, when Jove will over some high-viced city hang his poison in the sick air. Let not thy sword skip one. Pity not honored age for his white beard; he is an usurer. Strike me the counterfeit matron; it is her habit only that is honest, herself's a bawd. Let not the virgin's cheek make soft thy trenchant sword; for those milk-paps, that through the window-bars bore at men's eyes, are not within the leaf of pity writ, but set them down horrible traitors. Spare not the babe, whose dimpled smiles from fools exhaust their mercy; think it a bastard, whom the oracle hath doubtfully pronounced thy throat shall cut, and mince it sans remorse. Swear against object, put armor on thine ears and on thine eyes, whose proof, nor yells of mothers, maids, nor babes, nor sight of priests in holy vestments bleeding, shall pierce a jot. There's gold to pay soldiers; make large confusion; and, thy fury spent, confounded be thyself! Speak not, be gone.

Alcibiades looks surprised, then looks resolved, his eyes cunning.

ALCIBIADES
Hast thou gold yet? I'll take the gold thou givest me, not all thy counsel.

Timon grabs out another few handfuls and shoves it at Alcibiades. Timandra looks on with interest.

TIMANDRA
More counsel with more money, bounteous Timon.

TIMON
More whore, more mischief first; I have given you earnest.

Alcibiades touches her elbow, and looks at Phrynia.

ALCIBIADES
Strike up the drums towards Athens!
(to Timon)
Farewell, Timon; If I thrive well, I'll visit thee again.

TIMON
If I hope well, I'll never see thee more.

Alcibiades looks distraught.

ALCIBIADES
I never did thee harm.

TIMON
Yes, thy spokest well of me.

ALCIBIADES
Call'st thou that harm?

TIMON
Men daily find it. Get thee away, and take thy beagles with thee.

ALCIBIADES
(to the others)
We but offend him. Strike!

They move away, Timon glaring in their wake.

EXT. COUNTRY ROADS -- MOMENTS LATER
Phrynia pulls the car off of the shoulder and back onto the road.

INT. ALCIBIADES' CAR -- CONTINUOUS
In the roomy back seat, we see Alcibiades musing. He fishes out a PDA, and thumbs through it. Finding what he is looking for, he dials a number on his cell.


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