EXT. COUNTRY ROADS -- DAY
We see Flavia riding her bike, watching for signs along the side of the road.
Eventually she pulls over and dismounts, leaning her bike against a tree.
EXT. WOODS -- MOMENTS LATER
Timon is sifting through his bag of money.
TIMON
O thou sweet king-killer, and dear divorce 'twixt natural son and sire! Thou bright defiler of Hymen's purest bed! Think, thy slave man rebels, and by thy virtue set them into confounding odds, that beasts may have the world in empire!
Flavia watches from the trees.
FLAVIA
O you gods! Is yond despised and ruinous man my lord? Full of decay and failing? O monument and wonder of good deeds evilly bestowed! What an alteration of honor has desperate want made! What viler thing upon the earth than friends who can bring noblest minds to basest ends! How rarely does it meet with this time's guise, when man was wish'd to love his enemies! Grant I may ever love, and rather woo those that would mischief me than those that do! He has caught my eye; I will present my honest grief unto him; and, as my lord, still serve him with my life.
Flavia comes into full view.
FLAVIA (CONT'D)
My dearest master!
TIMON
Away! What art thou?
FLAVIA
Have you forgot me, sir?
(beat)
An honest poor servant of yours.
TIMON
Then I know thee not; I never had honest man about me, I; All I kept were knaves, to serve meat to villains.
Flavia's eyes mist up, and she turns away.
FLAVIA
The gods are witness, ne'er did poor steward wear a truer grief for his undone lord than mine eyes for you.
Timon softens.
TIMON
What, dost thou weep? Come nearer. Then I love thee, because thou art a woman, and disclam'st flinty mankind.
Flavia runs into his rather grubby arms.
FLAVIA
I beg of you to know me, my good lord, to accept my grief and whilst this poor wealth lasts to entertain me as your steward still.
Timon holds her at arm's length.
TIMON
Had I a steward so true, so just, and now so comfortable? It almost runs my dangerous nature mild. Let me behold thy face.
(studies her)
Methinks thou art more honest now than wise; for, by oppressing and betraying me, thou mightst have sooner got another service; for many so arrive at second masters upon their first lord's neck. But tell me true--for I must ever doubt, though never so sure--is not thy kindness subtle, covetous, if not a usuring kindness, and, as rich men deal gifts, expecting in return twenty for one?
FLAVIA
No, my worthy master, in whose breast doubt and suspect, alas, are placed too late. You should have feared false times when you did feast; suspect still comes when an estate is least.
(beat, hesitantly)
That which I show, heaven knows, is merely love, duty and zeal to your unmatched mind, care of your food and living; and, believe it, my most honored lord, for any benefit that points to me, either in hope or present, I would exchange for this one wish...that you had power and wealth to requite me, by making rich yourself.
Timon stares into her face, then reaches into his dirty trash bag, pulling out money.
TIMON
Look thee, 'tis so! Here, take! The gods out of my misery have sent thee treasure. Go, live rich and happy.
Flavia looks stunned. Timon's face turns cold.
TIMON (CONT'D)
But thus conditioned. Thou shalt build from men, hate all, curse all, show charity to none, but let the famished flesh slide from the bone, ere thou relieve the beggar. Give to dogs what thou deny'st to men. Let prisons swallow 'em, debts wither 'em to nothing; be men like blasted woods, and may diseases lick up their false bloods!
(beat)
And so farewell and thrive.
Flavia's eyes well with tears.
FLAVIA
O, let me stay...and--comfort you, my master.
TIMON
If thou hatest curses, stay not; fly, whilst thou art blest and free; never see thou man, and let me never see thee.
Flavia, empty-handed, tears on her cheeks, shakes her head as if she can't believe it, and backs away. Soon she turns and runs, Timon's red eyes upon her.
We see Flavia running through the woods, careless of where she is running, only away.
EXT. COUNTRY ROADS -- MOMENTS LATER
Sempronius and Ventidius are slowly cruising down the road in Sempronius' car. From his POV, we see Flavia's bike leaning against a tree.
SEMPRONIUS
As I too note of the place, it cannot be far where he abides.
They pull past the bike and park on the shoulder as Flavia bursts from the trees, grabs her bike, and cycles away, heedless of the two others. They exchange glances, and Sempronius shrugs.
They look at each other again and climb out of the car.
VENTIDIUS
What's thought of him? Does the rumor hold true, that he's so full of gold?
SEMPRONIUS
Alcibiades reports it.
VENTIDIUS
Then this breaking of his has been but a try for his friends.
SEMPRONIUS
Nothing else; you shall see him a palm in Athens again, and flourish with the highest. Therefore 'tis not amiss we tender loves to him, in this supposed distress of his. It will show honestly in us, and is very likely to load our purposes with what they travail for; if it be a just and true report that goes of his having.
INT. WOODS -- CONTINUOUS
We see a downcast Timon, thinking. Then he moves in the direction Flavia left.
EXT. COUNTRY ROADS -- CONTINUOUS
Ventidius and Sempronius are leaning against the car, planning.
VENTIDIUS
What have you now to present unto him?
SEMPRONIUS
Nothing at this time but my visitation; only I will promise an excellent piece.
VENTIDIUS
I must serve him too, tell him of an intent that's coming toward him.
SEMPRONIUS
Good as the best. Promising is the very air of the time; it opens the eyes of expectation. Performance is ever the duller for his act; and, but in the plainer and simpler kind of people, the deed of saying is quite out of use. To promise is most courtly and fashionable; performance is a kind of will or testament which argues a great sickness in his judgment that makes it.
We see that Timon has come to the edge of the woods, and stops short, seeing the pair.
TIMON
(to himself)
Excellent workman! Thou canst not paint a man so bad as is thyself.
VENTIDIUS
I am thinking what I shall say I have provided for him. It must be a personating of himself; a satire against the softness of prosperity, with a discovery of the infinite flatteries that follow youth and opulency.
TIMON
(muttering)
Must thou needs stand for a villain in thine own work? Wilt thou whip thine own faults in other men? Do so, I have gold for thee.
VENTIDIUS
Nay, let's seek him; then do we sin against our own estate, when we may profit meet, and come too late.
SEMPRONIUS
True; when the day serves, before black-cornered night, find what thou want'st by free and offered light. Come.
TIMON
(to himself)
I'll meet you at the turn. What a god's gold, that he is worshipped in a baser temple than where swine feed!
Abruptly, Timon steps out of the treeline, startling the others.
VENTIDIUS
Hail, worthy Timon!
SEMPRONIUS
Our late noble master!
TIMON
Have I once lived to see two honest men?
VENTIDIUS
Sir, having often of your open bounty tasted, hearing you were retired, your friends fallen off, whose thankless natures--o abhorred spirits!--not all the whips of heaven are large enough. What! To you, whose star-like nobleness gave life and influence to their whole being! I am rapt and cannot cover the monstrous bulk of this ingratitude with any size of words.
TIMON
Let it go naked, men may see't the better. You that are honest, by being what you are, make them best seen and known.
SEMPRONIUS
He and myself have travailed in the great shower of your gifts, and sweetly felt it. We are hither come to offer you our service.
TIMON
Most honest men! Why, how shall I requite you? Can you eat roots, and drink cold water? No.
Ventidius looks uneasy.
VENTIDIUS
What we can do, we'll do, to do your service.
TIMON
Ye are honest men; ye've heard that I have gold. I am sure you have; speak truth, ye're honest men.
They stand still for a long moment. Finally:
SEMPRONIUS
(faltering)
So it is said, my noble lord. But therefore came not my friend nor I.
TIMON
Good honest men! Thou draw'st a counterfeit best in all Athens. Thou art, indeed, the best. Thou counterfeit'st most lively.
SEMPRONIUS
(mock modesty)
So so, my lord.
TIMON
Even so, sir, as I say. And, for thy fiction, why, thy verse swells with stuff so fine and smooth that thou art even natural in thine art. But, for all this, my honest-natured friends, I must needs say you have a little fault. Marry, 'tis not monstrous in you, neither wish I you take much pains to mend.
VENTIDIUS
(mock pleading)
Beseech your honor, make it known to us.
TIMON
You'll take it ill.
SEMPRONIUS
(ingratiating)
Most thankfully, my lord.
TIMON
Will you indeed?
VENTIDIUS
Doubt it not, worthy lord.
TIMON
There's never a one of you but trusts a knave, that mightily deceives you.
SEMPRONIUS
Do we, my lord?
TIMON
Aye, and hear him cog, see him dissemble, know his gross patchery, love him, feed him, keep in your bosom; yet remain assured that he's a made-up villain.
SEMPRONIUS
I know none such, my lord.
VENTIDIUS
Nor I.
TIMON
Look at you, I love you well; I'll give you gold, rid me these villains from your companies. Hang them or stab them, drown them in a draught, confound them by some course, and come to me, I'll have you gold enough.
Both self-proclaimed artists swallow and look uneasily at each other.
Timon rustles in the dirty bag and reveals a knot of cash.
Sempronius and Ventidius look hungry, eyes popping.
SEMPRONIUS
Name them, lord!
VENTIDIUS
Let's know them!
TIMON
You that way and you this, but two in company; each man apart, all single and alone, yet an arch-villain keeps him company. If where thou art two villains shall not be, come not near him. If thou wouldst not reside but where one villain is, then him abandon. Hence, pack! There's gold; you came for gold, ye slaves!
Sempronius reaches for the money. But Timon drops the money back in the sack and reaches down for a rock, throwing it at Sempronius.
TIMON (CONT'D)
You have worked for me; there's payment for you--hence!
Timon chucks another rock at Ventidius.
TIMON (CONT'D)
You are an alchemist; make gold of that! Out, rascal dogs!
Sempronius and Ventidius try to make a grab for the bag of money as Timon starts to rain blows and kicks down on them. Fighting a lost cause, they scurry away.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
No comments:
Post a Comment