"THE MUMMY"
by
Stephen Sommers
The UNIVERSAL PICTURES globe spins. Then comes to a stop on
the African continent. A golden papyrus MAP of ANCIENT EGYPT
rises up. WE PUSH IN on it, towards a CITY along the Nile,
it's name written in hierarchic. WE KEEP PUSHING IN until
the golden map turns to golden sand and we find ourselves
DESCENDING on this ancient Egyptian city. Only it's not
ancient.
SUPERIMPOSED across the SCREEN are the WORDS.
THEBES - 2,134 B.C
Accompanied by a NARRATOR with a very thick Egyptian accent:
NARRATOR
Thebes. City of the Living. Crown
jewel of Pharaoh Seti the First.
The CAMERA sets-down in an open plaza. An Arabian horse-drawn
CHARIOT comes barreling right at us, driven by PHARAOH SETI;
an aristocratic, virile old man. The chariot WIPES FRAME.
INT. ANCK-SU-NAMUN'S BALCONY WINDOW - PALACE - DUSK
Glaring out over the city at the setting sun is a handsome,
muscular MAN with intense, evil eyes. This is IMHOTEP.
NARRATOR
Home of Imhotep, High Priest of
Osiris, Keeper of the Dead.
A gorgeous, olive-skinned goddess enters the outer foyer. It
takes us a moment to realize that the skin-tight dress she's
wearing isn't a dress at all, but rather her entire naked
body has been PAINTED in the ancient Egyptian manner She's a
stunning sight to behold. This is ANCK-SU-NAMUN.
NARRATOR
Birthplace of Anck-su-namun. Pharaoh's
Mistress. No other man was allowed
to touch her.
She makes her way through the ornate statuary. The CAMERA
comes to a stop on a CRACKED STONE FACE. A BEAT. And then
it's eyes suddenly POP OPEN. It's really a strange looking
TATTOOED MAN. Several more of these hideous, bald MEN stand
nearby. They are the PRIESTS of Osiris. Imhotep's guys. Their
eyes watch Anck-su-namun vanish through the bedroom curtains.
Anck-su-namun embraces Imhotep, they kiss passionately,
feverishly. Imhotep's hands roam over her perfect body,
smearing the paint. The Narrator's VOICE fills with lust:
NARRATOR
But for our love, we were willing to
risk life itself.
And we realize that the Narrator is actually Imhotep himself
on the other-side of the curtains, the bald Priests rush
over and close the doors. But just as they do, the doors
suddenly BURST OPEN. Pharaoh angrily strides in, looks at
the Priests. The following DIALOGUE is in ANCIENT EGYPTIAN, --
SUBTITLED.
PHARAOH
What are you doing here?
The Priests back away, scared shitless, obviously his arrival
was unexpected. Pharaoh strides for the curtains. Throws
them back.
Anck-su-namun stands alone. Gives him a sexy smile. Pharaoh
sees the smeared body paint. Points his finger.
PHARAOH
WHO HAS TOUCHED YOU?!
From behind him, his sword is ripped out of its scabbard.
Pharaoh spins around. It's Imhotep. Pharaoh is shocked.
PHARAOH
Imhotep?... My priest.
Behind him, Anck-su-namun lifts a dagger and plunges it into
his back.
Pharaoh SCREAMS. Imhotep raises Pharaoh's sword. The hideous
bald Priests SLAM the doors and bolt them tight. Through the
curtains, they see the SHADOWS of Anck-su-namun and Imhotep
stab away at Pharaoh. Suddenly, the doors are RAMMED from
the other side, --WHAM! Imhotep and Anck-su-namun turn and
look. --WHAM! The doors are RAMMED again. The two lovers
share desperate looks. --WHAM! The bald Priests run up and
grab Imhotep and try and pull him towards the balcony.
PRIESTS
Pharaoh's bodyguards!
Imhotep tries to break free, but Anck-su-namun rips Pharaoh's
sword out of his hand and pushes him towards the balcony.
ANCK-SU-NAMUN
You must go. Save yourself. Only you
can resurrect me.
Imhotep's face fills with despair. The DOORS EXPLODE OPEN.
MEN with BLUE-TINTED SKIN and strange PUZZLE-TATTOOS over
their bodies stride in, armed to the teeth. These are the
MUMIA. The Priests hustle Imhotep out onto the dark balcony
just as the Mumia rip through the curtains.
Anck-su-namun points at Pharaoh and hisses --
ANCK-SU-NAMUN
My body is no longer his temple!
She PLUNGES the sword into her own heart. Out on the balcony,
Imhotep's mouth opens into a horrible silent scream...
NARRATOR/IMHOTEP
For murdering Pharaoh, Anck-su-namun's
body was to be cursed. And it was I,
the High Priest, whose duty it was
to curse it.
EXT. SAND DUNES - NIGHT
Imhotep leads-a TORCH-LIT procession across the dunes. Anck-
su-namun's mummy is carried by NUBIAN SLAVES. They put her
down in the sand along with FIVE JEWEL ENCRUSTED JARS.
IMHOTEP
Her body was mummified, her vital
organs removed and placed in sacred
canopic jars.
Imhotep, filled with dread, reads from a OBOOKO made out of
pure GOLD. THIS IS THE BOOK OF THE LIVING.
IMHOTEP
The Book of The Living contained
sacred incantations that would send
the evil dead on a journey into the
dark underworld.
Strange LIGHT suddenly FLASHES across the faces of the slaves
and the EGYPTIAN SOLDIERS. Suddenly, everyone's fear-filled
eyes all rise, as if watching Anck-su-namun's body rising.
Then one last HUGE FLASH, accompanied by a BLAST OF WIND,
and it's over. Anck-su-namun's body now lies twisted on the
ground.
Imhotep's Priests place the body into a stone sarcophagus.
The Nubian slaves lower it into a hole and bury it with sand.
Imhotep then signals to the Soldiers, who throw their spears
at the Nubians. Killing them.
IMHOTEP
The slaves were killed...
Imhotep's knife-wielding Priests attack the now unarmed
Soldiers, hacking at them in the flickering darkness as
Imhotep and the Mumia solemnly watches.
IMHOTEP
...and the soldiers who killed them
were also slain, so that no unholy
person should ever know the exact
location of the burial site.
The Mumia walk off across the sand and then, one by one, the
Priests stop their frenzied stabbing and stare off at the
vanishing Mumia. As the last Mumia disappears over a distant
dune, Imhotep nods, and the Priests leap onto Anck-su-namun's
grave and begin digging it back up with their hands.
EXT. SAHARA DESERT - NIGHT
CHARIOTS race out into the moonlit desert. Imhotep leads the
way. A "hearse" carries Anck-su-namun's mummy. THE MAP OF
ANCIENT EGYPT FADES UP. The chariots race across the map.
IMHOTEP
But there was another book, The Book
Of The Dead, which was never to be
opened, never to be read, for it
contained the incantations that could
bring a dead body back to life a
most unholy thing.
The chariots arrive at a place marked on the map in hieratic.
They race up the stone ramp and in through the city gates.
SUPERIMPOSED across the SCREEN are the WORDS:
HAMUNAPTRA - City of the Dead
IMHOTEP
It was hidden at Hamunaptra, City of
the Dead, inside the statue of Anubis,
so that no such sacrilege might ever
disgrace Egypt.
EXT. HAMUNAPTRA - ANUBIS SITE - NIGHT
Imhotep pulls an ORNATE CHEST out of a SECRET COMPARTMENT
inside the giant STATUE OF ANUBIS. He opens the chest and
lifts out THE BOOK OF THE DEAD, made of black stone.
IMHOTEP
But for my love of Anck-su-namun I
was willing to defy the gods.
INT. UNDERGROUND NECROPOLIS - NIGHT
Big hairy RATS scurry through the mausoleums and over the
headstones of this very large, scary, UNDERGROUND CEMETERY.
A DETRITUS MOAT surrounds the cemetery, -- muck made out of
filthy water and human remains. Skulls bob in the goop. The
Priests have gathered in a circle. Their hooded, lifeless
eyes seem dead to this world. Their bald heads rock back and
forth as they CHANT, a quiet eerie HUM. Heinous creatures.
In the middle of the circle is a strange, twisted ALTAR.
Imhotep has unwrapped Anck-su-namun's gorgeous, lifeless
body and placed her five sacred canopic jars around her.
IMHOTEP
Anck-su-namun's vital organs were
still fresh, so a human sacrifice
would not need be made.
As Imhotep begins to read from The Book of The Dead, a large
SWIRLING HOLE starts to open in the detritus bog. Several
Priests look over at it, frightened, then quickly look back
down and resume CHANTING. A strange MIST wafts up out of the
swirling hole and over to the jars, it passes through them
and into Anck-su-namun's body. One of the jars SHUDDERS, the
heart inside begins to BEAT. The CHANTING PRIESTS, SWIRLING
HOLE, WAFTING MIST, BEATING HEART and IMHOTEP'S READINGS are
reaching a crescendo. Anck-su-namun's EYES suddenly FLY OPEN.
IMHOTEP
Anck-su-namun soul had come back
from the dead! Now all that was
needed, was to return her organs to
their rightful place within her body.
Imhotep lifts a sacrificial knife above Anck-su-namun's
breast, about to plunge it down. The CHANTING, SWIRLING and
BEATING heart CLIMAX. And that's when the Mumia BURST IN and
storm through the startled Priests. The HEAD MUMIA SMASHES
the jar with the beating heart. The MIST instantly sucks
back out of Anck-su-namun's body and IMPLODES back into the
swirling hole.
Anck-su-namun's eyes close. Dying once again. Imhotep SCREAMS
in rage. The Mumia grab him and his Priests.
IMHOTEP
My Priests were condemned to be
mummified alive.
INT. EMBALMING CHAMBER (NECROPOLIS RE-VAMP) - NIGHT
Inside a TORCH-LIT CHAMBER, Imhotep is held by Anubis-headed
EMBALMERS. He cringes at the flickering, impressionistic
glimpses of his Priests being embalmed and mummified alive.
The horrid-looking Embalmers, using knives, needles and
thread, calmly perform their ghastly surgery on the SCREAMING
Priests, who are going insane from the procedure.
A red hot POKER is pulled out of a pit of burning coals.
A Priest's head is wedged between two strong boards. His
eyes widen in terror as an Embalmer moves to insert the red
hot poker up his nose.
But just before he does, WE QUICKLY CUT TO IMHOTEP'S FACE,
horrified, as OFF CAMERA, the Priest SCREAMS.
WE GO WIDE on the chamber. All twenty-one of Imhotep's Priests
squirm inside their wrappings. Imhotep is forced to his knees.
His arms are held back. His mouth is pried open.
IMHOTEP
As for me, I was condemned to endure
the HOM-DAI. The worst of all ancient
curses. One so horrible, it had never
before been bestowed.
Using a pair of tongs, an Embalmer slowly pulls Imhotep's
TONGUE out of his mouth, then places a very sharp knife on
top of it. WE GO TIGHT on IMHOTEP'S EYES as his tongue is
apparently cut out. The Embalmer flings Imhotep's tongue
onto the floor. The Mumia's dogs attack and quickly eat it.
Imhotep is WRAPPED ALIVE. Only his mouth, nostrils and
fearfilled eyes are left free of the slimy bandages. Detritus
muck boils inside a black cauldron. Embalmers scoop out the
fetid muck and apply it to Imhotep's wrappings as he squirms.
He's then laid in a wooden COFFIN inside a stone SARCOPHAGUS.
An Embalmer with a BUCKET steps up and looks into the coffin.
Imhotep's wild eyes stare back. The Embalmer empties the
bucket over Imhotep's chest: dozens of SCARABS, disgusting
dung beetles. They scurry across Imhotep's SCREAMING face.
Some vanish into his tongue-less mouth and up his nostrils.
IMHOTEP
By eating the sacred scarabs, I would
be cursed to stay alive forever. And
by eating me, they were cursed just
the same.
The lid to the coffin is SLAMMED SHUT. Then, using a strange
four-sided KEY, the Head Mumia locks the coffin lid tight.
The heavy sarcophagus lid is shoved into place and with a
loud WHOOSH seals itself airtight. Once again, the Head Mumia
uses the strange key, locking the sarcophagus lid tight.
IMHOTEP
I was to remain sealed inside my
sarcophagus, the undead for all of
eternity.
The blue-skinned, strangely tattooed man carefully collapses
the sides of the key, -- turning it into a little puzzle
BOX.
IMHOTEP
They would never allow me to be
released. For I would arise a walking
disease, a plague upon mankind, an
unholy flesh-eater, with the strength
of ages, power over the sands, and
the glory of invincibility.
Imhotep's sarcophagus is dropped into a DETRITUS PIT. The
disgusting muck SPLASHES up, drools down it-s sides, and
then is mysteriously sucked into It's seams, vanishing clean.
IMHOTEP
And if I could raise my beloved Anck-
su-namun from her place in hell,
together, we would be an unstoppable
infection upon this world. The
Apocalypse. The End.
Imhotep's horrifying tongue-less SCREAMS can be heard coming
from inside his sarcophagus as grave diggers shovel dirt
onto it. THE MAIN TITLE IS SUPERIMPOSED ON THE SCREAM:
THE MUMMY
The heavily armed Mumia stand guard around Imhotep's grave.
Looking down on the burial site is the huge statue of ANUBIS,
the jackal-headed god of death. It stares at us. Then begins
to DECAY before our very eyes, aging 4,159 years in only
seconds. And then we find ourselves and the decrepit, half-
buried statue of Anubis out in the middle of the desert.
EXT. SAHARA - HAMANAPTRA RUINS (1925) - DAY
Imhotep's horrifying SCREAMS become the SCREAMS of a TUAREG
HORSEMAN.
Racing across the desert with two thousand of his warrior
brethren. Armed to the teeth. SUPERIMPOSED across the SCREEN
are the WORDS:
THE SAHARA - 1925
A mile across the scorching desert TWO HUNDRED FRENCH FOREIGN
LEGIONNAIRES scurry through the ruins, preparing for the
onslaught. OUR HERO is up on the wall. His Kepi sits at a
jaunty angle. Dashing and handsome. This is RICK O'CONNELL.
He looks out at the massive SCREAMING horde galloping at
him.
O'CONNELL
I knew this was gonna be a lousy
day.
A doughy little Frenchman joins him as he makes his way across
the top of the wall. This is BENI.
BENI
Personally, I would like to surrender.
Why can we not just surrender?
O'CONNELL
Shut-up and gimme your bandolier.
Beni pulls off his cartridge belt. Hands it to O'Connell.
BENI
Then let's run away. Right now. While
we can still make it.
O'Connell throws it on, crisscrossing his own bandolier.
O'CONNELL
Now gimme your revolver, you'll never
use it anyway.
Beni pulls out his pistol and chucks it to O'Connell.
BENI
Then let's play dead, huh? Nobody
ever does that anymore.
O'Connell slides it into his belt, next to his own revolver
O'CONNELL
Now go find me a big stick.
BENI
In the desert? What for?
O'Connell turns and goes nose-to-nose with him.
O'CONNELL
So I can tie it to your back, you
appear to be without a spine.
The horde of warriors THUNDERS forward. Now a half mile out.
Scimitars RATTLING. O'Connell and Beni run through the ruins.
O'CONNELL
How'd a guy like you end up in the
Legion anyways?
BENI
I got caught robbing a synagogue.
Lots of good stuff in them holy
places; churches, temples, mosques,
and who's guarding them?
O'CONNELL
Altar boys?
BENI
Exactly! I speak seven languages,
including Hebrew, so my specialty
was synagogues. How about you? Kill
somebody?
Beni trips and accidentally tackles O'Connell to the ground.
O'Connell gives him a nasty look.
O'CONNELL
No, but I'm considering it.
They get up and run out the gate and down the stone ramp
BENI
What then? Robbery? Extortion?
Kidnapping!
O'CONNELL
None of the above, thank you.
BENI
Then what the hell are you doing
here!?
They both skid to a stop at the front line as they see the
horde of warriors. The SOUND of CHARGING HORSES is deafening.
O'Connell gives Beni a big cheesy smile.
O'CONNELL
I was just looking for a good time.
And that's when the cowardly Legionnaire Colonel suddenly
panics, cuts and runs. O'Connell instantly stiffens.
O'CONNELL
Oh shit. Steady!
Gives the men around him courage. But onward comes the horde
Hoofs pounding the sand. Several more Legionnaires take off.
O'CONNELL
STEADY!
(to himself)
What the hell am I sayin'?
The Tuaregs let loose with those horrifying oooo-loo-loog
SCREAMS. More Legionnaires haul-ass. Beni is one of them.
O'CONNELL
STEADY!!
(to himself)
What the hell am I doin'?
The Tuaregs set their rifles and take aim. O'Connell steels
himself, cocks and locks. The cartridge in his mouth suddenly
snaps, he spits it into the sand. Another BEAT. And then --
O'CONNELL
FIRE!
The Legionnaires on the ground FIRE. The rifles report with
a CRASH. The BLAST blows dozens of Tuaregs clean off their
mounts. The prone Legionnaires quickly begin to reload.
O'CONNELL
FIRE!
The kneeling Legionnaires FIRE. More Tuaregs bite the sand.
The remaining warriors OPEN FIRE. THUNDER and SMOKE rip the
hot air. A third of the Legionnaires are killed instantly.
O'CONNELL
FIRE!
The remaining standing Legionnaires FIRE. Tuaregs spin off
their mounts. Crash to the sand. And then the entire Tuareg
force plows into the ruins and through the Legionnaires.
O'Connell grabs the barrel of his rifle and starts CLUBBING
riders off their steeds, fighting like a man possessed.
Beni on the other hand, is bellycrawling across the sand,
whimpering in full retreat as Legionnaires fall dead all
around him. He crawls through the front gate.
O'Connell throws his rifle down and goes for his guns. He
cross-draws, gun in each hand, starts blowing riders off
their mounts.
Beni crawls faster, and then he spots an open TEMPLE DOORWAY
amongst the rocks. He gets up and sprints for the door as
the last of the Legionnaires are shot off their feet behind
him. O'Connell's guns go empty.
O'CONNELL
Son-of-a-bitch.
He turns and runs like hell, right through the front gate.
Four Tuareg warriors on massive Arabians haul-ass after him.
O'Connell hurdles a stone column, hits the ground running.
He spots Beni inside the Temple doorway, trying to close the
heavy sandstone door.
O'CONNELL
Hey! Beni! Wait up!
Beni has no intention of waiting up, he pushes harder.
O'CONNELL
What are ya doing?! Wait up!
O'Connell runs faster. Beni pushes harder. The four Horsemen
LEAP the big column and CHARGE after him. HOOFS POUNDING.
O'CONNELL
Don't you close that door! DON'T YOU
CLOSE THAT DOOR!
Beni closes the door just as O'Connell reaches it. O'Connell
SLAMS his body into the door. It doesn't budge.
O'CONNELL
I'm gonna get you for this!
He turns and bolts off around the rocks. Running for his
life, weaving through the ruins. The Arabians getting closer
and closer. The POUNDING hoofs getting LOUDER and LOUDER.
O'Connell finally spins around and faces his attackers. The
four massive horses crash to a stop in front of him. The
vicious Tuaregs raise their rifles to finish him off.
O'Connell just stands there, exhausted and beaten, then he
slowly lifts his right hand and gives them the bird.
And that's when the horses go ape-shit. All four of them
REAR UP. Two of the Riders are THROWN to the ground. The
horses SCREECH and BELLOW and SNORT in fear, then buck like
fury and haul-ass away as if the devil himself had scared
them. The thrown Riders get up and race off after their
mounts.
O'Connell just stands there, stunned, then he lifts his right
hand and checks out his middle finger. And then he feels the
evil himself, and turns around. -- The shattered, decrepit
statue of Anubis stares back at him.
Suddenly, the sand begins to shift under O'Connell's feet.
He starts to back away, keeping his eyes on the transforming
sand, it looks like huge snakes are wiggling and writhing
beneath it, forming lines and shapes, -- drawing a picture.
O'Connell quickly turns and runs off through the ruins. The
sand stops moving, and we can now see that, drawn in the
sand, is a picture of IMHOTEP'S SCREAMING FACE.
EXT. RIDGE - DAY
Up on a ridge, A GROUP OF RIDERS watch O'Connell stumble
clear of the decrepit city. O'Connell feels their presence
and looks up. Very different from the Tuaregs, they have
BLUE TINTED SKIN and faces covered in strange PUZZLE-TATTOOS.
The Mumia. Still watching Imhotep's grave after all this
time.
The MUMIA LEADER is a huge, fierce Man in black robes, with
dual scimitars across his waist. His face is both handsome
and horrible, blue and tattooed. Meet ARDETH RAY. His dark
eyes watch O'Connell stagger off into the open desert...
EXT. CAIRO - DAY
Cairo, a city so old the stars have actually changed their
positions in the sky since it's birth. A city teeming with
every form of life. A strange, mysterious, wonderful city.
WE SUPERIMPOSE it's name across the SCREEN:
CAIRO
INT. CAIRO MUSEUM OF ANTIQUITIES - DAY
Deep in the bowels of the museum lie the STACKS. Rows upon
rows of towering bookshelves. Filled with literature on the
Antiquities. Standing at the top of a tall ladder between
two of these rows and leaning against one of the bookshelves,
is a rather uninteresting British GIRL: eye-glasses, hair-in-
a-bun, long boring dress, your typical prudish nightmare.
This is EVELYN CARNARVON. We're going to fall in love with
her.
Evelyn pulls a book out from a stack under her arm, blows
the dust off it, then places it on a shelf with other books
whose titles all begin with the letter "O". Then she grabs
another book out from under her arm and reads the title.
EVELYN
Tuthmosis?... Now how did you get up
here?
Carefully, so as not to lose her balance, she looks over her
shoulder to the bookshelf behind her, where all the titles
begin with the letter "T". Then she looks down. It's a long
way to the bottom. Evelyn gently sets the other books down
on the top shelf, then turns and gingerly starts to reach
across the aisle with the Tuthmosis book. It's a little too
far, so she stretches, reaching, holding the top of the ladder
with her fingertips, she's almost got it, closer now closer.
And that's when the ladder pulls away from the shelf. Evelyn
YELPS, flings the Tuthmosis book and grabs the top of the
ladder, which stands straight up. Evelyn holds her breath,
swaying precariously, a long BEAT, and then she loses her
balance, the ladder swings around and Evelyn starts
stiltwalking down the aisle.
EVELYN
OHEIUGM!! AHHHHHH!
The ladder crosses the aisle, does an about face and heads
back the way it came. Evelyn clings to the top, struggling
for balance. The ladder teeters out into the main aisle and
picks up speed. Evelyn SCREAMS as it does a 180, spins into
another aisle and finally crashes to a stop at the top of a
bookshelf. Evelyn holds her breath, then SIGHS HEAVILY.
And that's when the bookshelf falls away from her and CRASHES
into the next bookshelf.
Evelyn slides down the ladder and plops to the floor. She
looks up just as the domino effect kicks-in: each bookshelf
crashing into the next. And onward it goes. Bookshelf after
bookshelf. Thousands of volumes flinging off shelves and
scattering across the floor. It finally ends as the last
shelf CRASHES into a wall. Evelyn's eyes are closed. She
opens one eye. Looks left. Then right. Then opens the other
eye and stares at the huge mess.
EVELYN
Oops.
The Egyptian CURATOR storms in.
CURATOR
Look at this! Sons of the Messiah!
Give me frogs, flies, locusts,
anything but this! Compared to you,
the other plagues were a joy!
Evelyn quickly gets up and starts gathering books.
EVELYN
I'm sorry, it was an accident.
CURATOR
When Ramesses destroyed Syria, it
was an accident. You are a
catastrophe! Why do I put up with
you?
Evelyn turns to him, trying to contain herself.
EVELYN
You put up with me, because I can
read and write ancient Egyptian,
decipher hieroglyphs and hieratic,
and I'm the only person within a
thousand miles who knows how to
properly code and catalogue this
library.
CURATOR
Who needs smart women? I put up with
you because your mother and father
were our finest patrons, Allah rest
their souls. Now straighten up this
mess!
The Curator storms out. Evelyn just stands there, steaming.
And then she hears a NOISE and quickly turns around. A BEAT.
EVELYN
Hello?
Quiet. Eerie. And then she hears it again, like feet, slowly
shuffling across the floor, coming from a nearby gallery.
EVELYN
Abdul? Mohammed? Bob?
Evelyn walks through the stacks and enters --
INT. THE RAMESSEUM
Filled with treasures and plunder from the Middle Kingdom.
It's very dark and quiet in here, the only LIGHT is from
FLICKERING TORCHES at either end of the spooky gallery.
The NOISE again! From the far side of the room. Feet, slowly
shuffling, plodding across the floor. Evelyn grabs a torch.
Looks around, at a statue of Anubis, another of Horus, they
stare down at Evelyn, who is starting to get scared now. She
walks down the aisle. Past a closed sarcophagus. Past cases
of ancient artifacts. Past another sarcophagus, -- only this
one is OPEN! Evelyn freezes, swallows hard, nervously looks
around to see who could have opened it. Then she slowly leans
forward with the torch, and peers inside.
-- A hideous rotted MUMMY sits up and SCREECHES at her!
Evelyn SCREAMS, drops the torch and backs away, scared out
of her wits. And then, coming from inside the sarcophagus,
she hears a Man LAUGHING. Her eyes narrow as a foppish cad
crawls out from behind the Mummy, laughing his ass off, half
drunk.
EVELYN
You...! YOU...!
JONATHAN
Drunkard? Fool? Rat-bastard? Please
call me something original.
Meet JONATHAN CARNARVON. As he crawls out of the sarcophagus,
Evelyn pulls a cigarette out of the mummy's mouth.
EVELYN
Have you no respect for the dead?
JONATHAN
Right now, I only wish to join them.
He grins drunkenly. Evelyn punches him hard in the chest.
EVELYN
Well I wish you'd do it sooner rather
than later, before you ruin my career
the way you've ruined yours.
JONATHAN
My dear, sweet, baby sister, I'll
have you know, that at this moment
my career is on a high note.
He BELCHES, then falls back and sits on the edge of a tomb.
EVELYN
High note? Ha! For five years you've
been scrounging around Egypt, and
what have you to show for it? Nothing.
Jonathan excitedly starts scrounging around in his jacket.
JONATHAN
Oh yes I do! I have something right
here!
EVELYN
Oh no, not another worthless trinket,
Jonathan, if I bring one more piece
of junk to the Curator to try and
sell for you.
Jonathan pulls out a small, ancient BOX; the collapsed KEY
to Imhotep's sarcophagus and coffin. Evelyn is instantly
curious, she grabs the box out of his hand.
EVELYN
Where did you get this?
Jonathan knows her weaknesses, gives her a mischievous smile.
JONATHAN
On a dig, down in Thebes.
Evelyn rolls the box around in her hands, mumbling to herself
as she translates the hieratics and hieroglyphs covering it.
Jonathan licks his lips in anticipation.
JONATHAN
My whole life I've never found
anything, Evy. Tell me I've found
something.
Evelyn's fingers play with the various little slats on the
box, shifting them this way and that way, it's like a puzzle
box. Then suddenly, it UNFOLDS ITSELF, almost-mechanically,
turning itself into the KEY. Sitting inside the open key/box
is a folded piece of GOLDEN PAPYRUS. An ANCIENT MAP.
EVELYN
Jonathan?
JONATHAN
Yes?
EVELYN
I think you found something.
INT. CURATOR'S OFFICE - DAY
The Curator sits at his desk, staring through a jeweler's
eyepiece at the key/box. Evelyn hovers behind him, excited.
EVELYN
See the cartouche there, it's the
official royal seal of Seti the First,
I'm sure of it.
CURATOR
Perhaps.
Jonathan leans in from across the desk.
JONATHAN
Two questions. Who the hell is Seti
the First? And was he rich?
EVELYN
He was the last Pharaoh of the Old
Kingdom, said to be the wealthiest
Pharaoh of them all.
JONATHAN
Alright, good, that's good. I like
this fellow, like him very much.
The Curator picks up the MAP. It's actually the exact same
map that we established in the opening scenes of the movie.
EVELYN
I've already dated it, this map is
almost four thousand years old. And
the hieratics over here...
(Inhales deeply)
It's Hamunaptra.
The Curator freezes, suddenly very nervous, then he recovers.
CURATOR
My dear girl, don't be ridiculous,
we are scholars, not treasure hunters.
Hamunaptra is a myth.
JONATHAN
Are we talking about the Hamunaptra?
EVELYN
Yes. The City of The Dead. Where the
early Pharaohs were said to have
hidden the wealth of Egypt.
JONATHAN
Right, right, in a big underground
treasure chamber. Everybody knows
the story. The entire necropolis was
rigged to sink into the sand. On
Pharaoh's command, a flick of the
switch! And the whole place could
disappear beneath the dunes.
EVELYN
All we know is that the city
mysteriously vanished around 2,134
B.C.
The Curator holds the map closer to the burning CANDLE-LAMP.
CURATOR
As the Americans would say: it's all
fairy tales and hokum.
The map 'accidentally,' CATCHES ON FIRE. The Curator throws
it to the floor. Jonathan drops to his knees and quickly
puts it out. Lifts it up. The left third of the map is now
missing.
JONATHAN
You burned it! You burned off the
part with the lost city!
CURATOR
It's for the best, I'm sure. Many
men have wasted their lives in the
foolish pursuit of Hamunaptra, no
one has ever found it, most have
never returned.
JONATHAN
(devastated)
You killed my map.
CURATOR
I'm sure it was a fake, anyway, I'm
surprised at you, Miss Carnarvon, to
be so fooled.
The Curator reaches for the key/box. Evelyn quickly snatches
it off the desk and gives him a very angry, suspicious look.
EXT. CAIRO PRISON - GALLOWS COURTYARD - DAY
Cairo prison. One of the worst hell holes on earth. Every
low-life form of scumbag can be found here. The WARDEN, a
first rate scumbag himself, escorts Evelyn and Jonathan across
the gallows courtyard. Evelyn whispers to Jonathan.
EVELYN
You told me you found it on a dig
down in Thebes!
JONATHAN
I was mistaken.
EVELYN
You lied to me!
JONATHAN
I lie to everybody, what makes you
so special?
EVELYN
I'm your sister.
JONATHAN
That just makes you more gullible.
EVELYN
You stole it from a drunk at the
local Casbah?!
JONATHAN
Picked his pocket, actually.
EXT. VISITOR'S PEN - DAY
The Warden ushers Evelyn and Jonathan into the holding pen.
EVELYN
And what is he in prison for?
WARDEN
I did not know, so when I heard you
were coming, I asked him that myself.
EVELYN
And what did he say?
WARDEN
He said... he was just looking for a
good time.
The interior cell door BURSTS OPEN. O'Connell is in chains,
dragged by FOUR GUARDS, they shove him up to the cell bars.
From the looks of it, he's been here awhile; his face is
half hidden by long hair, a scraggly beard and many new
bruises. Evelyn looks at him, disgusted by his appearance.
EVELYN
But he's just a filthy criminal?
JONATHAN
(cringing)
Way to go, Evy.
O'Connell gives Evelyn the once over, then looks at Jonathan.
O'CONNELL
So who's the broad?
EVELYN
Broad?!
JONATHAN
She's my sister, actually.
O'CONNELL
Yeah? Well,... I'm sure she's not a
total loss.
Evelyn is stunned and furious. The Warden heads out the door.
WARDEN
I'll be back in a moment.
O'CONNELL
(sarcastic)
I tremble with anticipation.
A Guard CLUBS O'Connell across the head, O'Connell's face
bounces off the metal bars. He shows no pain, but just looks
back and gives the Guard a nasty look. Evelyn steps closer.
EVELYN
We uh,... found... your puzzle box,
and we've come to ask you about it.
O'CONNELL
No.
EVELYN
No?
O'CONNELL
No... You came to ask me about
Hamunaptra.
Evelyn and Jonathan quickly look around, hoping the guards
didn't hear him. They step closer. Evelyn plays coy.
EVELYN
How do you know the box pertains to
Hamunaptra?
O'CONNELL
Because that's where I found it. I
was there.
Evelyn is dumbstruck. But Jonathan looks suspicious
JONATHAN
How do we know that's not a load of
pig swallow?
O'Connell looks closer at Jonathan, a glint of recognition.
O'CONNELL
Hey,... don't I know you?
JONATHAN
Um, well, you see...
O'Connell's FIST comes flying through the bars, hits Jonathan
square in the jaw, DECKS HIM. He hits the floor. Out cold. A
Guard CLUBS O'Connell. His head bounces off the bars again.
He shows no pain, but gives the Guard another nasty look.
Evelyn looks down at her brother, then back at O'Connell.
EVELYN
You were actually at Hamunaptra?
O'CONNELL
I just decked your brother
EVELYN
Yes, well...
(shrugs)
I know my brother.
O'Connell almost smiles. There's a bit of spark to this girl.
O'CONNELL
Yeah, I was there.
EVELYN
You swear?
O'CONNELL
Every damn day.
EVELYN
No, I mean --
O'CONNELL
-- I know what you mean. I was there,
alright. Seti's place. The City Of
The Dead.
EVELYN
What did you find? What did you see?
O'CONNELL
I found sand. I saw death.
The warden enters. Evelyn quickly leans closer to O'Connell.
EVELYN
Could you tell me how to get there?
The exact location?
O'CONNELL
Want to know?
Evelyn leans in even closer.
EVELYN
Yes.
O'CONNELL
Really want to know?
She leans her face right up to the bars, nervous and excited
EVELYN
Yes.
O'Connell steps forward and KISSES her full on the lips.
O'CONNELL
Then get me the hell outta here.
Evelyn is stunned. A Guard CLUBS him, his face bounces off
the bars again, but before he can react the Guards GRAB him,
YANKS him away from the bars and DRAG him out of the room.
EVELYN
Where are they taking him?
WARDEN
To be hanged.
Evelyn is shocked. The warden shows-off his green teeth.
WARDEN
Apparently, he had a very good time.
EXT. GALLOWS COURTYARD - DAY
Hundreds of filthy PRISONERS stare down onto the gallows as
the hangman's noose is draped over O'Connell's head and
cinched tight around his neck. Evelyn follows the warden
onto a balcony above the gallows. The prisoners all go dead
quiet at the sight of her; like jackals staring at fresh
meat.
WARDEN
No women allowed.
EVELYN
I am an English woman.
This seems to confuse the Warden, he shrugs and sits down.
O'Connell looks up as Evelyn plops down beside the Warden.
EVELYN
I will give you one hundred pounds
to spare his life.
WARDEN
I would pay one hundred pounds just
to see him hang.
EVELYN
Two hundred pounds.
WARDEN
Proceed!
EVELYN
Three hundred pounds!
O'Connell can hear every word, he looks hopeful. Other than
Evelyn, you could hear a pin drop. The HANGMAN turns to him.
HANGMAN
Any last requests, pig?
O'CONNELL
Yeah, I'd like ya to let me go.
The Hangman grabs the lever to the trapdoor.
EVELYN
FIVE HUNDRED POUNDS!
The Warden sets his greasy, lecherous hand on Evelyn's leg.
WARDEN
And what else?
Evelyn is revolted, she quickly shoves his hand away.
Insulted, the Warden angrily turns and gestures to the
Hangman, who pulls the lever. The trapdoor DROPS AWAY.
EVELYN
NOOO!
O'Connell DROPS through the hole. The rope pays out. Then
JERKS TAUGHT. O'Connell's body SNAPS at the end of the rope.
But he's still alive, because --
WARDEN
His neck did not break! Good! Now we
watch him strangle to death.
The prisoners go ape-shit, SCREAMING and SHOUTING in anger.
The GUARDS look around, nervous. O'Connell struggles at the
end of the rope, gagging. Evelyn is horrified, she quickly
turns to the warden, leans forward and whispers in his ear.
EVELYN
He knows the location to Hamunaptra.
The warden spins around and faces her.
WARDEN
You lie.
EVELYN
I would never!
At the end of the rope, O'Connell is choking and gagging and
turning several shades of red. The Warden stares at Evelyn.
WARDEN
Are you saying this filthy godless
son of a pig knows where to find The
City Of The Dead? Truly?
EVELYN
Yes and if you cut him down, we will
give you ten percent.
WARDEN
Fifty percent.
EVELYN
Twenty.
WARDEN
Forty.
Evelyn hesitates, bites her lip. O'Connell's eyes bulge as
he looks up at her, he can't believe this girl.
O'CONNELL
Give... give him... give him GLAAAA--
!
EVELYN
Twenty-five percent, and not one
single farthing more.
The warden flashes a big green smile, then YELLS in Arabic.
A scimitar SLASHES the air. The rope is CUT. O'Connell CRASHES
to the ground. Half dead. Rolls over. GAGGING.
All of the prisoners BURST INTO CHEERS. O'Connell looks up
at Evelyn. She smiles broadly and waves down at him.
CURATOR'S OFFICE - NIGHT
CANDLE LIGHT FLICKERS across the Curator's face.
CURATOR
She must die.
Standing in the shadows across from his desk are THREE MUMIA:
blue tinted skin, hideous facial tattoos, -- the works. One
of the Mumia has a rusty metal HOOK for a hand. He shrugs.
HOOK
She is like all the others. She will
die in the desert.
CURATOR
No! She has seen too much. She knows
too much.
The Curator leans across his desk, fear in his eyes.
CURATOR
Not only does she have a map, but
she has the key.
Spooks the hell out of the Mumia guys.
HOOK
The key!? She has the lost key!?
CURATOR
Yes. No one has ever had so much,
been so close. We must stop her, or
it will be the end of us all.
HOOK
Then we will kill her, we will kill
her and all those with her.
CURATOR
And burn the map and retrieve the
key.
HOOK
It will be done. But what of the
American expedition? They leave
tomorrow as well.
CURATOR
Forget the bumbling Americans, they
will be like all the others. Without
the map to guide them, how can they
possibly find Hamunaptra?
EXT. GIZA PORT - DAY
SMASH CUT TO: our old traitorous friend BENI.
BENI
It is three days down the Nile, then
two days by camel, sahibs.
WE CRANE BACK: to reveal Beni standing on the bow of a
PASSENGER BARGE. Surrounded by DANIELS, HENDERSON and BURNS.
DANIELS
For all the money we're paying you,
something better god-damned well be
under that sand.
WE KEEP CRANING BACK: as Henderson slaps Daniels on the back.
HENDERSON
"Hamunaptra," Daniels, that's all ya
gotta keep sayin, to yourself,
"Hamunaptra."
Now we see all of GIZA PORT: Team of explorers swarm the
docks. Across the Nile, the PYRAMIDS spike the sky. Evelyn
and Jonathan walk along the boardwalk besieged by HAWKERS
selling everything from toy tombs to King Tut action figures.
EVELYN
Do you really think he'll show up?
JONATHAN
Undoubtedly, I know the breed, he
may be a cowboy, but his word is his
word.
EVELYN
Personally, I think he's filthy,
rude and a complete scoundrel. I
don't like him one bit.
O'CONNELL (O.S.)
Anyone I know?
They both turn. O'Connell walks up; shaved, showered, spit
and polished, with a new haircut and clothes. He looks more
dashing and handsome than ever. Evelyn is suitably impressed.
EVELYN
Oh... um,... hello.
Jonathan grabs O'Connell's arm and shakes his hand.
JONATHAN
Smashing day for the start of an
adventure, eh, O'Connell?
O'Connell quickly checks his pockets.
O'CONNELL
Yeah, sure, smashing.
He finds his wallet and relaxes. DIRECTLY ABOVE HIM: on the
bow of the barge, Burns wipes his bifocals and turns to Beni.
BURNS
You're sure Hamunaptra is out there?
BENI
Along with the scorched bones of my
entire garrison, sahib.
And that's when Beni spots O'Connell. Beni shakes his head,
as if seeing a mirage, then starts backing away from the
men.
BENI
A thousand pardons, my good sahibs
but there is much work to be done.
Beni quickly scurries off, vanishing down into the hold.
BACK DOWN WITH: Evelyn, recovering, she clears her throat.
EVELYN
Mister O'Connell, can you look me in
the eye, and guarantee me this is
not some sort of flimflam? Because
if it is, I'm warning you --
O'Connell steps up close to Evelyn, invading her space looks
her straight in the eye. Evelyn doesn't back away.
O'CONNELL
All I can tell you, miss, is that my
Colonel found that map in an ancient
fortress, and the whole damn garrison
believed in it so much, that without
orders, we marched halfway across
Libya and into Egypt to find that
city. Like I told ya, all I saw was
sand. Everybody else was wiped out
by Tuareg warriors. I'll take your
bags.
O'Connell takes her bags and heads up the gangplank and onto
the same passenger barge that Beni and the Americans are on.
Evelyn's eyes follow him, a bit wistfully. Jonathan sees it.
JONATHAN
Yes, yes, you're right, filthy, rude,
a complete scoundrel, nothing to
like there at all.
Evelyn gives him a look. Jonathan just grins. And that's
when the warden suddenly brushes past, tipping his raggedy
hat.
WARDEN
A bright good morning to all.
EVELYN
What are you doing here?
WARDEN
I have come to protect my investment,
thank you very much.
And up the plank he goes. Evelyn and Jonathan share a look.
WE GO WIDE AGAIN: as the barge pulls out and heads down the
Nile. WE TILT UP: to the SUN, which then DISSOLVES into --
EXT. RIVER NILE - NIGHT
The MOON, shining down on the desert. The THREE VICIOUS MUMIA
quietly glide a narrow skiff out onto the river. The one
with the hook sits in the middle of the skiff, the other two
row, heading for the PASSENGER BARGE coming their way.
EXT. THE BAR AT THE BOW - NIGHT
Jonathan and the three Americans are playing poker. O'Connell
comes out a door carrying a GUNNY-SACK.
JONATHAN
Sit down, O'Connell, sit down, we
could use another good player.
O'CONNELL
I only gamble with my life, never my
money.
DANIELS
Never? What if I were to wager five
hundred dollars says we get to
Hamunaptra before you?
O'Connell returns Daniel's cocky look.
O'CONNELL
Yer on.
Burns slips on his dirty bifocals.
BURNS
What makes you so confident, sir?
O'CONNELL
What makes you?
Henderson spits a wad of chew into a spittoon.
HENDERSON
We got us a man who's actually been
there.
O'Connell's poker face drops, perplexed. Same with Jonathan.
JONATHAN
I say, what a coincidence, why --
O'Connell 'accidentally' hits him in the ribs with the
gunnysack, shutting him up. Jonathan quickly covers.
JONATHAN
-- whose deal is it? Is it my deal?
I thought I just dealt?
EXT. BARGE - NIGHT
Evelyn sits on a table, staring out over the passing river.
The gunny-sack DROPS onto the table, startling her.
O'CONNELL
Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya.
EVELYN
The only thing that scares me, Mister
O'Connell, are your manners.
O'CONNELL
Still angry that I kissed ya, huh?
EVELYN
If you call that a kiss.
O'Connell reaches into the gunny-sack and starts pulling out
revolvers, pistols, hunting knives, a massive elephant gun,
and a half dozen carefully wrapped sticks of dynamite.
EVELYN
Did I miss something? Are we going
into battle?
O'CONNELL
The last time I was at that place
everybody I was with died.
This takes the smile off Evelyn's face. O'Connell starts
dismantling and cleaning the guns.
O'CONNELL
There's something out there, you
know, something under that sand.
EVELYN
Yes, I'm hoping to find a certain
artifact, a book, actually, my brother
thinks there's treasure. What do you
think is out there?
O'Connell looks into Evelyn's eyes.
O'CONNELL
Evil. The Tuaregs and the Bedouin
believe that Hamunaptra is cursed,
they call it, "the doorway to hell."
EVELYN
Ahmar is Ossirion. "Passageway to
the underworld", actually.
She gives him a know-it-all grin.
EVELYN
I don't believe in fairy tales and
hokum, Mister O'Connell, but I do
believe that one of the most famous
books in history is buried out there,
The Book Of The Living. It's what
first interested me in Egypt as a
child. It's why I came here, sort of
a life's pursuit.
O'CONNELL
And the fact that they say it's made
out of pure gold, makes no nevermind
to you, right?
Evelyn is surprised by his knowledge.
EVELYN
You know your history.
O'CONNELL
I know my treasure.
Evelyn gets up to go, then she hesitates, nervous, she turns
back to O'Connell, and as matter-of-fact as possible says:
EVELYN
By the way,... why did you kiss me?
O'Connell, cleaning his guns, just shrugs his shoulders.
O'CONNELL
I was about to be hanged, seemed
like a good idea at the time.
Evelyn's eyes widen, furious, she turns and storms off.
O'Connell looks up, watching her leave, a bit perplexed.
O'CONNELL
What?... Wha'd I say?
Then he hears someone SNICKERING under the table. He quickly
reaches down, grabs that someone and lifts him up. It's Beni.
BENI
My very good friend! What a surprise.
O'CONNELL
Why if it ain't my little buddy,
Beni. I oughta kill you.
O'Connell sticks a knife under Beni's throat. Beni swallows
hard, then tries to weasel his way out with a big grin.
BENI
You never were any good with the
ladies, O'Connell.
O'CONNELL
So you're the one leading the
Americans, I shoulda figured. So
what's the scam? You get 'em out in
the middle of the desert then leave
'em to rot?
BENI
Unfortunately no, these Americans
are smart, they pay me only half
now, half when I get them back to
Cairo, so I must go all the way.
O'Connell pulls the knife away. Beni relaxes, rubs his neck.
BENI
You never believed in Hamunaptra,
O'Connell. Why are you going back?
The devil himself lives out there.
They look as they hear Evelyn YELP. A single CAMEL in the
HORSE PADDOCK takes another bite at her. She YELPS again and
backs away. O'Connell grins as Evelyn flees down the deck.
O'CONNELL
The girl saved my life, figured it
was the least I could do, keep her
out of trouble.
BENI
You always did have more balls than
brains.
O'Connell's eyes narrow at the insult, he looks back at Beni.
O'CONNELL
Let's make us even, shall we?
BENI
Even?
O'Connell grabs him and chucks him over the side of the barge.
Beni SPLASHES into the river. O'Connell takes his gunny-sack
and starts walking off down the deck.
BENI (O.S.)
O'Connell! I am going to kill you
for this!
O'CONNELL
Sounds familiar.
And that's when he spots THREE SETS OF WET FOOTPRINTS, coming
up over the railing from the river and heading down the deck.
O'Connell quickly looks around, immediately on the alert.
INT. EVELYN'S CABIN - NIGHT
Evelyn, wearing a nightgown, stands in front of a mirror.
She gives her head a good shake, letting her hair fall loose
over her bare shoulders. Then she turns around, RIGHT THERE
IS ONE OF THE HIDEOUS MUMIA! It's Hook. He slams his hand
over her mouth and lifts up his hook, ready to strike.
HOOK
Where is the map?
Evelyn's terrified eyes glance down. Hook looks over, sees
the map lying next to a flickering candle on a nearby table.
HOOK
And the key? Where is the key?
Evelyn's eyes look confused. She shakes her head. Hook grins.
HOOK
Then I'll find it myself.
He cocks his hook, about to kill her. And that's when the
door is KICKED OPEN. O'Connell BURSTS IN, gun in each hand.
Hook spins Evelyn around and holds her out in front of him.
O'Connell looks at her.
O'CONNELL
Friend of yours?
Evelyn's eyes widen. And that's when the candle on the table
FLICKERS. Everything happens at once, READ FAST: O'Connell
spins around just as a window BURSTS OPEN. A Mumia leans in.
FIRES A GUN. Woodchips BLAST OFF the wall next to O'Connell's
head. He returns FIRE. Kills the Mumia. The Mumia falls back.
FIRING BLINDLY. A LANTERN in the room is BLASTED. Kerosene
SPLASHES across the wall. BURSTS INTO FLAMES. Evelyn grabs
the candle on the table and JAMS IT back over her shoulder,
right into Hook's EYE. He SCREECHES in pain and lets her go.
O'Connell grabs her and YANKS her out of the FLAMING ROOM.
HALLWAY - NIGHT
O'Connell pulls Evelyn down the hall, she tries to jerk free.
EVELYN
The map! We need the map!
He shoves her up against a wall.
O'CONNELL
Relax! I'm the map!
(taps his forehead)
It's all up here.
EVELYN
Oh that's comforting.
O'Connell gives her a look, then pulls her forward.
O'CONNELL
C'mon, there's still one more of
those guys around here somewhere.
EVELYN'S FLAMING ROOM - NIGHT
Hot melted wax covers Hook's face as he holds his sore eye
and struggles to the door. Then he notices the key/box on
the floor. He bends over to pick it up. And that's when the
door is KICKED OPEN again, it hits him in the ass and knocks
him into the fire. Jonathan leans in. Sees nothing but flames.
JONATHAN
EVY!!
Then he sees the key/box on the floor and picks it up. A
HAND suddenly snatches the key/box away from him.
JONATHAN
Hey that's mine --
It's Hook. His backside is now ON FIRE. He lifts his pistol.
Jonathan quickly backpedals out the door as Hook OPENS FIRE.
EXT. CAMEL PADDOCK - NIGHT
O'Connell and Evelyn race out onto the deck near the horse
paddock. People are SCREAMING and SHOUTING, lots of panic.
BLAM! A chunk of the wall is BLOWN OFF next to Evelyn's head.
O'Connell pivots and FIRES BACK. It's the last Mumia, on the
other side of the paddock. He and O'Connell exchange GUNFIRE.
Another LANTERN BURSTS INTO FLAMES. O'Connell SHOOTS OFF the
paddock lock. The horses go nuts. O'Connell FIRES over their
heads. They CHARGE FORWARD and CRASH through the door. The
Mumia SCREAMS as the horses STAMPEDE over him. FLAMES sweep
up the walls and race across the roof. Half the barge is now
ON FIRE. O'Connell throws the gunny-sack over his shoulder.
O'CONNELL
Can you swim?
EVELYN
Well of course I can swim, if the
occasion calls for it.
O'CONNELL
Trust me.
He picks her up and throws her over the side.
O'CONNELL
The occasion calls for it.
Evelyn SPLASHES into the water. O'Connell dives in after
her.
EXT. BARGE BOW - NIGHT
Jonathan runs out onto the bow, sees the three Americans,
guns in every hand, fanning their pistols, SHOOTING everything
in sight. Jonathan just shakes his head.
JONATHAN
Americans.
Hook suddenly stumbles up behind him, -- now a FLAMING TORCH.
Jonathan turns around, Hook grabs him by the throat with his
FLAMING ARM and pins him to the cabin wall. Jonathan's eyes
widen as he sees a hook rising up inside the FLAMES about to
strike him. The Americans pivot and OPEN FIRE. Blows Hook
over the railing. Jonathan turns to the Americans and smiles.
JONATHAN
I say! Good show!
Then he points his thumb at himself
JONATHAN
And did I panic?
He lifts up his other hand, -- he has the key/box back.
JONATHAN
I think not.
And that's when the horses STAMPEDE onto the bow. Jonathan
dives over one side, the three Americans dive over the other.
NILE RIVERBANK - NIGHT
O'Connell, Evelyn, Jonathan and the Warden wade out of the
water. Evelyn's nightgown clings tight to her body as she
wrings it out. She looks good. O'Connell notices.
Everybody else, including the horses, is getting out on the
far shore O'Connell spots Beni running up to the Americans.
BENI
Hey O'Connell! Looks to me like I
got all the horses!
O'CONNELL
Hey Beni! Looks to me like your on
the wrong side of the river!
Beni looks up at the stars, then angrily KICKS the sand
CURSING. The FLAMING barge drifts off, slowly sinking...
BEDOUIN TRADING POST - DAY
O'Connell barters in ARABIC with a CAMEL TRADER at a trading
post. Jonathan forks over some cash. The Trader hands them
the reins of four ugly old camels.
JONATHAN
I can't believe the price of these
fleabags.
O'CONNELL
We coulda had 'em for free, all we
had to do was give 'em your sister.
JONATHAN
Yes, awfully tempting, wasn't it?
O'CONNELL
Awfully.
And that's when Evelyn steps out of a trading tent. She's
changed into a gorgeous, tightly fitted, Bedouin dress.
O'CONNELL
Then again...
SAHARA DESERT SAND DUNES - DAY
O'Connell, Evelyn, Jonathan and the warden are on camels in
the middle of the frying pan; the endless, sunbaked Sahara.
JONATHAN
Never did like camels. Filthy buggers.
They smell, they bite, they spit.
Disgusting.
The warden savagely attacks a chicken wing with his vile
green teeth. Flies buzz around his head. He sucks at his
gums, then spits out some gristle. O'Connell watches him.
O'CONNELL
Yeah, disgusting.
Evelyn is having the time of her life on top of her camel.
EVELYN
Well I think they're cute.
WE DO SEVERAL TIME DISSOLVES: showing the majesty of the
desert, and our heroes getting deeper and deeper into it.
FRYING PAN - NIGHT
The MOON shines down an four lone camel rider's trekking
across the vast wasteland.
Jonathan is sound asleep, his head bobbing comically to the
rhythm of his camel. On the camel next to him, the Warden
SNORES LOUDLY. Up in front of them, Evelyn slowly starts to
slide off her saddle. O'Connell reaches over and stops her,
then gently pushes her back up onto her saddle, never waking
her. For a long moment, his eyes watch Evelyn, and then he
looks up at a distant ridge --
-- where Ardeth Ray and a group of MUMIA RIDERS are pacing
them.
EXT. GIANT SAND DUNE - ENDLESS HORIZON - DAY
The dawning sun hasn't yet crested the distant horizon as
Jonathan and the Warden ride alongside a giant sand dune.
JONATHAN
And you snore!
WARDEN
I do not snore!
JONATHAN
All night you snored!
WARDEN
I have never snored!
Up in front of them, O'Connell looks at Evelyn.
O'CONNELL
We're almost there.
EVELYN
Are you sure?
O'Connell looks down at the ground.
O'CONNELL
Pretty sure.
The others look down and see DOZENS OF SKELETONS sticking
out of the ground. Bleached and eaten away. Some of the
skeletons look like they're trying to crawl up out of the
desert floor.
JONATHAN
What in bloody hell is this?
The Warden shivers in fear.
WARDEN
Other seekers of Hamunaptra.
The American Expedition rides out from behind the far end of
the dune. The Americans are accompanied by TWO DOZEN NATIVE
DIGGERS and an Arab EGYPTOLOGIST. Beni rides lead on a camel,
the rest ride horses.
BENI
Good morning, my friend!
O'Connell just nods. The two parties come to a stop a hundred
feet apart. O'Connell turns and stares out across the endless
horizon. Beni does likewise. The Americans look puzzled.
DANIELS
Well, what the hell we doin'?
BENI
Patience, my good sahib, patience.
Henderson looks over at O'Connell.
HENDERSON
First one to the city, O'Connell!
Five hundred! Cash bucks!
O'Connell and Beni just stare out at the flat nothingness.
Evelyn and Jonathan share a look. And then, the SUN starts
to rise in the distance, breaking the flat horizon.
O'CONNELL
Get ready.
Evelyn can feel the suspense and the majesty of the moment.
EVELYN
For what?
O'CONNELL
We're about to be shown the way.
Far off to the right, a HUGE SHAPE begins to rise with the
sun. A VOLCANO. O'Connell and Beni watch it, expressionless.
Daniels, Henderson and Burns share a look, and then --
DANIELS/HENDERSON/BURNS
HEYA!
The Americans take off. Racing towards the rising volcano.
DANIELS
SEE YA THERE, O'CONNELL!
Evelyn and Jonathan give O'Connell anxious, sarcastic looks.
JONATHAN
Ah, begging your pardon, but shouldn't
we be going?
EVELYN
After all, you rode us night and day
to win that bet.
O'Connell doesn't say a word, staring hard. Beni watches the
Americans and spits into the sand.
BENI
Fools.
And then suddenly, the volcano SHIFTS ACROSS THE HORIZON.
Passing across the sun as it goes. It's a MIRAGE.
The Americans crash their horses to a stop and race the other
way, after the volcano. Evelyn and Jonathan smile, amazed.
The volcano SHIFTS AGAIN, floating across the watery horizon.
The Americans crash to a stop again and chase after the
volcano. All three of them confused and CURSING. O'Connell
and Beni just stare, waiting. The volcano SHIFTS AGAIN. And
the Americans crash to a stop again. Burns is THROWN from
his horse. Henderson angrily rips his hat off and chucks it
to the ground. Daniels just curses as they give up the chase.
The volcano comes to a stop on the far left of the horizon.
The Americans are on the far right. Nothing moves. A BEAT.
And then O'Connell grins. So does Beni. They share a look.
And then SWAT their camels and RACE AWAY. Everybody else
hauls-ass after them. O'Connell and Beni are neck-and-neck.
And then Evelyn comes galloping up, hair flying in the wind.
Beni takes out his camel whip and starts WHIPPING O'Connell.
Trying to knock him off his camel. once. CRACK! Twice. CRACK!
But on the third try O'Connell grabs the whip and JERKS Beni
off his camel. Beni SLAMS to the ground and TUMBLES.
Evelyn and O'Connell race across the desert. Evelyn has never
felt so alive. She LAUGHS. O'Connell grins; he likes this
girl. Beni stumbles to his feet, then quickly dances out of
the way as Jonathan and all the other riders stampede past
him. Evelyn beats O'Connell to the stone ramp, racing hard.
O'CONNELL
Evelyn! Slow down!
Evelyn ignores him as she races up the ramp towards the gate.
O'CONNELL
SLOW DOWN, EVELYN! SLOW DOWN! THERE'S
A REALLY BIG --
INT. HAMUNAPTRA - DAY
Evelyn goes ass-over-teacups through the air and crash lands
in a sand dune. She sits up, stunned, sandy hair in her eyes.
O'Connell stops at the edge of the ramp next to her camel.
O'CONNELL
Never mind.
The Americans ride up and look in wonder at the ruins inside
the volcano. O'Connell gives them a big, shit-eating grin.
O'CONNELL
You boys owe me five hundred dollars.
EXT. HAMUNAPTRA - DAY
Under the guidance of the Egyptologist, the Diggers are busy
hauling rock and dirt out of the Temple doorway. The three
Americans are playing poker. Beni smokes a hookah and swats
flies. Dozens of stray CAMELS roam the decrepit city; dusty
backpacks and old saddlebags still slung over their humps.
DANIELS
Where'd all these camels come from?
BENI
They belong to the dead. They will
wait years for their masters to return
before leaving.
EXT. OUR HEROES DIG - DAY
O'Connell, Evelyn, Jonathan and the Warden are working next
to a narrow CREVICE, which weaves it's way through the ruins.
O'Connell ties a rope around a pillar and throws the rest of
the coils into the crevice, about to rappel down. Jonathan
bends over to have a look, his ass hits something, he YELPS
and backs away. It's the decrepit FACE OF ANUBIS.
JONATHAN
That thing gives me the creeps.
O'CONNELL
Be nice. That thing saved my life.
Evelyn is positioning ancient MIRRORS along the crevice.
EVELYN
That "thing" gets me excited.
O'CONNELL
(sarcastic)
The things that get you excited.
EVELYN
According to Bembridge Scholars,
inside the statue of Anubis was a
secret compartment, perhaps containing
The Book Of The Living.
O'CONNELL
What are those mirrors for?
EVELYN
Ancient Egyptian trick. You'll see.
O'Connell shrugs, then rappels down into the crevice.
INT. EMBALMER'S CHAMBER - DAY
O'Connell waves a TORCH as Jonathan, Evelyn and the warden
drop down next to him. Evelyn peers into the spooky darkness.
EVELYN
Do you realize, we are standing inside
a room that no one has entered in
over four thousand years.
WARDEN
Who cares? I don't see no treasure.
O'CONNELL
You're welcome to my share of the
spider webs.
JONATHAN
And it stinks to high heaven in here.
Evelyn just rolls her eyes.
EVELYN
Cretins.
Jonathan sniffs the foul air, then he looks at the warden
and realizes where the smell is coming from. He stops
sniffing.
Evelyn brushes COBWEBS away from a METAL DISK on the wall,
then repositions it on it's pedestal, aiming it at a RAY OF
LIGHT shining in from the outer mirrors. -- THE RAY OF LIGHT
HITS THE DISK AND QUICKLY SHOOTS AROUND THE ROOM FROM ONE
DISK TO ANOTHER UNTIL THE WHOLE CHAMBER IS LIT UP. LIGHT
RAYS SHOOT OFF DOWN THE PASSAGEWAYS. It's the embalmer's
chamber.
O'CONNELL
That is a neat trick.
EVELYN
Oh my god, It's a preparation room.
O'CONNELL
Preparation for what?
EVELYN
For entering the afterlife.
O'Connell quickly draws his gun. Jonathan gently nudges him.
JONATHAN
Mummies, my good son, this is where
they made the mummies.
Evelyn heads down a narrow passageway. The others follow.
INT. LABYRINTH - DAY
O'Connell, Evelyn and Jonathan crouch as they make their way
through a narrow, COBWEB INFESTED LABYRINTH. The short, squat
warden can stand straight up. Then they hear something and
freeze. It sounds like somebody is clawing inside the walls.
They share looks. Then slowly move forward. Getting darker
and darker as they go. The strange sound getting louder and
louder. And then it stops. Evelyn holds her breath. Jonathan
licks his lips. O'Connell cocks his pistol. The warden FARTS.
O'Connell, Jonathan and Evelyn glare at him.
ANUBIS' CHAMBER - DAY
They slowly creep out of the labyrinth and up to the foot of
an enormous half-buried statue. The lower half of Anubis.
Then they hear the sound again, coming closer now, from the
other side of the statue. And closer. O'Connell pulls Evelyn
behind him. And closer. O'Connell raises his gun. And CLOSER!
O'Connell LEAPS OUT. -- THREE HORRIBLE SWEATY FACES LUNGE AT
HIM. O'Connell REACTS. But doesn't pull the trigger because
it's just the Americans, their guns are up, cocked and aimed.
HENDERSON
Ya scared the bejeezus out of us,
O'Connell.
O'CONNELL
Likewise.
But nobody lowers their guns. Daniels grins, the tough one.
DANIELS
This here is our statue,... friend.
O'CONNELL
Don't see your name on it,... pal.
And that's when Beni, five Diggers and the Egyptologist step
out of the shadows, -- all holding guns aimed at O'Connell.
BENI
Ten to one, O'Connell, your odds are
no-so-good.
O'CONNELL
I've had worse.
Jonathan clenches a tiny derringer.
JONATHAN
Yes, me too.
O'Connell gives him a sideways glance. Beni cocks his gun,
grinning, he wants it to happen. The tension thickens. Then
Evelyn gently takes O'Connell's gun hand and pulls it down.
EVELYN
Let's be nice, children, if we're
going to play together, we must learn
to share.
Evelyn pulls O'Connell away. Jonathan and the Warden follow.
Beni and the Americans slowly lower their guns, laughing.
The Egyptologist excitedly begins translating the hieroglyphs.
INT. IMHOTEP'S CHAMBER - DAY
O'Connell and Jonathan are using sledge-hammers against the
ceiling. Evelyn is gently chipping away with a tiny chisel.
EVELYN
According to my calculations, we
should be right under the statue.
We'll come up right between his legs.
(she blushes and laughs)
Oh my.
JONATHAN
And when those dirty Yanks go to
sleep --
(looks at O'Connell)
No offense.
O'CONNELL
None taken.
JONATHAN
We'll sneak up and steal that book
right out from under them.
O'CONNELL
And you're sure you can find the
secret compartment?
EVELYN
Yes, if their Egyptologist hasn't
already found it.
Jonathan looks around.
JONATHAN
I say, what's our smelly little friend
got himself up to?
INT. SCARAB CHAMBER - DAY
The Warden crawls into a DARK CHAMBER and LIGHTS A TORCH.
A mural wall comes alive. Embedded into it are dozens of
black amethyst SCARABS; glittering images of the sacred
beetles. Awestruck, the Warden pulls out a pocket knife and
starts prying away at one of the precious bugs.
INT. ANUBIS' CHAMBER - DAY
Beni and the Americans hover around the Egyptologist, who's
found the SECRET COMPARTMENT inside Anubis. The Egyptologist
brushes sand away from the seam. Henderson steps forward and
grabs the seam, -- the Egyptologist quickly stops him.
EGYPTOLOGIST
Seti was no fool.
Henderson sees the intense look in the Egyptologist's eyes
HENDERSON
Yeah, sure...
He looks back at the native Diggers.
HENDERSON
We'll let him open it.
The Egyptologist nods, then YELLS IN EGYPTIAN at the Diggers.
The Diggers hesitate, filled with fear. Daniels pulls out
his gun, aims it at three of the Diggers. The three Diggers
hesitantly step forward with crowbars and stick them into
the seams. The other Diggers back away, scared shitless.
Beni and the Americans exchange looks, and then they back
away as well.
INT. IMHOTEP'S CHAMBER - DAY
Three Heroes are still digging into the ceiling
O'CONNELL
Lemme get this straight, they stuck
a sharp, red hot poker up your nose,
cut your brain into small pieces,
then ripped it all out through your
nostrils?
JONATHAN
OWCH! That's really got to hurt.
EVELYN
It's called mummification. You're
dead when they do this
JONATHAN
Still...
O'CONNELL
Yeah, that'd bring you back to life.
EVELYN
You two are worse than a couple of
schoolboys.
And that's when a huge chunk of the roof suddenly GIVES OUT.
O'Connell GRABS Evelyn and JERKS her clear. Jonathan DIVES
for the far wall. A MASSIVE STONE CASEMENT DROPS OUT OF THE
CEILING AND CRASHES to the floor. DUST FLIES. Fills the room.
INT. ANUBIS' CHAMBER
Having heard the crash, Beni and the Americans have their
guns pointed at the floor. The Egyptologist could care less,
he looks at the Diggers, gripping their crowbars, and YELLS --
EGYPTOLOGIST
FENI!
The three Diggers PULL HARD. The ancient seams start to give,
The Egyptologist YELLS again. The Diggers PULL HARDER. The
compartment starts to loosen. Again he YELLS. The Diggers
give one final pull and --
-- AN INTENSE BURST OF LIQUID SPRAYS OUT OF THE SEAM. HITS
THE THREE DIGGERS. MELTS THEIR SKIN CLEAN OFF. They SCREAM.
Dying horribly. HALF SKELETAL by the time they hit the
ground...
INT. IMHOTEP'S CHAMBER - DAY
The dust is starting to clear. O'Connell, Evelyn and Jonathan
slowly get up and step over to the massive stone casement.
We immediately recognize it as IMHOTEP'S SARCOPHAGUS.
EVELYN
Oh my god,... it looks like, it looks
like a sarcophagus.
O'CONNELL
Why would they bury somebody in the
ceiling?
EVELYN
They didn't, they buried him at the
foot of Anubis. He was either someone
of great importance. Or he did
something very naughty.
INT. SCARAB CHAMBER - DAY
The warden drops an amethyst-scarab into his pouch, then
greedily starts prying away at another. It rips off, he drops
it into his pouch, -- only he misses, and this scarab quietly
falls to the sandy floor without the Warden noticing.
CLOSE ON: the scarab on the floor. It begins to TRANSFORM.
The amethyst starts to glow. Something inside starts to
WIGGLE; as if the amethyst were some sort of strange cocoon.
Then it splits open and a real live hideous SCARAB BEETLE
scurries out. It races over to the warden's shoe, quickly
burrows into the leather and vanishes inside.
The Warden's eyes FLY OPEN. He starts to SCREAM, drops his
knife and frantically starts clawing away at his pant leg,
higher and higher until he rips open his shirt revealing a
large, hideous LUMP, BURROWING UNDER HIS SKIN. IT BURROWS
IT'S WAY UP HIS FAT BELLY AND ACROSS HIS HAIRY CHEST. The
Warden claws and scratches at it, trying to stop it. The
lump BURROWS UP HIS NECK. The Warden starts GAGGING and
COUGHING.
And then the scarab-lump VANISHES INTO HIS HEAD.
INT. IMHOTEP'S CHAMBER - DAY
Our Heroes clear the dirt off the top of the sarcophagus,
revealing a single, ominous hieroglyph. Evelyn stares at it
Jonathan impatiently strums his fingers across the lid.
JONATHAN
Well?... Who is it?
Evelyn stares at the hieroglyph, confused and concerned.
EVELYN
'He that shall not be named.'
O'Connell dusts off the huge LOCK
O'CONNELL
There's some sort of lock here. You
say these thing's are made of granite
with a steel interior?
EVELYN
Quarried granite with a cobalt lining.
JONATHAN
Whoever's in here, sure wasn't getting
out.
O'CONNELL
No kiddin', without a key, it'll
take us a month to crack this thing,
EVELYN
A key! That's it! That's what he was
talking about.
O'CONNELL
Who was talking about what?
Evelyn starts rummaging through the pack on Jonathan's back.
EVELYN
The man on the barge. The one with
the hook, he was looking for a key.
Evelyn pulls out the key/box. Jonathan tries to take it back.
JONATHAN
Hey that's mine!
Evelyn slaps his hand and quickly unfolds the box, -- it's
now shaped exactly like the LOCK'S KEYHOLE. Evelyn smiles.
And that's when they hear the Warden's SCREAMS echoing through
the labyrinth. All three of them turn and take-off running.
INT. LABYRINTH - DAY
The Warden is SCREAMING and dancing insanely around the
labyrinth, totally freaked from the extreme pain in his head.
O'Connell, Evelyn and Jonathan run up just as the Warden
starts RIPPING his own hair out of his head. O'Connell and
Jonathan grab at the Warden's hands, but he's far too crazed,
he shoves them aside, runs full bore down the length of the
labyrinth and SLAMS his head straight into a rock wall. The
Warden drops to the ground. Dead as lead. Eyes wide open.
O'Connell, Evelyn and Jonathan just stand there staring,
breathing hard, wide-eyed themselves...
EXT. BASE CAMP - NIGHT
Evelyn and Jonathan are nuzzled up to a campfire.
EVELYN
What do you suppose killed him?
JONATHAN
Did you ever see him eat?
O'Connell comes up over some rocks.
O'CONNELL
Seems the Americans had a little
misadventure of their own today,
three of their diggers were killed.
EVELYN
How?
O'CONNELL
Salt acid. Pressurized salt acid.
Some sort of ancient booby-trap.
JONATHAN
Maybe this place really is cursed.
A GUST OF WIND blows through the camp.
The campfire FLICKERS O'Connell and Jonathan share a nervous
look. Evelyn laughs.
EVELYN
You two!
O'CONNELL
You don't believe in curses, huh?
EVELYN
No. I believe if I can see it and I
can touch it, then it's real. That's
what I believe.
O'Connell cocks his rifle, KA-CHANK! Gives her a big grin.
O'CONNELL
I believe in being prepared.
Jonathan opens the Warden's POUCH, the one that held the
scarabs. He reaches in, starts scrounging around. WE SLOWLY
PUSH IN. Waiting for the attack. THE MUSIC BUILDS. And then, --
Jonathan SCREAMS in pain and RIPS his hand back out of the
pouch. O'Connell and Evelyn both jump.
O'CONNELL/EVELYN
WHAT?! WHAT IS IT?!
Jonathan sucks his finger, then reaches back into the pouch
and pulls out a LIQUOR BOTTLE, the top has been chipped off.
JONATHAN
Seagrams!
Jonathan smiles at the bottle, then turns the pouch inside
out and shakes it, nothing but SAND is inside it.
JONATHAN
Well, he may have been a stinky
fellow,... but he had good taste.
Jonathan takes a swig. O'Connell and Evelyn laugh, guiltily
And then O'Connell suddenly kneels down and sticks his ear
to the sand. Evelyn and Jonathan watch him. A BEAT. And then
a BARAGE OF GUNFIRE IS HEARD coming from the American camp.
O'Connell jumps up and throws the elephant gun to Evelyn.
O'CONNELL
Stay here!
He takes off running through the ruins. Evelyn immediately
gets up and runs after him. Jonathan grabs a gun, holds the
bottle of Seagrams; tight and dashes after her.
JONATHAN
Evy! Excuse me! But didn't the man
just say -- !
EXT. AMERICAN CAMP - NIGHT
The American camp is under siege. Two dozen MUMIA RIDERS
gallop through. FIRING RIFLES. Several Diggers are killed as
they run. The Americans leap out of their tents FIRING. Kill
multiple Riders. Daniels is shot, spins and falls, keeps
SHOOTING. Henderson and Burns run to his aid, BLASTING AWAY.
O'Connell races through the ruins and SLAMS right into Beni,
who is obviously trying to high-tail-it out of there.
O'CONNELL
Goin' somewhere?
BENI
Just looking for you, O'Connell! I
wanted to be with my friend!
O'Connell drags him back towards the American camp.
O'CONNELL
C'mon, friend.
BENI
(struggling)
Why do you like to fight so much?
O'CONNELL
'Cause I look good doin, it.
Ardeth Ray gallops through the camp, cutting Diggers down
with his scimitar. O'Connell runs up on top of some rocks,
LEAPS OUT and TACKLES him off his horse. The two men SLAM to
the ground. O'Connell spins up onto one knee and FIRES, point
blank. Blows the scimitar out of Ardeth Ray's hand. O'Connell
is about to shoot again when a horse rides up between them.
A scimitar swoops down, almost takes O'Connell's head off,
misses him by an inch. O'Connell leaps up and blows the Rider
off his mount. The horse BOLTS. -- But Ardeth Ray is gone.
Evelyn hides behind some rocks, watching the scene, suddenly,
she hears something coming up behind her and spins around.
A vicious tattooed Mumia Rider races at her. Evelyn quickly
backpedals over the rocks, terrified. The Mumia Rider raises
his scimitar, about to strike.
Evelyn SCREAMS, trips over a rock and FIRES the elephant
gun, -- BLAM! Blows the Rider off his mount and CATAPULTS
him twenty feet back into some ruins.
At the same time, the kick blows Evelyn off her feet and
over a ridge. She FLAILS through the air and lands in a sand
dune.
Jonathan and some Diggers are holding their own near the
temple door. Four Riders come CHARGING right at them.
Jonathan takes a swig off the Seagrams.
JONATHAN
Let 'em have it, boys!
Jonathan and the Diggers OPEN FIRE. When the smoke clears,
the Riders are either dead or gone. Jonathan grins.
JONATHAN
I say, bloody good show.
And then several more Mumia leap off the temple and land
behind them. Jonathan and the remaining Diggers spin around
and suddenly find themselves in hand-to-hand combat.
O'Connell is quickly loading his pistol. He hears something
THUNDERING UP behind him. He spins around just as Ardeth Ray
on a horse swings his scimitar. O'Connell instinctively raises
his hands to protect his face, the scimitar STRIKES!
Hits his gun, -- CHING! O'Connell's gun flips away. Disarmed,
O'Connell dives and rolls and suddenly comes up with a stick
of dynamite in his hand. He shoves the fuse into a fire. It
IGNITES. He faces Ardeth Ray, towering above him. The two
men lock eyes. The fuse continues to burn down. Ardeth Ray
points his scimitar at O'Connell's head.
ARDETH RAY
LEAVE THIS PLACE!... LEAVE THIS PLACE
OR DIE!
Ardeth Ray GALLOPS OFF. The remaining Mumia Riders race after
him, vanishing into the night. O'Connell watches them leave,
then turns to the burning fuse,... and blows it out. Evelyn
staggers up, looking very shaken. O'Connell gently takes her
and holds her close.
O'CONNELL
You alright?
Evelyn looks up into his strong eyes. It's the first time
he's shown genuine concern for her. And she likes it. He's
also holding her a little too close. And she likes that too.
EVELYN
Yes,... fine,... thank you.
Beni crawls out from under some pillars as Henderson and
Burns help Daniels to his feet.
DANIELS
See! That proves it! Old Seti's
fortune's gotta be under this sand!
HENDERSON
For them to protect it like this,
you just know there's got to be
treasure down there.
O'Connell looks up into the surrounding ridges, unsatisfied.
O'CONNELL
These men are a desert people. They
value water, not gold.
Evelyn looks at O'Connell, suddenly very worried.
EVELYN
Where's Jonathan?
EXT. BASE CAMP - NIGHT
Jonathan falls into FRAME. Hits the ground. Eyes wide open.
Mouth agape. Clearly dead. A BEAT. And then his eyes close
and his mouth widens into a |
