Queen's Rook – pages 21 to 22
PAGE 21
PANEL 1
Kabul seen from some distance away, in bright sunlight – an establishing shot, so out very wide, perhaps looking down on its roofscapes.
LETTERING: Captions in a handwriting font.
CAPTION: Kabul. July 8th, 1837.
CAPTION: Foreign office sub rosa asset Queen's Rook to post FO19,
under diplomatic seal.
PANEL 2
The courtyard of a major building, whose arches and colonnades are visible in the background. Ruthven is handing Celia over to a tall, impassive, grim man with a massive scimitar at his waist and a rifle strapped to his back. She seems perfectly happy with this arrangement: in fact her attention is taken up in talking to a little porcelain doll she's carrying.
CAPTION: The weapon was delivered into Shuja Shah's hands this morning, as per instructions.
CAPTION: He sends his thanks and highest regards to her majesty.
PANEL 3
A street in Kabul – much more modest than the building we've just seen, but still exotic rather than squalid. Ruthven oversees the loading of a coffin onto the coach he travelled in: it's being put in the same space under the axles where the empty boxes were stowed.
CAPTION: I have sent the body of Aloysius Heath back to London, marked
as ministerial property.
CAPTION: He died serving his country, and deserves its highest honors.
PANEL 4
A hotel room. Mrs. Heath opens the door for Ruthven and stares at him expectantly as he stands onher threshold.
CAPTION: Afterwards I visited Briony Waterfield to check on her
condition and to offer my condolences.
CAPTION: She was not Heath's wife, of course, but I believe she had been
his lover.
PANEL 5
Into tight two-shot. Ruthven and Mrs. Heath kiss passionately, lips locked together.
CAPTION: Fortunately she is of a sanguine disposition - -
CAPTION: - - and has already begun to come to terms with her loss.
PAGE 22
PANEL 1
Time lapse. Ruthven and Briony lie in bed together, presumably having just made love. She leans on one elbow, looking speculatively down on him as he reclines on his back. We can see that her side or perhaps her shoulder is bandaged where Quail shot her.
BRIONY: What will you do now, Mister Ruthven?
RUTHVEN: I'm not sure if I should tell you, Miss Waterfield.
RUTHVEN: The knowledge might place you in a compromising position.
PANEL 2
Tight on Briony. She smiles languidly and sexily.
BRIONY: But as you've already seen - -
BRIONY: - - I enjoy being in compromising positions.
PANEL 3
Tight on Ruthven. He sits up, his expression suddenly hard and stern.
RUTHVEN: Quail did not act alone. Someone in her majesty's government
betrayed us. Our route. Our objectives. Even our names.
RUTHVEN: I feel a keen desire to meet this someone. And to question him
on this matter at some length.
PANEL 4
Out wide. Ruthven sits at the edge of the bed now, Briony up on her knees behind him. He reaches into his jacket pocket (it's hanging on a chair beside the bed) to take out a gun and a box of bullets.
BRIONY: You might not like the answers, Peter.
BRIONY: Whoever did this is likely to be someone very close to you.
Someone who knows you well.
RUTHVEN: Indeed. But that brings its own advantages.
PANEL 5
Tight on Ruthven. He begins to load the gun with bullets, one by one.
RUTHVEN: It's a very short list.
END