Mister Joseph and Miss Cathy — Screenplay (Part III)

Cathy gets down from the pile of trunks and stops beside Mister Joseph. She cannot hide her pleading eyes when she gazes straight into Mister Joseph's eyes. As a matter of fact at this moment their decision to dig the lumber in the search of the sound source has already been taken.

MISTER JOSEPH

Yet it's funny. I'd be curious to know what cock-and-bull stories you were told about oil. I mean a long time ago, when you used to go to school.

CATHY

About oil, Mister Joseph? What precisely are you interested in?

The heartbeat-like sound can be heard ever clearer. It seems to come from somewhere in the depth. Every line of Mister Joseph and Cathy makes more and more apparent their interest in that sound.

MISTER JOSEPH

...I wonder whether you were told at school about the origin of oil...

CATHY

(faking serious)

I'm sorry but I don't remember. It was so long ago! (She hardly can help laughing.)

MISTER JOSEPH

I can't see what's so funny. I think that's a very interesting question. Or maybe you think that being a merchant all one's life long makes one not to take any interest in anything else?

CATHY

I didn't say that.

Cathy sees the case with the bottles of beer on the floor not far from her. She bents and pull a bottle of beer off the case.

MISTER JOSEPH

I'm talking you of oil, and you have a mind for beer!

Cathy prompts him with the bottle; Mister Joseph hesitates.

MISTER JOSEPH

At least would it possibly fresh?

CATHY

Try it.

MISTER JOSEPH

No, miss, thanks. On New Year's Eve I drink only champagne, mind you!

CATHY

I don't have champagne, I'm sorry.

Mister Joseph pays so much attention to that sound from the depth, that Cathy realizes that it has become useless for both of them to pretend it doesn't interest them.

CATHY

Mister Joseph... (He looks inquiringly at her.) I think I may put this bottle back in its place for the time being.

MISTER JOSEPH

I'm afraid you may.

Cathy puts the bottle back to its place in the case, lays the flashlight on a board so as its light spot fall upon the heap of old pieces of furniture, takes off her jacket and puts it aside, then she and Mister Joseph begin frenetically remove the pieces in order to reach the source of the sound.

...Sweat courses down Mister Joseph's forehead and face, so he stops for a moment, takes off his overcoat and tosses it aside, after which he starts working again in the same frenzy...

...While a couple of rips appeared in Cathy's dress.

...But the pile a lumber has almost been removed. Here they are removing the last pieces, when a strange object emerges from beneath them: a concrete cylinder like a well casing. A heavy disk like a millstone lies as a lid on the casing.

Mister Joseph and Cathy look surprised at each other.

Mister Joseph tries to remove the "millstone" but without any result.

CATHY

(worried)

Don't try too hard, Mister Joseph. You shouldn't do harm to yourself.

Mister Joseph gazes uncertain at the stone lid: how to remove them? Cathy is asking herself, too.

CATHY

What about using a bar?

MISTER JOSEPH

You're sure we could find one in this chaos? (Cathy makes a gesture of doubt.) OK, then you try. As a matter of fact, all this mess belongs to you. You are, so to speak, the legal heiress of this entire jumble.

CATHY

(while digging the lumber)

I have no intent to inherit this entire jumble, Mister Joseph. Don't you remember what I told you once?

Cathy stops digging. Then, between the lines that follow, she digs again but without much zeal.

MISTER JOSEPH

Yes, I do, missy. I remember. You would like to travel.

CATHY

(ardently)

All over the world, Mister Joseph!

MISTER JOSEPH

I hope you'll have more luck than I did, dear young lady.

CATHY

But you traveled, too!

MISTER JOSEPH

Yes, missy, but only for business. One simply doesn't see pretty much of the world that way. One gets out the train, throws oneself in a cab... Hotel... The oval room...

CATHY

(while digging the lumber)

Oval room?

MISTER JOSEPH

That's where they discuss business, of course!

CATHY

There is an oval room at every hotel?

MISTER JOSEPH

Well, dear young lady, you know very well that's not the shape which matters. But don't worry, things are going to be different in your case. You shall travel by steamship because you'll never be hurried, as I was. And even if you'll be hurried, you need to know that when lying on a long chair, on the deck, you could work very well. I was present myself, once when I crossed the Atlantic...

CATHY

You crossed the Atlantic?

MISTER JOSEPH

Ah, dear young lady, please cease interrupting me all the time!

CATHY

Go on, Mister Joseph.

MISTER JOSEPH

Sure, go on! But how? Because I forgot where I was.

CATHY

You just said you crossed the Atlantic.

MISTER JOSEPH

Of course I did! Do you have any reason to doubt it? So, when I crossed the Atlantic, I was present when a writer was lying on a long chair and was writing in hot haste.

CATHY

(triumphantly)

I found a bar, Mister Joseph!

Cathy shows him the bar, which Mister Joseph examines.

MISTER JOSEPH

Yeah. It looks like just what we were looking for. Dear young lady, I would like to congratulate you. — And now, dear young lady, please stay aside and do nothing but watch me when I'll remove this damn millstone, which, as you can see, weights one ton at least.

Mister Joseph finds a hollow under the stone lid.

MISTER JOSEPH

Here we have a hollow under the lid. We insert the end of this bar, which you found and I congratulate you once more for this. — And now, once inserted the end of the bar, we have a lever that we have but push a little bit...

He pushes down the other end of the lever.

MISTER JOSEPH

This way. — A little bit harder...

Cathy watches worried, from close, Mister Joseph's efforts as they become harder and harder.

CATHY

Don't push too hard, Mister Joseph.

MISTER JOSEPH

(with his voice broken by effort)

Please, dear young lady, leave me alone. I don't need your advice! Here one has to push with all one's forces.

Mister Joseph's all body has bent over the bar.

The bar slips out from the hollow, which makes Mister Joseph fall in a weird position, with his head resting on the ground and his bottom up.

Cathy screams and runs kneeling down by him, trying to help him, scared as never before.

CATHY

Mister Joseph! Are you OK? Mister Joseph!

She shakes him trying to get an answer from him.

CATHY

Are you all right, Mister Joseph? Speak up!

MISTER JOSEPH

(in the same weird position)

Missy, please stop shaking me so, will you? I'm not dusty, am I?

Mister Joseph rises to his knees. Cathy throws her arms around his neck, laughing happily trough tears.

CATHY

Mister Joseph, you scared me to death! Are you OK? Let me see!

Cathy puts the flashlight on his face.

MISTER JOSEPH

Ah, please don't put that flashlight in my eyes! Please!

CATHY

Your face is black!

Cathy wants to wipe his face off, but Mister Joseph stops her hand and wipes his face with his own fingers. He checks his fingers and smells their ends.

MISTER JOSEPH

Oil! Just as I supposed! We'll have to talk very seriously to your father when we get out of here. I'm sure extracting oil could start again, and what we see here — I have no doubt — is an oil well, and I'd be very curious to find out why they abandoned it. So let's do our job!

CATHY

You mean, get out?

MISTER JOSEPH

(determined)

No way, dear young lady! We go on!

Mister Joseph scarcely rises to his feet.

He inserts again the end of the bar into the same hollow.

Then he bends again over the iron bar, trying harder and harder. He makes Cathy anxious.

CATHY

Let me help you.

MISTER JOSEPH

No way!

CATHY

I saw in those old pictures...

MISTER JOSEPH

What did you see?

CATHY

I saw how borers used to join by two, by three men in order to easier screw bull rods together.

Mister Joseph silently (and humbly) accepts her help, so that Cathy, catching the right moment, joins him in pushing down the bar. They both push it with all their might and main.