Curse of the Rubyheart - part one Read online

anything in pants.

  Hadji rushes past, yanks several Savages from the wall and tosses them back. Then he whirls dervish like a tornado. In the whirlwind, his arms and legs fly in all directions and he mows the savages down.

  HIGH SOCIETY MOTHER

  ? You're wonderful. Can you do

  ? that for my party.

  (Hadji gives a disgusted look

  INT. BASEMENT CRAWL HOLE -

  Rachel pulls cobwebs from her hair and clothes.

  RACHEL

  My new clothes are ruined. I must of eaten some nuts, I feel sick. My mom's just going to kill me.

  JENNY

  If you're not quiet some headhunter might do it instead.

  Vermin scurry in the corners. Jenny struggles to keep Mittens from barking.

  JENNY (CONT'D)

  Hush Mittens or I'll let Tuffy get you.

  Mittens quiets.

  INT. THE BASEMENT ENTRANCE - DAY

  A shadowy shape moves down the basement stairs.

  JENNY

  Quiet, I hear something.

  RACHEL

  Hadji, is that you?

  Jenny slaps her hand over Rachel's mouth. A Headhunter struggles with the wardrobe and light pores into the small opening. A PAINTED ARM gropes towards Jenny and Rachel. Rachel SCREAMS and Mittens BARKS furiously.

  JENNY

  Look, that's just like my Dad's watch.

  The arm with the watch catches Tuffy by the ear. A tug of war ensues until the ear rips off. Tuffy's eyes widen, then glow, then FLASH with a green light and a GREEN ADDER drops from the ceiling and coils itself around the savage's arm and pierces it with it's fangs.

  EXT. BASEMENT - DAY

  The Headhunter drops the watch as his hand writhes in pain. He runs past Davita, she stops, picks up the watch and moves down the basement stairs.

  DAVITA

  Rachel. RACHEL.

  INT. BASEMENT CRAWL HOLE - DAY

  RACHEL

  God, I hate the way she says my name. I'm not a child.

  JENNY

  I wish I had a mother to hate.

  RACHEL

  I'm sorry.

  EXT. TREES IN THE AMAZON JUNGLE - NIGHT

  High in the trees Hamp paws through the disintegrating wreckage of his old Ford Tri-motor plane. It is covered with vines and every time he moves, it teeters precariously. In the fuselage, thousands of insects move from the beam of his flashlight. Snakes and lizards crawl through various relics including Jenny's baby bottles and toys.

  EXT. THE JUNGLE FLOOR - NIGHT

  A top hat's shadow falls across some of Hamp's gear.

  INT. JENNY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

  A great place, lacy, frilly and neatly toy cluttered. Posters of her hero's line the walls. Jenny moves from the bath toward Hadji, who rocks slowly on the chair under the beaded reading lamp. Hamp's watch is on the bed stand.

  EMMA

  Are you sure about this, Hadji?

  JENNY

  I'm not a child anymore Mrs. M.

  HADJI

  Climb up little Missy. Or are you to old to sit on my lap.

  jENNY

  No, but wait, Tuffy wants to hear this story too, Mrs. M.

  Emma hands her the patched up Tuffy.

  EMMA

  I've done the best I can, honey but your Tuffy's not going to last to much longer. And. If you think you are not a child any longer then perhaps we should pack him away before its to late.

  JENNY

  No, never. Tuffy reminds me of all

  that is good in the world. He reminds me of my mom and everything good with the world. Thank you for fixing him, Mrs. M. Are you ready, Hadji?

  She jumps. Hadji catches her, settles her on his lap.

  Jenny

  See! I'm not all grownup.

  hADJI

  What do you want me to read?

  jENNY

  Don't break your promise. Please tell me more about my mother and the jungle.

  Hadji adjusts the lamp down a notch.

  HADJI

  You might have some bad dreams.

  JENNY

  They can't be any worse than the ones I have already.

  HADJI

  You were very small. Your Mom and Dad were flying home from your Dad's mine in South America.

  Jenny squirms to get more comfortable. The Toys on the shelf appear to be listening intently.

  JENNY

  How old was I?

  HADJI

  Oh, about this size. Maybe six months old.

  Hadji spreads his hands to show length of a baby, then closes them around Jenny. She snuggles closer.

  HADJI (CONT'D)

  The shortest way home was over the Amazon Jungle. In those days it was a no man's land of lost dreams, banditos, headhunters and Indians.

  jENNY

  Same as the ones at the party?

  hADJI

  Yes, Exactly. Missy.

  jENNY

  Hadji, are you going to look for Dad?

  hADJI (V.O.)

  Yes, tomorrow morning. Anyway, your Dad is a busy man and he's always in a hurry. He flew the plane on a path over the jungle. It was beautiful. Miles and miles of unexplored and virgin rain forest with rivers of all colors winding toward the ocean.

  EXT. A VIEW OF THE JUNGLE FROM HAMP'S PLANE - DAY

  HADJI (V.O.)

  We were between the Xingu and the Mortes...

  Betty Jo's bursts with that "I have to tell you expression."

  HAMP

  (middle of conversation)

  We'll get a real house. No more shacks. All right, all right, show me what you bought in Rio.

  BETTY JO

  I bought Jenny this teddy bear isn't he cute? And look at this necklace I found at Sterns and then I just had to buy this watch for you.

  HAMP

  Sterns! It's beautiful, Thanks. How much did it cost?

  BETTY JO

  Not much. Don't worry. I used my own money. Hey guys, Look at this old map. I found it in a charming little antique store.

  She pulls a parchment scroll from her bag. It shows: A CRES_ CENT MOON with the STAR, a drawing of ARNATH with the RUBYHEART, a MAP of the Amazon, pictures of AMAZON WOMEN and the GOLDEN CITY deep in the jungle. Hadji looks over her shoulder.

  HADJI

  According to this map, we're not

  far from the golden city.

  HAMP

  They sell those maps to all the tourists.

  BETTY JO

  Do you think there really are Amazons? Boy the ruby in that ugly golden statue's heart sure is pretty.

  HAMP

  Betty Jo, I don't want you using your money. Someday I'll be able to buy you all those things.

  BETTY JO

  It's all right honey.

  HAMP

  No its not. Your my princess.? Someday you'll be proud of me. Someday I'll design a new plane that will land and take off anywhere. Someday I'm going into that jungle. Most of it is unexplored - I bet there's gold, diamonds and oil. Riches untold.

  The far engine sputters. Hamp hands her a small jeweled derringer.

  HAMP (CONT'D)

  Here sweetie. I know its not much, but it may come in handy. Hadji, shut down that engine down. Try the extinguisher.

  BETTY JO

  Thanks. Honey, you don't have to live on the Someday Isle. I hope you'll never stop chasing rainbows. That's why I married you. But it would be nice to settle down in one place and raise Jenny and maybe a few more fillies.

  (engine coughs)

  Is that serious or is it just another

  one of your running out of gas tricks.

  HAMP

  This ain't the Chevy, Butch. It's serious.

  BETTY JO

  I don't see any great parking places.

  Big black smoke streams from the engine, Hadji fights with the stuck extinguisher switch.

  HAMP

  Get it under control Hadji?


  HADJI

  I can't do anything, it's jammed.

  INT. JENNY'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

  Jenny listens intently.

  hADJI

  The other engines began sputtering, we were loosing altitude. I had to get you and your mother ready for the crash landing. We couldn't use the parachutes because the solid tree tops were high off the ground.

  EXT. THE PLANE DESCENDING RAPIDLY - DAY

  HAMP

  Damn it, those bastards sold us a load of bad gas. We've?got to ditch, any suggestions? Hadji! Get Betty Jo and Jenny fastened in.

  INT. JENNY'S BEDROOM, - NIGHT

  Emma brings a cup of hot milk.

  JENNY

  Don't stop, Hadji.

  EMMA

  Here's some warm milk, honey. You've had a busy day.

  JENNY

  Oh Mrs. McMurtree, Hadji was just at the most exciting part.

  EMMA

  Are you filling that child with all kinds of stories she's to ???????? young to understand?

  ? Hadji shrugs.

  HADJI

  I spotted a glimmer in the jungle.

  INT. THE PLANE, - DAY

  A golden glimmer in the distance plays off the tree tops.

  HADJI

  Look over there. There's a light, it might be civilization.

  HAMP

  It might be your Golden City, babe. There's a legend about a lost city in the upper Amazon. We'll go for it.

  The plane looses more altitude. Engines sputter. Concern on everyone's faces.

  BETTY JO

  Hamp, I love you, I want you always to remember that, no matter what happens.

  HAMP

  I know sweetie, we'll make it. Hadji and We've done this a thousand times before. Right, Hadji?

  Hadji's face is stone.

  HADJI

  Here, wrap Jenny in these blankets.

  Hadji buckles himself into the copilot's seat. The plane skims the tree tops then crashes high in the rain forest's canopy. Glass shatters. Foliage flies through the cockpit. The fuselage wrenches, the wings rip off and the propellers THUD to a stop like a lawn-mower hitting a rock. The plane creaks and stops high in the trees, groans and teeters precariously.

  INT. PLANE - DAY

  Hamp's face is covered with blood, Betty Jo rolls from her seat and swabs his face with the blanket.

  BETTY JO

  Are we there yet?

  HAMP

  I'm afraid there's no there, here.

  I'm okay. How's Jenny?

  ? He wipes the rest of the blood from his minor wounds.

  BETTY JO

  She slept through the whole thing.

  HAMP

  Hadji, lets get out of here.

  HADJI

  Looks like we're about 80 feet above the ground. We're caught in the canopy.

  HAMP

  At least we all made it.

  HADJI

  To the middle of