CHAPTER 02
EXT. NIX'S HOUSE - DESERT - DAY
The two vehicles come to a halt outside Nix's house. From the Thunderbird steps PHILIP SWANN, a nineteen- year-old with shoulder-length hair and brilliant blue eyes. He's not conventionally handsome, but he's certainly striking. From the passenger seat steps CASPAR QUAID, a black man, studious and intense. From the bus emerges MURRAY PIMM, skinny and jittery, and JENNIFER DESIDERIO, a woman with a steely gaze. SWANN (to all three) Are we ready? JENNIFER (cool) Say the word. PIMM (very nervous) Look, maybe we should think this over. On Swann, as he brings from his car three very bizarre pieces of METALWORK. We get only a tantalizing glimpse of them, as he slips them into his pocket. SWANN No. He's gone too far. PIMM So he took a child. JENNIFER He'll kill her. PIMM No he won't. SWANN (determined) He's not going to get the chance. Quaid checks a gun, then slips it into his belt. QUAID If he gets in our fucking heads he'll drive us crazy. SWANN So stay out here. Swann starts towards the House. Jennifer is the first to follow, with the other two on her heels.
INT. NIX'S HOUSE - HALLWAY - DAY :
Butterfield comes to the door, as Swann steps inside. BUTTERFIELD He's expecting you. Behind Swann, Quaid and Pimm exchange nervous looks. SWANN (to others) Look around. If you find 'the child, yell. She's got blonde hair, that's all I know. Butterfield turns away, smiling to himself. Swann follows him.
INT. NIX'S HOUSE - "MEDITATION" ROOM - DAY
Quaid looks into a large circular room where FIVE CULTISTS (three men and two women) still sit. One of the women is breast-feeding a baby. 1ST MAN Hey, Quaid. I thought you said you weren't coming back. QUAID I changed my mind. 1ST WOMAN Come and join us. She smiles a crazy smile. Reaches out for Quaid. A SNAKE appears from around the back of her neck. Quaid recoils. And now we see that there are snakes everywhere. In the Cultists' clothes and hair. Even on the baby. Quaid turns away. And - shock! - there's a SNAKE on the door frame, winding around his hand. He strikes it to the ground, and drives his heel down on its head. SNAKE-HANDLER CULTIST (angry) Don't do that! The Snake-Handler gets up. Quaid retreats from the door. Snake-Handler picks up the dead snake and, lifting it above his head, dribbles its BLOOD onto his face.
INT. NIX'S HOUSE - "BEDROOM" - DAY:
Jennifer enters a gloomy room. She goes to a mattress where a BLONDE GIRL lies with her bare back to us. JENNIFER Don't be afraid. The Blonde Girl, BARBARA, turns over. She has a dirty cloth pressed to a wound between her breasts. It is not the Girl, of course. She stares up at Jennifer, clearly drugged. BARBARA I'm not... want to see? She pulls the cloth away. She has carved the cult SIGIL into her FLESH. The BLOODY KNIFE lies beside her. Jennifer retreats to the door, and exits back out into --
INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY - DAY:
Pimm is standing against the wall, clutching a CRUCIFIX. He is ashen with terror. Jennifer snatches the crucifix from his white-knuckled fingers. PIMM He's going to kill us all... JENNIFER Where did Swann go? Pimm points down the passageway towards Nix's room.
INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY OUTSIDE NIX'S SANCTUM - DAY :
Swann wipes sweat from his upper lip, then reaches down to his belt, to check the GUN tucked out of sight at his side. He turns the door handle.
INT. NIX'S HOUSE - SANCTUM - DAY:
Swann steps inside. Nix's chair has its back to him. The folds of Nix's robe are visible, however. Swann hears a muffled SOBBING from the far side of the room. On the Girl, now gagged and lying amongst bones and filth. Swann starts towards her, his footsteps barely audible. As he approaches the chair - the Baboon leaps at him screeching! He reaches for his gun. The chair topples. The Baboon, half dressed in Nix's robes, bounds towards Swann. Swann FIRES at it. The bullet blasts off half its head.
INT. NIX'S HOUSE - PASSAGEWAY - DAY :
On Quaid, who draws his GUN as three CULTISTS appear in the passageway that leads to Nix's Sanctum. QUAID Stay the fuck away! (yells) Pimm! Get over here!
INT. NIX'S HOUSE - SANCTUM - DAY PAN UP :
From the twitching Baboon corpse to Swann as he struggles with the Girl's gag. He has laid his gun on the ground beside her. SWANN You're going to be okay. Out of focus, behind him, the cruciform sculpture swings round. Nix is hanging on it, like an idol on a grotesque altarpiece. The Girl sees Nix over Swann's shoulder. Terror crosses her face. Swann turns. NIX I knew you'd come. He reaches down to Swann. NIX I've got so much power to give you, Swann. All you have to do is...beg. SWANN Fuck you. NIX You don't think I've got it to give? SWANN No! Suddenly. Nix swoops down on Swann. apparently defying gravity. NIX You're wrong. He catches hold of Swann with one hand and drives him back against the wall. NIX I could eat your fucking soul, Swann.