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EXT. VAN TASSEL HOUSE -- NIGHT
A light glows in Ichabod's window. LOOKING IN: Ichabod's in bed,
fully dressed. He sits up. Pause. He crosses to pick up "Romeo
and Juliet." He begins to read.
EXT. PHILIPSE'S FARM -- DUSK
Ichabod walks with Philipse. Young Masbath follows with the horses.
CICADAS CHATTER from a vast corn field.
PHILIPSE
Not more than a year ago, a mob hung a man for stealing a horse.
For stealing a horse! And, you dig up our dead.
ICHABOD
Are you saying I should be frightened? Is this a message passed
on from Clergyman Steenwyck?
The CICADAS SUDDENLY go SILENT. Young Masbath notices.
PHILIPSE
We are farmers here, not lawyers or bankers, or even constables.
Every penny we earn comes from what we send down the Hudson.
ICHABOD
I know it.
YOUNG MASBATH
Um.... excuse me, sirs...
PHILIPSE
(still to Ichabod)
Because of the Horseman, our migrant workers flee for their lives.
There is a danger that our crops will rot. So, if you are going
to help us, you stop the Horseman. That is your task... to kill
an undead thing.
Young Masbath looks to a fenced grazing area, worried. The sheep
there are agitated, all running one direction away.
ICHABOD
Listen to what you say....
PHILIPSE
No, you listen! You may think we are a pack of superstitious dullards...
ICHABOD
At times I do.
YOUNG MASBATH
Sirs... please!
PHILIPSE
What will it take for you to realize this is no laughing matter?
The horses go crazy, braying and rearing. The reins yank Young
Masbath off his feet as the horses flee.
Ichabod and Philipse look to Masbath. A SOUND is HEARD, distant:
THUNDERING HOOFBEATS. Wind kicks up. HOOFBEATS seem to come FROM
ALL DIRECTIONS.
Philipse looks to the corn field. A flock of birds alights; a great
sheet of black against the sky.
PHILIPSE
Oh my... oh my oh my oh my...
Philipse runs towards his house, past Masbath. HOOFBEATS are LOUDER,
CLOSER. Ichabod faces the corn field.
The field explodes open, stalks bending to make way as the Headless
Horseman gallops into view atop Daredevil.
Young Masbath runs, following Philipse.
Ichabod's stunned. He looks down to draw his flintlock pistol,
but the Horseman blows by before he can raise it. A blast of air
knocks Ichabod off his feet.
The Horseman chases Masbath and Philipse.
Ichabod follows.
The Horseman draws his sword.
Young Masbath falls in the grass...
Daredevil's pounding hooves will certainly crush him.
Daredevil leaps over Young Masbath, continuing the charge.
Philipse has a long way to go before home. He looks over his shoulder.
No way he'll make it.
Ichabod, running, watches Philipse slow.
Philipse gathers all his courage and stops, turning. The Horseman
is closing, sword held high.
Philipse raises his talisman.
ICHABOD
Philipse!
Philipse holds the talisman up, trying to be fearless. The Horseman
swings -- WE HEAR the CLANK of sword on talisman...
Philipse's severed head spins. His body falls and folds.
Ichabod runs past Young Masbath.
The Horseman halts just as Ichabod reaches a point in front of
dead Philipse, aiming his pistol. Daredevil lets out a SCREECHY
CRY. The Horseman rides toward Ichabod.
Ichabod gets on one knee, trying to steady his pistol. The Horseman
closes. Ichabod sweats bullets. FIRES...
The slug SLAMS the Horseman dead center -- bursts through and rends
his uniform without slowing him.
The Horseman is almost on Ichabod. Ichabod cringes, arms up...
as the Horseman passes.
The Horseman leans to skewer Philipse's head with his sword.
With the head as his prize, the Horseman races away.
Ichabod gets up, watches the Horseman head to the forest. Ichabod
looks to Young Masbath, finds his legs will not support him, falls,
trembling. THUNDER BELLOWS.
INT. VAN TASSEL HOUSE, SECOND FLOOR HALL -- NIGHT
Lady Van Tassel comes to a door, knocks. Sarah stands behind with
a tray of food. Young Masbath is seated near.
LADY VAN TASSEL
(to Young Masbath)
Has he not come out at all?
Young Masbath shakes his head.
INT. VAN TASSEL HOUSE, ICHABOD'S ROOM -- NIGHT
KNOCKING is HEARD. Ichabod sleeps restlessly.
ICHABOD'S DREAM -- YOUNG ICHABOD'S BEDROOM -- NIGHT
THUNDER BOOMS. WIND and POUNDING RAIN blast open a window. Mother
comes to it, then moves to comfort fearful Young Ichabod in bed.
MOTHER'S VOICE (v.o.)
Don't be afraid... don't be afraid.
ICHABOD'S DREAM -- YOUNG ICHABOD'S HOME -- DAY
A keyhole. Young Ichabod's eye peers in...
ICHABOD'S DREAM -- P.O.V, THROUGH KEYHOLE
Mother is kneeled before flour on the floor. She draws patterns
in it, whispering. She blows the flour away.
ICHABOD'S DREAM -- YOUNG ICHABOD'S HOME -- DAY
The Freakish Woman (who argued with Mother) walks towards the home,
supported by a SAD MAN. She weeps, carrying something in a blanket.
Young Ichabod comes a window, watching, scared.
The Freakish Woman is so weak that she falls. The blanket opens...
the corpse of an infant tumbles to the dirt. The Freakish Woman's
WAILING GROWS LOUDER.
ICHABOD'S DREAM -- FRONT OF YOUNG ICHABOD'S HOME -- NIGHT
TWO MEN in black drag Mother to a coach. She looks back, fearful,
pulled along. A THIRD MAN in black follows.
Young Ichabod struggles as Father restrains him.
YOUNG ICHABOD
No... mother... no... !
The Third Man peers back, a gray-haired, Cotton Mather-ish man
with a villainous face.
FREAKISH WOMAN (v.o.)
The night of the great storm, I saw her cross my windows.
ICHABOD'S DREAM -- COURTROOM -- DAY
Many people in the gallery. The Third Man stands in front of the
tearful Freakish Woman in the witness box.
THIRD MAN
You are certain it was she?
FREAKISH WOMAN
In the lighting, I did see her. (points)
Her. Lady Crane...
Mother sits in shackles.
FREAKISH WOMAN
I will never forget. The next moment, I found my infant dead...
with the blood welt on his breast.
Those in attendance cry out at this. Ichabod is seated beside Father,
eyes filled with tears.
ICHABOD'S DREAM -- YOUNG ICHABOD'S ROOM -- NIGHT
As before, a STORM RAGES. Ichabod is in Mother's arms.
FREAKISH WOMAN (v.o.)
The night of the great storm, I saw her cross my windows.
MOTHER
Don't be afraid...
INT. VAN TASSEL HOUSE, ICHABOD'S BEDROOM -- DAY
KNOCKING is HEARD. Ichabod gasps awake.
KATRINA (O.S.)
Constable Crane?
Ichabod looks at his hands balled into fists. He opens them --has
ONE HALF of PHILIPSE'S TALISMAN in each palm.
INT. VAN TASSEL HOUSE, SECOND FLOOR HALLWAY -- NIGHT
Katrina holds a tray of food. The DOOR is HEARD UNLOCKING.
INT. VAN TASSEL HOUSE, ICHABOD'S ROOM -- NIGHT
Katrina enters. Ichabod sits at his work table.
KATRINA
Are you hungry?
Ichabod shakes his head, won't look up. Katrina crosses.
She begins picking up pieces of the PLASTER HOOFPRINT CAST which
lies shattered on the floor.
KATRINA
You promised justice.
ICHABOD
If these are the random stalkings of a monster, what good am I?
KATRINA
People have put their trust in you.
ICHABOD
They have done nothing of the sort.
KATRINA
Won't they still have that justice? (patience waning)
or, was it a vain promise?
Ichabod stews, head in his hands. Someone is HEARD RUNNING... Young
Masbath enters, frightened.
YOUNG MASBATH
Constable Crane... something has happened.
EXT. WESTERN WOODS -- DAY
The Lenape Indian hangs dead in a tree, lynched. TOWNSFOLK are
gathered. Ichabod makes his way through, followed by Young Masbath,
looking up.
BROM (o.s.)
We do not need you, Constable...
BROM strides towards Ichabod from a group of men spreading a sheet
under the tree. Van Ripper's there.
BROM
The men who did this have been taken. We do not need you here.
Brom points to where TWO FILTHY MEN in chains sit in a horse-drawn
cart. An armed man guards them.
ONE FILTHY MAN
You should thank us. The killings will end. We saved you all!
The armed man shoves the filthy man to shut him up.
BROM
They spend two days in chains.
ICHABOD
Two days... ? For murder?
FATHER STEENWYCK
For poaching. Or, would you remake our laws now that Magistrate
Philipse has given up the ghost?
ICHABOD
Does that look like an animal hanging?
BROM
Looks like an Indian.
Van Ripper cuts the noose rope at the trunk. The Lenape corpse
free falls, landing hard.
The Lenape lies in a heap on the sheet. Van Ripper and others come
to lift the sheet with the Lenape in the middle. Ichabod watches,
noticing...
The Lenape wears a WOVEN PIECE of REED GRASS a cord on his loin
cloth, twisted in a pattern.
ICHABOD
Wait. Give me a moment...
Ichabod kneels. He removes the woven piece, looking across the
diseased Lenape's body. Something else...
The Lenape's mouth is agape; teeth rotting. Ichabod looks around,
finds a twig. He uses it to pull the Lenape's mouth open... gets
close to peer inside the Lenape's mouth.
INT. VAN TASSEL HOUSE, ICHABOD'S ROOM -- DAY
A DRAWING of the Lenape's WOVEN PIECE in Ichabod's ledger. The
piece lies near.
Ichabod sits staring at it, trance-like. Masbath waits. Long silence.
ICHABOD
The Lenape Indian had much to tell once I opened his mouth.
YOUNG MASBATH
How could he?
ICHABOD
His teeth. Someone had cut them and chipped off rotten pieces far
back in his mouth. The Lenape could not have done that for himself.
(closes his journal)
Someone out there cared for him.
Ichabod rises, deciding. He picks up his satchel and exits. Young
Masbath is surprised. He follows.
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