Anno Dracula - Kim Newman [176]
SEWARD falls on to the bed, into MARY’s bloody embrace. MARY smiles sadly, madly, at him, and expires.
SEWARD
There. She is delivered. God is merciful. See, she is at peace. Sleep well, Lucy my love. It’s over. We’ve beaten him. We’ve defeated the Count. The contagion cannot spread.
SEWARD dies. GENEVIEVE and CHARLES, shaken, stand over the bed.
GENEVIEVE
You’ve killed him. Poor Jack.
CHARLES
Poor Jack. Poor Mary. Poor Lucy. Poor Everybody.
DRAVOT steps in, a bundle on his shoulder.
DRAVOT
Well done, sir. You’ve put an end to Jack the Ripper.
CHARLES
Dravot.
DRAVOT
All along, sir, there were two murderers, working together. It should have been obvious.
DRAVOT opens his bundle. A dead white face stared up, lips drawn back in a last snarl. ARTHUR.
CHARLES
It’s Godalming.
DRAVOT
Lord Godalming, sir. He was in it with Dr Seward. They fell out last night.
CHARLES
How long have you known this, Dravot? How long has the Diogenes Club known but not seen fit to tell me?
DRAVOT
You caught the Rippers, sir. I’ve just been looking out for you. Your guardian angel.
CHARLES
And Jago? Was that you?
DRAVOT
Another matter, sir.
CHARLES
There’ll be a fearful scandal. Godalming was well-thought-of. He had a reputation as a coming man.
DRAVOT
His name will be entirely blackened.
CHARLES
And he was a vampire. That will cause a stir. The assumption was that the Ripper was warm. There will be repercussions. Careers will be smashed, reputations overturned. The Prime Minister will look foolish.
GENEVIEVE (to DRAVOT)
And what of me? Am I a ‘loose end’? Like Jack, like Godalming? Like that poor girl? You let him butcher her, didn’t you? You or Jack killed Godalming. Then, knowing what he was, you stood back in the shadows and let him account for her. It was tidier that way. You didn’t even dirty your hands. Can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, eh? What about us eggs?
MILLER’S COURT, WHITECHAPEL. EXT. NIGHT.
CHARLES and GENEVIEVE emerge, following DRAVOT. Police whistles sound. DRAVOT slips into the fog, leaving CHARLES and GENEVIEVE.
GENEVIEVE
What happened here, what truly happened?
CHARLES
I don’t yet know.
GENEVIEVE
You’ll be the hero.
CHARLES
Why?
GENEVIEVE
You’ve no choice.
LESTRADE and a couple of CONSTABLES, augmented by HENTZAU and some CARPATHIANS arrive.
CHARLES
There’s a dead woman in that court. And a pair of murderers, also dead. Jack the Ripper is finished.
LESTRADE and HENTZAU look into MARY’s room. LESTRADE is appalled by the scene.
LESTRADE
That’s Hell in there.
CHARLES
It’s Hell out here.
KATE and DIARMID arrive, followed by OLIVER. More rubber-neckers crowd in.
GENEVIEVE
It was Jack Seward.
KATE
Dr Seward?
GENEVIEVE
He was mad, and not responsible.
KATE
Then who was responsible?
GENEVIEVE
The thing who drove him mad.
They look up through thinning fog at the moon. A bat-shape soars across its face.*
* * *
CARRIAGE. INT. NIGHT.
GENEVIEVE
Look, there’s Van Helsing’s head. It’s a mistake to leave it there. It’s not an example to would-be revolutionaries, it’s a rallying point. Insurrections need martyrs.
OUTSIDE THE PALACE. EXT. NIGHT.
The main gates have barbed wire wrapped around the uprights. CARPATHIANS haul the huge ironwork frames aside as if they were silk curtains and the carriage slides through. The Palace is illuminated. Black smoke pours into the sky.
CARRIAGE. INT. NIGHT.
The carriage stops outside the palace doors.
CHARLES (gets up)
You can stay in the carriage. Safe. I’ll be all right. This will not take long. (She shakes her head.) Gené, I beg you.
GENEVIEVE
Charles, why are you so worried? We’re heroes, we have nothing to fear from the Prince. I am his elder.
The door is opened by a FOOTMAN.
OUTSIDE THE PALACE. EXT. NIGHT.
GENEVIEVE steps down first. CHARLES follows. She takes his arm and nuzzles against him, but he will not be comforted.
Beyond the Palace fences stand crowds. Sullen sightseers peer through bars. GENEVIEVE looks and sees the CHINESE GIRL and a bundled-up