Elric Swords and Roses - Michael Moorcock [139]
83. Ext. Sky seen through tower window. Night.
—the dark shape of the Man Bird climbs upward, screeching triumphantly.
84. Int. Tower room. Night.
Urlik sheathes the sword and inspects the body of King Meliadus as Jarak rushes in.
URLIK: “Why should the Eldren wish to slay him?”
JARAK: “I saw the beast—Zayad, eh? Changing shape?”
URLIK: “Impossible …”
Frowning, he stares at the window.
85. Int. Tower room. Sunrise.
Soldiers bear the corpse of Meliadus away. Belphig, Iolinda, Jarak and Urlik remain. Iolinda wildly distressed. Belphig grim and grave. Urlik angry. Belphig comforts Iolinda.
BELPHIG: “Queen—now you rule us all …”
IOLINDA: “If we’d destroyed all the Eldren at once Zayad could never have killed my father …”
URLIK: “We don’t know it was Zayad …”
JARAK: “Meliadus molested her—she could have summoned the beast—in revenge …”
IOLINDA: “The demons must die—now!”
URLIK: “There’s no justice in that—not till we’re certain!”
Urlik crosses the room to embrace Iolinda. She is grief-stricken and angry.
IOLINDA: “I can’t listen—your advice caused my father’s death!”
URLIK: “If the Eldren killed him …”
Belphig is dismissive.
BELPHIG: “If? Your reasoning’s too tortuous for me. You were not summoned here, Urlik, to make decisions of State …”
Iolinda pulls herself together.
IOLINDA: “The queen makes those decisions—and I say kill them now!”
URLIK: “This is hysteria—not justice!”
IOLINDA: “It is my command!”
URLIK: “My conscience commands otherwise!”
BELPHIG: “I’d remind you of the oath you swore on the sword …”
URLIK: “Extracted under stress …”
BELPHIG: “But nonetheless potent—break it and you perish!”
URLIK: “Threaten me once more, bishop—and seek another hero!”
BELPHIG: “Threat? Prediction …”
IOLINDA: “Traitor! The Eldren die now—kill Zayad, Urlik—avenge your king!”
URLIK: “Grief clouds your mind. I beg you …”
IOLINDA: “You’re entranced by the Eldren witch! I call you traitor!”
URLIK: “Call me what you will—I’ll play no part in murder.”
Captain Mazak bursts into the tower room.
MAZAK: “Halag Tharm’s Eldren army. Attacking by land. They outnumber us.”
JARAK: “A fresh army—and we are tired—weak …”
Urlik turns to Iolinda.
URLIK: “I beg you, Queen Iolinda—wait until after the battle. We’ll need all the hostages we can keep.”
Iolinda sees the sense of this. Belphig is angry.
JARAK: “There’s no way to hold the city—too badly damaged …”
URLIK: “Then we’ll meet them head-on …”
URLIK (bows to Iolinda): “With your permission—my queen …”
Iolinda inclines her head. She is confused. Suddenly concerned for him. Her sanity is returning. Urlik and Jarak leave for the battlefield.
86. Ext. Plain outside city. Day.
At the head of their men Urlik and Jarak ride forth from the city. The great part of their soldiers are weary infantry. They ride up an incline on the landward side of Paphanal, which is in ruins. Urlik almost cheerful.
URLIK: “This is more to my taste—at least we’re free of madness and sorcery …”
Jarak is none too sure …
JARAK: “We may yet meet sorcery. The Eldren have strange wagons with them …”
Urlik and Jarak ride slightly ahead of Mazak and their men, to the top of the rise, where they can look down on the Eldren army.
87. Ext. Plain. Day.
At the top of the rise Jarak points out the Eldren army.
88. Ext. Plain. Day.
The Eldren army. Well-ordered, disciplined, mostly mounted. Their tall lances and war-axes make a forest of steel. They bring with them several large wagons bearing brightly coloured canvas (very reminiscent of the gasbag of the airship we saw in the opening sequences—for good reason, as we’ll see). At the head of this army is the noble figure of Halag Tharm.
89. Ext. Plain. Day.
Jarak and Urlik look back at their own somewhat disorganized army. It is pretty evident that they are outclassed.
JARAK: “The odds are too great