Girl in the Ivory Tower

FADE IN:

EXT. WU TAI SHAN MOUNTAIN RANGE - NIGHT

Title Card superimposed over the image: "WU TAI SHAN MOUNTAINS - CHINA - HAN DYNASTY"

A small crescent moon illuminates the night.  Two young men in dark clothing, XIAOGOU and YING KAI, are climbing up a sheer cliff in the heart of the mountainous region of Wu Tai Shan in Northern China.  Xiaogou leads Kai up the cliff.  They are making their way to a 45-foot tall ivory tower behind a stone wall built into the mountain cliff near the summit.  
As they near their destination Kai slips and drops down a few feet.  He is stopped by the silk cord tied around his waist connected to Xiaogou.

XIAOGOU
(looking down at Kai)
Are you sure you want to do this?

KAI
We had a deal. You bring me
to the tower and I make a
new tea set for your mother.

XIAOGOU
I'm just worried mother
won't get the tea set
if you die out here.

KAI
Don't worry.  I trust you
to look out for me.

Xiaogou continues up the cliff.

XIAOGOU
All right then.  Concentrate on
your climbing and forget about
everything else.

Kai concentrates on his climbing and soon the two young men are at the base of the stone wall surrounding the Ivory Tower.

EXT. WU TAI SHAN MOUNTAIN RANGE - STONE WALL - MOMENTS LATER

Xiaogou and Kai sit next to a wall built out of massive rough-hewn stones.  Xiaogou unties the silk cord around Kai's waist and begins to wrap it around his own waist.

XIAOGOU
This is as far as I go.

KAI
But you said you'd take me
to the Ivory Tower?

XIAOGOU
It's on the other side
of this wall.

KAI
And you want me to just
climb up and over by myself?

Xiaogou stands and shows Kai how the size and shape of the stones make it easy to climb.

XIAOGOU
Anybody, even a moron like you,
can get over this wall.

KAI
(pleading)
Don't you want to know
if it's true?

XIAOGOU
The legend is a lie.

KAI
Really?

XIAOGOU
Has anyone ever seen her?

KAI
No.  But that doesn't mean anything. 
Aijun Gong is rumored to have married
the most beautiful woman in the world.

XIAOGOU
I know.

KAI
And she's supposed to live here,
inside that Ivory Tower.

XIAOGOU
I know, You've told me a
thousand times. But that's
all it is, a rumor.  

KAI
Where's your spirit of adventure?

XIAOGOU
Let's just say, for argument's sake,
the legend is true. Aijun Gong would
never leave this place unguarded so
anyone could just come and spy
on his wife?

KAI
If no one lives here,
then maybe we can use
the information to get
something from Aijun Gong
or his enemies.

XIAOGOU
What now? Blackmail?

KAI
Not exactly.  But if the rumor
is true.  We'd be the only ones
who'd've ever seen her. I could
put her likeness on all sorts of
pottery and sell them to tourists
and pilgrims that come to Taihuai.

XIAOGOU
That's your business. 
Mine is guiding people
through these mountains. 
Sorry Kai. But this is as far
as I go.

KAI
Suit yourself.  

Kai starts climbing up the stone wall.

KAI (CONT'D)
You know, I was willing
to share the profits with you?

XIAOGOU
I'm happy with our arrangement. 
Now hurry up, it'll be dawn soon.

Xiaogou waves at Kai as he climbs into the darkness.

EXT. IVORY TOWER COURTYARD GARDEN - MOMENTS LATER

An Ivory Tower rises from the center of a small but beautiful garden.  There is a shallow reflecting pool surrounding the windowless tower.  The only visible opening is a slim archway on the narrow parapet at the top of the tower.

Kai carefully climbs down the stone wall and drops into the garden.  He hides behind a small shrub.  Convinced that no one has seen him, Kai makes his way toward the reflecting pool.  
Kai walks around the pool looking for a way into the tower.  There are no doors or windows anywhere.  A reflection in the shallow pool causes him to move back into the shadows.     
From his hiding place Kai looks up.  He sees a figure, silhouetted by the moonlight, standing near the edge of the parapet.  It appears like the figure may fall or jump off the ledge. 

After a beat, the mysterious figures swiftly turns around and re-enters the tower.
Kai runs to the edge of the reflecting pool.  He hesitates going any further.   

A hand reaches out of the darkness and comes down on his shoulder.  Kai jumps with fright.  The hand quickly covers his mouth before he has time to yell. Kai is spun around and comes face to face with Xiaogou.  Xiaogou removes his hand once he's certain Kai has recognized him.

KAI
(whispering)
You scared me nearly
half to death.

XIAOGOU
(whispering)
Sorry.

KAI
(whispering)
I thought you were only
going as far as the outside wall?

XIAOGOU
(whispering)
I got to thinking, I came
this far, it would be foolish
not go see this through to the end.

KAI
And my offer to share
my profits had nothing to do with it?

XIAOGOU
Well Grandfather could use
a new goat.

KAI
I thought so.

Kai clasps Xiaogou's hand.

KAI (CONT'D)
I saw someone.

XIAOGOU
Was it her?

KAI
I don't know.  All I know
is there's someone inside that tower.

XIAOGOU
So what are we waiting for?

KAI
I don't know how to get in.

XIAOGOU
We climb.

KAI
How? The surface of that tower
is as smooth as ice.

XIAOGOU
If a man built it, I can climb it. 
Trust me.

Xiaogou steps into the shallow pool.

KAI
I trust you.

Kai follows him.

EXT. IVORY TOWER - MOMENTS LATER

Xiaogou runs his hands along the Ivory bricks of the tower.  He detects slight irregularities.

XIAOGOU
See.  There's enough of an edge.
We should be able to climb up.  

KAI
Maybe you can. But not me.

Xiaogou unwraps the cord from his waist and hands one end to Kai.

XIAOGOU (CONT'D)
Here.  Tie this around your waist.

Kai takes the cord and begins to tie it around his waist as Xiaogou makes his way up the ivory tower.

XIAOGOU
Watch how I use my hands and feet.

The climb is precarious, but Xiaogou manages to get to the top.  Kai watches every move that Xiaogou makes.  Once Xiaogou is on the parapet, he grips the cord, braces his legs and gestures for Kai to follow him up.  Kai takes a deep breath and follows Xiaogou's path to the top of the tower.  He stumbles a few times but Xiaogou keeps him from falling.

EXT. IVORY TOWER - PARAPET - MOMENTS LATER

Xiaogou rewraps the silk cord around his waist as the two young men enter the tower through the archway.

INT. IVORY TOWER - STAIRWELL - TRAVELING

The CAMERA FOLLOWS as Kai and Xiaogou make their way down the stairs that spiral along the inside of the tower.  Their whispered conversation echoes softly in the stairwell.  They do not notice the carved stone ears which sporadically dot the walls of the stairwell.

KAI
(whispering)
I can't believe we're
actually doing this.

XIAOGOU
(whispering)
Neither can I.

KAI
(whispering)
This could turn out to
be the greatest thing we ever do.

XIAOGOU
(whispering)
Don't get your hopes up.

Dim light spills into the stairwell from below.  Quietly they make their way to the bottom of the stairs.  Kai peeks his head out.

INT. IVORY TOWER - INNER CHAMBER - KAI'S P.O.V.

It is an ornately decorated room filled with exotic wall hangings and stone sculptures.  Fine silk pillows of all shapes and sizes are scattered throughout the space.  There are no mirrors or reflective surfaces anywhere in the room.  A woman sits on a small stack of pillows with her back to the camera.

INT. IVORY TOWER - INNER CHAMBER

Kai motions to Xiaogou to be quiet.  He starts to make his way into the chamber.  Xiaogou tries to stop him.  Kai shakes off Xiaogou's arm and creeps into the chamber.   Xiaogou ducks back into the shadows.  Kai moves along the floor.  He is within 10 yards of the woman when the sound of keys opening a lock startle him. Kai slides, head first, under a thick pile of pillows as a door in the far corner of the room slams open.  Six archers race into the room.  The archers have hoods over their faces which are tied down with a strip of fabric between their forehead and mouth - forming an effective blindfold.  As they race into the room and take up defensive positions, AIJUN GONG - a powerful warlord in his mid 50's - enters the room.

AIJUN GONG
Do not let the intruder escape.

The sudden entry of the archers and Aijun Gong startle the woman.  She immediately begins covering herself with layer after layer of silk cloth and shawls.

The archers move throughout the room.  Their progress is slow and deliberate.   

Fearing imminent discovery, Xiaogou runs back up the stairs.  The archers hear him and follow.  When they enter into the stairwell, they all draw arrows that have small wads of wax covered with soft cloth.  They look to be non-lethal.  
Xiaogou continues to race up the stairs.  Below him, the blindfolded archers take aim and let fly their arrows.

Xiaogou is hit with these blunt-tipped projectiles - first his shoulder then his back and finally his legs.  He looses his balance and falls from the stairs into the stairwell.  He crashes to the ground smashing two of the archers down with him. 

Xiaogou is killed by the fall.

The archers help their fallen comrades up, then carry the lifeless body of Xiaogou out of the stairwell and into the chamber.

AIJUN GONG
(addressing the archers)
You know what to do. 
Search the grounds for
any other intruders.

The blindfolded archers carry the body of Xiaogou out of the chamber.

Kai remains hidden under the mass of pillows.
The woman, MEILI, sits up and slowly removes several layers of silk cloth. She leaves her face covered by one silk shawl.

AIJUN GONG
Meili, please accept my
apology for this disturbance.

MEILI
You need not apologize. 
You were merely protecting
your humble wife.

Aijun Gong approaches Meili.  She turns away from him.  She is now directly facing Kai.  He tries to flatten himself more under the pillows to keep himself hidden.  He does not know if Meili has seen him or not.

AIJUN GONG
Were you seen?

MEILI
Not to my knowledge.

AIJUN GONG
Good.  I assure you, this type
of intrusion will not happen again.

Aijun walks around Meili so that he can see her face.  He tries to stroke her shoulder.  Meili moves to avoid his touch.

MEILI
How did you know someone
was trying to get in?

AIJUN GONG
The guards thought they
heard voices in the stairwell.

MEILI
Your vigilance is reassuring.

AIJUN GONG
You are precious to me.
More precious than you can imagine.

MEILI
I'm tired.

AIJUN GONG
Of course.

Aijun takes her hand.  She allows it.

AIJUN GONG
Never forget, your beauty,
as long as it lasts,
is for my eyes only.

MEILI
(coldly)
How could I ever forget.

Aijun lets go of her hand.

AIJUN GONG
Pleasant dreams.

Aijun exits the chamber and locks the door from the outside.

Thinking that she is alone, Meili removes the last remaining shawl covering her face.  Meili - a young girl in her late teens - is astonishingly beautiful. However, their is a sadness about her face.  

Kai is astonished by Meili's beauty.  As he stares at her face he absentmindedly knocks over a nearby oil lamp. The flaming oil spills out and ignites one of the pillows above him.
Startled, Meili covers her face once again.  Kai leaps out of the pile of pillows and quickly puts out the fire and rights the lamp.  When he finishes, Kai spins around and turns towards Meili.  He shrugs his shoulders.  Meili tries to cover her face but stops herself.

KAI
I don't know what to say. 
I'm sorry to have...

MEILI
(interrupting)
No, it is I who must apologize.

KAI
Apologize?  For what?

MEILI
Your friend.

Meili starts to cry.  It is a profoundly emotional moment which is the result of much more than the recent turn of events.

He moves to comfort her.  She falls into his arms.  Her cries are muffled by his shoulder.

MEILI
It is my fault.

KAI
Why?

MEILI
My husband's jealousy.

KAI
No. I made Xiaogou come here. 
If anyone is to blame, it is me.

MEILI
But why did you come?

KAI
I wanted to know if the legend was true.

MEILI
What legend?

KAI
That the most beautiful woman
in the world lives here
in this Ivory Tower.

Meili looks up at Kai.

MEILI
(ironic)
The most beautiful woman in the world?

KAI
Yes. You.

MEILI
Then your friend died for nothing.

KAI
Come now. You must know
how beautiful you really are?

MEILI
How could I?

KAI
Have you never looked
at yourself in a mirror?

MEILI
You don't understand. All my
servants, all my teachers,
anyone I've ever met has been
blind or blindfolded, except
for Aijun Gong. You're the
first person, other then him,
whose ever seen me.

KAI
I can see the reason for your sadness.

MEILI
Can you help me?

KAI
How?

MEILI
Teach me about the outside world;
about how things really are. 
I feel so trapped in here.

KAI
What you ask is dangerous.

MEILI
Sometimes I think that
it might be better if I simply
ended my life.

KAI
I saw you standing near the
edge of the parapet earlier.

MEILI
Then you know what I'm saying is true. 
It's only a matter of time.

KAI
I can't promise, but I will
try to come and visit you again.

Kai starts to stand.  Meili wraps her arms around him.

KAI
Don't worry. 
I promise I'll be back.

Kai slips out of her grip. Meili hands him the burnt pillow.

MEILI
(teasingly)
You'd better destroy the evidence.

Kai takes the pillow, smiles softly at her and moves toward the stairwell.  Meili watches him leave.

EXT. WU TAI SHAN MOUNTAIN RANGE - DAWN

Kai is making his was down to the bottom of the sheer cliff wall.  He comes upon Xiaogou's smashed body at the base of the mountain. He grabs up the limp body of his friend.

KAI
(emotional)
You were looking out for me. 
But I never looked out for you.

He rises, the body of his friend still held in his arms.  He walks off.

by cfmacek