FAUST

FAUST - 1 FAUST Pilot “The Devil’s in the Details” Written by Joe Webb 1855 East Rose Ave. Apt 9-D Orange, California 92867 217-259-9322 jwebb16@slu.edu FAUST - 2 FAUST TEASER NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT FADE IN: INT. KITCHEN – LATE MORNING On a small breakfast table, there are 100 boxes of thin mint Girl Scout cookies stacked in disarray. KATIE FAUST, 33 years old, with long blond hair, dressed casually in jeans and a lavender cashmere sweater (she looks like a grown up version of the “girl next door”) is standing by a counter. Her husband, JEFFERSON FAUST, 35 years old, with dark brown hair and a handsome lean build (he looks like the J. Crew version of an Ivy League professor), holds open the door of a stainless steel refrigerator and pulls out a half-gallon of orange juice. They are locked in a mild marital argument. JEFF I just don‟t understand, Katie, why we had to buy five hundred dollars worth of Girl Scout cookies. KATIE It was for a good cause, Jeff. Jeff walks towards a cabinet, pulls out a glass, and begins pouring himself a glass of orange juice. JEFF But five hundred dollars? KATIE It‟s not all about the money. JEFF Goddamn it, sometimes it is! We‟ve got to pay attention to the bottom line. KATIE The bottom line? I hate it when you talk like that! We‟re not poor, and our life isn‟t a shareholders meeting at Ishmael and Faust. FAUST - 3 JEFF That‟s not what I‟m saying. Whatever. KATIE I‟m going to the office. JEFF On a Saturday? KATIE I‟m going to go bill enough overtime hours to pay for the cookies – so that you don‟t have to worry about it. She picks her purse up off the counter. JEFF You don‟t have to do that. KATIE Too late. Jeff nods his head as if he realizes he has lost an important battle, and gives up the idea of persuading her to stay home. JEFF You‟ll be there tonight for Lionel‟s reading? Maybe. KATIE Depends how many of those I get paid for. Katie tilts her head archly in mild irritation, and points towards the boxes of cookies. She walks over to give Jeff a quick kiss, and heads towards the door. WE FOLLOW TO: EXT. TREE-LINED RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD – CONTINUOUS Katie, pausing in the doorway a moment to think what message she wants to send, smiles and slams the door of their two-story Tudor-style home before walking to the driveway. She enters the driver‟s side of her Volvo, turns the key in the ignition, and backs out onto a tree-lined street where the autumn leaves are beginning to change color. As she accelerates in forward gear rather quickly, she hears her phone vibrating in her purse. FAUST - 4 Taking her eyes off the road, she reaches down, and picks up her flip-style phone. On the front, we see the name Jeff illuminated. As she makes a move to answer the call, she fumbles the phone, and it falls to the floorboard and opens on its own. She looks back up at the road, leaving the phone on the floorboard for a second. KATIE Damn it. Katie? Katie? JEFF (V.O.) I‟m sorry. As she reaches down to the floorboard, for the second time taking her eyes off the road, a young boy down the street goes long for a football, and watches the ball sail over his head. He follows its arc through the air, and sprints hard to catch up with it out into the street. Just as Katie picks up the phone and returns her eyes to the task of driving, she sees the boy sprint out in front of her car. At the last second, she swerves into the boulevard, missing the child, and SMASHES head-on into a large oak tree. CUT TO: INT. JEFF AND KATIE’S HOUSE – EARLY MORNING At the moment of impact, Jeff SNAPS awake in his bed in a cold sweat. He takes a second to gather his bearings, looks next to him at the empty half of the bed on his left, then turns to check out the clock on the nightstand. It reads 3:12 in the morning. Jeff turns his feet to the side and sits up in the darkness. JEFF (under his breath) Jesus Christ. Fuck. Jeff rises to his feet, walks to the dresser, and pulls out a tee-shirt. He slips it on, and exits the room, as WE FOLLOW HIM down the hallway, past multiple 8 x 10 framed pictures of himself and Katie happy together that line the wall. FAUST - 5 In the bathroom, Jeff flips on the light switch, turns on the water in the sink, and looks at himself in the mirror for a moment. His eyes are weary from too many sleepless nights. He reaches down, cups a handful of water, and splashes it onto his face. CUT TO: INT. JEFF’S STUDY – EARLY MORNING A large analog clock on the wall now reads 5:15, and Jeff is seated at the desk in his study, a comfortable room lined with book cases and reading chairs. He is now fully dressed in an argyle sweater, sportcoat, and dark jeans, and he is drinking a cup of coffee as he flips through the New England Journal of Medicine on his computer, searching for new articles on head trauma and incipient comas. As he clicks on the link to a recently published study out of Switzerland, his attention becomes more focused. JEFF Luc-Richard Perdot? Where do I know that name from? That‟s the guy… He drums his fingers on the desk-top. JEFF (CONT‟D) …who was running those electro-shock trials in Zurich. He prints the article, and as he does so, he begins packing up his belongings into a messenger bag. When the article is finished printing, he loads it into a manila folder, slips it into his bag, and walks out of the room. CUT TO: INT. HOSPITAL – MORNING Jeff is walking down a hospital corridor, holding a paper cup of coffee. At the desk, he stops to sign in. RECEPTIONIST NURSE Good morning, Dr. Faust. And what are we reading today? FAUST - 6 JEFF Still working our way through Pride and Prejudice. RECEPTIONIST NURSE But that‟s her favorite right? JEFF It‟s our favorite. He signs his name on the guest sheet, and turns to head farther down the hall, entering room 209. Jeff walks over to the curtains, and pulls them open, allowing the early morning sunlight to break across the hospital room. Before sitting down in a chair next to his comatose wife, Katie, he leans down and kisses her on the forehead. He sets his coffee down on a table, and pulls out a box of Girl Scout cookies. The slow steady beat of monitors provide a backdrop. JEFF All right, love – I‟ve brought the coffee and your cookies. And today we‟ve got two hours and two pieces of reading material. Now, one of „em I know you like – but I‟ve read it straight through to you six times in the last year. The other one‟s not so exciting on the surface, but it might be a way for us to wake you up - so what‟ll it be first? The next installment of Darcy‟s obdurate courtship, or a new study out of Zurich? He looks at her hopefully as if there‟s a chance she might answer. JEFF (CONT‟D) Okay, fine. If you insist, more of the trials and travails of Elizabeth Bennett and her haughty lover, but only because I love you. He flips open his copy of Pride and Prejudice, and begins reading. CUT TO: FAUST - 7 EXT. HOSPITAL PARKING LOT – CONTINUOUS We follow a tall man, MEPHISTOPHELES, with a cleanly shaven bald-head through the doors of the hospital. His skin is dark with a Mediterranean tan (he might play Billy Zane‟s stunt double in a movie), and it is difficult to tell whether he is 35 or 55. The man is dressed in black pants and a tight black v-neck sweater. As he walks through the entry-way and boards the elevator, he seems to have an amazing ability to be noticed only when he wants to be. Exiting the elevator, he walks past the reception desk on the second floor, where the on-duty nurse has her back turned, and past the room where Jeff is reading to Katie. He looks in briefly on them, then moves down the hallway to a waiting area. CUT TO: INT. HOSPITAL – MORNING Jeff looks up from the extremely intense medical article he is now reading his wife and notices that it is 8:00. He begins packing up his belongings. When he finishes, he reaches out for his wife‟s lifeless hand, and squeezes it. JEFF Okay, tomorrow, no more medical papers, I promise. Jeff walks out of the room, and smiles at the nurse at the station. JEFF See you tomorrow, Gina. RECEPTIONIST NURSE Same time, same place. As Jeff walks towards the elevator, Mephistopheles rises from the waiting area and follows him down the hallway. When he nears the receptionist nurse, he waves his hand slightly and she spins around to go check on something on the other side of the counter. Jeff now stands by the elevator bank waiting, and while he does so, Mephistopheles slides quietly behind him and exits FAUST - 8 into a stairwell. there. And we CUT TO: MAIN TITLES (GENTLEMAN AUCTION HOUSE – THE BOOK OF MATCHES) END OF TEASER Jeff turns around to look, but no one is FAUST - 9 ACT ONE INT. PUBLISHER’S OFFICE - MORNING Jeff enters through a glass doorway with the etched title ISHMAEL AND FAUST, PUBLISHERS into a modern office, where a receptionist, SHELLEY, is seated behind a desk. Shelley is in her early 40s, slightly plump, with dyed brown hair, and looks like she would make a very good mother. SHELLEY Good morning, Jeff. JEFF Morning Shelley. How‟s my favorite receptionist? SHELLEY Oh, about the same as usual, I suppose. JEFF Yeah? You‟re not all upset that Frankie got voted off… Shelley covers her ears and shakes her head. SHELLEY Stop! Don‟t say another word, mister! Damien had a basketball game last night, and I had to Tivo it. If you even think about going a step further, I‟ll quit this very second. Jeff raises his hands and signals his submission. JEFF Okay, you‟ve got me. Not another word. He walks over and grabs a piece of chocolate off her desk. JEFF (CONT‟D) This place wouldn‟t last 5 minutes without you. How do you do it? SHELLEY The devil‟s in the details. Of course. JEFF So what‟ve we got going on today? FAUST - 10 He leans over her computer and tries to punch a key that will pull up his schedule. Shelley swats his hand away. SHELLEY Don‟t touch that. JEFF Sorry. SHELLEY Okay. Here we go: Lionel Berg will be here at 10, you‟ve got a Mr. Murphy at 11, Leslie Peterson, the bank officer, comes in at 2, and… She gestures down the hallway with a smile. SHELLEY (CONT‟D) Pat‟s in your office. JEFF Bank officer? Oh shit – sorry – that‟s today? thought she usually came every January. SHELLEY I don‟t know. She called last week and said she wanted to make an appointment with Dr. Faust and Dr. Ishmael. Jeff wads up the candy wrapper from the chocolate and shoots it towards a wastebasket behind the desk. JEFF Hmmm. SHELLEY Nothing serious is it? JEFF I hope not. Jeff leans back from the desk and begins walking towards the hallway. He pauses for a second, then doubles back. JEFF (CONT‟D) Say Shelley, who‟d you say was coming in at 11? I FAUST - 11 SHELLEY A Mr. Murphy, from the Murphy Group in New York. I guess it‟s a new agency. Jeff pauses to consider the name for a moment, then shakes his head. JEFF Never heard of it. All right, I‟m gonna go see why Ishmael continues to use my office like it‟s his own. Send Lionel back when he gets here. As Jeff says this, he turns and begins walking down the hall. He pushes open a door on the left, and we FOLLOW TO: INT. JEFF’S OFFICE – CONTINUOUS PATRICK ISHMAEL, Jeff‟s business partner, is seated in the chair behind Jeff‟s desk, flipping through a copy of Publisher‟s Weekly. He is a short, dark-complexioned black man – approximately 35 years old – with a carefully manicured goatee and slightly grown-out hair. In his sportcoat and tee-shirt combination, he appears more trendy, and somewhat younger than Jeff. His wit is acerbic, and lightning quick – and he often turns it on Jeff at a moment‟s notice – but he has proven Jeff‟s steadiest friend for years. As the door opens, Patrick looks up and smiles. PAT Can you believe they called us a boutique in this piece of shit? He holds up the copy of Publisher‟s Weekly. PAT (CONT‟D) It makes us sound like we sell flowers, or beauty products, or some shit like that. I‟m calling up the editor of this smag-rag and telling him Ishmael and Faust are building a motherfucking empire! JEFF We published 19 books last year – and what the hell‟s a “smag-rag”? FAUST - 12 PAT Which is 18 more than Random 19 good books! House. JEFF What was their good one? PAT Stuff White People Like. I liked that shit. See, at least now I know how to relate to you. JEFF Oh yeah – you‟ve been doing a great job of that lately. PAT I‟m telling you man… JEFF And don‟t you have your own office where you can relax and learn more about “my people”? PAT I do, but you‟ve got the better view – which is bullshit by the way, since my name comes first on the business cards. JEFF Hey, you got first pick when we moved in. PAT Man I didn‟t know they were gonna put up a parking garage 3 months later! Jeff laughs as he walks over and looks out the window. JEFF So what‟s up? PAT Wanted to talk about your boy, Lionel. You gotta get him to turn something in. And we‟ve got that bank officer at 2. I know. JEFF Any idea what that‟s all about? FAUST - 13 PAT But we better pull the financials JEFF All right. As Jeff assents, the intercom on his phone buzzes. SHELLEY (V.O.) Hey Jeff, Lionel Berg is here. back. JEFF Thanks, Shelley. He pauses for a second, then remembers. JEFF (punching the button on the phone) Oh, and Shelley, can you get me a number for a Dr. Luc-Richard Perdot in Zurich? SHELLEY (V.O.) Sure. Pat shoots Jeff a look of inquiry. JEFF New experimental trial. As Pat nods his head, there is a knock on the door. JEFF (CONT‟D) Come in, Lionel. LIONEL BERG, a rumpled man of 45, with a bad comb-over in a too-baggy coffee-stained K.I.S.S. tee-shirt and corduroys shuffles into the room. As he does so, Patrick rises and Jeff sits down in his chair. PAT Lionel. Lionel nods uncomfortably, and stands awkwardly behind a chair. Jeff motions toward it as Pat exits the room. I‟m sending him Can‟t be good. after lunch. FAUST - 14 JEFF Have a seat. CUT TO: INT. COFFEE SHOP – MORNING Mephistopheles is seated at a chess-board table that looks out upon down-town New Haven. Through the window, we see him playing chess with a striking raven-haired beauty, LUCY FERNANDEZ. Like Mephistopheles, it is difficult to tell exactly how old Lucy is, but she is problematically attractive in the way that stops traffic. Her most startling feature is a set of eyes that are slightly tinted red. MEPHISTOPHELES Knight to bishop 3. Knight takes the lady‟s queen. LUCY You sure about that? MEPHISTOPHELES I‟m always sure about everything. Okay. LUCY Bishop to Rook 6. Checkmate. Mephistopheles takes a second to look at the board, then gives her a devilish grin. He reaches out and knocks over his king. LUCY You let me win. MEPHISTOPHELES You‟re the boss. LUCY (smiling) I am, aren‟t I? So why are we here? MEPHISTOPHELES I‟ve found the next important piece. FAUST - 15 LUCY In New Haven? I thought you were looking for someone in New York? MEPHISTOPHELES I was, which led me here. He waves his hand, gesturing out into the downtown area. As he does so, across the street, the camera fixes on an open office window, where a man comes slowly into focus. As our view continues to become more intensified, we come to see that it is Jeff, standing with his hands on his hips, staring out the window – visibly upset. I see. LUCY Who is he? Mephistopheles picks up a black knight and a white knight off the board. MEPHISTOPHELES Well, depending on which side you play for, and who gets to him first, he‟s either this one… He opens his hand and sets down the black knight on a square. MEPHISTOPHELES (CONT‟D) Or this one. He sets the white knight on an opposing square. LUCY Make certain. MEPHISTOPHELES (nodding) And he‟s the relative of an old friend of ours. CUT TO: INT. JEFF’S OFFICE – CONTINUOUS Jeff is still standing at the window. He turns to face Lionel, who is slumped down in his chair. FAUST - 16 JEFF Goddamn it, Lionel. Nothing? Not a word? LIONEL Well, I‟ve got an idea. JEFF Well at least that‟s something. What is it? LIONEL It‟s a modern-day adaptation of Dante‟s Inferno, where the Dante character finds a way to smuggle his classical heroes back from Limbo across the River Styx and into Purgatory. JEFF Does that even make sense with the story? LIONEL I don‟t know. I thought that maybe since it was a modern-day adaptation it wouldn‟t have to be completely faithful to the original… Lionel‟s voice trails off, and Jeff stares out the window for a few minutes in silence. He snaps around. JEFF Whatever. Write it down. We paid you a hundred thousand dollars 36 months ago to write a second book – and we wanted it to come out within a year of your first one, before the 600,000 people who bought “Pythagoras” forgot about you. Write it down. LIONEL But I haven‟t even got an outline finished. JEFF Well then finish the outline. Today. I want a draft of this thing on my desk in six months or I‟m suing you for Breach of Contract. Fine. Fine. LIONEL I‟ll do it. Lionel rises to exit the office, obviously upset. FAUST - 17 LIONEL (CONT‟D) I liked you better when you were my student. JEFF I liked you better when you were making us money. After Lionel has left the office, Jeff walks out into the reception area. He notices Mephistopheles, our tall man in black clothing from earlier, seated in one of the chairs, and walks up to the desk. Shelley motions towards Mephistopheles. SHELLEY Mr. Murphy. Jeff turns to acknowledge his guest. JEFF Give me just a second, will you, Mr. Murphy, and then I‟ll be right with you. I‟ve just got to make a quick phone call. MEPHISTOPHELES Take your time. I‟ve got eternity. JEFF (to Shelley) Did you get that number? She hands him a piece of paper with the name “Dr. Perdot” scratched at the top and an international phone number listed below it. Jeff walks back towards his office. CUT TO: ZURICH, SWITZERLAND INT. DOCTOR’S OFFICE – LATE AFTERNOON In a rather sparse, but highly technological office in Zurich, DR. LUC-RICHARD PERDOT, a man of 55 years with a close-cropped gray beard, is seated behind his desk looking at a computer screen. He is wearing a shirt, tie, and open lab-coat. The phone rings, and he reaches down to pick it up. FAUST - 18 DR. PERDOT Allo? Bonjour. Oui. JEFF (V.O.) Bon. Docteur Perdot, je m‟appele Jefferson Faust, et je…je… - pardon, parlez-vous anglais? DR. PERDOT Yes. JEFF (V.O.) Thanks. Sorry. I guess my French is a little rusty. As I was trying to say, Dr. Perdot, I‟m Dr. Jefferson Faust, and I‟m calling from New Haven, Connecticut. DR. PERDOT Ah, yes, New Haven. You work at Yale, Dr. Faust? JEFF (V.O.) (a bit flustered) I did. I‟m sorry, I‟m a little surprised. didn‟t expect this to be your direct line. That‟s okay. DR. PERDOT What can I do for you? JEFF (V.O.) Parle-je avec Docteur Perdot? DR. PERDOT I JEFF (V.O.) I‟m calling about an article I read in the New England Journal of Medicine. Ah, yes. DR. PERDOT Very exciting… JEFF (V.O.) You see, I was wondering how close you are to running your first trial on a human subject. My wife… FAUST - 19 DR. PERDOT I‟m afraid, Dr. Faust, that you should know up front we‟re still a bit away from reaching that point. It will be at least six months before we receive clearance. JEFF (V.O.) Oh. DR. PERDOT But please, tell me more… CUT TO: INT. JEFF’S OFFICE – MORNING, SLIGHT LAPSE OF TIME JEFF Yes, then, thank you. Merci. I‟ll stay in touch. Jeff hangs up the receiver, and looks down at his desk. He pauses, sighs, breathes deeply, and pushes the article from the New England Journal of Medicine off to the side. After a moment, he punches the telephone intercom. Shelley? CUT TO: INT. PAT’S OFFICE – CONTINUOUS Pat is seated at his desk, looking absent-mindedly out the window at the parking garage, riffing verbally underneath his breath. PAT A boutique. A motherfucking boutique. I didn‟t quit my job at Yale to run a fucking boutique. Listen to me world when I speak. Without a paddle, up a small creek. Knees weak, future bleak… All of the sudden, Pat‟s attention is arrested when he sees Lucy Fernandez whip around the corner of the garage in a black Mercedes convertible with the top down. JEFF Please send back Mr. Murphy. FAUST - 20 PAT Damn. CUT TO: INT. JEFF’S OFFICE – CONTINUOUS Mephistopheles enters Jeff‟s office door, and Jeff indicates a chair. Mephistopheles sits, and waits, as if he is unwilling or unable to start the conversation. For a moment, the two men size each other up. Then, Jeff initiates. JEFF So what can I do for you, Mr. Murphy? Mephistopheles ignores the question, and points towards the name-plate on Jeff‟s desk. MEPHISTOPHELES Jefferson Faust. Interesting name. JEFF (smiling somewhat uncomfortably) My parents wanted me to be a renaissance man. MEPHISTOPHELES Of course. But I meant your surname. I knew another man with the same one long ago. It‟s quite uncommon. JEFF I suppose you‟re right. Although I‟ve run into a few others in the past – and there‟s that actor on CSI… MEPHISTOPHELES Wrong lineage. Jeff shakes his head in confusion during an uncomfortable pause, then redirects. FAUST - 21 JEFF I‟m sorry, I didn‟t have a chance to check your company out this morning, and I‟ve got to admit that I haven‟t heard of the Murphy Group or any of your clients. Are you new? MEPHISTOPHELES No. We‟ve been around for a very long time. A-list clients are very selective. JEFF Anyone I might know? MEPHISTOPHELES One of your father‟s fathers was my first account. He signed with us – several centuries ago. JEFF (laughing off the weirdness) I see – well then you have been around for awhile. Jeff, now assuming the man might in fact be a crazy author who has managed to place himself in front of a publisher by misrepresenting his purpose, stands up and begins motioning towards the door. JEFF (CONT‟D) I‟m sorry, Mr. Murphy – and I don‟t want to come off as rude – but if this is some kind of pitchmeeting – we don‟t directly sign authors, and we don‟t publish first-person supernatural. MEPHISTOPHELES (with persuasive authority) Please sit down, Dr. Faust. I‟m not here to sell you a book. Jeff assesses the situation, and decides perhaps the best course of action will be to hear this apparently crazy man out. He keeps an uneasy eye on the door. JEFF (more calmly, but slightly patronizing) Then why are you here, Mr. Murphy? Our FAUST - 22 MEPHISTOPHELES There may be something you‟d like to sell me. JEFF Ummm… He thinks for a moment, then coming up with nothing, simply offers a JEFF (CONT‟D) What? MEPHISTOPHELES Your future. JEFF Jesus Christ, Mr. Murphy, you‟re going to need to be a little less cryptic here and tell me what the Hell you‟re talking about – excuse the language – because I‟ve got another meeting that I‟ve got to get ready for. I can give you sixty more seconds to make your pitch before I call security. If you‟re not here to sell me your book, what are you? A retirement planner? Do you sell time shares? What is it that you want me to do with my future? MEPHISTOPHELES I‟d like to buy your soul. JEFF (laughing in surprise) My soul. My soul? Mephistopheles says nothing, but eyes Jeff intently. JEFF (CONT‟D) Well, while that does sound intriguing, and certainly original, I think I‟ve heard enough. This time Mephistopheles rises and walks towards the door. As he puts his hand on the handle, he turns around to face Jeff one last time. FAUST - 23 MEPHISTOPHELES Your relative was hesitant as well. But I can offer you many things that you might find enticing. JEFF Thank you, Mr. Murphy, but I‟m afraid I‟ll have to pass. MEPHISTOPHELES Very well, for now. In the future, when we meet again, you can call me Mephistopheles. JEFF Of course – that‟s right. Just like the story. Mephistopheles pulls open the door, and Jeff looks down at his desk, suppressing a smile. As Mephistopheles exits, he throws in one last calculated parting shot to signal the seriousness of his opening overture. MEPHISTOPHELES It‟s never just like the story, Dr. Faust. And I wouldn‟t be so flippant, or so rash to dismiss my offer if I were you – not with a business on the brink of insolvency and a wife locked lifeless in a coma. Those are fixable problems in my world. Mephistopheles disappears out the door, leaving the suddenly startled Jeff frozen in his chair. As he passes out into reception, Mephistopheles lowers his hand, and Shelley simultaneously reaches her head down below the desk to look for something. Our villain passes through the glass doors of ISHMAEL AND FAUST, PUBLISHERS, and vanishes. END OF ACT ONE FAUST - 24 ACT TWO INT. PAT’S OFFICE – AFTERNOON As the scene opens, Pat is now busy pulling file folders from a cabinet over on the wall. Jeff is staring out the window at the storage garage. PAT Man that‟s why I hate the internet! All of the sudden, a guy can click on a few links, read a few articles, and he‟s a fucking expert on your life. There‟s no privacy anymore man – no secrets. JEFF I guess. Jeff pulls the open blinds up and looks around distracted. PAT No, not “I guess”, man. For real. Think about it Jeff, what‟s more likely? Because this guy knew your wife was in a coma, and he‟s got a creepy-ass shaved head, he‟s the devil? Or this crazy guy saw you had the last name of a 500 year old character in a play – did a little research – and came here to do what crazy people do – to BE CRAZY. Jeff turns back, sits down on Pat‟s desk, and answers. JEFF No, you‟re right. It was just startling, that‟s all. And he knew about the business… Pat stops pulling files and tosses them on his desk. looks at Jeff, and indicates the folders. He PAT Look at this shit. It‟s not fucking rocket science. We‟ve got one best-selling author, and he hasn‟t published anything for three years. We‟ve got another guy who was a finalist for the Booker Prize – but his book sold like 14 copies. My dad was a jockey and you‟ve been spending your FAUST - 25 PAT (CONT‟D) entire savings on experimental medical procedures – why wouldn‟t we be broke? Jeff picks up one of the file folders, and begins studying a spread sheet. JEFF That‟s a good point. So what are we gonna do? PAT Sell our souls to the devil to stay afloat. Jeff shoots Pat a glance of anger. PAT (CONT‟D) Nah, man. I‟m just fucking with you. I don‟t know, we‟ve got money coming down the line. Lionel‟s book‟ll sell if he ever finishes it, and sooner or later Tony‟s gonna write something that crosses over. JEFF And in the meantime? PAT We can always go back to teaching. JEFF I don‟t think they‟ll take us back after the way we left. PAT I didn‟t mean at Yale. We could adjunct for a semester or two somewhere else. There‟s more than one college in Connecticut. JEFF True. Jeff takes a second to spin a globe on Pat‟s desk. JEFF (CONT‟D) And I guess when you stop to think about it, Shelley can probably run the office better without us around to bother her. FAUST - 26 PAT Exactly. Pat gathers up the files from his desk and snatches the financial report Jeff is holding out of his hands. PAT (CONT‟D) All right, you ready for this shit? JEFF Was Peyton Farquhar ready for them to snap his neck at Owl Creek Bridge? PAT No – but he was a Southern sympathizer. for the North. JEFF You always did know your Bierce. PAT I got a copy of the Devil‟s Dictionary in my pocket. CUT TO: INT. CONFERENCE ROOM – AFTERNOON Pat and Jeff are seated on one side of a table with six chairs in a small conference room across from LESLIE PETERSON, a smartly dressed woman of 40 in a business suit. On their side of the table, the financial documents are spread out. On her side, a briefcase is popped open. She is handing them a letter. LESLIE I‟m afraid, gentlemen, that the bank has decided not to renew your line of credit. Okay. PAT So what exactly does that mean? We fight LESLIE Well, for starters, it means we won‟t be able to offer you any more advances for future business or printing expenses. It also means that we‟ll FAUST - 27 LESLIE (CONT‟D) be looking for some collateral to back up the amount that you currently owe us. PAT And that‟s this figure? He indicates one of the financial reports. PAT (CONT‟D) $108,000 and a little change? LESLIE Exactly. PAT What kind of collateral? LESLIE Well, generally speaking – the only asset that most individuals own that can support that kind of weight would be their house. Do either of you have any equity in your home? PAT I rent. Jeff looks up from the documents. JEFF I probably do, although it might be a little tight with the market correction. LESLIE Well then we‟ll start there, by setting up a second mortgage on the property at a reasonable rate. JEFF And how do we finance our future printing? We‟ve got a best-selling author, Lionel Berg, who just this morning told me he was nearly finished with a new book. Pat looks at Jeff and nods approvingly. FAUST - 28 LESLIE That may not happen now. Pat and Jeff take a moment to let this sink in. uncomfortably. And pause LESLIE (CONT‟D) Can you come by the bank sometime next week? I‟ll have the paperwork drawn up and ready for you to sign. JEFF Yeah. Leslie begins packing up her belongings. extends a hand to each of them. LESLIE I‟m sorry, Dr. Faust. As she rises, she Dr. Ishmael. As she is shaking Patrick‟s hand, he asks her… PAT And if things turn around for us, somehow? LESLIE Then obviously, we can reassess the situation. PAT Thanks. She turns to leave the room. but she waves him off. Jeff motions to follow her, LESLIE I can see myself out. After she leaves, Jeff flops down in her vacated chair across the table from Pat. He runs his hand through his hair and sinks lower in the chair. JEFF Well, so there it is… PAT Yep. FAUST - 29 JEFF Not the end of the world. PAT Might be the end of our company. JEFF You think? PAT No, we‟ll figure something out. Jeff rises, and the two men begin picking up the files. JEFF I think I‟m gonna go for a walk. You in? PAT No, you go ahead, man. I‟ve got a business dinner with Irv Rourke in New York this evening. Think I‟ll go see if he‟s got any new material we should look at. JEFF How will we buy it even if he does? PAT I don‟t know, we‟ll find a way. CUT TO: EXT. SIDEWALK DOWNTOWN – LATE AFTERNOON Jeff exits the front doors of the office park building that houses Ishmael and Faust on foot, and crosses the street into downtown New Haven. As he aimlessly meanders down the sidewalk, Mephistopheles emerges from a doorway a few feet behind him and quickly speeds up his steps to close the gap between them. While Jeff is looking into the window of a boutique shop, Mephistopheles approaches him from behind, and in the window‟s reflection, we see him somewhat creepily lay a hand on Jeff‟s shoulder. Jeff, startled by the touch and the picture in the window, spins around. What the Hell? time. JEFF Oh, Mr. Murphy. Now‟s not a good FAUST - 30 MEPHISTOPHELES No? I thought now might be the perfect time to continue our negotiation. JEFF What negotiation? MEPHISTOPHELES The one we began this morning, before the woman from the bank came to pay you a visit. Jeff takes a step back and eyes the bald man wearily. JEFF How did you know about that? MEPHISTOPHELES I know everything about your life. JEFF I don‟t appreciate being stalked by a crazy man. MEPHISTOPHELES Consider it market research. JEFF Why? MEPHISTOPHELES Why don‟t you join me for a drink, and I‟ll tell you? Mephistopheles indicates a bar across the street on the corner. JEFF No, I don‟t think that‟s a good idea. MEPHISTOPHELES One drink never hurt anybody. JEFF Excuse me. Jeff brushes past Mephistopheles and begins to walk away back towards the office. FAUST - 31 MEPHISTOPHELES I can help you, Dr. Faust. I can make your money problems go away. I can offer you the world. Jeff stops for a moment, hesitates, then turns around. JEFF I don‟t want the world. MEPHISTOPHELES But it wants you. That‟s just part of the deal. JEFF What deal? MEPHISTOPHELES Let me buy you a drink, and I‟ll explain. A crazy man can hardly do you any harm in public. Fine. JEFF I could use a drink. He begins walking across the street. Mephistopheles follows. Through the window of the coffee shop from earlier, we now see that Lucy has been watching the entire exchange. Mephistopheles nods in her direction as he crosses the street. She picks up her keys, and heads out the door towards the parking garage. We FOLLOW TO: INT. CORNER PUB – CONTINUOUS Jeff and Mephistopheles enter the doorway of a small, darkly lit bar with dark wood furnishings. They walk past the bar area, and slide into a secluded booth in the back. A BARMAID approaches to take their drink orders. She is in her early 50s, with dyed platinum hair, and looks like cigarettes. BARMAID What can I get you boys, today? Mephistopheles looks at Jeff, indicating that he should order. JEFF Johnny Walker Blue – if you‟ve got it. FAUST - 32 She nods her assent. Mephistopheles pulls out a money clip, peels off two one-hundred dollar bills, and hands them to the barmaid. MEPHISTOPHELES Bring two glasses and the bottle. away. Then stay She folds the money into her pocket and quickly heads to the bar. A few seconds later, she returns, sets the bottle and the glasses down on the table, and silently clears out of the picture. Mephistopheles spins the top off the bottle, fills the two glasses, and pushes one across the table towards Jeff. Jeff takes a sip, sets it down, and stares the devil in the face. JEFF I‟m listening. Mephistopheles looks at his glass for a moment, plays with it between his fingers, then steadily lifts it to his lips and slams the Johnny Walker down his gullet. As he pours himself a second glass, he begins… MEPHISTOPHELES Your skepticism has been noted. Jeff nods and begins to speak, but Mephistopheles cuts him off with a motion of his hand. Wait. listen. MEPHISTOPHELES First, you abide by your promise and Mephistopheles pauses for a moment, and the bar lights in the background pulse slightly, but noticeably, with a red tint. MEPHISTOPHELES My name is Mephistopheles, and I am an agent of One whose purpose is to help a select group of talented individuals right the wrong of having been thoughtlessly neglected by their Creator. Over the course of the past 500 years, I have FAUST - 33 MEPHISTOPHELES (CONT‟D) targeted and purchased The Future of 17 men – 17 men who have gone on to shape world history, by offering them the key to boundless knowledge, and the means to chart their own course through the world. For those who have accepted, and all ultimately accept, an agreement with me puts an end to all troubles – financial, personal, political. I offer you everything, Dr. Faust – money, power, a reunion with your wife, a future beyond your wildest imagination. All I ask in return is that you agree to one day, years from now, turn your back on One who has already neglected you – who has already taken away your wife, and stripped you of your dignity. How does that sound? Mephistopheles lowers his hand, thus unlocking Jeff‟s ability to speak. JEFF Mythic. Tragic. Crazy. Robert Johnson story. And a little like the MEPHISTOPHELES That was Azriel. My clients are more important. JEFF Are they? Jeff takes another sip of his drink, and sets it back down on the table. JEFF (CONT‟D) I hope you understand that I can‟t possibly believe you. MEPHISTOPHELES (smiling devilishly) Of course. If you were the type of man who believed, I wouldn‟t be here – which is why I‟m prepared to offer you a token of my power. JEFF (shaking his head) What token? FAUST - 34 MEPHISTOPHELES financial situation – that woman from the – you need money, don‟t you? To finance publishing interests, to get Lionel Berg‟s book printed? JEFF Yes. MEPHISTOPHELES And you can have it. Mephistopheles pulls a check from his pocket, and slides it across the table. The camera focuses in on the figure of $597,000 in the payable section. Jeff takes in the amount, finishes his drink, sets the glass back down on the booth table, and rises. JEFF I‟m not looking for an investor. MEPHISTOPHELES I‟m not interested in purchasing your company. All I ask is your future. Jeff looks at him in silence for a moment. JEFF I‟m not interested in selling. MEPHISTOPHELES You‟ll come to regret that decision. Jeff turns around and walks towards the door. As he does so, Mephistopheles slams another glass of Johnny Walker, sets his glass down, and refills it. END OF ACT TWO Your bank your next FAUST - 35 ACT THREE DEVIL‟S PIKE, COLORADO EXT. AN OUTDOOR MOUNTAIN CLIMBING INTERFACE – DAWN On the side of a mountain in Colorado, Jeff‟s uncle JACK FAUST, a rugged man in his late 50s, is engaged in a highly technical multi-day climb up Devil‟s Pike. Currently, he has methodically tethered himself to the side of the rock, and has erected a small cradle in which he is sleeping. As the dawn begins to break across the mountain, we see Mephistopheles recklessly climbing free hand, gaining on Jack. Mephistopheles reaches Jack‟s position, and begins slowly, silently, loosening the bolt work which secures Jack to the mountain. As he is nearly finished with the last bolt that will precipitate Jack‟s fall, Jack is startled awake by an adjustment in his position. JACK (in terror) What the Hell?!? Mephistopheles gives a gentle tug to the last bolt. Jack looks at his rope, notices it has now been frayed completely in two, and FALLS terrified 3000 feet to his DEATH. CUT TO: INT. JEFF’S OFFICE – AFTERNOON Jeff is seated in the chair behind his desk, reading a manuscript. His phone lights up, as the intercom buzzes. SHELLEY (V.O.) Jeff, your mother is on line one. JEFF Thanks, Shelley. He punches a button on the phone, and puts his mother, EMILY FAUST, on speaker. FAUST - 36 JEFF Hey Mom. EMILY (V.O.) Hi Jeff, do you have a minute to talk? Sure. JEFF What‟s up? EMILY (V.O.) I‟ve got bad news. They found your uncle Jack this afternoon in Colorado. He fell while he was climbing. JEFF (terribly upset) Is he okay? He‟s dead. What?!? EMILY (V.O.) Jeff, brace yourself for a second. There is silence as Jeff processes this. EMILY (V.O.) (CONT‟D) Jefferson? JEFF Mom? Mom, I don‟t understand how this happened? He was one of the best climbers in the world, and always so careful! EMILY (V.O.) It was an overnight, and somehow the bolts in his cradle must have worked their way loose. When the park rangers found him, his rope was frayed. I‟m sorry. It‟s awful. She waits another moment as Jeff sits silently in shock. EMILY (V.O.) (CONT‟D) The memorial‟s going to be in Hartford on Friday at 11. It‟ll be small – just us and a couple of friends. She again pauses to let him process. FAUST - 37 EMILY (V.O.) (CONT‟D) Are you all right? No. JEFF How could I be all right? Jeff looks over at a picture of himself and Jack on the wall. JEFF (CONT‟D) Is there anything I can do? EMILY (V.O.) No Jeff, there‟s nothing to do - it was a mess. But Jack left a few instructions with his lawyer, and he‟s going to make sure those get carried out. Just come home on Friday morning. JEFF Okay, Mom. EMILY (V.O.) He loved you very much. JEFF I know. EMILY Should I come to New Haven? JEFF No, I don‟t see what good that would do. Stay in Hartford in case the lawyer needs help with the arrangements. I‟ll be okay. Okay. EMILY (V.O.) I love you. JEFF I love you too. Jeff picks up the phone from its cradle and sets it back down to hang up the call. He stares blankly at the manuscript he was reading for a second, then tosses it in the trash can, and rises. As he walks down the hall, WE FOLLOW HIM TO: FAUST - 38 INT. PAT’S OFFICE – CONTINUOUS Jeff opens the door to Pat‟s office, and Pat looks up from the computer. JEFF We gotta go to Hartford on Friday. PAT Hartford? Why? JEFF My Uncle Jack died. No shit? PAT That‟s terrible. Pat stands up, realizes there is nothing he can do with himself, and, readjusting his blazer, sits back down. PAT (CONT‟D) I‟m sorry, man – I know he was kind of like your second father. What happened? JEFF I guess he was on an overnight climb in Colorado and something happened and he fell, which is why a lot of good climbers won‟t do them. I don‟t really know. My mom just called to tell me – maybe we‟ll find out more on Friday if there is anything more to know. Oh. You okay? PAT You gonna need to take off? JEFF I don‟t know. I guess there‟s not much to do. Some lawyer is acting as the executor, and other than that – I mean who is there to go comfort? I‟m his only living relative. Hmmm. PAT Didn‟t he have a girlfriend? JEFF They broke up last year. FAUST - 39 Pat begins to process what this might financially mean, but does nothing overt to indicate his awareness. PAT You want to talk about it? JEFF Yeah, maybe later. Right now I‟m just in shock. I think maybe I‟ll go see Katie? PAT (nodding) Good idea. Okay. CUT TO: HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT INT. FUNERAL HOME – LATE MORNING In the side parlor of a small funeral home in Hartford, Jeff – dressed in a subdued black suit – is seated along with Patrick in a small group who have come to pay their respects. Near the front of the room, a memorial – with no casket, but a small urn – has been set up with pictures of Jack in various outdoor activities, along with photos of him and his nephew at Jeff‟s various graduation ceremonies and Jeff‟s wedding to Katie. From across the room, his mother EMILY FAUST, a striking woman of 60 with gray hair who looks both professionally impressive and maternal and has been locked in conversation with an older gentleman, THADDEUS STEPHENS, approaches. Mr. Stephens follows. GUEST Your uncle was a good man, Jefferson, and a hell of a conservationist. Thank you. JEFF He was one of my closest friends. PAT What are they going to do with the ashes? JEFF There‟s a state park not too far from here where Jack used to take me fishing when I was a boy. And there‟s a cabin there where Jack and I camped FAUST - 40 JEFF (CONT‟D) for a week right before Katie and I were married. It was one of our favorite spots. I guess I‟m going to spread the ashes on the lake this afternoon. It was Mom‟s idea. GUEST He‟d have liked that. He was very proud of you. Emily interrupts the conversation, smiling at the guest. EMILY I‟m sorry, Paul, but I need to steal Jeff for a few minutes. Jeff makes a few quick apologies and rises to follow his mother. She makes a motion of introduction towards Thaddeus as the two move in his general direction. EMILY Jeff, this is Mr. Stephens, your uncle‟s attorney. Thaddeus, this is my son, Jefferson. Thaddeus extends his hand towards Jeff and the two men shake. THADDEUS Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Faust. me quite a bit about you. JEFF Thank you. THADDEUS I wonder if we might go somewhere private to talk for a moment? JEFF Of course. Jeff indicates a doorway that leads into a small antechamber – and we FOLLOW THE TWO MEN into the separate room. JEFF Should we have a seat? Your uncle told FAUST - 41 THADDEUS That‟s a good idea. The two men sit down in the sort of ubiquitous mauve wingback chairs that haunt funeral homes. JEFF What can I do for you, Mr. Stephens? THADDEUS Well, actually, it‟s more a matter of something that your uncle has left behind for you. Jeff nods to show his understanding of the situation. JEFF There couldn‟t have been much. Jack never owned a home in his life, and I think most of his money, what little of it he accumulated in a life without a career, so to speak, he gave away. He was a generous man. THADDEUS Well, yes, that‟s true. But there‟s a little more than you might think. In his will, he left 100,000 dollars to set up an outdoor activities scholarship at his alma mater, the University of Vermont – and everything else to you. Jeff smiles slightly – not because of the gift he will himself receive, but as an acknowledgement of his uncle‟s generosity and his commitment to the outdoor lifestyle that the scholarship represents. He then waits silently. THADDEUS (CONT‟D) After legal fees and the estate tax, there will still be just a shade under 600,000 dollars remaining for you, Jeff. JEFF (not yet processing the significance) That much? Where‟d it come from? THADDEUS Your uncle received a small pension when he returned from Vietnam. He never touched it, and over the years it grew. FAUST - 42 That‟s crazy. Now you do. JEFF I had no idea. THADDEUS This is for you. Thaddeus reaches into a leather folder and pulls out a check for $597,000, which he hands to Jeff. Jeff looks at the figure, and is struck dead in his tracks. He drops the check on the floor. Mr. Stephens reaches down, picks it up, and hands it to him again. THADDEUS Dr. Faust? JEFF (attempting to recover) I‟m sorry. Isn‟t this a little quick? THADDEUS Yes, normally it would be, but it‟s as straightforward of a will as I‟ve ever seen. One asset, one relative, one small bequeathal. Thaddeus stands up and again extends his hand to Jeff. Jeff, mirroring the gesture, stands himself. THADDEUS (CONT‟D) I hope this makes your life easier, Dr. Faust. JEFF Thank you, Mr. Stephens. And… Jeff stammers for a moment in hesitation. JEFF (CONT‟D) …excuse me, please. I‟d like to go talk to my mother. THADDEUS Be my guest. Thaddeus waves his hand back towards the parlor, and as Jeff exits, WE FOLLOW. Emily is waiting for him by the doorway. FAUST - 43 JEFF (nervously) Did you know about the money? EMILY I only found out yesterday. Katie? JEFF (reluctantly) Yes. EMILY Then I‟m glad, honey, that at least something good could come out of this tragedy. She reaches up and gives him a hug. EMILY (CONT‟D) Jefferson? You look sick. Why don‟t you go get a little air? I‟ll keep Patrick entertained. Okay, mom. CUT TO: EXT. FUNERAL HOME – CONTINUOUS Seated on the hood of a car in the parking lot, Mephistopheles watches the front door of the funeral home as Jeff emerges. For a moment, he studies his prey, and subtly notes the way Jeff walks towards a bench, sits down, pulls out and lights a cigarette, and stares off pensively into the distance. Mephistopheles then springs from the car, and quickly but stealthily crosses the parking lot and green space, seating himself on the bench beside Jeff. As he sits down, Jeff recoils in terror, and pulls the check from his pocket. JEFF Is this your doing somehow? bitch! You sick son-of-aJEFF I love you. Will it help with MEPHISTOPHELES Then you‟re beginning to understand. FAUST - 44 JEFF (with increasing anger) Did you kill him? Did you kill my uncle as part of some crazy game you‟re playing? MEPHISTOPHELES You should have taken the money when I offered it to you. Bad things happen when you don‟t play by the rules. What rules? JEFF I don‟t want your game. Jeff flicks his cigarette butt to the ground. As he looks away, Mephistopheles focuses on the cigarette butt, and the tip briefly burns a brilliant red, then smolders. Jeff stands, leaving the check behind on the bench. Mephistopheles picks up the check, and rises to follow. MEPHISTOPHELES It was a gift – from your uncle. He hands Jeff back the check. MEPHISTOPHELES (CONT‟D) How will you explain it if you don‟t take the money? JEFF I don‟t know. MEPHISTOPHELES It was free. JEFF Nothing is free. Mephistopheles shakes his head in acknowledgement, and smiles. MEPHISTOPHELES No, you‟re right. Nothing is free. free. No one is Mephistopheles pauses to allow his words time to sink in. FAUST - 45 MEPHISTOPHELES (CONT‟D) …metaphorically speaking. JEFF And neither am I? MEPHISTOPHELES From the world? No. From your financial troubles? Yes – 600,000 dollars is a lot of money. From me? Only if you want to be. Jeff turns to look at Mephistopheles, and slowly sizes up the devil. JEFF I do – but I don‟t believe you. MEPHISTOPHELES Then walk away. But I‟m prepared to offer you something as a good faith gesture, something you‟ll be very interested in, as my way of saying I‟m sorry. JEFF I don‟t think, Mr. Murphy, that I‟m interested in receiving another one of your gifts. He continues staring at Mephistopheles intently. MEPHISTOPHELES Even if it means I can bring your wife back? JEFF But with what catch? Who dies? And how? MEPHISTOPHELES No catch. No one dies. Just a final offering to show you what I can do for you if you‟ll only consider signing my contract once she‟s awake. Mephistopheles waits, then smiles like a wolf in sheep‟s clothing. MEPHISTOPHELES (CONT‟D) I feel like our relationship may have gotten off to a rocky start. And I want to show you that I‟m not all bad. FAUST - 46 Jeff continues to look at him, but says nothing. Mephistopheles pulls a card from his pocket. MEPHISTOPHELES (CONT‟D) On this card there is a number that links to a fax machine in Zurich. The machine is located in the private study of your friend, Dr. Perdot. If you agree to accept my Free Will Offering, by midnight tonight you must transmit your wife‟s medical history to the doctor via that fax line. Your doing so will ensure that Dr. Perdot‟s clinical trial will be approved immediately, and a charter plane will leave from La Guardia at 3:00 on Sunday afternoon. You and your wife can be on that plane. Mephistopheles hands Jeff the card, then turns and walks away. Jeff looks at it for a moment, along with the check, then slides them both into his pocket and turns back towards the funeral home. CUT TO: INT. JEFF’S CAR – EVENING Jeff is driving back towards New Haven in the dark, and Patrick is seated beside him. For a moment, they listen to the radio. Then Patrick reaches out and turns down the volume. PAT 600,000 dollars? Jeff nods silently. up, and we… CUT TO: INT. JEFF’S STUDY – NIGHT Back in the study where Jeff first discovered Dr. Perdot‟s article, Jeff is seated in one of his leather reading chairs, holding a glass of Johnny Walker and absentmindedly turning the business card over in his hands. On the wall, the large analog clock reads half past eleven. He rises, He reaches down, turns the radio back FAUST - 47 sets the card down on a reading table, and WE FOLLOW HIM out into the hallway. In the hallway, Jeff flips on a light switch, and continuing to hold his glass of Johnny Walker, he stops for a few moments to study the pictures of himself and Katie. Moving down the line, he is arrested by something in one of the pictures and moves in for a closer inspection. In the background of one of their collegiate photos, snapped in a large park in Durham, North Carolina, he notices a man in the background who appears to be Mephistopheles. JEFF What the fuck? He drops his glass. Reaching down to pick it up, he stops, bolts upright, and moves with decision back towards the study. WE FOLLOW. JEFF I‟m sorry, Katie, if this is the wrong choice, and if this is real. But I love you too much to be without you, and I need you awake right now to help. Jeff grabs the card off the table, walks towards the desk, and begins methodically loading a stack of papers into the fax machine. END OF ACT THREE FAUST - 48 ACT FOUR NEW YORK CITY EXT. AIRPORT, PRIVATE TARMAC – AFTERNOON At a secluded private tarmac at La Guardia airport, a charter plane stands waiting. As our focus shifts from the plane, the camera begins following a New Haven ambulance, which steadily comes forward towards a pair of pilots, who step down expectantly from the plane‟s stairway. The ambulance rolls up next to the plane, and as it comes to a complete stop, the backdoor opens, and Jeff jumps out. An EMT emerges from the driver‟s door, and with the help of a nurse, slowly lowers a ramp. They then disappear inside the back of the ambulance, and emerge together wheeling a gurney and attached medical equipment down the ramp. Jeff watches the process silently, his coat whipping in the wind. CUT TO: INT. PLANE – MOMENTS LATER Katie has now been secured, and in the back of the plane, Jeff is seated across from a young male nurse, ROBBIE, whom he has known through his visits to the hospital. Robbie has finished attending to Jeff‟s wife, and is seated with a magazine. As the plane rolls down the runway, he turns to engage Jeff in conversation. ROBBIE Ever been to Switzerland before, Dr. Faust? JEFF I told you, Robbie, to call me Jeff. He pauses for a second to set down his book. JEFF (CONT‟D) Once, about ten years ago, when I was your age. But this time will be a little different. Robbie looks back at Katie‟s hospital bed. FAUST - 49 ROBBIE Right, okay Dr. Faust. Europe. I‟ve never been to JEFF Well, I‟m sorry, I guess, that this will be the way you get to spend your first trip. Although I suppose once we‟re there, you‟ll have a few weeks to explore. ROBBIE I didn‟t tell them this at the hospital, but airplanes make me kind of nervous. JEFF This won‟t be too bad. It‟s a long flight, and when we get there, it‟ll be morning. You should try to sleep if you can. ROBBIE That‟s a good idea. Is that what you‟ll do? JEFF Maybe some. But I don‟t sleep that much any more. It‟ll be a good chance for me to think. Robbie looks back at Katie again and nods. ROBBIE Pretty exciting opportunity, huh? JEFF It is. CUT TO: INT. BAR IN NEW HAVEN – EVENING Pat is seated at a bar in New Haven with Ishmael and Faust‟s financials spread out before him. With the arrival of enough money to alleviate the firm‟s monetary difficulties, his perspective has considerably brightened, and he is aggressively making notes in a notebook with a Budweiser bottle sitting next to the papers. As he works, Lucy Fernandez slides into the bar, and occupies a stool a few spaces down from him. They are the only two drinking at this early hour on a Sunday evening. FAUST - 50 On a TV in the background, the announcers excitedly describe a long touchdown catch in one of the late afternoon football games. Patrick looks up in time to catch the replay, and watches a ball arc high through the air in a similar fashion to the children‟s pass that began the episode and triggered Katie Faust‟s car accident. As he looks down from the television, Lucy catches his attention. She smiles. LUCY Working on the Sabbath? I thought Sunday was supposed to be a day of rest. PAT I‟m not very religious. I am. LUCY Buy me a drink. Pat waves the bartender over and looks toward Lucy. PAT What‟ll it be? LUCY Seven and seven. The bartender begins mixing the drink, and as he does so, Pat packs his papers into a folder, throws them in his messenger bag, and slides over a few seats. The bartender slides the drink down the bar. LUCY What were you working on? PAT Just some financial stuff. He takes a sip of his beer, and studies her. PAT (CONT‟D) I haven‟t seen you before. Where you from? LUCY A little bit of everywhere. But I like it here. FAUST - 51 CUT TO: INT. PLANE – NIGHT High over the Atlantic, the plane now cruises towards Switzerland. Outside of the windows, it is dark, and the lights on the plane have been turned down low to allow the passengers to sleep. Robbie is solidly passed out in his chair, and the steady beep of Katie‟s monitors counterbalances the rhythm of his breathing. Jeff is dozing with a copy of Pride and Prejudice and a box of thin mints laid across his lap. All of the sudden, Jeff SNAPS awake, similar to the manner in which he snapped awake at the beginning of the episode. He looks across the aisle at Robbie, then looks out the window. As he does so, he slowly comes to realize that something is wrong, and that the plane is, in fact, FALLING! He looks at his watch, unsnaps his seat-belt, and nervously stands as if he might approach the cabin. Robbie remains asleep. At that moment, Mephistopheles emerges from the door that leads to the cabin, holding a syringe. JEFF (with stifled anger) We‟re falling, aren‟t we? MEPHISTOPHELES (indicating the syringe) The pilots had a heart attack. Jeff rises to confront the devil. JEFF You God-damned bastard! die! You said no one would MEPHISTOPHELES It was their time. Bullshit! offering! JEFF You said this was a free-will You said this was a gift! FAUST - 52 MEPHISTOPHELES (growing ever more calm) I put her on the plane to Zurich. That was our agreement. As you said yourself, nothing is free, Dr. Faust, and now it‟s time to make a decision. JEFF No! I don‟t want to be a pawn in some cosmic game of chess. MEPHISTOPHELES You‟re not a pawn. And there‟s no other way to save her life. Jeff pauses to consider this, and able to come up with nothing better when backed into a corner, goes for the most guttural expression of his emotions. JEFF Fuck you. MEPHISTOPHELES No. Mephistopheles pulls a vellum contract from his pocket, and begins walking down the aisle. With each step, his words grow calmer and more incisive. MEPHISTOPHELES (walking and talking – recitative) This is the contract – it is a sacred and binding pledge. It has been signed by 17 of the most powerful men that the world has ever known. You are being offered a chance to join them. You are being given a choice. Either you choose to sign here, and we all arrive in Switzerland alive, or you choose to ignore the calling of your destiny – and all of us – He sweeps his hand in a broad arc that encompasses Jeff, Katie, Robbie, and himself. MEPHISTOPHELES (CONT‟D) We all go home. FAUST - 53 JEFF And where is home? Mephistopheles says nothing – giving Jeff only a slightly ironic tilt of his head downwards. Jeff hesitates a moment. We have reached the point of no return. He looks at the nurse asleep in the next chair, and then at his wife. JEFF Good God. Turning back around, he snatches the contract from Mephistopheles‟ hand. CUT TO: INT. BAR IN NEW HAVEN – EVENING Lucy and Pat are now engaged in a full conversation in the bar. They are smiling and laughing, and she swirls the few remaining ice cubes in her drink playfully. LUCY I know, it‟s like Glengarry, Glen Ross, isn‟t it? PAT Always be closing. LUCY I just need the good leads, Shelley! She smiles at the story. LUCY (CONT‟D) So that‟s how it went – it was just a classic bait and switch. That‟s funny. called? PAT What‟d you say your firm was LUCY Well, we‟re international, so we‟re known by many names, but our top level New York affiliate is the Murphy Group. FAUST - 54 PAT (thinking he might recognize the name) The Murphy Group? She swallows the last ice cube in her glass, and stands. LUCY Yes. She nods. LUCY (CONT‟D) Hey, I‟m sorry to cut out on you like this, but I‟ve gotta run – I‟ve got an early meeting tomorrow. PAT Important? LUCY A matter of life and death. drink. PAT It was my pleasure. LUCY Mine too. She smiles, picks up her purse, and begins walking towards the door. As she moves away, Patrick stops her. PAT I‟m sorry, I never caught your name. LUCY It‟s Lucy…Fernandez. Okay, Luce. PAT I‟ll see you around. Thanks for the LUCY (smiling seductively) I‟ll see you around. FAUST - 55 Patrick looks at his beer, picks it up, takes a long swig, and shakes his head. PAT Now that‟s a woman. CUT TO: INT. PLANE – CONTINUOUS FROM EARLIER Jeff is holding the contract, and looks at it quickly. JEFF And this will keep us alive? MEPHISTOPHELES Yes. JEFF Where do I sign? MEPHISTOPHELES At the bottom. Fuck it. JEFF Got a pen? He pulls out a small pin. MEPHISTOPHELES You need to use this. Prick your finger. Jeff pokes a small pinhole in his index finger and signs the vellum document in blood. He hands the contract back to Mephistopheles, but the plane CONTINUES ITS DESCENT. Mephistopheles pockets the contract. JEFF Now what? Mephistopheles points towards the chair where Jeff had been sitting at a 3-inch binder stuffed full with papers. On the front, in block letters, is printed the words FLIGHT SCHOOL MANUAL. MEPHISTOPHELES Read that. FAUST - 56 JEFF Are you fucking kidding me?!? There‟s no time – the plane is going to crash! You said… MEPHISTOPHELES You‟ll find that things like time are a little different now. This is how it works. This is part of the deal. Jeff turns around to pick up the Flight School Manual. he does so, Mephistopheles VANISHES. Jeff spins back around, holding the manual. JEFF This‟ll take me… He notices that Mephistopheles is gone. Shocked, he spins around, sees a vomit bag, and throws up. At the moment of this purge, a new sense of calm seems to overtake Jeff. He looks at his wife, and sits down in his chair to begin reading. Okay. JEFF (CONT‟D) We‟ll give it a shot. As Jeff opens the first page – and, in shock, instantly processes the material – as if it has been downloaded from the page directly to his brain. He flips to the next page, then the next, moving faster and faster. JEFF (CONT‟D) Jesus Christ. As he nears the end of the manual, the plane begins to shake, and an alarm goes off in the cabin. Robbie jolts awake. What the…? ROBBIE What‟s going on, Dr. Faust? JEFF (failing to mirror Robbie‟s terror) I don‟t know, Robbie – we‟d better go find out. FAUST - 57 The two men rush to the cabin, and throw open the door. As they vacate their seats, the flight instruction manual that Jeff has been reading disappears. Jeff, having thrown open the door, leads the way into the cabin, where the two pilots are slumped over. The captain is laid across the thruster, thus causing the gradual descent – DEAD. ROBBIE Oh my God! Oh my God! what do we do? Oh my God! Dr. Faust, Jeff reaches down to feel the pulse of the pilot. Robbie, in a state of near catatonic shock, begins reciting the Lord‟s Prayer under his breath. ROBBIE Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily… Robbie! JEFF Robbie! Snap out of it! Jeff shakes the nurse back to awareness. JEFF (CONT‟D) I need your help. Give me a hand with this body. ROBBIE What are you doing? JEFF I‟m going to move this dead pilot, and them I‟m going to fly this plane to Switzerland. What?!? ROBBIE Have you ever flown a plane before? JEFF No, but I think I might know how. Robbie looks confused, but helps Jeff lower the body to the ground. After this task is quickly completed, Jeff sits down in the captain‟s seat, places on the headset, and FAUST - 58 competently begins adjusting levers and raising the machine. CUT TO: ZURICH, SWITZERLAND EXT. HOSPITAL – MORNING In our establishing shot of the hospital, we see that an enormous group of news vans have now gathered outside, having caught wind of the miraculous story, and field reporters are rushing to get in their breaking reports. We focus in on one particular reporter, VANESSA REED, who begins delivering her story to the camera with a microphone and a British accent. VANESSA I‟m standing outside of a hospital in Zurich, where moments ago, an American woman, Katherine Faust, arrived in quite miraculous fashion to become the first recipient of a recently developed medical trial. Somewhere near the southern coast of Greenland, late last night, Katherine‟s husband, Dr. Jefferson Faust, a former professor of British literature at Yale University in Connecticut turned book publisher, took control of a plane after both pilots were apparently struck dead by heart attacks within moments of each other and safely navigated the plane to Switzerland. Flight experts are calling the perfection of the landing unprecedented, given Dr. Faust‟s complete inexperience in aviation. We‟ll continue to follow this amazing story as it develops, but for now, we, here at the BBC, stand transfixed, like the rest of the world, by this miracle. For BBC News, reporting live from Zurich, I‟m Vanessa Reed. INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM – MORNING Jeff is pacing nervously around a waiting room at the hospital in Zurich, holding a paper cup of coffee. Every few moments, he stops to check his watch, and then to look out the window at the crowd of gathered reporters. His FAUST - 59 attention is arrested by the emergence of Dr. Luc-Richard Perdot from a corridor, who beckons him over. JEFF Any news, doctor? DR. PERDOT None yet, although the trial went according to plan, monsieur. Good. JEFF That‟s good. When will we know something? Dr. Perdot shrugs his shoulders awkwardly, but compassionately. DR. PERDOT I don‟t know. She‟s the first patient. can go see her now. Follow me. But you WE FOLLOW the two men down the corridor that leads to a private recovery room, adjoining Dr. Perdot‟s office. Dr. Perdot indicates a chair beside Katie for Jeff, then disappears through the doorway to his office and closes the door behind him. Jeff reaches out, strokes Katie‟s long blond hair, and stares at her for a few moments. He then sets down his coffee on a table, pulls his copy of Pride and Prejudice along with his box of thin mints from his bag, and sits down to begin reading. As he reads a portion of Darcy‟s letter to Elizabeth, the camera moves to Katie, whose eyes slowly open. She looks around in confusion for a moment, gradually taking in her surroundings, then finds Jeff, and begins to register what he is reading. Jeff has not looked up from the book. KATIE (softly) This is my favorite part. Jeff, jolting upright, drops the book as he moves quickly to her side. JEFF Katie? FAUST - 60 KATIE Jeff, what happened? CUT TO: INT. COFFEE SHOP – MORNING At the chess-board table in the window of the coffee shop in New Haven, Lucy Fernandez is seated across from Mephistopheles, intently studying the arrangement of the pieces. She looks up from the board. LUCY So the clock has begun? Mephistopheles takes the contract out of his pocket and hands it to her solemnly. She studies it for a moment, and slides it into her purse, then focuses her attention back on the game. She slides a queen forward three positions, then smiles. LUCY Checkmate. FADE OUT. END OF ACT FOUR, END OF PILOT EPISODE