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.
KATIE
Whatever. 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?
KATIE
Maybe. 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.
JEFF (V.O.)
Katie? Katie? 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. Jeff turns around to look, but no one is
there.
And we
CUT TO:
MAIN TITLES (GENTLEMAN AUCTION HOUSE – THE BOOK OF MATCHES)
END OF TEASER
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.
JEFF
Of course. 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? I
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?
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
19 good books! Which is 18 more than Random
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.
JEFF
I know. Any idea what that‟s all about?
FAUST - 13
PAT
Can‟t be good. But we better pull the financials
after lunch.
JEFF
All right.
As Jeff assents, the intercom on his phone buzzes.
SHELLEY (V.O.)
Hey Jeff, Lionel Berg is here. I‟m sending him
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.
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.
LUCY
Okay. 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.
LUCY
I see. 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.
LIONEL
Fine. Fine. 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?
JEFF (V.O.)
Bonjour. Parle-je avec Docteur Perdot?
DR. PERDOT
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. I
didn‟t expect this to be your direct line.
DR. PERDOT
That‟s okay. What can I do for you?
JEFF (V.O.)
I‟m calling about an article I read in the New
England Journal of Medicine.
DR. PERDOT
Ah, yes. 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. I‟ll stay in touch.
Merci.
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.
JEFF
Shelley? Please send back Mr. Murphy.
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.
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. Our
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 pitch-
meeting – 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?
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. He
looks at Jeff, and indicates the folders.
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. We fight
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.
PAT
Okay. So what exactly does that mean?
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. And pause
uncomfortably.
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. As she rises, she
extends a hand to each of them.
LESLIE
I‟m sorry, Dr. Faust. 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. Jeff motions to follow her,
but she waves him off.
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.
JEFF
What the Hell? Oh, Mr. Murphy. Now‟s not a good
time.
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.
JEFF
Fine. 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. Then stay
away.
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.
MEPHISTOPHELES
Wait. First, you abide by your promise and
listen.
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. And a little like the
Robert Johnson story.
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
Your financial situation – that woman from the
bank – you need money, don‟t you? To finance
your publishing interests, to get Lionel Berg‟s
next 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
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?
JEFF
Sure. 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)
What?!? Is he okay?
EMILY (V.O.)
Jeff, brace yourself for a second. He‟s dead.
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?
JEFF
No. 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.
EMILY (V.O.)
Okay. 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.
PAT
No shit? 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.
PAT
Oh. You okay? 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.
PAT
Hmmm. 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)
Okay. Good idea.
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.
JEFF
Thank you. 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. Your uncle told
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?
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
JEFF
That‟s crazy. I had no idea.
THADDEUS
Now you do. 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 straight-
forward 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. Will it help with
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.
JEFF
Okay, mom. I love you.
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? You sick son-of-a-
bitch!
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.
JEFF
What rules? 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. No one is
free.
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. He reaches down, turns the radio back
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,
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. I‟ve never been to
Europe.
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.
LUCY
I am. 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! You said no one would
die!
MEPHISTOPHELES
It was their time.
JEFF
Bullshit! You said this was a free-will
offering! 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.
PAT
That‟s funny. What‟d you say your firm was
called?
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. Thanks for the
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.
PAT
Okay, Luce. I‟ll see you around.
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.
JEFF
Fuck it. 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. As
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.
JEFF (CONT‟D)
Okay. We‟ll give it a shot.
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.
ROBBIE
What the…? 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! Oh my God! Dr. Faust,
what do we do?
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…
JEFF
Robbie! 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.
ROBBIE
What?!? 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.
JEFF
Good. 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. But you
can go see her now. Follow me.
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