DT2 The Drawing of The Three (Screenplay)

THE DRAWING OF THE THREE
(THE DARK TOWER, VOL. II)
Screenplay by
Sean Negley
Based on the book by
Stephen King
First Draft - 2014

RENEWAL
FADE IN:
EXT. BEACH - MID-WORLD - DAY
We start with the final shots of Volume I. ROLAND DESCHAIN,

The Gunslinger, sits on top of a dune, the beach of the
Western Sea in front of him.
He stares off into the horizon. The blue sky fades into red,
far off at the edge of the world. Clouds part and we see a
mirage of THE DARK TOWER. It glows, calling out, begging us
to climb its steps.
Time-lapse day-to-night transition. A little way down the

beach, Roland has fallen asleep. The waves crash nearby, the
tide coming up.
ROLAND’S DREAM
Out-of-focus on a Tarot card, The Sailor. A young man stands

on a sinking boat, against a starry background. The image
comes to life, animated. The boat sinks, the young man
chooses not to fight for his life. He looks up to reveal the
face of JAKE CHAMBERS. He is relieved as he drowns.
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
The tide has risen and a wave comes up to Roland, dousing his
legs and part of his hips. Close on Roland’s gunbelts when
the water hits. He is awake instantly.
A creature came along for the ride of the wave. This

LOBSTROSITY is four feet long, looking like a cross between a
scorpion and a giant lobster. It has a sharp serrated beak
and eyes on stalks. And it can kinda talk its own little
language.
LOBSTROSITY
Did-a-chick? Dum-a-chum? Dad-a-cham?
Ded-a-check?
2.
Roland tries to stand up, but his legs are too stiff. The
Lobstrosity inches closer, dum-a-chumming. Another wave is
coming. Roland uses his hands to drag his ass up to avoid
getting his guns and shells wetter.
LOBSTROSITY (CONT’D)
Dod-a-chock?
The Lobstrosity is much closer, moving cautiously. Roland

inches up a little more and tries to stand again.
Roland puts his hands out in the sand, to brace himself. The
Lobstrosity dashes forward, moving at a speed of which his
previous behavior hadn’t hinted at.
The Lobstrosity bites into Roland’s right hand. Roland curses

in pain and shakes his hand away. He holds his hand up to see
the index and middle fingers are nothing but stumps now,
blood trickling out.
Did-a-chick? Dum-a-chum? Dad-a-cham?
Roland staggers to his feet. The Lobstrosity’s claw slashes

out and takes a chunk of meat from his right calf.
Roland draws his gun with his right hand, and it goes thump
in the sand. The Lobstrosity snaps at the weapon. Roland
yells and kicks him away from it. The Lobstrosity retreats a
few steps.
Roland bends to pick up his gun, drops it, curses and picks
it back up. He clutches the handle with his remaining right
fingers. He draws his left gun and pulls the trigger three
times. CLICK, CLICK, CLICK. The bullets are wet, ruined.
Dim-a-chim? Dod-a-chod? Dab-a-chab?
Roland holsters his left gun easily, but almost drops his
right one again. Blood slimes the sandalwood grips; blood
spots the holster and his jeans; blood pours from the holes
in his hand. Roland knows serious problems are ahead.
3.
He retreats on numb legs. The Lobstrosity scurries forward.

Roland’s foot hits a decent-sized rock and he almost falls.
He turns to look at it and snaps down into a crouch. He
reaches behind and takes hold of the rock. The Lobstrosity
comes right up to him, claws inches from Roland’s face.
Dad-a--
There is a crunching noise as Roland smashes the rock down on

the Lobstrosity’s head. The claws still try to pinch and
close. Roland stands up and stamps his boot down on the body,
careful not to get cut by the claws. Crunch, crunch, crunch
as Roland stomps and takes his revenge.
Roland walks away from the water like a drunken man, holding
his wounded hand against his shirt. He looks back to make
sure the thing isn’t still alive, and that there aren’t more
of them. Roland reaches his purse and picks it up.
Roland retreats up to the grassy edge and sits down. He opens

his purse and digs out his tobacco. He sprinkles it thickly
onto his wounds to stop the bleeding. He rips off a swath of
his shirt, binds his hand with it.
He holds his hand, a deadly weapon now ruined, and stares out
at the sea.
EXT. BEACH - MORNING
Roland is awake and has removed his guns and belts. He

removes the useless shells from his guns and throws them
away. A nearby bird picks a shell up in its mouth, then drops
it, pecks at it a little.
Roland carefully runs his hand over each gun belt, seeing
just how damp the leather is. They’re wet in the front, from
buckle to where they cross his hips. Roland removes the
shells from the dry portions. His right hand keeps trying to
do its job, forgetting its reduction.
4.
He puts those shells in a pile, the ones that are hopefully

good. Only around twenty of them. And who knows how many will
misfire.
He removes the rest and puts them in a separate pile, the wet
ones. There’s quite a bit more, around thirty-seven or so.
Roland shakes his head a little.
He grabs his purse and takes out a rag. He bundles the thirty-
seven-odd wet shells and ties it up, putting it into his
purse. He lets his gunbelts dry in the sun.
Roland disassembles his guns and begins the ritual of

cleaning. Short shots. Cleaning the cylinders, cleaning the
barrel, inspecting firing pin, etc.
Roland reassembles the guns and loads the “good” shells in.
He puts the rest back in the dry spots in the belts.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Roland continues north along the beach. His right hand is

infected, red swelling that spreads up the palm and to the
wrist. The swelling stops there, but we can see the faint
beginnings of other red lines, which will eventually lead to
his heart and kill him.
He is exhausted and feverish. He falls in the sand and cuts

his left forearm. Transitional shot of the pounding sun.
Roland drinks the last of his water. The red lines of

infection are more pronounced, marching up from his wrist
halfway to the elbow.
Roland continues walking. He sees something a distance ahead,

perhaps a mile, but it’s hard to judge accurately. It’s
something that stands upright on the beach.
Roland quickens his pace, his legs buckling, straightening,

buckling. Some hair falls in his face and he doesn’t care to
push it away, doesn’t have the strength really.
5.
He’s closer now and we can make out the object. It’s A DOOR,
standing by itself in the sand. No frame, just a door with a
knob. Something is written on it, but we can’t see it yet.
Roland’s legs buckle and don’t straighten right. He falls

again, his right hand dragging against sand and shells. He
crawls, using his elbows and knees. He breathes steadily,
intent on living and moving.
The door grows closer. Roland gets back to his feet and walks
the rest of the way to the door.
The door stands six and a half feet high and is made of solid
ironwood. The doorknob looks as if it’s made of gold,
filigreed with a design of a grinning baboon. There is no
keyhole above, below or in the knob. The door has hinges, but
they are fastened to nothing.
Written upon it in black letters two-thirds of the way up,

written in the HIGH SPEECH, are two words. THE PRISONER.
We hear a low droning noise. Maybe the wind, but it sounds

like it’s coming from the door. Roland walks around the door
and looks at the other side.
There is no other side. There is no door, only the beach and

the waves. Roland puts out his left hand, groping and hitting
air. And the droning sound has disappeared as well.
Roland walks back to the other side, thinking he’s

hallucinating all this. He stops. There’s the door again. One
frame it isn’t there, the next frame it’s solid.
Roland moves back a step. The door is gone. He moves forward

a step. The door is there. Droning sound, no droning,
droning, etc. Roland walks around to face the door.
He grabs the knob with his left hand. A little spark of

electricity appears. He turns the knob. The door opens
towards him when he pulls. Roland looks through the door.
Reverse shot. We’re high in the sky, miles above the planet
Earth, floating across it like a dream.
6.
Roland freezes. He’s never seen such a view in his life. He

stares dumbfounded.
The viewpoint changes. The angle turns to the right,

revealing we’re inside a commercial airplane. The angle is at
the level of someone’s head, as if looking through a foreign
pair of eyes.
A Stewardess walks down the aisle of the plane. The view in

the door turns and we hear a Man’s voice.
VOICE (O.S.)
Excuse me.
(Stewardess turns to us)
Can I get a gin & tonic?
STEWARDESS
Certainly. Back in a minute.
She continues down the aisle. The viewpoint rises, standing

up out of his seat. Walking down the airplane’s aisle.
Roland feels a dizzy spell coming on and rubs his temples.
The viewpoint has entered the airplane’s bathroom. He runs

cold water from the sink and runs it over his hands. He
splashes some onto us, rubbing us. He parts his hands and
looks in the mirror.
We meet EDDIE DEAN, of New York, son of Gloria, brother of

Henry. The Prisoner. Eddie is in his mid-twenties.
Without thought, Roland steps through the doorway.
INT. EDDIE’S MIND
It’s impossible to describe with words what it’s like to be

inside somebody else’s mind. The only description King gives
for this is "being in Eddie's mind had been like being in a
room with jittery, sweating walls.”
7.
Roland’s consciousness will be represented by a ball of

purple light with faint facial features. The atmosphere is
hazy, undefined, with an orange tint in the lighting. Think
of it as being in a small room (perhaps a cell) under the
influence of drugs, unable to focus.
There are vast filing cabinets, filled with memories and

knowledge. A control panel sits in front of a large window,
his eyes.
Roland opens one of the filing cabinets. Translucent moving

pictures float out. Roland touches one. A bright flash of
light. Rapid succession of images fill the nothingness.
Roland closes the drawer and the floating images vanish. He

hovers over the control panel and looks through the window.
We see Eddie’s POV as he walks down the aisle of the
airplane, back to his seat.
INT. PLANE - DAY
The Stewardess (Jane) approaches Eddie.
JANE
Here you are sir. One gin & tonic.
EDDIE
Thank you.
She smiles as he takes his drink. He takes a big gulp.
JANE
Anything else I can get for you?
Eddie shakes his head, mouth full of booze. She nods and
continues on her way. Eddie swallows and lets out a breath of
relief. He leans his head back and closes his eyes.
Zoom in on Eddie’s arms. Do an iris-out-reveal to show bags

of cocaine taped to his armpits. (Inglourious Basterds
homage.) Eddie sleeps.
8.
EDDIE (V.O.)
I’m really nervous here Henry. I don’t
know if I can do this.
CUT TO:
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Flashback, two nights earlier. Eddie sits in a hotel in

Nassau, Bahamas. He talks on the phone with his brother
(unseen). Bags of cocaine are laid out on his bed.
HENRY
(phone)
Don’t worry, you’ll be all right
little brother. Our man’s on his way
to you now. He’ll fix you, leave you
enough stuff to take you through the
weekend. Monday morning you do the
routine just as Balazar said. You’ll
fly out, and with a face as honest as
yours, you’ll breeze through Customs
and we’ll be eating steak at home
before the sun goes down. It’s gonna
be a breeze bro, nothing but a cool
breeze.
EDDIE
Easy to say, hard as tits to do. You
ever strapped two pounds of cocaine to
your pits and breezed through Customs?
HENRY
(phone)
Hey just relax, can you do that for
me, Eddie Spaghetti?
EDDIE
You know I fucking hate it when you
call me that.
9.
HENRY
(phone)
And you know I only call you Spaghetti
because you hate it so much.
There’s a knock on the hotel door.
EDDIE
Someone’s here.
HENRY
(phone)
That’s most likely our guy. Time for
you to fly high.
EDDIE
I’ll call you tomorrow, all right?
HENRY
(phone)
I’ll put on my best dress for the
occasion.
EDDIE
Fuck you. (KNOCK-KNOCK)
Talk to you then.
He hangs up. Opens the door to reveal a MIDDLE-MAN, a man

with pale skin and an odd accent.
MIDDLE-MAN
Are you the man?
EDDIE
If I’m the man, then you’re the man
as well.
Eddie opens the door for the Middle-Man to enter.
MIDDLE-MAN
You have the key, Senor?
10.
EDDIE
The key’s safe.
MIDDLE-MAN
Then give it to me.
EDDIE
That’s not the way it goes. You’re
supposed to have something for me.
Then tomorrow night I give you the
key. What the key’s for, I don’t know
that, cause it’s not my business.
The Middle-Man points an automatic pistol at Eddie.
MIDDLE-MAN
Why don’t you just give it to me. I
will save time and effort, you will
save your life.
EDDIE
Why don’t you just put that thing
away, all right scuzzball? Or do you
want Balazar to send someone down here
and cut your eyes out with a rusty
knife?
There is deep steel in Eddie Dean, junkie or no junkie.
The Middle-Man smiles. The gun is gone, poof, back into his
pocket. He takes out a small manila envelope.
MIDDLE-MAN
Just a little joke. I see you tomorrow
night.
Eddie takes the envelope. The Middle-Man turns to leave.
EDDIE
Wait.
The Middle-Man turns back, eyebrows raised. Eddie has taken a

small bag of heroin out of the envelope.
11.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
If this is bad shit, I’ll be gone
tomorrow. Then you’ll be in deep shit.
MIDDLE-MAN
I know how it looks, it looks like
shit, but that’s just the cut. It’s
fine.
EDDIE
We’ll see about that.
Eddie takes the heroin to the night stand and dumps some of
it on a notepad. He separates it out and gathers it back up
on a finger. He rubs his finger on the roof his mouth.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
Ok, it’ll do. You can vacate the
premises now, little scuzz.
MIDDLE-MAN
I have friends. They could come in
here and do real bad things. You’d beg
to tell me where that key is.
EDDIE
Not me champ. Not this kid.
TIMECUT:
Eddie cooks the heroin. Injects it into his thigh. Stoned.

His hazel irises surrounded by pink. The TV is on, some
baseball game on TBS. The sounds all blur together and drone
on. The room fades away and all that’s left is Eddie.
FADE TO:
INT. EDDIE’S MIND
Roland stands at the memory cabinet, the image of the

previous flashback floating in front of him.
12.
Roland closes the drawer and glides over to the control

panel. The window is black, words flashing, “Sleep Mode”.
Roland looks at the control panel. None of the controls are

marked, but he just knows how to operate it. He flicks a
switch.
The lights in Eddie’s Mind turn purple as Roland takes

control. Roland’s consciousness disappears and an orange
light-figure appears, with Eddie’s face, still sleeping.
INT. PLANE - DAY
The Stewardess (Jane) walks down the aisle.
EDDIE (O.S.)
Hello, miss?
She turns to face Eddie/Roland. She feels subconsciously

attracted to his baby-blue eyes.
JANE
Yes, how can I help you?
EDDIE (ROLAND)
I’d like something to eat, please.
JANE
We’ll be serving a hot snack in--
EDDIE (ROLAND)
I’m really starving though. Anything
at all, even a popkin--
JANE
Popkin?
A directory of words and phrases pops up on the screen.

Eddie’s lexicon. It scrolls through at a rapid pace, like a
computer doing a search. It stops on the word “sandwich”.
13.
EDDIE (ROLAND)
A sandwich would be nice.
JANE
I have some tuna fish.
EDDIE (ROLAND)
That would be fine.
JANE
You do look a little pale. I thought
maybe it was air-sickness.
EDDIE (ROLAND)
Pure hunger.
JANE
I’ll see what I can rustle up.
She smiles and exits. Eddie/Roland looks around, sees a

magazine behind the seat in front of him. His eyes widen and
he grabs it, opens it up. It’s a National Geographic type
publication. Eddie/Roland thumbs through it, fascinated by
the foreign images.
Jane returns with his sandwich.
JANE (CONT’D)
Here you are. I hope this helps.
EDDIE (ROLAND)
Thankee-sai.
That catches her attention. She smiles her best, but her eyes
aren’t smiling.
JANE
You’re welcome.
She exits.
14.
Near the front, Jane talks to her female co-worker, PAULA.
JANE (CONT’D)
Hey Paula, have you talked to the man
in 3A at all?
Paula looks down to see Eddie/Roland.
PAULA
No, don’t think so. Why what’s up?
JANE
I don’t know, but he seems... off. He
might be a foreigner trying to sound
American, he’s using these weird words
and talks funny. And I could have
sworn his eyes were green earlier, and
now they’re blue.
PAULA
Hmm... Maybe he just has colored
contacts. Self-conscious of his looks
or something.
JANE
Maybe... I don’t know. I’ll keep an
eye on him, but if you see anything
suspicious let me know.
...
Back to Eddie/Roland. He holds the sandwich in his left hand.
He closes his eyes and we see Roland’s purple light exit
Eddie’s head. The sandwich in his hand disappears.
Roland’s body lays in the sand. The door remains open.

Roland’s purple consciousness exits the door and zaps into
his body. Roland’s eyes open. He lifts his left hand to see
the sandwich. He smiles and gobbles it greedily.
15.
INT. PLANE - DAY
Eddie wakes up. His eyes are hazel again. He rubs his eyes
and looks out the window. Jane walks by, noticing his
sandwich is gone. She furrows her brow a little and keeps
walking.
Eddie stands up and goes to the head.
Roland finishes the sandwich. He looks back to the door,

seeing Eddie in the bathroom.
INT. PLANE - BATHROOM - DAY
Eddie snorts heroin. Roland’s purple light enters his head.
Eddie looks up at himself in the mirror.
HENRY (V.O.)
You can do this. Be a man. Be cool.
Cool as a fucking carrot.
INT. EDDIE’S MIND
Roland watches Eddie through the window, hearing his thought

process.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
I must’ve blanked out hard back there.
Calm calm calm. Be cool. This’ll be a
breeze. Clearing Customs, no fucking
problem. You can do this, be cool, be
good, be smart, be you.
INT. PLANE - DAY
Eddie returns to his seat. Jane approaches.

16.
JANE
Wow, you must have been hungry.
EDDIE
Huh?
JANE
Did you eat that sandwich all in one
bite?
EDDIE
Sandwich? Uh... no thanks, I’m good.
Jane picks up that they’re not on the same level. She sees
that his eyes are hazel again.
JANE
Well, if you need anything else, let
me know.
Eddie stares out the window. Jane walks away, faster,

suspicious.
INT. EDDIE’S MIND
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
She suspects us.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
What?
Roland’s consciousness pulsates a little. Eddie heard him,

sensed him. Roland flips a switch and the lights turn purple.
INT. PLANE - DAY
Jane talks with Paula.
JANE
There’s definitely something going on
with 3A.
(MORE)
17.
JANE (CONT'D)
He ate an entire sandwich in a few
seconds, and then acted like he didn’t
remember even ordering one. And his
eyes, they’re green again.
PAULA
You sure you’re not just seeing
things?
JANE
No, there’s something wrong here. At
the very least, I’d say he’s on drugs.
PAULA
Hmmm, maybe, that could explain the
hunger, and memory loss.
JANE
And I don’t know, maybe he’s
smuggling.
PAULA
You should tell the Captain. Just tell
him there’s a suspicious passenger,
possibly on drugs.
JANE
Yeah... thanks.
Back to Eddie/Roland. He sees Jane knocking on the cockpit’s

door. The door opens and she enters, looking back briefly.
She turns to talk to the Captain and closes the door.
Eddie/Roland’s eyes narrow. He takes a coin out of his pocket

and clutches it in his left hand. The purple light exits
Eddie’s head.
Roland wakes up and lifts his left hand. Eddie’s coin is

there. Roland takes a shell from his belt and puts it next to
the coin. He closes his hand.
18.
INT. PLANE - DAY
Eddie blinks, dumbfounded. The purple light enters his head

and his eyes turn from hazel to blue. He opens his left hand;
the coin is there but the bullet didn’t make it across.
INT. EDDIE’S MIND
The lights go from purple to orange. Eddie’s consciousness

disappears and Roland’s purple light is there again.
INT. PLANE - DAY
Eddie stares forward.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Whoa, this shit’s kicking in.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Listen to me fellow. Listen carefully.
And if you would remain safe, let your
face show nothing which might further
arouse suspicion.
Eddie’s face tightens. Is this voice in his head? Is he just

maybe too high?
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Be cool. You’re not hearing anything.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Straighten up maggot! They’re
suspicious enough without you looking
as if you’ve gone crazy.
Eddie shakes his head, as if he’s been whacked.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
What in the blue fuck is going on?
19.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
You’re not hearing voices that aren’t
there. That’s the first thing. You’re
not going crazy. I am another person.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Is this like telepathy?
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
I don’t know that word. But I do know
that those army women know you are
carrying drugs.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Army women?
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
The women in uniforms. The sky-
carriage officials.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
... Oh, the stewardesses.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Never mind, just listen. Time is very
short. They know you have this...
(short pause, sound of
words scrolling)
cocaine strapped on. They’re telling
the Captain as we speak.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
How could they know?
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
I don’t know how they came by their
knowledge, and it doesn’t matter.
They’ll tell the Captain, and he’ll
tell whatever gunslingers await us.
The ones we need to see to perform the
Clearing of Customs.
20.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
What in the name of God are you?
The “Fasten Seat Belts” lights DING.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
There is a place where you can put the
drugs while you perform the Clearing
of Customs. A safe place. Then later
you can get it again and take it to
this man Balazar.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Jesus man, do you know everything
about me?
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Get your bag. Get your jacket. Then go
to the privy again.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Privy?... Oh, bathroom.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Fucking move!
Eddie moves. Paula is nearby and tries to stop him from going
to the bathroom.
PAULA
Sir! The fasten seat belts light is on!
EDDIE
I don’t feel well, excuse me.
He enters the bathroom and locks the door.
Paula goes to Jane.
PAULA
Your man in 3A just locked himself in
the bathroom! Shit Jane he looks
scared, crazy like he could snap.
21.
JANE
Oh Jesus, I gotta tell the Captain.
We’re about to land, so I guess we
just have to sit tight and pray he
doesn’t... get dangerous.
INT. PLANE - BATHROOM - DAY
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
If you’re there, you better do
something very quick, whoever you are.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Get ready. I can’t do it alone. I can
come forward but I can’t make you come
through. You have to do it with me.
Turn around.
Eddie turns. He sees a hole in the side of the bathroom, a

hole that looks like a doorway. Through it we can see the
beach and the Western Sea.
ROLAND (THOUGHT) (CONT’D)

Go through.
Eddie is frozen for a moment.

Go through, damn you!
Eddie moans and steps forward. He walks through the doorway.
Eddie comes through the door and stumbles in the sand. He

falls and barely stops himself from hitting his head on the
ground. Roland rises up next to him, he gets to his feet.
22.
Eddie comes face to face with Roland for the first time.
Roland’s face is gaunt, the skin stretched over his bones
like strips of cloth wound around metal. Spots of red cover
his flesh, the infection has spread quite far.
Roland’s blue eyes are alive and full of tenacious vitality.
EDDIE
Are you a ghost?
ROLAND
Not yet. The devil-weed. Cocaine.
Whatever you call it. Take it off.
EDDIE
Your arms.
Roland’s arms are red with blood poisoning.
ROLAND
Never mind my fucking arms! Take off
your shirt and get rid of it!
Eddie takes his shirt off, revealing the cocaine.
EXT. PLANE - DAY
Establishing shot of the plane landing at JFK airport.
INT. PLANE - DAY
Flight Attendants usher Passengers off the plane. Jane walks

with The Captain, back to the bathroom.
JANE
He locked himself in shortly before
landing. This is the one I was telling
you about. I think he’s smuggling
drugs, or something. Paula saw him
also, she said he looked crazy.
23.
The Captain knocks on the bathroom door.
CAPTAIN
Attention in there! This is the
Captain speaking! You need to open
this door right now and exit this
plane!
Pound, pound, pound. No response from within.
CAPTAIN (CONT’D)
(to Jane)
Call the terminal, get Customs over
here now!
Eddie tries to take the tape off his chest.
ROLAND
You can leave it here, pick it up later.
EDDIE
I can’t get this shit off. There’s too
much tape.
ROLAND
Get my knife. It’s in my purse.
He gestures to his bag in the sand. Eddie sees the cloth

wrapped around his right hand, and the fact that he’s
pointing with invisible fingers.
Eddie grabs Roland’s purse and digs through it. Takes out the
knife. Eddie marvels at the design on the handle. Roland hits
him in the side of the head.
ROLAND (CONT’D)
Admire it later, prisoner! For now
just use it! Cut the tape.
(MORE)
24.
ROLAND (CONT’D)
If they break into yon privy while
you’re still over here, I’ve got a
feeling you’re going to be here for a
very long time. And with a corpse for
company.
Eddie starts cutting the tape off.
INT. PLANE - DAY
CUSTOMS AGENTS approach the Captain.
AGENT
Sir, we’re Federal Customs officers--
CAPTAIN
I know who you are, I requested you!
Now you just stand right there because
this is my plane and that guy in there
is one of my geese. Once he’s off the
plane, he’s your goose and you can
cook him any way you want. I’m going
to give this son of a bitch one more
chance, and then we’re going to break
the door in.
(whacks on door)
Come on out my friend! I’m done asking!
(whacks on door, no
answer)
Okay. Let’s break it down.
Eddie cuts himself a little while getting the tape off.
EDDIE
Shit.
ROLAND
It can’t be helped now. Finish the job.
25.
EDDIE
I can’t see, my fucking chin’s in
the way.
Roland kneels down and takes the knife in his left hand. His
hand is shaking, he steadies it.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
Are you left-handed?
ROLAND
No.
EDDIE
Oh Jesus.
Eddie closes his eyes. Roland’s hand levels out and he cuts
through the rest of the tape.
ROLAND
There. Pull it off as far as you can.
I’ll get the back.
Through the door, we can hear the Captain banging on the door
and yelling for Eddie.
Eddie grabs a thick swatch of tape and yanks it. It hurts

like hell but he’s not a pansy. Roland cuts through the tape
on his back. Eddie removes the bag of coke from his right
armpit and drops it in the sand. They both tear off the
remaining tape, freeing him of the drugs.
ROLAND (CONT’D)
Put your shirt on. Do it fast.
Eddie complies. He decides to unbuckle his pants.
ROLAND (CONT’D)
There’s no time for that!
EDDIE
I know what I’m doing.
26.
INT. PLANE - DAY
CAPTAIN
On three. One, two, three!
The Captain and the lead Customs Agent break through the
bathroom door.
Eddie sits on the toilet, his pants around his knees.
CAPTAIN (CONT’D)
What in the hell are you doing in here?
EDDIE
Well I was taking a crap, but if all
you guys got a problem with that, I
guess I could wipe myself in the
terminal--
CAPTAIN
And I suppose you didn’t hear us
banging on the door?
EDDIE
Couldn’t reach it. I probably could
have gotten up, but I, like, had a
desperate situation on my hands.
CAPTAIN
Get up.
He grabs Eddie’s arms and lifts him up.
EDDIE
Don’t get personal now.
AGENT
Shut up and stand still.
The Captain peers into the toilet.
CAPTAIN
Empty.
27.
EDDIE
Well you know how it is. Sometimes
it’s just a false alarm. I let off a
couple of real rippers though. I mean,
we’re talking swamp gas. If you light
a match in here, you’ll have a roasted
Thanksgiving turkey, knowwhatimean?
CAPTAIN
(to Customs)
Get rid of him.
The Agents start taking him away. Eddie holds his pants to
his waist.
EDDIE
Hey! I want my bag! And my jacket!
AGENT
Oh we want you to have all your stuff.
We’ll make sure nothing of yours gets
left behind. We’re very interested in
your stuff. Now, let’s go little buddy.
EDDIE
Take it easy man, mellow out.
The Agents carry him away, his feet not even touching the
ground.
INT. WHITE ROOM - DAY
We’re in a bare white room, with only one chair for

furniture. Eddie is being questioned by the Customs Agents,
dressed in his underwear. There are seven Agents present,
half of them smoking cigarettes. The two Agents from the
plane do the questioning.
Eddie wants to jitter and jive. Inside. Outward he remains

cool, looking at them with amused interest.
28.
AGENT 1
That’s a very interesting red mark on
your chest there Mr. Dean. It looks
like a stripe. It looks like you had
something taped there and all at once
decided it would be a good idea to rip
it off.
EDDIE
Nah, I picked up an allergy in the
Bahamas, I told you that. We’ve been
through this several times. I’m trying
to keep my good sense of humor, but
it’s getting harder as time goes on.
AGENT 1
Fuck your sense of humor.
AGENT 2
What about that hole in your gut?
Where’d that come from Eddie?
EDDIE
I was itchy, I must have itched it too
hard while I was sleeping. You can ask
the stew, she’ll tell you I was asleep
most of the flight. Do you usually get
big drug smugglers who snooze on their
way in?
AGENT 2
Maybe you weren’t sleeping. Could’ve
been on the nod. That could be a
needlemark.
EDDIE
Gimme a break. When you checked my
pupils, you were in my face so hard I
thought you were going to soul-kiss
me. You know I wasn’t on the nod.
29.
AGENT 1
For an innocent lamb, you know an
awful lot about dope Eddie.
EDDIE
I’m a big Miami Vice fan. Now tell me
the truth, how many times are we going
to go through this?
AGENT 2
(grabbing Eddie’s arm)
And these aren’t needle tracks, that
right? I can’t remember, what’d you
say they were?
EDDIE
Mosquito bites. Almost healed.
AGENT 1
Mosquito bites.
EDDIE
Yes.
AGENT 1
And the red mark’s an allergic reaction.
EDDIE
Yes. I had it when I went to the
Bahamas, it just got worse down there.
AGENT 1
(to #2)
He had it when he went down there.
AGENT 2
Uh-huh. You believe it?
AGENT 1
Sure.
AGENT 2
You believe in Santa Claus?
30.
AGENT 1
Sure. When I was a kid I had my
picture taken with him once.
(to Eddie)
You got a picture of this famous red
mark from before you took your little
trip, Eddie?
No response from Eddie. Roland speaks to Eddie.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
It’s okay. You done good, kid. Keep it
steady, don’t let things go to your head.
AGENT 2
If you’re clean, why won’t you take a
blood test?
EDDIE
You know I’m clean.
Eddie stands up suddenly. The Agents move back, startled.

Eddie addresses the Smoker closest to him.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
If you don’t get that coffin-nail out
of my face, I’m going to knock it out.
The Smoker backs away, not scared, just backing off.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
You guys emptied the crap-tank on the
plane already. You’ve been through my
stuff. I bent over and let you stick
the world’s longest finger up my ass.
I’m sitting here in my Jockies with
you guys blowing smoke in my face. You
want a blood test? Kay. Get someone in
here to do it. But if you want to do
it without a court order, whoever does
it better bring a lot of extra hypos
and vials, because I’ll be damned if
I’m gonna bleed alone.
(MORE)
31.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
I want a Federal marshal in here, and
I want each one of you to take the
same goddamn test, and I want your
names and IDs on each vial, and I want
them to go into that marshal’s
custody. Whatever you test me for--
cocaine, heroin, bennies, pot,
whatever-- I want those same tests
performed on your samples. And then I
want the results turned over to my
lawyer.
AGENT 1
Oh boy, YOUR LAWYER. That’s what it
always come down to with you shitbags,
isn’t it? You’ll hear from MY LAWYER.
I’ll sic MY LAWYER on you. That crap
makes me want to puke.
AGENT 2
I’d like you to take your shorts down
again, please, Mr. Dean.
EDDIE
I’m through taking things off, taking
things down, and eating this shit. You
get someone in here to do a bunch of
blood tests or I’m getting out.
Silence for a couple beats. One of the Agents in the back

speaks.
AGENT 3
Give him his clothes.
They comply. Agent 3 addresses Eddie as he puts himself

together.
AGENT 3 (CONT’D)
I don’t know what you had or how you
got rid of it, but I want you to know
that we’re going to find out.
32.
INT. AIRPORT - DAY
Eddie exits the White Room, with the Agents talking amongst
themselves. Eddie relaxes and talks with Roland.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Holy fucking shit right? I don’t know
how I got through that.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
You have steel Eddie Dean.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Henry always tells me I got the Three
Bs. Big Brass Balls.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
He says truth. Now, I have to go, but
I’ll only be a few moments.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Why?
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Look back through the door.
Eddie stops and turns his head. The door to the beach stands
open, three feet behind his head. It follows him, appearing
when he puts his attention on it.
Through the door we can see Roland’s body on the beach. The
water has come up a bit. Lobstrosities crawl around nearby.

If I don’t move myself, I won’t have
anything to return back to. You’ll be
all right?
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
(continues walking)
Yeah sure. TCB man.
33.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
I do not understand.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Go take care of business.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Oh. All right. I’ll not be long.
Roland’s purple light zooms out of Eddie’s head and goes

through the doorway.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
This dude’s a fucking trip man.
Eddie continues walking, the door remaining open with him. We

see Roland get up and start to crawl away from the
Lobstrosities. The viewpoint through the door changes as
Roland moves. It stays with him on his side as well.
EXT. BEACH - MID-WORLD - NIGHT
Roland stands up on weak legs. He walks, but it’s slow.
LOBSTROSITY
(fifteen feet behind)
Did-a-chick? Dum-a-chum? Ded-a-check?
The open door follows Roland as he walks towards the rocky

shoreline.
INT. TAXICAB - MOVING - DAY
Eddie rides in the back of a cab. He looks behind his

shoulder and sees the door floating in the street, following
him. Not too far behind is a black car, Customs Agents
tailing him. Another van follows him, this one a panel truck
with “Ginelli’s Pizza” written on the sides.
CABBIE
You think we’re being tailed?
34.
EDDIE
(turning forward)
Huh?
CABBIE
You keep looking back. Like you’re
watching out for someone following you.
EDDIE
Oh no, I’m just a student of traffic
patterns, that’s all.
CABBIE
Oh. ... Because if you did think we
were being tailed, we’re not. I’d
know. I’ve tailed plenty of people in
my time. You’d be surprised how many
people jump in and say “Follow that
car!”
The Cabbie continues his chatter as Roland’s purple light

enters Eddie’s head.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
I’m back.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Taken care of?
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Yes. I’m sorry it took so long. I had
to crawl. If we’re to survive this
ordeal I’ll need medicine. Otherwise I
won’t live on the other side.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
What medicine you need?
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Something to stop fever and infection.
We have a potion here called Blustuss,
but only magicians use it.
35.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Yeah we got all kinds of wonder drugs
over here.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Like magic potions?
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Nah, we mainly do things in pill form.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Oh. ... Where are we headed?
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
My place. I gotta take a shower and
compose myself.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
We’re being followed.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Yep. We got the Customs agents in the
not-at-all-inconspicuous-Federal-Agent-
Mobile, and Balazar’s cronies in the
pizza truck.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Do you think it’s wise to go to your
home? Can we lose them?
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
It doesn’t matter, they both know
where I live anyway.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
(regarding the scenery)
Never, even as a child, did I see
buildings so high. And there are so
many of them!
36.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Yeah, we live like a bunch of ants in
a hill. It may look good to you, but
it gets old. It gets old in a hurry.
FADE TO:
INT. EDDIE’S APARTMENT - FLASHBACK - DAY
We meet HENRY DEAN, of New York, brother of Eddie, The Great

Sage And Eminent Junkie. Currently he’s sleeping on the
couch, well actually, he’s on the nod. A lit cigarette lays
on his chest, burning a hole in his shirt and his skin.
The front door opens and Eddie enters.
EDDIE
Henry, you here?!
He sees Henry passed out. He sees the place is a mess.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
Oh Christ. Fucking look at this place
man. Henry!
Henry mumbles. Eddie comes up to him and puts out the

cigarette. He slaps Henry’s chest to make sure any embers
aren’t still burning, and to wake him up. Henry stirs.
HENRY
Hey little brother.
EDDIE
Henry, you gotta take care of this.
This is getting out of hand. You’re a
bust waiting to happen.
HENRY
I got it all under control, Eddie
Spaghetti. Big Hen has got his shit
under control.
37.
EDDIE
Yeah fucking right man. Big Henry. The
Great Sage And Eminent Junkie.
Shove over.
Eddie pushes Henry aside and plops down on the couch.
Eddie cooks heroin. Injects himself. They both sit on the

couch, watching some movie on TV, blasting off.
FADE TO:
EXT. EDDIE’S APARTMENT - DAY
The cab pulls up to the curb, Eddie pays and exits.

Eddie looks up at his apartment building and sighs. He starts
walking to the door when the Pizza Truck pulls up. Eddie
stiffens but doesn’t turn.
The Pizza windows roll down and we meet COL VINCENT and JACK
ANDOLINI (driver’s seat). Balazar’s Men.
COL
Hey Eddie. Heard you had some trouble.
Eddie turns to face them. He sees they don’t have any guns
drawn, so walks to the truck.
EDDIE
Nothing I couldn’t handle.
COL
Well, good. That’s good.
Silence. Col looks at Eddie. Eddie looks at Jack. Jack looks

at no one.
JACK
Hop in Eddie. Let’s take a ride.
EDDIE
Where?
38.
JACK
Balazar’s. He wants to know about his
goods.
EDDIE
I have his goods. They’re safe.
JACK
Fine. Then nobody has anything to
worry about.
Jack still hasn’t turned to look at him. He stares out the

windshield in front of him.
EDDIE
I want to go upstairs first. Change my
clothes, talk to Henry--
COL
And get fixed up, don’t forget that.
Except you got nothing to fix with,
little chum.
EDDIE
Why’s that?
JACK
Mr. Balazar thought it would be better
to make sure you guys had a clean
place. In case anyone showed up.
COL
People with a Federal search warrant,
for instance. He sent in a cleaning
service to wash walls and vacuum the
carpets. The good news is, he ain’t
gonna charge you a red cent for it!
It’s on the house Eddie.
EDDIE
Where’s Henry?
Jack Andolini finally turns his head to face Eddie.

39.
JACK
Safe.
He turns his head slowly back. Eddie’s leg jitters, a sign

he’s scared and in need of a fix.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Quit it. Be calm. I’m all the control
you’ll need.
Eddie takes a deep breath.
EDDIE
This isn’t the way the deal was
supposed to go down. This isn’t why I
took care of Balazar’s goods and hung
onto my lip while some other guy would
have been puking out five names for
every year off on the plea-bargain.
JACK
Balazar thought your brother would be
safer with him. He took him into
protective custody.
EDDIE
Well you thank him for me, and you
tell him that I’m back, his goods are
safe and I can take care of Henry just
fine. You tell him I’ll have a six
pack on ice and when Henry walks in
here, we’ll split it and then we’ll
get in the car and come on down to
Balazar town and do the deal like it
was supposed to be done. Like we
talked about it.
JACK
Balazar wants to see you Eddie. Get in
the truck.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Be cool Eddie.
40.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
I am cool.
JACK
You gotta understand the deal changed
when the Customs people put the arm on
you. Balazar is a big man. He has
interests to protect. People to
protect. One of those people, it just
so happens, is your beloved brother
Henry. You think that’s bullshit? If
you do, you better think about the way
Henry is now.
EDDIE
Henry’s fine.
JACK
Henry isn’t fine. He needs someone to
watch out for him. He needs-- what’s
that song say? A bridge over troubled
waters. That’s what Henry needs. A
bridge over troubled waters. Il Roche
is being that bridge.
EDDIE
So Henry’s at Balazar’s place?
JACK
Yes.
EDDIE
I give him the goods, he gives me
Henry.
JACK
And your goods, don’t forget that.
EDDIE
The deal goes back to normal.
JACK
Right.
41.
EDDIE
Now tell me if you think that’s really
going to happen. Come on Jack, tell
me. I wanna see if you can do it with
a straight face. And I wanna see how
much your nose grows.
JACK
I don’t understand you Eddie.
EDDIE
Sure you do. Balazar thinks I’ve got
his goods? If he thinks that, he must
be stupid, and I know he’s not stupid.
JACK
I don’t know what he thinks. It’s not
my job to know what he thinks. He
knows you had his goods when you got
on that plane, he knows Customs
grabbed you and then let you go, he
knows you’re here and not on your way
to Riker’s, he knows his goods have to
be somewhere.
EDDIE
And he knows Customs is on me like
white on rice. He thinks they turned
me. He thinks they’re running me. He
thinks I might be stupid enough to
run. I don’t exactly blame him. I
mean, why not? A smackhead will do
anything. You want to check, see if
I’m wearing a wire?
JACK
I know you’re not.
EDDIE
Yeah?
42.
JACK
Yeah. So do we get in the van and go
into the city or what?
EDDIE
Do I have a choice?
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
No.
JACK
No.
Eddie nods and opens the passenger door.
EDDIE
(to Col)
Push over, champ.
Eddie enters.
INT. BALAZAR’S - OFFICE - DAY
We meet ENRICO BALAZAR (early 50s). Balazar is a second-

generation Sicilian, the Big Boss of this operation. He is a
fat man who dresses far below his means; a plain red-and-
black striped shirt, open three buttons down from the neck
and revealing a clean white undershirt, simple tweed pants.
Balazar builds a House of Cards. He puts the finishing touch

on the base, the bottom layer. He takes two cards to start
the second layer, leaning them against each other, making an
inverted V. He makes another V and lays down a roof card.
INT. BALAZAR’S - STORAGE ROOM - DAY
A group of men play Trivial Pursuit. Balazar’s men -- GEORGE

BIONDI, KEVIN BLAKE, CARLOCIMI DRETTO and TRICKS POSTINO --
sit in a loose circle around HENRY DEAN. Henry’s flying high
on H, no need for them to tie him up.
43.
GEORGE BIONDI
Okay here’s an easy one Henry. Henry?
You there, Henry? Earth to Henry,
Earth people need you.
HENRY
(slurry)
I’m here, I’m here.
GEORGE BIONDI
Okay. The category is Arts and
Entertainment. The question is...
Henry? Don’t you fuckin nod off on me,
asshole!
HENRY
I’m not!
GEORGE BIONDI
Okay. The question is, “What
enormously popular novel by William
Peter Blatty, set in the posh
Washington D.C. suburb of Georgetown,
concerned the demonic possession of a
young girl?”
HENRY
(after a beat)
Johnny Cash.
TRICKS POSTINO
Jesus Christ! That’s what you say to
everythin! Fuckin everythin you say is
Johnny Fuckin Cash!
HENRY
Johnny Cash is everything.
Henry cracks himself up. After a beat, the men join in the
laughter and slapping Henry on the back.
KEVIN BLAKE
This fuckin guy here, he’s priceless.
44.
GEORGE BIONDI
Johnny Cash, the Man in Fuckin Black.
That’s who you wanted to be as a lil
boy ey Henry?
HENRY
(singing)
When I was arrested I was dressed in
black, They put me on a train and they
took me back, Had no friend for to go
my bail, They slapped my dried up
carcass in that county jail.
More laughter and hollering.
Balazar’s House of Cards has progressed to the sixth level.

Balazar has to stand to place more cards. His bodyguard,
CLAUDIO ANDOLINI (Jack’s brother), enters the room.
CLAUDIO
Boss, The Mick is here to see you. He
reeks. Want I should toss him out?
BALAZAR
Let him in.
Claudio exits and after a moment, THE MICK enters. The Mick
is a drunk, smells like he bathes once a year. The Mick walks
to Balazar. Claudio re-enters, closes the door and stands in
the corner.
THE MICK
Il Roche! Haven’t heard back from you
on my proposal.
BALAZAR
I’m sorry, but it will be impossible
for us to do business together. Your
offer doesn’t sound very profitable,
and you’re an unreliable buffoon.
45.
THE MICK
Nah nah nah, you’re not lookin at it
fully. You see, these trucks come
through this tunnel every night. Block
off the exits, rob the trucks. I got
guys can do the job, we just need your
reinforcements.
BALAZAR
Robbing liquor trucks is low-end
bullshit. Do you know how many truck
drivers I already have on my payroll?
We have crates of booze coming and
going, too much as it is. I’m not
going to waste any of my men just so
you and your friends can get loaded.
Balazar continues laying cards on his tower. The Mick watches

him, a doofus smile spreading.
THE MICK
Hey Roche. Make a wish.
The Mick takes a deep breath and blows on Balazar’s House of

Cards. The cards go flying. The Mick laughs.
Balazar calmly opens his desk drawer, brings out a .45

revolver and shoots The Mick in the head.
BALAZAR
(to Claudio)
Have Alexander take him out to the
farm, bury the body behind the chicken
coop. But don’t dig too deep. I want
the shit to seep down through the soil
all over this fuck’s face.
Balazar sits down at his desk. Claudio starts wrapping the

bloody body in plastic. Balazar takes out another deck of
cards, starting a new tower. He puts two cards together.
46.
INT. PIZZA TRUCK - MOVING - DAY
Jack, Col and Eddie ride to Balazar’s. We see Balazar’s Tower

in full through the windshield, still about a mile away.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
The Tower!
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
What?
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
No it can’t be.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
You looking at Balazar’s place? Yeah
it’s pretty huge isn’t it.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
It looks familiar somehow. Like I’ve
been there before, but that can’t be
true.
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
Yeah, we call that deja vu over here.
I know the feeling, “I’ve been here
before, done this before, but can’t
remember.”
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Hmm. “Daysha voo.”
INT. BALAZAR’S - STORAGE ROOM - DAY
Back to the Trivial Pursuit game.
GEORGE BIONDI
Okay Henry, be careful because this
one is tricky. The category is
Geography. The question is, “What is
the only continent where kangaroos are
a native form of life?”
47.
HENRY
Johnny Cash.
(laughs)
The joke is still funny to everybody.
HENRY (CONT’D)
How about a fix for old Henry here?
CARLOCIMI
Yeah you’ll get your fix. Just keep
playing the game paison.
HENRY
All right all right all right. Don’t
lean on me man.
GEORGE BIONDI
Henry, this one here, you got a chance
to score a piece of the pie.
HENRY
Mmm Reese’s Pieces. Where’s Eddie?
TRICKS POSTINO
He’ll be here pretty soon. Now shuttup
whydontya.
GEORGE BIONDI
(to Henry)
You ready?
HENRY
Bring it on! You bring that fucker!
GEORGE BIONDI
Okay listen close. What popular
country and western singer had hits
with “A Boy Named Sue,” “Folsom Prison
Blues,” “The Man in Black” and
numerous other shitkicking songs?
Laughter from the guys. Henry pauses.

48.
HENRY
Walter Brennan.
Bellows of laughter.
GEORGE BIONDI
All right Henry, you certainly earned
your fix. Cimi, go ahead.
Carlocimi opens a cigar box and takes out a hypo. Henry gasps
in anticipation, holding his arm out. Carlocimi sticks the
needle in the vein above Henry’s elbow. Henry’s last rocket
takes off.
EXT. BALAZAR’S - FRONT ENTRANCE - DAY
Jack, Col, Eddie exit the Pizza Truck and enter the building.
Balazar has stopped working on his House of Cards for the

moment. He watches a TV monitor showing security camera
footage of his men and Eddie in an elevator.
INT. BALAZAR’S - ELEVATOR - DAY
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Do you want me to come forward?
EDDIE (THOUGHT)
No. Just let me handle it.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
As you wish. I’ll be on alert.
The elevator stops and the doors open. Jack and Col walk
Eddie down a hallway. Claudio sits on a couch outside
Balazar’s office. When he sees them, he rises and opens the
door for them to enter. Jack pats his brother’s arm as he
passes him.
49.
Everybody enters. Balazar stands behind his desk, continuing

his new House of Cards. Claudio stands by the door. Jack and
Col are behind Eddie a step, facing the desk.
BALAZAR
Eddie, I’m glad to see you son. I
heard you had some trouble at Kennedy.
EDDIE
I’m not your son.
BALAZAR
You hurt me Eddie. You hurt me when
you say a thing like that.
EDDIE
Let’s cut through it. You know it
comes down to one thing or another:
either the Feds are running me or they
had to let me go. You know they didn’t
sweat it out of me in two hours. And
you know if they had I’d be down at
43rd Street, answering questions.
BALAZAR
Are they running you Eddie?
EDDIE
No. They had to let me go. They’re
following, but I’m not leading.
BALAZAR
So you ditched the stuff. That’s
fascinating. You must tell me how one
ditches two pounds of coke when that
one is on a big jet airplane.
EDDIE
I didn’t ditch it, but I don’t have it
anymore either.
50.
BALAZAR
So who does?
EDDIE
It’s here. Delivery right to your
door. Just like we agreed.
Silence for a few beats.
BALAZAR
Eddie you have fifteen seconds to stop
bullshitting. Then I’m going to have
Cimi Dretto step in here and hurt you.
Then, after he hurts you for awhile,
he will leave, and from a room close
by you will hear him hurting your
brother.
Eddie stiffens.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Easy. Cool down.
EDDIE
(to Balazar)
I’m going to walk into your bathroom.
Then I’m going to walk back out with a
pound of your cocaine, half the
shipment. You test it, then you bring
Henry in here where I can look at him.
When I see he’s okay, you’re going to
give him our goods and he’s going to
ride home with one of your gentlemen.
While he does, I’ll sit here and watch
you build your cards. When Henry’s
home and safe, he’s going to call and
say a certain word, a code we have.
Then you get the rest of your powder
and I go on my merry way.
51.
BALAZAR
(after a beat)
You must think I still believe in
Santa Claus.
EDDIE
I know you don’t.
BALAZAR
Claudio, search him. Jack, you go in
my bathroom and search it. Everything,
all the panels and cabinets, inside
the toilet, fucking pull off the
mirror and check behind that.
CLAUDIO
(to Eddie)
Strip.
Eddie starts taking off his clothes.
INT. BALAZAR’S - STORAGE ROOM
The gang and Henry. Henry’s doped heavily, not moving. Kevin
Blake looks at him closely.
KEVIN BLAKE
Oh shit Cimi I don’t think this guy’s
breathing.
Carlocimi looks to Henry, starts prodding.
CARLOCIMI
Henry! Earth to Henry! Wake the fuck
up junkie!
Nothing. Henry’s head is lifeless, hung back. George takes

his pulse.
GEORGE BIONDI
I think he’s fuckin dead.
52.
INT. BALAZAR’S - BATHROOM - DAY
Jack searching the bathroom. He dumps out a drawer of

medicine, opening a secret panel at the bottom of the drawer.
Just more medicine, no cocaine.
Eddie bends over as Claudio inspects his asshole.
EDDIE
If I’d known you were going to be
prospecting up there, I would have
pinched off a loaf for ya.
CLAUDIO
Fuck you junkie.
(rises, to Balazar)
He’s clean.
Eddie pulls his underwear up. Balazar looks at him calmly.

Jack comes out of the bathroom.
JACK
There’s jackshit in there, no dope. If
he’s hiding it, he’s better than Harry
fuckin Houdini.
EDDIE
You just don’t know where to look.
Jack curses Eddie in Italian.
BALAZAR
(to Eddie)
Fine. If it’s in there, go get it. But
not alone. Jack’s going with you.
EDDIE
No. That’s not--
53.
BALAZAR
Eddie, you don’t get to tell me no.
That’s one thing you never do.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
It’s all right, let him come. Can’t
stop it from happening.
EDDIE
Okay. Come along, Jack. I’ll show you
the Eighth Wonder of the World.
JACK
Is that so? Am I gonna be amazed?
EDDIE
Oh yeah. I think this is gonna knock
your socks clean off.
Eddie enters the bathroom and Jack follows.
EDDIE
Close the door.
JACK
Fuck you.
EDDIE
Close the door or no dope.
JACK
Fuck you.
BALAZAR (O.S.)
Jack it’s all right, close the fucking
door.
Jack curses more and closes the door. He turns back to Eddie
and we see Eddie’s eyes change from brown to blue.
54.
Eddie/Roland jumps forward and grabs Jack. The door to the

beach is open behind him. Jack struggles as Eddie/Roland
overpowers him and shoves him through the door.
Jack Andolini comes tumbling through the door. We’re on the

outskirts of the beach, where it meets the woods. Roland’s
body lays on the ground. Eddie walks through the door and
then Roland’s purple light comes out, entering his body.
Jack is in shock, muttering. He sees Roland rise.
JACK
Mary mother full of grace what the
fuck--
Roland draws his left gun and puts it to Jack’s head. He

pulls the trigger. CLICK. Misfire. Jack nearly shits himself.
From behind, Eddie picks up a rock and smashes it into Jack’s

head. Jack screams and falls, but isn’t knocked unconscious.
He sees Eddie and finally reaches for his gun.
Roland’s gun is on Jack again. This better not be another

misfire.
BANG. Roland’s bullet rips Jack’s gun out of his hands,

destroying the hand holding it. Jack screams and flees down
to the beach.
EDDIE
Shoot him. Put him out of his misery.
ROLAND
Too late.
Lobstrosities swarm over Jack’s feet, tearing off his Gucci

loafers. Jack falls, screaming. The Lobstrosities are greedy,
questioning him as they tear flesh.
55.
LOBSTROSITIES
Dad-a-chack? Did-a-chick? Dum-a-chum?
EDDIE
Jesus...
ROLAND
Grab the devil-powder you’ve promised
the man Balazar. Then we go back. And
this time I go back with you. As
myself.
EDDIE
Can you do that?
ROLAND
We’ll find out. I have little liking
for what I must do now. It’s something
I’ve never done before-- never thought
I would do.
(hands Eddie his right-
hand gun)
Take this. It’s no good to me. Not
now, perhaps never again.
EDDIE
I... I don’t want to touch it.
ROLAND
I don’t want you to either, but
neither of us has a choice.
Balazar stares at the bathroom door. Silence from within.
BALAZAR
Jack! Jack!
(nothing)
(to Col)
Go get Cimi.
56.
Eddie takes Roland’s gun. The weight is so heavy and the

sandalwood grips are so smooth that Eddie almost drops it.
ROLAND
Careful damn you!
Eddie takes hold of the gun, getting a feel for it. He holds
Balazar’s cocaine in his left hand against his stomach.
ROLAND (CONT’D)
Are you ready?
EDDIE
No, but let’s do it.
Roland slips his hot right arm around Eddie’s bare shoulders.
Together they step through the doorway.
Eddie and Roland come through the door and into the bathroom.
Eddie drops the cocaine packages into the sink. He sees
pharmaceuticals strewn about the room.
EDDIE
Hey look, we may have some medicine
for you.
Eddie looks closer, he grabs a package of Keflex

(antibiotics).
EDDIE (CONT’D)
Here, this is what you need. Grab all
the ones that say Keflex.
(pointing at the word)
We can hear Balazar talking with Cimi. Eddie stops to listen.
CARLOCIMI (O.S.)
We got a problem boss.
57.
BALAZAR
I got plenty of those already. What’s
this new one?
CARLOCIMI
Well, you see... It’s the kid’s junkie
brother.
Eddie perks up at the mention of his brother. Roland grabs

medicine and puts them in his pockets.
BALAZAR
What about him?
CARLOCIMI
He’s dead.
Eddie in shock.
BALAZAR (O.S.)
Dead? You’re certain? He’s not just on
the nod?
CARLOCIMI (O.S.)
The guy’s fucking dead.
EDDIE
They killed my brother.
Roland stops and looks at Eddie.

58.
We can hear Eddie through the wall. Balazar stops mid-

sentence.
EDDIE (O.S.)
They killed my brother. They killed
Henry!
BALAZAR
Kill him Jack!
No reply, just Eddie repeating “They killed him!”
BALAZAR (CONT’D)
(to Cimi)
Get the men up here now.
EDDIE
They killed my brother!
The Gunslinger says nothing.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
They killed Henry!
BALAZAR (O.S.)
--fucking head mounted on my fucking
wall! This fuck!
ROLAND
Do you want to do something about it,
or do you just want to stand there?
EDDIE
Oh I want to do something about it.
He raises Roland’s revolver. It’s his gun now.

59.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
I want to go to war.
ROLAND
When we go through the door, you go
right. I have to go left.
(lifts his broken right
hand)
Eddie nods. They position themselves at the door.
Balazar stands facing the bathroom door, his .45 in hand.

Claudio and Col stand behind him, waiting.
The bathroom door bursts open and Eddie and Roland come out
screaming. Balazar, Eddie and Roland all seem to fire at the
same time. Balazar hits the wall. Eddie hits Balazar. Roland
hits Col.
Balazar falls back, shooting wildly. Col falls dead. Claudio

shoots at Roland. Roland’s gun misfires. He ducks down and
rolls behind Balazar’s desk.
Eddie runs and shoots at Claudio. A bullet grazes his arm and
Claudio spins to Eddie, shooting. Roland pops up from behind
the desk and shoots Claudio in the head.
Balazar is still alive, shoots a bullet past Eddie. Eddie

puts two more bullets into Balazar.
The main door opens and Carlocimi runs in. He’s in shock for
only an instant before pulling his gun and aiming it at
Eddie. Roland is faster and shoots Carlocimi dead.
Tricks Postino comes into the office with one hell of an

automatic weapon. A Wonderful Rambo Machine Gun. He fires
wildly at the desk. Roland drops to the floor.
60.
Bits of wood and playing cards fly everywhere, propelled by

bullets. Eddie shoots Tricks. Tricks falls while still firing
the ridiculous gun, shooting holes in the floor, the wall,
the ceiling.
From just outside the office, George Biondi throws something

through the doorway. It’s Henry’s severed head. Eddie watches
his brother’s head fly through the office and screams.
George Biondi and Kevin Blake come in, guns drawn. Kevin
fires a shot at Eddie and misses. Eddie snaps alert and fires
a clean shot into George’s head. Roland leans out from
behind the desk and shoots Kevin in the chest.
Balazar’s office is covered in bullet holes and carnage.

Seven dead bodies. Silence fills the air.
Eddie hyperventilates as he stares at Henry’s severed head.
ROLAND
Eddie.
Roland struggles to his feet and goes to Eddie. He reaches to

grab his shoulder.
EDDIE
Don’t touch me.
ROLAND
It’s over. They’re all dead. There’s
nothing you can do for your brother
anymore.
Eddie sobs.
EDDIE
All the times he took care of me. All
the times. Why couldn’t I have taken
care of him, just this once, after all
the times he took care of me?
61.
ROLAND
We have to go.
EDDIE
Go?
ROLAND
Do you want to stay here and explain
all these bodies?
EDDIE
I don’t care. Without Henry, it
doesn’t matter.
ROLAND
Maybe it doesn’t matter to you, but
there are others involved. You’re not
in this world alone, Prisoner.
EDDIE
Don’t call me that!
ROLAND
I’ll call you that until you show me
you can walk out of the cell you’re in!
We hear sirens approach in the background.
EDDIE
What’s on the other side of that door
for me? Go on and tell me. If you can
tell me, maybe I’ll come.
ROLAND
Probably death. But before that
happens, I don’t think you’ll be
bored. I want you to join me on a
quest. All will probably end in death,
but if we should win through... if we
win through, you’ll see something
beyond all the beliefs you’ve ever
dreamed of.
62.
EDDIE
What?
ROLAND
The Dark Tower.
EDDIE
What is it?
ROLAND
I don’t know fully. It’s a sort of...
linchpin that holds all existence
together. All existence, all time and
all size.
EDDIE
Quests, adventures, Towers, death.
Sounds like those John Carter books
Henry and I used to read. You only
left out one thing.
ROLAND
What’s that?
EDDIE
The beautiful bare-breasted girls.
ROLAND
(smiles)
On the way to the Dark Tower, anything
is possible.
Eddie chuckles. He bends down and looks at Henry’s severed

head. He closes Henry’s eyes.
EDDIE
(standing up)
Ok. I don’t have anything better to do
tonight anyway.
Roland slips his good left hand around Eddie’s shoulder. The
doorway appears in front of them.
63.
They step through.
Eddie and Roland come out the doorway onto the beach. Roland
goes to the door, gripping it, ready to close it.
EDDIE
Wait! I need to go back and get my
scag! They’ve still got Henry’s
heroin! I need it! I need it!
ROLAND
That part of your life is over Eddie.
EDDIE
No! You don’t get it man, I need it!
I NEED IT!
The Gunslinger sweeps the door shut. The door disappears. It

seems to fold in on itself.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
No!!!
ROLAND
Your need will pass.
Eddie curses Roland and punches the ground. Roland ignores

him and takes out a package of Keflex. He rips it open and
takes two pills. He pops them in his mouth and dry-swallows
them. Eddie cries.
INSERT SHOT - SHUFFLE
A Tarot card lays face up on a table with a red felt surface.

The Prisoner. A hand reaches out and puts The Prisoner at the
top of the frame. The hand shuffles the deck of Tarot cards.
64.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Roland and Eddie lay in the shade, near the edge of the
woods. Roland takes more of the Keflex. Practically every
inch of Roland’s body is in pain. His skin is flushed to a
deathly degree.
Eddie shivers, sweat pouring down his face, snot running out
his nose. Heroin withdrawal. Eddie shuts his eyes fiercely.
The hands shuffle the deck of Tarot Cards.
EXT. BEACH - DUSK/NIGHT
The sun is setting. The Lobstrosities gather at the tide, Did-

a-chicking to themselves. KA-BLAM! A bullet rips through a
Lobstrosity. The other creatures scatter. Eddie comes into
frame and grabs the dead creature.
Nighttime. Eddie has started a fire and cooks the

Lobstrosity. Roland still lays in the grass, convulsing and
moaning. Eddie looks at the cooked meat for a moment,
contemplating it, before shoving it into his mouth and
devouring the flesh.
Roland mutters in his sleep, dreaming of fallen friends.
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
Roland sleeps without trouble, he looks almost peaceful. The

redness has reduced, the antibiotics are working.
Eddie sits on the beach a short distance away. He holds his

legs to his chest and cries silently. He picks up the gun
laying in the sand next to him.
65.
He presses the barrel to his temple and shuts his eyes. He

winces and sobs. His finger rests on the trigger.
He can’t do it. He drops the gun and cries.
Roland asleep in the grass. KA-BLAM! from the beach. Roland

stirs awake, muttering. Eddie brings another dead Lobstrosity
to their circle.
EDDIE
Good, you’re alive. It’s time to eat.
ROLAND
How... how long... how long has it
been?
EDDIE
Not really sure, less than a week is
the closest I can tell you. I’ll cook
this up and we’ll have ourselves some
breakfast. But first...
(takes the Keflex)
...open wide, time for your medicine.
Roland opens his mouth, like a baby ready for the tit. Eddie
puts two pills on his tongue and pours some water into his
mouth. Roland swallows and coughs.
Roland and Eddie eat the pink Lobstrosity meat.
EDDIE
So which way do we gotta go? I mean,
we can’t just stay here on the beach
forever.
66.
ROLAND
North.
EDDIE
(after a beat)
How do you know?
ROLAND
Just know.
EDDIE
You’re crazy.
ROLAND
(after a moment)
We need to get moving today.
EDDIE
I don’t think you’re well enough to walk
man. You look better, but you’re still
more on the dying side of the coin.
ROLAND
We’ll figure it out.
They continue eating.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Eddie has built a travois to carry Roland. He’s used Roland’s

gunbelts to tie a couple tree branches together, using
smaller branches for support. Roland is half-conscious.
EDDIE
(singing)
Hey Jude... don’t make it bad... take
a sad song... and make it better...
remember to let her into your heart...
then you can start.. (drifts off)
67.
EXT. BEACH - DUSK
Roland sits in front of a fire, staring off into space. Eddie

comes into frame with another dead sea creature.
EDDIE
(mock accent)
Dinnah will soon be served, mawster.
You have your choice: fillet of creepy-
crawler, or filet of creepy-crawler.
Roland just looks at him. Eddie knows he’s in no mood, so

starts cooking the meat.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
(normal)
You look a lot better tonight.
ROLAND
I am, I think.
EDDIE
Well, maybe you could even walk for a
while tomorrow.
ROLAND
I’ll try.
(beat)
You look better too.
EDDIE
I guess I’ll live. ... I came pretty
close one night though... I had your
gun against my head, cocked it, held
it there... and took it away.
(half-hearted singing)
Michigan seems like a dream to me now.
68.
ROLAND
What stopped you from pulling the
trigger?
Pause. Eddie cooks the food and stares at the ocean.
EDDIE
I guess because you needed me. If I’d
killed myself, you would have died.
Later on, once you’re in tip-top
shape, I may like, re-examine my
options.
Roland’s face is somber. He has no comforting words to make

Eddie Dean feel better.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
There are people who need people to
need them. You’re not one of those
people. You’d use me and then toss me
away like a paper bag if that’s what
it came down to. God fucked you, my
friend. You’re smart enough so it
would hurt you to do that, but hard
enough so you’d go ahead and do it
anyway. If I was lying on the beach
there, screaming for help, you’d walk
over me if I was between you and your
goddam Tower. Isn’t that pretty close
to the truth?
Roland says nothing.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
Not everyone is like that. There are
people who need people to need them.
(beat)
I may have been a heroin junkie, but
Roland, you’re a junkie too. A fucking
Tower junkie.
Roland says nothing.

69.
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
Roland and Eddie lay on the grass, awake. They stare at

nothing. This is the time of palavering.
EDDIE
For a long time I’ve believed that I
stole my brother’s life. I don’t know,
I think maybe Henry himself instilled
this concept in me. Or maybe it was my
mother, lecturing me all the time on
how much both she and Henry sacrificed
for me, so I could be safe in the
jungle of New York City, so I could be
happy, so I could live a happy life.
My sister died when I was two. I don’t
remember it, don’t remember her, I was
too young. But they remembered her.
And they didn’t want me to die. Henry
walked me to and from school every
day, hell walked me everywhere. We
were inseparable, because that’s how
it was supposed to be. If Henry was
there, I couldn’t get hurt, couldn’t
get in trouble, couldn’t fail.
I doubt my mother knew about the
things we did as boys. We’d steal
comics and smoke cigarettes. One time
we saw a parked Chevy with the keys
still in the ignition. I was only
eight, Henry was sixteen. Henry
crammed me into the car and said we’re
going on a trip. I was excited and
scared. It wasn’t long until a cop saw
us and tried to pull us over. Henry
sped away and tried to ditch him. I
was bawling and making a fuss. Henry
stopped the car and jumped out, hit
the ground running. I was paralyzed.
(MORE)
70.
EDDIE (CONT'D)
I thought he’d left me to take the
blame and that’d I go to jail forever
and never see anybody ever again and
my life would be over and I’d be alone
forever.
Then Henry came back. He hauled me out
of the car and took me in his arms and
just ran man, just ran away. I knew I
was safe. He must have been as scared
as I was, but I knew we were safe.
He was always scared, but he always
came back.
(pause)
Henry didn’t get into college. Instead
he got shipped off to Vietnam. He
wasn’t gone long, he was injured in
duty. The pain was bad he said, but
they morphine they gave him for it was
oh so good. Henry came back to the US
of A alive, but a monkey on his back, a
hungry monkey waiting to be fed.
It was less than a month after our
mother died, that’s when I first found
him snorting powder off a mirror. He
told me he had gotten weak, something
in ‘Nam made him rotted him out, rotted
his heart. I was shocked, angry, blah
blah blah. Henry tried to leave, but I
wouldn’t let him. I remembered all the
years he took care of me, and I knew it
was time for me to take care of him.
But I was weak too. I didn’t have
anybody to tell me not to go down the
heroin rabbit hole with Henry, The
Great Sage And Eminent Junkie.
Silence.
The hands finish shuffling the deck. The top card is flipped
over. The Lady of Shadows.
71.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Eddie and Roland travel. Roland is able to walk but it’s slow
going for the moment. Roland sees something in the distance.
ROLAND
Ka.
EDDIE
What?
ROLAND
Ka.
(points to what he sees)
EDDIE
What? I don’t see anything?
ROLAND
You will. Maybe not today, but we’ll
reach it shortly. Ka has brought us
here.
EDDIE
What the fuck is this Ka?
ROLAND
It means duty, destiny.
EDDIE
Ka...
ROLAND
Ka...
EDDIE
Kaka...
Roland glares at Eddie.
They continue walking. The camera pans away from them and
focuses on the shape in the distance. The camera hurtles
forward on the beach, arriving at a new DOOR.
72.
This door looks the same as The Prisoner, except for the
writing. Written in the High Speech: THE LADY OF SHADOWS.
FADE TO:
INT. TOWN CAR/LIMO - MOVING - DAY
The time is 1967. We’re in the back of a small limousine.
We meet ODETTA HOLMES, of New York, daughter of Dan, The Lady

of Shadows. Odetta is an upper-class African American woman.
She is currently in her early thirties.
Her driver, ANDREW, talks about current events.
ANDREW
The Daily News had an interesting
column about Kennedy, Ms. Holmes. You
should read it. The guy said America
saw the passage of the world’s last
gunslinger when Kennedy was shot.
ODETTA
I don’t think John Kennedy was that at
all.
ANDREW
Well, he said Jack Kennedy was
different, that’s all. He said he
would draw, but only if someone weaker
needed him to draw. He said Kennedy
was savvy enough to know that
sometimes talking don’t do no good.
...It was just some column I read.
ODETTA
Well, I understand it. I don’t agree
with it, but I understand.
DETTA (THOUGHT)
Liar! You don’t understand nothing!
73.
Odetta rubs her temples. Andrew notices.
ANDREW
Another one of those headaches, Ms.
Holmes?
ODETTA
Yes. It’s been a trying three days,
Andrew.
ANDREW
I’m sorry, Ms. Holmes.
ODETTA
I’ll live. I just want to get home and
bathe, bathe, bathe, and sleep, sleep,
sleep. Then I reckon I will be as
right as rain.
EXT. ODETTA’S APARTMENT - ENTRANCE - DAY
Andrew pulls up to the curb. He exits and goes to the trunk.

Odetta sits patiently inside. Andrew opens the trunk and
pulls out a wheelchair. He sets it on the ground, unfolds it,
and wheels it to the passenger door. He opens the door and
reveals that Odetta Holmes has no legs.
Andrew helps Odetta into the wheelchair, makes sure she’s

settled. Then he wheels her in the front door.
INT. ODETTA’S APARTMENT - BATHROOM - NIGHT
Odetta takes a bath. She sits back and relaxes.
FADE TO:
EXT. STREET - DAY
We’re in the year 1940, in New York. Odetta Holmes is five

years old, walking with her parents, DAN and ALICE.
74.
The parents talk about the social event they just left, while
Odetta skips and hops around on the sidewalk.
ALICE HOLMES
Didn’t Aunt Blue look so happy when
she saw the plate? She’s wanted a
serving plate like that for a while,
surely she’ll invite us over to dinner
soon enough and she’ll use our plate.
DAN HOLMES
I’m sure you’re right dear.
Etc.
Dan sees a taxi approaching and sticks out his arm. The taxi
is empty but passes him, not wanting to pick up a black
family. Dan is furious, but keeps it under the collar for the
sake of his daughter.
DAN HOLMES (CONT’D)

(softly)
Did you see that? Just drove right on
by. Scared to pick up the black folk.
ALICE HOLMES
Stop it. He probably just didn’t see
us. Here, there’s another cab coming,
let’s get this one.
DAN HOLMES
No. The white man wants us to walk, so
we’ll walk.
ALICE HOLMES
(sigh)
Dan... please. It’s not always like
that.
They walk and bicker about the issue. Odetta pays no

attention to them at all. She skips merrily along.
75.
Track above them, up to an open window on the sixth floor of

an apartment building. A HAND pops out of the window, holding
a brick. The Holmes family walks forward, not seeing what we
see. Odetta hops and bops along the path.
At the exact right moment, the hand drops the brick. Follow
the brick as it falls, landing on Odetta’s head.
THUNK. Odetta falls to the ground. Dan and Alice are in shock
and panic mode. Alice screams, Dan yells for someone to call
an ambulance.
Close up on Odetta’s blank eyes. Push in through her eyes and

into her mind, a healthy shade of green.
INT. ODETTA’S MIND
The green walls pulsate. A smacking sound is heard as her

mind divides in two. A thin membrane-like wall separates
them, each having their own set of file drawers full of
memories and control panels.
INT. HOSPITAL - DAY
Still in 1940. Young Odetta is in a coma. Her parents watch

her and weep. We see CLOUDY MISTS above her head. A light
green cloud mixes with a darker green. For the sake of ease,
let’s call these her AURAS. Light green is ODETTA HOLMES.
Dark green is DETTA WALKER.
The clouds fade in and out; light winks out and dark is
solid; light comes back and dark goes out.
Odetta’s eyes quiver. Her lips tremble.
Alice holds her daughter’s hand.
ALICE HOLMES
Odetta baby, come back to us. We’re
with you, be here with us.
76.
Odetta’s eyes open slowly. Alice gasps.
ODETTA
Mama...?
Alice cries and embraces her daughter. Dan cries, clasping

his hands and thanking the Good Lord.
FADE TO:
INT. ODETTA’S APARTMENT - BATHROOM - NIGHT (1967)
Odetta sleeps in the tub, muttering...
FADE TO:
INT. AUNT BLUE’S APARTMENT - DINING ROOM - NIGHT
Back to 1940. The Holmes Family has dinner with AUNT BLUE, a
black woman in her 50s. With her is her new husband (RAY).
Aunt Blue tells some story about something. (Write later.)
Odetta is silent. Her eyes focus on the plate in the center

of the table. She’s transfixed by the pattern of leaves on
the trim. A wicked grin appears on her face.
EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT
We’re outside Aunt Blue’s apartment, in a quiet alley. Little

five year old Odetta Holmes comes out a door, that wicked
grin of hers still there, even wider perhaps. This is not
Odetta Holmes anymore. She has become DETTA WALKER, daughter
of Mort.
Detta reaches under her sweater and pulls out Aunt Blue’s
plate. The Forspecial Plate. She holds the plate to the light
above her, marvelling at its beauty.
77.
She lays the plate on the ground, upside-down. She brings her
foot above the plate, holding it in the air. Her grin widens.
She brings her foot down and smashes the Blue Plate. She
cackles, insane. She keeps smashing the plate, bringing her
foot down and down and down, drawing blood, not caring,
laughing laughing laughing.
FADE TO:
INT. ODETTA’S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Back to 1967. Odetta has finished her bath and wears an

expensive robe. She walks to her sitting chair and turns on
the news. The news reporter talks about how armed members of
the Black Panther Party entered the state capital to protest
a bill. Odetta rubs her temples.
FADE TO:
INT. SUBWAY STATION - DAY
We’re in 1959. A twenty-four year-old Odetta waits for a

train. The scene is calm, quiet.
A train is approaching. A pair of HANDS appear out of nowhere

behind Odetta, forcing themselves into the small of her back,
pushing her onto the tracks.
Odetta screams and falls onto the tracks. The train is almost
there, about to crush her. Odetta scrambles to get out of the
way, against the wall. The train bears down on her, cutting
off her legs. Odetta wails.
INT. AMBULANCE - MOVING - NIGHT
The siren wails. Odetta screams. Her legs are gone and two
PARAMEDICS do their best to save her life. Odetta is Detta.
78.
DETTA
WHO WAS THAT MAHFAH? I GONE HUNT HIM
DOWN AND KILL HIZ ASS!
The Paramedics try to sedate her.
DETTA (CONT’D)
GET CHO HONKY MAHFAH HANDS OFFA ME!
Detta’s eyes flutter and she becomes silent. After a moment

her eyes open and she is Odetta.
ODETTA
What happened? I remember waiting for
the train...
PARAMEDIC
You had an accident ma’am.
ODETTA
What sort of accident was it?
PARAMEDIC
Someone pushed you in front of the
train.
ODETTA
(through tears)
Have I lost my legs?
PARAMEDIC
... Not all of them...
Odetta closes her eyes, crying. Her eyes snap open and she is
Detta.
DETTA
YOU AIN’T NUTHIN BUT A BUNCHA HONKY
SONSA BITCHES! GOAN KILL EVERY
MAHFAHIN HONKY I SEE! GOAN GELD EM
FUST! GOAN CUT OFF DER BALLS AND SPIT
EM IN THEY FACES! GOAN--
79.
One of the paramedics shoots her with more sedatives. Her

eyes flutter.
ODETTA
Please... I don’t want to die...
Please...
Her eyes flutter and stop. She’s out.
FADE TO:
INT. ODETTA’S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT (1967)
Odetta has fallen asleep watching the news. A grin stretches

out on her mouth. Her eyes pop open. She is Detta Walker.
Roland and Eddie stand in front of the door.
EDDIE
What are those symbols?
ROLAND
The High Speech. The ancient language
of Arthur Eld and his Gunslingers.
EDDIE
What’s it say?
ROLAND
The Lady of Shadows. This is where I
must draw the second of my three.
EDDIE
All right, well let’s get to it.
Eddie approaches the door but Roland stops him.
ROLAND
No. You stay here.
80.
EDDIE
Oh no way man. I’m going with you.
Don’t worry, I’ll come back. While you
go get whoever this Shadow-Babe is,
I’m gonna find the nearest Chicken
Delight and pick me up some take-out.
ROLAND
You stay here.
EDDIE
Fuck you, I’m not your fucking
Prisoner. I’m going through with you.
You may need me, and I need some
fucking fried food.
ROLAND
We have no idea where this door will
take us. It may open to an unknown
world and you’d be dead in an instant.
And if it does open to your world, I’m
not letting you go get your fixes.
EDDIE
Fuck that man, I’m done with the
heroin! Why can’t you just trust me
and let me come with you?
ROLAND
Ka.
EDDIE
Fuck you and fuck your Ka.
Roland slaps Eddie in the face.
ROLAND
There are great wonders ahead. Great
adventures. More than that, there is a
chance to redeem your honor. You could
be a Gunslinger. I needn’t be the last
after all. It’s in you, Eddie. I see
it. I feel it.
81.
EDDIE
Oh wonderful! Just what I need! Your
old friends, the ones you mutter about
in your sleep, did they get this stuff
you’re talking about? Adventure,
quests, honor?
ROLAND
They understood honor, yes.
EDDIE
You’re just another kook singing
“Onward Christian Solders” with a flag
in one hand and a gun in the other. I
don’t want no honor...
Fine. Go! Get the fuck out of here.
Roland opens the door. We see through Odetta/Detta’s eyes.

Currently Detta is at a department store, looking at cheap
jewelry and perfume. We see Detta’s hands grab some jewelry
and shove them into her purse. Eddie laughs.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
Great! She’s a thief! You’re
collecting quite a crew. First a
junkie, now a klepto. Ka. Kaka!
Roland ignores him and walks through the door. His body falls
limp on the ground.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
Dickweed.
INT. DEPARTMENT STORE - NEW YORK - DAY
Detta is in the store. She stuffs jewelry, perfume, trinkets,

etc. into her bag.
The Door appears behind her. Roland’s purple light comes

through and enters her head.
82.
INT. ODETTA/DETTA’S MIND
Detta’s dark half throbs, alive. Odetta’s light half is

muted, asleep. We see a ball of light hovering over the
control panels in Odetta’s portion; Odetta’s consciousness at
rest, unaware.
Roland’s purple light enters Detta’s chamber. The lights

pulsate wildly. She knows someone is there. Detta screams
inside her head.
DETTA (THOUGHT)
HONKY MAHFAH! THE FUCK CHOO THINK YOU
DOIN HERE!?
Roland’s purple light blinks, momentarily frightened.

Immediately he throws the switch on the control panel and the
walls turn purple. Detta’ dark green light appears at the
control panel, but she’s not asleep. Her aura surges, angry.
She continues shouting obscenities.
Detta/Roland is still in the store. We can hear Detta

screaming inside their head. Detta/Roland wheels around
sharply to the open Door.
DETTA (THOUGHT)
SUMBITCH ASS MAHFAH I GOAN CUTCHO ASS!
GOAN RIP THAT PECKER RIGHT OFF AND
SHOVE IT UP YOUR OWN ASS!
Detta/Roland wheels to the open Door. They’re in such a hurry

they knock over a display of purses. Onlookers jump, startled
by the noise.
Eddie stares through the Door, mesmerized. We see through

Detta/Roland’s eyes, looking at Eddie looking at us.
83.
A store CLERK watches Detta/Roland speeding down the aisle.

Detta/Roland goes through the door, disappearing from the
department store. To the Clerk, she just up and vanished.
For a brief moment, the thin membrane separating the two

halves disappears and the dark and light colors mix. Then it
returns to its former state.
Odetta/Detta/Roland comes through the door. Roland’s purple

light zaps into his head. The wheelchair coasts by itself for
about four feet before coming to a halt.
Detta’s dark green light blinks out, the walls turning back
to their original color. Detta’s ball of light remains where
she is, unconscious from shock.
Odetta’s half brightens up, coming awake.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Roland sits up and looks at the Lady of Shadows. She is now

Odetta. Odetta blinks wearily, yawns. Eddie stares at her,
taken aback at how beautiful she is.
Odetta opens her eyes and looks around. She’s not scared, but
quite curious.
ODETTA
Where am I? I don’t remember going out
to the beach.
84.
Roland stands up and goes to the open door. We can see the
department store Clerk talking with someone else, scared and
excited, telling him about the disappearing act he witnessed.
Roland calmly closes the door. The door fades out,
disappearing.
ODETTA (CONT’D)
How can I be here? Who dressed me? I
was at home in my robe. Who am I?
Where is this? Who are you?
EDDIE
(to Roland)
How come she doesn’t know?
ROLAND
I can’t say. Shock I suppose.
ODETTA
(fighting tears)
Won’t somebody please explain where I
am and how I got here?
EDDIE
Well, I’ll tell you one thing Dorothy.
You ain’t in Kansas anymore.
Odetta can’t help it. She sobs. Eddie kneels beside her.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
It’s okay. I mean, it’s not great, but
it’s okay.
ODETTA
Where are we? I was sitting at home,
watching TV, and now I’m here and
I don’t even know where here is.
85.
EDDIE
Neither do I, we’re in this together.
I’m from New York City and I’ve been
through the same thing-- well, a
little different, but same principle--
and you’re gonna be just fine.
As long as you like lobster.
Odetta weeps and hugs Eddie. Eddie holds her and rocks her a
little bit.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
I’ll tell what you I can. I was on an
airplane when he came along...
Eddie continues talking as we
FADE TO:
EXT. BEACH - DUSK
Roland cleans his guns. Eddie continues talking with Odetta.
EDDIE
... Travelling along the beach for a
week or so now. Until we came upon
that door, and then you entered our
story.
Odetta surveys the beach, looking out at the ocean.
ODETTA
No.
Eddie frowns.
EDDIE
I don’t understand. What are you no-
ing?
86.
ODETTA
(sweeps arm)
All this.
EDDIE
I understand how you feel. I had a
pretty good case of the unrealities
myself at first. You get over it.
ODETTA
No. None of this is real. I may have
sustained a head injury. This is all
just a coma dream. It’s happened
before, and it’s happening again now.
EDDIE
What happened before?
Odetta looks at him, sees the sincerity in his eyes. She

bends her head forward and parts her hair, showing a scar.
ODETTA
When I was five I was hit with a brick.
No idea how it happened. One moment I
was walking through the streets with my
parents, the next I was out. I don’t
remember much, but I was in a coma, and
I dreamed a lot. I don’t remember what
they were, but I remember that the
dreams were very vivid. As vivid as
this place seems to be.
Odetta rubs her temples.
ODETTA (CONT’D)
I’m sorry. I’ve got a headache.
ROLAND
(to Eddie)
I’m going to catch us some dinner. Be
on the lookout. Don’t let your guard
down.
87.
EDDIE
Yeah yeah we’ll be fine here, go on.
ROLAND
We’ll talk more later.
Roland exits, off to the water to kill a Lob or two.
ODETTA
(to Eddie)
Were you really a heroin addict?
EDDIE
Am. It’s like being an alcoholic. It’s
not a thing you ever get over. I used
to hear that and go “Yeah yeah yeah,
sure, right,” but now I understand. I
still want it, and I guess part of me
will always want it, but the physical
part has passed.
ODETTA
You don’t seem like an addict.
EDDIE
Too clean-cut?
ODETTA
Too white.
Eddie doesn’t know how to respond to that. Odetta shakes her

head, shamefully.
ODETTA (CONT’D)
I’m sorry. That was very unkind, very
unlike me.
EDDIE
It’s all right.
88.
ODETTA
It’s not. It’s like a white person
saying something like “Jeez, I never
would have guessed you were a nigger”
to someone with light skin. I like to
think of myself as more fair-minded.
So please accept my apology, Eddie.
EDDIE
On one condition.
ODETTA
(smiling)
What’s that?
EDDIE
Give this a fair chance.
ODETTA
Give what a fair chance?
EDDIE
That this is really happening. That
this is reality. If this is all a
dream, it could be mine, not yours.
You could be a figment of my
imagination.
ODETTA
But nobody bopped you over the head.
EDDIE
Nobody bopped you, either.
ODETTA
No one that I remember.
EDDIE
Me either! Those Customs guys weren’t
exactly the friendliest fellows I’ve
met. One of them could have head-
bopped me with the butt of his gun.
(MORE)
89.
EDDIE (CONT'D)
I could be lying in a Bellevue ward
right now, dreaming you and Roland
while they write their reports about
how I become violent and had to be
subdued.
ODETTA
It’s not the same.
EDDIE
Why? Because you’re an intelligent
socialite with no legs and I’m just a
junkie from Co-Op City?
ODETTA
(after a beat)
You should have been in the debate club.
EDDIE
I don’t want to debate you. I want to
wake you up to the fact that you are
awake, that’s all.
ODETTA
There’s a fundamental difference
between what happened to you and what
happened to me. So fundamental, so
large, that you haven’t seen it.
(a beat)
You can account for all of your time.
Your story follows from point to
point. The airplane, the incursion by
Mr. Gunslinger over there, stashing
the drugs, being arrested, all the
rest. It’s a fantastic story, and it
has no missing links.
As for myself, I was driven home by
Andrew, brought back to my building, I
bathed and wanted to sleep. I was
getting a very bad headache, and sleep
is the only medicine for the really
bad ones.
(MORE)
90.
ODETTA (CONT'D)
I turned on the news, and I was
sitting there in my robe, and then all
that was gone and I was rolling down
this beach.
None of this is happening.
EDDIE
You sound like a broken record. Every
time someone pokes a hole in your neat
little story, you just retreat to that
“none of this is happening” shit. You
have to wise up ‘Detta.
ODETTA
Don’t call me that! I hate that name!
EDDIE
Sorry! Jesus. I didn’t know.
ODETTA
(rubs temples)
I went from night to day, from
undressed to dressed, from my living
room to this beach. And now, if it’s
all the same to you, I’d just as soon
end this conversation. My headache is
back. It’s quite bad.
Roland walks back to them, two dead sea-monsters in hand.
EDDIE
I wish I could help you, but to do
that, I guess I’d have to be real.
Odetta doesn’t look at him. Her eyes are closed, her head
down. She massages her temples.
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
Eddie and Roland eat some Lob meat. Odetta sits in her
wheelchair, staring off into the ocean.
91.
ROLAND
I’m getting sick again.
EDDIE
I hoped that wouldn’t happen, but I’m
not surprised. I guess Balazar didn’t
have enough Keflex for you. If you
don’t take a penicillin drug long
enough, you don’t kill the infection.
You just drive it underground. A few
days go by and it comes back. We’ll
need more. Hopefully we come upon
another door and we can get more. In
the meantime you’ll just have to take
it easy.
Eddie looks off to Odetta.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
I have to tell you something about
Odetta.
ROLAND
That’s her name?
EDDIE
Uh-huh.
ROLAND
It’s very lovely.
EDDIE
Yeah, I thought so too. What isn’t so
love is the way she feels about this
place. She thinks this is all a
hallucination, that she isn’t here.
ROLAND
She’s not the woman I brought through,
you see. Not the same woman at all.
EDDIE
I don’t follow.
92.
ROLAND
Listen, and listen carefully. Or lives
may depend on it. She is two women in
the same body. She was one woman when
I entered her, and another when I
returned here.
Roland looks to Odetta, then back at Eddie.
ROLAND (CONT’D)
I understand very little of this, or
how such a thing can be, but you must
be on your guard. Do you understand
what I’m saying?
EDDIE
Yes.
ROLAND
Good. Because the woman I entered on
the other side of the door was as
deadly as those lobster-things that
come out at night.
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
The trio sleeps. Focus on Odetta. Her eyes open, Detta’s

eyes. She quietly lifts herself up and looks at the men. She
mutters to herself softly. She sees Roland’s gunbelts on the
ground and grins. Detta starts to crawl towards the guns.
Roland’s not asleep at all. His eyes are partially open,

silently watching Detta creep.
Detta reaches the gunbelts and pulls out one. She finds the
chamber release, pulls it and sees the gun is loaded. Eddie
snores, dead to the world. Detta smiles and crawls to him.
Roland watches Detta raise the gun to Eddie’s head and pull
the hammer to full cock.
93.
Detta pulls the trigger. CLICK. She pulls the trigger again.
CLICK. She keeps pulling. CLICK CLICK CLICK.
DETTA
MahFAH!
Roland readies himself but doesn’t spring just yet. Eddie

stirs, half-awake.
EDDIE
What... Jesus!
Detta brings the gun-butt down on Eddie’s head. Eddie’s fast

enough to avoid getting his skull cracked open, but can’t
avoid it completely. The gun cracks the side of his jaw.
Eddie screams.
DETTA
MAHAH! HONKY MAHFAH!
Detta raises the gun a second time. Roland uncoils, flying up

over Eddie and knocking Detta down, ending up on top of her.
DETTA (CONT’D)
You want it, mahfah?! You want it? I
goan give you what you want, sho!
Detta squirms and hits Roland with her free hand.
ROLAND
Eddie!
Eddie’s on the move. He’s up and snatches the gun out of her
hand. Detta hisses and spits at him. She continues to buck
and heave and curse.
Eddie opens and closes his jaw, like he were a fish. He puts
a hand to the wound, winces and pulls his fingers back,
seeing the blood.
DETTA
I’MA KILL BOTH YOU HONKY SUMBITCHES!
94.
ROLAND
(to Eddie)
Get my gunbelt. I’m going to roll her
over on top of me and you’re going to
tie her hands behind her.
DETTA
You ain’t NEVAH!
Detta continues bucking and fighting against Roland. Eddie

grabs the gunbelt and brings it over. Roland rolls her
around, him on the bottom and her on top. He continues to
hold her hands the best he can.
Eddie is right behind them, the gunbelt looped into a

makeshift cuff. Roland forces her hands behind her back.
Detta screams and curses. Eddie slips the gunbelts over her
wrists and pulls the loop tight. He holds on, like trying to
calm a wild dog, and pulls her off the Gunslinger.
Roland gets off the ground and goes to pull the gunbelt
tighter. Detta screams and curses.
EDDIE
What the fuck happened?
ROLAND
I knew you wouldn’t be on your guard.
I loaded the guns with spent casings.
Unlike you, I was awake and watching
her.
EDDIE
Well fuck man, why’d you let her bash
my face?
ROLAND
So that you’d learn. In my bag, I
believe I still some leather straps.
Let’s get her tied up proper.
EDDIE
I feel like I’m going to vomit.
95.
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
Detta has been tied to her wheelchair. She screams and

thrashes about as Roland and Eddie sit nearby, watching.
DETTA
Why don’t you go on and eat each
other’s COCKS! Suck on yo candles! Do
it while you got a chance, cuz Detta
Walker goan get outen dis chair and cut
dem skinny ole white candles off and
feed em to those buzzsaws down there!
ROLAND
(to Eddie)
She’s the woman I was in. Do you
believe me now?
EDDIE
I believed you before. I told you
that.
ROLAND
You believed you believed. You
believed on the top of your mind. Do
you believe now, all the down to the
bottom?
EDDIE
Yes. God, yes.
ROLAND
This woman is a monster.
EDDIE
Well, just this personality. I’m not a
shrink so I don’t understand all the
ins and outs of it.
ROLAND
Shrink?
96.
EDDIE
Head doctor. A doctor for your mind.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I always got the
idea that the split personality cases
thought that they were just one person
with partial amnesia, because of the
blank spaces in their memories when
the other half takes over. She says
she remembers everything. What she
remembers goes right from her living
room where she was sitting in her
bathrobe watching the news to here,
with no break at all. She doesn’t have
any sense that some other person took
over. Hell, it might have been the
next day or even weeks later that you
came along and took her away.
ROLAND
If these two women don’t know they
exist in the same body, and if they
don’t even suspect that something may
be wrong, if each has her own separate
chain of memories, partly real and
partly made up to fit the times the
other is there, what are we to do with
her? How are we even to live with her?
EDDIE
Don’t ask me. It’s your problem.
You’re the one who says you need her.
... I’ll you something. When you
brought her through, I felt like I had
split personalities.
ROLAND
Why?
EDDIE
It’s really hard to describe man. It
was looking in that door.
(MORE)
97.
EDDIE (CONT'D)
When you see someone move in that
door, it’s like your moving with them.
You know what I’m talking about.
Roland nods.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
Then you turned her toward this side
of the doorway and for the first time
I was looking at myself. It was
like... I dunno. It should have been
like looking in a mirror, I guess, but
it wasn’t... It was like looking at
another person. It was like being
turned inside out. Like being in two
places at the same time. Shit, I don’t
know.
ROLAND
No, I think you’re on to something. I
felt something similar when I went
through with her. And when Odetta came
out on the beach, asking where she
was, she said “Who am I?”
I don’t think she realized she said
it, but she said it clear as day. I
think maybe Odetta and Detta saw each
other when we went through the door.
FADE TO:
Odetta/Detta has fallen asleep, still tied to her wheelchair.

She mutters in her sleep, “honky mahfah” this and “sumbitch
ass cocks” that, letting us know that Detta is the one in
control. Roland is awake, watching her.
Eddie awakes. He stretches and looks at the Lady of Shadows.

98.
EDDIE
God, I hate to see her tied up like
that. She looks like a kidnap victim.
Well, I guess she kind of is actually.
ROLAND
She’ll wake soon. If she’s Odetta, we
can unloose her.
Detta’s head snaps up. Eddie and Roland are silent, watching
her wake up and look at them.
DETTA
How many times you done rape me while
I was buzzed out? My cunt feel all
slick an tallowly, like somebody done
been at it with a couple them itty
bitty white candles you graymeat
mahfahs call cocks.
ROLAND
(sighs)
Let’s get going.
He gets to his feet, Eddie following suit. Roland gathers

their supplies, packing them into into his gunna.
DETTA
I ain’t goan nowhere wit choo, mahfah.
EDDIE
Oh yes you are. Dreadfully sorry, my
dear. What was behind Door Number One
wasn’t so hot, and what was behind
Door Number Two was even worse. So
now, instead of quitting like sane
people, we’re going to go right on
ahead and check out Door Number Three.
Let’s see what monster awaits us
there.
Eddie takes hold of the wheelchair handles and starts pushing

her forward. Roland walks alongside.
99.
DETTA
Well, maybe I be goan on a little way,
but maybe not s’far’s you think, white
boy. And sure-God not s’fast’s you
think.
EDDIE
What do you mean?
DETTA
You find out, white boy. You bofe be
findin dat out.
FADE TO:
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Traveling north. Roland leads the way and Eddie pushes Detta
in the wheelchair. Pushing it through the sand is a bitch,
with its gritty surface. It rolls along easily enough for a
few feet, then gets caught and Eddie has to shove it forward.
Roland comes back to help him but Eddie motions him away.
EDDIE
You’ll get your chance. We’ll switch
off. (grunt) This is God’s revenge for
me. All those years I spent as a
junkie, and guess what? I’m finally
the pusher!
He utters a short, out-of-breath laugh.
DETTA
You bettah save yo breaf white boy.
You already sounden a lil sho’t
winded.
Eddie continues pushing the chair, going smoother now.

Unbeknownst to him, one of Detta’s hands grips the brake.
All at once the chair stops dead. The crossbar on the back
hits Eddie in the chest and he grunts.
100.
Detta cackles and rocks to her left, toppling the wheelchair

over, with her still tied down.
EDDIE
Fuck!
Roland comes to help him right the chair up, Detta laughing
and taunting them throughout. Her forehead is slashed from a
shell and blood trickles down. Roland and Eddie are gasping,
out of breath. They finally get her upright.
DETTA
Looky here, you boys done opset me.
(laughs)
EDDIE
Call your lawyer. Sue us.
Roland takes a piece of his shirt and reaches forward to mop

the blood off her face. Detta snaps her jaws at him, almost
biting off more of his fingers.
DETTA
Almos got choo, graymeat. You best be
watching where you put dem lil wiener
fingers, less you wanting to be losing
more of dem. You look mo than jest
tuckered out. You look sick, graymeat!
Roland ignores her taunts and ties her arms tighter, getting
her hands away from the brake.
DETTA (CONT’D)
Oh that’s fine, Mister Man, that’s
jest fine. I don’t need no brake to
stop you honkies. There be other ways
to slow you boys down. All sorts of
ways...
ROLAND
(to Eddie)
Let’s go.
101.
EDDIE
You all right man?
ROLAND
Yes. Let’s go.
They continue on their way.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Montage of pushing Detta.
Roland pushes the chair through a sandtrap. Eddie has to

pitch in and help. Sweat stands out on Roland’s forehead in
large beads and he gasps and wheezes.
Roland pushes Detta along. Detta bucks herself to the side,

toppling over again, laughing wildly.
The sun beats down, scorching the earth below.
Eddie pushes the chair, Roland walking beside her. Detta

tries to fall over again, but Roland reaches out and grabs
her. She scowls and spits on him.
The trio continues along and Detta sings some filthy nasty
song about she’s goan chop dere itty bitty cocks off and cook
up some fine tasting stew, or something of that ilk.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
The gang takes a break, eating some leftover meat. Eddie

hands some to Detta.
EDDIE
Here, you need to eat.
DETTA
Unh-uh white boy. I know youse be
tryin to poison me. Detta Walker won’t
stand for none of dat shit.
(MORE)
102.
DETTA (CONT'D)
You wants to kill me, you best do it
with yo bare hands. Poison’s the
coward’s way.
EDDIE
Suit yourself.
He pops the meat in his mouth and starts chewing.
ROLAND
I can only understand about one word
in every ten she says.
EDDIE
Doesn’t matter. Most of it comes back
to honky mahfah and how we’re gay for
each other.
ROLAND
Do most of the dark-skinned people
talk that way where you come from? Her
other half didn’t.
EDDIE
No. This one be special, she is.
They continue eating for a few beats.
ROLAND
We’re getting quite low on ammunition.
I only have one surefire live bullet
left. There’s a couple dozen wet
shells, maybe they’ll fire, maybe they
won’t. Soon enough we’ll have to start
beating our food to death.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
They continue their journey, Roland pushing and Eddie walking

beside them. Detta is quiet, worn out, starved, exhausted.
103.
DETTA
These ropes be so fucken tight! You
stretch dem any tighter and I be cut
in half.
ROLAND
I’ll loosen them if you’ll be still.
DETTA
Suck shit out of my ass, mahfah!
ROLAND
I don’t understand if that means yes
or no.
Detta glares at him, breathing heavily. She frowns to herself

and looks up at Roland.
DETTA
I be still. Too damn hungry to kick up
much dickens.
Roland loosens her straps a bit and she wiggles around,

getting her blood circulating.
EDDIE
(to Roland)
Any idea how far the next door might
be?
Roland shakes his head.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
If the distance between Number Two and
Number Three is the same as the
distance from One to Two, we could be
in deep shit.
ROLAND
We’re in deep shit already.
104.
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
Roland and Eddie sleep. Detta is still tied to the chair,

awake. She watches them for a moment and then lets out a
bloodcurdling scream.
Roland and Eddie are up in a flash. Detta laughs.
DETTA
Jes thought I’d see if you boys were
on yo toes. Might be woofs out there,
and if I saws one creepin up, I wanted
to know I could get you on yo feet in
time.
EDDIE
Christ.
ROLAND
Don’t do it again.
DETTA
What you goan do if I do? Rape me?
ROLAND
If we were going to rape you, you’d be
one well-raped woman by now. Don’t do
it again.
Eddie lays down to sleep again. Roland looks at Detta. She

glares back at him. Roland gets up and goes to her.
DETTA
Oh you get deh fuck aways from me!
Eddie looks up to see what’s happening. Roland takes a knee

in front of Detta.
ROLAND
Listen. Listen to me, Odetta.
105.
DETTA
You you callin O-Detta? Dat ain my
name.
ROLAND
Shut up bitch.
(to Odetta)
If you hear me, and if you can control
her at all--
DETTA
Why you talkin at me dat way? You quit
that honky jive! You jes quit it now,
you hear me?
ROLAND
(to Odetta)
--keep her shut up. I can gag her, but
I don’t want to do that. A hard gag is
dangerous business. People choke.
DETTA
YOU QUIT IT YOU HONKY BULLSHIT VOODOO
MAHFAH!
ROLAND
Odetta.
His voice is smooth, like the onset of rain. Detta falls

silent, staring at him with her huge eyes.
ROLAND (CONT’D)
(to Odetta)
I don’t think this bitch would care if
she did die on a hard gag. She wants
to die, but maybe even more, she wants
you to die. But you haven’t died, not
so far, and I don’t think Detta is
brand-new in your life. She feels too
at home in you, so maybe you can hear
what I’m saying, and maybe you can
keep some control over her even if you
can’t come out yet.
(MORE)
106.
ROLAND (CONT’D)
Don’t let her wake us up again,
Odetta. I don’t want to gag her, but
if I have to, I will.
Roland gets up and without looking back he returns to his

spot and goes back to sleep. Eddie and Detta stare at each
other. Detta looks down, fighting back tears.
FADE TO:
Eddie wakes up and lifts his head to see if Odetta has

returned. Detta sits there, grinning.
DETTA
Rise and shine, mahfah! Thought you
was goan sleep till noon.
EDDIE
(mutters)
Fuck.
Roland is awake now, staring at Detta.
DETTA
Let’s go, whitebread! Get cho ass up
and let’s get dis party movin!
EXT. BEACH - DAY
They continue along the beach. Eddie pushes the chair through
another goddamn sand trap. Detta laughs as he attempts to
push her through, but she doesn’t try to knock herself over.
DETTA
You be one strong buck! Dat’s right,
push this here black bitch with all
your might!
107.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Eddie and Roland sit in the shadows of some large rocks.

Detta sits in the sun, humming a tune to herself.
ROLAND
You’ll have to brain one of the
lobsters tonight. I’m too weak to
handle a rock big enough to do the
job.
EDDIE
Yeah, you look pretty bad.
ROLAND
Never mind me. What is, is.
EDDIE
Ka.
ROLAND
Ka.
EDDIE
Kaka.
They look at each other and laugh.
DETTA
Dat laffin mean you fine’ly managed to
joik each other off? When you goan get
down to de pokin? Dat’s what I want to
see! Dat pokin!
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
A rock slams down, killing a Lobstrosity.
Eddie cooks the Lob over a fire. Roland lays down, exhausted
and feverish.
Eddie gives some meat to Detta.

108.
DETTA
Nossuh! No SUH! You done put poison in
dere, I saws you.
Without saying anything, Eddie puts her meat in his mouth.
DETTA (CONT’D)
Doan mean a thing. I know youse be
tryin ta poison me. Ain’t fallin for
none o yo honky tricks.
EDDIE
Whatever you say babe.
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
The trio sleeps. Detta doesn’t make a sound, sleeping, still

tied to the chair. In the distance, yet close, we hear a loud
growl. Sounds like it could be a wildcat of some sort. The
animal screams again, waking Roland and Eddie.
EDDIE
Jeez, what was that?
ROLAND
Don’t know. Just an animal. Needn’t
worry too much, but be--
EDDIE
On my guard, yeah.
Detta is awake, having heard the noises as well. She doesn’t

say anything, in fact she looks scared.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
They continue along the beach. Eddie pushes Detta. Roland

ambles along the best he can, looking like a walking corpse.
Eddie sees hills in the distance.

109.
EDDIE
Roland look! We’re almost at the end
of the beach. Still no fucking door.
ROLAND
Soon. Soon...
DETTA
Stop. I feel sick. Feel like I goan
throw up.
EDDIE
Probably that big meal you ate last
night. You should have skipped
dessert. I told you that chocolate
layer cake was heavy.
DETTA
I goan throw up! I--
ROLAND
Eddie, stop!
Eddie stops pushing. Detta twists, as if an electric shock

runs through her. She raises her head and screams at nothing,
ghosts from the past.
DETTA
I BROKE YO PLATE YOU STINKIN OLE BLUE
BITCH! I BROKE IT AND I’M FUCKIN GLAD
I D--
She slumps forward in her chair. If not for the ropes, she’d
fall out.
EDDIE
Oh shit.
He looks at Roland, Roland looks at Detta. Detta moans. Her

eyes open. Odetta’s eyes.
110.
ODETTA
Dear God, I’ve fainted again, haven’t
I? I’m sorry you had to tie me in.
Stupid legs! I think I could sit up a
little if you--
Suddenly Roland’s own legs come unhinged and he falls to the

ground.
EDDIE
Oh shit.
INSERT SHOT - RE-SHUFFLE
The Hand shuffling the Tarot cards is back again. He takes

the Lady of Shadows card and lays it face up next to the
Prisoner. He takes the Tarot cards and re-shuffles.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Eddie drags Roland up to the edge of the beach, to the shade

of the trees. Roland’s eyes flutter. His chests rises and
falls rapidly. His arm is a network of twisting red lines.
Roland regains consciousness and looks around, seeing where
he is. He sees Odetta in her chair still on the beach.
ROLAND
Feed her.
EDDIE
You--
ROLAND
Never mind me. I’ll be all right. Feed
her. She’ll eat now. And you’ll need
her strength.
EDDIE
What if she’s just pretending to be--
111.
ROLAND
She’s not pretending anything. It’s in
her face. Feed her, for the sake of
your father. And while she eats, come
back to me. Every minute counts now.
Every second. And say nothing about
her other. Whatever she tells you,
however she explains, don’t contradict
her. Now do as I say and don’t waste
any more time!
Eddie hurries back to Odetta.
ODETTA
Is he ok?
EDDIE
He’s alive. He’ll make it. Here, you
need to eat.
He reaches into Roland’s gunna and takes out some leftover

meat from the previous night.
ODETTA
I would if I could, but you know what
happens when I eat that.
Eddie blinks, momentarily confused. She’s explaining her

amnesia, having filled the gaps with bullshit.
EDDIE
It wouldn’t hurt to try again. You
need to eat, we’ve got to go as fast
as we can.
She touches his hand, sending a sort of electric hum through

his body.
ODETTA
I love you Eddie. You’ve tried so
hard, been so patient. So has he
(nods to Roland)
--but he’s a hard man to love.
112.
EDDIE
Yeah. Don’t I know it.
ODETTA
I’ll try one more time. For you.
She smiles at him, making his heart beat a little faster. She
takes a chunk of the lobster-meat, wrinkles her nose and
gives a little nervous laugh. She puts a piece in her mouth,
wincing like a child about to take cough syrup. She chews,
slowly at first. “Mmm...” She chews it up and swallows. Then
takes another piece, chews, swallows greedily. Then she grabs
all he has in his hand and nearly wolfs it down.
EDDIE
Whoa, slow down!
ODETTA
It must be a different kind. That’s
it, of course it is. We’ve moved
further up the beach and the species
has changes. I’m no longer allergic to
it! It doesn’t take nasty like it did
before. It tastes... it tastes so
good.
EDDIE
Just don’t overdo it. I need to go
talk to Roland again, ok? Be back as
soon as I can.
She takes his hand.
ODETTA
Thank you Eddie. Thank you for being
so patient. And thank him.
...
Eddie’s back with Roland.
113.
ROLAND
Leave me the skin that’s half full.
That’s all I need. Take her to the
door.
EDDIE
What if I don’t--
ROLAND
Find it? You’ll find it. The first two
were there; this one will be too. If
you get there before sundown tonight,
wait for dark and then kill double.
You’ll need to leave her food and make
sure she’s sheltered as well as she
can be. If you don’t reach it tonight,
kill triple. Here.
Roland hands him one of his guns. Eddie takes it with

respect, again marvelling at the weight of it.
EDDIE
I thought the shells were all losers.
ROLAND
Probably are. But I’ve loaded the ones
I believe were wetted least. One may
fire. Two, if you’re lucky. Don’t try
them on the crawlies. There may be
other things out there. That animal we
heard, could be a harmless little
thing you can scare away with a stick.
Could be something worse. But there’s
her to think about. If her other comes
back, you may have to--
EDDIE
I won’t kill her, if that’s what
you’re thinking.
ROLAND
You may have to wing her, knock her
unconscious. You understand?
114.
EDDIE
What if that kills her?
ROLAND
Then it’s the end. But if she kills
you, that’s the end, too. And if she
comes back, she’ll try. She’ll try her
damnedest to kill you.
Eddie gives a reluctant nod.
ROLAND (CONT’D)
When you get to the door, leave her.
Shelter her as well as you can, and
come back to me with the chair.
EDDIE
And the gun?
Roland’s eyes blaze.
ROLAND
Gods yes! Leave her with a loaded gun,
when her other might come back at any
time? Are you insane?
EDDIE
The shells--
ROLAND
Fuck the shells! Leave it with her
not!
EDDIE
(after a beat)
What if something comes down to her
while I’m on my way back here? Some
kind of killer cat you can’t shake a
stick at.
ROLAND
Give her a pile of stones.
115.
EDDIE
Stones!? Jesus man, you’re such a
fucking shit.
ROLAND
I gave you the gun so you could protect
her from the sort of danger you’re
talking about while you’re with her.
Would it please you if I took the gun
back? Then perhaps you could die for
her. Would that please you? Very
romantic... except then, instead of just
her, all three of us would go down.
EDDIE
Very logical. You’re still a fucking
shit, however.
ROLAND
Go or stay. Stop calling me names.
EDDIE
You forgot something.
ROLAND
What?
EDDIE
You forgot to tell me to grow up.
That’s what Henry always used to say.
“Oh grow up, kid.”
Roland smiles.
ROLAND
I think you have grown up.
Eddie can’t help but be taken aback by the affection.
EDDIE
What are you going to eat? She scarfed
the leftovers.
116.
ROLAND
The fucking shit will find a way. The
fucking shit has been finding a way
for years.
The Hand reshuffles the Tarot cards.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Eddie and Odetta race along the beach. Eddie pushes and
Odetta pumps the wheels. The sand is easier to manage and ka
seems to be on their side.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Sweat pours down Eddie’s face.
ODETTA
Eddie.
EDDIE
Yeah?
ODETTA
You need to rest. You’re going to give
yourself a heart attack the rate
you’re going. It’s ok, we can stop and
rest for a little bit.
Eddie slows down.
EDDIE
You’re right. Here, let’s go get some
shade.
...
Eddie and Odetta up near the trees. Eddie sits against a
large rock. Odetta fans herself with her shirt.
117.
ODETTA
I keep thinking about Roland back
there, all by himself, and I can’t
really enjoy it. Eddie, who is he?
What is he? And why does he shout so
much?
EDDIE
Just his nature, I guess.
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
Eddie brains a Lobstrosity with a rock.
...
Eddie and Odetta sit by a fire, eating the Lob. Odetta looks
up at the stars.
ODETTA
Aren’t they beautiful?
Eddie looks up at the stars as well.
EDDIE
Yes. Gorgeous.
Tears fill his eyes. He tries to fight them back.
ODETTA
Star light, star bright.
(looks to Eddie)
Do you know it, Eddie?
Eddie keeps his head down, hiding his tears.
EDDIE
Yeah.
118.
ODETTA
Then say it with me. But you have to
look up at them.
Eddie wipes his tears on the palm of his hand and looks up at
the stars with her.
ODETTA (CONT’D)
Star light...
ODETTA & EDDIE

Star bright. First star I see tonight.
Odetta reaches out and takes Eddie’s hand.
ODETTA & EDDIE (CONT’D)

Wish I may, wish I might...
Eddie looks at Odetta and sees tears falling down her cheeks.
His eyes start leaking again.
EDDIE
Have the wish I wish tonight.
ODETTA
Have the wish I wish tonight.
They sit there for a moment, holding hands and looking into
the starry sky. Odetta wipes her eyes with her free hand.
ODETTA (CONT’D)
I’m sorry I cried. I don’t usually,
but it’s been--
EDDIE
A very trying day.
She smiles at him.

119.
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
Eddie and Odetta make love under the stars. Never has the act
of love been so sweet for either of them.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Eddie and Odetta race forward on the beach.
ODETTA
Stop! Eddie, stop!
Eddie stops so abruptly he almost knocks her out of the

chair.
EDDIE
Shit, sorry. Are you all right?
ODETTA
I’m fine. Up there! Do you see
something?
Eddie shades his eyes with his hands and looks ahead.
EDDIE
I don’t think so.
ODETTA
I think I do! Standing all by itself!
Near where the beach ends.
Eddie looks again, squinting hard.
EDDIE
Maybe.
ODETTA
Let’s go!
120.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
An hour or so later. The third door comes into view, still in

the distance, but you can see it without much effort.
ODETTA
You see it now right?
EDDIE
Yes. Man, your eyes are about as good
as Roland’s. Maybe I’ll find an
optometrist along the way, get my
vision checked.
Odetta chuckles.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Eddie and Odetta stand at the door. More High Speech symbols.
ODETTA
What does it say?
EDDIE
I have no idea. It’s some ancient
gunslinger language I’m not fluent in.
Subtitles tell us this door leads to THE PUSHER.
The Hand finishes re-shuffling the cards. He takes the top

card and flips it over. Death.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Eddie and Odetta at the door.
ODETTA
Would it open for you? Or me?
121.
EDDIE
Only one way to find out.
Eddie approaches the door and grabs the knob. He tries

turning it clockwise. No dice. He tries counter-clockwise.
The knob moves not an iota.
ODETTA
All right, it’s for him then. I think
we both knew it. Go for him, Eddie.
Go now.
EDDIE
First I’ve got to see to you.
ODETTA
I’ll be fine.
EDDIE
No you won’t. You’re too close to the
high-tide line. If I leave you here,
the lobsters are going to come out at
night and you’ll be din--
In the hills nearby, that hideous growl cuts through the air.
They both jump a little. Eddie pulls Roland’s gun from his
belt and looks at it.
ODETTA
He told you not to give it to me,
didn’t he? He doesn’t want me to have
it. For some reason, he doesn’t trust
me with it.
EDDIE
The shells got wet. It probably
wouldn’t fire anyway.
ODETTA
Take me a little way up the slope. I
should be safe from the lobsters
there. Give me something to eat and
some stones.
122.
Eddie laughs at that. Stones.
ODETTA (CONT’D)
What? What’s so funny?
EDDIE
That’s exactly what he told me to do.
Give you a pile of stones. You two are
more alike than you know.
ODETTA
(smiles)
Well, what else would I use?
EXT. BEACH/HILLS - DAY
Eddie has set Odetta up away from the tide, near some rocks
and trees. They’ve gathered stones and she carries Roland’s
gunna around her shoulder. The wheelchair is empty, to be
used to carry Roland back.
EDDIE
Dammit...
He removes Roland’s gun and hands it to her.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
He’ll be angry with both of us for
this. But I’d be more angry if I
didn’t and anything happened to you.
ODETTA
I don’t like guns. I don’t know how to
use them. If something came at me in
the dark, the first thing I’d do is
wet my pants. Then I’d probably point
that thing the wrong way and shoot
myself. Put it back.
The wildcat growls again off screen.

123.
EDDIE
Take it and don’t argue. Hopefully you
won’t need it and it’d most likely
misfire anyway. But take it.
She looks into his eyes, smiles a little.
ODETTA
I won’t argue I guess.
She takes the gun, surprised by it’s weight. She places it

delicately in her lap.
ODETTA (CONT’D)
Before you go, I need just one more
thing from you.
EDDIE
What?
ODETTA
A kiss.
Eddie smiles. They kiss.
EXT. BEACH - EVENING
The sun is setting. Eddie races along the beach, pushing the
empty wheelchair. With nobody to occupy it, he’s practically
flying, gliding over the sand.
EXT. BEACH/HILLS - NIGHT
Night has fallen. Odetta sits against a rock, looking out at

the ocean. We can faintly hear the Lobstrosities chattering
to themselves.
Odetta looks down at the gun. She picks it up and holds it in

her hand, taking aim as practice. She puts it in her lap and
squints her eyes. Odetta rubs her forehead and moans softly.
124.
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
Eddie’s still racing back to Roland, not caring to sleep.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Back to Roland, in the same spot we left him. His eyes are
closed but his chest rises and falls slowly. We hear Eddie
approaching with his wheelchair, the wheels crunching through
the sand. Roland opens his eyes to see Eddie approaching.
EDDIE
I made it. I’m here. Jesus Christ, I’m
really here.
ROLAND
You gave her the gun.
EDDIE
I bust my ass getting back here in
record time and all you can say is
“You gave her the gun.” Thanks man. I
mean shit, I expected maybe some
expression of gratitude, but this is
just over-fucking-whelming.
ROLAND
I think I said the only thing that
matters.
EDDIE
Yes, I gave her gun. Now you have your
choice. You can get in this chair or I
can fold it and try to jam it up your
ass. Which do you prefer?
ROLAND
Neither. First you’re going to get
some sleep. We’ll get there and do
what we need to do, but for now you
need sleep. You look done in.
125.
EDDIE
I want to get back.
ROLAND
I do too. But if you don’t rest,
you’re going to fall flat on your
face. You made good time. You sleep
five, maybe seven hours, then--
EDDIE
Four. Four hours.
ROLAND
All right. Sleep, then we’ll eat, then
we move.
(shakes head)
I really wish you hadn’t given her
that gun.
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Eddie pushes Roland in the wheelchair. It’s not as easy as

pushing Odetta, but it’s a breeze compared to Detta.
Roland coughs harshly.
EDDIE
You all right there?
ROLAND
I’m not done yet, no matter how I
sound. Are you?
EDDIE
Not done, but I could use a
cheeseburger and a Bud.
ROLAND
Bud?
EDDIE
Beer.
126.
ROLAND
I’d kill for a beer.
EDDIE
I’m sure you’ve done it before.
Roland laughs and coughs.
EXT. BEACH/HILLS - DAY
Eddie and Roland have reached the door. Roland sits in the
chair, assessing it. Eddie hurries over to where he left
Odetta, but she’s gone. Nothing left but dirt.
EDDIE
Odetta! Odetta! ODETTA!
Nothing in return.
ROLAND
Eddie!
Eddie waves his hand distractedly towards him.
EDDIE
Go on. Go on through and get the stuff
you need. We’ll both be here when you
get back.
ROLAND
I doubt that.
Eddie returns to Roland.
EDDIE
I have to find her. I mean, I really
have to.
ROLAND
You love her.
Not a question.
127.
EDDIE
Yes. I’ve never felt this way for
anybody before.
ROLAND
I understand your love and your need,
but I want you to come with me this
time.
EDDIE
Come with you! Holy God, last time you
were so determined I was gonna stay
behind, but this time you need me.
ROLAND
Eddie, she’s still alive. If she
weren’t, this door wouldn’t be here.
EDDIE
How the fuck do you know that?
ROLAND
I just do.
EDDIE
More Ka bullshit.
ROLAND
Why do you think she’s not returning
your calls?
EDDIE
An animal could have carried her away.
ROLAND
It would have killed her, eaten what
it wanted, and left the rest.
EDDIE
I don’t know, maybe she was attacked
by some cat and got the upper hand,
shot it and moved deeper into the
trees for better protection.
128.
ROLAND
You see any blood? See any dead cats?
EDDIE
Fuck man, she could be hurt, we don’t
know what happened. How’d you like it
if I did come through that door with
you and she died while we were on the
other side? How’d you like that door
to close forever, with you trapped in
my world?
Roland sighs, exasperated.
ROLAND
We both know what’s happened to her.
Her other took her. That’s what
grabbed her, Detta Walker.
EDDIE
Fuck.
Track away from Roland and Eddie, up to the hills. Not too
far in, maybe around thirty feet or so, perched behind a
rock, sitting and watching, grinning and cackling inside,
Detta Walker watches Roland and Eddie.
Back to Roland and Eddie.
ROLAND
I didn’t send you out here to die. I
didn’t send either of you out here to
die. Great gods, Eddie, where are your
brains? Detta’s packing live iron!
EDDIE
You said the bullets probably wouldn’t
fire anyway.
Roland takes his second gun out of his belt and points it at
the ocean. He fires. CLICK. He fires again. KA BLAM.
129.
ROLAND
“What may misfire once, may fire true
the second time.” One of the lessons
from old master.
She’s someplace up in those hills.
She’s lying up there, not Odetta but
Detta, lying up there with live iron
in her hand. If I leave you and you go
after her, she’ll blow your guts out
of your asshole.
Another spasm of coughing comes upon Roland.
ROLAND (CONT’D)
The woman you love is deadly. Detta
doesn’t give two shits about you.
EDDIE
I don’t care. I’m staying.
ROLAND
Fine. You mean to stay. As Detta she’s
safer from whatever wildlife there may
be around here, safer than Odetta
would be. I don’t like it, but I’ve no
time to argue with a fool. I’m going
to tell you one last time before I go,
and hear me well. Be on your guard.
Roland removes his gunbelt and hands it over to Eddie.
ROLAND (CONT’D)
At least now maybe you’ll have a
fighting chance against her. You
remember how to reload?
EDDIE
Yeah. I’ll be on my guard, but I won’t
kill her.
ROLAND
No, I don’t think you will either.
130.
Roland looks at the door. He puts his hands on the arms of

the chair and lifts himself to his feet. He steps to the door
and grabs the knob.
EDDIE
Wait. Before you go...
Roland looks to him.
EDDIE (CONT’D)
What’s this one say? Who are you
meeting on the other side?
ROLAND
The Pusher.
Eddie scoffs.
ROLAND (CONT’D)
What?
EDDIE
In my world, that’s what we call
people who deal drugs to junkies like
me. They push it on you, because they
know you’re weak.
ROLAND
You’re weak no more, Eddie Dean.
Roland turns the knob and opens the door. They look through.
We see the streets of New York City once again. The Pusher
walks down the sidewalk casually, looking at the traffic and
the people he passes.
Roland steps through the door.
EXT. STREETS - NEW YORK - DAY
1977. Early morning on a weekday. Traffic moves at a brisk

pace. Pedestrians walk to work, school, etc.
131.
We’re outside an upscale apartment building in Manhattan. The

front door opens and Jake Chambers walks out. He looks the
same as he did from Volume I, in his flashback to the day he
died.
Jake walks down the street, just another regular day for good
old Jake. Unbeknownst to him, someone is following.
JACK MORT, of New York, son of Joseph, The Pusher. Mort is in

his early-to-mid-fifties, a white man with a crew cut and
gold-rimmed glasses. Mort wears a plain blue business suit.
Mort follows Jake, acting casual.
The Door materializes a few feet behind Mort and Roland’s

purple light comes out and zips into Mort’s head.
INT. MORT’S MIND
Mort’s mind is devoid of any color or light. Blackness.

Roland’s purple consciousness appears, giving off a dim glow.
Roland watches through the control panel screen, seeing Mort
following some boy.
EXT. STREET - NEW YORK - DAY
Mort continues following Jake. Jake is at an intersection,

waiting for the light to turn green. “The Great Deceiver” by
King Crimson blasts from someone’s radio nearby. Mort is just
a few feet behind him.
INT. MORT’S MIND
Roland continues watching through Mort’s eyes. On the screen,

Jake turns his head to the left, giving us a glimpse of his
face. Roland’s purple light blinks a little brighter.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
The boy! Jake!
132.
Through the screen, we see Jake turn his head back to the
street. Mort’s hands come up into view, reaching out towards
the boy in front of him.
Without hesitation, Roland throws the switch. Mort’s mind

turns to purple, with a black orb replacing Roland.
Jake stands at the crosswalk, oblivious to the man with his

hands inches away from his back. Mort’s head shivers a little
to signify Roland taking control.
Mort’s hands stop where they are, outstretched and almost

touching Jake’s back.
The stoplight changes. People cross the street. Jake walks

forward, safely crossing the street.
Mort/Roland stands, watching Jake cross the street. We hear a

titter of laughter off screen. Mort/Roland turns his head and
sees THE MAN IN BLACK, Walter O’Dim.
The Man in Black looks at Mort/Roland directly. He smiles and

nods, greeting Roland. Mort/Roland starts to walk to him, but
a crowd of people pass in between them, obscuring The Man in
Black. By the time the crowd has cleared, The Man in Black is
gone, vanished without a trace.
INT. MORT’S MIND
The lights go from purple to black, Roland giving control

back to Mort.
Mort stands, looking at nothing. His head shivers and he

blinks his eyes, as if coming out of a daydream. He turns to
see Jake walking away across the street, too far gone.
133.
He mutters to himself and shakes his head. He continues

walking, headed in a different direction.
Establishing shot of an office building skyscraper. Mort

enters the front door.
INT. OFFICE BUILDING - DAY
Mort walks through a door, with a sign reading “LEVY & SAMSON
ACCOUNTING”.
Mort sits at his desk in the office, writing a report and

punching numbers on a calculator.
INT. MORT’S MIND
Roland watches Mort work for a few moments. He drifts over to

Mort’s filing cabinets filled with memories. He opens the
bottom drawer, reaches in and pulls out a translucent whisp
looking like a piece of paper. One of Mort’s memories. Roland
touches the memory and the screen flashes to white.
INT. BUILDING - NEW YORK - DAY
We’re in 1940. A teenage Jack Mort sits by the window in an

abandoned room, on the sixth floor. Mort holds a crumbly red
brick in his hand and peers out the window.
Track out the window and look down. We see young Odetta
Holmes and her parents walking down the street. Dan and Alice
Holmes talk to each other, Odetta skips along merrily.
Mort waits until the right moment. He’s timed the velocity of
the drop and knows what he’s doing. He reaches his hand out
and holds the brick in the air.
134.
His hand releases the brick and it falls. We stay with Mort
as he ducks back in. He peers out to confirm his hit. We hear
the brick go THWACK against Odetta’s head and we hear her
mother scream. Those sounds give Mort much pleasure.
Mort calmly retreats out the door and into the hallway.
EXT. BUILDING - NEW YORK - DAY (1940)
We’re on the roof. The stairway door opens and Mort exits. He
smoothly but briskly walks across the roof over the edge, to
the gap separating it from the building next door. Mort jumps
the gap easily, methodically. He walks to the fire escape
ladder on this building and climbs down.
INT. MORT’S ROOM - NEW YORK - NIGHT (1940)
Teenage Mort is in his room, a scrapbook open on his desk in

front of him. Mort carefully cuts out a newspaper clipping,
the headline reading “NEGRO GIRL COMATOSE FOLLOWING TRAGIC
ACCIDENT”. He pastes the news clipping on one of the pages,
opposite a story about a young boy falling off a building.
Mort smooths over the newspaper, wanting it to be just

perfect in his book. He smiles.
Transitional shot. Other news clippings appears in the book,

showing the passage of time and Mort’s destruction. “MOTHER
STUNNED BY SON’S DEATH,” “70 YEAR OLD MAN FALLS OFF BRIDGE,”
“FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED IN DEATH OF 19 YEAR OLD GIRL,” “YOUNG
BOY KILLED IN FREAK INCIDENT,” etc.
INT. SUBWAY STATION - NEW YORK - NIGHT
1959. Jack Mort in his mid-thirties stands against a wall in

the subway, surveying the crowd. He settles on a black woman
in her twenties. Odetta Holmes once again.
A train blasts its whistle as it nears. Mort gets into

position, right behind Odetta.
135.
The train comes out of the tunnel. Mort deftly pushes Odetta
onto the tracks. Odetta screams as she falls. The crowd gasps
and no one notices as Mort eases himself away from the
tracks.
Odetta scrambles away from the tracks, unable to get up. The
train screams as it runs over her legs.
INT. MORT’S MIND
Roland slams the filing cabinet shut, disgusted and angry. He

moves to the control panel and watches through Mort’s eyes.
Mort eats a bland sandwich while still sitting at his desk in
the accounting office.
EXT. BEACH/HILLS - MID-WORLD - DAY
Detta sits behind her rock, continuing to watch Eddie. Eddie

sits in the wheelchair, with his head in his hands. Roland’s
body lays limp on the sand in front of the door.
Behind Detta we see a CREATURE approaching her. This looks

like a cross between a tiger and a zebra. Its fur is white
with black and orange stripes zigzagging over it. It has a
mane of hair, looking like a black Mohawk, going down his
spine. It growls a little and readies itself on its haunches.
Detta hears it growl and turns. At first she’s scared, then a

smile spreads over her lips.
DETTA
Here kitty kitty kitty.
(makes kissy noises)
The tiger creature (let’s call it a Tigra) glowers at her.

Detta holds up the gun and aims it at the Tigra. The Tigra
snaps its mouth at her. Detta smiles wider and pulls the
trigger. KA BLAM! The Tigra is shot in the head, blood
pouring out.
136.
Eddie hears the shot and lifts his head up. He looks to the
hills and sees nothing. He unholsters his weapon and gets out
of the wheelchair. He walks towards the hills, his gun aimed
low but ready.
He reaches the hills and sees some of the Tigra’s fur through
the trees. He raises his gun and approaches cautiously. He
walks closer to the Tigra and sees that it’s dead. Detta is
nowhere in sight.
EDDIE
Odetta? ... Detta? Come on out babe.
It’s no use playing this game.
Nothing. Eddie looks around, then sighs and holsters his gun.
He walks back to the beach.
Detta crouches behind a rock, waiting for Eddie to pass. She

can hear his footsteps approaching.
Eddie walks by Detta’s rock, his legs coming within a foot of

her. Detta takes the gun and bashes him the kneecap. Eddie
screams and falls to the ground.
Detta scampers to him quickly. Eddie tries pulling his gun

out, but she’s too fast. She brings the butt of her gun down
on his head, knocking him unconscious.
CUT TO BLACK.
INT. BUILDING - NEW YORK - DAY (1977)
Back to Mort at work. Mort fills in numbers on a green sheet.

He rubs his head and his stomach gurgles.
INT. MORT’S MIND
Roland continues to watch Mort, trying to figure out what the

hell Ka wants him to do with this devil-man and why he’s one
of his three.
137.
Detta drags herself along the beach with one hand. Her other
hand drags Eddie by his shirt. She mutters and curses as he
goes.
DETTA
Sumbitch ass mahfah... cockloving
shitlicker... hoodoo ass peckerwood...
EXT. BEACH - DAY
Detta has used Roland’s leather strap to tie Eddie’s hands

and feet together. The same strap they used to tie her to the
chair. Detta slaps Eddie’s face.
DETTA
Wakey wakey white boy. C’mon you
sumbitch. Ay! Cockmouth!
Eddie’s eyes open and he looks up at Detta. He tries to move

his hand for his gun, struggles and looks behind him to see
he’s tied up.
EDDIE
Listen. Odetta--
DETTA
You doan want to be callin me dat. Nex
time you be callin me dat be de las
time you be callin anyone anythin. My
name’s Detta Walker, and if you want
to keep drawin breaf in yo lungs, you
little piece of white-washed shit, you
better member it!
You got dat, honky?
EDDIE
Yes.
DETTA
Den say it. Say my name bitch.
138.
EDDIE
Detta.
DETTA
Say my whole name!
EDDIE
Detta Walker.
DETTA
Good. Now you lissen to me,
whitebread, and you lissen good. You
don’t want to be trine to be cute,
like I seen you just trine t’snake
down an git dat gun I took off’n ya
while you was out. You don’t want to
try nuthin cute cause I ain’t got no
legs, either. I have learned to do a
lot of things since I lost em, and now
I got both of dat honky mahfah’s guns,
and dat ought to go for somethin.
EDDIE
Yeah, I’m not feeling cute.
DETTA
Well good. Dat’s real good. I been one
busy bitch, got dis bidness all
figured out. We goan sit here and wait
for that Real Bad Man to come back.
Then Ise goan make him take me back
home. If he don’t I be killin both you
honky mahfahs. For rite now, we jes
sit here an wait.
Detta looks through the open door. We see Mort walking

through a hallway in his office, headed to the elevator.
139.
INT. MORT’S MIND
Roland watches Mort enter the elevator. He throws the switch,

changing the colors and making Mort’s black aura appear.
Mort’s aura flickers and oozes, confused.
MORT (THOUGHT)
What the fuck? What the hell’s
happening here?
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Shut up Pusher.
MORT (THOUGHT)
Who the hell are you?
INT. ELEVATOR - NEW YORK - DAY
Mort/Roland rides the elevator down. The elevator stops, the

doors open and a BUSINESSMAN enters. He sees Mort/Roland and
smiles at him.
BUSINESS MAN
Hey, Jack, long time no see. How you
been doing?
MORT/ROLAND
I’m fine.
Mort/Roland doesn’t return any friendly smile, just riding

the elevator and waiting.
BUSINESS MAN
Sarah and I just had our first child,
not too long ago. Here, I got a
picture of him.
The Business Man takes out his wallet. Mort/Roland rolls his
eyes impatiently, watching the floor numbers go down.
Business Man shoves a photo of a young boy in front of
Mort/Roland’s face.
140.
BUSINESS MAN (CONT’D)

Here’s our little Kevin. He has his
mother’s eyes I’d say. We should have
you over for dinner sometime soon.
MORT/ROLAND
(uncaring)
Yes, what a beautiful boy.
Mort/Roland watches the elevator numbers go down as Business

Man continues prattling on about his family.
MORT (THOUGHT)
This is crazy. Am I dead? Why are you
doing this to me? Who the hell are you
and what do you want with me?
Roland ignores both voices.
Mort/Roland exits the office building and walks down the

street.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Do you have gun stores in this city?
MORT (THOUGHT)
Fuck you.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
You want I should throw yourself in
front of one of these buses and end
your pathetic life? It’d be fitting, a
taste of your own medicine, getting
pushed to your death.
MORT (THOUGHT)
How... what... oh Jesus...
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Gun store!
141.
MORT (THOUGHT)
Unhh... (moans)
I don’t know. Get in a taxi and have
him take you to one.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
Taksi?
MORT (THOUGHT)
You don’t know what a taxi is? These
yellow cars. Oh Jesus, what are you?
A taxi pulls to the curb and Mort/Roland exits. Across the

street he sees “Clements Guns And Sporting Goods”, with a
sign reading “Ammo, Fishing Tackle, Official Facsimiles.”
Mort/Roland crosses the street. Parked a few doors down is a

black-and-white police car, with two POLICE OFFICERS sitting
inside. Mort/Roland looks at them as he passes.
INT. GUN STORE - DAY
The Clerk, WADE (40s), sits behind the counter, browsing a

magazine. A bell tinkles as the door opens and Mort/Roland
enters.
WADE
Good day sir. What can I get for you?
MORT/ROLAND
I wonder if you have a paper which
shows pictures of revolver ammunition.
WADE
You mean a caliber chart?
142.
MORT/ROLAND
Yes, that’s it. My brother has a
revolver, I’ve fired it a couple
times, and I think I will know the
bullets if I see them.
WADE
Well, you may think so, but it can be
hard to tell. Was it a .22? A .38?
MORT/ROLAND
If you have this chart, I’ll know.
WADE
Just a sec. I got a Shooter’s Bible.
Maybe that’s what you ought to look
at.
MORT/ROLAND
Yes. Shooter’s Bible. That’s a bible I
can trust, very apt.
Wade rummages under the counter and brings out a well-thumbed

volume as thick as a phone book. Mort/Roland’s eyes light up
as the size of it.
WADE
Take a look. Although if you’ve only
fired it a couple times, you’re
shootin’ in the dark.
(smiles)
Pardon the pun.
Mort/Roland bends over the book, flipping through the pages,

looking at the photographs. He comes across one that excites
him, a picture of a Winchester .45 pistol shell.
MORT/ROLAND
There! Right there. You have these?
WADE
Sure. How many boxes do you want?
143.
MORT/ROLAND
How many in a box?
WADE
Fifty.
Mort/Roland’s eyes go wide.
MORT/ROLAND
Fifty!
Wade looks at him suspiciously. This man seems very strange.
MORT/ROLAND (CONT’D)
And how much does one box cost?
WADE
Nineteen ninety-nine.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
(to Mort)
How much money do you have?
MORT (THOUGHT)
I don’t know... at least sixty bucks.
MORT/ROLAND
Three. I’ll take three boxes.
WADE
You got the card?
MORT/ROLAND
Card?
WADE
A handgun permit with a photo. I can’t
sell you handgun ammo unless you can
show me a permit.
Mort/Roland stares blankly at him. A string of words appears

on the screen, scrolling through. Roland accessing Mort’s
lexicon. “Permit” appears, with a little picture.
144.
Wade takes a little step to his left, without taking his eyes
off Mort/Roland. His hand rests on a massive Magnum, in a
spring-loaded clip underneath the register. Mort/Roland
notices his hand and looks in Wade’s eyes.
MORT/ROLAND
Oh I see. I’m sorry. I guess I haven’t
kept track of how much the world has
moved on... er, changed, since I last
owned a gun.
WADE
(relaxing a bit)
No harm done.
MORT/ROLAND
I wonder if I can get a look at that
cleaning kit?
Mort/Roland points to the shelf behind the counter.
WADE
Sure.
Wade turns to grab the kit. Mort/Roland quickly takes Mort’s

wallet out of his jacket pocket, with the speed of a
gunslinger’s fast draw. Mort/Roland smoothly drops the wallet
on the floor behind the counter, just before Wade turns
around. Mort/Roland smiles, Wade is completely unaware of
what just happened.
WADE (CONT’D)
This is a beaut. And you don’t need no
permit to buy a cleaning kit, that’s
for sure.
Mort/Roland looks over the cleaning kit for a moment.
MORT/ROLAND
Hmm, I’m afraid I’ll have to pass on
this.
145.
WADE
(shrugs)
All right. Anything else?
MORT/ROLAND
No, thank you.
Mort/Roland quickly turns to the door and heads out.
WADE
(once he’s gone)
Fucking weirdo.
INT. POLICE CAR - NEW YORK - DAY
Officers CARL and GEORGE sip coffee and look out at the
streets. George sees Mort/Roland exit the gun shop and
approach their car. Mort/Roland gets to the passenger side
window and bends down to talk to them.
MORT/ROLAND
The tradesman in there took my wallet.
OFFICER GEORGE
Who?
MORT/ROLAND
The tradesman. Ah--
(brief pause)
The clerk.
OFFICER CARL
Black hair? On the stocky side?
MORT/ROLAND
Yes. His eyes were brown. Small scar
under one of them.
OFFICER CARL
Tell us exactly what happened. Start
with your name.
146.
MORT/ROLAND
My name is Jack Mort. I went in to buy
shells for my brother. He has a .45
Winchester revolver. The man asked me
if I had a permit, and I said of
course, so he asked to see it.
I took out my wallet. I showed him my
permit. Only when I turned my wallet
around to do that showing, he must
have seen the money I had in there. He
asked for a closer look and he took
the wallet out of my hands. Then he
dropped it on the floor, behind the
counter. I was mad and told him to
give me back my wallet. He laughed and
acted like I never gave him my wallet.
I started to come around the counter
to get it. That’s when he pulled a gun
on me.
OFFICER GEORGE
He pulled out a gun?
MORT/ROLAND
It was under the cash register. I
think it was in a docker’s clutch.
OFFICER CARL
A what?
Mort/Roland pauses as he scrolls through the lexicon.
MORT/ROLAND
I don’t know exactly how to say it...
A thing you put your gun into. No one
can take it out unless you know how to
push it correctly.
OFFICER CARL
A spring-clip! Holy shit!
The Officers exchange a look.

147.
OFFICER GEORGE
(to Mort/Roland)
What then?
MORT/ROLAND
He repeated that I never gave him any
wallet and told me to leave. That’s
when I came out here and saw you.
OFFICER CARL
All right. Let’s get down your
information. We’ll want to know your
address and the contents of your
wallet.
MORT/ROLAND
Certainly.
Detta sits on the beach in front of the door. One gun is

pointed at Roland’s head, the other remains by her side,
ready to use. Eddie is still tied up, on the ground next to
Roland. Through the door, Detta watches the Officers and
Mort/Roland enter the Gun Store.
INT. GUN STORE - NEW YORK - DAY
Officers Carl and George talk to Wade.
WADE
The guy’s fucking crazy! He comes in
here, doesn’t even know what he wants,
then when he sees it in the book, he
don’t know how many comes in a box,
how much they cost, and what he says
about me wanting a closer look at his
permit is the biggest pile of shit I
ever heard, because he don’t have no
permit!
148.
Wade sees Mort/Roland standing by the door.
WADE (CONT’D)
Yeah, this creep right here. I see you
buddy! I see your face! Next time you
see mine, you’re gonna be fucking
sorry!
OFFICER GEORGE
You don’t have this man’s wallet?
WADE
You know I don’t have his wallet!
OFFICER CARL
You mind if we take a look behind this
display case?
WADE
Jesus fucking Christ! The case is
glass! You see any wallets back here?
OFFICER CARL
No, not there... I meant here.
Officer Carl moves to where the register is. Wade gets a

little nervous.
WADE
I want you guys out of here right now.
You come back with a warrant, that’s
different. But for now, I want you the
fuck out. Hey! Hey quit that!
Officer Carl peers behind the counter, trying to look under

the register.
WADE (CONT’D)
That’s illegal! That’s fuckin illegal!
My fucking lawyer’s gonna have a field
day with you assholes!
149.
OFFICER CARL
I just want a closer look at the
merchandise. And hey... look what I
found.
Officer Carl reaches over the counter and before Wade can
stop him, Carl presses the spring-clip and releases Wade’s
gun. He holds it up over the counter.
OFFICER GEORGE
Ooh shit, look at that bad boy.
Without being noticed, Mort/Roland locks the front door.
WADE
I got a permit!
OFFICER CARL
To carry?
WADE
Yes!
OFFICER CARL
To carry concealed?
WADE
Yes, of course.
OFFICER GEORGE
This gun registered?
WADE
... Well... I mighta forgot.
OFFICER GEORGE
Might be it’s hot and you forgot that,
too.
WADE
Fuck you, I’m calling my lawyer.
Wade starts to walk away, but Officer George stops him.

150.
OFFICER GEORGE
Then there’s the question of whether
or not you got a permit to conceal a
deadly weapon in a spring-clip device.
That’s an interesting question,
because so far as I know, the City of
New York doesn’t issues a permit like
that. Maybe we could start to resolve
this matter if we could find the
gentleman’s wallet first.
WADE
I told you! I don’t know nothing about
the guy’s wallet! Guy’s out of his
mind!
Mort/Roland has gotten closer by now.
MORT/ROLAND
There! I can see it through the glass.
It’s right behind the counter, next to
his foot.
The Officers bend over the counter to look down. Roland is

right behind them. Wade has backed up to the wall behind the
counter, staring at his gun in Officer Carl’s hand.
OFFICER CARL
Goddamn, there it is.
OFFICER GEORGE
Yeah, I see it too--
Roland cups Officer Carl’s left cheek in one hand, Officer

George’s right cheek in the other, and brings their heads
together hard. SMACK. CLUNK. The cops fall in a heap. Wade
stares at Mort/Roland, dumbstruck. Mort/Roland takes Wade’s
gun out of Officer Carl’s hand and points it at Wade.
MORT/ROLAND
We’re not going to have any trouble,
are we?
151.
WADE
No sir, not a bit.
MORT/ROLAND
Stand right there. If your ass loses
contact with that wall, you are going
to lose contact with life.
Wade nods.
Pick up my wallet. Slowly. Put it on
the counter.
Wade does as instructed. Mort/Roland pockets it.
Now the shells. Winchester .45s. Give
me four boxes.
Wade opens a glass case behind him and takes four boxes of
bullets, Mort/Roland holding the gun on him. Wade lays the
shells on the counter. Mort/Roland opens one and takes out a
bullet to inspect it. He smiles.
Amazing.
(to Wade)
Now turn around.
Wade complies. Mort/Roland reaches down to Officer Carl’s

belt and takes a pair of handcuffs. Wade starts to blubber.
WADE
Please mister, for my mother’s sake
don’t shoot me. My mother’s old. She’s
blind. She--
MORT/ROLAND
She’s cursed with a yellowgut son.
Wrists together.
152.
Wade cries a little more and puts his hands behind his back.
Mort/Roland slaps the cuffs on him.
Mort/Roland goes down to the cops and unbuckles their

gunbelts. He takes off Mort’s blue suitcoat and straps on the
belts, one above the other. He puts Mort’s coat back on and
puts the bullets in his pockets. He slips Wade’s .45 Magnum
into one of the belts.
Before I leave, I have one question
for you. Where’s the closest
drugstore?
WADE
There’s one around the corner. Half a
block down Forty-Ninth.
MORT/ROLAND
Long days and pleasant nights.
Mort/Roland quickly exits. Wade continues blubbering.
Mort/Roland walks down the street, hurried but not too fast.
He glances back to see that the Door is still open. He gets a
quick glimpse of Detta holding a gun to Roland’s head on the
beach. He turns his head forward and mutters to himself.
MORT/ROLAND
Sumbitch ass mahfah...
He enters “Katz’s Drug Store”.
INT. KATZ’S DRUG STORE - DAY
Mort/Roland walks down the aisles, looking for Keflex. He’s

in awe of how many different drugs there are. An EMPLOYEE
approaches him.
153.
EMPLOYEE
Hello sir, anything I can help you
with?
MORT/ROLAND
I need antibiotics. Cheflet.
EMPLOYEE
Cheflet? I don’t know that one, but
for antibiotics you need a
prescription. You can talk to the
Pharmacist over here, let me show you.
...
Mort/Roland at the Pharmacist’s counter. The PHARMACIST (Dr.
Katz) is on the phone with a customer.
DR. KATZ
Yes, I understand that Mrs. Rathbun,
but you don’t understand me. Your
prescription has expired, and it’s a
Federal crime for me to dispense
Valium without a valid prescription.
You’ll have to go back to your doctor
and get a new script. Then you come
back to me. ... Mrs. Rathbun, I can’t
help you, go to your doctor. ... Yes,
have a good day.
He hangs up and addresses Mort/Roland at the counter.
DR. KATZ (CONT’D)

Yes sir, how can I help you?
Mort/Roland whips out Wade’s Magnum and points it at Dr.

Katz. Dr. Katz’s eyes cross as he stares down the barrel.
MORT/ROLAND
I want antibiotics. I want a lot.
Dr. Katz looks at Mort/Roland, scared but trying to keep his

shit together.
154.
Antibiotics! Cheflet!
DR. KATZ
Cheflet? ... Keflex!
MORT/ROLAND
Whatever the fuck it’s called, give me
all you have. I’m in a hurry, so
please, be quick about it.
INT. GUN STORE - DAY
Officers Carl and George stir. Officer Carl sits up and holds
his head in his hand.
OFFICER CARL
Fuck. George. George!
George sits up.
WADE
Let me out of these cuffs, will ya?
OFFICER CARL
What the hell happened?
WADE
That crazy fuck knocked you out and
took your guns. My gun too! Now let me
out of these cuffs goddammit please!
The Officers gets up and George takes out his handcuff keys.
OFFICER CARL
Where is he?
WADE
He asked where the nearest drugstore
was. I sent him down to Katz’s half a
block away.
155.
Wade is unlocked and rubs his wrists.
OFFICER GEORGE
How long’s that motherfucker been
gone? How long?!
WADE
Not long, you was only out a couple
minutes.
OFFICER CARL
Let’s get our asses over there. Call
for backup and we’ll grab our shotguns
from the car.
Detta continues watching through the door. Mort/Roland’s

still in Katz’s.
DETTA
The fuck this honky voodoo mahfah be
doing? Whitebread, your friend here,
he be fucken crazy.
INT. KATZ’S DRUG STORE - DAY
Dr. Katz hands Mort/Roland a paper bag filled with Keflex.

Mort/Roland opens it up and sees a handful of bottles.
DR. KATZ
I’m sorry, that’s all we have. Please
don’t hurt me.
MORT/ROLAND
How many doses are in here?
DR. KATZ
I’d say... about two hundred.
156.
MORT/ROLAND
Ok, that’ll do. Here.
He removes Mort’s wristwatch, an expensive solid gold Rolex.
Take this, for your troubles.
Dr. Katz stares at Mort/Roland as he puts the gold watch on

the counter. Mort/Roland puts the gun back in his belt and
exits. Dr. Katz picks up the watch and puts it in his pocket.
EXT. KATZ’S DRUG STORE - DAY
Mort/Roland hurries out the front door. We hear police sirens

approaching fast. Mort/Roland looks up and sees Officers Carl
and George’s squad car racing towards him. Officer Carl
sticks his head out the window.
OFFICER CARL
Hold it motherfucker!
Officer Carl leans out the window of the car, aiming a

shotgun at Mort/Roland. Mort/Roland hits the ground.
BLAMMO! Officer Carl fires a round and hits the front glass
window of Katz’s. Bystanders scream and run out of the way.
OFFICER GEORGE
What the fuck are you doing Carl?
Don’t fucking kill anybody!
Mort/Roland scampers on the ground behind another car. The

squad car pulls over and the Officers get out, shotguns
raised, aiming to kill.
Mort/Roland crawls around a parked car and makes his way

behind the Officers. He pops up and draws the Officer’s guns,
one in each hand. He fires two shots, one for each, hitting
them in the legs. The Officers cry out and fall to the
ground. Mort/Roland hits the ground running.
157.
Mort/Roland running through the street.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
How do I get to a train station?
MORT (THOUGHT)
What?
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
The trains that run under the ground!
The ones you like to push women in
front of!
MORT (THOUGHT)
Oh Jesus! No more. Please, just kill
me now.
ROLAND (THOUGHT)
The trains! Where do I find the
trains?!
EXT. KATZ’S DRUG STORE - DAY
Officer George speaks into his radio on his chest.
OFFICER GEORGE
Code 19. Officers down. Suspect
Caucasian male, early fifties, sandy
blond hair, blue eyes, glasses, blue
suit. Armed and extremely dangerous.
Headed East on foot. Repeat, armed and
extremely dangerous.
Mort/Roland walks down the street, not running but more like
power walking. He’s near a subway entrance.
158.
INT. POLICE CAR - NEW YORK - DAY
Near the subway station, two more COPS sit in their car.
Officers ANDY and NORRIS.
RADIO DISPATCH
Caucasian male, blond hair, blue eyes,
glasses, blue suit. Armed and
extremely dangerous. Last seen fleeing
East from West 49th St and 9th Avenue.
Officer Andy sees Mort/Roland nearby.
OFFICER ANDY
Holy shit. I think that’s him right
there!
OFFICER NORRIS
(to dispatch)
Suspect spotted on West 53rd and 7th.
Apprehending.
The Officers exit the car.
Mort/Roland walks toward the subway entrance. Officers Andy

and Norris exit their squad car, guns drawn.
OFFICER ANDY
Stop right there!
Mort/Roland bolts to the staircase. Officer Andy fires a shot

and hits him squarely in the chest. Mort/Roland falls
backward on the ground. Smoke rises from the bullet hole in
his jacket, but no blood.
The Officers approach slowly, guns still drawn.
Close on the smoking bullet hole in Mort/Roland’s jacket.

159.
Officer Andy leans over Mort/Roland. Officer Norris stands

right behind.
OFFICER ANDY (CONT’D)

Jesus, he’s on fire.
Mort/Roland’s eyes fly open and his legs coil back. He

thrusts his feet forward, knocking Officer Andy backwards
into Officer Norris. Officer Norris catches Officer Andy,
dropping his gun. Mort/Roland springs up and runs to the
subway staircase. He reaches into his shirt pocket and takes
something out and throws it on the ground.
It’s a gold plated cigarette lighter, with Officer Andy’s

bullet smashed into it.
INT. SUBWAY STATION - NEW YORK - DAY
Mort/Roland runs through the station, hopping over the ticket

rails. His jacket is still burning. Mort/Roland beats his
hands against his chest to put out the fire. He takes off the
jacket, still running.
Mort/Roland is down at the train platform. He stands against

a wall, holds his jacket in one hand and unbuckles the
gunbelts. He lays them down over the jacket in his hand, then
places Wade’s Magnum along with them. He puts the paper bag
full of antibiotics on top, then folds the jacket over and
ties the arms together, making a sort of hobo’s bundle.
A train whistle screams, coming down the tunnel.
MORT/ROLAND
Detta! I hope you’re watching!
Detta perks up at the sound of her name.

160.
Officers Andy and Norris enter the platform, guns drawn.
Mort/Roland stands against the wall, bundle in hand. He

watches the approaching lights of the train. Once the train
comes out of the tunnel he runs to the edge of the platform
and jumps onto the tracks. The Officers run to him, shouting
for him to stop. Mort/Roland turns his body towards the Door
on the tracks.
Detta watches through the door. Mort/Roland looks through,

looking right at Detta. Detta looks at herself through
Mort/Roland’s eyes and screams.
ROLAND
(telepathic, through the door)
ODETTA HOLMES! DETTA WALKER!
The green walls shiver and run wild. Detta’s scream echoes
throughout. Odetta’s consciousness awakens.
Mort/Roland clutches the bundle in his hand and squeezes his

eyes shut. Roland’s purple consciousness exits Mort’s head,
carrying the bundle with him.
Roland’s purple ball of light zooms towards the door, turning

back to see Mort, screaming as the train bears down on him.
Detta watches through the door, screaming. The train hits

Mort. SPLAT! He dead, yessir no doubt about that.
161.
Detta screams and puts her hands against her head. Her body
vibrates, as if she’s a puppet on a stick. The camera shakes.
The membrane separating the two halves shatters as if it were

glass. The light and dark colors mix together. The two
control panels and two filing cabinets move towards each
other, merging with one another.
Roland’s purple light exits the door and enters his body. He
looks to Eddie. Eddie is in shock, watching the woman in
front of him. The bundle of supplies made it through,
appearing out of thin air next to Roland’s body.
Detta/Odetta sits on the sand, still screaming. She vibrates

and for a moment there are two of her, side by side. Odetta
and Detta in the flesh. The two bodies come crashing
together, and the screams cease. A bright flash of green
light erupts from her head.
What was once two is now one again. One control panel. One
filing cabinet. One shade of green.
Roland unties Eddie. The Lady of Shadows lies back on the

sand, silent, in shock. Eddie scrambles over to her.
EDDIE
Odetta! Odetta baby come on, wake up
honey. Odetta!
The Lady’s eyes flutter. She opens her eyes, looks at Eddie
and smiles. Eddie lifts her up, kisses her passionately.
162.
Odetta/Detta has now become SUSANNAH DEAN, of New York,

daughter of Dan, The Lady of Shadows No More.
CUT TO:
INSERT SHOT - FINAL SHUFFLE
The Hand takes the Death card and flicks it away. He takes
the Prisoner and the Lady of Shadow cards and moves them to
the side. He places them next to the Hanged Man card.
He draws the top Tarot card from the stack and turns it over.
The Dark Tower. He places it under the other three.
Close-up on The Dark Tower.
FADE TO:
Roland, Eddie and Susannah sit in front of a fire, eating

some meat. The Tigra’s dead body lays nearby, with chunks cut
out. Roland pops a couple Keflex capsules into his mouth and
downs them with water.
SUSANNAH
Would you like some more meat, Mr.
Eddie Dean?
EDDIE
Why that sounds excellent, Mrs.
Susannah Dean.
Susannah gives Eddie another chunk of meat.
ROLAND
Susannah. Such a beautiful name.
SUSANNAH
You can thank my mother for that. Odetta
Susannah Holmes was my full name.
163.
EDDIE
(to Roland)
You know, I really don’t know what the
hell happened back there. How did you
know to do what you did? How did you
even know it would work? What exactly
did you do?
Roland chews for a moment before answering.
ROLAND
Sometimes it’s best not to ask too
many questions. The answer is simple,
and one I’m sure you won’t like.
...
Ka.
Eddie laughs.
SUSANNAH
(to Eddie)
I am three women. I who was; I who had
no right to be but was; and I who has
been saved.
(to Roland)
I thank you, gunslinger.
Susannah kisses Roland softly.
FADE TO:
EXT. BEACH - NIGHT
Eddie and Susannah sleep in each other’s arms. Roland sleeps

nearby, dreaming.
DISSOLVE TO:
164.
ROLAND’S DREAM
The Dark Tower stands in a field of luscious red roses. A

voice speaks out softly.
VOICE
Roland... come... come Roland... come
to me... come come come...
The screen flashes red.
CUT TO BLACK.
EXT. BEACH/HILLS - MID-WORLD - DAY
Roland’s skin has returned to (almost) normal. Eddie and

Susannah strap the cop’s gunbelts on. Eddie carries Wade’s
Magnum as well, tucked into a loop in the gunbelt. Roland
packs his gunna.
...
The trio walks through the hills, headed North.
EDDIE
So, where are we headed?
ROLAND
To the Tower.
EDDIE
Obviously. But where? Which direction?
ROLAND
I don’t know just yet. Ka will guide
us. Ka is the like the wind.
EDDIE
Good ol’ Ka.
(a beat)
Never leave home without it.
165.
ROLAND
Ka brought me to you. Ka brought us
all together. We are now Ka-Tet.
“One made from many.” Neither death
nor treachery are strong enough to
break the bonds of Ka-Tet.
We are each a piece of a puzzle.
Together we form a greater picture.
We will be magnificent. We are going
to go forward. We are going to fight
for each other. We are going to be
hurt. And in the end we will stand.
The Ka-Tet goes forward. Eddie pushes Susannah in her chair.

Susannah reaches out for Roland’s hand. Roland grasps it
firmly.
EDDIE
We’re off to see the Wizard.
SUSANNAH
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
ROLAND
I know not this wizard.
Eddie and Susannah laugh.
SUSANNAH
We’ll tell you the story on the way.
They reach the top of a hill and look out. Green trees for
miles. A dense forest, trees old as time and as strong as Ka.
FADE TO BLACK.

DT2 The Drawing of The Three (Screenplay)

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DT2 The Drawing of The Three (Screenplay)

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THE DRAWING OF THE THREE

(THE DARK TOWER, VOL. II)

Based on the book by

First Draft - 2014

EXT. BEACH - MID-WORLD - DAY

We start with the final shots of Volume I. ROLAND DESCHAIN,

Time-lapse day-to-night transition. A little way down the

Out-of-focus on a Tarot card, The Sailor. A young man stands

EXT. BEACH - NIGHT

A creature came along for the ride of the wave. This

The Lobstrosity is much closer, moving cautiously. Roland

The Lobstrosity bites into Roland’s right hand. Roland curses

Roland staggers to his feet. The Lobstrosity’s claw slashes

He retreats on numb legs. The Lobstrosity scurries forward.

There is a crunching noise as Roland smashes the rock down on

Roland retreats up to the grassy edge and sits down. He opens

EXT. BEACH - MORNING

Roland is awake and has removed his guns and belts. He

He puts those shells in a pile, the ones that are hopefully

Roland disassembles his guns and begins the ritual of

EXT. BEACH - DAY

Roland continues north along the beach. His right hand is

He is exhausted and feverish. He falls in the sand and cuts

Roland drinks the last of his water. The red lines of

Roland continues walking. He sees something a distance ahead,

Roland quickens his pace, his legs buckling, straightening,

Roland’s legs buckle and don’t straighten right. He falls

Written upon it in black letters two-thirds of the way up,

We hear a low droning noise. Maybe the wind, but it sounds

There is no other side. There is no door, only the beach and

Roland walks back to the other side, thinking he’s

Roland moves back a step. The door is gone. He moves forward

He grabs the knob with his left hand. A little spark of

Roland freezes. He’s never seen such a view in his life. He

The viewpoint changes. The angle turns to the right,

A Stewardess walks down the aisle of the plane. The view in

She continues down the aisle. The viewpoint rises, standing

Roland feels a dizzy spell coming on and rubs his temples.

The viewpoint has entered the airplane’s bathroom. He runs

We meet EDDIE DEAN, of New York, son of Gloria, brother of

Without thought, Roland steps through the doorway.

INT. EDDIE’S MIND

It’s impossible to describe with words what it’s like to be

Roland’s consciousness will be represented by a ball of

There are vast filing cabinets, filled with memories and

Roland opens one of the filing cabinets. Translucent moving

Roland closes the drawer and the floating images vanish. He

INT. PLANE - DAY

The Stewardess (Jane) approaches Eddie.

She smiles as he takes his drink. He takes a big gulp.

Zoom in on Eddie’s arms. Do an iris-out-reveal to show bags

INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Flashback, two nights earlier. Eddie sits in a hotel in

There’s a knock on the hotel door.

He hangs up. Opens the door to reveal a MIDDLE-MAN, a man

Eddie opens the door for the Middle-Man to enter.

The Middle-Man points an automatic pistol at Eddie.

There is deep steel in Eddie Dean, junkie or no junkie.

Eddie takes the envelope. The Middle-Man turns to leave.

The Middle-Man turns back, eyebrows raised. Eddie has taken a

Eddie cooks the heroin. Injects it into his thigh. Stoned.

INT. EDDIE’S MIND

Roland stands at the memory cabinet, the image of the