Screenplay for "Edges of the Lord" FADE IN: EXT. FOREST -- NIGHT A steam locomotive puffs through a forest drawing a train of box cars. Title Card "Edges of the Lord" EXT. CITY STREET -- NIGHT A horse-drawn farm wagon rattles over pavement. Title Card "Krakow 1942" A hooting Wehrmacht staff car passes the wagon. Title Card "Nazi occupied Poland" ROMEK (V.O.) I was eleven when I came to realise how dangerous it was to be a Jew. INT. APARTMENT LIVING ROOM-- NIGHT ROMEK (V.O.) My Father called me to his study one day and said in order to survive we had to separate. Papa then began to pound the Catholic prayers into my head so that I would pretend to be a Catholic, assuring me that God would understand. SARA moves around the nicely furnished middle-class apartment collecting a photograph, a pair of shoes, a decorative little box to pack in a suitcase. INT. APARTMENT BEDROOM -- NIGHT ROMEK'S hands reach up to grip a brass closet rail. ROMEK (V.O.) But when he began to put me in the closet, my Mother and Father began to argue and once I heard them cry. Romek's face as he hangs by his hands. ROMEK (strained voice) Does the Holy Communion really taste like blood and flesh? MAX Hail Mary's. Can't let go until you finish. ROMEK Hail Mary, full of grace, the Word is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. INT. APARTMENT LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT Sara puts a coat in the suitcase. There is a KNOCK ON THE DOOR. ROMEK (O.S.) Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us now and at our deaths, later. Sara stops her work and looks fearful. INT. APARTMENT BEDROOM -- NIGHT MAX No, that's not it. You need to be strong. Romek loses his grip and tumbles to the floor. Papa bends to pick him up. INT. APARTMENT LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT Sara goes to open the glass panelled door for GNIECIO LIPA, a pleasant looking Polish peasant in his thirties. He carries a large sack on his back. GNIECIO I brought the potatoes. A woman stands at her door across the hall, staring. Gniecio enters, removing his cap politely. INT. APARTMENT BEDROOM -- NIGHT Max and Romek sit together on the floor. ROMEK (sobbing a little) I can't lift my arms. Don't make me do it anymore. Sara slams in angrily through the double doors. SARA Max! Max, he's here. You told me he was coming on Thursday. Sara gets down to comfort Romek. SARA (CONT'D) He wants to take him right away. Gniecio enters and Max steps to meet him. MAX What happened? GNIECIO Professor, if you want me to take the boy, it has to happen now MAX (distractedly) Wait, wait, wait. GNIECIO There's no time. It has to be now, yes? Sara leaves Romek for a moment to confront Gniecio. SARA But he's not ready. He's got nothing packed. GNIECIO Professor, yes or no? MAX Do you have the baptismal certificates? GNIECIO Here. The priest arranged them for all three of you. Taking the documents from his pocket, he hands them over. He empties the sack of potatoes onto the carpet. Romek slides out of sight under the bed. Sara rushes to retrieve him. SARA Romek! MAX Sara, bring him here. Max shoves the bed to one side, revealing Sara holding the sobbing and protesting Romek in her arms.   MAX (CONT'D) Sara, go get him some clothes, quickly. Sara sits up, clutching Romek protectively. SARA He's not going anywhere! MAX Enough! Max seizes the boy and carries him over to Gniecio who holds the sack open. Romek struggles, cries and protests incoherently. MAX (CONT'D) You have to go now. ROMEK Papa, let me stay. Gniecio and Max battle to force the boy into the sack. GNIECIO Boy, get down! Sara returns and drops a few clothes and a photograph into the sack. She holds her child's face in her hands one last time before the men pull the sack closed and heft it onto Gniecio's strong back. Gniecio strides out the door with his precious load. ROMEK (muffled) Papa. Max closes the door and rests his head on it, grief-stricken. EXT. CITY STREET -- NIGHT Gniecio drives the wagon, the sack resting behind him. Romek has found a hole in the sack and his blue eyes peep out at expensively dressed women, German officers and soldiers milling about outside a tavern. A detachment of patrolling soldiers step out in front of the wagon. GERMAN PATROL LEADER Halt! Gniecio pulls up GERMAN PATROL LEADER (CONT'D) Papers! What d'you carry in your cart? GNIECIO Potatoes. GERMAN SOLDIER (O.S.) Where is he? He must be stopped. A civilian rushes past and down a leafy laneway, pursued by another patrol. GERMAN SOLDIER (O.S.) (CONT'D) Jude! Jew, Jew. The civilian is stopped, then herded out of the lane by a soldier driving a military motorcycle and sidecar. The fugitive civilian is seized by the pursuers. GERMAN SOLDIER It's him. A German officer steps towards the civilian standing beside the wagon and fells him with a blow from his fist. All this, Romek observes through his peephole. The officer draws his pistol and shoots the prostrate man. Romek closes his eyes in shock. The horse whinnies in fear. The soldiers pick up the body and drag it away. GERMAN SOLDIER (CONT'D) Let's go. The Patrol leader has lost interest in Gniecio. GERMAN PATROL LEADER Move! On your way. GNIECIO (to the horse) Hya! Hya! EXT. COUNTRY ROAD -- DAY The wagon crosses a railway line and continues on beside a field of stooked hay with a river beyond. Romek is now sitting beside Gniecio. A PRIEST comes from the other direction on a bicycle. Gniecio pulls up and the Priest stops also. GNIECIO Praise the Lord. PRIEST So, this is the boy. GNIECIO Yes. BATYLIN (O.S.) Father! PRIEST Oh no! BATYLIN is an elderly man who steps out of the field where he has been haymaking, accompanied by his wife, WANDA. BATYLIN Father, she's driving me crazy. You must talk to her. She's telling me again that I stink. PRIEST Then maybe it's time to jump in the river. BATYLIN But I cannot swim. PRIEST (in exasperation) Find a shallow spot. The Priest cycles off. Romek's expression makes plain his opinion of rural life as he stares after the departing Priest. Gniecio gets the wagon moving again EXT. VILLAGE -- DAY Gniecios wagon moves past scattered dwellings and peasants going about their daily business. ROMEK (V.O.) As we approached the village Mr.Lipa said that the Germans loved to kill and eat the lot. They took from the poor almost all the cows, pigs and goats. EXT. GNIECIO'S GATE -- DAY They approach Gniecio's farm gate. The neighbor KLUBA descends a ladder against a haystack in his own yard. Kluba, his wife ELA KLUBA and their son PYRA come out to greet Gniecio. GNIECIO Vladek, open the gate. Two little boys run to obey. KLUBA Hello neighbor. GNIECIO Hello. KLUBA You have a visitor? GNIECIO Yes. This is my wife's cousin's son. They lost their house in a bombing. He's going to stay with us for a few months. KLUBA Ah! ELA KLUBA What nice, noble features. He looks like a precious music box. GNIECIO Vladek, faster. VLADEK, the eldest son, gets the gate open and steps back to stand with his brother TOLO. Gniecio drives through. Vladek goes to close the gate. The boy Pyra, about 13, tosses his cap in the air to celebrate the new arrival. His mother swats him across the head. ROMEK (V.O.) I'm glad Mr Lipa was such a good liar. He said "You are part of my family from Krakow now." EXT. FARMYARD -- DAY Gniecio pulls up in front of his house. His two sons run in pursuit. The house is a simple but sturdy structure of heavy squared timbers. His wife MANKA comes out with a pail of slops which she throws into the yard. She sets the pail down and steps forward. Gniecio descends from the wagon and swings Romek down to the ground. GNIECIO His name is Romek. Gniecio stands beside his wife and smiles at her. Manka looks uncertainly at Romek.  Vladek, a boy about Romek's age, has a billet of firewood. He tosses it at Romek and gets him on the arm. Romek jumps. Tolo, a little boy about seven laughs. Gniecio swats Vladek across the head. Romek looks miserable. INT. FARMHOUSE -- DAY The family plus Romek sit down to the midday meal, the parents at each end of the table, Romek opposite their two sons. Manka sets down a bowl of potatoes. GNIECIO Vladek, say Grace. Vladek joins his hands in prayer and looks unsure. Romek copies Vladek as though he's been doing it all his life. Tolo smiles at him. VLADEK Bless....Bless us...Bless us with these ummm.... Bless us for ahh...Bless us for... Tolo laughs. Vladek swats Tolo across the head which only makes Tolo laugh harder. VLADEK (CONT'D) (pointing at Romek) Why don't you make HIM say it? MANKA No, you say it. ROMEK Bless us O Lord for these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord. TOLO Amen. Vladek looks daggers at Romek. Romek looks back in quiet triumph. GNIECIO Vladek, I want you to go to the quarry and wash the wagon for Sunday Mass. Tolo reaches for a potato, bites off a big mouthful then speaks to his father. TOLO (very indistinctly) Papa, can I show him the pig? GNIECIO (impatiently) What? TOLO Papa, can I show him the pig? Manka helps Tolo to spit out his over-large mouthful. GNIECIO After the meal. At the end of the meal, Tolo struggles to lift a big trapdoor set in the floor. TOLO Romek, come. INT. CELLAR -- DAY Tolo climbs down a ladder into a cellar. Romek follows with a lantern. INT. FARMHOUSE -- DAY Gniecio begins to lower the trapdoor over the boys heads.   GNIECIO Listen boy. Don't tell anyone about this pig. Anyone! You understand? INT. CELLAR -- DAY Romek looks up as the trapdoor closes. ROMEK (V.O.) It wasn't very smart for Mr Lipa to hide the pig and the Jew in the same house. Tolo pets the fat contented porker lying in the straw. Romek carries the candle lantern. TOLO If the Germans find out about the pig... He points two fingers at his temple. TOLO (CONT'D) POUF! POUF! Faint voices come from above. Gniecio discussing Romek with his family. MANKA (O.S.) He's going to get us all killed. GNIECIO (O.S.) It's just for a few months. Vladek, not a word of this to Tolo. The boys in the cellar have heard and they look at each other seriously. ROMEK (V.O.) For hiding a pig from the Germans, there was a penalty of death. EXT. QUARRY -- DAY The horse stands in the shallows of the flooded quarry and the wagon is parked nearby. This is the swimming hole for the local children and there is a makeshift wooden landing stage. VLADEK Tolo, come here. Tolo! Vladek prepares to throw Tolo in from the landing. Pyra and MARIA, a girl of thirteen, leap into the water from the high cliff on one side of the quarry. Pyra's brother ROBAL, an older boy of seventeen or eighteen is swimming. Romek comes down the steep path leading to the quarry. TOLO Vladek, no, no, no. Stop it. No, Vladek. Stop it, Vladek. Vladek tosses the squealing Tolo in. Romek runs down to the edge of the water. He crouches behind a thin screen of bushes and peers wistfully at the sky-larking swimmers. Pyra splashes Tolo playfully. MARIA Pyra, leave him alone. TOLO Pyra, stop it. Pyra-a-a. ROMEK (V.O.) My mother said that the world was upside down. Two plus two equaled seven or even one hundred but never four. Right answers were dangerous and so were the kids, especially Maria, Vladek's girlfriend and Robal and Pyra. The children are putting on their clothes over their wet underwear. Maria ties up some strawberries in a handkerchief. Pyra nudges Robal and points. Robal is a tall youth, almost a man and he has an arrogant bullying air about him. PYRA Hey look, Vladek's cousin. He's a spy. Get him! Pyra and Robal race after Romek and quickly catch him. They drag him back towards the other children. ROBAL He's too pretty. Let's hang him. VLADEK Come on you guys, let him go. Maria grins and eats another strawberry. INT. FARMHOUSE -- DAY Vladek and Tolo wander in. Manka is working in the kitchen. Gniecio walks through carrying a large stone jar. He notices the children. GNIECIO Hey, hey, hey! Where is Romek? Gniecio sets the jar down in the kitchen and steps to face the boys. They look guilty. GNIECIO (CONT'D) Tolo? TOLO In pig house. GNIECIO Why? TOLO Vladek put him there. GNIECIO (severely) Go, and get him in here. NOW! The boys jump and rush off to do his bidding. Manka and Gniecio look worried. INT. PIG HOUSE -- DAY Romek lies imprisoned in the pig house. Through chinks in the wall, Vladek and Tolo are glimpsed running up. EXT. FARMYARD -- DAY Vladek unbolts the pig house door. He does not politely invite Romek to come out but seizes him by a foot. Romek does not want to come and Vladek drags him into the yard only after a struggle. Romek, flat on his back in the farmyard fends Vladek off with both feet. Gniecio comes up, grabs each boy by an arm and drags them upright. Romek gets in a couple of wild swipes at Vladek as Gniecio tries to separate them. Tolo stays well out of the way. GNIECIO You two better get along. You understand? Answer me! The combatants still look as though they want to kill each other. GNIECIO (CONT'D) You'll sleep together tonight. INT. ATTIC -- NIGHT This is the boys sleeping quarters under the roof. There is a flurry of punches and exclamations as Vladek ejects Romek from the bed they are supposed to be sharing. Romek lands on the floor with a thump. Tolo is an interested spectator from his own bed nearby. TOLO My brother knows how to break noses you know. Vladek! Show him, show him. Romek has scrambled to his feet. Vladek gets out of bed and swaggers up to him menacingly. VLADEK If Papa hadn't stopped me, you'd have gotten this. Vladek jerks his head forward at Romek's face. Romek flinches back just in time. VLADEK (CONT'D) You are dead. Vladek goes back to bed. TOLO Psst! Come, sleep in my bed. Romek walks over wearily. Tolo makes room for Romek and spreads some of the covers over him. The sound of lovemaking filters up through the floorboards. TOLO (CONT'D) She's having a nightmare again. VLADEK Shut up. TOLO She works so hard during the day that it all comes back to her at night. VLADEK (disgustedly) Tolo is so stupid. Romek wonders what he has got himself into. EXT. ROAD TO CHURCH -- DAY The peal of bells as all the villagers head for Sunday Mass. Maria makes her way on foot munching on one of her strawberries. Romek rides on the wagon with Manka who holds Tolo on her lap. Tolo plays with two sticks. INT. BELL-TOWER DAY Altar-boys Vladek and Pyra heave heartily on the bellrope, their feet leaving the floor on the upswing. EXT. ROAD TO CHURCH -- DAY Three GERMAN SOLDIERS on a motorcycle combination travel against the flow of churchgoers. They spy Maria. GERMAN SOLDIER (to his companions) I'd like this one there. She's a pretty little peach. The soldiers guffaw. Romek turns to stare at their receding backs. Maria ignores them. ROMEK (V.O.) On Sunday I went to a Church for the first time in my life. I was scared. Adults and children hurry up the front steps of the church. Robal greets Maria in passing. ROMEK (V.O.) (CONT'D) I knew all the other children would be there. INT. CHURCH -- DAY The villagers sit in the pews. Old Batylin takes a candy drop from a tin and attracts the attention of Tolo who is already fidgeting with his sticks.  Tolo accepts it and pops it into his mouth. The Priest is preaching his sermon. PRIEST Of course, when you really look at the group that Jesus surrounded himself with, they were all human mongrels. TOLO (whispers delightedly) Mongrels. The Priest leaves his pulpit and walks down the aisle while continuing to speak.  Romek's eyes wander to a traditional painting of Madonna and Child. PRIEST We are all lucky to be alive. Everybody here who goes to the toilet every day for one minute should be happy, but..... can you smile like this little child? He lays his hand on Tolo's head who is holding his sticks in the shape of a cross. PRIEST (CONT'D) No, all I ever hear from you is grunts and groans and complaints but somehow you survive another day to fill your mouth with the food your wife is feeding you. Batylin and his wife look guilty. PRIEST (CONT'D) How can you be so ungrateful? Romek realizes he is sitting on something squishy. He investigates and his fingers come up covered in squashed strawberry pulp. He looks around. Maria sitting behind him smiles at him saucily and puts another strawberry in her mouth. PRIEST (CONT'D) How can you be so unkind to God? Today I am starting Catechism classes for all those lost souls who, because of the war haven't had their First Communion yet. Vladek, Pyra... Pyra sticks his tongue out behind the Priests back. PRIEST (CONT'D) Maria, Romek and you too Tolo. Maria looks apprehensive about this rite of passage to adulthood.  Tolo is so surprised to be included that he spits out his candy drop. PRIEST (CONT'D) I want you all there at the first class this afternoon after the Mass. Be there or you're dead! EXT. PATH THROUGH FIELDS -- DAY The Priest wheels his bicycle and smokes a cigarette as the children walk beside him. PRIEST Now, what is the Holy Communion? TOLO A wafer? PRIEST Tolo thinks it's a wafer. Vladek, what do you think? Vladek has no idea. PRIEST (CONT'D) Romek? ROMEK It is the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. PRIEST Exactly, Romek. Vladek kicks Romek from behind. Romek turns, startled. ROMEK (involuntarily) Ooh, Jesus! Vladek and Romek can't make anything of it right now. The Priest stops walking. PRIEST Who's got a knife? Nobody admits to having one. PRIEST (CONT'D) Pyra? Everyone looks at Pyra. He smirks and looks at his feet. PRIEST (CONT'D) (holding out his hand) Pyra? Pyra hands over a pocket knife. The Priest unfolds the blade and holds it aloft. The children watch, fascinated. PRIEST (CONT'D) You little fools.  You think it's wine and drinking at the altar every Sunday at Holy Communion? No! It's the Blood of Christ. He holds out his left hand and carefully makes a cut in the palm. Romek and Tolo are wide-eyed. Maria and Pyra look at the blood with mingled interest and repulsion. PRIEST (CONT'D) It is not the wafer, it's Christs Flesh. He holds the knife aloft again with a bright spot of blood on the point. PYRA (breaking the spell) Can I have my knife back? At that moment, Robal runs up, out of breath. ROBAL Father, Father, the Germans came to Batylin field. They're looking for pigs. The Priest instantly cycles off with all the children running in pursuit. EXT. BATYLIN FIELD -- DAY The Priest arrives with the children close behind. He drops his bicycle and sees German soldiers everywhere. WANDA (O.S.) Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Off to one side, the old Batylin couple have been forced to their knees by soldiers with rifles. GERMAN SOLDIER That's good! Good! Stay there. WANDA Father, please save the pigs! PRIEST (to the soldiers) NO! The hay stooks are burning. A number of squealing pigs dart about with soldiers trying to box them in. The Priest approaches a nattily uniformed Officer who is in charge. PRIEST (CONT'D) Officer! Please! Take the pigs and forgive them. GERMAN OFFICER Catch me these pigs. PRIEST (confused) What? GERMAN SOLDIER (O.S.) Here, piggy piggy. GERMAN OFFICER Catch me these pigs. The officer reaches out and fingers the Priests clerical collar. GERMAN OFFICER (CONT'D) For every pig you catch, you save one life. The Priest looks at the helpless old couple kneeling nearby. With a jerk of his hand, the Officer pulls off the clerical collar. GERMAN OFFICER (CONT'D) Now you're a pig catcher. The children watch in alarm from the shelter of a nearby grove of trees. The officer lifts his wrist and examines his watch. GERMAN OFFICER (CONT'D) I'll give you one minute for each one. The Priest suddenly understands and moves towards the pigs. GERMAN OFFICER (CONT'D) Ah, ah-ah. lifting a warning finger theatrically. The Priest stops. GERMAN OFFICER (CONT'D) (dropping the finger) Begin! The Priest hasn't a hope. The soldiers are no help and he sprawls repeatedly in the dust as he dives at the nimble pigs. The soldiers rock with laughter.  Robal, Maria and Tolo watch in open-mouthed anguish as they understand what is happening. The Officer smiles coldly as he checks his watch. Presently, a shot rings out. Old Wanda falls lifeless to the ground.  The Priest kneels in the dirt, utterly shattered. The soldiers still laugh and joke in a holiday humor. GERMAN OFFICER (CONT'D) Hah! You still have one minute. The Priest cannot go on with this cruel game. The Officer tires of the amusement. He strides over to Batylin, dropping the clerical collar as he goes, draws his pistol and shoots the old man dead. The Priest cries out in his pain. Maria turns and rushes away. By now, the pigs have been captured and the soldiers are carrying them off. Motorcycles rev and move out. The Priest gets to his feet, staggers over and collapses again where his clerical collar lies in the dust. He picks it up and turns it over and over in his hands. Tolo still watches from the trees, round eyed and gaping. Romek is with him, looking serious. He tugs at Tolo's's arm. ROMEK (gently) C'mon...... C'mon. Romek leads little Tolo away by the hand. The smoke from the burning hay stains the summer sky. INT. ATTIC NIGHT Romek and Tolo lie in bed staring at the ceiling ROMEK Why did Maria run away? TOLO She saw her parents being killed like that. Now she acts weird sometimes. Vladek enters, fully dressed and taking off his cap. Tolo and Romek sit up. TOLO (CONT'D) Did you go to the trains? VLADEK None of your business. Go to sleep. Vladek takes off his shoes and climbs into his bed. Tolo and Romek lie down again. A distant train whistle sounds. ROMEK (whispers) What trains? TOLO (whispers) I can't tell you. ROMEK (whispers) Why not? TOLO (whispers) Vladek told me not to. EXT. VILLAGE -- DAY Dawn breaks over the village. ROMEK (V.O.) The day after the killing in the fields I saw the Priest in the barn. INT. BARN -- DAY The Priest, stripped to the waist, scourges his own back with a whip of leather thongs. He grunts in pain at each blow. ROMEK (V.O.) I think he was arguing with God. EXT. SUNLIT ROAD -- DAY Romek, Tolo and the other boys scuff along the dusty road beside the river. Kluba cycles up from behind. KLUBA Tolo. Hey, Tolo. Kluba catches them and slows to ride beside them. KLUBA (CONT'D) You ever see your cousin before he came here, huh? TOLO No. KLUBA Where were you with your parents,boy? Huh? ROMEK (as if reciting) Our house was bombed by the Germans a few weeks ago and my parents... KLUBA Oh yah? Uh-huh? Romek cannot look at Kluba. He makes Romek nervous. ROMEK ...and my mother got hurt and she is staying with other relatives who are taking care of her. KLUBA You should be with your family, boy. Kluba cycles off, looking back at Romek. Romek hurries to catch up with the other boys. INT. CHURCH -- DAY The Priests hand inscribes an Apostles name on a slip of wood. ROMEK (V.O.) One day the priest gave us a game to play. I think that's why Tolo began to get his strange ideas. The catechism class sits in the pews facing the Priest. PRIEST I want you to play a little game. Vladek, take these sticks. The names of the Apostles are written on them. They are lots. Pick two Apostles each. Learn about them. Become them. And study this book. It has pictures. He hands a fat red volume to Pyra who looks at it curiously. Maria cannot contain herself and snatches it from his hands. The Priest walks off down the aisle. TOLO You almost caught those pigs, Father. The Priest turns in surprise. PRIEST What did you say? TOLO You almost caught them. We saw you. Tolo runs past the Priest into the vestibule of the Church. He flings his little satchel onto the stone floor and begins to stalk it. Throwing himself at the satchel he wrestles it into submission, squealing like a piglet all the while. The Priest, Vladek and Maria don't know how to react. Next, Tolo creeps up to a chair and repeats the grotesque pantomime.  Maria closes her eyes in pain. Finally, Tolo scoots across the floor, still squealing and captures the Priests leg. The Priest crouches and looks into his eyes. Tolo is suddenly very quiet and serious. The faces of children and Priest alike are filled with pity and concern. EXT. RAILWAY LINE -- DAY The children run towards the line. Pyra carries the red book of the Apostles and Vladek has the sticks.  A distant whistle sounds. Vladek pushes Maria. VLADEK And you! Get lost! Jesus didn't play with girls. MARIA (angrily) Go to hell, Vladek. I'm not going anywhere. TOLO Vladek, there is a blank stick. We can put Jesus in there. VLADEK The Priest didn't say to do Jesus. TOLO You can't have Apostles without Jesus. I want that Jesus stick. Tolo flings himself at Vladek, reaching for the sticks. TOLO (CONT'D) Give me that blank Jesus stick! Vladek is too big and strong. After some shoving and scuffling he pushes Tolo to the ground. VLADEK Okay, fine. The blank one is Jesus, fair enough? Tolo picks himself up, dusting his clothes off. VLADEK (CONT'D) Okay, everyone draws at the same time. Close your eyes. Close 'em! The children gather around and close their eyes. VLADEK (CONT'D) Okay, here we go. No peeking. He holds out the bundle of sticks and draws first. A train whistle blows close by. The train is almost here.  Maria, eyes open, sneaks around beside Vladek and seizes the stick she thinks she wants. VLADEK (CONT'D) Hey. Give that back. Maria skips across the rail line just in front of the oncoming locomotive. The boys are baffled. Peering past the blurred rush of wheels and wagons they can see Maria performing a victory dance. She flips up her skirt and waggles a cheeky expanse of knicker-clad bottom at them.  All too soon, the train has gone.  Vladek lunges after the grinning Maria who bites her knuckle at him in the age-old gesture of contempt.  Vladek snatches the stick from her. VLADEK (CONT'D) (laughing) She got Judas. The traitor. His good humor is quite restored as he crosses the line back to the other boys. VLADEK (CONT'D) You can keep it. He contemptuously flings the stick back over his shoulder to the disappointed Maria. She picks it up and comes to join them. TOLO But who got Jesus? VLADEK (holding up his stick) I did. TOLO I should get it. Tolo steps forward and grabs the stick from Vladek VLADEK Hey, give me that. TOLO No! VLADEK Fine. You have to hang on the Cross then. ROMEK At night, when it's cold and dark. TOLO Okay, but, Vladek can't throw me in the water, and he can't hit me anymore. I'm Jesus! The other children don't quite know how to take this. Tolo turns and trots off into the woods. INT. LIPA BARN -- DAY ROMEK (V.O.) Tolo asked me why Jesus wanted to be crucified. To save all the people, I told him. I think he liked my answer. Tolo is experimenting with a nail and a hammer as he sits on a low window sill inside the barn. He holds the nail to his palm and taps it gingerly. Romek looks on uncertainly. Tolo offers the hammer to Romek. TOLO Pound it. Pound it. Hard! ROMEK No, I don't want to do it. Tolo tries the hammer again, a little harder. TOLO Ou-ouch! It hurts! Vladek and Pyra appear. Vladek is shocked and takes the hammer and nail from Tolo. VLADEK What are you doing? What are you doing? He turns to Pyra. VLADEK (CONT'D) I know what they are doing. They're playing Jesus games. He turns back to Tolo. VLADEK (CONT'D) You know, you can do exercises that will make it hurt less. TOLO What exercises? PYRA Well, you can put your hand in the fire. VLADEK Or, you can run naked in the rain. He tosses the hammer and nail into Tolo's lap, then bends to gather up some straw. VLADEK (CONT'D) Or, you can make a crown of the rose-bush and wear it on your head. He dumps a handful of straw on Tolo's head. KLUBA (O.S.) Pyra! Pyra, come here. Pyra and Vladek run to see. ELA KLUBA (O.S.) Stop it! You're drunk. Kluba, his wife, Pyra and Robal walk into view in the yard outside. KLUBA Shut up. You shut up. I want to talk to my neighbor. Tolo runs to see, followed by Romek. EXT. FARMYARD -- DAY Gniecio is splitting firewood at the woodpile. KLUBA Gniecio? Manka leaves her washing and comes to her husbands side. Kluba weaves up waving a bottle and chuckling. Gniecio and Manka walk to meet him. KLUBA (CONT'D) Praise the Lord. GNIECIO Praise the Lord. KLUBA Neighbor, you know you have to be very careful. Germans everywhere. He makes a pistol gesture at his temple KLUBA (CONT'D) Batylin kaput! GNIECIO I know. Kluba mumbles and drinks deeply and messily from his bottle. He gestures to Manka. KLUBA You are the most beautiful woman in this entire village. Manka looks disgusted. Kluba hugs his own wife roughly. KLUBA (CONT'D) I'm sorry, my wife. You too are very beautiful, but in a different way I mean. Ela escapes. Kluba gestures drunkenly at Gniecio and his family. KLUBA (CONT'D) Lucky Lipa, beautiful wife, beautiful farm, beautiful cousin. GNIECIO Is that what you came here for? ELA KLUBA It's time to go home. Kluba shakes her off and eyes Gniecio with a mixture of truculence and confidentiality. KLUBA Gniecio, you are not doing something stupid that could get us all killed? Or are you? ELA KLUBA Okay, let's go. This time, Kluba allows himself to be herded away. Ela spreads her hands in a "What can I do?" gesture. Gniecio, Romek and Tolo look thoughtful. EXT. QUARRY -- DAY The Priest and all the children are there. The Priest enjoys a cigarette while the children work. Pyra washes the family farm-horse with a handful of wet straw. Maria leaves off helping Vladek with the Lipa horse and approaches the Priest. MARIA Father? Vladek says that Jesus didn't play with girls. Is that true? PRIEST Are you still Vladek's girlfriend? Maria can't answer. PRIEST (CONT'D) Did you ever....kiss him? Maria still can't find words. Romek is listening in the background. PRIEST (CONT'D) (seriously) You must be without sin when you take your first communion. Pure. He touches her cheek briefly. PRIEST (CONT'D) You know about Maria Magdalen? MARIA No. PRIEST Read about her. Maria goes back to the horse washing. PRIEST (CONT'D) Professor Pyra. Where was Jesus born? PYRA In the Vatican. PRIEST Oh, so he was Italian? PYRA Yes Father. PRIEST No, Jewish. He was a Jew. Tolo looks astonished at this information. Pyra looks disbelieving. PYRA A Jew? EXT. SUNNY MEADOW -- DAY Maria has the red book open at a sepia print of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. The boys sit in a row before her and giggle. MARIA Quiet! Get up! Maria and the boys stand. MARIA (CONT'D) I have an idea. I will spend an hour in the barn with my beloved. Vladek grins, sure that he will be the lucky one. MARIA (CONT'D) Then, when I come out you will play the villagers and start to stone me. Okay, ready? She walks down the line of potential suitors. Pyra gets a tap on the nose and a smile, Tolo is overlooked, naturally.  Vladek drapes an arm around her neck, but Maria pulls away. MARIA (CONT'D) No chance. Romek is selected. Maria leads him away by the hand. ROMEK (V.O.) I wanted to scream for help, but it was too late. Maria leads him towards an old barn. The other three boys follow at a distance. Romek looks back in mute appeal.  They enter the barn and Maria swings the creaky old door closed. INT. OLD BARN -- DAY Maria and Romek sit face to face in a large tub filled with grain. Maria removes Romek's boots, then his socks.  She smiles. Romek looks serious. EXT. OUTSIDE THE BARN -- DAY TOLO What are they doing? VLADEK They're lying naked on top of each other. TOLO That's AWFUL! INT. OLD BARN -- DAY The truth is far more innocent. Maria takes a double handful of grain and trickles it over Romek's bare knees. Romek does the same back. Maria takes his hand. MARIA Do you want to see me? Romek looks startled and has no reply. MARIA (CONT'D) Can I see you? ROMEK No. MARIA (impatiently) Why not? ROMEK Because. Maria is not put out by this rebuff. She seems to find it rather sweet. She smiles and Romek smiles back. She pelts a handful of grain at him and Romek retaliates. They giggle and gasp as grain flies in all directions. Exhausted, they rest and Maria takes Romek's hands in hers. EXT. OUTSIDE THE BARN -- DAY The boys wait in patient boredom. The barn door creaks open. Maria leads Romek out, her arm around his shoulders. Vladek's face is like thunder as he rushes to meet them. VLADEK (to Romek) Did she show it to you? Romek has no answer. VLADEK (CONT'D) I've seen it twenty times already. Maria is upset by this bragging. MARIA And what did you do to stop me from going into the barn? You coward! I'm through with you. She runs off. Vladek's face is dark with anger. EXT. FOREST TRACK -- DAY Romek and Tolo walk side by side, Vladek a few paces ahead. From a side track in front of them, two German Soldiers and a Girl emerge on bicycles, laughing. They ignore the children and set off down the main track. VLADEK Soldier, Juden. Soldier, Jew. The rearmost soldier stops and looks back. Romek is alarmed as he catches up to Vladek. GIRL ON BICYCLE (O.S.) Hans. ROMEK (whispering fiercely) What? Are you crazy? Stop it. 1ST SOLDIER (O.S.) Let's go. 2ND SOLDIER Moment! The soldier wheels his bicycle back. Romek is petrified. The soldier looks keenly at each of the children. 2ND SOLDIER (CONT'D) What did you say? Vladek is less sure of himself now. VLADEK (faintly) Jude. 2ND SOLDIER Where? Where is the Jew? A long moment passes like a thousand years for Romek. Tolo steps forward a little. TOLO I'm a Jude. Romek and Vladek look at him, thunderstruck. 2ND SOLDIER You are? TOLO Yes. VLADEK (desperately) No. No he is not. He's joking. GIRL ON BICYCLE Hurry up. I'm melting. The Soldier is suddenly fed up with these stupid kids. He steps forward and pushes Vladek hard in the chest. Vladek tumbles over backwards. The Soldier's companions laugh as he turns his bicycle and sets off again. 2ND SOLDIER Coming. Vladek picks himself up. The Soldiers and their girlfriend ride off chattering merrily. Tolo and Romek can only stare at Vladek as the moment of danger passes. INT. FARMHOUSE -- NIGHT Tolo sits beside Romek at the dinner table wearing a large floppy cloth cap. MANKA Tolo, take off your hat. Tolo looks at her but does not remove his cap. MANKA (CONT'D) Take that hat off! Tolo does not comply. Manka steps around the table and tries to pluck it off. Tolo grips it with both hands and resists. MANKA (CONT'D) Take that hat off! TOLO Old witch! MANKA What'd you say? She whirls towards the door and calls. MANKA (CONT'D) Gniecio! Returning, she grips Tolo angrily by his wrists. MANKA (CONT'D) You haven't gotten a good spanking in a long time. TOLO (plaintively) I need it! MANKA Gniecio! Gniecio enters. MANKA (CONT'D) I think you'd better talk to this boy. Look what he's wearing on his head. Gniecio takes his place at the head of the table. Tolo looks away. GNIECIO Take that hat off. Tolo looks at his father but does not obey. GNIECIO (CONT'D) Tolo, take the hat off! Tolo looks sulky. GNIECIO (CONT'D) Take..it..off! Tolo slowly removes the cap and places it on the table in front of him. Romek and Vladek watch seriously. They know what's going on. Gniecio reaches for it, turns it over in his hands and removes a circlet of thorny twig from within the crown. He rubs a gentle hand on his sons short blond hair. GNIECIO (CONT'D) (softly) Why are you doing this? Tolo can't explain. He gazes about helplessly then lowers his face to his hands on the table. INT. CELLAR -- DAY Romek closes the trap and climbs down the ladder. He walks past the snuffling pig to a shelf on the wall and hangs the lantern on a nail. He adds a little stone to some rows of other stones on the shelf and begins to rearrange them. ROMEK (V.O.) For a while, I set one stone for each day that passed, but time passed, and there were more and more stones, and no-one cared. He reaches into a tall biscuit tin and takes out a photograph. He looks at it and props it carefully against an unlit candle stick. The photo shows a family group of Romek in a rakish beret with his smiling Mama and Papa. EXT. FARMYARD -- DAY Rain pours down. INT. FARMHOUSE -- DAY Gniecio, stripped to the waist, bends over a tin tub as Manka pours water over his neck and shoulders. She then lovingly embraces him and blissfully rests her cheek on his broad back. GNIECIO Tonight we are raising the pig. MANKA Why? GNIECIO It's getting too dangerous to keep it. Kluba will go with me. Gniecio straightens up and dries off with a towel. GNIECIO (CONT'D) Kluba's been snooping around here for months. He asked me to get rid of it. He hands the towel to his wife and steps over to the table. GNIECIO (CONT'D) He has found a buyer. In town. Picking up a German military issue automatic pistol, he snaps the magazine home and checks the safety. Manka takes it from him quickly and lays it down again. MANKA Don't. They embrace. INT. FARMHOUSE-- NIGHT The porker sleeps soundly on the wooden floor. Vladek, Romek and Tolo sit in a row beside it. Vladek passes the lighted candle to Romek VLADEK Come on Romek, all you have to do is push on his belly with your hands. Tolo takes the lighted candle from Romek and positions it a foot or two from the pigs rear end. Romek kneels in position beside the pig. VLADEK (CONT'D) Ready? Now! Romek pushes experimentally on the pigs belly. VLADEK (CONT'D) Harder! Another push. VLADEK (CONT'D) (laughing) Harder! This time, the pig breaks wind noisily and a sheet of flame knocks over the candle. Vladek and Tolo erupt into laughter and after a moment of surprise, so does Romek. INT. ATTIC -- NIGHT Romek and Tolo lie head to head on the floor, ears pressed to the boards, drinking in the sounds which come up from below. TOLO She's having a BIG nightmare tonight. TOLO (CONT'D) Ooh, ahh. Oh no-o-o. Yes-s-s-s. Vladek, sitting close by, prods Tolo with a stick. VLADEK (disgustedly) Oh boy! Shhhhhhh! TOLO Oh no-o-o-o! Romek lifts his head and looks at Tolo quizzically as he continues his vocal impressions. Romek has an idea of what's really happening but Tolo apparently does not. EXT. FARMYARD -- NIGHT The pig squeals, trussed up in a net as Kluba pushes it into position in the bed of the wagon. EXT. UPPER WINDOW -- NIGHT Romek and Tolo look down as they watch their porcine friend taking his last ride. Vladek rudely elbows Romek aside as he comes to look too. EXT. FARMYARD -- NIGHT Gniecio and Kluba get the pig properly loaded. Kluba looks up and sees the children watching him. KLUBA Let's go. GNIECIO (to Manka) I'll be back in the morning. ROMEK (V.O.) Mr. Lipa was my grandfather. He would do anything for his family. Gnieico takes the drivers seat while Kluba settles down in the back with the pig. MANKA Be careful GNIECIO I will. A quick hug for Manka GNIECIO (CONT'D) Hya! The wagon rattles away out of the yard as Manka watches. EXT. FARM -- DAY Thunder rumbles in a sky of rainclouds. EXT. FARMYARD -- DAY Manka and the boys run up to the wagon in their night attire. It is raining.  Gniecio's lifeless body lies in the wagon, a spreading red stain on his shirt. Kluba stands beside the wagon. Manka stands paralyzed, the children, including Maria behind her. Kluba's family arrive too. MANKA Get up!.......Get up! She steps forward past Kluba, wraps her arms around the body and starts to drag it off the wagon. MANKA (CONT'D) GET UP! Sobbing she gets Gniecio's body to the sodden ground. Maria and Romek stare in horror. MANKA (CONT'D) Get up!......GET UP! She drags vainly at his hand. Tolo runs to her. MANKA (CONT'D) Leave me you children. TOLO Mama, let go MANKA NO! TOLO Mama, LET GO! MANKA NO! She pushes Tolo away and he retreats to the other children. KLUBA I...I don't know what happened. Gniecio left with the man who bought the pig. I waited two hours. Then I went to look for him and some people told me the Germans shot somebody. I found him in the ditch. Then I brought him here. That's all I know. Distracted by grief, Manka is going through Gniecio's pockets and pulling off his boots. MANKA What about the money? Where is the money? KLUBA I checked. He didn't have any. Tolo is there stroking his mother hair. He retreats again as she renews her frenzied appeals to her dead husband. MANKA Get up! GET UP! Oh you stupid fool! Get up! Collapsing to the rain-soaked ground she surrenders to wrenching sobs of grief as the thunder rolls. Tolo comes to her, puts his arms around her and she holds him close as she cries. Romek stands alone in the rain. Maria draws Vladek to her as he stands, stunned and disbelieving. INT. CHURCH -- DAY Gniecio lies in his open coffin. On chairs ranged against the wall, the family and friends keep a vigil, dressed in mourning black. Kluba and his wife enter. KLUBA Praise the Lord He crosses himself MOURNERS (in chorus) Praise the Lord. Maria watches Vladek as she holds Tolo on her knee. Tolo, half-turned is gazing at Romek.  Manka rises from her chair and goes to sit beside Romek. She looks at him seriously. MANKA Just watch Tolo. He loves you so much. EXT. ROAD -- DAY The feet of the mourners follow the wagon bearing Gniecio's coffin on his final journey. Manka cries as she leads the mourners. Tolo runs through the crowd and wraps his arms around his mothers waist. ROMEK (V.O.) Tolo comforted his mother, but he never cried. Then, on the night of the funeral he did something very odd. EXT. FARM WELL-YARD -- NIGHT The rain pours down on the well yard and the masonry coping around the well. Thunder rumbles overhead. Tolo, stark naked, capers round and round the well waving his arms and squealing. Romek runs up and attempts to catch the child. ROMEK Tolo! Tolo what are you doing? Romek grabs Tolo by the arm but he cries in protest and breaks free. The rain and the mud make it slippery underfoot. ROMEK (CONT'D) Tolo! Tolo, please! Tolo. TOLO Get off me-e-e! ROMEK Tolo, stop. TOLO No! Vladek races up to help. VLADEK (angrily) Tolo! Are you insane? TOLO Leave me alone! I have to do my Jesus exercises. The two bigger boys nearly collar the slippery naked child. He falls on his back and Vladek almost has him. ROMEK Tolo.... TOLO Don't! Get off of me! VLADEK Stop these games! Tolo scrambles up, slips from their grasp and runs out through the gate in the well-yard fence. The older boys pursue him. ROMEK Tolo.... VLADEK Tolo, you'll be sick again! INT. FARMHOUSE ENTRANCE HALL -- NIGHT Vladek rushes in, angry, and kicks a bucket aside as he disappears into the house. Manka runs from the kitchen, pulling a shawl about herself as she looks towards the door. Romek pushes Tolo inside out of the rain. MANKA Romek, what's going on? Manka pulls off her shawl, takes the wet naked child from Romek and wraps him in the shawl. MANKA (CONT'D) (angrily) What did you do with him? ROMEK He was running in the rain. MANKA Why did you let him? ROMEK I didn't. MANKA WHAT! ROMEK I went to get him. MANKA What? I told you to watch out for him. ROMEK I did! MANKA It was the only thing I asked you to do....It's too cold for it. Get out! Poor Romek is upset by the suggestion that he has failed in his duty.  Tolo struggles in his mothers arms and cries out in defense of Romek. TOLO He didn't. It was me, it was me. MANKA GET OUT! I said get out! Manka points towards the door. TOLO (crying) Romek don't go! Romek turns, scared, and runs out into the rainy night. TOLO (CONT'D) Romek don't go. Stop him. Manka picks Tolo up in her arms, kisses him.... MANKA Poor baby, you are going to be sick again ..and turns towards the kitchen EXT. VILLAGE PATH -- NIGHT Romek runs splashing through the rain and puddles, very upset. ROMEK (shouting) Piss on you! Where's my new home? INT. MARIA'S HOME -- NIGHT Romek is at the door. MARIA What happened? She draws the soaking wet Romek inside MARIA (CONT'D) Did Vladek do something to you? ROMEK They threw me out. MARIA'S GRANDMOTHER (O.S.) Who's that? Maria pushes him forward. MARIA (whispers) Don't worry, she can hardly see. MARIA'S GRANDMOTHER Come here boy. Thunder rolls outside. Romek moves towards the big bed with a simple straw mattress where Grandmother lies. MARIA'S GRANDMOTHER (CONT'D) Closer. Grandmother extends her hand. Romek puts his hand out and the old lady grasps his fingers. MARIA'S GRANDMOTHER (CONT'D) City boy. Ah-hmm! Satisfied that the intruder is harmless, she goes back to sleep.  Maria climbs back into the bed she shares with Grandmother. MARIA (whispers) Lie next to me. Romek hesitates, then pulls off his boots and lies down next to Maria. She leans close and strokes his cheek. MARIA (CONT'D) (whispers) You are so wet. Grandmother moves restlessly in her sleep. Maria glances at her then moves closer to Romek. He sighs and closes his eyes wearily. ROMEK (V.O.) I felt safe with Maria, and... MARIA Look at me. ROMEK (V.O.) ...I liked how she smelt like strawberries. It reminded me of my mother. Maria smiles tenderly and nestles her cheek against Romek's wet head. EXT. VILLAGE -- DAY Cocks crow and dawn breaks over an old windmill in the fields INT. MARIA'S HOUSE -- DAY Maria in a headscarf dips a spoon into the big black cook pot simmering over the fire. She tastes, then offers the spoon to Romek who finds it a little hot EXT. FOREST  -- DAY Vladek runs through the trees and up to Maria's side fence. INT. MARIA'S HOUSE -- DAY Romek hears Vladek coming. He walks towards the window,looks, then flattens himself against the wall beside the window. ROMEK (whispers) Vladek is coming. Maria goes to the window. MARIA (whispers) It's OK. I will talk to him. EXT. WINDOW OF MARIA'S HOUSE -- DAY Vladek plunges up to the window. Maria is loosening her scarf and letting her hair fall free. MARIA (unfriendly) What do you want? VLADEK I want to talk to Romek. MARIA Romek isn't here. Vladek is not fooled because he can see Romek's reflection in the glass pane of the open window. He addresses the reflection. VLADEK Romek? Tolo is very sick. He wants you to come back. He wants all the kids to come. Maria follows Vladek's gaze and realizes that Romek is plainly visible in the glass. She begins to swing the window closed. Vladek raises his voice and tries to peer around the window frame at Romek. VLADEK (CONT'D) He asked especially for you. Romek?.. Romek!... ROMEK! INT. FARMHOUSE -- DAY Tolo lies in bed, Manka sitting beside him and looking into his eyes. Tolo strokes his Mother's face. Vladek and Pyra sit nearby and Maria stands near the door. TOLO Mama, go away. MANKA What? TOLO Please Mama. Manka realizes that Tolo wants to talk to the other kids privately. She kisses his fingers and rises to leave. Romek is now visible standing with Maria. MANKA Romek? As she passes behind Romek she puts a hand on his shoulder.. MANKA (CONT'D) I'm sorry. ...and strokes his hair. Romek turns to look after her as she goes, maybe wanting to believe in the kind words and the gentle touch. The children gather around Tolo. TOLO (very croaky) I have a plan. All of you are in it. It's a special night. He is overtaken by a fit of coughing. Vladek looks at him with love. VLADEK What special night? TOLO One night I'll hang on a big tree, all night, and I'm going to make them all come back. VLADEK Who? TOLO Everyone. VLADEK Who, Tolo? TOLO Papa, and yours... (looking at Maria) ...and yours too Romek. We all have to take a bath together. ROMEK Get baptized. TOLO Get baptized together, to get ready. Romek takes Tolo's hand. TOLO (CONT'D) Say yes, everybody. MARIA Yes, Tolo. ROMEK Yes, Tolo. VLADEK Yes, Tolo. INT. BARN -- DAY The children haul a bucket of water up to a loft area. PYRA I'm not putting my head in it! MARIA You have to. You promised Tolo. Romek kneels before the bucket and with a glance at Tolo he dunks his head. Tolo wears a knitted woolly cap and scarf to stay warm. When Romek raises his dripping head, Tolo plants a kiss on top. TOLO Please wait outside. Pyra is next, looking very unwilling. TOLO (CONT'D) Please do it. Vladek gives Pyra a shove in the back. His expression allows no argument. Tolo smiles. Pyra kneels and dunks. TOLO (CONT'D) Thank you. Would you lean down? I have to kiss you. PYRA Oh no-o! He leans down and Tolo administers the kiss. Vladek and Maria follow in turn. Finally Tolo removes his cap and scarf and ducks his head. His dripping features seem to glow with a holy radiance. TOLO Listen to me and remember that you all put your heads in the bucket and now you have to follow me. I am going to suffer for you, but...I'm going to make things better. Maria steps towards him, smiling. MARIA You did a good job. Tolo smiles radiantly and she kisses him. EXT. VILLAGE -- NIGHT Train whistles sound in the distance. Robal, warmly dressed hurries on his way home beside the fence of Lipa's farm. INT. ATTIC -- NIGHT Romek looks out of the window. ROMEK Vladek, come here. Vladek joins him. ROMEK (CONT'D) It's Robal. He has been to the trains again. EXT. VILLAGE -- DAY Hens cluck as sunshine pours down on the barn. ROMEK I knew to avoid Kluba but how could I stay away from his sons? INT. BARN -- DAY Pyra comes in through a high loading door.A few chickens scatter. He looks up at a loft where the other children sit. MARIA Well, well, well. Mister Very Late Apostle! Pyra goes to the foot of the ladder to the loft. PYRA I'm not going to play these games any more. Robal says they're stupid. Stupid! What are you going to do? Stop the war? TOLO You promised! Pyra climbs onto the bottom rung of the ladder. Tolo looks down from the top. PYRA Okay, make my tooth grow back. Make my tooth grow back, now! TOLO Come up the ladder. Pyra climbs up and faces Tolo. TOLO (CONT'D) Close your eyes. Pyra closes his eyes, perhaps willing to believe. Tolo makes some magical gestures and incants... TOLO (CONT'D) Evil demon that stop tooth grow. Go AWAY! ..then strikes Pyra lightly on the forehead. Pyra feels for the chipped front tooth. Vladek watches stonily, holding a red hen in his arms. PYRA Nothing, nothing! A-ha-ha-ha! He can't do it! This should be easy! Vladek tosses the hen right at Pyra, who loses his grip and falls flat on his back on the straw below. Pyra sits up groggily. PYRA (CONT'D) (angrily) You did that on purpose, you little dwarves. Tolo is climbing down after him followed by Vladek and Romek. Pyra heads for the door. TOLO If you go, you can't come back. Pyra has dropped to the ground outside the door. He leans in over the chest high sill and speaks angrily PYRA I'm leaving! Robal was right. Bunch of kids and a girl, and a sissy Jew, playing Jesus. Tolo wraps his arms around Pyra's neck TOLO Pyra. Pyra, don't go. I love you. Pyra steps back, dragging the clinging Pyra out the door. He shakes Tolo off roughly. TOLO (CONT'D) Stop right now. Don't touch me! You are not Jesus. TOLO has fallen to the grass sobbing. Romek leaps from the doorway like a wildcat.  He rushes at Pyra and drives the other boy backwards across the yard with a flurry of wild blows.  Pyra fetches up against the fence and pushes Romek away for a moment. PYRA (pointing accusingly) And YOU should be on those trains! Romek is stunned for a moment... VLADEK Romek, hey! ...then he steps forward, grasps Pyra's shoulders and jerks his head forward in Vladek's nose-breaking trick. It works! Romek is shocked to see Pyra sprawled on the grass leaking rivers of blood from his nose. PYRA (blubbering) My nose! My nose! Tolo is crawling across the yard to Pyra. TOLO Pyra... Pyra... Pyra... Pyra. Pyra staggers to his feet. TOLO (CONT'D) Pyra, Pyra, Don't go. Pyra runs away crying. PYRA Mama, my nose is broken. Mama. TOLO Pyra. PYRA (O.S.) My nose is broken. Tolo sits down, devastated by this dissension among his disciples. INT. ATTIC -- NIGHT Romek laces his boots, sitting on the bed beside a sleeping Tolo. ROMEK (V.O.) I had to go for myself. Romek quietly moves through the darkened attic. ROMEK (V.O.) (CONT'D) People were whispering that Jews were going in one direction only. He picks up and puts on his cap. EXT. FOREST -- NIGHT Romek walks briskly through the trees. Train whistles sound. EXT. RAILWAY LINE -- NIGHT A locomotive labors up the grade drawing a string of box cars.  Romek trots through the trackside undergrowth and finds a hiding place. A dark figure hangs for a moment on the outside of a wagon, then drops to the ground. As the train passes on, the armed sentry standing on a rear step notices nothing. The figure of a boy comes out of the darkness. A woman close on his heels pushes him to the ground and bundles him into the shelter of the bushes. The boy stands up among the concealing leaves. BOY Who's that? Papa, is that you? WOMAN There's nobody there. The boy moves forward a little, fumbles for and strikes a match.  In the tiny flare of light, Romek and the starved-looking boy stare at each other from a distance of two feet. Then Romek scrambles up and runs away. The boy runs to the frightened woman who holds him tight. Romek runs back the way he came as fast as his legs will carry him INT. ATTIC -- NIGHT Romek walks in a daze past Vladek's bed. Vladek is awake.   VLADEK (quite gently) You went to the trains... Were they jumping tonight? ROMEK Yes. Vladek turns his head away. EXT. CHURCHYARD -- DAY Romek runs in through the church-yard gate. He comes to a stop as he hears a raised voice from within the church. KLUBA (O.S.) I told you. I told you I don't know what happened. I really don't know what happened. Gniecio sold the pig to the man. I..I'm sure... INT. CHURCH VESTRY-- DAY PRIEST (interrupting) The man in town said that Gniecio never sold him the pig. KLUBA (shaking his cap angrily) He's a liar! Under the Priests steady gaze, Kluba turns and walks out of the vestry. The Priest follows. INT. CHURCH -- DAY PRIEST He said another man sold him the pig. A man with a big moustache like you. KLUBA (measured, arrogant tone) What are you going to do? Rat on me? To who? He walks closer to the Priest. KLUBA (CONT'D) That boy...across the road... He plucks at a button on the Priests soutane. KLUBA (CONT'D) How much money did you make on that? The Priest angrily bats Kluba's hand away. PRIEST Get off. Get out! Kluba glares at him and walks off down the aisle. The Priest turns and notices Romek cowering out of sight up inside the pulpit. PRIEST (CONT'D) How long have you been there? ROMEK Kluba knows about me. What is he going to do? PRIEST Probably nothing. ROMEK What's going to happen to me? PRIEST Don't worry about him. Let me show you something. He puts out his hand. Romek takes it and the Priest helps him down the steep steps. INT. VESTRY -- DAY The Priest has flat leaves of unleavened bread on the table and he uses a kind of cookie cutter to punch out a series of  discs. ROMEK What are these? PRIEST Holy Hosts. You want some? The Priest pops a piece of the oddly shaped waste bread into his mouth. ROMEK (quickly) No. PRIEST Don't worry. They aren't Hosts yet. They are just the edges. I never bless the edges. Romek picks up a piece of the edge bread. ROMEK (softly) Are we blessed? Or are we just the edges? PRIEST We are all scraps, Romek, but we are all blessed the same. The Priest gathers up some new made discs and drops them into a chalice. ROMEK Not all the people, right? The Priest cannot answer. Romek looks at the scrap he holds and breaks off a piece. ROMEK (CONT'D) Batylin.. He lays the piece on the table. ROMEK (CONT'D) His wife.. Another piece. ROMEK (CONT'D) Vladek's father.. Maria's parents. He lays down a piece for each of them. He looks up at the Priest. ROMEK (CONT'D) I went to the trains last night. My parents aren't coming back for me are they? PRIEST Probably not. Romek looks ready to cry. He breaks the final scrap into two pieces and lays them down. INT. CELLAR -- DAY It is later that day. Romek sweeps the multitude of stones off the shelf into a bucket. He has the tracks of drying tears on his cheeks.  Three stones that remain he carefully places in front of the photo. Manka descends the cellar ladder and crunches through the straw to stand behind Romek. ROMEK What will you do with me if my parents don't come back? MANKA They will come back. ROMEK What if they get sickness, or die in the war? Manka puts her arms around him, kisses him on top of the head and hugs him tight. MANKA You can stay here. EXT. FOREST -- DAY Romek, dressed in his Sunday best walks blind-folded and grinning, led by Maria. She wears a long white dress and has a wreath of flowers and greenery in her hair. Maria stops, drops his hand... MARIA Take those nice shoes off. ...and starts to climb out along some sapling trees which lean out over the water of a stream. Still blindfolded, Romek pulls off his shoes MARIA (CONT'D) Okay, you can look. Romek tugs off the blindfold and blinks at what he sees. ROMEK What are you doing? MARIA Follow me. Romek starts to climb out after her. MARIA (CONT'D) Come on, all the way. Maria has gone as far as she can and she swings down to hang by her hands above the water. Romek imitates her. ROMEK What now? MARIA (laughing) Okay, I promise you that I will love you always, and I don't love Vladek, and I'm so glad you came to our village, and I'm glad they didn't hang you, and I love your nose and your hair and your skin. Now you promise. Don't let go. ROMEK (feeling the strain) Uhh! I promise I'll work hard to buy you lots and lots of perfume and..I'll always be your boyfriend, I mean husband MARIA I always wanted to marry a city boy-y-y! ROMEK Free hands! Romek loses his grip and falls in the water followed by a shrieking Maria. They stand up in the shallows, laughing at each other then scramble towards the bank. EXT. QUARRY -- DAY Sunlit meadows. ROMEK (V.O.) Tolo took the part of asking God to bring our parents back very seriously. Tolo's forearms being bound to branches with leather thongs. ROMEK (V.O.) (CONT'D) I don't know why we didn't stop him. Vladek and Maria on ladders are doing the tying. Romek stands below holding the farm horse on whose back Tolo had been standing. He leads the horse away, leaving Tolo hanging from the sapling beside the quarry. TOLO Harder. Vladek and Maria finish the tying, scramble down and remove the ladders. Maria knots a thong around Tolo's ankles and the tree. TOLO (CONT'D) I want to be alone. Vladek and Maria move away a little. Tolo looks up to the sky. TOLO (CONT'D) Papa....Papa? The other children watch from nearby. Tolo allows his chin to drop to his chest. TOLO (CONT'D) I'm hanging. Pyra comes down a steep path, closely followed by Robal. They spy this unusual sight and walk over for a closer look. PYRA Ah ha! What's in the tree? Ooh! ROBAL How did you get up there? He prods Tolo's chest with a leafy twig he carries. ROBAL (CONT'D) You're so skinny. No food huh? No food. The other kids don't like to see Tolo being mocked. They rush over. VLADEK What do you want? MARIA Hey Robal, how are the sheep? Robal looks annoyed. VLADEK Everybody knows. ROMEK (completely lost) What sheep? MARIA B-a-a-a...B-a-a-a-a-a! Sheep are better than girls. PYRA You'd better shut up. TOLO Stop it everybody. MARIA B-a-a...B-a-a-a...B-a-a-a-a-a! B-a-a. ROBAL Shut that little slut up. VLADEK Get out of here. Robal begins to tease Vladek with the leafy twig. ROBAL You know Vladek, if you dwarfs weren't so busy playing games with each other you could make some money. VLADEK Piss on you. ROBAL You're so stupid. Just like your father. Vladek goes for him, but Robal seizes him by the hair and holds him at arms length. VLADEK Let go of me you bastard. Robal pushes him to the ground. Robal looks hard at Maria and brushes her face with the twig but something in her scared but direct gaze makes him back off. ROBAL (to Pyra) Come on, let's get out of here. They walk away. Vladek rises to his feet. VLADEK We are going home. He gets his ladder and rears it against the tree. Maria follows suit. He begins to untie the thongs. TOLO Vladek, what are you doing. Don't touch it. Don't untie me. VLADEK Tolo, stop it. We are going home. TOLO (becoming upset) No, don't untie me. You promised.  You put your head in the bucket. Now Papa is never coming back Vladek throws away the last thong and reaches to lift his little brother down. Tolo pulls at Vladeks hair. TOLO (CONT'D) You KILLED him Vladek. EXT. VILLAGE -- DAY Dusk falls over haystacks and barns. EXT. VILLAGE PATHS -- NIGHT Robal and Pyra sneak along by torchlight. Behind a fence, Vladek and Romek watch them intently. As the Kluba boys disappear from sight, Vladek and Romek follow. EXT. RAILWAY LINE -- NIGHT The nightly train slowly chugs up the grade. Romek and Vladek come from the forest and crouch near the line. Several figures jump from the wagons. As the train recedes into the distance, a woman moves away from the line. A man searches for her. Rifle shots sound in the distance. Are the Nazi's also out searching on this night? Robal waits with an axe in his hand. The man and woman are reunited and shortly thereafter they find their little boy. They hurry into the forest. Romek and Vladek circle around to follow.The escapee family run straight into Robal and Pyra. ROBAL Stop! Where are you going? MAN What do you want? ROBAL You'll tell your story at the Police Station. Romek and Vladek move silently into a position where they can watch. ROBAL (CONT'D) Come on! MAN We don't have any money. WOMAN We have no money. ROBAL No money? Robal seizes the woman by the hair. She bends forward with a gasp of terror. Romek and Vladek watch from behind a pile of old railway sleepers, as frightened as the escapees. VLADEK If he sees us, he'll kill us! ROBAL What about gold, jewelry? You have that? Robal roughly pulls off the childs shoe. Pyra takes it and searches for hidden valuables. EXT. VILLAGE PATHS -- NIGHT Romek and Vladek run for home. ROMEK Vladek, slow down. Vladek stops and the two boys pant for a moment. ROMEK (CONT'D) Kluba... Vladek looks at him and nods slightly. ROMEK (CONT'D) Klu..... Kluba killed your father VLADEK What? ROMEK I overheard Kluba arguing with the Priest. The Priest went to town and found out....that it was Kluba sold the pig. Vladek looks at Romek, tries to speak, then turns and walks on. Romek stares after him, unsure if he has done the right thing. EXT. VILLAGE -- DAY Sunday morning and the church bell calls the faithful to Mass INT. CHURCH -- DAY The offering plate passes among the worshippers. A hand places a ring set with a precious stone in the plate. It is Robal's hand. Maria sees this over his shoulder. Romek sits beside her. MARIA (sympathetic whisper) Your mother's? Robal does not deign to answer. ROMEK Somebody's mother's. Robal turns and fixes Romek with a long stare. Romek matches his stare with a direct and fearless look of his own. The Mass comes to an end. Everyone streams down the aisle. Pyra comes from his altar-boy duties and Robal whispers in his ear.  Romek and Maria leave together through a side door. Tolo watches as they go out through a side gate of the churchyard. When Robal and Pyra follow, Tolo trails them. EXT. QUARRY -- DAY Romek and Maria walk along the cliff-top path. Robal and Pyra confront them. ROBAL Hey city boy! What'd you mean by what you said? Somebody's mother! Are you spying on me? MARIA Come on Romek. Let's go. They try to walk on but Robal lays hands on Romek... ROMEK Stop it! Stop it! ...and holds him from behind in a choke-hold. ROBAL What do you know, Jew-boy? Pyra gets his revenge. He rushes forward and knees Romek painfully in the groin. Tolo is watching from a hiding place nearby. As Romek doubles over in pain, Pyra picks up a stone and swings it at his face. Romek falls to the ground and Pyra leaps on him. MARIA Robal stop it, stop it! She jumps to Romek's rescue but Robal intercepts her. They struggle. MARIA (CONT'D) Robal stop it, stop it. Robal, you idiot. ROBAL Shut up you little whore! Robal pushes her off screen and she is apparently knocked unconscious. Tolo sees everything. Robal comes back to the unconscious Romek who is pinned down by Pyra. ROBAL (CONT'D) Let's throw him in. PYRA (nervously) No! ROBAL Yeah! PYRA Okay. Robal takes his hands, Pyra his feet and they carry Romek over to the edge of the cliff. Maria lies unconscious nearby with a split lip. At the cliff edge, Robal and Pyra swing once, twice, three times and the inert body flies over the edge EXT. CLIFF -- DAY Romek falls, falls, falls many feet and enters the water with a splash. EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY Romek sinks and turns in the deep water. EXT. QUARRY -- DAY Robal walks over to Maria who is just regaining her senses. He kneels before her and begins to interfere roughly with her clothing. Tolo is watching. PYRA (worried now) What are you doing Robal? ROBAL Get lost!.....Get LOST! Pyra runs off. Robal begins to loosen his own clothing. His intentions are plain. Tolo looks, horrified from his hiding place, then turns and runs away. EXT. FARMYARD -- DAY Vladek is unharnessing the horse. Tolo runs from the woods scattering chickens as he goes TOLO Vladek......Vladek! Vladek looks at Tolo intently as he arrives, out of breath. TOLO (CONT'D) I...... Maria. EXT. QUARRY -- DAY Vladek arrives at the swimming platform. He stops and looks. VLADEK Romek......Romek! Romek is in the water on the far side, trying weakly to get a grip on the sheer cliff-face. Without hesitation, Vladek leaps into the water and swims to Romek's rescue. EXT. WATER -- DAY Vladek reaches Romek, turns him onto his back and commences the rescue in usual lifeguard style. EXT. QUARRY WAGON ROAD -- DAY Maria walks, dazed, down towards the water. Once she stumbles. EXT. QUARRY -- DAY Vladek and Romek reach the shallows and begin to climb over the stony rubble and out of the water. Tolo is there. As Vladek and Romek reach dry land, Maria walks past the three of them, unseeing and into the shallow water. She kneels in the shallows. EXT. UNDERWATER -- DAY Maria lowers her face with the bloody lip into the water. She closes her eyes and rubs her hands over her face, washing away the blood and dirt. EXT. QUARRY -- DAY Tolo, Romek and Vladek watch, powerless to help, three little boys faced with yet another evil thing. Maria lies on her side in the water, allowing the refreshing coolness to wash away some of the pain. INT. CHURCH VESTIBULE -- DAY Tolo and Maria sit apart on a bench. Romek sits opposite them at the foot of a small shrine. He has a huge bruise on his cheek. Maria stares into space. Romek looks at her, wanting to go to her but conscious of the new gulf between them. INT. CONFESSIONAL -- DAY Vladek's serious young face through the grille of the confessional. PRIEST Be careful son. You have your mother to take care of, and Tolo, and Romek. Your father would be proud of you. The Priest utters the Latin words of the absolution. Vladek arises, kisses the cross on the Priests offered stole and goes out. INT. CHURCH VESTIBULE -- DAY Maria stands to take her turn. Romek wants to speak to her but cannot and he stares after her as she goes off to the confessional. VLADEK (businesslike) Let's go. Romek takes one more look after Maria, then puts his cap on and follows Vladek. INT. ATTIC -- NIGHT Romek and Vladek are dressed for night business in caps and warm belted jackets. Vladek takes a heavy object wrapped in a cloth from a hiding place under his mattress. VLADEK (whispers) Are you coming? Romek follows Vladek out. Under his blankets, Tolo stirs and sits up. He is also fully dressed. EXT. RAILWAY LINE -- NIGHT Robal's axe chinks into the ground. He pulls off and shakes out the shoes of a prostrate man who is holding a bloodied head. Roughly, he rolls his victim over and searches through his clothes. Robal and Vladek silently approach and hide behind some stacked timbers a little way uphill. Two women and a terrified child watch as Robal discovers and unfolds a Jewish prayer shawl.  He spreads it on the ground as a receptacle for his loot. Robal and Vladek are breathing in frightened gasps as they watch. ROBAL Take your shoes off! He seizes the foot of one of the women who falls forward into the grass as Robal tears off a shoe and checks for hidden valuables. In his hiding place, Vladek unwraps the bundle and reveals his father's German army pistol. Robal has shaken out a shoe and discovered a valuable trinket which he tosses onto the prayer shawl. Vladek settles the pistol in his hand and begins to move. Romek looks at him with great trepidation. Robal has moved to the other woman with the child. He forces her to her knees. ROBAL (CONT'D) Put your head down! Put your head down! He tears off her head scarf and finds more concealed valuables in her hair. Vladek comes downhill through the trees holding the pistol. Romek follows. VLADEK (loudly) Hey Robal! Romek stumbles to Vladek's side. Robal turns to look at the intruders and advances with his habitual expression of cold arrogance. Tolo has arrived and watches the events from the boys' former hiding place ROBAL You're not going to shoot. Robal advances confidently. Vladek is absolutely cool and in control of himself. As Robal gets to within a few feet, he drops the muzzle of the pistol slightly and shoots Robal in the groin. ROBAL (CONT'D) Aaaahhhhhh!Ahhhhhhhhh! He collapses to the ground in agony, clutching at himself. Tolo is open-mouthed as he watches. As Robal writhes and shrieks, Vladek takes off his cap and shoves it at Romek. VLADEK Stuff that in his mouth. SHUT HIM UP! Romek wads the cap up and forces it into Robal's screaming mouth. VLADEK (CONT'D) We have no father. Your father will have no son. ROMEK Vladek, NO! Romek fires another, fatal, shot. Robal jerks and lies still. A long moment passes. The three Jewish escapees, Romek and Tolo look at the grim faced Vladek. Somewhere not far away, big dogs bark. VLADEK That was for you, Papa. Romek approaches Vladek. The dogs still bark. ROMEK Vladek, give me the gun. He takes the pistol from Vladek's fingers. Two German soldiers with leashed dogs and machine-pistols dash out of the darkness GERMAN SOLDIER Hands up! VLADEK Romek, run. Vladek takes off into the undergrowth. Romek is too dazed to react. GERMAN SOLDIER Don't move! Romek is fixed by the beams of torches. More soldiers arrive. There is the sound of weapons being cocked as they cover the small boy. COLONEL (O.S.) Wait, wait. Wait! A German Colonel in a magnificent leather coat and silver cord trimmed cap walks up. He glances at the injured Jewish man who stands, held by soldiers and clutching his bleeding head.  In the background, other soldiers hustle re-captured escapees along. The Colonel looks at the blond, blue-eyed boy who stands in the torchlight, still holding the pistol, his hands held out wide from his sides. He walks up to Romek, takes the pistol from him quite gently and renders it safe. He turns to his men. COLONEL (amused) The boy is robbing the Jews. The soldiers laugh. Smiling, the Colonel walks away, glances at Robal's corpse, turns over the valuables on the prayer shawl with his foot. COLONEL (CONT'D) Pick it up later. Turning to Romek he beckons. COLONEL (CONT'D) Come here. Come, Come. Fearfully, Romek walks to the Colonel COLONEL (CONT'D) Here! How much money did you make tonight? Huh? The Colonel reaches out and pulls off Romek's cap. Taking off his own magnificent peaked officers cap he sets it on Romek's head.  Romek's face looks absolutely petrified under the big cap. COLONEL (CONT'D) Look at me. Romek looks up at the officer. The Colonel clicks his heels to attention and snaps off a stiff-armed Nazi salute. COLONEL (CONT'D) Good job, Colonel! Romek involuntarily gives a half salute in return. His frightened eyes slide sideways to look at his own raised hand. The Colonel chuckles and bends down to look into Romek's eyes. COLONEL (CONT'D) Would you like to go for a ride? He takes Romek by the hand. COLONEL (CONT'D) Come....Come. He leads Romek away. The soldiers march off the captive Jews. Tolo watches from hiding. The Colonel takes Romek to a motorcycle combination that pulls up. EXT. RAILWAY SIDING -- DAY Next morning. A soldier guns the military motorcycle combination around the grassy area beside the railway buildings. Romek is in the sidecar and he hangs on tight as the machine bumps over the rough turf. A line of captive Jews scatters out of the way as the combination drives straight through them. The Colonel stands on the platform and chuckles as he watches the child being entertained. Another senior officer approaches across the grass. COLONEL Hans.....Hans! He hurries down the platform steps to greet the other officer. They meet in the middle of the grassy space. COLONEL (CONT'D) (to the motorcycle driver) Stop here. The motorcycle pulls up. The officers shake hands, smiling and chuckling. COLONEL (CONT'D) I've got to show you something. Just wait. The Colonel steps over to the sidecar and takes Romek by the hand. COLONEL (CONT'D) Come here! Come. Come with me. He hauls Romek out and hurries him across to the line of captives. Bending down to Romek he speaks to him softly. COLONEL (CONT'D) Listen now. When I say "Go", you do the same thing you did in the forest. All right? He hands Romek the same pistol he had in the forest. Turning to his friend... COLONEL (CONT'D) Come with me... They trot over to the platform and up the stairs. COLONEL (CONT'D) I've never seen anything like this in my life. They take up their position. COLONEL (CONT'D) Look at the boy. ROMEK... ROMEK! GO! Now watch. Romek looks lost but he knows what is expected of him. He looks at the long line of adult and child captives who are cowed, beaten and indifferent to him. He settles on a tall bearded man with a long coat and homburg hat, possibly a rabbi. Stepping forward he feels around the hem of the coat. ROMEK Take the coat off! The man begins to comply ROMEK (CONT'D) Faster! Romek finds nothing in the coat. ROMEK (CONT'D) And the vest....and the vest. Romek feels perfunctorily through the vest and drops it. The Colonel and his friend watch, the friend with a set of binoculars. COLONEL Good boy, huh? Next in line is a woman with a son about Romek's age. Romek looks at her, then with an edge of panic in his voice... ROMEK Take your shoes off. The woman just looks at him with a dazed expression and a moment passes. Romek sets his face hard and points the pistol at her. ROMEK (CONT'D) TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF! There is movement and a murmur of fear among the captives. The woman pulls off a shoe and Romek takes it from her. In the background, an open truck pulls up, the tailboard is dropped and more captives are ordered to get out. Romek turns away and fumbles with the shoe, then kneels and begins to hammer the heel on a stone. The heel breaks, revealing a hidden compartment and Romek finds a valuable item. He leaps to his feet holding up the trinket and shoe to the Colonel. COLONEL Come here, come here. Romek comes running. VLADEK (O.S.) Officer. Officer, listen to me. Vladek has somehow been scooped up in the group that just arrived in the truck. He is struggling now with a soldier who is trying to force him into the line of captives. VLADEK Please. Please. I'm a Pole; I'm not a Jew. SOLDIER Shut up! VLADEK Let me go. On the platform, Romek hands over his find. Vladek continues to protest in the background but the officers are intent on their prize. COLONEL See, he's got something there. COLONEL#2 Ah, beautiful. COLONEL Good boy. Vladek continues to plead. SOLDIER Shut up! VLADEK Let me go. I'm not a Jew. I'm a Pole. COLONEL (shouts) Hey, what's going on there? VLADEK I'm not a Jew. I'm a Pole. ROMEK He's a Pole. COLONEL (shouts) Bring him here. ROMEK I know him. COLONEL You know him? ROMEK I know him, yes. He's a Pole. Two soldiers grab Vladek by the scruff of the neck and drag him towards the platform VLADEK I'm not a Jew. I'm not a Jew. I'm a Pole. COLONEL Tell me, how do you know him? ROMEK He was helping me. The panic stricken Vladek has arrived, held between two soldiers. In the background, a locomotive with box cars pulls into the siding. COLONEL Where? ROMEK In the forest. COLONEL In the forest? ROMEK Yes! COLONEL Well, let's see. COLONEL (CONT'D) (to Vladek) Pull down your pants. Vladek is half-dead with fear. A soldier swats him across the head. COLONEL (CONT'D) Pull down your pants! Vladek fumbles with his belt. The soldiers roughly pull his pants down. COLONEL (CONT'D) Come here! Come. The Colonel hooks a finger in Vladek's underwear and peers inside. COLONEL (CONT'D) (laughing) Ohhhhhhh, I'm sorry Colonel.  I'm sorry sir. Keep up the good work, and so on. Pull up your pants. Vladek looks ready to die of relief. Colonel #2 pats him on the head. EXT. RAILWAY LINE -- DAY Tolo has managed to follow Romek all the way to this siding. He crosses the line under a wagon and comes up on the other side. Now he is among the captive Jews who are being loaded into the wagons. Romek stands with the two officers and Vladek. He spies Tolo and instantly breaks away to run to him. ROMEK TOLO! COLONEL Stop him! A soldier intercepts Romek. The colonel strides up and seizes Romek roughly by the sleeve. COLONEL (CONT'D) What do you think you are doing? ROMEK I know him. The blond boy. COLONEL That boy? ROMEK Yes, Tolo. The Colonel walks over to Tolo. VLADEK It's my brother. The Colonel glances back at Vladek. COLONEL (to Tolo) Come here. He takes the cap off Tolo's blond head. He pushes Tolo back a little, bends down and points at Romek who is struggling in the grasp of the soldier. COLONEL (CONT'D) Do you know the boy? There! Do you know him? ROMEK Tolo! Tolo looks impassively, blinks and makes no reply at all.The Colonel points at Vladek. COLONEL That boy says he's your brother. Is he? Vladek struggles desperately against the soldiers holding him. ROMEK Tolo! Tolo looks, then shakes his head slightly. ROMEK (CONT'D) Tolo... Tolo. No. The colonel strides back to Romek, grabs him by the shirt and lifts him up to hiss angrily into his face... COLONEL Do you want to go with him? Do you want to go with him? So SHUT UP! He tosses Romek to the ground and walks back to Colonel#2 waiting by the wagons. He offers his cigarette case and his brother officer selects one. Romek rises to his feet. Jewish men, old and young look out through tiny barbed wired windows in the wagons. A junior officer lifts Tolo up. VLADEK That's my brother! The officer puts Tolo into the tiny remaining space in the wagon, slides the door closed and operates the latch. Vladek staggers in an agonized circle and stands next to Romek. The loco whistle sounds and the train moves off. The soldiers have all gone. The two colonels walk off together beside the line. Vladek begins to run after the train. Romek grabs him. Vladek drags Romek with him. ROMEK No....No....No. VLADEK Tolo.....Tolo! ROMEK Vladek! Romek has brought Vladek to the ground where he manages to hold him. The train whistles and moves into the distance. EXT. QUARRY -- DAY Romek and  Vladek are there dressed in their Sunday best. Vladek has the German pistol that he and Romek used in acts of revenge and betrayal. The pistol lies on a rock and Vladek tries to smash it with his heel.  The pistol is only a little scarred. Vladek picks it up and walks closer to the water. He holds the pistol a moment, then flings it as far as he can out into the water. INT. CHURCH -- DAY This is a special day for the four new communicants who sit in the front pew. The Priest turns to the congregation and holds up the Blessed Sacrament. PRIEST This is the Lamb of God who washes away the sins of the world. Romek and Maria kneel side by side. Romek looks sideways at Maria who does not look too bad.  PRIEST (CONT'D) Happy are those he calls to his Supper. Vladek and Pyra kneel side by side. Vladek is serious, Pyra looks awful. The congregation recites the Latin response in unison. The new communicants rise and file forward to the sanctuary steps. Manka sits in the second pew, tearful and red eyed but composed. The Priest stands before the kneeling Pyra and offers the Sacrament. PRIEST (CONT'D) Corpus Christi. Pyra murmurs the response and takes the wafer on his tongue. The Priest moves to Vladek. PRIEST (CONT'D) Corpus Christi. Vladek looks very worn and sad as he responds and takes the wafer. The Priest moves to Maria. PRIEST (CONT'D) Corpus Christi. Maria seems to draw some inner strength from the practice of faith. The Priest moves to Romek who stares into space in a sort of reverie. PRIEST (CONT'D) (whispers) Romek! Romek starts and looks up at the Priest, then at the wafer in the Priest's fingers. It is not the usual circular wafer but a piece of the scrap bread from the edges. It happens to be in the shape of a cross where four circles intersected. Something special for Romek, not consecrated like the Holy Hosts but offered with love by the Priest to one of Gods other children in need of sanctuary within the Church. PRIEST (CONT'D) Corpus Christi. ROMEK (whispers) Father! Romek takes the scrap of bread on his tongue. ROMEK (V.O.) I will never forget Tolo, nor the kindness of those who helped me to remain who I am. EXT. GRASSY MEADOW -- DAY Birds-eye view. Romek lies on his back in the lush green grass, chewing on a straw. He is dressed in a loose white peasant blouse and looks completely at home in his rural world. After a while he sits up, then rises to his feet. He puts on his cap and walks down to the mown fields dotted with haystacks throwing the long shadows of sunset. When he reaches the short turf he begins to run, right across the field, through a hedge and on towards the village nestled in the trees beyond. FADE OUT: CREDITS

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