The Lonely God

EXT. AMAZON - DUSK

Establishing shots of the Amazon rainforest. Waning daylight spotlights natural beauty with faint sounds of the wildlife. The camera travels slowly through the familiar village community. Simple people in simple dress gather for the evening in simple dwellings. The low hum of gentle conversation as we pass by each home, shadows of families and friends cast by the light of the hearth. The camera continues to travel out farther to the edge of the village. The lights and sounds of the houses fades as we move father into the darkness of the evening and arrive at a smaller shelter apart from the others.

INT. WOODEN CABIN

A single room, sparsely furnished. Light, sound, and life have characterized both the rainforest and the houses. This cabin slumps in stark contrast. The single shadow on the wall, dimly illuminated by flickering firelight, sits in silence. The camera rotates from the shadow to its owner. Sitting by the low firelight, his back to us. Solitary. Alone.

DISSOLVE TO:

Int. British Museum, Lobby, 1860 –

Solitary figure in the cabin dissolves to an identical solitary figure on a banner. A banner bearing the solitary image of a man cloaked in black and enshrined by golden flames. His eyes also glow gold. "Mysteries of the Amazon: The Lonely God. Now On Display" the banner proclaims.

The camera pans down from the banner and lands on a sign posted below. "Treasures of the Ancient World! A new exhibition coming soon!" A list of the upcoming exhibit's artifacts. We stop to focus on the last item: The Emerald Tablet.

The camera turns and we see a young woman scrutinizing with a wry smile that last item on the sign. She is dressed in Victorian attire, but she is unmistakably Makkari.

She ambles through the crowd at the British Museum. A knowing Cheshire grin as she takes in the scene. A god among mortals. She wanders near an open door at a back room where some laborers are loafing and leaning against crates. An uptight man approaches them to admonish them.

UPTIGHT MAN

Look sharp gentlemen! The museum doesn't pay you to lay about. The pieces for the new exhibit will be arriving soon. Clear out these crates. We don't want someone dropping the Emerald Tablet because they've tripped over these boxes.

The men start going about their business. Makkari, who has been eavesdropping, smiles triumphantly. Her prize will be delivered soon. She needs only to wait to grab it and add it to her collection. Patience is not her strong suit. She continues through the museum to kill time.

The camera moves by several scenes of people at the museum. A vendor sells pinwheels to children. He is handing one to a child. A flash and it disappears from his hand. He looks confused. A man meeting his sweetheart holds some flowers behind his back. He pulls them from behind him to give to her. A flash and they disappear and he presents her with his empty hand. They look at each other, confused. A man sits on a bench wiping his monocle with a pocket square and sets the monocle beside him as he puts away his pocket square. A flash. He reaches down to pick up his monocle but it has disappeared. He looked confused.

INT. BRITISH MUSEUM – GALLERY HALLWAY

Makkari walks smilingly down the hallway, wearing a monocle and holding a small bouquet of flowers in one hand and a pinwheel in the other. She sniffs the flowers as the pinwheel spins wildly as if it has just been through gale force winds.

She shuffles by the paintings. She imitates the scenes depicted as she passes by them. A stoic face. A swooning woman. A regal monarch. Tribesman dancing. A fierce soldier in battle. The people around her are scandalized. They whisper and give disapproving looks at this garish display. Makkari ignores them.