INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE

Lestat puts her down on the bed and sits beside her, holding his wrist, obviously in pain.

CLAUDIA
More.

LESTAT
Yes, cherie, of course you want more. And I'll show you how to get it. You drink from morals, my beauty, but from me? Never again.

Still suffering, Lestat pulls the bell-rope.

CLOSE ON CLAUDIA

Being transformed. Becoming white yet robust, bright-eyed yet crazed. She shakes her beautiful curls and the dust falls from them. They are shining in the candlelight.

Louis cannot stop looking at her. He does not notices as --

The MAID enters.

MAID
Ah, quelle Belle enfant!

The maid comes near the bed, kneels in front of Claudia. Lestat lays his hand on the maid's throat and Claudia watches keenly.

LESTAT
Gently, cherie. They are so innocent. They must not be made to suffer.

Claudia lunges for the throbbing vein in the neck, locking on to the flowing blood.

The Maid is transfixed.

Close on Louis, his anguish, his fascinated horror.

LOUIS
You are the devil! You are the instrument of Satan!

LESTAT
That's enough, cherie. Stop before the heart stops.

He lets the dead maid onto the floor. Claudia looks at the corpse.

CLAUDIA
I want some more.

LESTAT
It's bet in the beginning, lest the death takes you down with it. yes, that's it. My child. My beloved child.

Lestat and Claudia sit on the Louis XVI settee. Claudia is a vision, a doll made out of pearl. Animated, voice crisp.

CLAUDIA
Where is Mamma?

The words echo in Louis' head, as he puts his hands to his ears.

LESTAT
Mamma's gone to Heaven, cherie, like that sweet lady over there. They all go to Heaven. And you did very well, cherie. Not a drop spilt. Very good! You're going to be our child now.

Lestat takes out his comb and begins to comb her hair.

LESTAT
Your mama's left you with us. She wants you to be happy.

LOUIS(WHISPER)
You are the devil! You are the instrument of Satan!

LESTAT
Shhhh! Do you want to frighten our little daughter?

CLAUDIA
I'm not your daughter.

LESTAT
Yes you are, my dearest. You are mine and Louis' daughter. You see Louis was going to leave us. He was going to go away. But now he's not. He's going to stay and make you happy.

Claudia runs over to him. She smiles at him.

CLAUDIA
Lou...eee...

Louis is conflicted. He cannot leave her. He touches her cheeks, her hair. Same as his. Vampire skin and hair. He draws in his breath, shocked by her beauty, then he embraces her as a father might a daughter. He looks over her shoulder to Lestat.

LOUIS
You fiend. You monster.

Lestat smiles

LESTAT
One happy family.

INT. ROOM. SAN FRANCISCO.

Malloy is open mouthed.

MALLOY
A child vampire!

He sees the tape has run out. He rapidly and clumsily sticks in another.

LOUIS
Shall we go on?

MALLOY
He did it to make you stay with him!

LOUIS
Perhaps. He knew me. He knew I would love her more than the waking world. But there was more to it than that. Perhaps in the end he did it -- to show me that he could. For he lavished affection on her, there was no doubt about that. Life was very different with madame Claudia, as you can imagine...

EXT. NEW SPANISH TOWNHOUSE. (RUE ROYALE, NEW ORLEANS)

Two husky movers bring in furniture through the back courtyard, past the fountain and the banana trees, up the back stairs and into ---

INT FLAT

Striped wallpaper gives way to flowers in the bedrooms. Huge four-poster beds in the bedrooms, and large chests, as big as coffins standing against the wall. Everywhere there are candles and pretty Louis XVI furniture. Lestat gives instructions to the movers.

WE MOVE INTO --

A DIMLY LIT PARLOUR

We see Claudia draped in lace standing on a petit point chair as a DRESSMAKER measure out a garment.

Louis can be seen, in an inner room.

DRESSMAKER
Monsuier, I need more light. I shall go slind if you do not bring me a lamp, or let me fit this child during the day. Ouch!

She has pricked her hand. A spot of blood appears on her finger Claudia takes her hand.

CLAUDIA
Let me kiss it better...

Claudia brings the hand to her lips. The dressmaker abruptly pulls her finger away, in pain again.

CU her finger - two holes showing.

LOUIS (VO)
A little child she was, but also a fierce killer, now capable of the ruthless pursuit of blood with all a child's demanding.

Lestat walks through - sees the dressmaker lying dead at Claudia's feet, Claudia still on the chair in the half-finished dress.

LESTAT
Claudia, Claudia, will you never learn? Who will we get now to finish your dress? A little practicality, cherie...

INT. LOUIS' BEDROOM. NIGHT.

LOUIS (VO)
She would sleep in my coffin, daily, curl her child's fingers round my hair as she dreamt of I know not what...

Claudia and Louis, sleeping in a coffin together, Claudia's fingers curling his hair.

INT. CLAUDIA'S BEDROOM.

Claudia playing with dolls, each as perfect and beautifully dressed as she is.

LOUIS (VO)
Mute and beautiful, she played with dolls, dressing them and undressing them by the hour.

INT. PARLOUR. NIGHT.

Claudia tinkling with her child's hands on the piano, picking out a hesitant tune.

LOUIS (VO)
Mute and beautiful, she killed. And to watch her kill was chilling.

EXT. SQUARE. NIGHT.

The tinkling of Claudia's piano is heard, over -

A well-dressed lady, walking through a square lit by gaslight. The lady hears a child's sobbing and stops, turns.

POV --

Claudia, the picture of lost innocence, sitting on a bench and crying.

WOMAN
Why are you crying, child?

The woman, all solicitude, goes to Claudia.

WOMAN
Are you lost, my love?

CLAUDIA
Mama...

WOMAN
Hush now, don't cry, We'll find her...

CLAUDIA
Mama...

The woman takes Claudia in her arms. Claudia nestles her head in her shoulder, her teeth near her neck.

LOUIS (VO)
They found death fast in those days, before she lernt to play with the, to delay the moment till she had taken what she wanted...

INT. PARLOUR. NIGHT.

A stern, stiff piano-teacher (male) beating time with a ruler as Claudia picks out scales on the piano. He raps her on the knuckles.

PIANO-TEACHER
The thumb girl! Mind the thumb!

Claudia glares at him, then returns to playing, improving rapidly.

INT. DOLL-SHOP. NIGHT.

Piano music over. Mozart, now well played.

Claudia staring at a glass case, inside of which are an array of eighteenth century dolls. An old doll-maker looks down on her.

DOLLMAKER
They are expensive, my dear. Maybe too expensive for a young girl like you...

EXT. STREET. NIGHT.

Claudia walking along, clutching the doll.

INT. DOLL-SHOP. NIGHT.

The dollmaker lying dead, two puncture marks in his throat, his dolls scattered all around him.

EXT. UNDERTAKER'S. NIGHT.

Claudia and Louis looking through the window at a display of coffins. Claudia point at the smallest one.