RELIC

     Margo turns and looks around at the looming dioramas.  There's a plain
     door at their end of the hall.  Pendergast faces the broken window.

     HIS POV... the beast is slinking away after D'Agosta and the others,
     headed to the north exit from the Planetarium!

     PENDERGAST calls out...

                              PENDERGAST
                    Hey you big tub of lard!  Over here!

     THE BEAST PAUSES, turns.

     Pendergast puts his palms up at his ears, wiggles his fingers and
     makes a face through the window.

                              PENDERGAST
                    Come on, you smelly pile of refuse.
                    Come get me.  I dare you!

     A LOW surprised GROWL comes from the beast.  It crouches as if to
     pounce.  Pendergast makes more faces, sticks his tongue out.  The beast
     watches in silence, its evil eyes fixed.

     ON MARGO... watching Pendergast.  She can't leave him yet.

                              MARGO
                    What is it doing?

                              PENDERGAST
                        (loud)
                    It's scared of me.

     Suddenly there's a CRASH and the door BENDS like cardboard.  TWO HUGE
     SETS OF CLAWS lash through!  Margo screams as the claws pass inches
     from Pendergast's face.  He leaps back, lifts his gun which looks like
     a pea shooter in the face of Mbwun.

     Two sets of claws curve around the bent edges of the door, then Mbwun
     simply LIFTS it out of the frame.  This leaves Pendergast face to face
     with the foul, enormous monster!  It regards him evenly, blinks once.
     Then the tongue slides out, licks its lips eagerly and...

     Pendergast FLICKS on his high powered FLASHLIGHT, shining it at close
     range right in the beast's eyes!  Then carefully, with total calm he
     FIRES ONCE, TWICE.  The beast howls more in anger than pain, REARS UP
     and swipes at Pendergast.  Pendergast dives to one side and, the claws
     miss again by inches as the beast is temporarily blinded by the light.
     Now Pendergast spins and runs for all he's worth.  Margo's been
     waiting, holding the door.

                              PENDERGAST
                    Drop the fibers!

     She leaves the crate behind as Pendergast dives inside with her.  Margo
     shoves the door shut hard as Mbwun, still blinded, leaps into the
     hall.  But now, suddenly, all is quiet.  No sign of Margo and
     Pendergast.  The beast moves forward, snuffling slowly.  It starts for
     the door which hides Margo and Pendergast, but stops as it finds...

     THE CRATE!  The beast moves to it, clearly surprised.  It pokes at the
     crate carefully, inhales the fragrance and grunts.  The monster seems
     to be struggling with itself!  It sniffs the fibers, lifts a few out
     carefully, then SHOVES THE CRATE AWAY HARD.  Then it rises on its
     haunches and squints into the dark.

     On all sides are glowing displays of stuffed buffalo, gazelle, wild
     horses, wolves, giant elk, sabre tooth tigers.  Mbwun moves close to
     one after another.  Suddenly we notice, in the back of one of the
     dioramas...

     Margo and Pendergast!  They stand frozen, crouching behind mannequins
     of native Americans riding horses across the plains.  The beast sniffs
     RIGHT AT THEIR WINDOW, then turns away.  Confused, it heads back
     towards the Planetarium and slinks from the room.

     INSIDE THE DIORAMA... Pendergast and Margo exchange an astonished look.
     They whisper.

                              PENDERGAST
                    What happened?

                              MARGO
                    Its eyesight is worse than I
                    thought.  It couldn't see us.  And it
                    couldn't smell us through the glass.

                              PENDERGAST
                    It didn't want the fibers.  What does
                    that mean?

                              MARGO
                    I think... it means it's full.

                              PENDERGAST
                    Then it won't go after the others?

                              MARGO
                    No.  It's still hunting, but not for
                    the hormones.

                              PENDERGAST
                    For what?

                              MARGO
                    I think... for the pleasure of the
                    kill.

     INT. HALLWAY - MUSEUM - NIGHT

     Greg, the Mayor, D'Agosta and the others are in a hallway lined with
     at least a dozen vases.  A GREEK VASE has been shoved aside revealing
     the outlines of a door.  Behind is a sloping dark corridor.  The last of
     the thirty-five people pack in.  Greg and D'Agosta cover the corridor.

                              D'AGOSTA
                    That's it, let's go!

     Grim-faced, D'Agosta follows Kawakita as they duck through the
     doorway, shutting it behind them.  The impact rattles the wall and the
     Greek vase falls.

     INT. SUB-BASEMENT - NIGHT

     Kawakita and D'Agosta reach the bottom and turn to see the Mayor, his
     wife, Dr. Pound and their whole group standing in several feet of
     rushing water.  Lauren is shivering.  Her father has his arm around her
     tight.  Behind them are two corridors, one forking left and the other
     straight.  D'Agosta gets out the walkie talkie, clicks it on.

                              D'AGOSTA
                        (into walkie talkie)
                    Pendergast.  We made it.  You all
                    right?

     INT. DIORAMA - NIGHT

     Pendergast has the plans open as he studies them.  He speaks into the
     walkie talkie.  Margo paces behind him, thinking hard.

                              PENDERGAST
                    We're fine.  Take the left fork
                    behind you.  You'll be in a straight
                    passage.  When the hall forks again
                    in fifty yards go right.  Then radio
                    back.

     INT. SUB-BASEMENT - NIGHT

     D'Agosta shuts off his walkie talkie.  Everyone's staring at him.

                              D'AGOSTA
                    All right.  Kawakita, cover the rear.

                              KAWAKITA
                    Oh shit.

                              FRANK
                    No, Lieutenant.  He's not a good
                    enough shot.  I'll do it if you take
                    care of my daughter.

     D'Agosta nods.  Frank expertly reloads.  D'Agosta holsters the walkie
     talkie and they plunge down the left hand passage.  Kawakita takes
     charge of Lauren, who is confused and terrified.  The tunnel has a
     slight downhill grade, and the water begins to move faster, tugging at
     everyone's legs.  People slip and slide as they half make their way
     down the hill.  D'Agosta calls behind them.

                              D'AGOSTA
                    Damn.  It's getting deep.  See
                    anything?

     ON FRANK... back not far from the first fork.  He looks towards the head
     of the tunnel, calls out...

                              FRANK
                    You'll be the first to know.

     Frank turns and plunges after the others.  But then suddenly, he stops.

     ON D'AGOSTA... he reaches the second fork and takes a right.  This
     tunnel is narrower and consequently the water is even deeper.  Slimy
     plants hang down and slap at their faces as they push on.  D'Agosta
     pulls out his walkie talkie.

                              D'AGOSTA
                    Pendergast?  I made the right hand
                    fork.  We're already in about three
                    feet of water.  Where should we go?

     But before Pendergast can answer, D'Agosta hears the loud report of
     Frank's gun!  Everyone freezes in the darkness.  The walkie talkie
     cackles and D'Agosta shouts!

                              D'AGOSTA
                    Hello!

                              FRANK (OS)
                    Sweet Jesus, help!

     They hear SPLASHING in the water.  Lauren SCREAMS, tries to run back.
     Kawakita grabs her.  There's more thrashing water and then silence.

                              D'AGOSTA
                    Frank!  Are you all right!

     D'Agosta starts for Frank but the Mayor catches his arm and holds him.

                              MAYOR
                    It's too late!

     Everyone waits, staring into the darkness.  Still no answer.  Lauren
     SCREAMS AGAIN.

                              LAUREN
                    Dad!

     D'Agosta turns his flashlight on the water.  It's running red!  He spins
     to the Mayor, points down the tunnel.

                              D'AGOSTA
                    Run!

     People start to cry and whimper as the Mayor urges them on.  He takes
     charge of Lauren.  Only Greg Kawakita stays with D'Agosta.  They stand
     shoulder to shoulder and completely alone.  Thrashing in the water can
     be heard as the beast comes closer.  There's a low, pleasurable growl!
     Both men lift their guns.

                              D'AGOSTA
                    On three.

     Kawakita nods.  Behind them in the tunnel is total blackness.  Ahead is
     equally dark.  The noise of their friends gets ever fainter.  The water
     now rushes half way up their thighs.  Kawakita's teeth start to
     chatter.  He bites them shut, steadies his gun.

                              D'AGOSTA
                    One... two...

     Silence as the water murmurs.  D'Agosta holds the count.  A long,
     agonizing moment.  Kawakita takes his eyes away from the tunnel.

                              KAWAKITA
                    I think it's gone.

     Suddenly a HUGE CLAW snakes out of the water right in front of them
     and the beast roars up!  It was beneath the surface, directly before
     them!  The claw closes on D'Agosta and his shot gun goes off.  D'Agosta
     screams as the beast lifts him towards its mouth!

     For one horrible moment, Kawakita is frozen.  Then he leaps forward,
     shoves the barrel of his gun behind D'Agosta, right in the beast's
     open jaws!  He pulls the trigger and the shotgun explodes, the recoil
     throwing him back, ass over tea cups in the water.  With a roar of pain
     the monster drops D'Agosta and retreats in the dark.  D'Agosta grabs
     Kawakita.

                              D'AGOSTA
                    I think you took its tonsils out!

     They haul ass down the tunnel, firing behind them as they go.  Ahead is
     another fork.  The group is waiting.  When they see D'Agosta and
     Kawakita, a cheer goes up.

                              MAYOR
                    Which way!

     As he runs up, D'Agosta grabs for his walkie talkie.  The holster IS
     EMPTY, the walkie talkie gone!  Without missing a beat he registers
     what's happened, then covers it up with the next breath.  He points to
     the right as if there's no doubt and says...

                              D'AGOSTA
                    This way!

     D'Agosta exchanges a look with Kawakita, who understands exactly what
     happened.  As they plunge into the right tunnel, Greg mutters...

                              KAWAKITA
                    Holy shit.

     INT. HALL OF THE AFRICAN MAMMALS - NIGHT

     Pendergast and Margo come out of the door leading to the back entry to
     the dioramas.  Pendergast holds the walkie talkie, desperate.

                              PENDERGAST
                    Vince?  Can you hear me?  Vince!

     Nothing but static comes in response.  Margo paces in agitation.

                              MARGO
                    We have to try and draw it off!

                              PENDERGAST
                    How?

                              MARGO
                    The answer's right in front of us.

     She points to one of the dioramas.  It shows a bird being stalked by a
     fox.

                              MARGO
                    That's a ptarmigan, feigning a
                    broken wing.  The bird pretends to be
                    injured to draw the fox away from
                    its nest!

                              PENDERGAST
                        (starts running)
                    It's deceptively simple.  Like a
                    Bruckner Symphony or a Matisse.

     Margo heads for the Planetarium, calling...

                              MARGO
                    Help!  Please someone!  Help!

     They disappear down the hall with the Greek vases, both calling with
     all they've got.

     EXT. MUSEUM ROOF - NIGHT

     There are increasing numbers of SWAT vehicles around.  A HELICOPTER
     lands on the roof.  The rescue effort continues to be slowed by rain
     pouring down.  Ippolito is in the thick of the action.  The S.W.A.T.
     commander, JENNINGS, comes over buckling an ammo belt over his
     fatigues.

                              JENNINGS
                    We're ready.  We've got enough
                    firepower to turn a herd of lions
                    into a fine red mist.

                              IPPOLITO
                    Then do it.

     Jennings nods, goes off.  As Ippolito watches the S.W.A.T. team break
     the glass skylights, gets ready to go in.

     INT. HALL OF THE REPTILES - NIGHT

     Jonathan crouches in the staircase at the end of the Hall of the
     Reptiles.  Hobbes is still by his side.  He keeps the gun pointed out
     into the room, his eyes scanning the dark.  He whispers to Hobbes, as
     if to comfort both of them.

                              JONATHAN
                    It's okay, Hobbes.  We'll be all
                    right.  Help has got to come
                    eventually... We'll make it.  We'll be
                    fine.