RELIC

     ON MARGO... she starts, then remembers Pendergast.

                              MARGO
                    Mr. Pendergast!  I found it.

     No answer.  She turns, tries again, louder.

                              MARGO
                    Pendergast!  Over here --

     Her voice catches as she stops and sniffs the air.  A STENCH rolls over
     her.  She covers her face, backs up, holding her breath.

                              MARGO
                    What the...

     She steps directly into a nasty statue of the Tibetan lord of the
     Dead.  Margo starts, steadies the statue.  The room is silent once more.
     But then, unmistakably... she hears it.  An odd rustling sound.  Slow.
     Deliberate.  Maddeningly soft on the thick carpet.  And another wave of
     THE SMELL.  Margo looks in the direction she came, down the long dark
     hall.  Her voice comes out a bit frightened as she calls...

                              MARGO
                    Pendergast?
                        (no answer)
                    Who's there?

     But now she freezes.  At last she's truly scared.  A shadow, black
     against black, is gliding stealthily towards her, moving over the
     display cases and grinning artifacts!

     Margo stands stock still, her eyes on the shadow.  She lets out a small
     gasp of shock.  She can't believe her eyes.  It defies reason.  Slowly,
     she backs up.  She slips quietly through the exhibit and out the other
     side.  In the next room she pauses again, listens... now hearing a
     distinctly animal, SNUFFLING SOUND!

     Something large is TRACKING HER!  There's no doubt.

     Overcome by a blind panic, Margo turns and runs.  She passes through a
     display on mythical creatures, disappears down another winding dark
     hall.

     Behind her comes...

     THE POUNDING OF SOMETHING IN A HEAVY, LOPING RUN!  Whatever it is, it's
     charging after her!  She turns another corner.  And another, tearing as
     fast as she can!  But now the walls up ahead are narrowing, leading to
     ... a DEAD END!

     Margo slams up against a locked door with a window of glass.  The hall
     features displays of terrifying totem poles.  All around the ghoulish
     carved faces seem to leap out!  She pounds on the door but it's
     useless.  She's trapped.  And the thing is coming behind her!  It's just
     around the last bend when it stops!  Silence again envelops her.  She's
     afraid to turn.  She can hear HEAVY BREATHING, and something like a low
     growl!  Reflected in the glass of the door in front of her is the long
     dark hall.  Margo starts as a face appears IN THE REFLECTION...

     The image is wavering and unclear.  It's a large, hulking form behind
     her!  TWO GLOWING SLIT GREEN EYES in the dark!  Margo SCREAMS as the
     thing leaps forward, hitting one of the totem poles.  Margo sinks to
     the ground, unconscious.  At last we hear Pendergast calling as
     darkness falls.

                              PENDERGAST
                    Dr. Green!  Dr. Green!

                                                       DISSOLVE TO:

     INT. SUPERSTITION EXHIBIT - NIGHT

     ON MARGO... lying on the carpet.  There's a large, nasty bump on her
     forehead.  The totem pole is on the floor beside her.  Leaning over her
     is PENDERGAST.  Margo starts to sit up.  Pendergast gently restrains
     her.

                              PENDERGAST
                    What happened?

                              MARGO
                    I don't know.

                              PENDERGAST
                    I heard you calling and I ran after
                    you, but you kept disappearing and I
                    couldn't keep up.

                              MARGO
                        (she touches her forehead)
                    You were behind me?  Running after
                    me?

     Pendergast nods.  As Margo rises he tries to help her but she waves him
     off, collecting her thoughts.

                              MARGO
                    It's okay, I'm all right.  I remember
                    now... It was an animal.  Something
                    large!  I could smell it.  It was
                    hunting me.  I saw two green eyes in
                    the dark.

                              PENDERGAST
                    Where did you see it?

                              MARGO
                    Behind me.  Over there.

     Margo turns and points behind her to...

     A large NORTHWEST COAST INDIAN MASK.  It's carved out of wood in a
     horrible grimace, inset with two glowing green eyes.  Pendergast sees
     it too, says nothing.

                              MARGO
                    That's not what I saw.

                              PENDERGAST
                    All right.  If you're positive.

     She leans against the wall, touches her forehead, panic overcoming her
     again.

                              MARGO (CON'T)
                    I can't think straight at the
                    moment.  I know how crazy this seems.
                    Please, Mr. Pendergast, I need some
                    fresh air.  Could you get me out of
                    here?

     EXT. ROTUNDA FRONT ENTRY - EXHIBIT - NIGHT

     THREE COPS including MCNITT, RODRIGUEZ and ROGERS prepare to enter the
     exhibit.  All are armed.  Margo watches as Pendergast gives them
     instruction.  She appears rattled and confused.

                              PENDERGAST
                    Stay in formation together.  Take it
                    room by room.  Check for footprints,
                    any signs of disturbance.  If you see
                    or hear anything the least bit
                    suspicious, I want to know.

     He points to DOYLE, an older red-haired cop who takes up a post
     outside the exhibit.  Pendergast hands Doyle his walkie talkie.

                              PENDERGAST
                    Bailey's going to be in the guard
                    house outside.  Officer Van Dorn is
                    right down that hall.  When McNitt's
                    done, he'll relieve you.

     Doyle nods.  Pendergast and Margo walk out.

     EXT. MUSEUM - NIGHT

     Margo and Pendergast exit.  The cold air is like a slap in the face.

                              PENDERGAST
                    Dr. Green...

                              MARGO
                    I didn't imagine it.  I know what I
                    saw.  Are you sure there are enough
                    men in there?

                              PENDERGAST
                    They're all heavily armed.

                              MARGO
                        (stops)
                    All right.  This is hard for me.  I'm
                    a scientist.  I like order and logic.
                    Sometimes too much.  There's got to
                    be an explanation.  There can't be an
                    animal in there.  But I saw
                    something.

                              PENDERGAST
                    What was it?

                              MARGO
                    I don't know.
                        (she has a thought)
                    Mr. Pendergast.  Do me a favor.  Get
                    me a DNA readout on that claw.

                                                       DISSOLVE TO:

     EXT. MUSEUM - NIGHT

     All is quiet.

     INT. MUSEUM FRONT - EXHIBIT FRONT DOOR - NIGHT

     The doors to the exhibit are closed.  Doyle looks at his watch,
     impatient.  It's almost eleven now.  He pulls out his walkie talkie.

                              DOYLE
                    Bailey?  Doyle here.  I'm still
                    waiting outside the exhibit.  Where
                    the hell is McNitt?

                              BAILEY
                    Should be there any minute.  They
                    came out a side door a while ago.
                    Said the exhibit's clear.  McNitt's
                    headed back to spell you.

                              DOYLE
                    I'm on double over-time, man.

                              BAILEY
                    I know.  You can go home if you want
                    to.  I'll come relieve you myself.

     Doyle shuts off his walkie talkie, frowns.  He fidgets, looks at his
     watch once more.

                              DOYLE
                    What the hell.

     He turns, takes off the walkie talkie and leaves it, but then he hears
     something, stops.  It's a low SCUFFLING from inside the exhibit, coming
     from behind the closed doors.  Doyle freezes, turns.

                              DOYLE
                    McNitt?

     No answer.  Doyle pauses.  His hand goes to his gun for reassurance as
     he hears a footstep and a muffled thump.  He moves to the door of the
     exhibit, opens it and takes a step inside.

                              DOYLE
                    McNitt?  Cut the crap.  I know it's
                    you.  You're not scaring me.  Come on.

     Silence meets him.  The shadows of the exhibit loom.  Doyle takes one
     more step inside, scanning the darkness with his gun.  Does he hear
     BREATHING?  He freezes.  Yes, he does.  The hair on his neck rises and he
     loses the spit in his mouth.  He takes a step backwards, but he's half
     a second too late.  The door SLAMS BEHIND HIM and a HUGE DARK FORM
     LEAPS OUT!

     INT. EXHIBIT ENTRANCE - NIGHT

     Officer MCNITT enters from a side corridor, zipping up his fly.  The
     hall is still.  McNitt checks his watch, sees Doyle's walkie talkie and
     turns it on.

                              MCNITT
                    McNitt here.  I'm outside the
                    exhibit.  All's quiet.  But I don't
                    see Doyle.

                              BAILEY (OS)
                    He called a minute ago looking for
                    you.  He starts vacation tomorrow and
                    he wanted out.  I said you were on
                    the way.  He could split.

                              MCNITT
                    Well he's gone.

                              BAILEY (OS)
                    Any sign of a green-eyed monster?

                              MCNITT
                        (chuckles)
                    Nope.

     McNitt shuts off the walkie talkie, settles at his post.

     INT. SUPERSTITION EXHIBIT - NIGHT

     In the blackness a large shape is MOVING QUIETLY, dragging it's prey
     across the floor.  We move in on the lifeless form of DOYLE.  His face
     is rigid with terror, his eyes frozen, open wide.  The last thing we
     hear as the hulking form heads back into the darkness, is the SNAPPING
     of Doyle's skull.

                                                       DISSOLVE TO:

     EXT. MUSEUM - DAY

     Signs announce that the Superstition Exhibit opens tonight.  The museum
     is back in business, but not many people are going in.  A crowd lingers
     at the margins, pointing at the building.  Several hold a copy of the
     POST with a graphic photo of the bloody floor by the circular stair.

     INT. CUTHBERT'S OFFICE - DAY

     Cuthbert stands by the window of his palatial office, looking out at
     the scene below.  His face is pinched with worry.  Slumped in a chair is
     Lieutenant D'Agosta.  Pendergast surveys some paintings on the wall.

                              PENDERGAST
                    I had no idea the Museum had a
                    complete collection of Piranesi's
                    Forum sketches.

                              CUTHBERT
                    If you like them, they're for sale.
                    Another day like yesterday and half
                    the collection will be on the block.

                              PENDERGAST
                    I've read about the Museum's
                    financial troubles.

                              CUTHBERT
                    We've been operating in the red for
                    years.  That was the whole idea
                    behind the Superstition Exhibit.  It
                    was designed to pull people in.
                    We've spent every penny we have on
                    advance publicity, betting
                    everything on the opening's success.
                    If we postpone at the last minute...
                    No.  I don't want to think about
                    that.

                              D'AGOSTA
                        (chews on his toothpick, mild)
                    We all love the museum.  I come here
                    myself with my kids.  We're trying to
                    work with you.

                              CUTHBERT
                    I appreciate that.

                              PENDERGAST
                    If the party goes forward, and
                    that's a big if... I've arranged for
                    a large police presence.

                              CUTHBERT
                    Do they have to wear uniforms?

                              PENDERGAST
                    Yes.

                              CUTHBERT
                    I don't want to scare people.

                              PENDERGAST
                    I understand.  But Mr. Cuthbert,
                    we've got bigger problems.  Depending
                    on what we find today, we may have
                    to shut you down.

     Cuthbert looks grim.

     INT. PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY LAB - DAY

     D'Agosta examines the huge centrifuges, autoclaves, electrophoresis
     apparati, monitors, computers etc.  as Margo and Greg Kawakita look at
     the claw.

                              KAWAKITA
                    What do you make of it, Margo?

                              MARGO
                    It's not mammalian, that's for sure.
                    I think it's reptilian.

                              PENDERGAST
                    That would jive with what we got
                    from the preliminary DNA read-out.
                    Here, have a look.

     He hands them a computer read-out.  Margo checks it quickly as Kawakita
     looks on.

                              MARGO
                    According to this, twenty-five
                    percent of the claw DNA is
                    unidentifiable, about a third is
                    homo sapien, and the rest is
                    Hemidactylus Turcicus.