RONIN

     BACK ON Jean-Pierre and Sam.  By now Jean-Pierre has raised
     the pistol.  He doesn't point it at Sam, but his finger cocks
     the hammer.

                          SAM
               So what is it you want to know?

                          JEAN-PIERRE
               I suppose I want to know how a man like
               you is created.

                          SAM
               Created?

                          JEAN-PIERRE
               Perhaps forged is a better word.  Like
               steel.  Like a sword.  You're a modern
               Samurai.  I've spent my life around
               extraordinary men -- men like Vincent.
               But I've never seen anyone like you.
                   (beat)
               I'm afraid Vincent will die if he goes
               with you.

                          SAM
               Vincent's life is his own burden; he'll
               have to carry it for himself.  And I'm
               not any kind of Samurai.

                          JEAN-PIERRE
               You seem one to me.

                          SAM
               A Samurai has honor, a Samurai live by
               the code of Bushido, the way of the
               warrior.  I'm just a killer for hire.
                   (beat)
               The world isn't about honor, anymore.
               It's about survival.

     LONG BEAT.  Something in Sam's speech touches Jean-Pierre.
     He relaxes his finger on the hammer.

                          JEAN-PIERRE
               Survival.  I suppose that's as good a
               cause as any.

     BACK ON Vincent - Who relaxes his grip on his gun. BACK ON
     Sam and Jean-Pierre - And we're PULLING BACK, AWAY from the
     Farmhouse, which glows in the morning sun as we -

     DISSOLVE TO:

     EXT. A PARIS STREET - DAY

     A BLACK COMPACT CAR sits in front of a Parisian Post Office.
     Inside the car, behind the wheel, we see Deirdre.  Now,
     coming out of the Post Office, we see - Gregor and Seamus
     Reilly.  Seamus has a coat slung over his arm, hiding the gun
     which he keeps pressed to Gregor's side.  There's no sign of
     the Briefcase as Seamus and Gregor get into -

     INT. THE CAR - SAM TIME

     THUNK!  The door slams shut.  Gregor and Seamus are in the
     back seat.  Almost instantly Seamus angrily snaps a pair of
     handcuffs on Gregor.  Immediately, Deirdre pulls out.

                          DEIRDRE
               Where's the case?

                          GREGOR
                   (nervous)
               There's a problem...

                          SEAMUS
                   (jumping all over him)
               Problem my ass!  I think you're lying to
               me, and if you are you're a dead man!

                          DEIRDRE
               Would somebody tell me what fucking well
               happened in there?

                          SEAMUS
                   (disgusted)
               Nothing.

                          GREGOR
                   (eager to explain)
               The package didn't come.  I'm sure it
               will tomorrow.

     Suddenly Seamus seems to lose it.  He grabs Gregor and slams
     a gun against his head.

                          SEAMUS
                   (he's almost foaming at the
                    mouth)
               If you're lying to me you poor excuse for
               a human being, I'm gonna blow your brains
               all over this car.

                          GREGOR
                   (beyond desperate)
               I swear, it has to come here!  It has
               to...

     BEAT.  For one tension-filled moment, we think Seamus is
     going to splash Gregor's brains all over the place.  But then
     he smiles, puts his weapon away, and pats Gregor gently on
     the face.

                          SEAMUS
               Ease up, man...I'm just checking to make
               sure you're on the level.

     Gregor is beyond speech -- he can only whimper.

                          SEAMUS
               And it seems to me I saw a sign in there
               that says they got a late afternoon
               delivery.  Why don't we come back later
               today and do this all over again, huh?

     Seamus smiles a smile that is more than a little bit
     sadistic.  Neither Gregor nor Deirdre smiles in return as we -

     CUT TO:

     EXT. ANOTHER STREET - PARIS - DAY

     THE EIFFEL TOWER fills our eyes.  And then we PULL BACK TO
     REVEAL that it's a tacky, flyblown poster on a dingy street.
     And now we're -

     MOVING DOWN the Street, until we come to a store whose sign
     advertises in English - HONG KONG MOVIES.  The windows of the
     store are filled with posters.  We MOVE THROUGH TO

     INT. THE STORE - SAME TIME

     TONY SIMON, an expatriate black American, runs this place and
     lives above it.  His shelves are lined with action films made
     in the Far East.  Tony knows everything there is to know
     about the films he sells -- but he also knows quite a bit
     about what's going on in the Parisian Underworld.  he's a
     professional information broker.  Right now he's talking to a
     CUSTOMER in perfect French, with English Subtitles.

                          TONY
               Hey, man, they're both great movies.  One
               is more of a character study, the other
               is more of a straight action thing, but
               they're great movies, and he's an amazing
               fucking filmmaker.

     Tony looks up and sees something that catches his attention.

                          TONY
               Excuse me...

     Vincent and Sam have entered the store.  Sam's ability to be
     back on his feet in such a short time is amazing -- but we
     can see that he's not the same guy he was at the start of the
     film.  what he does from here on in he does by sheer force of
     will.  Now - Tony moves to join them, and the conversation
     immediately turns to English.

                          TONY
                   (to Vincent)
               My man, how you doing?

                          VINCENT
               I'm alright.  And you?

                          TONY
               Doing well.
                   (with a look at Sam)
               This is?

                          VINCENT
               A friend.  I was telling him about how
               you always have the latest tapes.

                          TONY
               Why don't we step into my office...

     Tony's office, it turns out, is the area behind the COUNTER.
     Tony raises a section of the counter that allows him to get
     to the other side, and then he closes it behind him.

                          TONY
               So what can I do for you?

     Vincent checks out the store before he starts speaking.  The
     place is empty except for - The single Customer Tony was just
     talking to.  The Customer is still considering the two films
     Tony was showing him.

                          VINCENT
               I was wondering if you had any movies
               that were particularly new.

                          TONY
               Matter of face there's this flick I've
               been hearing about.  I haven't seen it,
               but from what I hear it's pretty cool.

                          SAM
               What's the story?

                          TONY
               It's an international thing.  Several
               different peoples involved, criminals
               from all over the world, experts brought
               together to do a job.  But maybe the most
               interesting thing about it is that
               preeminent in the plot we find the
               Russian Mob and the IRA in bed together.
               An unlikely group of partners.

                          VINCENT
               Do you have the tape?

                          TONY
               I might know where you could get a copy.

     The Customer approaches the counter.  He has both tapes with
     him.

                          TONY
                   (to Vincent and Sam)
               Let me do some business with my boy here,
               and I'll meet you across the street in
               five.  I gotta make homes here feel like
               he's getting a good deal while I give him
               the pleasure of overpaying me for a
               couple of second generation pirates.

     EXT. THE STREET OUTSIDE - A FEW MINUTES LATER

     The Customer exits, smiling and carrying his tapes -- what a
     great fucking deal he just got!  A few seconds later, Tony
     comes out and locks up the store front.  He crosses the
     street towards -

     INT. A FALAFEL JOINT - A FEW MINUTES AFTER THAT

     A HUGE FALAFEL drips lettuce and tahini sauce from its end.
     We PULL BACK ON - Tony, who's just taken a bite out of the
     falafel.  He sits at a table in the back with Vincent and
     Sam.

                          TONY
                   (his mouth full)
               What I've heard so far, it's all a lot of
               talk.  I wasn't so sure what to make of
               it at first, cause, like I said, the
               Irish and the Russians are an unlikely
               mix.

                          VINCENT
               You said you might know where we can get
               a copy of this tape?

                          TONY
               All depends on whether you want the
               Russian or the Gaelic language version.

                          SAM
                   (instantly)
               Gaelic.

                          TONY
               You sure?

                          SAM
               I'm sure.

                          VINCENT
                   (to Tony)
               Can you get it?

                          TONY
               The Russian would be easier.

                          SAM
               Why's that?

                          TONY
               Cause the Russian production company
               would be easier to find.

                          SAM
               It's the Irish tape we want.

                          TONY
                   (with a sigh)
               Gonna be tough.

     Tony scribbles something on a piece of paper.

                          TONY
               Last I heard there was a film rep for the
               Irish players staying at this address,
               name of Seamus Reilly.

                          SAM
                   (repeating it, he knows this
                    name)
               Seamus Reilly.

                          VINCENT
                   (to Sam)
               You know him?

                          SAM
               I know of him.

                          TONY
               Seamus Reilly, boy's a serious Irish
               Auteur -- a real firebrand.  Thinks his
               more moderate filmmaking brethren have
               turned to making movies for peace-loving
               pussies, if you see what I'm saying.

                          VINCENT
               I get the picture.

     Sam reaches for the piece of paper, but Vincent puts his hand
     on top of it.

                          VINCENT
               Tony and I have to talk some business,
               first.

                          TONY
               I gotta try and overcharge him, he has to
               moan about the price, we settle somewhere
               in the middle.

                          VINCENT
               It's a matter of respect.
                   (to Sam)
               Why don't you wait outside, this won't
               take long.

     Sam smiles slightly and rises from the table, moving towards
     the exit.  Behind him in rapid-fire French, Tony and Vincent
     are now discussing the price of the information.  They are
     both loud and abusive, and obviously they're enjoying
     themselves immensely.

     EXT. THE FALAFEL SHOP - A LITTLE LATER - DAY

     Vincent exits the shop and gets into -