PAGE TWENTY-EIGHT
28.1 SAME.
TWAIN hunches conspiratorially with TIM, but peers back to TESLA, looking him in the eye.
TWAIN: BUT I COULDN’T DO IT ON MY OWN. I NEED YOU. I NEEDED SCIENCE.
28.2 SAME.
TWAIN gets down to the brass tacks—how much money he’s talking about.
TWAIN (1): IT’S NOT A MATTER OF SELLING ONE OF THESE GEEGAWS TO QUEEN VICTORIA OR ONE TO TSAR NICHOLAS OR ONE TO McKINLEY.
TWAIN (2): IT WAS A MATTER OF SELLING ONE TO EACH OF THEM.
28.3 SAME.
ON TESLA, reacting dumbstruck. In all honesty this is probably the only time we’re going to see him not being the smartest guy in the room. TWAIN is behind him now, speaking almost directly into his ear.
TESLA: …what?
TWAIN (1): IF I CAN END THE WORLD, AND YOU CAN END THE WORLD, AND TIM HERE CAN END THE WORLD—
TWAIN (2): --WHO WOULD ACTUALLY DO IT? STALEMATE.
28.4 SAME.
TWAIN is on the OTHER side of TESLA’S HEAD now, reaching around in front of him and doing the hand thing again — just imagine it…
TWAIN (1): AT MODEST PROFIT, WE SELL ONE TO MCKINLEY AND VICTORIA AND THE REST--
TWAIN (2): all personal friends of mine and the Baroness, by the by--
TWAIN (3): AND BEAT THE NOTION OF PEACE BY COMPULSION INTO THEIR HEADS.
28.5 SAME.
TWAIN pounds his fist into his palm while TESLA very clearly thinks this through-- TIM, offended by the omission, clears his throat. Obviously, it should be clear he’s only got one arm in this shot.
TWAIN: YOUR INVENTIONS. MY SALESMANSHIP. THE END OF THE WORLD AND THE LAST, BEST APPEAL TO ALL SANE MEN. BY GOD, THE FOUR FISTS OF SCIENCE—
TIM: --ahem.
28.6 SAME.
On TWAIN here, on fire with righteous conviction.
TWAIN: THE FIVE FISTS OF SCIENCE WILL BRING ABOUT WORLD PEACE.
