The Future Knows My Name

THE FUTURE KNOWS MY NAME
BY KEN BAILEY
© KenBailey 2009

FADE IN:
EXT. MELCHOIR'S OBSERVATORY - NIGHT
MELCHOIR - A respected Babylonian astrologer/astronomer is gazing heavenward from his rooftop observatory. GASPAR enters.

MELCHOIR
Gaspar, I thought you would be home with your little ones by now.

GASPAR
You saw it too, didn't you?

MELCHOIR nods yes and moves to the North side of the roof, GASPAR follows.

GASPAR (CONT'D)
I knew it! I saw it last night but thought my eyes were surely beguiling me. Did you see it last night?

MELCHOIR
Three nights ago.

GASPAR
By the stars! I knew it was not my destiny to discover a new one. You know what this means.. you get to name it. Unless of course one of the others saw it before you did.

MELCHOIR
This is not my star.

GASPAR
Someone else has-

MELCHOIR
Not that I know of but.. Gaspar - I don't believe this is some clump of fire hurled into the heavens for no reason.

MELCHOR crosses to table with charts and writings. He picks up one.

MELCHOIR (CONT'D)
Here, see for yourself. I believe this star is a torch. A messenger of light. A guide that leads to-

BALTHESAR enters.

BALTHESAR (full of himself)
Congratulate me peasants. I have discovered a new star. I will call it Balthesar's Brightest Pleasure.

GASPAR
And when did you make this remarkable discovery, oh Great One.

BALTHESAR
Why, only just now. You are the first to be envious.

GASPAR hands BALTHESAR one of Melchoir's charts.

GASPAR
We may be the first to be envious but you are the second to discover Melchoir's already discovered star.

Balthesar studies chart as Gaspar looks over his shoulder then takes chart away from BALTHESAR

GASPAR (CONT'D)
Wait. A new king?

MELCHOIR scanning the heavens

MELCHOIR
He may be being born just as we speak.

BALTHESAR
We must go to him and pay the little King homage. I have enough gold set aside to pay for my part of the journey and have enough left over to give the new Royal a proper tribute.

GASPAR
Balthesar's right. We should try to find him and paying a future King tribute could serve us well in our reclining years.

BALTHESAR
Will you be joining us in our search, Melchoir?

MELCHOIR
I'm a seeker of Truth. How can a seeker not seek?

BALTHESAR reacts to Melchoir's statement.

GASPAR
You know, my wife has this frankincense she never uses, I believe she will be glad to let me have it when I tell her I need it for a long journey.

BALTHESAR
I'm sure she will.

MELCHOIR
It's late. It will be daylight soon.

BALTHESAR
We should get some rest and leave when the star reappears tonight.

BALTHESAR AND GASPAR EXIT. MELCHOIR picks up chart under other charts and to star

MELCHOIR
When you reappear you will be our guide. Our guide to the little one. You know I didn't share everything with my fellow magi. This Royal is to be no ordinary King. Until tonight.

FADE OUT

EXT. OASIS ALONG JOURNEY - NIGHT
BALTHESAR AND MELCHOIR are resting at oasis. GASPAR enters holding a piece of parchment.

GASPAR
There. It's finished. To preserve our journey for posterity I have written a verse.
Others do not react

GASPAR (CONT'D)
A song. "Oh please Gaspar, delight us with your insight and creativity!" Well, you know this is against my humble nature but..

Gaspar clears throat, blows on pitchpipe and sings

GASPAR (CONT'D)
We three kings of orient are, bearing gifts we travel-

BALTHESAR
Hold it. We are not Kings

GASPAR
They don't know that in Israel. Besides, we look like kings and to whom but a king would the heavens reveal its plans?

MELCHOIR
Gaspar, we are astrologers. Honest astrologers.

GASPAR
Very well -

GASPAR scratches on parchment and rewrites. Clears throat-

GASPAR (CONT'D)
"We three astrologers of orient are-

BALTHESAR
Hold your camels. The word, Orient, It's to vague. We are from Babylonia. Try that.

GASPAR Scratches - clears throat with a throaty growl

GASPAR
"We three astrologers of Babylonia are-

MELCHOIR
You know.. to be grammatically correct, one should say, "are from Babylonia" not "of Babylonia are"

GASPAR discards parchment

GASPAR
We three astrologers are from Babylonia And these are our camels.. we travel... upon-ee-a
FADE OUT

INT. INN IN JERUSALEM - NIGHT
INNKEEPER is working as Magi enter

GASPAR
Get three separate rooms. If I am serenaded to sleep again by the melodious tones of Balthesar's nostril trumpet, I'll-

BALTHESAR
How many times must I tell you - I do not snore!

INNKEEPER
(to MELCHOIR)
Did I hear three rooms?

MELCHOIR
Yes, thank you.

BALTHESAR
Here, gentle woman, let me explain-

MELCHOIR
You people are not very excitable are you?

BALTHESAR
We are magi, from the east..

INNKEEPER
When we have something to get about-

BALTHESAR
Magi?

BALTHESAR and GASPAR strike "Magi" pose.

MELCHOIR
A new King is not something to get excited about?

GASPAR
Men who study the stars

INNKEEPER
New King? We have no new king?

GASPAR
And chart the constellations

INNKEEPER
Herrod is our one and only King

BALTHESAR
-and can tell you of your tomorrows.

BALTHESAR AND GASPAR
MAGI?

INNKEEPER
That will be fifteen dinari - five for each room -
(to BALTHESAR AND GASPAR)
But I guess you knew that.

MELCHOIR
But you must have heard of the little king. We followed the star and it led us here to Jerusalem and then it disappeared.

INNKEEPER
A star led you here and then disappeared. Right

MELCHOIR nods as if it makes perfect sense.

GASPAR
Look, please direct me to my room. I'm so tired I-

INNKEEPER
Okay I'll show you or would you rather follow a star up?

Innkeeper and Gaspar exit

BALTHESAR
Where is he Melchoir? Did we read the signs wrong? Where is this King of the Jews, this promise of hope? Has this whole journey been for nothing?

MELCHOIR
I don't know where He is. But I still believe He's out there. Maybe just over that hill.

BALTHESAR
How do we follow a star that no longer exists?

MELCHOIR
We wait... and keep searching the night sky.
FADE OUT

EXT. SOMEWHERE BETWEEN JERUSALEM AND BETHLEHEM -- NIGHT

GASPAR
Why are we stopping? The star may go away again.

MELCHOIR
The camels need the rest. We will start again soon. I am just as anxious as you to see the king. Balthesar, you haven't said a word since we left Herod. Are you all right?

GASPAR
I don't trust Herod. He smiles to much.

MELCHOIR
I don't trust him either. I propose that after we find the little king we take another route home. Let him get his information elsewhere.

GASPAR
I agree. How about you Balthesar? Balthesar?

BALTHESAR
What? Oh, yes. I agree.

GASPAR
What has you so per-occupied? Are you homesick?

BALTHESAR
I miss home of course but.. during the days and nights in Jerusalem, without the star, without anything.. I began to read the Jewish prophets. I found a scroll in the table beside my bed.

GASPAR
So did I. Some absent-minded scribe must frequent that inn.

MELCHOIR
There was something in the writings?

BALTHESAR
It talked about..

GASPAR
There one true God. I know. I was reading their book of Psalms and-

BALTHESAR
No, I read about the one true God, but this morning I was reading the prophet Isaiah-

MELCHOIR
The prophet that foretells the coming of the Messiah.

BALTHESAR
But Isaiah also talks about the coming of-

GASPAR
WHO?

BALTHESAR
Us

GASPAR AND MELCHOIR
US!

BALTHESAR
It said of the promised Messiah, "The wealth of the nations will come to you. They will bring gold and frankincense and will bear good news of the praises of the Lord."

MELCHOIR
I'm coming to believe this little one that we seek has not only been born to be King of the Jews but He comes to be our king too.

BALTHESAR
What do we do with a future that knows our name?

MELCHOIR
My journey to this new king started long before the star. Many worship the past, others the unknown future. But with this birth, suddenly the present may be Holy.
FADE OUT

EXT. HOUSE IN BETHLEHEM -- NIGHT
MELCHOIR starts to rush into house.
GASPAR
Melchoir wait1
MELCHOIR
What is it? Our journey's done. The star rests overhead. The little King waits within.
GASPAR
I can't go in
BALTHESAR
Neither can I. I spent most of my gold on the journey. I only have four pieces of left.
GASPAR
I traded half my frankincense for my own room. How much worship is there in a half empty vial of frankincense?
BALTHESAR
I'm too scared to worship this king in person.
GASPAR
(to MELCHOIR)
You go for us. We'll wait out here.
MELCHOIR
Some back home call us Wise men. I don't feel very wise right now. But one thing I do know. I can not worship for you. You must bring your gift to the King yourself or let the opportunity pass. When we started out, I was not sure my meager bit of myrrh was a good enough gift either. But now I believe if we give all we have, this King will know our hearts and honor our gifts. Come, let us worship the King. Let us see the promised Messiah.
FADE OUT