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turning to page one
turning to page one
Ernie is mopping the floor. He glances back and sees Warden Norton approach the cellblock with an entourage of a DOZEN GUARDS. Still mopping, Ernie mutters to the nearest cell:
ERNIE
Heads up. They're tossin' cells.
Word travels fast from cell to cell. Cons scramble to tidy up and hide things. Norton enters, nods to his men. The guards pair off in all directions, making their choices at random.
GUARD
What kind'a contraband you hiding
in there, boy?
Cells are opened, occupants displaced, items scattered, mattresses overturned. Whatever contraband is found gets tossed out onto the cellblock floor. Mostly harmless stuff. A GUARD pulls a sharpened screwdriver out of a mattress, shoots a nasty look at the CON responsible.
NORTON
Solitary. A week. Make sure he
takes his Bible.
CON
Too goddamn dark to read down
there.
NORTON
Add another week for blasphemy. The
man is taken away. Norton's gaze
goes up.
NORTON (CONT'D)
Let's try the second tier.
2ND TIER
Norton arrives, makes a thin show of picking a cell at random. He motions at Andy on his bunk, reading his Bible. The door is unlocked. Norton enters, trailed by his men. Andy rises.
ANDY
Good evening.
Norton gives a curt nod. Hadley and Trout start tossing the cell in a thorough search. Norton keeps his eyes on Andy, looking for a wrong glance or nervous blink. He takes the Bible out of Andy's hand.
NORTON
I'm pleased to see you reading
this. Any favorite passages?
ANDY
"Watch ye therefore, for ye know
not when the master of the house
cometh."
NORTON
(smiles)
Luke. Chapter 13, verse 35. I've
always liked that one.
(strolls the cell)
But I prefer: "I am the light of
the world. He that followeth me
shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life."
ANDY
John. Chapter 8, verse 12.
NORTON
I hear you're good with numbers.
How nice. A man should have a
skill.
HADLEY
You wanna explain this?
Andy glances over. Hadley is holding up a rock blanket, a polishing cloth roughly the size of an oven mitt.
ANDY
It's called a rock blanket. It's
for shaping and polishing rocks.
Little hobby of mine.
Hadley glances at the rocks lining the window sill, turns to Norton.
HADLEY
Looks pretty clean. Some contraband
here, nothing to get in a twist
over.
Norton nods, strolls to the poster of Rita.
NORTON
I can't say I approve of this...
(turns to Andy)
...but I suppose exceptions can
always be made.
Norton exits, the guards follow. The cell door is slammed and locked. Norton pauses, turns back.
NORTON (CONT'D)
I almost forgot.
He reaches through the bars and returns the Bible to Andy.
NORTON (CONT'D)
I'd hate to deprive you of this.
Salvation lies within.
Norton and his men walk away.
RED (V.O.)
Tossin' cells was just an excuse.
Truth is, Norton wanted to size
Andy up.