WE THREE KINGS - ACT ONE

EXT. DESERT -- NIGHT

Timpani drums dissolve into "rum-pum rum-pum" vocals to "The Little Drummer Boy".

EXT. DESERT — NIGHT

O.S. Camel grunts = a colloquy of inaudible voices - maybe Arabic. Voices drift. SANDY DUNES Illuminated by FULL MOON.

CLOSE: CLOVED FOOT OF A CAMEL TOSSES SAND IN THE AIR. CAMERA REVEALS LEG OF RIDER. MOVES FURTHER UP - REVEALS ROBES -HEAD REVEALS SILK TURBAN.

C.U. KING CASPAR'S FACE.
Middle Aged, TANNED, HANDSOME. His eyes lift heavenward. HE fixes on a BRIGHT STAR MOVING east.

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EXT. DESERT - KING BALDASSAR AND HIS CARAVAN -- NIGHT

A bearded face. King Baldassar. Eyes transfixed above. He WAVES A HALT.

CLOSE ANGLE - KING BALDASSAR'S EYE - NIGHT

King Balthazar's PUPIL reflects glowing object brilliant in the night sky.

C.U. KING BALDASSAR FACE: eyes watch star move east.

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ANGLE -- KING MELCHIOR'S CARAVAN - EXT. NIGHT

KING MELCHIOR, MOUNTED - AT A STANDSTILL. He POINTS at the luminous star. KING MELCHIOR'S P.O.V.: silhouette of DARK HILLTOPS - an EVENING MIST DESCENDS on A DISTANT TOWN.

EXT. DESERT -- WIDE ANGLE AERIAL VIEW -- DAWN

P.O.V. KING MELCHIOR halts near A PRECIPICE OVERLOOKING the RIVER JORDAN. The Jordan River winds and vanishes into the horizon. The WONDROUS STAR situated now OVER the JORDAN RIVER.

EXT. PRECIPICE -- DAY

KING BALDASSAR COMES INTO FRAME. His attention on the star. (Beat). He looks over to KING MELCHIOR with a squint and smile. KING CASPAR MOVES INTO FRAME. All three kings now in frame. They give NOD OF GREETINGS. The SCENERY: BARON PEAKS, ROCKY TERRAIN, GREEN SMOKEY HILLS. The wind CHILLs their BREATH. Their attention is brought back to the BRIGHTLY LIT STAR before them.

EXT. PRECIPICE OF JORDAN RIVER -- DAY

The STAR APPROACHES DESCENDING THROUGH SHIFTS OF AERIAL SPACE. They rejoice as it sheds A GLORIOUS REFULGENCE OVER THEM. The star close above their heads - not in the distant vault of heaven. The three kings act in incredulous joy.s

AERIAL VIEW - THE THREE KINGS' CARAVANS -- DESERT -- DUSK

P.O.V. KINGS BALDASSAR, MELCHIOR, AND GASPAR and trains of dromedaries galloping at full speed into the horizon --

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INT. FR. MIKE'S ROOM - MORNING

Alarm sounds. A hand smacks it off - alarm clock hits the floor. Coughs, morning groans, ruffling of a man waking from sleep.

C.U. HAND REACHES FOR BREVIARY. PAGES OPEN. A VOICE BEGINS PRAYING FROM THE PAGES.

FADE TO

INT. SACRISTY - MORNING