Forces of Balance

By Maurice Lewis

What would you do if you lost something really valuable that money couldn’t buy?

Well, a certain prophet back in the seventh century BC had his precious gift stolen by thieves and it wasn’t returned to him until the twenty-first century.

You must read how this happened.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley
• Release date: May 11, 2018

Maurice Lewis

Maurice Lewis is author of several electrical engineering textbooks. He spent most of his working life in industry and education. He turned his attention to writing a screenplay spec “Forces of Balance” based on the concept of good and evil: a subject that keeps reminding us of our belief of the world we live in.

Book preview

About the Author

Dedication

MAURICE LEWIS

Forces of balance

Copyright ©Maurice Lewis (2017)

The right of Maurice Lewis to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by his in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781788231619 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781788231626 (E-Book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published (2017)

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd.

25 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5LQ

Acknowledgments

Fade In

Heavenly Nebula - Space

Two entities inside gaseous body challenge each other.

GOD

Your place is a hindrance to me.

SATAN

I am here to keep a balance of your world.

GOD

The prophets are my messengers of truth.

SATAN

My servants are sent to challenge them.

GOD

Righteous people believe in goodness.

SATAN

Goodness cannot exist alone.

GOD

You close your eyes to love.

SATAN

What is love?

GOD

Be off you black cloud of evil.

Ext. Mount Sinai 600bc - Dawn

The Sun slowly emerges over the horizon to bathe the rocky massifs in colors of red and gold and bring into life their magnificent creation.

Int. Cave - Early Morning

A BIBLICAL PROPHET wears a dark brown habit and sits at a small wooden desk. A mysterious object in front of him emits pulses of amber light scattering shadowy movements in every direction.

His reed pen scratches on papyrus.

A young pretty girl called SHAR, 10, moves beside him and looks down as he writes. Her long hair drapes over her red cloak and she rubs her tired eyes.

Hebrew subtitles

SHAR

Master, can I have it one day...please?

The prophet doesn’t answer but slowly raises his arm to touch her shoulder. She turns and quietly wanders out of the cave.

Pause.

Light from the mysterious object begins to fade and he rises from his stool, stares down at his written work.

PROPHET

Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and evil come?

He strokes his white beard, kneels down and silently prays.

Short pause.

He stands up with help from his desk and slowly moves to finds his bed in the corner of the cave.

Ext. Mount Sinai - Night

Two silhouetted figures on horseback arrive at foot of hillside. They dismount, make their way up a narrow path to the prophet’s cave.

Int. Cave - Night

The thieves light flame torches and cautiously enter the hidden lair. One wears a silver ring on his finger that shows the head of an angry snake with its mouth open. He grabs the object, shaped in the form of a carved crucifix and becomes shocked when it suddenly emits a bright red glow into his wrinkled face.

THIEF

(nervous)

Grrr! What magic is this?

He quickly drops it into a sack. The prophet stirs but doesn’t wake.

Ext. Sinai Desert - Night

In the moonlight two thieves ride at pace over the desert floor followed by a third rider called DARK FORCE (Satin’s messenger). He soon catches them up and slays them both with his sword.

The carved crucifix falls free from a horse’s saddlebag and becomes lost.

Dark Force searches everywhere for it.

DARK FORCE

(Shouting up at sky)

Light of darkness, I will never give up until I find this thing of goodness!

Int. Cave - Early Morning

Shar in her red cloak enters the dimly lit cave to find the prophet sitting at his desk with both hands clasped to his bowed head.

SHAR

Are you unwell master?

PROPHET

(Very despondent) That I am.

SHAR

Can I do anything?

PROPHET

Help me back to my bed He rests on his bed.

PROPHET

(wearily)

My precious gift...I cannot find it...I am lost without it.

SHAR

How could it happen...master?

Shar searches but fails to find it and sees books and other things out of place.

SHAR

It surely must have been stolen master, your books have been disturbed.

PROPHET

I must pray to our Lord God

(Adonai Yahweh) that He will help me find my sacred cross. Kneel down beside me and close thine eyes in presence of our Lord.

She kneels down.

PROPHET

(moanfully)

YAHWEH has answered my prayer.

You must go forth Shar and search for my precious cross that stems the flow of evil in this world.

The prophet lays on his bed to sleep and Shar covers him over with a sheet.

Ext. Judean Countryside Ad40 - Day

Roman soldiers on patrol. MARCUS, 26, a young handsome legionnaire, sword in hand, walks beside his horse, spots small hessian sack half buried in desert sand. He kneels down, opens it, shakes out three gold coins and the lost carving. As he touches it, it produces a bright beam of light into his eyes and he drops it.

MARCUS

I know not the GOD of