The Pillars of the Earth s01e03 Episode Script

Who will rule once I am gone? (Choking) - The king is dead.
- Long live the king.
- This is - That's Jack.
Jack's a bastard.
He's a gifted bastard.
The way to my daughter's heart is through affection.
(Screaming) Bartholomew has sided against King Stephen.
He's turned traitor.
- You're under attack! - We must defend the king! (Horse neighing) - Halt! - Thank you, Earl of Shiring.
- My name is Ellen.
- Tom.
Tom the builder.
Why can't God give me work just this once? What happened? We can stay now.
(Screaming) (Philip): You can't rebuild a cathedral without its relic.
(Tom): This may be the devil's work but it was God that sent you a master builder.
What makes you think there'll be a new church? - I will build it.
- I swear by all that's holy, you'll never build your church.
- Aaah! - No! (Grunts) (Screaming) Richard, listen to me.
You mustn't tell anyone, ever.
Piss on you, Lord Bishop.
We've begun.
( Flutes and tambourines ) (Man shouting, indistinct) One! (Grunting) Hey! Make way! (Laughing) I am Queen Maud and this is my bastard brother Gloucester! Oh, King Stephen! Ha! Take that! Ha, ha! (Laughing) Take that, you! Oh! I'm slain! Ooh! (Crowd booing) Thieving swine! Simon Goodfellow: thievery! (Man 1): Lop his hands off! (Man 2): Kill him! Kill their faith! Come on! (Screaming) Don't look, Richard.
(Screaming) (Cheering) (Groaning) You thieving dog! - (Woman 1): Cut his hands! - (Woman 2): Justice! (Cheering) Get off! Get off! Good morning, Your Eminence.
I hear you've been injured.
Nothing serious, I pray.
- A mere foot-soldier's wound in God's battle against Satan, dear Regan.
Percy.
Bishop.
William? Still pining for Aliena, hmm? We're fortunate he turned that suit down.
Indeed.
( Fanfare ) (Man): Make way for the king! His Majesty, King Stephen! (Cheering) We are pleased to announce that with the events of this day, all opposition to our rightful rule is extinguished.
Maud and Gloucester's army has been put to flight and there are now only loyal men in England! (Crowd cheering and booing) I didn't know they were defeated.
Is this recent? He tells the peasants what they need to hear, and the king needs soldiers, but is penniless.
This will cost us.
(Man): Bring out the traitor, Bartholomew of Shiring! (Woman): Burn him! (Man 1): Treacherous bastard! - Traitor! - Die, you bastard! (Woman): Traitor! (Horse whinnying) (Man 2): Burn in hell, you traitor! (Man 3): You old bastard! (Man 4): Skin him alive! (Man 1): String him up! ( Drum pounding ) (Man 4): You'll get what you deserve! Mercy, Your Majesty! My father loves England! Spare his life, I beg you, for his children's sake! For mercy's sake! Is this your brother? Yes, it is.
How old are you, boy? 16, Your Majesty.
I have no quarrel with the traitor's children.
If you wish, you may join my army to prove your loyalty.
Please, spare our father, Sire.
Enough about your father.
Give me your answer, boy.
I swear, by Jesus Christ, and all his saints, that I will not rest until Richard is the Earl of Shiring and Lord of the land, that you once ruled.
As a knight, Your Majesty.
Give him the knighthood and the title that he deserves.
(Man chuckling) You're a bold woman.
Perhaps you should join my army instead.
(All laughing) Once you're outfitted with horse and armor report to my Captain of the Guards.
We'll decide what to do with you then.
Many thanks, Your Majesty, and may God save England.
With your father's death, He will.
On your knees.
(Crowd cheering) God save the king! (Cheering) I won't fight for Stephen.
He's our father's worst enemy! And the only man who can give you back your title.
I won't ride into battle alongside William and his henchmen! I'll kill them first! It's easier to kill someone if you're standing beside them rather than against them.
Look at me, Richard.
Our enemies have made us strong.
We'll go to the priest and take back the money Father gave him, more than enough to buy you horse and armor and to purchase a knighthood.
Your tears are worthless now.
We have a promise to keep.
(Man): Heave, ho! Heave, ho! Lower it! Come on! ( All singing in Latin ) Brother, no! Don't close your eyes! You'll break your thumb! That's it.
That's right.
(Man): I need a measurement here! Go get me the straw, boy! Careful, Brother Matthew.
There are 7 deadly sins of carpentry too, you know.
St.
Joseph's watching.
I'm his enforcer! (Man): I see more coming over.
Cut it while it's dry, I always say.
Look lively, Jack! You can move faster than that! We are far behind schedule, Prior.
This builder is too slow and far too ambitious.
I've seen his plans.
Those arches are untried.
This is not an experiment! We should be building a smaller church exactly like the one we had.
Trust him, Remigius.
Trust God.
God's not happy either, Prior! He should be using skilled labor, not monks stolen from prayer.
Work is prayer, Brother.
In the meantime, I am going to Winchester Market to sell the fleece from our flock.
This will bring in money which will allow us to hire workers.
Tom is going to Shiring quarry to make arrangements for harvesting the stone.
This will serve as our true beginning and our schedule shall be counted from then.
Anything else? Forgive me.
I was expressing You were expressing your own prideful ignorance.
For your penance, you will bring water to the workers with young Martha there.
While you're at it, call the community to a meeting in the Chapter house before vespers.
I have an important announcement to make.
(Horse snorts) (Grunts) (Sighing) I want you back.
I miss you so.
Philip wouldn't be happy.
He would if we were married.
Why must the Church always dictate how we live? Well, you know Philip.
He worries about your soul.
So, he can just stop worrying.
And even if we did marry, it's no guarantee that I won't be burned.
I'm still an outlaw, Tom Builder.
- Well, I can't just - Stop.
Enough.
(Moans) (Thunder) Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.
I have sinned and confessed and done penance and still God is punishing me.
You forgave me and still He is punishing me! In what way, My Lord? Rumors remain at court that the ship was deliberately sunk, that I am not king.
There will always be rumors, Sire.
The Archbishop anointed you king.
God is on your side.
Then why hasn't He put Maud and her bastard brother down? They're approaching Lincoln now.
If they take that city, they'll effectively cut my kingdom in half.
Why does God continually turn His back upon my cause? I cannot answer for God, but perhaps it is not you who displeases Him.
There are others in your kingdom.
Others? Name them.
There is a prior in Kingsbridge.
You met him once.
( All speaking Latin ) Brother Milius, as purser, has begun a written account of our finances.
Our distant farms have been leased for cash rents.
Our sheep farming has improved.
All thanks to you, Prior Philip.
I don't say this, Brother Cuthbert, to garner praise, but to prepare you all for the next phase of our economic revival.
I wish to turn Kingsbridge into a market town.
This will bring in visitors and increase revenue for all.
Ha! There will be no visitors without St.
Adolphus' skull to work miracles.
Wasn't it lost in the fire? Prior Philip rescued it from the fire, didn't you, Prior? Yes.
Yes, I did.
Why didn't you tell us earlier, Prior? And where is it? I've put it in a safe place until a statue can be carved to honor the saint.
That could be years, Prior.
Tom Builder has commissioned a sculptor, who's working on it now.
(All murmuring) (Rooster crowing) (Jack blowing) It's beautiful.
(Chuckling) Not yet.
It is.
You're very good.
Alfred's wrong to treat you badly.
(Crying) What? What is it? Jack, I did something I shouldn't have.
I did it as a kindness, but I also did it for me too.
What, Martha? Alfred wants you gone.
You and your Ma took Da away from us.
That's what he says.
Love's not a contest, Martha.
(Sniffles) Then why is there always something to be won or lost? (Rooster crowing) Let's try this one.
(Burping) Confession's in the morning, unless you're willing to pay.
Were you confessor to Bartholomew of Shiring after his arrest? What if I was? I'm Richard, son of Bartholomew, Earl of Shiring.
Former earl.
So what do you want? My father's money, 50 bezants.
I don't know what you're talking about.
He left money with you for safekeeping.
That's a lie.
- You're the liar.
- Piss off.
They cut off thieves' hands! I've seen it.
It'll be my word against the word of a dead traitor.
(Panting) (Grunts) You lying, thieving, godless heathen! It's a sin to harm a priest! Not if he robs orphans.
Richard, cut off his nose.
No! No, no! No, please! Please! Cut it off! Where is the money? I swear, I Altar.
It's under the altar.
Hold this.
If he moves, push hard.
(Whimpers) (Panting) (Grunts) But there's only 10 here.
Where's the rest? It's gone.
- Gone where? - I spent it.
Shall I kill him, Allie? Hell is too good for him.
I may come back and kill you one day.
What can we buy with 10 bezants? A horse and armor? We can barely buy a stirrup with this.
This is all the money that we have in the world.
We can't spend it on food or lodging.
Well, what can we do with it then? (Man): Here, I'll lift it for you.
20 bags of fleece, 25 pounds.
We can quintuple it.
(Bird chirping) - You Otto Blackface? - Yes.
I'm Tom Builder.
You're working for me.
That's my son, Alfred.
That's my stepson, Jack.
These are my 4 sons, my cousin, my brother-in-law and his two boys.
So you've worked here before? I know the quarry.
It's good stone.
Enough for two cathedrals.
How will you get it to Kingsbridge? By river, then by cart.
Shouldn't be too difficult.
Right.
How soon can you start? Oh, soon as you pay us.
Shouldn't be too difficult neither.
Come on boys, let's get to work.
(Horse whinnying) (Tools clanking) (Men laughing) Who's in charge here? I am.
I'm Tom of Kingsbridge.
We'll be quarrying this stone to build our new cathedral.
This quarry is owned by the earl.
When the king gave the quarry to the earl, he gave the priory permission to use the stone.
And I'm not to allow that.
By whose orders? Byrders of the king.
Guards.
I know you.
How do I know you? I was building you a wedding house.
Building it badly, if I recall.
Walter? The king has rescinded his permission for you to quarry stone.
Now turn around and go home or you're all dead men.
What proof have you got the order's been rescinded? My soldiers are proof enough.
They'll die before you.
They'll take their chances.
If you attack us, you attack the throne and God.
Kill us and you burn in hell's everlasting fire! Excellent idea.
What would you say to a duel? One of your men armed with a mason's hammer against Walter.
Walter will fight without a weapon.
I think I'll take my chances with the king, thank you very much.
It'll be months before he hears your claim, and I have the bishop's word he'll deny it.
God wants a Kingsbridge Cathedral.
Then why did God burn it? I'll fight.
What are the rules? Jack, I forbid it.
We lose the quarry, we lose the cathedral.
First one to cry out with pain, loses.
And the winner? The quarry's his.
This is foolishness, Jack.
I don't trust these people.
I won't go back to who I was, Tom.
Yah! (Laughing) (Grunting) Stay back.
(Grunting) Ah! NO! He needs to cry out, not you.
Don't murder him, Walter.
Break something instead.
What What (Screaming) (Gasping) Outrageous! First they cheat us of ownership of the quarry, now they cheat us of the stone.
Send a deputation to the king and ask him to enforce the charter.
Who's to say he won't side with Percy? He has soldiers which the king needs more than a cathedral.
What can we do then? Is there any way to continue work without the stone? No.
(Bone cracking) (Groaning) Is it broken? Yes, I'm afraid so.
You mustn't use it, not for a month at least.
The statue.
- That can wait.
- No, it can't.
Then you'll be crippled for life.
Hold still.
(Groaning) Do you wish to come home, Jack? Say it.
Is this too much for you? I'm hungry, Ma, but the food's not here.
The night you were born, I had a dream.
In a room full of darkness, you opened a box Filled with light.
It doesn't mean anything, Ma.
I never told you all of it.
The room you were in was a grave, filled with hundreds and hundreds of dead.
English soldiers, workers, kings.
We all must die, Ma.
But not so young.
You were so young.
Scarcely older than you are now.
I fear for you, Jack.
(Rooster crowing and scissors clicking) (Bleating) ( Humming ) How much do you get? What? For a fleece, how much? A penny.
At the market in Winchester? Aye.
Come along, Allie.
We need to find food.
It's a day's walk to Winchester.
You lose two days in the field.
What choice do I have? You can sell the fleece to me.
- We don't need wool! - Tais-toi! What's the snag? I can only give you 2 pence for 4.
That's not worth it.
3 pence then.
I'd lose a penny.
- And save a two-day journey.
I never heard of nothing like this before.
Is an extra two days worth a penny to you or not? What are we to do with 4 fleeces? Take them to Winchester and sell them.
For a penny profit? That's nothing! Not if we buy wool from 50 peasants, Richard.
It will set us on our path to hors d armor.
( All singing in Latin ) (Thudding) - Tom.
- Brother? I have a plan.
I don't know whether it'll work, but it's worth a try.
Have your men ready to leave at midnight tomorrow night.
Midnight? Our enemies are weakest in the dark.
How long till sunrise? Minutes.
(Dog barking) ( Singing in Latin ) ( Monks singing in Latin ) (Thudding rhythmically) ( Monks singing in distance ) ( Monks stop singing ) ( Singing in Latin ) Shut your mouth, priest.
( Singing ) Shut up! ( Stops singing ) (Man 1): It's a sign from God.
(Man 2): Thank the Lord! Kneel, kneel.
Praise be to God.
(Man 3): It's a miracle.
This is God's work, and this is God's will.
I intend to hire all quarry workers at the standard rate and I grant you all plenary indulgences for laboring on our cathedral.
What say you? Praise God! (Workers): Praise God! ( Monks singing in Latin ) (Thudding rhythmically) ( Singing continues ) ( Singing continues ) This stone's for the foundation.
Come on, a bit more.
Higher than that! The wool's ready for market, Prior.
Oh, good.
Leave it here.
Here.
Thank you.
(Crow cawing) (Sighing) Occasional defeats are to be expected in war.
They make our victories all the sweeter.
I'll burn, Mother.
What? In hell.
You told me that.
(Laughing) Nonsense.
God is on our side.
Not according to that priest.
Well, you're to pay him no mind.
His motives are entirely selfish.
Now tell me Whom do you hate the most? Prior Philip.
Hmm And what would you do to him? Cut out his heart - Mm-hmm.
and roast it on a spit and eat it.
Mmm! And so you shall.
And who do you love the most? You.
And what would you do to me? Smile, sweet William.
(Knocking) Yes, Walter? Bishop Waleran is here, Milady.
Some months ago, you induced the Prior of Kingsbridge to double-cross me.
You never keep your promises.
I delivered you Shiring.
Past promises, remember? I have no idea, dear lady, what you're talking about, but that is beside the point.
The prior, it seems, has outwitted us both.
Well, for all his saintly innocence he's got the cunning of a political rat.
Rats can be easily dealt with once one finds their nest.
And his is In Kingsbridge.
What of it? Perhaps the cathedral should be built somewhere else? What? Kingsbridge is a village in the middle of nowhere, Percy.
It isn't rich enough to maintain a cathedral, let alone build one.
It needs to develop a market and pilgrims.
We could build it in Shiring.
You have a market, an annual fleece fair and you're on the main road.
Well, if the cathedral was here, who's gonna pay for it? I hope you don't expect me to If the cathedral moves, the priory's property goes with it: the farms, the sheep-folds, all the income they produce.
Kingsbridge becomes fallow and the rat, a castrated field mouse.
Excellent.
So, how do we do it? We can do nothing without the king's approval.
- What do we tell him? - We don't.
We show him what little progress is being made in Kingsbridge.
How? The feast of Adolphus is coming up, their patron.
The King is very fond of Adolphus.
I'll organize a pilgrimage.
Hmm (Chuckles) (Man): Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy! (Bell ringing) Tamp down your fires! Oy! Oy! Oy! Oy! Tamp down your fires! (Gasps) The past.
Go away.
Leave me.
What I did, I did for God's glory.
You shall rule for ill or good, till saintly skulls weep tears of blood.
I'll rule forever then.
How long until the war ends? Let peace survive and war depart, when arrows pierce my daughter's heart.
(Screaming) (Neighing) Name my greatest enemy.
Whose hair of flame? An artist boy's.
One king he crowns, one king destroys.
(Gasping) ( Flutes ) Roast chicken! Roast chicken! Meat, Allie.
We'll have meat tonight.
We'll have more than meat.
We'll have at least a pound of silver.
Look at the crowd, Richard! There are fairs everywhere throughout the summer.
We can get another sack full, and another, and by the summer's end It's a full sack, but the quality's poor.
I'll give you a pound.
Agreed? Hands.
One sack? Yes.
(Man): Half a pound now! Hmm Mixed quality.
Half a pound.
What? You gave a full pound for a sack of poor quality.
Half a pound.
That's my offer.
This is better wool! You said it! Take it or leave it.
Give me what you gave those men! - No.
- Why? Because nobody pays a girl what they pay a man.
Unless Look, I'm doing you a favor here.
Nobody will pay you what I'm willing to pay you.
Go and ask.
Next! How many sacks, boy? Boy, how many sacks? Eleven.
Unload them, Jack.
11.
5 pounds of silver and 12 pennies.
You didn't test it! You didn't even check the bags! He's a monk.
I'll take his word for it.
Wait! There's only 10.
There's only 10 sacks! There are 10 on the cart, yes.
That's the 1h.
Oh! No, no! I've already agreed to pay her half a pound for this one.
But I'm buying it instead.
You told her to ask if any other merchants were interested, and I am, and I'll pay her a pound if that suits you? (Man): Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Last I saw you, you were still at Shiring Castle.
I told the Hamleighs to keep watch over you.
God forgive you for that.
What happened? Let's just say that they were less than kind.
Oh, I, uh I'm sorry.
Any misfortune that came your way, I I, uh Oh, here.
Come and visit us at the end of the month.
There's to be a fair at Kingsbridge in honor of St.
Adolphus.
Bring more fleece.
You'll do well there.
Perhaps we will.
I'm sorry, I forgot Philip.
This is Jack.
Works for me.
Milady.
Have we met before? Come along, Richard.
Thank you, Prior Philip, from the bottom of our hearts.
We need a protector.
You have two now.
God and me! (Whispering): And me.
You have me.
( Flutes and drums ) - Go away! - Let me kiss you! (Giggling) Pray with me, Jack.
Would you? You remind me a little of myself at your age.
( Drums ) ( Fiddle ) (Women laughing) Yum! ( ) (Man shouting, indistinct) Want to fuck, boy? Hmm? (Laughing) Oh! I'm sorry.
Milady.
- Mm-hmm? I'm sorry, I Milady? Aren't you polite? Sorry, I thought you were someone else.
Do these make you weak in the knees? (Giggling) Can I can I sketch you? Oh! Well, I've never heard it called that before, but (Giggling) (Laughing) Come again soon.
(Men laughing) Pity, poor Kingsbridge! The king comes at the end of the month.
When he sees what piss-poor, little work they've done, he'll move the cathedral to Shiring! (Men laughing) (Man): Good for you, Percy.
In 10 days' time, as you know, we celebrate the feast of St.
Adolphus.
We have received word that King Stephen will be visiting us.
We need to show the king how devoted this parish is to the building of our new cathedral.
So instead of singing hymns and saying prayers, we will dig, carry and build.
(All murmuring) God and his saints will bless you for your generosity.
(Man): Wasting my time! I can't finish it.
Not in time.
We need it to draw the crowd.
But it won't be perfect, Tom.
You can perfect it later.
(Honking) Look, I know that you all work long hours, and I know how much you have given already, and now God is asking you to give more.
(Braying) (Women laughing) Our cathedral, this cathedral, is more than just stone and wood and mud! It takes the earth with all its heaviness and transforms it into possibility, reaching for the light, which is hope, which is God! (Groaning) It is it is Hope's fragile shell on Earth, and if we if we can give God a beautiful home, then it will burst its shell and it will prosper, and you all will be the better for it.
Your children will be the better for it! (Braying) If (All laughing) Right.
I will give you bread and ale and absolution for all your sins in exchange for one day's labor.
One day's labor! What say you? (Panting) Forgive me, St.
Adolphus.
I begged for help in all the villages.
Don't they want their church? They know that without their help, there'll be no Kingsbridge Cathedral.
They'll come.
Bound to come.
Dozens, perhaps.
Not hundreds.
Word will have spread.
The King will look at this and laugh.
(Whinnying) There's someone now.
Greetings, frère Prior.
Welcome, My Lady.
Ah, no longer a lady.
We've brought fleece.
May God grant us customers to buy it.
Ah, Jack, will you kindly stable My Lady's donkey.
When does the king arrive? Shortly, I fear.
How much further, dammit? My piles are murdering me.
We've been riding all morning.
You were with him in Winchester? But we've met before.
In Shiring, Milady.
You're the artist.
Quite gifted, if I remember correctly.
What did you do to your hand? Oh.
(Grunts) I I injured it.
I wasn't supposed to use it, but I had a sculpture I had to finish for today, so Aliena? I thought it was you! Martha, yes? That's right.
And you remember Alfred.
My Lady.
Call me Aliena.
I prefer it.
You'll never guess what's happened to us! Da brought us here and the church burned and Ellen You remember Ellen? She was almost killed as a witch! And now the king is coming to see Da's work.
And if he likes it, then Da can build the whole cathedral.
No one's come to help us yet.
But we hope that We pray the king is in a gracious mood - Hmm.
- Aliena.
(Alfred and Aliena chuckling) (Baby cooing) Brother Johnny? Don't climb that high.
Not with the baby! Johnny, listen to me.
Come down! No, no! You must come up! This is an order! I want you to come down! Get him down, now! (Man): What's he doing? - He'll harm the child! - Come down! - Philip, it won't hold! - Johnny, listen to me.
Johnny, listen to me very carefully.
Give me the baby.
Look! It's a miracle! Oh, we're saved! We're saved! Come and look! (Man): Praise God and Prior Phillip! (Johnny): It's a miracle! We're saved! (Cow mooing) Alms for the blind? Not now, woman.
I'm working.
Hey! (Laughing) What are you doing here? (Man): The king! The king has come! (Neighing) The king.
It's the king.
Where were you? The king's here.
(Whinnying) (Man): Kneel.
Bow down to His Majesty.
Who's in charge here? I am, Your Majesty.
Where are the plans? This way, Your Majesty.
Where's the door? Um, Your Majesty, this is the doorway.
This is the, uh, nave.
Show me.
Very good.
I look forward to visiting again when the church is completed.
What did he say? Shut up, Percy.
But where is the statue of St.
Adolphus? Oh, I forgot.
It was destroyed in a fire, wasn't it, Prior? It's here, Your Majesty.
You shall rule for ill or good, till saintly skulls weep tears of blood.
Your Majesty, I bring you news from the battlefield.
Lord and Gloucester have attacked your army at Lincoln.
And an arrow has pierced her armor.
Let peace survive and war depart when arrows pierce my daughter's heart - Is she dead? - No.
She survived.
Her army took it as a sign of God and your forces were defeated.
Whose hair of flame?? An artist boy's One king he crowns, one king destroys.
Stay where you are.