If you wish
you'll be aboard.
Of course
we'll never speak of Gévaudan again.
Very well, Fronsac.
Marianne de Morangias?
Madam?
- I don't think I know you?
- We have, both of us,
a common friend.
What are you doing here?
No need to hide under that veil,
Your perfume is not ladylike.
- shhh!
Grégoire de Fronsac only loves one woman.
It's your name he said...
In his sleep Soon...
He will sail away.
I don't care.
When you meet Fronsac,
Do not tell him we met,
Or you would lose him for good.
Who was that, daughter?
No one.
That one, over there.
This one in my cabin. Careful!
Good day, Chevalier.
Hey, Marquis!
What brings you?...
The crimes have resumed.
The king doesn't send us anymore soldiers.
I don't know how to...
catch the Beast.
I wasn't only thinking of you.
Mani found the child. A hunt,...
One only. It would take you a month.
The king forbid us to go back to Gevaudan.
- He won't know. - Don't be so sure.
is his tranquillity worth these sacrifices?
You won't change my mind.
Want to bet?
You lost last time.
I'd rather not have needed this.
From Marianne.
And Mani?
- My friend!
How are you?
Back hunting, Mani.
And your way.
Good news?
The best in the world.
In Gevaudan, the murders carried on.
Officially, the Beast was dead.
What really happened appears in no history book.
It was carefully hushed up.
Is he welcoming us?
He wants to help us.
Go to the castle.
I'll meet you there later.
What is it?
The Roulier house, please?
Straight on.
Last in the village.
- shhhhh...
This is Jeanne...
my nanny.
This is M. Fronsac.
Pierre, fetch some wine.
I'm being watched.
They might know you're back.
I'll tear you away from your family.
I can't bear my mother,
nor Jean-François. I want to leave.
In a week, we'll go to Paris.
Why wait?
The hunt. I promised the Marquis.
You didn't return for me?
No!
Look out!
Leave!
Slowly
don't run!
Over here! Look at me!
Come here!
This way! Hey!
Grégoire!
Go, Marianne!
No!
What is going on here? Open up!
Pierre! Pierre!
Tell me, do you really think we'll find this Beast?
- We're short of men. - Mani's able.
I'm hunting a man.
A man? The Beast is a weapon
serving a sick mind.
- A killer works in secret. - Quite.
The Beast's mystery is its fame.
Her master seeks fear and noise.
How's that?
This book is sold all over.
It says the Beast is punishing the King's indulgence...
...in philosophers. - Well, well. Who wrote it?
I don't know
but the Beast has a master. I want him.
Perhaps your weapon will help.
With you the carrier!
And you, Mani?
Which will you choose?
Mani doesn't like firearms.
Too much noise and smoke. Bad smell.
All will go well, Grandfather.
Don't worry.
We're well prepared.
Tell me of the Americas.
The Americas?
Will you never go back?
Not all my memories are fond ones.
And Mani? Does he miss his tribe?
His tribe is no more.
Before our attack, the pox had decimated his village.
Orders were to execute survivors.
The women and the children, too.
Only Mani escaped.
How?
We needed an interpreter.
I was to teach him our language.
I found him slaying the Captain.
Why not turn him in?
Know how the Captain waged battle?
He gave his scouts infected hospital sheets.
The Iroquois bought them.
Three weeks later, we'd mop up.
And that's our war?
It was our defeat.
Where did he go?
- To speak to the trees. - Trees?
Trees can speak.
The white man cannot listen
or see.
See what, Mani?
Want to learn?
- What's this? - An Indian sacrament.
You're on your own, Marquis.
What does it do?
Depends on the person.
They say they see the invisible.
Well, Mani?
The Beast is in the forest.
- The wolves will help us. - I see no better.
This night we shall dance the dance of blood.
And the Beast shall come to us
with the sun.
It has no effect on me.
It has...
That night, Mani invoked spirits of the woods
in a language even Fronsac couldn't understand.
And the wolves brought them the Beast.
Don't worry, I'll fix this for you.
Don't worry, girl. I'll see to you.
I'll take care of you.
Thomas is asleep.
A close call.
I'm sorry for the Indian.
What is there?
Tell me, what manor is this? I need to know.
It's a domain. A hunting ground.
Sir, you need rest.
Let's go!
Fire!
He's over there. Come on!
Fronsac returned by Mani's side.
His revenge had hardly begun.
But Indian custom required that, at dawn's first light...
he be sent to his ancestors.
What do you want?
Too much blood has been spilled.
You're in great peril here. Leave.
I have business to attend.
Is it worth your life?
How long have you known?
I don't know what you mean.
Come now, Sardis.
How?
How did it get this far?
No one will believe you.
Go away, Sardis.
May God save you.
May the Devil take you.
You're under arrest.
By order of the Intendent...
...please offer no resistance.
That's ridiculous.
Have mercy!
- Lady!
I'm hungry.
A lady to see you.
Later. Tonight.
Get up. You've got company.
Aren't I in solitary confinement?
Depends for whom.
Marianne?
I'm sorry.
Bring your guest some dinner.
How?
Many owe me favors.
Help me. I must write to the King.
you'd be hung before he read your letter.
I've yet to stand trial.
Here.
- Tell me of the Beast. - A trained animal.
Cloaked in armor.
I wounded it.
- Why the sudden interest? - Two years ago...
a confidential letter from Sardis
was given to the Pope.
It spoke of a newly founded
secret society...
whose purpose was to speak
and defend, by any means...
the word of the Church. The "Brotherhood."
Sardis?
He was using the Beast.
The Beast is a warning
to the King
"Heed the power of the Lord
or suffer Apocalypse."
Members call themselves...
"wolves of God."
It serves the Church?
Sardis serves only himself.
These wild times have made him mad.
The group is beyond Rome's control.
In whose employ are you?
My duties include never letting that be known.
And you... You know quite enough.
Mlle De Morangias, what an honor.
How fares the Countess? Please sit down.
And your father? Still in cure?
He's too fond of rich food.
Sir, I've heard you've arrested Fronsac.
Such a man, how far he's fallen.
- He's neither bandit nor murderer. - Really?
Listen,
he must've had his reasons.
- they killed the Indian... - That's another matter.
You don't avenge a savage with Christian blood.
May I visit him?
Impossible.
Very well.
Paris shall hear of this.
You don't understand. Fronsac passed away.
Last night.
In any case, they'd have hung him.
Upon reflection, he was lucky.
He was in your custody.
Perhaps he choked.
Or caught a blight in the mattress.
You're lying.
You're all lying!
Courage, my child,
it's the will of God.
- Father... - Marianne, come.
Come.
- I'll escort you home.
She needs rest.
Let's go.
No! Leave me alone!
There's nothing you can do.
He's already reeking.
Bury him quickly in an unmarked grave.
She threatened to go to the King.
That girl is dangerous.
Fronsac was buried that very night...
long before news of his death reached Paris.
No one knew what secrets he took to his grave.
For several days, the Beast did not strike.
But the sudden disappearance of her most dauntless foe...
seemed of darkest portent.
Come on.
Hurry.
Father, I'm guilty, I have sinned.
Forgive me.
Marianne...
Day and night I think of her.
I hear her heart
beating in my chest.
I want her on our side, Sardis.
The Lord is testing you.
I can't endure it.
The visions.
These accursed visions torment me.
Deliver me, Father.
I beg of you.
There's only one remedy for this evil.
No!
Don't drink, little sister.
They want to kill you.
But I won't let them.
Who does?
Who?
We're going to leave, just you and me.
How about America?
Jean-François...
You've hurt me, but I forgive you.
What are you doing?
Where are you going?
Stay.
Would I harm you?
Please stay away from me.
Marianne, I need you.
You saved me when I was sick, no one else.
Your hand on my brow
chased demons.
You can't imagine all I've done to keep you near.
I beg of you, don't shun me.
Why?
Do I disgust you?
You don't frighten me. Get out.
Because of this?
Never fear.
From now on, I'll take care of you.
Look.
No one knows. Only Sardis and I.
Leave! Get out!
Why?
You're not my brother.
Another man returned from Africa.
True, but it was for you I left.
But for you, all this would not be.
All this?
It's your odor that foul thing smelled on me.
Yes.
We're of the same blood, Marianne. We're of the same blood.
When father comes back, he'll kill you!
Unless I kill him?
He's hindered us so long.
Go ahead. Do it, go ahead.
Kill me! Kill me!
Why didn't you?
Is it so difficult? Look.
- Stop. - Then you love me?
Marianne!
- Marianne, I love you. - Help!
Brothers, the Lord has told me
the Beast will be back...
to herald the return of values to our decadent kingdom.
And in a reborn France
we shall be invisible princes...
God is with us!
The people cannot fathom the Lord's wrath.
The unjust censure of the King...
cannot withstand the public's rage.
When that wrath is at a climax,
we'll bargain with the King.
If he couldn't repress one,
imagine if...
from all over the realm, other Beasts burst forth?
The hour is at hand to reap what we've sewn.
Let us read from Malachi.
"The word of the priest is the depository of science.
And from his mouth is sought
knowledge of the law... for he is the angel...
of the lord of hosts..."
"He who adores the Beast or its image...
shall drink the Lord's wrath.
He shall be tormented
in the fire and brimstone...
before the angels.
The smoke of his torments...
shall rise
in the century of centuries."
I'm back to name you.
Pierre-Jean Laffont.
Geneviève De Morangias...
Maxime Des Forêts.
Gontran De Moncan... Henri Sardis.
Jean-François De Morangias.
Amen!
Fire!
Damned bastards! You're all under arrest!
Nobody moves!
Fire!
Ghost or no ghost...
I'll split you in two.
See?
No need to hold back.
I never intended to.
Too late, Fronsac. The Beast is immortal now.
Perhaps, but you are not!
Sardis trained you...
As you trained the Beast.
How did you know?
You use silver bullets.
Marianne
look!
Marianne is not here, madman.
You've united us forever.
Line the bastards up!
Who do you think you are?
- Over there - What an injustice!
Look at them!
Not so high and mighty now!
Get back!
Come on!
Hurry!
- He's dead. - Now it's certain.
And Sardis?
Wherever he runs, we'll find him.
Or the mountain will take him.
Shall we celebrate properly?
You've killed me once.
The better to revive you.
I could introduce you in Rome.
Would you come with me?
Too late.
I like you, Fronsac.
You make me forget all my duties.
Leave, before I change my mind.
Marquis!
- what is it? - Marianne.
I've had her brought home. She's dying.
No!
Get out! Go away!
All of you!
Marianne!
Marianne, wake up!
Marianne...
Marianne, forgive me.
I love you.
Years passed...
but Grégoire De Fronsac and Marianne De Morangias
never left my memory.
The world that made the Beast is dying away.
And I must hasten, for my story, too,
is ending.
I remember the Chevalier and I
at Jean-François's hideaway...
where the Beast awaited her final hour.
The old healer told us all he knew.
Jean-François brought an animal from Africa,
and it dropped a litter.
Only one cub was kept.
The strongest. Patiently...
and cruelly...
he'd trained it, made it ever meaner.
Thus died the Beast of Gévaudan.
And I,
Thomas d'Apcher...
am probably the last to know the whole truth.
You will die!
The Chevalier invited me to Africa...
but my land needed rebuilding.
My duty was to my countrymen, my land.
I've often thought of Grégoire and Marianne...
over the peaceful years that brought me gently
to old age.
I never saw them again...
but I like to think they lived happily, far from here.