Demonia

It is done, come.

What happened?

And how did I get here?

You fainted.

I brought you home.

You?

I don't understand.

Just put your mind to it.

Oh.

I remember now.

I was at the--

I know.

You were attending another of those foolish seances

you're so fond of.

How many times have you heard me tell you, Liza?

An archaeologist digs into the past with his intelligence,

not his superstition.

Remember?

- I go to those seances, professor, for fun.

It isn't serious.

Well, I hope not.

Now, get some rest.

Try to dream about the beauty, the grace,

the ancient Greek culture we're going to study in Sicily.

Once we get there and start to do some work on the dig,

you'll forget all about things like seances and black magic.

The plane leaves at 6:30.

Have your bags ready at a quarter past four.

I'll pick you up.

Two meters to the left.

No, no, no.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay.

Mmmm.

Ah.

Mmmm.

Robbie.

Look at you.

Why in God's name are you always in the dirt.

Get in here right now.

I have to wash you all over again.

Don't look at me like that.

Come on, get in here, on the double.

Got the stakes laid out yet?

Kevin and Sean are taking care of it.

All right.

Have you seen Liza?

I saw her heading toward the hill

no more than five minutes ago.

Liza?

Liza!

You startled me, Paul.

What'd you think I was?

One of your medieval spirits?

- No, it's just that these ruins are so compelling.

They give the feeling that there's

something still alive in there.

Something probably is.

Rats, stray cats.

You know, for an archaeology student,

you're not being very scientific.

Besides, you shouldn't waste your time

with the dark ages of history.

We're here to study a brighter, more enlightened period.

Yes, the time of the ancient Greeks.

Exactly.

I'm sorry, Paul.

It's just that there's so much here

and I'm fascinated by everything.

Better concentrate on the dig.

All right.

You're the boss.

- Professor Evans from the University of Toronto?

Yes?

I am the mayor of Santa Rosaria.

I just heard about your arrival

and I wanted to pay a small visit.

Well, that's very kind.

I was hoping to meet you.

We'll probably be in need of some locals

as our collaborators.

- That is precisely what I wanted to talk to you about.

I'm afraid that you will not,

will not get support from people here.

They, let's say, they do not take well to foreigners.

And then we have a kind of old saying,

the past is dead and the dead must rest in peace.

Well, I don't think they understand.

We're archaeologists.

We're not, we're not gravediggers.

Now, you're not suggesting that we pack up

and go home, are you?

I never said that.

I am here to give you all my possible collaboration.

It was some advice based on the facts.

Nothing more, nothing more.

Well, thank you, Senor--

Buscemi.

Thank you, Senor Buscemi.

I'll be calling on you.

- And I shall be happy to do what I can do for you,

all that's in my power.

Good luck, Mr. Evans, uh, Professor.

What's new?

They're still up there digging.

Why are they doing it?

Why are they such fools?

Don't they know that the dead must be left in peace?

- So, why are they still interfering, those bastard?

What do they think they're going to get out of it?

Only misfortune.

Misfortune and ruin.

They'd be better off if they just went home.

Especially that woman.

They won't.

In that case, the worst is yet to come.

- Okay, you've been on digs and explorations,

I don't know, 10, 15 times in this area

over the last 10 years or so.

That makes you an old hand in my book.

In mine too.

So tell us what you know.

What sort of cooperation can we expect from the locals?

The mines around here are so full

of fright and superstition

and they're so mixed in together

that they practically close the door in your face.

When I was really involved in underworld archaeology,

I had several problems with the open hostility

of these people.

They can be extremely protective of their cultural heritage.

- You're talking about medieval Sicilian history.

That doesn't interest me.

We're here to study the ancient Greek influence

on the area.

But these people don't know that.

Well, what difference does it make?

I mean, what are they afraid of?

- There's an old monastery there on that hill,

at least what's left of one,

and the people in these parts,

they rarely venture up there.

You hear a lot of strange stories about that place.

What kind of stories?

That's my whole point.

If you tried to get any more details,

the whole thing seems to slip through your fingers

like a handful of eels.

Silence is the usual form of response.

But one thing's sure.

And you can believe this.

They're perfectly ready to kill

just to defend that silence.

How horrible.

It's ridiculous.

It depends on your point of view.

Around here, human life has less value than a feeling.

What kind of feeling?

Whatever.

Love, loyalty, honor, gratitude.

I don't understand.

It's not so easy.

It's a part of their old culture.

Culture.

Yeah, culture.

And it has its roots centuries in the past.

Centuries of ignorant superstition.

Well, it's late.

Wait a minute.

I'd like to know more about the monastery.

If I were you, I would forget

about the monastery, young lady.

Well, thank you, Porter.

You've been a big help.

Any time.

Thank you.

Pleasure.

See you later, Paul.

Right.

Oh my.

Oh my God.

Who are you?

What do you want?

- You're the one who's going to tell me what you want.

You're not going to discover anything down here.

Nothing of interest for someone like you.

- Don't you dare try to interrupt the work we're doing here.