But for now here there are a lot of FADE IN/FADE OUTs as Saltheart is telling Covenant the story of the unhome... my own vision of course... but I give sneak peeks to Bhrathairain harbor, Elohims and the meeting of the Giants and Kevin and the beginning of the building of Revelstone... read on
FADE TO
POV Covenant is no longer lying down but sitting length wise along the seat. His pack supports his back as his staff rests in the crook of one arm. The Giant at the stern is quiet now, watching his passenger. Then, casually he asks Covenant.
SALTHEART
Are you a story teller Thomas Covenant?
COVENANT
(absently)
I, was, once.
SALTHEART
(surprised)
And you gave it up? Ah, that is as sad a tale in three
words as any you might have told me.
But a life without a tale, is like a sea without salt.
How do you live?
POV Covenant closes his eyes tightly for a moment, then turns around in his seat still facing forward and rests his arms on the gunwales of the boat, he places his chin on his arms. He’s quiet and still absently he replies.
COVENANT
I live.
POV Saltheart face falls even further.
SALTHEART
(half teasing, half sympathetic)
Another? In two words, a story
sadder than the first. Say no more ... with one word
you will make me weep.
POV Covenant sitting upright and looking over his shoulder back at the Giant.
POV Saltheart’s face has no mirth at all to it. It is contemplative as he stares back at Covenant.
POV Covenant regards his guide then turns back forward and shrugs his shoulders.
Pause
SALTHEART
Well, this is a bad pass for me.
Our journeying will not be easy and I had hoped
that you could lightened the leagues with a story.
But no matter. I judge you will tell no happy tales in
any case. Ravers. Waynhim and the
Andelainian Wraiths slain. Well, some of this
does not surprise me. Our old ones
have often guessed that Soulcrusher would not die
as easily as Kevin hoped. Stone and Sea. All that
Desecration ---- ravage and rapine ---- for a false hope.
(pauses)
But we have a saying, and it comforts
our children — as few as they are ---- when they weep
for the nation, the homes and company of our people, which we lost ----
We say; “Joy is in the ears that hear, not in the mouth that speaks.”
The world has few stories glad in themselves, and we must
have glad ears to defy Despite. Praise the Creator! Old Lord
Damelon Giantfriend knew the value of a good laugh.
When we reached the Land we were too grieved to fight for
the right to live.
POV CU Covenant shuts his eyes tightly at Foamfollower’s words. He whispers to himself tightly.
COVENANT
Did I laugh too much in so little time?
POV Foamfollower sitting behind Covenant, not noticing the pain his words are causing. He continues his narrative.
SALTHEART
You humans are an impatient lot. Do you think that
I ramble? Not a bit. I have come hastening to the point.
Since you have given up the telling of stories, and
since it appears that neither of us is happy enough to
withstand the recital of your adventures — why, I must do
the telling myself. There is strength in stories — heart rebirth and thew
binding — and even Giants need strength when they have
to face tasks such as mine.
POV Covenant with his head on his arms as they cross the gunwales, opens his eyes and looks out into nothing. Softly his voice croaks.
COVENANT
Tell.
POV Saltheart sits up in his seat. His smile returns and he looks upon Covenant almost gratefully.
SALTHEART
Ali, that was not so bad. You recover despite yourself. Now then,
gladden your ears, and listen gaily, for I am no
purveyor of sorrows — though in times of action we do not wince from facts.
If you ask me to re-sail your path here, I would require every detail of your
journey before I took three steps into the Hills.
Re-sailing is perilous, and too often return is
impossible, the path is lost, or the traveler changed
beyond hope of recovery.
POV Saltheart pauses and bends down to pick up a leather wine pouch. He unstops the end and holds the tiller under his arm as he lifts the pouch to his lips and drinks deeply from it. After a few swallows he lowers the pouch and carefully stops up the mouth and sets it down. Taking the tiller back into his hand he smacks his lips and grins broadly.
SALTHEART
But you must understand, Unbeliever
that selecting a tale is usually a matter for deliberation.
The old Giantish is a wealth of stories, and some take days in the
telling. Once as a child I heard three
times in succession the tale of Bahgoon the Unbearable
and Thelma Twofist, who tamed him — now that was
a story worth the laughter — but nine days
were gone before I knew it. However, you do not speak Giantish,
and the translation is a long task, even for Giants, so the
problem of selection is simplified. But the lore of our life in
Seareach since our ships found the Land
contains many times many stories — tales of the reigns
of Damelon Giantfriend and Loric Vilesilencer and Kevin, who is
now called Landwaster — tales of the building, carving
out of the mountain, of Revelstone, revered rock, a ‘handmark of
allegiance and fealty in the eternal stone of time. But, again selection is easy
because you are a stranger. I will tell you the first story of
the Seareach Giants the song of the Unhomed.
The Giant pauses in his narrative to drink again from his wine sack and as he does so the scene changes from a slow fade out to fade in to illustrate the Giant’s story.
We are the Unhomed --
lost voyagers of the world.
In the land beyond the Sunbirth Sea
we lived and had our homes and grew --
and set our sails to the wind,
unheeding of the peril of the lost.
We are the Unhomed.
From home and hearth,
stone sacred dwellings crafted by our reverent hands,
we set our sails to the wind of the stars,
and carried life to lands across the earth,
careless of the peril of our loss.
We are the Unhomed --
lost voyagers of the world.
From desert shore to high cliff crag,
home of men and sylvan sea-edge faery lands --
from dream to dream we set our sails,
and smiled at the rainbow of our loss.
Now we are Unhomed,
bereft of root and kith and kin.
From other mysteries of delight,
we set our sails to resail our track;
but the winds of life blew not the way we chose,
and the land beyond the Sea was lost.
POV FADE IN
A rolling sea with no horizons as the camera pans across the surface. Soon a ship’s prow appears followed by the sides being washed from the spray. The camera moves back and we see that the ship is made out of stone, granite in color and composition. As the camera continues to show us more of the ship we see it is similar to the old sailing ships of the 1700's The styling is a blend of English Clippers, Spanish Galleons and Chinese Junks. There are seven of them spaced out in a loose formation. The ships we see are huge, sized for Giants. The scale is fitted to Giants but there’s still a sense of immensity as we view the three masted ship. Giants are high in the rigging and moving along the main deck. At the wheel stands a seaman with a tall figure behind them shouting orders. The camera pans up and high over the ship giving us a gull’s eye view of the ship below.
All sails are rigged and the ship moves across the water despite the weight of the granite of it’s hull.
POV FADE OUT/IN
High (gull’s view) angle of two of the ships pulling into a port. The size of the ship dwarfs all others in the harbor as it pulls into a dock...one made for a ship of that size. The view circles the harbor and we can see a portion of the port city, just on the edge of the screen to our right we see a towering edifice like co-centric circles stacked on-top of each other ending at the top with a tall spire, surrounding the city is a large wall that is half built. Behind the wall is a large expanse of desert going off to the horizon. The slow circling pan moves us out of the view of the ship and
FADE OUT/IN
The giant ships are moving through a storm. As the “gull’s eye” moves closer we can see giants in the rigging clewing canvas to the yard-arms, the gull’s eye moves closer to a particular group of giants high in the upper most spars working mightly to pull in sail, their faces all laughter and glee at the challenge the storm is presenting them.
FADE OUT/IN
Gull’s eye view of the giantships pulling near a rocky shoreline. Quick fade/in closer to a small group of Giants standing in front of a group of normal sized humans. The humans are dressed in thin rainments of almost sheer multi-colored fabric, the group of Giants bow low to the humans in homage. There are smiles all around.
FADE OUT/IN
Another storm and the giants work hard in it. A zooming pan close up/move-away shows that this time it’s serious as there are no smiles on any of the giants up in the rigging. Sails are being torn and cut away and the gull’s eye moves around and around in a spin.
FADE OUT/IN
Several of the giantships are on a shore, two of them lean hard to one side or the other. We can see still another limping in to meet up with it’s brethren while still another is half sunk and long boats are moving away. The rest are anchored some distance away. We move in shore and come up behind a small group of giants standing facing a tall cliff some hundred feet away. Their clothes are torn in places, one is wounded as evident of their leaning against a companion for support.
FADE OUT/IN
Giants are in the cliffs carving out homes for themselves in the form of caves suited for their size. It is a cliff city reminiscent of the Anasazi and Pueblo Indians with several levels of wonderfully carved stairs and openings. No two are exactly alike. There is activity all around the cliff faces and along the shore. Parts of the damaged giantships seem to be cannibalized.
FADE OUT/IN
POV behind a small group of Giants are walking up a natural staircase to a cliff’s edge. The camera follows the lead giants where they crest the ridge and come across a group of 10-12 humans. One of them we recognize as Kevin. Gull’s eye is level at first as the humans approach the Giants closely guarded by a dark skinned race of humans wearing short tunics. The one named Kevin steps up boldly to the lead giant and bows holding his staff level with his head. The giants stare for a moment and then throw back their heads to laugh.
FADE OUT/IN
POV Behind a group of people and Giants as they are looking towards yet another cliff. This one massive and amazingly we can see tiny frame-works around the front of it that could only be scaffolding as a city is being carved out of the cliff face itself. Giants are conferring with humans in bright blue robes over plans and drawings. Ever-present are the dark-skinned warriors looking at the construction with impassive faces.
FADE OUT/IN
POV Gull’s eye as it soars away from the group of Giants and humans and lifts up into the blue skies above them. We follow the path as it circles around and then face earthward again to see a river snaking peacefully through lush green hills. As we descend we spy the long-boat used by Covenant and Foamfollower. The view moves gracefully towards the boat until it reaches the Giant’s bearded face. His face is serene and calm as he concludes his narrative.
SALTHEART
Stone and Sea! We are a long-lived people, compared to your humans
I was born on shipboard during the short voyage which saved us
from the Desecration, and my great-grandparents were among the first
wanderers. And we have so few children. Rarely does any woman bear
more than one child. So now there are 500 of us, and our
vitality narrows with each generation.
We cannot forget.
POV Saltheart’s face is quiet, no smile touches his face. A tear courses slowly down his face.
POV Covenant rising up from his reclining position looks silently at the Giant seated before him. His face too shows no emotion. The giant sees this and gives a wan smile.
SALTHEART
Laugh, Thomas Covenant laugh for me.
Joy is in the ears that hear.
) will send the copy back with red ink all over it saying trim this and cut that. 
Wow. Seafoam. Awesome.
