GUARD

What kind'a contraband you hiding in there, boy?

Cells are opened, occupants displaced, items scattered, mattresses overturned. Whatever contraband is found gets tossed out onto the cellblock floor. Mostly harmless stuff.

A GUARD pulls a sharpened screwdriver out of a mattress, shoots a nasty look at the CON responsible.

NORTON

Solitary. A week. Make sure he takes his Bible.

CON

Too goddamn dark to read down there.

NORTON

Add another week for blasphemy.

The man is taken away. Norton's gaze goes up.

NORTON

Let's try the second tier.

2ND TIER

Norton arrives, makes a thin show of picking a cell at random. He motions at Andy on his bunk, reading his Bible. The door is unlocked. Norton enters, trailed by his men. Andy rises.

ANDY

Good evening.

Norton gives a curt nod. Hadley and Trout start tossing the cell in a thorough search. Norton keeps his eyes on Andy, looking for a wrong glance or nervous blink. He takes the Bible out of Andy's hand.

NORTON

I'm pleased to see you reading this. Any favorite passages?

ANDY

Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when the master of the house cometh.

NORTON

(smiles)

Luke. Chapter 13, verse 35. I've always liked that one.

(strolls the cell)

But I prefer: "I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

ANDY

John. Chapter 8, verse 12.

NORTON

I hear you're good with numbers. How nice. A man should have a skill.

HADLEY

You wanna explain this?

Andy glances over. Hadley is holding up a rock blanket, a polishing cloth roughly the size of an oven mitt.

ANDY

It's called a rock blanket. It's for shaping and polishing rocks. Little hobby of mine.

Hadley glances at the rocks lining the window sill, turns to Norton.

HADLEY

Looks pretty clean. Some contraband here, nothing to get in a twist over.

Norton nods, strolls to the poster of Rita.

NORTON

I can't say I approve of this…

(turns to Andy)

…but I suppose exceptions can always be made.

Norton exits, the guards follow. The cell door is slammed and locked. Norton pauses, turns back.

NORTON

I almost forgot.

He reaches through the bars and returns the Bible to Andy.

NORTON

I'd hate to deprive you of this. Salvation lies within.

Norton and his men walk away.

RED (V.O.)

Tossin' cells was just an excuse. Truth is, Norton wanted to size Andy up.

INT -- PRISON LAUNDRY -- DAY (1949)

Andy is working the line. Hadley enters and confers briefly with Bob. Bob nods, crosses to Andy, taps him. Andy turns, removes an earplug. Bob shouts over the machine noise:

BOB

DUFRESNE! YOU'RE OFF THE LINE!

INT -- WARDEN NORTON'S OFFICE -- DAY (1949)

Andy is led in. Norton is at his desk doing paperwork. Andy's eyes go to a framed needle-point sampler on the wall behind him that reads: "HIS JUDGMENT COMETH AND THAT RIGHT SOON."

NORTON

My wife made that in church group.