The Serpent/Transcript

Did I hear that right?

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SCENE: Agrabah. Past. Many years ago. In the busy marketplace there is a blacksmith working in his shop.

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Blacksmith: Boy? Boy. The fire is dying. Boy! (The boy enters from outside.)
Boy: Father, there was no coal left, I had to go--
Blacksmith: No more excuses! I should throw you back into the gutter where I found you.
Boy: No, please.
Blacksmith: Maybe another night without food will remind you to be better prepared. (The blacksmith returns to his work. While outside the townspeople all run in fear of a mysterious woman. The boy stares intently at the woman.)
Blacksmith: (whispers) Boy! Boy, turn away. (The woman causally grabs produce from an unattended stall and makes a coin magically appear as payment. The woman notices the boy is gazing at her.) Boy, turn away! Boy, she'll burn us where we stand. (The woman stares him down but he does not deter. The woman just moves on.)

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SCENE: Agrabah. Past. Night. A house in the outskirts out looking the city. The boy slowly approaches the house and knocks on the door. The woman answers.

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Boy: I'm sorry to disturb you. I--
Woman: You work at the market.
Boy: Yes--
Woman: What are you doing here at my door?
Boy: I was wondering if--
Woman: I'm not asking what you want. I'm asking, why you disturb me? You must know what I can do to you.
Boy: Death would be a kindness compared to the life I have had of me. I want you to teach me.
Woman: Teach you?
Boy: Dark magic. So then one day people will fear me as they fear you.
Woman: No.
Boy: Please! I will work for you. Do anything you want.
Woman: Dark magic you do not use to simply fight off bullies.
Boy: That's not what--
Woman: Then what is it?
Boy: I want revenge.
Woman: On who? (The boy hesitates. The woman sighs.) Oh, go away boy before I turn--
Boy: The Sultan. (The woman is intrigued.)
Woman: And why would someone like you have any concern with the sultan.
Boy: Because...he's my father.
Woman: Is this true? There's nothing more important between two people than honesty. To my eyes, you look nothing like royalty.
Boy: He abandoned me!
Woman: Why would the sultan abandon his own flesh and blood?
Boy: Because, as he says, I am his bastard. I hate him with the fire of a thousand suns!
Woman: Finally...honesty. (She grabs the boy by the chin.) What's your name, boy?
Boy: Jafar.
Woman: Well, Jafar. Tomorrow, we will begin to see what you can do. (The boy smiles.)

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SCENE: Wonderland. Present. Wonderland Castle. The Red Queen is being adorned with the royal jewels by Tweedledee and Tweedledum

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Red Queen: Fabulous. (Jafar magically appears.) There's a thing called the front door, darling. You really must try it some time.
Jafar: I thought making our interactions secret would be more to your liking. After all, secrets seem to be a habit of yours. (The Tweedles look at the Queen worried.)
Red Queen: Tweedles, be gone, dears.
Jafar: There's nothing more important...between two people...than honesty. Wouldn't you agree?
Red Queen: What's this about?
Jafar: Why didn't you tell me Alice brought a friend to Wonderland? This Knave of Hearts?
Red Queen: Because it was an inconsequential detail. He's nothing but a cowardly thief. He's of very little concern to us.
Jafar: Actually, he's caused a great deal of trouble. So I'd say, his presence is of great concern. Why did you bring him?!
Red Queen: Because it wasn't quite as simple as sending Alice an invitation. Otherwise, you'd had done it yourself. I needed someone that Alice trusted. And that someone happened to be the Knave. He's served his purpose.
Jafar: And now his purpose is done.
Red Queen: Precisely.
Jafar: Then, there's no issue. Eliminate him. Remove him from the playing field.

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SCENE: Wonderland. Present. Alice and Knave walk through the woods.

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Knave: Going after the Red Queen is a bad idea, Alice.
Alice: She stole Cyrus' bottle. It only stands to reason that she has Cyrus as well.
Knave: So you're gonna go after the entire Red Army all by yourself?
Alice: If that's what it takes.
Knave: There's a smarter way of doing this.
Alice: Is there now?
Knave: Play with the hand you've been dealt with, Alice.
Alice: I've seen your cards, Knave. And they're quite lacking.
Knave: Which exactly the time to start bluffing. Look, the White Rabbit, he has no idea that we know he's working for the Queen. We need to use that to our advantage. Fool him into telling us where Cyrus is.
Alice: Or we could pick him up by the feet, dangle him over a cliff until he tells us everything he knows.
Knave: We need to work on your poker face. (Indistinct voice is heard in the distance.)
Alice: Did you here that?
Knave: I did.
Alice: Ooh. Someone's following us. (They duck behind a bush.)
Knave: By the sounds of things, several someones.
Alice:
Knave: They work for the Caterpillar. They're Collectors.
Alice: What are our options?
Knave: Well, basically, we could die or we could run.
Alice: I don't particularly care for the first one.
Knave: Me either. Left or right?
Alice: Left. (They start running through the woods.)
Knave: Okay. Collector: There he goes! (The collectors follow pursuit. Alice and Knave lose them and they hide in a large tree stump)
Knave: I'm the one they want. We should split up.
Alice: We should stay and fight.
Knave: Or better idea: You stay, I go. Oi, over here!
Alice: Will, no!
Knave: I'll be fine I know these woods like the back of my hand. (He trips.) I'm fine! I'll meet you back at Tulgey.
Alice: Will! (The Collectors chase after Knave. Worried, Alice hold her pendent) It's okay, Cyrus. This is just a detour. I'll be with you soon.

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SCENE: Wonderland. Present. Jafar's Tower. Cyrus thoughts are interrupted by the prison guard's burping.

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Cyrus: Please, sir. I haven't eaten for days.
Guard: You should of thought of that before you did whatever thing you did.
Cyrus: You're right. I made some terrible mistakes but I'm starving. Could you even spare a bone. A little taste. (The guard throws him his carcass.)
Guard: See if you can find a morsel out of that.
Old Prisoner: In all the days we've been here together, I've never seen you grovel like that for anything let alone food.
Cyrus: Because I'm not interested in food.
Old Prisoner: You wanted a bone.
Cyrus: It's a Wishbone.
Old Prisoner: (chuckles.) You're going to wish yourself out of this place. (He goes back to lie down.)
Cyrus: It's something like that. (Cyrus breaks the Wishbone.)

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SCENE: Wonderland. Present. Knave runs through the woods and hides behind a large tree stump.

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Collector: We must of missed him. You go this way. I'll double back. Look along the bank. (Knave smiles. Knave need fears groaning and punches. He tries to see through a hole of the stump to see what happened. Everything's quite so he decides to have a closer look. He sees all the collectors knocked out cold on the floor.)
Knave: Alice?
Red Queen: (off screen) Do you really think she could've done this all by herself?
Knave: Bloody hell.
Red Queen: Hello, Will. (Knave looks behind him to see the Red Queen.)

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SCENE: Agrabah. Past. Amara's House. A much older Jafar is listening to his friend, Akil's story of his goat.

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Akil: (laughing.) So...So I'm scrabbling down the rock face to try and save him when the stupid goat, he sees a scrub. No bigger than a chickpea. But he has to eat it. He takes one step (Imitates goat bleats.)
Jafar: One can never underestimate the stupidity or the appetite of a goat.
Akil: Yes.
Jafar: Thanks for saving him, Akil. Even if he didn't deserve it. (Jafar pats the goat.)
Akil: It is my job.
Jafar: We have this wine for you, as a reward for your good work.
Akil: Oh, thank you, Jafar. May you rest easy. (Jafar enters the house and Akil and the goat enjoy their winnings. Jafar notices Amara is reading from a book and approaches her.)
Amara: No, not yet.
Jafar: When are you going to let me study the spells inside that book?
Amara: When you're ready. Which of now, you're not. It is however, time to teach you the masking spell. Which you've been so eager to learn.
Jafar: But I thought you said, we couldn't because it requires a human liver.
Amara: It does. But you've just gotten us one. The wine you gave Akil. It was poisoned. He'll be dead any moment now. (Jafar stands up and sees Akil outside struggling to breath through the window.)
Jafar: But Akil did nothing.
Amara: Quite right. He's a fine man. (Amara takes out a small bottle.) And this is the antidote to the poison. (Jafar immediately takes it.) If you wish you can give it to him. But if you do we won't have the liver. And you won't be able to learn the spell. Do you know what this is, Jafar? (Holding up her necklace.)
Jafar: A serpent.
Amara: Do you know why I surround myself with such creatures.
Jafar: No.
Amara: It is because of their true essence. Their most important quality...that when they need to...they shed their skin and are reborn. And that is what you need to do, Jafar.
Jafar: By letting an innocent die?
Amara: By showing me, that you're willing to do what is necessary to get what you want. Are you? Are you still that little boy that came to my door, full of anger but little else. (Jafar places the antidote on the table. Akil's scrabbling stops.) Well, now we know. (Amara grabs Jafar's hand and caresses her necklace with it.) Hmm. Congratulations, Jafar. You are reborn. (Amara caresses Jafar's hair and kisses him.)

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SCENE: Wonderland. Present. Jafar's Lair. Jafar is looking through a book and is interrupted by Tweedledee speaking through a looking glass.

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Tweedledee: Sire. She's got him, the Knave of Hearts. They're on their way back to the palace.
Jafar: Excellent.
Tweedledee: Is there anything...else I can do for you?
Jafar: No, I shall take it from here. Remind me to reward you for your good work.
Tweedledee: Of course.

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SCENE: Wonderland. Present. Wonderland Castle's Dungeon. Red Queen locks Knave in a dungeon cell. She waits for the guards to leave.

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Red Queen: You should've never come back to Wonderland, Will. So will did your girlfriend, Alice offer you that was so enticing enough for you to overcome your survival instincts, hm?
Knave: She's not me girlfriend. I'm clearly not attracted to nice, normal women.
Red Queen: What have you been up to all these years, Will? Still begging, boring and stealing.
Knave: Bloody hell. You may have fooled all these people into believing you're some kind of queen, but I know who you really are...Anastasia.
Red Queen: You really never knew when to stop fighting, Will.
Knave: How long are you going to keep me here?
Red Queen: How 'bout we start with forever and work our way back from there.(The Red Queen walks out.)

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SCENE: Wonderland. Present. A drunk man exits the Mushroom door to the Underland. Alice watches from a distance waiting for the right time. The man walks away and Alice draws her sword making her way to the door.

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Woman: (off screen.) Here's not in there.
Alice: Who's not in there?
Woman: You're looking for the Knave, right. He ain't in there.
Alice: How do you know?
Woman: Because if he was, I'd be inside collecting a reward.
Alice: You're one of those collectors, that was chasing him.
Woman: And unfortunately, I'm not the one catching him.
Alice: Wait, did someone catch him?
Woman: I can tell ya, See I got this thing where it's hard me being straight with people pointing swords at me. (Alice puts down her sword.) The Red Queen's got 'im.
Alice: Are you quite sure?
Woman: Oh yeah. I got the bruises to prove it.
Alice: Well, I know what I have to do. Thank you, Miss...
Woman: Elizabeth. But most people call me Lizard.
Alice: Alice. Wish me luck.
Lizard: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait. You're going after him.
Alice: No. I'm going after her.
Lizard: Ha! The Red Queen. You can't go there by yourself.
Alice: Why does everybody keep telling me that.
Lizard: Maybe because it's true. Fine. Hell with it. I'm coming with ya.
Alice: I'm quite certain I didn't ask you to.
Lizard: Whatever, the Knave owes me and a dead man can't pay debts. (Lizard walks ahead and Alice follows.)

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SCENE: Wonderland. Present. Red Queen sits in front of a chessboard playing against no one. She decides to move a pawn. Then Jafar magically appears

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Jafar: Congratulations, your Majesty.
Red Queen: About what?
Jafar: Such a quick capture of the Knave.
Red Queen: News travels fast.
Jafar: Yes, it does, doesn't? But I just have to ask, why is he still breathing?
Red Queen: Pardon?
Jafar: The Knave. I understand, he's locked in your dungeon. I was just curious as to why that is.

"The Serpent" Transcript