Clockwork Angels: Comic Script (6 page)

PANEL 5

Magnusson claps his hands and shouts, turning to his carnies.

MAGNUSSON

But of course, Captain. We shall do as the Watchmaker wishes. All is for the best.

MAGNUSSON

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN SOON!

PANEL 6

Owen, looking stunned and lovestruck, holds the precious rose that Francesca gave him.

OWEN

Francesca … Yes, all is for the best.

PAGE 16

This section is from the Watchmaker. Use the same gear-tooth panel frame or page embellishment as was developed for issue 1.

PANEL 1

Large establishing panel. External shot of the Watchmaker’s tower, showing part of magnificent Chronos Square. Word balloons come from the tower, two people speaking, a Regulator Captain and the Watchmaker.

CAPTIONS (FOUR SINGLE WORDS, SCATTERED AROUND PANEL)

Tick.

Tock

Tick.

Tock.

REGULATOR CAPTAIN

Watchmaker, sir, all the clocks in the city have been reset. The schedule has been restored. Despite the chaos, the Anarchist caused no permanent damage.

WATCHMAKER

Not true, Captain. His disruption damaged the peoples’ faith in our Stability. He is an insidious man.

WATCHMAKER

I need to inspect my coldfire nexus beneath the square. Just to reassure myself …

PANEL 2

The Watchmaker, accompanied by his faithful clockwork Dalmatian, toils down a steep and spiraling stone staircase. Ahead of him is an intense blue glow, like phosphorescence.

CAPTION (WATCHMAKER)

Chronos Square is the heart of the city.

CAPTION (WATCHMAKER)

Crown City is the heart of Albion.

PANEL 3

The Watchmaker emerges into the underground chamber of the coldfire nexus, like an underground wellspring of alchemical energy, a pool of electric blue fluid with static sparks skittering across the surface. Vaulted ceilings, sewer-like tunnels extending in all directions under the city. Robed alchemist-priests stand around the edge of the pool.

CAPTION (WATCHMAKER)

And the coldfire nexus is the alchemical heart of everything.

CAPTION (WATCHMAKER)

I like to watch it beating.

CAPTION (WATCHMAKER)

It delivers energy throughout the city, charges steam boilers, illuminates street lamps, heats homes, powers hospitals.

CAPTION (WATCHMAKER)

With my Stability, the people lack for nothing …

PAGE 17

PANEL 1

Closer up, Alchemist-priests are dumping bags of powder, packets of crystals, vials of colored liquids into the great bath of the coldfire nexus.

CAPTION (WATCHMAKER)

My creation … tended by my best and brightest alchemical-priests.

CAPTION (WATCHMAKER)

Sulfur and antimony, mercury, natrium, and their associated distillates … These spells and rituals are the height of modern science.

PANEL 2

Extending from the great pool of the coldfire nexus, passages flow underground, like canals or sewer tunnels, flowing with the crackling blue liquid. Lightning dances along the curved walls and ceiling.

CAPTION (WATCHMAKER)

More than two centuries ago, before I came here, the whole city was a riot of smokestacks and slums.

CAPTION (WATCHMAKER)

People crowded in squalid conditions. A land rife with murder, sickness, poverty.

CAPTION (WATCHMAKER)

Disorder, mayhem … ANARCHY.

PANEL 3

A glowing blue light, a sphere like a streetlight floats like a will-o-the-wisp against the brick wall. The clockwork Dalmatian sniffs it.

CAPTION (WATCHMAKER)

Sprawling “civilization” was anything but civilized—until I came.

CAPTION (WATCHMAKER)

And saved them all.

PANEL 4

The chief alchemist-priest presents himself to the Watchmaker. He has a tall white hat, flowing robes stitched with alchemical symbols. I picture him something like the Patriarch in a Greek Orthodox church.

PRIEST

Watchmaker, sir, our alchemical stockpiles run low, but a new steamer is due in port tomorrow with a full cargo from Atlantis.

PRIEST

The Wreckers continue to prey on ships, but we are searching for alternate sources of the rare chemicals. Our Stability is secure.

PANEL 5

The Watchmaker has pulled out a pocketwatch, which he studies, while the Dalmatian sits primly at his master’s side.

WATCHMAKER

Of course it is. All is for the best.

CAPTIONS (FOUR SINGLE WORDS, SCATTERED AROUND PANEL)

Tick.

Tock

Tick.

Tock.

PAGE 18

PANEL 1

Owen goes down to the Crown City port, where the river empties into the ocean. Docks, ships, another zeppelin up in the sky. Owen looks at a big cargo steamer that is just coming up to the dock; deckhands throwing down big hawser ropes.

OWEN

From Barrel Arbor, I never thought the world was so big … and these ships come from even farther away!

PANEL 2

Owen stands on the dock, looking up at the workers. Using winches and cranes, with chugging steam-engines, the porters lift big crates out of the cargo hold. Uniformed men mark off inventory on clipboards. Each crate is marked with a bold alchemical symbol. Owen shouts up at one of the workers.

OWEN

Where did you sail from?

SAILOR

We brought a cargo of rare elements out Poseidon City—taken from the alchemy mines in Atlantis!

PANEL 3

Small panel. Seagulls flying around, wheeling above the ships.

PANEL 4

Owen looks at a big burn scar on the side of the steamer’s hull. He is shocked.

OWEN

Your ship is damaged! What happened?

SAILOR

Just a tussle with the Wreckers, but we got away. We carry precious gems and powders for the Watchmaker, so we’re a target.

PANEL 5

Owen stands on the gangplank as porters bustle past him. The conversational sailor and several of his comrades are up on deck, working hard, lifting boxes. They look at each other and laugh, unable to believe Owen’s question.

OWEN

Can I help?

SAILOR

Ha! Be my guest, lad!

PANEL 6

Owen smiles, his porkpie cap askew, as he carries a crate down the gangplank toward a steam-engine-powered cart. A man with a clipboard checks it off.

OWEN (TO HIMSELF)

I never thought I’d see and do so much in just a few days … and I haven’t even seen the Clockwork Angels yet!

PAGE 19

PANEL 1

Strolling down a street, Owen looks at an interesting museum-like building with an open door. The sign above says THE UNIVERSE (WATCHMAKER APPROVED) with the honeybee symbol.

CAPTION (OWEN)

I wonder if they’ve missed me yet back home in Barrel Arbor … my father, Lavinia, all the people in town.

CAPTION (OWEN)

There’ll be work to do in the apple orchard, the cider house. Fellowship at the Tick Tock Tavern, daily newsgraph reports …

CAPTION (OWEN)

But I’ve still got so much to see here! Such as …

PANEL 2

Inside, looking up at the domed ceiling: it’s painted black with stars like a planetarium, but dangling down and filling most of the area overhead is a giant orrery, a mechanical contraption with the sun in the center and planets on arms extending out from the sun, some of which have moons connected to them. It’s both fantastic and Rube-Goldberg. A wizened, bald old man comes up to stand next to Owen. They are the only ones in the room. He is the ASTRONOMER-DOCENT. [This could be two panels, if you have the room.]

OWEN

It’s the whole universe!

ASTRONOMER-DOCENT

This is the Watchmaker’s official orrery. The worlds and stars the way they
should
be, according to design—without any pesky retrograde orbits or elliptical deviations.

PANEL 3

Owen and Astronomer-Docent two-shot. The Astronomer-Docent gestures toward a steam-engine generator machine against the wall, which has a prominent coin slot.

OWEN

How does it work?

ASTRONOMER-DOCENT

The functionality of the planets and moons is available … for a nominal fee.

PANEL 4

Owen holds out his hand with just a few coins in the palm. The Astronomer-Docent snatches them.

OWEN

These are all the coins I have left …

ASTRONOMER-DOCENT

That will be nominal enough.

PANEL 5

Looking down from above, through the contraption which is now spinning and whirring, we see the small figures of Owen and the Astronomer-Docent looking up.

OWEN

I used to look up at the stars back home. I was brought up to believe the universe has a plan.

ASTRONOMER-DOCENT

The Anarchist is intent on disrupting the world, as he just did with so many clocks in Crown City … but here, ah, the universe is safe and secure. As it should be.

PAGE 20

PANEL 1

As it gets dark outside, Owen walks down the streets, which now look mostly empty. We see a shopkeeper locking up/closing shutters. Owen has pulled his trouser pockets inside out, holding the tips in his fingers to show how empty they are.

OWEN

No money … nowhere to go. No place to sleep …

PANEL 2

Night time now, glowing blue globes of coldfire street lights create an eerie atmosphere. Owen looks forlorn. At the corner farther down the street, a town crier yells out.

OWEN

This started out as an adventure, but now it doesn’t feel that way …

CRIER

Ten o’clock, and all is for the best!

PANEL 3

As Owen passes a dark and shadowy alley, he hears a hiss, sees the sinister shadow of a crouching figure back there, holding something in his hand, doing something to the wall.

SFX

Hssssssssss

OWEN

Hello? Who’s that?

PANEL 4

The shadow-man (the Anarchist) drops the object in his hand, bolts and runs out the other end of the (open) alley as Owen shouts and dashes in.

OWEN

Hey! What are you doing?

SFX

Clink clank

PANEL 5

Crouching down, Owen picks up a steampunk copper-sided spray can with gears and nozzles. He looks up in horror at fresh words spray-painted on the wall, along with the circle-A Anarchist symbol. TICK TOCK! TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR THE WATCHMAKER. Some of the letters are running, dripping.

OWEN

The Anarchist!

PANEL 6

At the mouth of the alley where Owen has just entered, the silhouettes of several uniformed Regulators block the way.

REGULATOR

You there! Stop in the name of the Watchmaker.

PAGE 21

PANEL 1

Owen looks down at the spray can in his hand, in shock. The Regulators shout and charge into the alley.

OWEN (SMALL VOICE)

Oh, no …

REGULATOR

It’s the Anarchist! Take him!

PANEL 2

Owen drops the can and runs, hauling ass.

PANEL 3

Owen runs, bolting around a corner. (I would prefer to have one more panel of him running/being chased, if there’s room.)

PANEL 4

In a dark public park with silhouetted trees (in theory, the same now-abandoned public area where the carnival had been set up, but that’s probably too much to convey). Owen, panting, slumps against a tree trunk.

OWEN

Safe at last … Maybe a place I can rest, get a new start tomorrow …

PANEL 5

Owen is more relaxed at the base of the tree (a callback to how he relaxed against the apple tree in Issue 1). His change of position implies that time has passed. Two Regulators grab Owen by the arms, yanking him to his feet.

REGULATOR

What do you think you’re doing? You can’t stay here—this is a
public
park.

REGULATOR 2

Where are your papers? Where do you belong?

OWEN

I’m not the Anarchist! Honest!

REGULATOR 2

We are not the Anarchist detail. But if you don’t have your papers, you don’t belong in Crown City.

PANEL 6

The Regulators wrestle a baffled and protesting Owen into the back of an oddball steampunk paddy wagon.

OWEN

But I’m not from Crown City. I’m from a small village. I just came—

REGULATOR

Everything in its place. We will help you on your way.

REGULATOR 2

Yeah, we’ll give you a head start. … Far away from the city.

PAGE 22

PANEL 1

Owen brushes himself off and tries to regain his dignity as he walks away. Behind him, the paddy wagon is small in the distance, driving back toward Crown City. It’s dark, scrub grass all around, but Crown City has a bright glow in the distance behind him.

OWEN

Must be what I deserve … On my way at last.

PANEL 2

Forlorn, Owen trudges along into the unlit night. Lots of stars overhead in a black sky.

OWEN

Even though I don’t know where I’m going.

PANEL 3

Crossing grassy terrain, he climbs up a gentle hill. There’s a curious glow coming from the other side of the hill.

PANEL 4

Big splashy panel. Reaching the top of the hill, Owen looks down to see the sprawling, colorful, and well-lit camp of the Magnusson Carnival Extravaganza! This is where they set up after being chased from the city—tents and pavilions, practice areas, animal wagons. Everything looks colorful and welcoming. Owen has a smile of relief on his face.