Clockwork Angels: Comic Script (7 page)

PAGE 1

PANEL 1

Big dramatic panel, nighttime. TOMIO in his dashing, swashbuckling clothes thrusts his rapier forward, its tip just touching Owen’s chest. Owen is panicked, drawing back, arms up. In the background we see the carnival set up, campfires and blue coldfire glows from lanterns. Tents around, carnies; some of them have turned to stare at the tableau.

TOMIO

Who goes there? What business do you have with the Magnusson Carnival Extravaganza.

OWEN

I’m O-Owen … Owen Hardy. From Barrel Arbor. I saw the lights … I just came to see.

PANEL 2

Flippant and giving him a rakish grin, Tomio lifts the rapier and rests it casually on his own shoulder.

TOMIO

Well, then, Owen Hardy from Barrel Arbor, you may look all you like. I’m Tomio, alchemist, fire-eater, night-watchman, and soon to be expert swordsman.

[LINK]

Why are you here?

PANEL 3

Owen close-up, befuddled as much as frightened.

OWEN

Because … I’m here. I was run out of Crown City and I’m far from home.

[LINK]

I don’t have anywhere else to go.

PANEL 4

Big panel, all the other carnies come forward (not Francesca)—we see Louisa the bearded lady, Golson the strongman, the three clowns Leke, Deke, and Peke, Cesar Magnusson with his big mustache, and other roustabouts, all gathering to welcome Owen.

TOMIO

Then this is exactly where you belong.

PAGE 2

PANEL 1

Establishing shot of the carnie camp next morning, viewed from a high angle. Tents and busy activity. Roustabouts are tearing down pavilions, poles, loading up wagons. Tables are set up, cookfires going. We can see a small figure (not prominent) walking a practice tightrope strung between two poles.

CAPTION

Next morning.

PANEL 2

At a long plank-and-trestle breakfast table, carnie workers are eating from plates, sitting next to one another, chatting. LOUISA the Bearded Lady is there in a lavender dress, ribbons tied in her beard. Owen is gathering up dirty plates. At some point in this scene, either Panel 2 or 3, show a barrel or a bowl of apples, which we’ll need on the next page.

LOUISA

We’re all misfits here, Owen Hardy. Even the Watchmaker doesn’t know our exact schedule.

OWEN

I’m a hard worker. I’ll help wherever I can. I used to be the assistant apple orchard manager …

PANEL 3

Francesca appears, raven-haired, dressed in workout clothes (she’s just been on the practice tightrope). She’s gorgeous, the type of person who can—and will—steal your heart with a glance.

FRANCESCA

Unfortunately, we don’t have any apple orchards to tend. You’ll have to find a useful skill if you’re going to stay with the carnival.

PANEL 4

Owen is breathless, smitten with her. In the background of the panel, sepia-toned (to indicate flashback/dream) is the same art from p. 14, Panel 1 in issue 2, of Francesca on the tightrope.

OWEN

You … you’re the amazing FRANCESCA! I watched you perform!

PANEL 5

Small panel, Owen’s hands—after fumbling with his pockets, he withdraws the crumpled, worse-for-wear rose she gave him.

OWEN (OUT OF PANEL)

You gave me a rose. I kept it.

PANEL 6

Tomio stands next to (very close to, in a congenial brotherly fashion) Francesca, his eyes sparkling, his face lit up. Francesca is embarrassed, rolling her eyes.

TOMIO

You’ve been flirting again, dear Francesca. Now we have to find something for the boy to do, because he’ll never leave!

PAGE 3

PANEL 1

Smiling playfully, Francesca snatches an apple from the bowl or barrel that was cleverly planted on the previous page. She tosses it to Owen.

FRANCESCA

An assistant orchard manager would never let his apples get bruised …

[LINK]

Catch!

PANEL 2

Owen scrambles to catch it while Francesca lobs a second one at him

FRANCESCA

Catch!

PANEL 3

With an alarmed look on his face, Owen juggles the two as a third apple comes flying at him.

OWEN

Wait, that’s too many!

PANEL 4

Small panel, the three red apples suspended in the air in a triangular arrangement exactly like the three red spheres on the cover of the Rush
Hold Your Fire
album.

FRANCESCA (OFF PANEL)

See … we could use a juggler.

PANEL 5

Out on the field, Cesar Magnusson shouts to bring the carnies in order. They are tearing down the tents, loading up the wagons (which are strange steampunk gypsy wagons). Lots of activity. Owen (cradling the three apples in his arms) and Francesca at the edge of the panel.

CESAR MAGNUSSON

Everybody load up! Time for the caravan to head out for our next performance on the outskirts of Crown City.

FRANCESCA

You can ride with me, Owen Hardy from Barrel Arbor. Unless you’d rather walk?

OWEN

No! Oh, I mean, no I wouldn’t rather walk. I mean I’d rather …

PANEL 6

Owen and Francesca riding in the front of a steampunk wagon contraption, something like the buckboard of an old West wagon.

FRANCESCA

So tell me about all the exciting things in Barrel Arbor.

OWEN

That won’t take long.

FRANCESCA

I know—I’ve been there … or at least a hundred small towns just like it.

PAGE 4

PANEL 1

Long, narrow panel: the circus caravan of wagons, flatbeds, some of them even augmented with balloons for levitating (as with the steamliners) rolls across the landscape. Owen and Francesca are tiny figures riding in the front of one of the wagons.

OWEN

I’ve had a lot of adventures already, but I really wanted to see the Clockwork Angels.

OWEN

But the Regulators turned me away because I didn’t have a ticket …

PANEL 2

Francesca looks at Owen, smiling.

FRANCESCA

You’ve never seen the Clockwork Angels? We can go into the city and see them tonight after we set up the show.

[LINK]

The carnival always has extra tickets.

PANEL 3

From her skirt, Francesca removes a pair of elaborate tickets and holds them in her hand. Panel is close-in on the tickets in her hand. Nate, I will send you the design of the tickets … ECW created them for signed bookplates in the novel’s special edition.

FRANCESCA

They’re counterfeit, of course …

PANEL 4

Exact same shot (like a dissolve in a film), Francesca’s hand holding out the tickets, but now it’s dark around them and she is handing the tickets to a Regulator in Chronos Square.

CAPTION (FRANCESCA)

“ … but the Regulators will never know the difference.”

PANEL 5

Big panel, Francesca and Owen walk with a large eager crowd through the gates (which Owen could not enter in the previous issue).

PANEL 6

Inside Chronos Square, Owen looks up at the enormous and impressive Watchtower with the closed doorways on top from which the angels will emerge.

OWEN

Chronos Square! I can’t believe it. My mother always talked about the Angels … before she died.

[LINK]

I wish she could have seen them herself …

PAGE 5

PANEL 1

Ground level, we see wisps of ominous blue-tinted smoke wafting up from grates in the ground, like rising fog. This is a subtle drug-smoke that puts the people into a placid, receptive state.

PANEL 2

Viewed from above, a sea of faces, wide-eyed, smiling, in an ecstasy of anticipation. You know, the sort of thing Neil sees from behind his drums at a Rush concert. Little voice balloons coming from various members of the crowd

CROWD

It’s starting …

It’s starting!

The Angels!

PANEL 3

Owen and Francesca standing together, pressed close because of the crowd, tendrils of the smoke all around.

NOTE to Nick: As the smoke gets thicker and the people get more buzzed, maybe weave tendrils of smoke around and between the panels, and as this scene goes on we could fade the panel boundaries themselves, make them softer, eventually even leave the art without any panel frame at all to imply that the audience is getting fuzzier.

OWEN

I feel … dizzy.

FRANCESCA

You’re just excited. It’s the presence of the Angels.

PANEL 4

Around the edge of Chronos Square are glowing globes of crackling blue coldfire, like levitating streetlights. Thin arcs of static electricity lance from one globe to another. (Use art effects to make this look like real electricity.)

SFX

ZzzZZZZTTTT

PANEL 5

SPECTACULAR! On the top of the tower, the four doorways swing open and the Angels emerge, towering winged stone figures, silhouetted, and backlit by a streaming flood of golden light that looks as if Heaven itself is behind them inside the tower. LETTERER: The Angels speak in a strange, ethereal font.

ANGEL #1

Lean not upon your own understanding …

ANGEL #2

Ignorance is well and truly blessed.

PAGE 6

PANEL 1

Angel #3 in full frame, stone wings spread, beautiful samite robes, but the head/ face itself is just a dazzling glow of LIGHT, like a sun, as if the Angels contain so much beauty that no human can bear to behold them.

ANGEL #3

Trust in perfect love and perfect planning.

PANEL 2

The crowd in ecstasy now, all of them raising their arms as if to fly, in an impossible imitation of the Angels.

PANEL 3

Small utterly poignant panel, close-up of one man staring up with tears pouring down his face.

PANEL 4

Angle from slightly above and behind the fourth Angel, outstretched stone wings fill much of the panel, and we look at the back of the Angel’s head, seeing the stone hair, but not face. The angel is surrounded by a faint glow. In front, seen from a great distance, the crowd is far far below.

ANGEL #4

Everything will turn out for the best.

SMOKE CURLS IN THE MARGIN BEFORE THE NEXT PANEL

PANEL 5

The front of the Watchmaker’s Tower, all four Angels retreating now, back into the tower, with the wooden doors swinging shut, but dazzling sheets of light still pour out from between the cracks.

PANEL 6

Owen is overjoyed, overwhelmed.

OWEN

So … beautiful. I almost couldn’t bear to look at them! Oh … I’ve never seen something so wonderful!

PANEL 7

Laughing, Francesca kisses him on the cheek, which he seems to find as amazing as the Angels. (Can combine panels 6 & 7, if it works.)

FRANCESCA

Ha, I’ve seen the Angels many times before, Owen Hardy, but I’ve never seen such a look of pure amazement in my life! Thank you!

PAGE 7

PANEL 1

Large panel, a bright sunny day with the carnival in full swing. Colorful tents, crowds walking about, banners and ribbons flying, the giant watchgear Ferris wheel.

CAPTION

Next day

Next week

Next month

PANEL 2

Owen on the midway, still with his jaunty porkpie cap, juggling apples. Owen should be in exactly the same position as the man juggling fireballs from inside the
Hold Your Fire
lyrics booklet
.
Louisa the bearded lady is standing next to him, watching with an amused expression on her face.

OWEN

See, Louisa. I’m getting better.

LOUISA

My advice, Owen Hardy … keep practicing.

PANEL 3

From below, as he has moved on, Owen looks up to see Francesca walking along a high wire strung between two poles. He smiles at her, and she smiles down at him.

PANEL 4

Leke, Deke, and Peke, the three clowns, goof off in the crowd doing pratfalls.

PANEL 5

Golson the strongman lifts a ridiculously oversized barbell, his muscles bulging, while a group of children around him are laughing and cheering him on.

PAGE 8

PANEL 1

Carrying a canteen, Owen climbs up the pole to Francesca’s tightrope, not quite steady as he works his way up the hand and foot pegs.

PANEL 2

Bigger panel. Francesca, looking beautiful “an angel with wings on her heels” stands halfway across the rope, facing Owen as he stands on the small platform at the end of the rope. He is holding the canteen in one hand. Even though she’s the one standing on a wire, she looks more at ease than he does.

FRANCESCA

Come to join me, Owen Hardy?

OWEN

I … I brought you some water.

PANEL 3

Francesca has a devilish, seductive smile on her face as she reaches out a hand and beckons. She hasn’t moved a step closer to him.

FRANCESCA

Come on then … bring it to me.

PANEL 4

Extremely nervous, Owen tentatively puts a foot on the rope, keeping his other foot on the stable platform.

PANEL 5

Small panel, close-up of Francesca.

FRANCESCA

I’ll make it worth your while …

PANEL 6