MAD HATTER (cant.)
Noge! Noge I
He indicates ducking. Alice ducks. Mally’s weapon barely
misses her head. The Hatter continues to coach her and she
gradually picks up the words and the associated actions. Now
the Dormouse fights in earnest, thrusting and parrying with
relish.
MAD HATTER (cont.)
(left…right)
OrgaL.again! Now 5tang.
(slowly, not now)
Slothish…nunz.
(behind you)
Zounder!
Alice cuts the thin rope at Mally’s waist which holds the
leather bag with the eye. The bag drops. Alice catches it…and
runs. It’s now the size of a basketball to her. The Dormouse
doesn’t give chase. The Hatter nods.
MAD HATTER (cont.)
Well done.
CUT TO:
EXT. THE BANDERSNATCH STABLE
Suffering from the use of her wounded arm, Alice opens the
stable door. She groans from the pain.
INT. BANDERSNATCH STABLE – CONT.
Now that she’s small again, the Bandersnatch is more
intidimating. He’s laying down, staring at nothing with his
one good eye. As she approaches, he growls.
ALICE
I have your eye.
She holds it up for him to see. It’s bloody, dripping, phlegmy
and greenish. Seeing his lost eye, the Bandernatch goes quiet.
She can’t tell how much he understands. Holding the eye up,
she slowly lifts the bar to open the stall door.
ALICE (cont.)
I’m coming in now.
THE BANDERSNATCH STALL
She carefully steps into the stall. He growls but doesn’t make
a move toward her. She steps forward, heart pounding, and
places the eye on the ground within easy reach. She steps back
and wipes away the trickle of sweat dripping down her brow.
The Bandersnatch sniffs his eyes, whines, and pulls it closer
with his paws. While he’s distracted, Alice slowly makes her
way around him to the back of the stall.
At the back, a tarp covers what looks to be a chest. Keeping
her eye on the Bandersnatch, Alice removes the tarp to reveal
an ornate metal chest chained to the wall with a large lock.
Disheartened and feverish, Alice slumps to the ground.
She pulls back her sleeve to look at the wound. It’s infected.
Red streaks radiate outward from the swollen wound. She
touches it, stifles a cry of pain. She glances at the
Bandersnatch, still busy with his eye. She sees a large rock
in the mud. She lifts it, trembling from weight and and bashes
the lock with it. It doesn’t budge. Hyperventiating and
starting to shiver uncontrollably, she attempts to lift the
rock again. She blinks and shakes her head as her vision
clouds and then, the world goes black.
CUT TO:
ON ALICE – A FEW MINUTES LATER
She opens her eyes to see the Bandersnatch looming over her.
He’s somehow managed to shove the eye back into its socket. It
stares upwards uselessly, but he seems to feel better for
having it back in place. She eases backwards, but the wall
behind prevents her escape. The Eandersnatch sniffs at her.
She pulls back and notices a large key on a chain hung around
its neck. The key to the lock. She slowly reaches for it. As
she does, the Eandersnatch sniffs her arm and the wound he
inflicted. She winces, but she will not be deterred from the
key. She grasps it and tugs the key off his neck.
The Bandersnatch continues to sniff the wound and then gently
licks it. The touch of his tongue is cool and soothing. She
breathes a sigh and allows him to lick the wound clean. When
he’s finished, she looks at it. Perhaps it has something to do
with the wound being purified by the very creature that
inflicted it, but miraculously, the infection is gone. The red
streaks have receded and the swelling is down. She moves it
around. No pain. He looks at her, one eye askew.
ALICE
I suppose you think this makes
us even now.
Alice fits the key into the lock on the chest. She turns it
and the lock drops away. She lifts the top of the chest.
THE CHEST
The Vorpal Sword is beautiful, sharp and silver, with an
ornate handle. It’s large for Small Alice. She lifts it and
holds it up to the light. There appears to be runes engraved
on the blade. She carries it out of the stall to the stable
door. She glances back at the Bandersnatch briefly before she
goes out.
INT. THE DUNGEON
Alice approaches the Tweedles and the sleeping Dungeon Keeper.
Alice motions to them. They notice how small she is.
TWEEDLEDEE
Somebody’s been into the
pishsalver again.
ALICE
I have the Sword. Help me
get the Hatter out.
She runs on. Tweedledee starts to follow.
TWEEDLEDUN
Where are you off to?
TWEEDLEDEE
To free the Hatter.
TWEEDLEDUTVI
But we ain’t being finished with
the list
Tweedlee drags him away.
INT. THE HATTER’S CELL – DAY
Stayn watches with growing frustration as the guards give the
Hatter one last going over, punching and kicking him.
Mallymkun watches from the shadows.
KNAVE OF HEARTS
Tell me where she is and this
will stop. Where is Alice?
Alice comes round the corner followed by the Tweedles.
ALICE
I have the Sword!
They stop as they take in the scene. Everyone looks at each
other. Then, Mally tosses the Hatter a weapon.
THE DORMOUSE
IC! o t chyn /
He catches it and they fight. Alice tries to use the Sword
which is much too big for her small size.
MAD HATTER
Not yet! Take it and run.
ALICE
I’m not leaving…
THE DORMOUSE
Alice! Run!
Stayn heard that. He looks at her with sudden revelation.
KNAVE OF HEARTS
Alice?
HATTER/DORMOUSE
RUN!
She runs. Stayn and two of his Knights follow.
INT. THE DUNGEON – CONT.
She runs through the tunnels with Stayn and the Knights
behind. But she’s small. They catch up quickly. She dives
through their legs and keeps running.
EXT. THE DUNGEON – DAY
She bursts out the dungeon and runs toward the stables with
Stayn and the Knights not far behind. They catch up easily,
surrounding her.
KNAVE OF HEARTS
Alice. Of course. Why didn’t I see
it? Well, it has been a long time.
And you were just a little tyke.
Give me the Vorpal Sword.
ALICE
Stay back!
He distracts her as the Knights come up behind.
KNAVE OF HEARTS
The Queen will be so pleased.
She’ll take great pleasure
in taking off your head. I
believe she wants to do the
deed herself.
The Knights grab her. She struggles uselessly. Stayn grips the
Sword, but she won’t let go. As he pulls, he hears a deep
rumbling GROWL. The Bandersnatch snatches up a Red Knight in
his mouth, crunches down, then flings the body away. He lowers
his head and runs at Stayn, snapping viciously. Stayn releases
the Sword to leap out of the way. The Bandersnatch lowers his
head for Alice. She pulls herself onto his back as Stayn and
the Knights watch with astonishment. She holds the sword high.
