SPACE NIGHT
At night a beautiful STAR shines in the heavens.
STORYTELLER (V.O.)
A philosopher once asked: are we human because we gaze at the stars or do we gaze at them because we are human? Pointless really. Do the stars gaze back? Now that's a question.
Suddenly, a SHOOTING STAR rushes past, like a blasting meteorite. follows to EARTH.
Overtaking, we hurtle rapidly down, closing in on England and into...
.. Grace LONDON MOVING SHOT DUSK.
plunge through a veil of smog to see BIG BEN and The HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT, the THAMES thronged with clanking TRADE VESSELS. SMOKE belching from factory CHIMNEYS.
STORYTELLER
But it's the kind of question that the people of Queen Grace's England frowned upon.
We hurtle through London's streets and alleys, crowded with horse-drawn COACHES, heaving with PEOPLE.
STORYTELLER (V.O.)
This was the age of invention. And the heart of the British empire was full to bursting with the wonders of science.
The scenery swoops in through a window of a factory flying past hulking MACHINES, wheels and cogs perpetually turning and out through another window.
Back out on the street, an early electric STREET LAMP buzzes alight. A MAN wobbles past on a PENNY FARTHING. PEOPLE swarm into an UNDERGROUND STATION.
Through wide double doors, we swoop into a COMMUNITY HALL where a large CROWD sit in the darkness watching PHOTOGRAPHIC SLIDES projected on a screen from a "magic lantern" projector. We fly out through the back door..
behind a STEAM TRAIN. We pull back into an aerial shot and follow the train into the countryside, over BRIDGES and VIADUCTS, pulling back further, overtaking it and finally arriving at...
.. WALL VILLAGE
AERIAL/MOVING SHOT CONTINUOUS.
A small rural village, beside which runs a strange drystone wall of indeterminate length.
STORYTELLER (V.O.) The village of Wall may have been a little behind the times. But it hid a secret that would have confounded even the greatest minds of the day.
in to the village quiet and pretty, but austere. A FARMHAND herds SHEEP. A weather-vane SQUEAKS and spins in the wind. Through the window of an INN, we spy VILLAGERS. Stark contrast to the bustle of London.
STORYTELLER (V.O.)
Ah. The village of Wall. Nice logical
name, nice logical place. Apart from
the tricky business of what lies on
the other side. But they built the
wall to keep the two worlds apart, and
everyone agreed that it was for the
best. Well, almost everyone.
towards the stone wall itself and find...
.. WALL VILLAGE OUTSKIRTS CONTINUOUS.
Jude Throne, 18, crawling through long grass, toward the wall. Beside a gap in the wall stands a GUARD old man, staring straight ahead. an
GUARD
I can see you perfectly well you know, Jude. You may as well get up.
Jude scrambles to his feet. He brings fresh meaning to the word 'awkward'. The guard stifles a laugh.
GUARD
Off you go home, now. Let's not go through all this again.
Jude You still haven't ever managed to tell me what could possibly happen that's so bad. I mean, what? I'm going to get kicked to death by fairies? I'll bet you don't even know.
GUARD
Hundreds of years, this wall's been here. Hundreds of years, this gap's been under 24 hour guard. (MORE)
GUARD
You think they'd go to all that bother if it was safe for humans to enter SPIRITLAND?
Jude
(suddenly chastened) Well that's... When you put it that way... Better just go home, I suppose.
GUARD
(surprised and delighted) Right, then. Night, Jude. Give my best to your father.
Jude walks away. Suddenly, he turns and bolts back, rushing past the guard, through the gap in the wall.
He vanishes into the forest beyond. The guard is torn: wanting to give chase, too scared to cross the gap.
.. SPIRITLAND FOREST EDGE NIGHT.
Jude scrambles through the trees. He stops in awe: beyond the forest is an utterly BIZARRE LANDSCAPE and, at it's centre, an OTHERWORLDLY MARKET TOWN.
Stalls line the main street and alleyways. STREET CALLS and lugubrious HURDY-GURDY music. Lights in every window. Lanterns and FIREFLIES and coloured SMOKE.
Even from here we can tell that in crossing the wall, Jude has not just left his village: he's left the human world altogether and entered an enchanted realm.
.. SPIRITLAND MARKET TOWN CONTINUOUS.
A magical place like nothing we've ever seen before: a festival of weirdness. Spellbound, Jude wanders from stall to stall, each selling wares more astonishing than the last EYEBALLS in jars, CLOTHES that seem to be made of the night sky; tiny CRYSTAL ANIMALS that turn out when Jude inspects them to be ALIVE.
Finally he stops, captivated, by a stall selling anarray of amazing GLASS FLOWERS. An ugly old lady,
DITCH- WATER Aquarius, attends the stall. Behind, a stunning SLAVE
GIRL lounges on the steps of a YELLOW GYPSY CARAVAN.
Jude picks up a glass BLUEBELL. It CHIMES.
Aquarius
I don't deal with time wasters.
(to Slave Girl)
Get over here. Tend the stall while I
get my dinner.
And she's off. The girl, just a few years older than Jude, slips into Aquarius's place, smiling seductively.
SLAVE GIRL
See anything you like?
Jude
Um... Definitely.
(then, nervous)
I mean... I didn't mean... Well, I did, but... What I meant was... That one. The blue one. How much is that?
SLAVE GIRL
I can't recall. I think it might be the color of your hair. Or it might be all of your memories before you were three. I can check, if you like.
Confused, and unable to take his eyes off her, Jude rifles in his pocket and brings out three coins.
Jude
This is all I have. Do you have anything I could buy for this?
SLAVE GIRL
Hmmm. Let's see...
She strokes her finger round Jude's palm, pretending to count the coins, deliberately taking ages. It's a charged moment. She breaks it with comical abruptness.
SLAVE GIRL
No. We don't take money at this stall. Sorry.
She smiles at her little game. Jude releases his breath, which he's been holding, and laughs nervously. She picks up a glass SNOWDROP.
SLAVE GIRL
Anyway, you shouldn't buy the bluebells. Buy this one instead. Snowdrop. It'll bring you luck.
Jude
But... you won't accept money.
SLAVE GIRL
This one costs a kiss.
She tucks the snowdrop into Jude's pocket and leans over for her payment. He is fearful, but can't resist. It's quite a kiss. He pulls away, dizzy, intoxicated.
Checking that the coast is clear, she takes his hand and leads him to the caravan. He babbles nervously.
Jude
You know, I didn't used to believe it was true. About your world. The gap in the wall. I thought it was all just a fairy-tale. I-
Jude stops in his tracks. It's only now that he notices a thin silver CHAIN, attached at the girl's ankle and wrist, snaking away into the caravan.
SLAVE GIRL
This? Oh. Yes. I'm a princess tricked into being a witch's slave. Will you liberate me?
She sits on the step as Jude studies it. It looks
delicate. He yanks ks it. It turns to iron, unbreakable.
With his pocket knife, he cuts through the chain like
butter. To his dismay, it repairs itself immediately.
Exasperated, he pulls a large loop into his hand, cuts,
and jerks it quickly away. He's left with the length of
chain in his hand, but the missing section regenerates
as we watch, broken ends running together like mercury.
Jude
Wait a minute, is this another one of
your jokes?
The girl nods sheepishly.
Jude
You're not really a princess.
SLAVE GIRL
I am!
Jude
That old woman isn't really a witch?
SLAVE GIRL
No, no. She is. Horrible.
Jude
So what's the joke?
SLAVE GIRL
Just the part about liberating me. You can't. It's an enchanted chain. I'll only be free when she dies. Sorry. It wasn't that funny. I don't get out much. As you can imagine.
Jude is unsettled.
Jude
If I can't liberate you, what do you want of me?
She smiles coquettishly. Dazed, Jude goes to kiss her. She pulls him into the caravan, closes the door.
.. SPIRITLAND/WALL MOVING SHOT NIGHT.
The scene rises off the door and floats through the forest, across the wall and through the village...
.. Throne HOUSE CONTINUOUS
...until we come to a door step. A MOSES BASKET is placed on it, a hand knocks on the door. The door opens to reveal Jude. He looks around. No one.
He looks down to see: a BABY. And beside it, a small PACKAGE marked "Lucas Throne". He picks up the basket, and the camera tilts to the starry night sky.
STORYTELLER (V.O.)
What a difference nine months can make.
"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". This plays as the sky explodes out towards us and into a sequence of astronomy-lesson visuals, the history of the heavens. Ending on the image we saw at the start: the night sky with the single unique star in the middle. (Hereafter known as 'the iconic shot').
tilt down from the stars, back to the door. TWENTY YEARS LATER. And once more
.. Jude'S HOUSE NIGHT.
The door opens to reveal Jude's son, Lucas, 20. He has his father's awkwardness. Also his mother's good looks, but he hasn't yet figured out how to show them off. He's holding a small bunch of wildflowers.
.. WALL VILLAGE MOMENTS LATER.
Lucas walks through the village. It's deserted.
.. Grace's HOUSE NIGHT.
He arrives at a rather nice cottage. Through an upper window, we see a pretty girl, Grace Forester , 20, holding court among a group of girls.
Lucas throws a stone at the window. They twitter.
GIRLS
It's him! It's
him!
Grace comes to the window.
Grace
Juvio?
Lucas
No, it's Lucas.
Grace
Lucas? Oh. Did I leave something at the shop?
Lucas
No, no, I
A SILVER CANE taps Lucas's shoulder. It belongs to Juvio, 25 lantern-jawed, expensively-dressed, oozing confidence. Huge bunch of flowers. Every boy's nightmare. He continues to prod Lucas with his cane as he speaks.
Juvio
Lucas Throne. Well I never. A peeping tom as well as a bastard. That's quite a curriculum vitae you've got there. Is there no end to your charms?
Now Grace has been joined at the window by all her female friends. Some giggle at Juvio's remark.
Grace
Juvio, there's no need to be like that. Be nice to the poor boy.
Goaded by the poking and a growing sense of humiliation Lucas picks up a stick and knocks Juvio's cane out of the way. Juvio goes into Errol Flynn mode.
A cane/stick fight begins. It doesn't last long. With a few deft strokes, Juvio has the stick out of Lucas's hand in seconds.
Juvio
You were always useless at fencing at school, Lucas. In fact, I'm having trouble remembering if there's anything you were good at.
And for his piece de resistance, Juvio gives a final swipe with his cane and THWACK! all the heads are off Lucas's flowers. He's left holding the stems.
Juvio
Ah. Are those for Grace?
The girls burst out laughing. Mortified, Lucas flees.
Throne HOUSE KITCHEN DAY.
The perfect cosy cottage kitchen. Around the table Jude sits breakfasting with MRS Throne and Lucas's younger siblings, Louisa and Benedict. Domestic bliss. Lucas enters to a chorus of good mornings.
Jude
You'd better hurry, Lucas, you'll be late for work.
Lucas
Dad, why did Juvio call me a bastard?
It's almost as if we can see Mrs. Throne turning pale.
BENEDICT
MRS Throne Come along children, time to get ready for school.
What's a bastard?
She gets up and starts clearing the dishes. Lucas stares at his hi father, still waiting for an answer.
Jude
My guess is that it might be because
Jude
My guess is that it might be because you were competing over some girl.
Lucas
He didn't say it like that. Anyway, she's not some girl. She's Grace Forester.
Mrs Throne, about to leave the room, chips in.
MRS Throne
Grace can take her pick of the village boys, and she's going to pick a rich one. It's about time you stopped wasting your energy. I saw that nice Mary Murdoch the other day. she's started working at the butcher's. Why don't you try courting her instead?
Jude
The one with the club foot?
Lucas
It's not a club foot. She just has one leg longer than the other.
MRS. Throne
Exactly. Nowt that a special shoe can't fix.
Lucas
She's very nice, Ma. But I'm in love with Grace. It's not as if I can just choose who to fall in love with.
Mrs. Throne shrugs, blows kiss and hustles her other children out. When she's gone, Jude hugs Lucas.
Jude Grace would be lucky to have you.
.. WALL VILLAGE STREET DAY.
The radiant Grace glides toward a small grocery store. A sign reads: "MONDAY AND SONS GROCERS"
INT. VILLAGE GROCERY SHOP DAY
The grocer, MR. MONDAY, bustles. Lucas, in an apron, helps a customer. Grace enters and, ignoring the long queue, walks to the counter, smiling winsomely.
Grace
Hello Lucas. Pound of sugar, please? Lucas abandons his customer and runs to fetch the sugar. Mr. Monday, not happy, steps in to attend to the increasingly irritated customer. Lucas returns.
Lucas
Grace, I
Grace
Let's see... Bag of flour. Dozen eggs.
She keeps talking while he assembles her goods.
Grace
Look, I'm sorry about last night. Juvio was very rude. I also need two sacks of potatoes and pound of butter.
Lucas heaves the sacks of potatoes onto the counter.
Lucas
May I see you without Juvio, then? Tonight perhaps?
She looks at the incredibly heavy groceries.
Grace
No. But you may walk me home.
In a love-struck daze, Lucas leaves, proudly hefting the bags. Mr. Monday and the queue watch, open mouthed.
INT. Throne HOUSE DUSK.
Lucas
Lucas uses a large hanging copper pan as a mirror, in which he is practicing various poses and demeanors.
(cheerful)
Dad! I lost my job! (casual)
Oh dad. Yeah. Hi. Lost my job. Anyway. (sobbing hysterically)
Dad! I 1-1-lost my jo-ho-ho-hob!
Gaahhh!
(serious)
Dad, look
He is interrupted by Jude clearing his throat. It would seem he's been here for some time.
Jude
You lost your job. Yes. So I heard.
Lucas leans his head against the wall, downcast.
Lucas
Well at least that saves me having to choose which way to tell you.
Jude
Yes, that would have been hard. They were all so good.
Relived that his dad's sarcasm suggests he's not too angry, Lucas hugs him, and his emotions flood out.
.
Lucas
Oh Dad. Mr. Monday was just awful. Firing me was fair enough, but he didn't have to say such horrible things. About me. And Grace. Said I was deluding myself. I'd never be good enough for her. And it hurt because it was true. I'm not like Juvio, I'm not like any of them. I try to be, but I'm not.
Jude
Lucas, with the benefit of my years, I can tell you that all the men I ever envied as a boy have lived unremarkable lives. So you don't fit with the popular crowd? I'd take that as a very good omen.
The camera floats through the window and tilts up to the starry sky our iconic shot. Over this, we hear the voices of a young woman, Leone, and a little girl, CELESTE. We're not sure where they are coming from.
CELESTE (V.O.)
Leone! Not again! You're too close! Go back.
Leone (V.O.)
Oh, come on Celeste. It's just getting good.
.. STARS POV SEQUENCE CONTINUOUS.
From space, we see Earth. We then pull focus into...
.. A TREE TRUNK
DUSK.
In C.U, we see a MOUSE shinning up a tree, painfully
slowly.
CELESTE (V.O.)
Where? What? The mouse? You're risking
mother's wrath to watch a mouse?
Leone (V.O.)
He's not really a mouse. He's a goblin
lord. Under a curse by a jealous
warlock who covered his bride. The
only way he can turn back is by eating
Leone (V.O.)
He's not really a mouse. He's a goblin lord. Under a curse by a jealous warlock who coveted his bride. The only way he can turn back is by eating a nut grown in the shadow of the palace of SPIRITLAND.
We pull back to reveal vast, strange royal gardens. Leone hams it up softly, bedtime-story style.
Leone (V.O.)
For fifty years he's searched. Took him a decade just to scale Mount Huon. And now, at last, he's arrived at the SPIRITLAND palace and spied a wondrous tree. On it, a single nut. His quest is at an end.
In c.u. we see the mouse continue his arduous climb.
CELESTE (V.O.)
Will he get to be a lord again?
Leone (V.O.)
Uh-huh. He'll eat the nut, and he'll be transformed. Watch. Then he'll go back to his own kingdom, and reclaim his goblin bride and live happily ever after.
We pan up to see a single golden NUT. The mouse's tiny hand reaches out for the nut, fingers wriggling.
Suddenly an OWL swoops down and snatches the mouse in it's beak. CRUNCH. He flies off, the mouse's tail flapping freely in the wind. Celeste bursts into tears.
CELESTE (V.O.)
I hate you! I hate your horrid stories!
Leone (V.O.)
I'm sorry! I didn't know that would happen! Let's watch something else? The king of all of SPIRITLAND is about to die and all his sons want the throne?
CELESTE (V.O.) Forget it! I'm telling mother!
Leone (V.0.) Fine, tell her! I'm sick of being told what to do. For god's sake. I'm 30 million years old.
.. CELESTIAL PALACE GARDENS DUSK.
By the nut tree, Rouge, a smug and evil-looking prince, watches a carriage arrive. Absent mindedly, he plucks the nut from the tree and eats it.
His brother, Sting, climbs from the carriage. He looks alarmingly like Rouge, though less self-assured.
Sting
Am I the last to arrive? I came
swiftly as I could. What news of our
father?
Rouge
(smiling)
They tell me he is fading fast.
As they walk towards the palace, we notice the owl,
circling above. Suddenly SQUIT owl droppings
splatter onto Sting head. Rouge smirks.
Sting
A good omen, they say in some parts.
Rouge
But in these parts, my dear brother, merely further proof that of we seven, you were always the unluckiest.
They arrive at the palace gates. A FOOTMAN greets them.
FOOTMAN
Your highnesses. Your father awaits. I must warn you, the royal physicians say he has precious little time left.
.. Grace'S HOUSE NIGHT.
A stone hits Grace's window. She opens it.
Grace
Lucas? I clearly said
Lucas
I know you told me not to come. But I have something for you. A surprise.
She goes back in, leaving Lucas deflated. Moments later, however, she appears at the front door.
Grace
My birthday's not for another two weeks, you know.
.. A FIELD NEAR THE WALL MINUTES LATER.
Lucas leads Grace, her eyes closed. He halts and she opens them to see: a beautiful PICNIC. Candles flicker, a cornucopia of food on display. It takes her breath away.
He opens a bottle of champagne and pours two glasses.
Grace
I've never had champagne before.
Lucas
Me neither.
They drink, smiling at one another. A shared moment.
Grace
God, this is delicious.
They laugh, delighted. He goes to kiss her, but she pulls away, her face clouding over with concern.
Grace
Wait, how can you afford this?
Lucas Let's just call it severance pay.
Grace
Lucas! You'll lose your job!
Lucas
No, I already lost my job. Severance pay: that's what you get when you lose your job. At least, if you're not fired. I was making a joke.
Grace
I knew that. So what will you do now?
Lucas
That's what I wanted to tell you. I know you think of me as just a shop boy, but I'm... There's a big world out there. I don't intend to stay in Wall all my life.
Grace
You sound just like Juvio! He's quite a traveller. I've heard he's going all the way to Ipswich just to buy me a ring.
Lucas
Ipswich? Grace, I'm talking about London! Or Paris! Or, or... Wait a minute a ring? What kind of ring?
Grace
(happy and conspiratorial) Word is, he's planning to propose to me on my birthday.
Lucas
He's... And you're going to say "yes"?
Grace
Well I can't very well say no after he's gone all the way to Ipswich!
Lucas
All the...? Ipswich?! Grace, For your hand in marriage, I'd cross oceans. Continents.
Grace
Really?
Lucas
For your your hand? I'd go to the gold fields of San Francisco and bring back your weight in gold.
She laughs and gives him a little kiss on the cheek.
Lucas
I'd go to Africa and bring you back a diamond as big as your fist!
She kisses him again, this time nearer his lips.
Lucas
I'd go to India and bring you ivory, and pearls, and, and... rubies the size of wren's eggs!
This kiss is even closer to being a proper one.
Lucas
I'd go to the arctic and I'd, I'd... Slaughter a polar bear! And bring you back it's head!
Grace rears away in alarm.
Grace
A polar bear's head?
Lucas curses under his breath. An awkward silence.
Lucas
I'm serious you know.
Grace
About the polar bear's head?
Lucas
No. About marrying you.
Grace
(affectionately)
You're funny, Lucas. But people like you and people like me, we're just not-
She is interrupted by a loud RUMBLING noise. They watch as a SHOOTING STAR streaks across the sky and falls way beyond the wall in the distance. An astonishing sight.
Grace
A shooting star! Oh Lucas, how beautiful!
Lucas
More beautiful than a fancy ring from Ipswich?
Grace giggles.
Lucas
(suddenly serious)
For your hand in marriage, I'd go to SPIRITLAND and bring you back that fallen star.
Grace
Lucas, you're drunk.
Lucas
Yes I am. And so are you.
Grace
Hmmm. My very own star. It seems that we have ourselves an agreement.
She raises her glass. He clicks his against it.
WITCHES LAIR NIGHT.
The glasses morph into a wooden cup. Pull back to find Karen, Flare and Demaria: the most elegant yet deeply scary old witches we have ever seen. Huddled together outside a cave, they look up to see the star hurtle past. They leap up in sheer excitement and dash inside.
WITCHES LAIR NIGHT.
Inside, counter-intuitively, the witches lair is vast and stately. Pillars and vaulted ceilings. Every surface made of eerily smooth, glittering black stone.
Karen gleefully flings open a cupboard. It's empty.
Karen
Where are the Babylon candles?!
Demaria
You used the last one, Karen. Two hundred years ago. Do you not recall?
.
Karen cries out in fury.
Flare
Perhaps we can obtain another?
Karen
You speak as if such things are freely available, EmpuAquarius Would you have us hunting for a Babylon candle while some other witch finds our star? Fool! There's no time to waste. If we must retrieve it on foot, then we shall. Demaria! We need information!
From a large bank of CAGES containing various animals, Demaria grabs a STOAT, and hurries away again.
She joins her sisters at a table. As they crowd around, we see the glint of a BLACK BLADE. When finally we get a clear view, they're analyzing the stoat's ENTRAILS.
Karen
If these divinations are correct, the fallen star lies 100 miles away.
Flare
Four centuries, we've waited for this! What hardship a few more days?
Demaria Which of us, then, shall go out to seek it and bring it back?
They all shut their eyes and rummage, as in a lucky dip, before disgustingly holding stoat organs aloft.
I've his kidney.
Demaria
I've his liver.
Flare
Karen
(great the short straw) And I've his Heart.
Flare
You'll be needing some years.
They walk to a rusted IRON BOX bound by three cords,
each with a distinct knot. Each witch touches one, and
the cords untie themselves and fall away. They open the
box. Inside, something golden SHINES brightly.
Karen
There's not much left. It is as well that we have found a new one.
Demaria Soon there will be plenty for us all.
The golden-something seems to avoid Karen's hand as she reaches in. Finally she grasps it. Then, she eats it.
All three witches gaze into a large black mirror while Karen chews. As we watch, she TRANSFORMS into a beautiful woman in her thirties. All three admire her splendid new body as she tears off her ragged clothes.
Karen
When I return with our prize, all of us shall stand here restored. Never fear, my sisters. I will not fail.
Flare presents Karen with a beautiful DRESS. Demaria gives her a ring with a large, square SAPPHIRE. The camera tracks into the sapphire and pulls out again...
KING'S BEDROOM NIGHT.
...To reveal an even bigger SAPPHIRE, spherical, on a scepter in the lap of the KING OF SPIRITLAND, who lies on his death bed.
By his side stand Sting and Rouge with two more brothers, Bora and Dobengal. Beside their clothes, hair-styles and facial hair, all look very similar.
Behind the king, ignored, are THREE SHADOWY FIGURES.
KING
I trust you have prepared the hall of ancestors for the arrival of my remains?
(off their nodding) Good. And so to the matter of succession. Not so well prepared there, were you? Of my seven sons, I see four of you here beside me today, still standing. This is quite a break with tradition. I had twelve brothers and
Rouge You had killed all of them for your throne long before your father the king even started to feel poorly. We know. You are strong, father. And courageous.
KING
And cunning. Most importantly, cunning. Dobengal. Look out of the window. Tell me what you see.
Dobengal
does as he is asked.
Dobengal
I see the kingdom. All of SPIRITLAND.
KING
And?
KING
(hopefully) My kingdom?
Dobengal
No. Look up.
He does, and we see his POV: the iconic shot of the sky. As he tries to figure out what he's supposed to be looking at, the King grins at Rouge, who calmly walks over and pushes Dobengal out of the window.
.. SPIRITLAND CASTLE CONTINUOUS.
We are now with Dobengal as he plummets to his death,
.. SPIRITLAND CASTLE CONTINUOUS.
We are now with Dobengal as he plummets to his death, and we now see just how huge the castle really is. Just as he is about to hit the ground, we cut back to:
INT. KING'S BEDROOM CONTINUOUS.
Beside the shadowy figures, Dobengal suddenly appears, disheveled and grey, with a slightly flat face.
We now clearly see that the shadowy figures are actually DECOMPOSING GHOSTS. They are, in fact, the King's other sons: Rufus, Cobra and MIDNIGHT. MIDNIGHT looks wet and is covered in pond weed, Cobra appears frozen and Rufus has a huge hatchet buried in his head. Where we see dry blood, it is a deep royal blue.
Rufus
Can't believe you fell for that!
Sucker!
Cobra
Dobengal shoots them an irritated look. He snaps at Cobra, who we note again looks blue and frost-bitten.
Dobengal
Gullible, am I? That's pretty rich coming from you, Mr-Go-and-fetch-you- some-ice-from-the-storeroom-for-your- bad-foot?-Oh certainly-brother-no- problem-oops-I'm-locked-in.
Cobra
And what a great deal of good it did you, didn't it, Dobengal? Now you're the king of all SPIRITLAND. Oh no wait, you're not. You're dead. My mistake.
Rufus Yeah, I wouldn't go boasting, Dobengal. It's hardly like the minstrels are going to be telling of your dastardly deeds for generations to come.
(sings) Oh pray did you hear the one about the fearsome prince who locked his brother in a cupboard.
The other ghosts snicker.
MIDNIGHT Oh come on, all of you. We're all stuck like this until a new King is
crowned. Can we please just cool down. (realizing unfortunate
pun)
Sorry Cobra.
(beat)
But can we please settle down? I have the worst headache.
Rufus gestures at the hatchet in his head.
Rufus Can I just say, I beg to differ.
Taking the King's rather hazy POV, we are reminded of how seriously ill he is. The vague figures of Sting, Bora and Rouge drift in and out of focus. The
King reaches out to the figure closest to him.
KING
Layla? Is that you?
Bora
Um... no, Father. It's me. Bora.
KING
(disappointed)
Oh. Then where is your sister?
Sting
(gently)
I'm sorry father. No one has seen her
for years now.
KING ("who's a naughty boy then?")
Rouge?
Rouge
What?!
(indignant)
KING Tradition dictates that the throne must pass to a male heir.
Rouge
Exactly! Why would I waste my time killing my sister when so many of my cretinous brothers are still alive?!
KING
Indeed. Which is why we shall resolve the situation in a nontraditional manner.
The King takes the giant sapphire from his scepter. In his hands, it turns even bluer, glowing. He lets it go: to everyone's amazement, it FLOATS before him, losing its color and turning moonstone-white as he speaks.
KING
Only he of royal blood can restore the sapphire. And the one of you who does so shall be the new king of SPIRITLAND.
The king lies back and closes his eyes. The three living brothers look anxiously at one another, all about to lunge and snatch the stone from the air. But as they go to move, the stone JOLTS into motion and HURTLES out of the window, high into the sky.
.. SKY CONTINUOUS.
We follow the stone as it gathers pace, until we are at such a speed that it takes no time to reach space.
Here in the star-peppered blackness, there's a huge EXPLOSION. This is the shot we saw before: the burning, meteoric shooting star. But this time, we don't overtake it instead, we follow it down towards earth, across Wall, over the wall itself and into SPIRITLAND.
On the way, we see its POV: Lucas and Grace's midnight picnic; the witches by their cave, looking up in excitement; the princes, dead and alive, watching from the castle; and finally, miles and miles of curious SPIRITLAND landscape, where we end at:
.. SPIRITLAND FOREST CONTINUOUS.
Another massive EXPLOSION as the star hits the ground, creating a huge crater in the middle of the forest.
All is quiet as we track towards the epicenter to reveal: Leone. Etherial, heart-stoppingly beautiful, wearing a strangely shimmering white gown. She seems to twinkle in the darkness. She looks as startled as the WOODLAND ANIMALS around her.
Beside her, the King's moonstone bounces to the ground.
.. WALL VILLAGE OUTSKIRTS NIGHT.
Lucas sneaks towards the gap in the wall, just as we saw his father do. It is guarded by the same old man
now even older. The guard stares ahead as he speaks.
GUARD
I can see you perfectly well you know,
Jude.
Lucas stands up.
Lucas
Erm, its Lucas, actually.
GUARD
Oh. You do look a bit like your
father. And I suppose you intend to
enter SPIRITLAND as well, do you? Well
you can forget it. Go home.
Lucas
Enter SPIRITLAND as well as who?
GUARD (flustered)
No one. Nobody. Nobody crosses the wall. You know that. Everyone knows that.
Lucas
Oh no, no. Of course. Nobody. I'd better just head for the old homestead, then.
He turns and begins to walk away, just as Jude did.
GUARD Right, then. Night, Lucas. Give my best to your father.
And just as we expect, Lucas turns and bolts back, towards the guard. But, to his amazement, the feeble old guard leaps into action and kicks the living daylights out of him. He falls to the ground, groaning.
MONTAGE Lucas TRIES TO CLIMB THE WALL.
At another section of wall, a bruised Lucas begins to climb. He stops, puzzled at his lack of progress Pull back to see: the wall GROWING higher and higher.
N. try, all the stones RETRACT, leaving a perfectly smooth surface. He claws desperately for purchase, then drops heavily to the ground.
Lucas is relieved when the stones stay put, but gradually they start to GLOW red hot, forcing him to let go. He hits the ground hard again.
He gingerly touches the wall. It's cool. He touches it again. Huge, lethal metal SPIKES shoot out- WHOOMPH! missing him by inches. He slopes off, defeated.
.. SPIRITLAND COUNTRYSIDE DAY.
Outside a small farmhouse, Brandish, 17, sullen and ginger haired, is trying to harness an obstinate GOAT. From inside, we hear the fish-wife tones of his MOTHER.
MOTHER
And don't take less than a florin for him, Brandish, you understand?
Brandish Yes mother.
MOTHER
And I want you back with a hen. A good hen and some corn. And some turnips.
Brandish rolls his eyes as only a teenager can, and silently mimics her yakking. Blah blah blah.
MOTHER
And bring back the change. No dilly dallying. No wenches. And don't even think of stopping at the tavern, Brandish, or you'll be sorry.
Brandish
Yes mother.
He turns to begin his journey and is startled to find, standing a directly behind him, the beautiful Karen. She holds a coin aloft. Beside her is a small cart.
Karen
A florin for your goat, boy?
He is thrown by her beauty as well as by the coincidence. Even a dim-bulb like Brandish suspects
something fishy.
Brandish
(hesitant) He's a bit small to pull your cart.
They both look at the cart. Karen considers this.
Karen
Hmmm. You're quite right.
She reaches out a long finger and touches Brandish between the eyes. He stares at her, confused, frozen in panic, before he slowly begins to shrink out of frame.
A little Brandish's POV:
he is now at eye-level with the goat. The florin coin, dropped, tinkles to a stop.
to reveal: two goats, one brown, one green, like Brandish's hair. Harnessed to the cart.
That's much better.
Karen
She bends to pick up the coin. As she stands, she looks at her hands, and wrinkles her nose in distaste as she notes new veins and liver spots. It seems that using magic has aged her a little. She pockets the coin, climbs into the cart and cracks her whip. Hard. And they're off.
INT. TOMB OF THE KINGS DAY.
A vast burial chamber where an infinite number of kings have been laid to rest. Rouge, Sting and Bora stand solemnly beside their father's casket, as a BISHOP mutters a liturgy. Their ghostly brothers, Cobra, Rufus, Midnight and Dobengal, fidget nearby.
Dobengal
With all due respect to Father, that window thing was a rotten trick.
Rufus
Excuse me? At least you had a chance. Cobra murdered me while I was asleep!
Cobra
I never! It was Rouge!
MIDNIGHT
Silence, all of you! I wish to hear our father's liturgy. (to himself, despairing) God, the sooner a new king is crowned and we can all leave this dimension, the better.
Rufus
Amen to that.
Midnight
BISHOP ...to this hallowed place. And in peace and glory repose for evermore.
ALL
Amen.
Respectful silence falls as the king's tomb is closed.
Cobra (clapping his hands together) Right, that's that, then. And now: let the quest for the stone begin in earnest.
Bora
Should we pop back to the palace for a quick wake, do you think?
Rouge, Sting and the Bishop express their agreement. The ghostly brothers groan in exasperation.
INT. Throne HOUSE KITCHEN DAY.
Lucas is sitting at the table with a raw steak on his
eye. His father enters, bleary-eyed, in his nightgown.
Jude
I thought I heard you come in. What
happened? Are you hurt?
Lucas
No, nothing. I'm fine.
Jude
Then it would seem I have much to teach you about how to prepare a steak.
Lucas
If you must know, it was the guard. The guard at the wall.
Jude notes Lucas's cuts, bruises, shredded clothes.
Jude
Lucas, he's ninety seven.
Lucas
Well, that's given him plenty of time to practice, I suppose. Anyway, it wasn't just him. It was... No, forget it. You wouldn't believe me anyway.
Jude
Try me.
Lucas
It was the wall.
Jude And may I ask why you were trying to enter SPIRITLAND?
Lucas removes the steak, fixes him with a look.
Lucas
I might ask you the same thing. (off Jude's reaction) The guard let slip. So. Is it true?
Jude
I suppose I knew this day would arrive eventually. Lucas, follow me. I've something to show you.
.. Aquarius'S CARAVAN DAY.
Parked in a field, the yellow caravan in which Lucas was conceived, and, snaking away from it, the silver chain that held his mother captive. We track along it to reveal: a glorious, exotic BIRD on a perch.
Ditch-water Aquarius cooks a hare over a fire. A clatter of HOOVES: Karen's cart approaches, pulled by her goats.
Aquarius
Who goes there? What do you want with me, a poor old flower seller? A harmless old biddy. A sweet old
Karen Oh do shut up. I know what you are. And I swear by the ordinances of the sisterhood to which we belong that I mean you no harm. I wish to share your meal.
Aquarius
Oh. Well. One can never be too careful. Sit down. I'll get us a pot of tea.
Aquarius clicks her fingers at the bird, who TRANSFORMS back into the slave girl. The girl glares miserably at her and disappears into the caravan.
Aquarius reaches for a sharp stick, spears it into the crispy hare and holds it unceremoniously aloft.
Aquarius
So, stranger. What's it to be? Heads or tails?
.. PALACE TERRACE DAY.
The impromptu wake seems to have been going on for a while. Rouge, Bora and Sting stand around looking bored as the bishop rambles on. Rouge looks especially agitated.
BISHOP
...And I said: that's nothing, you should have seen what he did with the tabernacle!
The Princes force an unconvincing laugh. The Bishop ishop spies a fresh round of wine on the balustrade beside Rouge.
BISHOP
Ah-ha! May I propose another toast? To his highness, the new king of SPIRITLAND. Whichever of you fine fellows it might be. And may the best man be triumphant.
They all raise their chalices.
ALL The new King of SPIRITLAND!
They place the empty chalices back down on the ledge. Silence. Presently, the bishop clutches his throat in panic. He starts convulsing. And then bang he's down.
The princes look at one another with a mixture of anxiety and suspicion. A pregnant pause. Then huurgh! Bora goes down too.
Sting
You killed the bishop!
Rouge
I'd heard that story about a hundred times. Anyway, I think you'll find, Sting, that you killed the bishop. By drinking out of the wrong cup. And when you've finished wrestling with your conscience, may I suggest that if you'd care to be the first Prince of SPIRITLAND fortunate enough to live to see his brother crowned, you'll return to your chambers and leave the quest for the stone to me.
Rouge steps over the bodies of Bora and the bishop and heads towards the palace.
Rouge (CONT'D)
(shouting)
Footman! Ready my carriage!
.. CRATER DAY.
Even in the light, Leone seems to glitter and twinkle. She struggles as she tries to get up, collapsing back down, clutching her leg, clearly in pain. She curses underneath her breath.
Now she notices the King's moonstone lying beside her. As she leans closer to inspect it, it begins to move towards her, as if drawn by a magnet. It picks up speed until WHOOMPH! it is sucked onto the belt of her gown. She tugs at it to no avail. It's stuck.
Hopeless, confused and weary from her efforts, Leone
lies down, curls up and closes her eyes.
.. Aquarius'S CARAVAN
DAY.
Aquarius and Karen eat the barbecued hare. The slave girl
pours out two mugs of tea and places the pot beside
them. Aquarius snaps her fingers and the girl is TRANSFORMED
into a bird once more. Aquarius goes back to eating.
Aquarius
A woman after my own heart, you are. I always choose heads. Luscious eyes and brains. Nice crispy ears. Don't mind me, though, nothing but dull rump meat to chew on. I'm fine. A little herbal seasoning livens it up a treat. Care for a sprinkle?
Aquarius proffers a small glass jar. Karen takes it and shakes some onto her food. She starts to eat.
How is it?
Aquarius
Karen
Perfectly palatable.
Aquarius My very own recipe.
Karen pauses, concentrating as she chews.
Karen
Basil... Mountain thyme... There's something else. Can't quite place it.
Aquarius
So, stranger, where are you headed to on this fine night?
Karen (casually, eating)
I seek a fallen star. She fell not far from here. And when I find her I shall take my great knife and cut out her heart while she still lives. And with my sisters I shall dine upon it... and the glory of our youth... shall be restored.
Karen looks increasingly confused by her own words and we can see her trying to work out what the hell possessed her to share her precious information with Aquarius. Aquarius claps her hands together in delight.
Aquarius
A fallen star? Why that's the finest news I've had in a while. I could do with losing a few years myself. And what I don't eat will fetch a fortune at the market. So, whereabouts do you reckon
Fury spreads across Karen's face. She rises to her feet, her plate falling to the ground and shattering.
Karen
Limbus grass? You dared to feed me Limbus grass?! You, a lowly harridan? A money-grubbing peddlar? You dare to subject ME to your tuppeny enchantments? To steal truth from my lips by feeding me limbus grass? Do you have any inkling of the magnitude of your error, Ditch-water Aquarius?
Aquarius
How do you know my... who... Who are you?
Karen
Look again and you shall know who I am.
Karen's face is calm now. Suddenly, for a terrifying split second, we see a FLASH of her ghastly true form.
After recovering from this shock, Aquarius bows, trembling.
Aquarius
I shall not seek the star, your dark majesty, I swear. By the rules of the
sisterhood. Your rules. Please be -
Karen
Seek all you wish. You shall be unable
to see the star, to touch it, smell,
or hear it. You will not perceive it,
even if I were to put its heart in
your palm.
Karen touches her fingertip to Aquarius's forehead. The
clouds darken. The fire goes out, the rest of the
crockery smashes. And Karen ages a little more.
Karen
You shall forget you ever saw me. Yet the memory will be like an itch on an amputated limb. An itch that will vex and irritate you.
Aquarius
But that's all, your majesty? You... took an oath. I, I shared my supper with you. You won't harm me?
Karen
I swore not to harm you today. Pray you never meet me again, Ditch-water Aquarius.
The sky lightens and we focus on the bird, witness to the whole event. We hear GOAT HOOVES as Karen leaves. A baffled Aquarius surveys the carnage left behind.
INT. Throne HOUSE ATTIC DAY
Jude and Lucas sit together. Before them is the Moses basket we saw earlier.
Jude
Are you alright?
Lucas
It's a lot to take in.
Jude
The most important thing to know is that your mother loves you. Always has. We'd only been courting one Summer when you arrived, but she vowed to raise you as her own, and the hell with the gossip. She loves you. I love you. And your birth mother loved you too.
Lucas nods. He's still reeling, but he understands. Jude pushes the Moses basket towards him. Lucas reaches in and brings out the length of CHAIN that we saw Jude cut and the GLASS FLOWER he bought.
Lucas
(in wonderment) The chain you cut... Just as you told me. And the flower! The glass flower she sold to you.
Jude
She said it would bring me luck. I know she'd want you to have it.
Lucas finds the package we saw earlier. Jude nods to him to unwrap it. Inside it is a CANDLE, and a NOTE.
.. Aquarius's CARAVAN TWENTY YEARS AGO.
The slave girl sits scribbling the note, occasionally stopping to wipe away a tear or glance lovingly at the basket by her feet. Ditch-water Aquarius potters nearby, now and again casting a cold eye on her.
SLAVE GIRL (V.O.)
My dearest Lucas, please know that I only ever wanted the best for you. Had my circumstances been different, I would have keptokou in a heartbeat.
SLAVE GIRL
I hope you will understand and forgive me. My dearest wish is that we will meet someday, ay, but I urge you to understand that SPIRITLAND is a dangerous place, and more dangerous
still for a boy of your bloodline. The
safest way to travel is by
candlelight.
She looks around furtively and, seeing Aquarius looking away, she pops open a secret compartment. Inside are CANDLES. She quickly sneaks one out and slips it into a package, along with the note, and pops this into the basket.
INT. Throne HOUSE ATTIC DAY.
Lucas, reading the letter, clearly moved.
Instinctively, he reaches out to touch the candle.
SLAVE GIRL
Guard this candle well. To use it, think of me and only me... But believe me darling when I say that even if you choose never to use I will think of you every day, for always... Your Mother.
Lucas
Well, do you have a light?
Jude strikes a match and Lucas stares into his eyes, clutching the candle. They exchange grins and Jude lights it. There is a loud rush of air WHOOSH! and Lucas vanishes. Jude stands alone, his grin melting into slack-jawed shock as what's just happened sinks in.
.. CRATER DUSK.
Slowly, painfully, Leone struggles to her feet. Her leg clearly hurts a lot and she seems stiff. Gingerly, she straightens up, drained but pleased with her efforts.
Suddenly, a loud noise. Leone looks up to light almost like another shooting star to see so bright falling from above. Her smile turns to a scream as it hurtles towards her, and finally smashes into her, sending her rolling across the ground.
The light fades to reveal a seemingly shocked Lucas.
Lucas
Mother?
Leone
Oh. My. God. You total, utter moron. I've got a bloody broken leg! And you come and smash into me! Knock me over?! Bravo. Good work. Just brilliant.
Lucas can't believe his reunion with his birth mother has got off to quite such an appalling start.
Lucas
Oh no! I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry! I used the candle you gave me, you see, and, oh mother, are you alright? Are you badly hurt?
Leone
Will you stop calling me mother? No, you know, better than that: stop talking altogether. Or ideally, just go away. That would be perfect. I would love that.
Lucas
You're not my mother, are you?
Leone
And there I was thinking you really were as stupid as you looked. But you're spot on: I'm not your mother. And now we've established that, will you please, please go away before you
fracture any more of my limbs or I can
no longer resist the urge to fracture
one of yours. Thank you.
Lucas wanders away, surveying the vast crater.
Something hits him and he begins to mutter excitedly.
Lucas
Oh my god, this must be where...
"Light the candle and think of me..."
I was thinking of mother... But then,
Grace, the star, just popped... I'm
such a
But he can't berate himself for long this is where hereally wanted to be. He runs back to Leone.
Lucas
Excuse me, miss, this may seem odd, but have you seen a fallen star?
Leone
Oh, you're funny.
Lucas
No, really. The crater... This must be where it fell.
The angrier Leone gets, the more she appears to shimmer.
Leone
Yeah, this is where it fell. Or if you want to be really specific, up there is where a big bloody moonstone came out of nowhere and knocked it out of the heavens when it was minding its own business. Over there is where it landed. Very heavily. Breaking it's right leg. And right here? This is where it got hit by a magical flying moron.
Lucas is so surprised by the oddness of the revelation, and glad to have found her, he barely notices her fury.
Lucas
Your the star...
Your the star?
Oh wow
You're a...? Well, well. Seems SPIRITLAND is full of surprises. And I apologize for any inconvenience, but you, my little star, are coming with me. Back to my village, on the other side of the wall! The human side! You're going to be a birthday gift for my true love! Or should I say, my wife- to-be!
Lucas offers her a hand up. Leone stares at it incredulously. Impatient, he takes her hands and tries to pull her to her feet. She stays firmly on the ground. Now he tries to lift her under her arms, but she makes herself as heavy as possible. He gives up, frustrated.
Leone Seems like you'd better start looking for another birthday present.
Lucas frowns and fishes around in his pocket.
Lucas
May I just say in advance, that I'm very sorry.
Leone
Sorry for what?
Lucas
For this.
With uncharacteristic deftness, Lucas ties the silver chain around Leone's wrist. She glares at him, aghast.
Lucas
If I'm not very much mistaken, this means you have to come with me, wherever I want, until I set you free. Or die.
Leone
Don't tempt me.
Lucas ties the other end to his own wrist. Leone struggles away from him. As when we saw it before, the chain turns from it's fluid-looking state to iron.
Lucas
See? I'm sorry, but you've no choice but to return with me to my Grace.
Leone
Ah. But of course. Nothing says romance like the gift of a kidnapped, injured woman.
Lucas
Come on, get up.
Leone
I've got a broken leg!
Lucas stares furiously at Leone. Finally he picks her up. She scratches his face. Shocked, he drops her.
He slumps down beside her and they sit in stony silence. This is going to be much, much harder than he thought.