9 Page #3

2 has a big reaction--he draws his breath in and looks at it

in ASTONISHMENT.

12.

He takes it and looks at it. He gives 9 a look of surprise.

2 (cont’d)

But how strange....

(muttering to himself ashe turns the Talisman in

his hands)

Yes, he was always drawing this...

exactly like this... how strange...

They both stare at the TALISMAN.

Suddenly, a is heard OFFSCREEN. 2 looks up INHORROR. He grabs his spear. He pushes 9 away almostfiercely.

ALT:

2 (cont’d)

(firmly, to 9)

GO!

...........................................................

SEQ. 030 - Cat Beast Attacks

SEQ. 030 - EXT. WASTELAND - DAY

2 points forcefully to an old rusted can.

9 runs into the can.

2 stands, ready to attack.

9 watches 2, wondering what is coming. Then from behind him,

a large claw of a mechanical figure settles softly next to

9’s can. He tries to call out to 2...

And from behind 2 enters-

A HIDEOUS CAT BEAST.

It is a nail and razor-studded predatory Machine with a cat

skull-shaped head, its body laced with bones, nails and

razors. 9 now understands 2 was trying to protect him.

2 GASPS as he turns and sees it. The Cat Beast lets out a

roar and claws at 2, KNOCKING him over and losing his spear.

9 looks on with horror.

13.

2 attempts to reach for his spear but the Beast holds himdown with its razor-sharp feet.

The Beast is attracted to the Talisman. It picks it up withone of its jagged claws and looks at it quizzically.

9 cringes. His movement makes his hiding place teeter,

creaking.

The Cat Beast WHIRLS at the sound. Picking up 2’s strugglingbody, the Cat Beast stalks towards the noise, right up to 9’shiding place, sniffing through its hollow nostrils. 9

cringes in terror. The Cat Beast probes with one of hisclaws INTO the tin can. 9 recoils. The claws do not find

him and retreat. 9 is relieved.

A beat, then:

9 feels himself violently LIFTED UP and SMASHED.

We see the Cat Beast has picked up the entire tin can and issmashing it to get at what’s inside it. Failing, it hurlsthe tin can aside.

9 is almost knocked out. Trying to stay conscious, hestruggles towards the entrance of the can.

His POV:
through his haze and through the broken edges of the

opening to the can, he sees the Cat Beast GRAB the Talismanand the struggling 2 in his sharp-toothed mouth, anddisappearing into the smoky mist.

9 can just make out, in the distance, the silhouettes of

THREE TALL SHAPES.

9

(muttering)

The others...

CUT TO:

.............................................................

POV SPYGLASS - ELSEWHERE IN THE WASTELAND - LATER

POV SPYGLASS:
the spyglass searches through the city and

comes across a lone staggering figure (9).

14.

Pull back to show the back of 5’s head as he peers throughthe spyglass, then pulls away so we can see into the spyglassagain. We zoom in through the spyglass to a

CLOSE SHOT on 9-

EXT. WASTELAND - CLOSE ON 9 - CONTINUOUS

9 staggers, weary, and collapses.

In the foreground, the feet of another ragdoll (5) step intothe shot.

CUT TO:

...........................................................

Seq. 040 - Meeting 5

SEQ. 040 - INT. 5’S WORKSHOP - DAY

5 is finishing sewing 9 up.

5

It’s all right. You’re safe now.

9

Where am I?

5

With us.

9

(muttering)

Yes... he told me there were

others...

5

(suddenly, urgently)

Who?

9

(still dazed, trying to

remember)

He was older... Out there...

5

2. Out in the emptiness?

(horrified)

Alone? Was he all right?

When is he coming back?

15.

9 looks at him, the whole memory suddenly coming back to himas though fresh.

9

The--the-(

can’t think of the right

word)

Thing! It took him.

5 reacts with horror.

5

No... No! It can’t be!

He turns away, grief-stricken.

1 (O.S.)

Keeping secrets from me, I see.

Another RAGDOLL pushes into the workroom. This is a biggerragdoll, the most primitive one we have seen. He has

primitive wooden hinges for feet. He is very frayed andpatched together. The number 1 is painted on his back.

5 and 9 whirl around. 5 CRINGES.

5

I... I was coming to tell you...

1 carries himself with authority. He wears a red cloak, and

a strange mother of pearl and wire hat bound together as analmost papal-like headpiece, and carries a staff made from anold gear, with a bell attached.

1 pulls at 9 with his staff, displaying the number on hisback.

1

What’s this?

1 turns and glares at 5 like a general glaring at a newprivate, expecting an explanation for a misdeed. 5 cringesback, obviously intimidated by 1.

5

I... I found him.... in the

emptiness. He saw-

1 HOOKS 5 by the neck with his staff, cutting off his speech.

1

What? What were you doing out

there?

16.

5

I saw him from the watchtower and I

thought...

1

You’ll lead The Beast straight backto us! How many times have I toldyou?

9

The Beast--that’s what took 2! If

we hurry we could save him-

1

(curtly)

If the Beast took him, that’s theend of it.

9

But he was still alive-

5 turns with sudden hope to 9. 2 might still be alive?

1

No, we have RULES.

1 smashes his staff against the ground.

Immediately, a knife comes through the curtain revealinganother RAGDOLL: a large ragdoll, with the number “8” on his

arm.

1 (cont’d)

(to 8)

Our new guest seems confused.

(condescendingly, to 9)

Perhaps I can help you achieve someclarity.

8 is very large, and designed for great strength. He is

almost as evolved in his design as 9, but his design favorsprimarily brute force.

He has armored himself with curved pieces of tin and metal.

He carries the blade of a large kitchen knife, with a nail hehas attached for a handle. On his back he has slung anotherknife--half of a scissors; the scissors handle loops up above

his head.

17.

1 leaves. 8 taps his knife in his hand and motions for 9 and5 to follow. They follow.

CUT TO:

...........................................................

SEQ. 050 - Clock Tower

SEQ. 050 - INT. CATHEDRAL - CONTINUOUS

They walk through the nave and plane up overhead.

5 taps 9 covertly.

5

(whispering, hopefully)

He was still alive? Really?

9

I think so-8

looms forward threateningly.

8

Hmmmph!

5 quickly stops talking. 9, following his lead, stopstalking also.

The group gets into a bucket-like device. 8 pushes 9 hard

into the bucket.

1 NODS commandingly to 8. 8 begins to crank a rope that

lifts them up. 5 gestures to 9 to hold on.

9 braces himself as 8 pulls them up into a tall tower. He

steals a glance at 1. 1 frowns. 9 tries to smile.

They pass an old plane outside that has crash-landed in to

the Cathedral.

On the side wall is a round, multi-colored stained glasswindow. Shafts of different colored sunlight flickerthrough.

The bucket moves past two large church bells into-...

the inside of a CLOCK TOWER of a once-magnificentCathedral. We see the BACK of the CLOCK, the light castingshadows of the backward numbers onto the floor.

18.

1 gestures out towards the outside and addresses 9:

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