Willow Page #5

Willow falls back against the riverbank, shrinking away

from the murdered Death Dog which lies bloody and

twisted in the water. The terrified baby cries in his

arms.

EXT. ROAD - MORNING

A harmless rabbit springs across Willow's path. Willow

trips over a stone and almost falls flat on his face.

WILLOW:

I hate this. Where am I? I should

stick you in a tree and go back

home.

(looks at baby)

I'm sorry. I didn't mean that.

He hurries along the road, looking over his shoulder.

EXT. LANDSCAPE - DAY - MONTAGE

Various VIEWS of Willow and the baby trekking across

vast hills and valleys.

EXT. HILL - DAY

Gasping with exhaustion, Willow staggers up a sloping

hill and drops to his knees. His eyes brighten. In

the distance he sees a junction marked by a high wooden

scaffolding.

WILLOW:

That's it. The crossroads...

He stands and heads toward it cautiously.

EXT. CROSSROADS - DAY

The place is disgusting. Littered with junk, buzzing

with flies, plagued with rodents. Willow creeps toward

the scaffolding, covering his face against the stench.

From it hang two cages. In one is a heap of filthy

rags. In the other a half-clothed skeleton with one

bony arm dangling out.

Willow unpacks the papoose and looks up the deserted

road. He shivers with cold.

WILLOW:

I hate this.

EXT. CROSSROADS - DAY - LATER

Willow waits uneasily, brushing flies off his face.

The baby fusses and squirms. He peeks inside her

diaper.

WILLOW:

I hate this.

He looks anxiously up and down the road. The baby's

crying gets worse. He begins to change her.

EXT. CROSSROADS - SUNSET

Willow finishes building a fire, lighting it with flint

and blowing it into flame. The baby lies quietly near-

by in a kind fo porta-crib made of papoose and twigs.

Nightfall teems with spooky noises: crickets, frogs,

bats, owls and howling wolves. Then a terrible moan

frightens him.

WILLOW:

I really hate this.

Not sure where it came from. he backs away from the

fire, under the rag-filled cage. Suddenly a hand

reaches down and yanks Willow up off the ground! Wil-

low screams. The baby cries. And WE SEE the haggard

unwashed unshaven face of MADMARTIGAN pressing against

the bars of the cage.

MADMARTIGAN:

Hey, Peck...get me some water...or

you'll diiiiie...!

Madmartigan shakes Willow like a rag-doll until Willow

nods his head yes. Then drops him. Instantly Willow

races around that fire, picking up everything he owns.

WILLOW:

I will--I'll getcha water--getcha

lotsa water--anything you say--!

Willow grabs the baby and makes a beeline for the

bushes.

MADMARTIGAN:

Peck!

He dives headfirst into the weeds. Madmartigan rattles

his cage.

MADMARTIGAN:

You're a weasely little Peck!

Gimme some water!

Willow peeks at him and shakes his head.

WILLOW:

I'm not coming near you!

They stare at each other across the fire. Then, Mad-

martigan puts on a very phony smile.

MADMARTIGAN:

Please? I'm dyin' of thirst in

here.

WILLOW:

Good. How long will it take?

Madmartigan drops the smile and spits at the fire.

MADMARTIGAN:

Don't make me angry, Peck.

WILLOW:

You be careful. I'm a powerful

sorcerer. I could turn you into a

toad just like that.

MADMARTIGAN:

Miserable Pecks.

Willow throws a rock at him. It bounces off the cage.

Madmartigan sags down into a heap of rags again.

EXT. CROSSROADs - NIGHT

The wind howls through the distant trees as darkness falls.

Willow rocks the baby and eats some bread. Madmartigan

watches him hungrily, sighing, forlorn, his eyes asking

for pit. Willow glances at him. Finally, he can't

take any more and he puts down the baby and pous some

goat's milk in a cup. He reaches up on tip-toes and

offers the milk to Madmartigan.

MADMARTIGAN:

That's more like it.

Madmartigan snatches the cup and guzzles the milk,

retching horribly at the taste. Then he tosses the cup

back.

WILLOW:

Do any other daikinis ever come by

here?

MADMARTIGAN:

Why.

WILLOW:

I have to give this baby to some-

body.

Madmartigan grabs the bars and raises himself up.

MADMARTIGAN:

I'm somebody. Lemme out and I'll

take care of your baby.

He makes little kissing noises to the baby, trying to

be sweet. However, his teeth are filthy.

WILLOW:

No. Somebdoy put you in there for a

reason. I'll wait for somebody else.

Willow retreats to the fire. Madmartigan whacks the

cage with the back of his hand.

EXT. CROSSROADS - NIGHT- LATER

By the blazing fire Willow feeds the baby. WE HEAR

hoofbeats.

WILLOW:

Hey! Somebody's coming!

MADMARTIGAN:

Peck! Quick! Douse the fire!

Excited, Willow tosses more wood on the fire, picks up

the baby and waits.

MADMARTIGAN:

No, you fool! Put it out I say!

Out!

Torches appear up the road. A horse-drawn wagon

clatters full-speed toward the fire. WE HEAR load

drunken voices, far from friendly. Willow quickly

dives into the bushes.

Four boorish PICTS, with tatooed faces and arms, halt

at the crossroads, yelling and waving their torches.

Madmartigan is hidden under his rags. For fun the

Picts set fire to the skeleton cage. Then head for the

other.

MADMARTIGAN:

No!!

He rises up in the torchlight. The Picts taunt him.

PICT:

Whose fire!

They jab their torches at Madmartigan.

MADMARTIGAN:

No! Help! Stop!

PICT:

Where are they? Where did they go?

Madmartigan points way up the road. The Picts ride

away. As they go, they swing his cage and st fire to

the floor of it. Madmartigan frantically geats the

flames. His sleeves ignite.

Willow scrambles out of the bushes and scoops up hand-

fuls of dirt, which he chucks at Madmartigan.

MADMARTIGAN:

(spitting out dirt)

Thanks for your help, Peck.

WILLOW:

Are you okay?

MADMARTIGAN:

As if you care. I saved your life,

Peck. Those guys woulda killed us!

(points dramatically)

You wanna give your baby to them??

They eat babies!

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