Willow Page #6

WILLOW:

I don't know.

Madmartigan literally licks his wounds, dragging his

parched tongue along the length of his forearm. Willow

begins to walk away.

MADMARTIGAN:

The world's gone insane. Good men

locked in cages, criminals running

free. It doesn't pay to be honest,

Peck.

Willow stops and turns around.

WILLOW:

Don't call me a Peck. My name is

Willow.

Madmartigan slinks down like a cat and slowly extends

his derty hand through the bars.

MADMARTIGAN:

Hello, Willow. I'm Madmartigan.

Willow stares warily at the hand. Madmartigan smiles.

Willow quickly shakes his hand and jumps away. Madmar-

tigan laughs in a harmless, friendly way.

MADMARTIGAN:

You a woodcutter?

WILLOW:

Farmer.

MADMARTIGAN:

Farmer! I knew it! You're a vic-

tim, Willow. Yep, you and me:

victims of a rotten, corrupt, cor-

rupt, rotten world.

A rat lumbers out of the darkness and sniffs toward the

baby in the porta-crib. Madmartigan suddenly points.

Willow screams and chases the rat away. Madmartigan

shakes his head as solemnly as an undertaker.

MADMARTIGAN:

Listen, Willow my friend. I'm

really a good man. Give me my

freedom, and I'll look after that

baby for you. Trust me.

After a moment, Willow takes out his dagger. He stands

on his toes under a cage, reaches up, and hacks at the

chain lock. Madmartigan's eyes widen over-eagerly. he

rubs his hands together and licks his lips.

MADMARTIGAN:

That's it--good--good--like that,

yes, good, good, the chain--that's

it, come on--come on--!

Willow suddenly steps away.

WILLOW:

Nooo, I don't think I should.

Madmartigan goes berserk. His arms flail and the whole

cage shakes and swings and he bangs his head on the

roof.

MADMARTIGAN:

Peck!! Stupid Peck! I'll kill ya!

Let me out!

Willow scrambles back to the fire and scoops up the

baby and rocks her in his arms.

EXT. CROSSROADS - DAWN

Madmartigan is making something out of scraps of bark

and cloth. He smiles sweetly as Willow wakes up.

MADMARTIGAN:

Morning, Willow.

Willow turns his back on him and tends to the baby.

MADMARTIGAN:

Sorry I yelled at you. I've been

in this cage toooo long. Can't

think straight anymore. Owww...!

Willow looks over. madmartigan pats his arms in pain.

WILLOW:

You all right?

MADMARTIGAN:

These burns. My arms. Ouch...

He holds up his arms in agony. Willow fishes some

gooey jelly out of his sack and smears a gob of it on a

leaf. He hands it up to Madmartigan.

WILLOW:

See if this helps.

Madmartigan wipes the goo all over his arms.

MADMARTIGAN:

Aaaaaahhhh. Better. Here, I made

something for the baby.

He holds out a ratlle and shakes it. Willow accepts

it.

WILLOW:

What's inside?

Madmartigan sticks his finger in his mouth and pries it

open as wide as possible.

MADMARTIGAN:

A tooth.

(Willow reacts)

I'm strving. I got no used for it.

Noise in the distance. up the road Willow sees a

MESSENGER charging on horseback. He gallops right

past, whipping his horse, almost knocking Willow off

the road. Then another MESSENGER follows with the same

urgency. Willow grabs the baby and steps out to stop

him.

WILLOW:

Stop! Wait!

The messenger screams a Willow who jumps aside as he

thunders by. The two horsemen disappear up the road.

MADMARTIGAN:

(with authority)

Smells like a battle.

WILLOW:

Are you a warrior?

MADMARTIGAN:

The greatest swordsman that ever

lived.

Madmartigan slices the air with an imaginary sword.

Willow shakes his head and goes back to the baby.

EXT. CROSSROADS - DAY

WE SEE the empty road. Willow's head pops INTO FRAME.

He grabs the baby.

WILLOW:

What's that? I hear something!

MADMARTIGAN:

You hear trouble.

WILLOW:

What is it?

The horizon rumbles. Madmartigan cups his ear. Cyni-

cally:

MADMARTIGAN:

A hundred horses...five or six

wagons... and about six thousand

fools.

Two CAVALRY OFFICERS gallop into view, raising a plume

of dust. Then an enormous ARMY appears: cavalry, foot

soldiers, assault wagons: shields, swords, spears,

raised banners.

The two officers shout orders over the thunderous

clamor of hoofbeats, marching boots and clanking armor.

Charging back and forth, they shepherd the army through

the crossroads. Willow holds the baby. Fighting dust

and noise he tries to get the officer's attention.

WILLOW:

Sir? Sir!

OFFICER:

Out of the way!

An officer's horse nearly kicks Willow, who scurries

out of the way. Huddling with the baby, he notices

AIRK THAUGHBAER, a large, muscular, bearded officer,

clearly in charge. On horseback, Airk breaks file and

rides up to the other officers.

AIRK:

Push 'em harder! No rest at mid-

day! We need to make ten more

leagues by dark!

Shouting orders, the officers split up, charging to the

front and rear of the army. Airk watches the army

pass. Willow desperately scrambles up to him.

WILLOW:

Sir! Sir! I have this baby. We

found her in our village. Will you

take her...?

Huge Airk looks down from his huge horse. Little Wil-

low holds up the baby.

AIRK:

We're going into battle, little

one. Find a woman to take care of

it.

MADMARTIGAN:

He thought you were a woman, Airk!

Airk snaps hes head around and his eyes flash.

AIRK:

Madmartigan! What did you do this

time?

MADMARTIGAN:

Nothing you wouldn't have done it my

place!

Airk's horse prances menacingly around Madmartigan's

cage.

AIRK:

I always knew you'd end up in a

crow's cage.

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