The Firework-Maker's Daughter (2 page)

LALCHAND:
(
s/v
.) Don't say that. You stupid boy. The King loves his elephant.

CHULAK:
I've nearly got enough money to get us to India. We'll be safe there.

LALCHAND:
Safe - maybe. Poor - definitely! How will you earn a living?

CHULAK:
I thought I might do a bit of firework-making. Nice trade.

LALCHAND:
Nice trade, my backside! Firework-making is an ancient and sacred art. You need talent, dedication and the favour of the gods to be a Firework-Maker.

CHULAK:
All right, calm down. Remember the old...

(CHULAK pats his heart.)

It doesn't look difficult.

LALCHAND:
Well it is.

CHULAK:
How did you become one, then?

LALCHAND:
I was apprenticed to my father for many years. Then I was tested to see if I had the Three Gifts.

CHULAK:
Did you have them?

LALCHAND:
Of course I did.

CHULAK:
I've got more than three gifts.

LALCHAND:
That's not all. There's an especially treacherous and dangerous part to the apprenticeship... that I can't tell you about.

CHULAK:
That's a bit convenient, isn't it? Is it as dangerous as being stepped on by an elephant?

LALCHAND:
Is it dangerous to travel to the Grotto of Razvani the Fire-Fiend, in the heart of Mount Merapi?

CHULAK:
Mount Merapi, the volcano, famous for it's frequent and unpredictable eruptions of molten lava?

LALCHAND:
Yes. That one.

CHULAK:
Easy. I could do that.

LALCHAND:
And is it easy to bring back...

(Confidential.)

Royal Sulphur?

CHULAK:
What is...

(Confidential.)

Royal Sulphur?

LALCHAND:
It's the prize ingredient for the finest fireworks. Without Royal Sulphur, no-one can ever be a true Firework-Maker.

CHULAK:
And that's the special secret?

LALCHAND:
Yes.

CHULAK:
You're right. Firework-making's difficult and dangerous. I'll do something else.

LALCHAND:
Good.

CHULAK starts to go.

CHULAK:
(
Business-like
.) Mount Merapi? Razvani the Fire-Fiend's Grotto? Royal Sulphur?

LALCHAND:
Yes, you pestilential boy! And, hey, remember... It's a secret.

CHULAK lands next to LILA. All LILA's speech is drowned by fireworks as she flies into a rage.

CHULAK:
He didn't tell you because he doesn't want you to get hurt.

LILA lets off a firework.

CHULAK:
Mount Merapi's dangerous. There's a Fire-Fiend... Whatever that is.

More fireworks from LILA.

CHULAK:
He told me because he had to. I told you he had no choice.

Fireworks.

CHULAK:
No, he doesn't think you're a child.

LILA leaves.

CHULAK:
(
Calling after her
.) You've got to speak to him...

(To HAMLET.)

Oh no. I think I've made a terrible mistake. Why did I do that, Hamlet?

HAMLET:
Because you're an incorrigible show-off trying to make up for your lowly station in life with frequent public demonstrations of intellect.

CHULAK gives HAMLET a hard look.

HAMLET:
Well you did ask.

A piercing cry.

LALCHAND:
Lila!

LALCHAND staggers into the market carrying a piece of paper.

LALCHAND:
Lila!

(To fried-prawn seller.)

Have you seen, Lila?

The fried-prawn seller shakes his head.

LALCHAND:
(
To batik-painter
.) Have you?

The batik-painter, likewise.

LALCHAND:
Daughter! You don't know what you're doing!

Trumpets are heard. A procession approaches. A formally dressed CHULAK is driving the formally attired HAMLET (red silk, gold tusks, etc..) to LORD PARAKIT's mansion. LORD PARAKIT walks in front of the elephant, upset.

CHULAK:
Royal White Elephant! Make way for the Royal White Elephant!

LORD PARAKIT:
(
To HAMLET
.) Be a good beast. Don't eat me into poverty.

LALCHAND hurries to CHULAK and HAMLET.

LALCHAND:
Did you tell Lila the secret?

CHULAK:
What secret?

LALCHAND:
The
secret.

CHULAK:
About Razvani and the Royal Sulphur? Course I did. Why?

LALCHAND:
She's gone.

CHULAK:
Gone where?

LALCHAND:
To Mount Merapi - and she doesn't know the rest of it.

CHULAK:
There's more?

LALCHAND:
Of course there is. I would never betray the heart of my secret to a child like you! What have you done? Noone can go into the Fire-Fiend's Grotto without protection. She'll perish in the flames!

A blood-curdling roar from HAMLET. The entourage and market traders immediately scatter in terror. CHULAK climbs off HAMLET's back.

CHULAK:
I didn't know... I thought I was helping her...

LALCHAND:
You've sent her to her death.

HAMLET nudges the devastated CHULAK aside.

HAMLET:
(
s/v
.) How can she be protected?

CHULAK:
I don't know.

HAMLET:
(
s/v
.) Ask Lalchand!

CHULAK:
How can she be protected?

LALCHAND:
It's too late...

CHULAK:
Tell me!

LALCHAND:
She needs magic water from the Goddess of the Emerald Lake.

CHULAK:
The Emerald Lake's miles away. We can't possibly go there
and
catch up with Lila.

LALCHAND:
She's doomed. It's all your fault.

CHULAK:
I was trying to help...

HAMLET moves CHULAK to one side again.

HAMLET:
(
s/v
.) There is one way - me. If we escape tonight, we could hurry the magic water to Lila. It's her only chance.

The servants and market traders are cautiously returning. CHULAK thinks for a moment, then leaps on the chance to redeem himself.

CHULAK:
That's it! I was about to suggest that.

(To LALCHAND.)

I'll find her.

HAMLET bats CHULAK.

CHULAK:
Me and Hamlet. We'll go tonight.

It's noisy - monkeys gibber, parrots screech, crocodiles snap their jaws. LILA pushes through the undergrowth. A snake hisses at her. LILA jumps out of the way and all but falls into a wide river.

LILA:
Oh no! I'm a terrible swimmer... There's crocodiles down there...

LILA stands back from the river, dejected.

LILA:
(
Steeling herself
.) I'm not turning back. I'll build a raft.

There's a rustle from some nearby vegetation. LILA's a little un-nerved. The bush rustles again. Suddenly, a huge man steps out of a different bush right next to LILA, causing her to jump.

RAMBASHI:
River taxi, Miss?

LILA:
You shouldn't jump out like that.

RAMBASHI:
You want to cross the river?

LILA:
I'm thinking about it.

RAMBASHI:
I thought so. I saw that in a flash. And would I be correct in supposing that you had... money?

LILA:
I might have a tiny little amount.

RAMBASHI:
(
Disappointed
.) Just a little...

LILA:
It's enough to pay your fare. Unless you're a complete crook?

RAMBASHI:
A crook, miss? Me, miss? No, miss.

LILA fishes some coins out of her purse. As she opens the purse, RAMBASHI leans over and looks to see how much money she has. He's impressed. LILA hides the purse.

LILA:
(
Offering money
.) One rupee. Take it or leave it.

RAMBASHI pretends to think about it for a moment.

RAMBASHI:
Rambashi's River Taxi is delighted to be at your service.

(Bowing deeply.)

I am Rambashi.

RAMBASHI claps his hands. Out of the undergrowth come three scurvy dogs, CHANG, the LITTLE PIRATE and the HUNGRY PIRATE -dangerous-looking men with limbs missing, eye-patches and low brows. LILA's a little alarmed.

LILA:
There's quite a lot of you, isn't there?

The pirates look baffled.

LITTLE PIRATE:
It's a very fast taxi.

The pirates all laugh - then scowl at Lila. A boat is pulled from the undergrowth.

RAMBASHI:
All aboard, all aboard. Set to it my brave lads.

They push the boat into the river. LILA's not sure about her decision now she's alone with the pirates.

CHANG:
What's a young girl like you doing on her own out here? Don't you know it's dangerous?

LILA:
I'm going to Mount Merapi.

LITTLE PIRATE:
The volcano?

HUNGRY PIRATE:
That's a long way. You'll need food for a journey like that?

LILA:
I've hardly any.

HUNGRY PIRATE:
No spare rice? No meat or vegetables?

LILA:
No.

HUNGRY PIRATE:
What about snacks between meals? Fruit? Chocolate? I can smell something tasty. Ow!

The HUNGRY PIRATE is hit on the head with an oar. It's clear they are very poor sailors.

LITTLE PIRATE:
Concentrate. Stop thinking about your belly.

HUNGRY PIRATE:
I'm too hungry to concentrate.

CHANG:
You're pushing the stick the wrong way.

LITTLE PIRATE:
It's called a paddle actually.

RAMBASHI:
Think of the job in hand, lads.

All the pirates turn and look threateningly at LILA. LILA gulps. RAMBASHI's trailing his hand in the water behind the boat. LILA sees something approaching him.

LILA:
Watch out! Crocodile!

RAMBASHI removes his hand from the snapping jaws of the crocodile. He leaps to his feet, terrified.

RAMBASHI:
A sea monster! Run for your lives!

The boat almost capsizes as RAMBASHI rushes around.

LILA:
Stand still you idiots! You'll capsize the boat!

RAMBASHI:
Fight it, Chang!

CHANG:
Me! Why?

LITTLE PIRATE:
You're the biggest!

CHANG's pushed to the back of the boat and is about to hit the crocodile on the head with his oar when the HUNGRY PIRATE catches a crab and smacks him in the back with his oar. CHANG overbalances and jumps onto the crocodile's back.

CHANG:
Help! Help me! Argh!

As CHANG precariously surfs the crocodile, the other men panic.

LILA:
Pull him in! He'll be eaten!

Nobody knows what to do. LILA grabs an oar and rushes to the back of the boat.

LILA:
Out of the way.

She smacks the crocodile with the oar. CHANG leaps back onto the boat in the nick of time.

LILA:
That was a narrow squeak...

The boat cracks into the river bank. LILA is thrown into the bottom of the boat. The men recover first.

RAMBASHI:
Quick lads.

CHANG:
I don't want to now. She seems nice.

LITTLE PIRATE:
And she's only a small girl.

RAMBASHI:
We've got to start somewhere?

HUNGRY PIRATE:
She's holding out on us. She's got food. That's the smell!

(
longingly
.)

Plum sauce.

The pirates all sniff the air lovingly.

CHANG:
(
Salivating
.) Plum sauce.

LITTLE PIRATE:
Let's do it.

The men put masks on their faces and pull out long knives. RAMBASHI has two, a curly one and a curved one.

RAMBASHI:
Do I look fierce?

(
Being scary
.)

Argh!

The LITTLE PIRATE shrieks and cowers.

LITTLE PIRATE:
(
Matter of fact
.) Not bad.

LILA climbs out of the bottom of the boat rubbing her head.

LILA:
Ow. Have you lot ever been in a boat before? Oh...

RAMBASHI:
Yes. Fooled you. Ha, ha! This isn't a River Taxi at all. We are pirates. We'd cut your throat as soon as look at you.

HUNGRY PIRATE:
And drink your blood.

RAMBASHI:
And drink your blood. Hand over your money, come on...

HUNGRY PIRATE:
And eat your gizzard.

RAMBASHI:
And eat...

(
To HUNGRY PIRATE
.)