1) Inside the shop.Stepan as Arntham: Why, certainly. Kalbi would be happy to show you our merchandise. I'll be right back!
John: That's not what I—
2) Inside the studio.
John (through shut door to the studio): Hey!
Stepan (caption): I can feel John pounding on the door. I'd better fit Arntham to his new body, and fast...but I can't leave his old corpse in the middle of the room! Quickly now...
3) Inside the studio.
Stepan (caption): ...first to hide the headless body...
John (through door): Arntham? What's that noise?
4) In the alley outside the back door to the shop.
Stepan (caption): ...then to attach the bodiless head...
John (through door): Arntham?
Arntham: Gaaah...
5) Scurrying back to the door outside the studio.
Stepan (caption): ...then to clothe the blind old man before the sight of him makes me blind...
John (through door): Arntham!
Arntham: What is ... ?
Stepan: Slip this on quick and get inside! There's a constable making trouble!
6) Inside the studio, same angle as in 2.
Stepan (caption): ...and then to persuade John that nothing's amiss.
John: Arntham! Why wouldn't you answer me? That mutt of yours wouldn't let me in here!
Arntham: Eh? Well, uh...you know Halfhoundlings—they're pretty dogged!
7) Inside the studio.
John: Lucky for him you're here, Arntham. Otherwise—but who's this youth with you? And why is your robe dripping?
Stepan (caption): Time to get "persuasive"...
8) Inside the studio.
Stepan (caption): Just a quick confusion charm...
John: More strange sounds outside—I'd better have a look.
9) On the road.
Stepan (caption): After John left the shop, Arntham thought we'd better leave Drena...
Kalbi: Good riddance to those people! I can't keep relying on Arntham to protect me against their ill-will toward us animal folk.
Stepan: Ill-will?
Arntham: Too much trouble with weres in Drena's past.
10) On the road.
Stepan: What about the present, Arntham? Your attacker looked like a man with an animal head—horned, even.
Arntham: Eh? Then it's as I thought. The people of Elsewhere don't want me to chart their city.
11) On the road.
Stepan: Why not? How much trouble could that cause them?
Arntham: You tell me, boy...because it's your master Ipthorin who wants me to map it.
***
I'm afraid I took all the easy constraints—largely because I had too much exposition to deal with (Isaac and I have exchanged a lot of story notes offline about this page, and there's a lot of backstory involved). In the second panel, I'll use the Bagge to indicate Stepan's agitation at the situation he's in. In the third panel, I'll use the Langridge with peek-a-boo bonus to show the headless corpse inside the trunk. And in the eighth panel, I'll use the Ditko to add oomph to Stepan's charm. That saddles Isaac with the more challenging constraints, the Segar & the J. Chris Campbell. Sorry, chief. But think of the possibilities, especially now that we're getting out of town!
Anyway, that's what I've got so far. Help me out, folks—time is of the essence!
I can't believe you left me the hard ones. But since we're changing settings, I guess it won't be too hard for me to make some use of the J. Chris Campbell.
ReplyDeleteI have a few little suggestions and notes that I'll email you. And I'll try to send you a few more responses before sundown...
Looks like this take may not take after all. Stay tuned...
ReplyDelete