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SCENE 43

INT. CIRCUS ARCANUS, BIG TOP—NIGHT

SKENDER is standing beside the circular platform/cage in the middle of a crowd, many of whom are drunk.

SKENDER

Next in our little show of freaks and oddities, I present to you—a Maledictus!

He whips open the curtains. There stands NAGINI in a snakeskin dress. Men in the crowd whistle and jeer.

SKENDER

Once trapped in the jungles of Indonesia, she is the carrier of a blood curse. Such Underbeings are destined, through the course of their lives, to turn permanently into beasts.

TINA makes her way around the back of the crowd, looking for CREDENCE.

Elsewhere in the tent, an elegant, suited French African, YUSUF KAMA, is scanning the crowd rather than watching SKENDER. There is a black feather in the band of his fedora.

SKENDER

But look at her. So beautiful, yes? So desirable . . . but soon she will be trapped forever in a very different body. Every night, when she sleeps . . . mesdames et messieurs . . . she is forced to become—

Nothing happens. The crowd jeers at SKENDER. NAGINI looks at SKENDER, a look of hatred.

SKENDER

She is forced to become . . .

CREDENCE’S and NAGINI’S eyes meet across the big top.

ANGLE ON TINA, who has spotted CREDENCE. She starts to edge toward him, trying not to attract attention.

ANGLE ON KAMA, who does the same.

SKENDER

She is forced to become . . .

SKENDER whips the bars. NAGINI closes her eyes. Slowly, she melts into coils.

SKENDER

Over time, she will not be able to transform back. She will be forever trapped in the body of a snake.

NAGINI suddenly strikes at SKENDER through the bars and utters a cry in Parseltongue. SKENDER crumples, bleeding. At the back of the tent, CREDENCE smashes open the Firedrakes’ cage and they soar to freedom like fireworks. The big top catches fire—screams, panic, the crowd falls over one another to reach the exit—