Canyon of Improbable Time

EXT: CANYON OF IMPROBABLE TIME—DAY

MESSENGER VA and GUARD walking side by side. In the background, the walls of a heavily eroded desert canyon stretch upward out of frame.

MESSENGER VA

Keep your wits about you. We're going to go through the Canyon of Improbable Time.

GUARD

That doesn't sound so bad. It could be the Valley of Certain Destruction.

VA

The Valley of Certain Destruction is the other way, smart guy. That's where Scout is headed in pursuit of the Toa Maiden. If you're lucky you won't catch up with him.

GUARD

You're a feisty one.

VA

And you're a newly-minted soul-slave of Scout's. How long have you been out of the box?

GUARD

I'm pretty new.

VA

How long?

GUARD

I think it was this morning. It's really dim before then.

VA

I see. You are lucky - you'll stay with Trainer when we get there. All right, here we are. You may think you see things, but they aren't anything to panic about.

GUARD

So they are just illusions? I can handle that.

VA

Not illusions. They are there, but not long enough to matter to you. You may not see anything except a blur. But it's not safe. Some of the things can see you just fine.

An innocuous mound in the background suddenly seethes into seeming life. MESSENGER VA flees immediately but the GUARD, initially stunned, stands his ground to battle the onrushing wall. He is immediately engulfed.

EXT CANYON OF IMPROBABLE TIME - MOMENTS LATER

VA

(muttering)

I guess I could have seen that coming. I told them that he would just be in the way and well he was but only for a little while because he is no one's way now, the poor sap. I wonder if Scout will feel any remorse at all. I wonder if that guard was supposed to keep me from getting back? That would be just about Scout's speed, the lying, treacherous wretch. Trainer is right not to trust him. Sure, Scout has been around almost as long as the universe but that doesn't give him the right to treat his servants, created yesterday, for pity's sake, yesterday! as if their lives don't matter. And it loks like Scout is getting careless. Time was when he would rage and spout fire if any of his lads even got hurt. Now he uses them up just to keep tabs on this old messenger Va. Well, now I'm laughing, aren't I. I am here almost on the other side of this vastly treacherous ground while Scout's poor tool is in the belly of that thing.