HEART, AND EAR, AND EYE
Slideshow 4: Operation Turtle Rescue
(Rather than a slideshow, the camera shows the table the four are sitting around. Four pairs of hands—brown gloves, blue gloves, orange gloves, and spotless white gloves—move around the table as the four talk.)
Carmelita:
Okay everyone, synchronize your watches because this is going to get tight. (Every set of hands reveals some sort of timepiece, ranging from Sly's watch, hidden under his gloves, to the pocket watch Thaddeus produces). Bentley's somewhere in that theater, and the doors open in an hour. We have two goals. The first and most important: locate Bentley and make sure he's safe.
Sly:
That includes his chair, his glasses, and everything else of his. (Sly clenches his hands.) We could get him new glasses, and he could build a new chair, but the only thing we're going to leave The Contessa with is a beating.
Murray:
You got it, chum! (Murray punches one fist into the other hand.) I want to deliver this one myself.
Thaddeus:
(Thaddeus covers Murray's hands with his own.) Hold. We must handle this carefully.
Carmelita:
Stop interrupting, all of you. Our second objective is to destroy The Contessa and everything she came here with, but we can't just barge in. (She brandishes a rolled up piece of paper; the others move their hands out of the way as she slaps it on the table and unrolls it, revealing a rough map of the area.) She knows Bentley's here, so she knows Sly and Murray are; you two come with him. I don't. So only Thaddeus and I can go in the front door.
Sly:
But—
Carmelita:
Quiet down and listen. Thaddeus is known and recognized and expected on opening night.
Thaddeus:
I also always bring a guest, usually a younger person who requires a chaperon to be out of the house. (Thaddeus picks up a fountain pen and sketches Carmelita, adding details to the basic fox image.) Different clothing, a touch of make-up, and a wig; Miss Fox will be a total stranger, no more.
Sly:
You're sure she'll be okay? (He motions wildly with his hands.) The Contessa won't, I don't know, try to hypnotize her or something?
Thaddeus:
(Thaddeus catches one of Sly's hands and holds it.) I swear, she will be safe. Worry more for your own sake.
Carmelita:
I can take care of myself, Sly. Are you two finished?!
Sly and Thaddeus:
(Their hands spring apart) Yes ma'am.
Carmelita:
Good. In any case, security is going to be tighter than anything we've ever seen, but The Contessa will be standing outside to greet incoming guests. (Carmelita circles the theater's entrance with broad strokes of a pen, then draws in rough figures as she continues to talk.) Tanks and guards of all sorts will be around. Sly, Thaddeus and I will distract her and lure her to a spot where you can pickpocket that tunnel key.
Sly:
Wait a second. (Sly makes a time-out signal.) You're going to help me pickpocket someone?
Carmelita:
Don't get used to it, Ringtail. (Carmelita points at him with the pen.) This is an emergency situation, remember? Once you've got the key, get back to that secret tunnel. Murray will be waiting for you; if you can't get through that locked door with the key, get back up, and you'll have to find another way in. Murray, once Sly is inside—one way or another—you'll need to grab that tank again and wait; we'll need it for the getaway.
Murray:
Awesome! I am going to use that tank to make a getaway like no one HAS GETAWAYED BEFORE! (He slams his hands on the table, shaking it.)
Sly:
(Sly covers Murray's hand with his own.) Easy there, big guy.
Carmelita:
Once we're inside, the three of us will have different objectives. We'll be in constant radio contact, understand? Sly, you're going to go to the rooms where Bentley was exploring before he vanished. (Carmelita draws four squares on the map, rough rooms, around that section of the theater.) Three of them have anchors for that black ball, maybe all four of them; cut the first three you find, but leave the fourth, understand? We have to find Bentley before we sock it to that witch.
Sly:
With pleasure.
Carmelita:
Thaddeus, with your disguise skills, you get to go to the party room; that's where everyone's meeting before hand and the actors and musicians will be warming up. Pose as anyone you want—stage hand, costume designer, clothes rack, I don't know and I don't care, it's your specialty. She may have Bentley hiding in plain sight among the actors. (Carmelita sketches out a drawing of Bentley wearing a fake mustache.) If he's on enough Spice, he may not be coherent enough to draw attention to himself or get help from the actors. Stay on your toes.
Thaddeus:
If he is there, I will find him.
Carmelita:
I'll take the theater itself. He may be hidden among the audience, watching in a seat with all the others. I have a second job; actually, all of us do. (Carmelita's hands hesitate on the pen, then draw a few stars and a cloud of dust.) We need to scare off the crowd before things get hairy. The Contessa is dangerous, and we don't know what will happen to those people if the theater disappears with them inside it. Destroy seats, break lighting—
Thaddeus:
May I suggest setting fire to the curtain? (He picks up his fountain pen and draws the curtain going up in flames.)
Carmelita:
Only if you can be sure it won't hurt anyone.
Sly:
Holy smokes, you're okay with arson?!
Carmelita:
Shut it, Ringtail! Once we've found Bentley, we'll cut that last spiderweb and get out of there, and I don't care if the whole place goes up in smoke. It'll ruin whatever she's trying to do. Murray, you're on standby. Everyone, keep your binoc-u-com mikes on at all times, and sing out if you find anything or need any help. Everyone ready? (Carmelita puts her hand, palm down, in the center of the table.)
Murray:
Right! (Murray slaps his hand down on top of hers.)
Thaddeus:
Indeed. (Thaddeus places his hand on Murray's).
Sly:
Let's do this. (Sly places his hand on top of the pile.) For Bentley.