Page 98 - SHERLOCK transcripts

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(He gives her his fake smile, then instantly turns and walks away.)

Not long afterwards the boys are standing a few steps up the stairs while people make their
way past them. Sarah isn’t with them – presumably she has nipped off to the loo. The boys
keep their voices down as they talk.
JOHN: You couldn’t let me have just one night off?
SHERLOCK: Yellow Dragon Circus, in London for one day. It fits. The Tong sent an assassin to
England ...
JOHN: ... dressed as a tightrope walker. Come on, Sherlock, behave!
SHERLOCK: We’re looking for a killer who can climb, who can shin up a rope. Where else would
you find that level of dexterity? Exit visas are scarce in China. They need a pretty good reason
to get out of that country. Now, all I need to do is have a quick look round the place ...
JOHN: Fine. You do that; I’m gonna take Sarah for a pint.
SHERLOCK (sternly): I need your help.
JOHN: I do have a couple of other things on my mind this evening!
SHERLOCK: Like what?
(John blinks, staring at him in disbelief.)
JOHN: You are kidding.
SHERLOCK: What’s so important?
JOHN: Sherlock, I’m right in the middle of a date. D’you want me to chase some killer while I’m
trying to ...
(He breaks off.)
SHERLOCK: What?
JOHN (losing his patience and talking much louder): ... while I’m trying to get off with Sarah!
(And inevitably Sarah comes around the corner at that moment. John turns to her and smiles
awkwardly.)
JOHN: Heyyy.
(Rolling his eyes, Sherlock turns and heads up the stairs.)
JOHN (to Sarah): Ready?
SARAH: Yeah!
(They follow Sherlock up the stairs.)

In the performance area there’s a stage on one side of the large hall and the curtains are
closed. However, it seems that the stage is not going to be used: a circle of candles has been
laid out in the middle of the floor, about thirty feet in diameter. The room is dimly lit. The
patrons are gathering around the circle but there are no seats. Apparently the number of tickets
has been limited and there’s room for everyone to stand around the circle with a clear view.
Sarah and John stand side by side while Sherlock stands behind them with his back to them,
looking all around the room and peering up to the ceiling. John talks quietly over his shoulder to
his flatmate, turning his head away from Sarah so that she can’t hear.
JOHN: You said circus. This is not a circus. Look at the size of this crowd. Sherlock, this is ...
(he grimaces with distaste) ... art.
SHERLOCK (quietly over his shoulder): This is not their day job.
JOHN: No, sorry, I forgot. They’re not a circus; they’re a gang of international smugglers.
(The performance begins with someone tapping out a rhythm on a tiny hand drum. Sherlock
turns to face the same way as his companions and John looks over his shoulder at him.
Sherlock quirks an eyebrow at him. An ornately costumed Chinese woman with a heavily
painted face – traditionally known as the Opera Singer – walks into the centre of the circle and
looks imperiously out at the audience before raising a hand in the air. The drummer finishes his
riff. The Opera Singer walks across the circle to a large object covered with a cloth which she
now pulls back to reveal an antique-looking crossbow on a stand. She picks up a long thick
wooden arrow with white feathers at one end and a vicious metal point at the other and shows
it to the audience before fitting it into place in the crossbow. Straightening up, she pulls a single
small white feather from her headdress and again shows it to the audience. On the rear of the
crossbow is a small metal cup and she gently drops the feather into it. Instantly the arrow is
released and whizzes across the room. Sherlock’s head whips around to follow its flight while
John and Sarah are still gasping at the sound of the arrow’s release. By the time they look
round a moment later, the arrow is embedded in a large painted board on the other side of the
circle. Sarah turns to John and laughs, dramatically putting her hand over her heart.
Instrumental music begins, and the audience applauds as a new character enters the circle,
wearing chainmail and an ornate head mask. He holds his arms out to the sides and two men

Transcripts by Ariane DeVere (arianedevere@livejournal.com)