Screen 1
ONE:
DRAKE and SABRE. Focused on one another. There’s hard negotiating going on beneath the lightness of the words.
1. DRAKE: Ain’t never found peace in ignorance.
2. SABRE: Make an exception just this once.
3. DRAKE: Can’t.
TWO:
Stet.
NO COPY.
THREE:
Stet.
4. SABRE: The Smoke.
Screen 2
ONE:
DRAKE looks to DRUM. Exchanging looks. It’s what they suspected. Neither is happy.
SABRE watching.
1. SABRE: So, with respect, I offer the following.
TWO:
Reverse, so past DRAKE and DRUM, now looking back to SABRE.
She’s more serious. She’s warning them – not threatening, warning.
2. SABRE: You’re out of your depth.
3. SABRE: You’ve no idea what you hold.
4. SABRE: You’re lucky to still be alive…
THREE:
DRAKE and DRUM, listening. DRAKE is frowning. DRUM… is being DRUM.
5. SABRE/off: …and if you’d kindly hand over the key, I’ll happily put you ashore
and we can all go our separate ways.
FOUR:
DRAKE extends a hand to DRUM, palm up, as DRUM begins to take the KEY from where its hanging on the cord around his neck.
NO COPY.
Yes, I’m sure they’ll hand over the key and walk off into the aether. So sad to see them go rather than be a part of the adventure to follow.
Drake and Drum are in sync
Nah. The team put them on the poster. We’ll be seeing more of them…(giggles maniacally) Besides, who can resist an upstanding Bat Masterson Steampunk lawman? I can’t!
I think Drake’s about to up the ante, personally.
No doubt. No doubt at all.
Because he sure as heck isn’t going to fold right now.
Even if Sabre seems to think he is going to.
Am I missing what the Smoke means? Or is it something we don’t know yet? I’m not sure if it’s a curse word or actually means something that was revealed and I’ve forgotten….
This is, I believe, only the second mention of “The Smoke,” and no, you haven’t been given an explanation of that just yet….
In the chapter before last (I believe?) Sabre went to a witch and had some freaky times with purple smoke. She seems to be remembering whatever it was she saw in the smoke that day.
Damn, looks like Greg is a split second faster on the draw than I am.
*stumbles back, collapses.*
Actually… you’re reading closer than I’d given credit. That is, in fact, the case. I was referring to a line from Chapter Two, actually….
I thought of Lady Sabre’s encounter too. Not Drum. I had way missed that reference. (http://www.ineffableaether.com/2011/10/13/ch02s09a/ for the rest of you)
Also: Drake and Saber are perfectly matched. He and Drum aren’t going anywhere for quite some time, regardless of what the team has in mind for the pretty pirate and the stalwart sheriff… Props to the team if they (1) nail a romance or (2) avert it sensibly. I’m curious to see which way it goes…
Drake and Drum already had the Smoke lined up for the gunmen that ambushed them. ((CH2S09)) So Saber sort of said the magic word.
Seems like The Smoke is some sort of Aether-wide James Bond level villan. Which then would make The Smoke suspect in any sort of “big” thing. So then not so much of coincidence or connection thing.
And that’s it, yes, exactly. What you said. Yes. Mostly yes. Kind of. A bit.
She has got a wart….
“Out of my depth, you say?” – Oh… what’s about to happen? So good.
Why did I say “James Bond Level”. The Smoke has thrown countless minnions at Drake and Drum. Had an Odd Job type Darius Payne with more minnions and the Octopion. The Smoke apparently is either well known as a driver of minnions or has previosly used minnions against Drake/Drumm that they would think of the Smoke when in the gun fight.
Saber, a mistress of the aether also considers the Smoke a significant threat.
So the Smoke is both a commander of minnions in the badlands and in the aether. This is “global” scope, giving the Smoke a sort of SMERSH level footprint and involvment in intergovernment affairs.
wow, of all the panels/frames/pages in this story, I think this one was the most intense somehow. The mutual agreement as to the “baddie” involved almost welds Drake/Drum and Sabre together doesn’t it?
*ahem* still waiting for the Miles Drake backstory.
*winces* Yeah, I know. I am so far behind on Almanac entries, it’s almost – almost! – funny. I’m honestly hung up on the style of the piece more than anything else. It is coming, I promise. I’m just not willing to swear to an ETA as yet.
no worries, just eagerly anticipating.
I’m amazed at how Rick is able to communicate such raw emotions in his panels. The second to last seems to have so many layers to it.
Lady Sabre gets a recommend from the creators of the Birth of Venus in my review/interview with them today. http://lithicbee.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/webcomics-wednesday-birth-of-venus/
What a lovely shout-out! (Quite liked reading the interview, as well!)
Thanks, Greg! I appreciate that.