HOBO
—gas. It was gas.
The others in the crowd around him agree.
CROWD
Gas . . . it was gas!
TINA again catches sight of the Billywig. Taking advantage of this distraction, NEWT runs up the metal steps and inside the ruined tenement building.
SCENE 32
INT. JACOB’S ROOM—AFTERNOON
NEWT enters JACOB’S room and stops, staring: the room is completely destroyed. Footprints, broken furniture, shattered glass. Even worse: a massive hole in the opposite wall – something huge has blasted its way out. We can hear JACOB groaning from the corner.
SCENE 33
EXT. TENEMENT STREET—AFTERNOON
CUT BACK TO TINA as she looks around and realises that NEWT has disappeared from the crowd.
SCENE 34
INT. JACOB’S ROOM
NEWT crouches beside JACOB, who lies on his back, eyes closed and moaning. NEWT tries to examine a small red bite on JACOB’S neck, but JACOB keeps unconsciously batting him away.
TINA (O.S.)
Mr Scamander!
CUT TO TINA, running with purpose up the staircase of JACOB’S building.
CUT BACK TO NEWT, who desperately performs a repairing charm. The room is righted, the wall repaired, just in time before TINA enters the room.
SCENE 35
INT. JACOB’S ROOM—AFTERNOON
TINA hurries inside to find NEWT, trying to look innocent and composed, sitting on the bed. He calmly seals the latches on his case.
TINA
It was open?
NEWT
Just a smidge . . .
TINA
That crazy Niffler thing’s on the loose again?
NEWT
Er – it might be—
TINA
Then look for it! Look!
JACOB moans.
TINA drops JACOB’S case and makes straight for the injured JACOB.
TINA
(worried about JACOB)
His neck’s bleeding, he’s hurt! Wake up, Mr No-Maj . . .
With TINA’S back turned, NEWT makes towards the door. Suddenly, TINA emits a guttural scream as the Murtlap comes scuttling out from under a cabinet and latches onto her arm. NEWT spins, catching the creature by the tail and grappling it into the case.
TINA
Mercy Lewis, what is that?
NEWT
Nothing to worry about. That is a Murtlap.
Unnoticed by either, JACOB opens his eyes.
TINA
What else have you got in there?
JACOB
(recognising NEWT)
You!
NEWT
Hello.
TINA
Easy, Mr—
JACOB
Kowalski . . . Jacob . . .
TINA takes JACOB’S hand to shake it.
NEWT raises his wand. JACOB recoils in fear, clutching at TINA, who moves protectively in front of him.
TINA
You can’t Obliviate him! We need him as a witness.
NEWT
I’m sorry – you’ve just yelled at me the length of New York for not doing it in the first place . . .
TINA
He’s hurt! He looks ill!
NEWT
He’ll be fine. Murtlap bites aren’t serious.
NEWT puts his wand away. JACOB retches into the corner, while TINA looks at NEWT in disbelief.
NEWT
I admit that is a slightly more severe reaction than I’ve seen, but if it was really serious – he’d have . . .
TINA
What?
NEWT
Well, the first symptom would be flames out of his anus—
Terrified, JACOB feels the seat of his pants.
TINA
This is balled up!
NEWT
It’ll last forty-eight hours at most! I can keep him if you want me to—
TINA
Oh, keep him? We don’t keep them! Mr Scamander, do you know anything about the wizarding community in America?
NEWT
I do know a few things, actually. I know you have rather backwards laws about relations with non-magic people. That you’re not meant to befriend them, that you can’t marry them, which seems mildly absurd to me.
JACOB is following this conversation, open-mouthed.
TINA
Who’s going to marry him? You’re both coming with me—
NEWT
I don’t see why I need to come with you—
TINA tries to lift the partially conscious JACOB from the floor.
TINA
Help me!
NEWT feels obliged to help.
JACOB
I’m . . . I’m dreaming, right? Yeah . . . I’m tired, I never went to the bank. This is all just some big nightmare, right?
TINA
For the both of us, Mr Kowalski.
TINA and NEWT Disapparate with JACOB.
We focus on the photo of JACOB’S grandma, once again hanging on the wall. Eventually the photo gives a little shake before falling and revealing a hole in the wall, inhabited by the Niffler.
SCENE 36
EXT. UPPER EAST SIDE—AFTERNOON
A young boy, clutching a huge lollipop, is led down the busy street by his father. As they pass a fruit barrow, an apple suddenly levitates, bobbing along beside him. The boy gazes in wonder as the apple is eaten by something invisible, then the smile fades as his lollipop is snatched by the same unseen hands.
At a newsstand, the eyes of a lady on an advertisement blink open. The outline of a creature becomes visible, camouflage-like, before it peels away from the poster. It moves along the street, invisible again, only locatable by the lollipop it holds – seemingly suspended in mid-air. A dog barks in its direction, and the creature scuttles on, knocking over newspaper stands, causing bikes and cars to swerve.
ANGLE ON the roof of a department store – we see a thin blue tail slither inside a small attic window. Suddenly the building shakes and tiles break away, as the creature’s size expands to fill the whole room.
SCENE 37
INT. SHAW TOWER NEWSROOM—DUSK
The glittering Art Deco headquarters of a media empire. Many journalists are hard at work in an outer office.
An elevator opens and LANGDON SHAW bustles excitedly through the room, leading the Second Salemers. He carries maps, several old books and a handful of photographs.
MARY LOU is composed, CHASTITY looks shy and MODESTY is excited, curious. CREDENCE looks nervous – he doesn’t like crowds.
LANGDON
. . . and so this is the newsroom.
LANGDON spins around excitedly, eager to show the Second Salemers that he holds authority here.
LANGDON
Let’s go!
LANGDON moves around the office and speaks to some of the workers.
LANGDON
Hey, how are you? Make way for the Barebones! Now, they’re just putting the papers to bed, as they say.
Looks of veiled amusement from journalists as LANGDON leads his group to double doors at the end of the open-plan area. HENRY SHAW SR’S assistant – BARKER – stands up, anxious.
BARKER
Mr Shaw, sir, he’s with the senator—
LANGDON
Never mind that, Barker, I wanna see my father!
LANGDON pushes past.
SCENE 38
INT. SHAW SR’S PENTHOUSE OFFICE—DUSK
A large, impressive office with spectacular views across the city. The newspaper magnate – HENRY SHAW SR – is talking to his elder son, SENATOR SHAW.
SENATOR SHAW
. . . we could just buy the boats . . .