NEWT’S hand, impatient, appears again.
NEWT (O.S.)
Come on.
JACOB rallies himself, gets out of bed and steps down into NEWT’S case. However, he gets stuck at his waistline and tries hard to squeeze himself through, the case bouncing up and down with his efforts.
JACOB
For the love of . . .
With a final frustrated jump, JACOB suddenly disappears through the case, which snaps shut after him.
SCENE 46
INT. NEWT’S CASE—A MOMENT LATER—NIGHT
JACOB crashes down the steps of the case, colliding with various objects, instruments and bottles as he goes.
He finds himself inside a small wooden shed containing a camp bed, tropical gear and various tools hung up on the walls. Wooden cupboards contain rope, nets and collecting jars. A very old typewriter, a pile of manuscripts and a medieval bestiary sit on a desk. Potted plants line a shelf. Rows of pills and tablets, syringes and vials form a medicine chest, and tacked up on the walls are notes, maps, drawings and a few moving photographs of extraordinary creatures. A dried carcass hangs from a hook. Several sacks of feed are resting against the wall.
NEWT
(glances at JACOB)
Will you sit down.
JACOB drops onto a crate hand-labelled MOONCALF PELLETS.
JACOB
That’s good.
NEWT moves forward to examine the bite on JACOB’S neck – one quick glance.
NEWT
Ah, that’s definitely the Murtlap. You must be particularly susceptible. See, you’re a Muggle. So our physiologies are subtly different.
NEWT busies himself at his work station, using plants and the contents of various bottles to create a poultice, which he rapidly applies to JACOB’S neck.
JACOB
Oww . . .
NEWT
Now stay still. Now that should stop the sweating.
(handing him some pills)
And one of those should sort the twitch.
JACOB looks suspiciously at the pills in his hand. Finally, deciding he has nothing to lose, he swallows them.
ANGLE ON NEWT, who has now removed his waistcoat, undone his bow tie and lowered his braces. He picks up a meat cleaver and hacks chunks of meat off a large carcass, before tossing them into a bucket.
NEWT
(handing him the bucket)
Take that.
JACOB looks disgusted. NEWT doesn’t notice, his attention now focused on a spiny cocoon, which he slowly begins to squeeze. As he does so, the cocoon emits a luminous venom, which NEWT collects into a glass vial.
NEWT
(to the cocoon)
Come on . . .
JACOB
What you got there?
NEWT
Well this – the locals call ‘Swooping Evil’ – not the friendliest of names. It’s quite an agile fellow.
As if to demonstrate, NEWT flicks the cocoon, which unravels, dangling elegantly from his finger.
NEWT
I’ve been studying him. And I am pretty sure his venom could be quite useful if properly diluted. Just to remove bad memories, you know.
Quite suddenly NEWT throws the Swooping Evil towards JACOB. The creature bursts out from its cocoon – a bat-like, spikey and colourful creature – which howls in JACOB’S face before NEWT recalls it. JACOB recoils dramatically, but this was evidently NEWT’S idea of a little joke . . .
NEWT
(smiling to himself)
Probably shouldn’t let him loose in here, though.
NEWT opens the door of his shed and walks through.
NEWT
Come on.
JACOB, now thoroughly startled, follows him out.
SCENE 47
INT. NEWT’S CASE, ANIMAL AREA—DAY
The perimeter of the leather case is dimly visible, but the place has swollen to the size of a small aircraft hangar. It contains what appears to be a safari park in miniature. Each of NEWT’S creatures has its own perfect, magically realised, habitat.
JACOB steps into this world, totally amazed.
NEWT is standing in the nearest habitat – a slice of Arizona desert. This area contains FRANK, a magnificent Thunderbird – a creature like a large albatross, his glorious wings shimmering with cloud- and sun-like patterns. One of his legs is rubbed raw and bloody – he has obviously previously been chained. As FRANK flaps his wings, his habitat fills with a torrential downpour, thunder and lightning. NEWT uses his wand to create a magical umbrella, shielding him from the rain.
NEWT
(eyes on FRANK up high)
Come on . . . come on . . . down you come . . . come on.
Slowly FRANK calms himself, lowering down to stand on a large rock in front of NEWT. As he does, the rain dies down and is replaced by a brilliant, hot sunshine.
NEWT puts his wand away and produces a handful of grubs from his pocket. FRANK watches intently.
NEWT strokes FRANK with his free hand, calming him, affectionate.
NEWT
Oh, thank Paracelsus. If you’d have got out that could have been quite catastrophic.
(to JACOB)
You see, he’s the real reason I came to America. To bring Frank home.
JACOB, still staring, steps slowly forwards. In reaction, FRANK starts to flap his wings, agitated.
NEWT
(to JACOB)
No, sorry – stay there – he’s a wee bit sensitive to strangers.
(to FRANK, calming)
Here you are – here you are.
(to JACOB)
He was trafficked, you see. I found him in Egypt, he was all chained up. Couldn’t leave him there, had to bring him back. I’m going to put you back where you belong, aren’t I, Frank. To the wilds of Arizona.
NEWT, his face full of hope and expectation, hugs FRANK’S head. Then, grinning, he casts the handful of grubs high into the air. FRANK soars majestically upwards after them, sunlight bursting from his wings.
NEWT watches him fly with love and pride. Then he turns, puts his hands to his mouth, and roars beast-like towards another area of the case.
NEWT moves past JACOB, grabbing the bucket of meat. JACOB stumbles after him as several Doxys buzz around his head. JACOB, dazed, swats them out of the way. Behind him a large dung beetle rolls a giant ball of dung.
We hear NEWT roar loudly again. JACOB hurries towards the sound, finding NEWT in a sandy, moonlit territory.
NEWT
(under his breath)
Ah – here they come.
JACOB
Here who comes?
NEWT
The Graphorns.
A large creature comes charging into sight: a Graphorn – built like a sabre-toothed tiger but with slimy tentacles at its mouth. JACOB screams and tries to back off, but NEWT grabs hold of his arm, stopping him.
NEWT
You’re all right. You’re all right.
The Graphorn moves closer to NEWT.
NEWT
(stroking the Graphorn)
Hello, hello!
The Graphorn’s strange slimy tentacles rest on NEWT’S shoulder, seeming to embrace him.
NEWT
So they’re the last breeding pair in existence. If I hadn’t managed to rescue them, that could have been the end of Graphorns – for ever.
A younger Graphorn trots straight up to JACOB and begins licking his hand, circling him curiously. He stares down at it, then gently reaches out and strokes its head. NEWT watches JACOB, pleased.
NEWT
All right.
NEWT throws a piece of meat into the enclosure, which is hastily chased and consumed by the young Graphorn.
JACOB
So what – you, you rescue these creatures?