THE DARK TOWER VI
Song of Susannah
Page 1
Panel 1 – The title should be somewhere on this first page, ‘1st Stanza: Beamquake’. Roland stands in the middle of the living room of the rectory where Father Callahan lives in Calla Bryn Sturgis. He stands alone with a grim expression, and looking at nothing in particular.
(1) Roland – How long will the magic stay?
Panel 2 – On the couch, Henchick of the Manni sits next to one of his grandsons-in-law, Cantab. He is in his sixties, at least, with a long beard that forks into two points. Cantab is in his twenties, with the beginnings of his own beard. They both dress in hooded blue cloaks. The two men hold hands. Henchick lost a grand-daughter today, but he shows no signs of grieving. Eddie Dean sits in a chair, looking white and shocked. Jake Chambers sits cross-legged on the floor, holding Oy in his lap. Both Eddie and Jake are covered in blood. Father Callahan is the Catholic priest who had once ministered to a small town called ‘Salem’s Lot, which had been destroyed by vampires. He sits in another chair nearby and looks at a book he holds in his lap. Roland looks across the room at Henchick.
(2) Roland – Henchick, tell me, I beg: how long will the magic stay?
Panel 3 – The old man strokes his beard, looking at the floor.
(3) Henchick – Gunslinger – Roland – I can’t say. The magic of the door in the cave is beyond me. As thee must know.
Panel 4 – Roland keeps his grim face on the old man. Eddie looks up at Henchick with an expression of sorrow and loss. He holds up his dirty, bloody hands.
(4) Roland – Tell me what you think. Based on what you do know.
(5) Eddie – Tell, Henchick. Tell, I beg.
Panel 5 – Rosalita, Father Callahan’s Spanish-looking woman of all work, comes into the room with a tray. There are cups on it, and a carafe of steaming coffee. She wears a housedress, and looks around at the other people in the room with shocked eyes.
Panel 6 – When she sets down the tray, we can see that she still has a bloody streak across the back of her hand. Across the room, Henchick looks up at Roland.
(6) Henchick – Ye ask of kaven?
(7) Roland – Aye, father. The persistence of magic.
Page 2
Panel 1 – Callahan takes a cup of coffee in the background. Cantab speaks up, as he looks at Henchick questioningly. We can just barely see the cover of the book, and the dust jacket has the title of the novel, “‘Salem’s Lot,” and the name of its author, “Stephen King”. If you can use one of the first edition’s dust jacket designs, that’d be great.
(1) Cantab – The greater the magic, the longer it persists.
Panel 2 – Henchick nods in agreement with Cantab. Roland continues.
(2) Henchick – Aye. Magic and glammer, both are one, and they do unroll from the past, do’ee ken.
(3) Roland – I would open this door again, but just on the most recent two. Can it be done?
Panel 3 – Henchick and Cantab confer. Cantab leans deferentially towards the old man and whispers in his ear.
Panel 4 – Henchick turns Cantab’s head with one of his gnarled hands and whispers back.
Panel 5 – Eddie looks like he’s about to bust loose. He holds his hands in front of him almost like he’s praying. We can see Roland standing next to him.
Panel 6 – Roland puts his hand on Eddie’s shoulder. Eddie looks in his direction, as the stricken, punished look on his face recedes and his holds his face with one hand.
Page 3
Panel 1 – Henchick pats Cantab on the cheek and turns back to Roland.
(1) Henchick – We think this may be done.
Panel 2 – Eddie turns his face towards the floor and holds his hands up, still clasped together in that prayer look.
(2) Eddie (quietly) – Thank God.
Panel 3 – He gets up like he’s ready to move right now.
(3) Eddie (louder) – Thank God! Let’s go up there. We can meet you on the East Road –
Panel 4 – Both of the Manni shake their heads. Henchick looks sorrowful, and Cantab looks horrified.
(4) Henchick – We’ll not go up to the Cave of the Voices in the dark.
Panel 5 – Eddie looks angry as he raises his voice to the men. He points, presumably in the direction of the Cave of the Voices.
(5) Eddie (loudly) – We have to! It’s not a question of how long the magic will or won’t last, it’s a question of time on the other side!
Panel 6 – A close shot of Eddie as he gets angrier. Roland stands behind him and watches and listens.
(6) Eddie – It goes faster over there, and once it’s gone, it’s gone! Christ, Susannah could be having that baby right now, and if it’s some kind of cannibal –