Blaming Hood

Nettlestone Village.
Man 1: “Bring it over here.”
Man 2: “Help me get this into a pile.”
(Robin
is talking to the miller, Owen. Behind them, Owen’s wife Kate, who is
crying, and son Matthew are taking their belongings out of their mill.
Much and Clarke are waiting at a nearby fence.)
Owen: “How? Joderic will be under orders.”
Robin: “How is not for you to worry about.”
Owen: “I cannot be seen to take from you. (Robin puts his hands on his hips as Kate and Matthew sit by the pile of their belongings.) I cannot even be seen with you. Our Matthew… (looks back at Matthew)… our Matthew has work at the castle.”
Robin: “Owen, take your wife and family and get your belongings back into the mill. Joderic will not evict you today.”
(Robin nods once. Owen nods once in acquiescence and goes to his family.)
Clarke: (Leaning over to talk to Much:) “Do you ever think he enjoys this a bit too much?”
Much: (Confused:) “What do you mean?”
Clarke: (Nodding over to Robin:) “Robin. Surely you’ve noticed how he lights up when he sees the gratitude on people’s faces?”
Much: (Glancing over at Robin, then back to Clarke, defensively:) “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Clarke: (Raising her hands in mock surrender, smirking:) “Alright, must be my imagination.”
(She walks off as Robin steps back to Much, still watching Owen.)
Much: “Let’s go.”
Owen: (to Kate:) “Robin says you’re going to be all right. We can move our belongings back into the house. He’s going to talk to Joderic and…”
Much: (to Robin:) “What are you waiting for?”
Robin: (Glances briefly back at Much.) “Nothing.”
Owen: “… explain things to him. Everything’s going to be all right.”
Much: “Oh, please.”
Robin: “What?!”
Much: “You want to see the look on her face, don’t you? You want to see the gratitude.”
(Kate
looks gratefully at Robin, her tears turned to ones of joy. Robin
watches a moment longer as Owen, Kate and Matthew embrace. Then he and
Much finally leave.)

A road outside Nettlestone.
(Joderic, on horseback, and two
walking pages are heading towards Nettlestone. Robin jumps out from the
undergrowth, the gang close behind.)
Robin: “Joderic!”
(Joderic stops his horse as the gang gather in the road before him, Robin grinning slyly.)
Joderic: “Robin,
do not interfere. You know I have to do this. And you know there are
Sheriff’s men on their way to make sure there’s no trouble.”
Robin: “Do you have to do this?” (Tilts his head slyly.)
Joderic: “I did it under the old sheriff. You did not complain.”
Robin: (Glances back quickly and shifts his feet.) “That was different.”
Joderic: “How? Two things are certain in life: death and taxes.”
Robin: “But when the death is caused by the taxes, something is rotten. (Joderic shrugs.) Take this. (Tosses a purse to Joderic.) The miller’s debt.”
Joderic: “I cannot. This is stolen money. The Sheriff knows the miller cannot afford it. (Robin tilts his head again, giving Joderic a mischievous, encouraging smile. Joderic thinks.) I could break it into small amounts, pay it in over time. (Robin nods, pleased.) That would be credible.”
Robin: “Every time somebody breaks bread in Nettlestone, [points to Joderic] they will thank you, Joderic.”
Joderic: (Chuckles.) “Sure.”
Robin: “Do me a favour. (Steps forward.) Tell them you have not seen me. Tell them this was your own scheme.” (Winks.)
Joderic: “Why?”
Robin: “My friends think I am vain!”
(Shrugs
with feigned disbelief. The gang disappear back into the trees as Joderic watches them go, wondering
what he’ll say.)
Clarke: (Walking over to Robin:) “I’d better head back, I don’t want to be seen by the Sheriff’s men.”
Robin: (Nods.) “Send Sir Edward my regards. (Trying to sound casual:) Oh, and Marian too.”
Clarke: (Rolling her eyes:) “You’re so transparent, Robin.”
(They exchange smiles as Robin moves to catch up to the gang and Clarke makes her way back to Knighton Hall before the Sheriff’s men arrive.)

Nettlestone.
(Owen comes out of the mill, Kate behind him, as Joderic rides into the village, followed by four mounted guards.)
Kate: “He’s here to evict us. Robin did not make it right.”
Owen: “He said he would fix it.”
Kate: “How?”
(Robin and the gang peer through the trees at the village.)
Roy: “Let me get this straight. We’re giving money to a tax collector?”
Robin: “A bailiff.”
Roy: (Sarcastically:) “Oh, that makes all difference.”
(Robin
shakes his head and watches Joderic dismount and walk over to Owen and
Kate as Matthew comes out. Kate reaches back for her son’s hand.)
Joderic: (Looking at each in turn:) “Owen, Kate, as you know I am here today—”
Owen: (Interrupting:) “Did—didn’t you see Robin Hood? He said he’d speak to you so we wouldn’t be evicted.”
Joderic: “No. No, I’m sorry. I have not seen Robin Hood. (A bow with a nocked arrow appears in the trees.) But we can work this out.”
(The
arrow flies. Joderic is hit squarely in the back with the white-fletched
shaft. Kate screams as Joderic falls. Robin looks back to where the
arrow came from as Owen sets Joderic gently on the ground.)
Owen: “He’s killed him. Robin’s killed him!”
(Robin watches in disbelief. Behind the gang, a cloaked figure runs through the trees. Robin quickly starts pursuit.)
Robin: “Oi! Stop!”
(Robin
chases the stranger through the trees, then cuts ahead of him and
pushes him down a hill. They tumble down together, then as Robin stands,
the murderer kicks him hard over another small rise, knocking him flat
on his back.)
Much: “Master!”
(Much runs to Robin to
see if he’s all right as the mysterious person gets away. Robin lifts
his head, frowning at Much, then lets his head fall back to the ground,
letting out a dismayed and flustered sigh.)

Sherwood Forest. Outlaws’  camp.
(Roy is sitting on top of a boulder.)
Roy: “What, you can’t believe someone’s better than you? (Robin, sitting nearby, looks up at him in annoyance.) He kicked you good.”
Robin: “Who is he?”
Will: (Tenses slightly while sharpening an arrow with his hand axe:) “The Nightwatchman.”
Robin: “Well, I’ve never heard of him.”
(Robin stands, goes to the fire and sits next to Much, who is eating, as Will explains.)
Will: “The
Nightwatchman? (Pausing for time to think.) Been around for years. Maybe you were off on a crusade.
He’s a good man. He’s, er, talked about in all the villages. He’s been
seen in Nottingham, even at the castle. Always at night.”
(As Roy
speaks, a vision is shown of the Nightwatchman sneaking around, leaving a
bundle at a doorstep, then disappearing round the corner out of sight.)
Roy: “Leaves medicine and stuff. Food. Sheriff’s men are ordered to shoot him on sight, but he’s never hurt a fly.”
Robin: (Flummoxed:) “Why did he kill Joderic then? (Shakes his head.) We need to find him.”
(Much and Allan continue to chew their food.)

Nottingham Castle. The Great Hall. Council of Nobles.
(The
Sheriff is seated behind the table, Gisborne stands at the end of the
table to his left, de Fourtnoy at the end to his right. Marian stands
behind her father, who is sitting in the half-circle of nobles facing
the Sheriff.)
Sheriff: “The villagers of Nettlestone
report that Robin Hood killed an innocent bailiff today. This is
marvellous, isn’t it? What drama. Because now, even his beloved
villagers will lose patience when their heroes start picking them off. (to Gisborne:) What else are they saying?”
Gisborne: “Hood was fulfilling a promise to prevent an eviction.”
Sheriff: “Mm. War has addled his brain. I’m not at all surprised. So, what do you propose we do?”
Gisborne: “Immediate reprisals against villages.”
(Marian bravely speaks up, knowing she’s expected to remain silent.)
Marian: “Joderic would not want that. Why should more innocent people suffer because of his death? (Edward holds up his hand, trying to silence her.) The same people who witnessed and reported the crime? (The Sheriff patiently lets her speak. Looking straight at Gisborne:) And did this strategy of reprisals work in the villages before? (Shakes head.) No.”
Sheriff: “Marian is right. (Gisborne stares at Marian with a mixture of anger and disbelief. Marian resolutely keeps eye contact with him.) We will not be going down that road again. De Fourtnoy, alternatives?”
de Fourtnoy: “There is a… political advantage to be had here.”
(Gisborne scoffs silently.)
Sheriff: “Robin Hood has given us the high ground, we should keep it. My thoughts exactly.”
de Fourtnoy: “We could have the town criers announce what’s taken place. Make sure everybody knows that an… an innocent was killed.”
Sheriff: “Good. We are going to win hearts and minds.”
(The Sheriff stands and walks past Gisborne, who follows him.)
Gisborne: “My lord. (The Sheriff stops. Quietly:) I still believe actions rather than words. If I had the resources, I could deal with him. I could hunt him down.”
Sheriff: “Very well. We’ll do both and may the best man win.”
(The Sheriff leaves. Gisborne turns to de Fourtnoy and smirks at him.)

Nottingham Castle. Courtyard.
(The Sheriff stands on the steps delivering Joderic’s eulogy to a gathered crowd.)
Sheriff: “Joderic was unique. He was kind, compassionate, learned. (Marian and Edward are in attendance, listening.) The murder of the bailiff…”
Edward: (to Marian:) “We’ll leave as soon as Joderic’s buried. We can’t afford to leave the princess… (Marian gives him a warning look.)…Er, I mean Clarke by herself for too long. We can say you were too upset.”
Marian: (Looks at Edward:) “I am too upset.”
(Marian
notices Lacey standing guard in the crowd beyond Edward. As the Sheriff
continues his speech, Marian walks over to Lacey and speaks with him.)
Sheriff: “In
response to this change of direction from Robin Hood who now seems to
be targeting innocent civilians, I have recalled all men of eligible age
to join us in this war on terror. Make no mistake, that is what this
is, a war on terror. These people, Robin Hood… striking the very heart
of our system, of our compassion…”
Marian: “Joe, what are you doing here? You cannot work.”
Lacey: “They’ve made everyone come back in. Called me out of retirement.”
Marian: “I will talk to the Sheriff. I will get you off your duties.”
Lacey: “Work helps. I still reach out for her in the night. I know it’s daft…”
Marian: “It is not daft. When all this is over, you are coming home with us.”
Sheriff: “…of our humanity and of our innocence.”
(There
is a smattering of applause as Robin and the gang appear behind the
crowd in the gate. As the Sheriff continues, Robin notices Marian
talking to Lacey in the crowd. He gently edges through the people
towards her, then lightly fires a blunt arrow at her bottom. Marian
looks around and sees him glance back at her, gesturing with his head to
follow him.)

Nottingham Town. A lane south of the marketplace.
(The crowd applaud in the background.)
Marian: (Quietly, irked:) “You never shoot me, understand?”
(She
pushes the broadside of the arrow against his chest with enough force
to make him lean back a bit. Robin takes the arrow and goes to peer
round the corner at the castle gate.)
Robin: (Stepping back to Marian:) “This, this is all in my honour, isn’t it?” (Marian’s tone throughout is sour, showing her disapproval of his actions.)
Marian: (Whispers sarcastically:) “Well, you really do think everything is about you, don’t you?”
Robin: (Loudly:) “Only when it is about me!”
Marian: (Whispers:) “You have given him a stick to beat you with. You killed an innocent clerk and now, here he is making the most of it.”
Robin: (Points to self:) “I did not do it!”
Marian: (Quietly, not quite believing him.) “I’m sure.”
Robin: “It was the so-called non-violent Nightwatchman!“
Marian: (Scoffs. Confidently:) "No.”
Robin: “I saw him. I was there.”
Marian: (Matter-of-factly:) “It was not the Nightwatchman.”
Robin: “How do you know?”
Marian: (Earnestly:) “I know!”
Robin: “Then why did he run?”
Marian: “Well, why did you run from Joderic?(Robin scoffs and turns aside in exasperation. Marian checks the marketplace as Robin turns around to face her again.) I should go.”
Robin: (Pleadingly:) “You must help me.”
Marian: “I am helping you. I’m telling you it was not the Nightwatchman.”
Robin: “Whoever it is, I will find him. I can look everywhere apart from one place. (Pauses a moment. Gently but firmly:) I need you to look in the castle.”
Marian: (Scoffs.) “I need you to not tell me what to do.”
Robin: (Flustered:) “Please! I must clear my name!”
Marian: “And what about catching the killer? Is that not more important than your name?”
Robin: “If people do not trust me, then what good can I do?” (Marian thinks it over, and grudgingly agrees with Robin’s logic.)
Marian: (Sighs.) “I’ll try.” (Leaves abruptly.)