THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

(She whips out a knife and cuts the ropes holding Quasi.)

Frollo:        How dare you defy me!

Esmeralda:     You mistreat this poor boy the same way you mistreat my
               people.  You speak of justice, yet you are cruel to those
               most in need of your help.

Frollo:        Silence!

Esmeralda:     Justice!

Frollo:        Mark my words, gypsy.  You will pay for this insolence.

Esmeralda:     Then it appears we've crowned the wrong fool.  The only
               fool I see is you!

Frollo:        Captain Phoebus!  Arrest her.

(Phoebus motions for his guards to move in and arrest Esmeralda.  They
surround the stage.)

Esmeralda:     Now, let's see.  (Counting the guards) One, two, three,
four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten of you, and one of me.  What's
a poor girl to do?

(She begins to cry, then disappears in an explosion of smoke.)

Frollo:        Witchcraft!

(From another location)

Esmeralda:     Oh, boys!  Over here!

(She leads the guards on a wild chase.  At one point, she knocks a large
cage containing an old prisoner to the ground.  It goes rolling away,
until it comes to a stop and the lock breaks open.  He steps out.)

Old Prisoner:  I'm free, I'm free!

(He trips and falls into the stockade, which closes and locks.)

Old Prisoner:  Dang it.

(Meanwhile, Esmeralda continues to evade the guards.  At one point, she
and Djali jump on top of the crowd, which carries them away to safety. 
Two guards attempt the same move, and the crowd quickly moves away.  She
grabs a helmet from one of the guards, and throws it like a frisbee.  It
hits three guards and knocks them out, before almost chopping Phoebus'
head off.)

Phoebus:       What a woman!

(Two guards on horseback are chasing Esmeralda.  As she leaps over
Frollo's stand, someone throws the guards a staff.  Each holding onto an
end, the horizontal staff slices through Frollo's stand, sending him
diving for cover.  Esmeralda ascends to the top of a stand, then
promptly disappears.)

Frollo:        (To Phoebus)  Find her, Captain!  I want her alive!

Phoebus:       Yes, sir.  Seal off the area, men.  Find the gypsy girl,
               and do not harm her!

(Frollo has ridden over to Quasimodo.  He hangs his head low.)

Quasimodo:     (Whispering) I'm sorry, master.  I will never disobey you
               again. 

(He moves to the entrance to the cathedral as the rain begins to fall. 
He goes in, then slowly closes the door to his freedom.  Dissolve
forward in time to Phoebus and the guards searching for Esmeralda.  She
is disguised, again with Djali as the old man.  She sneaks into the
church.  Phoebus sees her and recognises who it is.  He follows her in
alone.  As he comes up behind her, she turns and grabs his sword.)

Esmeralda:     You!

(She forces him to the floor, holding him there with the tip of his
sword at his chin.)

Phoebus:       Easy, easy--I just shaved this morning.

Esmeralda:     Oh, really?  You missed a spot.

Phoebus:       All right, all right.  Just calm down.  Just give me a
               chance to apologise. 

Esmeralda:     For what?

(As she lets down her guard for a split second, Phoebus grabs the sword
from her hands and turns it on her.)

Phoebus:       That, for example.

Esmeralda:     You sneaky son of a--

Phoebus:       Ah, ah, ah!  Watch it--you're in a church.

(She has picked up a staff with candles on top)

Esmeralda:     Are you always this charming, or am I just lucky?

(She swings the staff at Phoebus, who blocks it with his sword.  They
fight.)

Phoebus:       (Between Esmeralda's swings) Candlelight...privacy...
               music.  Can't think of a better place for hand-to-hand
               combat!  You fight almost as well as a man!

Esmeralda:     Funny.  I was going to say the same thing about you.

Phoebus:       That's hitting a little below the belt, don't you think?

Esmeralda:     No.  This is.

(She swings one end of the staff at Phoebus' crotch.  He blocks it with
his sword.  She quickly hits him in the face with the other end of the
staff.  He shakes it off.)

Phoebus:       Touche!

(Djali butts him in the chest.)

Phoebus:       I didn't know you had a kid.

Esmeralda:     Well, he doesn't take kindly to soldiers.

(The fighting has subsided.)

Phoebus:       Eh, I noticed.  Permit me.  I'm Phoebus.  It means "sun
               god."  And you are?

Esmeralda:     Is this an interrogation?

Phoebus:       It's called an introduction.

Esmeralda:     You're not arresting me?

Phoebus:       Not as long as you're in here.  I can't. 
              
Esmeralda:     You're not at all like the other soldiers. 

Phoebus:       Thank you. 

Esmeralda:     So, if you're not going to arrest me, what do you want?

Phoebus:       I'd settle for your name. 

Esmeralda:     Esmeralda. 

Phoebus:       It's beautiful.  Much better than Phoebus, anyway.

(As they gaze into each other's eyes, neither notices Frollo and guards
approaching.)

Frollo:        Good work, Captain!  Now, arrest her.

(Phoebus still has his back to Frollo.)

Phoebus:       (Whispering to Esmeralda)  Claim sanctuary.

(She looks at him oddly.)

Phoebus:       Say it!

Esmeralda:     You tricked me!

Frollo:        I'm waiting, Captain.

Phoebus:       I'm sorry, sir.  She claims sanctuary.  There's nothing I
               can do. 

Frollo:        Then drag her outside at--

(The archdeacon has entered)

Archdeacon:    Frollo!  You will not touch her!  (To Esmeralda, whom he
               as approached)  Don't worry.  Minister Frollo learned
               years ago to respect the sanctity of the church.

(Frollo and the guards turn to leave.  Frollo ducks around a pillar and
doubles back.  As the remainder of the people have passed, Frollo jumps
out, grabs Esmeralda's arm and twists it behind her.  He whispers into
her ear.)

Frollo:        You think you've outwitted me, but I am a patient man,
and gypsies don't do well inside stone walls. 

(He pauses, then breathes deeply, smelling Esmeralda's hair.)

Esmeralda:     What are you doing?

Frollo:        I was just imagining a rope around that beautiful neck. 

(Frollo caresses her neck, but she pulls away.)

Esmeralda:     I know what you were imagining.

Frollo:        Such a clever witch.  So typical of your kind, to twist
               the truth to cloud the mind with unholy thoughts.  Well,
               no matter.  (He begins to leave.)  You've chosen a
               magnificent prison, but it is a prison nonetheless.  Set
               one foot outside, and you're mine!

(He exits, pulling the door shut behind him.  She rushes over to another
door, only to find guards outside.)

Guard:         Frollo's orders!  Post a guard at every door.

(She slams it shut.  Djali comes back to her.)

Esmeralda:     One thing, Djali--if Frollo thinks he can keep us here,
               he's wrong.

Archdeacon:    Don't act rashly, child.  You created quite a stir at the
               festival.  It would be unwise to arouse Frollo's anger
               further.

Esmeralda:     You saw what he did out there, letting the crowd torture
               that poor boy.  I thought if just one person could stand
               up to him, then... (she sighs.)  What do they have
               against people who are different, anyway?