Major Charactres: Nomad Crew, Grand Vizier Admir, Casib, Mustapha, Sea Monster, Caliph, Turok, Rumina
Minor Charactres: Man in the market, Guards, Dog, Women, Prisoners, Minor crewmembers
(Sinbad is walking through a crowded market, the streets of Baghdad. He walks over to a table. He whistles, and tries to grab a piece of bread, when the man isn’t looking. The man turns around and swings a knife at his hand.)
Man: Thief!
Sinbad: You misunderstand me, sir. I was just about to be begging for crumbs. Not for me, of course, but for… (looks around him) …but for my loyal, loyal canine companion. (He picks up the dog)
Man: Off with you! Both of you! Go on, go on! No strays!
Sinbad: (holding the dog, and walking away) This city has changed since I’ve been gone, pooch, and not for the better. Well, there must be some way that a couple of strays like us can earn a few coins, eh? (he looks down the street) Ah, ha. Salvation is at hand. Work with me… (he walks up to a group of men) Excuse me, kind sir…but my companion and I are hungry.
Admir: Be off with you, peasant.
Dog: I told you he wouldn’t help us.
Admir: Did that dog just talk?
Sinbad: Yes. He and I often hold conversations.
Admir: And just how is it that you and your talking dog have fallen on such hard times?
Sinbad: Well, it seems that in our absence the royal prince has passed a number of harsh laws.
Admir: You don’t approve of these laws?
Dog: I told you no politics, Master.
Admir: A friend of mine is to be married today. I’m looking for a unique gift. Is your dog for sale?
Sinbad: (turns around with the dog in his arms) I should say not, Sir!
Admir: I would offer gold pieces.
Sinbad: Absolutely not!
Admir: Fifty gold pieces.
Sinbad: (smiles and turns around) I’m sorry, old friend, but I must eat. (Hands the dog to the man)
Dog: Just for that, I’m never going to talk again!
Sinbad: (smiling) He’s stubborn enough to mean it, too! (turns around to find spears pointed at him) I’ll throw in his fleas for free.
Guard standing behind Admir: Make way! Make way for Prince Casib!
Casib: (entering the scene) So you don’t like my laws.
Sinbad: They’re looking better all the time, my prince.
Casib: What should we do with this liar and thief, grand vizier, Admir? (turns towards the prince)
Admir: May I suggest a beheading, my prince? It would be the perfect entertainment for the wedding. Peasant.
Sinbad: Actually, I’m a sailor.
Casib: You will be an ex-sailor by this afternoon. Your head will make a lovely decoration.
Sinbad: Actually, I hate weddings. You usually wind up running out of food, and there’s always one guest who ends up—listen, I’ll tell you what. How about we just skip the whole ceremony, and I’ll send you a gift instead?
Casib: Guards! Arrest him!
(Sinbad fights the guards who came after him, then takes off in the opposite direction. He jumps on the back of someone who was bent over, then climbs up over a wall. He turns back to face the people who were after him)
Sinbad: The next time you want to get a head in this world, remember that Sinbad’s is already taken!
(He takes off again. The guards chase him all over the streets and rooftops. Sinbad jumps over the building, and does flips. Then he walks across a clothesline, using a spear for balance. When done, he cuts the rope, so no one can follow him. He got on a ladder and swings it over to a neighboring rooftop. After running over the rooftops for a few minutes, he falls in a window, and lands between two women)
Woman: Nice of you to drop in.
Sinbad: Surely I died, and gone to heaven. (He leans in closer to one of them)
(Grand Vizier Admir and Prince Casib enters)
Admir: I believe you were going to prison.
(Two guards grab Sinbad buy the arms)
Sinbad: Would you allow me a few moments to wash up? (The guards bring him past Admir and Casib) Just a thought.
(The guards take Sinbad to the dungeon. When there, they throw into the large room filled with other prisoners)
Guard: This is your new home, beggar.
Sinbad: Definitely could use a little sprucing up. A few plants, perhaps?
Guard: Don’t worry about it. Your stay with us will be very short.
(The guards leave)
Sinbad: Thanks for the royal escort. (He turns and begins to walk around the room) (Another prisoner grabs at his arm) Hey! Hands off the bracelet. (Sinbad trips over another) Sorry. Excuse me.
Doubar: (chained up to the far wall, on the other side of the room) Sinbad? (he pauses) Little brother! Is that you?
(Sinbad turns around)
Sinbad: Doubar!
(Doubar pulls his chained hands out of the wall, and runs towards Sinbad; he gives him a big bear hug)
Doubar: It’s so good to see you again, little brother! I thought you were gone for sure.
Sinbad: So did I, for awhile. After the ship went down, I managed to stay afloat on some driftwood. I passed out. Next thing I remember I woke on this island with…with this (emphasizes the word ‘this’; holds up his left arm, the one with a rainbow bracelet) on my wrist and a field of fruit before me.
Doubar: Surely you are blessed. It’s been two years.
Sinbad: Eventually I got the attention of the passing ship, and, well, here I am. Two years? Did you say TWO years?
(They start walking)
Doubar: Aye. Two years.
Sinbad: And what brings you here, Doubar?
Doubar: Ah. Minor disagreement between me and a couple of the palace guards.
Sinbad: How many did you injure?
Doubar: Twenty (Sinbad laughs). But they started it! Baghdad has changed since you’ve been gone.
Sinbad: I’ve noticed. It’s not as friendly. Where are all our old friends? I landed in Bassorah, and the place was all deserted.
Doubar: All the smart ones left once Prince Casib and his new grand vizier started making the laws.
Sinbad: Yes, I ran into them both today.
Doubar: Oh, it’s terrible, Sinbad. The entire kingdom is run by the rich, now. Men no longer live by their wits, and by their swords, but by their wallets. They import and export goods, treating sailors like mere tools. We’re told where to go, and how to get there. Nothing but a bunch of seafaring donkeys.
Sinbad: No time for adventure or exploring?
Doubar: No. Everything is about commerce, now. Well, even magic has been outlawed.
Sinbad: Impossible! Why, any idiot can see that the world is filled with magic! I mean, the growth of a flower is as magical as the flight of a dragon.
Doubar: Aye. But there’s no profit in it. Anyone caught dabbling in magic is banished. Unless of course he’s rich. Then he pays the grand vizier to look the other way and uses sorcery to make money.
Sinbad: What about the grand vizier of Dim-Dim? He was both a wise man and a master magician.
Doubar: The prince had him banished at swordpoint.
Sinbad: (getting mad) Why, that little brat! Dim-Dim was like a father to him. As he was to us. What about the caliph? Can’t he sstop his own son?
Doubar: Since the prince’s moother died, the caliph just stays by himself.
(Another prisoner threw a man across the room; Doubar laughs)
Sinbad: What the devil is going on here? (he looks around)
Doubar: Come. There’s someone I want you to meet. (he laughs)
Mustapha: (walks up to another prisoner) Say something about my mother.
Man: She’s ugly.
(Mustapha beats him up)
Doubar: That’s Mustapha. He’s very much into keeping fit.
Mustapha: (walks up to another man) Say something about my mother.
Man: She dresses you funny.
Mustapha: Swine! (he beats him up)
Doubar: Mustapha! Come. I want you to meet my brother, Sinbad.
Mustapha: (he walks up to them) The CAPTAIN Sinbad?
Sinbad: The same.
Mustapha: (shaking hands with Sinbad) It is a pleasure to meet you, sir. I hope someday we’ll sail together.
Sinbad: Well, I’m sorry to dash your hopes, but I’m scheduled for a beheading today.
Mustapha: Oh well. Nice to meet you (he walks away; he walks up to a prisoner that was chained to the wall). Say something about my mother.
Man: Lovely woman.
Mustapha: (pauses) Thanks (pats him on the chest).
Doubar: Beheading?
Sinbad: Oh, I’ll think of something.
Doubar: What’s wrong?
Sinbad: I’m troubled by these new rules. If magic and adventure have been outlawed, what’s to save Baghdad from a sorcerer’s attack?
(While they are talking, a lot is happening in the background. Prisoners are escaping, then guards are leading them back into the room; Doubar laughs when he notices)
(The scene is of the palace, where Prince Casib and Princess Adina are getting married; a man walks up to the prince)
Man: The Prince of Mahuta, bearing gifts for Prince Casib and Princess Adina.
Casib: Greetings, noble prince.
Man: The Prince Casib and his illustrious family. I bring jewels from the seven seas (he opens up a treasure chest).
(Just then, the doors burst in, and in walk Turok and Rumina. Guards hold their spears in front of them, but Turok pushes them out of the way)
Caliph: What is the meaning of this? Who dares interrupt the giving of gifts? (he begins to stand)
Turok: Remain seated, my caliph (the caliph sits). It is not you I seek, but your duplicitous son.
Caliph: (turns to Casib) You know this man?
Casib: Yes, father. It is Turok, one of the richest merchants in all the kingdom.
Turok: THE richest, my prince, and the only merchant not to be invited to your wedding ceremony.
Caliph: An unfortunate oversight, I’m sure.
Turok: I think not. Since arriving in your fair land, sire, I have made a fortune, and I have shared it with your family. And when it was time for your son to marry, I thought surely he would consider my daughter, Rumina. And what was my reward for my loyalty? My generosity? I was ignored along with my daughter.
Caliph: Well, I’m sure there must be some reasonable explanation (he stands up and looks at Casib). Is what this man says true?
Casib: Not exactly, Father. It’s true. Turok is rich, that is true, and his daughter quite beautiful. But I would rather wed a cobra then share a bed with the daughter of a sorcerer. Oh yes, Turok. I know how you’ve made your fortune. Casting spells and conjuring up demons.
Turok: You allow me to practice magic, as long as it benefits you, my prince (turns to Rumina). He has wronged us both, my dear.
Rumina: I think we should punish him, Father.
Turok: That seems quite appropriate.
Casib: Don’t you dare threaten me, foreigner!
(Guards come up behind Turok and Rumina; Turok raises a hand, and they stop)
Turok: You know, my prince, I don’t think you’re ready to marry quite yet. You’re too young. Too impulsive.
Rumina: I think he should remain a bachelor for a while longer.
Casib: Guards! Take them away!
(Guards come up behind them; Rumina uses her eyes to make one of them disappear)
Turok: Now, is that any way to treat a guest?
(He turns around, holds up a hand, and another guard disappears; Rumina and Turok laugh)
Turok: Very well. We will leave this land. But we’ll take a little souvenir with us.
(He conjures up harpeis to terrorize the palace; one grabs Adina; Turok and Rumina laugh)
Casib: Guards! Arrest that man! Get him!
Turok: If you are man enough, you may rescue your bride. I will be waiting for you on the Island of Tears. You have but a fortnight. After that, I will return your princess…in pieces. And then we’ll have a real wedding. You and Rumina. This, I promise you.
(They disappear, laughing)
Casib: I’ll find you. I’ll rescue her. You just wait! (he turns and walks back to his father) I will fix everything, Father. I’ll teach that coward. I will sail to the ends of the earth to rescue Adina.
Caliph: Our entire kingdom may fall, my son. In all of my days, I only know of one man who could have challenged Turok. A sailor (pauses). A great adventurer (pauses again). Sinbad.
Casib: (turns away from his father) This…this man you speak of.
Caliph: Sinbad?
Casib: Yes. Is he a young, swarthy fellow? Acrobatic type?
Caliph: Yes.
Casib: Big smile?
Caliph: Yes.
Casib: Kind of an insolent attitude?
Caliph: He has a real lust for life, if that’s what you mean.
Casib: And he likes boats?
Caliph: He’s a sailor! Of course he likes boats! What’s all this about?
Casib: Well, I think I know where this Sinbad is.
Caliph: Allah be praised! Where is he?
Casib: He’s in the courtyard, about to be beheaded.
Caliph: (gets up, and walks up behind Casib) BEHEADED?!
Casib: Yeah. That’s where you start off with a head, then end up without one.
Caliph: You whining, ruck of royalty! My entire kingdom is threatened with extinction, and you plan to execute the only man that can save us?!
Casib: Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Caliph: Bring him to me, immediately!
Casib: But Father—
Caliph: NOW!!!!!!!!!!!
(Casib runs out of the palace)
(The guards are taking Sinbad to the scene of the beheading; they take him up to the platform)
Guard: (he is holding an ax) Any last words, peasant?
Sinbad: Well, you know what they say. It’s not over until the— (they hear singing in the crowd, and everyone moves to reveal a large woman, singing) Never mind.
(The guard put Sinbad’s head on the chopping block)
Guard: Do you want a blindfold?
Sinbad: May I ponder that choice for a moment or two? (he puts his head back up)
(The guard puts Sinbad’s head back down, and throws the blindfold on the ground)
Sinbad: (he sighs) All right. Let’s do it (he closes his eyes tightly, and prepares for the worst).
Doubar: I’ll take that! (he takes a chain and uses it to wrap around the ax, and grab it out of the guard’s hand, before he had time to swing it)
Sinbad: (opens his eyes) Doubar! (he flips away from the chopping block)
(Together, they fight off the guards)
Sinbad: What took you so long?
Doubar: I had to take a detour through a couple of walls (he bangs the heads of two guards together).
(Then Mustapha comes running the crowd, punching anyone who gets in his way; runs up to the platform)
Sinbad: Mustapha! (he throws him a sword)
(Mustapha catches the sword, and helps with defeating the guards)
(Then, in the end, more guards came)
Doubar: It looks like we’re outnumbered.
Sinbad: Try to look on the bright side.
Mustapha: What bright side?
Sinbad: Give me a minute.
(Then the prince comes running through the crowd; he joins them on the platform)
Casib: All been misunderstanding.
Sinbad: Sinbad, not understanding prince.
Casib: Trouble…my fault…princess gone.
Sinbad: Prince definitely needs a tutor.
Casib: (to guards) Escort them to father. Give them food, drink…wedding.
Mustapha: We’re invited to the wedding?
Casib: Trouble. Please help.
Sinbad: Doubar, help prince get to father.
Doubar: (laughing) Come, my prince. Papa’s waiting!
(They all walk off the platform; Mustapha runs into Admir, and gives him a look; Sinbad smiles, puts his arm on Mustapha’s back, and together, they head off the platform)