Part 12

INT. GOAT MAN'S HOUSE–DAY

CONNER and NANCY are furiously scribbling notes into notebooks and JORDANIA peers over Conner's shoulder. Conner is sitting cross-legged on the floor with the notebook lying flat on the ground. MIN is observing beakers with multiple liquids, pouring and mixing the liquids every so often.

JORDANIA: What are you writing there, buddy?

CONNER: Notes of the events so far.

NANCY: We got almost everything!

Min stops their work to look over the two's work.

MIN: What are these scribbles?

CONNER: We just told you–

MIN: No. It's extremely messy. How do you expect other people to understand this?

NANCY: We'll just have to explain it to them.

MIN: What would be the point of writing it down then if you need to explain it to people?

NANCY: To have reminders.

MIN: There's a more efficient way to do this. I'll show you.

Min talks to the two in the background, walking them to one of the walls and Jordania ignores them. BELINDA enters the room and brings, PETER, a homeless adult man sporting a large shaggy beard. Jordania sees the new arrivals and she awkwardly stares at Peter.

JORDANIA CONT'D: Um, Belinda. Who did you bring there?

BELINDA: He's Peter! He's super knowledgeable about the mystery! He's been dropping clues like crazy!

CONNER (calls out): Are you sure he isn't just crazy?

BELINDA: Conner, you mind your own business and I'll mind my own.

JORDANIA: What makes you think he's got clues?

BELINDA: Well, I saw him and I noticed he was acting all weird.

JORDANIA (joking): Trying to find food in the trash kind of weird or looking like he'll murder someone weird?

BELINDA: Uh... the murdering?

JORDANIA: Um, what? Why did you bring him here?

BELINDA: Because he told us the total number of teeth in Elgin!

JORDANIA: How would someone know that? Why would someone want to know that? What kind of danger to society did you bring here?

BELINDA: He's involved! I'm telling you, he knows a lot!

JORDANIA: What does he know then?

BELINDA: He knows what llamas are! Llamas aren't from Elgin! He drew one right here! See!

Belinda holds up a drawing of a llama with enthusiasm and Jordania looks at it in confusion.

JORDANIA CONT'D: Really? I'll have to test that out. (Calls to Min) Min! What's a llama?

MIN: I'm not a dictionary, ask someone else.

JORDANIA: If you held a llama, how heavy would you imagine it to be?

MIN: I don't know, light enough to carry on my lonesome?

JORDANIA (sweetly): Thank you, Min! You're super insightful as always!

Her expression is of concern for a split second before she turns to face Belinda. Her face relaxes and she rolls her eyes with a nonchalant smile.

JORDANIA (to Belinda): Okay, so llamas don't exist here. So what?

PETER: Llamas are beautiful and fluffy. They are magnificent creatures that love to feed from my palms. How dare you minimize their holiness!

JORDANIA (to Peter): Um, okay. (To Belinda) Belinda where exactly did you find him?

BELINDA: In the bakery's alleyway.

PETER: The llamas were hiding there.

JORDANIA: Take him back to the trash please then.

BELINDA: Don't be rude! He came all the way here to help!

At this point, Min is organizing the notes by pinning them into the wall and wrapping red string onto each. Nancy and Conner wander over to Jordania, Conner and Belinda to join the conversation. Belinda passes the drawing onto Nancy who in turn passes it to Conner.

JORDANIA CONT'D (to Peter): Fine. Have you even seen a llama before?

PETER: Uh, only in drawings.

CONNER: What exactly is going on here?

JORDANIA: Belinda says the crazy man knows things. Says he knows what llamas are when they don't exist here.

CONNER: Then how does he know they're real?

PETER: I have faith.

NANCY: What if he knows about llamas because he's a llama lord?

CONNER: Some faith you have. Your picture is awful and I've seen llamas before.

PETER: Ha! You proved it was real. There. I win.

NANCY: He could be the creator of all llamas.

CONNER: Nancy, I'm not listening to your weird theories.

NANCY: How about we just make him a llama lord if he isn't one?

JORDANIA (mutters): I ain't doing this worshipping stuff to a homeless guy.

CONNER: Belinda, you just picked up a random crazy person off the streets.

BELINDA: I so did not! He can tell us about the paths and stuff!

PETER: I'd really like to help you guys, but some paths must be walked alone.

BELINDA: See? That was cryptic and mysterious!

CONNER: I don't think he'll help.

NANCY: He doesn't seem completely useless. Maybe he can help us with getting used to Elgin.

JORDANIA: Oh, please, we already got an Elgin native. We don't need a second one.

MIN: If you thought me participating in the mystery means I will help you, you thought wrong.

JORDANIA: I do not trust a straggly, homeless adult man that talks about llamas like they are angels sent from the heavens. What I do trust is a stuck-up, cranky, non-binary, amnesiac who happens to be the apothecary's alchemist's apprentice though.

MIN: Was the cranky portion necessary, Jordania?

JORDANIA: Yes, it was.

MIN: Also, I'm not an amnesiac.

JORDANIA: I said it for the comedic effect.

MIN: Of course you did.

BELINDA: Does this mean we can keep Peter?

CONNER: He isn't a dog.

BELINDA: Why do we keep you around then?

CONNER: You little–

NANCY: Guys, can we not fight? Let's uh... talk about the weather! It's pretty foggy today isn't it?

PETER: The clouds look like llamas today. They're beautiful.

NANCY: Uhhh...

BELINDA: What are you guys doing anyways?

JORDANIA: Apparently we're making a murder board.

MIN: There is no murder.

CONNER: She has a point, it does look like one of those things that those cop shows use.

JORDANIA: Ah, wait. Min wouldn't know that.

MIN: Well, I'm calling this "The Encyclopaedia."

PETER: It may not be my place to say but "The Codex" is a much better term. It sounds nicer.

BELINDA: I like "The Codex." It sounds cooler.

NANCY: Yeah, it has a nice ring to it.

MIN: Seriously? Do we have to take a vote on this?

JORDANIA: Maybe we should.

MIN: Fine. Whoever wants "The Codex" as the name, raise your hand.

Everyone but Jordania raises their hands. Min raises an eyebrow at Jordania and she gives a sly smile before slowly raising her hand to match the rest. Min rolls their eyes.

MIN: Alright. This is "The Codex" then. Hope you're happy.

BELINDA: So what can you tell us about Goat Man?

PETER: That...man is on a different plane from us.

NANCY: Do all paths have good intent, or are they paths that lead to only darkness?

PETER: One takes their own light or darkness. A mirror reflects but also inverts.

CONNER: Do you think I'll make any maps of Elgin?

PETER: The future is only up to you.

Everyone is asking Peter questions except for Jordania and Min. Min continues to work on the codex while Jordania watches.

JORDANIA CONT'D: I feel like he's giving vague answers on purpose.

MIN: I hate to admit this, but you're right.

JORDANIA: Oh, what is this? Is this...defeat?

MIN: You wish.

JORDANIA (looks at a note): Nothing else showed up since that journal page, huh?

MIN: Not that anyone is aware of. (Pause) I need to make a separate section for a general timeline.

JORDANIA: Of course you would do that.

A paper drops from the wall and Min goes to pick it up. Jordania watches them and notices a small pocketbook in their back pocket. She stares at it for a bit and Min stands upright.

MIN CONT'D: What?

JORDANIA: I was wondering if Peter should be in the codex.

MIN: Absolutely not.

Min stabs the pin into the note.