Free The Firework-Maker's Daughter by Philip Pullman Page A

know too, if I win.
    LILA: When you win.
    LALCHAND: From your mouth to the King’s ears, eh?
    LILA throws some matches to LALCHAND. LALCHAND strikes a match.
    LILA: There’s a poster in the market. They’ve announced the other competitors.
    LALCHAND’s interested and forgets about the lit match.
    LALCHAND: Who do I have to beat this year?
    LILA: The usual lot. The greatest firework-makers in the world.
    LALCHAND: Who are the favourites?
    LILA: Herr Puffenflasch, of course.
    LALCHAND: The King likes him. Ouch!
    The match burns LALCHAND’s fingers.
    LILA: The King loves him, but he can’t win three years in a row.
    LALCHAND lights another match, sets it to the fuse and steps back.
    LILA: And there’s an American - Colonel Sam Sparkington. No one knows anything about him.
    LALCHAND: You know what the Americans are like, they never go anywhere unless they’re sure they’re going to win.
    (re. firework.)
    Did you put anything else in this?
    LILA: A little scorpion oil.
    LALCHAND: One drop or two?
    LILA: A teaspoon.
    LALCHAND: ( Horrified .) A teaspoon!?
    The firework explodes. LALCHAND and LILA have all but had the clothes blown off them.
    LILA: That’s too much, isn’t it.
    LALCHAND: You could’ve blown up the whole city! You don’t know enough to use those ingredients.
    LILA: If you made me your apprentice I’d learn about things like that.
    LALCHAND: So it’s my fault you nearly killed us, is it? You’re such an ignorant girl!
    LILA: I know about most things.
    LALCHAND: What are the ingredients of fly-away powder?
    LALCHAND waves his hand and creates a shower of sparks in the air.
    LILA: I don’t know that.
    LALCHAND: Where do you find thunder-grains?
    LALCHAND throws a thunder-grain at LILA’s feet. It makes a loud bang. LILA jumps.
    LILA: Or that.
    LALCHAND: There’s no limit to the things you don’t know.
    LILA: I know about the secret!
    LALCHAND: What?
    LILA: I know about the secret. The secret all Firework-Maker’s have to know.
    LALCHAND: What is it?
    LILA: I don’t know what it is. I just know there is one.
    LALCHAND: That’s different. Let’s get this Tumbling Demon in a bucket of water.
    LILA: Aren’t you going to tell me what it is?
    LALCHAND: No.
    LILA: Why not?
    LALCHAND: It’s a secret.
    LILA: Father? Please? Help me. How else will I become a Firework-Maker?
    LALCHAND: Don’t be silly, Lila.
    LILA: I’m almost grown...
    LALCHAND: And look at the state of you. Thank God your mother’s dead. She’d die all over again if she saw you today. I should have sent you to my sister Jembavati. A dancer, that’s the job for you.
    LILA: I don’t like dancing. I like fireworks.
    LALCHAND: We all like them. It’s not just big bangs and colours in the sky. It’s a divine profession. You treat it like a cook mixing cakes.
    LILA: Cooks don’t blow up cities. I’m ready.
    LALCHAND: You aren’t.
    LILA: Help me.
    LALCHAND: No, Lila.
    LILA’s about to protest more. LALCHAND cuts her off.
    LALCHAND: No! You’ll never be ready! Listen to what I say - you aren’t going to be a Firework-Maker.
    LILA: What?
    LALCHAND: Hair like a pit of vipers, fingers all stained and burned... I can’t remember the last time you had any eyebrows. How am I going to find you a husband looking like that?
    LILA: ( Horrified .) A husband ?
    LALCHAND: Of course! You can’t stay in my workshop for ever. You’ve got to get married.
    LALCHAND and LILA stare at each other.
    LILA: You want that ? For me ?
2 - A MARKET
    A busy market with stalls, rickshaws, frog and cricket traders, snake charmers, beggars on trolleys, etc. pushes onto the stage around LALCHAND and LILA. LILA’s in shock.
    A huge White Elephant, Hamlet, appears in the market, with a boy, CHULAK, on his back. HAMLET creeps up on LILA, but she turns around before he can tap her on the shoulder. CHULAK and HAMLET are