This must be what it feels like to give birth.
Wait, where you going? He doesn't want to meet.
Of course he does. I'm practically his father.
Well, what was that at the end?
It's called Dragon's Breath.
You can teach to me?
I'm sure that this must be very exciting for you to meet your characters.
But the purpose that we came here was to find a way...
...to get him back in the book.
Your father's given me an idea for a character.
A master thief who steals things...
...the way a blue jay swipes shiny objects off window sills.
I am not trying to steal them.
You snatched them. You're trying to keep them from me.
That, my friend, is thievery.
I'm just trying to get my wife back.
Dustfinger.
- So wonderful to meet you. - Oh, no, no. No.
The scars are perfect. As hideous as I imagined.
- I told you, he's afraid. - But, oh, not me, I hope.
He's afraid of what happens at the end of the book.
What do you mean? Because he dies?
Oh, no.
- Oh, I see. Right, I'm sorry. - He dies in the end?
I had to make the story exciting, it's my job. They can't all have happy endings.
Life doesn't always, after all.
How's it happen?
You're killed by one of Capricorn's men while trying to save Gwin.
It's a very touching death scene. I cried when I wrote it.
You think I care what you wrote?
You don't control my fate. Otherwise I wouldn't be here.
I'm not just some character in your book...
...and you...
...you're not my God.
Now, listen, old man...
...do you have a copy of the book or don't you?
Because I would like to go home now, please.
The problem is it's been out of print for decades.
Plus, the original print run was quite small.
Then there was the fire in the warehouse...
...and the publishers went out of business.
This is gonna take forever.
Stop it. This is no time to act foolishly.
- Stop it. - You're as sour as goat's urine.
Thanks. And I don't want to know how you know that.
Look around. This garden is paradise.
No slave drivers. No sandstorms.
- No fleas. - No peace and quiet.
No, it's not that one either.
I did hold on to a few copies...
...but I loaned them to a book exhibition in Genoa a few years ago...
...and they were stolen.
I suppose Capricorn was behind the theft.
At the time I assumed it was just bad luck.
- Ah! Here we are. - What is it?
The original manuscript. Look at that! Typewritten, can you imagine?
Grabbies.
After all these years, I still remember the characters.
The water nymphs in the Wayless Wood.
And in the castles of Umbra...
... the Black Prince.
The Motley Folk.
And of course you, Dustfinger.
As well as the villains:
The Adderhead, Capricorn and the Fire Raisers.
And the worst of all, The Shadow.
It's a wonderful book, I must say.
I'd give anything to go into it myself.
Well, get in line, old man.
I've got page 209 to 447. What do you got?
I have the rest.
All right. Need that.
Now you can read me back, right?
Well, I'll try to. But that's only after I've read my wife out, and she's all right.
It's the only way I'm gonna do it.
- We might have a problem. - What are you talking about?
You can't read her out.
Why?
Because she's not in the book.
- What are you not telling me? - I've seen her.
She's not actually in the book anymore.
- She's... - Where?
She's in Capricorn's village. Darius read her out.
She's alive?
We were just there and you didn't tell me!
- We need the book. - We didn't need the book!
I needed the book!
My mum was there and you didn't tell us?
Listen... Yeah, don't look at me like that...
...because if your Dad knew the truth, he wouldn't have helped me...
...and I need the book.
- Selfish, repugnant, weak character! - Blame him, he wrote me that way.
- I disagree. - You tell me how to find her!
Not until you promise to read me back.
- Tell me how to find my wife. - I miss my family too.
All right.
Promise.
I promise.
I want to help save Mum too.
- Take me with you. - You know I can't do that.
But I can help.
You can help by staying here and being safe. That's what you can do.
You don't know what I can do.
And neither do I.
Meggie, will you please...?
Okay, come on. You got to stay here.
- Thanks very much. Take care of Meggie. - Yes.
- And Farid as well. - What?
- Take care of Farid as well. - Of course.
Why can't I come too? It's my car.
Sweetheart.
Just bring her back.
I will.
Reduced to babysitting. Marvelous.
- Hurry up, we'll miss the train. - How long will it take to get there?
Not very long. Come on.
- Can I sit next to you, Mum? - Me too.
I'll sit in the middle.
"That just happened, " said Dorothy, simply.
"I could not help it."
You have no right to...
"If you wish me to use my magic powers to send you home...
... you must do something for me first.
Help me and I will help you."
"What must I do?" said the girl.
"Kill the Wicked Witch of the West."
"From the far north they heard a low wail of the wind...
...and Uncle Henry and Dorothy could see where the long grass bowed...
...before the coming storm."
"It was Toto that made Dorothy laugh.
He was a little black dog with long silky hair...
...and small black eyes that twinkled merrily...
...on either side of his funny wee nose."
Toto? Oh, Toto, don't be scared.
You're just not in Kansas anymore.
Oh, Toto.
Toto, come out from under there.
You're gonna get me in trouble.
It's me. Open the door.
Just a minute.
And not another sound. I mean it.
I'm sorry, I had no choice.
But, look, it's Basta.
And I'm sorry, but I'm afraid all the henchmen blend into one, even to me.
Hello, princess. Where's your father?
Told him he'd gone, but they don't believe me.
- You told them? - He held a knife to my throat.
Isn't he awful? And they don't believe I'm the author.
Tell us where Silvertongue is before I kill you both.
Toto, no!
Toto?
Oh, my goodness!
She's inherited her father's gift.
Another Silvertongue.
Old Capricorn will be pleased.
Bring them both.
So if Darius read her out of the book...
Oh, no, no, no. She's fine.
- Mostly. She... - Mostly?
She's got no voice.
- What? - He read her out last spring...
...and she has no voice.
But apart from that, she's fine.
- Pull over. - For what?
- Just pull over. - That makes sense, you speaking weasel.
I thought I told you to stay with the old man.
But he's mean.
Not as mean as Capricorn.
He doesn't scare me. I was raised by murderers and thieves.
Well, he should scare you.
- I should make you walk back. - I'd only follow you.
Get in.
After this, you teach me Dragon's Breath...
Just get in the car.
Hello, Mr. Fenoglio?
Oh.
These guys are just circling the perimeter.
We should move in now.
When we get to maid's quarters...
...Resa's room is the third door on the right when we go in back.
I'll go in the back. You guys cover me.
All right, this is our way in.
Now, listen, this is going to be dangerous so you need to keep up.
Got to move quickly.
After you.
Shall we rest?
No, that's okay. Just keep moving.
- Kids. - No, I'm fine.
- What was that? - Where?
There!
- Over there! - Shoot him!
- Bring him down! - Thanks.
- They're there behind the square. - Oh, no.
Well, come on. Quick.
- Hurry! Go on! - Head him off at the square!
Don't let him get away!
Look. Look at this. Look at the Dragon's Breath.
I think I got it. Here, feel my hand.
It's been too long. I'm going to see if he's all right.
- Come on. - We'll find him.
He's not far away.
- Well done. Thank you. - My pleasure.
Look who's back. This is nice.
Just in time for your execution.
All right.
Capricorn's castle is like a five-star hotel.
Not for you, obviously. You'll be locked in the crypt.
But some of our guests get a room with a view.
Resa.
Sorry.
Listen, your husband's here.
He's come to rescue you.
That way! That way!
There!
Come on!
What happened?
They're going to kill Dustfinger.
Shh, shh.
- Here. - They're going to kill him, it's my fault.
No, it's not. What happened?
All the letters of the alphabet.
It looks just like my book.
It's like walking into my own imagination.
I wonder what Capricorn's going to make you read.
I hope it's something good.
I'm excited, I am. Are you, eh?
"'What raft, Jim? ' 'Our old raft. '
'You mean to say our old raft wasn't smashed all to flinders? '"
I'm convinced.
Though I don't know what that poor boy will do without his raft.
- No. - I'm tired of doing stupid tricks for you.
Tell me where my father is.
I have absolutely no idea.
Quite frankly, I don't care, because you read just as well as he does.
What are you gawking at?
You're just as I wrote you.
A cowardly thug.
How dare you.
You'll pay for your filthy story!
Only the king can pull it out.
Don't you remember?
Don't you ever laugh at me.
Get it away from me. I want it executed with the others.
The dog? You want the dog executed?
As for you, we'll see how you enamored of your creations you are...
...when The Shadow is flaying the skin off your back.
You can't bring it out of the book. You burnt the last copy. I saw you do it.
Wrong.
I saved a copy of the book for myself.
Aren't I full of surprises?
No, I couldn't burn them all, could I?
Not with my old friend trapped inside.
Oh, you are going to love him.
And by love, I mean cower in terror from.
You see, I love this world...
...and I intend to write my name on every page of it.
You...
...and The Shadow are going to help me do just that.
I won't read anything for you.
Oh, really?
Let me show you what happens to those who disobey me around here.
She's been very naughty, this one.
Tiresome in the extreme.
Always trying to escape.
So I'm putting an end to it.
- Meggie. - Mum.
It's you.
Mo's here. We're going to get out. We're going to escape. We'll all escape.
Well...
...what a touching display of empathy.
"Mum."
Look at me.
Yes, I can see the resemblance.
Do you still think I can't convince you to read for me?
No! Mum! Mum!
Please! Please!
Meggie!
Is it too late to make any changes?
Changes?
Thinking perhaps you might be able to add a few lines, you know what I mean?
I don't need to be some great beauty, or anything.
I don't know if you noticed my nose.
Oh, your nose. Yes, right.
Think you could do that? Rewrite things, change things a bit.
I don't know. It's a wonderful idea.
Move.
- What are you doing? Get off me. - You can't go down there.
- They have my daughter. - They'll kill her if you do anything.
- I should never have left her alone. - We have to stay hidden.
Nothing to be frightened of. It's just dusty old coffins.
If there are any nasty spirits down here, it's not us they're angry at.
Princess needs to rest that voice of hers for tonight.
I've seen my mum. She's a prisoner here.
I know.
Have you seen my dad?
Yeah, he's fine.
Capricorn's got another copy of the book.
He's gonna make me read The Shadow out of it.
I have Mo's gift.
I can do it.
Well, then you could read me back.
"One moonlit night...
...The Shadow turned on his despicable..."
Make him kill Capricorn.
Make The Shadow do it.
Food for the little princess.
Capricorn wants you to have your strength for tonight.
You should stay. We're telling ghost stories.
Right. You don't like ghost stories, do you?
I'll give you ghost stories, you...!
Get it off of me!
My pouch!
You don't have your good luck charm.
Give me that back!
Why don't you come in and get it?
What are you doing?
Someone's got to get us out, and I don't think it'll be the writer.
You give that back to me.
You be careful.
Maybe I don't need my good luck.
Time to finish what we started.
By the bones of the dead man in this coffin, I curse you.
Don't you say that. Take that back!
May his spirit haunt your every step.
You take that back!
- Open this gate. - Hurry up. Quickly.
- Open the gate. - Come on.
Let me out.
- Which one? - Help! The prisoners are escaping!
The fire! Use your fire!
Come on, hurry up.
Help! The prisoners are escaping!
The prisoners are escaping!
Come on!
Come on.
The prisoners are escaping! Help!
Help! Quick!
I'm sorry, I can't.
- I can't, I'm sorry. - Stay!
Don't go.
You don't have to be selfish just because that's how I wrote you!
You're more than that! You said so yourself!
Stay and help us!
Help!
The prisoners are escaping! Help!
Check all the courtyards!
Let me out!
Don't leave! Come back!
Oh, God.
This is quite possibly the most stupid thing you've ever done in your life, Elinor.
There are a bunch of murderous thugs up there.
You think you're going to just walk in and tell them what to do?
Very likely to listen to you, aren't they?
Silly old bookworm with your head in the clouds.
- Thank you. - You're alive.
Thank you.
All right. All right. All right, that's enough.
Did you find them? Resa, Meggie, how are they?
- They're fine. - Good.
For now.
- But Capricorn has a copy of the book. - He what?
He kept one secretly.
That was always his plan, to have The Shadow read out of the book.
I can't read The Shadow out. That would kill us all.
He doesn't need you anymore.
He found someone else.
Meggie.
Meggie?
Having writer's block?
Maybe I can help.
Yeah, that's right. You want to be a writer, don't you?
- You say that as if it's a bad thing. - No, no. Just a lonely thing.
The world you create on the page...
...seems more friendly and alive than the world you live in.
And you wish you could be there instead.
You're a clever girl, Meggie.
I couldn't have hoped for a finer young lady to be shut up in a crypt with...
...whilst awaiting my execution.
Now, I haven't really got what I need yet...
...but it's very close.
Come on, feed us.
Blast, they're early. Why are they early? This is most inconvenient.
Put one here somewhere. The words have to be perfect or it won't work.
They have to be written by the writer. It has to sound like Inkheart.
Ah. Here it is.
Here what is?
Something for her to remember me by after I'm gone.
Aw.
I don't think much of your crude scribblings, old man.
Well, you are my crude scribblings, Magpie...
...so I'd be careful what I scrumple up if I were you.
- Where are you taking her? - To put on her party frock.
Oh, don't worry, you're invited to the feast as well.
We wouldn't eat without you. In fact, you're the main course.
The Shadow will be feeding on you and that maid later tonight...
...so rest assured somebody will be back to fetch you.
You wanted to be alone, didn't you? Well, here you are.
Alone in the wilderness.
Mosquito bites and blisters and...
Oh, God.
And do you have a plan? No, no plan.
Just rent a motorbike, find a map.
We'll figure it out when we get there.
- This is the plan. - Good.
You use your fire and create a distraction.
I can set fire to the castle.
I can help too.
Don't get in my way.
When Capricorn's men try to put the fire out...
- ...I move in, I rescue Meggie and Resa. - But we're outnumbered.
- And they have these... - Guns.
That's why we disguise ourselves as Black Jackets. Let's go.
Well, come on, then.
This really is a beautiful little village.
But it'll be nice to have something a bit bigger.
Stretch out.
Expand my kingdom's borders.
That's why I need The Shadow.
And I don't want anyone else escaping.
If you don't stop shaking, I'm going to stick you with a pin.
Do you honestly expect me to read an entire army out of this book?
- Do you have a better idea? - No.
Thought not.
Get a move on.
Go on.
Yes.
Come on! Come on!
Go on.
Forward.
Don't try anything funny or you'll never see your mother alive again.
Please.
The time has come to be reunited with our old friend!
Well, tie them up, then.
Good evening.
Do you want to get out of here?
Then you're going to have to help me.
Inkheart! Inkheart! Inkheart!
Read it!
Read the words!
Inkheart!
Say the words!
You're very good at that.
Doesn't mean we're friends or anything.
- Read it! - Read it!
Inkheart!
Read it!
I got it. Here.
"Capricorn led an army of brutal men...
...who struck fear in the hearts and minds of all those they came in contact with.
- Whenever they passed by... - Resa.
...people closed their doors and hid with their children.
But of all the villains lurking in the Wayless Wood...
...the one most feared and reviled was known simply as The Shadow."
The Shadow.
"Made from the ashes of Capricorn's victims...
...The Shadow was immortal and invulnerable...
...and as pitiless as his master.
His fingers and even his breath brought death...
...scenting his way like a hound on the trail."
"He appears only when Capricorn calls him...
...rising from the ground, a faceless and fiery beast.
- No. Stop reading. Stop. - Eager to consume his next victim."
Stop reading, Meggie.
Meggie, stop reading!
Beautiful.
Feast.
Mum!
Shadow!
- Shadow! - Toto! Good boy.
Mum!
Feast.
"Yet one starlit night, The Shadow heard a different voice.
The voice of a girl, and when she called his name, he remembered."
Take that book!
"He remembered all those from whose ashes he was made.
All the pain and all the grief.
The Shadow remembered, and he was determined to take revenge.
Revenge on those whose cruelty was the cause of all this misfortune."
- Make her stop. - "Shadow went to his master...
...and reached out to him with ashen hands."
- That's not right! - Take it away!
That's not the book. Those aren't the real words.
Stop her. Somebody stop her reading!
- Stop her! - Meggie, watch out!
Mo!
- Give that here! - Give it back!
What a pleasant turn of events.
Silvertongue, you're just in time for dinner!
No!
Not my castle!
Attack!
- Get off! - Get out of my way!
Resa.
No! Get off!
What...! No!
You think these misfits can conquer me?
Go! Devour her!
- You'll have to get past me first! - Watch out, Mo!
Just keep reading!
- What? - Keep reading!
I can't! There's nothing left to read.
Then write.
Come on, Meggie!
You can do it!
The Shadow turned away from the innocent.
Come on, Meggie.
"The Shadow turned away from the innocent.
And back to the evil master who had controlled him all these years.
The Shadow reached out to him with ashen hands.
And as it did, Capricorn began to crackle and fade like the old page of a book...
...growing transparent and thin as paper."
I won't let you!
Dad!
"Capricorn's ink-black soul filled with terror...
...as he saw the end was near.
And so, too, did the souls of all those within The Shadow's gaze...
...who'd committed villainy in Capricorn's name.
And then they blew away, like ashes in the wind."
Stop! Help!
No!
"While the terrible monster himself disintegrated and was no more."
It's Meggie. She's reading.
They're going back into their books. I'm going to miss it!
I don't want to go back into my stinking book.
"Those who'd been summoned against their will, who were in sight of the girl...
...were set free, and set right and sent back from whence they came."
Mo. Mo!
Toto?
Meggie!
Please, set me free.
"And the old creator finally got his wish...
...disappearing into the world he had only dreamed about.
And then, finally, after what seemed almost a lifetime of wishing...
...the young girl finally got her most heartfelt dream.
While the mother she knew she'd see again and the father she cherished...
Meggie.
...came running to embrace their only..."
Darling, I missed you.
What happened?
I missed it.
I missed it. They're all gone.
I got here too late to go home.
He'll never read me back in now.
He said he'd try. After he got his wife back.
Well, he won't. He'd never risk losing her again.
And I wouldn't make him.
Stop it, Elinor. It's so silly to cry at happy endings.
Come here.
Dustfinger.
Dustfinger?
Let's go. Come on, it's time to go.
- Let's run. Come on. Meggie. - Meggie, quickly. Come on.
The book's gone.
- We don't need it. - Great. I'll have nightmares for weeks.
- Come on. - Come on.
You're all right?
You were going to leave without me?
Oh, no.
- You're better off with them. - Well, if you're going...
...you should probably bring this with you.
You stole this?
I learned from the best. I thought maybe we could find someone.
Another reader. Someone who could send you back.
What about that girl?
You like her, don't you? You come with me, you may never see her again.
I stole photo from Silvertongue's pocket.
Well, if I'm going to be saddled with you...
...you can make yourself useful.
We got a long walk ahead of us.
Dustfinger.
Dustfinger!
I promised.
It's your turn now.
Great.
You sure you want this? You remember what happens at the end of the book.
It's like I told the writer. He doesn't control me.
My fate's in my own hands now.
Good luck.
Hey, don't take this the wrong way, but don't come back, okay?
Do it.
"It had been many years...
...since Dustfinger had set eyes on the rolling meadows and the old mill.
But it was even more beautiful than he remembered.
The butterflies flitted above the grass..."
He's gone back.
Where he wants to be.
What about you?
I can't follow him.
Because I've kept Gwin behind, the end of his story will be different.
He's not going to die.
You can stay with us.
It was Mum's idea.
Sorry. Shouldn't I have said that?
Just don't expect me to read you back.
- You can teach me to read? - Yeah.
Maybe.
I can teach you Dragon's Breath.
Roxanne!
Roxanne.