Time Lady of L.A. #13: Pages 17-18
Page 17, 7 Panels- M's Office in E.o.M Watchtower, 1985 Cairo Egypt
Panel 1-2: Same setting/layout as the last panel of the previous page. The footsteps that were present off-panel in the previous page have stopped momentarily. M's head has shifted back toward the assistant as he approaches the front of the desk. In Panel 2, we see an arm come into view in order to hand M the manila folder that Arlen had been pressing to his chest in the previous page.
M [Cont., conciliatory through robotic filter in Egyptian Arabic; Panel 1]: Yes, we'll...we'll have the necessary personnel ready for tomorrow. Yes...thank you, W. And to you... M [Cont., touching with the right hand the side of their helmet; Panel 2]: Bye!
Panel 3: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. With the opposite hand, M grabs the manila folder from his hand. Their right hand, seconds after what we saw in Panel 2, starts to drop to the side along with the rest of the arm. You can also see here for the first time the rear presence of Arlen standing in attention to his superior officer.
M [muttering angrily]: Pedazo de mierda sin espinas...
Panel 4: Cut to a shot of the assistant standing at attention, dressed in his standard uniform. He looks over in M's direction, following as they start to walk around the edge of the desk to greet him. In the background, you can partially see more of M's office such as a bookcase filled with nondescript books and a halogen light glaring down from the ceiling.
ARLEN [to M, translated in English]: I take it the conversation with W did not go as well as hoped.
Panel 5: Back to M as they approach the other end of the desk, holding the folder with the right hand. The helmet is tilted down, observing the pages and flipping through them one by one. You can see a little more of the modest, yet still nice looking office space in the background. Including a photograph of a woman that doesn't appear to coincide with any early or mid-'80s setup.
M [to Arlen]: The Hierarchy want to push the introduction of the Ifrit to Friday night. Something about a "final dagger in the heart of Free Tahrir."
Panel 6: Back to Arlen in the same setting and layout that we saw in Panel 4. The background behind him is also similar to what we saw in Panel 4. His eyes focus specifically on M who is close to approaching him. He takes a step back at the same moment, preparing to turn his body around to face his superior officer.
ARLEN [to M, queryingly]: Isn't the Hierarchy secretly petrified of you, given your past work in the Carribean? M [Off-Panel, to Arlen]: Some are, yes...
Panel 7: We cut to a full frontal shot of M a second later. Their gaze still focused squarely on the manila folder and the papers contained within. The lower right edge of the desk visible around the right edge of the panel view, along with a little more of the same modest, yet still nice looking office space that we've seen throughout this page.
M [Cont.]: Others would love any reason to drive a blade into my stomach and leave me somewhere in the middle of the desert!
Page 18, 6 Panels- M's Office in the E.o.M. Watchtower, 1985 Cairo Egypt
Panel 1-2: A two part set of panels centered on a slightly closed-up view of the armored M. The setting is similar to what we saw in the last panel of the previous page. In Panel 1, we see M continuing to flip through the middle of the paper stack with curious intent, talking to Arlen at the same time. In the next panel, moments later, M stops flipping and formally looks up at their assistant.
M [through a robotic filter, translated from Egyptian Arabic; Panel 1]: I'd rather not give them the satisfaction right now. Once this Free Tahrir business is finally taken care of, then I can... M [pleasantly surprised, to Arlen; Panel 2]: You found the girl? ARLEN [Off-Panel, translated from Egyptian Arabic; Panel 2]: Yes, M. We caught them half an hour ago on a traffic camera going up Al Sawahel Canal.
Panel 3: We cut back to Arlen standing in attention, just as we had saw of him near the end of the previous page. His arms are placed behind his back as he addresses his superior officer calmly. You can see the opposite section of the office in the background which follows the same type of motif that we had been introduced to in terms of the office in the previous page.
ARLEN [Cont., to M]: There was also another young girl next to Giana, though we were unable to determine the precise name. On a much more pertinent matter, at the wheel, we saw the presence of one of the remaining leadership structures in Free Tahrir, a Ms. Mona Nasser.
Panel 4: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. Arlen stops his train of thought that he had and starts to shift the conversation slightly. His arms unwrap from behind his back and over to both sides at the same moment. His eyes also start to follow to the left, signifying the movement off-panel of M.
ARLEN [queryingly, to M]: Umm...may I speak candidly, M?
Panel 5: Cut to M calmly moving toward the front left edge of the bookcase. At this point, they have closed the manila folder and placed it inside their armpit. A glare from the ceiling lights above M can be seen shooting to the left side of the panel view from the hardened glass of the armored soldier's helmet.
M [to Arlen]: Of course, Arlen!
Panel 6: Back to Arlen a few beats later. He gives his superior officer a nod and starts to make his way to M. As he does, he pushes back the chair closest to him in order to get a little more of a walking gap in the same moment. You can see the mixture of curiosity and disbelief in his eyes as he speaks.
ARLEN [to M]: Why the fascination over this Giana character? From what I saw, she didn't seem like much of a threat either to you or to the E.o.M.