Time Lady of L.A. #13: Pages 21-22

Page 21, 7 Panels- Street, 1985 Cairo Egypt Panel 1: Same setting/layout as the last panel of the previous page. A few beats later, after some more internal struggle, we see Giana take on a stronger and comforting tone with her words. At the same moment, the light off-panel turns green and the car starts to turn to the right. The background shown behind her from the car window behind her starts to change as she speaks. GIANA [Cont., comforting to Mona]: You're still alive in the future, if that's what you're worried about. Panel 2: Cut back to Mona at the wheel. She has her eyes focused clearly on the road as she's in the middle of making the turn on to the other street. Though it's easy to see that she's addressing Ms. Franklin here. Just as was the case in the previous panel, the setting seen from the windows is ever changing as she makes the turn. MONA [forcefully]: So, why the hell are you here then? Panel 3: We go back to Giana in a similar setting and layout that we saw in Panel 1. The car has begun to straighten out and gain a little bit more speed, which is visible in the ever changing scenery from the windows. There's a ponderous look in her face as she tries to come up with the right phrasing here. GIANA [looking out at the windshield]: Actually, it...started out as just a shopping trip. Panel 4: Back to Mona as the car continues on down the street. With her hands gripped to both sides of the car's steering wheel, she shoots a quick, angered gaze in Giana's direction. The setting, as we saw through the window next to her and the part of the windshield that we see in the panel view, continually changes from left to right as the car moves. MONA [perturbed, and a little annoyed; to Giana]: A shopping trip?! Are you fucking ki--?! Panel 5: Cut to the backseat where, for the first time, we see Amanda lean forward toward Giana's left passenger side seat, which is seen (along with Ms. Franklin) partially on the left side of the panel view. Her right arm pressed gently on the upholstery. Her eyes focused squarely on the driving Mona who is off-panel here. You can see the car's rear window off in the background, showing the front of another car that happens to be trailing behind them at this moment. AMANDA [interjecting, tacking on to the same comforting tone and body language as Giana; to Mona]: It started that way. But we saw pretty quickly that something's wrong here. Panel 6: Back to Mona at the wheel looking back toward Amanda, though not in a way that endangers her driving style. The layout of the panel's view is such that the windshield is seen prominently stretching from side to side in the background, showing the ever changing street and traffic (both foot and automobile) in front of them. We also see the back of Giana's head on the left side of the panel view, along with the back of Amanda as she starts to lean back toward her seat. MONA [confused]: What do you mean, "wrong"? GIANA [to Mona]: Well, to be honest...all of it. Panel 7: Slight close-up on Giana in a setting and layout that is similar to the first few panels of the page. The ever changing sidewalk and pedestrian setting in the background that is indicative of previous panels with Ms. Franklin is also visible here. There's an explanatory tone in her voice, displaying the same type of concern and compassion that we saw of her near the beginning of the page. GIANA [Cont.]: I mean, haven't you thought this whole thing with the Eyes of Mubarrak felt off... Page 22, 6 Panels- Street, 1985 Cairo Egypt Panel 1-2: A two-part set of panels centered around Ms. Nasser, still seated and driving through all of this. The setting and layout similar to the other Mona panels that we saw in the previous page, along with the ever changing outside setting seen in the background through the windows. In Panel 1, we see her in a period of thought over Giana's question. And in Panel 2, a couple of beats later, she sighs and starts to come up with something. All the while, her focus is squarely on the road. GIANA [Cont., Off-Panel; Panel 1]: That it wasn't what the world should be? MONA [Panel 1]: I...I... MONA [squeezing the top of the steering wheel harder; Panel 2]: I do, yeah. I never saw it before till now. Panel 3: Same setting/layout as the previous panel. The ever changing background through the windows is also similar to what we saw in Panels 1 and 2. Mona's hands are still squeezing the wheel very tightly. Though her right hand can be seen sliding down toward the three o'clock position. MONA [Cont., angry at herself with a slight saddened chuckle]: I feel like a damn fool, not seeing it before. GIANA [Off-Panel, reassuring]: You're not foolish, Mona! You were dealt a crappy hand... Panel 4: Cut to a close-up of Giana's face a beat later. Her eyes gleaming with the same type of reassuring love of a daughter would display to her mother when she's feeling low. In the background, you can see the upholstery of the head cushion to the car's passenger seat. GIANA [Cont., with a smile]: As my Ummi told me, "Never feel bad if you were doing good." Panel 5: Cut to a shot of Mona, framed as she drives in the same type of close-up on her face that we saw of Giana in the previous panel. Her grip on the steering wheel starts to lessen slightly, and she lets out a bit of a smile and chuckle at the statement. The car starts to change to another lane as she speaks. MONA [to Giana]: Damn that was cheesy...she sounds like my Ummi! Panel 6: Back to Giana in the same setting and layout of the panel that we saw in Panel 4. She nods a little bit and gives a half grin at the statement. Her body language also softening at the same moment. You can see the car move slightly, along with the setting of the Cairo street, as it moves into another lane. GIANA [looking up toward the top of the windshield and car roof]: She is pretty smart sometimes...and cheesy too!