Ezekiel The Great

Carol has stolen food and supplies, and is trying to sneak out of The Kingdom after dark, by slipping out via The Garden —

•fruit-Time•

She reaches for An Apple —

Ezekiel: 

By all means, Fair maiden.

Have one.

This enclosure was built for the purpose 

of common recreation and study.

I had it repurposed into 

A Garden Worthy of Our Splendor.

I dare say it's my favorite place 

in the entire Kingdom.

It pleases me that you've seen it 

with your own eyes before 

choosing to leave us so suddenly.

Eskimo Carol :

Geez, yeah, I I'm real sorry about this.

Um, it's just — What good am I here? 

King Ezekiel I :

Jerry would you excuse us? 

Sir Jerry of Kingdom :

[Inhales deeply.]

If you need me, holler.

I keep in hollering range.

Deuces! 

King Ezekiel I : 

If I hadn't happened upon you right now -

What's that saying...? 

Never bullshit a bullshitter.

Have I got that right? 

The Sweet-and-Innocent act 

you've been doing -- it's quite clever.

Worked on me.

Blend in, Get People to Trust You, 

Acquire What You Need from Them, 

and then You're Gone, 

as if You were never there.

The guns you brought here in your pack -- 

they belong to Saviors.

Eskimo Carol :

What do you know about The Saviors? 

King Ezekiel I :

More than I care to, unfortunately.

They nearly extinguished you.

But you did more than 

put up a fight, Carol -- You Won.

Eskimo Carol :

[Chuckles.]

By ending up here? 

King Ezekiel I :

That's funny to you? 

Eskimo Carol :

[Sighs.]

You're A Joke.

This Place is.

That's What You Do with Jokes — 

You Laugh.

Out There -- Out There, it's Real.

I've been to places where 

I thought I wouldn't have to -- 

Where I could just Be.

You're selling These People A Fairy Tale.

King Ezekiel I :

Maybe they need The Fairy Tale.

Maybe The Contradiction is The Point.

Eskimo Carol :

And ruling over people 

and having your ass kissed 

by everyone's just a perk? 

King Ezekiel I :

May I? 

[ He sits by her.]

People want someone to follow.

It's Human Nature.

They want someone to make 'em feel safe.

And people who feel safe 

are less dangerous, more productive.

They see A Dude with A Tiger, shoot -- 

they start tellin' stories about finding it in The Wild, 

wrestling it into submission, turning it into His Pet.

They make The Guy Larger than Life, A Hero.

And who am I to burst their bubble?

Next thing you know, they treat me like Royalty.

They wanted -- They needed Someone to Follow, 

s-so I-I acted The Part.

I faked it till I made it.

I was A Zookeeper.

Shiva -- She fell into one of the concrete moats in her exhibit.

It was empty, the vets were on their way, 

but her leg was ripped open.

She was gonna bleed out.

The sound she made.....

She was in so much pain.

I knew the risk.

I had to try.

And I got my shirt up around her leg -- 

Saved Her Life.

After that, She never showed 

so much as a tooth in my direction.

Keeping A Tiger isn't practical -- I know.

She eats as much as Ten People.

She could yank The Chain out of My Hand -- 

hell, She could yank my arm right off...

But She hasn't.

She won't.

I lost a lot, just like Everybody Else.

When it all started to End, 

I found myself back at The Zoo.

Shiva was one of the last animals left.

She was Trapped, Hungry, 

Alone. Like Me.

She was The Last Thing Left 

in This World that I loved.

She protected me.

She got me here, made me 

Larger than Life.

And I made This Place.

I used to act in community theater -- 

played a few kings in my day 

[Chuckles.]

Arthur, Macbeth Martin Luther.

[Chuckles.]

My Name really is Ezekiel, though.

[Sighs.]

That's 100% real.

Cards on the table.

Nothing up my sleeve.

I'd appreciate you keep this 

between us, though, for Them.

And, yeah, a little bit for me.

Eskimo Carol :

[Sniffles.]

I don't care.

You do what you want.

I just want to go.

King Ezekiel I :

Go where? Carol —

Eskimo Carol :

Away.

King Ezekiel I :

I'm sorry.

Eskimo Carol :

For what? 

King Ezekiel I :

For whatever Bad You've been through.

There's so much of it out there now, you know? 

[Sighs.]

Too much.

Out there, it feels like it's all bad, 

especially when you're alone.

[Sighs.]

The thing is, though 

it's not all bad. It can't be.

It isn't. Life isn't.

Where there's Life, there's Hope, 

Heroism, Grace, and Love.

Where there's Life, there's Life.

I hope that's not what 

you're walking away from.

Eskimo Carol :

So what if I am? 

King Ezekiel I :

Maybe you don't have to.

I made My Own World here.

I found a way to deal with The Bad 

by going a little overboard 

with all The Good.

I just embraced the contradiction.

Maybe you could, too, in Your Own Way.

Like, maybe you could Go and Not Go.

Yeah, I-I sound like a crazy person.

I get it. You know, maybe I am.

But I think I can help if you let me.

Eskimo Carol :

Why do you even care? 

King Ezekiel I :

'Cause it makes me •feel• good.

I'll get your stuff together, 

find somebody I trust 

to meet you at The Gate, 

so you can go and -- and not go.

We'll see if I'm on to something 

or if it's just more bullshit.

What do you say? 

You're sure this is 

what you want, right? 

Eskimo Carol :

I am.

King Ezekiel I :

It's up to you.

It should have always been up to you.

Whoa.

Whoa.

Okay? [Horse whinnies.]

[Snorts.]

Got it.

[Sighs.]

‭Stay there.

It's good we're here.

[Snorts.]

‭How's that? 10 more minutes, 

and I might start to regret 

all the times I tried to shoot and stab you.

I think you're my favorite person I ever knocked out.

Definitely top two or three.

[Chuckles.]

Take care of yourself.

I will.

‭Do you promise? 

Always watching, 

always ready, remember? 

I do.

Okay.

Thank you.

[Lock clanking.]

Whoa.

[Gate creaking.]

[Sighs.]

[Gate closes.]

[Walker growls.]

[Growling.]

[Growling stops, walker thuds.]