Narrator
-So far, we have seen . . .

-News of a robbery of the Londinium Diamond Exchange!

(Replay of first view of Sandman)

-The mastermind behind it is that European arch-criminal, the Sandman!

(Replay of first view of Mara)

-And he has a lovely partner in Mara, once Eastern Europe’s greatest espionage agent!

(Replay of Mara dressed as Nona)

-Their next heist, the sacred diamonds of the Kanuta Tribe in Africa! With Mara disguised as their sacred goddess!

(Replay of Shandra watching from tree)

-Shandra, Queen of the Jungle, witnesses the heist!

(Replay of Shandra conversing with Bruce in penthouse)

-Shandra seeks out Batman for help!

(Replay of Shandra and Batman in Batcave)

-Sandman’s next destination . . . Australia!

(Replay of Mara seducing Peter Holmes)

-And Mara has her sights on the director of the Sydney Diamond Exchange!

(Replay of Bruce and Shandra entering the hotel lobby)

-Time to investigate!

(Replay of Shandra tailing Mara to hotel room)

-Hotel room number pinpointed!

(Replay of Batman and Shandra climbing down Batrope)

-Batman and Shandra swing into action!

(Replay of lights going on and Sandman and henchmen surprising them)

-A trap!

(Replay of fight ending with Sandman firing sleeping gas at Batman)

-They fight bravely, but Sandman has the upper hand!

(Replay of Shandra being held above, about to be tossed overboard)

-Sandman plans to feed Shandra to the sharks and erase Batman’s memory!

(Replay of Shandra struggling underwater)

-The Jungle Queen faces perilous danger, while Batman is helpless!

(Final shot of dorsal fin approaching)

-But wait....the worst is yet to come!

(Spinning scene signals start of opening credits)

(Opening Credits Animated Sequence)

(He turns to Batman and smiles)

-You must have made some kind of deal to get her to stop wreaking havoc on Gotham City. A pity you’ve never extended such generosity to any of your other foes! Like me for instance. You have to admit, trying to swindle J. Pauline Spaghetti and Katherine Kane is much less destructive than what she did!

(Batman is silent, though his rage is evident. Instead, he has noticed his wrists are lying in front of some kind of ventilator and if he rubs his wrists against the grating, it cuts into the rope binding him. He does so with as much vigor as he can, while keeping the front of his body, which Sandman can see, absolutely still)

(Cut back to Shandra underwater. She is using all of her inner strength to try and pull the bonds around her wrists apart. She realizes the water is softening them just a bit. This is helping, although the pain she incurs from the physical exertion is greater than anything she can recall. She feels her bonds gouging deeply into her wrists. Finally, she feels the ropes loosen just enough to let her pull them loose and give her some mobility. Her ankles, though, remain bound, slowing her down. She can, however, at least get back to the surface for an extended period)

(Cut back to the yacht. Batman is more aggressively rubbing his wrists against the vent. Finally, he feels the ropes come undone and he knows he has just one chance to help Shandra)

Sandman (looking out to sea and eyeing the dorsal fin, which is now just twenty yards from where Shandra last broke the surface)
-Won’t be long now.

(Suddenly, Batman bolts up from his chair, wrists free, and comes out swinging at the master criminal! A blow strikes Sandman in the side of the head with a loud POW! causing the continental crook to stagger. Batman grabs the knife from Sandman’s hand and, even with his feet still bound, manages to reach the side, just as he sees Shandra’s head once again break the surface)

Batman (holding up the knife)
-Shandra! Use this!

(He hurls the knife, where it lands just five feet in front of her. Shandra manages to dive back under and spot the descending silvery weapon through the sunlight filtering through the waters and grabs it. In an instant, she uses it to cut loose her ankle bonds and regains full mobility)

(Back on the yacht, Sandman is getting back to his feet. Laurel and Hardy, from their vantage point on the other side of the yacht where they’d been watching, charge toward Batman.)

(The Caped Crusader hurriedly unties his leg bonds and starts a frenetic one-man fight against the three of them to the accompaniment of traditional Batfight music. He gets in a quick CRUNCH! on Laurel, causing him to nearly tumble over the rail)

(Cut back to Shandra, who is treading underwater, holding the knife in her right hand. She can see the shark approaching, attracted to the smell of her blood from the cut Sandman inflicted on her. She stares at the behemoth with the same ruthless determination she has used when standing down a lion about to strike at her in the jungle. Then, as she sees the shark close rapidly toward her, she manages to propel herself upwards, so the shark passes beneath her with mouth open wide)

(She turns to her right and sees several more sharks approaching, but they are all now attracted to the shark’s blood trail and away from her)

(Slowly, she swims back to the surface, ten feet above and pops up long enough for a deep breath, without looking back at the yacht. She dives under and begins to swim in the direction of the shoreline, about a mile away)

(Back aboard the yacht, Batman is fighting a losing battle against Laurel, Hardy and Sandman. He gets in one more SOCK! before he is finally subdued)

Sandman (recovering)
-Your devotion to her is touching, Batman! (He looks out and sees several dorsal fins in the region. He smiles with satisfaction)

-That should be the end of Miss Diana Artemis – oh, I mean Shandra – for once and for all. I must say, it’s rather fun to commit a murder and know I can never be charged with it, since the victim is already legally dead!

(Batman glares with hate at him)

Batman
-I’ll see to it you get charged and convicted, Sandman! That’s a promise!

Sandman (shakes his head)
-I’m afraid not, Batman. You’re about to forget she was ever here!

(He picks up his sleeping gas gun and fires it at the restrained Caped Crusader. Batman drops to the deck, out cold once again. Sandman then turns to his henchmen)

-We mustn’t keep Mara waiting back at the hotel! Let’s head in.

(The yacht motor roars to life. The vessel then turns to head back to Sydney)

(Cut back to a shallow area in front of the beach. We see Shandra break the surface, exhausted from her ordeal, as she turns around and looks back, seeing the yacht where Batman is still a prisoner, receding into the distance. While grateful her instincts for survival in the jungle have saved her, she nonetheless feels angry circumstances forced her to kill a living creature. She also knows, at this point, she is quite alone.)

Shandra
-Just great. Who do I get in touch with now, if Batman’s still a prisoner?

(She slowly makes her way ashore, barely feeling the pain from her ordeal. All she can do is think about what to do next)

(Commercial)

Act Two

(The yacht is docked in Sydney Harbour. Cut to inside the cabin, where Batman lies on a bed. Sandman is leaning over him)

Sandman (relaxed)
-Listen carefully, Batman. Very carefully. When you wake up, you will forget all of the reasons why you’ve come to Australia for the next . . . week. And you will forget all about your companion for the same time period. When you regain your memory of these events, it will be too late for you to stop my end-game . . . and too late for you to find any evidence to hang a murder charge on me. You understand all of this?

Batman (eyes closed, his voice a monotone)
-I . . . understand.

Sandman
-Very good, Caped Crusader. When these men drop you off, you will wake up. (Snaps his fingers at Laurel and Hardy) Dump him in an alley in the most run-down part of the city. It’ll take him a long time to catch his bearings and make his way back to wherever he was based.

(As soon as they’re gone, he smiles)

-And now, for an update from the lovely Mara.

~(Spinning Bat symbol to denote scene change)~

(Sandman’s hotel room. Mara looks fairly refreshed, with just a bit of her hair out of place)

Mara
-Absolute putty in my hands, last night! Mister Holmes soon unburdened himself of every detail regarding how the Exchange’s security system works.

Sandman
-Well done, love! With what you’ve gleaned from his loose tongue, combined with our previous research, we should be able to hit the Exchange tonight and complete phase four of our operation.

Mara
-And after that?

Sandman
-After that, we fly to Gotham City and put the end-game into effect.

Mara (frowns)
-Gotham City? Why base ourselves there?

Sandman
-For one thing, it will give me the chance to let all those rank amateurs of the criminal underworld discover who is the greatest master criminal! Also, we have a dividend in that Batman won’t be around to cause us any trouble.

Mara (somewhat skeptical)
-Well, if you say so. (Pauses) Now, if there’s nothing more to do until tonight, I might as well spend the rest of the day . . . relaxing. (Stretches herself) Last night was very strenuous work for me! Enjoyable as it was.

~(Spinning Bat symbol to denote scene change)~

(We see Batman slowly coming to in a seedy alley. He blinks several times, trying to get his bearings)

(A drunk wanders up to him)

Drunk
-Oy, mate! Been to some fancy costume party?

(Batman slowly gets to his feet, his face dazed)

Batman
-I . . . don’t . . . know. Don’t . . . remember . . . anything.

Drunk
-Oooh, that place must have been really going off! Got any of the turps you were hitting left? Must have been a ripper party!

Batman (not understanding)
-Turps?

Drunk
-You know, drinks. Liquor

Batman (shakes head)
-I . . . don’t drink alcohol, citizen.

Drunk
-Then, in that case, I really want what you’ve been havin’!

Batman (glaring at him)
-You . . . are really of a sadly depraved mind, citizen. With such an indifferent attitude to the consequences of what can cause great harm to you, it is . . . little wonder you find yourself occupying this . . . (he looks about) . . . whatever this place is.

Drunk (frowns at being lectured)
-How’s that?

Batman
-I suggest you retire to the nearest rescue mission immediately and repent of your shameful misdeeds in life that have led you to this place. (He steps toward him and waves his finger angrily) Because only a mind scarred by the crippling effects of strong drink could possibly be left dulled to the realization of just how ignoble being in the gutter is!

Drunk (holding up hands)
-Okay, okay mate. Okay! (Starts to run away from him)

Batman
-You can run all you want, but it won’t change your sorry state in life!

(Cut to the Drunk running out of the alley and into the street, where he spots a Sydney police constable)

Drunk
-There’s a crazy dill in a weird costume back there! He doesn’t know Christmas from Bourke Street! (Runs off)

(The mustachioed policeman frowns and walks into the alley holding his nightstick. He sees Batman emerge)

Constable
-All right mate, who are you and why are you dressed like that American, Batman?

Batman (raising himself up, his mind still mostly a daze)
-I am Batman, Officer!

Constable (skeptically)
-Oh, you are, eh? Then why are you here in Australia?

Batman (blinks, surprised)
-Australia?

Constable
-Come on, mate. If you really are Batman, you’d know where you are and why you’re here, wouldn’t you?

Batman
-Yes . . . That seems logical, but . . . I don’t seem to remember coming here, or . . . why.

Constable
-Well, in that case, mate, you’d better come along with me, because the real Batman wouldn’t be that dense!

Batman
-I . . . guess I . . . have no choice but to . . . submit to your arrest.

Constable
-Too right!

(Grabs him by the arm and leads him off)

~(Spinning Bat symbol to denote scene change)~

Narrator
-While Batman, suffering from an induced memory loss, finds himself in custody, Shandra finds herself stranded at Palm Beach!

(Shandra slowly mingles among the tourists on Palm Beach, wondering what she should do. She hears the sound of various men on the beach whistling at her and then realizes that’s the key to getting some help. She sees a man in a striped shirt back by a cabana, just off the beach, where beach umbrellas can be rented and boats can be hired, and goes up to him.)

Shandra (with a come-hither lilt)
-Excuse me.

(The man looks up and his eyes nearly pop at the sight of her, leaning seductively against a tree next to the cabana. He is trembling already)

Man
-Yes?

Shandra (sweetly)
-I’m . . . in kind of a spot right now. Someone stole all my things while I was taking a swim, and . . . well, I really need to figure out how I’m going to get back to my hotel at Sydney Harbour.

Man (in awe of her)
-Oh. You . . . don’t have your own car?

Shandra
-I’m afraid not. I came here via public transportation, and . . . all my money is gone. They even took my beachrobe and everything else. All I’ve got is . . . what I’ve got on.

Man
-Oh. Oh yes, that is a problem, I can see. Well . . . maybe I could do something about that.

Shandra
-What I really could use is a boat that could take me to the dock in front of the Inter-Continental Hotel. You see . . . not having anything else to wear, it would be a lot easier for me to just get off the boat and walk back to my room instead of being on a bus or in a cab . . . like this.

Man (nods vigorously)
-Oh yes. Yes, that would be a problem for you. Well . . . you see, ordinarily, a boat for hire requires a fifty dollar deposit, but . . . .

(He stops and keeps staring at her, slack-jawed. She is smiling sweetly and coyly at him)

-Ah, no worries! I’ll take you there myself!

Shandra
-You’re a lifesaver.

(She leans forward and kisses him on the mouth. When she releases him, he rolls his eyes and collapses to the ground)

(Shandra shakes her head in amusement)

-Men.

~(Slow Bat symbol to denote passage of time)~

(The Man, having revived, has a speedboat ready at the end of a dock along Palm Beach. Shandra steps into the back and sits down as he casts off the lines)

Shandra
-How soon can you have me back in Sydney?

Man
-No more than an hour from now!

Shandra
-That’s perfect. I won’t be able to pay on the spot, but you can call the Hotel Desk and charge the rental fee to Mister Bruce Wayne in Room 714.

Man
-Bruce Wayne? The American millionaire?

Shandra (afraid she’s made a mistake)
-Yes. I . . . work for him.

Man
-Funny that he didn’t keep you looked after!

Shandra
-He’s . . . often a busy man.

Man
-Well, if he’s such lousy company, maybe after I let you off in Sydney and you get yourself all changed, we could go out and . . .

Shandra (cuts him off)
-Maybe. We’ll see, but after we get there.

(He grins slyly at her, and Shandra finds herself thinking once again why she’s never been interested in romance)

(The boat starts up and begins heading in the direction of Sydney)

~(Spinning Bat symbol to denote scene change)~

(A Sydney police station. Batman is in an interrogation room while a captain and the constable question him)

Captain
-You’d better explain once again who you are, and why you’re dressed as Batman.

Batman (still shaking off the effects of Sandman’s gas)
-But . . . I am Batman. I know I am. I just . . . don’t understand why I’m in Australia. I should be in Gotham City.

Captain
-The dinkum Batman isn’t a drongo!

Batman (shrugs helplessly, once again befuddled by Australian slang)
-What?

Captain
-Look, we all know about the fine, wonderful reputations of the Caped Crusaders here Down Under. That Shelia Sheepshagger Brownlee is a personal friend of Batgirl . . . but if you want us to believe you’re the ridgy-didge Batman, you’ll have to convince us!

Batman (feeling lightheaded, as only random images pop into his head, none of which make sense)
-I . . . understand you’re . . . doing your duty. It’s . . . so confusing.

(He then suddenly keels over and falls asleep)

Captain (with disgust)
-Put him in a cell for now.

~(Spinning Bat symbol to denote scene change)~

(The boat pulls up in front of the pier in front of the Inter-Continental, underneath the pool deck. Shandra, who has found the ride unnerving, wastes no time getting out)

Shandra (calling back as she walks briskly away)
-Remember, charge it to Bruce Wayne and you’ll be reimbursed!

Man (forlornly)
-It’d be on the house if we could just have dinner!

Shandra
-Make it a raincheck!

(She hurriedly scales the ladder that leads up to the pool side deck and slips in. Then, she slowly makes her way back into the hotel lobby, and up to the front desk)

Shandra
-Excuse me, I’m Jane Parker from Mister Wayne’s party. I’ve . . . misplaced my key.

Clerk
-Oh, sorry about that, Miss Parker. Here. (Hands her a key)

Shandra (relieved)
-Thank you. (Turns away, then stops and looks back). Oh, by the way, has Doctor Slumber from Melbourne checked out? Mister Wayne was hoping to have dinner with him this evening.

Clerk (looking down)
-Just one moment. No, he and Mrs. Slumber are still checked in.

Shandra
-Thank you again.

(She makes her way over to the elevator bank . . . and once again the Bellhop from yesterday is nearby, eyeing her with disdain)

Bellhop
-Forgot your towel again?

(She looks back and glares at him, but decides to say nothing as she steps into the elevator)

(Cut back to Sandman, Laurel and Hardy in their hotel room, adjacent to Mara’s. They are going over a set of blueprints and photos)

Sandman
-We hit the exchange tonight. Only one security guard to dispose of, then we take a minimum of fifty million in uncut diamonds, since that amount is essential to the completion of the master plan.

Laurel
-You’ve never explained just what the master plan is, boss.

Sandman (haughtily)
-Because there are some things, my dear Mister Laurel, that a henchman is never to know! Just be grateful you and Mister Hardy are going to be paid handsomely for your efforts in bringing this operation to a successful conclusion. The greater glory, though, goes to myself and the lovely Mara.

Hardy
-You mean, you’re not going to cut out on her like you did Catwoman?

Sandman
-Why should I? Mara lacks the ego complex of the typical master criminal. She’d enjoy the opportunity to share power and wealth with a true genius after being so woefully underpaid by the Eastern bloc . . . (Smiles) . . . and, for myself, keeping Mara as a permanent partner certainly beats having to romance the likes of a J. Pauline Spaghetti again!

Laurel
-What if she doesn’t want to be your permanent partner?

Sandman (glares at him)
-Never underestimate my inimitable charm with the fair sex, my dear Mister Laurel!

~(Spinning Bat symbol to denote scene change)~

(Shandra, now wearing a robe over her bikini, is on the phone)

Shandra
-Yes, Operator, it’s imperative you connect me with Stately Wayne Manor, outside Gotham City. (Pause). Thank you.

Narrator
-Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, it’s yesterday afternoon in Stately Wayne Manor!

Alfred
-Stately Wayne Manor.

Shandra
-Alfred, this is . . . Mister Wayne’s guest from the other day.

Alfred
-Oh. Yes, of course. Is there something I can do?

Shandra
-Yes. I don’t know how open I can be over the phone, but . . . it’s imperative you get in touch with Dick Grayson and tell him to fly down here immediately. There’s been some . . . trouble, and I’m afraid a certain party who could explain things better . . . can’t do so right now because he’s gone . . . missing.

Alfred (his expression darkens with concern)
-My word! Yes, I quite understand. It will take some time, because Master Dick is leaving California right about now for his vacation in Hawaii, but . . . I think I can get in touch with him and let him know he should proceed to where you are.

Shandra
-The InterContinental Hotel, room 714, Sydney, Australia.

Alfred
-Of course. (He hangs up, and just then, the Batphone beeps)

-I’m sorry, sir. Batman and Robin are both out of town right now on important business.

(Cut to Commissioner Gordon in office)

Commissioner Gordon
-Oh, I see. Well, when you do hear from them, let them know it wasn’t an urgent matter. I just wanted to consult with them.

Alfred
-Of course, sir.

(Gordon hangs up the Batphone and then looks over to a visitor sitting in a chair, a middle-aged Eastern European man in a business suit.)

Commissioner Gordon
-I’m sorry, Minister Dimitri, but I’m afraid Batman isn’t available right now.

Minister Dimitri
-That is regrettable. Our country’s respect for the Batman’s skill as a great detective and crimefighter is so high, he is the one American we would gladly ask for help, despite the past history of relations between our two countries.

Commissioner Gordon
-I . . . understand your desire to maintain security in terms of not revealing the particulars of this matter to our Department, but . . . surely there are some basic facts that could be revealed, pending Batman’s return?

Minister Dimitri (sighs)
-Very well, I will tell you this much, because it would be helpful to us for your police department, FBI and customs officials to know. A former . . . operative of our country recently decided to defect from our ranks and go free-lance in the European criminal underworld. She was . . . very good at her work. So good, she had a high security clearance in our country and as such, knew some important secrets that, if utilized in the criminal world, could result in great danger for both our countries.

Commissioner Gordon
-And you felt Batman could assist your effort in tracking her down?

Minister Dimitri
-Yes. For now, our own resources, to our regret, have proved most inadequate.

Commissioner Gordon
-Is there a picture of this woman, that we could circulate?

Minister Dimitri
-Yes, I am prepared to give that much to you, Commissar Gordon . . . although I am afraid this official file photo does not really do her justice.

(He pulls a photograph out of his jacket pocket and hands it to Gordon. A close-up of Gordon’s hand holding the picture shows Mara, dark-haired, unsmiling and dressed in a brown military uniform)

(Cut back to Mara, blonde and glamorous, and dressed in a black catsuit, conferring with Sandman)

Mara
-This should be even easier than the Amsterdam and Londinium jobs.

Sandman
-How about Kenyatta?

Mara (laughs)
-Fooling those backward savages was the easiest trick of them all, of course! I was thinking of the challenges a civilized mind put forth.

Sandman
-Well, now you’ve seen how it’s all plotted out. Any last minute suggestions you’d care to make?

Mara
-Yes. Your itinerary calls for robbing the Exchange and then returning to the hotel to pick up our previously acquired diamonds before getting out of the country. I think that’s cutting things much too close. We should have our stash loaded on the Lear Jet at Sydney Airport first, proceed to the Exchange and then go straight from there back to the airport.

Sandman
-Ordinarily, I’d consider that a prudent move, dear Mara. In this instance, however, I believe we must not arouse suspicion with airport security by making two trips there. We stand a much better chance of getting out with no problems if we allow ourselves a return visit here.

Mara
-What about Bruce Wayne? If he did send Batman and that female savage after us, isn’t he going to act sooner or later?

Sandman
-What can Mister Wayne do, when Batman doesn’t report back to him? At any rate, lingering at the hotel just a bit longer will give me a chance to spot Mister Wayne and defuse his suspicions. He would surely think that if Doctor and Mrs. Slumber were up to no good, we would have both checked out long ago.

Mara (nodding, but still somewhat uneasy)
-Yes, that does make sense. Still . . . I can’t help but feel just a trifle uneasy leaving our earlier bounties here while we’re out hitting the Sydney Exchange.

Sandman
-With Batman and Diana Artemis out of the way, we haven’t a thing to worry about as far as snoopers are concerned. (He dons an overcoat over his own black turtleneck and trousers outfit). To business, Mara! We must be in position a good six hours before we actually move in, under cover of darkness.

Narrator
-Meanwhile, high over the Pacific, on a flight from California to Hawaii . . .

(Cut to interior of jet. Dick Grayson, dressed in suit, is chatting with a pretty young bleached- blonde girl named Kathy)

Dick
-Well, it was a really fascinating conference! With my position in the Wayne Foundation, it’s essential I keep up with the latest developments in business management. (Grins slyly) But now, I’m ready to shift from business to pleasure in Hawaii.

(A beeping sound emits from his jacket pocket. His expression turns crestfallen)

Kathy
-What’s that?

Dick (distracted, he replies without thinking)
-My pager.

Kathy (accusatorily)
-I thought all such devices had to be turned off in flight?

Dick (thinking quickly)
-Oh, my mistake. That’s the signal for me to take my . . . heart medication. If you’ll excuse me.

(He rises and heads toward the First Class lavatory. Once inside, he takes his special Bat-Text messager - specially designed not to interfere with commercial aviation navigation - out of his pocket. He knows the Bat-Text messager is used only in the event of a serious emergency)

(Dick puts it away and looks up forlornly)

Dick
-Why now? Why not during the conference?

(Commercial)

Act Three

(Cut to hotel corridor, as we see Dick, holding suitcase, make his way over to the door to Room 714)

Dick (knocking)
-Bruce?

(The door opens, and Dick’s eyes widen in shock, when he sees Shandra, now fully dressed in stylish business attire)

Shandra
-Thank goodness you came.

Dick (in disbelief)
-You. (Shakes his head). What are you-----

Shandra
-Just get inside. (She grabs him by the arm and pulls him in. We see the door close behind him)

(Cut to interior of hotel suite. At least several minutes have passed)

Shandra
-And that’s the basic story. Batman . . . that is, Bruce and I, we came here to see what Sandman was up to, and I’m afraid Sandman has him prisoner somewhere.

Dick
-You honestly expect me to believe that story?

Shandra
-You have to Robin, because it’s the truth.

Dick (angrily)
-Just a minute! Don’t call me that, because how can you know----

Shandra
-I’ve known Batman was Bruce Wayne from the instant he first spoke to me as Batman on the phone and I recognized his voice. So, let’s not waste time on the past any more.

Dick (trying to come to terms with this revelation)
-I always suspected he let you get away, but . . . (shakes his head). You’re trying to trap me.

Shandra
-Why would I be trying to trap you, and how? Do you think there’s a lion in the closet, ready to jump out? Or do you suspect I’ve got another supply of Instant Jungle on hand to get you bound and gagged? Robin, try to get this straight. I’m on Batman’s side and we’ve been working toward a common goal. Call Alfred at Wayne Manor and he can vouch for me.

Dick
-Maybe you have been working together, because he trusted you . . . but I don’t trust you, especially now that Batman’s missing.

Shandra
-Why not?

Dick
-Because you’re a criminal who tried to destroy Gotham City and force everyone to live in a silly make-believe world of Instant Jungle!

Shandra (exhales to keep from losing her temper)
-Yes, you’re right. I did try to do that . . . but I’m no criminal, Robin. I was an emotionally troubled woman, suffering from eight years of homesickness, who finally snapped and tried to do something about it. Batman had the decency to recognize what I needed wasn’t a cell in Gotham State Penitentiary, but a one-way trip home to the jungle, where no one would ever bother me, and I wouldn’t bother anyone in the civilized world. Being home again has cured me completely of any mad impulses I once had that drove me to develop Instant Jungle and try to destroy the civilized world. Because now I know the only thing I really wanted to destroy wasn't the civilized world. (she looks down) It was me having to be Diana Artemis. (she raises her eyes to look earnestly into Dick’s) Thanks to Batman, I was able to kill that false persona of mine once and for all and just be myself.

(The forceful sincerity of her words softens Dick’s anger – a bit. His skepticism, though, isn’t gone completely)

Dick
-All right, if what you say is true . . . now that I’m here, what do you want me to do?

Shandra
-For one thing, you’ve got to help me break into Room 314 and get hold of the Kanuta diamonds, which is the first priority. If those aren’t returned to their tribal leader in two days, the time of the next full moon, then Kenyatta is going to be thrown into a state of internal chaos that could destroy their government, and ultimately their relations with America. I can’t do that alone, because if one of Sandman’s henchmen is still there, I’ll need someone with Bat-Gas at the ready to take care of him. Even if there’s no one in the room, it’ll take the two of us together to get the diamonds out of there safely.

Dick
-What makes you think the room might be unoccupied?

Shandra
-Because Sandman and his cohort may be out performing another diamond heist tonight.

Dick
-If that’s the case, we should try to stop them!

Shandra
-Except that Batman and I have no idea what his target is. After what Sandman pulled in Kenyatta, we can’t be sure he’ll be doing something as simple as robbing the Sydney Exchange. He’s figured out it’s important to throw in the unpredictable at the right moment to keep his foes guessing. Even if we thought his target was the Exchange, there isn’t any proof we could offer to get the authorities to take precautions.

Dick (with just an edge of disdain)
-So, you’re willing to let Sandman get away with a heist tonight, if it means you can take care of your business. After that, I guess it’s back to Africa for you and your happy, carefree life, swinging through the trees, while Sandman remains my problem and Batman’s. If that’s it, I can find Batman without your help.

(Shandra stares at him coldly, trying hard to keep from losing her temper, because deep down she knows he has good reason to be skeptical)

Shandra
-What you think I’ll do isn’t relevant, Robin. Because if you learned anything in developing your analytical skills from Batman, you’d agree that taking care of my problem regarding the Kanuta diamonds does take priority.

(Dick finally nods, but still indicates he’s agreeing under protest)

Dick
-All right. Let’s get started.

~(Spinning Bat symbol to denote scene change)~

(Establishing shot of Sandman, Mara, Laurel and Hardy taking up position on rooftop of building across from the Sydney Exchange, preparing to move into action)

Narrator
-Meanwhile, while Sandman and Mara prepare to hit the Exchange . . .

(Cut to Robin and Shandra, who is still fully dressed, in corridor outside Room 314)

-Robin and Shandra prepare to hit Mara’s room!

(Robin bends down in front of the door and takes out a stethoscope type device, pressing it to the door)

Shandra (slightly dubious)
-Just what do you call that, anyway?

Robin (listening)
-The Bat-Eavesdropper – essential for listening through walls or other solid objects, if there’s no bug previously placed.

Shandra (folds her arms and shakes her head)
-If you and Batman ever patented some of the things you carry around with you, you’d be the first trillionaires.

(Robin looks up at her and smiles wryly)

Robin
-Since we’re already rich, where would the satisfaction be in patenting these devices for wider use by those who wouldn’t necessarily use them in the pursuit of justice, the way Batman and I do?

Shandra (nods)
-Now that, I’ll admit, makes a lot of sense!

Robin
-Thanks. (returns to listening at door) Won’t be long . . . yep. There’s no one in there for certain. Once we’re inside, we won’t get ambushed like you and Batman were last time.

Shandra
-That means they’re probably out performing their heist, wherever it is . . . but if we get the Kanuta diamonds back, we’ll not only avert an international crisis, we’ll also slow down Sandman’s end-game – at least for now.

(Robin gets to his feet and takes out the Bat-Lockpick. It only takes fifteen seconds to get it to work, and the door opens. They carefully step inside and he quickly turns on the light)

Robin
-Are these Kanuta diamonds different, appearance-wise, from ordinary diamonds?

Shandra
-Yes. They’re slightly darker and they would have a distinctive mark on them, indicating the sign of the goddess Nona. That’s why it wasn’t possible to think of passing off substitute diamonds to the Kanuta to keep them at bay.

Robin
-In other words, there’s a limit to how easily they can be fooled.

Shandra (glares at him)
-I’d hardly think you or I were any better than them on that point!

Robin (nods)
-Right, sorry. (Looks about) Now, you said the safe should be in the closet over there.

(Cut back to Sandman, Mara, Laurel and Hardy, now inside the darkened Exchange)

Narrator
-Meanwhile, Sandman and Mara have now made their way into the Exchange!

(Sandman comes up from behind where one guard is stationed at a desk, watching monitors. He fires his sleeping gas gun at him, and the guard falls face forward, not having seen a thing)

(Sandman motions them all to hurry, as they sprint across toward the vault area)

Narrator
-Meanwhile, back in the hotel room!

(Robin and Shandra are now searching the room)

Robin
-I guess it would have been too easy for the diamonds to be in the safe.

Shandra
-I told Batman I didn’t think even two in-room safes would be nearly big enough.
(Sighs, then continues dryly) You wouldn’t happen to have a Bat-Diamond Detector on you, would you?

Robin (equally dry)
-There are limits to what even Batman’s brilliant mind can concoct in anticipation of a problem.

Shandra
-Nice to know.

(They keep searching, throwing back the sheets, opening drawers)

Narrator
-Meanwhile, back in the Exchange!

(We see Sandman, Mara, Laurel and Hardy all emptying row after row of diamonds and dumping them into leather satchels)

Sandman
-That should be enough! Now, it’s back to the hotel to gather our previous hauls, and then a fond farewell to Down Under!

Mara (smiling with satisfaction as she puts her bag over her shoulder and pats it)
-And time for my expertise to take charge, in the implementation of our end-game!

Narrator
-Meanwhile, back in the hotel room!

(The room is in a state of total disarray. Finally, Shandra’s eye spots a trunk in the back of a coat closet)

Shandra
-Robin. (He stops and looks over at her) Maybe what we seek is in there.

(Robin goes over and kneels in front of the trunk)

Robin
-It’s locked. Just a sec, while I---- (pulls out an object from his utility belt and points it at the trunk lock)

Shandra
-Don’t tell me, let me guess. A Bat-Booby Trap Detector?

Robin (not looking at her)
-Actually, it’s called a Bat-Explosive Detonator Detector, but the principle is the same.

Shandra (dryly)
-Naturally.

(The object lights up and Robin puts it back in his belt)

Robin
-This trunk is rigged to explode if it’s not opened right. That calls for a little variation on the art of safecracking.

(Shandra watches him go to work)

(Cut back to Sandman’s car, heading through downtown Sydney, back toward the hotel)

(Cut back to the hotel room. Robin looks tense as he manipulates the lock of the trunk, using normal lockpick tools. Shandra watches, equally tense, deciding not to say a word)

(Finally a click, and Robin slowly lifts the trunk open)

Robin
-There.

Shandra (sighs with relief)
-That took a real delicate touch.

Robin
-Indeed. (Looks inside). I think we’ve found what we’re looking for.

(Shandra comes up and sees several large bags. She immediately starts going through them. The glint of diamonds is already evident, but the first one does not contain what she hoped. Finally, after going through the third bag in the trunk, she lets out a sigh of relief)

Shandra
-Here’s some of them, at least. (She lifts the bag out fo the trunk)

Robin
-About how many bags would be needed for the Kanuta diamonds?

Shandra
-Allowing for a tribe of nearly a thousand Kanuta to deliver their individual contributions to the goddess Nona, you do the math.

Robin (glancing back in the trunk)
-Perhaps the rest are in a trunk in Sandman’s room?

Shandra
-Or it might be still in here someplace. I’ve never seen a hotel suite with so many closets! (She lifts a second bag out of the trunk) I’d keep looking for another trunk here first, if I were you. I’ll start carrying these back up to our room. Remember, the ones we want are darker and have a distinctive mark!

Robin
-I’ll remember.

(Shandra sneaks out the door)

(Cut to the sight of Sandman’s car pulling into the hotel parking lot)

Sandman
-Mara, you stay here with the jewels. I’ll get us checked out of the hotel. Mister Laurel, Mister Hardy – go upstairs to the room and retrieve our trunks with our earlier heists!

(The henchmen get out)

Narrator
-Oh, no! Are Robin and Shandra running out of time????

(Cut back to the hotel room. Shandra has returned)

Shandra
-There has to be at least two more bags of Kanuta diamonds. Did you find another trunk?

Robin
-Yeah, I’ll have it open in just a second. (He makes an adjustment and then pops open the top). There!

(Shandra hurries over and starts to go through it. She sees a bag stamped “Londinium Diamond Exchange,” which she disregards. She keeps hurriedly keeps looking through the second trunk)

Robin
-These Kanuta wouldn’t be satisfied with just a partial reimbursement?

Shandra (with sarcasm as she keeps searching)
-That would be like asking the Vatican if they’d settle for only half of the Papal jewels.

Robin (nods, feeling sorry he asked)
-Gosh, when you put it that way . . . .

(Shandra’s expression turns to relief as she pulls out two more heavy bags)

Shandra
-This is it! We get these back and we keep Sandman from destroying the Kenyatta government.

Robin
-Okay, then once we get those secure, then can we get the diamonds stolen from Londinium and Amsterdam out of here, too?

Shandra
-Fine by me.

(Suddenly they hear the door start to open. They both back up and see Laurel and Hardy emerge. The henchmen spot them immediately)

Laurel
-Hey!

(Robin quickly gets a vial of Bat-Gas out and starts to throw it at them. Before he can release it, though, they both charge at him and send him backward over one of the chairs in the room)

(Cut to Shandra who has ducked into the nearby bathroom. She sets the bags down, and – deciding she is not dressed appropriately for a fight – starts to strip off her outer garments)

(Cut back to Robin getting to his feet. He sees Laurel and Hardy coming toward him again with their arms outstretched, ready to grab him. Robin shoves the chair at them and it causes the pair to trip slightly. Running behind the henchmen, he manages to grab hold of Hardy and deliver an expert POW! to the henchman on the jaw)

(Hardy goes tumbling back into his fellow henchman and he and Laurel crash against the dresser drawer against the wall. They both slowly get to their feet and are ready to move on Robin again.)

Shandra
-Over here, boys!

(They both turn around and are caught off-guard by the sight of Shandra, dressed in her jungle bikini, standing proudly on top of a chair in front of a dressing table adjacent to the bathroom)

Shandra -Now let’s see how you do without any of your boss’s civilized world gimmicks to bail you out!

Laurel (stunned)
-How did she get away from the sharks?

Hardy (slaps him on the shoulder impatiently)
-Never mind that. Just get her!

(The distraction Shandra has caused enables Robin to deliver another expert POW! to Hardy. Hardy crashes on the table and it breaks under his weight. Hardy falls to the ground, now out cold. Robin turns to give some assistance to Shandra, who is now facing Laurel approaching her, but the look on the Jungle Queen’s face tells him she wants to do this herself)

(Shandra has remained in her position on the chair, hand on hip, looking down at the approaching Laurel with a disdainful air. When the henchmen is just three feet away, she suddenly moves with the quickest of reflexes - honed from the basic instincts she cultivated growing up in the jungle - and delivers a powerful blow to his mid-section with both fists. She leaps to the floor, and then almost immediately springs forward and delivers a solid kick to Laurel in the same spot, even as he continues to tumble back from her first blow. Laurel’s head then strikes the door knob, knocking him out instantly)

Robin (awed by her swift prowess)
-Holy Tarzan, that was magnificent!

(Shandra has her foot on Laurel’s unconscious form and she almost seems ready to let out a jungle victory cry, but slowly manages to shake herself back to the reality of her surroundings)

Shandra (taking a breath)
-We need to get out of here, fast. If they’ve come back, Sandman’s probably finished with whatever he planned and will be up here in a few minutes.

(Robin looks to the window)

Robin
-We’ll use the Batrope to get back to your room!

(Shandra hurries over to the bathroom and retrieves the two bags of diamonds)

Shandra
-You’ll have to carry one of them on the way up! We need to have all of these Kanuta bags out of here!

Robin
-And let Sandman get away with the rest of his jewels?

Shandra
-First things, first!

(Robin grudgingly nods and goes over to the window, opens it and then launches the Batarang so that it catches on the roof. Shandra hands him one bag of diamonds and he starts to climb. The Jungle Queen holds the other one in her left hand as she deftly grabs hold of the rope with her right and follows him)

(Cut to the lobby where Sandman is finishing the details of checking out of the hotel. He impatiently glances at his watch, as Laurel and Hardy have taken longer than they should. Finally, with a rising level of exasperation, he heads for the elevator bank)

(Cut back to Robin and Shandra, scaling the outside of the hotel. Robin opens the window to Room 714, tosses his bag of diamonds inside and slips in. Shandra is right behind him.)

(Cut back to Sandman entering his room, four flights below. His eyes widen in disbelief and anger at the sight of a wrecked room and Laurel and Hardy out cold. Spotting the open window, he hurries over to it)

(Cut back to an exterior view of Robin’s gloved hand pulling the Batarang in and closing the window. When we cut back down to Sandman looking out and up, there is nothing in sight for him to pinpoint. He disappears back inside)

Sandman
-Of all the infernal, stupid – ! (He goes over and shakes the henchmen violently). Get up you two dimwits! Now!

(Commercial)

Act Four

Shandra
-I assure you, Mister Kibaki, I am a personal friend of Chief Jomo of the Zambuli tribe, and the President knows me. (Pause as she listens to the official from the Kenyatta Consulate on the other end). Shandra. Yes, Shandra! Put me through to him in the capital, because it’s a matter of the highest urgency.

(Robin has changed back into Dick Grayson. He looks at her in amazement, seeing how the Jungle Woman is now playing the role of international diplomat)

-Hello? Yes, Mister President, it is. Batman and I traced the thieves here. No, they’re not in custody, but we have recovered the Kanuta diamonds. All of them. I can have them brought over to the Consulate, and they can be on a flight back to Kenyatta as soon as possible. Yes, that’s well before the deadline the Kanuta set. (Pause). I appreciate that, Mister President, but I couldn’t have done it alone. No, Batman can’t talk with you now, but I’ll pass along your kind words. (She hangs up)

Dick
-Okay, now what?

Shandra
-You tell the front desk to have a taxi ready to take us to the Kenyatta Consulate. We can’t let these diamonds out of our sight until we’re inside the building and an emissary has charge of them.

Dick (his skeptical air is back)
-And I guess you’ll be flying back with them personally, so you can turn them over to this . . . Kanuta tribe yourself?

(She rises from the chair and stares at him)

Shandra
-You really think I’d do that?

Dick
-Your work is done. What else matters to you?

Shandra
-A lot. Like finding out what happened to Batman, and then figuring out what Sandman’s end-game is, not to mention apprehending him and his cohort, the fake Nona. I’m interested in all of that, Robin, and once I’m sure these diamonds will be returned in time to prevent a war, I’ll stay with you to help. I’m not going home until this is finished.

(Dick looks slightly surprised. Then, his skepticism fades as he starts to realize that maybe he’s misjudged Shandra)

Dick
-Okay. Then I guess we should get these dropped off at the Consulate.

Shandra (nods)
-And then it’s back to work for the both of us!

~(Spinning Bat symbol to denote scene change)~

Narrator
-Meanwhile, speeding through the city headed for Sydney airport . . .

Mara (her words dripping with condescension)
-Keep the previous heists in the hotel instead of on the plane, you said! It’s much safer if we went back to the hotel after robbing the exchange, you said! (She looks ahead and lets out an exasperated huff). Because of your bungling, we’ve lost in excess of thirty percent of what we need to complete this operation.

Sandman (tightening his grip on the locked door handle, his face twisting slightly)
-You’ve made your point, Mara. You were right. I was wrong . . . but wallowing in recriminations isn’t going to help us.

Mara
-No, indeed. Now we have to find another target to rob, before we can proceed with the end-game. Without the right amount of diamonds, our chances of success would be non-existent.

Sandman
-Well, it’s too late to go globetrotting to some other destination. We’ll have to think of a target in Gotham City itself.

Mara
-And just why should we go to Gotham City now, when it’s obvious Robin and that jungle savage can have the authorities there alerted?

Sandman
-Unpredictability, Mara. Now that they know we’re behind these heists, they wouldn’t think we’d choose a target in their own backyard. They’ll be wasting time, having every diamond exchange from Singapore to Switzerland watched instead.

Mara (her anger dissipating somewhat)
-Well . . . that does make some sense . . . and I could get all the remaining preliminary work done, while you and those subordinates of yours find an appropriate target. (stops and looks at him). The Gotham City Diamond Exchange?

Sandman
-It won’t be the Gotham Exchange. I’ve . . . already got another target in mind that should compensate for what we’ve just lost.

(Close-up of Mara, her eyebrows knotted in puzzlement. Then an exterior shot of the car speeding on to the airport)

~(Spinning Bat symbol to denote scene change)~

Narrator
-Shandra and Dick Grayson have finished delivering the Kanuta diamonds to the Kenyatta Consulate.

(Close shot of the two of them riding in back of a taxi. The driver is playing the radio. Shandra and Dick are silent, since they know they can’t talk candidly in front of a stranger)

Radio Announcer
-And on the lighter side of the news, the Sydney police earlier today picked up a man dressed in a costume identical to that of the noted American crimefighter, Batman.

(They both react by leaning forward to try to hear more)

-The man protested that he was, in fact, Batman, but could not account for why he was in Australia. Sydney police expect to hold him for observation for one more day before having him confined to a mental ward for observation.

Dick (taps driver on shoulder)
-Uh . . . driver, please take us to the nearest police station, immediately!

~(Spinning Bat symbol to denote scene change)~

Narrator
-Two hours later, they have succeeded in retrieving Batman, and found a place for him to change into Bruce Wayne!

(Establishing shot of Bruce in hotel room with Dick and Shandra)

Bruce
-My . . . mind, I must confess, is still in something of a daze, but . . . from what you’ve said, it’s clear Sandman subjected me to something very potent.

Shandra
-And you heard what the police said when we picked you up. The diamond exchange was robbed tonight, so Sandman decided to go back to a predictable target!

Bruce
-I . . . am glad, though, the objective that prompted you to leave your home in the jungle has been reached. You’re under no obligation to continue assisting us in the search for Sandman and his . . . cohort.

Shandra (shakes her head)
-No, Batman. I already told Robin how I feel. I must stay with you until Sandman’s end-game is stopped.

Bruce
-If, however, you were to return to Gotham City, you run the risk of being arrested by the police and charged for the crimes related to your Instant Jungle scheme. There . . . might be limits to what I can do to help, if that were to happen.

Shandra (defiantly)
-I’m willing to take that chance . . . because the last thing I’d want to do is go home and have a guilty conscience troubling me.

Bruce (rises and extends his hand)
-In that case, welcome to the team.

(Shandra smiles and clasps Bruce’s hand in a firm handshake)

Narrator
-And so, Sandman and Mara are now headed for Gotham City, to implement one more heist and then their end-game!

-But where is that heist? And what is their end-game?

(Cut back to Bruce, Dick and Shandra finishing their packing. Bruce is hunched over the Bat-Laptop, checking out information on the whereabouts of Sandman’s LearJet)

-The Dynamic Duo and the Jungle Queen are able to detect where Sandman is going . . . but can they stop them????

(Bruce closes the laptop, and the three of them head out)

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