as far as the eye can see

Snappy and Foma navigate thru a snowdrift. There is nothing around except snow and snow and biryozi and Foma, dragging a sort of rickshaw. We can see his breath. Foma is having a conversation with a Bee, to the effect that Snappy (and, by extension, Foma, who seems to think he is Snappy’s son or something) will soon be extremely wealthy due to the freight that they are bringing to Novgorod. Foma playfully alludes to the description of the precious goods, which seem to be felt (cloth) in various brilliant colors. The Bee goes off to inform the other bees.

CUT to interior of the rickshaw, where Snappy is dozing with his Satchel as a pillow. There is snow piling up on his hat, and a crude fireplace at his feet seems to have ignited his boots (feet wrapped in cloth) as he sleeps.

CUT to Snappy’s dream: A steamy swamp with giant ferns and dragonflies. The rickshaw is moving through 2 feet of water; there are threatening sea-creatures peering at the rickshaw from the water. There is a face peering in at Snappy from the window, a staggeringly lovely woman. A giant stinging beetle eclipses his vision, biting his nose. Snappy dives from the rickshaw, crashing into the swamp. He looks around and sees only insects, heavy flora, steaming fetid water. There are bubbles rising from the water to his right (farther from the abandoned rickshaw) and he throws himself at the bubbles, a sign that the lovely apparition is still nearby, perhaps drowning?? He dives underwater (unable to swim) and encounters a sea monster. The sea monster tries to gouge out his eyes; he throttles it and awakens.

CUT to Foma thrashing Snappy with switches; he needs money for a toll. Snappy awakens and offers Foma some change from his Satchel, along with shrunken heads, arrowheads, pelts, paintbrushes, etc. Snappy is astonished by the frozen placidity of the Russian countryside.

CUT to Perkin as douanier, delivering lethal blow to actual representative of local official. Takes official poncho and scepter and assumes role of gatekeeper, whistling merrily.