Episode Guide Teaser Act 1 Act 2 Act 3 Act 4


ACT TWO

 

FADE IN:

 

INT. BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING

 

Xena gently eases herself out from beneath Gabrielle’s heavily slumbering weight and pads across the room to where a mug filled with herbs has been set out.  Pouring fresh water from a pitcher into the mug, she stirs the mixture and waits for the herbs to dissolve.  When the herbs have fully dissolved, she lifts the mug and returns to the bed, slipping into the tiny space Gabrielle’s sprawled body has allotted her. 

 

A moment later, bleary green eyes pop open.  Gabrielle smiles. Then she winces.  Then she frowns.

 

XENA

How’s the head?

 

 

GABRIELLE

Ugh.

 

XENA

Thought so. 

Here, drink this.

 

GABRIELLE

Please…don’t

use that word.

 

XENA

What word?  Drink?

 

GABRIELLE

Xena….

 

Scowling, Gabrielle grabs the mug and takes a small sip.  She chokes on the taste.

 

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Gods. Are you sure this

is supposed to help?

 

 

Xena laughs softly and takes the mug.  Then she gathers Gabrielle into her arms, resting Gabrielle’s head against her chest.


XENA

Promise.

 

Gabrielle snuggles in, waiting for the herbs to work their magic.

 

GABRIELLE

What did I drink

last night?

 

XENA

A better question would

probably be what

didn’t you drink.

 

Gabrielle sighs.

 

GABRIELLE

That bad, huh?

 

XENA

Nah.  Besides, you’re

entitled to cut loose

every once in awhile.

 

Gabrielle slowly lifts her head and peers into Xena’s eyes.

 

GABRIELLE

Why don’t I like the

sound of that?

What happened?

 

XENA

How much do

you remember?

 

Lying back against Xena’s chest, Gabrielle closes her eyes in thought.

 

GABRIELLE

Well…. we were

sitting in the café.

 

XENA

Good….

 

GABRIELLE

We’d just finished an

absolutely fantastic dinner.

 

Xena chuckles.

 

XENA

You would remember that.

 

The tease earns her a light slap to the belly.

 

XENA

(cont’d, warningly)

I could leave you

guessing all day.

 

 

The non-existent sting from the slap is rubbed soothingly away.

 

XENA

(cont’d)

That’s better.  So, what

else do you remember?

 

GABRIELLE

Let’s see… A group of

really nice people came in.

 

Her face brightens noticeably.

 

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

It was like…they all knew me!

I mean, they knew my work,

and our deeds.  It was…

I really liked it.  I felt….

 

XENA

Famous?

 

GABRIELLE

Good.  I felt good.

 

 

Straightening, Gabrielle turns to look at her partner.

 

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Xena, I love our life together.

You know I do.  But sometimes,

it feels nice to be recognized for

the things I do that don’t involve

beating up the bad guys.  You know?

 

Xena gives Gabrielle a loving smile.

 

XENA

You deserve that recognition,

Gabrielle.  That, and so much

more.  You’re an outstanding

bard and a wonderful person.

You’re my light.  And if people

can’t see beyond your sais,

they don’t deserve to know you.

 

GABRIELLE

Oh, Xena….

 

The two share a long embrace.  When Gabrielle finally pulls away, her eyes are shining and she’s wiping happy tears from her cheeks.

 

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

So, what’s on the

agenda for today?

 

XENA

Sure you don’t want to

know the rest of what

happened last night?

 

Gabrielle laughs.

 

GABRIELLE

It’s starting to come back to me.

Besides, if I had stripped down

naked and danced through the

café with a chandelier on my

head, I’m sure you would

have told me by now.

 

XENA

(dryly)

You have a point.  Anyway, I

thought maybe we’d walk

around a little, take in the sights.

See if anything strikes our fancy.

 

 

GABRIELLE

That sounds perfect.

 

Headache forgotten, she scrambles out of bed and looks down at her comfortably sprawled partner.

 

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Well?  The day’s not getting

any younger, you know.

Let’s move!

 

Xena can only chuckle as she rises from the bed and prepares to face the day.

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. POMPEII WALL - MORNING

 

The wall that surrounds the city is famous for its trysts, its notoriety as a meeting spot, and its graffiti, most of it rather bawdy.  Xena and Gabrielle stroll along the wall, pointing various bits of purple prose out to one another.

 

GABRIELLE

“Happiness to the people of

Pozzuoli! Prosperity to all from

Nuceria! The meathook for the

Pompeians and those of Pithecusa!”

 

XENA

“Here Harpocras has had

a good %&#@ with

Drauca for a denarius.”

 

GABRIELLE

That’s crude.

 

XENA

I think it’s pretty funny.

 

GABRIELLE

You would.  Oh, look at this

one!  “Money doesn't stink.”

 

XENA

(dryly)

How profound.  “Celadus

the Thracier makes

the girls moan!”

 

GABRIELLE

Xena!

 

XENA

You know what they say about

those of us from Thrace....

 

GABRIELLE

Mm. Good point.

 

Xena smirks.

 

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

All right, enough of this.  How

about heading to the main square?

I’ve heard that many a great

orator got his start in the

main square of Pompeii.

 

XENA

Oh, goody.

 

GABRIELLE

Excuse me?

 

XENA

I said, lead on.

 

GABRIELLE

Riiiiight.

 

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. MAIN SQUARE - DAY

 

The square is filled with Pompeian’s of all shapes and sizes gathered in groups at various sites around the large, open area.  The crowd is boisterous and loud.  The air is filled with laughter, jeers, and oratory on any topic known to man and some never before heard of.

 

Xena and Gabrielle walk along, catching snippets of increasingly outlandish conversation, until they happen upon a rather large group of jeering citizens, most of whom are armed with rotting fruits and vegetables. Every once in awhile, one such projectile is launched forcefully toward the front, and presumably the speaker, to the loud laughter and applause of the rest.

 

GABRIELLE

Wow.  I feel sorry for whoever’s

rating this treatment.  Can you

hear what he’s saying?

 

As the two draw closer, the noise of the crowd dies down enough for the thin, reedy voice of the ORATOR to come through clearly.

 

ORATOR

I tell you, my brothers and sisters,

the time for my God’s wrath is at

hand!  But you can save yourselves!

Repent your sinful ways!  Repent

your wickedness!  Repent

and you will be saved!

 

MAN

Repent this!!

 

An overripe fruit flies through the air and lands with a sodden thump against the speaker’s chest.  The crowd laughs.

 

Xena rolls her eyes and makes to walk away, but a hand on her arm stops her.

 

GABRIELLE

Xena, wait.  Doesn’t that

voice sound a little familiar?

 

 

XENA

The voice of self righteous

indignation usually

does, Gabrielle.

 

GABRIELLE

No, I’m serious!

I know that voice.

 

ORATOR

Hit me if you want!  Deride

me!  It won’t change the fact

that the God of Eli loves you all!

 

Xena and Gabrielle exchange looks.  Gabrielle turns and begins forcing her way into the crowd.  Sighing, Xena follows.  The members of the crowd recognize them and give way good-naturedly.

 

MAN

Hit him with your

chakram, Xena!

 

The group laughs.

 

MAN #2

That’ll shut him up!

 

MAN #3

For good!

 

Cheers abound.

 

Gabrielle finally pushes to the front of the crowd, followed closely by Xena, and stops, staring at the food spattered young man standing atop a small box.

 

XENA

(whispering)

Loos.

 

The man sees them and smiles, his expression transformed into one of radiance, which unfortunately goes poorly with the tomato pulp slowly dripping from his hair.

 

LOOS

At last!  My prayers have been

answered!  The God of Love has

sent his Sword of Justice to smite

the enemy!  Behold!  The Mother of

the Messenger!  Smite them, Xena!

 

CROWD

Xena?!?

 

Xena stares back at them and shrugs.

 

XENA

Sorry, folks, I guess I’m just

not in a smiting mood today.

Maybe tomorrow.

 

Turning she rushes across the small space separating them grabbing Loos’ arm and hauls him bodily from the crate he’s standing on.

 

XENA

(cont’d, hissing)

What in Tartarus do you

think you’re doing?!?

 

 

LOOS

(fervently)

Thank Eli, you’ve finally

come, Xena!  I was

beginning to lose hope!

 

XENA

Listen, Loos, I don’t know what

the reason is that you think I’ve

come, but whatever it is, you’re

wrong.  Now, let’s get out of here

before our Pompeian friends decide

to do some smiting of their own.

 

With Gabrielle leading the way, the trio pushes its way out of the crowded square and onto a relatively empty alley.

 

CUT TO:

 

EXT. ALLEY - DAY

 

Once clear of the crowd, Xena stops, turns, and slams Loos back against the alley’s stucco wall.

 

XENA

What are you doing here?  I

thought you were back in Greece

with the rest of the Elijians.

 

LOOS

Well, I was!  But then when Eve

died…Xena, I’m very sorry for

your loss.  The world mourned

when Eve was taken from us.

 

He makes as if to embrace Xena, but is held back by the powerful hands still clenching his shoulders and forcing his back against the wall.

 

XENA

(sincerely)

Thank you, Loos.  But that

still doesn’t explain why

you’re here and not there.

 

Loos’ face lights up.

 

LOOS

Eve’s sacrifice was such a noble

one, Xena!  I felt that the only

way to honor it, to do it justice,

was to make my own sacrifice!

 

XENA

I don’t think dying under the

weight of rotting fruit is quite

what Eve would have wanted.

 

 

LOOS

No!  Don’t you see?  Look around

you, Xena!  This is a den of iniquity!

It is a festering pit filled with filth and

depravity!  It absolutely reeks of evil!

 

Xena and Gabrielle exchange another look.

 

XENA

Loos….

 

LOOS

Think of it, Xena!  If I could sway

just seventy of this city’s sinners

in her name, Eve would be

honored throughout history!

 

GABRIELLE

(doubtfully)

Seventy?

 

LOOS

Sixty?

 

They both stare at him.

 

LOOS

(cont’d)

Ten, then.  Surely there are ten

righteous people to be found in

this pit of Hell! Time is running

short, Xena.  The God of Eli’s

wrath is soon to come down

upon these wicked, wicked

people.  I can feel it.

 

XENA

The only wrath you’re gonna

be feeling is the Pompeians’

if you keep calling them

wicked and depraved.

 

LOOS

I speak only the truth!  God

commands my tongue!

 

XENA

Well, I’m commanding the

rest of you.  Now let’s move!

 

The group runs down the alley and into a more sedate area filled with magnificent villas.  Despite their circumstances, Gabrielle looks around, wide-eyed, astounded at the beauty of the architecture surrounding her.  Distracted, she almost slams into Xena’s suddenly immobile back.

 

GABRIELLE

What are we stopping for?

 

 

XENA

(tightly)

Ask preacher

boy over here.

 

LOOS

This won’t take

but a moment.

 

As Loos reaches into the breast of his toga, he steps aside, presenting Xena and Gabrielle with a rather interesting mural covering the wall of an immense villa.

 

Gabrielle’s eyes widen appreciably.

 

GABRIELLE

Oh my.  That’s….

 

XENA

Optimistic?

 

 

GABRIELLE

Unless his father

was a centaur.

 

Loos steps back to the mural, a small pot of paint and a brush in his hand.  Quickly, he outlines what appears to be a fig leaf over the painted man’s impressive anatomy.

 

Suddenly, the door to the villa is flung open and a LARGE MAN of immense girth comes flying out, face brick red with rage.

 

LARGE MAN

See here!  What

are you doing?!?

 

Loos paints more quickly

 

LOOS

Preserving the modesty of any

innocent soul who happens to

pass by this disgusting picture!

It is the God of Love’s will!

 

LARGE MAN

I don’t care whose will it is!

That’s my wall and if you don’t

stop defacing my property,

I’ll have you thrashed!

 

LOOS

My God will protect

me from your evil!

 

LARGE MAN

Will he protect you

from my fist?!

 

Xena manages to catch the man’s ham-sized fist just before it makes contact with Loos’ glass jaw. 

 

XENA

(placatingly)

Sorry about this.  He

forgot to take his

medicine this morning.

 

GABRIELLE

Yes.  We’ll… uh… just

be taking him back to

the home now, ok?

 

The large man huffs.

 

LARGE MAN

Who will fix this defacement?

 

Spying a young boy slouched in the corner, Gabrielle digs into her bag and comes up with a couple of silver coins.

 

GABRIELLE

Will you wash off this

nice man’s wall?

 

Seeing the coins, the boy’s eyes light up.  He trots over to her, hand already out.

 

BOY

You bet!

 

GABRIELLE

Do a good job and there

might be more for you.

 

BOY

I’ll do the best job

in all Pompeii!

 

GABRIELLE

Great!

 

XENA

Later.

 

Grabbing Loos’ hand and causing him to drop his paint and brush, Xena drags the sputtering man away.  Gabrielle gives a sweet smile to the homeowner and quickly follows.

 

GABRIELLE

Some vacation, huh?

 

 

XENA

Remind me to thank

your travel agent when

we get back to Greece.

 

Gabrielle can only laugh.

 

FADE OUT.
 

END OF ACT TWO

ACT THREE