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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.
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. |
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END OF ACT TWO |
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