ACT THREE

FADE IN:

EXT. LOOS’ HOUSE - LATE AFTERNOON

Xena, Gabrielle and Loos stop outside of a gone-to-seed old shack on the outskirts of Pompeii.

GABRIELLE

(doubtfully)

Someone lives here?

LOOS

(proudly)

I do!

Gabrielle gazes at the crumbling foundation and the half stove-in roof and flicks a glance to Xena.

GABRIELLE

This place doesn’t look

very livable.  Or safe.

LOOS

The God of Love provides

for all his people.

GABRIELLE

I’d talk to management

about getting an upgrade.

Loos gives her a blank look.  Gabrielle sighs.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Never mind.

Giving a tiny shrug, Loos turns away, ducks under a crumbling archway, and steps inside the dark, dank hut.

LOOS

(voice muffled)

Please, come inside.  I’ll show

you where you can store your

gear once you’ve collected it.

Gabrielle looks at Xena, wide-eyed. Xena rolls her own eyes.

XENA

Loos.

LOOS

(off camera)

Come inside!

XENA

Loos!

After a moment, Loos steps back outside and straightens, wiping soot and cobwebs from his fruit-spattered toga.  Gabrielle’s lip curls and she backs unobtrusively away.

LOOS

Yes?

XENA

We appreciate your offer, but

we already have a place to stay.

Loos stares at them both.

GABRIELLE

So we’ll… uh… be seeing

you around, ok?  Try to

stay out of trouble.

LOOS

Wait!  Wait! You can’t….

You can’t seriously be

thinking of staying among

those… those… infidels!

Xena sighs.

XENA

Loos, they’re not infidels.

They’re people who live their

lives differently than you do.

There’s no right or wrong

about it. It simply is.

Loos’ jaw drops.

LOOS

I cannot believe I’m hearing

such words falling from the

lips of the Mother of the

Messenger.  It’s… heresy!

XENA

No, it’s the truth.  My truth.

Loos, I may not agree

with your beliefs....

Loos gasps.

XENA

(cont’d)

But I respect them.

I ask the same from you.

She inclines her head to him.

XENA

(cont’d)

It was good seeing you again.

Try to stay out of the way

of the Pompeians, ok?

LOOS

But… but….

GABRIELLE

Bye, Loos!

The two make quickly their escape, leaving Loos to splutter by his broken down doorway.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

He’s gonna be trouble.

XENA

Oh yeah.

CUT TO:

EXT. AMPHITHEATER - EVENING

A young boy leads Xena and Gabrielle down the steps of the rapidly filling amphitheater.  Gabrielle, her face glowing, is looking all around her as they descend toward the stage.

GABRIELLE

I can’t believe it.  I just… gods…

we’re actually going to see a play

in the amphitheater of Pompeii!

XENA

(dryly)

That’s what it looks like, yes.

Gabrielle blushes.

GABRIELLE

Sorry.  I’m running on,

aren’t I?

Xena grins.

XENA

S’all right.  I like it when

you’re happy.

GABRIELLE

Oh, believe me, I am

very definitely happy.

XENA

Good.

They stop a few rows up from the stage, and Xena steps aside, allowing Gabrielle to precede her into the row.  Thanking the young usher, they soon find their seats, center-stage.  Xena settles in.

XENA

(cont’d)

Not bad, huh?

GABRIELLE

Not bad?!  Xena, these are

the best seats in the house!

She rests her head on Xena’s shoulder.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Thank you so much for getting

these tickets, and for coming to

see the play with me.  I’m sure

you probably have other things

you’d like to be doing right now.

Xena pretends to think about it.

XENA

Nope.  Right here, right

now, with you.  There isn’t

any place I’d rather be.

Gabrielle ducks her head, then turns and kisses Xena’s shoulder.  Reaching out, Xena slips an arm around her and snuggles her as close as the seats allow.

GABRIELLE

(profoundly)

Thanks.

XENA

No problem.  Look,

they’re about to start.

CUT TO:

EXT. STAGE - NIGHT

A young man clad in rich robes strides out onto the stage and moves to the left, where he leans forward as if looking through a window.

At the edge of stage left, a man and woman stand up against the wall, obviously engaged in a sexual act.

The young man sighs.

SACCUS

Oh, Penellopa, what riches I would

give for the merest taste of your

sweet lips.  An entire Kingdom,

were it mine to give, I would

lay down at your feet.

As Saccus continues to gaze adoringly out the window, another actor enters; a middle aged, exceedingly well-dressed man.

PALICUS

See here, young man!  The night

grows late!  What are you doing

staring out that window?

Saccus straightens and fakes a stretch and yawn.

SACCUS

It is nothing, Father. I was merely

wishing the moon goodnight.

PALICUS

You and your dreaming ways.

You’ll never make a merchant if

you continue on so.  Now quick!

To bed.  The morrow comes quickly,

and I will return from Pompeii

with your new virgin bride.

MAN IN CROWD

There are no virgins

in Pompeii!

The audience hoots and cheers.

SACCUS

Yes, Father. As you wish.

The young man slips into his bed.  The father leaves, satisfied. 

As soon as the ‘room’ is empty, Saccus arises and returns to the window.  The woman now stands alone, straightening her garments and pocketing the coins she’s received for her night’s labors.  Sensing eyes upon her, she turns and smiles at the young man staring at her boldly from the nearby window.  As his eyes stay rapt upon her, she slowly slips down the shoulder of her toga, giving him a view of the merchandise.

From stage right, another man rushes on, a large square of linen in his hands.  Yelling incoherently, he rushes to cover the young actress, wrapping the square several times around her until she is as bound as a mummy.

The audience roars with laughter, thinking this is part of the play.  Only Xena and Gabrielle, frozen in their seats, know differently.

GABRIELLE

(whispering)

Loos….

Grabbing the woman, Loos turns and faces the stage.

LOOS

The God of Love will punish you

for your lewd acts here tonight!

Heed my words!  His wrath is

coming!  Repent your sins!

Repent!  Repent!!

Several large men rush onto the stage and tackle the unfortunate preacher and the even more unfortunate actress.  The crowd voices its displeasure and starts to pelt the stage with more overripe fruit.

Gabrielle makes as if to rise, only to be pulled down by Xena.

GABRIELLE

But….

XENA

Relax. It’ll be all right.

They won’t hurt him.

GABRIELLE

But how…?

XENA

(forcefully)

It’ll be all right.

Sure enough, the angry men are rather gentle with the raving preacher, pulling him up from the ground and leading him, protesting, from the stage.

LOOS

REPENT!!! REPENT!!!

CROWD

BOOOOOOOO!

At last, Loos is ushered off, the actress is pulled to her feet and unwrapped, and the stage is cleared of all debris.

The play continues.

CUT TO:

EXT. AMPHITHEATER - NIGHT

As the actors take their bows, Gabrielle dabs the tears from her cheeks with a bit of cloth from her bag.  Her hands are red from clapping and her eyes are red from crying.  When the applause dies down, Gabrielle turns to Xena.  She smirks, then shakes her companion’s shoulder.

GABRIELLE

Xena.  Xena, wake up!

Xena starts.

XENA

Wha--?  I wasn’t asleep.

GABRIELLE

(knowingly)

Just checking your

eyelids for holes, right?

Xena gives her a pointed look.  Gabrielle grins.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

The torture’s over.

We can leave now.

Stretching cramped muscles, Xena comes to her feet and helps her partner up.

XENA

So, how’d you enjoy it?

GABRIELLE

Oh, it was wonderful!

So sad, so romantic!

It was just… amazing.

Xena smiles.

XENA

Good. Glad you enjoyed it.

GABRIELLE

I did.  So, where to now?

XENA

(offhandedly)

Oh, I thought we might take

up the producer’s invite

to the after-play party.

GABRIELLE

(shocked)

The what?

Xena shrugs, hiding a smirk.

XENA

Some of the actors were upset

that they didn’t get to see you

at the Café last night, so the

producer asked for the honor of

your company after the play tonight.

GABRIELLE

By the gods….

XENA

If you’re interested, of course.

GABRIELLE

Interested?!?  Come on!

What are we waiting for?!?

Chuckling, Xena leads an excited and happy Gabrielle from the amphitheater.

CUT TO:

INT. BARD ROCK CAFÉ - NIGHT

The cast party has, like many Pompeian parties before it, denigrated into somewhat of an orgy, with groups of people, in various stages of undress, doing what comes naturally.

Standing in the center of the room, oblivious to the activities around them, are Xena and Gabrielle, pressed closely together and swaying to the sensuous beat of the drums.  They are lost in the music, and each other.

Gabrielle pulls away slightly and looks up at Xena, her eyes shining.

GABRIELLE

(emotionally)

Thank you.

XENA

For what?

GABRIELLE

For making this one of the

most magical nights of my life.

Gifting her with a wonderful smile, Xena spins Gabrielle, then pulls her back in close, then bends her head to purr in Gabrielle’s ear.

XENA

My pleasure.

They then share a long, slow kiss that dissolves naturally as they go back to their dance.

Xena stiffens for a moment, then relaxes against Gabrielle, resigned, as she hears a commotion to the rear.

Loos comes charging in, all but dragging two large men who are guarding the door against intrusions such as his.

LOOS

Repent, you minions of Lucifer!

Repent!  The God of Love will

bring down retribution on your

heads!  A great burning is coming!

You will swim in a lake of fire

for all eternity!  Repent!!

Roundly ignored, he stops abruptly as he spies Xena and Gabrielle standing in the center of the room.  He rushes over to them.

LOOS

(cont’d)

What are you doing here?!?

XENA

What does it look like?

We’re dancing.

His face softens into a smile.

LOOS

Offering one another sisterly

comfort as a bastion against

the abominations surrounding

you.  You are true children of Eli.

Gabrielle gapes at him, astounded. 

GUARD

Come on, you.  Out you go.

LOOS

Xena, Gabrielle, please come

with me!  You must not be exposed

to any more of this depravity!

GABRIELLE

Loos, we’re fine.  Just go, ok?

LOOS

But....

XENA

Go!

LOOS

Repent!!  All of you!!

I’ll not warn you again!!

MAN

Thank the gods for that!!

Still yelling, Loos is led from the café.

Xena smiles down at Gabrielle.

XENA

Shall we take this…

conversation… to a more

private location?  Sister?

GABRIELLE

Xena, if my sister ever looked

at me the way you’re looking at

me right now, I’d have to kill her.

Xena chuckles.

XENA

If she ever looked at you

this way, I think I’d kill

her first. C’mon.

With a happy grin, Gabrielle allows herself to be led from the party.

FADE OUT.
 

END OF ACT THREE

ACT FOUR