ACT TWO

FADE IN:

INT. BARD ROCK CAFÉ - NOON

Gabrielle is already rising as Xena arrives, and together they pull Marcellas Flavias to her feet.  The older woman is dusty, but appears basically uninjured except for a small knot on her forehead where it collided with the ground.

XENA

(to Gabrielle)

Are you all right?

GABRIELLE

Yeah, but this roof falling on

us thing has got to stop soon.

It’s becoming a hab....

Her voice trails off as she turns to face the café’s entrance.  Her eyes widen.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

What the...?  It can’t be.  Snow?

In the middle of summer?

XENA

Not snow....

Turning, she retraces her steps to the door with Gabrielle close at her heels.  Both look out toward Vesuvius.

GABRIELLE

(profoundly)

By the gods....

A massive column of white smoke rises thousands of feet into the air, blocking the sun and sky before them.  As they watch, the column darkens to grey and jagged forks of lightening illuminate it from within. 

All around them, small pellets of rock fall, sounding like hailstones as they quickly coat everything in the city in a thick fall of grey.  As they watch, the fall deepens until it is at ankle level.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Xena?  How do we

get out of this?

Xena turns to Marcellas Flavias.

XENA

You’ve got pillows

around here, right?

MARCELLAS FLAVIAS

P-pillows?  Well, yes, but....

XENA

Get them. One for each of

us and one for Loos.  Go.

A question in her eyes, Marcellas Flavias rushes off to do Xena’s bidding and quickly returns with four plump pillows.

MARCELLAS FLAVIAS

Will these do?

XENA

Yeah. Thanks.

Grabbing two pillows, she hands one to Gabrielle, who gives her a questioning look.  Xena holds her pillow over her head in demonstration.  Gabrielle smiles.

GABRIELLE

Protection from the

falling stones, right?

XENA

Right.  Let’s go.

CUT TO:

EXT. POMPEII - JUST AFTER NOON

The scene outside of the café is chaos.  Men, women and children run pell-mell through the streets, terrified.  Still others pour out from the myriad of buildings lining the street, dragging huge sacks of precious possessions behind them. 

In the center of it all, and seemingly untouched by the tumult around him, stands Loos, laughing.  The falling stones seem to have less effect than raindrops on his fanatic joy.

LOOS

Who is the madman now, Pompeii?

I warned you!!  I warned you!!

You wouldn’t listen, and now

you’re paying the price in blood

and tears!! I warned... oof!

He finds himself looking up at the ash-filled sky, knocked off his feet finally by the onrushing crowd.  A hand enters his field of vision, and he finds himself yanked up by the front of his toga.  A pillow is shoved hard against his narrow chest.

XENA

Put this over your head before I

use it on your mouth.  Now move!

The small group falls in with the stream of Pompeians running for the harbor. Daylight quickly gives way to dusk as the ash spewing from the volcano paints the sky a thick, angry grey. 

Up ahead of them, a young girl is turned this way and that, constantly buffeted by the onrushing crowd. Her dark eyes are tear-filled and huge as she obviously searches for someone she knows.

Before Xena reaches her, a young woman appears out of the crowd and snatches the child up, holding her close to her breast.

Nearby, a man trips and falls to his knees, then is squashed flat as another man runs right over him, unseeing.  Reaching down, Xena yanks him to his feet without breaking stride.

Suddenly, the ground trembles violently again, throwing men and women hard to the ground. With a booming roar, fresh lava and ash shoot out of Vesuvius, towering into the sky.  Hot ash and pumice rain down on them in a blizzard, obscuring everything in sight.

An older woman hits the ground and screams in agony, her leg obviously broken and pinned beneath her. 

Seeing this, Gabrielle grabs Xena’s arm and tugs.

GABRIELLE

Xena, we have to help her.

XENA

Keep moving!

GABRIELLE

Xena!  She’s in pain!

She needs help!

XENA

Keep moving!

We don’t have time!

Taking a quick glance over her shoulder, Xena’s eyes narrow as through the swirling ash, she can see the smoke and flames that signal the burning of the homesteads closest to Vesuvius.

GABRIELLE

We’ll make time!  We can’t

just leave her here!

XENA

Fine.

Reaching out, she grabs two running men, dragging them to a rather abrupt stop.

XENA

(cont’d)

You two.  Pick her up and

carry her to the harbor.

MAN #1

Are you crazy?!?

XENA

Yep.  And if you don’t wanna

see just how crazy, you’ll

do as I say.  Now!

Something in her eyes tells them that listening would be their safest course of action.  Lifting the woman rather roughly between them, they resume their flight to hoped for safety.

Xena and her small group are about to resume their run when yet another older woman comes out from the archway of a fine house lining the road.

WOMAN

Please, you must help me.

My husband, he’s bedridden,

and I’m not strong enough to

move him.  I have no other family.

I... please. Please, help me.

Suppressing a sigh, Xena nods.

XENA

Gabrielle, you take her and

Marcellas Flavias and keep

heading for the harbor.  I’ll

meet up with you in a minute.

Loos, you’re coming with me.

LOOS

Me?!  Why...?

GABRIELLE

(simultaneously)

Xena....

XENA

(to woman)

Here, take this and put it over

your head to protect you

from the falling stones.

Handing over her pillow, Xena gives Gabrielle a pleading look.  Gabrielle bites her lower lip, then nods.  Xena smiles in thanks, and grabs Loos by his toga, yanking him into the house.

CUT TO:

INT. VILLA - AFTERNOON

A frail, elderly man lies in a canopied bed.  His legs are withered, his skin sallow, his breathing raspy in his narrow chest.  Regardless, his toga is bright white and clean, and he’s been freshly shaven.  It is obvious he is well cared for and well loved.

MAN

Who... who are you?

What are you doing here?

XENA

We’ve come to help.

MAN

My... my wife...?

XENA

... is safe. She’s headed for

the beach.  You’ll be

together again shortly.

MAN

Thank you. Oh, thank you.

XENA

(to Loos)

Help me lift him,

and be gentle.

Loos stares at her, lip curled in derision.

LOOS

Why?  He has already been

judged and found wanting,

Xena. Leave him here to

die in his own filth.

Straightening slowly, Xena pins Loos with her iciest of glares.  He pales, but holds his ground.

XENA

Is this what Eve taught you

about the Way of Love?

LOOS

I am acting as my

God commands me.

Xena sneers.

XENA

Can’t answer the

question, can you?

Bending, she lifts the old man into her arms as gently as she can.  Through his pain, he smiles at her in thanks.

XENA

(to Loos)

Get outta my way.

CUT TO:

EXT. POMPEII - AFTER NOON

Xena quickly catches up with Gabrielle and the others.  The man’s wife, also infirm, has been having difficulty walking over the loose, constantly shifting mass of volcanic rock being hurled down at them from above.

Gabrielle smiles in relief as Xena comes into her sights, and quickly hands over her head-cover to protect the frail man lying in her partner’s strong arms.

MAN

Thank you, kind woman.

GABRIELLE

You’re very welcome.

(beat, to Xena)

We can’t go very fast.

XENA

I know.  Let’s just make

it as quick as we can.

With that, they start off, moving once again to the beach and safety.

CUT TO:

EXT. POMPEII - AFTERNOON

The group is just about to move past the last row of shops and homes when Xena feels the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up.  With an icy sense of dread, she looks over her shoulder in time to see one of her worst fears confirmed.

The cone of the volcano has collapsed and as she watches, a huge surge of ash is forced down to the ground and out, heading directly toward them at an incredible speed.

Looking quickly to her left, she spies an archway heralding a deep alley and she heads in that direction at a run.

XENA

(shouting)

Everyone!  Follow me!

Hurry!!!

Without thought, Gabrielle lifts the frail old woman into her arms and bolts after Xena, knowing by the tone of Xena’s voice, something horrible is about to happen.

LOOS

No!  I won’t!

He begins to turn.

XENA

Loos!  Hurry!  Don’t

look back!  Hurry!!

CUT TO:

INT. ALLEYWAY - AFTERNOON

Stepping aside, Xena nudges Marcellas Flavias through first, and herds her to the very back of the alley, against the stone wall that marks its end.  She quickly, though as gently as she can, dumps the old man in her lap.

XENA

Hold him!

Turning back, she pelts down the alley, pulls the old woman from Gabrielle’s arms and pushes her back toward Marcellas Flavias.  

Turning back again, she grabs Gabrielle’s arm, yanks her inside the alley, holding to her arm tightly.

Gabrielle struggles in Xena’s grip.

GABRIELLE

Xena!  We have to get Loos!

We can’t just leave him!

XENA

There’s no time!!

Gabrielle almost succeeds in pulling away. Xena grabs onto her with both arms and goes to her knees, embracing Gabrielle tightly against her body, protecting her as well as she can.

Gabrielle’s voice is muffled against Xena’s chest.

GABRIELLE

LOOS!!

CUT TO:

EXT. POMPEII - AFTERNOON

Loos stands looking at the onrushing cataclysm, face painted in rapture.

LOOS

The Hand of God!

It’s beautif....

CUT TO:

INT. ALLEYWAY - AFTERNOON

Loos voice is abruptly cut off as a toxic wind, faster and stronger than the strongest hurricane and hot enough to boil water, jets across the city, flattening much of it in its wake.

The group in the alley huddle together, awaiting their fate.

FADE OUT.
 

END OF ACT TWO

ACT THREE