SIMULACRUM
by wishes
Notice: The characters of Xena and Gabrielle
are the property of Pacific
Renaissance Pictures. They are most respectfully borrowed. There is no
intention and absolutely no possibility of profiting financially from their
use.
Shooting Draft, June 1997
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"Simulacrum"
CAST LIST
XENA
GABRIELLE
PRINCUS (PRINC-us)
LEATHER MERCHANT
FIRST RUFFIAN
SECOND RUFFIAN
THIRD RUFFIAN
SHIMON (SHE-mone)
COLTRAI (col-TRY)
BANDIT LEADER
Names said in dialogue:
ANTIPHONE (an-TIF-o-nee)
ANNIUS (AN-nee-us)
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"Simulacrum"
SET LIST
INTERIORS:
COLTRAI'S COTTAGE
EXTERIORS:
FOREST CAMP
VILLAGE MARKET
FIELD
COLTRAI'S COTTAGE
MOUNTAINSIDE
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"Simulacrum"
CHRONOLOGY
DAY 1 (DAWN)
DAY 1 (MORNING)
DAY 1 (MIDDAY)
DAY 1 (EVENING)
DAY 2 (MORNING)
DAY 2 (LATE AFTERNOON)
DAY 2 (NIGHT)
DAY 3 (DAWN)
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"Simulacrum"
TEASER
FADE IN:
1. EXT. A CAMPSITE IN THE FOREST--DAWN
A MAN DRESSED in black armor and wearing a hooded helmet stealthily enters
the campsite. He creeps past Gabrielle, who is sleeping on one side of
the campfire, which has died down. He pauses as she stirs. She smiles in
her sleep, seemingly having a pleasant dream. He turns away and moves
silently toward the bundled figure on the other side of the fire. There is
the sound of an impact, and he abruptly sinks to his knees. A sword blade
appears at his throat, and a hand tears away his helmet and hood. CLOSE on
his face as he slowly looks up into the face of his captor. FOLLOW his
gaze at it tracks up black leather and skin to XENA'S face, looking fierce
and implacable.
2. EXT. A CAMPSITE--DAY
It is full daylight, and Xena, Gabrielle, and the stranger are sitting
around the campfire, which has been built back up. Xena and the man are
sitting side-by-side on a log. Gabrielle sits nearby on the ground. They
are finishing up the remains of a meal and laughing.
GABRIELLE (looking back and forth between her two companions): I still
don't understand how Princus got that far into our camp. And why his head
is still on his shoulders.
Princus and Xena exchange a glance.
XENA: I've known since yesterday morning that we were being followed.
PRINCUS (teasingly): You did not. Gabrielle, she's always claiming she
knows more than she does. And sooner.
XENA: I did know someone was behind us yesterday morning. I didn't know
who it was until the afternoon. (to Gabrielle) Remember when I told you
to go on while I scouted a little on Argo?
Gabrielle nods.
XENA: Well, that's when I doubled back and waited in the forest for our
clumsy stalker. He rode right by on that poor excuse he calls a warhorse.
PRINCUS: You may insult my skills, but DON'T insult my warhorse.
He makes as if to draw his sword, and Gabrielle jumps up and grabs her
staff. Xena just raises an eyebrow, and Princus and she laugh and clap
each other on the back. Gabrielle settles back down, a little embarrassed.
When the laughter has died away,
XENA: Before the sleepy one, the one who would let an army walk into our
camp, woke up, you told me that Antiphone sent you to find me. Is there
trouble in Castalia again?
PRINCUS: Nothing serious. She does want your valuable counsel about a
(he hesitates before finding the right words) possible difficulty.
XENA: Is he a tall blond or another dark-haired muscleman?
PRINCUS: Blond and a muscleman.
XENA: Then we had better go at once. Before she gives away the keys to
the kingdom.
PRINCUS: Well, actually.....
XENA (laughing): Oh, no. (to Gabrielle, who looks mystified) Queen
Antiphone can rule a whole kingdom, but she has a little trouble ruling
herself. Princus and I had better get to Castalia as quickly as we can.
GABRIELLE: No problem. I would love to meet Antiphone.
XENA: There isn't any reason for you to go all that way. We're going to
be riding fast and furious. If that nag of Princus's can keep up.
(Princus flips off the log, pulls his sword, and takes a swing at Xena.
She stops the blade as it touches her neck and turns it back toward him.
Her face shows no strain, but his does. She continues talking as if
nothing else is happening.) You know how much you hate fast riding. Why
don't you visit that village we passed a while back?
Gabrielle is wide-eyed, but tries to ignore the struggle as Princus drops
his sword and, using his left hand, pulls out a wicked-looking dagger.
With Xena still holding his other wrist, he raises the dagger.
GABRIELLE: You mean the village where we couldn't stop to shop? Even
though they had the prettiest little pieces of blue cloth? It would be fun
to spend some unhurried time in a market.
Xena effortlessly flips Princus over her head. He lands on his back on the
fire, completely covering it with his body. Xena is now holding the
dagger, which she casually uses to clean under a fingernail.
XENA: That's settled then. You go have some fun in your market, and
Princus and I will go solve Antiphone's latest problem. Let's meet back
here tomorrow night. (to Princus) Thanks for putting out the fire.
FADE OUT.
END OF TEASER
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"Simulacrum"
ACT ONE
FADE IN
3. EXT. VILLAGE MARKET--DAY
There are several outdoor stalls scattered around a village square. The
market is busy and noisy, with farmers carrying produce in big baskets, a
wagon loaded with casks being pulled by draft horses, villagers and
travelers shopping and bargaining, and tradesmen calling their wares. One
figure, a short, sturdy young man in peasant garb is carrying a large
basket of vegetables on his shoulder, as he weaves through the background
of the shot. His face is not shown clearly. The camera follows him until
he passes behind Gabrielle, who is strolling in the opposite direction. He
passes from view as the camera begins to follow Gabrielle. Gabrielle
carries her sack over her shoulder and her staff in her left hand.
She stops at a stand that displays various kinds of leather goods.
Gabrielle keeps her innocent demeanor as she looks at the various items,
picking each up, looking at it in a puzzled way, and then putting it back
down. She gains the attention of the leather merchant.
GABRIELLE: Do you carry whips?
MERCHANT: Ah, you are interested in our special merchandise.
He reaches under the counter and pulls out a cat-o-nine-tails. He places
this in front of Gabrielle. She shakes her head.
GABRIELLE: No, a whip. Plain, long. Black braided leather. It's a gift
for a friend. Well, more of a replacement really.
MERCHANT: I'm afraid not. I don't get much call for that kind of thing.
Gabrielle strolls on. Her attention is caught by a disturbance on the
other side of the square. She sees three ruffians attacking the young man
who was carrying the basket of vegetables. They are knocking him around,
stamping on the vegetables, and laughing at him. The young man makes no
attempt to defend himself. We still don't see his face.
Gabrielle, her staff at the ready, races across the square. Reaching the
fray, she yells at the ruffian who has just put the basket over the young
man's head. She drops her sack on the ground and prepares for a fight.
GABRIELLE: Stop it! Let that man alone!
FIRST RUFFIAN: Stay out of it, little girl.
He starts punching the young man through the basket, knocking him back and
forth.
Gabrielle, her temper flaring, swings her staff in a big arc and hits the
First Ruffian in the stomach. He goes to his knees.
SECOND RUFFIAN: Get her!
The Second Ruffian grabs at Gabrielle from behind, and she drives her staff
straight back. He falls, too, clutching himself.
THIRD RUFFIAN: You'll pay for that.
She turns to meet his charge, whirling her staff. He hesitates and then
starts to circle her. When Gabrielle's back is turned to the young man, he
reaches up and removes the basket from his head. However, his face stays
out of focus in the camera shot. The camera circles with Gabrielle,
showing the scene first from her viewpoint and then from her attacker's.
The ruffian finally lunges forward and goes low, trying to take Gabrielle's
feet out from under her. She crouches and places the end of the staff
between his feet. As he tries to recover, she tucks and rolls, and the
staff lifts his feet off the ground. His head hits the ground with a loud
thud.
The other two are back on their feet but don't appear to want any more
trouble with Gabrielle. One rubs his stomach, and the other is walking in
a tight crouch. Gabrielle stays between them and the young man. With her
staff, she gestures toward the Third Ruffian, who is out cold.
GABRIELLE: Take your friend and get out of here. Now.
FIRST RUFFIAN: You'll be sorry you stood up for that spawn of the witch.
GABRIELLE: I'll take my chances. Get!
She makes a threatening move toward them, and they grab the arms of their
fallen companion and roughly drag him out of the scene.
The young man has placed the basket on the ground, and he is bent over,
trying to salvage vegetables from those scattered and smashed on the
ground. Gabrielle bends to help him. CLOSE on Gabrielle as she turns
toward him. She gasps and seems about to faint. CLOSE on the young man's
face, which shows concern, but no recognition. TWO-SHOT of Gabrielle and
the young man.
GABRIELLE: Perdicus!
FADE OUT
4. EXT. FIELD--DAY
Aerial establishing shot of a large open field. The camera closes in on a
couple sitting on a large rock in the middle of the field. TWO-SHOT of
Gabrielle and the young man.
GABRIELLE: And you say your name is Shimon?
SHIMON (nodding. There is a naive innocence about him.): Yes. I'm sorry
I'm not your friend Perdicus.
GABRIELLE: You look so much like him that I still can't believe it.
SHIMON: Is that why you keep looking at me like that?
GABRIELLE: I don't mean to make you uncomfortable. I just don't
understand how two men could look so much alike.
SHIMON: That's why you should come with me to see my mother. If anyone
can explain it, she can. She's very wise.
GABRIELLE: Those men at the market, they said your mother was. (she
hesitates, not wanting to hurt Shimon's feelings.) They said....
SHIMON: They called her a witch. A lot of people do. Mother says it's
just a name for women who know more than other people. She says the
villagers sneak to her door fast enough when they need a cure or a charm.
Or when they want someone cursed.
GABRIELLE: Your mother curses people?
SHIMON: No, that's the one favor she won't grant. Mother says that if
they call her a witch, they should at least call her a good witch.
Shimon reaches beside the rock and picks two perfect blue wildflowers. He
hands them to Gabrielle, who smells them and looks at him questioningly.
SHIMON: These are gentians. Nobody plants them. They just appear
wherever they want and are beautiful. Like you.
GABRIELLE: Thank you. I have a friend whose eyes are the color of these
flowers. And she's as wild as they are. Her name is Xena.
SHIMON: It sounds like you have lots of friends. Xena. And Perdicus.
Gabrielle lowers her head and may be brushing away a tear.
GABRIELLE: Don't you have friends?
SHIMON: Just Mother. And now you maybe?
GABRIELLE: Me definitely.
(She places a hand on his shoulder and squeezes it.)
SHIMON (seeming very happy): You should come home with me now. You can
ask Mother your question about Perdicus. How I can look so much like him.
And Mother can thank you for saving me from those men in the village.
GABRIELLE: No one needs to thank me for that. They were just being mean.
But I think I would like to meet your mother.
Gabrielle picks up her sack and staff, from where they lean against the
rock. She jumps up and takes Shimon's hand. Together, they start walking
across the field. Shimon is picking up other flowers and handing them to
her as they start running and playing through the meadow grass.
FADE OUT
5. EXT. COTTAGE--DAY
An elderly woman, a crone, walks out the cottage door and looks down the
dusty track. She seems to be watching anxiously for someone, as she wipes
her hands repeatedly on a leather apron she wears. The apron looks more
like something a blacksmith would wear than what an old woman would wear in
her kitchen. The crone sees someone coming and looks happy and then
surprised. She steps forward to meet GABRIELLE and SHIMON as they enter
from her right.
SHIMON (running forward and pulling Gabrielle with him): Mother, look,
I've brought a friend. (He stops in front of his mother, still holding
Gabrielle's hand. He leans forward and gives his mother a kiss on the
cheek.) This is Gabrielle.
COLTRAI (trying to recover from her surprise): Gabrielle, did you say? (to
Gabrielle) What a pretty girl my son has found for a friend! I am
Coltrai. Welcome to my home.
GABRIELLE: I hope you don't mind my coming. Shimon really wanted me to
meet you.
SHIMON: Mother, Gabrielle saved me from those rough men in the village.
They ruined our vegetables, and they were beating me up, and....
Coltrai interrupts him and motions toward the door of the cottage.
COLTRAI: Save all that until our guest is seated inside. Dinner is almost
ready. (to Gabrielle) You could eat something couldn't you?
FADE OUT
6. INT. COTTAGE--EVENING
The inside of the cottage is a combination of kitchen and workshop or
laboratory. There is a square table in the center of the room with four
chairs. Around the three walls visible are a large stone fireplace with a
big kettle hanging in it, a large chest, workbenches, a couple of other
tables, boxes, all cluttered with mortars, pestles, pots, vessels of
various sizes and shapes, and small pots bubbling over fat candles.
At the fireplace, Coltrai is ladling bowls of thick stew from the kettle.
Gabrielle and Shimon are seated across from each other at the table, and
Shimon is excitedly telling his mother about his adventure in town.
SHIMON: and the biggest one, Mother, that one that is always trying to
trip me when I take our vegetables to the market, he put the basket over my
head, and all I could hear then was some yelling and fighting and. . . .
COLTRAI: Take a breath, son.
Coltrai sets two steaming bowls of stew in front of Gabrielle and Shimon.
She takes the third bowl herself and sits down between the two young
people. After Coltrai takes a spoonful, Gabrielle digs in and starts to
eat hungrily. She has a look of great satisfaction on her face as she
tastes the stew.
SHIMON: When I finally got the basket off my head, Gabrielle had two of
them down and soon made short work of the third. She did it all with that
big stick she carries. And she didn't really hurt any of them.
GABRIELLE: (looking up momentarily from her bowl) Not permanently anyway.
SHIMON: The mean men left, and then I thought Gabrielle was going to fall
down on the ground herself.
COLTRAI: Were you hurt, Gabrielle? I'm not mainly a healer, but I do know
some things.
GABRIELLE: No, I wasn't hurt. None of the men touched me.
Gabrielle has finished her stew, and she pushes the bowl away. Without
commenting, Coltrai refills the bowl and returns.
GABRIELLE: Thank you. I guess I did work up a bit of an appetite.
(She eats again.)
SHIMON: She was real surprised, Mother. She called me Perdicus.
COLTRAI: Perdicus?
SHIMON: She says he's a friend of hers. And that I look just like him.
Can you believe that, Mother? Me looking just like someone else?
COLTRAI: That would be hard to believe. That anyone anywhere could be as
handsome as my son. (She pats his hand.) (to Gabrielle) Does your friend
live near here?
Gabrielle pushes the remaining stew away. She seems to be looking into the
distance--or into the past.
SHIMON: Gabrielle, Mother asked if your friend. . . .
COLTRAI: Hush.
Gabrielle shakes herself and seems to return to the cottage kitchen.
GABRIELLE: It's okay. Perdicus was my husband.
COLTRAI: Was?
GABRIELLE: He was killed soon after we were married.
COLTRAI: I'm sorry. If my son really looks that much like your husband,
seeing him would have been quite a shock.
GABRIELLE: You have no idea how close the resemblance is. They even sound
alike except that. . . .
Gabrielle stops speaking. Coltrai turns to her son.
COLTRAI: Dear, the chickens have probably laid a few eggs while you were
gone. You're so much better at finding their hiding places than I am.
Would you go take a look? So we can offer our guest a good breakfast, too?
SHIMON: Gabrielle's staying? All right! I'll find lots of eggs. Two
each. No, three!
Shimon hurtles out the open door. Coltrai waits until he is out of
earshot.
COLTRAI: My son is slow, Gabrielle. That is the difference between him
and your husband.
GABRIELLE: I was actually going to say that he is younger than Perdicus.
COLTRAI: How old was your husband?
GABRIELLE: He was twenty-four when he died. Now he would be twenty-five.
COLTRAI: Shimon was born but a few months after your husband. He is slow,
Gabrielle, and perhaps a little sheltered. He's not a boy.
GABRIELLE: He is very kind and gentle. And he knows a lot about flowers
and nature.
COLTRAI: He's the light of my life, and I thank you for sparing him
further pain at the hands of those villagers. I will do anything within my
power to thank you for what you have done.
FADE OUT
7. INT. COTTAGE--DAY
It is the next morning. Gabrielle enters the cottage kitchen from a door
to the right. She is stretching and has obviously just gotten up. Her
hands are empty, her sack and staff nowhere in sight. As Gabrielle enters,
yawning, Coltrai, who is standing at one of the workbenches, looks up from
her work.
COLTRAI: Good morning, Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE: Good morning. I'm sorry I slept so late. My friend usually
wakes me.
COLTRAI: The warrior woman? Xena?
GABRIELLE: Yes. How did you know?
COLTRAI: Shimon must have told me. He must have repeated to me every word
you've said to him. Twice. Maybe three times. He's finishing his chores.
We'll eat as soon as he comes in.
GABRIELLE: Is there anything I can do to help?
Gabrielle walks up behind Coltrai, who shakes her head and turns back to
her work. Coltrai has a tall narrow vessel in one hand and has been
pouring a glowing liquid from it into a jar. She puts a cork stopper into
the jar and sets it aside. Gabrielle looks into the narrow vessel, which
still glows inside.
COLTRAI: The glowing is the same as that of fireflies and certain fish.
Not magical at all. But it makes people believe more in the potions and
medicines.
Shimon enters hurriedly. He grins when he sees Gabrielle. He hands her a
bouquet of wildflowers, blues, and pinks, and yellows. Impulsively,
Gabrielle hugs him and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek.
COLTRAI: Sit down, you two. Hold up your plates. These eggs and pork
strips are hot.
Gabrielle and Shimon sit down and hold out their plates. From the frying
pan she holds, Coltrai fills their plates with a colorful mixture of eggs,
pork, and vegetables. She fills a plate for herself and sits down.
GABRIELLE: This smells wonderful. If I stayed around here long, I would
have to let out these clothes.
SHIMON: Stay, Gabrielle. You can keep my bed in Mother's room, and I'll
stay in the animal shed like I did last night. I like to sleep out there.
The hay smells good, and the sounds the animals make are friendly.
Gabrielle can stay, can't she, Mother?
COLTRAI: Shimon, I hope Gabrielle will stay with us for a few days. Then
she'll want to get back to her friend.
SHIMON: But I want her to stay here and be my friend.
GABRIELLE: I am your friend, Shimon.
SHIMON: Then you'll stay here?
GABRIELLE: Just for today. Then I have to meet Xena.
Shimon stands up and stalks outside. Gabrielle gets up and starts to
follow him. Coltrai touches her arm to stop her. Gabrielle sits back
down.
COLTRAI: He's lonely. I've known it for a long time. Maybe he didn't
know it until just now.
GABRIELLE: I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have come here. And I shouldn't
have kissed him. It's just that he gave me those flowers and then looked
so much like Perdicus standing there. For a moment, I let myself believe
that's who he was.
Coltrai seems to make a decision.
COLTRAI: Remember when I told you that I would do anything within my power
to pay you back for saving my son? Now may be the time, but I'm not sure
if what I have to give you is a boon or a curse.
GABRIELLE: Shimon already told me you don't do curses.
COLTRAI: Don't be too sure.
Gabrielle and Coltrai look toward the doorway as shouts and fighting can be
heard outside. They hear Shimon cry out, and both women leap up and run
toward the door.
8. EXT. COTTAGE--DAY
Gabrielle and Coltrai exit the cottage. Outside are eight roughly-dressed
men on horses. Three of the men are the ruffians Gabrielle had thrashed in
the village. The other five are an even bigger rougher lot and look more
like bandits or mercenaries than villagers. The biggest and meanest is
holding an unconscious Shimon draped over his saddle in front of him.
Gabrielle starts forward, then looks down at both empty hands as if
realizing that her staff is still somewhere inside the cottage.
FIRST RUFFIAN: There they are. There's the witch and the fool's
girlfriend.
BANDIT LEADER: Listen, witch. We know you've been making gold. We're
taking your son. You want him back, you give us the gold. (to First
Ruffian) Tell her where.
FIRST RUFFIAN: Bring the gold to the old shepherds'' camp. The one on the
bald mountain. Lots of gold.
BANDIT LEADER: You know where he means?
COLTRAI: I know. Don't hurt my boy.
BANDIT LEADER: Up to you. Be there before the sun goes down.
He whirls his horse and thunders out of the cottage yard, followed by all
the others except for the First Ruffian. He grins down at Gabrielle.
FIRST RUFFIAN: Let me know when you're tired of the fool.
GABRIELLE: I'm already tired of you.
He whips his horse and races after the rest of the scum.
FADE OUT
END OF ACT ONE
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"Simulacrum"
ACT TWO
FADE IN
9. EXT. COTTAGE--DAY
Gabrielle and Coltrai are standing outside Coltrai's cottage. Gabrielle
has her bag on her shoulder and is holding her staff. Coltrai is leading a
donkey that is loaded with several packs. Coltrai carries a gnarled
walking stick.
GABRIELLE: Perhaps I should go with you. Together, we could. . . .
COLTRAI: (interrupts Gabrielle) If those packs really contained gold,
there would be no problem. Or, if we were only up against men like the
ones you beat up in the village, we could handle this alone. But we don't
stand a chance of saving Shimon if we try to fight those others by
ourselves.
GABRIELLE: I don't even know if Xena will be back at the campsite when I
get there. Or if we can get to that bald mountain in time.
COLTRAI: Your friend will be there when you need her. I know this. And
I've packed up a few tricks to delay things until you get there. (kissing
Gabrielle on the cheek as Gabrielle had kissed Shimon) Bless me and
forgive me, girl.
GABRIELLE: I'll bless you, if that's in my power. But forgive you? For
what?
COLTRAI: You'll know too soon. Goodbye.
Leading the donkey, Coltrai sets off in the direction the bandits took
earlier. Gabrielle watches after her for a moment, then sets off at a
rapid pace in the direction from which she and Shimon had come the day
before.
10. EXT. FOREST CAMPSITE--DAY
Gabrielle comes into the clearing where she and Xena had camped two nights
before. She flops onto the log where Xena and Princus had sat. She is
clearly exhausted and dejected. Her shoulders sag, and she buries her face
in her hands.
XENA: Gabrielle? Are you all right?
Gabrielle looks up, hope and joy lighting her face.
GABRIELLE: Xena!
XENA: (holding a water skin to Gabrielle's lips) Here. Drink this.
Gabrielle drinks, tries to talk, and splutters.
XENA: Drink first. Then talk. Not at the same time.
Gabrielle takes a few swallows, then pushes the water skin away. Her words
rush out, tumbling over each other.
GABRIELLE: We have to go help Shimon and Coltrai. The bandits have
Shimon, and they'll kill him if Coltrai doesn't give them the gold she
made. Only Coltrai doesn't know how to make gold. So Shimon is going to
die if we don't get to the bald mountain before Coltrai runs out of tricks
and has to give them the donkey.
Xena looks at her for a long moment.
XENA: Okay.
GABRIELLE: Aren't you going to ask any questions?
XENA: I think you about covered the situation.
Gabrielle looks around and back at Xena.
GABRIELLE: Where's Argo?
XENA: That's another long story. We had better save our breath for the
run.
11. EXT. MOUNTAINSIDE--DAY
Aerial establishing shot of "bald" mountain. Close in for shot of Xena and
Gabrielle as they near the mountain. TWO SHOT of Xena and Gabrielle in a
copse of trees at the base of the mountain.
There's a terrible cry from above. Xena and Gabrielle look up. Flying
from the mountain is a huge creature that looks like a bird with scales.
>From its talons dangles a struggling man. With a puff of smoke, the bird
disappears, and the man falls. He screams all the way to the ground.
Xena and Gabrielle exchange a look.
COLTRAI: (a hoarse whisper) Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE: Coltrai? Where are you?
COLTRAI: (a little louder) Over here.
Xena points, and they walk to a bush at the base of one of the trees.
Coltrai is lying there, and she appears to be very weak. Gabrielle kneels
beside her and holds her head in her lap.
COLTRAI: (a weak whisper) Thank the gods you've come. I've used up all
my tricks. I've nothing left.
GABRIELLE: Was that flying reptile yours? With magic like that, why do
you need us?
COLTRAI: I could get that man because he was too stupid to stay close to
Shimon. I got one of the other village bullies, too.
GABRIELLE: He fell from the sky, too?
COLTRAI: No, his death was by fire.
GABRIELLE: I don't think you should be talking.
COLTRAI: You found your friend. I told you she would be there when you
needed her.
XENA: Gabrielle told me the problem. I think we should give them what
they want.
COLTRAI: No gold.
The donkey brays, and the camera shows him standing in the copse, still
laden with two large bundles.
XENA: They don't know that.
GABRIELLE: What are we going to do?
XENA: You'll lead the donkey up the mountain. Stop before you get to the
camp. I'll take care of the rest.
COLTRAI: (attempts to sit up) I'll lead the donkey. Mustn't endanger
Gabrielle.
GABRIELLE: You're too weak. I'm not in any danger. Xena's here.
12. EXT. MOUNTAINSIDE--SUNSET
Shot of the bandit's camp. Shimon is conscious, but bound and gagged in
the center of the camp. Five bandits and one ruffian are sitting around
him as if he were a campfire. The ruffian stands up and points down the
mountainside.
FIRST RUFFIAN: She's coming. It's the girl. She's leading a donkey
that's loaded down with gold.
BANDIT LEADER: Sit down unless you want to see what it's like to fly.
The ruffian sits down abruptly and scoots closer to Shimon.
Gabrielle is climbing up the steep mountainside leading the donkey. The
donkey balks and she turns around and pulls on him with all her might. He
doesn't budge. She walks around him and pushes on his rump with her hands.
He doesn't budge. She turns around and places her back against his rear
end. She leans against him, pushing as hard as she can. He doesn't budge.
She walks around to the front and tries again to lead him. He still
doesn't move.
At their camp, the men are watching all this with great interest. Several
times, the ruffian starts down the mountain. Then he looks at the sky and
runs back up to crouch near Shimon. Finally, the Bandit Leader stands up.
BANDIT LEADER: If the gold won't come to us, we'll go to the gold. Get
the horses.
Two of the bandits bring the horses to where Shimon is lying. All the men
except one mount. That man lifts Shimon onto the saddle in front of the
leader. Then that man mounts, too, and they gallop and slide down the
mountainside toward Gabrielle. As they pass a large boulder, there is a
whistle of the chakram, and two bandits hit the dirt. CLOSE as Xena,
standing behind the boulder, catches the chakram and leaps, tucks, and
lands on a rock outcropping far down the mountainside. Xena is ahead of
the last bandit, and she already has her whip out. As he passes her, she
cracks it. He clutches at the whip around his throat and falls backward
off the horse. She grins and then, giving her battle cry, flips off the
rocks to land beside Gabrielle. We can now see that the donkey is tied to
a rock by another rope. The rock anchors the beast to that spot.
The three remaining men reach the donkey right after Xena. The bandit
leader lets Shimon fall to the ground. Shimon's head hits the hard ground
with a sickening crack. The leader and the other bandit leap off their
horses, draw swords, and charge her. The ruffian slides off his horse and,
knife in hand, leans over Shimon. Gabrielle swings her staff and knocks
him down. Xena and the two bandits are fighting on the steep, rocky
ground. They have the uphill advantage and are pressing her hard. She
fights back and gets them to back up the hill, past Shimon and the ruffian.
Gabrielle bends over Shimon. Xena ducks as the bandit lunges, and she
raises up to throw him down the mountainside. The bandit leader turns and
tries to run up the mountain, but he loses his footing and slides into
Xena's legs. She puts up her sword, and he is impaled on it. However, she
cannot stop her own slide.
Xena falls toward where Gabrielle kneels, and Shimon and the ruffian lie.
The ruffian's body stops her. As she gets to hands and knees, her stomach
over his body, the ruffian thrusts up with his knife. Gabrielle, still
kneeling, strikes out with her staff and strikes the ruffian on the head.
Gabrielle crawls toward Xena. Xena looks at her with a surprised
expression. Just as Gabrielle touches her friend's face, Xena collapses,
her body across the unconscious ruffian.
Gabrielle cradles Xena in her arms and lets out a wailing cry.
GABRIELLE: XENA!!!
The camera pans away in an aerial shot as Gabrielle's cry echoes through
the mountains.
END OF ACT TWO
---------------------------------------------
"Simulacrum"
ACT THREE
FADE IN
13. INT. COTTAGE--NIGHT
Shimon, his face battered and bandaged, sits at the kitchen table.
Gabrielle is sitting across from him. He stares at her intently, but
Gabrielle is looking off into space. Coltrai holds a cup in front of
Gabrielle and, when she doesn't take it, lifts Gabrielle's right hand and
presses the cup into it.
COLTRAI: Drink. I need to talk. And you need to be able to listen.
Gabrielle takes a sip, then seems to forget she holds the cup.
SHIMON: Drink, Gabrielle. Mother's tea will help you feel better.
Gabrielle looks at him as if surprised that he is there. She looks at the
cup and then quickly gulps down the tea. She makes a face as if the tea is
bitter. Coltrai takes the cup from Gabrielle's hand and places it on the
table. She stands with her hand on Gabrielle's shoulder.
COLTRAI: What happened today is not what you think.
GABRIELLE: (nodding toward the door on the right) Is there a body lying
on your bed?
COLTRAI: Yes.
GABRIELLE: Is it the body of my best friend?
Coltrai doesn't answer.
GABRIELLE: Then I think what happened is pretty much what I think. My
best friend is gone, and she's not coming back this time.
SHIMON: Don't cry again, Gabrielle. I'll be your best friend. I won't go
away.
GABRIELLE: (to Shimon) Thank you. (to Coltrai) She said that, too. She
promised to never go away again, to never die.
COLTRAI: I need to show you something. It's in the other room.
GABRIELLE: I'll go in later. Alone. Not now. Not with you.
COLTRAI: Not that room. The other one.
Gabrielle looks at Coltrai and then around the cottage.
GABRIELLE: What other room?
Coltrai walks over to a large chest that stands against the wall beyond the
table. She pulls the chest, and it moves away from the wall. Behind it is
a low door. She pushes the door open.
COLTRAI: Come.
Gabrielle gets up and follows Coltrai through the door. Even these small
women have to duck to get through it. Before disappearing inside the room,
Gabrielle looks back at Shimon. He smiles.
SHIMON: I don't go into that room. It's the magic room, where I was born.
14. INT. COTTAGE--NIGHT
Gabrielle and Coltrai are in a small room lit by torches on the walls. A
table piled with scrolls takes up the whole center space. On the walls are
cabalistic designs and ornaments. In the middle of the table, there is one
spot clear of scrolls. In this spot rests a large crystal that glows with
its own light. Gabrielle looks at it with wonder. Coltrai motions for
Gabrielle to sit in one of the two chairs at the table. Gabrielle sits,
and Coltrai takes the other chair.
COLTRAI: Have you ever heard of the Crystal of Annius?
Gabrielle stares at the crystal. She shakes her head.
COLTRAI: Then I'm going to tell you the story.
GABRIELLE: (some hope entering her eyes and voice) Can this crystal help
Xena?
COLTRAI: Let me tell the story first. Then I'll answer that question. If
you still need to ask it.
Gabrielle nods.
COLTRAI: I grew up in that same village you passed through yesterday, the
one where my son is now treated so roughly. Although you would not know it
now, I was a very pretty girl. And I was smart. My parents did not have
much money, but I didn't see why, being pretty and smart, I should not have
everything I wanted.
GABRIELLE: (faintly) What did you want?
COLTRAI: That's just it. I wanted everything. A handsome, rich husband;
beautiful, clever children; the best home in the village; a party every
day. That's what I wanted, and that's what I set out to get. Everything.
GABRIELLE: No one can get everything they want.
COLTRAI: Oh, but they can. I did. What I couldn't do was keep it. A
sickness came through the village. My husband was the first in my family
to die from it. Then each of my children sickened and died. The eldest
boy, the child of my heart, went last. I had already read a little about
healing and had collected medicines for most ailments. I used everything I
had to treat my boy. I kept him alive long after all of the other village
children had died. In trying to hold on to him, I gave him an agonizing
death.
GABRIELLE: Any mother would have tried to save her son.
COLTRAI: Perhaps. But what I did next convinced the other villagers that
I was crazy and started the rumors that I was a witch.
GABRIELLE: You are a witch.
COLTRAI: Yes, but I was not one then. (she pauses) For eight days, I
would not let anyone take my son from the house, as I poured over every
scroll about healing that I had collected. When I thought that I had found
a new medicine or healing phrase, I used it on his poor dead body.
Finally, the stench was unbearable even for me, and, when I stepped outside
the house, the sickness's survivors grabbed me and held me while they
burned my house to the ground. And my son's body with it.
GABRIELLE: What did you do then?
COLTRAI: I knew then that I didn't need everything to be happy. I needed
only one thing.
GABRIELLE: Your son.
COLTRAI: Yes, I needed my son. I knew that writings about healing did not
contain the type of knowledge or power that would give me back my son. So
I turned to magic. I searched through all manner of magical spells,
finally turning to the darkest kind.
GABRIELLE: Did you find what you were looking for?
COLTRAI: I thought so. I found a spell and mixture that would allow me to
recreate a human being. I taught myself the words, the tones, the proper
rhythms and inflections. And I gathered all the needed ingredients. But
there was one thing I still needed. And I couldn't get it on my own.
GABRIELLE: On your own?
COLTRAI: Yes, that's the key.
GABRIELLE: Was it this crystal?
Coltrai nods. She and Gabrielle stare at the glowing stone. As they
watch, scenes from Gabrielle's and Xena's lives appear in the stone. Like
a silent movie, these scenes continue throughout the conversation between
Coltrai and Gabrielle.
COLTRAI: Wanting, if you want hard enough, can even draw the attention of
a god.
GABRIELLE: Which god?
COLTRAI: I think you know.
GABRIELLE: He gave you the stone?
COLTRAI: Yes, the stone had been taken out of mortal hands centuries ago.
It had been used, it is said, as a decoration in a god's throne. But, as a
result of a bargain I made, it was placed in my hands.
GABRIELLE: Wasn't it missed?
COLTRAI: The gods have many treasures. We mortals have so few, and fewer
yet that matter.
GABRIELLE: You mentioned a bargain.
COLTRAI: My job was to separate two people Destiny meant to be together.
If I did that, I could keep the Crystal of Annius and use it for my own
purpose.
GABRIELLE: What did you do?
COLTRAI: With this crystal, I could make a duplicate of any person who
walked the earth. All I had to do was call up their image in the stone,
say the words I learned and burn a mixture specific to the qualities the
duplicate should have. To accomplish the purpose of a god, I made a
duplicate of a farmer named Perdicus. But I made him bolder, smarter, and
more tender than ever the original was.
GABRIELLE: Perdicus? You're talking about Shimon? He's the duplicate you
made?
COLTRAI: He's the second. The first duplicate was your husband. The one
Callisto killed.
GABRIELLE: But if the man I loved was a duplicate, where is the Perdicus
who was my childhood friend?
COLTRAI: Killed. Fell off a ship bound for Troy. Or pushed. Just as
well. That boy would never have made a soldier. The one placed on board to
take his place was much better designed for the role.
GABRIELLE: You're saying that the real Perdicus was dead before Xena and I
ever went to Troy? And that the man I knew at Troy and later married, was
some sort of duplicate?
The scenes in the stone now are of Perdicus and Gabrielle at Troy.
COLTRAI: Yes.
GABRIELLE: And the purpose was to separate me from Xena. So she would go
back to her old ways.
COLTRAI: Yes.
GABRIELLE: And I fell right into the trap.
COLTRAI: The plan would have worked if not for Callisto. Without you,
would Xena have been able to resist the power of her own darkness? Or
would she have gone back to her old ways? We'll never know, because
Callisto, by killing your husband, sent you back to Xena, and your lives
returned to their fated courses.
The crystal plays back the death of Perdicus at Callisto's hands.
GABRIELLE: Why didn't you remake your own son, Coltrai? Why did you make
Shimon in Perdicus's image?
COLTRAI: Because the stone can only duplicate what it knows. That must
come from memory or from an image of a living person somewhere in the
world. By the time I had everything I needed to recreate my son, I no
longer remembered him well enough to do so. All I could produce were
monsters. None lived longer than a few hours. The stone already knew
Perdicus, so I decided to use him. However, in trying to make my new son
as sweet and good as the old one I remembered, I got the mixture wrong, and
that's why Shimon is slow.
GABRIELLE: If I asked you to, could you remake Xena?
COLTRAI: There is no need. The one who lies beyond that wall....
GABRIELLE: (interrupting Coltrai and finishing for her) ....is not Xena.
They both are looking into the crystal. Xena rides Argo into the clearing
where she and Gabrielle had their last camp. The image is expanded to fill
the screen. Xena looks around and mouths Gabrielle's name. Still holding
Argo's reins, she sits down and appears to wait. The image is reduced so
that it again is inside the stone.
COLTRAI: When did you know?
GABRIELLE: Just now, for sure. But some things bothered me before.
COLTRAI: What? After you left to find Xena, I came back here and made the
duplicate. I used one of the images the stone had stored when someone else
was the watcher. I've only duplicated human beings, so I did not attempt
the horse. Did I get a detail wrong?
GABRIELLE: Earlier, you called Xena a woman warrior and said Shimon had
told you that. I knew I hadn't told him. Then with the duplicate, there
were two things wrong. You gave her a weapon Xena no longer has. And you
didn't given her enough of Xena's fighting skills.
They sit quietly for a moment.
GABRIELLE: And that last mistake cost the copy her life.
FADE OUT
15. EXT. CAMPSITE IN THE FOREST--DAWN
Gabrielle creeps past Argo, who is grazing at the edge of the clearing.
GABRIELLE: (whispering and patting Argo on the nose) Sh, girl. Be quiet.
Gabrielle tip-toes toward the form lying covered by the fire. She
hesitates as she studies it.
GABRIELLE: (loudly) Oh, no, Xena, I'm not falling for that one. I know
you aren't in those blankets. Come on out.
The blankets stir, and a sleepy face appears. Xena sits up and rubs her
eyes. She looks at Gabrielle and frowns.
XENA: It's bad enough you're this late. Do you have to come roaring in
here at dawn like you're trying to raise the dead?
GABRIELLE: As a matter of fact, I do.
Gabrielle throws herself down beside Xena and, with a grin, gives her a big
smack on the forehead. Xena rubs the spot as if disgusted, but she smiles.
Gabrielle snuggles against Xena's shoulder as the scene
FADES OUT.
THE END