ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

INT. TOWN HALL - DAY

Escobar stands in front of Xena's judging throne, holding a scroll. He unrolls it, but it is lacking a scroll holder on either end, so it rolls back. He unrolls it, it rolls back.

ESCOBAR

The first case....

He unrolls the scroll. It rolls back.

ESCOBAR

(cont’d)

The first case today will be....

He unrolls the scroll, it rolls back. Xena looks around the room, apparently searching for something. Gabrielle digs in the pouch at her side, also looking.

GABRIELLE

Darn it, I thought I had....

The cloaked men fire their crossbows. Xena stands and catches them both out of mid air without twitching an eyebrow. She continues down the steps and grabs the scroll from Escobar.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Oh yeah, those'll work.

Xena ties the scroll to the arrows, and hands it back to Escobar. She turns and goes back to her throne and sits down, arranging her skirts with a sharp motion.

Escobar stares at the arrows, then at Xena. Behind the platform, the two cloaked men crane their necks to see what happened. They look at each other in bewilderment.

ESCOBAR

T... thank you, your Majesty.

The cloaked men put down their crossbows, and huddle together, whispering.

XENA

Get reading.

ESCOBAR

Of course. Ahem. The first case

today will be Jason the herdsman,

who is charging Koch the miller of

cutting down trees in his pasture

and killing two sheep.

A man in the front stands up. He is very well dressed. Another man tries to push through from the back, but he is stopped at the rail.

Xena points at the first man. He was one of the men who tried to bribe her.

XENA

Who are you?

MAN

I am Koch. I am innocent, your

majesty. This is what happened,

I was just passing through that

miserable bastard's meadow, and

I ruined a good pair of boots doing

it! Those sheep! They stink! But....

XENA

(loudly)

Shut up!

She points at the second man.

XENA
(cont’d)

Who are you?

GABRIELLE

(whispering)

Ten dinars it's Jason.

MAN

I am Jason, your majesty!

Jason stops speaking and waits. Xena smiles at him. She motions him forward.

XENA

Let him up here.

Grudgingly, the guard lets Jason enter. He walks up to the platform. His boots are covered with what you would expect a shepherd’s boots to be covered with, and he smells like someone who spends a lot of time among sheep.

GABRIELLE

Ah.

XENA

(behind her hand)

Homesick?

Gabrielle just gives her a look.

XENA

(cont’d)

(to Jason)

Tell me what happened.

KOCH

But your majesty!

I wasn't finished!

Xena glares at him.

JASON

It was cold. I had my herd on

one side of the meadow near

the trees, out of the wind.

Xena nods.

KOCH

That's a lie!

XENA

(pointing at Koch)

Shut up or I'll rip your tongue out.

Everyone stares at Xena. Gabrielle scratches the bridge of her nose.

GABRIELLE

(clearing throat)

She's not as kind and

gentle as she looks.

Xena was about to speak. She stops and gives Gabrielle a look.

XENA

Go on.

JASON

The miller started to cut the

trees down, I told him to wait,

but he refused. He cut down a

tree, and it fell on my herd.

Two sheep were killed.

Jason points at Koch.

JASON
(cont’d)

He laughed.

KOCH

Lies! Who can believe

a shepherd!

GABRIELLE

How much were

the sheep worth?

JASON

(encouraged)

Fifty dinar apiece.

KOCH

Lies! I was no where

near that meadow!

XENA

(pointing at Koch)

Thought you said you were.

Thought you ruined your boots.

Caught by his own words, Koch sits down fuming. Xena and Gabrielle lean together briefly and whisper.

XENA

(cont’d)

Probably didn't kill the

damn sheep on purpose.

GABRIELLE

And sheep aren't

worth fifty dinars.

Xena considers. Behind her, the two cloaked figures reappear, this time holding poison darts.

XENA

All right. You....

She points at Koch again.

XENA

(cont’d)

... were responsible for taking

away part of this man's herd.

KOCH

But…!!

XENA

QUIET!

GABRIELLE

(pointing at Jason)

And unless your sheep have

golden fleeces, I think fifty

dinars is a little much.

The shepherd grins, and shrugs.

JASON

Didn't think I'd get a hearing.

Thought I'd try anyhow.

XENA

(pointing to Koch)

Here's what you're gonna do.

You're gonna give him

firewood all winter. Got me?

Jason looks surprised, thinks, then nods. Koch opens his mouth to yell, then stops, thinks, and also nods.

XENA

(cont’d)

Out! Next!

Escobar goes to his scroll. The crowd starts to chatter. The cloaked figures crawl forward, and raise their blowpipes.

FADE TO:

INT. TOWN HALL - DAY - BEHIND THE THRONE PLATFORM

We see a view from the cloaked figures POV. We can see Xena's shoulders and head, and the back of Gabrielle's arm. One of the cloaked figures lowers his hand.

SHADOW 1

Got a good angle?

SHADOW 2

On the big one, yeah.

Not the other one.

SHADOW 1

She's too short!

FADE TO:

INT. TOWN HALL - DAY - JUDGING PLATFORM

Gabrielle looks at Xena.

GABRIELLE

Did you just make a short joke?

Xena frowns.

XENA

Me? No!

(looking at Escobar)

Well?

Escobar has several small pieces of parchment he is juggling.

ESCOBAR

A moment, Majesty. This

case is very complex, and

I have many notes...

Escobar drops the notes. He kneels down to pick them up. Xena starts to twitch. Gabrielle notices. She pats Xena’s hand and gets up, walking over to an ornate piece of carved wood sticking up on one side of the platform.

ESCOBAR

(cont’d)

If I can just get these

arranged we can begin.

FADE TO:

INT. TOWN HALL - DAY - BEHIND THE THRONE PLATFORM

The cloaked figures get ready.

SHADOW 1

That's better. Got her now.

SHADOW 2

I got the big one. Ready?

One...  Two....

SHADOW 1

Wait. Let's use two each.

Make really sure.

They load the blowpipes with two darts, then inhale and put the pipes to their mouths, aiming right at Xena and Gabrielle.

FADE TO:

INT. TOWN HALL DAY - JUDGING PLATFORM

Gabrielle thumps the board with one hand and it comes free. She picks it up and examines it, then turns to Xena.

GABRIELLE

Got any nails?

Xena studied her hands, then extends them.

XENA

Only these.

Gabrielle walks back over with the board anyway. Xena gets up as she arrives, and reaches her hand out for the board.

XENA

(cont’d)

Escobar, get up here.

Escobar hurries to join them, but trips as he gets to the platform, scattering the bits of parchment everywhere. Gabrielle tosses the board to Xena as she kneels to help pick them up.

As the board passes between them, Xena steps forward in front of it and the four darts embed themselves in the wood with a series of tiny 'thwoks'. Xena grabs it and keeps moving, handing the board to Gabrielle as she straightens up.

GABRIELLE

Oh... hey, thanks.

Great idea.

Gabrielle pins the notes to the board with the darts, then hands it over to Escobar. Gabrielle dusts her hands off and stands up. She and Xena walk back and sit down. Escobar holds the board up and starts to read.

FADE TO:

INT. TOWN HALL -DAY - BEHIND THE THRONE PLATFORM

The two cloaked figures look at each other in consternation.

SHADOW 1

All right. Now I'm really mad.

SHADOW 2

Yeah! We gotta get nasty now.

The two crawl off.

CUT TO:

INT. INN BANQUET HALL - DAY - LATER

The room has been set up to serve a lavish lunch. Well dressed townspeople are standing around, all speaking with animated gestures. It is obvious they are not entirely happy.

Xena and Gabrielle enter. The room goes silent. Everyone glares at them. Xena and Gabrielle stroll across the room, pretty much oblivious to the murderous looks.

GABRIELLE

I think we did pretty good,

don't you? Five down, and

how many to go?

Xena appears pleased.

XENA

Yeah. That one guy with five

people accusing him of cheating

them pissed me off though.

GABRIELLE

I think he got that point after you

told him to let them each go into

his store for a quarter candlemark

and take whatever they wanted.

Xena chuckles.

XENA

I thought that was pretty lenient.

They both step over a rope stretched across the floor. As they continue walking, a trap is sprung and the rope turns into a lasso that rapidly contracts around their legs.

Xena and Gabrielle step out of the closing loop just as it reaches them and continue up a low step to a table set for them. They take seats on the two big chairs. The rope collapses together and flies up in to the air, slamming into a set of three pitchforks lashed together overhead.

GABRIELLE

I think the tough cases are

after lunch. That's when

Maltos' problem comes up.

They are seated at a square table. There are four other chairs present. Reluctantly, Maltos, Escobar, and two others climb up to join them and sit down. They all appear nervous.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

So, how are we doing so far?

All four stare at her.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Thanks. We thought so too.

Servers enter with trays. One holds a tray with two sets of dishes, obviously meant for Xena and Gabrielle.  The other tray has dishes for the rest of the table. The two servers approach and we realize it is the shadowy cloaked figures now dressed in frilly shirts and knickers.

XENA

(to the table)

Careful what you

ask for next time.

The servers start to set the bowls down, but they are interrupted by the door opening. A poorly dressed man in rags and bare feet rushes in and heads for the head table.

ESCOBAR

Guards! Guard!

Men run to intercept the man, but he evades them and throws himself down at Xena's feet. Xena leans over the table to look at him.

XENA

Get up.

The man rises on his knees.

MAN

Your majesty, please!

I need your help!

The room stirs nervously.

ESCOBAR

Your Majesty, this man

should not be allowed....

GABRIELLE

Good reason for us

to hear him. Go on!

Gabrielle gets up and turns to the servers, smiling at them as she takes the bowls from the trays and puts them down, setting the two meant for her and Xena in front of Malcos and Escobar. She puts down her and Xena's bowls, then sits back down.

GABRIELLE

(cont’d)

Sorry. It's been a long

time since breakfast.

The two servers look at each other in despair.

MAN

You seem to want to hear the

truth. I will tell you the truth about

what FAKES THESE MEN ARE!

The man points at the table. Everyone freezes in shock. Xena takes a spoonful of soup and slurps it in all that silence.

XENA

No sheep dung, Cicero.

(pausing)

G'wan. Tell us more.

The man smiles. Malcos holds out his bowl of soup.

MALCOS

Here, good man. Have some.

You look like you could use it.

The man takes the bowl, and starts to drink.

FADE TO:

INT. BANQUET HALL - DAY - MOMENTS LATER

The man stops in mid sip.

MAN

Ew. Lentils.

He puts the bowl down on the ground.

MAN

(cont’d)

They give me hives. Now

your majesty, let me

begin my story.

The man removes a tattered scroll from his back pocket, and unrolls it. It is covered with tiny writing, front and back, and even sideways in the margins.

MAN

(cont’d)

I have all the injustices suffered

for a decade.  I have heard that

you are a just woman, and I

am sure you will fix them all!

Xena is caught drinking from the edge of her soup bowl as everyone's head swivels to stare at her. She raises an eyebrow, and spits a bit of root back into the bowl before she sets it down.

XENA

How many are we

talking about here?

MAN

(counting silently)

Four hundred and twelve.

Everyone gasps.

XENA

Gonna be tough to do in

one day. Better read fast.

MALCOS

No! I mean....  We cannot

allow this! It will ruin us!

XENA

With any luck.