"Armageddon"

Teaser

Jim Byrnes, voiceover: "Previously on Highlander"

Scenes from "Archangel" [Which are a truncated version of the scenes shown last week. --Jinjifore]

Jason Landry and Foster enter the cave, looking up at the statue.

Landry: "Are you afraid, Foster? We should all be afraid."

Allison, talking to Duncan MacLeod: "He believed the Zoroastrian myths of ancient Persia held the truth about a cycle of evil that comes to the earth every thousand years."

Landry, reading over the inscription in the cave: "Ah-ri-man." Cut to the statue zapping Foster, and Landry being killed beside the barge.

Richie, on the phone to Duncan: "Look, I saw him. He's got Joe."

At the racetrack, Duncan confronts the other demons.

Kronos: "I existed before time began."

Horton: "I am Set."

Richie: "I am Ahriman." Cut to a shot of Richie's eyes glowing red.

The demons circle around Duncan, and fights against them. He turns and sees Richie standing there. He swings, taking Richie's head, and Richie's body falls over.

Scenes from "Avatar"

Jim Byrnes, voiceover as Duncan picks up the knife and begins cutting his hair: "Devastated by Richie's death, MacLeod went into seclusion on holy ground for a year. To grieve, to heal, and to prepare for the battle with darkness he knew he would have to face."

At the graveyard, Duncan is saying: "It wasn't an accident, Joe. Richie was murdered."

Joe: "Don't you think I want to believe you?"

Then cut to Horton, saying: "All alone and no one to believe you." Duncan turns to face him. "Why don't you just go back to that little monastery you've been hiding away in?" Sophie walks to the bridge, a rose in her hand. "I wonder what it would take to make you leave?"

Duncan turns as Sophie falls in the water, then cut to her shaking his hand.

Sophie: "I'm Sophie Baines. Thank you for saving my life."

Joe, speaking to Duncan later: "They found Sophie Baines in the river. She's dead."

On the street outside Sophie's house, Andrew attacks Duncan.

Sophie: "Andrew! Andrew, stop it!" Duncan gets Andrew down, but Sophie holds his arm before he can hit him. "Please, don't hurt him! He's my brother. He was just trying to protect me."

At the barge, Horton is trying to tempt Duncan.

Horton: "Think about it, MacLeod. I brought Sophie back from the dead. I can bring anyone back."

Duncan, shaking his head: "No. It won't work. You can't tempt me."

Horton: "Just say the word. Say 'yes.'"

Duncan: "NO!"

Sophie, talking to Horton in the park: "But I don't understand. What do you want from me? I'm nobody."

Horton: "You're perfect."

Sophie, to Duncan as they stand on the bridge: "He wants me to kill you. He offered me my life."

Duncan: "How do I defeat him?"

Sophie: "I don't know. Every champion has to find his own way."

Duncan: "Sophie, I need to know more. I need to know how."

Duncan falls as Andrew shoots him in the back. Andrew raises a sword over him, but Sophie climbs up to the rail.

Sophie: "Andrew! He said I would do anything because I loved you. He was right." She jumps off, while Duncan and Andrew stare in horror.

Andrew: "Nooo!!!"

Back at the graveyard, from the first of the episode.

Duncan: "This thing is evil, Joe. I'm going to find it, and I'm going to destroy it."

Just outside the bounds of the church graveyard, Father Robert Beaufort is standing by a new grave, watching a gardener put the last spadefuls of dirt on it.

Gardener, stopping: "It's done."

Father Beaufort: "Thank you."

The gardener leaves, and Father Beaufort stands for moment. He makes the sign of the cross over the grave, then kneels beside it, reaching out to touch the earth with one hand. He folds his hands under his chin, bowing his head. Behind him, Duncan MacLeod walks up. This is as good a time as any to mention Duncan's outfit. Through this whole episode, he's wearing a loose white tunic and trousers, much like a karate outfit but with no belt.

Father Beaufort: "Good-bye, Jackie."

Duncan: "Father Beaufort."

Father Beaufort looks up: "Duncan!" He rises up quickly and walks toward him.

Duncan: "Good to see you. It's been too long."

Father Beaufort: "Since we lost Darius. I miss those arguments."

Duncan: "I looked for you at the church. They told me about your brother."

Father Beaufort, looking back at the grave: "I had to bury him here." He turns back. When he speaks again, his voice is a little bitter. "They don't allow suicides on hallowed ground." He turns and walks off, Duncan joining him.

Duncan: "I'm sorry."

Father Beaufort: "Jackie couldn't find peace." He turns and looks at the grave again. "Not even in death."

Duncan: "I just came to pay my respects. I had a few questions, but . . ." He shrugs a little. "It can wait."

Father Beaufort grips his arm briefly: "God bless you, Duncan." He walks off.

Duncan: "And you, Father Beaufort."

Father Beaufort: "Thank you."

Duncan pauses a moment, then walks off in the other direction. As he's leaving the grounds, he passes a groundskeeper. After Duncan walks by, the groundskeeper drops his work and walks over to his wheelbarrow, picking up a short-bladed scythe on a long handle. He begins to stalk after Duncan. At the last moment, Duncan turns and sees him, ducking just in time. Duncan picks up a spade and parries the other man's blows, sweeping his legs from under him, then breaking off the spade and using just the handle as he comes at him again.

Duncan: "What are you doing?!"

The groundskeeper swings at him again, and Duncan knocks him down, pressing the handle over his back.

Duncan, gently: "I don't want to hurt you."

The man's eyes move back and forth, and then he collapses on the ground, dead. Duncan feels for his pulse, then rises, looking around, but there's no one there.

Act One

Joe and Duncan are talking on the barge. There are, by the way, a few more things here now, like books and cushions on the floor and some small tables, but the place is still very, very bare.

Joe is saying: "You're sure you didn't hit him that hard."

Duncan: "I didn't hit him at all." He picks up a book, turning the pages.

Joe sighs: "Ahriman."

Duncan: "And he could be anyone at anytime." He goes to the bed platform, where books are scattered along the floor, and starts looking through them.

Joe: "Well, Mac, I got Watchers turning down vacation to check on Ahriman. I really think if there's anything that can kill it, we're going to find it."

Duncan, still reading: "In the meantime people are dying. They still think they're looking for this ancient immortal?"

Joe: "Yeah."

Duncan: "Well, tell them to be careful." He sits down in front of a low table, covered with papers and books and with a laptop sitting open on it. He starts typing on the keys.

Joe: "They're professionals. They're always careful. Anyway, this is all we got so far."

Duncan: "Thanks, Joe. This would be hard without you."

Joe smiles: "No problem." He pats Duncan on the shoulder and turns to go. "I'll call later."

Duncan: "All right." He looks down at his book, reading aloud quietly as Joe works his way up the steps and heads for the door. "In answer to the guileful one, the deadly, the evildoer Ahriman, Zelathustra said, 'Never will I renounce the good mind.'" Joe stops at the door, looking back. Duncan stares up, thoughtful, repeating, "'Never will I renounce the good mind.'"

Outside, Something comes toward the barge. [Okay, this is the best I could do. What this means is that we got a fuzzy, discolored camera shot that zoomed erratically towards the barge. --Jinjifore]

Inside, Joe turns the knob and walks out. As he leaves, Duncan looks up, sensing (presumably) Ahriman's presence. He sees nothing, but when he glances down at the computer he sees a snake crawling over it. Duncan grabs the snake, throwing it across the room, but when it lands it vanishes in a flash of red smoke. Horton appears in its place.

Horton: "Somewhat theatrical, I agree. But a thousand years ago it would have been enough to have caused a panic in the streets." As he speaks, his voice is strangely echoed and distorted, the last sounds repeating even when he's through speaking.

Duncan, looking over his shoulder: "What do you want?"

Horton disappears, and reappears on the other side of the barge. He continues speaking as if Duncan hadn't spoken.

Horton: "But this is the scientific age. People don't believe in demons and devils anymore." He pauses, and Duncan turns to look at him again. "And maybe that's my best trick yet." He vanishes again, and this time reappears on Duncan's computer screen. "All that technology. So much useless information. It's almost a sin to want to know so much."

Duncan, smiling nastily: "Well, if it's so useless, why are you here?" He slams the screen down, revealing Kronos standing behind him.

Kronos: "So this is where you hide." Duncan turns. "With your books. And your scrolls, like a frightened monk." Duncan stands up, and they begin pacing one another. "I thought you were a better man than that, MacLeod. I thought you were a warrior, like me."

Duncan, calm but menacing: "I'm nothing like you."

Kronos: "Oh, that's right. You don't carry a blade any longer, do you?" He raises his own sword, and suddenly slashes down, as if taking a head. He looks up at Duncan and smiles. "What a pity."

Duncan stares, then smiles, raising up his book: "Somewhere in here is a way to destroy you."

Kronos: "Better men than you have tried." His voice becomes gentle, reasonable. "Stop now, and live. You'll never know who's coming for you next." He vanishes, leaving Duncan alone.

Father Beaufort is standing by Jackie's grave, which is now covered with planted flowers.

Father Beaufort: "Why, Lord? Oh, Jackie was a good man." He turns and walks away. "You've known his soul since he was a boy." He looks up, startled, as he hears a woman's voice calling.

Woman: "Bobby! Jackie!" Father Beaufort looks up, seeing a blurred, faded vision of two boys, running. "Lunch is ready!" The two boys run past a car to where a picnic is spread on the grass.

Boy: "Coming, Mama."

Woman: "Bobby! Jackie!"

Father Beaufort sighs as the vision fades, and continues talking to God: "He would have given the world for his daughters, if he could."

Again, he looks over, to see another faded vision, this one of a young girl walking over to where Jackie Beaufort sits, smoking a cigar. She kisses his cheek, then goes to push her little sister on the swing.

Father Beaufort, voiceover: "But he was sick. A disease of the heart and soul had stripped his humanity, and left him empty." Jackie pulls a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, looking down. "Nothing could help him, not doctors, not prayer." The scene changes, fading to Father Beaufort holding Jackie's body in his arms, blood pooling around Jackie's body. "We gave him nothing. Now for his one moment of weakness, I have to condemn him." Again the scene changes, to Father Beaufort standing in front of the altar in the church, arms raised. In the foreground, the water in the baptismal font begins to bubble, and turns red, overflowing. "Oh, tell me, God. Must I damn my brother to love you?"

At "Le Blues Bar," Joe unlocks the door and lets himself in, singing softly to himself. He's holding a package in his hand. But as he walks in, he sees someone standing behind the bar, his back to the room.

Joe, wary: "Hey. Can I help you?"

Horton turns around: "I believe the question is, Joseph, 'Can I help you?'"

Joe stares, his jaw dropping: "James."

Horton, smiling, friendly: "Here. Take this." He puts a drink on the bar, keeping the other for himself. "You look at though you need it." Joe is still staring, but he quickly shoves the package into his pocket. Horton goes on. "How is my family? I gather Lynn's moved back to Chicago."

Joe, hoarse: "You're not real."

Horton, appearing now on the other side of the bar, next to Joe: "You were best man at my wedding. I'm your sister's husband."

Joe: "I buried you!"

Horton: "Joseph, Joseph, how little you understand."

Joe: "What do you want?"

Horton: "To help. The Watchers have always been our brothers and sisters, our family. When you lost your legs in Vietnam, they saved you. They gave you another chance." Joe closes his eyes, shaking his head. "And how do you repay them? You use them. You lie to them. You make them the tool of an immortal."

Joe, grimly: "You are an illusion."

Horton, leaning in a little: "No, Joseph. I'm your conscience. Save yourself. Let MacLeod fight his own battles."

Joe bursts out: "Go to hell!"

Horton, softly: "I have." Joe turns, putting his back to him. Horton steps closer. "Watchers don't interfere. And if they do, they die."

They both look up, startled, as the door opens. Duncan walks in.

Duncan, causally: "Hey, Joe." He walks over, slowing a little as he sees Joe. "You look like hell." Joe is still standing by the bar, but Horton is gone.

Joe, looking down: "Yeah. Funny you should mention that."

Duncan, instantly suspicious: "What?"

Joe: "Nothing. Nothing, nothing." He starts behind the bar.

Duncan looks around, as if looking for Ahriman, but asks instead: "You said, um, your people found something I should see."

Joe: "Actually, it just hadn't arrived yet."

Duncan, looking at him oddly: "You okay?"

Joe, a little too casually: "Uh, yeah. Why shouldn't I be?"

Duncan, patiently: "Because of what we're facing."

Joe: "Yeah. No, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine . . ."

Duncan, seeing there's something wrong, but not able to pursue it: "All right, then. Call me when you get something."

Joe nods. Duncan turns to go, and walks to the door. Joe watches him, then looks away, struggling with himself. He looks up as Duncan opens the door, and makes a pained face.

Joe: "Mac!" Duncan turns back. "I, uh, forgot. I--I do have something here." He pulls out the package he stuck in his pocket, shaking a small statue from the cloth bag. He explains, nearly stammering, "One of my guys, uh, well, he found this in a--a museum, in--in Bolivia. It's some kind of a talisman. The native shamans used it in their vision quests. It's the same symbol we found before." He puts the statue on the bar.

Duncan looks at it, then at him: "Thanks, Joe." He picks it up, and leaves. Joe watches him go, then takes the drinks that Horton left and dashes them both down the sink. Duncan looks back, curious, as he leaves, but says nothing. Alone, Joe leans his arms on the bar, breathing deep.

At Darius's old church, Duncan and Father Beaufort are sitting and talking.

Duncan: "Are you still archivist of the order?"

Father Beaufort nods, laughing but not smiling: "Yeah."

Duncan: "I'm looking for anything you might have on the nature of evil."

Father Beaufort laughs: "Huh! That's just about everything in the collection. Would you prefer to narrow that down a little?"

Duncan, solemnly: "Do you believe in the Devil?"

Father Beaufort looks at him: "You're serious." Duncan says nothing. Father Beaufort goes on. "Do I believe in horns and a pitchfork, no. But do I believe that Evil is an entity loose in the world, yes. I see its works everywhere." He stands up. "Whatever books or scrolls are of use to you, you're welcome to them."

Duncan stands up as well: "Thank you."

Father Beaufort walks towards the altar: "Evil can take many forms, Duncan, but the Church believes there's only one sure way to destroy it." He puts his hand on Duncan's shoulder, guiding him to the door. "Through faith."

Out in the countryside, Joe and Duncan are just entering a cave, both of them carrying flashlights.

Joe: "Henri! Michel!" He waits a second. "They were supposed to meet us topside. They were really excited about this find." He and Duncan start walking into the cave, shining their lights around. There's a lantern set up there already, but no one to be seen. "This cave is pre-Roman, pre-Gallic, even, six, seven thousand years old. Some kind of a--some kind of a holy site."

Duncan sees something on one of the walls: "Look at this." He shines his light on one of the drawings decorating the walls. "Ahriman. Or whatever these people called it." The figure, like all the others, is basically a stick figure. This one is tall, with a reptilian head, a long, sinous tail and clawed hands and feet.

Joe steps up, then looks around, searching for the other Watchers.

Joe: "Yeah, well, I don't get it, man. They were supposed to meet us here."

Duncan keeps looking at the drawings, moving to one in which the Ahriman figure is surrounded by several smaller figures.

Duncan: "Look at this. Looks like they're fighting it."

Joe: "Uh-huh." He indicates one of the figures. "And who's this?"

Duncan focuses the figure, seeing that it's holding a sword. He turns to Joe.

Duncan: "Must be their champion." He moves on. "Now what?" They look at the next drawing. In this one, the small figures are lying down, while Ahriman towers over them.

Joe: "Well, looks like they lost."

Duncan points to the champion, who's still upright: "Yeah, but he's still standing." He looks back at Joe, thoughtful. "And he's unarmed." He looks at the drawings again, and this time finds one where the small figures are kneeling, bowing around the champion who stands with his hands raised. Duncan sounds awed. "They did it. They must have beaten him." He puts down his flashlight, reaching for his camera while Joe moves off, still looking around.

While Duncan takes pictures, Joe moves deeper into the cave. He pauses for a moment by a symbol drawn on the wall, three lines radiating out from a center, with three dots between the strokes, not unlike a crude Watcher symbol. He shines his light into the next chamber, and takes a step forward, playing his light over the tumbled rocks until he sees the bodies of two men sprawled on top of the fall.

Joe: "Dear God, no!" Duncan rushes to his side, adding his light to the scene. The flashlights pick out the figures, and the Watcher symbol tattooed on the nearer man's wrist. Duncan stares, stunned, while Joe bows his head in grief.

Act Two

At "Le Blues Bar," Joe is sitting at a table, a drink in front of him, his head bowed on his hands. As he sits, the front doors suddenly open, as if in the wind, making him look up. There's no one there, but when he turns back Horton is standing by the bar.

Horton: "I didn't kill them. You did."

Joe jerks back: "Like hell!"

Horton is now sitting beside him: "Exactly." He looks forward, at the stage. "Look." Joe looks, and sees Horton now sitting at a table. He looks up. On the stage, a scene begins to play. Two figures, a man and a woman, are walking into a cave, shining their lights on a statue of Ahriman.

Joe: "Maguire and Rosenthal." He shakes his head. "No. They're in Iraq."

Horton, sitting beside him again: "Maguire still owes you thirty dollars from that last game poker you played, doesn't he?" The scene shifts to Rosenthal. "And Stacey Rosenthal's been trying to get up the courage to invite you to dinner for the last three years. Do you realize what you're doing, Joseph?" Joe looks at him sharply. "Sending innocent men and women into dangerous situations that don't concern them."

As Joe watches, horrified, flames suddenly erupt behind the statue, pinning the two Watchers in the cave. They try to get away, retreating to the wall.

Horton: "Look, Joseph. They're dying." Joe looks away, then forces himself to watch again. "In agony," Horton goes on. "All because of you. You sent them."

Joe shakes his head, getting angry: "This is another of your goddamned illusions!"

Horton: "Is it?" He hands him his cell phone. "Your telephone is going to ring in ten seconds." Joe looks at him. "Ten seconds, Joseph." In the cave, Maguire and Rosenthal are cowering aainst the wall as the flames get closer, trying to shield themselves. Horton looks at Joe. "Mind if I smoke?" He puts a cigarette in his mouth and takes a drag, while Joe stares at his phone, then at him. Joe looks at the scene on the stage one last time, and then his phone rings. He answers it.

Joe: "Dawson." He listens, his face screwing up in pain, then shuts the phone off and puts it down.

Horton shakes his head, looking at the stage: "I tried to tell you. If you interfere, people die." He turns to Joe. "But it's not your fault, Joseph. Not yours, at all." He draws back a little, watching the distress on Joe's face.

At the church, Father Beaufort walks out just in time to see the curtain on the confessional booth drawing closed. He goes to the other side and sits, drawing the curtain. He closes his eyes, sighing, then opens them.

Father Beaufort: "Have you come to confess your sins? Have you come to ask forgiveness?"

The camera pans slowly up the man on the other side, showing the hands crossed on the sword, and the armored shirt before finally reaching the face of Kronos.

Kronos: "Tell me, Father. Which is better? Murder or suicide?" He goes on, casually as if discussing something of only mild interest. "See, I'd say murder." His voice hardens a little, but stays soft and pleasant. "I could rip out someone's beating heart, confess to you, and you would have to forgive me, wouldn't you?"

Father Beaufort: "Only God can forgive."

Kronos goes on: "As for suicide . . . Tell me, did God forgive your brother when he slashed his wrists?" Father Beaufort doesn't answer. "I didn't think so."

Father Beaufort: "My brother is in God's hands."

Kronos, stern: "Your brother is in Hell, Father. Tormented for eternity."

Father Beaufort: "How do you know that? Who are you?"

Kronos smiles: "I think you know who I am. And I think, Father, that if you look deep down inside yourself, you will come to recognize what I am." Father Beaufort closes his eyes in pain. "Look at me."

Father Beaufort: "No."

Kronos: "Are you afraid to look into the face of Evil? Afraid that your god can't protect you even in his own house?" Kronos fades out, and is replaced by an image of Father Beaufort himself.

Evil Father Beaufort: "Soon, Priest, you will be mine."

Father Beaufort covers his face, then crosses himself slowly.

At the barge, Duncan is kneeling on a straw mat spread on the top of the deck, talking to Joe, who's sitting on the gang plank.

Duncan: "I went back through the archives. That symbol turned up in the writings of an ancient German mystic. To him, it was a force of hate that could only be defeated by love."

Joe, frustrated: "Fine for Ghandi, but what about us?" He looks at Duncan. "What else did he say?"

Duncan, standing up: "Nothing. Seems he died before he could finish his memoirs." He starts rolling up the mat.

Joe, bitterly: "Great. So what do we do? Sit here contemplating our navels while the whole world goes to hell?"

Duncan, glancing at him, then down: "What happened, Joe?"

Joe: "Nothing happened." He puts his hands to his mouth, rubbing his lip fretfully.

Duncan smiles a little, then crouches down: "He came to you, didn't he?"

Joe looks up, sighing: "I got four Watchers dead already." He glances at Duncan, then away. "I'm pulling my people out."

Duncan, gently: "That's okay, Joe. It's my fight."

Joe: "Well, I didn't say I was pulling out." Duncan looks at him. "Mac, the answer's out there. You and I, we got to find it."

Duncan smiles, nodding: "Thanks."

Back at Jackie's grave, Father Beaufort is pulling up weeds from the flowers. He's wearing a shirt and trousers, not his monk's robe.

Father Beaufort: "I'm sorry to disturb you, Jackie, but if I don't pull these they'll choke the whole garden." He tosses the weeds in the wheelbarrow by the grave.

Beside him, Jackie appears.

Jackie, whispering: "Bobby."

Father Beaufort looks up, and stares: "Jackie?" He stares for a moment more, then steps up to Jackie and puts his arms around him, pulling him close. "Oh, dear God." He smiles a little as he touches him. "It's you."

Jackie pulls back, sobbing: "Help me, Bobby, please."

Father Beaufort: "Help you? How can I help you?"

Jackie: "I am damned."

Father Beaufort: "No."

Jackie: "God's turned his back on me."

Father Beaufort, shaking his head: "No."

Jackie: "God isn't love, Bobby. He's . . . vengeance. And hate. He's abandoned me. And he'll abandon you, too."

Father Beaufort, reaching up to hold his face: "Oh, no. God will forgive you."

Jackie: "There is no forgiveness." Father Beaufort jerks back, startled. "There is only pain. Help me, Bobby, please."

Father Beaufort, sobbing: "H--help you?" He covers his face in his hands. "How can I help you? Jackie . . ." He raises his head. "Jackie?" But Jackie is gone. Father Beaufort falls to his kees. "Oh, Jackie!" He lets his face fall into his hands. "Oh, God."

Later that night, Father Beaufort stumbles blindly through the church, remembering his conversations with Kronos and Jackie. He remembers Jackie begging for his help, and Kronos telling him that Jackie was in Hell. He remembers Jackie telling him that there is no forgiveness, only pain. He sees himself again, sitting in the confessional, and remembers himself asking God if he had to condemn his brother in order to love him. Kronos asks him, "Are you afraid to look into the face of Evil?" and Father Beaufort stumbles up the steps in the church, only to come face to face with Kronos at the top.

Father Beaufort: "Nooooo!!!"

At Joe's place, in his bedroom. There's a half-full snifter of brandy on a table, and two guitars propped on chairs. Joe is asleep in the bed. Behind him, a red mist rolls down the stairs. Joe wakes up, and looks up to see Horton hovering over him, literally floating just over the bed. He starts back.

Horton: "You've done very well, Joseph."

Joe's face screws up in anger, and he lashes out above him. But his hands only meet empty air, and when he sits up Horton is already standing on the other side of the room. Horton takes a step toward him.

Horton: "I'm glad you've come to your senses about the Watchers. So, I've come to offer you a small--" He reaches out and casually touches the two prosthetic legs propped near the bed. "--gift."

Joe: "Yeah, well, keep the gift."

Horton: "No, I think you'll want this."

Joe, still breathing hard: "Really. What's the hook?"

Horton, all innocence: "No hook." His voice hardens. "Just say no to MacLeod when he asks you to violate your Watcher oath and help him."

Joe, furious: "When pigs fly!"

Horton looks off, thoughtful: "Fly . . ." He looks at Joe. "You used to fly, Joseph. Do you remember? They used to call you The Flier." Joe looks away. Horton touches the prosthetic legs again, calling attention to them. "Do you remember running on the beach? Do you remember thousands screaming your name as you scored yet another touchdown?" Joe shakes his head in denial. "Do you remember what it was like to wrap your legs around a beautiful woman?"

Joe, doggedly: "No, no, no!"

Horton steps closer, leaning down to come face to face with him: "I can help you fly again."

Joe shakes his head, sobbing: "Please, don't . . . Don't do this."

Horton, softly: "I can give you back your--wings." He looks down at Joe's lower half, and knits his brows in concentration for a moment. Now, there are two legs visible under the covers. "Joseph. Look at them." Joe looks at him, snarling ferociously, his teeth bared in fury. "They're yours, Joseph. Move them." Joe looks at him, but he swings his feet out from under the covers, sitting on the edge of the bed for a moment, putting his feet on the floor. He reaches down to touch them, running his hands over his thighs, then looks up at Horton, his face agonized.

Horton: "That's right, Joseph. You can take them for a spin."

Joe looks at him, and smiles a little, shaking his head, then stands up.

Horton: "You can even take them dancing if you want." Joe looks up, not believing it, overwhelmed, but still shaking his head. "They're yours. They're real. All you have to do is keep your vow. And give me MacLeod."

Joe, crying: "I can't. I won't. You son-of-a-bitch!" He takes a step forward, and falls down to the floor as the legs vanish.

Horton regards him calmly from his chair: "Oh, well." He glances at the prosthetic legs. "I suppose you'll be needing those. For now." He gets up and walks out, leaving Joe alone. Joe raises himself on his arms, pounding one fist on the floor, then falls back down, head bowed in despair.

Act Three

At "Le Blues Bar," Joe is talking to MacLeod.

Joe: "Legs, MacLeod." He walks out to a table, slowly. "He offered me my--my legs." He sits down, numbly, but his voice is thick with tears. "Can you believe that?"

Duncan: "I can believe anything about him."

Joe, his voice shaking: "As if I would sell my soul for a simple goddamn pair of legs."

Duncan looks at him, as if he doesn't know what to say, then comes over and sits next to him.

Duncan, firmly: "Some people would have."

Joe sighs, looking up, his eyes bright: "What the hell. If I didn't want it so bad--" He looks at Duncan. "It wouldn't be a temptation, would it?"

Duncan, softly: "I'm sorry."

Joe takes a deep breath, sucking the tears in: "Okay." He claps his hands. "Let's see what we got, huh? We got--we got a mystic symbol. We got some ancient cave paintings." He snorts. "Some old German saying, 'All we need is love.'"

Duncan: "The answer's got to be in there somewhere." He gets up and starts looking through some things piled on a nearby table.

Joe, gesturing: "This is the last shipment I got from my people before I pulled them out of the field."

Duncan sorts through the stuff, then picks up a small brass bowl.

Duncan: "Where'd this come from?"

Joe: "What, that candy dish? Some old monastery in the Himalayas."

Duncan comes back over, bringing the bowl and a short, rounded stick: "I've this before. It's a Tibetan singing bowl." He holds it up, showing Joe the design stamped on the bottom, the same three-way symbol that was on the wall of the cave.

Back at the barge, Duncan is kneeling on the mat again, holding the bowl in his left hand, while he rubs the stick around and around the rim with the other. A single, vibrating tone is coming from the bowl, like a bell's echo. Duncan's eyes are closed, and as the bowl sings the vibrations seem to travel up his hands and through his whole body . . .

He finds himself in an old building, maybe an abandoned church, the nave bare except for a swing, the font, and a pair of what appear to be very small coffins. The windows are glassless and open. Duncan stands for a moment.

Duncan: "Show yourself."

A red light blooms around and beside the swing, and a little man appears there, swinging back and forth.

Little Man: "I've been waiting for a long time for you to come out and play."

Duncan turns to him, taking a step in his direction. The little man is holding a red ball, which he tosses at Duncan. Duncan catches it, and finds himself holding a skull. He lets it fall to the ground, where it shatters.

Little Man: "That's okay. Soon I'll be playing with yours." He gets up, taking two steps before he vanishes. He reappears by the coffins, and crouches down. One of the coffins is tilted, and a small crucifix is visible on top. "Until then, I'll play with this." He reaches through the lid and pulls out another red ball, showing it to Duncan. "I think I'll call it . . . Richie." He throws the ball over Duncan's head. Duncan turns, and sees him catch it on the other side, only now the ball is green.

Little Man: "Richie." He tosses the ball again, and again he's there to catch it on the other side. "Richie." Now he's standing beside Duncan, holding a blue ball, saying, "Richie," over and over. And now he's in three places, holding a different colored ball in each, saying "Richie, Richie, Richie . . ."

Duncan, with an effort: "Stop."

Little Man: "You, stop me? Come on, you stop me." The other ones echo him. "Stop me? Stop me?"

Little Man: "Now you've killed Richie. Richie's dead. Richie's dead." And the others take up the chorus. "Richie's dead. Richie's dead!"

Little Man: "You knew you were killing Richie." He comes forward, grinning. "I think you liked it!"

Duncan looks down, and his katana appears in his hand. The little man gasps and smiles, throwing the ball aside. Duncan looks at the sword, and the little man spreads his hands out.

Little Man, chanting: "Richie killer, Richie killer, Richie killer!"

Duncan raises his sword, and swings down . . . meeting Kronos's blade.

Kronos: "Why not try me?"

They're in an underground room now, a series of stone passages. Duncan fights with Kronos, but the two appear to be evenly matched, giving and taking blows without hurting one another. But Duncan eventually gets the upper hand, and knocks Kronos's feet from under him. He raises his blade, stabbing down at Kronos's helpless body, but even as the sword plunges down Kronos vanishes and the sword bites into the ground.

Little Man, from somewhere in the caves: "Duncan! This way!"

Duncan looks up, and goes after the voice. As he stalks toward it, he hears Kronos behind him.

Kronos: "Come take my head." Duncan turns, and then hears the little man again.

Little Man: "Duncan, this way!"

Duncan follows him, and hears a chorus of voices, all calling for him, by different names. He hears Tessa, Richie, Methos, and many others. He finds himself in a small, enclosed room with high walls, turning around while the voices call to him . . .

. . . and back on the barge Joe is shaking his shoulder, calling his name.

Joe: "Mac. MacLeod!" Duncan drops the bowl, slumping back as he falls out of the trance. Joe looks at him in concern. "I've been calling you for hours." He looks at him in realization. "My God. How long you been like this?"

Duncan, faintly: "I don't know." He speaks slowly, trying to explain. "There was this thing. I was--I was fighting it." He looks at Joe, slowly putting the pieces together. "And it was goading me. It was as if it was feeding on my anger. The more I hated, the more I was lost." He edges himself slowly to the edge of the roof. "I could have been trapped there forever." He stands up stiffly, moving slowly and awkwardly. "Whatever this thing is, it doesn't have a physical form." He starts to put on his overcoat, then freezes as a sudden thought strikes him. He takes off abrubtly, leaving Joe standing there.

Joe, shouting after him: "Where you going?! Mac!"

At Darius's church, Father Beaufort is sitting on the floor in front of the altar, Jackie kneeling beside him.

Jackie: "I thought you'd want to help me."

Father Beaufort: "Oh, Jackie, what do you want from me? What can I do?"

Jackie slowly holds out his hand. In it is a straight razor, and he offers it to Father Beaufort.

Jackie: "Come with me, Bobby. Please! I'm so alone."

Father Beaufort looks at the razor: "No, no. I--It's a mortal sin."

Jackie, urgently: "God is a lie, Bobby, can't you see? You're wasting your whole life on a lie." Father Beaufort looks at the razor, struggling. Jackie goes on eagerly. "We'll be together. Like--like when we were kids."

Father Beaufort looks at him, then slowly opens the razor. He brings it over his bared wrist, poising the blade just as Duncan rushes in the front door.

Duncan: "Stop! Robert, don't."

Jackie edges closer to his brother: "Bobby, I'm afraid. Make him go away."

Father Beaufort looks at Duncan: "Leave, Duncan."

Duncan keeps walking forward: "You can't do this."

Father Beaufort: "Get out." Duncan continues to walk toward him. "I said get out! I have to do this. I've lost my brother, I've lost God, I've lost my life."

Duncan kneels down on his other side, opposite Jackie.

Duncan: "Why? Because he says so?" They're arranged now on either side of Father Beaufort, Duncan on his right, Jackie on his left. The sunlight from the windows is falling on Duncan, but Jackie is in the shadow. Duncan goes on. "This is not your brother. Jackie's dead. Whatever he needs, you can't give him." Father Beaufort looks down, his mouth tight. "But this--this thing wants your soul."

Jackie: "Don't listen to him, Bobby. He just wants to keep us apart."

Father Beaufort turns to Duncan: "Don't you see, Duncan, I've lost my faith." He holds the razor over his arm again.

Duncan, urgently: "Look at me." Father Beaufort shakes his head. "Robert, look at me." Father Beaufort raises his head to him. Duncan goes on, gently. "It doesn't matter if you've lost your faith in Him. Because He hasn't lost his faith in you." Father Beaufort looks down at his arm again. "Give me the knife. Give it to me." Jackie looks on, saying nothing, watching intently. "Give it to me." Slowly, Father Beauforts hands the razor to Duncan. As he does, Jackie's kneeling figure fades away, leaving them alone. Father Beaufort looks over at the space where Jackie was, and looks down the nave. He sees himself and Jackie as boys, Jackie rolling a ball to him, and then the two of them walking off together. Father Beaufort makes a sob of aunguish and leans into Duncan. Duncan puts his arms around him, holding him as he sobs brokenly.

Act Four

Still at the church, Father Beaufort is sitting in the pews, talking to Duncan.

Father Beaufort: "I would have damned myself, if it wasn't for you."

Duncan, quickly and firmly: "No!" He kneels down in front of him. "That's what it wants you to think. The only power it has over us is the power we give it."

Father Beaufort: "Duncan, everything I have read says it is useless to fight it, that it feeds on our hate and fear, that its very presence breeds hate and fear--how can we destroy something that thrives on destruction?"

Duncan looks up at him, and says softly: "Peace, Father." He stands up, pacing and muttering to himself. "'Never will I renounce the good mind.' It was there all the time." He turns back. "In peace."

Father Beaufort: "What?"

Duncan, as if realizing it only then: "I have to do this by myself." He reaches down and takes Father Beaufort's arm, drawing him to his feet. "You have to leave now. I need to know that you'll be safe."

Father Beaufort: "Is there anything that I can do?"

Duncan: "Pray."

Father Beaufort sighs, and leaves. Alone, Duncan walks to the altar, taking off his coat. He stands for a moment, then begins to go through the moves of his meditation. He moves slowly, breathing deeply and evenly, putting himself back into the trance. As he does each move, a white light flashes, and finally the light fades to show him back in the caverns where he fought Kronos. The little man is standing there, waiting.

Little Man: "Good. You're back."

Duncan, evenly: "You've lost."

Little Man: "Let's play. How about guns?"

A gun materializes in Duncan's hand. He lifts it, looking at it.

Little Man: "Yes, yes." He spreads his arms. "Shoot me, Duncan." Duncan tosses the gun down, and it vanishes. The little man lowers his arms. "That's not fair." Duncan starts pacing slowly, the little man keeping abreast of him, still talking. "How about . . ." He laughs, thinking. "How about your old friend?" Duncan raises his arm, looking at the katana in his hand. "That's it." Duncan raises the blade, and thrusts it in the ground, where it vanishes like the gun. The little man's smile fades.

Duncan: "Game's over. Your time is up." He raises his arms, and begins to do the meditation all over again, this time the one accompanied by the groaning breaths. The little man steps forward.

Little Man: "No gun, no sword." He stalks up to Duncan, shouting, "How are you going to fight me?!!!" Duncan ignores him, continuing his meditation. "Are you going to huff and puff and blow my house down?!!!"

Duncan, voiceover as he continues the exercise, still ignoring the little man: "I become one with everything. I become one with you."

Little Man, venomously: "Too bad you didn't think of that before you killed Richie!"

Duncan, still voiceover: "I become everything. Therefore I become nothing."

The little man backs away, and his voice is less distinct now. He raises a fist.

Little Man: "Come on, be a man. I dare you!" Flames burst out from where Duncan in standing, but don't hurt him. Duncan goes on.

Duncan, voiceover: "Therefore, you are nothing. Without my anger, you have no substance." The little man glares at him, his face twisting in fury. "Without my pride, you have no form." The little man backs away. "Without my hate, you have no being." The little man keeps backing up, the light behind him fading as he retreats down a passage until he disappears from sight with a strangled cry.

Back at the church, Duncan opens his eyes, only to have Horton speak from nearby.

Horton: "Maybe we can find something a little more impressive, MacLeod." The scene fades to white again, and then Kronos rushes from the caves, stabbing at Duncan. Duncan continues his exercise, moving more actively now, and his move takes him out of Kronos's path. Kronos rushes past, then swings at him again, and once more the motion of the kata moves Duncan aside. They continue to dance around each other, Kronos swinging and stabbing and slashing, but Duncan just continues his moves, oblivious to Kronos, ignoring him. But every move Duncan makes just happens to take him out of Kronos's path, or block the blade, or even push Kronos aside without ever actually fighting him. But finally, Duncan stands still, and Kronos walks up to him, taking a stance opposite him, his sword ready. He lunges foward, his blade sliding right through Duncan's body. But the sword and Kronos vanish even as he stabs him, and Horton, standing behind them, watching, opens his mouth and lets out a long, hoarse cry of rage. Duncan turns, and folds himself casually on one knee, propping his arms on his leg.

Duncan, matter of fact: "Isn't it time for you to leave?"

Horton, nearly hissing: "I've only just begun."

Duncan shakes his head: "You have no place here."

Horton pauses for a second, then counters: "I'm a part of you now."

Duncan, smiling faintly: "You always were."

Horton stares, and the moaning starts again as his mouth opens slowly, and in a few seconds everything that's happened since Ahriman came flashes by. Scenes of Landry's discovery of the statue, of Allison's death, Duncan's first visions of Horton and Kronos, Richie's death, Sohpie's death . . . Dozens of images go by, almost too quick to see, and then Horton's face fades, replaced by Ahriman's statue, and then it all vanishes in a flash of white light, leaving Duncan kneeling alone on the rug in front of the altar.

Tag

Back at "Le Blues Bar," Joe and Duncan are talking. Duncan is leaning on the bar, and Joe is heading for a table, bottle in hand. Duncan is wearing an ordinary shirt and trousers now, not his white outfit.

Joe: "You know, you never did tell me how you beat this bastard. What did you have to do?"

Duncan: "Nothing." He smiles, and then pushes himself off the bar, pacing to the far wall as he talks. "There's a thought in the Kabbalah that Armageddon, the ultimate fight between good and evil, will be fought within one soul."

Joe: "And yours is the soul. That's why you're the champion."

Duncan: "Mabye. All I know is that evil exists in all of us, Joe. When we deny that, we give evil power." He comes back and sits down at the table with Joe. "Ahriman said it himself: His greatest trick was to convince the world that he didn't exist." Duncan sits back. "Well, he does. He exists in all of us. And once I accepted that, I was able to defeat him."

Joe shakes his head: "Armageddon in Darius's church." He sits up. "How's Father Beaufort doing?"

Duncan: "Finding his faith." Joe pours a drink for him, and he reaches out to pick it up, raising the glass. "To faith."

Joe picks up his own glass: "To the champion." They click their glasses together, and drink. Duncan makes a face.

Duncan: "Ooh." He smacks his lips. "It's been a while." He reaches out and picks up his overcoat, standing up to put it on. "Well. I better get going." He slaps Joe on the back. "Take care, huh?"

Joe: "Yeah. Hey, will you, uh--will you do me a favor?" He stands up, and reaches over for something behind him. "Will you please take this?" He holds out Duncan's katana. Duncan, his hands in his pockets, looks down at the sword but makes no move to take it. Joe holds it out again. "Just so I know you'll be here when I get back." Duncan looks at the sword again. "Come on. You have avenged Richie's death. Mac, you've defeated Ahriman. You're still Duncan MacLeod, of the Clan MacLeod." He holds it up a little. "Take it, please."

Slowly, Duncan reaches out, and takes the sword from him, wrapping his fingers around it. The first notes of "Bonny Portmore" begin to play as Joe lets go, leaving the sword in Duncan's hands. He weighs it, looking at it in his hands again, then looks up at Joe once more.

Notes

I didn't have even the dubious assisstance of the Rysher site to help with the names on this one, and no one was listed in the closing credits, so this is a real Guess-O-Rama. I have no idea how to spell Jackie, or what else to call the little man but, well, Little Man. And I have no idea which of the two uncharactered actors is which. But I can tell you that Father Beaufort is indeed played by the same actor who played Tinker Dill on Lovejoy (and, coincidentally, had a part in Jarman's adaptation of Marlowe's Edward the Second. Not that that's significant to me in any way, of course . . .).

I try to fill in flashback gaps as best as possible, but there were two places that were just too much for me this time. The first was the scene with all the voices. Some of them were easy, like Tessa and Richie, and I was pretty sure I heard Methos and Joe, too, but the rest were just too muddled and too short to identify. The second scene was the final montage of images, which covered "Archangel" and "Avatar" in about ten seconds. There were just a big ol' ton of clips, too many to even count. Suffice it to say that they covered all the main plot points, especially the ones I mentioned.

About Ahriman's disappearing act. I know I say a lot that Ahriman appears and disappears and immediately appears somewhere else, but I'd like to make it clear that it's not always with special effects, especially when it's Horton. Instead, usually Duncan or Joe is talking to him, with the shot focused on them, and then they'll suddenly look around and the camera will pan to show that he's gone, or the scene will cut and he'll simply be standing in another place. It sounds like a cheap cop-out, probably, but it's very effective on screen. The other manifestations, interestingly enough, are the ones that more often fade in and out, as Kronos does after his talk with Beaufort.

The mythology is, as always, pretty complex and eclectic, and if they ever settle on that "Required Reading List" on alt.tv.highlander I might include selections here. For that matter, I'm thinking of rounding up some of the mythology-explaining posts and asking permission to add them to this synopsis, since the specific details are beyond my areas of expertise. The works of Joseph Campbell seem to be generally agreed on as a good place to start, and as always I would recommend the Larousse New Encyclopedia of Mythology for looking up those pesky names.

One final note. The new episodes are finally being closed-captioned (yea!), but unfortunately I can't access that particular feature on my televison . I am not, however, above shameless grovelling for help, so if those among you who bought televisions with higher-quality remote controls (or televsions that let you access features without having to have the silly thing) feel inclined to let me know if the cc feature happens to illuminate one of those pesky bits of dialogue that I've left blank, please feel free!

Well, this is it for what's been dubbed the "AAA" arc! Next week, "Sins of the Father."

Jinjifore

These pages are written by Jinjifore and are translated into HTML and maintained by Ian.

Disclaimer: All the dialogue, characters, situations, and darn near everything else belong to a bunch of fine and talented folks at Rysher Entertainment and Panzer/Davis, and in particular the dialogue belongs to the credited writer of this episode. Me, I just wrote the rest down in my own words, which belong to me, but the episode itself was made by the aforementioned people and is owned by them. This humble synopsis isn't meant to infringe on their rights, and I'm sure as heck not making any money from doing these.

Everything not belonging to Rysher, et al, ©Copyright 1997 by Jinjifore

Feel free to copy and distribute as long as this copyright notice and disclaimer are included, except where local bandwidth laws apply.

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Celtic clip art courtesy of the Celtic Art Web Page.

Last Rev: RAH [ 27 Oct 97 ]