"Do you not think Medusa's a bit young for you?" "Not to mention slim." "Medusa and I have a bond that goes beyond physical appearance." "Does she know that?" "Of course she does." "I think she does." "I hope that, with time, Medusa will come to realise the strength of my affection for her." "No." "With time she will come to realise that you are a no-good, lazy, womanising drunk." "Why would she even entertain such an idea?" "Because of all the rumours and stories about you." "Any chance you could see your way to helping us?" "I'm carrying the bread, so..." "What is the meaning of this?" "You are blocking my path." "I am truly sorry, my Lord." "My cart has shed a wheel." "Get it moved out of my way." "It could take some time..." "I will not ask you again." "Forgive me, my Lord." "I cannot move it until the wheel has been..." "You would dare to touch me?" "I would dare to stop you striking a defenceless old man who has done you no wrong." "HEPTARIAN GRUNTS" "You will pay for this." "His name's Heptarian." "He has the protection of Poseidon." "Is that supposed to mean something to me?" "It means he is rich and powerful." "It means you dare not even touch him, let alone hit him." "Oh, so that means he can just strike a defenceless old man?" "Absolutely." "He can do as he pleases." "Oh, did I forget to mention he is also the Queen's nephew?" "Speak truthfully, or face a death curse upon you." "Did you lay your hands on Poseidon's servant, the Lord Heptarian?" "I did." "You have violated Poseidon's sacred laws." "Such an act cannot go unpunished." "Do you have anything to say in your defence?" "I was coming to the aid of an old man." "I could not stand by and see him struck when he had done nothing wrong." "My Lord." "The old man dishonoured me with his words." "That's a lie!" "He's lying!" "You dare to raise your voice to me?" "I will have you killed where you kneel." "I must ask leave to address Your Lordship." "My friend has only recently arrived in Atlantis." "He is not familiar with our ways and customs." "And you think your friend's ignorance justifies his actions?" "No... and yes." "You dare to defy your king?" "HE LAUGHS" "Have you no respect for the Gods?" "!" "I sentence you both along with him." "Forgive me, my Lord." "That was not my intention." "When the Minotaur was slain, you said the city owed us a great debt." "Is not that a consideration?" "It is not for me to punish you." "It is Poseidon you have wronged, and it is for him to decide your fate." "You are his servants." "As such, you have been called before the bulls." "What does that mean?" "It means we're dead." "You have affection for this boy?" "No." "A mother can always tell when her daughter is lying." "You are forgetting that you are not my mother." "And you are forgetting that you are promised to Heptarian." "I know." "I mean Heptarian no disrespect." "It's just..." "You do not feel for him as you do this boy." "You are heir to the throne." "Your marriage must be about more than love." "The very future of the kingdom will rest on it." "Was Jason's crime really so great?" "Perhaps if you were to speak to my father... he could offer clemency." "Sentence has been passed." "There is nothing I can do." "The boy's fate lies in the hands of the gods." "Then I will pray every day for him." "Why in the name of the gods did I open my mouth to defend you?" "That is the last time I attempt to do the honourable thing." "So it was the first, and last?" "Please." "Their irons." "How can they leap if they are shackled?" "I am Palos, Master of the Bull Court." "I am to be your teacher." "What is it you will be teaching us?" "You mean to say you do not know?" "You will find the extent of his ignorance truly astonishing." "Perhaps it's best if I show you." "GATE CREAKS CLOSED" "MEN SHOUTING" "You are to be trained as bull leapers." "These are the skills Poseidon demands of his tributes." "You have only six days to learn your craft." "On the seventh, you will face the bull before the King and the court." "Only if all of your team survives will you leave here as free men." "I would have to say the probability of us dying seems extremely high." "Come." "I'll introduce you to the other members of your team." "You must eat." "You will need all your strength." "No amount of strength is going to save us from that bull." "I may be Poseidon's slave, but I am not yours." "In my homeland, I would not keep you as a slave." "I would not even let you tend my animals." "In your homeland, do you sleep with one eye open for fear of having your throat cut?" "I do not need to, because my homeland is not full of cowards and thieves like you." "Enough!" "We are all family here." "These are the new members of your team." "What are you doing?" "If we are to die - we may as well die with full stomachs." "This stew is excellent." "You wished to see me?" "Have you spoken with Ariadne?" "I requested an audience, but I am told that she will not leave her chambers." "The boy who struck you." "It appears she has affection for him." "He is no more than a peasant." "Well, that might be so, but she looks upon him in a way she does not you." "And that will not serve our plans at all well." "Perhaps I was unwise in my choice of Ariadne's suitor." "I will gain Ariadne's affections, and I will take her for my wife." "The boy troubles me..." "Whatever feelings Ariadne has for him, they will be short lived." "He will be lucky to survive more than a few days in the Bull Court." "Hmm." "What is that?" "It is the practice animal on which we are to learn the basic moves." "Before you face the bull, you must first learn to leap." "Only when each of you has leapt the bull will the dance be over." "Do not be fooled, it is little like facing the real thing." "You." "Me?" "You're first." "Let us see what you are made of." "INDISTINCT CHATTER" "CROWD LAUGH" "He will at least amuse the crowd before the bull gores him." "They have come to assess our skills to see if we are worthy of a wager." "There is something about the Queen." "It's as though her eyes burn through me." "There have long been rumours about her." "Some believe that she knows witchcraft." "You." "You're next." "APPLAUSE" "It seems your confidence that the boy would quickly perish was unfounded." "He is a born bull leaper." "All the while he lives," "Ariadne's affections will lie with him and not you." "I should have killed him in the street." "And for that she would have hated you for ever." "If we cannot trust to the gods, then we must deal with him ourselves." "Medusa..." "HE MUMBLES INCOHERENTLY" "FOOTSTEPS" "FOOTSTEPS" "When do you intend to use it?" "We must wait until he performs for the king." "It must appear that Poseidon has accepted his sacrifice." "I shall think of some kind words to say to Ariadne upon his death." "BULL GRUNTS" "MAN SCREAMS" "The same fate awaits us all if we do not pull together." "It is a no better fate than some of us deserve." "These are Greek bulls." "They will smell your Nubian blood and stick you like a boar." "We are all the same." "I am a prince among my people." "He is no more than a common thief." "The bull will not care if you are a thief or a prince, it will gore you just the same." "I look after myself." "I risk my neck for no man." "Especially not him." "I always dreamed I would die in the arms of a beautiful woman." "Now it seems I must perish on the horns of an ugly bull." "We must draw the bull away from each other." "It is the only way we will survive this." "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "ALL= Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "ALL= Hey!" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Fetch me some bandages and hot water!" "You have no wound." "Then it seems I was lucky." "Or perhaps you realised there was only one way to make us work as a team." "HE LAUGHS How did they do?" "They did well, even Hercules." "For such a fat man, he has a very surprising turn of speed." "THEY LAUGH I thought the bull had you for sure." "I was more than confident in my abilities." "For a man with such confidence, you looked truly terrified." "That was merely to fool the bull." "You know they can smell fear." "And no man carries the stench of fear quite like Hercules." "THEY SNIGGER" "That is not fear." "It's a masculine musk - a natural aphrodisiac." "Oh!" "What is he doing?" "Is the bull loose?" "Sophia." "She is Hercules' woman - one of them anyway." "She is not my woman." "I have affection only for Medusa." "And does Sophia know that?" "It has been many weeks since I visited her," "I am hoping she has got the message." "You could tell her now." "Are you mad?" "I would rather face the bull." "It is more even-tempered." "A woman with fire in her belly is a good thing." "It is the spirit I look for when choosing my wives." "How many wives do you have?" "I have three wives, and seven children." "I long to see them more than I can say." "Then we must win our freedom and return you home to them." "I thought you might be hungry." "THEY LAUGH" "Before today, I had never seen Cyrus and Shabaka smile together." "Last night." "I heard you cry out in your sleep." "I dream of being killed by the bull." "Do you ever dream of being free?" "I know what you are trying to do for us, and I am grateful for it." "Then join us." "There's much fun to be had at Hercules' expense." "SHE LAUGHS" "There is something weighing heavily on me..." "What is it?" "It is nothing." "Kai para soi." "Ge deo." "Tonne lesona nele-I desmo." "Tonne lesona nele-I desmo." "Everything is ready." "Now we must wait for the boy to face the bull." "What is it you want with Jason?" "I don't know what you mean." "When you have lived with thieves for as long as I have, you learn to sleep with one eye open." "Well, then you must be very tired." "Not so tired that I didn't see you beside Jason's bed as he slept." "You don't understand..." "Then tell me, so I don't assume the worst of you." "I know you have a good heart." "I have betrayed you all." "Tell me what it is you have done and we will make it right." "What is the meaning of this?" "It is nothing." "You'd better get some sleep." "You are facing the bull again tomorrow." "What is the cause of this ill feeling between yourself and Elpis?" "Cyrus, I am responsible for all the bull leapers." "If there is something troubling you, you should tell me." "Last night I saw Elpis cut a lock of Jason's hair as he slept." "I fear she means him harm." "I cannot understand it." "It is not in her nature." "Have you told anyone else what you saw?" "Only you." "Then we must keep it that way." "CYRUS GRUNTS" "BULL SNORTS" "What happened?" "He was gored when he came to feed the bull." "Even when showing them kindness, you cannot afford to lower your guard." "Let that be a lesson to you all." "Cyrus was lazy." "He would never have risen at dawn to feed the bull." "Then how did he come to be lying dead in a bull pen?" "SHE CRIES" "Cyrus was always kind to me." "When we were taken as slaves... we were only given meagre rations as we journeyed to Atlantis." "Cyrus would steal food from the guards and share it with me." "It wasn't the bull that killed Cyrus." "I believe it was Palos who took his life." "Why?" "I am to blame." "Cyrus saw me steal a lock of your hair as you slept." "Why would you steal a lock of my hair?" "Because Palos asked it of me." "In return, he said that the Lord Heptarian would grant me my freedom." "I do not want my freedom if this is the cost." "What would they want with a lock of my hair?" "I suspect it is so witchcraft can be used against you." "How so?" "Your hair is a living part of you." "It can be used to weave a curse." "Pasiphae?" "It would seem she is behind this." "Why?" "Of all the beautiful women in Atlantis - you couldn't have chosen the blacksmith's daughter, or the baker's daughter, Maia - she is lovely, and you can have all the bread you can eat." "Oh, no, no." "Only the King's daughter is good enough for you." "I have barely said two words to Ariadne." "It isn't about the words." "It's in the eyes." "Is it?" "I thought it was the words..." "Ah, well, that's because you are a fool with no knowledge of women." "And it seems the Queen has also noticed the way Ariadne looks at you." "And now she wants you dead." "I had hoped to escort you to the bull leaping." "I do not wish to trouble you." "It would be no trouble." "I would enjoy your company." "I take no joy in watching men die for my entertainment." "It is for Poseidon to decide their fate." "Then we must hope he is merciful." "I am tired." "You will have to excuse me." "Be patient." "The boy will soon be dead, and forgotten." "I cannot believe the Queen herself would want me dead." "You should not underestimate Ariadne's feelings towards you." "She has the look?" "Ah, the man with the three wives knows what I'm talking about." "How are we going to stop her?" "I did have one idea." "Medusa." "She works in the palace and we need someone to retrieve the lock of your hair." "Without it, the Queen has no power over you." "And if she's caught?" "I will not involve her in this." "I will not risk her life." "Then we will more than likely die here and you will never see her again." "How would we even get word to Medusa?" "We're prisoners." "I did have another idea." "You're not going to like it." "I didn't like the first one." "I think you're going to like this one even less." "Oh, no." "You cannot ask me to do this." "There must be another way!" "If you can think of one, we will gladly listen to it." "And we face the bull tomorrow, so you must think of it before then." "Once again it falls to me to rescue you." "Just remember... it's all in the eyes." "Sophia?" "Ah..." "Hercules!" "What are you doing here?" "I have been called to the bulls." "I didn't know." "It's been weeks since I saw you last." "And that saddens me more than I can say." "When you didn't visit, I thought there was another woman." "HE LAUGHS AWKWARDLY" "How could you even think such a thing?" "Well, it's because of what happened before, with Maia - the baker's daughter." "W" " W-We should not dwell on the past." "Let us live for the moment." "Oh, Hercules..." "Much as I would love to take you into my arms, there is something I must ask of you first." "Medusa, I would not ask for your help if there were any other way." "Jason's life is in grave danger." "Remember all you have learned." "If you please Poseidon... he may yet spare you." "Whatever the outcome of the dance, you have earned your freedom." "Do not risk your life." "I fear the fate of your team is already sealed." "WATER SPILLS" "ARIADNE= I thought you would be at the amphitheatre?" "There is an urgent matter I must attend to." "I shall join you as soon as I can." "Your father will be expecting you at his side." "I will play the dutiful daughter and sit at my father's side but I will not pretend to enjoy it." "SHE SCOFFS" "Your thoughts are with this boy?" "My thoughts are with all those who must face the bull." "I shall take no pleasure in seeing the boy die." "I doubt Heptarian will be able to conceal his joy." "Oh, you judge him too harshly." "I judge Heptarian as I see him." "You must start seeing him as your husband, because that is what he is to become." "O despoinis eme..." "Hekate..." "CROWD ROAR" "Liparokredemne..." "SHE INHALES DEEPLY" "O despoinis eme, Hekate..." "Do not give them the satisfaction of seeing your fear." "HORN BLOWS" "You have been called to the bulls." "CROWD CHEER" "If you die this day, Poseidon will accept your sacrifice." "TEAM= Hail Minos." "We salute you, we who are going to die." "May Poseidon receive our offering." "CROWD APPLAUD" ".. Hutos aner pros to skelos un nun de katekhestho..." "HE GASPS" "HE GROANS" "Hey, hey, hey..." "Hey." "TEAM SHOUT AT BULL" "CROWD APPLAUD" "En stereois desmois katekhestho." "Kai men pros phrenas katekhestho..." "HE GROANS" "What if Medusa is unable to stop Pasiphae?" "We must trust in her." "Hey, hey, hey..." "BULL ROARS" "Hey, hey, hey!" "HE ROARS" "CROWD LAUGH" "Oh, yes." "Oh, yes!" "Hercules!" "JASON GROANS" "Hey, hey, hey..." "CROWD APPLAUD" "Yes!" "Jason cannot even stand." "We will not survive this much longer." "RUMBLING" "No!" "What is it?" "Medusa." "Right." "We must all leap the bull if we are to win our freedom." "I know you can do this." "CROWD APPLAUD" "I did it!" "Elpis!" "Draw the bull toward me!" "Trust me." "Hey, hey, hey." "Hey, hey, hey." "CROWD CHEER" "You have offered your lives to Poseidon and he has spared you." "You leave the Bull Court as free men." "CROWD CHEER" "Hercules!" "Heptarian was looking for you." "He had hoped for an audience." "I went to the temple, to make an offering of gratitude to Poseidon." "It seems you have much to be grateful for." "If your father were to learn of your affections for this boy," "I fear his life would be in great danger." "You must banish all thoughts of him." "I do not wish to endanger him any further." "I know you think me harsh, but as Queen you cannot always follow your heart." "Then you are well suited to the role." "It is only a matter of yards, but the air somehow feels fresher." "It is the taste of freedom." "What will you do?" "I will journey with Elpis to her village." "Then I will make the long journey home." "Good luck." "You will always be welcomed as honoured guests in my village." "I will never forget what you did for us." "Well, there can be no doubting Medusa's feeling towards me now." "Why else would she have helped me?" "It's a mark of her growing affection." "I still say she's too young for you." "Not to mention too slim." "Perhaps I could lose some weight." "It's a baby." "We've found out who the little fellow is - and it's not good news." "What are you doing to my boy?"