"Oh." "Gabrielle?" "Hmm." "Everything all right?" "Yeah--fine.Just thinking." "Hmm.Thank you." "For what?" "You stuck by me through everything." "Likewise, I'm sure." "I hope I never disappoint you, Xena." "Impossible." "I've learned that anything is possible" "There's somebody in the shadows by the poplar tree." "I know." "Xena." "I'm Xena." "I was sent by the weak one--who's--soft as water" "Messenger and -- hard as the raging flood." "Eat dirt." "I'm afraid I can't help you friend-- you're wound's too severe." "I bring a message to you." "I'm listening." "The Green Dragon has become too large-- and must be made-- small." "The Green Dragon?" "I'm going on a long journey." "You're going on a long journey-- what happened to 'we'?" "This time's different." "What's so different about it?" "I have to travel toward the rising sun for many,many days." "Xena, that's not a problem for me." "The land that I'm travelling to is as different to ours as night is to day-- the kingdom of Chin." "You think that's an argument against my coming?" "It sounds fascinating." "If you came, you couldn't get in my way." "Are you saying I'm a nuisance?" "No-- you just wouldn't like what I'm going there to do." "OK, let's forget the cryptic part." "Are you going up against a dragon?" "No." "Is the Green Dragon a person?" "Yes." "Which person?" "The one I'm gonna kill." "In a time of ancient gods, warlords, and kings," "A land in turmoil cried out for a hero." "She was Xena, a mighty princess, forged in the heat of battle." "The power... the passion... the danger..." "Her courage will change the world..." "Maybe there's something that" "I don't understand-- some subtlety I'm not getting?" "Xena" "I'll tell you what it looks like on the surface." "You plan on travelling this long, grueling trip for the sole purpose of killing someone." "That pretty much sums it up." "But, you can't do that!" "Like I said, maybe it's better you don't come." "Try and stop me." "At least, tell me why?" "You will never understand." "After all we've been through, you can say that?" "How much for the lot of this?" "Twenty dinar." "Twenty dinars?" "Do we look like stupid?" "Oh-- well-- fifteen dinar." "Give him twelve-- it's more than it's worth." "Thanks, Gabrielle." "You're welcome." "I'm glad I could help you get a deal on the things you need to committ a murder." "Xena, what are you doing?" "Gabrielle, this just something I have to do." "Then, explain it to me." "Who do you have to kill?" "Why?" "To understand what I have to do, you need to understand what was left undone." "Ten years ago, as you know," "Caesar left his mark on me." "Break her legs." "A new Xena is born tonight-- with a new purpose in life-- death." "With shattered legs and crippled soul, I went east-- to lose myself in vengeance" "not against Caesar-- but the entire human race." "No!" "We don't slaughter them!" "I'm telling you, Borias-- the only way to deal with these scum is through terror." "And if we kill them all, who's left to be terrified?" "Tell Ming what happens to his soldiers when he sends them against Borias." "Borias." "Yeah." "I want the dead." "The dead?" "Yeah, these ones and the ones back on the battlefield." "I'm gonna put them to work" "Fine-- do what you will with them." "Yah!" "This will convince Ming to talk, more than all of Borias' diplomacy." "We sit out here,in the middle of nowhere, while all the riches of Chin await us." "Old families of Chin are very powerful." "We could take them one at a time." "First we hit Ming, and then we turn on Lao." "Borias wants to form an alliance with one family first,before he moves." "And while he waits, what's to stop Ming and Lao from forming an alliance with one another?" "Oh, no.No,they dont wanna cooperate." "I say--kill'em all!" "Sit down." "Did you see what he was wearing?" "Pure silk, and he's just a lackey." "I'm telling you, Borias, these people are ripe for " "Quiet." "My humble yurt is unworthy of your presence," "Ming Tzu." "Not at all,Borias.This--is my son--Ming Tien." "As sole heir to my kingdom," "I'm teaching him to rule." "He's here to learn how to deal with thieves." "Insults aren't the best way to begin negotiations, Ming Tzu." "You misunderstand." "I have the greatest respect for thieves." "Every man born to wealth has a good thief amongst his ancestors, somewhere." "Remember that,Ming Tien." "Have a seat." "Thank you--but I would rather stand." "I won't be staying long." "Your offer sounds simple enough." "You raid Lao's region, and I remain neutral." "And in return, you receive one-third of our loot." "One-half." "No deal." "This woman is in charge?" "!" "No, she's not." "But your offer" "It is not an offer." "It is a statement of fact." "If you want my cooperation, you will give me half of everything you steal." "Half, huh?" "You're not gonna pay this pig half." "I'm sorry to have wasted your time, Borias-- but clearly, your friend is not interested in doing business." "Wait a minute, don't listen to her." "Ming Tzu!" "Hmm." "He's gone, huh?" "Because I called him a name?" "Then he's too soft." "Ah, you don't understand these people." "No matter what-- you have to always let them save face." "Saving his ugly mug wasn't exactly what I had in mind." "And,besides,what kind of a deal was that, huh?" "We do all the dirty work, and he gets half." "You're a fool." "Whatever deal I made with him," "I will then go to Lao, and make a better one." "What do we need either one of them for?" "When Ming sent his soldiers after us we chopped 'em up pretty good." "We held our own." "But what if Ming and Lao-- were to ally against us?" "Oh-- then I'd say" " Kill 'em all." " Yeah-- that's what I said" "That was obviously your answer to everything in those days, Xena." "I can't believe it's the same Borias who later helped the Centaurs." "We were quite a pair in those days." "And to think that two people like that made a beautiful child like Solon." "Hmm." "Huh." "You ain't heard nothin' yet." "I don't think I want to hear any more about this tale of-- war, greed, hate." "Hate?" "It's not about hate." "It's about love." "Lao approaches!" "Let him wait!" "Come on, Xena." "We can do this anytime." "Don't be so sure." "Ah--I don't want you messing things up." "Yah!" "Run to your master-- puppy." "Borias extends the sincerest welcome to the head of the house of Lao." "I'm Lao Ma-- wife of the great Lao." "Please forgive my husband for-- sending his insignificant wife-- to handle such-- difficult affairs of state." "But he's very ill." "I'm sorry to hear that." "You're very welcome, of course." "I know you're a great warrior," "Borias-- but I've also heard that you're a man of honor." "You must be Xena." "Oh, you've heard of me." "Oh yes-- they say you're a dangerous woman." "Well they're right." "You have nothing to fear, Lao Ma." "We will negotiate with honor-- and with fairness." "I hope we will find common ground on which to stand." "That's my piece of meat you're reaching for." "You're wrong." "I don't eat meat." "I apologize for this-- simple dwelling." "It's an honor for me to accept whatever hospitality you can spare." "What we talked about tonight-- will benefit us both." "Yes-- it's an agreement that will make my husband most happy." "You wanted to kill that poor, innocent woman-- out of jealousy." "Jealousy-- over Borias?" "You gotta be kidding." "No, Borias and I were just using each other." "Then why?" "I wanted to kill Lao Ma because I knew in my heart that she'd be a civilizing influence on him-- and I liked him wild-- like I was-- an animal, living from one moment to the next" "driven by desire alone." "Did you kill her?" "I don't know if you people pray to the gods-- but if you don't, now'd be a great time to start." "What happened?" "I'm sorry, Borias." "I'll be leaving immediately." "I don't think an alliance is appropriate, now." "It's over, Xena." "You have until sunrise to get out of this camp." "After that" " I'll kill you on sight." "Xena, when she whispered in your ear, what did she say?" "She said," "'Fill yourself with desire and see only illusion." "Empty yourself of desire and understand the great mystery of things.'" "That's good." "I take it that you didn't listen to her." "No." "No, not then-- not for a long time." "I decided to-- accomplish what Borias had only dreamed of-- to get rich with the help of one of the houses of Chin." "I decided to make Ming Tzu my creature." "How were you going to do that?" "By appealing to his sense of family values." "Come on." "I've just cut off the flow of blood to your brain." "You'll be dead in a minute." "What do you want to know?" "Nothin'" "I'm just letting you know how long you got left, so you ca enjoy it." "Come on." "Yeah." "Xena wins again." "You're insane!" "And you're scared." "Why is that?" "You got Ming and Lao breathing down my neck." "They think I had something to do with this." "Ming and Lao together?" "Nothing brings royal houses together faster than kidnappers." "Well, if I'm dealing with the both of them," "I'm doubling my demands." "Where's the child?" "!" "Hey Chuang, he thinks I'm gonna tell him." "What I will do, however, is cut you in on the deal, if you set up the exchange." "We meet in your yurt on the plains, north of the Great Wall." "Ming brings me fifty of his best horses-- and 25-- no, fifty bags of gold-- and" "I give him his boy." "For your part, you get-- five per cent." "Oh, and, uh-- that's not an offer-- that's a statement of fact." "Check the gold." "You saw the horses?" "Oh, yeah-- nice." "The boy." "You got a smart kid." "Of course, he got a whole lot smarter when he was with me." "He's on the third packhorse out there, under some skins." "Well, that was a thing of beauty." "As promised." "Good--you take the gold and horses." "I get the woman." "You're going to die, Xena." "And that's a statement of fact." "You kidnapped that child?" "And you would have killed him if you didn't get what you wanted?" "Yes." "I can't go there with you," "Xena-- and I don't mean the kingdom of Chin." "I know what you mean." "You're going through with this, aren't you?" "Yes!" "Well, I'm turning back!" "Who's the Green Dragon?" "It's not Borias-- he's already dead." "The other guy who betrayed you-- what's his name?" "Chuang?" "No, I killed him a long time ago." "Me?" "I'm sorry, but I can't help you commit murder." "Gabrielle," "I am catching a ship here that will carry me close to the kingdom of Chin." "If there was ever a time to turn back, it's now." "I understand." "You owe someone so much, that you would just throw away these last few years." "Yes." "Welcome Lao Ma." "I hope you don't mind us hunting so close to Lao territory." "But the terrain here is perfect." "Perfect, for what?" "Her-- the woman who succeeded in doing what a hundred diplomats could not do make an alliance between our two kingdoms." "You plan to hunt her?" "Yes.We're going to enjoy this, aren't we, Ming Tien?" "Well,please do not hesitate to use" "Lao land for your pleasure." "I brought something for you, Ming Tien." "I made it, myself." "A beaten, half-dead cripple-- doesn't sound very sporting, Ming Tzu." "No-- but it will be entertaining." "I must go." "Enjoy your entertainment." "You could have at least looked at her gift." "Let me see." "Ah--she knows my nickname for you." "Show it to him." "She has to die, Ming Tien." "She is your enemy." "Come with me if you wish your freedom." "Hurry-- he'll be back on the scent, soon." "Why are you doing this?" "I have been blessed-- or cursed-- with the ability to see into the souls of others." "You don't know it yet, Xena, but you're a remarkable woman-- capable of greatness." "Come quick." "We'll take refuge in my home." "Lao Ma" " My hounds have followed Xena's trail here." "They're probably just hungry." "Search the room." "Now-- if you'll respect my privacy." "You had better not be hiding her." "My Lord" " I would never hide what is yours." "When I arranged your marriage to Lao," "I expected you to show more loyalty towards me." "I was a courtesan-- and you sold me." "You expect loyalty?" "What a strange woman,Lao Ma-- soft, and hard at the same time." "Like water." "Nothing is soft as water-- yet, who can withstand the raging flood?" "Are you going up against a dragon?" "No." "Is the Green Dragon a person?" " Yes." " Which person?" "The one I'm gonna kill." "You owe someone so much-- that you would just throw away these last few years." "Wake up!" "Help me!" "Help me!" "You understand hatred, but you have never given into it." "Take the village!" "There's only one way to end this cycle of hatred, and it's through love." "We're gonna kill 'em all!" "You owe someone so much-- that you would just throw away these last few years?" "I'm sorry Xena" " I couldn't let you do this." "Lao Ma said you'd return one day." "Lock her up." "Manu2005"