03x06 - The Debt: Part 1

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Xena: Warrior Princess". Aired: September 1995 to June 2001.*
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Xena helps people free themselves against injustices.
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03x06 - The Debt: Part 1

Post by bunniefuu »

Gabrielle?

Everything all right?

Yeah-- fine.

Just thinking.

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-- 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 k*ll.

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...


[font color="#d "]The Debt[/font]
[font color="#a "](Part )[/font]

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 k*lling 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?

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 m*rder.

Xena, what are you doing?

Gabrielle, this just
something I have to do.

Then, explain it to me.

Who do you have to k*ll? 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 k*ll 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 b*ttlefield.

I'm gonna put them to work

Fine-- do what you will with them.

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 don't
wanna cooperate.

I say-- k*ll '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 T'ien.

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 T'ien.

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!

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?

Then I'd say--

- k*ll '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.

You ain't heard nothin' yet.

I don't think I want to
hear any more about

this tale of-- w*r, 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.

I don't want you messing things up.

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 k*ll 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 k*ll 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 k*ll 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 k*ll 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 --

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 k*lled 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 k*lled him
a long time ago.

Ming?

I'm sorry, Xena--

but I can't help you commit m*rder.

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 T'ien?

Well, please do not hesitate to use

Lao land for your pleasure.

I brought something
for you, Ming T'ien.

I made it, myself.

A beaten, half-dead cr*pple--

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.

She knows my nickname for you.

Show it to him.

She has to die, Ming T'ien.
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 k*ll.

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 k*ll '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.
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