AS DARKNESS FALLS
Written by: Robert Bielak
Directed by: George Mendeluk
Transcribed by: Pamela Thalner
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended. Purely for non-
profit purposes only. All characters and dialogue are the property of
Universal Studios, Renaissance Pictures, Action Pack, and MCA
Television. This transcript is not a novelization or a script, but is
instead a dry read-through of the episode "As Darkness Falls". It
also contains camera angles and descriptions of action where I
thought it necessary.
* * *
Teaser:
The scene opens on a shrine, decorated by a simple carving of a
peacock and lit with candles. It pans back to reveal a centaur --
Nemis, brother of Nessus.
Nemis: Oh, glorious Hera. I must possess the beautiful Penelope.
(whispering) Please. Send me some sign. I will do anything to win
her.
He raises his head, lifting his arms.
Nemis: Anything.
A shower of sparks pours forth from the altar, and when the smoke
clears, flames are left burning on it.
Nemis: Ah!
A new object has joined the others on the altar: a huge club,
intricately carved, set with curved spikes at the thick end. For a
moment, Hera's eyes, with the peacock feathers, are superimposed over
the image of the altar. Nemis steps forward, carefully picking up the
still-burning cudgel. He turns it in his hands, admiring the weapon.
Nemis: Thank you, Great Hera. Now you must show me. Who must I kill?
Cut to a grassy field. A man is pulling a cart piled high with armor.
He limps, and his steps are slow. As the camera pulls away, we see
Hercules running up to him from behind.
Hercules: Soldier!
The man stops as Hercules comes up alongside him.
Hercules: Where are you headed?
Soldier: Nespa.
Hercules: I'm going there myself -- to a wedding. Let me give you a
hand.
He starts to reach for some of the armor, but even as he does, the
soldier draws a sword and points it at Hercules. The grief on the
man's face is immeasurable. Hercules backs away.
Hercules: I'm not trying to steal your armor.
Soldier: Don't touch it!
Hercules: I was just trying to help.
Soldier: I don't want your help.
His voice is close to tears. Hercules looks at the cart.
Hercules: Two sets of armor. Your comrade's?
It's not a question. The soldier lets the sword fall.
Soldier: He died because I was a coward. I'm taking his armor back
to his family.
Hercules: You still have a long ways to go.
Soldier: It's the least I can do.
Hercules: (nodding) I understand. Good luck, my friend.
And he starts down the road. The soldier re-sheathes his sword.
Elsewhere, someone lifts a bow with an arrow nocked. He lets the
arrow fly; it strikes neatly through a large fruit hanging from a
hook and embeds in the tree trunk. Two centaurs are revealed,
admiring the marksmanship of the first, Craesus.
Craesus: Ha-ha! Beat that.
Lyla, a lovely young human woman, steps forward to wrest the arrow
from the tree.
Lyla: Dead center!
She takes the fruit off and hangs another one on the hook while the
centaurs glance at each other. Her smile towards them is warm and
fond.
Lyla: Okay? Go.
Lyla darts away from the tree. The second centaur, Deric, aims his
bow and lets fly an arrow, which strikes the fruit perfectly.
Craesus: Huh. Why do we bother practicing? Even if we win an event,
the groom gets the money.
Deric: I take pride in knowing I'm as good as any of them.
Lyla is removing the arrow from the tree, grinning.
Lyla: (cheering at the accuracy of the shot) Yeah!
Craesus: Then why aren't you sitting at the main table, instead of
quarantined halfway to the woods?
As they speak, Lyla comes running down the rocky slope to them.
Deric: Still, not many people would dare invite a centaur to a
wedding.
Craesus: Ten years we work for the bride's father, and this is the
thanks we get? A table between the children and where they tether
their beasts?
Lyla: Aww, are you denying the beast in you?
She rubs Craesus' back.
Craesus: You watch your tongue.
Deric: Craesus is right, Lyla. You'd probably be a bridesmaid if you
didn't hang around with us.
Lyla leans comfortably against Deric, who puts his arm around her
shoulders.
Lyla: I choose my own friends.
Nemis: Lyla!
Nemis, who has just appeared, tosses a wineskin at Lyla; warned by
his shout, she barely has time to catch it.
Nemis: Fill it with wine. And when the time is right, add this.
He flings a smaller pouch at her. She catches it, looking confused.
Nemis: Hera has given me the power to win the hand of Penelope.
Craesus laughs at this.
Craesus: Penelope? She's the bride.
Nemis: Now I can show her the error of her judgment. And with this--
He brings the spiked club into view, twirling it in his hands.
Nemis: --I will avenge my brother's death!
Lyla glances at Deric, a worried look.
Nemis: It's a club like you've never seen.
He whirls it around a couple of times, then smites the boulder
standing before him. There is a flash of light and an explosion, and
when the smoke clears, the stone has shattered in half.
Nemis: This club will kill Hercules.
Craesus, Lyla, and Deric register varying degrees of shock as we fade
to black.
* * *
Voice-Over: This is the story of a time long ago, a time of myth and
legend; when the ancient gods were petty and cruel, and they plagued
mankind with suffering. Only one man dared to challenge their power:
Hercules! Hercules possessed a strength the world had never seen; a
strength surpassed only by the power of his heart. He journeyed the
Earth, battling the minions of his wicked stepmother Hera, the all-
powerful Queen of the Gods. But wherever there was evil, wherever an
innocent would suffer, there would be Hercules!
* * *
Part One:
Hercules is walking along a faint path, shaded by trees on one side.
Salmoneus: (off-screen) Hercules! Hey, Hercules, wait up!
Hercules glances back to see Salmoneus rushing up to him.
Hercules: Not again.
Salmoneus: Hercules, I thought it was you.
He claps Hercules on the shoulder as he catches up.
Hercules: Salmoneus, good to see you.
Salmoneus: Whew! You got quite a stride there.
Hercules: You should take better care of yourself. You're looking a
little worn down since the last time I saw you.
Salmoneus: (laughing) That's not funny, my friend. It might be easy
for a god to entertain fifty nubile maidens. It almost killed me.
Hercules: Almost, huh? You still selling togas?
Salmoneus: Nah, I got out of that racket. The styles change every
year. Real estate -- that's where the future is. They're not making
any more land, you know. Which reminds me -- hey, take a look at
this.
He stops to pull something out of his pocket. It's a book of sorts,
which Salmoneus opens to one page.
Salmoneus: Isn't that beautiful? I got a great deal on some
swampland in Macedonia--
Hercules: Not interested.
Salmoneus: No, I don't mean for you to buy! You could be my partner,
huh? With your knack for moving mountains and diverting rivers, we
could make a killing just subdividing by twenty extra lots.
Hercules is giving Salmoneus a Look.
Hercules: Not interested.
He starts walking off.
Salmoneus: Think about it! You don't have to decide now. Hey,
Hercules, where you going?
Salmoneus darts after Hercules.
Hercules: (with a sigh) You're going to Nespa too?
Salmoneus: Yeah! There's a wedding going on there. I figure that
newlyweds always need to get off on the right foot, buy a home, a
little land, see about your southern exposure, three kinds of
natural...
Cut to the wedding site in Nespa. A young man steps up before the
altar, which is bedecked with flowers and ribbons.
Marcus: Happy?
A young woman dressed in white -- Penelope -- comes up to him, and
they embrace with a tender kiss.
Penelope: Mmm. And you?
Marcus: Mm... very.
She giggles.
Marcus: (pulling away) But I still think it was a mistake inviting
Lyla and the centaurs.
Penelope: Marcus, we've been over this. Lyla is one of my oldest
friends. And Craesus and Deric have worked my father's farm for
years. It'd be an insult not to invite them.
Marcus: Even at the risk of destroying the wedding ceremony?
Penelope: They'll be fine... at least, as long as they stay away
from the wine.
Marcus: And who's gonna keep them away from it?
He walks off. Penelope folds her arms, smiling tolerantly.
On a platform high above, a man blows a long horn to announce the
celebration. In the field below him, men can be seen competing in
feats of strength and javelin-throwing. He climbs down the stairs,
revealing as he goes a larger area, part of which is laid out with
tables for feasting. People are everywhere, talking excitedly. Into
this scene walk Hercules and Salmoneus.
Salmoneus: Location, location, location. That's what it's all about.
See, I've got some Thracian hills here with views to die for.
Hercules: Not interested.
Salmoneus: No -- you don't realize the potential--
He pauses, looking up for the first time and taking in the sizable
group in attendance.
Salmoneus: Woah, look at all these prospects. Ah -- guests.
Hercules: I can't believe your ability to turn anything into a
profit-making venture.
Salmoneus: It's a gift.
Hercules: Do me a favor? Keep the hustling and selling to a minimum?
They may be dressed for a wedding, but these are not rich people.
Salmoneus: You hurt me.
Hercules: Don't tell me I've actually wounded your pride.
Salmoneus: What pride? You're cutting off my source of revenue! I'm
trying to earn a living here!
Across the field, Penelope sees them and comes running towards them.
Penelope: Hercules!
He catches her up in a hug, lifting her off the ground, and they both
laugh delightedly.
Hercules: Penelope! Look -- look at you. You're all grown up.
Penelope: Well, I couldn't stay twelve forever. Not even for you. So
happy to see you, I wasn't sure you'd come.
Hercules: What, and miss the wedding of Mycene's sister?
Penelope: I wish he were here to see it.
Hercules: I know. Me, too.
He pauses, then, to lighten the mood a little, and turns to
Salmoneus.
Hercules: This is a friend of mine, Salmoneus.
Salmoneus: (shaking her hand) Congratulations. I'd like to talk to
you about your future.
Hercules: Do you listen to a word I say?
Salmoneus: Which word is that?
Hercules sighs, while Penelope giggles.
Penelope: Come. You must be starving after your journey.
She leads him off; Salmoneus is promptly distracted by some ladies
sitting at a nearby table.
Salmoneus: Hi! Uh, I'm Salmoneus...
Cut to the dirt path leading to Nespa. The soldier is still making
his way slowly down the road, though he is walking slowly and
breathing heavily with each labored step. He drags his load off to
the side of the road and lets the rope drop from his shoulder as he
rests.
At the wedding, Hercules and Salmoneus walk together toward the
gaming area. One of the centaurs we saw earlier, Craesus, is
competing in a javelin-throwing competition; various partygoers,
including Lyla, are watching. He takes a jogging run and then throws
the javelin, which arcs high in the air before landing far beyond any
of the others' javelins. Hercules raises his eyebrows, impressed; the
crowd makes sounds of appreciation. A young man standing in the
field, near some of the spent javelins, goes to measure it.
Young Man: Two hundred and four paces!
Craesus moves out of the way as Hercules and Salmoneus approach.
Hercules glances over at Lyla, who looks back, then smiles. Craesus
comes up next to them.
Craesus: Ever seen anyone throw that far?
Hercules: Only once.
Craesus: Oh? How about that far with accuracy?
He glances down at Hercules, his smile challenging.
Hercules: Pick your target.
Craesus: The far stump.
Man #1: The far stump?!
Hercules: You're on.
Salmoneus: Okay!
He promptly turns to the crowd and starts moving through it as a man
tosses javelins to Craesus and Hercules.
Salmoneus: I've got Hercules for twenty dinars! Twenty dinars,
who'll take the centaur? Twenty dinars?
Man #2: Bet against Hercules? Are you crazy?
Salmoneus: I'll give two to one odds.
There is no response.
Salmoneus: Three to one.
No one seems to be interested, and Salmoneus heaves a breath.
Salmoneus: (exasperated) Five?
Suddenly everyone is interested, and money begins exchanging hands.
Meanwhile, Craesus glances at Hercules speculatively: who's going
first?
Hercules: Be my guest.
Craesus trots forward and hurls his javelin. It flies high before
landing neatly in the stump. The onlookers give sighs of awe at the
shot. Craesus trots back.
Craesus: That'll be hard to beat.
Hercules: Very hard.
He lifts the javelin, testing the weight of it.
Hercules: Little light. Makes it harder to gauge distance.
Craesus: Well, perhaps you'd rather--
Before he can finish, Hercules raises the javelin and runs forward,
throwing it towards the target. There is a long moment of silence as
it flies, and then it hits Craesus' javelin, splitting the wood in
two and burying itself in the stump. Craesus looks stunned. The crowd
cheers.
Man #3: It went clear through it! He hit the centaur's!
Salmoneus begins dividing out the winnings to the bettors as Hercules
returns to where Craesus stands.
Hercules: Lucky shot.
He walks away. The young man measuring the distances goes to the
stump, blowing out a breath of astonishment at the feat. Lyla gazes
speculatively after Hercules. Salmoneus leaves the crowd and jogs up
to Hercules.
Salmoneus: Hey, Hercules! You ever thought about getting an agent?
Hercules: What's an agent?
Salmoneus: You know, someone to find you work. Make sure you get
paid for all your toil and trouble?
Hercules: It's not work to me, Salmoneus. I enjoy helping people.
Besides, payment is never part of the deal.
Salmoneus: See, that's where you need me! I could get you a contract
for big dinars.
Hercules: Not interested.
Behind them, Lyla has separated from the crowd and follows them.
Salmoneus: I'm just thinking of your future. Suppose you want to get
out of the hero business, you know, open up a souvenir shop, have...
I know, not interested.
Lyla: I bet I know what interests you.
She continues to walk between the two men until she stands in front
of Hercules, reaching for his hands.
Hercules: And... what's that?
Lyla: Pretty things? Come, I'll show you the best view in all of
Nespa.
She starts to pull on his hands, but he doesn't move, and she looks
back at him.
Lyla: Oh, come on. I won't bite.
Salmoneus just watches them go.
A view of several arches that lead off into the distance, loosely
defining a road, with a few people near one, fades into an open
balcony above the main party grounds, where a small table is set with
flowers, a jug, and two goblets. Lyla leads Hercules to the railing;
the wind whips at their hair and her skirts.
Lyla: Did I lie?
Hercules: No. It must be wonderful to wake up every morning and see
this.
Lyla: Hm.
She steps closer, hand on his chest.
Lyla: I have never seen a man throw a javelin so far.
Hercules: Well, all it takes is a little practice.
Lyla: What else have you practiced?
Her wandering hand dips inside his shirt, and he gently but firmly
removes it.
Hercules: Can we slow this down?
Lyla: Aw, don't tell me you like to fall in love with someone before
you go to bed with them. I'm not a virgin, you know.
She leans in to kiss his chest where it is bared by his tunic. He
takes hold of her shoulders to urge her back.
Hercules: That's not the point. Heh. I just don't want to go through
life leaving a string of fatherless children behind.
Lyla: Are you always so noble?
Hercules: I try to be.
She looks at him for a moment, then turns and goes to the table.
Picking up the jug, she unstoppers it and pours wine into the
goblets. Once done, she stops the jug again, setting it down, and
brings the goblets back to where Hercules leans on the railing.
Lyla: Well. A toast -- to Hercules, and nobility.
Hercules: And to Lyla, and beauty.
She gives him a wry little smile and clinks their goblets together.
He drinks, but she only holds the cup to her lips, watching him.
Having quaffed the wine, he moves to set the goblet down; she reaches
for his hand.
Lyla: Are you sure I can't convince you otherwise?
Hercules: Uh, I'm sorry.
Lyla: No?
Her fingers rest lightly on his cheek, and she leans up, kissing him.
It is slow and thorough, and he lets out a tense sigh afterwards.
Hercules: Look, I can't -- do this.
Lyla: Well, you can't expect me to make it easy for you. No offense.
Hercules: None taken. Excuse me.
He leaves, and she turns to watch him go. Once he's gone, she pours
her goblet into the flowers on the table, then goes back to the
balcony. Behind her, the flowers wither and die.
* * *
Part Two:
As two men compete in a wrestling bout, Hercules and Salmoneus walk
through the party grounds.
Hercules: Tell me, Salmoneus, do I look all right to you?
Salmoneus: Uh, sure. I think you're very attractive. I mean, I don't
find you particularly attractive, but I'm sure women do. I mean, I
don't find you unattractive. In fact, I'd consider you quite
handsome. I--I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I'm not
interested in you that way.
Hercules finally stops.
Hercules: What I mean was, do I look like there's anything wrong
with me?
Salmoneus: Come again?
Hercules: I just -- don't feel right. It's my eyes. Does the day
seem a bit overcast to you?
Salmoneus glances around; the sun is shining brightly as it has been
all day.
Salmoneus: Not at all, why do you ask?
Hercules: Just curious.
He walks away from a puzzled-looking Salmoneus.
Nearby, Deric walks by one of the tables where several guests are
seated. One of them is complaining loudly to her friends.
Woman #1: I think it's disgusting that they should ask those
creatures to a wedding, no less!
Woman #2: Shh! He'll hear you!
Deric pauses, then turns back to the table as Hercules approaches.
Woman #2: Quiet down, quiet down!
Deric walks up between two of the women. He reaches for a roasted
chicken and takes a huge, sloppy bite out of it, deliberately leaning
in close to one of the women, who recoils from him. He continues to
tear chunks of meat out of it; the women make faces and cry out in
disgust. Hercules chuckles a little as Deric walks up to him, licking
his fingers.
Deric: Funny, I thought the chicken was delicious. Do you think it's
the company?
Hercules: It's possible. See, assigned seating can be a problem.
Deric: Yes, I've noticed the centaurs have been exiled to the far
tables.
Hercules: Well, some would claim that they offer a better view of
the ceremonies.
Deric: (laughing) Well, in that case perhaps you'd care to eat with
us.
Hercules: I'd love to. It's been years since I've broken bread with
a centaur.
This offer clearly surprises Deric.
Deric: It's rumored you were taught by one.
Hercules: No rumor. Almost everything I know, I learned from a
centaur named Ceridian.
Deric: Including athletic skills?
Hercules: Yes.
Deric: Perhaps we ought to test the student. See how well he's
learned.
Hercules: Done.
Cut to an arrow flying in the air. It lands in a target, in the small
center ring. A man standing nearby runs up to it to measure the
accuracy. Across the field, Hercules and Deric admire Deric's aim.
Man #4: (shouting) Two fingers left of center!
Lyla gives Deric a smile.
Man #5: Nice shot, Deric! Hercules won't beat that!
Hercules then takes his bow and draws back. As he aims, the target
goes in and out of focus, and he blinks, narrowing his eyes to try to
clear his vision, to no avail. Unable to clearly envision the target,
he lowers the bow. Lyla gives him a sardonic look. He raises the bow
again, and when the target is clear, he lets the arrow fly.
Hercules' arrow also strikes the target in the painted center, and
again, the man runs up to measure.
Man #4: (shouting) Two fingers right of center! A tie!
Spectators: Two winners!
Man #6: Well done.
A man brings two ceramic cups -- the prizes for the competition --
and hands them to Hercules and Deric while Salmoneus haggles with
bettors. Hercules gives Deric a smile, raising his cup, and walks
away, bow in hand.
Salmoneus catches up with Hercules a little ways away.
Hercules: I'm not laying back. Something is wrong with my eyes.
Salmoneus: Yeah, right. You hit a bull's-eye two hundred paces away,
huh. You must be going blind.
Hercules: Salmoneus, I'm telling you--
Salmoneus: Well, whatever you're doing, keep it up. If this keeps
going, I get the odds down to three, maybe even two to one, hah! Ha
ha!
He runs off, leaving Hercules to stare around in confusion.
Elsewhere, Lyla, Deric, and Craesus are sharing some wine.
Deric: You gave him the drink?
Lyla: Just like Nemis said.
Deric: All of it?
Lyla: What do you think I am, stupid?
Deric: Anybody else would have been completely incapacitated.
Lyla: Nemis is too crazy to care.
Craesus: Huh! You'd be crazy, too, if Hercules killed your twin.
Deric, looking through the food on the table, picks up a carrot, then
disgustedly tosses it aside.
Lyla: Nemis' twin tried to rape Hercules' wife. He deserved to die.
Craesus: Too bad you wound up on the same side as Nemis, huh? And
the rest of us outcasts.
Deric: Watch your mouth, Craesus.
Lyla: (looking toward the wedding party) Cheris makes a beautiful
maid of honor, doesn't she?
As if sensing Lyla's gaze, Cheris turns, looking at the group. Her
smile fades.
Lyla: Pity she's spoken for.
The centaurs laugh.
Hercules has found Penelope, and they walk together, arm in arm,
through the tables where guests of the party are seated, talking and
laughing.
Hercules: Well, maybe I am losing my touch.
Penelope: Oh, but you didn't have any problems yesterday.
Hercules: Penelope, how well do you know Lyla?
Penelope: Oh, the lovely Lyla! We used to be best friends. When we
were younger, we were inseperable. She had a real crush on my brother
before he died at the siege of Corinth. And then she changed. She
got... wilder. Started hanging around with centaurs.
Hercules: That's not a crime.
Penelope: Oh, it is to some people around here. You might have lost
a few fans when you befriended Deric earlier.
Hercules: I didn't befriend him, I was just being civil.
Penelope: Yeah. I try to be the same way. Centaurs are like everyone
else. Some are good, some are bad. Oh, no.
Her attention is caught by an approaching centaur -- Nemis.
Penelope: Speaking of bad.
Hercules: Nemis.
Nemis moves roughly through the crowd, shoving people aside and
ignoring their cries of protest. He carries the cudgel slung over his
back, and he moves purposefully through the clearing.
Penelope: You know him?
Hercules: His twin brother tried to abduct someone very dear to me.
I was forced to kill him. What's he doing here?
Penelope: I suppose he invited himself. He used to work our farm. We
even played together when I was younger. Then my father threw him off
when he started getting too familiar.
Marcus: (approaching from behind) Your father had the right idea.
Penelope: Marcus, don't--
Marcus: I don't want him here. He wasn't invited.
Penelope: Please, don't make a scene.
Nemis approaches Lyla and the other centaurs.
Nemis: Everyone ready?
Deric: Nemis, are you sure you want to go through with this?
Nemis ignores this and looks to Craesus.
Nemis: Have you chosen your prize?
Craesus: Oh yes, I have.
He smirks and drinks from his cup, and they turn their attention back
to the seating area. Penelope and Marcus stand near the bridesmaids.
Penelope: Stop it, no. Marcus, no. Come on, it's our wedding day.
Please.
She addresses Cheris, who's looking nervous.
Penelope: Don't be afraid. He'll go before long.
Nemis: Someday Penelope will thank me for this.
Wedding Guest: Hey, look! It's Tyron!
Into the middle of the wedding appears the soldier who was dragging
the armor earlier. He drops a piece of armor to the ground, facing
two men who approach him.
Brother #1: It's our brother's armor.
Brother #2: Where is he, Tyron?
Tyron: He died in battle, at my side. It was my fault.
Cheris rushes up and embraces him.
Cheris: Tyron! Tyron, you're back!
Tyron: Please, Cheris, I don't deserve you. Not anymore.
He pushes her away from him.
Brother #1: I'll second that. Tell us how our brother died, war
hero.
Tyron: It was in the marshes at Thebes. We were attacked by a larger
force. I fell. I was about to be killed. Teres turned his back to
help. He died saving me.
Brother #2: Did you avenge his death?
Tyron: I tried! But the command to retreat was sounded!
Brother #2: So you ran?!
Tyron: I withdrew! A soldier follows orders. Teres was already dead.
There was nothing I could do.
Brother #2: Then I'll avenge my brother, and you shall join him!
Cheris: No!
She interposes herself between Tyron and the brother. The brother
pulls her out of the way, and both of them begin beating up Tyron.
Other wedding guests move to separate them as the second brother
draws his sword, and then Hercules wades into it, putting a hand on
the brother's sword arm to prevent him from swinging.
Hercules: Hold on! Hold on!
Brother #2: This is not your business, Hercules!
Hercules: Killing him won't bring your brother back.
Brother #2: But it'll make us feel better.
Hercules: Why? Tyron has acted with honor. He's carried your
brother's armor from the battlefield to your doorstep.
Brother #1: So we'll return the favor. We'll deliver his armor to
his family.
Hercules: Then you'll have to go through me.
The brothers seem agreeable to this. Brother #1 swings at Hercules,
catching him in the shoulder, as Brother #2 lunges for Hercules.
Hercules punches him and knocks him down. Out of nowhere, four more
men jump on Hercules, hitting him and bearing him down under their
weight. As sone of the wedding guests scream, Hercules pushes up,
flinging all of the men away from him. There is more screaming;
Hercules looks around, but his vision is getting discernably worse,
and everything around him appears blurred and out-of-focus.
The centaurs approach the main seating area as Hercules continues to
deal with his attackers. One man hits him in the jaw, swinging him
around; he fends off an attempted punch from another, knees the man
in the gut and then brings his foot back to kick the first man in the
stomach, knocking him down. Holding onto the second man's arm,
Hercules tosses him aside, into a couple of other men. A third
attacker hits Hercules in the stomach; then he and a fourth man grab
Hercules and swing him onto a table. He lands on his stomach, with
his face in a frosted cake. Without pause, the men drag him the
length of the table, knocking food and drink from it as they go, and
toss him to the ground.
Hercules lands hard; shaking his head, he pushes up to his feet.
Wiping some of the food from his face, he licks his fingers, then
glances at a man standing next to him.
Hercules: Needs salt.
And he goes off again. The centaurs continue their approach. A fifth
attacker gets a staff around Hercules' shoulders, holding it from
behind; a sixth man comes at him from the front, and Hercules kicks
him, then grabs the man's foot when he tries to kick back and flips
him away. Hercules grabs the staff and flips the man behind him over
his shoulders, then holds the staff up over his head with both hands
-- just in time to fend off the swing of another staff from behind
him. He turns to face the man, using his own staff to knock him down,
then getting another attacker in the stomach with it and using the
momentum to toss the attacker onto a table, which collapses under
him.
Another man comes at Hercules, grabbing him around the waist and
knocking them both to the ground; they tumble across the grass for a
moment. Hercules, coming up on top, delivers a solid punch to the
man's jaw to knock him out and gets to his feet, just in time to kick
one last attacker in the chest and knock him down. The rest of the
guests are cheering as Hercules regards his messy hands, then tries
to shake off some of the food smeared on them.
The centaurs pick up speed now as they near their goal.
Salmoneus comes up to Hercules, handing him a cloth which he uses to
wipe his face.
Salmoneus: Not a bad payday. I'm surprised that first guy caught you
with a sucker punch.
Hercules: (annoyed) You could have warned me.
Salmoneus: I thought you saw it coming.
Hercules looks up, but his eyes don't seem to register anything.
Hercules: I'm not seeing much of anything lately, Salmoneus.
Salmoneus: The guy was as big as a house, I mean, how could you miss
him?
Hercules: That's what I'm trying to tell you. I think I'm going
blind.
Which is, of course, the moment that Nemis proceeds to smash one of
the tables in half with his cudgel. He leaps over the broken pieces,
swinging the club over his head.
Hercules: Salmoneus, what's going on?
There is a female scream: Penelope flees across the grass. She makes
it as far as the sentry stairs before Nemis catches her, laughing,
and pulls at her; she clings to the rough wooden treads with all her
strength.
Salmoneus: The centaurs smashed the banquet table and they're
beating up the guests!
One of the men rushes at Craesus, club in hand, but before he can get
close enough to swing, Craesus lashes out with a hind hoof and kicks
the man away. The man lands on antoher table, breaking it. Craesus
glances back with a smirk.
As Lyla darts through the fracas, Nemis has finally managed to pull
Penelope away from the stairs. He slings her over his shoulder.
Penelope: MARCUS!
Marcus: PENELOPE!
Salmoneus: They-- They've grabbed the bride! They're heading this
way!
Penelope: Somebody help me-eee!
He starts to run away, then stops, turns back, and grabs Hercules'
arm. Hercules pushes him away, standing fast. A blurred shape
approaches him, too fuzzy to make out.
Hercules: All I can see is shadows.
Penelope: Let me go!
The fuzzy shape gets closer and closer; Nemis raises the club,
swinging it in the air.
Salmoneus: Look out!
At the last moment, Hercules dives out of the way, and Nemis keeps
going, a crying Penelope over his shoulder.
Nearby, Cheris, trying to get away from Craesus, catches up against a
pillar of rock. She screams as Craesus comes up to her.
Cheris: Ahhh! No! No!
Lyla, trying to catch up with the others, dodges running wedding
guests.
Deric: Lyla, come on!
Hearing Deric's call, she runs toward him.
Craesus gets Cheris off the ground and carts her off. Hercules
regains his feet, just in time for Craesus, with Cheris in his arms,
to rear back, his front hooves churning before striking Hercules and
knocking him down. Lyla leaps on Deric's back.
Lyla: Let's go!
Salmoneus runs up to Hercules, who's laying on the ground, very
still, his eyes closed. He touches Hercules' chin; Hercules' head
rolls a little.
Salmoneus: Hercules?
* * *
Part Three:
Salmoneus: He's breathing.
Hercules lays on the ground in the same posture. Someone dumps a
bucket of water over his head, and he starts and comes to.
Salmoneus: Don't drown him! Oh, thank the gods, he's alive.
Marcus and Salmoneus help Hercules up. He's coughing and breathing
hard, and he presses a hand to his chest where Craesus' hooves hit
him.
Hercules: What happened?
Salmoneus: They took them. They're gone.
Hercules: Who?
Marcus: The centaurs and that slut, Lyla.
Hercules: No, who'd they take?
Marcus: Penelope and Cheris.
Hercules: Marcus, Tyron, you know the land, you lead the way.
Salmoneus, you're coming too.
Marcus is already heading off.
Salmoneus: Hercules. You know I'm not much of a warrior.
With that, he walks away, and Tyron steps up next to Hercules, where
Salmoneus had been standing.
Hercules: Salmoneus, I need you to be my eyes.
Salmoneus comes back, pulling Hercules away from Tyron.
Salmoneus: All right, all right.
He looks at Hercules for a moment, assessing him.
Salmoneus: I see what you mean.
Together, they head off in the direction Marcus took.
The four men head along a faint path cut into high grass on the upper
part of a hill. The path is shaded by low-hanging branches. Tyron
leads, with Salmoneus and Hercules, using a longbow for a walking
stick, behind him, while Marcus brings up the rear; they walk slowly,
keeping quiet.
Salmoneus: (to Hercules) Lower your head.
They pause; Tyron looks around. Suddenly something hits Marcus'
cheek: it's an arrow, aimed so close that the fletching touched his
skin. All four drop to the ground. Further off, Deric, smirking,
lowers his bow and trots away.
Hercules: Did you see who it was?
Tyron: I, I couldn't tell.
Hercules: Let's move deeper into the bush. We'll be all right if we
don't give them a clear shot.
Hercules holds onto Salmoneus' belt as they move; Salmoneus is
carrying a quiver of arrows.
Elsewhere, the centaurs return to their cave with their human prizes.
Lyla dismounts from Deric's back; he catches her hand, and she brings
their joined hands close to kiss his knuckles before he does the same
to hers.
Nemis and Craesus chain up Penelope and Cheris; they're held in a
standing position, with cuffs leading to a single chain that keep
their hands over their heads.
Nemis: Lyla! Some food for our guests.
As Lyla obeys, Penelope struggles against the chains. Cheris watches,
looking dazed.
Penelope: Don't do this, Nemis. It can only end badly for you.
Nemis: It'll end badly, all right. But for Hercules, not me.
Penelope: He's done nothing to you.
Nemis: He killed my brother!
Angered, Nemis clasps Penelope's face in his hands in a rough parody
of a lover's touch.
Nemis: And a day doesn't pass that I don't dream of revenge.
Lyla looks up from the fire where she's tending to a kettle on a
tripod. Nemis cools a little, but does not release Penelope.
Nemis: Maybe... maybe when he's dead by my hand, you'll see me in a
different light.
Penelope shakes her head, close to tears.
Penelope: You're fooling yourself. I could never care for you. Not
that way.
Nemis: You loved me once. Long ago.
Penelope: You mistake a child's affection for something else.
Nemis hisses, making Penelope gasp.
Nemis: You're the one that's mistaken! And the dead carcass of
Hercules will prove it to you.
He licks the side of her face, then lets her go, one hand pushing at
her roughly.
Nemis: Craesus!
Craesus, tending to Cheris' bonds, looks up. He turns back to Cheris,
taking her face in his hand.
Craesus: We'll have our fun later.
Cheris shakes herself free.
Cheris: Never. Pig!
Craesus grasps a handful of her hair and sniffs at it.
Craesus: Horse, my dear. Horse!
Laughing, he backs away from her, and he and Nemis leave the cave.
Penelope looks over at Lyla, still tending to the stew in the kettle.
Penelope: (angrily) Lyla, how can you be a part of this? You were my
friend.
Lyla: Right. Such a good friend that I'm not even part of the bridal
party.
Penelope: I didn't think you cared. You haven't spoken to me in two
years.
Lyla leaves the kettle and approaches Penelope, ladle in hand.
Lyla: So? I've made new friends.
Lyla: And I don't begrude you that. But old friends still talk.
Off Lyla's emotionless face, we cut to a field, where Hercules sits
next to some jumbled rocks. Salmoneus comes up and sits down on a
rock next to him.
Salmoneus: Is your vision any better?
Hercules: I can barely distinguish between dark and light.
Salmoneus: (hopefully) Maybe it's just temporary.
Hercules: What if it isn't? I've dedicated my life to helping
people. How do I do that if I'm the one who needs help?
Salmoneus drops a comforting hand on Hercules' arm.
Salmoneus: Maybe it's time to hang up the old sandals, hm? You've
done a lot of good deeds. Time to slow down and smell the roses. You
only go around once, you know. Well, maybe if you're immortal, you
get a chance to go 'round and 'round--
Hercules: I am *not* immortal. At least I don't think so.
Salmoneus: Guess you'll find out sooner or later.
The sound of approaching footsteps startles them both and they stand
as Marcus runs up to them.
Salmoneus: It's Marcus.
Hercules: What did you find?
Marcus: They've rejoined forces, headed toward higher ground.
Hercules: No attempt to cover their tracks?
Marcus: None. I-it's like they want us to find them.
Tyron: Hercules! Over here!
Hercules puts a hand on Salmoneus' shoulder to follow him over to the
soldier. From afar they can hear hoofbeats, and then the three
centaurs appear at the top of the ridge. Tyron points to their
location.
Tyron: The centaurs. They're out in the open, two hundred paces up
the hill, by the caves.
All three centaurs raise their bows and draw arrows.
Hercules: The caves? What are they up to?
He moves in front of the others. One by one, each centaur shoots;
each arrow lands in the ground a few feet in front of Hercules.
Marcus: We seem to be just out of their range.
Hercules: Not mine. Salmoneus! I'll need your help.
Salmoneus comes up and Hercules takes an arrow from the quiver.
Salmoneus: Wh-what if they get lucky?
Hercules: Stay behind me. How far?
Salmoneus: Two hundred and twenty paces.
Marcus: What are you doing?
Salmoneus: He can't see! Now where were we?
Hercules: Is my direction right?
Hercules takes careful aim. Salmoneus adjusts his aim with a hand on
Hercules' elbow. The centaurs aim and fire again, and so does
Hercules. His arrow flies, only to land short of the target. When he
lowers his elbow, he accidentally knocks Salmoneus on the head.
Hercules: How did we do?
Salmoneus: Uh, ten paces to the left, and they've moved ten paces to
the right.
Nemis fades back as Hercules lines up for another shot. This one
strikes in a patch of rocks to the centaurs' left; one of the rocks
is a huge boulder, with several smaller rocks propping it in place.
Nemis slams the small rocks with his cudgel, making sparks fly and
dislodging them.
Salmoneus: Aaahh! Hercules, we better get out of here! They're about
to dislodge a boulder the size of Mount Olympus!
Hercules reaches for another arrow. Nemis hits the rocks again,
breaking the last stones holding the boulder in place. It shudders
and begins to roll down the hillside.
Hercules: Tell me how close my last arrow was and then run for the
woods.
Salmoneus: It's heading straight for us!
Hercules: How close?!
Salmoneus: Three paces left!
He takes off, as does Marcus. One of Deric's arrows finally finds a
target, and Marcus yells and grabs at his thigh. Hercules, ignoring
all distractions, fires again -- and his arrow lodges in Craesus'
stomach. Craesus groans and doubles over.
Tyron: Marcus, look out!
Marcus, in pain, doesn't have time to dodge the boulder that's
heading straight for him. Tyron leaps to push him out of the way,
landing on his back in the boulder's path.
Tyron: Aaahhh!
On the ridge, Craesus falls as a shocked Deric and angry Nemis look
on. Below, Hercules kneels next to Tyron, crushed by the boulder.
Then he stands.
Hercules: Who?
Salmoneus: Tyron. He saved Marcus' life.
Hercules: And mine.
Marcus: Ah!
Salmoneus and Hercules turn to Marcus, now seated and clutching his
leg. Hercules gropes his way to kneel next to Marcus.
Marcus: My leg!
Hercules stands, turning towards the ridge.
Hercules: Centaurs!
Salmoneus: One's dead, and the others are gone.
Hercules: At least that cuts the odds. Marcus, you can't do any good
here. Salmoneus will have to take you back.
Marcus: And leave you? You can't fight them alone.
Hercules: It'll be dark in a few hours. Then we'll be on equal
ground.
Salmoneus: It's suicide if you stay here. Come back with us, we'll
get more recruits.
Hercules: No, I should have realized it before. This is between
Nemis and me.
Marcus: Hercules, you can't!
Hercules: This is my fight! First, I must give a brave soldier a
proper burial.
Cut to the hillside at sunset. A grave has been dug for Tyron;
Hercules kneels, shirtless, at the cairn erected over it. He drives
Tyron's sword into the ground before the grave.
Hercules: Rest easy, Tyron. You were never a coward.
A sudden sound alerts him, and he turns, yanking the sword out of the
ground in one swift move. Though he can't see it, an arrow is aimed
directly at him.
Hercules: I know you're there, Nemis! What are you waiting for?
* * *
Part Four:
Hercules: Show yourself, Nemis. Or are you afraid?
Deric: I'm not afraid. Nor am I Nemis.
Deric's face finally comes into view; he still holds his bow with
arrow at the ready.
Hercules: So. He sent you to do his dirty work.
Deric: Yes. But I'm refusing.
He lowers the bow and arrow.
Hercules: Why would you do that?
Deric: You're not my enemy. Even if you were, I wouldn't take
advantage of your blindness.
Lyla quietly steps up next to him.
Hercules: How do you know I'm blind?
Lyla: I told him.
Hercules jerks and turns a little in the direction of Lyla's voice.
Lyla: You'll be glad to know it's a temporary condition --
providing, of course, you can make it through the next few days.
Hercules lowers Tyron's sword.
Hercules: You won't fight against me. Will you fight with me?
Deric: Not against Nemis. He raised me.
Hercules: I respect that, and your refusal to take sides. But will
Nemis?
Lyla: It doesn't matter. We're leaving this land. Maybe the
Athenians will be more hospitable.
Deric: Hide, Hercules, until your sight returns. You're no match for
him now.
Hercules: I'm afraid there are two women who wouldn't appreciate the
wait.
Deric: Forget them and worry about yourself! Hera has given Nemis a
special club.
Hercules: Hera. I should have guessed.
He turns his head suddenly, hearing a high-pitched noise.
Hercules: The sounds of the bats. They're from the cave.
Deric: You're very perceptive. They'll return an hour before dawn.
He starts to step away, but then turns back.
Deric: Hercules? I'm sorry one of you has to die. Nemis wasn't
always bad. Life, death -- wore him down.
With that, he and Lyla depart.
Cut to bats streaming out of a cave into the dark evening sky.
Hercules makes his way through an area of dense vegetation, following
the shrill cries. Then everything goes still, and he pauses; though
he can't see it, he is very close to the cave entrance. From within,
Penelope's voice echoes.
Penelope: Nemis, please, let us go. And I promise no harm will come
to you.
Nemis is by the tripod, sipping from a ladleful of stew. He turns to
Penelope as she speaks.
Nemis: Sweet Penelope, I think I'm the only one here in position to
make promises. And I promise you by the end of the day, Hercules will
be dead. And you--
He pauses to take another sip, savoring the stew.
Nemis: Mmm. Will start learning to like my stew.
Outside, Hercules gropes on the ground until he finds a good-sized
rock. He throws it towards the cave. Inside, Nemis jolts when he
hears the missile land. Taking up his bow, he heads outside. He
proceeds slowly once he has exited the cave, scanning the ferns and
bushes just without. When he has moved on, Hercules slips through the
concealing plants and into the cave. He walks right past the club
without noticing it, hand on a rock to guide his way.
As Nemis continues along the path, Salmoneus's head suddenly pops out
of the underbrush. Nemis raises his bow and fits an arrow to it; he
can't see Salmoneus but can hear the sound of branches moving, and
Salmoneus is whimpering, which doesn't help his position. Salmoneus
tries sneaking along, but Nemis tracks the sound of his movement.
Finally Salmoneus stops against a tree trunk.
Salmoneus: What am I doing here?
Though he speaks in a low voice, it's enough, and Nemis lets the
arrow fly; it hits the tree trunk just above Salmoneus' shoulder,
catching the fabric of his vest and grazing his shoulder. Salmoneus
surveys the damage with eyes and mouth wide, then slips out of the
garment just as Nemis fires again. The second arrow lands right where
Salmoneus' arm was, but fortunately all it hits is fabric and the
tree trunk.
Cut to Penelope in the cave. Her wedding dress is torn up to the top
of her thigh, and she is dirty and bedraggled. The camera pans up
from her bare feet, and when it reaches her torso, Hercules' hand
appears, very nearly groping her breast. Penelope sees his hand
first, as her head is down, and she gasps.
Penelope: Hercules!
Hercules: Show me -- show me where you're tied.
Penelope: Can't you see?
Hercules: No, hurry! There's no time to waste.
Penelope: Uhh, the, the key, it's on the beam, by Cheris. Uh, six,
maybe seven paces to the right.
Hercules has to half-crawl in the indicated direction, feeling his
way along.
Cheris: Here. Above my head.
He makes it to Cheris and stands, feeling the chains dangling from
her restraints.
Penelope: Hurry, please!
It's already too late: Nemis has returned to the cave, and as he
enters, he picks up the club, then tosses away his bow and arrows.
Hercules has managed to find the key and has one of Cheris's cuffs
undone, and he gets the other free as the women catch sight of Nemis
in the cave's entrance.
Nemis: Leaving so soon?
He twirls the club in one hand. Hercules lets go of Cheris and takes
up his sword again; Cheris bends to undo her ankle cuffs as Hercules
approaches Nemis.
Hercules: Let the women go, Nemis. It's me you want.
Nemis: You're wrong. I want you and Penelope.
Finished freeing herself, Cheris rushes over to Penelope, who is
sobbing, and begins to unlock her wrist cuffs.
Nemis: And I'm in no hurry. I want both... pleasures... to be slow
and gratifying!
Hercules turns his head a little; he's standing near the tripod, and
he can hear the fire and the stew bubbling in its cauldron.
Hercules: What is that stench? Dogmeat?
Nemis: Why doesn't anyone like my cooking!
He rushes at Hercules; fortunately, when the cudgel swings in the
air, its movements can be heard, and Hercules ducks out of the way.
The club strikes stone instead, flashing explosively. Above them, one
of the ceiling beams cracks, and Penelope -- with one cuff undone --
screams. The cave rumbles ominously, dust and small stones shaking
loose from the ceiling; once the initial tremor has passed, Cheris
goes to work on Penelope's other wrist.
Hercules darts into another part of the cave, backing up as Nemis
approaches him. Almost too late, he feels heat at an ankle: he's
nearly backed into a small firepit, and he stumbles away from it.
Nemis rushes him again, but Hercules dodges the blow; Nemis strikes a
support beam, and the ceiling beam cracks again as the weight of the
stone above begins to bear down in earnest.
Cheris: Where are the keys?!
Cheris can't get Penelope's other wrist free. Nemis ignores the cry
as he turns to attack Hercules again. Hercules, standing on the edge
of the firepit once more, takes a futile swing at Nemis. As he
continues to back away from the centaur, his feet catch on an iron
pot and he falls on his back. Over the rattling of the pot's lid,
twirling on the ground, he can hear Nemis's slow hoofbeats, the
steady swinging of the club; at the last moment, he grabs the pot and
holds it up before himself as a shield.
Cheris: I can't undo it!
The ceiling continues to tremble. Nemis lifts the cudgel, now buried
in metal, scowling as he pries the battered pot from the club.
Finally, Cheris manages to get Penelope's wrist free, and both bend
to her ankles, working the metal desperately.
Penelope: It's opening! Pull!
Hercules stands again, just in time to fend off another blow from the
cudgel, barely parrying it. Unfortunately, the manuever breaks his
sword in half.
Penelope: Get my ankle!
Hercules is by the tripod again; he can smell the stewmeat and hear
it bubbling. Instead of attacking Nemis, he turns and chops at the
chain suspending the cauldron over the fire. It spills as it falls,
dousing the fire; most of it dies immediately, but some of the coals
are knocked into a corner of the cave, where tapestries hang to keep
out the chill. In the sudden darkness, Penelope screams. Hercules
tosses the useless sword away.
Hercules: No fire, no light. Now you have the same problem I do.
Nemis: Except your darkness is about to become permanent.
Swinging the cudgel again, he brings it down in a deadly arc -- and
Hercules catches it, just above where Nemis holds it but below the
lethal blades. The two of them struggle for control of the club.
The hot coals are too close to the tapestries, and the cloth goes up
all at once.
Penelope: Please leave! Save yourself!
Penelope sobs as she tries to get free of the ankle cuffs. Cheris
bends to them again.
Cheris: I'm not leaving without you!
Hercules and Nemis continue to wrestle for the club.
Penelope: Hercules!
Nemis forces the blades toward Hercules, and for a moment it seems
that his sheer anger will dominate the fight; then Hercules gives a
powerful shove back, and the cudgel's blades bury themselves in
Nemis's chest.
Fire licks determinedly up the tapestries now, right next to a wooden
support beam.
Penelope: Please! Oh, no, no, no!
Nemis turns, slowly, to face Penelope. Penelope's sobs suddenly fade.
Penelope: Nemis?
His hands still holding the cudgel to himself, Nemis falls over
heavily. With a groan, he pulls the weapon free, revealing a terrible
gash down the right side of his torso.
Nemis: You killed me.
Hercules gets to his feet. He's aware now of the rumbling, the sound
of rocks falling, and the immediacy of danger. Finding his way to the
center of the cave, he pushes up on the cracked central support beam,
but the sheer weight of it is nearly too much for even his strength.
After a moment, Nemis gets to his feet again, struggling and swaying,
and comes up behind Hercules to take the weight from him.
Nemis: Go! Help Penelope! Help Penelope.
Hercules surrenders the burden to Nemis and runs over to Penelope,
kneeling next to Cheris.
Cheris: I couldn't undo it. This one's got rust. Oh, Hercules, break
it!
He easily tears the cuff apart and then reaches for Penelope's arm.
Hercules: Run! Get out!
Nemis is holding the beam up with his hands and back. Hercules starts
to follow the women out, then turns, seeing the heavier rocks
beginning to fall.
Nemis: Save yourself! Go!
Nemis groans as the beam begins to give way, and Hercules takes off
out of the cave, right on the heels of Penelope and Cheris.
Nemis: Penelope!
As the three leave the cave, a cloud of dust billows out after them.
The women throw themselves down on the ground, and Hercules follows
suit, one arm on each of their backs. They are coughing but otherwise
unharmed. Out of seemingly nowhere, Salmoneus steps up to them,
reaching to help the women to their feet.
Salmoneus: I was worried you wouldn't make it.
Hercules: Salmoneus?
He reaches for Salmoneus's shoulder, where it was grazed, and
Salmoneus flinches.
Salmoneus: Ahh!
Hercules: You were the decoy.
Salmoneus: I'm sending you my tailoring bill.
He puts a hand inside his tunic and sticks a finger through the hole
in it, waggling his finger.
Salmoneus: When Marcus wouldn't let me take him back, I thought it
was the least I could do.
Hercules: You did well. Everybody did.
He takes Salmoneus's hands in his and shakes them firmly.
Hercules: Even Nemis. He really loved you, Penelope.
Penelope: I know. I'm just sorry love took him so far astray.
Cut to the next day. Hercules, Penelope, Marcus (using a crutch),
Salmoneus, Cheris, and a few of the other guests are walking through
a field dominated by a large old tree.
Hercules: When a soldier dies bravely, his sword becomes the symbol
of his courage. I know he'd want you to have it.
He hands the broken sword to Cheris.
Cheris: Thank you.
Marcus: Thank you, Hercules. For everything.
They clasp hands.
Hercules: It turned out to be a very nice ceremony.
Hercules reaches for Penelope's hand next, and they lean in so he can
kiss her cheek.
Hercules: I wish you both the best.
Penelope: Please come back soon.
Salmoneus comes up next to Hercules.
Hercules: You made out quite well, I understand.
Salmoneus: Well, I don't want to brag, but, uh, I got great odds on
you against the centaurs. Nobody had faith in you like I did.
Hercules: Hm. May I see?
He's just a little too calm about this; Salmoneus senses something is
afoot, but isn't sure what.
Salmoneus: Uhm. Okay. Just, uh, don't drop anything.
Reaching in a pocket, he produces a small, heavy leather bag of coins
and hands it to Hercules.
Hercules: Did I ever finish explaining about the custom in these
parts?
Salmoneus: Uh, uh, uh, what, what, what custom is that?
Hercules: The bride and groom collect all gambling winnings.
He hands the pouch to a smugly-smiling Penelope.
Salmoneus: Hercules!
Hercules: Come on, Salmoneus.
He puts an arm around Salmoneus's shoulders and begins to lead him
away.
Salmoneus: Th-that's my money back there!
Hercules: Yes, that was very generous of you.
Penelope waves to them as they walk off.
Salmoneus: Generous?! Yeah, but that, but that, but that--
Hercules: And smart. They'll never forget you.
Salmoneus: Really? That's nice.