HIGHLANDER III

INT. BARN - MOMENTS LATER - DAY

The Farmer enters. Macleod is on his knees, his face filled

with pain. He pulls the arrow from his chest and stands. The

farmer cannot believe what he has just seen. He crosses

himself.

15

Outside, through the open barn doors we see Sarah and her

mother running towards them. The Farmer quickly closes the

doors and bolts them.

FARMER

(stunned)

This cannot be.

MCCLEOD

It is. Do not ask me how. I do not

know. I must leave, for if I stayed

others would surely hear of this and

worse than they will come.

FARMER

Agreed.

MCCLEOD

(sadly)

I would like to say goodbye.

FARMER

How?

EXT. BARN - DAY

The doors opens and the Farmer comes outside. He motions for

his wife and Sarah to enter.

INT. BARN - DAY

Sarah is crying as she enters with her Mother and Father.

Macleod is laying on the ground, his head propped up under a

mat of straw.

FARMER

Be quick -- he has not much time.

Tears flow from Sarah's eyes as she kneels next to Macleod.

She holds his hand.

SARAH

Don't leave us, Conner.

MCCLEOD

(weakly)

It's not for me to decide.

He gently wipes her tears away with his hand.

16

MCCLEOD

(continuing)

Don't cry, wee one. It's a better

place I go to.

SARAH

I love you, Conner.

MCCLEOD

Aye -- I know, Las -- and I have

never loved anyone more.

SARAH

I'll no forget you.

MCCLEOD

(sadly)

And I you. Go now. Let me walk to

heavens door alone.

The Farmer ushers his wife and Sarah from the barn.

EXT. ROAD - NIGHT

The Farmer sits on a cart pulled by an ox. He stops and looks

around.

FARMER

This should do.

In the back of the cart Macleod lifts up a tarp and gets out.

He looks down in the valley. He can see the LIGHTS in the

FARMHOUSE below.

FARMER

Go. I will dig a grave and mark it

with your name.

The farmer's voice is distant. He is still unable to grasp

what he has seen.

MCCLEOD

Thank you.

Macleod reaches up his hand. The Farmer does not take it.

Macleod understands. He starts to walk off into the night.

FARMER

Conner?

Macleod turns around.

17

FARMER

I will not pretend to understand what

I have seen this day. I am a simple

man. Whatever you be -- demon or

spirit -- I thank you for the life of

my Sarah and I wish you God's peace.

The Farmer turns the cart around, leaving Macleod alone,

staring into the night.

CUT TO:

INT. LIBRARY - NIGHT

Macleod is still staring out the window as the memories fade

back into the past. He opens the book of poetry and searches

through it.

MACLEOD

(reading aloud)

The forest is lovely. Dark and deep

-- but I have promises to keep -- and

miles to go before I sleep.

Another FLASH of LIGHTNING. He looks out the window into the

night.

MACLEOD

(wearily)

"Miles to go before I sleep"

CUT TO:

EXT. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE, SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS - LATE AFTERNOON

The WIND HOWLS through the valley. Outside the crumbling RUINS

of the STONE BUILDING (we saw in the opening sequence) are

several four wheel drive trucks and vans. PROFESSOR PAUL

DAJORSKI, is a typical academic in his fifties: beard, glasses,

pipe, tweed jacket. He walks across the field with a REPORTER

and CAMERAMAN.

PROFESSOR DAJORSKI

For years this site was thought to

hold no archaeological value. That

is until a few weeks ago when some

local boys discovered what appears to

be a collapsed passageway that leads

into a cavern.

REPORTER

How much longer until you expect to

enter the main cavern?

18

PROFESSOR DAJORSKI

That's what we're going to find out

now.

A STREAK OF LIGHTNING CUTS across the clear blue sky.

Professor Dajorski looks up.

REPORTER

(referring to the

lightning)

I've never seen anything like that

before.

PROFESSOR DAJORSKI

It just started a few hours ago.

WORKERS exit the building pushing wheelbarrows filled with rock

and dirt. The Professor enters the stone building, followed by

the Reporter and his team.

INT. STONE BUILDING - LATE AFTERNOON

Inside groups of VOLUNTEERS attend to various functions.

Professor Dajorski walks through the room. The Camera Crew

follows.

WE MOVE WITH THEM as they walk down a long tunnel that leads

into the mountain.

JENNIFER HILLMAN an attractive woman in her late twenties

stands next to a TECHNICIAN. They each watch the screen as

bright green light oscillates up and down. She looks up at

Dakorski.

JENNIFER

Electro magnetic soundings indicate

we've only got a few inches of rock

left before we reach the main

chamber.

REPORTER

Any idea how big the cavern is on the

other side?

JENNIFER

Huge.

REPORTER

What are you hoping to find inside?

The question strikes Jennifer as odd.

19

JENNIFER

You guys are from the British museum,

right?

REPORTER

No -- we're from Strange facts and

mysteries. It's a syndicated show

out of..

JENNIFER

(to Dajorski)

Paul. I thought we agreed. No

press.

PROFESSOR DAJORSKI

Just a little. Who knows what we're

going to find in there. It could be

a huge excavation. A little friendly

PR never hurt.

JENNIFER

Where is the film crew from the

British Museum?

PROFESSOR DAJORSKI

They've had a little car trouble.

I'm afraid they won't be here until

after dark.

JENNIFER

Then we shouldn't break into the

cavern until tomorrow morning. This

could be a very important find. I

want it documented.

CUT TO:

EXT. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE - NIGHT

All is quiet. Trucks and Vans are parked near the structure.

CUT TO:

INT. STONE BUILDING - TUNNEL ENTRANCE - NIGHT

A GUARD sits in a fold-out chair at the entrance to the tunnel.

CUT TO:

20

INT. TUNNEL - NIGHT

ELECTRIC LIGHTS are set up at intervals along the tunnel. We

HEAR a SCRATCHING SOUND. A beat. The SOUND grows LOUDER. One

of the huge rocks blocking the tunnel begins to move. It moves

forward slowly, then falls to the ground with a THUD. There is

now a hole in the wall.

INT. STONE BUILDING - TUNNEL ENTRANCE - NIGHT

The GUARD hears the SOUND. He turns around and looks down the

tunnel, then enters.

INT. TUNNEL - NIGHT

The Guard reaches the end. He sees there are now several rocks

on the ground and the hole in the wall is now even bigger. The

Guard slowly removes a FLASH LIGHT and moves towards the wall.

He shines the light inside and looks in. A beat -- then,

suddenly and hand reaches out, grabbing the Guard and pulling

him in through the hole. A beat. ALL IS QUIET.

Kilvara steps out through the hole holding his sword. He

shields his eyes from the light and moves towards the exit.

CUT TO:

EXT. STONE BUILDING - NIGHT

Kilvara steps outside. He takes a deep breath, filling his

lungs with the cool night air. A moment later he is joined by

the two Horsemen. Kilvara closes his eyes.

KILVARA

Can you feel it? There is another

one among us. It has not ended?

HORSEMAN #1

What now?

Kilvara opens his eyes and slowly looks at the Horseman.

KILVARA

Everything is as it was before.

Kilvara raises his sword -- swings in at the Horseman -- and

severs his head from his body. The other Horseman looks on in

horror. He backs up slowly, then runs off. Kilvara prepares

himself to receive the power.

21

EXT. STONE BUILDING - WIDE SHOT - NIGHT

A Brilliant GREEN LIGHT pierces the darkness, lighting the

front of the Stone Building.

SMASH CUT TO:

INT. MACLEOD'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

Macleod bolts up in bed. He stares out the window sadly.

CUT TO:

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY

Seventeenth century England.

Macleod rides his horse along a road blanketed by dense forest

on each side. Suddenly, he stops his horse as a premonition

fills him. He looks around. A horse is tethered to a tree off

the road.

MAN'S VOICE

Good day.

The VOICE comes from above. Macleod looks up. Sitting on the

branch of a tree that extents over the road is THOMAS

CAVANAUGH. He is a large, robust MAN in his fifties dressed in

thick sheepskins. He drops from the tree landing before

Macleod. Macleod slowly reaches for his Samurai.

CAVANAUGH

You'll have no need for that,

Highlander.

MCCLEOD

Since we hardly know each other, I'm

sure you'll understand if I hold one

to it for awhile.

CAVANAUGH

Caution shows wisdom.

Cavenaugh notes the Samurai.

CAVANAUGH

I know that weapon. It belonged to

Juan Romeriz. He's dead?

MCCLEOD

(sadly)

Aye.