HIGHLANDER III

22

CAVANAUGH

You?

MCCLEOD

No. He was my brother. He died at

anothers hand.

CAVANAUGH

We too are brothers, Macleod. In

fact, you have more family than you

think.

MCCLEOD

Who are you?

CAVANAUGH

Thomas Cavenaugh. I am a teacher of

sorts. Like Romeriz I help those

newly acquainted with our life.

MCCLEOD

I learned my fill from Romeriz.

CAVANAUGH

Indeed you did. And now it is time

for you to pass on to others what you

learned from him.

Cavenaugh walks over his horse and mounts it.

MCCLEOD

So they can take my head?

Cavenaugh rides over to Macleod.

CAVANAUGH

Your head is not important,

Highlander. What is important is the

prize. It must go to one who would

not misuse it. Ride with me. Come

and meet your family.

Cavenaugh's horse begins to walk away. Macleod stares after

him, then follows.

CUT TO:

EXT. ANCIENT CHURCH - DAY

The Church stands alone in a valley, it's stone walls collapsed

from time and neglect. Fog carpets the ground. HORSES and

CARTS are in front of the building.

23

INT. ANCIENT CHURCH - DAY

Only three of the four stone walls are standing. A large

section of the roof is gone. Inside are about thirty MEN,

WARRIORS, fierce and hard-looking. They stand before what once

was the altar and listen as Cavenaugh speaks.

CAVANAUGH

I've called this gathering on holy

ground so that each man might take

comfort in knowing he is protected

inside the confines of these walls.

None of us, good or evil would dare

raise a hand against the other in

God's house.

MAN #1

If God protects us so, why has he

cursed us?

CAVANAUGH

God's purpose for us is unclear, save

that he has given us a gift.

MAN #2

A gift? You call never growing old -

- watching friends and loved ones die

a gift?

CAVANAUGH

I do not profess to know what is in

God's mind. He has chosen us. We

are his warriors through time. The

final Gathering is still far away but

the prize must be captured by a man

who is pure of heart. Those of us

who would use the prize for goodly

purpose must band together against

those who would use it for evil.

In the back of the room, standing alone is Macleod. His eyes

are on the altar, but his mind seems far away.

CUT TO:

EXT. ANCIENT CHURCH - LATER - DAY

Macleod walks with Cavanaugh, weaving through the crowd of men

and horses.

24

MCCLEOD

The prize? So much blood so that in

the end the one that remains will be

mortal again. So much pain so that

the winner can grow old and have

children. The prize hardly seems

worth the cost of it.

CAVANAUGH

There will be more to the prize than

that. Power will come with it -- and

it must be used for good.

MCCLEOD

The days of magic are ending. The

world is changing.

CAVANAUGH

Aye -- yet one such as I who has

wandered this world for nearly nine

centuries can remember back to other

days of change. Days of Robin of the

Hood and Arthur Pendragon. They were

real enough once, but they drifted

into men's dreams and became legend -

- as we shall do one day.

Macleod stops at his horse.

MCCLEOD

I grow weary of the fight.

Macleod mounts his horse.

CAVANAUGH

You cannot run from your destiny,

Conner.

MCCLEOD

Perhaps -- but if I must face it, let

it find me, for I shall search for it

no more.

CUT TO:

EXT. ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE - MORNING

Professor Dajorski walks quickly to the Stone Building. The

area is surprisingly empty. Jennifer walks over to meet him.

PROFESSOR DAJORSKI

What's going on? Where is everyone?

25

JENNIFER

We're holding the workers down below.

PROFESSOR DAJORSKI

Why?

JENNIFER

Someone broke into the cavern last

night.

PROFESSOR DAJORSKI

What? How?

Jennifer begins to walk. Dajorski follows.

JENNIFER

We're not quite sure. The Guard was

knocked out.

Dajorski is concerned. Jennifer waves him off.

JENNIFER

He's fine. He swears he never left

his post for a moment. He heard a

noise and when he went back to look

they were already inside.

PROFESSOR DAJORSKI

How could they get by him?

JENNIFER

I don't know.

Jennifer stops. A few feet away lies the torso of the horseman

covered by a blanket. Beside him, covered with a jacket is the

head. Dajorski looks at it.

JENNIFER

(pointing)

We found him this morning.

PROFESSOR DAJORSKI

(pointing)

What's that next to him?

JENNIFER

His head. Someone cut it off.

Dajorski shivers at the thought of it.

JENNIFER

Look at this.

26

Jennifer lifts the cloth. Dajorski isn't pleased with the

sight, but he immediately sees what she is referring to. He

bends down and examines the dead man's clothing.

PROFESSOR DAJORSKI

Incredible. The cloth -- the buttons

-- it looks to be mid sixteen

hundreds. It's a remarkable

duplication.

JENNIFER

I don't think it is a duplication.

PROFESSOR DAJORSKI

It has to be.

JENNIFER

And this?

Jennifer lifts the sword. Dajorski examines it.

PROFESSOR DAJORSKI

Same period -- and exceptionally well

preserved. Jennifer, what's going on

here?

Jennifer look back at the stone building.

JENNIFER

That's a good question. That's a

very good question.

CUT TO:

INT. ANTIQUE STORE - DAY

Macleod comes out of the elevator. He walks over to Rachel at

the counter.

MCCLEOD

I'm going out for a while.

Rachel opens a drawer and removes a set of keys. She hands

them to him.

MCCLEOD

You kept it?

RACHEL

Yes.

Macleod smiles and kisses her on the forehead.

27

INT. GARAGE - DAY

A tarp is pulled off of a 1958 convertible PORSCHE.

EXT. STREET - DAY

The PORSCHE roars up the driveway and out onto the street.

INT. CHURCH, NEW YORK - AFTERNOON

Filtered light flows through stain glass windows. Macleod sits

alone in the pew. He stares at the altar, his mind deep in

thought. A PRIEST walks down the aisle -- stops -- studies him

for a moment, then sits beside him.

PRIEST

You look troubled my son.

Macleod's mouth hints at a grin from the Priest's

understatement. He does not look at the Priest.

PRIEST

Sometimes we feel better if we talk

about the things that bother us. How

long has it been since your last

confession?

MCCLEOD

(distantly)

A long time.

PRIEST

Perhaps if you--

MCCLEOD

I don't think confession will help

me, father.

Macleod stands and prepares to leave.

PRIEST

Redemption is one of God's gifts.

Macleod looks at the Priest sadly.

MCCLEOD

God's gifts? You mean like, life,

having children, growing old, dying

and heaven?

PRIEST

Exactly.

28

MCCLEOD

Those are gifts I can never have.

Macleod walks down the aisle.

PRIEST

You are too young to be so bitter.

Macleod stops. He turns back and looks at the Priest.

MCCLEOD

(sadly)

I'm older than I look.

CUT TO: