Queen of Swords

Col. Luis Montoya:
Stupid and vicious. I can see why you and Grisham are such close friends.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Captain, in this life some are destined never to own, only to rent.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
You could give me a raise.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Not a chance.

Don Gaspar Hidalgo:
God bless you, Luis.

Col. Luis Montoya:
You know, I really think he does.

Dr. Robert Helm:
I had the situation under control!

Tessa Alvarado:
You men always say that.

Marta:
Oh....it looks like another late night for the Queen.

Tessa Alvarado:
Could be.

Marta:
Any idea of what time you'll think you'd be back?

Tessa Alvarado:
Gee, I don't know....depends on how many guys want to kill me this time...why?

Don Ricardo:
You are a real bastard.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Perhaps, but I am the bastard this side of the bars.

[first lines]

[Grisham shoots a hole in a cactus]

Col. Luis Montoya:
Shall I have it stuffed and mounted, or would you rather feast on its heart?

Carlotta:
You're Montoya.

Col. Luis Montoya:
And you are a thief.

Carlotta:
My choices were wife, nun or whore and, to tell you the truth, they just didn't appeal to me very much.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Might I suggest you add 'actress' to the that list.

[the Queen of Swords catches Carlotta, disguised as the Queen, stealing from the church's offering box]

The Queen of Swords:
That'll cost you at least a dozen Hail Marys.

The Queen of Swords:
I can tell you haven't spent much time at church.

Carlotta:
[pointing her pistol at the Queen] Only for funerals.

[with the impostor Queen's help, Montoya has stolen the Viceroy's gold and blames the real Queen of Swords]

Marta:
Tessa, the whole town is against you. This is not the time to be the Queen of Swords.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Of course not - but it's a wonderful time to be Tessa Alvarado.

[awakens to find the Queen of Swords holding a sword to his throat]

Col. Luis Montoya:
You wouldn't...

[the "Queen" whips of her mask, revealing herself to be Carlotta]

Carlotta:
Maybe she wouldn't, but I would!

Col. Luis Montoya:
Carlotta, please calm down. I'm sure we can work out some sort of arrangement.

Carlotta:
As long as it involves your head on a pike!

Carlotta:
You know, I admire you, but you're just one woman against the world.

The Queen of Swords:
You gotta start somewhere.

[during their swordfight]

Carlotta:
You're almost as good as I am.

The Queen of Swords:
Don't flatter yourself.

[Carlotta has been morally wounded]

Carlotta:
Luis...

Col. Luis Montoya:
Yes?

Carlotta:
I'll see you in hell.

[Tessa walks towards the church]

Marta:
Where are you going?

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
To light a candle.

Marta:
[referring to Carlotta] For her?

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
For all of us.

[discussing Dr. Helm]

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
I thought he was the most ill-mannered, foul-smelling, arrogant...

Marta:
Don't tell me you've run out of insults.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
...tarantula.

Marta:
Ah, a tarantula with a big wide smile, broad shoulders, blue eyes...

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Green eyes.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Disappeared?

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Colonel, I'm only concerned because my people are gossiping when they should be working.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Perhaps your people need a firmer hand.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
You're right. Maybe because I'm not a man they take advantage of me.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Senorita, I'm in the middle of some business...

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
One of my workers is convinced that once men enter your jail, they're never heard from again.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Disappearing husbands are nothing new. You know, senorita, many a man discovers - alas, too late - that he has made an error in his choice of life companion.

Col. Luis Montoya:
[to Captain Grisham] The senorita was just leaving.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
I was?

Col. Luis Montoya:
Regrettably.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
About Torlio...

Col. Luis Montoya:
Be careful, Maria Teresa. If one so beautiful as you were to disappear, it would break my heart.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Don't worry, Colonel. I have no intention of disappearing.

[holding the Queen's mask, which Grisham found after she jumped off a cliff into the ocean]

Col. Luis Montoya:
The skin of the fox is one thing, the fox itself is another thing entirely.

[while stroking the Queen of Swords' throat]

Sergeant Alonzo:
Such a pretty neck... Get word to Captain Grisham! He will want to slit it himself.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Today is the anniversary of my father's death. I never let a special day pass without celebrating.

Marta:
To find such exultation in death is a rare gift, Colonel.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
I guess I was more than you expected.

The Queen of Swords:
[points sword at his groin] You could be a little less.

[first lines]

[during a sword fight, Torres thrusts his dagger against Tessa's throat]

Torres:
A flick of the wrist and I could kill you!

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
And lose your best pupil?

[Tessa witnesses the unjust execution of her father's trusted servant by firing squad]

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
That was murder!

Col. Luis Montoya:
There is a difference, senorita, between an execution and murder - it is called the law... and here, I *am* the law.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
I'm sending a message back to Spain. Once they learn what is happening here in California...

Marta:
They don't already know? Spain is still recovering from the wounds left by Napoleon. She doesn't care about some primitive outpost.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
And the ones who could help - the Dons - they do nothing... growing fat while their people starve.

Marta:
You expect them to be different?

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
My father was.

Marta:
And he died.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
What are you saying?

Marta:
Don Alvarado, the finest horseman in California, falls from his horse and dies? People talk - especially your own servants with no ears.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
People lie.

Marta:
But the guards do not. They tell me he died at the hands of another.

[to Grisham who is in bed with another man' wife]

Col. Luis Montoya:
Ah, there is nothing like an execution to fire the blood, eh?

Don Gaspar Hidalgo:
You are a woman - beautiful, yes - but only a woman without means, so I tell you this for your own good...

[whispering]

Don Gaspar Hidalgo:
Questions make enemies.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Tessa, I remain concerned for you.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
You are too kind.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
A woman all alone - no home, no money. You need protecting.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
I quite agree. I'll get a dog.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Murder? What murder?

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
My father's. Haven't you heard?

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Oh. No, that was an accident. Who said anything different?

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
People.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
People? What people? Tell them to come forward.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
They won't. They're too afraid.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Of what?

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
That they, too, might suffer a similar... accident.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Papa... you were murdered. Who?

Don Rafael Alvarado:
One man held the gun, but there were many fingers on the trigger.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
The Queen of Swords - me?

Marta:
How should I know?

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
But you said...

Marta:
I say a lot of things. What do you see?

[Tessa stares into a mirror and sees her image dissolve to that of a woman in black riding like the wind]

[seeing Tessa staring at the mirror]

Marta:
What is it? What do you see?

Tessa Alvarado:
My destiny.

Col. Luis Montoya:
[to Grisham] Either I have the Queen of Swords head, or I will have yours!

[last lines]

Marta:
Do you realize where this path will lead?

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
[nodding] To my destiny.

Don Rafael Alvarado:
[voice] Never alone, my little angel. You will see justice is done!

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Marta, I just had...

Marta:
...the strangest dream. Yes, I know. It's all here - your destiny.

[Tessa turns a tarot card]

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
The Queen of Swords.

Antonio:
Perhaps you're more used to fighting barbarians than gentlemen.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
They all die the same way - screaming.

[holding a sword to Grisham's throat]

Antonio:
Lesson 1: Make sure you choose your opponents, Captain. Don't let them choose you.

Col. Luis Montoya:
[to Grisham] Maybe I should let him kill you...

[pause]

Col. Luis Montoya:
Not today.

Col. Luis Montoya:
These reports of your skill are true - the finest swordsman in Spain is also the finest in the Americas... and you will need to be if you're going to kill the Queen of Swords.

Antonio:
You confuse wealth with station.

Col. Luis Montoya:
No. It seems that you are the one who is confused. With enough cannons and gold, even the son of a lowly bureaucrat can aspire to become an emperor. You and I are both pragmatists, Don Antonio. We both know that everything has its price - including our honor.

[lamenting leaving behind her former life in Spain]

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
I miss it, Marta. I miss the people, the music, the parties.

Marta:
You have a party to go to.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
But Montoya's parties are so boring. I'd rather go to the Day of the Dead fiesta with you. I'm tired of play acting the role of the spoiled aristocrat.

Marta:
You do a very good imitation.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Yeah, I know. Even I hate myself sometimes.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
I'm not going.

[Tessa ducks beneath the soapsuds in her bathtub, but Marta grabs her hair and pulls her up]

Marta:
The reason why you're going to the party is to find out when Montoya will be shipping the gold.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
I know.

Marta:
You're not going to have fun or to make silly conversation. Are you done complaining?

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
No.

Marta:
Fine!

[Marta dunks Tessa's head under the bathwater]

[discussing Antonio]

Marta:
You must protect yourself. You are not the same girl you were in Spain. That's what he wants - not you.

The Queen of Swords:
If all I wanted was gold, I'd take it and disappear with it... but what I want is justice.

Antonio:
There is no justice. The world is not a just place. No one gets their due.

[Antonio and Grisham are trying to track the Queen of Swords across the desert]

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
You can waste your time, but not mine.

Antonio:
The only problem with being a soldier, Grisham, is that you are so busy taking orders, you stop relying on your own senses.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Look at the ground. You can't track anything in this soil.

Antonio:
I watched the Berbers in the Atlas Mountains track a scorpion for seven miles until they found it.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Well, then all we need are a few more Moroccans.

Antonio:
No - just one less American.

Antonio:
You still run. Senor Torres will be displeased.

The Queen of Swords:
I thought that staying alive was the most important thing.

Antonio:
Not above honor.

The Queen of Swords:
How can you speak of honor?

Antonio:
Ha! You are the one hiding behind a mask, not me. Who are you?

[Antonio forces Grisham to reveal the location of Montoya's treasury]

Antonio:
Open it!

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
There is no key.

Antonio:
Well, then your services are no longer needed.

[Antonio pistol whips him, knocking him unconscious]

Marta:
He's going to betray you.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
How do you know?

Marta:
I feel it.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
I don't.

Marta:
Of course not. You feel nothing but your own heat.

[to Grisham, who has just killed Antonio, the only person who knew the Queen of Sword's identity]

Col. Luis Montoya:
It would warm my heart to think that your concern for my life was greater than your hatred for Antonio but I fear otherwise. Jealousy - I warned you about that earlier. Without discipline there is chaos and with chaos there is anarchy. Think of that tonight and learn that lesson.

[last lines]

[Tessa is praying for Antonio's soul in her church]

Col. Luis Montoya:
If I were not now in the house of God, I would curse her.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
You know, the Queen of Swords didn't kill Antonio.

Col. Luis Montoya:
If it were not for her, you would sailing right now for Spain with...

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Please don't.

Col. Luis Montoya:
I am sorry. I should not speak of such things. Mark me, Dona Alvarado, someday soon the Queen will pay for all the suffering she has brought down on all our heads. I am sure I join you in praying for her swift and timely death.

[during their swordfight]

Antonio:
Well done. I'm sure Senor Torres was your teacher.

The Queen of Swords:
What does it matter, Antonio?

Antonio:
You know me?

[after defeating the Queen of Swords in a swordfight, Antonio pulls off her mask]

Antonio:
Tessa?

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Antonio.

Antonio:
You mock me!

[Antonio stalks away]

Antonio:
Is the Queen of Swords worth the gold I carry?

Col. Luis Montoya:
You are carrying one thousand reales in gold.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
[to Marta] He will not betray me.

Col. Luis Montoya:
That is twice the price we agreed to.

Antonio:
Yes, that's true, but if you want the Queen of Swords, you are in no position to argue.

Col. Luis Montoya:
I would pay ten times that to see her head on a pike in the village square.

Antonio:
Very well.

Col. Luis Montoya:
That was well done, Don Antonio. You have finally named the price for your honor.

[Antonio throws the stolen gold to the ground]

Antonio:
I cannot sell something I have already lost.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Soldiers, Grisham? Where? Surely you don't mean this motley crew of peasants?

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
I do my best with what I have, sir.

Col. Luis Montoya:
[looking hard at Grisham] I know the feeling.

[referring to Grisham's latest conscripts]

Col. Luis Montoya:
This happy few, this band of brothers, is replenishing the ranks of our army.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Those farmers?

Col. Luis Montoya:
The fever has depleted our ranks and the Queen of Swords remains a plague on us all.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
You took the words right out of my mouth.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Montoya says it's all the Queen's fault.

Marta:
Maybe he's got a point.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
I don't think so.

Marta:
The Queen gives the peasants hope.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
And?

Marta:
Hope is a dangerous thing to give to desperate people.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
So what do you expect me to do? Nothing?

Marta:
No! I expect you to accept responsibility for your actions... and Montoya's reactions.

Guard:
Colonel Montoya wants you.

Dr. Robert Helm:
I'm working.

Guard:
[cocking his pistol] It's not a request!

Dr. Robert Helm:
Does the Colonel want me in attendance or in a coffin?

[Helm grabs the soldier's gun and drops it in a water bucket]

[an explosion rocks the plaza while Grisham is romancing Tessa]

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
What was that?

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Bad timing.

[someone set an explosion destroying the doctor's office and his supply of fever medicine]

Dr. Robert Helm:
You're not dying of fever, Colonel; someone is killing you with it. Who wants you dead?

Col. Luis Montoya:
Many want me dead, but most are dogs who would not dare turn on their master.

Dr. Robert Helm:
All it takes is one.

[Dr. Helm saves the Queen's life by shooting the sword from Grisham's hand]

The Queen of Swords:
That was a remarkable shot, doctor.

Dr. Robert Helm:
I'll send you my bill in the morning.

Col. Luis Montoya:
What was that concoction, Doctor?

Dr. Robert Helm:
Salicylic acid from willow bark.

Col. Luis Montoya:
[toasting] Dr. Helm - whose bark is much better than his bite.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Ah, Captain - another hero in our battle against the epidemic.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
There's something I need to explain to you.

Col. Luis Montoya:
My fever has passed and my brain is clear. I know everything, Grisham.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
You can't possibly believe...

Col. Luis Montoya:
You are an animal, after all, but you are my animal and I hold your leash. This was your first and only mistake. The next time you stray too far, I will take that leash and I will strangle you with it.

[last lines]

Marta:
Dr. Helm informs me that it was actually the Queen of Swords who recovered the medicine for him.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
The Queen of Swords?

Dr. Robert Helm:
Yes.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Is that true?

Dr. Robert Helm:
Yes, it is.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
I thought she was a criminal.

Dr. Robert Helm:
Who knows what goes on in her mind.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Come on, Doctor. What do you think?

Dr. Robert Helm:
I think it's best never to rush to a diagnosis. Ladies...

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry to interrupt the party...

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
[to Marta] Who are those men?

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
...but Senor Krane would like to address us all.

Don Gaspar Hidalgo:
Well, I for one, sir, do not wish to be addressed. I am not a package.

[arresting a thug whom he has knocked to the ground]

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
All right, playtime's over, tough guy.

[a cocked pistol is placed against Grisham's throat]

Krane:
Long time no see. You want to let my friend go?

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Krane?

Krane:
Thought I was dead?

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Yeah.

Krane:
No such luck, Grisham.

[Lamorena is trying on Colonel Montoya's dark blue uniform]

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
I think yellow is more your color.

[the Queen holds a knife against Grisham's throat]

The Queen of Swords:
Tell me why I shouldn't slit your throat right now.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Ah, because of my charming smile?

The Queen of Swords:
When the shooting starts, Krane and the gold will disappear. I don't care about you or Montoya, but the dons don't deserve to die. That's butchery.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Yeah, well, I can live with that.

The Queen of Swords:
You won't get the chance. Krane has ordered you shot the minute you give the signal.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
So let me get this straight. I blow up Montoya, I'm dead. I don't blow up Montoya, I'm dead.

The Queen of Swords:
You didn't expect to see old age, did you, Captain?

Krane:
I was hoping to see you again before I left town.

The Queen of Swords:
I'm touched.

Krane:
A woman like you deserves special attention before she dies.

The Queen of Swords:
That's sweet - a romantic and a psychotic.

[after capturing Krane, the Queen begins to tie his wrists tightly]

The Queen of Swords:
Now for a little bondage.

[holding a pistol to the back of a sentry's head]

Marta:
Use your head while you still have one.

[the sentry drops his musket]

Marta:
Clever boy.

[Marta knocks him unconscious with her pistol's butt]

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
This is an awfully dangerous place for a lady all alone.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
This is where I learned to ride. When I was a child, my father kept horses here.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Well, that was a long time ago. You'd do better to think about our future than your past.

Col. Luis Montoya:
You confused the Queen of Swords with a nun! Are you blind as well as stupid?

Jailer:
I tried to stop her, sir, but...

Col. Luis Montoya:
But! But what?

Jailer:
She said God would punish me, sir.

Col. Luis Montoya:
God has already punished us all by granting you life - a situation I may soon remedy.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
I lost them.

Col. Luis Montoya:
You will note the complete lack of surprise on my face.

[points a pistol at Raul's head when the deserter claims Tessa is the Queen of Swords]

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Goodbye.

Raul:
What are you doing!

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Senorita Alvarado lives there.

Raul:
Exactly.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
So, you are telling me that a spoiled little rich kid beat my best men and made fools of Montoya's soldiers? I don't think so.

Raul:
There's only one way to find out.

[Grisham and his men burst into the hacienda only to find Tessa and Marta securely tied to chairs]

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Marta, I came so close to the truth.

Marta:
So close maybe, but the truth does not come without a price.

[the Queen of Swords points her dagger at Dr. Helm when she catches him searching a bookcase for the lever to open a secret door]

The Queen of Swords:
Let me guess. You stopped by to borrow a book?

Dr. Robert Helm:
Since when did that become a capital offense?

[Dr. Helm picks the treasury room lock with the Queen's dagger]

The Queen of Swords:
Where did you learn to do that?

Dr. Robert Helm:
You tell me your secrets, I'll tell you mine.

The Queen of Swords:
Maybe next time.

[Montoya blocks the Queen's escape]

Col. Luis Montoya:
Leaving so soon?

The Queen of Swords:
Apparently not.

Dr. Robert Helm:
You're strong - that's what saved you.

Churi:
Not my strength - yours... and hers.

[Dr. Helm turns and sees the Queen of Swords standing in the shadows]

Dr. Robert Helm:
That soldier you killed...

The Queen of Swords:
He was trying to shoot you.

Dr. Robert Helm:
You don't *ever* have permission to kill for me.

The Queen of Swords:
I thought I was saving your life.

Dr. Robert Helm:
By taking another! Who the hell do you think you are? Only God has the power of life and death.

The Queen of Swords:
And doctors.

[last lines]

Churi:
[to the Queen of Swords] The spirit of both our fathers sing here tonight. They sing, "Beware the truth. It is a scorpion dancing at your feet." They say, "Step carefully, my angel."

[the swordfight between Montoya and the Queen moves outdoors]

Col. Luis Montoya:
Death by moonlight. How romantic.

The Queen of Swords:
I bet you say that to all the girls.

Captain Wentworth:
Have you ever considered joining the circus?

Tessa Alvarado:
Not when there's clowns like you around.

[discussing Don Selvera's threats to have Montoya replaced as military governor]

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
If it were to me, I'd kill him.

Col. Luis Montoya:
And it's that singular lack of imagination that I most treasure about you, Captain - however, this delicate situation requires a certain amount of finesse. I will deal with Selvera in my own way... and if that doesn't work, you can kill him.

Isabel Selvera:
Senora Alvarado, your good father's death was a senseless tragedy. I grieve with you.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Grieve for his killers.

[Montoya watches from afar as the outlaw gang argues whether or not they should to kidnap Tessa]

Col. Luis Montoya:
What ever happened to honor among thieves?

Fenner:
It could get worse... why don't you just be a good girl and put down your sword.

Tessa Alvarado:
Wanna prove that size doesn't matter?

Fenner:
Well, it always matters, but there are other ways to compensate.

Fenner:
Where did you learn how to fight like that?

Tessa Alvarado:
Finishing school.

[disarms him]

Tessa Alvarado:
Are we finished?

Col. Luis Montoya:
I know who you are, Fenner - you and your big friend are just con-men, petty thieves.

Fenner:
Well, that's unfair. There's nothing petty about us.

Col. Luis Montoya:
You are wanted by 3 presidios on this coast alone.

Fenner:
Well, it's nice to be wanted.

[first lines]

[jumping from a rowboat in the surf]

Pietro:
Stick with me, partner!

Leonardo:
California!

Pietro:
It's the New World. At last dry land. So, where is St. Helena?

Leonardo:
About ten miles that way.

Pietro:
In less than three days, I'll wash the barnacles from my throat. Come on - let's see how the ladies grow in sunny California.

Leonardo:
There's something I need to take care of.

Pietro:
What could be more important than a cold sangria and a warm senorita, heh?

Leonardo:
Unfinished business.

[the Queen parries Montoya's sword thrust below her waist by placing a dagger against his throat]

The Queen of Swords:
Naughty, naughty.

[discussing Marta's fate]

Col. Luis Montoya:
I wonder - what would you do to save her?

Leonardo:
Anything.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Really?

Leonardo:
I would die for her.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Of course you would... but would you kill for her?

[Montoya tries to draw his pistol while the Queen's dagger is held to his throat]

The Queen of Swords:
Don't tempt me, Colonel!

Col. Luis Montoya:
[drops his gun] I get the point.

The Queen of Swords:
Good boy.

The Queen of Swords:
Now, Leonardo claims you took him from jail to kill Senor Hidalgo.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Who would believe a man who spent five years in a Castile prison, hmm?

The Queen of Swords:
Don Gaspar might - especially since his recent accident. He petitions the governor, who petitions the viceroy... Pretty soon, you're on a ship bound for Spain. I wonder how you'd look in leg irons?

Col. Luis Montoya:
Spare me the irony, please. What do you want?

The Queen of Swords:
Forget the tax increase, Colonel. And if anything ever happens to Leonardo or Marta, Senor Hidalgo will learn of your scheme. Even if Leonardo did hang, I doubt he'd hang alone.

Col. Luis Montoya:
I fear you may be right.

[last lines]

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Marta! And Leonardo... is he all right?

Vera Hidalgo:
He's fine. He has to find his place in life and prove to himself who he is - or isn't. When he has, he'll come back.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
You never could lie to me. Why didn't you go with him?

Vera Hidalgo:
No, this is my place. I belong with you. In many ways, your cousins were right.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
What?

Vera Hidalgo:
You are still a barbarian. Somebody's got to keep you out of trouble.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Do you miss him?

Vera Hidalgo:
...If I keep talking, lunch will never be ready.

[first lines]

[the Serpent has just knocked the sword from young Arnaldo's hand]

Arnaldo:
Here - take it all! Please don't kill me!

The Serpent:
Kill you? Why would I want to kill you? Your father would give me ten times that. Why would I kill the goose that lays the golden egg, huh?

[the Queen of Swords appears behind The Serpent]

The Queen of Swords:
You could try killing this goose instead.

[the Queen knocks the pistol from The Serpent's hand with her whip]

The Serpent:
Mama warned me there'd be women like you.

The Queen of Swords:
Maybe you should have listened to her.

The Serpent:
Why fight El Serpiente? We're on the same side.

The Queen of Swords:
Senor Serpiente, we're not even on the same planet.

The Serpent:
Too bad... for you.

Leandro:
Where did the Queen of Swords come from?

The Serpent:
Hell. And when I find her, I'll send her back.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Anything wrong?

Col. Luis Montoya:
No doubt you have heard about our latest bandit attack.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Ah, yes, how terrible. Luckily the young man was saved by the Queen of Swords.

Col. Luis Montoya:
It seems evident to me that the Queen in now in league with The Serpent.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
I don't understand.

Col. Luis Montoya:
This rescue - just a weak attempt to impress the gullible.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Oh, I see. My, my. The Queen sure is the clever one, isn't she?

Col. Luis Montoya:
Not quite so clever as she thinks. But do not fear, Maria Theresa, soon the Queen and the Serpent will be dead and then this little pueblo of ours will once again be a paradise.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
But remember, Colonel, even the Garden of Eden had its serpent. Apple?

[looking at Leandro, a member of The Serpent's gang of outlaws]

Marta:
Do you know him?

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
No, but the Queen does.

[Leandro points his pistol at Dr. Helm]

Dr. Robert Helm:
And is it the inflammation or the discharge of your pistol that concerns you?

Leandro:
Don't get smart with me!

Dr. Robert Helm:
I wouldn't dream of it. It would be such a waste.

Leandro:
You're coming with me. My boss is hurt - bad!

Dr. Robert Helm:
In the head presumably and it appears to be catching.

[twisting Leandro's arm behind his back]

Dr. Robert Helm:
Now I can mend limbs, but I can also break them. It's one of the perks of the job.

[Dr. Helm refuses an offer to join The Serpent's band of outlaws]

The Serpent:
Well, that's too bad because now I'll have to kill you.

[the Serpent points a pistol at Dr. Helm's throat]

Dr. Robert Helm:
How amazingly unoriginal. Now why don't you put that thing away before you do something I'll regret.

[referring to the outlaw the Queen just shot during a struggle]

The Queen of Swords:
He's one of the Serpent's men, isn't he? Is his boss still alive?

Dr. Robert Helm:
That's a confidential matter between doctor and patient.

The Queen of Swords:
He isn't just any patient, Doctor.

Dr. Robert Helm:
To me he is.

The Queen of Swords:
He's a killer!

Dr. Robert Helm:
Then I guess you two have something in common.

[the Serpent and his outlaws have laid waste to a poor peasant village]

The Queen of Swords:
If you hadn't saved The Serpent's life, none of this would have happened.

Dr. Robert Helm:
I tended to an injured patient.

The Queen of Swords:
Who was a murderer.

Dr. Robert Helm:
I don't judge, I heal.

The Queen of Swords:
Then let the law judge him!

The Queen of Swords:
Where is he?

Dr. Robert Helm:
I can't.

The Queen of Swords:
For God's sake, why?

Dr. Robert Helm:
Because I swore an oath to protect the sick.

The Queen of Swords:
And your oath is more important than these people's lives?

Dr. Robert Helm:
It's not as simple as that. This is a matter of honor.

The Queen of Swords:
Don't fool yourself, Doctor. There's no honor in protecting a murderer - only vanity.

[Colonel Mendoza has declared martial law and ordered all able-bodied men to arm themselves to search for the Serpent's outlaws]

Don Gaspar Hidalgo:
Colonel, most unfortunately, I am unable to ride a horse due to childhood injuries.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Inflicted, no doubt, by too many encounters with cream buns.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
You know, I envy you.

Dr. Robert Helm:
You're not serious.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
I do. You have a sacred duty to save lives. There is so much honor in that. You must be very proud.

Dr. Robert Helm:
Perhaps I am just vain.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Doctor, who would dare call you that?

Dr. Robert Helm:
Someone.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Anyone who would say such a thing is callous and ignorant.

Dr. Robert Helm:
No, she is not!

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
A woman?

Dr. Robert Helm:
Just possibly the most remarkable woman I've ever met.

[the Serpent forces Dr. Helm to kneel in front of an empty grave]

The Serpent:
Time to say goodbye, Doctor.

Dr. Robert Helm:
You know, if this is about my fee, I am willing to negotiate.

Don Santos:
This is impossible!

Col. Luis Montoya:
Not at all, Don Santos. This is my daily work. It's what you pay me to do. As you can see, it's quite simple. Just ride up and find bandits - it's easy.

Don Santos:
We must rest, Montoya. We're exhausted.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Unfortunately, I've found that the wicked never rest.

Dr. Robert Helm:
So you risked your life to save mine. *Thank you!*

The Queen of Swords:
Yeah, it seemed like a good idea at the time. I'm not so sure anymore.

Dr. Robert Helm:
How many have you killed? How many? Do remember their faces?

The Queen of Swords:
[softly] Yes.

Dr. Robert Helm:
I probably remember the first forty. Husbands, brothers, sons... after that they all become a blur.

The Queen of Swords:
During the war?

Dr. Robert Helm:
The *war*. The enemy was evil; I was good. One day I realized they felt exactly the same about me. There was no evil, no good. There was only blood - and death.

The Queen of Swords:
We're about to have company.

Dr. Robert Helm:
Six, all armed.

The Queen of Swords:
And you used our only shot on a snake!

Dr. Robert Helm:
I could have just let it bite you!

The Queen of Swords:
How do you feel about saving The Serpent now, Doctor?

Dr. Robert Helm:
I'm willing to consider a second opinion. Happy?

Col. Luis Montoya:
You must forgive me; I was expecting a very different guest.

The Queen of Swords:
I'm sorry to disappoint you.

Col. Luis Montoya:
I'm not disappointed. I have caught two birds in one canyon - The Serpent below and The Queen of Swords above. And you, Doctor... scrambling about canyons so far from home?

Dr. Robert Helm:
I was abducted by The Serpent.

Col. Luis Montoya:
What a glamorous life you lead, Doctor - abducted by bandits, rescued by masked ladies. Whatever's next - bands of angels descending upon us from the heavens above?

Dr. Robert Helm:
This lady is leaving us, Colonel. If your soldiers fire on her, I will kill you.

Col. Luis Montoya:
If I fall, shoot the doctor.

The Queen of Swords:
Don't do this.

Dr. Robert Helm:
It's already done.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Altruism on one hand; self-sacrifice on the other. My, it's almost romantic.

[the Serpent bends to slit Dr. Helm's throat]

The Queen of Swords:
Hey!

The Serpent:
You again.

The Queen of Swords:
How lucky can one guy get?

[Dr. Helm killed The Serpent to save the Queen]

Dr. Robert Helm:
Damn you! I killed him!

The Queen of Swords:
To save me.

[the Queen grabs Dr. Helm and kisses him passionately]

The Queen of Swords:
Thank you.

Col. Luis Montoya:
I will hang The Serpent's body in the village square. Let the people see how Montoya deals with murderers and thieves.

Dr. Robert Helm:
I always knew you were a hero of the people.

[discussing Montoya and Dr. Helm]

Marta:
Some men revel in death; others drink to forget.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
It must be very difficult to live with killing a man. Colonel Montoya must be very strong, I suppose.

Dr. Robert Helm:
I suppose he must.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
I think I prefer a man who saves life, rather than takes it, but I'm sure it's not always a simple choice.

Dr. Robert Helm:
Senorita Alvarado, no offense, but what could you possibly know about life and death?

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
[softly]... Nada.

[last lines]

[Dr. Helm leaves Tessa and strides across the plaza]

Marta:
Well?

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Maybe someday.

Mary Rose:
When Anton was eight, he fell off a horse and lay unconscious for hours.

Marta:
Let me guess: you shot the horse.

[Sword fighting]

Mary Rose:
Not bad.

Tessa Alvarado:
I'll get better.

Mary Rose:
You'll have to.

[first lines]

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
The stars are bright tonight, senorita.

Tessa Alvarado:
Are they, Captain? I hadn't noticed.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
You should have had some wine; it might have opened your eyes.

Tessa Alvarado:
Your eyes have obviously seen a great deal this evening.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Yes, they have... and I couldn't help notice you were alone. Pity.

Tessa Alvarado:
I noticed I was alone, too. That's why I left.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Well, you're not alone any more. I can escort you back inside.

Tessa Alvarado:
No, I'm returning home, but thank you. You're most kind.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Well then, why don't you let me escort you to wherever the hell it is you're going? The road is dark and dangerous.

Tessa Alvarado:
It might be safer without a dashing captain.

Mary Rose:
You'll hang over my dead body - and any other bodies that get in the way!

Anton:
Ah, yes. Dead bodies are something you know all about.

[discussing the fate of Anton]

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Whether he hangs or doesn't - what does it matter to you?

Col. Luis Montoya:
We'll use a small fish to catch a bigger one, Grisham - and then we see what else is left in our net.

Col. Luis Montoya:
I'm sorry, Senorita, I truly am, but I cannot give you access to the prisoner. You are my star witness - I cannot risk the accused influencing your testimony.

Tessa Alvarado:
You're so sweet. You're worried about me, but Anton's life depends on me and all I saw was shadows on a curtain.

Col. Luis Montoya:
When a man is staring Death in the face, sometimes you cannot believe what he says. Trust me.

Tessa Alvarado:
Poor thing. Such a burden to be judge, jury *and* executioner.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
When Tessa Alvardo testifies, Mary Rose kills her and you get all her land.

Col. Luis Montoya:
And then I hang Mary Rose for murder...

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
And get both their lands.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Perfect. Just when you think the gods have forsaken you.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Colonel! Colonel! We got a problem.

Capt. Marcus Grisham:
Only one? Things must be improving.

[the Queen of Swords defeats Mary Rose in a swordfight]

Mary Rose:
Finish it and bury me where I can see the sea.

[first lines]

[a girl chases a boy past where Tessa and Ramon are dancing]

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Remind you of anyone?

Ramon:
Yes. There was a girl about fifteen years ago. Tessa I think her name was.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
A lovely child, I'm sure.

Ramon:
A horrible creature. She used to beat me until I was black and blue.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Only after you pulled her hair.

Ramon:
I don't remember that part.

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
Of course. Well, it wasn't your hair, was it?

[Ramon's father has been shot after he had an violent argument with Fuentes]

Ramon:
I can't let Fuentes get away with this!

Maria Teresa Alvarado:
You don't know Fuentes did it.

Ramon:
Then I'm the only one who doesn't.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Pruning - it's all about control, really. Without my firm hand, these roses would grow wild... completely take over the garden. There is one thing I will not tolerate is anarchy.

Don Fuentes:
You have my word, Colonel. I had nothing to do with the attack.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Maybe you did, maybe you didn't. I don't pretend to be the voice of your conscience.

Don Fuentes:
It's true that Aguilera and I had words. I won't deny that.

Col. Luis Montoya:
My point is, Fuentes, that it was all just so vulgar. My town, my fiesta...

Don Fuentes:
If I wanted to kill Aguilera, I wouldn't do it public. I'd slit his throat while he slept.

Col. Luis Montoya:
That's what I like to hear - discretion.

[Latham and the Queen confront each other with drawn daggers]

Latham:
You're dead!

The Queen of Swords:
You took the words right out of my mouth.

[the Queen discovers that Dr. Helm was the assassin's intended victim, not Don Aguilera]

Dr. Robert Helm:
This is my business. You stay the hell out.

The Queen of Swords:
Looks like I'm not the only one who hides behind a mask.

[thinking he is being followed by the assassin, Dr. Helm hurls himself at the horseman, only to find himself sprawled on the ground with the Queen's dagger at his throat]

The Queen of Swords:
With those kinds of moves, it's no wonder you're still single.

The Queen of Swords:
What the hell are you doing leaping off rocks?

Dr. Robert Helm:
What the hell are you doing following me?

The Queen of Swords:
Tell me why you're leaving town.

Dr. Robert Helm:
Tell me who's under the mask.

The Queen of Swords:
...I asked first.

Latham:
We're wasting time, Colonel. Yes or no?

Col. Luis Montoya:
You must forgive my manners. I've already forgotten your name.

Latham:
I didn't give it. You're obviously not interested in my proposal, so why waste both our time.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Don't be absurd! Sit, my anonymous friend, sit. As the great Bard himself once said, "What's in a name?"

Latham:
Do we have a deal?

Col. Luis Montoya:
You deliver to me The Queen of Swords.

Latham:
And you give to me Doctor Helm.

Dr. Robert Helm:
Who are you?

Latham:
Vengeance.

Col. Luis Montoya:
So you've given the good doctor your sword. How brave... How stupid.

The Queen of Swords:
So why don't you just kill me?

[as the Colonel unsheathes his sword the Queen cracks her whip, knocking off one of his medals]

The Queen of Swords:
Oops.

[Colonel Montoya shoots Latham as he was about to strike Dr. Helm with his sword]

Dr. Robert Helm:
You're a complicated man, Colonel.

Col. Luis Montoya:
Not really. Killers and assassins, they are, how do you say... a dime a dozen. But where would I find another doctor?

[seeing the Queen of Swords in the distance riding off on the Colonel's stallion]

Dr. Robert Helm:
Or another horse?

Col. Luis Montoya:
Sometimes I think I'm too virtuous for my own good.

Dr. Robert Helm:
Don't push it, Colonel.

[last lines]

Dr. Robert Helm:
I'm glad you came, though.

The Queen of Swords:
You are?

Dr. Robert Helm:
I wasn't sure when I would see you again.

The Queen of Swords:
Am I missing something?

Dr. Robert Helm:
Maybe.

The Queen of Swords:
Should I be flattered?

Dr. Robert Helm:
Well, that's up to you... but I'm just returning your sword.

The Queen of Swords:
Ah. Thank you, Doctor.

Dr. Robert Helm:
Oh, by the way...

[turns and discovers the Queen has disappeared into the night]

Dr. Robert Helm:
It's nice to be back.

The Queen of Swords:
Are you looking for something?

Dr. Robert Helm:
My horse.

The Queen of Swords:
Your horse?

Dr. Robert Helm:
Yes. Horse. Equus. Four legs, big head, long tail.

The Queen of Swords:
There's a ranch a few miles west. You can always get a new one there... That is if you're still planning on running away.

Dr. Robert Helm:
I am not running away!... I am walking.