(old lady's house.)

MRS. HOLT: No, no, I don't mind at all. I was up. Early morning prayer.

GILES: Of course.

MRS. HOLT: And I like talking about my kids. I still call them that. My kids.

GILES: I, I suppose you were like a mother to them. You did everything for them?

MRS. HOLT: Oh yes. I fed them clothed them, educated them in the way of the lord. I was given a medal.

GILES: Yes, wonderful. Uh, congratulations. Um, this'll sound a little strange, but, ah, did you notice any odd... disturbances in the house?

MRS. HOLT: (frowns) I don't understand.

GILES: We-well, um, like uh, furniture moving of its own accord, or, uh, objects appearing out of nowhere, or, or perhaps you saw someone appear one moment, and then they were gone the next, i-inexplicably.

MRS. HOLT: Why, that sounds like crazy talk.

GILES: Yes, it does, doesn't it? Yes. Um... Well, forgive me for, for asking this, but um, the children in your care, were any of them ever ill, or did anything ever happen to any of them?

MRS. HOLT: Well, some had the flu and such. No one died, if that's what you mean. The engraving on the medal says how good I was with the children. (Smiles)

GILES: (smiles) Oh, yes.

MRS. HOLT: I treated them as I would my own flesh and blood. Gave them hugs and praise when they were good, and ... punished them when they were dirty.

GILES: Well, ah, children will be children. They, you know, they do like to play in the, uh, the muck. (Smiling)

ANYA: You didn't mean mud dirty.

MRS. HOLT: My kids didn't think I knew, but I did.

GILES: (starting to understand) Very, uh, perceptive of you.

MRS. HOLT: Without me they would have been shut out of the kingdom. Lost to lust.

GILES: But you ... helped them.

MRS. HOLT: The girls felt the vanity more than the boys. I'd see them preening like Jezebel. Doting over their pretty hair.

XANDER: So you'd hack it off.

MRS. HOLT: I'd remove the temptation to admire themselves. They were better for it.

ANYA: What about the bathtub? Something happened there.

MRS. HOLT: I performed baptisms on the most unclean. Those who were tainted with impure thought and deed.

GILES: You held them under?

MRS. HOLT: They needed to be reborn. (Rises) You choose to pass judgment on me?

GILES: (Rises) Well, someone ought to! You traumatized and, and abused these children, children who, who have no doubt become extremely disturbed adults! You have ruined lives, Mrs. Holt. Furthermore, what you did has now manifested itself as a, a malevolent presence which threatens still more lives! You have a great deal to answer for.

MRS. HOLT: I refuse to listen to this when I can smell the sin on each and every one of you.

XANDER: Yeah? You smell sin? Well let me tell you something, lady, she who smelt it dealt it!

(Giles looks at him.)

XANDER: It's like what you said, but faster.

written by: Tracey Forbes; Transcript by joan the english chick (pisces@englishchick.com). Full transcript at:
http://www.buffyworld.com/buffy/season4/transcripts/74_tran.htm