(Hospital. several knights, wearing baseball caps and street clothes.)

NURSE: Sign here.

(Shot of the paper on the clipboard. The guy signs: first name Dante, last name illegible. )

NURSE: Okay, that should do it.

(Dante nods, turns to the other men. They start to walk off. The taller man is Orlando. He stares blankly ahead of him.)

DANTE: (to the other man) See. Did I not tell you how easy it would be for us to-

NURSE: Hey!

(The men stop walking as in the background the nurse comes out from behind her counter. Dante and the other man exchange a look. The second man begins to pull a dagger out of his jacket. The nurse comes over to them. )

NURSE: (pointing at Dante's hand) My pen.

(Dante hands her the pen with a slight smile. She takes it and goes back to her desk. The other man puts away his dagger as he and Dante lead Orlando away. Cut to a forest. Dante, Orlando, and the other man move carefully down a slight rise.)

ORLANDO: The trees are singing water.

GREGOR: You have him.

DANTE: Yes, General. Our brother has returned to the fold.

GREGOR: Welcome home, Orlando. I swear by my sword your sacrifice ... will not go unavenged.

(Orlando seems fascinated by the medal or amulet hanging around the general's neck. He reaches out to touch it. )

ORLANDO: Shiny.

GREGOR: Yes, I suppose it is.

ORLANDO: Pretty little girl, she's shiny too.

GREGOR: (to Dante) Watch him, make sure he's comfortable.

ORLANDO: So shiny. Pretty little shiny key.

GREGOR: The key? You've seen it?

ORLANDO: Pretty ... little shiny girl.

GREGOR: The monks, they've made it human.

DANTE: We know the Slayer's protecting the key. If what Orlando says is true...

GREGOR: Prepare to advance!

KNIGHT: Yes sir.

GREGOR: (turns back) We end this now.

(He stalks off with the knights following. The camera rises so we can see them emerging from the trees. Some are on foot, some on horseback. Hard to tell exactly how many there are, but there are a lot. Blackout. )

• Dawn as the Key

written by: Steven S. DeKnight; Typed the partial transcript of this episode myself. Full transcript at:
http://www.studiesinwords.de/98spiral.html