Salome Page #2

banished from Rome."

Banished?

"You will sail on a galley

leaving tomorrow night.

You will be given safe escort

home to Galilee."

But... But I have lived in Rome

since I was a child.

Everything that means

home is...

Is here.

I know.

So I...

I am banished from Rome.

To make certain that Caesar's

nephew marries a Roman,

not a barbarian.

Please, it is difficult enough.

Is it, Marcellus?

How difficult

if you could let me go

so easily?

There will come a time

when my word will be law.

Then.

Then the princess of Galilee

will reject your petition.

Please.

Do not touch me.

I am a barbarian.

Do not defile your hands.

My noble Roman.

With a heart of pure marble.

You all come out of

the same quarry.

Make way for

His Excellency Pontius Pilate.

Make way. Make way.

Claudius.

Under your command again, sir.

I thought you were stationed

in Galilee.

I was in Rome on leave, sir.

Happy to have you

with me again, commander.

Like old times in Britain, huh?

Any more wounds since then?

No, not one, sir.

You will find your new post

quite different.

I hope what I've learned about Galilee

and the people after five years

in the diplomatic service

will be useful to you.

Serve me half as well as

you did in Britain,

and we'll keep

those barbarians quiet.

Captain Quintus, sir.

We must cast off immediately, sir,

or lose the tide until morning.

Sail. I am ready.

There's still one passenger missing.

What passenger?

Princess Salome.

And who may she be?

King Herod's stepdaughter.

We have orders from Caesar

to transport her home.

Well, why is she not here?

I follow orders,

and I expect others to.

I wait for no one.

Least of all a woman.

Perhaps there's one woman

worth waiting for.

No woman.

Not even that one?

Hmm?

Princess Salome.

His Excellency Pontius...

What impudence.

Claudius, show me to

my quarters.

Your quarters have

just been invaded, sir.

Pull the oar harder.

Pull harder!

Shall we find quarters

below deck, sir?

No, I have no stomach

for the perfume

of galley slaves.

I'd rather camp up here.

To give up your quarters

to a princess of Galilee

is diplomacy of high order, sir.

Protocol dictates

that you go one step further.

Present yourself

to the princess.

Welcome her personally

the first night aboard.

Protocol dictates?

I'm the governor. I dictate.

Then allow me to relieve you

of an unpleasant duty.

I will present your compliments.

I shall send none to her.

Oh.

It's possible the princess

did not realize she had

taken your quarters.

Perhaps I could persuade her

to relinquish them.

Perhaps? Order her out.

Yes, sir.

Keep the beat.

Keep the beat!

You there, put your

weight into it.

The governor wishes...

The governor wishes

to extend his official greetings.

As for taking his quarters,

I must ask you...

Another gallant Roman.

Governors, senators,

commanders. All alike.

Men of iron, made to rule.

All heartless liars.

You know Caesar banished me.

And yet you come

to greet me officially.

As a Roman of pure blood

to a barbarian.

What else,

unofficially?

I assure you, my intentions were...

I am not interested in your intentions.

All I want is no Roman near me.

No Roman anywhere near me.

I will remain in this cabin

for the remainder

of the journey.

I want nothing to do

with any of you,

and I expect that courtesy

to be returned.

I will have your wish

carried out.

All Romans onboard

will avoid you.

On no condition will

any Roman speak to you.

Not one word.

Onboard ship

or on the overland

journey home.

Well, commander?

I regret to say

I could do nothing, sir.

Did you order her out?

In the name of Your Excellency.

And she still refused to go?

She ordered me out, sir.

Oh, did she, Claudius?

The most important man

in Galilee

who knows just how to handle

these barbarians.

I'm afraid the princess

is beyond diplomacy, sir.

Yes.

However,

I shall not give up the struggle.

Put your weight into it.

You there, pull harder.

I hope your mistress

is in a better humour this morning.

Sir, the princess

would like to take a bath.

My permission is not

necessary for that.

Sir, her bathtub has

been put away with

her other possessions.

The princess requests you

to send it to her with

enough water to bathe in.

The ocean's full of water.

No ocean water.

Drinking water? You can tell the...

Allow me to handle this, sir.

Ocean water.

Did you not tell the commander...?

I did tell the commander.

Remind him I do

not want a Roman in here.

I can bathe without

his supervision.

Tell him to leave.

Sir, the princess

wishes you to leave.

Now get out.

Pull that oar harder.

You there, pull harder.

Harder! Faster!

Listen back there. Harder!

Water.

Water.

Put your weight into it.

Keep the beat!

Water.

Water.

Water.

I wish you were as concerned

with my comfort, commander.

Why waste a slave?

Why not? The world's

full of them.

Land ho!

Land ho!

Tell your mistress

the litter is ready.

I will not be shaken

in that...

Inform her it's the only litter

I could find.

Tell the Roman I would

rather walk than... Than...

Instruct your mistress

to lean forward. She will be

shaken less.

Also tell her not to drink

so much water.

It will make her ill.

I baptize you with water,

but he that cometh after me

is mightier than I,

whose shoes

I am not worthy to bear.

He will baptize you

with the Holy Ghost

and with fire.

What is it?

A meeting of some kind, sir.

The leader was sprinkling water

on their heads.

Cut them out of the way.

I intend to camp

on the other side.

Yes, sir.

We are here to hallow

the name of the Lord.

Let your faith be your shield.

Tyrants of Rome!

Those who live in hatred and strife

shall vanish from the universe.

The day shall come when Roman

spears shall be ground into dust.

Silence that traitor.

The stormers shall be consumed.

And all evildoers

shall be destroyed!

The enslavers of the world

shall soon be broken

on the wheel of...

Do not kill that man!

Go on, quick.

Get away from here.

Did you send for me, sir?

Yes.

I'm informed that you

countermanded my order. Why?

I said that traitor was to be silenced.

I'm sorry, I did not hear your order.

That man the guard almost killed

was John the Baptist, a prophet.

His death would stir up

the populace.

The rabble-rouser has lived too long.

Sir, heed my advice.

I know these people,

how they regard a holy man.

They will not tolerate harm

to a prophet.

Why court trouble?

Caesar commanded us

to keep the peace.

Let me help you keep it

until you become familiar

with the nature of the enemy.

Who was that?

The commander.

What is that singing?

The religious people.

On the other side

of the Jordan.

Strange.

It is like I have never

lived here at all.

Claudius.

I did all I could to stop them.

I know.

Pilate, the new governor,

is a ruthless soldier.

You must not speak against Rome

where your enemies can hear you.

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