CONQUERING THE CONQUEROR

pt.32

XENA
(Slightly Irritated tone) What are you still doing here?

GABRIELLE
Sorry. You didn't say I could go, so I just thought you must've still wanted me for something.

Gabrielle could see that the Conqueror was in a particularly foul mood and thought that it would likely be better if she excused herself and left the woman alone.

GABRIELLE
But I can see that you no longer have any need for me right now, so I'll just go.

Gabrielle quickly turned to leave as she began to head for the open door, but stopped when she heard the Conqueror's voice call after her.

XENA
Wait a minute. I'm not seeing one of the documents I sent for.

Gabrielle froze in her tracks as she turned back to face the other woman, worried that she had forgotten to bring her something she had ordered to be brought to her.

GABRIELLE
I'm sorry. Let me see what I forgot.

Gabrielle returned to the Conqueror's desk to see which of the documents she had forgotten to bring.

GABRIELLE
What one are you looking for?

XENA
An Amazon treaty. It's the most important thing I sent for.

Remembering the short time she and Elle spent with Terreis and the others from the young princesses' tribe after her attempted escape, Gabrielle paused looking through the scattered scrolls and looked at the Conqueror as she wondered if whatever was happening somehow involved those women.

GABRIELLE
Did you say Amazons?

Xena glanced up at Gabrielle from her search.

XENA
I did. Why?

Suddenly realizing that she shouldn't have said anything about it, Gabrielle frantically began piecing together a way to explain herself without letting it slip that she had meet some of them after she had escaped from the keep some time ago.

GABRIELLE
(Lying) I just always found the Amazonian culture and way of life fascinating.

Xena raised a curious eyebrow.

XENA
Oh, really. I'm surprised that someone from such a small settlement like Potidea would even know about the Amazons. Those women are famously known for keeping to themselves for the most part.

Gabrielle quickly continued spinning the tale of how she had come to know about the tribal women in a desperate effort to avoid the Conqueror finding out the truth and suffering what Gabrielle was certain would be the dire consequences of what might happen if she did.

GABRIELLE
(Lying) Well, one time when I was little, I accompanied my mother to another town near my Potidea and there just happened to be some Amazons there.

XENA
Huh. Is that so? How can you be sure they were Amazons?

GABRIELLE
Well, it's kinda obvious when you see them, isn't it? Plus everyone's heard stories about them, haven't they?

XENA
Hm, I guess you have a point. They do have a tendency to stand out from the average woman you would see around these parts.