Relic Hunter (1999–2002): Season 2, Episode 16 - French Connection - full transcript

While on a lecture tour with Nigel in Europe, Sydney is contacted by MI5 because she is the only one who can prevent an impending high-level assassination, according to a prophecy written by Nostradamus himself.

[PLAYING THEME SONG]

Hurry, man.

We don't have
all night.

Nostradamus.

Get back there,
fool.

I want the remains
moved by morning.

Open it.

Excellency,
the prophet's curse.

Everyone knows.

Dallier: Superstition.

Who do you fear more,



a dead fortune teller
or a prince of Rome?

Mon dieu, around
his neck.

This year, he predicted
when we would disturb him.

A bauble, nothing more.

Bring the cart.

"Through this, you will see
the secrets of the future.

For the worthy who
possesses it,

this is my gift for you.

For the unworthy, let
it be my curse".

NIGEL: Oh, Sydney, this
is the kind of lecture tour

I could get used to,

no knives, no guns,

no one trying to sacrifice
us to some demon god.

It is getting a bit boring,
isn't it?



NIGEL: Oh, I don't know.

I could get bored like
this for quite some time.

Come on, Nig',

you can't tell
me that you

don't miss it
just a little bit.

I don't miss it just
a little bit.

Well, you're in luck because
for the next few days,

you don't have to
worry about anything

More dangerous
than a Paris cab ride.

Professor Fox?

David Watson, MI5.

No, no. No, no, no.
This isn't fair.

Is he all right?

SYDNEY: He'll be fine.

I need to speak to you about
a matter of extreme urgency.

We have reason to believe that
a high level assassination

Is planned for 3
days from now.

Sorry, but I'm not

in the assassination
prevention business.

WATSON: Well, our informant
indicates that you may be

the only one who can stop
this tragedy from taking place.

SYDNEY: who is
this informant?

WATSON: Was, Professor.

The man who identified you

as the person to stop
the assassination was the...

Was the 16th century
prophet, Nostradamus.

WATSON: This parchment was
found under the floor

of Nostradamus' home.

It's one of a set

Which were uncovered by
a renovation in the 1800's.

NIGEL: Well, I've studied
Nostradamus' quatrains.

He predicted Catherine
the great and Napoleon,

some even say the Kennedys,

but I've never heard anything
that mentioned Sydney.

"The second thousand
will still be new

when ruin will fall
upon a man of greatness.

The bird will deliver
the hunter,

the chase returns to the place
that it began

and on the eve the Fox
will seek

the 1600 and its light
will save the hound".

The Fox and the Hound
is a fable

as old as anyone
can remember,

but to think that the Fox
in this quatrain refers to you

is what you might call
a bit of a stretch.

What exactly is a 1600?

The 1600.

It's a medallion.

With it, one can supposedly
decipher all of Nostradamus'

cryptic predictions and,
in effect, see the future.

For what it's worth,
I want you to understand,

that I don't believe
in this medallion

or that a centuries old prophet
foresaw modern day events.

See. There are those
that do, however,

and I have my
orders.

Who's the man of greatness
that Nostradamus refers to?

I've been instructed to keep
his identity under wraps.

Look, I've operated on a need
to know basis before, Watson,

and usually what I didn't need
to know almost got me killed.

Your job isn't
to prevent

the assassination,
Professor Fox

only to find
the medallion.

It should be a relatively
safe assignment.

My personal number's been
encrypted into the speed dial.

To contact me,
just press send.

I don't recall having
accepted this assignment.

WATSON: I've done my
homework on you, professor Fox.

And I'm betting
you can't resist

the challenge of a personal

communication from
Nostradamus,

regardless of who believes
it or not.

I don't like him.

Good work.

We should have told
her the stakes involved.

The fewer people who
know the better.

If she's as good
as her reputation,

we'll have what we need before
the hound enters the country.

Stanley...

Your track record
is legendary,

but don't you think--

There are reasons for
track records, Watson.

I refuse to not believe.

I understand, but...
STANLEY: No,

it's clear that you
do not understand.

NIGEL: If it's a forgery,
it's a good one.

The parchment,
the ink, the handwriting,

it's all letter perfect.

Even the grammar and the syntax
is pure Nostradamus.

So, we're to assume
that the man

of greatness is also
the hound?

Not that I'm buying into
any of this, but all right.

All right.

NIGEL: If he's connected
with MI5,

he's got to be
pretty big.

The part about the, uh...

"the bird shall
deliver the hunter"...

What do you think
about that?

I don't know.

I think we should
get to the church

where Nostradamus was buried.

You sure?
Yes, I'm sure.

You do realize we could
be sitting in Café Flore

with a café creme
and a croissant,

kicking back and watching
the world go by.

Nigel, do you think there's

any possibility
that Nostradamus

Could've been referring
to me?

I've been on too many
adventures with you, Syd,

to rule out any
possibilities.

PRIEST: Our crypt has many
famous residents,
Mademoiselle Fox.

But the individual you seek
overshadows them all.

He was a man whose life was
truly touched by god.

We're actually more
interested in

who might have touched
him after his death.

We're looking
for the medallion

that Nostradamus
was buried with.

Ah, 1600.

Well, I can assure you that

that is nothing more
than a myth.

How can you be
so sure?

Studying the life of
Michel De Nostradame

has been my life's work.

This story of the medallion
was propagated

solely by a superstitious
labourer

Who was frightened
of Nostradamus' curse.

NIGEL: So, no one
else saw it?

Well, there was a cardinal,

Henri Dallier.

He was overseeing the works

at the time
of the disinterment.

Now, Dallier swore blind
that there was no medallion.

But he was the only witness.

Well, the cardinal
was a holy man.

I think we might concede that
his word was worth something.

What happened to Dallier?

He wound up on the wrong
side of Vatican politics,

was reassigned to a monastery
in Langrune-Sur-Mer,

spent the last years
of his life there.

SYDNEY: Yeah,
Watson?

It's called Langrune-
Sur-Mer.

It's a monastery where
cardinal Dallier was buried.

Yeah, of course.

I'll call you if we
find anything.

NIGEL: What did Watson
have to say?

Well, he'll join
us if we find anything.

What is it?

The car.

Who is that?

SYDNEY: His name's
Antonio Castillo.

NIGEL: A relic hunter?

He's like the Mozart
of relic hunters.

He got into the business
as a teenager,

scooped everybody in
the business once.

NIGEL: Even you?
SYDNEY: Not yet.

NIGEL: Think he's after
the medallion?

SYDNEY: I assume he's not here
on a spiritual journey.

[ENGINE REVVING]

I had him!

Any word?

No.

If there's nothing in
the next 2 hours,

I want you to light
a fire under her.

Do you really believe
a scrap of metal

is going to tell us who's
trying to kill the prince?

I believe the events predicted
by Nostradamus' poem

bear great similarities
to our current situation.

Re-establish communications
with Sydney Fox

and get me some results.

PAUL: Welcome.

Welcome to the monastery
of Langrune-Sur-Mer.

The monk at the church of
Cordier didn't mention that

the Langrune monastery had
been converted into a museum.

Well, the monastery
was decommissioned

When the last brother
died years ago.

A viral infection...

Particularly painful death.

Yes. We're interested

in a previous resident
of the monastery,

a Cardinal Henri Dallier.

Strange coincidence.

Another gentleman
was just here

asking about Cardinal Dallier.

Yeah, we ran into him
on the way out.

Paul Laurier.

I'm the caretaker
of the monastery.

Are any of cardinal
Dallier's artifacts

or records still stored here?

As I told the other
gentleman,

one of the great treasures
of Langrune

Is cardinal Dallier's
journal.

It follows the years from
1600 to his death in 1615,

a rare look at 17th
century life,

not to mention
that it's also

a portrait
of a mind driven far

beyond the limits of sanity,

very far beyond.

Could we take
a look at the journal?

Of course.

Well, how mad
was Dallier?

Well, shortly after arriving
in Langrune,

he began to believe he was
seeing visions of the future.

These visions which he
called his "terrible sight"

became more and more
acute over his years here.

Did any of these
predictions come true?

No, that's what makes
his story so bizarre.

Dallier's visions were
all of one thing.

His own death.

He saw himself dying?

PAUL: And the years of
pain that led up to it.

As the cancer ate away at him,

each new day's agony more
intense than the last.

PAUL: Dallier became
convinced

that Nostradamus' curse
which afflicted him

in life would follow him in
death and that his remains,

like Nostradamus', would be
disturbed which terrified him.

Finally, Dallier awoke one day
and smiled at his attendants,

told them that everything
was fine now,

that he saw no more
future for himself.

And that night, he died
exactly as he predicted.

The curse of Nostradamus.

Is there any record

of the disposition
of Dallier's belongings?

Yes, the last man
asked the same question.

He was particularly
interested in a medallion

Dallier might
have had.

I'm sure he was.

PAUL: But like pious
men of his day,

Dallier gave most of his

worldly belongings
to the church.

So, no record
of the medallion?

PAUL: He was buried with
his bible and little else.

Due to the value of
the journal,

we keep it locked away.

Did he ask to see it?

The other man? Yes.

Mr. Laurier, did you leave
him alone at any time?

Well, just for
a minute.

He asked for a glass of water.

Then I'm afraid your
book's already gone.

My god.

[ENGINE REVVING]

I have the journal.

The rest is only
a matter of time.

Castillo has to be
after the medallion.

SYDNEY: It sure
looks that way.

You think he has a copy
of the parchment?

He must have.

Why else after
400 years

Do we wind up here
within an hour

of each other both
looking for Dallier?

Then he has to be working with
someone who had access to it,

but who?

Yeah, welcome to the joys
of need- to-know.

We just have to get

to the medallion
before he does.

You heard what Laurier said
about Dallier's last entry?

Yeah, there's no record
of any such medallion.

But then there
wouldn't be,

not if Dallier's
the thief.

Dallier is sealed
in the mausoleum.

We haven't enough time
to get official permission

to exhume the body,

even if we can get
permission at all.

Who said anything about
getting permission?

[NIGEL GROANING]

They should move some of
these loose rocks away.

What, so grave robbers
don't injure themselves?

NIGEL: Well, apparently, as
a grave robber... Yes.

NIGEL: "Whoever disturbs
these bones

invites upon himself
a terrible curse."

about this medallion, maybe
you should just call Watson

and tell him you've
changed your mind.

Nigel, put a shoulder
to this! Help me open it.

Don't tell me you're still
afraid of a little curse.

Okay, look at it
this way.

Dallier said it
wasn't his curse,

it was the curse of the one
that cursed him, right?

Right.

So, that would be
Nostradamus.

Now, Nostradamus wants me
to find his medallion.

Right?
Right.

So, Nostradamus wouldn't
put a curse on me.

Right, you're absolutely right.

Of course he didn't
say anything about you.

Huh?

[SYDNEY GROANS]

Okay, Castillo,

you're one step too
late this time.

[GUNSHOT]

PAUL: I've already
called for the police.

Dallier's tomb,
oh dear!

What have you done?

If his remains have
been damaged...

Open it.

If he's not here,
then where is he?

PAUL: I have no idea.

PAUL: Where is
Dallier's journal?

I don't have it.

Pardon me if I
don't trust you.

Lower.

[SMIRKING]

Well, I guess we've
solved the mystery

As to how you found
out about the medallion.

What's going on,
Mademoiselle Fox?

That's what I'm trying
to figure out here.

Where did you get this?

SYDNEY: If you're trying
to protect them Forget about it.

They're playing you the same
as they're playing me.

SYDNEY: All right, Watson,

it's about time you
started doling out

some of that need
to know information.

I took out your
friend Castillo.

WATSON: Well, I don't
know any Castillo.

Oh, come on, he was carrying
one of your nifty cell phones.

And the only way
he could've found out

about that medallion
was through you.

Professor Fox,
I assure you this

Castillo is not
working for me.

How else could
the assassins have found out

about the parchment Or
the existence of the medallion?

WATSON: I don't
see how.

I'm being completely
honest with you here.

Have you come any closer
to finding the medallion?

Not yet.

So, they've met.

He was your man?

Yes.

I decided to go
with backup in case

Professor Fox didn't find
what we were looking for.

How much more is there
you're not telling me?

I run an investigation
my own way.

You should understand that.

Oh, come on, you've been in
the service too long, Watson.

You're getting paranoid.

By the way, I've always
been a fan of yours, Sydney.

I'm flattered.

Just hand over
the journal.

CASTILLO: That medallion
could be worth a lot of money.

We could work together,
split it.

I don't think so.
Why not?

Because it's wrong.

You know, I could
really help you

get over your hang-up
with morality.

The only help
of yours that I want

is to hand over that journal.

You stick to your
guns...

I'll give you that...

Which is why it pains me
to do what I have to do.

[GRUNTS]
[GUNSHOT]

[CASTILLO GROANING]

Nigel.

[GROANING]

Am I alive?

Yeah, and it still looks
like you have all your teeth.

Well, that's something
to be grateful for.

Yeah, that and the fact that
we still have the journal.

[BOTH GROANING AND GRUNTING]

Thank you so much for
recovering the journal.

Let's just hope
it helps us find

where Dallier
hid the medallion.

Here we are,
April 2nd, 1615,

Dallier's final entry.

Instructions for his burial,

the curse he wrote on
anyone who disturbs his rest.

Nothing even hinting he
was buried anywhere else.

You said he wrote in
his journal every day?

That's right.

Yet there's a gap here,
3 days no entries were made...

Right before his death.

Yeah, it was assumed Dallier

was exhausted
or racked with pain.

But in his final entry,
he writes that

"The burden of this terrible
curse has been lifted.

He has made his peace,
a penitent unto god".

What could have
happened in 3 days

that would have turned him
into a man seemingly unafraid?

The only 3 days
unaccounted for

since he began writing
his journal.

Is there any way
of finding out

What he did during
those 3 days?

I suppose the monastic records
might be of some help.

February, March...

March 26th...

Here we are. March 26,

there's a record
of a coach being hired

to carry Cardinal Dallier
to the church of Cordier.

It was a 3 day trip.

Back to Cordier?

Why?

Of course.

Dallier's confessor, Cardinal
Legros, was stationed there.

And perhaps seeing his
death as imminent,

Dallier wanted
to unburden his soul.

Or maybe to ask Legros
to prepare a secret grave

where Dallier
and the medallion

would lie undisturbed
for all time.

Professor Fox is on her way
back to the church of Cordier.

What?

That's where she believes
the medallion is located.

My god.

Perhaps now, you won't
be too skeptical, Watson.

Do you realize the odds
of the medallion

Being in the same
town as the summit?

As the hound?

Stanley, listen to me.

I don't know what
I believe,

but this has gone
far enough.

We cannot have
two relic hunters

in Cordier during the summit.

What if the press
gets hold of them?

What if they interfere
in the conference?

Stanley, if you value
your career,

we've got to call
them off.

Yes, you're right,
of course.

[CELL PHONE RINGING]

Hello?

WATSON: The situation
has become

complicated with
Fox and Castillo.

I need you to
simplify things.

But how?

Kill them.

GUARD: I'm sorry, but the road
leading to the chateau

and the church are out of use
for the next 24 hours.

I have to get in there.
I have very important business.

Unless you have credentials
for the summit,

I'm afraid you're out of luck.
Summit?

GUARD: You know, Earth
day, save the whales,

that sort of thing.

Dignitaries from all
over the world

will be in there,
I suppose?

I'm sorry, I can't
comment on that, Madame.

[POLICE RADIO CHATTERING]

"The chase leads
to the place it began".

NIGEL: Yes. "Ruin will fall
to the man of greatness.

The bird will deliver
the hunter".

NIGEL: Now we know where.

How do we figure out
who or when?

The medallion. If the answer's
contained in the parchment,

the medallion is the key
to unlocking it.

SYDNEY: There's got to be
a back entrance.

I say we dump the car.

How did I know you
were going to say that?

Castillo!

[CRACKLING]

[MUFFLED GROANING]

Here it is.

1615.

No Dallier.

Any ceremonies officiated
by Legros?

Four.

Strange, there's one
here recorded

without a name,
only a number.

1600.

BOTH: Dallier?

There's a diagram on
the crypt.

[DOOR OPENING]

There, April 4th, 1615.

"A penitent unto god".

Same phrase that's
in Dallier's journal.

Cardinal Legros took
care of his friend.

What are you two
doing here?

Hello, brother,

we were going to ask you some
more questions about Dallier.

How did you get those robes?
I'm calling the police!

[NIGEL GROANS]

Any minute,
there are going to be

50 men with guns
outside that door.

We better hurry up and do
what we came here to do.

Right.

[NIGEL BREATHING HEAVY]

[GROANING]

NIGEL: I don't see
any medallion.

SYDNEY: Neither do I.

SYDNEY: Laurier said that
Dallier's bible

was the only earthly
possession he was buried with.

What if there's another inside
that no one knows about?

[GASPS]

The medallion.

This way.

They're in the crypt,
down there.

[COPS TALKING INDISTINCTLY]

POLICE: In your position.

Behind you.

POLICE: Come out now!

We'll break down
the door.

[COP GRUNTING]

[HEAVY THUDDING]

Now what?

[BREATHING HEAVY]

No visions
of the assassin, nothing.

Great. Here we are stuck in
a tomb with legions of men

with guns outside the door

and the bloody
thing doesn't work.

[THUDDING]

NIGEL: Look, let's just
open up and we'll say,

"The poet made me do it."

The poet.

What were the exact words
that the poem used?

"The Fox shall hunt the 1600

and its light shall
save the hound".

"Light will save
the hound".

[THUDDING CONTINUES]

SYDNEY: It's illuminating
certain words and phrases.

A hidden message.

[THUDDING CONTINUES]

Stop this!
Please, stop this!

There has to be some other
way of doing this, please.

Get the counter
insurgency package.

Go. Go!

"The British will
bow to the hound".

Bow to the hound. Bow...
Bow to the hound.

Who gets bowed to?

BOTH: Royalty!

The target's a member
of the royal family.

Okay. The assassin...

Come on.

NIGEL: "The hound killed
by the cobra."

Cobra, what does that mean?
I don't know.

Maybe it's a code name.

Maybe. Maybe,
Watson will know.

NIGEL: They're cutting
through.

Okay.

[PHONE BEEPING]

Come on, give me a signal,
give me a signal.

Okay, I've got a signal.

[CELL PHONE RINGING]

Sydney Fox.

Put her on conference.

Professor Fox?

Watson, we've got it.

WATSON: The medallion?

The target is a member of
the British royal family.

The assassin?

SYDNEY: The assassin is
someone called the cobra.

We think it's a code name.

Watson, you are
the cobra.

SYDNEY: You know, Watson,
we're stuck in a vault

with a bunch of French
security guys outside.

Can you call them off?

Don't worry, Professor Fox.

Just hand yourselves
over to the authorities.

I'll take care of everything.

POLICE: Go!

SECRETARY: Sir?

I need to get
to the peace conference, ASAP.

Yes, sir.

[PEOPLE TALKING INDISTINCTLY]

Look, whatever member
of the royal family

is here is going
to be assassinated.

And your proof
is a 16th century curse?

It's a prophecy,
actually.

[MAN WHISPERING]

As I've said, you
have my cell phone.

Contact MI5,
speak to Agent Watson.

Well, I am MI5.

We've just checked
with London.

They say they know
nothing about you.

Well, maybe he's top
security clearance.

Anyway, the man
we were working

with is named
Agent Watson.

The session ends
in about an hour.

We'll get to the bottom
of things then.

It'll be too late by then.

What does he mean he doesn't
know anything about us?

Oh, working on
a need to know basis.

The left hand doesn't know
what the right hand is doing.

At least we've still
got the medallion.

All we have to do is
figure a way out of here,

get someone to listen to us.

Looks like the conference
is taking place

on the East side
of the building.

Uh, huh.

GUARD: Checkpoint 2,
this is 873,

I have a visual on
the vehicle, over.

I'm afraid I'm going
to have to ask

to see some identification.

Okay, everything seems
to be in order.

Thank you.

The conference
is just breaking up.

[ENGINE ROARING]

Watson. We're saved.

Right.

NIGEL: Watson, thank
god you're here.

Sorry it took so long.

French red tape is even more
complicated than our own.

That name that we got
you, did it pan out?

No, no, but our
security people think

They've got everything
under control.

WATSON: In the meantime,

I'll transport you back
to Paris personally.

In the bird.
What?

Whirly-bird. Nickname
for helicopters,

like the one that
delivered you here.

"Ruin will fall on
a man of greatness

and a bird will deliver
the hunter".

That's the poem that
you gave us, right?

NIGEL: What are you
saying? He's the cobra?

It all makes sense,
doesn't it?

SYDNEY: You didn't put us on

this to stop
the assassination plot.

All you wanted
was the medallion.

I really didn't believe,
you know.

But I told the truth when

I said I don't
take any chances.

NIGEL: Wait a minute,

we were being flown out
of here a minute ago.

How did we get
back to this?

What is it about?
Politics?

Politics.
[SMIRKING]

I've dabbled in politics
in my time

and I've chased the money.

Let me tell you,
the money wins every time.

Aren't you just...
Hey.

Aren't you just a little
afraid of the medallion?

It may have predicted
the future,

but I'm not sure I'm
ready to believe in curses.

Who said anything
about the curse?

[GROANING]
[SILENCED GUNSHOT]

[GRUNTS]

Device, put it down.

No, arrest him.

He's trying to kill
the prince.

Agent Watson.
She attacked me.

No, I found this on him.

It's the device that
he was going to use

to detonate a bomb
to kill the prince.

We'll sort it out once
you put the device down.

Now!

Miss, I'm only going
to ask you once.

Give it to me. It may
have a hidden activator.

No, the prince is coming
to his car right now.

[GROANING]

All right, now you
can arrest me.

This is red leader.

Return home to Nexus 3.
We're going code delta.

For your sake, you
better be right.

They found 10 kilos of C4,
wired to explode.

We've secured it
and the threat is over.

Thanks for your help.

[KNOCKING]

Do you hear that?

[MUFFLED YELLING]

[PEOPLE TALKING INDISTINCTLY]

[MUFFLED YELLING CONTINUES]

SYDNEY: Castillo?

How...

You know what, Nigel,

I think this is definitely

a need to know situation.

I guess someone was
looking out for us.

Hey, so now we're even.

I scooped you,

you scooped me.

You must admit we worked
pretty well together,

finding the medallion
and saving the prince.

Actually, Castillo,

Nigel and I found the medallion
and we saved the prince.

Details!

I still think we
made good partners.

What, like in Jakarta?

Or like at that monastery
in Langrune-Sur-Mer?

Professor Fox.

Deja vu.

We've turned Agent Watson
over to the authorities.

In light of the murder
of his superior,

they were very eager
to get him into custody.

His version of Nostradamus'
curse is just beginning.

Speaking of the prophets,

the... Ummm...

Oh. Right.

It's gone.

What?

The medallion,
it's gone.

CASTILLO: A likely story.

Don't look at me.

It was in here
when I left Cordier.

Where could it be?

[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]